Increasing vineyard sustainability: innovating a targeted chitosan-derived biocontrol solution to induce grapevine resistance against downy and powdery mildews.

The European Green Deal aims to reduce the pesticide use, notably by developing biocontrol products to protect crops from diseases. Indeed, the use of significant amounts of chemicals negatively impact the environment such as soil microbial biodiversity or groundwater quality, and human health. Grapevine () was selected as one of the first targeted crop due to its economic importance and its dependence on fungicides to control the main damaging diseases worldwide: grey mold, downy and powdery mildews.

A Randomized Three-Arm Double-Blind Placebo-Controlled Study of Homeopathic Treatment of Children and Youth with Attention-Deficit/Hyperactivity Disorder.

Approximately 30% of children diagnosed with attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD), the most prevalent mental health disorder in children worldwide, do not respond to conventional pharmaceutical treatments. Previous studies of homeopathic treatment for ADHD have been inconclusive. The objectives of this study were to determine if there (a) is an overall effect of homeopathic treatment (homeopathic medicines plus consultation) in the treatment of ADHD; (b) are any specific effects the homeopathic consultation alone in the treatment of ADHD; and (c) are any specific effects of homeopathic medicines in the treatment of ADHD.

Impact of UV Irradiation on the Chitosan Bioactivity for Biopesticide Applications.

Chitosan is known for its antimicrobial and antifungal properties that make it a promising candidate for plant protection. However, when sprayed in open fields, the bioactivity of chitosan significantly diminishes, suggesting a possible influence of sunlight on chitosan structure. This study aimed to investigate the effects of UV radiation, by using artificial UV sources simulating sunlight, on the stability of chitosan.

Deep Chemical and Physico-Chemical Characterization of Antifungal Industrial Chitosans-Biocontrol Applications.

Five different chitosan samples (CHI-1 to CHI-5) from crustacean shells with high deacetylation degrees (>93%) have been deeply characterized from a chemical and physicochemical point of view in order to better understand the impact of some parameters on the bioactivity against two pathogens frequently encountered in vineyards, and . All the samples were analyzed by SEC-MALS, H-NMR, elemental analysis, XPS, FTIR, mass spectrometry, pyrolysis, and TGA and their antioxidant activities were measured (DPPH method). Molecular weights were in the order: CHI-4 and CHI-5 (MW >50 kDa) > CHI-3 > CHI-2 and CHI-1 (MW < 20 kDa).

A cross-sectional workforce survey of three traditional and complementary medicine professions in Ontario, Canada.

Background: Workforce studies about traditional and complementary medicine (T&CM) occupations in industrialized countries are scant; and, these occupations' position within the broader occupational workforce remains unclear. This study aims to address these gaps using a comparative approach.

Methods: Naturopaths, traditional Chinese medicine (TCM) / acupuncture practitioners, and homeopaths in Ontario, Canada were surveyed regarding their demographics, practice characteristics and self-reported income.

Imbalanced Regulation of Fungal Nutrient Transports According to Phosphate Availability in a Symbiocosm Formed by Poplar, Sorghum, and .

In arbuscular mycorrhizal (AM) symbiosis, key components of nutrient uptake and exchange are specialized transporters that facilitate nutrient transport across membranes. As phosphate is a nutrient and a regulator of nutrient exchanges, we investigated the effect of P availability to extraradical mycelium (ERM) on both plant and fungus transcriptomes and metabolomes in a symbiocosm system. By perturbing nutrient exchanges under the control of P, our objectives were to identify new fungal genes involved in nutrient transports, and to characterize in which extent the fungus differentially modulates its metabolism when interacting with two different plant species.

Recognition of Elicitors in Grapevine: From MAMP and DAMP Perception to Induced Resistance.

In a context of a sustainable viticulture, the implementation of innovative eco-friendly strategies, such as elicitor-triggered immunity, requires a deep knowledge of the molecular mechanisms underlying grapevine defense activation, from pathogen perception to resistance induction. During plant-pathogen interaction, the first step of plant defense activation is ensured by the recognition of microbe-associated molecular patterns, which are elicitors directly derived from pathogenic or beneficial microbes. , like other plants, can perceive elicitors of different nature, including proteins, amphiphilic glycolipid, and lipopeptide molecules as well as polysaccharides, thanks to their cognate pattern recognition receptors, the discovery of which recently began in this plant species.

The Cell Wall-Derived Xyloglucan Is a New DAMP Triggering Plant Immunity in and .

Damage-associated molecular patterns (DAMPs) are endogenous molecules that can activate the plant innate immunity. DAMPs can derive from the plant cell wall, which is composed of a complex mixture of cellulose, hemicellulose, and pectin polysaccharides. Fragments of pectin, called oligogalacturonides (OG), can be released after wounding or by pathogen-encoded cell wall degrading enzymes (CWDEs) such as polygalacturonases (PGs).

The grapevine (Vitis vinifera) LysM receptor kinases VvLYK1-1 and VvLYK1-2 mediate chitooligosaccharide-triggered immunity.

Chitin, a major component of fungal cell walls, is a well-known pathogen-associated molecular pattern (PAMP) that triggers defense responses in several mammal and plant species. Here, we show that two chitooligosaccharides, chitin and chitosan, act as PAMPs in grapevine (Vitis vinifera) as they elicit immune signalling events, defense gene expression and resistance against fungal diseases. To identify their cognate receptors, the grapevine family of LysM receptor kinases (LysM-RKs) was annotated and their gene expression profiles were characterized.

An N-of-1 Feasibility Study of Homeopathic Treatment for Fatigue in Patients Receiving Chemotherapy.

Background: Cancer-related fatigue has been described as a subjective feeling of physical, emotional, and/or cognitive tiredness. Homeopathy has been widely used to treat side effects of chemotherapy. The n-of-1 design is a single-patient trial method to study a clinical condition that is either short lived and reversible or is chronic and stable.

Impact of soil pedogenesis on the diversity and composition of fungal communities across the California soil chronosequence of Mendocino.

Understanding how soil pedogenesis affects microbial communities and their in situ activities according to ecosystem functioning is a central issue in soil microbial ecology, as soils represent essential nutrient reservoirs and habitats for the biosphere. To address this question, soil chronosequences developed from a single, shared mineralogical parent material and having the same climate conditions are particularly useful, as they isolate the factor of time from other factors controlling the character of soils. In our study, we considered a natural succession of uplifted marine terraces in Mendocino, CA, ranging from highly fertile in the younger terrace (about 100,000 years old) to infertile in the older terraces (about 300,000 years old).

Identification of arbuscular mycorrhiza-inducible Nitrate Transporter 1/Peptide Transporter Family (NPF) genes in rice.

Arbuscular mycorrhizal fungi (AMF) colonize up to 90% of all land plants and facilitate the acquisition of mineral nutrients by their hosts. Inorganic orthophosphate (P) and nitrogen (N) are the major nutrients transferred from the fungi to plants. While plant P transporters involved in nutrient transfer at the plant-fungal interface have been well studied, the plant N transporters participating in this process are largely unknown except for some ammonium transporters (AMT) specifically assigned to arbuscule-colonized cortical cells.

Sugar exchanges in arbuscular mycorrhiza: RiMST5 and RiMST6, two novel Rhizophagus irregularis monosaccharide transporters, are involved in both sugar uptake from the soil and from the plant partner.

Arbuscular mycorrhizal (AM) fungi are associated with about 80% of land plants. AM fungi provide inorganic nutrients to plants and in return up to 20% of the plant-fixed CO2 is transferred to the fungal symbionts. Since AM fungi are obligate biotrophs, unraveling how sugars are provided to the fungus partner is a key for understanding the functioning of the symbiosis.

A Feasibility Pilot Trial of Individualized Homeopathic Treatment of Fatigue in Children Receiving Chemotherapy.

Background: Fatigue is a major problem in children with cancer. The objective was to examine the feasibility of performing a clinical trial of homeopathic treatment for fatigue in children receiving chemotherapy.

Materials: This was a single-institution, open-label, pilot study.

Perception of pathogenic or beneficial bacteria and their evasion of host immunity: pattern recognition receptors in the frontline.

Plants are continuously monitoring the presence of microorganisms to establish an adapted response. Plants commonly use pattern recognition receptors (PRRs) to perceive microbe- or pathogen-associated molecular patterns (MAMPs/PAMPs) which are microorganism molecular signatures. Located at the plant plasma membrane, the PRRs are generally receptor-like kinases (RLKs) or receptor-like proteins (RLPs).

Using a digital game for training desirable behavior in cognitive-behavioral therapy of burnout syndrome: a controlled study.

Burnout is a globally increasing illness, and as a result, many forms of burnout therapy have arisen. The use of digital games can be psychotherapeutically effective because they can transform exercises that are by themselves unattractive into intrinsically motivated action. This pilot study aims to test whether a specially designed game contributes to patients learning desired behavior and achieving other specific therapeutic goals in an online cognitive-behavioral therapy (CBT)-based burnout treatment context.

Plant phosphorus acquisition in a common mycorrhizal network: regulation of phosphate transporter genes of the Pht1 family in sorghum and flax.

In a preceding microcosm study, we found huge differences in phosphorus (P) acquisition in sorghum (Sorghum bicolor) and flax (Linum usitatissimum) sharing a common mycorrhizal network (CMN). Is the transcriptional regulation of arbuscular mycorrhizal (AM)-induced inorganic orthophosphate (Pi) transporters responsible for these differences? We characterized and analyzed the expression of Pi transporters of the Pht1 family in both plant species, and identified two new AM-inducible Pi transporters in flax. Mycorrhizal Pi acquisition was strongly affected by the combination of plant and AM fungal species.

An open-label pilot study of homeopathic treatment of attention deficit hyperactivity disorder in children and youth.

Background: An open-label pilot study of individualized homeopathy for attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) was conducted to assess the potential for future studies with a focus on the feasibility of the recruitment plan and outcome measure schedules; identification of any group characteristics of participants who respond significantly to the therapy; and establishing the length of time required for an improvement in ADHD symptoms.

Patients And Methods: Participants (aged 6-16) were recruited through community advertisement and outreach. Participants completed 1 screening and 9 individualized homeopathic follow-up consultations.

β-Aminobutyric acid (BABA)-induced resistance in Arabidopsis thaliana: link with iron homeostasis.

β-Aminobutyric acid (BABA) is a nonprotein amino acid inducing resistance in many different plant species against a wide range of abiotic and biotic stresses. Nevertheless, how BABA primes plant natural defense reactions remains poorly understood. Based on its structure, we hypothesized and confirmed that BABA is able to chelate iron (Fe) in vitro.

State-space grid analysis: applications for clinical whole systems complementary and alternative medicine research.

This paper presents state space grids (SSGs) as a mathematically less intensive methodology for process-oriented research beyond traditional qualitative and quantitative approaches in whole systems of complementary and alternative medicine (WS-CAM). SSGs, originally applied in developmental psychology research, offer a logical, flexible, and accessible tool for capturing emergent changes in the temporal dynamics of patient behaviors, manifestations of resilience, and outcomes. The SSG method generates a two-dimensional visualization and quantification of the inter-relationships between variables on a moment-to-moment basis.

Characterization and expression of netrin-1 and its receptors UNC5B and DCC in human placenta.

Netrins are a family of proteins that mediate axonal guidance in the central nervous system (CNS). In addition to the CNS, netrins are involved in cell adhesion, motility, proliferation, differentiation, and survival. Because these processes occur in the placenta, we raised the question of whether netrin-1 is expressed by placental cells during development.

Dietary reference intakes for vitamin D: justification for a review of the 1997 values.

Recent Institute of Medicine (IOM) reviews of the process for deriving Dietary Reference Intakes (DRIs) suggest that determining the need for a new nutrient review should be evaluated against criteria set a priori. After selecting the criterion of significant new and relevant research, a working group of US and Canadian government scientists used results from a systematic review and 2 conferences on vitamin D and health to evaluate whether significant new and relevant scientific evidence had become available since the 1997 IOM publication of the DRIs for vitamin D. This working group concluded that there appears to be new research meeting the criteria for 4 key DRI questions.

Eating Well with Canada's Food Guide: "A tool for the times".

This article outlines the processes undertaken to revise Canada's Food Guide and shares the updated science that underpins the dietary pattern. The Dietary Reference Intakes provide updated nutrient requirement values and better tools for dietary assessment and planning. Alignment with this updated science was an important component of defining and communicating accurate dietary guidance for Canada.

Eating well with Canada's Food Guide (2007): development of the food intake pattern.

A food intake pattern specifying amounts and types of food was created for Canada's revised food guide, Eating Well with Canada's Food Guide (2007), using a two-step modeling process. In step one, food composites were manipulated to develop a food intake pattern. The second step used the step one food intake pattern to create 500 simulated diets for each of 16 age and gender groups.