Global Identification and Characterization of Transcriptionally Active Regions in the Rice Genome

Genome tiling microarray studies have consistently documented rich transcriptional activity beyond the annotated genes. However, systematic characterization and transcriptional profiling of the putative novel transcripts on the genome scale are still lacking. We report here the identification of 25,352 and 27,744 transcriptionally active regions (TARs) not encoded by annotated exons in the rice (Oryza. sativa) subspecies japonica and indica, respectively. The non-exonic TARs account for approximately two thirds of the total TARs detected by tiling arrays and represent transcripts likely conserved between japonica and indica. Transcription of 21,018 (83%) japonica non-exonic TARs was verified through expression profiling in 10 tissue types using a re-array in which annotated genes and TARs were each represented by five independent probes. Subsequent analyses indicate that about 80% of the japonica TARs that were not assigned to annotated exons can be assigned to various putatively functional or structural elements of the rice genome, including splice variants, uncharacterized portions of incompletely annotated genes, antisense transcripts, duplicated gene fragments, and potential non-coding RNAs. These results provide a systematic characterization of non-exonic transcripts in rice and thus expand the current view of the complexity and dynamics of the rice transcriptome

Comparable cellular and humoral immunity upon homologous and heterologous COVID-19 vaccination regimens in kidney transplant recipients

BackgroundKidney transplant recipients (KTRs) are at high risk for a severe course of coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19); thus, effective vaccination is critical. However, the achievement of protective immunogenicity is hampered by immunosuppressive therapies. We assessed cellular and humoral immunity and breakthrough infection rates in KTRs vaccinated with homologous and heterologous COVID-19 vaccination regimens.MethodWe performed a comparative in-depth analysis of severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2)–specific T-cell responses using multiplex Fluorospot assays and SARS-CoV-2-specific neutralizing antibodies (NAbs) between three-times homologously (n = 18) and heterologously (n = 8) vaccinated KTRs.ResultsWe detected SARS-CoV-2-reactive T cells in 100% of KTRs upon third vaccination, with comparable frequencies, T-cell expression profiles, and relative interferon γ and interleukin 2 production per single cell between homologously and heterologously vaccinated KTRs. SARS-CoV-2-specific NAb positivity rates were significantly higher in heterologously (87.5%) compared to homologously vaccinated (50.0%) KTRs (P < 0.0001), whereas the magnitudes of NAb titers were comparable between both subcohorts after third vaccination. SARS-CoV-2 breakthrough infections occurred in equal numbers in homologously (38.9%) and heterologously (37.5%) vaccinated KTRs with mild-to-moderate courses of COVID-19.ConclusionOur data support a more comprehensive assessment of not only humoral but also cellular SARS-CoV-2-specific immunity in KTRs to provide an in-depth understanding about the COVID-19 vaccine–induced immune response in a transplant setting

Production of He-4 and (4) in Pb-Pb collisions at root(NN)-N-S=2.76 TeV at the LHC

Results on the production of He-4 and (4) nuclei in Pb-Pb collisions at root(NN)-N-S = 2.76 TeV in the rapidity range vertical bar y vertical bar <1, using the ALICE detector, are presented in this paper. The rapidity densities corresponding to 0-10% central events are found to be dN/dy4(He) = (0.8 +/- 0.4 (stat) +/- 0.3 (syst)) x 10(-6) and dN/dy4 = (1.1 +/- 0.4 (stat) +/- 0.2 (syst)) x 10(-6), respectively. This is in agreement with the statistical thermal model expectation assuming the same chemical freeze-out temperature (T-chem = 156 MeV) as for light hadrons. The measured ratio of (4)/He-4 is 1.4 +/- 0.8 (stat) +/- 0.5 (syst). (C) 2018 Published by Elsevier B.V.Peer reviewe

ცნობის ფურცელი : სურათებიანი დამატება N373

ყოველკვირეული გაზეთ

Multivariable Cox regression analysis^* for the risk of death (OS) in node-positive breast cancer patients.

*<p>Number of patients in multivariable analysis: n = 60; number of events of death: 18; binary variables are used; HR, hazard ratio; 95% CI, 95% confidence interval; OS, overall survival with endpoint death of any cause.</p

Univariate Cox proportional hazard ratios for OS with respect to clinical parameters and <i>HTRA1</i> mRNA expression levels.

a<p>Univariate Cox regression analysis; 95% CI, 95% confidence interval; OS, overall survival with endpoint death of any cause.</p

Multivariable Cox regression analysis for DFS.

<p>Number of patients in multivariable analysis: n = 80; number of events of recurrence and/or death in multivariable analysis: 38.</p><p>For both analyses, binary variables are used; HR, hazard ratio; 95% CI, 95% confidence interval.</p><p>DFS: disease-free survival with endpoints recurrence and/or death.</p

Patient outcome in node-positive breast cancer patients as a function of <i>HTRA1</i> mRNA expression.

<p><b>A</b>. Overall survival (n = 60). <b>B</b>. Disease-free survival (n = 60). Multiple testing performed with the R-package maxstat.test <a href="http://www.plosone.org/article/info:doi/10.1371/journal.pone.0060359#pone.0060359-Hothorn1" target="_blank">[28]</a> is provided.</p

Univariate Cox proportional hazard ratios for DFS with respect to clinical parameters and <i>HTRA1</i> mRNA expression levels.

a<p>Univariate Cox regression analysis; 95% CI, 95% confidence interval; DFS, disease-free survival with endpoints recurrence and/or death.</p