Physicochemical and functional characteristics of peach cv. Esmeralda fertilized with different doses of nitrogen

The aim of this study was to evaluate the physicochemical and functional characteristics of fruits yielded bypeach trees which were fertilized with different doses of nitrogen. The experiment, which was installed in 2014.It had a randomized complete block design with four replicates. The nitrogen rates applied were 0, 40, 80,120, and 160 kg N per hectare. Fruits were harvested in four crops in a row (2014, 2015, 2016, and 2017). Theparameters were evaluated: soluble solids, pH, titratable acidity, epidermis and pulp firmness, attributes of pulpcolor, carotenoids, phenolic compounds, and antioxidant activity. Responses were only related to luminosity inthe first crop. However, N fertilization influenced not only the soluble solid content, pH and chroma in the secondcrop but also all attributes of color in the third crop. SS, pH, ºHue and chroma differed among treatments inthe fourth crop. The more N in the first three crops, the more carotenoids. Phenolic compounds decreasedsignificantly in the 2016 crop whereas antioxidant activity diminished in both the 2015 and 2016 crops. Eventhough an ideal dose of N cannot be recommended due to high variation in attributes in the years underevaluation, it is needed because of other factors, such as weat her.The aim of this study was to evaluate the physicochemical and functional characteristics of fruits yielded bypeach trees which were fertilized with different doses of nitrogen. The experiment, which was installed in 2014.It had a randomized complete block design with four replicates. The nitrogen rates applied were 0, 40, 80,120, and 160 kg N per hectare. Fruits were harvested in four crops in a row (2014, 2015, 2016, and 2017). Theparameters were evaluated: soluble solids, pH, titratable acidity, epidermis and pulp firmness, attributes of pulpcolor, carotenoids, phenolic compounds, and antioxidant activity. Responses were only related to luminosity inthe first crop. However, N fertilization influenced not only the soluble solid content, pH and chroma in the secondcrop but also all attributes of color in the third crop. SS, pH, ºHue and chroma differed among treatments inthe fourth crop. The more N in the first three crops, the more carotenoids. Phenolic compounds decreasedsignificantly in the 2016 crop whereas antioxidant activity diminished in both the 2015 and 2016 crops. Eventhough an ideal dose of N cannot be recommended due to high variation in attributes in the years underevaluation, it is needed because of other factors, such as weat her

Insufficient access to harm reduction measures in prisons in 5 countries (PRIDE Europe): a shared European public health concern

Background: Prisoners constitute a high-risk population, particularly for infectious diseases. The aim of this study was to estimate the level of infectious risk in the prisons of five different European countries by measuring to what extent the prison system adheres to WHO/UNODC recommendations. Methods: Following the methodology used in a previous French survey, a postal/electronic questionnaire was sent to all prisons in Austria, Belgium, Denmark and Italy to collect data on the availability of several recommended HIV-HCV prevention interventions and HBV vaccination for prisoners. A score was built to compare adherence to WHO/UNODC recommendations (considered a proxy of environmental infectious risk) in those 4 countries. It ranged from 0 (no adherence) to 12 (full adherence). A second score (0 to 9) was built to include data from a previous French survey, thereby creating a 5-country comparison. Results: A majority of prisons answered in Austria (100 %), France (66 %) and Denmark (58 %), half in Belgium (50 %) and few in Italy (17 %), representing 100, 74, 89, 47 and 23 % coverage of the prison populations, respectively. Availability of prevention measures was low, with median adherence scores ranging from 3.5 to 4.5 at the national level. These results were confirmed when using the second score which included France in the inter-country comparison. Overall, the adherence score was inversely associated with prison overpopulation rates (p = 0.08). Conclusions: Using a score of adherence to WHO/UNODC recommendations, the estimated environmental infectious risk remains extremely high in the prisons of the 5 European countries assessed. Public health strategies should be adjusted to comply with the principle of equivalence of care and prevention with the general community

Nutrient omission on growth and leaf contents of blackberry

Cultivation of blackberry has gradually expanded in Brazil, due to their rusticity and low production cost; thus, it stands out as an excellent option for product diversification. There is a need to improve technical information on the management of this crop, especially mineral nutrition. Knowledge of the visual symptoms of nutritional deficiency and foliar contents of the nutrients allows helps farmers to choose the most adequate fertilization for plants. This study aimed at evaluating nutritional aspects and effects of nutrient omission on the growth of BRS Xingu blackberry. Treatments consisted of complete solutions and individual omission of the following nutrients: nitrogen (N), phosphorus (P), potassium (K), calcium (C), magnesium (Mg), boron (B), manganese (Mn), zinc (Zn) and iron (Fe). The following variables were evaluated: leaf dry matter, root dry matter, total dry mass, macro- and micronutrients contents in leaves and visual symptoms of nutrient deficiency. Macronutrient and B deficiencies limit growth of blackberry. B omission led to the highest decrease in plant growth, besides leaf wrinkling, a fact that shows that BRS Xingu is susceptible to its deficiency. Correlation was found between N and Ca, N and P and B and Ca leaf contents. Low leaf contents of N, K, Ca and B were observed when these nutrients were omitted from the solution. &nbsp

A Molecular Precursor to Phosphaethyne and Its Application in Synthesis of the Aromatic 1,2,3,4-Phosphatriazolate Anion

Dibenzo-7-phosphanorbornadiene Ph[subscript 3]PC(H)PA (1, A = C[subscript 14]H[subscript 10], anthracene) is reported here as a molecular precursor to phosphaethyne (HC≡P), produced together with anthracene and triphenylphosphine. HCP generated by thermolysis of 1 has been observed by molecular beam mass spectrometry, laser-induced fluorescence, microwave spectroscopy, and nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR) spectroscopy. In toluene, fragmentation of 1 has been found to proceed with activation parameters of ΔH[superscript ⧧] = 25.5 kcal/mol and ΔS[superscript ⧧] = −2.43 eu and is accompanied by formation of an orange insoluble precipitate. Results from computational studies of the mechanism of HCP generation are in good agreement with experimental data. This high-temperature method of HCP generation has pointed to new reaction chemistry with azide anion to produce the 1,2,3,4-phosphatriazolate anion, HCPN3–, for which structural data have been obtained in a single-crystal X-ray diffraction study. Negative-ion photoelectron spectroscopy has shown the adiabatic detachment energy for this anion to be 3.555(10) eV. The aromaticity of HCPN[subscript 3]– has been assessed using nucleus-independent chemical shift, quantum theory of atoms in molecules, and natural bond orbital methods.National Science Foundation (U.S.) (NSF grant CHE-1362118)United States. Department of Energy (grant DE-FG0287ER13671)United States. National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA grant NNX13AE59G)Smithsonian Astrophysical Observatory (Harvard-Smithsonian Center for Astrophysics, CfA Postdoctoral Fellowship

Tumor gigante de retroperitônio: relato de caso / Giant retroperitoneal tumor: case report

Introdução: Vários desafios terapêuticos são enfrentados durante o manejo de tumores de retroperitônio, devido à sua raridade, apresentação tardia relativa e localização anatômica; o trabalho é dedicado ao relato de um caso de lipossarcoma e também visa auxiliar no manejo de tumores desta ordem. Relato de caso: Paciente com 54 anos, feminino, com queixas dispépticas e sensação de aumento volumétrico de abdome há 1 ano, com grande tumoração palpável em abdome, teve diagnostico de lipossarcoma de retroperitônio durante investigação. Discussão: tumores primários de retroperitônio são em sua maioria malignos, e ainda são uma entidade pouco abordada devido à baixa incidência e aos sintomas que, geralmente são de aparecimento lento. Conclusões: Pela probabilidade de malignidade e pela chance desses casos evoluírem com complicações, deve-se conhecer tal patologia e seu arsenal diagnostico-terapêutico para que se possa evitar desfechos desfavoráveis

Heterozygous De Novo UBTF Gain-of-Function Variant Is Associated with Neurodegeneration in Childhood.

Ribosomal RNA (rRNA) is transcribed from rDNA by RNA polymerase I (Pol I) to produce the 45S precursor of the 28S, 5.8S, and 18S rRNA components of the ribosome. Two transcription factors have been defined for Pol I in mammals, the selectivity factor SL1, and the upstream binding transcription factor (UBF), which interacts with the upstream control element to facilitate the assembly of the transcription initiation complex including SL1 and Pol I. In seven unrelated affected individuals, all suffering from developmental regression starting at 2.5-7 years, we identified a heterozygous variant, c.628G\u3eA in UBTF, encoding p.Glu210Lys in UBF, which occurred de novo in all cases. While the levels of UBF, Ser388 phosphorylated UBF, and other Pol I-related components (POLR1E, TAF1A, and TAF1C) remained unchanged in cells of an affected individual, the variant conferred gain of function to UBF, manifesting by markedly increased UBF binding to the rDNA promoter and to the 5\u27- external transcribed spacer. This was associated with significantly increased 18S expression, and enlarged nucleoli which were reduced in number per cell. The data link neurodegeneration in childhood with altered rDNA chromatin status and rRNA metabolism

Correction: Association of Rare Genetic Variants in Opioid Receptors with Tourette Syndrome.

[This corrects the article DOI: 10.5334/tohm.464.]

Association of Rare Genetic Variants in Opioid Receptors with Tourette Syndrome

Background: Genes involved in Tourette syndrome (TS) remain largely unknown. We aimed to identify genetic factors contributing to TS in a French cohort of 120 individuals using a combination of hypothesis-driven and exome-sequencing approaches. Methods: We first sequenced exons of SLITRK1-6 and HDC in the TS cohort and subsequently sequenced the exome of 12 individuals harboring rare variants in these genes to find additional rare variants contributing to the disorder under the hypothesis of oligogenic inheritance. We further screened three candidate genes (OPRK1, PCDH10, and NTSR2) preferentially expressed in the basal ganglia, and three additional genes involved in neurotensin and opioid signaling (OPRM1, NTS, and NTSR1), and compared variant frequencies in TS patients and 788 matched control individuals. We also investigated the impact of altering the expression of Oprk1 in zebrafish. Results: Thirteen ultrarare missense variants of SLITRK1-6 and HDC were identified in 12 patients. Exome sequencing in these patients revealed rare possibly deleterious variants in 3,041 genes, 54 of which were preferentially expressed in the basal ganglia. Comparison of variant frequencies altering selected candidate genes in TS and control individuals revealed an excess of potentially disrupting variants in OPRK1, encoding the opioid kappa receptor, in TS patients. Accordingly, we show that downregulation of the Oprk1 orthologue in zebrafish induces a hyperkinetic phenotype in early development. Discussion: These results support a heterogeneous and complex genetic etiology of TS, possibly involving rare variants altering the opioid pathway in some individuals, which could represent a novel therapeutic target in this disorder