The role of the P1BS element containing promoter-driven genes in Pi transport and homeostasis in plants

Inorganic phosphate (Pi) is an easily accessible form of phosphorus for plants. Plant Pi uptake is usually limited by slow Pi diffusion through the soil which adsorps the Pi quite strong. That is why plants have developed mechanisms to increase Pi availability. There are abiotic (phosphate level) and biotic (mycorrhiza) factors regulating the expression of Pi-responsive genes. Transcription factors binding to the promoters of Pi-responsive genes activate different pathways of Pi transport, distribution and homeostasis maintenance. Pi metabolism involves proteins, as well as microRNAs and other noncoding RNAs

Coalescent Assimilation Across Wordboundaries in American English and in Polish English

Coalescent assimilation (CA), where alveolar obstruents /t, d, s, z/ in word-final position merge with word-initial /j/ to produce postalveolar /tʃ, dʒ, ʃ, ʒ/, is one of the most wellknown connected speech processes in English. Due to its commonness, CA has been discussed in numerous textbook descriptions of English pronunciation, and yet, upon comparing them it is difficult to get a clear picture of what factors make its application likely. This paper aims to investigate the application of CA in American English to see a) what factors increase the likelihood of its application for each of the four alveolar obstruents, and b) what is the allophonic realization of plosives /t, d/ if the CA does not apply. To do so, the Buckeye Corpus (Pitt et al. 2007) of spoken American English is analyzed quantitatively. As a second step, these results are compared with Polish English; statistics analogous to the ones listed above for American English are gathered for Polish English based on the PLEC corpus (Pęzik 2012). The last section focuses on what consequences for teaching based on a native speaker model the findings have. It is argued that a description of the phenomenon that reflects the behavior of speakers of American English more accurately than extant textbook accounts could be beneficial to the acquisition of these patterns

Assessment of the Usefulness of Multiplex Real-Time PCR Tests in the Diagnostic and Therapeutic Process of Pneumonia in Hospitalized Children: A Single-Center Experience

The aim of the study was assessment of the usefulness of multiplex real-time PCR tests in the diagnostic and therapeutic process in children hospitalized due to pneumonia and burdened with comorbidities. Methods. The study group included 97 children hospitalized due to pneumonia at the Karol Jonscher Teaching Hospital in Poznań, in whom multiplex real-time PCR tests (FTD respiratory pathogens 33; fast-track diagnostics) were used. Results. Positive test results of the test were achieved in 74 patients (76.3%). The average age in the group was 56 months. Viruses were detected in 61 samples (82% of all positive results); bacterial factors were found in 29 samples (39% of all positive results). The presence of comorbidities was established in 90 children (92.78%). On the basis of the obtained results, 5 groups of patients were established: viral etiology of infection, 34 patients; bacterial etiology, 7 patients; mixed etiology, 23 patients; pneumocystis, 9 patients; and no etiology diagnosed, 24 patients. Conclusions. Our analysis demonstrated that the participation of viruses in causing severe lung infections is significant in children with comorbidities. Multiplex real-time PCR tests proved to be more useful in establishing the etiology of pneumonia in hospitalized children than the traditional microbiological examinations

Angiotensin II Induces Renal Plasminogen Activator Inhibitor-1 and Cyclooxygenase-2 Expression Post-Transcriptionally via Activation of the mRNA-Stabilizing Factor Human-Antigen R

Angiotensin (Ang) II-induced fibrosis of the kidney is characterized by the enhanced expression of profibrotic and proinflammatory genes, including the serine protease inhibitor plasminogen activator inhibitor-1 (PAI-1) and cyclooxygenase-2 (COX-2). In addition to transcriptional regulation, both genes are subject to post-transcriptional control by AU-rich destabilizing elements that reside within the 3′ untranslated region of the mRNA. We demonstrated that the continuous infusion of AngII in rats induced fibrosis concomitant with a significant increase in glomerular PAI-1 and COX-2 expression levels. Using RNA pull-down assays and electromobility shift assays, we demonstrated the increased binding of the ubiquitous RNA-binding protein human-antigen R (HuR) to the mRNAs of both PAI-1 and COX-2 in the cytoplasmic fractions of renal homogenates from AngII-treated rats. Actinomycin D experiments in rat mesangial cells revealed that AngII stabilizes both mRNAs via HuR as proven by small interfering RNA. Mechanistically, AngII promotes an increase in nucleo-cytoplasmic HuR shuttling, which was blocked by the PKC inhibitor rottlerin and the type-I AngII (AT1) receptor antagonist valsartan but was unaffected by both AT2 receptor antagonists PD123319 and CGP42112. Co-immunoprecipitation revealed that AngII treatment caused an increase in nuclear PKC-δ concomitant with binding to nuclear HuR both in vitro and in vivo. The post-transcriptional regulation of PAI-1 and COX-2 by PKC-δ-dependent HuR shuttling may contribute to the pathogenesis of hypertensive nephrosclerosis triggered by AngII

The effect of spironolactone on diastolic function in haemodialysis patients

Heart failure with preserved ejection fraction (HFpEF) is highly prevalent in patients on maintenance haemodialysis (HD) and lacks effective treatment. We investigated the effect of spironolactone on cardiac structure and function with a specific focus on diastolic function parameters. The MiREnDa trial examined the effect of 50 mg spironolactone once daily versus placebo on left ventricular mass index (LVMi) among 97 HD patients during 40 weeks of treatment. In this echocardiographic substudy, diastolic function was assessed using predefined structural and functional parameters including E/e'. Changes in the frequency of HFpEF were analysed using the comprehensive 'HFA-PEFF score'. Complete echocardiographic assessment was available in 65 individuals (59.5 ± 13.0 years, 21.5% female) with preserved left ventricular ejection fraction (LVEF > 50%). At baseline, mean E/e' was 15.2 ± 7.8 and 37 (56.9%) patients fulfilled the criteria of HFpEF according to the HFA-PEFF score. There was no significant difference in mean change of E/e' between the spironolactone group and the placebo group (+ 0.93 ± 5.39 vs. + 1.52 ± 5.94, p = 0.68) or in mean change of left atrial volume index (LAVi) (1.9 ± 12.3 ml/