Grouping of accessions of Mexican races of maize revisited with SSR markers

Mexican races of maize (Zea mays L.) represent a valuable genetic resource for breeding and genetic surveys. We applied simple sequence repeat (SSR) markers to characterize 25 accessions of races of maize from Mexico. Our objectives were to (1) study the molecular genetic diversity within and among these accessions and (2) examine their relationships as assumed previously on the basis of morphological data. A total of 497 individuals were fingerprinted with 25 SSR markers. We observed a high total number of alleles (7.84 alleles per locus) and total gene diversity (0.61), confirming the broad genetic base of the maize races from Mexico. In addition, the accessions were grouped into distinct racial complexes on the basis of a model-based clustering approach. The principal coordinate analyses of the four Modern Incipient hybrids corroborated the proposed parental races of Chalqueño, Cónico Norteño, Celaya, and Bolita on the basis of the morphological data. Consequently, for some of the accessions, hybridizations provide a clue that can further be used to explain the associations among the Mexican races of maiz

Innovative design of spur gear tooth with infill structure

The progress of additive manufacturing technology brings about many new questions and challenges. Additive manufacturing technology allows for designing machine elements with smaller mass, but at the same time with the same stiffness and stress loading capacity. By using additive manufacturing it is possible to produce gears in the form of shell shape with infill inside. This study is carried out as an attempt to answer the question which type of infill, and with how much density, is optimal for a spur gear tooth to ensure the best stiffness and stress loading capacity. An analysis is performed using numerical finite element method. Two new infill structures are proposed: triangular infill with five different densities and topology infill designed according to the already known results for 2D cantilever topology optimization, known as Michell structures. The von Mises stress, displacements and bending stiffness are analyzed for full body gear tooth and for shell body gear tooth with above mentioned types of infill structure

Potential for Mobile Health Technology to Reduce Health Disparities in Underserved Communities

Background: Mobile health (mHealth) technology has potential to change how patients make healthcare decisions. However, in underserved communities, the readiness to use mHealth technology is unclear. We sought to determine the readiness for these patients to use mHealth technology to guide their medical decision making. Methods: This is a prospective, observational study of patients presenting to the urgent care section of an urban emergency department with a large, underserved population. Patients over the age of 2 that presented with low acuity complaints were included. We excluded patients with any suspicion for acute illness that would require admission. A structured interview was conducted with each patient or parent (for minors) about willingness to use mHealth tools for guidance. Analysis included descriptive statistics and univariate analysis based on age and gender. Results: 560 patients were included with 80% adults, 64% female, and 90% Black. The mean age was 28 ± 9 years for adults and 9 ± 5 years for children. One-third of patients reported no primary care physician while 55% were without phone access to any nurse or clinician for medical advice. Adults were less likely to have access to phone consultation than parents of children (42% vs. 59%, p\u3c0.001), as were males compared to females (35% vs. 51%, p\u3c0.001). Most patients (96%) reported cellular access for mobile apps, and 76% of patients reported that they frequently using mobile apps. While 67% of patients described seeking medical advice from friends or relatives, an equal number also reported using online references. The most commonly used online references were Google (66%) and WebMD (14%). When asked how they would behave if an mHealth tool advised them that their current health problem is low risk, 69% of patients responded that they would seek care in an outpatient clinic (30%), stay home and not seek urgent medical care (28%), or utilize telehealth (11%). Conclusion: In an urban community of young adults and parents, there is a high degree of capacity and willingness to implement mHealth technology to guide medical decision making. While traditional models of care may be strained, these results highlight the potential for mHealth to reduce disparities in healthcare in these communities

<i>NTRK</i> Therapy among Different Types of Cancers, Review and Future Perspectives

Neurotrophic tyrosine receptor kinase (NTRK) has been a remarkable therapeutic target for treating different malignancies, playing an essential role in oncogenic signaling pathways. Groundbreaking trials like NAVIGATE led to the approval of NTRK inhibitors by the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) to treat different malignancies, significantly impacting current oncology treatment. Accurate detection of NTRK gene fusion becomes very important for possible targeted therapy. Various methods to detect NTRK gene fusion have been applied widely based on sensitivity, specificity, and accessibility. The utility of different tests in clinical practice is discussed in this study by providing insights into their effectiveness in targeting patients who may benefit from therapy. Widespread use of NTRK inhibitors in different malignancies could remain limited due to resistance mechanisms that cause challenges to medication efficacy in addition to common side effects of the medications. This review provides a succinct overview of the application of NTRK inhibitors in various types of cancer by emphasizing the critical clinical significance of NTRK fusion gene detection. The discussion also provides a solid foundation for understanding the current challenges and potential changes for improving the efficacy of NTRK inhibitor therapy to treat different malignancies

Thiamine Deficiency Is Common Among Emergency Department Oncology Patients

Background: Thiamine deficiency is associated with significant morbidity that may be precipitated by acute illness. Due to metabolic demands of cancer and difficulty maintaining adequate nutrition, oncology patients may be at higher risk of thiamine deficiency when acutely ill. Our primary objective was to quantify the prevalence of thiamine deficiency among ED oncology patients. Methods: This was a prospective, single center observational study. Inclusion criteria were adult patients with active malignancy presenting to the ED. We excluded patients with known cirrhosis or liver cancer due to known alterations in thiamine metabolism. Data collection included demographic and clinical information, including cancer type and albumin as a marker of nutritional status. We sent whole blood for thiamine levels (Warde Laboratories, Ann Arbor, MI). Analysis was descriptive but also included univariate analysis to test risk factors for thiamine deficiency. Results: There were 55 patients. The mean age was 63 ± 14 years, 53% were female, and 64% African American. The most common malignancies were lung (26%), colon (11%) and breast (11%) cancer. Metastatic disease was present in 43% of patients, and 52% of patients were undergoing current chemotherapy. Mean body mass index (BMI) and albumin were 26.7 ± 6.1 kg/m2 and 3.4 ± 0.8 g/dL, respectively. The rate of thiamine deficiency was 31% (95% CI 19 - 45%). There was no statistical difference in age (p=0.99), BMI (p=0.17), albumin (p=0.91), or gender (p=0.36) between patients with or without thiamine deficiency. 39% of patients with metastatic disease had thiamine deficiency compared to 23% without metastatic disease but the difference did not reach statistical significance (p=0.19). Conclusion: In this cohort of ED oncology patients, there was a surprisingly high rate of thiamine deficiency. Further work is indicated to delineate risk factors and attributable morbidity

Analysis of a triple testcross design with recombinant inbred lines reveals a significant role of epistasis in heterosis for biomass-related traits in Arabidopsis

Primary causes of heterosis are still unknown. Our goal was to investigate the extent and underlying genetic causes of heterosis for five biomass-related traits in Arabidopsis thaliana. We (i) investigated the relative contribution of dominance and epistatic effects to heterosis in the hybrid C24 × Col-0 by generation means analysis and estimates of variance components based on a triple testcross (TTC) design with recombinant inbred lines (RILs), (ii) estimated the average degree of dominance, and (iii) examined the importance of reciprocal and maternal effects in this cross. In total, 234 RILs were crossed to parental lines and their F(1)'s. Midparent heterosis (MPH) was high for rosette diameter at 22 days after sowing (DAS) and 29 DAS, growth rate (GR), and biomass yield (BY). Using the F(2)-metric, directional dominance prevailed for the majority of traits studied but reciprocal and maternal effects were not significant. Additive and dominance variances were significant for all traits. Additive × additive and dominance × dominance variances were significant for all traits but GR. We conclude that dominance as well as digenic and possibly higher-order epistatic effects play an important role in heterosis for biomass-related traits. Our results encourage the use of Arabidopsis hybrid C24 × Col-0 for identification and description of quantitative trait loci (QTL) for heterosis for biomass-related traits and further genomic studies