Search

Background: Different methods for the extraction of trypsin inhibitors in beans (Phaseolus spp.) were investigated. Two randomised complete laboratory experiments were performed, one on the seeds and one on the pods. In the first, the seeds of common bean variety KIS Marcelijan, breeding line Ref_316 × 498 and runner bean variety Bonela were examined. In the second, the fresh pods of five common beans (three breeding lines, two varieties) were analysed. Four extraction methods were used, including ultrasonic-assisted extraction (UAE) for 15 and 30 min and shaking-assisted extraction for 60 and 180 min. Results: The results showed a significant increase in trypsin inhibitor activity-related traits in UAE compared to shaking extraction, with the 15 min ultrasonic process showing better efficacy than the one with 30 min duration. In the seed experiment, the breeding line Ref_316 × 498 showed the highest Trypsin Units Inhibited (TUI) and TUI/mg sample after a 15 min UAE. In the pod experiment, the breeding line 228_4aa_ca also showed the highest TUI and TUI/mg sample after a 15 min extraction with UAE. These results underline the potential of UAE to maximise trypsin inhibitor content. In addition, remarkable correlations between TUI, TUI/mg sample and the percentage of trypsin inhibition (%TIn) were observed in both experiments. Conclusions: These results provide valuable insights into the relationship between bean genetic resources, extraction methods and trypsin inhibitor content in bean pods and seeds and serve as a basis for refining extraction protocols. The study encourages further research on the practical implications of investigated protocols for breeding programmes and agricultural practices.How to cite: Tavakoli Hasanaklou H, Pipan B, Meglič V, et al. Trypsin inhibitors in seeds and pods of Phaseolus vulgaris/coccineus: A comparative study of shaking and ultrasonic extraction methods. Electron J Biotechnol 2024;71. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.ejbt.2024.05.003.

IntroductionThe color of the seed coat of common bean (Phaseolus vulgaris L.) is an important trait influencing marketability and consumer preferences. An understanding of the genetic mechanisms underlying seed coat color variation can aid in breeding programs aimed at improving esthetic and agronomic traits. This study investigates the genetic diversity and molecular mechanisms associated with seed coat color change in composite bean populations through phenotypic analysis and whole genome sequencing (WGS).MethodsFour composite populations and two standard varieties of common bean were cultivated over a two-year period and seed coat color and morphological traits were assessed. WGS was performed on 19 phenotypes and yielded 427 GB of data with an average sequencing depth of 30×. More than 8.6 million high-confidence single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) were identified. Genetic diversity metrics such as nucleotide diversity (π), observed heterozygosity (Ho), expected heterozygosity (He) and allelic richness (Ar) were calculated. Population structure was analyzed using Fst, principal component analysis (PCA) and clustering. Cross-population statistics (XP-CLR and XP-EHH) were used to identify selection signals associated with seed coat color change. Gene Ontology (GO) and KEGG enrichment analyzes were performed for candidate genomic regions.ResultsPhenotypic analysis revealed significant differences in seed coat color among the four composite populations, with notable changes among years. The populations exhibited different growth habits and plant types, especially KIS_Amand and SRGB_00366, which showed the highest phenotypic diversity in seed coat color. WGS identified 8.6 million SNPs, with chromosomes 4 and 1 having the highest SNP density (11% each), while chromosomes 3 and 6 had the lowest. KIS_Amand had the highest genetic diversity (π = 0.222, Ar = 1.380) and SRGB_00189 the lowest (π = 0.067, Ar = 1.327). SRGB_00366 showed moderate genetic diversity (π = 0.173, Ar = 1.338) and INCBN_03048 showed medium diversity (π = 0.124, Ar = 1.047). The Fst values indicated a strong genetic differentiation, especially between the two standard varieties ETNA and Golden_Gate (Fst = 0.704) and the composite populations. Selective sweep analysis with XP-CLR and XP-EHH identified 118 significant regions associated with seed coat color change, with most regions located on chromosomes 4, 9, 10 and 11. Phosphatidylinositol signaling pathways were highly enriched in candidate regions, indicating that cellular transport mechanisms play a critical role in seed coat pigmentation. Key GO terms included phosphatidylinositol-biphosphate binding, exocytosis, and vesicle-mediated transport, suggesting a link between cellular transport and pigment deposition in the seed coat.DiscussionThe study demonstrates significant genetic diversity within and among common bean composite populations, with KIS_Amand and SRGB_00366 exhibiting the highest phenotypic and genetic variability. The identification of selective sweeps and the enrichment of phosphatidylinositol-related pathways provide new insights into the molecular mechanisms controlling seed coat color variation. The strong genetic differentiation between standard varieties and composite populations highlights the role of selective breeding in shaping the genetic landscape of common bean. The results suggest that variation in seed coat color is controlled by both regulatory and structural genetic changes, providing valuable information for breeding programs.ConclusionThis study provides a detailed analysis of the genetic architecture of seed coat color variation in common bean. The identification of key genomic regions and pathways associated with seed pigmentation improves our understanding of the complex genetic interactions underlying this trait. These results provide valuable genomic resources for future breeding efforts aimed at improving seed color and other important traits in common bean.

Field production of common beans benefit from root microbial associations, although they are generally considered to be weaker nitrogen fixers than other legumes. Therefore, the number of nodules on the roots of 64 accessions of the European common bean (Phaseolus vulgaris L.) and the relationship between the number of nodules per accession and other plant characteristics (growth type, earliness, seed yield, and total nitrogen content in seeds) were studied. The results indicated that growth type and earliness influenced the number of nodules per accession (the contributions of principal component analysis were 34.9% for Dim1 and 29.8% for Dim2). The average number of nodules per accession with indeterminate growth type was almost five times higher (20.1) than for accessions with determinate growth type (4.4). Common bean accessions with regular growth cycle length had the highest number of nodules (21.9). In contrast, nodulation efficiency, measured as seed yield per plant and total nitrogen content in seeds, were not correlated with the number of nodules per accession (correlation analysis, r

Disfunkcija spodnjih sečil, ki je tesno povezana z disfunkcijo črevesa, pomeni nepravilnosti v delovanju sečnega mehurja in sečnice. Različne vrste disfunkcije spodnjih sečil delimo glede na simptome in glede na vzrok, v katerega je usmerjeno zdravljenje. Nevrogena disfunkcija spodnjih sečil lahko povzroči nepopravljivo okvaro zgornjih sečil in spremembe stene mehurja dolgo pred tem, ko se klinično izrazi kot uhajanje urina. Zato je pomembno, da čimprej po rojstvu ugotovimo, za kakšno nevrogeno okvaro s posledično disfunkcijo spodnjih sečil gre, in stanje zdravimo proaktivno. Standardno zdravljenje nevrogene disfunkcije spodnjih sečil je čista intermitentna kateterizacija mehurja v kombinaciji z antiholinergikom. Nenevrogena disfunkcija spodnjih sečil z nenadnim tiščanjem na vodo, uhajanjem urina, sfinkter-detruzor dissinergijo in drugimi oblikami, je pogosto povezana s poslabšanjem kakovosti življenja in neugodno vpliva na otrokovo samopodobo. Otrok razvije različne vedenjske vzorce za odložitev uriniranja ali prekinitev nenadnega tiščanja na vodo. Z anamnestičnimi podatki ter z dnevnikom in klinično sliko diagnozo enostavno opredelimo in čim prej pričnemo z nefarmakološkimi ukrepi, standardnimi ukrepi in z različnimi vrstami specialne uroterapije.

Lower urinary tract dysfunction, closely related to bowel dysfunction, means functional abnormalities of the bladder and urethra. Different types of lower urinary tract dysfunction are divided according to symptoms or according to the cause. Treatment is directed to the cause. Neurogenic lower urinary tract dysfunction can cause irreversible damage to the upper urinary tract and changes in the bladder wall long before the clinical picture manifests as urinary leakage. Therefore, it is essential to diagnose the neurogenic defect with the resulting lower urinary tract dysfunction as soon as possible after birth and to treat the condition proactively. The standard therapy for neurogenic lower urinary tract dysfunction is clean intermittent catheterization in combination with an anticholinergic. Non-neurogenic lower urinary tract dysfunction, resulting in sudden, unexpected urge to void, urgency, leakage of urine, sphincter-detrusor dyssynergy and other forms, is often associated with a deterioration in the quality of life and negatively affects the child‘s self-esteem. The child develops different behavioural patterns to delay urination or stop the urgency. With anamnestic data, a diary and a clinical picture, we can easily define the diagnosis and start as soon as possible with non-pharmacological measures, standard and various types of special urotherapy.

Ensuring unimpeded urine drainage from the upper portion of the urinary tract system, specifically the renal pelvis, is achieved through a temporary measure known as percutaneous nephrostomy. This procedure is most commonly employed in small children with congenital ureteral stenosis. The nephrostomy exit site and nephrostomy tube care are performed by the child‘s parents at home after being trained by experienced medical personnel. Complications associated with nephrostomy include local inflammation at the nephrostomy exit site, displacement or damage of the nephrostomy tube, and urinary tract infections. After nephrostomy formation, a narrowing of the previously dilated renal pelvis can be observed on ultrasound. The duration for which a child requires a nephrostomy depends on the underlying cause of the urinary tract obstruction and the planned course of treatment, with the condition closely monitored by ultrasound.

Lower urinary tract dysfunction is clinically relevant because it may cause urinary tract infections, mainly due to accumulation of residual urine, adversely affect renal function, and may cause urine incontinence that strongly affects the child’s quality of life. The function of the lower urinary tract is closely associated with that of the bowel, as constipation is commonly associated with bladder dysfunction. Detrusor overactivity, a benign but socially harmful condition, is the leading cause of daytime urinary incontinence in child-hood and needs to be differentiated from more severe conditions such as neurogenic bladder dysfunction or urethral obstruction. Voiding dysfunction, a habitual sphincter con-traction during voiding, is common in children with detrusor overactivity and may be self-limiting but may also result in residual urine and urinary tract infections. It may resemble, in severe cases, the neurogenic bladder dysfunction, most often caused by spinal dysraphism, which is characterized by several subtypes of lower urinary tract dysfunction. This condition very often leads to recurrent urinary tract infections and high intravesical pressures, threatening kidney function. A voiding diary is crucial in the initial evaluation of lower uri-nary tract function in children.

Okužbe sečil uvrščamo med pogostejše bakterijske okužbe pri dojenčkih in otrocih. Najpogostejši povzročitelj je bakterija Escherichia coli. V prispevku opisujemo pomembne razlike med kliničnim potekom akutne okužbe sečil pri dojenčkih, majhnih in večjih otrocih ter mladostnikih. Poudarjamo pomen zgodnjega prepoznavanja in zdravljenja predvsem okužbe zgornjih sečil zaradi preprečevanja nastanka brazgotin na ledvicah.

Disfunkcija spodnjih sečil je klinično pomembna, ker lahko povzroča okužbe sečil zaradi zastajanja urina v sečnem mehurju, negativno vpliva na delovanje ledvic in povzroča uhajanje urina s posledično pomembnim zmanjšanjem kakovosti otrokovega življena. Delovanje spodnjih sečil je tesno povezano z delovanjem črevesa, saj zaprtje pogosto sovpada z motnjami v delovanju spodnjih sečil. Čezmerna aktivnost detruzorja, benigna, a socialno škodljiva motnja, je glavni vzrok dnevnega uhajanja urina pri otrocih in jo moramo razlikovati od motenj, ki bolj ogrožajo zgornja sečila, kot je nevro-gena disfunkcija mehurja ali zapora sečnice. Disfunkcionalno uriniranje je posledica habitualnega krčenja mišic medeničnega dna med uriniranjem in je pogosto pri otrocih z nenevrogeno čezmerno aktivnostjo detruzorja. Vodi lahko v zastajanje urina po mikciji in okužbe sečil, v hujših primerih pa pomeni tveganje okvare zgornjih sečil, podobno kot nevrogena disfunkcija spodnjih sečil. Slednja je najpogosteje posledica spinalnega disrafizma in se klinično kaže z več podtipi glede na aktivnost sfinktra in detruzorja. Zelo pogosto povzroča ponavljajoče se okužbe sečil in zvišan tlak v mehurju, kar ogroža delovanje ledvic. Pri začetni obravnavi disfunkcije spodnjih sečil pri otrocih je bistven pripomoček dnevnik uriniranja.

Urinary tract infections (UTIs) are among the more common bacterial infections in infants and children. The most common causative agent is Escherichia coli. The article describes important differences in the clinical course of UTI among different age groups of children, namely infants, toddlers, older children, and adolescents. We emphasize the importance of early recognition and treatment, especially of upper urinary tract infections, to prevent the formation of scars on the kidneys.

Zagotovitev neoviranega odtoka urina iz ledvičnega meha preko vstavljenega perkutanega nefrostomskega katetra je prehodna rešitev, ki se je najpogosteje poslužujemo pri majhnih otrocih s prirojeno zožitvijo sečevoda. Nego izstopišča nefrostomskega katetra izvajajo otrokovi starši doma, potem ko jih nege priuči zdravstveno osebje. Zapleti ob vstavljenem nefrostomskem katetru so lokalno vnetje izstopišča nefrostomskega katetra, izpuljenje ali poškodba nefrostomskega katetra in okužba sečil. Po vstavitvi nefrostomskega katetra ultrazvočno ugotovimo zožitev prej razširjenega ledvičnega meha. Od vzroka motnje odtoka urina in načrta nadaljnjega zdravljenja je odvisno, koliko časa bo otrok potreboval drenažo skozi nefrostomski kateter. Stanje sledimo ultrazvočno. Protokola rutinskih slikovnih preiskav, ki bi jih opravili pri otroku z vstavljenim nefrostomskim katetrom, ni. Pri vsakem otroku se o nadaljnjih preiskavah odločamo individualno.

Buckwheat is a highly nutritional pseudocereal with antioxidant potential. The aim of this study was to analyze the genetic variability of 21 varieties of common buckwheat (Fagopyrum esculentum Moench.) and 14 varieties of Tartary buckwheat (Fagopyrum tataricum Gaertn.) using microsatellite markers. By analyzing 21 SSR markers, an average of 11.6 alleles per locus were amplified and an average PIC value of 0.711 was determined. We determined the heterozygous status of the individuals and variability in the set using the SSR analysis on the basis of expected heterozygosity (He, 0.477), observed heterozygosity (Ho, 0.675), Shannon’s index (I, 0.820), and fixation indices (FST, FIS, FIT). Based on the SSR analyses, the lower level of expected heterozygosity in the analyzed set of Tartary buckwheat genotypes was observed compared to common buckwheat. With the help of a hierarchical cluster analysis using the UPGMA algorithm, Structure analysis, and PCoA analysis for the SSR markers, we divided the buckwheat varieties in the dendrogram into two main clusters according to the species. The AMOVA analysis showed that genetic variability between the individuals prevails in the analyzed set. The SSR technique proved to be a suitable tool for the determination of intra- and inter-varietal genetic variability and for analysis of diversity.

Food legumes are crucial for all agriculture-related societal challenges, including climate change mitigation, agrobiodiversity conservation, sustainable agriculture, food security and human health. The transition to plant-based diets, largely based on food legumes, could present major opportunities for adaptation and mitigation, generating significant co-benefits for human health. The characterization, maintenance and exploitation of food-legume genetic resources, to date largely unexploited, form the core development of both sustainable agriculture and a healthy food system. INCREASE will implement, on chickpea (Cicer arietinum), common bean (Phaseolus vulgaris), lentil (Lens culinaris) and lupin (Lupinus albus and L. mutabilis), a new approach to conserve, manage and characterize genetic resources. Intelligent Collections, consisting of nested core collections composed of single-seed descent-purified accessions (i.e., inbred lines), will be developed, exploiting germplasm available both from genebanks and on-farm and subjected to different levels of genotypic and phenotypic characterization. Phenotyping and gene discovery activities will meet, via a participatory approach, the needs of various actors, including breeders, scientists, farmers and agri-food and non-food industries, exploiting also the power of massive metabolomics and transcriptomics and of artificial intelligence and smart tools. Moreover, INCREASE will test, with a citizen science experiment, an innovative system of conservation and use of genetic resources based on a decentralized approach for data management and dynamic conservation. By promoting the use of food legumes, improving their quality, adaptation and yield and boosting the competitiveness of the agriculture and food sector, the INCREASE strategy will have a major impact on economy and society and represents a case study of integrative and participatory approaches towards conservation and exploitation of crop genetic resources.

Abstract Background Prostate segmentation is an essential step in computer-aided detection and diagnosis systems for prostate cancer. Deep learning (DL)-based methods provide good performance for prostate gland and zones segmentation, but little is known about the impact of manual segmentation (that is, label) selection on their performance. In this work, we investigated these effects by obtaining two different expert label-sets for the PROSTATEx I challenge training dataset (n = 198) and using them, in addition to an in-house dataset (n = 233), to assess the effect on segmentation performance. The automatic segmentation method we used was nnU-Net. Results The selection of training/testing label-set had a significant (p

Objectives: The aim of this study was to characterize cardiovascular autonomic responses during two constant current intensities below sensory threshold of transcutaneous auricular nerve stimulation (taNS). On this basis, a protocol for taNS with autonomic modulatory potential could be proposed. Subjects and methods: We included 26 men and 24 women, mean age 26. Data were collected during three randomly allocated 20-minute right tragus stimulation sessions – a) no-stimulation (sham), b) 90 µA (arbitrary), and c) 130 µA (near the lowest sensory threshold in majority). Stimulation was 20 Hz, rectangular pulse width of 2 ms, duty cycle 2-second on/off. To assess autonomic responses, we continuously recorded ECG, non-invasive arterial blood pressure (BP) and thoracic impedance cardiography data. Ten-minute data were compared. Fast Fourier transform of RR intervals was performed on 10-minute recordings as well. Low frequency and high frequency power spectra were calculated. Friedman test or one-way ANOVA for repeated measurements and Mann-Whitney or Wilcoxon’s signed-rank test, or t-test were carried out. P

Climate change and the variable extreme weather conditions that today’s agricultural producers are dealing with represent some of the most important issues in food production. Nowadays, weather patterns are increasingly unpredictable, characterized by frequent fluctuations in temperature, precipitation, and extreme weather events. As a result, there is an increasing demand for scientists to develop more resilient and tolerant crop cultivars. Plant breeders must become creative and utilize all available resources to create modern high-yielding and widely adapted cultivars to help agriculture grow and thrive amidst the emerging changes. Forage legumes, due to their beneficial characteristics, are among the crops that can contribute to mitigating the consequences of climate change. Furthermore, what certainly does not contribute to weather conditions is the erosion of plant genetic material, which has been caused by the modernization of agriculture and the selection of the best cultivars with desirable traits over many years. Crop wild relatives (CWRs) and landraces represent plant genetic materials rich in novel gene variants that contain traits for resistance and tolerance to different climatic conditions. To expand the genetic base of cultivars and mitigate the consequences of climate change, breeders are increasingly utilizing pre-breeding methods. These methods include all the activities connected to the identification of desirable genes and traits from un-adapted materials, such as CWRs, and the transformation of these traits to an intermediate set of materials that can be used for creating new cultivars. This review paper will cover the pre-breeding process, including its components, and the resistance and/or tolerance of the CWRs and landraces of forage legumes to different extreme environmental conditions.

IntroductionIn modern times, bacterial infections have become a growing problem in the medical community due to the emergence of antibiotic-resistant bacteria. In fact, the overuse and improper disposal of antibiotics have led to bacterial resistance and the presence of such bacteria in wastewater. Therefore, it is critical to develop effective strategies for dealing with antibiotic-resistant bacteria in wastewater. Electroporation has been found to be one of the most promising complementary techniques for bacterial inactivation because it is effective against a wide range of bacteria, is non-chemical and is highly optimizable. Many studies have demonstrated electroporation-assisted inactivation of bacteria, but rarely have clinical antibiotics or bacteria resistant to these antibiotics been used in the study. Therefore, the motivation for our study was to use a treatment regimen that combines antibiotics and electroporation to inactivate antibiotic-resistant bacteria.MethodsWe separately combined two antibiotics (tetracycline and chloramphenicol) to which the bacteria are resistant (with a different resistance mode) and electric pulses. We used three different concentrations of antibiotics (40, 80 and 150 µg/ml for tetracycline and 100, 500 and 2000 µg/ml for chloramphenicol, respectively) and four different electric field strengths (5, 10, 15 and 20 kV/cm) for electroporation.Results and discussionOur results show that electroporation effectively enhances the effect of antibiotics and inactivates antibiotic-resistant bacteria. The inactivation rate for tetracycline or chloramphenicol was found to be different and to increase with the strength of the pulsed electric field and/or the concentration of the antibiotic. In addition, we show that electroporation has a longer lasting effect (up to 24 hours), making bacteria vulnerable for a considerable time. The present work provides new insights into the use of electroporation to inactivate antibiotic-resistant bacteria in the aquatic environment.

Začetki načrtnega zbiranja trav in metuljnic segajo v 50 leta prejšnjega stoletja, ko so iz zbranega materiala kasneje požlahtnili prve slovenske sorte trav in metuljnic. V prispevku je poleg zgodovine prikazano sedanje delo genske banke krmnih rastlin in nekateri rezultati vrednotenja genskih virov v zadnjem desetletju. Za najprimernejši način zbiranja genskih virov so se pokazale večdnevne odprave, katerih cilj so lahko travniki ali kmetije, ki še pridelujejo lokalne populacije oziroma stare sorte kmetijskih rastlin. Trenutno v genski banki hranimo 761 vzorcev krmnih rastlin, od tega je 281 metuljnic, 352 trav, 73 travniških zeli in 55 krmnih poljščin. Večina krmnih rastlin je tujeprašnih, kar otežuje množenje vzorcev zaradi potrebe po prostorski izolaciji. Obnova starih vzorcev je in bo v prihodnje velik izziv tudi naše genske banke. Pri ocenjevanjih travniškega mačjega repa (Phleum pratense), navadne pasje trave (Dactylis glomerata L.), plazeče detelje (Trifolium repens L.), navadne nokote (Lotus corniculatus L.) in navadne turške detelje (Onobrychis viciifolia Scop.) smo med posameznimi ekotipi ugotovili dokaj veliko morfološko raznolikost. Ekotipi se med seboj razlikujejo tudi po kemijski sestavi, krmni vrednosti in drugih agronomskih lastnostih.

Leafy kale (Brassica oleracea var. acephala L.) is one of the most important Brassicaceae species with health-promoting properties and great diversity. To investigate variability within and among accessions, 12 accessions (each accession comprised four individuals/genotypes) from the Balkan region were genotyped at 12 simple sequence repeats (SSRs) loci. The selected SSR markers originated from the genomes of B. oleracea (eight), B. rapa (two) and B. napus (two). DNA was extracted from seeds, cotyledons, shoots, and young leaves, depending on the germination energy of each seed, using magnetic extraction method. Genetic analysis included eight accessions from Serbia (24 genotypes), two accessions from Montenegro (eight genotypes), and one accession from Bosnia and Herzegovina and Croatia (with four genotypes each). Accession-specific polymorphism was found at the Ol12-FO2 and Ol10-F11a loci, where genotypes were qualitatively distinguished by horizontal agarose gel electrophoresis (binary detection). Among 12 loci, the average polymorphic information content (PIC) was 0.71, with the marker Ol13-C12 proving to be most informative (PIC = 0.89). However, the analysis of molecular variability (AMOVA) showed 11% diversity between accessions, 19% diversity between genotypes, and 70% diversity within genotypes, explaining the molecular diversity of native Balkan leafy kale germplasm. According to the genetic structure, four genetic groups were formed with an average expected heterozygosity of 0.70 between clusters. In order to exploit the genetic diversity, it would be advisable to evaluate these accessions at phenotypic level and use their potential in breeding programmes.

Onion is an important vegetable crop grown for its pungent bulbs and aromatic leaves. Onion genetic resources collected in the Slovenian Plant Gene Bank at the Agricultural Institute of Slovenia were evaluated for the first time using various morphometric traits. Using the prescribed descriptors (UPOV, CPVO) for Allium cepa spp., a collection of 61 onion accessions and varieties grown in the experimental fields of the Infrastructure Centre Jablje in 2022 was described. For each onion genetic resource, a total of thirteen quantitative (numerical) and qualitative descriptors were evaluated on the bulbs: bulb size, bulb height, bulb diameter, ratio height/diameter, position of maximum diameter, width of the neck, shape in longitudinal section, shape of stem end, shape of root end, base colour of dry skin, intensity of base colour of dry skin, coloration of epidermis of fleshy scales, and dry matter content. The results showed significant differences between onions in the collection in terms of bulb size (73.7 ± 26.0 g), bulb height (46.3 ± 14.2 mm), bulb diameter (36.7 ± 6.8 mm), bulb shape (predominant transverse medium elliptic), and colour of dry skin (brown, pink, red, purple). The highest coefficients of variation were observed for bulb size (35.3%) and height/ diameter ratio (32.6%) and the lowest for dry matter content (8.6%). The data obtained and the variability of the traits studied indicate that these onion accessions require further genetic analysis to identify the best candidates for future breeding programmes.

The risk of neurodegenerative disorders increases with age, due to reduced vascular nutrition and impaired neural function. However, the interactions between cardiovascular dynamics and neural activity, and how these interactions evolve in healthy aging, are not well understood. Here, the interactions are studied by assessment of the phase coherence between spontaneous oscillations in cerebral oxygenation measured by fNIRS, the electrical activity of the brain measured by EEG, and cardiovascular functions extracted from ECG and respiration effort, all simultaneously recorded. Signals measured at rest in 21 younger participants (31.1 ± 6.9 years) and 24 older participants (64.9 ± 6.9 years) were analysed by wavelet transform, wavelet phase coherence and ridge extraction for frequencies between 0.007 and 4 Hz. Coherence between the neural and oxygenation oscillations at ∼ 0.1 Hz is significantly reduced in the older adults in 46/176 fNIRS-EEG probe combinations. This reduction in coherence cannot be accounted for in terms of reduced power, thus indicating that neurovascular interactions change with age. The approach presented promises a noninvasive means of evaluating the efficiency of the neurovascular unit in aging and disease.

The common bean is an important legume valued for its protein-rich seeds and its ability to fix nitrogen, making it a key element of crop rotation. In conventional agriculture, the emphasis is on uniformity and genetic purity to optimize crop performance and maximize yields. This is due to both the legal obligations to register varieties and the challenges of implementing breeding programs to create genetically diverse varieties. This paper focuses on the factors that influence the occurrence of heterogeneous common bean populations. The main factors contributing to this diversity have been described, including local adaptations, variable weather conditions, different pollinator species, and intricate interactions between genes controlling seed coat colour. We also discuss the benefits of intercropping common beans for organic farming systems, highlighting the improvement in resistance to diseases, and adverse environmental conditions. This paper contributes to a better understanding of common bean seed heterogeneity and the legal obligation to use heterogeneous populations.

Paliativna oskrba otrok je specializirana paliativna oskrba z določenimi posebnostmi v primerjavi s paliativno oskrbo odraslih. Enačenje načel sodobne paliativne oskrbe otroka s protokoli opustitve in odtegnitve zdravljenja je odraz nepoučenosti in je povsem napačno. Multidisciplinarni tim za paliativno oskrbo otrok na terciarni ravni sestavljajo otrokovi lečeči subspecialisti, medicinske sestre, psiholog in po potrebi drugi zdravstveni sodelavci, med njimi tudi tisti z dodatnim znanjem iz paliativne medicine in zdravstvene nege. Tim oblikuje načrt nadaljnjega zdravljenja ter postopke oskrbe nenehno prilagaja rasti in razvoju otroka, napredovanju bolezni, slabšanju bolnikovega stanja in pojavljanju novih težav. Vsebina načrta paliativne oskrbe je odvisna od trenutka vključitve bolnika in njegove družine, vrste bolezni ter prepoznanih in izraženih potreb. V pediatriji se potreba po uvedbi paliativnega pristopa pri zdravstvenih delavcih pogosto prepozna prepozno ali pa se sploh ne. S širjenjem znanja in zavedanja koristi sodobne pediatrične paliativne oskrbe za bolnike in njihove svojce poskušamo doseči, da postane paliativni pristop pri bolnih otrocih z neozdravljivo napredujočo boleznijo del vsakodnevne klinične prakse. Ne gre le za eno neodtujljivih pravic najtežje bolnih otrok, gre tudi za delo zdravstvenih delavcev v skladu z etičnim kodeksom, da zdravljenje, ki je bolniku bolj v breme kot v korist, etično ni utemeljeno.

Field production of common beans benefit from root microbial associations, although they are generally considered to be weaker nitrogen fixers than other legumes. Therefore, the number of nodules on the roots of 64 accessions of the European common bean (Phaseolus vulgaris L.) and the relationship between the number of nodules per accession and other plant characteristics (growth type, earliness, seed yield, and total nitrogen content in seeds) were studied. The results indicated that growth type and earliness influenced the number of nodules per accession (the contributions of principal component analysis were 34.9% for Dim1 and 29.8% for Dim2). The average number of nodules per accession with indeterminate growth type was almost five times higher (20.1) than for accessions with determinate growth type (4.4). Common bean accessions with regular growth cycle length had the highest number of nodules (21.9). In contrast, nodulation efficiency, measured as seed yield per plant and total nitrogen content in seeds, were not correlated with the number of nodules per accession (correlation analysis, r < 0.1). Consequently, data on the nodulation efficiency of European common bean accessions are important for breeding programmes in conjunction with other agronomically important traits for commercial and/or organic cultivation systems. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

French beans are tender, immature, edible pods that are harvested early in the plant’s growth cycle and are usually eaten cooked. The growth habits of French beans were studied for the first time in a Citizen Science experiment, and 19 pod samples were collected for further nutritional analysis. Various macronutrients (e.g., protein, ash, fat, carbohydrates, amino acids) and multi-element profiles were determined. A survey of their growing habits revealed that beans are usually planted once or twice a year in May and June at a length of 5–10 m, with a predominance of dwarf beans cultivation over climbing varieties, and pest resistance and stringless pods are the most important characteristics when deciding on a bean. Homogenised freeze-dried pod samples contained 16.1–23.1% protein, 4.5–8.2% ash, 0.1–1.1% fat, and 62.0–70.6% carbohydrates and had a caloric value of 337–363 kcal/100 g. Of the 17 free amino acids identified, 8 were essential (histidine, threonine, methionine, valine, lysine, isoleucine, leucine, phenylalanine) and 9 were non-essential (cysteine, aspartic acid, serine, glutamic acid, glycine, arginine, alanine, proline, tyrosine); meanwhile, of the 12 elements, 5 were macroelements and 7 were microelements. The predominant free amino acids were aspartic acid, glutamic acid, and serine. In the multiple comparisons (Box and Whisker plot), the parameters caloric value and iron showed the strongest response. A very strong positive significant Pearson correlation (≥0.95) was found for five pairs of variables within the free amino acids. Comparison of the nutrient data obtained in the pods showed near-perfect or high complementarity (85.2–103.4%) with the food composition databases for half of the parameters, suggesting that the home-grown French beans from the Citizen Science experiment are a highly nutritious vegetable.

Izhodišča: Bolniki s plevralnim izlivom pogosto potrebujejo razbremenilno plevralno punkcijo (RPP), po kateri navajajo bolj ali manj izrazito olajšanje dispneje. Zaradi varnosti se priporoča, da se med RPP odstrani do 1.500 mL tekočine. Metode: V raziskavo smo vključili 96 bolnikov, pri katerih je bila potrebna RPP. Zbirali smo ocene stopnje dispneje na lestvici VAS pred, takoj po in 2 uri po RPP, pri 73 bolnikih pa še 24 ur po RPP ter beležili količino odstranjene tekočine. Med RPP smo z vodnim manometrom merili plevralne tlake, iz katerih smo izračunali elastanco plevralnega prostora in na podlagi meritev bolnike razdelili v skupine z različnimi elastančnimi krivuljami. Rezultati: Med začetnim plevralnim tlakom in količino odstranjene tekočine ter olajšanjem dispneje po opravljeni RPP smo ugotovili statistično značilno povezanost. Pri največjem deležu bolnikov smo RPP zaključili zaradi pojava simptomov, zaradi meritev plevralnega tlaka pa smo RPP prekinili pri 16 bolnikih (16,7 %). V skupino z normalno elastančno krivuljo smo uvrstili 74 bolnikov, nezmožnost razpenjanja pljuč pa smo ugotovili pri 22 bolnikih. Med RPP ni bilo pomembnih zapletov, kljub temu da smo več kot 1.500 mL izliva odstranili pri 32 (33 %) bolnikih. Zaključek: Višji začetni plevralni tlak je šibko povezan z višjo začetno stopnjo dispneje in večjim olajšanjem dispneje po opravljeni RPP. Najbolj uporabna je dinamika sprememb plevralnega tlaka, s katero lahko že med RPP prepoznamo nezmožnost razpenjanja pljuč. Med RPP s plevralno manometrijo lahko varno odstranimo tudi več kot 1.500 mL tekočine.

Bulbous Allium spp. such as "big-headed" elephant garlic (Allium ampeloprasum L.) and common garlic (Allium sativus L.) contain a wide range of bioactive compounds with health-promoting properties and are most commonly used as food seasonings. The objective of the present study is to verify if there is a difference in selected nutraceuticals (dry matter, TPC, and allicin) and elemental profiles (macro- and micro-elements) of the two Allium species produced in two growing seasons in Jablje, Slovenia (a sub-Alpine region). The total phenolic content (TPC) was determined spectrophotometrically, the organosulfur compound allicin was determined by the HPLC analysis and the multi-element profiles by an inductively coupled plasma-mass spectrometry (ICP-MS). The results show that elephant garlic bulbs had slightly lower TPC and about six times less allicin, a major organosulfur compound. The content of macro(Mg, P, S, K, and Ca) and micro-elements (Cr, Mn, Fe, Co, Cu, Zn, and Mo) varied considerably among the Allium samples studied. The greatest differences between bulbs of elephant garlic and common garlic were observed for P, Ca, S, and Fe. Our results confirm different nutritional characteristics of the bulbs and cloves of the two Allium species.

The current study involves two analytical research techniques, inductively coupled plasma-mass spectrometry (ICP-MS) and energy dispersive X-ray fluorescence (EDXRF) spectroscopy, used to determine the elemental composition of different legumes usually produced and consumed in Slovenia. Results indicate that data obtained using these methods are in agreement with certified reference materials. In total, nineteen elements were determined from twenty legume samples. An intercomparison between four macro- (P, S, K, Ca) and three microelements (Fe, Zn, Mo) measured using ICP-MS and EDXRF methods showed a strong correlation. The EDXRF was found to be a cheaper, simpler and more environmentally friendly method for determination of elements P, S, Cl, K, Ca, Fe, Zn, Mo, Sr, Rb, Ti and Br in legumes, while for the identification and determination of Na, Mg, V, Cr, Mn, Co and Cu content ICP‐MS was the method of choice due to its excellent sensitivity and accuracy. Using principal component analysis (PCA), the samples of the studied legumes were classified into four groups according to their elemental composition.

Characterisation of genetic diversity is critical to adequately exploit the potential of germplasm collections and identify important traits for breeding programs and sustainable crop improvement. Here, we characterised the phenotypic and genetic diversity of a global collection of the two cultivated buckwheat species Fagopyrum esculentum and Fagopyrum tataricum (190 and 51 accessions, respectively) using 37 agro-morphological traits and 24 SSR markers. A wide range of variation was observed in both species for most of the traits analysed. The two species differed significantly in most traits, with traits related to seeds and flowering contributing most to differentiation. The accessions of each species were divided into three major phenoclusters with no clear geographic clustering. At the molecular level, the polymorphic SSR markers were highly informative, with an average polymorphic information content (PIC) of over 0.65 in both species. Genetic diversity, as determined by Nei’s expected heterozygosity (He), was high (He = 0.77 and He = 0.66, respectively) and differed significantly between species (p = 0.03) but was homogeneously distributed between regions, confirming the lack of genetic structure as determined by clustering approaches. The weak genetic structure revealed by the phenotypic and SSR data and the low fixation indices in both species suggested frequent seed exchange and extensive cultivation and selection. In addition, 93 and 140 significant (p < 0.05) marker-trait associations (MTAs) were identified in both species using a general linear model and a mixed linear model, most of which explained >20% of the phenotypic variation in associated traits. Core collections of 23 and 13 phenotypically and genetically diverse accessions, respectively, were developed for F. esculentum and F. tataricum. Overall, the data analysed provided deep insights into the agro-morphological and genetic diversity and genetic relationships among F. esculentum and F. tataricum accessions and pointed to future directions for genomics-based breeding programs and germplasm management.

Abstract Background Gene electrotransfer is an established method that enables transfer of DNA into cells with electric pulses. Several studies analyzed and optimized different parameters of gene electrotransfer, however, one of main obstacles toward efficient electrotransfection in vivo is relatively poor DNA mobility in tissues. Our aim was to analyze the effect of impaired mobility on gene electrotransfer efficiency experimentally and theoretically. We applied electric pulses with different durations on plated cells, cells grown on collagen layer and cells embedded in collagen gel (3D model) and analyzed gene electrotransfer efficiency. In order to analyze the effect of impaired mobility on gene electrotransfer efficiency, we applied electric pulses with different durations on plated cells, cells grown on collagen layer and cells embedded in collagen gel (3D model) and analyzed gene electrotransfer efficiency. Results We obtained the highest transfection in plated cells, while transfection efficiency of embedded cells in 3D model was lowest, similarly as in in vivo. To further analyze DNA diffusion in 3D model, we applied DNA on top or injected it into 3D model and showed, that for the former gene electrotransfer efficiency was similarly as in in vivo. The experimental results are explained with theoretical analysis of DNA diffusion and electromobility. Conclusion We show, empirically and theoretically that DNA has impaired electromobility and especially diffusion in collagen environment, where the latter crucially limits electrotransfection. Our model enables optimization of gene electrotransfer in in vitro conditions.