Endocide-Induced Abnormal Growth Forms of Invasive Giant Salvinia (Salvinia molesta)

Giant salvinia (Salvinia molesta) is one of the most noxious invasive species in the world. The fern is known to have primary, secondary, and tertiary growth forms, which are also commonly hypothesized as growth stages. The identification of these forms is primarily based on the size and folding status of the floating leaves. However, we identified 12 forms in the greenhouse and the field. Our experiments showed that the folding of floating leaves is a reversible trait dependent on water access. The floating leaves quickly fold in response to water shortage, reducing water loss and needs, decreasing growth, and avoiding trichome damage. The leaves re-open to allow trichomes repel water and enhance growth when having adequate water supply. Larger secondary or tertiary forms do not produce small-leaf primary forms without high intensity stress. These results do not support the hypothesis that three growth forms represent sequential growth stages. The abnormal small-leaf forms are the result of endocide-induced autotoxicity and some of them never grow into other forms. The development of abnormal forms and reversible leaf folding strategy in response to high stress along with rapid asexual reproduction are major adaptive traits contributing to the invasiveness of S. molesta

Antimicrobial and antioxidant activities of Cortex Magnoliae Officinalis and some other medicinal plants commonly used in South-East Asia

<p>Abstract</p> <p>Background</p> <p>Eight medicinal plants were tested for their antimicrobial and antioxidant activities. Different extraction methods were also tested for their effects on the bioactivities of the medicinal plants.</p> <p>Methods</p> <p>Eight plants, namely <it>Herba Polygonis Hydropiperis </it>(<it>Laliaocao</it>), <it>Folium Murraya Koenigii </it>(<it>Jialiye</it>), <it>Rhizoma Arachis Hypogea </it>(<it>Huashenggen</it>), <it>Herba Houttuyniae </it>(<it>Yuxingcao</it>), <it>Epipremnum pinnatum </it>(<it>Pashulong</it>), <it>Rhizoma Typhonium Flagelliforme </it>(<it>Laoshuyu</it>), <it>Cortex Magnoliae Officinalis </it>(<it>Houpo</it>) and <it>Rhizoma Imperatae </it>(<it>Baimaogen</it>) were investigated for their potential antimicrobial and antioxidant properties.</p> <p>Results</p> <p>Extracts of <it>Cortex Magnoliae Officinalis </it>had the strongest activities against <it>M. Smegmatis</it>, <it>C. albicans</it>, <it>B. subtilis </it>and <it>S. aureus</it>. Boiled extracts of <it>Cortex Magnoliae Officinalis</it>, <it>Folium Murraya Koenigii, Herba Polygonis Hydropiperis </it>and <it>Herba Houttuyniae </it>demonstrated greater antioxidant activities than other tested medicinal plants.</p> <p>Conclusion</p> <p>Among the eight tested medicinal plants, <it>Cortex Magnoliae Officinalis </it>showed the highest antimicrobial and antioxidant activities. Different methods of extraction yield different spectra of bioactivities.</p

Clinical Data: Sources and Types, Regulatory Constraints, Applications.

Access to clinical data is critical for the advancement of translational research. However, the numerous regulations and policies that surround the use of clinical data, although critical to ensure patient privacy and protect against misuse, often present challenges to data access and sharing. In this article, we provide an overview of clinical data types and associated regulatory constraints and inferential limitations. We highlight several novel approaches that our team has developed for openly exposing clinical data

Actigraphy-based sleep estimation in adolescents and adults: a comparison with polysomnography using two scoring algorithms

Objectives: Actigraphy is widely used to estimate sleep–wake time, despite limited information regarding the comparability of different devices and algorithms. We compared estimates of sleep–wake times determined by two wrist actigraphs (GT3X+ versus Actiwatch Spectrum [AWS]) to in-home polysomnography (PSG), using two algorithms (Sadeh and Cole–Kripke) for the GT3X+ recordings. Subjects and methods Participants included a sample of 35 healthy volunteers (13 school children and 22 adults, 46% male) from Boston, MA, USA. Twenty-two adults wore the GT3X+ and AWS simultaneously for at least five consecutive days and nights. In addition, actigraphy and PSG were concurrently measured in 12 of these adults and another 13 children over a single night. We used intraclass correlation coefficients (ICCs), epoch-by-epoch comparisons, paired t-tests, and Bland–Altman plots to determine the level of agreement between actigraphy and PSG, and differences between devices and algorithms. Results: Each actigraph showed comparable accuracy (0.81–0.86) for sleep–wake estimation compared to PSG. When analyzing data from the GT3X+, the Cole–Kripke algorithm was more sensitive (0.88–0.96) to detect sleep, but less specific (0.35–0.64) to detect wake than the Sadeh algorithm (sensitivity: 0.82–0.91, specificity: 0.47–0.68). Total sleep time measured using the GT3X+ with both algorithms was similar to that obtained by PSG (ICC=0.64–0.88). In contrast, agreement between the GT3X+ and PSG wake after sleep onset was poor (ICC=0.00–0.10). In adults, the GT3X+ using the Cole–Kripke algorithm provided data comparable to the AWS (mean bias=3.7±19.7 minutes for total sleep time and 8.0±14.2 minutes for wake after sleep onset). Conclusion: The two actigraphs provided comparable and accurate data compared to PSG, although both poorly identified wake episodes (i.e., had low specificity). Use of actigraphy scoring algorithm influenced the mean bias and level of agreement in sleep–wake times estimates. The GT3X+, when analyzed by the Cole–Kripke, but not the Sadeh algorithm, provided comparable data to the AWS

The FLASH pilot survey: an HI absorption search against MRC 1-Jy radio sources

We report an ASKAP search for associated HI 21-cm absorption against bright radio sources from the Molonglo Reference Catalogue (MRC) 1-Jy sample. The search uses pilot survey data from the ASKAP First Large Absorption Survey in \hi (FLASH) covering the redshift range $0.42 < z < 1.00$. From a sample of 62 MRC 1-Jy radio galaxies and quasars in this redshift range we report three new detections of associated HI 21-cm absorption, yielding an overall detection fraction of $1.8\%^{+4.0\%}_{-1.5\%}$. The detected systems comprise two radio galaxies (MRC 2216$-$281 at $z=0.657$ and MRC 0531$-$237 at $z=0.851$) and one quasar (MRC 2156$-$245 at $z=0.862$). The MRC 0531$-$237 absorption system is the strongest found to date, with a velocity integrated optical depth of $\rm 143.8 \pm 0.4 \ km \ s^{-1}$. All three objects with detected HI 21-cm absorption are peaked-spectrum or compact steep-spectrum (CSS) radio sources, classified based on our SED fits to the spectra. Two of them show strong interplanetary scintillation at 162 MHz, implying that the radio continuum source is smaller than 1 arcsec in size even at low frequencies. Among the class of peaked-spectrum and compact steep-spectrum radio sources, the HI detection fraction is $23\%^{+22\%}_{-13\%}$. This is consistent within $1\sigma$ with a detection fraction of $\approx 42\%^{+21\%}_{-15\%}$ in earlier reported GPS and CSS samples at intermediate redshifts ($0.4 < z < 1.0$). All three detections have a high 1.4 GHz radio luminosity, with MRC 0531$-$237 and MRC 2216$-$281 having the highest values in the sample, $\rm > 27.5 \ W \ Hz^{-1}$. The preponderance of extended radio sources in our sample could partially explain the overall low detection fraction, while the effects of a redshift evolution in gas properties and AGN UV luminosity on the neutral gas absorption still need to be investigated.Comment: 28 pages, 9 figures and 7 Tables. Submitted to MNRA

Quality of Life and Socioeconomic Indicators Associated with Survival of Myeloid Leukemias in Canada

Understanding how patient‐reported quality of life (QoL) and socioeconomic status (SES) relate to survival of acute myeloid leukemia (AML) and myelodysplastic syndrome (MDS) may improve prognostic information sharing. This study explores associations among QoL, SES, and survival through administration of the Euro‐QoL 5‐Dimension, 3‐level and Functional Assessment of Cancer Therapy‐Leukemia and financial impact questionnaires to 138 adult participants with newly diagnosed AML or MDS in a longitudinal, pan‐Canadian study. Cox regression and lasso variable selection models were used to explore associations among QoL, SES, and established predictors of survival. Secondary outcomes were changes in QoL, performance of the QoL instruments, and lost income. We found that higher QoL and SES were positively associated with survival. The Lasso model selected the visual analog scale of the EQ‐5D‐3L as the most important predictor among all other variables (P&nbsp;=&nbsp;.03; 92% selection). Patients with AML report improved QoL after treatment, despite higher mean out‐of‐pocket expenditures compared with MDS (up to $599 CDN/month for AML vs$239 for MDS;&nbsp;P&nbsp;=&nbsp;.05), greater loss of productivity‐related income (reaching id="mce_marker"786/month for AML vs $709 for MDS;&nbsp;P&nbsp;&lt;&nbsp;.05), and greater caregiver effects (65%&nbsp;vs 35% caregiver productivity losses for AML vs MDS;&nbsp;P&nbsp;&lt;&nbsp;.05). Our results suggest that including patient‐reported QoL and socioeconomic indicators can improve the accuracy of survival models

Deducing the pathogenic contribution of recessive ABCA4 alleles in an outbred population

Accurate prediction of the pathogenic effects of specific genotypes is important for the design and execution of clinical trials as well as for meaningful counseling of individual patients. However, for many autosomal recessive diseases, it can be difficult to deduce the relative pathogenic contribution of individual alleles because relatively few affected individuals share the same two disease-causing variations. In this study, we used multiple regression analysis to estimate the pathogenicity of specific alleles of ABCA4 in patients with retinal phenotypes ranging from Stargardt disease to retinitis pigmentosa. This analysis revealed quantitative allelic effects on two aspects of the visual phenotype, visual acuity (P < 10−3) and visual field (P < 10−7). Discordance between visual acuity and visual field in individual patients suggests the existence of at least two non-ABCA4 modifying factors. The findings of this study will facilitate the discovery of factors that modify ABCA4 disease and will also aid in the optimal selection of subjects for clinical trials of new therapies

p38 MAPK Regulates Expression of Immune Response Genes and Contributes to Longevity in C. elegans

The PMK-1 p38 mitogen-activated protein kinase pathway and the DAF-2–DAF-16 insulin signaling pathway control Caenorhabditis elegans intestinal innate immunity. pmk-1 loss-of-function mutants have enhanced sensitivity to pathogens, while daf-2 loss-of-function mutants have enhanced resistance to pathogens that requires upregulation of the DAF-16 transcription factor. We used genetic analysis to show that the pathogen resistance of daf-2 mutants also requires PMK-1. However, genome-wide microarray analysis indicated that there was essentially no overlap between genes positively regulated by PMK-1 and DAF-16, suggesting that they form parallel pathways to promote immunity. We found that PMK-1 controls expression of candidate secreted antimicrobials, including C-type lectins, ShK toxins, and CUB-like genes. Microarray analysis demonstrated that 25% of PMK-1 positively regulated genes are induced by Pseudomonas aeruginosa infection. Using quantitative PCR, we showed that PMK-1 regulates both basal and infection-induced expression of pathogen response genes, while DAF-16 does not. Finally, we used genetic analysis to show that PMK-1 contributes to the enhanced longevity of daf-2 mutants. We propose that the PMK-1 pathway is a specific, indispensable immunity pathway that mediates expression of secreted immune response genes, while the DAF-2–DAF-16 pathway appears to regulate immunity as part of a more general stress response. The contribution of the PMK-1 pathway to the enhanced lifespan of daf-2 mutants suggests that innate immunity is an important determinant of longevity