The molecular control of tomato fruit quality traits: the trade off between visual attributes, shelf life and nutritional value

Tomato (Solanum lycopersicum) is an established model to study fleshy fruit development and ripening and is an important crop in terms of its economic and nutritional value. Tomato fruit quality is a function of metabolite content which is prone to physiological changes related to fruit development and ripening. It has been described some ripening tomato mutants, delayed fruit deterioration (DFD), non-ripening (NOR) and ripening-inhibitor (RIN) which substantially extend “shelf life” in tomato for up to several months when defined in terms of softening, water loss and resistance to postharvest biotic infection. However, it is not known whether this extension in “shelf life” is in fact a desirable objective from the perspective of nutritional quality of the fruits. The aim of this work was to use a metabolomics approach join to genomic tools to characterize compositional changes (sugars, amino acids, organic acids and carotenoids) of non-softening tomato mutants reported (DFD, NOR and RIN) in comparison with the normally softening fruits (Ailsa Craig and M82) during ripening and postharvest shelf-life. Important results related with ripening gene expression and metabolic evolutions are shown

Interferon beta in multiple sclerosis: experience in a British specialist multiple sclerosis centre

Background: The efficacy of interferon beta (IFN beta) is well established in relapsing-remitting multiple sclerosis (MS). However, the use of this drug in clinical practice is complex, especially because it is only partially effective, its long term efficacy and side effects are unknown, its efficacy may be abrogated by the development of neutralising antibodies, compliance is variable, and its cost effectiveness is controversial. Objectives and Methods: Analysis of a prospectively followed up series of 101 MS patients treated with IFN beta was undertaken to: (1) monitor the outcome of IFN beta treatment in clinical practice; (2) compare the immunogenicity of the three commercial IFN beta preparations available; (3) assess the proportion of patients fulfilling the current guidelines of the Association of British Neurologists for stopping IFN beta therapy. Results: During a median treatment period of 26 months (range 2–85), the relapse rate decreased by 41%. Although the reduction in the relapse rate was similar for all three commercial products, none of the Avonex treated patients were relapse free, compared with 19% of the Betaferon treated and 27% of the Rebif treated patients (p=0.02). Neutralising antibodies were not detected in Avonex treated patients (0 of 18), compared with 12 of 32 (38%) Betaferon treated and 10 of 23 (44%) Rebif treated patients (p=0.02). Forty of 101 (40%) patients satisfied the current (2001) Association of British Neurologists criteria for stopping IFN beta treatment at some stage during their treatment. Conclusion: IFN beta is effective in reducing the relapse rate in patients with relapsing-remitting MS in routine clinical practice. However, after a median treatment duration of 26 months, 40% of initially relapsing-remitting MS patients seem to have ongoing disease activity, presenting as disabling relapses or insidious progression

Systematic review and meta-analysis of the association between Epstein-Barr virus, multiple sclerosis and other risk factors.

BACKGROUND: Epstein-Barr virus (EBV) infection is thought to play a central role in the development of multiple sclerosis (MS). If causal, it represents a target for interventions to reduce MS risk. OBJECTIVE: To examine the evidence for interaction between EBV and other risk factors, and explore mechanisms via which EBV infection may influence MS risk. METHODS: Pubmed was searched using the terms 'multiple sclerosis' AND 'Epstein Barr virus', 'multiple sclerosis' AND EBV, 'clinically isolated syndrome' AND 'Epstein Barr virus' and 'clinically isolated syndrome' AND EBV. All abstracts were reviewed for possible inclusion. RESULTS: A total of 262 full-text papers were reviewed. There was evidence of interaction on the additive scale between anti-EBV antibody titre and HLA genotype (attributable proportion due to interaction (AP) = 0.48, p < 1 × 10-4). Previous infectious mononucleosis (IM) was associated with increased odds ratio (OR) of MS in HLA-DRB1*1501 positive but not HLA-DRB1*1501 negative persons. Smoking was associated with a greater risk of MS in those with high anti-EBV antibodies (OR = 2.76) but not low anti-EBV antibodies (OR = 1.16). No interaction between EBV and risk factors was found on a multiplicative scale. CONCLUSION: EBV appears to interact with at least some established MS risk factors. The mechanism via which EBV influences MS risk remains unknown

Accountability and music: accounting, emotions and responses to the 1913 concert for Giuseppe Verdi

Purpose: This study aims to explore the engagement between accounting and music in the social and relational construction of accountability. The authors conceive this construction as a dynamic and recursive interplay between the giving of different accounts and the responses that these accounts provoke. The authors investigate the emotional dimension of this interplay, as it is also triggered by music, feeding back into how accountability is constructed and evolves over time. Design/methodology/approach: This study relies upon a historical analysis of archival and secondary sources about the main music concert organized in 1913 by the founder of “Accademia Chigiana”, one of the leading music academies in Italy. The concert celebrated the first centenary of the birth of Giuseppe Verdi, a worldwide famous Italian music composer, and icon of Italian national sentiment. Findings: This study shows that music and accounting were profoundly intertwined in the social and relational construction of accountability for the 1913 concert. Accountability evolved through different accounts, also linked to music, and the complex emotional reactions these accounts provoked in the audiences, citizens, media and institutions, leading to always further responses and accounts in the ongoing construction of accountability. Originality/value: This study extends prior literature on the chameleonic nature of accountability, as well as on its relational and emotional dimensions. The study shows that accountability is relationally constructed and evolves over time through the giving of accounts and the emotional reaction they provoke from others, feeding into further responses and accounts of the accountable subject. The authors show how the chameleonic nature of accountability permeates not only the accounts and the relations of accountability but also the subjects giving and demanding the accounts: these subjects change as chameleons through their interactions and emotions, feeding into the dynamic construction of accountability. The authors also show how arts, like music, can participate in the chameleonic nature of accountability and of its subjects, precisely by engaging with their emotional reactions and responses

News on immune checkpoint inhibitors as immunotherapy strategies in adult and pediatric solid tumors

Immune checkpoint inhibitors (ICIs) have shown unprecedented benefits in various adult cancers, and this success has prompted the exploration of ICI therapy even in childhood malignances. Although the use of ICIs as individual agents has achieved disappointing response rates, combinational therapies are likely to promise better results. However, only a subset of patients experienced prolonged clinical effects, thus suggesting the need to identify robust bio-markers that predict individual clinical response or resistance to ICI therapy as the main challenge. In this review, we focus on how the use of ICIs in adult cancers can be translated into pediatric malignances. We discuss the physiological mechanism of action of each IC, including PD-1, PD-L1 and CTLA-4 and the new emerging ones, LAG-3, TIM-3, TIGIT, B7-H3, BTLA and IDO-1, and evaluate their prognostic value in both adult and childhood tumors. Furthermore, we offer an overview of preclinical models and clinical trials currently under investigation to improve the effectiveness of cancer immunotherapies in these patients. Finally, we outline the main predictive factors that influence the efficacy of ICIs, in order to lay the basis for the development of a pan-cancer immunogenomic model, able to direct young patients towards more specific immunotherapy

Multiple sclerosis - a review.

Multiple sclerosis (MS) is the commonest non-traumatic disabling disease to affect young adults. The incidence of MS is increasing worldwide, together with the socioeconomic impact of the disease. The underlying cause of MS and mechanisms behind this increase remain opaque, although complex gene-environment interactions almost certainly play a significant role. The epidemiology of MS indicates that low serum levels of vitamin D, smoking, childhood obesity and infection with the Epstein-Barr virus are likely to play a role in disease development. Changes in diagnostic methods and criteria mean that people with MS can be diagnosed increasingly early in their disease trajectory. Alongside this, treatments for MS have increased exponentially in number, efficacy and risk. There is now the possibility of a diagnosis of 'pre-symptomatic MS' being made; as a result potentially preventive strategies could be studied. In this comprehensive review, MS epidemiology, potential aetiological factors and pathology are discussed, before moving on to clinical aspects of MS diagnosis and management.This work was supported by the Preventive Neurology Unit, Wolfson Institute of Preventive Medicine, QMUL and Blizard Institute, Barts and The London School of Medicine and Dentistry, Queen Mary University London

Integrative Comparative Analyses of Transcript and Metabolite Profiles from Pepper and Tomato Ripening and Development Stages Uncovers Species-Specific Patterns of Network Regulatory Behavior

Integrative comparative analyses of transcript and metabolite levels from climacteric and nonclimacteric fruits can be employed to unravel the similarities and differences of the underlying regulatory processes. To this end, we conducted combined gas chromatography-mass spectrometry and heterologous microarray hybridization assays in tomato (Solanum lycopersicum; climacteric) and pepper (Capsicum chilense; nonclimacteric) fruits across development and ripening. Computational methods from multivariate and network-based analyses successfully revealed the difference between the covariance structures of the integrated data sets. Moreover, our results suggest that both fruits have similar ethylene-mediated signaling components; however, their regulation is different and may reflect altered ethylene sensitivity or regulators other than ethylene in pepper. Genes involved in ethylene biosynthesis were not induced in pepper fruits. Nevertheless, genes downstream of ethylene perception such as cell wall metabolism genes, carotenoid biosynthesis genes, and the never-ripe receptor were clearly induced in pepper as in tomato fruit. While signaling sensitivity or actual signals may differ between climacteric and nonclimacteric fruit, the evidence described here suggests that activation of a common set of ripening genes influences metabolic traits. Also, a coordinate regulation of transcripts and the accumulation of key organic acids, including malate, citrate, dehydroascorbate, and threonate, in pepper fruit were observed. Therefore, the integrated analysis allows us to uncover additional information for the comprehensive understanding of biological events relevant to metabolic regulation during climacteric and nonclimacteric fruit development

Spatial Variation in Ecosystem Carbon Stocks and Emissions Resulting from Land-use Conversion: Two Studies in Mangrove Forests of the Dominican Republic

Mangrove forests store more organic carbon across ecosystem carbon pools than most other coastal and forested ecosystems, and are subject to high global rates of deforestation. For these reasons, they are recognized as prime candidates for inclusion in climate change mitigation strategies. However, the ecological drivers of regional and micro-scale variation in mangrove carbon stocks remain poorly understood, and the relative paucity of regionally specific mangrove carbon and land-use conversion emissions values poses a setback to countries seeking to quantify emissions reductions and engage in targeted conservation and restoration. Furthermore, although soil organic carbon (SOC) represents the single largest carbon pool in mangrove ecosystems, contributing an estimated 85 % of ecosystem carbon stocks, and accounting for the majority of greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions arising from mangrove deforestation, regionally specific SOC datasets remain scarce in the Caribbean and Greater Antilles. Those that exist often fail to account for SOC at depths below 1 meter, despite the proven contribution of deep SOC stocks to GHG emissions resulting from land-use conversion. Additionally, few studies have quantified the prevalence of soil inorganic carbon in mangrove forests located in carbonate settings, despite the risk that under-detection of inorganic carbon may result in overestimates of SOC. To address these gaps, we sampled 20 mangrove forests located in five ecologically distinct coastal regions of the Dominican Republic, quantified total ecosystem carbon stocks (TECS), and provided comprehensive estimates of organic carbon storage and partitioning in biomass and soils to a depth of 3 m (Chapter 2). We also examined relationships among carbon stocks, biomass, and forest structural parameters, and environmental and climate variables (Chapter 2). Finally, we analyzed variation in the edaphic properties of mangrove soils across different regions and depths intervals, and reported inorganic carbon storage and partitioning to a depth of 3 m (Chapter 3). We found that mangrove forests in the Dominican Republic are highly varied ecosystems that store significant amounts of organic carbon in above- and below-ground pools, with mean total ecosystem carbon stocks of 838 Mg C/ha compared to a global mangrove mean of 856 Mg C/ha. The TECS of individual forest stands varied from 260 ± 59 to 1,311 ± 198 Mg C/ha. We observed significant regional differences in TECS between mangroves in our five study regions, suggesting that regionally specific means can improve the accuracy of nationwide carbon stocks estimates for the Dominican Republic and surrounding nations. We compared the carbon stocks of intact mangrove forests in Parque Nacional Manglares del Bajo Yuna with those of adjacent, geomorphically similar sites where mangrove forest had been converted to coconut (Cocos nucifera) plantations, and used a stock- change approach to calculate the CO2 equivalent emissions associated with land-use conversion. We found that C. nucifera plantations in Parque Nacional Manglares del Bajo Yuna stored 59 % less organic carbon compared with adjacent, geomorphically similar mangrove stands. We estimate that deforestation and conversion of intact mangrove forests to C. nucifera plantations in this region of the Dominican Republic is likely to result in average emissions of 2160 Mg CO2e/ha over the lifetime of the plantation. Among mangrove forests, environmental variation was associated with significant differences in tree and downed wood biomass and structural parameters. Interstitial salinity was inversely correlated with forest density in tall (>10 m height) mangrove forests. Also, forests located nearer the marine ecotone stored more carbon in downed wood compared with forests farther inland. However, on the whole, variation in TECS was poorly explained by geomorphic and coastal settings, differences in forest composition and structure, and climate variables. Differences in stand stature drove significant differences in biomass carbon stocks, but not in TECS. On average, SOC contributed 89 % of total ecosystem carbon, and SOC at depths >1 m contributed 43 %, providing evidence for the importance of sampling soil carbon to depths >1 m in the Dominican Republic. SOC mass at 1m depth, explaining only 8 % of variation in TECS as opposed to 85 % explained by SOC mass at >1 m. While SOC percentages generally decreased with depth, some individual stands and regions subverted this trend and contained rich organic soils with SOC percentages as high as 18 % to depths greater than 1 m. Our study, the first of its kind in the Greater Antilles region to test 100 % of soil samples for inorganic carbon, offers a more complete picture of the relationship between pH and inorganic carbon stocks in mangroves in the Dominican Republic. Our results indicate that inorganic carbon may account for a substantial (>50%) share of soil carbon in 10 % of mangrove forests in the Dominican Republic, and that environmental variables such as interstitial pH and geomorphology are unreliable predictors of inorganic carbon levels. Therefore, methods that rely on pH and/or field assessments should not take the place of quantitative tests for soil inorganic carbon when determining carbon stocks. Although the government of the Dominican Republic has demonstrated a commitment to the inclusion of mangroves in Nationally Appropriate Mitigation Action strategies (NAMAS), published inventories of mangrove carbon stocks on the island of Hispaniola and within the Greater Antilles and Caribbean regions as a whole remain scarce. Thus, our regionally specific, scientifically rigorous carbon stocks data contribute significantly to regional and global efforts to address carbon emissions, and underscore the value of mangrove conservation initiatives to climate change mitigation strategies

Grace DAKASEP alkaline battery separator

The Grace DAKASEP separator was originally developed as a wicking layer for nickel-zinc alkaline batteries. The DAKASEP is a filled non-woven separator which is flexible and heat sealable. Through modification of formulation and processing variables, products with a variety of properties can be produced. Variations of DAKASEP were tested in Ni-H2, Ni-Zn, Ni-Cd, and primary alkaline batteries with good results. The properties of DAKASEP which are optimized for Hg-Zn primary batteries are shown in tabular form. This separator has high tensile strength, 12 micron average pore size, relatively low porosity at 46-48 percent, and consequently moderately high resistivity. Versions were produced with greater than 70 percent porosity and resistivities in 33 wt percent KOH as low as 3 ohm cm. Performance data for Hg-Zn E-1 size cells containing DAKASEP with the properties shown in tabular form, are more reproducible than data obtained with a competitive polypropylene non-woven separator. In addition, utilization of active material is in general considerably improved