Expression of a Cystatin Transgene in Eggplant Provides Resistance to Root-knot Nematode, Meloidogyne incognita

Root-knot nematodes (RKN) cause substantial yield decline in eggplant and sustainable management options to minimize crop damage due to nematodes are still limited. A number of genetic engineering strategies have been developed to disrupt the successful plant–nematode interactions. Among them, delivery of proteinase inhibitors from the plant to perturb nematode development and reproduction is arguably the most effective strategy. In the present study, transgenic eggplant expressing a modified rice cystatin (OC-IΔD86) gene under the control of the root-specific promoter, TUB-1, was generated to evaluate the genetically modified nematode resistance. Five putative transformants were selected through PCR and genomic Southern blot analysis. Expression of the cystatin transgene was confirmed in all the events using western blotting, ELISA and qPCR assay. Upon challenge inoculation, all the transgenic events exhibited a detrimental effect on RKN development and reproduction. The best transgenic line (a single copy event) showed 78.3% inhibition in reproductive success of RKN. Our results suggest that cystatins can play an important role for improving nematode resistance in eggplant and their deployment in gene pyramiding strategies with other proteinase inhibitors could ultimately enhance crop yield

Psychiatry out-of-hours: a focus group study of GPs' experiences in Norwegian casualty clinics

Background: For Norwegian general practitioners (GPs), acute treatment of mental illness and substance abuse are among the most commonly experienced emergency situations in out-of-hours primary healthcare. The largest share of acute referrals to emergency psychiatric wards occurs out-of-hours, and out-of-hours services are responsible for a disproportionately high share of compulsory referrals. Concerns exist regarding the quality of mental healthcare provided in the out-of-hours setting. The aim of this study was to explore which challenges GPs experience when providing emergency care out-of-hours to patients presenting problems related to mental illness or substance abuse. Methods: We conducted a qualitative study based on two individual interviews and six focus groups with purposively sampled GPs (totally 45 participants). The interviews were analysed successively in an editing style, using a thematic approach based on methodological descriptions by Charmaz and Malterud. Results: Safety and uncertainty were the dominating themes in the discussions. The threat to personal safety due to unpredictable patient behaviour was a central concern, and present security precautions in the out-of-hours services were questioned. The GPs expressed high levels of uncertainty in their work with patients presenting problems related to mental illness or substance abuse. The complexity of the problems presented, shortage of time, limited access to reliable information and limited range of interventions available during out-of-hours contributed to this uncertainty. Perceived access to second opinion seemed to have a major impact on subjectively experienced work stress. Conclusions: The GPs experienced out-of-hours psychiatry as a field with high levels of uncertainty and limited support to help them meet the experienced challenges. This might influence the quality of care provided. If the current organisation of emergency mental healthcare is to be kept, we need to provide GPs with a better support framework out-of-hours

Interactions between oilseed rape (Brassica napus L.) and cabbage stem flea beetle Psylliodes chrysocephala (L.)

Imperial Users onl

Predictors of challenging behaviour in people with intellectual disability

A range of factors have been associated with challenging behaviour in people with intellectual disability (ID). In general, the literature has been dominated by three approaches that have been proposed to explain the causes of challenging behaviour: applied behaviour analysis, biological factors, and psychiatric disorders. Although challenging behaviour has received substantial research attention, the research has been limited because of a focus on single causes. Focussing on only single causes of challenging behaviour provides only incomplete explanations because it fails to explore possible interactions between causes. The motivation of the current study was to address this limitation and use an approach that enabled investigation of potential interactions of various factors that had previously been identified in the literature as contributing to challenging behaviour. The aim of the research was, therefore, to determine the extent to which mental health, physical health, communication, learnt function of behaviour, severity of disability, living arrangement, age, and gender predicted challenging behaviour. Seventy-four adults with ID and their paid carers were recruited into the study. Data about each factor were collected using a combination of carer completed questionnaires and interviews, and direct observation and assessments of each participant with ID. For 12 participants, a second carer was recruited to provide inter-rater reliability data. Multiple measures were used for challenging behaviour, mental health, and learnt function of behaviour because of the paucity of sound measures appropriate for this population. The selection of one measure for mental health and learnt function of behaviour, for use in a multiple regression to address the research question, was based on inter-rater reliability and concurrent validity. Because many of the measures selected comprised subscale scores and in light of sample size requirements, the number of independent variables retained were reduced using further analyses. Based on these analyses, the variables retained as independent variables for multiple regression were severity of disability, Anxiety and Depressive scores, and Sensory, Escape and Attention scores. For challenging behaviour, a single measure could not be selected due to the shared variance across the measures. Factor analysis was, therefore, used to explore the underlying construct(s) being tapped. The results of the factor analysis revealed the presence of two components that were labelled contact and non-contact behaviours. The scores on these components were subsequently used as the dependent variables; hence two multiple regression equations were conducted. The results of the standard multiple regression revealed that contact behaviours were predicted by Anxiety scores and severity of disability: higher scores on contact behaviours were associated with more severe disability and higher Anxiety scores. In addition to severity of disability and Anxiety scores, non-contact behaviours were also predicted by Sensory scores: higher non-contact behaviours scores were associated with higher Anxiety scores, greater disability, and higher Sensory scores. These results indicate that challenging behaviour is influenced by a combination of factors. A recommendation based on these results is that a variety of factors be considered in formulations of possible reasons for challenging behaviour

Predictors of challenging behaviour in people with intellectual disability

A range of factors have been associated with challenging behaviour in people with intellectual disability (ID). In general, the literature has been dominated by three approaches that have been proposed to explain the causes of challenging behaviour: applied behaviour analysis, biological factors, and psychiatric disorders. Although challenging behaviour has received substantial research attention, the research has been limited because of a focus on single causes. Focussing on only single causes of challenging behaviour provides only incomplete explanations because it fails to explore possible interactions between causes. The motivation of the current study was to address this limitation and use an approach that enabled investigation of potential interactions of various factors that had previously been identified in the literature as contributing to challenging behaviour. The aim of the research was, therefore, to determine the extent to which mental health, physical health, communication, learnt function of behaviour, severity of disability, living arrangement, age, and gender predicted challenging behaviour. Seventy-four adults with ID and their paid carers were recruited into the study. Data about each factor were collected using a combination of carer completed questionnaires and interviews, and direct observation and assessments of each participant with ID. For 12 participants, a second carer was recruited to provide inter-rater reliability data. Multiple measures were used for challenging behaviour, mental health, and learnt function of behaviour because of the paucity of sound measures appropriate for this population. The selection of one measure for mental health and learnt function of behaviour, for use in a multiple regression to address the research question, was based on inter-rater reliability and concurrent validity. Because many of the measures selected comprised subscale scores and in light of sample size requirements, the number of independent variables retained were reduced using further analyses. Based on these analyses, the variables retained as independent variables for multiple regression were severity of disability, Anxiety and Depressive scores, and Sensory, Escape and Attention scores. For challenging behaviour, a single measure could not be selected due to the shared variance across the measures. Factor analysis was, therefore, used to explore the underlying construct(s) being tapped. The results of the factor analysis revealed the presence of two components that were labelled contact and non-contact behaviours. The scores on these components were subsequently used as the dependent variables; hence two multiple regression equations were conducted. The results of the standard multiple regression revealed that contact behaviours were predicted by Anxiety scores and severity of disability: higher scores on contact behaviours were associated with more severe disability and higher Anxiety scores. In addition to severity of disability and Anxiety scores, non-contact behaviours were also predicted by Sensory scores: higher non-contact behaviours scores were associated with higher Anxiety scores, greater disability, and higher Sensory scores. These results indicate that challenging behaviour is influenced by a combination of factors. A recommendation based on these results is that a variety of factors be considered in formulations of possible reasons for challenging behaviour