Induced epidermal permeability modulates resistance and susceptibility of wheat seedlings to herbivory by Hessian fly larvae

Salivary secretions of neonate Hessian fly larvae initiate a two-way exchange of molecules with their wheat host. Changes in properties of the leaf surface allow larval effectors to enter the plant where they trigger plant processes leading to resistance and delivery of defence molecules, or susceptibility and delivery of nutrients. To increase understanding of the host plant's response, the timing and characteristics of the induced epidermal permeability were investigated. Resistant plant permeability was transient and limited in area, persisting just long enough to deliver defence molecules before gene expression and permeability reverted to pre-infestation levels. The abundance of transcripts for GDSL-motif lipase/hydrolase, thought to contribute to cuticle reorganization and increased permeability, followed the same temporal profile as permeability in resistant plants. In contrast, susceptible plants continued to increase in permeability over time until the entire crown of the plant became a nutrient sink. Permeability increased with higher infestation levels in susceptible but not in resistant plants. The ramifications of induced plant permeability on Hessian fly populations are discussed

Strengthening spatial reasoning: elucidating the attentional and neural mechanisms associated with mental rotation skill development

© 2020, The Author(s). Spatial reasoning is a critical skill in many everyday tasks and in science, technology, engineering, and mathematics disciplines. The current study examined how training on mental rotation (a spatial reasoning task) impacts the completeness of an encoded representation and the ability to rotate the representation. We used a multisession, multimethod design with an active control group to determine how mental rotation ability impacts performance for a trained stimulus category and an untrained stimulus category. Participants in the experimental group (n = 18) showed greater improvement than the active control group (n = 18) on the mental rotation tasks. The number of saccades between objects decreased and saccade amplitude increased after training, suggesting that participants in the experimental group encoded more of the object and possibly had more complete mental representations after training. Functional magnetic resonance imaging data revealed distinct neural activation associated with mental rotation, notably in the right motor cortex and right lateral occipital cortex. These brain areas are often associated with rotation and encoding complete representations, respectively. Furthermore, logistic regression revealed that activation in these brain regions during the post-training scan significantly predicted training group assignment. Overall, the current study suggests that effective mental rotation training protocols should aim to improve the encoding and manipulation of mental representations

Phase 3, Randomized, 20-Month Study of the Efficacy and Safety of Bimatoprost Implant in Patients with Open-Angle Glaucoma and Ocular Hypertension (ARTEMIS 2)

Objective- To evaluate the intraocular pressure (IOP)-lowering efficacy and safety of 10 and 15 µg bimatoprost implant in patients with open-angle glaucoma (OAG) or ocular hypertension (OHT). Methods- This randomized, 20-month, multicenter, masked, parallel-group, phase 3 trial enrolled 528 patients with OAG or OHT and an open iridocorneal angle inferiorly in the study eye. Study eyes were administered 10 or 15 µg bimatoprost implant on day 1, week 16, and week 32, or twice-daily topical timolol maleate 0.5%. Primary endpoints were IOP and IOP change from baseline through week 12. Safety measures included treatment-emergent adverse events (TEAEs) and corneal endothelial cell density (CECD). Results- Both 10 and 15 µg bimatoprost implant met the primary endpoint of noninferiority to timolol in IOP lowering through 12 weeks. Mean IOP reductions from baseline ranged from 6.2–7.4, 6.5–7.8, and 6.1–6.7 mmHg through week 12 in the 10 µg implant, 15 µg implant, and timolol groups, respectively. IOP lowering was similar after the second and third implant administrations. Probabilities of requiring no IOP-lowering treatment for 1 year after the third administration were 77.5% (10 µg implant) and 79.0% (15 µg implant). The most common TEAE was conjunctival hyperemia, typically temporally associated with the administration procedure. Corneal TEAEs of interest (primarily corneal endothelial cell loss, corneal edema, and corneal touch) were more frequent with the 15 than the 10 µg implant and generally were reported after repeated administrations. Loss in mean CECD from baseline to month 20 was ~ 5% in 10 µg implant-treated eyes and ~ 1% in topical timolol-treated eyes. Visual field progression (change in the mean deviation from baseline) was reduced in the 10 µg implant group compared with the timolol group. Conclusions- The results corroborated the previous phase 3 study of the bimatoprost implant. The bimatoprost implant met the primary endpoint and effectively lowered IOP. The majority of patients required no additional treatment for 12 months after the third administration. The benefit-risk assessment favored the 10 over the 15 µg implant. Studies evaluating other administration regimens with reduced risk of corneal events are ongoing. The bimatoprost implant has the potential to improve adherence and reduce treatment burden in glaucoma

Transmission de la zéaralénone, du déoxynivalénol et de leurs dérivés de la truie au porcelet pendant la lactation avec ou sans décontaminant

International audienceThis study evaluated effects of an algae-clay-based mycotoxin decontaminant on levels of zearalenone (ZEN), deoxynivalenol (DON) and their derivatives in the colostrum, milk, and serum of sows, as well as in the serum of weaned piglets after maternal mycotoxin exposure from the last week of gestation to weaning (26 days). To this end, 15 sows splited into three groups (n = 5) were fed diets naturally contaminated with 100 (LoZEN) or 300 (HiZEN) µg/kg ZEN, with or without an algae-clay-based mycotoxin decontaminant in the highly contaminated diet. All diets contained 250 µg/kg DON. Dietary treatments did not influence the performance of the sows and piglets. Only α-ZEL significantly increased in the colostrum of sows fed the HiZEN diet, and this increase was even higher in the colostrum of the sows fed the HiZEN diet supplemented with the test decontaminant. However, no differences in milk mycotoxin levels were observed at weaning. The highest levels of ZEN, α-ZEL, and β-ZEL were observed in the serum of sows fed the HiZEN diet. When the HiZEN diet was supplemented with the tested algae-clay-based mycotoxin decontaminant, levels of ZEN and its metabolites were significantly decreased in the serum of sows. Although all sows were fed the same levels of DON, the serum level of de-epoxy-DON increased only in the serum of piglets from the sows fed a diet with the non-supplemented HiZEN diet. In conclusion, the tested algae-clay-based mycotoxin decontaminant can decrease levels of ZEN and its metabolites in the serum of sows and the level of de-DON in the serum of piglets.Les effets délétères des mycotoxines sur la santé et les performances des porcs ont largement été démontrés. Parmi les 400 mycotoxines identifiées le déoxynivalénol (DON) et la zéaralénone (ZEN) sont les plus étudiés. Ainsi, en 2006, la Commission européenne a défini des niveaux maximaux de recommandations concernant la présence de DON et de ZEN dans les produits destinés à l’alimentation des porcs (2006/576/CE), respectivement à 900 et 250 μg/kg pour les porcs charcutiers. En réalité, l’exposition chronique à de faibles doses de mycotoxines est fréquente, et elle peut se dérouler par transfert placentaire ou via le lait. Une étude récente a démontré que le DON, la ZEN et leurs métabolites peuvent être quantifiés dans le colostrum, le lait et le sérum de truies nourries avec un aliment contenant 250 μg/kg de DON et 100 ou 300 μg/kg de ZEN (de Grave et al., 2021). L’objectif de cette étude est d’évaluer l’efficacité d’un décontaminant (AC) à base de la technologie Algoclay pour réduire la transmission de DON et ZEN de la truie aux porcelets pendant la dernière semaine de gestation et la lactation, incorporé dans un aliment naturellement contaminé avec 250 μg/kg de DON et 300 μg/kg de ZEN. La technologie Algoclay associe de l’argile montmorillonite et des polysaccharides d’ulves (Chlorophyceae)