Characterizing the hypertensive cardiovascular phenotype in the UK Biobank

Aims: To describe hypertension-related cardiovascular magnetic resonance (CMR) phenotypes in the UK Biobank considering variations across patient populations. Methods and results: We studied 39 095 (51.5% women, mean age: 63.9 ± 7.7 years, 38.6% hypertensive) participants with CMR data available. Hypertension status was ascertained through health record linkage. Associations between hypertension and CMR metrics were estimated using multivariable linear regression adjusting for major vascular risk factors. Stratified analyses were performed by sex, ethnicity, time since hypertension diagnosis, and blood pressure (BP) control. Results are standardized beta coefficients, 95% confidence intervals, and P-values corrected for multiple testing. Hypertension was associated with concentric left ventricular (LV) hypertrophy (increased LV mass, wall thickness, concentricity index), poorer LV function (lower global function index, worse global longitudinal strain), larger left atrial (LA) volumes, lower LA ejection fraction, and lower aortic distensibility. Hypertension was linked to significantly lower myocardial native T1 and increased LV ejection fraction. Women had greater hypertension-related reduction in aortic compliance than men. The degree of hypertension-related LV hypertrophy was greatest in Black ethnicities. Increasing time since diagnosis of hypertension was linked to adverse remodelling. Hypertension-related remodelling was substantially attenuated in hypertensives with good BP control. Conclusion: Hypertension was associated with concentric LV hypertrophy, reduced LV function, dilated poorer functioning LA, and reduced aortic compliance. Whilst the overall pattern of remodelling was consistent across populations, women had greater hypertension-related reduction in aortic compliance and Black ethnicities showed the greatest LV mass increase. Importantly, adverse cardiovascular remodelling was markedly attenuated in hypertensives with good BP control

High resolution mapping of a novel late blight resistance gene Rpi-avll, from the wild Bolivian species Solanum avilesii

Both Mexico and South America are rich in Solanum species that might be valuable sources of resistance (R) genes to late blight (Phytophthora infestans). Here, we focus on an R gene present in the diploid Bolivian species S. avilesii. The genotype carrying the R gene was resistant to eight out of 10 Phytophthora isolates of various provenances. The identification of a resistant phenotype and the generation of a segregating population allowed the mapping of a single dominant R gene, Rpi-avl1, which is located in an R gene cluster on chromosome 11. This R gene cluster is considered as an R gene “hot spot”, containing R genes to at least five different pathogens. High resolution mapping of the Rpi-avl1 gene revealed a marker co-segregating in 3890 F1 individuals, which may be used for marker assisted selection in breeding programs and for further cloning of Rpi-avl

Information security: Listening to the perspective of organisational insiders

Aligned with the strategy-as-practice research tradition, this article investigates how organisational insiders understand and perceive their surrounding information security practices, how they interpret them, and how they turn such interpretations into strategic actions. The study takes a qualitative case study approach, and participants are employees at the Research & Development department of a multinational original brand manufacturer. The article makes an important contribution to organisational information security management. It addresses the behaviour of organisational insiders – a group whose role in the prevention, response and mitigation of information security incidents is critical. The article identifies a set of organisational insiders’ perceived components of effective information security practices (organisational mission statement; common understanding of information security; awareness of threats; knowledge of information security incidents, routines and policy; relationships between employees; circulation of stories; role of punishment provisions; and training), based on which more successful information security strategies can be developed

Wage insurance within German firms : do institutions matter?

Using a large linked employer-employee data set, this paper studies the extent to which employers insure workers against transitory and permanent firm-level shocks. Particular emphasis is given to the question of whether the amount of wage insurance depends on the nature of industrial relations. Adopting the identification strategy proposed by Guiso et al. (2005), it is shown that wage insurance is particularly apparent for individuals subject to collective wage agreements. While collective contracts alone are sufficient to fully insure workers against transitory shocks in small plants, they provide only partial insurance in medium-sized and large plants. At large employers, the joint existence of collective contracts and works councils helps to provide full insurance against transitory shocks, but provides only partial insurance against permanent shocks. This finding is consistent with the amount of insurance against permanent shocks being constrained by the possibility of considerable job losses and bankruptcy

Broad spectrum late blight resistance in potato differential set plants MaR8 and MaR9 is conferred by multiple stacked R genes

Phytophthora infestans is the causal agent of late blight in potato. The Mexican species Solanum demissum is well known as a good resistance source. Among the 11 R gene differentials, which were introgressed from S. demissum, especially R8 and R9 differentials showed broad spectrum resistance both under laboratory and under field conditions. In order to gather more information about the resistance of the R8 and R9 differentials, F1 and BC1 populations were made by crossing Mastenbroek (Ma) R8 and R9 clones to susceptible plants. Parents and offspring plants were examined for their pathogen recognition specificities using agroinfiltration with known Avr genes, detached leaf assays (DLA) with selected isolates, and gene-specific markers. An important observation was the discrepancy between DLA and field trial results for Pi isolate IPO-C in all F1 and BC1 populations, so therefore also field trial results were included in our characterization. It was shown that in MaR8 and MaR9, respectively, at least four (R3a, R3b, R4, and R8) and seven (R1, Rpi-abpt1, R3a, R3b, R4, R8, R9) R genes were present. Analysis of MaR8 and MaR9 offspring plants, that contained different combinations of multiple resistance genes, showed that R gene stacking contributed to the Pi recognition spectrum. Also, using a Pi virulence monitoring system in the field, it was shown that stacking of multiple R genes strongly delayed the onset of late blight symptoms. The contribution of R8 to this delay was remarkable since a plant that contained only the R8 resistance gene still conferred a delay similar to plants with multiple resistance genes, like, e.g., cv Sarpo Mira. Using this “de-stacking” approach, many R gene combinations can be made and tested in order to select broad spectrum R gene stacks that potentially provide enhanced durability for future application in new late blight resistant varieties