The Cultivation of <i>Arabidopsis </i>for Experimental Research Using Commercially Available Peat-Based and Peat-Free Growing Media

Experimental research involving Arabidopsis thaliana often involves the quantification of phenotypic traits during cultivation on compost or other growing media. Many commercially-available growing media contain peat, but peat extraction is not sustainable due to its very slow rate of formation. Moreover, peat extraction reduces peatland biodiversity and releases stored carbon and methane into the atmosphere. Here, we compared the experimental performance of Arabidopsis on peat-based and several types of commercially-available peat-free growing media (variously formed from coir, composted bark, wood-fibre, and domestic compost), to provide guidance for reducing peat use in plant sciences research with Arabidopsis. Arabidopsis biomass accumulation and seed yield were reduced by cultivation on several types of peat-free growing media. Arabidopsis performed extremely poorly on coir alone, presumably because this medium was completely nitrate-free. Some peat-free growing media were more susceptible to fungal contamination. We found that autoclaving of control (peat-based) growing media had no effect upon any physiological parameters that we examined, compared with non-autoclaved control growing media, under our experimental conditions. Overall, we conclude that Arabidopsis performs best when cultivated on peat-based growing media because seed yield was almost always reduced when peat-free media were used. This may be because standard laboratory protocols and growth conditions for Arabidopsis are optimized for peat-based media. However, during the vegetative growth phase several phenotypic traits were comparable between plants cultivated on peat-based and some peat-free media, suggesting that under certain circumstances peat-free media can be suitable for phenotypic analysis of Arabidopsis

Multi-centre randomised controlled trial of a smartphone-based event recorder alongside standard care versus standard care for patients presenting to the Emergency Department with palpitations and pre-syncope: the IPED (Investigation of Palpitations in the ED) Study.

Patients with palpitations and pre-syncope commonly present to Emergency Departments (EDs) but underlying rhythm diagnosis is often not possible during the initial presentation. This trial compares the symptomatic rhythm detection rate of a smartphone-based event recorder (AliveCor) alongside standard care versus standard care alone, for participants presenting to the ED with palpitations and pre-syncope with no obvious cause evident at initial consultation

Enteric Pathogens in Stored Drinking Water and on Caregiver's Hands in Tanzanian Households with and without Reported Cases of Child Diarrhea.

Diarrhea is one of the leading causes of mortality in young children. Diarrheal pathogens are transmitted via the fecal-oral route, and for children the majority of this transmission is thought to occur within the home. However, very few studies have documented enteric pathogens within households of low-income countries. The presence of molecular markers for three enteric viruses (enterovirus, adenovirus, and rotavirus), seven Escherichia coli virulence genes (ECVG), and human-specific Bacteroidales was assessed in hand rinses and household stored drinking water in Bagamoyo, Tanzania. Using a matched case-control study design, we examined the relationship between contamination of hands and water with these markers and child diarrhea. We found that the presence of ECVG in household stored water was associated with a significant decrease in the odds of a child within the home having diarrhea (OR = 0.51; 95% confidence interval 0.27-0.93). We also evaluated water management and hygiene behaviors. Recent hand contact with water or food was positively associated with detection of enteric pathogen markers on hands, as was relatively lower volumes of water reportedly used for daily hand washing. Enteropathogen markers in stored drinking water were more likely found among households in which the markers were also detected on hands, as well as in households with unimproved water supply and sanitation infrastructure. The prevalence of enteric pathogen genes and the human-specific Bacteroidales fecal marker in stored water and on hands suggests extensive environmental contamination within homes both with and without reported child diarrhea. Better stored water quality among households with diarrhea indicates caregivers with sick children may be more likely to ensure safe drinking water in the home. Interventions to increase the quantity of water available for hand washing, and to improve food hygiene, may reduce exposure to enteric pathogens in the domestic environment

COVID-19 symptoms at hospital admission vary with age and sex: results from the ISARIC prospective multinational observational study

Background: The ISARIC prospective multinational observational study is the largest cohort of hospitalized patients with COVID-19. We present relationships of age, sex, and nationality to presenting symptoms. Methods: International, prospective observational study of 60 109 hospitalized symptomatic patients with laboratory-confirmed COVID-19 recruited from 43 countries between 30 January and 3 August 2020. Logistic regression was performed to evaluate relationships of age and sex to published COVID-19 case definitions and the most commonly reported symptoms. Results: ‘Typical’ symptoms of fever (69%), cough (68%) and shortness of breath (66%) were the most commonly reported. 92% of patients experienced at least one of these. Prevalence of typical symptoms was greatest in 30- to 60-year-olds (respectively 80, 79, 69%; at least one 95%). They were reported less frequently in children (≤ 18 years: 69, 48, 23; 85%), older adults (≥ 70 years: 61, 62, 65; 90%), and women (66, 66, 64; 90%; vs. men 71, 70, 67; 93%, each P &lt; 0.001). The most common atypical presentations under 60 years of age were nausea and vomiting and abdominal pain, and over 60 years was confusion. Regression models showed significant differences in symptoms with sex, age and country. Interpretation: This international collaboration has allowed us to report reliable symptom data from the largest cohort of patients admitted to hospital with COVID-19. Adults over 60 and children admitted to hospital with COVID-19 are less likely to present with typical symptoms. Nausea and vomiting are common atypical presentations under 30 years. Confusion is a frequent atypical presentation of COVID-19 in adults over 60 years. Women are less likely to experience typical symptoms than men

Drake et al Study of Arabidopsis on peat-free growing media

Data arising from a study of the performance of Arabidopsis thaliana on peat-based and peat-free growing media. Data are published in Drake et al. The cultivation of Arabidopsis for experimental research using commercially available peat-based and peat-free growing media. (2016) PLoS One. Please note: this dataset is made available under a Creative Commons Attribution (CC-BY) license, rather than the global repository license

Drake et al Study of Arabidopsis on peat-free growing media

Data arising from a study of the performance of Arabidopsis thaliana on peat-based and peat-free growing media. Data are published in Drake et al. The cultivation of Arabidopsis for experimental research using commercially available peat-based and peat-free growing media. (2016) PLoS One. Please note: this dataset is made available under a Creative Commons Attribution (CC-BY) license, rather than the global repository license

Accuracy of body composition measurement techniques across the age-span

This study investigated the acceptable accuracy of common body composition techniques compared with the reference 4-compartment (4C-R) model, which has not been investigated in a sample with diverse characteristics, including age and sex. Techniques included components of the 4C-R model [dual-energy x-ray absorptiometry (DXA), air displacement plethysmography (ADP), deuterium dilution (DD)] and surrogate compartment-models, which utilized bioelectrical impedance spectroscopy (BIS) rather than DD. Men and women (sex=1:1, 18-85 years, n=90) completed body composition testing under best-practice guidance. For measurement of individuals, only the reference 3-compartment (3C-R) equation met acceptable error limits (The accepted manuscript in pdf format is listed with the files at the bottom of this page. The presentation of the authors' names and (or) special characters in the title of the manuscript may differ slightly between what is listed on this page and what is listed in the pdf file of the accepted manuscript; that in the pdf file of the accepted manuscript is what was submitted by the author

Establishment of Arabidopsis seedlings on peat-based and peat-free growing media.

<p>The proportion of seedlings that continued to produce leaves after transfer from sterile culture to growing media was determined in two experimental repeats for (a) Col-0 and (b) L. <i>er</i>. backgrounds. The experiment included a comparison of native (N) and autoclaved (A) media. N = 12 per experimental repeat.</p

Representative images of Arabidopsis plants cultivated on each growing media.

<p>Images are to scale, colours are not calibrated between images, and were taken 11 days after transfer to growing media.</p

Chemical and physical properties of growing media compared in the study.

<p>(a) pH and nitrate composition and (b) phosphorus and potassium content of media (N = 4). (c) Water retention of growing media in the absence of plants, under our growing conditions (determined from two horticultural trays of 24 compartments each per growing media). (d) Particle size distribution of non-autoclaved growing media. (a, b, c) For each growing medium, N indicates native (non autoclaved) and A indicates that the medium was autoclaved.</p