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"Schmidt, Jessica"
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Frozen storybook collection
Collects eighteen stories featuring Anna, Elsa, and the other characters from the movie \"Frozen.\"
BOOK
The physiological and genetic basis of combined drought and heat tolerance in wheat
The physiological traits and genetic loci underlying combined drought and heat tolerance in wheat that can now be studied and exploited for breeding are reviewed and updated.
Abstract
Drought and heat stress cause losses in wheat productivity in major growing regions worldwide, and both the occurrence and the severity of these events are likely to increase with global climate change. Water deficits and high temperatures frequently occur simultaneously at sensitive growth stages, reducing wheat yields by reducing grain number or weight. Although genetic variation and underlying quantitative trait loci for either individual stress are known, the combination of the two stresses has rarely been studied. Complex and often antagonistic physiology means that genetic loci underlying tolerance to the combined stress are likely to differ from those for drought or heat stress tolerance alone. Here, we review what is known of the physiological traits and genetic control of drought and heat tolerance in wheat and discuss potential physiological traits to study for combined tolerance. We further place this knowledge in the context of breeding for new, more tolerant varieties and discuss opportunities and constraints. We conclude that a fine control of water relations across the growing cycle will be beneficial for combined tolerance and might be achieved through fine management of spatial and temporal gas exchange.
Journal Article
Vaccination and Seasonality as Risk Factors for Development of Meningoencephalitis of Unknown Origin in 172 Dogs
Abstract
Background
Meningoencephalitis of unknown origin (MUO) is a neuroinflammatory disease that is suspected to be immune-mediated. Vaccination and season inconsistently have been reported as risk factors for development of MUO in dogs, but limited prospectively collected data is available to evaluate these potential risk factors.
Objective
Prospectively evaluate the association between vaccination and season and the development of MUO in dogs.
Animals
A total of 172 client-owned dogs diagnosed with MUO.
Methods
Dogs were enrolled prospectively from August 2021 through July 2023. Signalment, body weight, vaccination history, and season of onset of neurologic signs were recorded. The incidence rate ratio (IRR) of MUO within various post-vaccination windows was statistically compared to a referent window of 451–560 days post-vaccination. The incidence rate (IR) of MUO in each season was compared statistically.
Results
Of dogs vaccinated within the previous 450 days, MUO IRR was highest in the first 0–45 days (IRR = 9.14; confidence interval [CI] = 4.04–20.71), followed by 46–90 days (IRR = 4.86; CI = 2.01–11.71) and 91–180 days (IRR = 4.86; CI = 2.15–10.96) post-vaccination compared to the 451–560 day post-vaccination referent window. The MUO IR was slightly more common in the spring (28.5%) and least common in the summer (19.8%). No significant difference in IR between seasons was identified.
Conclusions and Clinical Importance
In dogs with potential vaccine-associated MUO, the highest risk to develop MUO may be in the first 45 days post-vaccination. A slowly developing immune response to vaccination over 3–6 months may occur in some dogs. There is no apparent association between season and the development of MUO.
Journal Article
Drought and heat stress tolerance screening in wheat using computed tomography
Background
Improving abiotic stress tolerance in wheat requires large scale screening of yield components such as seed weight, seed number and single seed weight, all of which is very laborious, and a detailed analysis of seed morphology is time-consuming and visually often impossible. Computed tomography offers the opportunity for much faster and more accurate assessment of yield components.
Results
An X-ray computed tomographic analysis was carried out on 203 very diverse wheat accessions which have been exposed to either drought or combined drought and heat stress. Results demonstrated that our computed tomography pipeline was capable of evaluating grain set with an accuracy of 95–99%. Most accessions exposed to combined drought and heat stress developed smaller, shrivelled seeds with an increased seed surface. As expected, seed weight and seed number per ear as well as single seed size were significantly reduced under combined drought and heat compared to drought alone. Seed weight along the ear was significantly reduced at the top and bottom of the wheat spike.
Conclusions
We were able to establish a pipeline with a higher throughput with scanning times of 7 min per ear and accuracy than previous pipelines predicting a set of agronomical important seed traits and to visualize even more complex traits such as seed deformations. The pipeline presented here could be scaled up to use for high throughput, high resolution phenotyping of tens of thousands of heads, greatly accelerating breeding efforts to improve abiotic stress tolerance.
Journal Article
Comparison of retinol binding protein 1 with cone specific G-protein as putative effector molecules in cryptochrome signalling
Vision and magnetoreception in navigating songbirds are strongly connected as recent findings link a light dependent radical-pair mechanism in cryptochrome proteins to signalling pathways in cone photoreceptor cells. A previous yeast-two-hybrid screening approach identified six putative candidate proteins showing binding to cryptochrome type 4a. So far, only the interaction of the cone specific G-protein transducin α-subunit was investigated in more detail. In the present study, we compare the binding features of the G-protein α-subunit with those of another candidate from the yeast-two-hybrid screen, cellular retinol binding protein. Purified recombinant European robin retinol binding protein bound retinol with high affinity, displaying an EC
50
of less than 5 nM, thereby demonstrating its functional state. We applied surface plasmon resonance and a Förster resonance transfer analysis to test for interactions between retinol binding protein and cryptochrome 4a. In the absence of retinol, we observed no robust binding events, which contrasts the strong interaction we observed between cryptochrome 4a and the G-protein α-subunit. We conclude that retinol binding protein is unlikely to be involved in the primary magnetosensory signalling cascade.
Journal Article
Competency Assessment in Senior Emergency Medicine Residents for Core Ultrasound Skills
Quality resident education in point-of-care ultrasound (POC US) is becoming increasingly important in emergency medicine (EM); however, the best methods to evaluate competency in graduating residents has not been established. We sought to design and implement a rigorous assessment of image acquisition and interpretation in POC US in a cohort of graduating residents at our institution.
We evaluated nine senior residents in both image acquisition and image interpretation for five core US skills (focused assessment with sonography for trauma (FAST), aorta, echocardiogram (ECHO), pelvic, central line placement). Image acquisition, using an observed clinical skills exam (OSCE) directed assessment with a standardized patient model. Image interpretation was measured with a multiple-choice exam including normal and pathologic images.
Residents performed well on image acquisition for core skills with an average score of 85.7% for core skills and 74% including advanced skills (ovaries, advanced ECHO, advanced aorta). Residents scored well but slightly lower on image interpretation with an average score of 76%.
Senior residents performed well on core POC US skills as evaluated with a rigorous assessment tool. This tool may be developed further for other EM programs to use for graduating resident evaluation.
Journal Article
Transcripts of wheat at a target locus on chromosome 6B associated with increased yield, leaf mass and chlorophyll index under combined drought and heat stress
Drought and heat stress constrain wheat ( Triticum aestivum L.) yields globally. To identify putative mechanisms and candidate genes associated with combined drought and heat stress tolerance, we developed bread wheat near-isogenic lines (NILs) targeting a quantitative trait locus (QTL) on chromosome 6B which was previously associated with combined drought and heat stress tolerance in a diverse panel of wheats. Genotyping-by-sequencing was used to identify additional regions that segregated in allelic pairs between the recurrent and the introduced exotic parent, genome-wide. NILs were phenotyped in a gravimetric platform with precision irrigation and exposed to either drought or to combined drought and heat stress from three days after anthesis. An increase in grain weight in NILs carrying the exotic allele at 6B locus was associated with thicker, greener leaves, higher photosynthetic capacity and increased water use index after re-watering. RNA sequencing of developing grains at early and later stages of treatment revealed 75 genes that were differentially expressed between NILs across both treatments and timepoints. Differentially expressed genes coincided with the targeted QTL on chromosome 6B and regions of genetic segregation on chromosomes 1B and 7A. Pathway enrichment analysis showed the involvement of these genes in cell and gene regulation, metabolism of amino acids and transport of carbohydrates. The majority of these genes have not been characterized previously under drought or heat stress and they might serve as candidate genes for improved abiotic stress tolerance.
Journal Article
Emergency Services Capacity of a Rural Community in Guatemala
Introduction: Access to emergency care is an essential part of the health system. Improving access to emergency services in low- and middle-income countries (LMIC) decreases mortality and reduces global disparities; however, few studies have assessed emergency services resources in LMICs. To guide future improvements in care, we performed a comprehensive assessment of the emergency services capacity of a rural community in Guatemala serving a mostly indigenous population. Methods: We performed an exhaustively sampled cross-sectional survey of all healthcare facilities providing urgent and emergent care in the four largest cities surrounding Lake Atitlán using the Emergency Services Resource Assessment Tool (ESRAT). Results: Of 17 identified facilities, 16 agreed to participate and were surveyed: nine private hospitals; four public clinics; and three public hospitals, including the region’s public departmental hospital. All facilities provided emergency services 24/7, and a dedicated emergency unit was available at 67% of hospitals and 75% of clinics. A dedicated physician was present in the emergency unit during the day at 67% of hospitals and 75% of clinics. Hospitals had a significantly higher percentage of available equipment compared to clinics (85% vs 54%, mean difference 31%; 95% confidence interval (CI) 23-37%; P = 0.004). There was no difference in availability of laboratory tests between public and private hospitals or between cities. Private hospitals had access to a significantly higher percentage of medications compared to clinics (56% vs 27%, mean difference 29%; 95% CI 9-49%; P = 0.024). Conclusion: We found a high availability of emergency services and universal availability of personal protective equipment but a severe shortage of critical medications in clinics, and widespread shortage of pediatric equipment.
Journal Article
Determination of Urinary Mycotoxin Biomarkers Using a Sensitive Online Solid Phase Extraction-UHPLC-MS/MS Method
In the course of assessing the human exposure to mycotoxins, biomarker-based approaches have proven to be important tools. Low concentration levels, complex matrix compositions, structurally diverse analytes, and the large size of sample cohorts are the main challenges of analytical procedures. For that reason, an online solid phase extraction-ultra high-performance liquid chromatography-tandem mass spectrometry (online SPE-UHPLC-MS/MS) method was developed, allowing for the sensitive, robust, and rapid analysis of 11 relevant mycotoxins and mycotoxin metabolites in human urine. The included spectrum of analytes comprises aflatoxin M1 (AFM1), altenuene (ALT), alternariol monomethyl ether (AME), alternariol (AOH), citrinin (CIT) and its metabolite dihydrocitrinone (DH-CIT), fumonisin B1 (FB1), ochratoxin A (OTA), and zearalenone (ZEN) as well as α- and β-zearalenol (α- and β-ZEL). Reliable quantitation was achieved by means of stable isotope dilution, except for ALT, AME and AOH using matrix calibrations. The evaluation of method performance displayed low limits of detection in the range of pg/mL urine, satisfactory apparent recovery rates as well as high accuracy and precision during intra- and interday repeatability. Within the analysis of Zimbabwean urine samples (n = 50), the applicability of the newly developed method was shown. In addition to FB1 being quantifiable in all analyzed samples, six other mycotoxin biomarkers were detected. Compared to the occurrence rates obtained after analyzing the same sample set using an established dilute and shoot (DaS) approach, a considerably higher number of positive samples was observed when applying the online SPE method. Owing to the increased sensitivity, less need of sample handling, and low time effort, the herein presented online SPE approach provides a valuable contribution to human biomonitoring of mycotoxin exposure.
Journal Article