Effects of brassinosteroid (24-epibrassinolide) on yield and quality of grape (Vitis vinifera L.) 'Thompson Seedless'

Berry growth ripening process and yield are directly related with nutrition status and phytohormones during fruit growth and development stages. Brassinosteroid (24-epibrassinolide) is one of the plant growth substances that influence different physiological processes including fruit growth and development. In this study, the effect of brassinosteroid (Br) application on the yield and berry quality of 'Thompson Seedless' was investigated in a commercial vineyard, Malayer, Hamedan, Iran. Br solution concentrations of 0, 0.2, 0.4, 0.6 mg·L-1 at five stages (budbreak (S1), prebloom (S2), middle of bloom (S3), post bloom (S4) and veraison (S5) were sprayed. The results showed that the Br application has significant positive effects on bunch morphology and berry quantity and quality. Among levels of Br, the highest yields were related to the application of Br at the rate of 0.6 mg·L-1 in the post bloom and veraison stages, and the lowest was found in the bud break stage. Spraying Br in the post bloom and veraison stages had the greatest effect on berry quality. Also, the highest content of total phenol and antioxidant capacity were obtained with 0.6 mg·L-1 of Br application at veraison stage. In this study, we provided evidence to show that using steroidal plant hormones (Br) may play an essential role in improving the yield and quality of 'Thompson Seedless'

A review and report of peripheral giant cell granuloma in a 4-year-old child

Peripheral giant cell granuloma is a common benign and reactive gingival epulis in oral cavity. It is often difficult to make a clinical diagnosis; thereby definitive diagnosis depends on histopathologic features. We report a case of a 4-year-old Caucasian boy presenting with a five-month history a 20 × 15 × 12 mm pedunculated, lobular soft tissue mass of the left anterior maxilla gingiva which was misdiagnosed and maltreated before his referral. An excisional biopsy of the lesion followed by histopathologic examination of the biopsy specimen revealed distinctive features of peripheral giant cell granuloma. Early detection and excision of this hyperplastic nodule especially in children are important to minimize potential dentoalveolar complications

Efficiency of BclI restriction fragment length polymorphism for detection of hemophilia A carriers in Sistan and Baluchestan province, Southeast of Iran

Background: Indirect genetic diagnosis using polymorphic DNA markers can detect carriers of hemophilia A. This technique is preferable in developing countries because of its simplicity and cost effectiveness compared to direct mutation analysis. In the present study, we examined usefulness of intragenic marker BclI restriction fragment length polymorphism (RFLP) at intron 18, for carrier detection. How this marker is informative was tested in 102 members of 16 hemophiliac families from Sistan and Baluchestan province, Southeast of Iran. Methods: Blood samples were obtained from 29 hemophilia A patients and 73 of their relatives, after taking informed consents. DNA was extracted using proteinase K digestion followed by DNA precipitation. Factor VIII gene polymorphism was identified by the polymerase chain reaction/RFLP which is both sensitive and economical. Results: Our results showed that almost 69.8 of Xchromosomes had restriction site for BclI enzyme. The heterozygosity rate for BclI polymorphism in tested women was 61.4, signifying the usefulness of this marker in carrier detection. The informative rate respecting this polymorphism was 43.7 meaning that a remarkable percent of families from the target population could be diagnosed using this marker alone. Conclusion: In Sistan and Baluchestan province where there is limited access to sophisticated facilities of molecular diagnosis, use of PCR-based analysis of DNA polymorphism in the BclI locus can be used to identify a remarkable percentage of the carriers and even for prenatal diagnosis. Meanwhile, it is necessary to evaluate the effectiveness of other polymorphic DNA markers to enhance the informative rate

A Comparison between Recombinant Activated Factor VII (Aryoseven) and Novoseven in Patients with Congenital Factor VII Deficiency

In order to establish the efficacy and biosimilar nature of AryoSeven to NovoSeven in the treatment of congenital factor VII (FVII) deficiency, patients received either agent at 30 1/4g/kg, intravenously per week for 4 weeks, in a randomized fashion. The primary aim was to compare FVII:coagulation activity (FVII:C), 20 minutes after recombinant activated FVII (rFVIIa) injection, in the 2 groups. A secondary measure was self-reported bleeding. The median interquartile baseline range of the plasma level of activated FVII (FVIIa) activity in the 2 groups was 1.6 (1.1-14.0) IU/dL and 5.0 (1.1-25.5) IU/dL. All patients achieved levels of FVIIa (FVII:C) >30 IU/dL, 20 minutes after the injection of rFVIIa. Bleeding was similar between the 2 groups, with a comparable decrease in severity and frequency compared to the last month prior to treatment. AryoSeven is similar to NovoSeven in increasing postinjection FVIIa activity as well as in clinical safety and efficacy. © The Author(s) 2014

Completability vs (In)completeness

In everyday conversation, no notion of “complete sentence” is required for syntactic licensing. However, so-called “fragmentary”, “incomplete”, and abandoned utterances are problematic for standard formalisms. When contextualised, such data show that (a) non-sentential utterances are adequate to underpin agent coordination, while (b) all linguistic dependencies can be systematically distributed across participants and turns. Standard models have problems accounting for such data because their notions of ‘constituency’ and ‘syntactic domain’ are independent of performance considerations. Concomitantly, we argue that no notion of “full proposition” or encoded speech act is necessary for successful interaction: strings, contents, and joint actions emerge in conversation without any single participant having envisaged in advance the outcome of their own or their interlocutors’ actions. Nonetheless, morphosyntactic and semantic licensing mechanisms need to apply incrementally and subsententially. We argue that, while a representational level of abstract syntax, divorced from conceptual structure and physical action, impedes natural accounts of subsentential coordination phenomena, a view of grammar as a “skill” employing domain-general mechanisms, rather than fixed form-meaning mappings, is needed instead. We provide a sketch of a predictive and incremental architecture (Dynamic Syntax) within which underspecification and time-relative update of meanings and utterances constitute the sole concept of “syntax”

Genetic and epigenetic profiling of BRCA1/2 in ovarian tumors reveals additive diagnostic yield and evidence of a genomic BRCA1/2 DNA methylation signature

Poly-ADP-ribose-polymerase inhibitor (PARPi) treatment is indicated for advanced-stage ovarian tumors with BRCA1/2 deficiency. The “BRCAness” status is thought to be attributed to a tumor phenotype associated with a specific epigenomic DNA methylation profile. Here, we examined the diagnostic impact of combined BRCA1/2 sequence, copy number, and promoter DNA methylation analysis, and evaluated whether genomic DNA methylation patterns can predict the BRCAness in ovarian tumors. DNA sequencing of 172 human tissue samples of advanced-stage ovarian adenocarcinoma identified 36 samples with a clinically significant tier 1/2 sequence variants (point mutations and in/dels) and 9 samples with a CNV causing a loss of function in BRCA1/2. DNA methylation analysis of the promoter of BRCA1/2 identified promoter hypermethylation of BRCA1 in two mutation-negative samples. Computational modeling of genome-wide methylation markers, measured using Infinium EPIC arrays, resulted in a total accuracy of 0.75, sensitivity: 0.83, specificity: 0.64, positive predictive value: 0.76, negative predictive value: 0.74, and area under the receiver’s operating curve (AUC): 0.77, in classifying tumors harboring a BRCA1/2 defect from the rest. These findings indicate that the assessment of CNV and promoter DNA methylation in BRCA1/2 increases the cumulative diagnostic yield by 10%, compared with the 20% yield achieved by sequence variant analysis alone. Genomic DNA methylation data can partially predict BRCAness in ovarian tumors; however, further investigation in expanded BRCA1/2 cohorts is needed, and the effect of other double strand DNA repair gene defects in these tumors warrants further investigations

BVVL/ FL: features caused by SLC52A3 mutations; WDFY4 and TNFSF13B may be novel causative genes

Brown-Vialetto-Van Laere (BVVL) and Fazio-Londe are disorders with amyotrophic lateral sclerosis-like features, usually with recessive inheritance. We aimed to identify causative mutations in 10 probands. Neurological examinations, genetic analysis, audiometry, magnetic resonance imaging, biochemical and immunological testings, and/or muscle histopathology were performed. Mutations in known causative gene SLC52A3 were found in 7 probands. More importantly, only 1 mutated allele was observed in several patients, and variable expressivity and incomplete penetrance were clearly noted. Environmental insults may contribute to variable presentations. Putative causative mutations in other genes were identified in 3 probands. Two of the genes, WDFY4 and TNFSF13B, have immune-related functions. Inflammatory responses were implicated in the patient with the WDFY4 mutation. Malfunction of the immune system and mitochondrial anomalies were shown in the patient with the TNFSF13B mutation. Prevalence of heterozygous SLC52A3 BVVL causative mutations and notable variability in expressivity of homozygous and heterozygous genotypes are being reported for the first time. Identification of WDFY4 and TNFSF13B as candidate causative genes supports conjectures on involvement of the immune system in BVVL and amyotrophic lateral sclerosis