Prioritization of vigor QTL-associated genes for future genome-directed Vitis breeding

Vigor control in grapevine may become especially important under climate change. A better understanding of gene-phenotype relationships is required in order to exploit plant genomics for breeding purposes. This research aims to use quantitative trait loci (QTLs) for vigor identified in the progeny from a cross of Ramsey (Vitis champinii) × Riparia Gloire (V. riparia). Genes located 700 kb up and downstream from each QTL position were interrogated for functional enrichment through ShinyGO online tool, based on the gene ontology annotation of Vitis vinifera PN40024. Key biological processes like phloem and xylem development, cell cycle, response to hormones, amino acid transport, tissue development, sugar metabolism, nitrogen transport, and stress/immune responses, showed functional enrichment. Integral response to light and auxin might be required for fine molecular tuning of vegetative growth in Vitis. Fifty out of 1318 candidate genes were prioritized, reducing their amount to a manageable number of candidates for further directed breeding strategies. Highlights Plant vigor control may become especially important under climate change. Genes from various vigor-related QTLs were interrogated for functional enrichment. The analysis reduced candidate gene number based on marker proximity and functional enrichment, constituting a suitable shortcut for target-directed genome-guided breeding strategies. Three TFs are strong candidates for targeted breeding: TIF - HY5, TIF - SUS1, TIF - VOZ1 potentially enhance growth by relating light response to hormone activation, and then to photosynthesis and morphogenesis.

Human Rights of Migrants: From Desert Migration to Resettlement

The issue of desert migration has remained an intractable problem in the context of human rights. Desert migration raises unabated and a major concern because of the problems that come with it. Illegal migration has highlighted the need for and the challenge of having a proper human rights impact assessment of desert migration which will help in providing a suitable legal framework. This article primarily seeks certain protections accorded to migrants on desert migration and identifies problems associated with desert migration and the states of stranded migrants under human rights law. It is written by using a doctrinal legal research methodology that adopts analytical and qualitative approaches and builds its argument on existing literature which is achieved by synthesis of ideas. This article noted that there is a significant protection gap in the international and regional human rights architecture which oftentimes result in inadequate protection of migrants from human rights violation. It is argued that in order to guarantee a robust protection of migrant's rights outside their place of origin, a more integral response to critical human rights and development challenges is capable of addressing the protection gap. Furthermore, the article demonstrated that adopting a new approach with comprehensive instruments on migrant's rights protection and resettlement will be able to eradicate unabated violations of migrant's rights around the globe.

Clinical Efficiency and Safety Outcomes of Virtual Care for Oncology Patients During the COVID-19 Pandemic

PURPOSE: Telehealth has been an integral response to the COVID-19 pandemic. However, no studies to date have examined the utility and safety of telehealth for oncology patients undergoing systemic treatments. Concerns of the adequacy of virtual patient assessments for oncology patients include the risk and high acuity of illness and complications while on treatment. METHODS: We assessed metrics related to clinical efficiency and treatment safety after propensity matching of newly referred patients starting systemic therapy where care was in large part replaced by telehealth between March and May 2020, and 206 newly referred patients from a similar time period in 2019 where all encounters were in-person visits. RESULTS: Patient-initiated telephone encounters that capture care or effort outside of visits, time to staging imaging, and time to therapy initiation were not significantly different between cohorts. Similarly, 3 month all-cause or cancer-specific emergency department presentations and hospitalizations, and treatment delays were not significantly different between cohorts. There were substantial savings in travel time with virtual care, with an average of 211.4 minutes saved per patient over a 3-month interval. CONCLUSION: Our results indicate that replacement of in-person care with virtual care in oncology does not lead to worse efficiency or outcomes. Given the increased barriers to patients seeking oncology care during the pandemic, our study indicates that telehealth efforts may be safely intensified. These findings also have implications for the continual use of virtual care in oncology beyond the pandemic.

Examining the Reproductive Rights in the Wake of COVID-19 Pandemic in Nigeria

The prospect of achieving sustainable reproductive rights protection in the wake of the COVID-19 pandemic in Nigeria has remained an intractable problem. To identify and recognize reproductive rights, it is necessary to comprehend that reproductive right embraces certain human rights recognized in national and international laws, including international human rights’ documents. This paper examines the existing Nigeria laws on reproductive and health rights and ascertains the extent to which it has continually and predictably addressed the reproductive rights protection problem. There is a significant protection gap in the national human rights architecture. At the international level, among the poorer adolescent girls between the age of 15-19 years, it frequently results in early pregnancy and, of course, unsafe abortion. Thus, this gap relates in particular to questions on lack of access to family planning services. This paper argues that improvement of reproductive and sexual health goes far beyond the right to life and the right to health of women and girls. To guarantee Nigeria's reproductive rights, a more integral response to these critical human rights and development challenges can address Nigeria's protection gap. This paper adopts an analytical and qualitative approach by referring to existing pieces of literature achieved by the synthesis of ideas. This paper concludes that the adoption of a new approach to policies and programs on preventable maternal mortality and morbidity guarantees the right to attain the highest standard of sexual reproductive health in Nigeria. KEYWORDS: Reproductive Rights, Health Issues, COVID-19 Pandemic, Nigeria.

Modeling of the Structure of Flows in a Nozzle Rectification Column by the Velocity Profile of the Steam Phase

An algorithm has been developed for calculating the main parameters of the flow structure by the velocity profile of the boiling liquid phase in a packed distillation column: differential and integral response and dispersion functions without determining the response curves by the indicator method. An example of the calculation of the above parameters and modeling according to standard and combined models is given: cell, one-parameter diffusion and with a series connection of zones of displacement and mixing.

Non-Lymphoid Components of Immunopathology

The role of auxiliary non-lymphoid cells in the functioning of the immune system, the relationship between the immune, nervous, endocrine, metabolic and other body systems are discussed, including the possibility of formulating the concept of the body's integral response to the induction of pathological processes, the possibility of its correction, etc.

Transcriptional Plasticity of Autophagy-Related Genes Correlates with the Genetic Response to Nitrate Starvation in Arabidopsis Thaliana

In eukaryotes, autophagy, a catabolic mechanism for macromolecule and protein recycling, allows the maintenance of amino acid pools and nutrient remobilization. For a better understanding of the relationship between autophagy and nitrogen metabolism, we studied the transcriptional plasticity of autophagy genes (ATG) in nine Arabidopsis accessions grown under normal and nitrate starvation conditions. The status of the N metabolism in accessions was monitored by measuring the relative expression of 11 genes related to N metabolism in rosette leaves. The transcriptional variation of the genes coding for enzymes involved in ammonium assimilation characterize the genetic diversity of the response to nitrate starvation. Starvation enhanced the expression of most of the autophagy genes tested, suggesting a control of autophagy at transcriptomic level by nitrogen. The diversity of the gene responses among natural accessions revealed the genetic variation existing for autophagy independently of the nutritive condition, and the degree of response to nitrate starvation. We showed here that the genetic diversity of the expression of N metabolism genes correlates with that of the ATG genes in the two nutritive conditions, suggesting that the basal autophagy activity is part of the integral response of the N metabolism to nitrate availability.

Modeling and Analysis of Algolization Process of a Technological Pond of the Novolipetsk Metallurgical Plant Based on Multifractal Dynamics

A method for modeling and analyzing the dynamics of regulation of ecosystem states based on the construction of multifractal models taking into account the multilevel of its biodiversity is proposed. It is proposed to evaluate the integral response of the ecosystem to control actions by superimposing its multifractal image on the selected forms of critical organization that meet the limits of restoration of the ecosystem structure.

Photovoltaic and photoelectric response of Sn2P2S6 ferroelectric films

In the present work, the comparative study of the electric response of Sn2P2S6 films to the visible light action was carried out without and under external electric field. The light flux modulated by a chopper induces the integral response comprising time-dependent photoelectric and photovoltaic components. It was shown that spontaneous polarization influences the electric response characteristics.