Paclobutrazol treatment as a potential strategy for higher seed and oil yield in field-grown camelina sativa L. Crantz

<p>Abstract</p> <p>Background</p> <p><it>Camelina (Camelina sativa </it>L. Crantz) is a non-food oilseed crop which holds promise as an alternative biofuel energy resource. Its ability to grow in a variety of climatic and soil conditions and minimal requirements of agronomical inputs than other oilseed crops makes it economically viable for advanced biofuel production. We designed a study to investigate the effect of paclobutrazol [2RS, 3RS)-1-(4-Chlorophenyl)-4,4-dimethyl-2-(1H-1,2,4-triazol-1-yl)pentan-3-ol] (PBZ), a popular plant growth regulator, on the seed and oil yield of <it>Camelina sativa </it>(cv. Celine).</p> <p>Results</p> <p>A field-based micro-trial setup was established in a randomized block design and the study was performed twice within a span of five months (October 2010 to February 2011) and five different PBZ treatments (Control: T₀; 25 mg l^-1: T₁; 50 mg l^-1: T₂; 75 mg l^-1: T₃; 100 mg l^-1: T₄; 125 mg l^-1: T₅) were applied (soil application) at the time of initiation of flowering. PBZ at 100 mg l^-1concentration (T₄) resulted in highest seed and oil yield by 80% and 15%, respectively. The seed yield increment was mainly due to enhanced number of siliques per plant when compared to control. The PBZ - treated plants displayed better photosynthetic leaf gas exchange characteristics, higher chlorophyll contents and possessed dark green leaves which were photosynthetically active for a longer period and facilitated higher photoassimilation.</p> <p>Conclusion</p> <p>We report for the first time that application of optimized PBZ dose can be a potential strategy to achieve higher seed and oil yield from <it>Camelina sativa </it>that holds great promise as a biofuel crop in future.</p

Evolutionary Genomics of a Temperate Bacteriophage in an Obligate Intracellular Bacteria (Wolbachia)

Genome evolution of bacteria is usually influenced by ecology, such that bacteria with a free-living stage have large genomes and high rates of horizontal gene transfer, while obligate intracellular bacteria have small genomes with typically low amounts of gene exchange. However, recent studies indicate that obligate intracellular species that host-switch frequently harbor agents of horizontal transfer such as mobile elements. For example, the temperate double-stranded DNA bacteriophage WO in Wolbachia persistently transfers between bacterial coinfections in the same host. Here we show that despite the phage's rampant mobility between coinfections, the prophage's genome displays features of constraint related to its intracellular niche. First, there is always at least one intact prophage WO and usually several degenerate, independently-acquired WO prophages in each Wolbachia genome. Second, while the prophage genomes are modular in composition with genes of similar function grouping together, the modules are generally not interchangeable with other unrelated phages and thus do not evolve by the Modular Theory. Third, there is an unusual core genome that strictly consists of head and baseplate genes; other gene modules are frequently deleted. Fourth, the prophage recombinases are diverse and there is no conserved integration sequence. Finally, the molecular evolutionary forces acting on prophage WO are point mutation, intragenic recombination, deletion, and purifying selection. Taken together, these analyses indicate that while lateral transfer of phage WO is pervasive between Wolbachia with occasional new gene uptake, constraints of the intracellular niche obstruct extensive mixture between WO and the global phage population. Although the Modular Theory has long been considered the paradigm of temperate bacteriophage evolution in free-living bacteria, it appears irrelevant in phages of obligate intracellular bacteria

Neighbourhood immigration, health care utilization and outcomes in patients with diabetes living in the Montreal metropolitan area (Canada): a population health perspective

Abstract: Background: Understanding health care utilization by neighbourhood is essential for optimal allocation of resources, but links between neighbourhood immigration and health have rarely been explored. Our objective was to understand how immigrant composition of neighbourhoods relates to health outcomes and health care utilization of individuals living with diabetes. Methods: This is a secondary analysis of administrative data using a retrospective cohort of 111,556 patients living with diabetes without previous cardiovascular diseases (CVD) and living in the metropolitan region of Montreal (Canada). A score for immigration was calculated at the neighbourhood level using a principal component analysis with six neighbourhood-level variables (% of people with maternal language other than French or English, % of people who do not speak French or English, % of immigrants with different times since immigration (<5 years, 5–10 years, 10–15 years, 15–25 years)). Dependent variables were all-cause death, all-cause hospitalization, CVD event (death or hospitalization), frequent use of emergency departments, frequent use of general practitioner care, frequent use of specialist care, and purchase of at least one antidiabetic drug. For each of these variables, adjusted odds ratios were estimated using a multilevel logistic regression. Results: Compared to patients with diabetes living in neighbourhoods with low immigration scores, those living in neighbourhoods with high immigration scores were less likely to die, to suffer a CVD event, to frequently visit general practitioners, but more likely to visit emergency departments or a specialist and to use an antidiabetic drug. These differences remained after controlling for patient-level variables such as age, sex, and comorbidities, as well as for neighbourhood attributes like material and social deprivation or living in the urban core. Conclusions: In this study, patients with diabetes living in neighbourhoods with high immigration scores had different health outcomes and health care utilizations compared to those living in neighbourhoods with low immigration scores. Although we cannot disentangle the individual versus the area-based effect of immigration, these results may have an important impact for health care planning

Do families shape corporate board structure in emerging economies?

This study investigates whether there are significant differences in corporate board structure between family and non-family firms using listed companies in Bangladesh where family firms are the most dominant form of public companies. The results of this study suggest that family firms in Bangladesh adopt a distinctly different board structure from non-family firms. In particular, this study finds that family firms have a lower proportion of independent directors and foreign directors than non-family firms. Further, family firms have smaller boards than non-family firms. However, family firms are likely to have more CEO duality and female directors than their non-family counterparts. The findings of this study contribute to extant research on corporate board structure. The overall findings of this study imply that families of Bangladeshi firms have a different board structure compared to non-family firms, and the structure appears to promote a close locus of control for families that facilitates family dominance to prevail

Infecção hospitalar e mortalidade Infección hospitalar y mortalidad Nosocomial infection and mortality

Realizou-se estudo retrospectivo do registro de 69 óbitos ocorridos em hospital pediátrico em 1993 para identificar a relação da infecção hospitalar com o óbito. As principais infecções diagnosticadas foram as pneumonias e infecções de corrente sangüínea com um predomínio de bactérias gram-negativas. Em 30,4% das crianças, a infecção hospitalar foi causa direta do óbito e em 50,8% foi contribuinte. A infecção hospitalar foi mais importante como causa de óbito nos pacientes com afecção classificada como não fatal à admissão.<br>Se realizó un estudio retrospectivo de registro de 69 óbitos ocurridos en un hospital pediátrico, en 1993, para identificar la relación de la infección hospitalar con el óbito. Las principales infecciones diagnosticadas fueron pneumonias e infecciones de la corriente sanguínea con predominio de bacterias gram-negativas. En 30.4% de los niños, la infección hospitalar fue la causa directa del óbito y en 50.8% fue contribuyente. La infeción hospitalar fue más importante como causa de óbito en los pacientes com afección clasificada como no fatal a la admisión.<br>A retrospective study with 69 deaths ocurred at a pediatric hospital in 1993 was undertaken to identify the relationship of nosocomial infection with death. Pneumonia and bloodstream infection were the main site of infection: A higher prevalence of gram-negative bacteria was also observed. The hospital infection was causally related to death in 30,4% and contributed to death in 50,8% of children. The nosocomial infection was causally related to death more frequently in patients classified as having a non fatal disease at admission