Genetics of nitrate accumulation in lettuce

This study evaluated the prospects of breeding for low nitrate content in lettuce ( Lactuca sativa L.). A lettuce collection was screened and accessions with low nitrate content were identified. These were used to study the genetics of nitrate accumulation. Nitrate accumulation inherited quantitatively, in a mainly additive fashion with only minor effects of dominance. No important maternal effects were detected. Estimates of the additive genotypic variance and the environmental variance were used to evaluate the prospects of introgression of the low-nitrate trait in modern lettuce cultivars and of a further reduction of the nitrate level by combining genes from two low-nitrate accessions. Nitrate content in lettuce showed important genotype x environment interactions. Genotypes responded differentially to changing environmental conditions related to the daylength or light-intensity at harvest. In a detailed study of two low-nitrate accessions this interaction was shown to be related to differences in the rate change of dry matter content under changing daylengths

Stikstofbemesting van wintertarwe : een evaluatie van westeuropese adviessystemen

Besproken worden welke adviessystemen in de ons omringende landen functioneren en welke elementen daarvan voor de Nederlandse situatie van belang kunnen zij

Spectral control of high-harmonic generation via drive laser pulse shaping in a wide-diameter capillary

We experimentally investigate spectral control of high-harmonic generation in a wide-diameter (508 μm) capillary that allows using significantly lower gas pressures coupled with elevated drive laser energies to achieve higher harmonic energies. Using phase shaping to change the linear chirp of the drive laser pulses, we observe wavelength tuning of the high-harmonic output to both larger and smaller values. Comparing tuning via the gas pressure with the amount of blue shift in the transmitted drive laser spectrum, we conclude that both adiabatic and non-adiabatic effects cause pulse-shaping induced tuning of high harmonics. We obtain a fractional wavelength tuning, Δλ/λ, in the range from −0.007 to + 0.01, which is comparable to what is achieved with standard capillaries of smaller diameter and higher pressures

Coherent control of high harmonic generation in a large-volume capillary for seeding of free-electron lasers

FEL-1 at FERMI@Elettra is a seeded free-electron laser using sub-harmonic seeding to generate soft x-rays down to 10 nm. The current seed laser, a standard solid-state laser followed by frequency quadrupling in nonlinear crystals, has a minimum wavelength of 200 nm. Injecting much shorter seed-laser wavelengths, for which high-harmonic generation (HHG) is of high promise, can shorten the laser output wavelength significantly. However, the minimum seed pulse energy required is not readily available with standard approaches to HHG. To increase the energy available in a particular harmonic for seeding, we use a gas-filled capillary with a large diameter (500 μm), pumped by an 8 mJ, 35 fs Ti:Sapphire laser. A wide capillary allows a large gas volume for HHG, thereby increasing the output energy. We also investigate the coherent control of HHG by shaping the spectral phase of the drive laser using an acousto-optic programmable dispersive filter. Here, we use a learning algorithm with the objective to simultaneously tune and selectively enhance an individual harmonic order. We present first results including pressure dependent harmonic output energy, spectrum and beam stability, as these are important for seeding of FELs. Further, we discuss initial experiments with coherent control that has shown selective enhancement up to a factor of 10

Discovery of Salmonella trehalose phospholipids reveals functional convergence with mycobacteria.

Salmonella species are among the world's most prevalent pathogens. Because the cell wall interfaces with the host, we designed a lipidomics approach to reveal pathogen-specific cell wall compounds. Among the molecules differentially expressed between Salmonella Paratyphi and S. Typhi, we focused on lipids that are enriched in S. Typhi, because it causes typhoid fever. We discovered a previously unknown family of trehalose phospholipids, 6,6'-diphosphatidyltrehalose (diPT) and 6-phosphatidyltrehalose (PT). Cardiolipin synthase B (ClsB) is essential for PT and diPT but not for cardiolipin biosynthesis. Chemotyping outperformed clsB homology analysis in evaluating synthesis of diPT. DiPT is restricted to a subset of Gram-negative bacteria: large amounts are produced by S. Typhi, lower amounts by other pathogens, and variable amounts by Escherichia coli strains. DiPT activates Mincle, a macrophage activating receptor that also recognizes mycobacterial cord factor (6,6'-trehalose dimycolate). Thus, Gram-negative bacteria show convergent function with mycobacteria. Overall, we discovered a previously unknown immunostimulant that is selectively expressed among medically important bacterial species

Disagreements with implications: diverging discourses on the ethics of non-medical use of methylphenidate for performance enhancement

<p>Abstract</p> <p>Background</p> <p>There is substantial evidence that methylphenidate (MPH; Ritalin), is being used by healthy university students for non-medical motives such as the improvement of concentration, alertness, and academic performance. The scope and potential consequences of the non-medical use of MPH upon healthcare and society bring about many points of view.</p> <p>Methods</p> <p>To gain insight into key ethical and social issues on the non-medical use of MPH, we examined discourses in the print media, bioethics literature, and public health literature.</p> <p>Results</p> <p>Our study identified three diverging paradigms with varying perspectives on the nature of performance enhancement. The beneficial effects of MPH on normal cognition were generally portrayed enthusiastically in the print media and bioethics discourses but supported by scant information on associated risks. Overall, we found a variety of perspectives regarding ethical, legal and social issues related to the non-medical use of MPH for performance enhancement and its impact upon social practices and institutions. The exception to this was public health discourse which took a strong stance against the non-medical use of MPH typically viewed as a form of prescription abuse or misuse. Wide-ranging recommendations for prevention of further non-medical use of MPH included legislation and increased public education.</p> <p>Conclusion</p> <p>Some positive portrayals of the non-medical use of MPH for performance enhancement in the print media and bioethics discourses could entice further uses. Medicine and society need to prepare for more prevalent non-medical uses of neuropharmaceuticals by fostering better informed public debates.</p

Response to Therapeutic Sleep Deprivation: A Naturalistic Study of Clinical and Genetic Factors and Post-treatment Depressive Symptom Trajectory

Research has shown that therapeutic sleep deprivation (SD) has rapid antidepressant effects in the majority of depressed patients. Investigation of factors preceding and accompanying these effects may facilitate the identification of the underlying biological mechanisms. This exploratory study aimed to examine clinical and genetic factors predicting response to SD and determine the impact of SD on illness course. Mood during SD was also assessed via visual analogue scale. Depressed inpatients (n = 78) and healthy controls (n = 15) underwent ~36 h of SD. Response to SD was defined as a score of ≤ 2 on the Clinical Global Impression Scale for Global Improvement. Depressive symptom trajectories were evaluated for up to a month using self/expert ratings. Impact of genetic burden was calculated using polygenic risk scores for major depressive disorder. In total, 72% of patients responded to SD. Responders and non-responders did not differ in baseline self/expert depression symptom ratings, but mood differed. Response was associated with lower age (p = 0.007) and later age at life-time disease onset (p = 0.003). Higher genetic burden of depression was observed in non-responders than healthy controls. Up to a month post SD, depressive symptoms decreased in both patients groups, but more in responders, in whom effects were sustained. The present findings suggest that re-examining SD with a greater focus on biological mechanisms will lead to better understanding of mechanisms of depression

CD1b tetramers identify T cells that recognize natural and synthetic diacylated sulfoglycolipids from mycobacterium tuberculosis

Mycobacterial cell wall lipids bind the conserved CD1 family of antigen-presenting molecules and activate T cells via their T cell receptors (TCRs). Sulfoglycolipids (SGLs) are uniquely synthesized by Mycobacterium tuberculosis, but tools to study SGL-specific T cells in humans are lacking. We designed a novel hybrid synthesis of a naturally occurring SGL, generated CD1b tetramers loaded with natural or synthetic SGL analogs, and studied the molecular requirements for TCR binding and T cell activation. Two T cell lines derived using natural SGLs are activated by synthetic analogs independently of lipid chain length and hydroxylation, but differentially by saturation status. By contrast, two T cell lines derived using an unsaturated SGL synthetic analog were not activated by the natural antigen. Our data provide a bioequivalence hierarchy of synthetic SGL analogs and SGL-loaded CD1b tetramers. These reagents can now be applied to large-scale translational studies investigating the diagnostic potential of SGL-specific T cell responses or SGL-based vaccines