PATHOGENIC VARIABILITY OF ASCOCHYTA LENTIS IN BULGARIA

Ascochyta blight, caused by Ascochyta lentis Vassiljevsky, is an important foliar disease of lentil (Lens culinaris L.) with worldwide occurrence and is a serious threat to lentil production. The investigation involved 13 isolates of Ascochyta lentis. The pathogen was isolated from naturally infected lentil plants from various locations in Bulgaria, using an agar plate method. Inoculum was also producedby growing  isolates on LDA. Ten plants (3 weeks old) of each of the cultivars were sprayed with a freshly prepared spore suspension (105 conidia mL-1). Disease symptoms were scored 14 days after inoculation. The virulence of the isolates was determined with the help of 11 lines and cultivars of lentil (ILL 358, ILL 5480, ILL 2429, ILL 5725, ILL 7537, Laird, Ilina, Bella, Nadejda, Naslada, Zornitsa). Based on the reaction of the used genotypes, the investigated isolates of Asc. lentis were grouped into seven pathotypes. The observations in the present study revealed a significant variation amongthe isolates of Ascochyta lentis for morphological traits as well as for pathogenicity

Патотипно разнообразие на Uromyces appendiculatus в Североизточна България

Bean rust caused by Uromyces appendiculatus (Pers.: Pers.) Unger. is one of the most devastating fungal diseases in common beans. For the plains of Bulgaria, the disease has a sporadic spread but occurs annually in The Rhodope mountains. To determine the pathotype diversity in Northeastern Bulgaria, seventeen single uredinium isolates (SUIs) were obtained from a naturally occurring pathogen population. The virulent phenotype of the isolates to the differential set referred them to 16 pathotypes of four races. The pathotypes of race 20-16 had the highest frequency of isolation (56.3%), followed by the pathotypes of race 20-18 (31.2%) and the pathotypes of races 20-0 and 20-2 (6.3%). One pathotype was referred to the Andean-specific group of the pathogen and 15 pathotypes were referred to the nonspecific group of U. appendiculatus. All pathotypes had a completely different virulent/avirulent phenotype compared to those previously described in Bulgaria. This investigation is the first report for the distribution of pathotypes of races 20-16 and 20-18 in the country. The high pathotype diversity of U. appendiculatus in Bulgaria is due to genetic recombination during the sexual process which occurs in The Rhodope mountains, or to mutations in the pathogen population as a result of breeding pressure of the new varieties grown in the country.Ръждата по фасул, причинявана от Uromyces appendiculatus (Pers.: Pers.) Unger, е едно от най-вредоносните гъбни заболявания по обикновения фасул. За равнинните части на България болестта има спорадичен характер, но се среща ежегодно в Родопите. За определяне на патотипното разнообразие на патогена в Североизточна България са изолирани 17 моносорови изолата. Вирулентният фенотип на изолатите към диференциращите сортове на ръждата по фасула отнася изолатите към 16 патотипа на четири раси. С най-голяма честота на изолиране са патотиповете на раса 20-16 (56,3%), следвани от раса 20-18 (31,2%) и раси 20-0 и 20-2 (6,3%) съответно. Един патотип е отнесен към Andean-специфичната група на патогена, а останалите 15 патотипа към неспецифичната група на U. аppendiculatus. Всички патотипове имат напълно различен вирулентен/авирулентен фенотип в сравнение с установените до момента в България. Патотиповете на раси 20-16 и 20-18 са нови за страната. Голямото патотипно разнообразие на U. appendiculatus в България се дължи на генетични рекомбинации през половия процес, който протича в Родопите или на мутации в популацията на патогена под дейстивие на селекционния натиск на новите сортове, които се отглеждат в страната

RESISTANCE IN COMMON BEAN(PHASEOLUS VULGARIS L.) TO UROMYCES APPENDICULATUS IN BULGARIA

Common bean rust, caused by Uromycesappendiculatus, is one of the most devastating diseases in common bean. Breeding for resistant cultivars is the most effective and eco-friendly method for disease control. Although there is no targeted breeding program in Bulgaria to create resistant cultivars to the pathogen, periodic screening of the virulent diversity of U. appendiculatus and sources of resistance to the identified races/pathotypes is carried out. During the last twenty years, four investigations were made to estimate virulence diversity in pathogen population. Eleven U. appendiculatus races (20-0, 20-1, 20-2, 20-3, 20-19, 29-0, 29-1, 28-1, 52-3, 20-16 and 20-18) are identified, distributed in Rhodope mountains and North Bulgaria. Chronologically each of the studies was accompanied or followed by a screening for sources of resistance to the pathogen under field conditions. Еach study found different numbers of resistant accessions depending on the virulent potential of the population used. In three of the studies, cultivars that showed resistant phenotype under field conditions were screened against a set of races, distributed in the country in the same time, under greenhouse. Bulgarian cultivar ‘Beslet’ showed resistant reaction under field and greenhouse in all investigation. The resistance of the cultivar to races 20-1 and 20-19 is governed by a single dominant gene. This cultivar can be successfully used in a breeding program for race-specific resistance. Fifty accessions with race-nonspecific resistance, expressed by low disease intensity and resistant/susceptible infection type, are identified in two investigations under field conditions

Descubrimiento de inhibidores no competitivos del canal iónico TRPM8 sensible al frio

El canal iónico TRPM8 es un termocanal sensible a las bajas temperaturas, que se encuentra principalmente en neuronas sensoriales primarias de los ganglios trigéminos y dorsales. Se ha visto involucrado en hipersensibilidad al frio en contexto de dolor crónico al dañar los nervios periféricos o por el uso de fármacos quimioterapeúticos para tratar algunos tipos de cáncer. El objetivo principal de este trabajo es la búsqueda de antagonistas no competitivos del canal que podrían aliviar los síntomas de la neuropatía periférica. Para este fin se construyó un modelo del canal TRPM8 a partir del de otro miembro de la familia TRP, TRPV1 cuya estructura ha sido estudiada por crio-electromicroscopía de partícula única. El nuevo modelo de TRPM8 construido por homología se utilizó para realizar cribado virtual computacional enfocado hacia la búsqueda de sitio s de unión para los ligandos, entre sitios ya conocidos como el del mentol o la icilina, además de los giros extracelulares. Los resultados obtenidos indican que un grupo de ligandos que comparten similitudes estructurales tiende a unirse a residuos del sitio de mentol, mientras que otro, a los giros extracelulares y los de la icilina. Dicha preferencia podría explicarse por la diferente estructura química de los distintos ligandos y el entorno químico de los sitios de unión. A pesar de ello se necesitará un estudio posterior que profundice más en la forma de unión de cada ligando y el comportamiento del canal tras la interacción con este

ASSIMILATION OF NUTRIENTS FROM COMMON WHEAT (TRITICUM AESTIVUM L.) DEPENDING ON SOME AGRONOMY FACTORS

The genotype specificity in the uptake of the main nutrients according to the fertilization rate was investigated in Triticum aestivum L. varieties under conditions of a vegetation experiment. Four fertilization rates were tested: N0P0K0, N200P200K200, N400P200K200 and N600P200K200. The response of the varieties to the nutrition conditions provided was studied during several stages of growth and development. The different nutrition regimes used lead to manifestation of the specific abilities of the varieties to take up nutrients. Genotype and mineral fertilization had a higher effect on nutrients uptake than stage of development. During the initial stage of wheat development, the differences established in the uptake of macro elements were greater between the varieties than between the individual fertilization rates. The differences were most evident at maturation. This specificity was well expressed in nitrogen and phosphorus uptake in total biomass and to a lesser extends - in potassium uptake. Varieties Slaveya and Milena had highest amounts of nitrogen uptake in grain

Lipid Composition of Paulownia Seeds Grown in Bulgaria

DergiPark: 246128trakyafbdThe chemical composition of seeds from paulownia (Paulownia tomentosa) was investigated. The main components in the triacylglycerol fraction of the oil were linoleic (64.1%), oleic (21.2%) and palmitic acids (7.3%). ?-Tocopherol (approx. 100.0%) predominated in the tocopherol fraction, and in the sterol fraction – ß-sitosterol (79.2%), campesterol (10.3%) and stigmasterol (7.7%). In the seeds were established 10.6% protein, 9.5% cellulose and 38.2% hydrolysable carbohydrates

Mechanisms of Blockade of the Muscle-Type Nicotinic Receptor by Benzocaine, a Permanently Uncharged Local Anesthetic

Most local anesthetics (LAs) are amine compounds bearing one or several phenolic rings. Many of them are protonated at physiological pH, but benzocaine (Bzc) is permanently uncharged, which is relevant because the effects of LAs on nicotinic acetylcholine (ACh) receptors (nAChRs) depend on their presence as uncharged or protonated species. The aims of this study were to assess the effects of Bzc on nAChRs and to correlate them with its binding to putative interacting sites on this receptor. nAChRs from Torpedo electroplaques were microtransplanted to Xenopus oocytes and currents elicited by ACh (IAChs), either alone or together with Bzc, were recorded at different potentials. Co-application of ACh with increasing concentrations of Bzc showed that Bzc reversibly blocked nAChRs. IACh inhibition by Bzc was voltage-independent, but the IACh rebound elicited when rinsing Bzc suggests an open-channel blockade. Besides, ACh and Bzc co-application enhanced nAChR desensitization. When Bzc was just pre-applied it also inhibited IACh, by blocking closed (resting) nAChRs. This blockade slowed down the kinetics of both the IACh activation and the recovery from blockade. The electrophysiological results indicate that Bzc effects on nAChRs are similar to those of 2,6-dimethylaniline, an analogue of the hydrophobic moiety of lidocaine. Furthermore, docking assays on models of the nAChR revealed that Bzc and DMA binding sites on nAChRs overlap fairly well. These results demonstrate that Bzc inhibits nAChRs by multiple mechanisms and contribute to better understanding both the modulation of nAChRs and how LAs elicit some of their clinical side effects.This work was supported by grants BFU2012-31359, BFU2015-66612-P, SAF2015-66275-C2-1-R and SAF2017-82977-P (AEI/FEDER, UE) from MINECO, PROMETEO/2014/11 from Generalitat Valenciana (Spain) and GRE17-01 from Universidad de Alicante. R.C. held a predoctoral fellowship from Universidad de Alicante (FPUUA36) and M.N. a predoctoral industrial fellowship from Ministerio de Economía, Industria y Competitividad (DI-16-08303)

The genetic architecture of the human cerebral cortex

The cerebral cortex underlies our complex cognitive capabilities, yet little is known about the specific genetic loci that influence human cortical structure. To identify genetic variants that affect cortical structure, we conducted a genome-wide association meta-analysis of brain magnetic resonance imaging data from 51,665 individuals. We analyzed the surface area and average thickness of the whole cortex and 34 regions with known functional specializations. We identified 199 significant loci and found significant enrichment for loci influencing total surface area within regulatory elements that are active during prenatal cortical development, supporting the radial unit hypothesis. Loci that affect regional surface area cluster near genes in Wnt signaling pathways, which influence progenitor expansion and areal identity. Variation in cortical structure is genetically correlated with cognitive function, Parkinson's disease, insomnia, depression, neuroticism, and attention deficit hyperactivity disorder

The impact of surgical delay on resectability of colorectal cancer: An international prospective cohort study

AIM: The SARS-CoV-2 pandemic has provided a unique opportunity to explore the impact of surgical delays on cancer resectability. This study aimed to compare resectability for colorectal cancer patients undergoing delayed versus non-delayed surgery. METHODS: This was an international prospective cohort study of consecutive colorectal cancer patients with a decision for curative surgery (January-April 2020). Surgical delay was defined as an operation taking place more than 4 weeks after treatment decision, in a patient who did not receive neoadjuvant therapy. A subgroup analysis explored the effects of delay in elective patients only. The impact of longer delays was explored in a sensitivity analysis. The primary outcome was complete resection, defined as curative resection with an R0 margin. RESULTS: Overall, 5453 patients from 304 hospitals in 47 countries were included, of whom 6.6% (358/5453) did not receive their planned operation. Of the 4304 operated patients without neoadjuvant therapy, 40.5% (1744/4304) were delayed beyond 4 weeks. Delayed patients were more likely to be older, men, more comorbid, have higher body mass index and have rectal cancer and early stage disease. Delayed patients had higher unadjusted rates of complete resection (93.7% vs. 91.9%, P = 0.032) and lower rates of emergency surgery (4.5% vs. 22.5%, P < 0.001). After adjustment, delay was not associated with a lower rate of complete resection (OR 1.18, 95% CI 0.90-1.55, P = 0.224), which was consistent in elective patients only (OR 0.94, 95% CI 0.69-1.27, P = 0.672). Longer delays were not associated with poorer outcomes. CONCLUSION: One in 15 colorectal cancer patients did not receive their planned operation during the first wave of COVID-19. Surgical delay did not appear to compromise resectability, raising the hypothesis that any reduction in long-term survival attributable to delays is likely to be due to micro-metastatic disease

Conversion Discriminative Analysis on Mild Cognitive Impairment Using Multiple Cortical Features from MR Images

Neuroimaging measurements derived from magnetic resonance imaging provide important information required for detecting changes related to the progression of mild cognitive impairment (MCI). Cortical features and changes play a crucial role in revealing unique anatomical patterns of brain regions, and further differentiate MCI patients from normal states. Four cortical features, namely, gray matter volume, cortical thickness, surface area, and mean curvature, were explored for discriminative analysis among three groups including the stable MCI (sMCI), the converted MCI (cMCI), and the normal control (NC) groups. In this study, 158 subjects (72 NC, 46 sMCI, and 40 cMCI) were selected from the Alzheimer's Disease Neuroimaging Initiative. A sparse-constrained regression model based on the l2-1-norm was introduced to reduce the feature dimensionality and retrieve essential features for the discrimination of the three groups by using a support vector machine (SVM). An optimized strategy of feature addition based on the weight of each feature was adopted for the SVM classifier in order to achieve the best classification performance. The baseline cortical features combined with the longitudinal measurements for 2 years of follow-up data yielded prominent classification results. In particular, the cortical thickness produced a classification with 98.84% accuracy, 97.5% sensitivity, and 100% specificity for the sMCI–cMCI comparison; 92.37% accuracy, 84.78% sensitivity, and 97.22% specificity for the cMCI–NC comparison; and 93.75% accuracy, 92.5% sensitivity, and 94.44% specificity for the sMCI–NC comparison. The best performances obtained by the SVM classifier using the essential features were 5–40% more than those using all of the retained features. The feasibility of the cortical features for the recognition of anatomical patterns was certified; thus, the proposed method has the potential to improve the clinical diagnosis of sub-types of MCI and predict the risk of its conversion to Alzheimer's disease