Characterization of the cysteine protease, PhCP10, during the senescence of Petunia x hybrida flowers

Proteases play an important role in the degradation and remobilization of proteins during flower senescence. The majority of proteases that are upregulated during senescence and programmed cell death are from the cysteine protease class of proteases. Recently, nine putative cysteine proteases were identified from Petunia x hybrida. Six of the nine cysteine proteases were upregulated during petal senescence. One cysteine protease, PhCP10, is upregulated early in senescence, is expressed only in senescing tissues and appears to be regulated by ethylene. The PhCP10 sequence shows high homology to SAG12 (senescence-associated gene) from Arabidopsis. SAG12 is senescence specific in Arabidopsis leaves, but little is known about its expression in flowers. TAIL-PCR was preformed to obtain the PhCP10 promoter . The PhCP10 promoter sequence also shares homology with the senescence-specific and basal promoter regions of SAG12. Promoter constructs driving GFP expression have been analyzed utilizing transient expression in lima bean cotyledons and in petunia flowers. Transient expression in lima beans and petunia flowers has detected a possible regulatory element that appears to enhance PhCP10 expression in a similar manner to the enhancer region in the SAG12 promoter. We are currently transforming petunias with the PhCP10:GFP constructs to further characterize the temporal and spatial expression of PhCP10 during flower senescence and following ethylene treatment

High Rydberg States of an Atom in Parallel Electric and Magnetic Fields

We have calculated the energy spectrum of a highly excited atom in parallel electric and magnetic fields. The eigenvalues were obtained by semiclassical quantization of action variables calculated from first-order classical perturbation theory. For the field strengths studied, the electron moves on a Kepler ellipse whose orbital parameters evolve slowly in time, and first-order perturbation theory reduces the problem to just one degree of freedom. Action variables were calculated from perturbation theory and the eigenvalues were obtained by semiclassical quantization of the action. The semiclassical analysis leads directly to a correlation diagram which connects the eigenstates of the Stark effect to those of the diamagnetic effect. A classification scheme for the eigenstates is proposed. Comparison with first-order degenerate quantum perturbation theory verifies the accuracy of the semiclassical treatment

Treatment with Calcium Chloride Enhances Water Deficit Stress Tolerance in Viola (Viola cornuta)

Water deficit stress can reduce the postproduction shelf life and marketability of floriculture crops. To alleviate the damage by water deficiency, plants need to limit transpirational water loss by inducing stomatal closure. Osmotic stress induces stomatal closure like the response to water deficit stress. It could be used as a convenient tool to enhance water deficit stress tolerance by reducing water loss. The objective of this research was to investigate whether osmotic treatment with a high concentration of chemical solutions could trigger a response to osmotic stress so that stomatal closure can be induced, resulting in enhanced water deficit stress tolerance in viola (Viola cornuta ‘Sorbet XP Yellow’). Osmotic treatments with CaCl2, Ca(NO3)2, NaCl, NaNO3, BaCl2, Ba(NO3)2, and mannitol were applied at the osmotic potentials (cS) of L1.3 and L2.0 MPa. Chemical treatments [except Ca(NO3)2, NaCl, and mannitol] helped to delay wilting and gave a longer shelf life, up to 5.2 days over that of the control, 2.5 days. However, leaf necrosis was observed on the violas treated with NaCl, NaNO3, BaCl2, Ba(NO3)2, and mannitol. CaCl2 was the most effective agent in delaying wilting under water deficit stress in viola without leaf necrosis. Compared with the control, violas treated with CaCl2 at 200 and 300 mM showed an increase in shelf life by 2.6 and 1.2 days, respectively. Stomatal conductance (gS) was reduced within 4 hours after treatment with CaCl2 compared with that of control violas. Leaf relative water content (RWC) of control violas was dramatically reduced 3 days after treatment and fell below 50% on day 4, while CaCl2-treated violas maintained higher leaf RWC (70% to 81%) during the water deficit period. These results indicated that osmotic treatment with the high concentration of CaCl2 caused stomatal closure, resulting in a reduction of water loss and an extension of shelf life under water deficit stress in viola

Maternal nutrition at conception modulates DNA methylation of human metastable epialleles.

In experimental animals, maternal diet during the periconceptional period influences the establishment of DNA methylation at metastable epialleles in the offspring, with permanent phenotypic consequences. Pronounced naturally occurring seasonal differences in the diet of rural Gambian women allowed us to test this in humans. We show that significant seasonal variations in methyl-donor nutrient intake of mothers around the time of conception influence 13 relevant plasma biomarkers. The level of several of these maternal biomarkers predicts increased/decreased methylation at metastable epialleles in DNA extracted from lymphocytes and hair follicles in infants postnatally. Our results demonstrate that maternal nutritional status during early pregnancy causes persistent and systemic epigenetic changes at human metastable epialleles

Semiclassical Interpretation of Eigenvectors for Excited Atoms in External Fields

Eigenvectors for an electron in an atom in parallel electric and magnetic fields are calculated, and a semiclassical interpretation of their behavior is obtained. Eigenvectors can in this case be regarded as ‘‘wave functions in angular momentum space.’’ The matrix equation defining the eigenvectors is written as a difference equation, and then converted to a pseudodifferential equation; a systematic procedure is then used to construct a semiclassical approximation. It is found that the same classical Hamiltonian that has been previously used to calculate semiclassical eigenvalues provides a WKB-type representation of the eigenvectors. The development sheds new light on action-angle formulations of quantum mechanics and on semiclassical approximations in action-angle variables

Efficacy of Prehabilitation Including Exercise on Postoperative Outcomes Following Abdominal Cancer Surgery: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis

OBJECTIVE: This systematic review set out to identify, evaluate and synthesise the evidence examining the effect of prehabilitation including exercise on postoperative outcomes following abdominal cancer surgery. METHODS: Five electronic databases (MEDLINE 1946-2020, EMBASE 1947-2020, CINAHL 1937-2020, PEDro 1999-2020, and Cochrane Central Registry of Controlled Trials 1991-2020) were systematically searched (until August 2020) for randomised controlled trials (RCTs) that investigated the effects of prehabilitation interventions in patients undergoing abdominal cancer surgery. This review included any form of prehabilitation either unimodal or multimodal that included whole body and/or respiratory exercises as a stand-alone intervention or in addition to other prehabilitation interventions (such as nutrition and psychology) compared to standard care. RESULTS: Twenty-two studies were included in the systematic review and 21 studies in the meta-analysis. There was moderate quality of evidence that multimodal prehabilitation improves pre-operative functional capacity as measured by 6 min walk distance (Mean difference [MD] 33.09 metres, 95% CI 17.69–48.50; p = <0.01) but improvement in cardiorespiratory fitness such as preoperative oxygen consumption at peak exercise (VO2 peak; MD 1.74 mL/kg/min, 95% CI −0.03–3.50; p = 0.05) and anaerobic threshold (AT; MD 1.21 mL/kg/min, 95% CI −0.34–2.76; p = 0.13) were not significant. A reduction in hospital length of stay (MD 3.68 days, 95% CI 0.92–6.44; p = 0.009) was observed but no effect was observed for postoperative complications (Odds Ratio [OR] 0.81, 95% CI 0.55–1.18; p = 0.27), pulmonary complications (OR 0.53, 95% CI 0.28–1.01; p = 0.05), hospital re-admission (OR 1.07, 95% CI 0.61–1.90; p = 0.81) or postoperative mortality (OR 0.95, 95% CI 0.43–2.09, p = 0.90). CONCLUSION: Multimodal prehabilitation improves preoperative functional capacity with reduction in hospital length of stay. This supports the need for ongoing research on innovative cost-effective prehabilitation approaches, research within large multicentre studies to verify this effect and to explore implementation strategies within clinical practise

Maternal Genistein Alters Coat Color and Protects A(vy) Mouse Offspring from Obesity by Modifying the Fetal Epigenome

Genistein, the major phytoestrogen in soy, is linked to diminished female reproductive performance and to cancer chemoprevention and decreased adipose deposition. Dietary genistein may also play a role in the decreased incidence of cancer in Asians compared with Westerners, as well as increased cancer incidence in Asians immigrating to the United States. Here, we report that maternal dietary genistein supplementation of mice during gestation, at levels comparable with humans consuming high-soy diets, shifted the coat color of heterozygous viable yellow agouti (A(vy)/a) offspring toward pseudoagouti. This marked phenotypic change was significantly associated with increased methylation of six cytosine–guanine sites in a retrotransposon upstream of the transcription start site of the Agouti gene. The extent of this DNA methylation was similar in endodermal, mesodermal, and ectodermal tissues, indicating that genistein acts during early embryonic development. Moreover, this genistein-induced hypermethylation persisted into adulthood, decreasing ectopic Agouti expression and protecting offspring from obesity. Thus, we provide the first evidence that in utero dietary genistein affects gene expression and alters susceptibility to obesity in adulthood by permanently altering the epigenome

Biofortification of Sodium Selenate Improves Dietary Mineral Contents and Antioxidant Capacity of Culinary Herb Microgreens

Selenium biofortification of plants has been suggested as a method of enhancing dietary seleniumintake to prevent deficiency and chronic disease in humans, while avoiding toxic levels of intake. Popular herbs such as basil (Ocimum basilicum L.), cilantro (Coriandrum sativum L.), and scallions (Allium fistulosum L.) present an opportunity for biofortification as these plants are used for added flavors to meals and are available as microgreens, young plants with increasing popularity in the consumer marketplace. In this study, basil, cilantro, and scallion microgreens were biofortified with sodium selenate under hydroponic conditions at various selenium concentrations to investigate the effects on yield, selenium content, other mineral contents (i.e., sodium, potassium, calcium, magnesium, phosphorus, copper, zinc, iron, manganese, sulfur, and boron), total phenol content, and antioxidant capacity [oxygen radical absorbance capacity (ORAC)]. The results showed that the selenium content increased significantly at all concentrations, with scallions demonstrating the largest increase. The effects on other minerals varied among herb species. Antioxidant capacity and total phenol content increased in all herbs at the highest selenium treatments, but basil and scallions demonstrated a decreased crop yield. Overall, these biofortified culinary herbmicrogreens are an ideal functional food for enhancing selenium, other dietary minerals, and antioxidants to benefit human health

Development of iGrow: A Curriculum for Youth/Adult Dyads to Increase Gardening Skills, Culinary Competence, and Family Meal Time for Youths and Their Adult Caregivers

This manuscript describes the development of a “learn by actively participating” curriculum for youth and their adult caregivers (dyad pair) to increase gardening skills, culinary competence, and family meal time. The curriculum was developed by integrating “iCook 4-H” and Junior Masters Gardener “Health and Nutrition from the Garden”, and “Essential Elements of 4-H Youth Development” curriculums with additional resources for gardening activities from the USDA’s My Plate and garden-based recipes. Expert reviewers (n = 11) provided feedback on the curriculum content, session structure, dosage, age appropriateness, and balance of the three focused areas. Seven family dyads (n = 14) participated in focus groups about understanding of need, interest, barriers, and potential engagement. A 10-week curriculum was developed and named: iGrow. The curriculum is a hands on, active learning program delivered through five, two-hour sessions using a family dyad model. Three main focus areas included gardening, culinary skills, and family conversation/interaction that all focused on togetherness. For the final iGrow curriculum, expert-level content review and feedback from focus group dyad pairs was used to revise the curriculum which further enhanced the approach and balance of the curriculum content. Focus group feedback supported appropriateness, dosage and learning objectives, and content depth. This curriculum has been developed to provide knowledge of gardening and culinary skills with the goal of increased consumption of fruit and vegetables

Paternal obesity is associated with IGF2 hypomethylation in newborns: results from a Newborn Epigenetics Study (NEST) cohort

Data from epidemiological and animal model studies suggest that nutrition during pregnancy may affect the health status of subsequent generations. These transgenerational effects are now being explained by disruptions at the level of the epigenetic machinery. Besides in vitro environmental exposures, the possible impact on the reprogramming of methylation profiles at imprinted genes at a much earlier time point, such as during spermatogenesis or oogenesis, has not previously been considered. In this study, our aim was to determine associations between preconceptional obesity and DNA methylation profiles in the offspring, particularly at the differentially methylated regions (DMRs) of the imprinted Insulin-like Growth Factor 2 (IGF2) gene