Targeted next-generation sequencing identification of mutations in disease resistance gene analogs (RGAs) in wild and cultivated beets

Resistance gene analogs (RGAs) were searched bioinformatically in the sugar beet (Beta vulgaris L.) genome as potential candidates for improving resistance against different diseases. In the present study, Ion Torrent sequencing technology was used to identify mutations in 21 RGAs. The DNA samples of ninety-six individuals from six sea beets (Beta vulgaris L. subsp. maritima) and six sugar beet pollinators (eight individuals each) were used for the discovery of single-nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs). Target amplicons of about 200 bp in length were designed with the Ion AmpliSeq Designer system in order to cover the DNA sequences of the RGAs. The number of SNPs ranged from 0 in four individuals to 278 in the pollinator R740 (which is resistant to rhizomania infection). Among different groups of beets, cytoplasmic male sterile lines had the highest number of SNPs (132) whereas the lowest number of SNPs belonged to O-types (95). The principal coordinates analysis (PCoA) showed that the polymorphisms inside the gene Bv8_184910_pkon (including the CCCTCC sequence) can effectively differentiate wild from cultivated beets, pointing at a possible mutation associated to rhizomania resistance that originated directly from cultivated beets. This is unlike other resistance sources that are introgressed from wild beets. This gene belongs to the receptor-like kinase (RLK) class of RGAs, and is associated to a hypothetical protein. In conclusion, this first report of using Ion Torrent sequencing technology in beet germplasm suggests that the identified sequence CCCTCC can be used in marker-assisted programs to differentiate wild from domestic beets and to identify other unknown disease resistance genes in beet

Hydrogen storage in metal-organic and covalent-organic frameworks by spillover

Covalent-organic framework COF-1 and metal-organic frameworks HKUST-1 and MIL-101 were synthesized and studied for hydrogen storage at 77 and 298 K. Although MIL-101 had the largest surface area and pore volume among the three materials, HKUST-1 had the highest uptake (2.28 wt %) at 77 K. However, the H 2 storage capacity at 298 K and high pressure correlated with the surface area and pore volume. The H 2 storage in the COF and MOF materials assisted by hydrogen spillover, measured at 298 K up to a pressure of 10 MPa, have been examined for correlations with their structural and surface features for the first time. By using our simple technique to build carbon bridges, the hydrogen uptakes at 298 K were enhanced significantly by a factor of 2.6–3.2. The net uptake by spillover was correlated to the heat of adsorption through the Langmuir constant. Results on water vapor adsorption at 298 K indicated that COF-1 was unstable in moist air, while HKUST-1 and MIL-101 were stable. The results suggested that MIL-101 could be a promising material for hydrogen storage because of its high heat of adsorption for spiltover hydrogen, large surface area and pore volume, and stability upon H 2 O adsorption. © 2007 American Institute of Chemical Engineers AIChE J, 2008Peer Reviewedhttp://deepblue.lib.umich.edu/bitstream/2027.42/57505/1/11362_ftp.pd

Resonant CP Violation due to Heavy Neutrinos at the LHC

The observed light neutrinos may be related to the existence of new heavy neutrinos in the spectrum of the SM. If a pair of heavy neutrinos has nearly degenerate masses, then CP violation from the interference between tree-level and self-energy graphs can be resonantly enhanced. We explore the possibility of observing CP asymmetries due to this mechanism at the LHC. We consider a pair of heavy neutrinos N_{1,2} with masses ranging from 100 to 500 GeV and a mass-splitting \Delta m_N = m_{N_2}-m_{N_1} comparable to their widths \Gamma_{N_{1,2}}. We find that for \Delta m_N ~ \Gamma_{N_{1,2}}, the resulting CP asymmetries can be very large or even maximal and therefore, could potentially be observed at the LHC.Comment: 25 pages,LaTeX, typo in (4.22) correcte

Redox proteomics of the inflammatory secretome identifies a common set of redoxins and other glutathionylated proteins released in inflammation, influenza virus infection and oxidative stress

Protein cysteines can form transient disulfides with glutathione (GSH), resulting in the production of glutathionylated proteins, and this process is regarded as a mechanism by which the redox state of the cell can regulate protein function. Most studies on redox regulation of immunity have focused on intracellular proteins. In this study we have used redox proteomics to identify those proteins released in glutathionylated form by macrophages stimulated with lipopolysaccharide (LPS) after pre-loading the cells with biotinylated GSH. Of the several proteins identified in the redox secretome, we have selected a number for validation. Proteomic analysis indicated that LPS stimulated the release of peroxiredoxin (PRDX) 1, PRDX2, vimentin (VIM), profilin1 (PFN1) and thioredoxin 1 (TXN1). For PRDX1 and TXN1, we were able to confirm that the released protein is glutathionylated. PRDX1, PRDX2 and TXN1 were also released by the human pulmonary epithelial cell line, A549, infected with influenza virus. The release of the proteins identified was inhibited by the anti-inflammatory glucocorticoid, dexamethasone (DEX), which also inhibited tumor necrosis factor (TNF)-α release, and by thiol antioxidants (N-butanoyl GSH derivative, GSH-C4, and N-acetylcysteine (NAC), which did not affect TNF-α production. The proteins identified could be useful as biomarkers of oxidative stress associated with inflammation, and further studies will be required to investigate if the extracellular forms of these proteins has immunoregulatory functions

A cluster randomized controlled trial of a clinical pathway for hospital treatment of heart failure: study design and population

<p>Abstract</p> <p>Background</p> <p>The hospital treatment of heart failure frequently does not follow published guidelines, potentially contributing to the high morbidity, mortality and economic cost of this disorder. Consequently the development of clinical pathways has the potential to reduce the current variability in care, enhance guideline adherence, and improve outcomes for patients. Despite enthusiasm and diffusion, the widespread acceptance of clinical pathways remain questionable because very little prospective controlled data demonstrated their effectiveness. The Experimental Prospective Study on the Effectiveness and Efficiency of the Implementation of Clinical Pathways was designed in order to conduct a rigorous evaluation of clinical pathways in hospital treatment of acute heart failure. The primary objective of the trial was to evaluate the effectiveness of the implementation of clinical pathways for hospital treatment of heart failure in Italian hospitals.</p> <p>Methods/design</p> <p>Two-arm, cluster-randomized trial. 14 community hospitals were randomized either to arm 1 (clinical pathway: appropriate use of practice guidelines and supplies of drugs and ancillary services, new organization and procedures, patient education, etc.) or to arm 2 (no intervention, usual care). 424 patients sample (212 in each group), 80% of power at the 5% significance level (two-sided). The primary outcome measure is in-hospital mortality. We will also analyze the impact of the clinical pathways comparing the length and the appropriateness of the stay, the rate of unscheduled readmissions, the customers' satisfaction and the costs treating the patients with the pathways and with the current practice along all the observation period. The quality of the care will be assessed by monitoring the use of diagnostic and therapeutic procedures during hospital stay and by measuring key quality indicators at discharge.</p> <p>Discussion</p> <p>This paper examines the design of the evaluation of a complex intervention. Since clinical pathways are made up of various interconnecting parts we have chosen the cluster-randomized controlled trial because is widely accepted as the most reliable method of determining effectiveness when measuring cost-effectiveness in real practice.</p> <p>Trial Registration</p> <p>ClinicalTrials.gov ID [NCT00519038]</p

Synthesis of metal-organic frameworks by continuous flow

A continuous flow process for the synthesis of a metal-organic framework using only water as the reaction medium and requiring only short residence times is described. This affords a new route to scale-up of materials incorporating many of the principles of green chemistry. The process is demonstrated by the synthesis MIL-53(Al) via continuous flow reaction requiring only 5-6 minutes with a space time yield of 1300 kg m-3 d-1. We have demonstrated the synthesis of 500 g of MIL-53(Al) using this process, which can be scaled-up further by simply feeding further solutions of metal salt and ligand through the reactor. The product has a higher surface area and a better colour than a commercially produced sample of this MOF. In addition, a new and effective method for the extraction of terephthalic acid from within the pores of MIL-53(Al) using supercritical ethanol has been developed, representing a new methodology for activation and removal of substrates from porous hosts

E,Z-Stereodivergent synthesis of N-tosyl α,β-dehydroamino esters via a Mukaiyama-Michael addition

The stereodivergent synthesis of N-tosyl α,β-dehydroamino esters via a Mukaiyama-Michael addition is reported. The reaction of silylketene acetals with N-tosylimines derived from β,γ-unsaturated α-keto esters in dichloromethane provided the corresponding (Z)-α,β-dehydroamino esters while the (E)-isomers were obtained when the reaction was carried out in the presence of 10 mol% copper(II) triflate