Sources of genomic diversity in the self-fertile plant pathogen, Sclerotinia sclerotiorum, and consequences for resistance breeding.

The ascomycete, Sclerotinia sclerotiorum, has a broad host range and causes yield loss in dicotyledonous crops world wide. Genomic diversity was determined in a population of 127 isolates obtained from individual canola (Brassica napus) fields in western Canada. Genotyping with 39 simple sequence repeat (SSR) markers revealed each isolate was a unique haplotype.

Impacts of irrigation efficiency on water-dependent sectors are heavily controlled by region-specific institutions and infrastructures.

Farmers' investment in more efficient irrigation systems represents a primary adaptation strategy when confronting climate change. However, the regional benefits of these investments and their influence on the conflicting demands among different water dependent stakeholders for intensely irrigated regions remains an open question. Using the Pacific Northwest of the United States as an illustrative region of focus, we show that higher irrigation efficiency has diverse effects across stakeholders that are contingent on many local climatic, institutional and infrastructural factors such as the availability of water storage, the location of hydropower generators, and water rights.

Exploring the Druggability of Conserved RNA Regulatory Elements in the SARS-CoV-2 Genome.

SARS-CoV-2 contains a positive single-stranded RNA genome of approximately 30 000 nucleotides. Within this genome, 15 RNA elements were identified as conserved between SARS-CoV and SARS-CoV-2. By nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR) spectroscopy, we previously determined that these elements fold independently, in line with data from in vivo and ex-vivo structural probing experiments.

Water rights shape crop yield and revenue volatility tradeoffs for adaptation in snow dependent systems.

Irrigated agriculture in snow-dependent regions contributes significantly to global food production. This study quantifies the impacts of climate change on irrigated agriculture in the snow-dependent Yakima River Basin (YRB) in the Pacific Northwest United States. Here we show that increasingly severe droughts and temperature driven reductions in growing season significantly reduces expected annual agricultural productivity.

Gender-dependent association of diabetes mellitus with mortality in patients undergoing transcatheter aortic valve replacement.

Background: Diabetes mellitus (DM) is a risk factor for cardiovascular disease. However, its effect on procedural and follow-up performance after transcatheter aortic valve replacement (TAVR) remains controversial.

Methods And Results: We performed an observational study of all consecutive patients treated with a transfemoral TAVR in a single-center cohort (n = 1818).

Predictors of Mortality and Symptomatic Outcome of Patients With Low-Flow Severe Aortic Stenosis Undergoing Transcatheter Aortic Valve Replacement.

Background: Impaired left ventricular (LV) ejection fraction is a common finding in patients with aortic stenosis and serves as a predictor of morbidity and mortality after transcatheter aortic valve replacement. However, conflicting data on the most accurate measure for LV function exist. We wanted to examine the impact of LV ejection fraction, mean pressure gradient, and stroke volume index on the outcome of patients treated by transcatheter aortic valve replacement.

Accounting for disturbance history in models: using remote sensing to constrain carbon and nitrogen pool spin-up.

Disturbances such as wildfire, insect outbreaks, and forest clearing, play an important role in regulating carbon, nitrogen, and hydrologic fluxes in terrestrial watersheds. Evaluating how watersheds respond to disturbance requires understanding mechanisms that interact over multiple spatial and temporal scales. Simulation modeling is a powerful tool for bridging these scales; however, model projections are limited by uncertainties in the initial state of plant carbon and nitrogen stores.

A novel homozygous UMOD mutation reveals gene dosage effects on uromodulin processing and urinary excretion.

Heterozygous mutations in UMOD encoding the urinary protein uromodulin are the most common genetic cause of autosomal dominant tubulointerstitial kidney disease (ADTKD). We describe the exceptional case of a patient from a consanguineous family carrying a novel homozygous UMOD mutation (p.C120Y) affecting a conserved cysteine residue within the EGF-like domain III of uromodulin.

Endothelial Function in Children and Adolescents Is Mainly Influenced by Age, Sex and Physical Activity - An Analysis of Reactive Hyperemic Peripheral Artery Tonometry.

Background: As adolescents rarely experience cardiovascular events, surrogate markers of atherosclerosis are useful to justify and monitor effects of primary prevention and therapy of risk factors. Endothelial function assessed by reactive hyperemic peripheral arterial tonometry (RH-PAT) resulting in a reactive hyperemic index (RHI) is a noninvasive method with limited data for use in children and adolescents.

Methods and results: We performed a total of 931 RHI measurements in 445 high-school students, aged 10-17 years, over a time period of 5 years.

Surface-enhanced infrared absorption studies towards a new optical biosensor.

Reflectometric interference spectroscopy (RIfS), which is well-established in the visual regime, measures the optical thickness change of a sensitive layer caused, e.g., by binding an analyte.

Coronary Collateral Growth Induced by Physical Exercise: Results of the Impact of Intensive Exercise Training on Coronary Collateral Circulation in Patients With Stable Coronary Artery Disease (EXCITE) Trial.

Background: A well-developed coronary collateral circulation provides a potential source of blood supply in coronary artery disease. However, the prognostic importance and functional relevance of coronary collaterals is controversial with the association between exercise training and collateral growth still unclear.

Methods And Results: This prospective, open-label study randomly assigned 60 patients with significant coronary artery disease (fractional flow reserve ≤0.

Long term impact of one daily unit of physical exercise at school on cardiovascular risk factors in school children.

Background: Obesity and physical inactivity in children correlate with the presence of cardiovascular risk factors. The aim of this prospective, randomised, interventional study was to examine the long term impact of additional physical exercise lessons at school on fitness and cardiovascular risk factors.

Methods: We randomly assigned 366 5th and 6th grade students class-wise into an intervention group that participated in one-daily physical exercise unit at school and a control group, participating in conventional school sports twice a week.

The Leipzig Prospective Drug-Eluting Balloon-Registry - Outcome of 484 Consecutive Patients Treated for Coronary In-Stent Restenosis and De Novo Lesions Using Paclitaxel-Coated Balloons.

Background: Drug-eluting balloons (DEB) are an alternative treatment of in-stent restenosis (ISR), but data regarding outcomes of DEB in de novo lesions are lacking.

Methods and results: We investigated the effect of DEB on target lesion revascularization (TLR), procedural complications (coronary dissection/rupture, pericardial effusion, stent thrombosis, peri-interventional NSTEMI, stroke), major adverse cardiac and cerebrovascular events (all-cause mortality, myocardial infarction, TLR, stroke) in patients with ISR and de novo lesions in an all-comers setting. Between April 2009 and October 2013, 484 consecutive patients (mean age 68.

Genetic testing can resolve diagnostic confusion in Alport syndrome.

Alport syndrome (AS) is a familial glomerular disorder resulting from mutations in the genes encoding several members of the type IV collagen protein family. Despite advances in molecular genetics, renal biopsy remains an important initial diagnostic tool. Histological diagnosis is challenging as features may be non-specific, particularly early in the disease course and in females with X-linked disease.

Comparison of calculated and experimental power in maximal lactate-steady state during cycling.

Background: The purpose of this study was the comparison of the calculated (MLSSC) and experimental power (MLSSE) in maximal lactate steady-state (MLSS) during cycling.

Methods: 13 male subjects (24.2 ± 4.

A wide spectrum of phenotypes in a family with renal coloboma syndrome caused by a PAX2 mutation.

Renal coloboma syndrome (RCS) is a rare inherited condition exhibiting a variable clinical phenotype of renal and ocular abnormalities. In 50% of cases, mutations can be found in the transcription factor PAX2. We present three generations of a family with a PAX2 mutation who showed variable eye and renal phenotypes.

Circulating microRNA-126 increases after different forms of endurance exercise in healthy adults.

Background: MicroRNAs (miRNAs) are small non-coding molecules regulating gene expression. Recently circulating miRNAs could be detected in the plasma, serving as novel biomarkers. Different forms of exercise mobilize progenitor cells from the bone marrow, helping in tissue repair.

Impact of different exercise training modalities on the coronary collateral circulation and plaque composition in patients with significant coronary artery disease (EXCITE trial): study protocol for a randomized controlled trial.

Background: Exercise training (ET) in addition to optimal medical therapy (OMT) in patients with stable coronary artery disease (CAD) has been demonstrated to be superior to percutaneous coronary interventions (PCI) with respect to the composite endpoint of death, myocardial infarction, stroke, revascularization and hospitalization due to worsening of angina. One mechanism leading to this superiority discussed in the literature is the increase in coronary collateral blood flow due to ET. Until now, data demonstrating the positive effect of ET on the collateral blood flow and the functional capacity of the coronary collateral circulation are still lacking.

Spatially localized Kuzbanian required for specific activation of Notch during border cell migration.

The transmembrane receptor Notch is used repeatedly during development for a variety of essential functions. During Drosophila oogenesis, Notch activity is required first to specify particular follicle cell fates, then to promote the differentiation of all follicle cell types, to promote border cell migration, and then to form dorsal appendages, raising the question as to how Notch activity is spatially and temporally regulated. Here we show the Notch activity pattern during oogenesis.

A role for extra macrochaetae downstream of Notch in follicle cell differentiation.

The Drosophila ovary provides a model system for studying the mechanisms that regulate the differentiation of somatic stem cells into specific cell types. Ovarian somatic stem cells produce follicle cells, which undergo a binary choice during early differentiation. They can become either epithelial cells that surround the germline to form an egg chamber ('main body cells') or a specialized cell lineage found at the poles of egg chambers.