Transcriptomic point of departure determination: a comparison of distribution-based and gene set-based approaches.

A key step in assessing the potential human and environmental health risks of industrial and agricultural chemicals is to determine the toxicity point of departure (POD), which is the highest dose level that causes no adverse effect. Transcriptomic POD (tPOD) values have been suggested to accurately estimate toxicity POD values. One step in the most common approach for tPOD determination involves mapping genes to annotated gene sets, a process that might lead to substantial information loss particularly in species with poor gene annotation.

Genetically modified DP915635 maize is agronomically and compositionally comparable to non-genetically modified maize.

DP915635 maize was genetically modified (GM) to express the IPD079Ea protein for corn rootworm (Diabrotica spp.) control. DP915635 maize also expresses the phosphinothricin acetyltransferase (PAT) protein for tolerance to glufosinate herbicide and the phosphomannose isomerase (PMI) protein that was used as a selectable marker.

UK Higher Education staff experiences of moral injury during the COVID-19 pandemic.

Jonathan Shay argued that social, relational, and institutional contexts were central to understanding moral injury and conceptualised moral injury as a normative response to the betrayal of an individual's understanding of what is right by a more senior/authoritative "other". Using the conceptual lens of moral injury, this paper investigates academic staff experiences of HE during the COVID-19 pandemic and explores the rapid transition back to face-to-face teaching that took place in autumn 2020. To collect data, we used an online survey that opened in January 2021 and ran until the end of March 2021.

Characterization of the Spectrum of Activity of IPD079Ea: A Protein Derived From Ophioglossum pendulum (Ophioglossales: Ophioglossaceae) With Activity Against Western Corn Rootworm [Diabrotica virgifera virgifera (Coleoptera: Chrysomelidae)].

Western corn rootworm (Diabrotica virgifera virgifera LeConte) is a major pest of corn in both North America and Europe and as such presents significant challenges for farmers. IPD079Ea protein is encoded by the ipd079Ea gene from Ophioglossum pendulum (a species of fern) and was found to have activity against western corn rootworm in multiple corn events transformed to express the IPD079Ea protein. In chronic laboratory hazard studies, IPD079Ea protein was fed to eleven species in the order Coleoptera and four species in the order Lepidoptera to assess the spectrum of activity.

Environmental risk assessment of the DvSSJ1 dsRNA and the IPD072Aa protein to non-target organisms.

Event DP-Ø23211-2 (hereafter referred to as DP23211) maize expresses the DvSSJ1 double-stranded RNA (DvSSJ1 dsRNA) and the IPD072Aa protein, encoded by the gene. DvSSJ1 dsRNA and the IPD072Aa protein each provide control of corn rootworms ( spp.) when expressed in plants.

Evaluation of the safety and nutritional equivalency of maize grain with genetically modified event DP-Ø23211-2.

Feeding studies were conducted with rats and broiler chickens to assess the safety and nutrition of maize grain containing event DP-Ø23211-2 (DP23211), a newly developed trait-pyramid product for corn rootworm management. Diets containing 50% ground maize grain from DP23211, non-transgenic control, or non-transgenic reference hybrids (P0928, P0993, and P1105) were fed to Crl:CD®(SD) rats for 90 days. Ross 708 broilers were fed phase diets containing up to 67% maize grain from each source for 42 days.

Hypothesis-based food, feed, and environmental safety assessment of GM crops: A case study using maize event DP-202216-6.

Event DP-2Ø2216-6 (referred to as DP202216 maize) was genetically modified to increase and extend the expression of the introduced gene relative to endogenous gene expression, resulting in plants with enhanced grain yield potential. The gene expresses the ZMM28 protein, a MADS-box transcription factor. The safety assessment of DP202216 maize included an assessment of the potential hazard of the ZMM28 protein, as well as an assessment of potential unintended effects of the genetic insertion on agronomics, composition, and nutrition.

Author Correction: Characterization of DvSSJ1 transcripts targeting the smooth septate junction (SSJ) of western corn rootworm (Diabrotica virgifera virgifera).

An amendment to this paper has been published and can be accessed via a link at the top of the paper.

Characterization of DvSSJ1 transcripts targeting the smooth septate junction (SSJ) of western corn rootworm (Diabrotica virgifera virgifera).

Transgenic maize plants expressing dsRNA targeting western corn rootworm (WCR, Diabrotica virgifera virgifera) DvSSJ1 mRNA, a Drosophila snakeskin (ssk) ortholog, show insecticidal activity and significant plant protection from WCR damage. The gene encodes a membrane protein associated with the smooth sepate junction (SSJ) which is required for intestinal barrier function. To understand the active RNA form that leads to the mortality of WCR larvae by DvSSJ1 RNA interference (RNAi), we characterized transgenic plants expressing DvSSJ1 RNA transcripts targeting WCR DvSSJ1 mRNA.

Agronomic and compositional assessment of genetically modified DP23211 maize for corn rootworm control.

DP23211 maize was genetically modified (GM) to express DvSSJ1 double-stranded RNA and the IPD072Aa protein for control of corn rootworm ( spp.). DP23211 maize also expresses the phosphinothricin acetyltransferase (PAT) protein for tolerance to glufosinate herbicide, and the phosphomannose isomerase (PMI) protein that was used as a selectable marker.

Representations of the National Health Service (NHS) in UK print media.

Generating negative news coverage of state welfare provision has been identified as a strategy designed to create public support for radical policies aimed to reduce such provision. To date, research of this kind has focused on scandals and crises. However, little is known about the complex relationship between media representations of specific events, and those of media representations in the lead up to these events, what we refer to as periphery representations.

Clarification on "EFSA Genetically Engineered Crop Composition Equivalence Approach: Performance and Consistency".

A recent perspective defends the approach of the European Food Safety Authority (EFSA) for evaluating the compositional normality of genetically engineered (GE) crops using a concurrently grown subset of non-GE varieties within the risk assessment. While the approach of the EFSA manages the risk of falsely claiming equivalence, this is achieved at the expense of low power to detect true equivalence. This generates inconsistent findings and safety conclusions across studies for the same GE event based on the selected non-GE comparators.

Evaluation of a Multidisciplinary Disease Management Program to Achieve Asthma Control in Seven Safety Net Hospitals in Louisiana.

The objective was to evaluate a multidisciplinary guideline-driven disease management program focused on achievement of asthma control among sustained patients with confirmed asthma in Louisiana and to assess factors affecting achievement of asthma control. Data were extracted from the electronic health records of 1596 adults with confirmed asthma, sustained care for >1 year in the outpatient setting, and ≥2 recorded Asthma Control Test (ACT) scores. Multivariable logistic regression modeling was used to assess the association of demographic variables, comorbidities, and process measures with the best achieved asthma control as represented by the highest ACT score.

Smoking Relapse and Type 2 Diabetes Mellitus-Related Emergency Department Visits Among Senior Patients with Diabetes.

Introduction: Quitting smoking has been proven to benefit smokers with diabetes. However, among older patients with diabetes, the evidence regarding an association between smoking status and the risk of type 2 diabetes mellitus-related emergency department (ED) visits has not been well investigated.

Methods: A retrospective cohort study was performed by using the Louisiana State University Health Care Services Division electronic health records from 2009 to 2011.

Metabolic Basis for Nonlinearity in 1,3-Dichloropropene Toxicokinetics and Use in Setting a Kinetically-derived Maximum Inhalation Exposure Concentration in Mice.

1,3-Dichloropropene (1,3-D) showed a statistically increased incidence of bronchioloalveolar adenomas in male B6C3F1 mice at 60 ppm air concentration during previous chronic inhalation testing. No tumors were observed in female mice, nor in either sex of F344 rats up to 60 ppm, the highest dose tested. Therefore, to understand if lung tumors observed in high dose male mice are due to saturation of metabolic clearance, the linearity of 1,3-D concentrations in mouse blood was investigated on day 15 of repeated nose-only inhalation exposure to 0, 10, 20, 40, 60, 90, and 120 ppm (6 h/d, 7 d/week).

Overexpression of increases maize grain yield in the field.

Increasing maize grain yield has been a major focus of both plant breeding and genetic engineering to meet the global demand for food, feed, and industrial uses. We report that increasing and extending expression of a maize MADS-box transcription factor gene, , under the control of a moderate-constitutive maize promoter, results in maize plants with increased plant growth, photosynthesis capacity, and nitrogen utilization. Molecular and biochemical characterization of transgenic plants demonstrated that their enhanced agronomic traits are associated with elevated plant carbon assimilation, nitrogen utilization, and plant growth.

Nutrient composition and safety evaluation of simulated isobutanol distillers dried grains with solubles and associated fermentation metabolites when fed to male Ross 708 broiler chickens (Gallus domesticus).

Saccharomyces cerevisiae genetically engineered to enhance butanol production will be used in a manufacturing process similar to that of fuel ethanol production, including co-production of distillers products for animal feed. A poultry feeding trial was conducted with simulated isobutanol-derived dried distillers grains with solubles (bDDGS), comprising non-fermentable corn solids and heat-inactivated Butamax modified yeast (BMY), to determine potential health effects. Simulated dried distillers grains were produced in 2 variants: bDDGS containing 10% (B10) or 50% (B50) BMY.

Comparisons of statistical models for growth curves from 90-day rat feeding studies.

The objective of this work was to compare several models of body weight data from 90-day rodent feeding trials. Polynomial and nonlinear functions relating time and weight were examined as were the use of Toeplitz error covariance structures and random coefficients. The models were evaluated by fitting them to five publicly available datasets from rat feeding studies.

Composition of forage and grain from genetically modified DP202216 maize is equivalent to non-modified conventional maize ( L.).

DP202216 maize was genetically modified to increase and extend the expression of the gene relative to native gene expression, resulting in plants with enhanced grain yield potential. Standard nutritional and compositional parameters for maize grain and forage (e.g.

EFSA Genetically Engineered Crop Composition Equivalence Approach: Performance and Consistency.

The European Food Safety Authority (EFSA) oversees the safety assessment of genetically engineered (GE) crops in the European Union and has developed a study design and statistical approach for assessing the compositional equivalency between a GE crop and the corresponding non-GE crop on the basis of the results from a small number of concurrently grown reference lines. Confidence limits around the differences in mean analyte composition between the GE variety and the reference lines are compared with equivalence limits on the basis of the variability of the reference lines. Here, we evaluated the performance and consistency of the equivalence conclusions using a non-GE variety that is, by definition, equivalent to the non-GE crop.

Characterization of the Spectrum of Insecticidal Activity for IPD072Aa: A Protein Derived from Pseudomonas chlororaphis with Activity Against Diabrotica virgifera virgifera (Coleoptera: Chrysomelidae).

Western corn rootworm (Diabrotica virgifera virgifera LeConte) presents significant pest management challenges for farmers in both North America and Europe. IPD072Aa, a protein derived from Pseudomonas chlororaphis, has previously been shown to have activity against western corn rootworm. In the current study, the spectrum of activity of IPD072Aa was evaluated in controlled laboratory diet bioassays.

Knockdown of RNA interference pathway genes impacts the fitness of western corn rootworm.

Western corn rootworm (Diabrotica virgifera virgifera) is a serious agricultural pest known for its high adaptability to various management strategies, giving rise to a continual need for new control options. Transgenic maize expressing insecticidal RNAs represents a novel mode of action for rootworm management that is dependent on the RNA interference (RNAi) pathways of the insect for efficacy. Preliminary evidence suggests that western corn rootworm could develop broad resistance to all insecticidal RNAs through changes in RNAi pathway genes; however, the likelihood of field-evolved resistance occurring through this mechanism remains unclear.

Effect of climate on the distribution of Fusarium spp. causing crown rot of wheat in the Pacific Northwest of the United States.

Fusarium crown rot (FCR) is one of the most widespread root and crown diseases of wheat in the Pacific Northwest (PNW) of the United States. Our objectives were to characterize crown rot severity and distribution throughout the PNW by conducting a survey of 210 fields covering the diverse dryland wheat-producing areas of Washington and Oregon and to utilize a factor analysis statistical approach to determine the effects of climate and geography on species distribution and disease severity. Climatic variables were based on 30-year averages and 2008 and 2009 separately (the 2 years of the survey).

Supporting newly qualified nurses in the UK: a systematic literature review.

Aim: This is a systematic literature review of the existing published research related to the development of preceptorship to support newly qualified nurses in the United Kingdom (UK).

Background: It has been known for some time that newly qualified nurses experience a period of unsettling transition at the point of registration. In the UK, preceptorship has been the professional body's recommended solution to this for over 20 years.

Supporting workers with mental health problems to retain employment: users' experiences of a UK job retention project.

Objectives: To understand experiences and perspectives of job retention project users in relation to challenges faced and support received; to develop explanatory insight into effective interventions.

Participants: 14 employed users of a United Kingdom job retention project, with a range of mental health problems.

Methods: Semi-structured individual interviews which were collaboratively designed with service users.