Plant regeneration through indirect organogenesis of chestnut (Castanea sativa Mill.)

To establish an effective protocol for plant regeneration through indirect organogenesis, effects of explants type, culture media and plant growth regulators on callus induction and shoot regeneration of chestnut (Castanea sativa Mill.) were investigated. Three different explants (root, nodal and internodal segment), two different media [Murashige and Skoog medium (MS) and Gamborg's B5 (B5)] and different plant growth regulators (6-benzylaminopurine (BA), thidiazuron (TDZ), indole-3-butyric acid (IBA) and indole-3-acetic acid (IAA)) with different concentration (0.2, 0.5, 1 and 1.5 mgL-1) for shoot and root induction were chosen. The results show that nodal segment was the best explant for callus induction (69.4%) when cultured on MS medium supplemented with 1 mgL-1 TDZ and MS was the best medium to induce callus formation (74.6%). The highest shoot multiplication (66.9%) was observed on MS medium with 0.2 mgL-1 TDZ. Regenerated shoots were rooted in vitro on MS containing 1.5 mgL-1 IBA. Also, plantlets with well developed root and shoot systems were acclimatized inside the green house and 80% of the plantlets survived on transfer to garden soil. This protocol provides a basis for future studies on genetic improvement.Key words: Chestnut, node, internode segment, indirect organogenesis, callus formation, shoot regeneration

Genetic diversity of castanea sativa an endangered species in the hyrcanian forest

Mill. is one of the most endangered tree species in Iran where it is represented by small fragmented populations in the north of the country. 18 simple sequence repeat (SSR) loci (10 nuclear and 8 chloroplastic) were used to evaluate the genetic diversity and population structure of from the Hyrcanian forest. For nuclear SSR, the number of alleles detected per locus ranged from 1 to 5 and observed heterozygosity (H) was between 0.125 and 1.000. Analysis of molecular variance (AMOVA) indicated a high level of variation within populations (84%) and low levels between populations (16%). Based on structure analysis, the four studied populations were divided into two main clusters that have genetic distance Fâ=â0.3. The Shafaroud population was separated in the first cluster, Siyahmazgi, Qalehroudkhan and Veysroud were placed in the second cluster. The UPGMA analysis confirmed the results of Structure analysis, separating the Shafaroud population from the others. The 8 chloroplast SSR loci used to screen the populations showed no polymorphism. In General, low nuclear genetic diversity, no polymorphism in cpDNA and considerable genetic differentiation among populations in short geographical distance represent a serious genetic erosion threat for in the Hyrcanian forest, even hinting at an ongoing extinction vortex. Therefore, due to significant decline in genetic diversity, it is essential to introduce constraints protection upon the areas of distribution of all four populations of this species in Iran.Castanea sativaC. sativaOstC. sativ

Survey of CT radiation doses and iodinated contrast medium administration: an international multicentric study

ObjectiveTo assess the relationship between intravenous iodinated contrast media (ICM) administration usage and radiation doses for contrast-enhanced (CE) CT of head, chest, and abdomen-pelvis (AP) in international, multicenter settings. MethodsOur international (n = 16 countries), multicenter (n = 43 sites), and cross-sectional (ConRad) study had two parts. Part 1: Redcap survey with questions on information related to CT and ICM manufacturer/brand and respective protocols. Part 2: Information on 3,258 patients (18-96 years; M:F 1654:1604) who underwent CECT for a routine head (n = 456), chest (n = 528), AP (n = 599), head CT angiography (n = 539), pulmonary embolism (n = 599), and liver CT examinations (n = 537) at 43 sites across five continents. The following information was recorded: hospital name, patient age, gender, body mass index [BMI], clinical indications, scan parameters (number of scan phases, kV), IV-contrast information (concentration, volume, flow rate, and delay), and dose indices (CTDIvol and DLP). ResultsMost routine chest (58.4%) and AP (68.7%) CECT exams were performed with 2-4 scan phases with fixed scan delay (chest 71.4%; AP 79.8%, liver CECT 50.7%) following ICM administration. Most sites did not change kV across different patients and scan phases; most CECT protocols were performed at 120-140 kV (83%, 1979/2685). There were no significant differences between radiation doses for non-contrast (CTDIvol 24 [16-30] mGy; DLP 633 [414-702] mGycm) and post-contrast phases (22 [19-27] mGy; 648 [392-694] mGycm) (p = 0.142). Sites that used bolus tracking for chest and AP CECT had lower CTDIvol than sites with fixed scan delays (p < 0.001). There was no correlation between BMI and CTDIvol (r2 <= - 0.1 to 0.1, p = 0.931). ConclusionOur study demonstrates up to ten-fold variability in ICM injection protocols and radiation doses across different CT protocols. The study emphasizes the need for optimizing CT scanning and contrast protocols to reduce unnecessary contrast and radiation exposure to patients. Clinical relevance statementThe wide variability and lack of standardization of ICM media and radiation doses in CT protocols suggest the need for education and optimization of contrast usage and scan factors for optimizing image quality in CECT

Evidence of Oocyte Polarity in Bovine; Implications for Intracytoplasmic Sperm Injection and Somatic Cell Nuclear Transfer

Objective: We recently demonstrated spatial regionalization of maternal transcripts and proteins within unfertilized ovine oocyte. Here, we investigated the likelihood of oocyte polarity for the first time in bovine. Materials and Methods: In this experimental study, in vitro matured bovine oocytes were used for manual bisection [into oocyte halve that were near-to (HNS) and far-from (FS) spindle] or trisection [into MII-spindle (S), the spindle-side half (NS), and the distal half unassociated with the spindle (FS)]. Prepared pools of oocyte substructures were used for comparative quantitative real-time polymerase chain reaction (RT-qPCR). To map the possible preferential sperm entry point (SEP), the spatial relationship between SEP and MII-spindle was measured 5 hours post-fertilization. Results: The proportional amount of maternal mRNA in S oocyte fragment was estimated to be 6 to 11-fold higher than NS and FS counterparts. The relative abundances of Nanog, Oct4, Fgf4 and Tead4 were significantly higher in HNS oocyte fragment compared t0 FS. The relative abundances of Ctnb, Carm1, Rex1, Sox2 and Cdx2 were comparable between HNS and NS oocyte fragments. FS oocyte fragment possessed significantly higher transcripts of Gata4 compared to HNS. The distribution of certain transcripts related to pluripotency and lineage commitment were different depending upon the region of the oocyte; either enriched at S (Tead4, Nanog, Ctnb and Sox2), NS (Oct4), or FS (Gata6). The SEP in almost (90%) fertilized oocytes was located in MII-hemisphere. Conclusion: The observation of spatial restriction of mRNAs and SEP within MII-oocyte may indicate that the principal forces of oocyte polarity are evolutionary conserved. This may in turn highlight the need for refinements in the methodology of intracytoplasmic sperm injection (where a sperm is injected far from the MII-spindle) and somatic cell nuclear transfer (where a major amount of regulative mRNAs that are associated with MIIspindle is removed during enucleation)

A Fresh look at the male-specific region of the human Y chromosome

The Chromosome-centric Human Proteome Project (C-HPP) aims to systematically map the entire human proteome with the intent to enhance our understanding of human biology at the cellular level. This project attempts simultaneously to establish a sound basis for the development of diagnostic, prognostic, therapeutic, and preventive medical applications. In Iran, current efforts focus on mapping the proteome of the human Y chromosome. The male-specific region of the Y chromosome (MSY) is unique in many aspects and comprises 95% of the chromosome's length. The MSY continually retains its haploid state and is full of repeated sequences. It is responsible for important biological roles such as sex determination and male fertility. Here, we present the most recent update of MSY protein-encoding genes and their association with various traits and diseases including sex determination and reversal, spermatogenesis and male infertility, cancers such as prostate cancers, sex-specific effects on the brain and behavior, and graft-versus-host disease. We also present information available from RNA sequencing, protein-protein interaction, post-translational modification of MSY protein-coding genes and their implications in biological systems. An overview of Human Y chromosome Proteome Project is presented and a systematic approach is suggested to ensure that at least one of each predicted protein-coding gene's major representative proteins will be characterized in the context of its major anatomical sites of expression, its abundance, and its functional relevance in a biological and/or medical context. There are many technical and biological issues that will need to be overcome in order to accomplish the full scale mapping.17 page(s

A Fresh Look at the Male-specific Region of the Human Y Chromosome

The Chromosome-centric Human Proteome Project (C-HPP) aims to systematically map the entire human proteome with the intent to enhance our understanding of human biology at the cellular level. This project attempts simultaneously to establish a sound basis for the development of diagnostic, prognostic, therapeutic, and preventive medical applications. In Iran, current efforts focus on mapping the proteome of the human Y chromosome. The male-specific region of the Y chromosome (MSY) is unique in many aspects and comprises 95% of the chromosome’s length. The MSY continually retains its haploid state and is full of repeated sequences. It is responsible for important biological roles such as sex determination and male fertility. Here, we present the most recent update of MSY protein-encoding genes and their association with various traits and diseases including sex determination and reversal, spermatogenesis and male infertility, cancers such as prostate cancers, sex-specific effects on the brain and behavior, and graft-versus-host disease. We also present information available from RNA sequencing, protein–protein interaction, post-translational modification of MSY protein-coding genes and their implications in biological systems. An overview of Human Y chromosome Proteome Project is presented and a systematic approach is suggested to ensure that at least one of each predicted protein-coding gene's major representative proteins will be characterized in the context of its major anatomical sites of expression, its abundance, and its functional relevance in a biological and/or medical context. There are many technical and biological issues that will need to be overcome in order to accomplish the full scale mapping

A Fresh Look at the Male-specific Region of the Human Y Chromosome

The Chromosome-centric Human Proteome Project (C-HPP) aims to systematically map the entire human proteome with the intent to enhance our understanding of human biology at the cellular level. This project attempts simultaneously to establish a sound basis for the development of diagnostic, prognostic, therapeutic, and preventive medical applications. In Iran, current efforts focus on mapping the proteome of the human Y chromosome. The male-specific region of the Y chromosome (MSY) is unique in many aspects and comprises 95% of the chromosome’s length. The MSY continually retains its haploid state and is full of repeated sequences. It is responsible for important biological roles such as sex determination and male fertility. Here, we present the most recent update of MSY protein-encoding genes and their association with various traits and diseases including sex determination and reversal, spermatogenesis and male infertility, cancers such as prostate cancers, sex-specific effects on the brain and behavior, and graft-versus-host disease. We also present information available from RNA sequencing, protein–protein interaction, post-translational modification of MSY protein-coding genes and their implications in biological systems. An overview of Human Y chromosome Proteome Project is presented and a systematic approach is suggested to ensure that at least one of each predicted protein-coding gene's major representative proteins will be characterized in the context of its major anatomical sites of expression, its abundance, and its functional relevance in a biological and/or medical context. There are many technical and biological issues that will need to be overcome in order to accomplish the full scale mapping

A Fresh Look at the Male-specific Region of the Human Y Chromosome

The Chromosome-centric Human Proteome Project (C-HPP) aims to systematically map the entire human proteome with the intent to enhance our understanding of human biology at the cellular level. This project attempts simultaneously to establish a sound basis for the development of diagnostic, prognostic, therapeutic, and preventive medical applications. In Iran, current efforts focus on mapping the proteome of the human Y chromosome. The male-specific region of the Y chromosome (MSY) is unique in many aspects and comprises 95% of the chromosome’s length. The MSY continually retains its haploid state and is full of repeated sequences. It is responsible for important biological roles such as sex determination and male fertility. Here, we present the most recent update of MSY protein-encoding genes and their association with various traits and diseases including sex determination and reversal, spermatogenesis and male infertility, cancers such as prostate cancers, sex-specific effects on the brain and behavior, and graft-versus-host disease. We also present information available from RNA sequencing, protein–protein interaction, post-translational modification of MSY protein-coding genes and their implications in biological systems. An overview of Human Y chromosome Proteome Project is presented and a systematic approach is suggested to ensure that at least one of each predicted protein-coding gene's major representative proteins will be characterized in the context of its major anatomical sites of expression, its abundance, and its functional relevance in a biological and/or medical context. There are many technical and biological issues that will need to be overcome in order to accomplish the full scale mapping

The CMS Statistical Analysis and Combination Tool: COMBINE

International audienceThis paper describes the COMBINE software package used for statistical analyses by the CMS Collaboration. The package, originally designed to perform searches for a Higgs boson and the combined analysis of those searches, has evolved to become the statistical analysis tool presently used in the majority of measurements and searches performed by the CMS Collaboration. It is not specific to the CMS experiment, and this paper is intended to serve as a reference for users outside of the CMS Collaboration, providing an outline of the most salient features and capabilities. Readers are provided with the possibility to run COMBINE and reproduce examples provided in this paper using a publicly available container image. Since the package is constantly evolving to meet the demands of ever-increasing data sets and analysis sophistication, this paper cannot cover all details of COMBINE. However, the online documentation referenced within this paper provides an up-to-date and complete user guide