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BTC expression in normal skin and lesional skin from patients with atopic dermatitis (AD) and psoriasis (Pso) (d). Although various molecules have been identified as being potential biomarkers of psoriasis,1,2 reliable biomarkers for psoriasis severity and therapeutic assessment are still lacking. [Extracted from the article]

In this study, the Empirical Mode Decomposition algorithm (EMD) and the Long Short Term Memory neural network (LSTM) are combined into an EMD‐LSTM model, to predict the variation of the >2 MeV electron fluxes 1 day ahead. Input parameters include the Pc5 power, AP, AE, Kp, >0.6 MeV, and historical electron flux values, are used for predictions. All the time resolution of parameters are daily integral values. As compared the prediction results of the EMD‐LSTM model with other classical prediction models, the results show that the 1 day ahead prediction efficiency of the >2 MeV electron fluxes possesses a prediction efficiency of 0.80, and the highest prediction efficiency can reach 0.93. These results are superior to the prediction accuracy of more previous models. Using two high‐energy electron flux storm events for validation, the results indicate that the performance of the EMD‐LSTM model in the period of the high‐energy electron flux storm is also relatively good, especially for the prediction of high‐energy electron fluxes at extreme points, and the predictions are closer to actual observations. Plain Language Summary: During the main phase of a high‐energy storm, the relativistic electron fluxes level at MeV energy from the outer radiation belt will be enhanced at geosynchronous orbit. In particular, the >2 MeV electrons could penetrate the surface of satellites and accumulate on their insides. After a long period, the effect of these electrons could result in satellites being unable to operate or being damaged beyond recovery. To mitigate against this damage by accurate forecast to take protective measures, we combine the empirical mode decomposition (EMD) and long short‐term memory (LSTM) algorithms to predict >2 MeV electrons flux values. The EMD‐LSTM model results show that the model can accurately predict the rapid changes in data series and extreme data points with little time offset. Key Points: Propose a prediction model of relativistic electrons using a deep learning algorithm, the Empirical Mode Decomposition algorithm‐Long Short Term Memory neural network model, to predict the >2 MeV electron fluxesUse the ultralow frequency Pc5 power and related geomagnetic indices as input parameters to predict the >2 MeV electron fluxesThe forecast is shown to be highly accurate during case studies of storm times due to small time offset between observation and forecast values [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Batch annealing technique is mainly used in industry for improving productivity as a few steel coils were stacked and heated in a bell‐type furnace. The microstructure evolution, texture formation and mechanical properties of 16 % chromium ferritic stainless steel under different simulated batch annealing and subsequent cold‐rolled annealing conditions were investigated in this work. Results showed that batch annealing process applied in mass production could not produce fully recrystallized and homogenously equiaxed grains even at very high temperatures up to 900 °C for 30 hours. With increased batch annealing temperature, a large number of chromium carbides precipitated in ferrite, while some unstable Fe‐carbide precipitates were gradually dissolved. Relatively lower cold‐rolled annealing temperature (830 °C) led to finer grains and superior mechanical properties of 16 % chromium ferritic stainless steel. Increased batch annealing temperature improved the intensity of {111}//normal direction γ‐fiber textures at the expense of other orientations including {hkl}<110> α‐fiber, {334}<48‾ 3>, thus improving the formability of ferritic stainless steel. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Transverse momentum spectra of proton, deuteron, and triton in gold-gold (Au-Au) collisions at 54.4 GeV are analyzed in different centrality bins by the blast wave model with Tsallis statistics. The model results are approximately in agreement with the experimental data measured by STAR Collaboration in special transverse momentum ranges. We extracted the kinetic freeze-out temperature, transverse flow velocity, and freeze-out volume from the transverse momentum spectra of the particles. It is observed that the kinetic freeze-out temperature is increasing from the central to peripheral collisions. However, the transverse flow velocity and freeze-out volume decrease from the central to peripheral collisions. The present work reveals the mass dependent kinetic freeze-out scenario and volume differential freeze-out scenario in collisions at STAR Collaboration. In addition, parameter q characterizes the degree of nonequilibrium of the produced system, and it increases from the central to peripheral collisions and increases with mass. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Historically, researchers have put considerable effort into developing automation systems to prepare natural biopolymers such as peptides and oligonucleotides. The availability of such mature systems has significantly advanced the development of natural science. Over the past twenty years, breakthroughs in automated synthesis of oligosaccharides have also been achieved. A machine‐driven platform for glycopeptide synthesis by a reconstructed peptide synthesizer is described. The designed platform is based on the use of an amine‐functionalized silica resin to facilitate the chemical synthesis of peptides in organic solvent as well as the enzymatic synthesis of glycan epitopes in the aqueous phase in a single reaction vessel. Both syntheses were performed by a peptide synthesizer in a semiautomated manner. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background and purpose: The chemokine monocyte chemoattractant protein‐1 (MCP‐1) is involved in the pathogenesis of Alzheimer's disease (AD). This study aimed to investigate whether urinary MCP‐1 can distinguish patients with AD, patients with amnestic mild cognitive impairment (aMCI) and cognitively normal (CN) subjects. Methods: A total of 754 participants, including 97 patients with AD, 50 patients with aMCI and 84 age‐ and sex‐matched CN controls as well as a cohort of 523 CN subjects of different ages, were enrolled from five hospitals located in different areas of China. Urinary MCP‐1 levels were determined using enzyme‐linked immunosorbent assays. The correlations between urinary MCP‐1 levels and cognition test scores or age were analysed. The optimal diagnostic sensitivity and specificity were determined using receiver operating characteristic curve analysis. Results: In the cohort of CN subjects of different ages, urinary MCP‐1 levels increased with ageing and were correlated with age. The urinary MCP‐1 levels were higher in females than in males. In the cohort composed of patients with AD, aMCI and age‐ and sex‐matched CN controls, urinary MCP‐1 levels were significantly higher in patients with AD and aMCI than in CN controls. There were no differences in urine MCP‐1 levels between the AD group and the aMCI group. The urinary MCP‐1 levels were correlated with the Mini‐Mental State Examination scores and age, and were able to differentiate patients with AD and aMCI from CN subjects. Conclusions: Urinary MCP‐1 is a potential biomarker for the diagnosis of AD and aMCI. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: In previous epidemiological study, the prevalence of atopic dermatitis (AD) was 12.94% among children aged 1–7 years by clinical diagnosis, whereas that was 4.76% and 3.51% using U.K., and Hanifin and Rajka diagnostic criteria. Objective: We aimed to propose new diagnostic criteria for children and evaluate its efficiency in different populations. Methods: We screened atopic features and analysed their correlation with AD using data from a previous study. A new set of diagnostic criteria for children in China was proposed and validated in 1031 children in outpatient clinics and 538 children in a birth cohort survey. Clinical diagnosis and atopic feature evaluation were performed face to face by dermatologists specialized in AD. Three criteria were compared for diagnostic efficiency using the clinical diagnosis as the reference. Results: The new diagnostic criteria for children were based on (i) pruritus; (ii) 'typical morphology and distribution' or 'atypical morphology and distribution with xerosis'; and (iii) a chronic or chronically relapsing course. Compared to classical diagnostic criteria, the sensitivity of the new diagnostic criteria was significantly higher in the epidemiological survey and the clinical setting, especially obvious among mild and moderate AD. In the birth cohort, the new criteria showed similar sensitivity and specificity. Conclusion: The new criteria for children yielded higher sensitivity for the diagnosis of AD in the epidemiological survey and clinical setting, particularly for mild and moderate AD. Among the birth cohort with a complete medical history, three criteria showed similar sensitivity and specificity. Linked Commentary: T. Bieber. J Eur Acad Dermatol Venereol 2020; 34: 438–439. https://doi.org/10.1111/jdv.16223. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Clubroot (Plasmodiophora brassicae) is an important disease of canola (Brassica napus) and other brassica crops. Accurate estimation of inoculum load in soil is important for evaluating producer risk in planting a susceptible crop, but also for evaluation of management practices such as crop rotation. This study compared five molecular techniques for estimating P. brassicae resting spores in soil: quantitative polymerase chain reaction (qPCR), competitive positive internal control PCR (CPIC‐PCR), propidium monoazide PCR (PMA‐PCR), droplet digital PCR (ddPCR) and loop‐mediated isothermal DNA amplification (LAMP). For ddPCR and LAMP, calibrations were developed using spiked soil samples. The comparison was carried out using soil samples collected from a long‐term rotation study at Normandin, Québec, with replicated plots representing 0‐, 1‐, 2‐, 3‐, 5‐ and 6‐year breaks following susceptible canola infested with clubroot. CPIC‐PCR and ddPCR provided repeatable estimates of resting spore numbers in soil compared with estimates from qPCR or LAMP alone. CPIC‐PCR provided the most robust measurement of spore concentration, especially in the 2 years following a crop of susceptible canola, because it corrected for effects of PCR inhibitors. PMA‐PCR demonstrated that a large proportion of the DNA of P. brassicae detected in soil after the susceptible canola crop was derived from spores that were immature or otherwise not viable. Each assay provided a similar pattern of spore concentration in soil, which supported the conclusion of a previous study at this site that resting spore numbers declined rapidly in the first 2 years after a susceptible crop, but much more slowly subsequently. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

For decades, researchers have endeavored to develop a general automated system to synthesize oligosaccharides that is comparable to the preparation of oligonucleotides and oligopeptides by commercially available machines. Inspired by the success of automated oligosaccharide synthesis through chemical glycosylation, a fully automated system is reported for oligosaccharides synthesis through enzymatic glycosylation in aqueous solution. The designed system is based on the use of a thermosensitive polymer and a commercially available peptide synthesizer. This study represents a proof‐of‐concept demonstration that the enzymatic synthesis of oligosaccharides can be achieved in an automated manner using a commercially available peptide synthesizer. Sugar synthesis in solution: An automated system is designed for oligosaccharide synthesis. The automated process is based on enzymatic glycosylation and the use of a thermosensitive polymer and a commercially available peptide synthesizer. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract: Analogous to reversible post‐translational protein modifications, the ability to attach and subsequently remove modifications on proteins would be valuable for protein and biological research. Although bioorthogonal functionalities have been developed to conjugate or cleave protein modifications, they are introduced into proteins on separate residues and often with bulky side chains, limiting their use to one type of control and primarily protein surface. Here we achieved dual control on one residue by genetically encoding S‐propargyl‐cysteine (SprC), which has bioorthogonal alkyne and propargyl groups in a compact structure, permitting usage in protein interior in addition to surface. We demonstrated its incorporation at the dimer interface of glutathione transferase for in vivo crosslinking via thiol–yne click chemistry, and at the active site of human rhinovirus 3C protease for masking and then turning on enzyme activity via Pd‐cleavage of SprC into Cys. In addition, we installed biotin onto EGFP via Sonogashira coupling of SprC and then tracelessly removed it via Pd cleavage. SprC is small in size, commercially available, nontoxic, and allows for bond building and breaking on a single residue. Genetically encoded SprC will be valuable for chemically controlling proteins with an essential Cys and for reversible protein modifications. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Blackleg disease, caused by Leptosphaeria maculans, is a serious threat to canola production in western Canada. While specific major resistance (R) genes can be effective, they can also be eroded rapidly by a shift in pathogen race composition. Quantitative resistance (QR) has the potential to provide more durable, if less complete, protection. However, the effectiveness of QR may vary widely in the field. It has long been suspected that elevated temperatures may limit the expression of QR. To test this hypothesis, the infection development of blackleg was assessed on three common Canadian canola cultivars (74‐44 BL, PV 530 G and 45H29) showing QR, with and without a heat treatment of 7 h daily exposure to 32 °C for 1 week during rosette to early flowering under controlled environment conditions. The impact of elevated temperature on the susceptibility to blackleg was compared with that of a moderate temperature with a 22 °C daytime high. A susceptible cultivar, Westar, was used as a control. When data from both temperatures were pooled, all three QR cultivars showed lower blackleg severity relative to Westar. Elevated temperatures increased blackleg severity in Westar only (in terms of the stem‐lesion length from the inoculation of the first true‐leaf petiole in trials involving Westar and 74‐44 BL) and in pooled data for disease severity index in trials involving Westar, PV 530 G and 45H29. These findings suggest that the QR traits in 74‐44 BL, PV 530 G and 45H29 are useful for blackleg management in western Canada, especially under warmer growing conditions when plants are at the rosette to early flowering stages. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract: O Mannosylation is a vital protein modification involved in brain and muscle development whereas the biological relevance of O‐mannosyl glycans has remained largely unknown owing to the lack of structurally defined glycoforms. An efficient scaffold synthesis/enzymatic extension (SSEE) strategy was developed to prepare such structures by combining gram‐scale convergent chemical syntheses of three scaffolds and strictly controlled sequential enzymatic extension catalyzed by glycosyltransferases. In total, 45 O‐mannosyl glycans were obtained, covering the majority of identified mammalian structures. Subsequent glycan microarray analysis revealed fine specificities of glycan‐binding proteins and specific antisera. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Summary: Pore structure is sensitive to land management, fertilization and tillage. The response of pore structure to long‐term fertilizer application is crucial for understanding the mechanisms of various soil processes involved. In this study, the effect of chemical fertilizer and organic manure on microscale pore structure and the pore network in soil was quantified by synchrotron‐based X‐ray microcomputed tomography (SR‐mCT) and a pore network model. Macroaggregates of 5–7 mm in diameter were collected from a paddy soil (Typic Haplustalf) with a long‐term fertilization experiment established in 1996 under an annual rice–wheat crop rotation. The treatments were control (CK), chemical fertilizers (NPK), rice straw (RS), pig manure (PM), chemical fertilizer plus straw (NPK + RS) and chemical fertilizer plus pig manure (NPK + PM). Results showed that the application of NPK greatly reduced the C/I ratio (ratio of connected porosity and isolated porosity) of the macroaggregates compared with all the other treatments. The pore network model revealed that application of NPK reduced the complexity of the pore network system. Heatmap analyses showed that NPK increased the isolated porosity of macroaggregates and that straw markedly changed the pore shape by increasing the proportion of elongated pores, whereas the PM increased the connected porosity of macroaggregates. From our results, we believe a ‘good pore structure’ comprised a moderate total porosity and C/I ratio, which can balance the air, water exchange and moisture, and nutrient retention. We considered that total porosity and C/I ratio were the crucial pore variables to evaluate the effect of fertilization on pore structures at the microscale level. Therefore, we proposed that total porosity and the C/I ratio in macroaggregates could be used as effective indicators to evaluate the response of pore structure to fertilization. Application of a balanced approach of chemical fertilizer together with manure (NPK + PM) or straw (NPK + RS) improved pore structure. This suggested that fertilization management should include the integrated use of both mineral fertilizer and organic manure or straw to maintain a suitable pore environment in soil. Highlights: Effects of long‐term fertilization on pore structure of macroaggregates of paddy soil. Pore system of macroaggregates investigated by pore network model and cluster analysis. Application of NPK (alone or combined with organic matter) will increase proportion of isolated pores. The C/I ratio has the potential to predict change in pore structure of soil at the aggregate scale. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Compared to other cultivar lychees, volume density of Feizixiao lychee was higher due to serious shrinkage during freeze-drying (FD). Guiwei lychee and Nuomici lychee were used for comparison in order to illuminate the reason of the aforementioned phenomenon. Lower prefreezing temperature could not improve the volume density of Feizixiao lychee. Microstructure results show that pulp cell of Feizixiao lychee (tail) was smaller and more compact than Guiwei and Nuomici lychee pulp cell. In addition, there is a membrane around the surface of Feizixiao lychee pulp. And the microstructure of Feizixiao lychee tip pulp cell is different from tail pulp cell. Membrane and tip pulp cell are both smaller and more compact than tail pulp cell. These structure differences hinder the moisture removing of Feizixiao lychee during FD. Removing the membrane and tip pulp could not improve the volume density of Feizixiao lychee. Ultrasound treatment for 30 min could significantly enhance the volume density of Feizixiao lychee. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Blackleg disease of canola/rapeseed (Brassica napus), caused by the devastating fungal pathogen Leptosphaeria maculans, can significantly influence B. napus production worldwide, except for China, where only the less aggressive L. biglobosa has been found associated with the disease. The aim of this study was to characterize both seedling resistance (major gene resistance, R gene resistance) and adult plant resistance (APR) from a collection of Chinese B. napus varieties/lines (accessions) to L. maculans. Evaluation of seedling resistance was carried out under a controlled environment, using 11 well-characterized L. maculans isolates as differentials. The identification of APR was performed under multiple field environments in western Canada. R genes were detected in more than 40% of the accessions tested. Four specific R genes, Rlm1, Rlm2, Rlm3 and Rlm4 were identified, with Rlm3 and Rlm4 being the most common genes, while Rlm1 and Rlm2 were detected only occasionally. Results of field evaluation indicated significant variations among field locations as well as accessions; a large portion of the B. napus accessions, regardless of the resistance level observed at the seedling stage, showed high to moderate levels of APR under all environments tested. This study highlights that both R gene resistance and APR are present in Chinese B. napus germplasm and could be potential sources of resistance against blackleg caused by L. maculans if the pathogen ever becomes established in China. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Influenza A virus ( IAV) infection induces a strong immune response and regulates the expression of many host proteins. The collagen triple helix repeat containing 1 ( CTHRC1) protein is a secreted protein that exhibits increased expression during the viral infection process. However, the regulatory function of IAV on CTHRC1 expression is obscure. In this study, we investigated the effect of IAV on CTHRC1 expression and its regulatory mechanism. A total of 106 serum specimens from healthy people and 80 serum specimens from patients infected with IAV were collected. The CTHRC1 levels in the sera from the IVA patients and healthy individuals were measured using an enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay ( ELISA), and the differences were statistically analysed. A549 cells were infected with the IAV or del NS1 virus. Additionally, A549 cells were cotransfected with a eukaryotic non-structural NS1 protein gene expression plasmid and the CTHRC1 gene promoter reporter plasmid ( pCTHRC1-Luc), and, the luciferase activities were assessed. The CTHRC1 mRNA and protein expression were detected using reverse transcription-polymerase chain reaction ( RT- PCR) and Western blotting, respectively. The serum CTHRC1 level was significantly higher in the IAV patients than in the healthy individuals. IAV upregulated the CTHRC1 mRNA and protein expression. The non-structural NS1 protein specifically activated CTHRC1 gene promoter activity and upregulated CTHRC1 mRNA and protein expression. The activation function had a dose-dependent effect, indicating that influenza virus upregulated CTHRC1 expression through its NS1 protein. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Growth room experiments were conducted to assess the interaction of soil type, biofungicides, soil compaction and pathotype/host on infection and symptom development caused by Plasmodiophora brassicae, the cause of clubroot on Brassica spp. In two initial experiments, four soil types (peat soil, mineral soil, non-calcareous sand, soil-less mix), two biofungicides ( Bacillus subtilis, Clonostachys rosea), and two pathotypes (3 and 6, Williams' differential set) were assessed. Differences in clubroot severity associated with soil type were unexpectedly small and variable. Prestop ( C. rosea) was often more effective than Serenade ( B. subtilis) at reducing clubroot levels on peat and mineral soils, but less effective than Serenade on sand. Inoculation with pathotype 3 often resulted in a slightly higher mean severity than pathotype 6. The interaction of soil type × biofungicide was similar on both canola ( B. napus) and Shanghai pak choy ( B. rapa subsp. chinensis), whether the soil was kept saturated or allowed to drain after inoculation. The impact of soil type on biofungicide efficacy might explain, in part, why biofungicides are more effective in one location than another. The observation that clubroot severity in soil-less mix was affected by compaction led to an investigation of soil bulk density. Severity was higher in soil-less mix that was more compacted than in the initial experiments, and was lower in peat and mineral soils when soil bulk density was reduced by adding soil-less mix. In this study, soil bulk density had a larger impact on clubroot than soil type, organic matter or pathotype. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Leptosphaeria maculans is the causal agent of blackleg, a serious disease on canola/rapeseed in western Canada, Australia and Europe. Genetic resistance and extended crop rotation provided effective disease control in western Canada for years but the emergence of new pathogen races has reduced the effectiveness of current management strategies. The objective of this study was to analyse L. maculans isolates derived from canola stubble in commercial fields collected in 2010 and 2011 across western Canada for the presence and frequency of avirulence ( Avr) genes. A total of 674 isolates were examined for the presence of Avr alleles AvrLm1, AvrLm2, AvrLm3, AvrLm4, AvrLm6, AvrLm7, AvrLm9, AvrLepR1, AvrLepR2 and AvrLmS using a set of differential host genotypes carrying known resistance genes or PCR amplification of AvrLm1, AvrLm6 and AvrLm4-Lm7. Certain alleles were more prevalent in the pathogen population, with AvrLm6 and AvrLm7 present in >85% of isolates, while AvrLm3, AvrLm9 and AvrLepR2 were present in <10% of isolates. A total of 55 races (different combinations of Avr alleles) were detected, with the two most common ones being AvrLm2-Lm4-Lm6-Lm7 and AvrLm2-Lm4-Lm6-Lm7-LmS. Races carrying as many as seven and as few as one known Avr allele were detected. Selection pressure from the race-specific resistance genes carried in canola cultivars has probably played a significant role in the current Avr profile, which may have also contributed to the recent increase in blackleg observed in western Canada. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Plasmodiophora brassicae, causal agent of clubroot of crucifers, poses a serious threat to Canadian canola production. The effects of fallow (F) periods and bait crops (clubroot-susceptible canola (B) and perennial ryegrass (R)) on clubroot severity and P. brassicae resting spore populations were evaluated in five sequences: R-B, B-R, R-F, B-F and F-F. Both host and non-host bait crops reduced clubroot severity in a subsequent crop of a susceptible canola cultivar compared with fallow. Resting spore and P. brassicae DNA concentrations decreased in all treatments, but were lowest for the R-B and B-R bait crop sequences. In addition, two studies were conducted in mini-plots under field conditions to assess the effect of rotation of susceptible or resistant canola cultivars on clubroot severity and P. brassicae resting spore populations. One study included three crops of susceptible canola compared with a 2-year break of oat-pea, barley-pea, wheat-wheat or fallow-fallow. The other study assessed three crops of resistant canola, two crops of resistant canola with a 1-year break, one crop of resistant canola and a 2-year break, and a 3-year break with barley followed by a susceptible canola. The rotations that included non-host crops of barley, pea or oat reduced clubroot severity and resting spore concentrations, and increased yield, compared with continuous cropping of either resistant or susceptible canola. Growing of a susceptible canola cultivar contributed 23-250-fold greater gall mass compared with resistant cultivars. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Clubroot, caused by Plasmodiophora brassicae, has become a serious threat to canola ( Brassica napus) production in western Canada. Experiments were conducted under greenhouse and field conditions to assess the effect of Vapam fumigant (dithiocarbamate; sodium N-methyldithiocarbamate) on primary and secondary infection by P. brassicae, clubroot severity, and growth parameters in canola. Preliminary trials showed a 12-16-fold reduction in primary and secondary infection and clubroot severity at all of the Vapam application rates (0·4-1·6 mL L−1 soil) assessed. Vapam was also found to be effective in reducing clubroot severity and improving seed yield of canola under field conditions. Application of Vapam at soil moisture levels in the range of 10-30% (v:v) had a large effect on both disease severity and infection rates and plant growth parameters. The results suggest that Vapam can effectively reduce clubroot severity and may be useful for the treatment of transplant propagation beds in brassica vegetable production, and for the containment of small, localized clubroot infestations in commercial canola crops. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The mechanism of the biofungicide Prestop® ( Clonostachys rosea) was investigated for control of clubroot ( Plasmodiophora brassicae) on canola. The key product components were partitioned and assessed for their effect on pathogen resting spores, root hair infection ( RHI) and disease development using light microscopy, quantitative PCR and different application treatments during infection. The whole product of Prestop was consistently more effective than the C. rosea conidial suspension or product filtrate alone in reducing RHI and clubroot development. This biofungicide showed little effect on germination or viability of resting spores. Two-application treatments at seeding and 7-14 days after seeding achieved greater clubroot control than a single application of the biofungicide at either seeding or post-seeding stage. This may indicate the need to maintain a high biofungicide dose in the soil during primary and secondary infection. This biocontrol fungus colonized the rhizosphere and interior of canola roots extensively, and possibly induced plant resistance based on up-regulation of the genes that are involved in jasmonic acid ( BnOPR2), ethylene ( BnACO) and phenylpropanoid ( BnOPCL, BnCCR) biosynthetic pathways. It is concluded that the biofungicide Prestop suppressed clubroot on canola at least via root colonization and induced systemic resistance ( ISR), and the latter may be through the modulation of phenylpropanoid and jasmonic acid/ethylene metabolic pathways elicited by the fungus. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This study used a versatile temperature-control device to assess the effect of temperature (12-40°C) and duration (2-12 weeks) of flooding on the survival of Leptosphaeria spp. in canola ( Brassica napus) stubble. Canola basal stems with blackleg symptoms were submerged in water in small glass jars containing 20 cm3 soil on a thermogradient plate capable of simultaneously maintaining up to 96 independent temperature regimes. Flooded stems were sampled at 2-week intervals, surface-sterilized, and incubated on V8-juice agar for 10 days to recover the pathogen. Flooding for 2 weeks substantially reduced pathogen recovery relative to non-flooded controls and the pathogen was not recovered after 6 weeks of flooding, irrespective of temperature. The pathogen was eliminated slightly more rapidly at flooding temperatures >20°C than at 12-16°C. There was no difference between Leptosphaeria maculans and L. biglobosa in their ability to survive flooding. Stem tissues degraded most rapidly during the first 2 weeks of flooding, corresponding to a quick decline in pathogen survival during the same period. These results indicate that a paddy rice crop following winter rapeseed may minimize the impact of blackleg by eradicating the inoculum of Leptosphaeria spp. in stubble. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Influence of dual-retrogression and reaging (dual-RRA) temper on the exfoliation corrosion (EC) and electrochemical behavior of Al-Zn-Mg-Cu alloy has been investigated by means of transmission electron microscope, energy dispersive X-ray spectroscopy, tensile test, polarization curve, and EIS. Dual-RRA temper not only kept the strength similar to retrogression and reaging temper, but also improved EC resistance compared to T76 temper, being attributed to coarser and sparser grain boundary precipitates as well as higher Cu and lower Zn content. Obtained polarization curves and EIS are in good agreement with EC rating sequence. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Clubroot, caused by Plasmodiophora brassicae, has become a serious threat to canola ( Brassica napus) production in western Canada. Experiments were conducted to assess the effect of growing resistant and susceptible canola genotypes on P. brassicae soil resting spore populations under greenhouse, mini-plot and field conditions. One crop of susceptible canola contributed 1·4 × 108 spores mL−1 soil in mini-plot experiments, and 1 × 1010 spores g−1 gall under field conditions. Repeated cropping of susceptible canola resulted in greater gall mass compared to resistant canola lines. It also resulted in reduced plant height, increased clubroot severity in susceptible canola, and increased numbers of resting spores in the soil mix. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background and purpose High-grade cervical carotid stenosis (70-99%) or occlusion often accompanies reversed ophthalmic artery flow ( ROAF), but its potential clinical significances remain poor understood. This study assessed ROAF and the related variables caused by carotid hemodynamic compromise in patients with unilateral severe cervical carotid stenosis. Methods The study consisted of 200 patients diagnosed as unilateral high-grade cervical carotid stenosis/occlusion using ultrasonography. The hemodynamic parameters of 152 patients, excluding 48 with cervical carotid occlusion, were compared based on the presence of ROAF. Out of 200 patients, 159 underwent brain magnetic resonance imaging and were analysed for risk factors impacting functional outcomes including ROAF. Results The patients ( n = 48) with internal carotid artery occlusion had significantly higher incidence (62.5%) of ROAF compared with that of 25.0% in those patients ( n = 152) with unilateral high-grade carotid stenosis ( P < 0.001). In ROAF patients ( n = 38) with the unilateral high-grade stenosis, a significant retrobulbar arteries hemodynamic difference was observed between the stenotic and non-stenotic vessels. The patients ( n = 159) with history of stroke ( P = 0.035), ROAF ( P = 0.023) and intracranial stenosis ( P < 0.001) exhibited significantly higher incidence of poor functional outcome compared with the corresponding control groups. In the same patients ( n = 159), those with both cervical and intracranial stenosis showed sevenfold higher risk ( OR, 7.60; 95% CI, 3.44-16.81) for ROAF than those with only cervical stenosis. Conclusions ROAF may result from intracranial hemodynamic compromise. Patients with unilateral high-grade cervical carotid stenosis/occlusion in combination with intracranial stenosis appear to be a significant risk factor for poor functional outcome and increased incidence of ROAF. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The impact on clubroot severity of growing susceptible canola or mixtures of resistant and susceptible canola genotypes was examined. Bioassays revealed greater clubroot severity and incidence, and reduced plant height, where 100% of a susceptible cultivar had been grown. A higher proportion of susceptible plants within a resistant canola crop increased root hair and secondary infections. Regression analysis of root hair infection and the amount of Plasmodiophora brassicae DNA (as determined by quantitative PCR) revealed strong linear relationships between the two parameters. The linear relationships between root hair infection and P. brassicae DNA were stronger for the resistant cultivar than for the susceptible cultivar when regression analysis was conducted by cultivar over the sampling dates. In conclusion, the cropping of a resistant cultivar reduced clubroot severity, while the presence of susceptible volunteer canola increased inoculum potential. Quantitative PCR was a reliable tool for the quantification of root hair infection. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Objectives Human umbilical cord can be obtained easily and it represents a non-controversial source of mesenchymal stem cells ( MSCs) and umbilical cord Wharton's jelly-derived MSCs ( UC- MSCs) have low immunogenicity. In this study, UC- MSCs were induced to become steroidogenic cells and compared to bone marrow-derived MSCs ( BM- MSCs). Material and methods UC- MSCs and BM- MSCs were induced to differentiate into steroidogenic cells by infection with adenovirus containing SF-1. Expression of steroidogenic m RNA was analysed by real-time RT- PCR and steroid secretion was detected by ELISA testing. Viability of differentiated cells was examined using cell counting kit-8 assay. Results Both UC- MSCs and BM- MSCs expressed typical MSC markers and could differentiate into adipocytes, osteocytes and chondrocytes and both cell types had the potential to differentiate into steroidogenic cells after being infected with adenovirus containing SF-1 c DNA. However, UC- MSCs had significantly higher proliferative potential than BM- MSCs and differentiated UC- MSCs had significantly higher expression of all steroidogenic m RNAs tested over those of differentiated BM- MSCs; this included P450 side-chain cleavage enzyme, 3β- HSD, 17β- HSD type 3, LH- R, ACTH- R, P450c21 and CYP17. In addition, differentiated UC- MSCs secreted significantly more steroidogenic hormones than differentiated BM- MSCs, including testosterone and cortisol. Furthermore, differentiated UC- MSCs had significantly higher cell viability than differentiated BM- MSCs. Conclusions UC- MSCs had significantly higher potential of steroidogenic differentiation than BM- MSCs; thus, UC- MSCs could be favourable cells of choice for cell-based therapy for steroidogenic insufficiency compared to BM- MSCs. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The impact of cultivar resistance and inoculum density on the incidence of primary infection of canola root hairs by Plasmodiophora brassicae, the causal agent of clubroot, was assessed by microscopy. The incidence of root hair infection in both a resistant and a susceptible cultivar increased with increasing inoculum density, but was two- to threefold higher in the susceptible cultivar; the relationship between root hair infection and inoculum density was also substantially stronger and more consistent in the susceptible cultivar. In the susceptible cultivar, the root hair infection rate peaked between 6 and 8 days after sowing and then declined. In the resistant cultivar, it increased over the 14-day duration of each study. It appears that examination of root hair infection by microscopy in a bait crop of susceptible canola could serve as a useful tool for estimating P. brassicae inoculum levels in soil. In a separate trial, the relationship between inoculum density and clubroot severity, plant growth parameters, and seed yield was assessed under greenhouse conditions. Inoculum density in the susceptible genotype was strongly and positively correlated with clubroot severity and negatively correlated with plant height and seed yield. In addition, a single cropping cycle of the susceptible cultivar contributed significantly higher levels of resting spores to the soil in a greenhouse test than did a cycle of the resistant cultivar, as assessed by quantitative PCR and microscope analysis. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Clubroot caused by Plasmodiophora brassicae is an emerging threat to canola ( Brassica napus) production in western Canada, and a serious disease on crucifer vegetable crops in eastern Canada. In this study, seven biological control agents and two fungicides were evaluated as soil drenches or seed treatments for control of clubroot. Under growth cabinet conditions, a soil-drench application of formulated biocontrol agents Bacillus subtilis and Gliocladium catenulatum reduced clubroot severity by more than 80% relative to pathogen-inoculated controls on a highly susceptible canola cultivar. This efficacy was similar to that of the fungicides fluazinam and cyazofamid. Under high disease pressure in greenhouse conditions, the biocontrol agents were less effective than the fungicides. Additionally, all of the treatments delivered as a seed coating were less effective than the soil drench. In field trials conducted in 2009, different treatments consisting of a commercial formulation of B. subtilis, G. catenulatum, fluazinam or cyazofamid were applied as an in-furrow drench at 500 L ha water volume to one susceptible and one resistant cultivar at two sites seeded to canola in Alberta and one site of Chinese cabbage in Ontario. There was no substantial impact on the susceptible canola cultivar, but all of the treatments reduced clubroot on the susceptible cultivar of Chinese cabbage, lowering disease severity by 54-84%. There was a period of 4 weeks without rain after the canola was seeded, which likely contributed to the low treatment efficacy on canola. Under growth cabinet conditions, fluazinam and B. subtilis products became substantially less effective after 2 weeks in a dry soil, but cyazofamid retained its efficacy for at least 4 weeks. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

UDP-hexose 4-epimerases play a pivotal role in lipopolysaccharide (LPS) biosynthesis and Leloir pathway. These epimerases are classified into three groups based on whether they recognize nonacetylated UDP-hexoses (Group 1), both N-acetylated and nonacetylated UDP-hexoses (Group 2) or only N-acetylated UDP-hexoses (Group 3). Although the catalysis has been investigated extensively, yet a definitive model rationalizing the substrate specificity of all the three groups on a common platform is largely lacking. In this work, we present the crystal structure of WbgU, a novel UDP-hexose 4-epimerase that belongs to the Group 3 . WbgU is involved in biosynthetic pathway of the unusual glycan 2-deoxy-L-altruronic acid that is found in the LPS of the pathogen Pleisomonas shigelloides. A model that defines its substrate specificity is proposed on the basis of the active site architecture. Representatives from all the three groups are then compared to rationalize their substrate specificity. This investigation reveals that the Group 3 active site architecture is markedly different from the 'conserved scaffold' of the Group 1 and the Group 2 epimerases and highlights the interactions potentially responsible for the origin of specificity of the Group 3 epimerases toward N-acetylated hexoses. This study provides a platform for further engineering of the UDP-hexose 4-epimerases, leads to a deeper understanding of the LPS biosynthesis and carbohydrate recognition by proteins. It may also have implications in development of novel antibiotics and more economic synthesis of UDP-GalNAc and downstream products such as carbohydrate based vaccines. PDB Code(s): [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The article discusses a study on the crystal structure of Greyhound hemoglobin (GrHb) determined to 1.9 Å resolution. GrHb crystallizes in the R2 state, in spite of the high-salt conditions used for crystallization. It is indicated that GrHb can serve as a model system for the further investigation and design of high-oxygen-affinity hemoglobins (Hbs). The possibility of an additional allosteric factor co-purifying with GrHb which can modulate its quaternary structure is also noted.

Background and purpose: Stroke is a heavy economic and health burden for the patients and society. This study aimed to evaluate hospital length of stay (LOS) by admission characteristics and costs correlated with medical insurance status for cerebral infarction in a medium-sized city in China. Methods: A total of 557 consecutive patients with principal diagnosis of cerebral infarction were enrolled. Admission characteristics, LOS, and costs were retrospectively analyzed. Results: The mean LOS was 18.5 days (median, 16 days). Our analysis demonstrated that medical insurance status, stroke severity (National Institutes of Health Stroke Scale score, Functional Independence Measure cognitive and motor score, Glasgow coma scale), Oxfordshire Community Stroke Project (OCSP) classification, some comorbidities (coronary heart disease, chronic obstructive pulmonary disease, and hyperlipemia), and raised leukocytes were the main explanatory factors for LOS by stepwise multiple regression model. The mean per patient costs were US$ 983.0, and mean daily costs US$ 67.0. Drugs were the most expensive cost subtype, all subtypes costs except non-medical care were significantly higher in patients with state medicine than in those with new cooperative medical scheme (NCMS) ( P < 0.001). Conclusion: Stroke severity, OCSP classification, raised leukocytes on admission, some comorbidities, and medical insurance status may help to predict LOS for patients with cerebral infarction. Healthcare expenditures were heavy burdens to inhabitants. State medicine patients could shorten unnecessary LOS to improve the resources allocation and cost-efficiency. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Aims: We investigated the effect of the water extract of Salacia oblonga (SOE), an ayurvedic antidiabetic and antiobesity medicine, on obesity and diabetes-associated cardiac hypertrophy and discuss the role of modulation of cardiac angiotensin II type 1 receptor (AT1) expression in the effect. Methods: SOE (100 mg/kg) was given orally to male Zucker diabetic fatty (ZDF) rats for 7 weeks. At the end-point of the treatment, the hearts and left ventricles were weighed, cardiomyocyte cross-sectional areas were measured, and cardiac gene profiles were analysed. On the other hand, angiotensin II–stimulated embryonic rat heart–derived H9c2 cells and neonatal rat cardiac fibroblasts were pretreated with SOE and one of its prominent components mangiferin (MA), respectively. Atrial natriuretic peptide (ANP) mRNA expression and protein synthesis and [3H]thymidine incorporation were determined. Results: SOE-treated ZDF rats showed less cardiac hypertrophy (decrease in weights of the hearts and left ventricles and reduced cardiomyocyte cross-sectional areas). SOE treatment suppressed cardiac overexpression of ANP, brain natriuretic peptide (BNP) and AT1 mRNAs and AT1 protein in ZDF rats. SOE (50–100 μg/ml) and MA (25 μmol) suppressed angiotensin II–induced ANP mRNA overexpression and protein synthesis in H9c2 cells. They also inhibited angiotensin II–stimulated [3H]thymidine incorporation by cardiac fibroblasts. Conclusions: Our findings demonstrate that SOE decreases cardiac hypertrophy in ZDF rats, at least in part by inhibiting cardiac AT1 overexpression. These studies provide insights into a potential cardioprotective role of a traditional herb, which supports further clinical evaluation in obesity and diabetes-associated cardiac hypertrophy. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Conventional PCR and two real-time PCR (RTi-PCR) methods were developed and compared using the primer pairs CQULA03F/CQULA03R and CQULA04F/CQULA04R, and TaqMan probe CQULAP1 designed from a species-specific sequence of the rplJ/rplL ribosomal protein gene, for diagnosis of citrus huanglongbing (HLB) disease in southern China. The specificity and sensitivity of the three protocols for detecting ‘ Candidatus Liberibacter asiaticus’ in total DNA extracts of midribs collected from infected citrus leaves with symptoms in Guangxi municipality, Jiangxi Province and Zhejiang Province, were tested. Sensitivities using extracted total DNA (measured as copy number, CN per µL of recombinant plasmid solution) were 439·0 (1·30 × 105 CN µL−1), 4·39 (1·30 × 103 CN µL−1) and 0·44 fg µL−1 (1·30 × 102 CN µL−1) for conventional PCR, TaqMan and SYBR Green I (SGI) RTi-PCR, respectively. SGI RTi-PCR was the most sensitive, but its specificity needed to be confirmed by running a melt-curve assay. The TaqMan RTi-PCR assay was rapid and had the greatest specificity. Concerning the correlation of PCR detection results with the various HLB symptoms, uneven mottling of leaves had the highest positive rate (96·50%), indicating that leaf mottling was the most reliable symptom for field surveys. Dynamic analysis results from the TaqMan assays showed that the titre (CN) g−1 citrus tissue of ‘ Ca. L. asiaticus’ was highest between October and December (threshold cycle ( Ct) average = 29·3, CN = 3·35 × 107) and lowest between March and May ( Ct average = 32·0, CN = 5·10 × 106) in 2004 and 2005. The optimized molecular-based assays should prove useful for presymptom diagnosis of HLB disease, monitoring and identification of ‘ Ca. L. asiaticus’, and field epidemic regulation. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A sandwich structure with fractal pattern for microstrip line is proposed, in which a fractal pattern consisting of “H” is etched in the plane between the microstrip line and the ground plane of microstrip line. The transmission characteristics of that sandwich structure appear to have the multiple gaps and pass bands of electromagnetic waves is from 40 MHz to 10 GHz, and in particular the use of the fractal patterns array is increasing the gaps property of the gaps and pass bands. In this article, the transmission characteristics of one microstrip line with the sandwich structure normalized by 50 Ω are directly calculated by the finite different time domain (FDTD) method. Experimental observations are in good agreement with the result of FDTD simulations. Microstrip transmission lines incorporating a sandwich structure with fractal patterns exhibit band-stops and slow-wave characteristics, which can be exploited to reject unwanted frequency and to reduce the dimensions of the microstrip structure. © 2006 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. Microwave Opt Technol Lett 48: 1714–1717, 2006; Published online in Wiley InterScience (www.interscience.wiley.com). DOI 10.1002/mop.21756 [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The present paper shows that certain instabilities encountered with Nedelec-type finite element implementations of the vector wave equation can be eliminated by a family of Lagrange multiplier methods. The considered approaches can be interpreted as coupled vector and scalar potential methods, including an ungauged formulation. We advocate the latter form for use with iterative solvers. We discuss an inexpensive high-frequency variant of the method and show how hierarchical finite element bases can be utilized to derive efficient, partially gauged formulations of higher order. Copyright © 2000 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Automated Synthesis In their Communication on page 16638 ff., P. G. Wang, L. Wen et al. present an automated system based on enzymatic glycosylation for oligosaccharide synthesis. The system is implemented using a thermosensitive polymer and a peptide synthesizer. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]