Induction Stage Research Articles

Reinvigorating the Nineteenth Century Scientific Method: A Peirce-pective on Science

Abstract This paper proposes to recover the topic of the philosophy of scientific method from its late nineteenth-century roots. The subject matter of scientific method sprouted from key inferential ingredients identified by Charles Peirce. In this paper, the historical path is traversed from the viewpoint of contemporary Cognitive Structural Realism (CSR). Peirce’s semiotic theory of methods and practices of scientific inquiry prefigured CSR’s reliance on embodied informational structures and experimentation upon forms of relations that model generic scientific domains. Three results are shown to follow from this convocation: (i) a naturalization of Peirce’s interconnected abductive, deductive and inductive stages of the logic of science, here characterized de novo in terms of CSR. (ii) a perspective to scientific modeling that incorporates processes of abstraction and generalization as originated from Peirce’s logic of science, and (iii) diagrammatic reasoning as a pivotal method in analyzing scientific reasoning in experimental practices.

IBA and melatonin increase trigonelline and caffeine during the induction and initiation of adventitious roots in Coffea arabica L. cuttings

Caffeine and trigonelline are found in Coffea arabica, and show antioxidant roles and growth and development functions. However, there are no reports on trigonelline and caffeine in relation to coffee rooting. The aim was to evaluate the impact of application of indole-3-butyric acid (IBA) and melatonin on caffeine and trigonelline at different stages of adventitious rooting in cuttings. In addition, to study the correlation between these metabolites and H2O2, phenols, and antioxidant enzymes. Four treatments (Control, melatonin 21 µM (M21), melatonin 43 µM (M43), and IBA 7380 µM (IBA)) were used, with four replications. The growth and biochemical parameters of the antioxidant system were performed in induction, initiation, and extension rooting stages. Higher concentrations of trigonelline and caffeine quantified in the induction and initiation stages were positively correlated with higher percentage of rooted cuttings. Trigonelline and caffeine were positively correlated with H2O2 in all stages of development of adventitious roots. The correlations of trigoneline and caffeine with phenols and antioxidant enzymes reveal different profiles, depending on the phases. The results indicate that IBA and melatonin increase trigonelline and caffeine during the induction and initiation of adventitious roots in Coffea arabica cuttings, which is correlated with a higher percentage of rooted cuttings.

Physical-chemical coupling excitation of low activity coal gasification slag solid waste and its application as a backfill cementitious material

To realize the green mining and clean utilization of coal resources, environmental issues such as coal mine subsidence and coal gasification slag (CGS) solid waste storage require urgent resolution. High residual carbon and low activity serve as bottlenecks for CGS to achieve safe, efficient and resourceful consumption. Therefore, in this study, we proposed the concept of graded utilization of CGS and conducted a study on physical–chemical coupling to stimulate the hydration activity of CGS. We prepared a modified coal gasification slag-based cement paste backfill material (MCGS-CPB) to meet the technical requirements of coal mine backfilling. Through various experimental tests and microscopic characterization methods (uniaxial compressive strength, hydration heat and microscopic tests, etc.), we elucidated the modification mechanism of CGS, and the synergistic reaction law of MCGS-CPB was clarified. The following results were obtained. (1) The best excitation approach for CGS hydration activity was salt modification, and the early strength of MCGS-CPB prepared with CGS excited by sodium sulfate (SS) developed rapidly, while the later strengths showed expansion and deterioration. The strength development of MCGS-CPB prepared by CGS activated with calcium chloride (CC) was relatively stable, and the excitation effect was ideal. (2) The salt modification of CGS had a significant effect on the early hydration process of MCGS-CPB. The durations of the initial dissolution, acceleration, deceleration and slow reaction stages were prolonged, and the duration of the induction stage was shortened, while the hydration heat release rate increased. (3) The salt modification of CGS had a significant effect on the microstructure of MCGS-CPB, primarily due to the difference in excitation effect of salt modification on CGS on pozzolanic activity. This study provided theoretical guidance for the safe, efficient and resourceful utilization of CGS.

Development and field application of a modified magnesium slag-based mine filling cementitious material

How to make high value use of solid waste is a key issue in achieving sustainable development. In this study, a modified magnesium slag-based cementitious material (M·C) for mine filling was developed using industrial solid waste modified magnesium slag (MMS), fly ash (FA), and desulfurization gypsum (DG); the mechanical properties, stability, hydration heat and synergistic reaction mechanism of M·C were investigated; and the M·C with optimized ratios was used to prepare cemented aeolian sand/coal gangue backfill material for industrial mine backfill tests. The results revealed that (1) the uniaxial compressive strength (UCS) of M·C at 28 d was 5.60–19.30 MPa, and the FA and DG contributed significantly to the development of the UCS of M·C. A combination of 65–90% MMS, 2.5–7.5% DG and 5–35% FA was determined to be optimum for the preparation of M·C. (2) The expansion rate (Ex) of M·C increased rapidly in the early stage, increased slowly after 28 d, and stabilized after 90 d. E28 of M·C was 0.107%–0.188%, which satisfied the requirement of Ex ≤ 0.6% in GB/T 2938. (3) The hydrated exothermic process of M·C was divided into initial dissolution, induction, acceleration, deceleration and slow reaction stages. DG can effectively promote the early hydration process of M·C, while the contribution of FA is not noticeable, and even reduces the hydration heat of M·C. (4) The hydration of MMS generates C-S-H gels and CH to increase the strength and form an alkaline environment. DG promotes the dissolution and polymerization of MMS and FA into C-S(A)-H gels and ettringite, a process that consumes Ca2+ and OH− and promotes the hydration of MMS. (5) The UCS of the 28 d downhole cores from the Changxing and Mahuangliang coal mines were 7.73 and 12.62 MPa, respectively, and the leaching indexes met the requirements stated in GB/T 14848 (Ⅲ), both of which reach the requisites for safe underground backfill. The results of this study demonstrate the feasibility and advancements of the new all-solid waste M·C replacement cement and its backfill application, and also standardizes the production and filling application route of M·C and accelerates the industrialization process of this technology.

Effect of Exogenous Plant Growth Regulators and Rejuvenation Measures on the Endogenous Hormone and Enzyme Activity Responses of Acer mono Maxim in Cuttage Rooting.

The cuttage rooting method for Acer species is difficult to achieve a good efficacy as trees maintain good characteristics at the rejuvenation stage, thus improving the rooting of Acer species. The addition of exogenous hormones and rejuvenation can improve the rooting effect of cuttings; however, the specific regulatory mechanism is still unclear. Here, Acer mono Maxim rejuvenation and non-rejuvenation cuttings were used as test subjects, to investigate the effects of exogenous hormones on the activities of endogenous hormones and antioxidant enzymes in the rooting process of young cuttings. The results showed that exogenous growth-regulating substances significantly improved the rooting rate of A. mono. Exogenous hormones naphthylacetic acid (NAA) + indolebutyric acid (IBA) increased the initial levels of the endogenous hormones, indoleacetic acid (IAA) and abscisic acid (ABA), and the enzyme activities of peroxidase (POD) and polyphenol oxidase (PPO). Rejuvenation treatment prolonged the time of increase in ABA content and indoleacetic acid oxidase (IAAO) activity at the root primordium induction stage, while increasing trans-zeatin riboside (ZR) content and decreasing POD enzyme activity in cuttings. These results demonstrate that A. mono cuttings can achieve the purpose of improving the rooting rate by adding the exogenous hormone (NAA + IBA), which is closely related to the changes of endogenous hormone content and enzyme activity, and these changes of A. mono rejuvenation cuttings are different from non-rejuvenation cuttings.

Role of cellulose response transporter-like protein CRT2 in cellulase induction in Trichoderma reesei.

Induction of cellulase in cellulolytic fungi Trichoderma reesei is strongly activated by cellulosic carbon sources. The transport of cellulosic inducer and the perception of inducing signal is generally considered as the critical process for cellulase induction, that the inducing signal would be perceived by a sugar transporter/transceptor in T. reesei. Several sugar transporters are coexpressed during the induction stage, but which function they serve and how they work collaboratively are still difficult to elucidate. In this study, we found that the constitutive expression of the cellulose response transporter-like protein CRT2 (previously identified as putative lactose permease TRE77517) improves cellulase induction on a cellulose, cellobiose or lactose medium. Functional studies indicate that the membrane-bound CRT2 is not a transporter of cellobiose, lactose or glucose in a yeast system, and it also does not affect cellobiose and lactose utilization in T. reesei. Further study reveals that CRT2 has a slightly similar function to the cellobiose transporter CRT1 in cellulase induction. Overexpression of CRT2 led to upregulation of CRT1 and the key transcription factor XYR1. Moreover, overexpression of CRT2 could partially compensate for the function loss of CRT1 on cellulase induction. Our study uncovers the novel function of CRT2 in cellulase induction collaborated with CRT1 and XYR1, possibly as a signal transductor. These results deepen the understanding of the influence of sugar transporters in cellulase production.

Predicting iron deficiency and oxidative stress in Glycine max through Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy in a time-course experiment

AimsThe excessive use of fertilizers is a problem in current agricultural systems, and sustainable farming practices, including precision agriculture, demand the use of new technologies to manage plant stress at an early stage. To sustainably manage iron (Fe) fertilization in agricultural fields, it is urgent to develop early detection methods for Fe deficiency, and linked oxidative stress, in plant leaves. Herein, the potential of using Fourier Transform Infrared (FTIR) spectroscopy for Fe deficiency and oxidative stress detection in soybean plants was evaluated.MethodsAfter a period of two weeks of hydroponic growth under optimum conditions, soybean plants were grown under Fe-sufficient (Fe+) and Fe-deficient (Fe–) hydroponic conditions for four weeks. Sampling occurred every week, infrared (IR) spectra were acquired and biological parameters (total chlorophyll, anthocyanins and carotenoids concentration, and ABTS and DPPH free radical scavenging ability), mineral concentrations, and the Fe-related genes’ expression - FRO2- and IRT1-like - were evaluated.ResultsTwo weeks after imposing Fe deficiency, plants displayed decreased antioxidant activity, and increased expression levels of FRO2- and IRT1-like genes. Regarding the PLS models developed to estimate the biological parameters and mineral concentrations, satisfactory calibration models were globally obtained with R2C from 0.93 to 0.99. FTIR spectroscopy was also able to discriminate between Fe + and Fe– plants from an early stage of stress induction with 96.3% of correct assignments.ConclusionHigh reproducibility was observed among the different spectra of each sample and FTIR spectroscopy may be an early, non-invasive, cheap, and environmentally friendly technique for IDC management.

Cloning and analysis of DlERF23 gene in flower induction

Irregular flowering is a serious problem in longan production. Identifying the flower induction-related genes and analyzing their regulation mechanism is the key to solve this problem. The APETALA2/ethylene responsive factor (AP2/ERF) superfamily members are transcription factors (TFs) that regulate diverse developmental processes, including flowering time, and stress responses in plants. However, there is still no research about AP2/ERF involved in the regulation of longan flower induction. In the present study, a AP2/ERF TF member DlERF23 was cloned from longan (Dimocarpus longan). It has a typical AP2 domain with the coding sequence (CDS) of DlERF23 is 552 bp in length and encodes 184 amino acids. The molecular weight of DlERF23 protein was 20.41 kda and the theoretical isoelectric point (PI) was 7.69. The amino acid sequence of DlERF23 protein had the highest similarity with CsERF23 (XP_006478313.1) of Citrus sinensis and CcERF23 (XP_006441807.2) of Citrus clementina. The results of qRT-PCR showed that the relative expression level of DlERF23 gene in pericarp was higher, followed by stem, leave, flower and flower bud. Meanwhile, DlERF23 gene significant down-regulated in the early stage of flower induction in ‘Sijimi’ (SJ) longan and up-regulated in the late stage of flower induction in ‘Shixia’ (SX). The results of transient expression of Arabidopsis protoplasts showed that the fluorescence signal was mainly concentrated in the nucleus. Moreover, overexpression of DlERF23 in Arabidopsis promoted early flowering. These results provide useful information for revealing the biological roles of DlERF23 in longan and increase our understanding of the AP2/ERF superfamily members in fruit trees.

Development of Cooperative Learning Model to Improve Mathematic Generalization Ability of Junior High School Students

This study aims to: 1) describe the needs of junior high school teachers and students in learning mathematics; 2) obtain comprehensive information in designing cooperative learning models that can improve junior high school students' mathematical generalization abilities; 3) produce cooperative learning models in improving the mathematical generalization abilities of junior high school students that are valid, practical, and effective. This research is research and development by adopting the Plomp model design which consists of five phases, namely initial investigation, design, realization/construction phase, test phase, evaluation, and revision and implementation phase. Data collection was carried out using several instruments in the form of needs analysis questionnaires, validation questionnaires, observation sheets, teacher response questionnaires, and tests of mathematical generalization ability. The data collected was then analyzed using qualitative and quantitative methods. The results of the study show that: (1) Both teachers and junior high school students really need to develop learning models that can improve students' mathematical generalization abilities; (2) The cooperative learning model can improve the mathematical generalization ability of junior high school students which includes 3 stages of learning, namely the active stage, the collaborative stage, and the inductive stage; and (3) The results of the validation test show that the model book and learning tools are declared valid based on the judgment of the experts. Furthermore, the results of the practicality test also state that the model is practical based on the results of observations of the implementation of learning, learning management, and teacher response questionnaires. While the results of the effectiveness test through the n-gain test from the pretest and posttest data indicate that this learning model is declared effective for increasing the mathematical generalization abilities of junior high school students.

Using Gallery Walk Method to Enhance Learning Outcomes and Retention of Nurse Anesthesia Students in Iran: A Quasi-Experimental Study

Background: Gallery Walk (GW) is a student-centered educational method emphasizing team-based learning. In this approach, students actively participate in the learning process while the instructor is a facilitator. Objectives: This study was conducted to compare the effectiveness of the GW method to the lecture method in teaching the topic of general anesthesia care during the induction phase. Methods: This study employed a quasi-experimental design with a pre-test-post-test approach involving 60 nurse anesthesia students at Jundishapur University of Medical Sciences in Ahvaz, Iran, in 2022. The data were collected through 30 four-choice questions assessing the knowledge of nurse anesthetists in the main stages of general anesthesia induction. After randomly assigning students into two homogeneous groups, an intervention group (GW) and a control group (lecture), the study investigated the effects of the two educational methods on learning outcomes and retention of general anesthesia care during the induction phase. This was done by comparing the mean scores of the students on three tests. Results: There was a significant difference between the two groups in terms of the mean scores of the immediate posttest (GW: 22.3 ± 0.47, lecture: 20.8 ± 1.01) compared to the pretest (GW: 15.13 ± 0.87, lecture: 14.73 ± 1) (P < 0.001). Additionally, there was a significant difference in the mean scores of the one-month posttest (GW: 23.37 ± 0.61, lecture: 17.33 ± 1.12) (P < 0.001) between the two groups. No significant difference was observed between the two groups regarding the mean scores on the immediate posttest (P = 0.186). Unlike the lecture group, there was no significant difference between the mean scores of immediate and delayed (one-month) posttests in the GW group (P = 0.16). Conclusions: The GW method not only enhances knowledge but also proves to be significantly more effective than the lecture method in retaining knowledge of general anesthesia care during the induction phase. Therefore, GW is recommended as an effective educational method for topics that require long-term retention.

Selection of Salt-Tolerant Jojoba (Simmondisa chinensis L.) Cultivars via In Vitro Culture

Jojoba (Simmondsia chinensis L.) is a perennial shrub adapted to dry and hot climates. It produces high-quality seed oil that is widely used in the industrial, cosmetic, and pharmaceutical sectors. Soil salinity is often a constraint to plants grown under dry and hot desert conditions. Thus, in the present study, we aim to select and establish salt tolerant-jojoba cultivars using in vitro culture. Jojoba seeds were sown on germination media that were supplemented with various amounts of seawater to achieve the final solute concentrations of 2000-, 3000-, and 5000 ppm. Shoot tips from seedlings selected on germination media with different solute levels were subsequently cultured on multiple-shoot induction media, followed by root induction media at the same solute levels as the germination media from which the explants were selected. We germinated, multiplied, rooted, and acclimatized cultivars that could sustain solute levels up to 3000 ppm. Among all cultivars selected at different salinity levels, those selected at 2000 ppm were found to have the highest growth and multiplication parameters during the multiple-shoot induction and rooting stages. In addition, these cultivars also contained high levels of chlorophyll a, b, and carotenoid contents.

Evolution of reaction mechanism in the catalytic combustion of ammonia on copper-cerium mixed oxide

Carbon-free hydrogen-rich ammonia (NH3) is a potential next energy generation source, where a high ignition point and high nitric oxide contents, thereby limiting further development. This study aims to investigate the mechanism evolution during the catalytic ignition process of high NH3 concentration over copper-cerium catalyst to address the demerits of flame combustion. The phase composition, elemental valence, and active species of the copper-cerium oxide (CuO-CeO2) catalyst are investigated using various characterization techniques. The results indicated that Cu species are mainly present in copper-cerium solid solutions and highly dispersed CuO clusters, providing sufficient Cu sites to adsorb NH3 and abundant reactive lattice oxygen. The catalytic ignition triggered a kinetic transition from low-rate to high-rate steady-state. During the induction process, the predominance of the L-H mechanism is implied by the kinetic modeling and transient experiments (low-rate induced phase). Combined with IR spectroscopy and isotope (18O2)-transient response study, the results indicated that adsorbed NH3 reacted with surface adsorbed oxygen, simultaneously pulling out lattice oxygen to react with adsorbed NH3, confirming the coexistence of L-H and M−K mechanism over CuO-CeO2. The L-H mechanism (18O, contribution of adsorbed oxygen) plays a relatively dominant role in the induction stage, while the involvement of the M−K mechanism (16O, contribution of lattice oxygen) is significantly increased in the sustained combustion stage. At both stages, NH and NH2 served as critical species for N2 generation (i-SCR), respectively, playing an important role in N2 selectivity. Moreover, in the self-sustained combustion stage for CuO-CeO2 (14%NH3), the rapid gas diffusion and mass transfer facilitated the adsorption and activation of NH3. These results are envisaged to provide theoretical support for the handling and application of high concentrations of NH3.

THE (PRO)RENIN RECEPTOR IS INVOLVED IN KIDNEY ORGANOID DEVELOPMENT

Objective: The (pro)renin receptor [(P)RR], a receptor for prorenin and renin, is widely distributed in the body, including the kidneys. Studies in (P)RR knockout mouse models indicate that (P)RR ablation can be detrimental to renal development and function. However, the lack of human models hinders investigation into the role of (P)RR in human kidney development. The advent of human induced pluripotent stem cell (iPSC) – derived kidney organoids provides a tool to study the role of (P)RR in human kidney development. Design and method: To investigate the effects of (P)RR knockdown on kidney organoid development, human iPSC – derived kidney organoids were generated according to a previously described protocol. We silenced the (P)RR by introducing (P)RR antisense oligonucleotides (ASOs) by electroporation at the stage of iPSCs and nephron progenitor cells induction, respectively. The development of kidney organoids was monitored morphologically and through protein expression analysis of nephron markers by immunohistochemistry staining which was quantified by Image J. Results: After silencing the (P)RR at the initial stage of differentiation, the size of iPSCs-derived organoids was substantially smaller, but the size of tubular structures was bigger. We observed a decrease by 50% in both WT1 (glomerular cell marker) and PDGFR↑ (stromal cell marker) expressions in (P)RR-knockdown organoids, a 4-fold and 2-fold increase in expressions of fibrogenic cell markers ↑-SMA and COL1A1 respectively, and no change in Villin1 (proximal tubular cell marker) and Cadherin-1 (distal tubular cell marker) expression. Additionally, (P)RR knockdown at the stage of nephron progenitor cells induction decreased the expressions of Villin1 and Cadherin-1 in organoids by 50% and 60% separately, while it induced a 4-, 3-, 2- and 2-fold increase in the expressions of CD31 (endothelial cell marker), PDGFR↑, ↑-SMA and COL1A1 respectively. Conclusions: This study shows that (P)RR silencing at the initial stage of differentiation or at the stage of nephron progenitor cells induction impaired normal development of kidney organoids. Its absence caused a shift into the direction of fibrogenic cells. This study provides new insights into the understanding the role of (P)RR in human kidney development.

In vitro sterilization and callus induction from Cananga odorata forma genuina steenis explants

Cananga odorata (ylang-ylang) is a plant with numerous uses, including ornamental use, traditional medicinal ingredient, as fragrance, and cosmetics. The high market demand for ylang-ylang essential oil needs to be supported by information on the in vitro process of callus formation to supports the secondary metabolites production without having to cut or harvest the trees so that biodiversity is maintained. The aims of this study were to analyze the explants sterilization method using sodium hypochlorite (NaOCl) solution that was most suitable for the ylang-ylang initiation, and to analyze the effect of BAP and NAA treatment on the formation of ylang-ylang callus. The design used is a completely randomized design. The methods used included the preparation, sterilization, and callus induction using a combination of BAP and NAA hormones with twenty four treatment combinations. The results are: the sterilization of explants with sodium hypochlorite (NaOCl) solution at a concentration of 20% (v/v) 10 minutes followed by a concentration of 15% (v/v) 20 minutes was able to produce sterile explants in as much as 67.5% of cases. At the callus induction stage, the highest score of callus formation in leaf explants was in media-23 (BAP 4 ppm plus NAA 5 ppm).

КЛИНИЧЕСКИЕ ОСОБЕННОСТИ И РЕЗУЛЬТАТЫ ТЕРАПИИ ДЕТЕЙ ПЕРВОГО ГОДА ЖИЗНИ И РАННЕГО ВОЗРАСТА С ОСТРЫМ МИЕЛОИДНЫМ ЛЕЙКОЗОМ

Infants of the first year of life represent a unique group of patients with acute myeloid leukemia (AML). Materials and methods of the research: the characteristics of 492 patients with newly diagnosed AML aged 10 DoL-18 y/o who received intensive chemotherapy according to the AML-MM-2006 and AML-MRD-2018 guidelines in Apr. 2007-Apr. 2021 were analyzed. The analysis was carried out separately for infants (<1 y/o, 58/12%), young children (1-3 y/o, 99/20%) and children aged 3-18 y/o (335/68%). Results: the infant group was characterized by a higher incidence of hyperleukocytosis, extramedullary lesions, the predominance of monoblast/monocytic (63%) and megakaryoblast (24%) subvariants and chromosomal aberrations involving the 11q23 locus (KMT2A gene) (53%). “CBF leukemias” were virtually non-existent in infants (0% for t(8;21)(q22;q22.1)/RUNX1::RUNX1T1 and 2% for inv(16)(p13.1q22)/CBF::MYH11) and the rates increased with age. Activating mutations in the FLT3 gene were extremely rare (2% vs. 13.5% in patients >/=3 y/o). Patients of the 1-3 y/o group were similar in morphological and cytogenetic characteristics to the infants’ group but had a smaller tumor mass and higher survival rates. The 5-year overall survival of infants was statistically significantly lower than in older patients, 52% vs. 67% (p<0.001), primarily due to high mortality prior to remission, which in its turn was caused by complications associated with hyperleukocytosis. Conclusions: given the vulnerability of this category of patients, it is reasonable to transfer them to larger medical facilities with extensive experience in the field in order to conduct the remission induction stage (especially cytoreduction) within the intensive care unit.

КЛИНИЧЕСКИЕ ОСОБЕННОСТИ И РЕЗУЛЬТАТЫ ТЕРАПИИ ДЕТЕЙ ПЕРВОГО ГОДА ЖИЗНИ И РАННЕГО ВОЗРАСТА С ОСТРЫМ МИЕЛОИДНЫМ ЛЕЙКОЗОМ

Infants of the first year of life represent a unique group of patients with acute myeloid leukemia (AML). Materials and methods of the research: the characteristics of 492 patients with newly diagnosed AML aged 10 DoL-18 y/o who received intensive chemotherapy according to the AML-MM-2006 and AML-MRD-2018 guidelines in Apr. 2007-Apr. 2021 were analyzed. The analysis was carried out separately for infants (<1 y/o, 58/12%), young children (1-3 y/o, 99/20%) and children aged 3-18 y/o (335/68%). Results: the infant group was characterized by a higher incidence of hyperleukocytosis, extramedullary lesions, the predominance of monoblast/monocytic (63%) and megakaryoblast (24%) subvariants and chromosomal aberrations involving the 11q23 locus (KMT2A gene) (53%). “CBF leukemias” were virtually non-existent in infants (0% for t(8;21)(q22;q22.1)/RUNX1::RUNX1T1 and 2% for inv(16)(p13.1q22)/CBF::MYH11) and the rates increased with age. Activating mutations in the FLT3 gene were extremely rare (2% vs. 13.5% in patients >/=3 y/o). Patients of the 1-3 y/o group were similar in morphological and cytogenetic characteristics to the infants’ group but had a smaller tumor mass and higher survival rates. The 5-year overall survival of infants was statistically significantly lower than in older patients, 52% vs. 67% (p<0.001), primarily due to high mortality prior to remission, which in its turn was caused by complications associated with hyperleukocytosis. Conclusions: given the vulnerability of this category of patients, it is reasonable to transfer them to larger medical facilities with extensive experience in the field in order to conduct the remission induction stage (especially cytoreduction) within the intensive care unit.

Clinicians' perspectives and experiences of providing cervical ripening at home or in-hospital in the United Kingdom.

Induction of labour, or starting labour artificially, is offered when the risks of continuing pregnancy are believed to outweigh the risks of the baby being born. In the United Kingdom, cervical ripening is recommended as the first stage of induction. Increasingly, maternity services are offering this outpatient or 'at home', despite limited evidence on its acceptability and how different approaches to cervical ripening work in practice. There is also a paucity of literature on clinicians' experiences of providing induction care in general, despite their central role in developing local guidelines and delivering this care. This paper explores induction, specifically cervical ripening and the option to return home during that process, from the perspective of midwives, obstetricians and other maternity staff. As part of a process evaluation involving five case studies undertaken in British maternity services, interviews and focus groups were conducted with clinicians who provide induction of labour care. The thematic findings were generated through in-depth analysis and are grouped to reflect key points within the process of cervical ripening care: 'Implementing home cervical ripening', 'Putting local policy into practice', 'Giving information about induction' and 'Providing cervical ripening'. A range of practices and views regarding induction were recorded, showing how the integration of home cervical ripening is not always straightforward. Findings demonstrate that providing induction of labour care is complex and represents a significant workload. Home cervical ripening was seen as a solution to managing this workload; however, findings highlighted ways in which this expectation might not be borne out in practice. More comprehensive research is needed on workload impacts and possible lateral effects within other areas of maternity services.

H2O2 Participates in the Induction and Formation of Potato Tubers by Activating Tuberization-Related Signal Transduction Pathways

Reactive oxygen species (ROS), especially hydrogen peroxide, H2O2, act as signaling molecules to widely mediate growth, development, and stress response of plants. In the present study, internal ROS accumulation, effects of exogenous H2O2 treatment, the expression of the key tuberization-related genes, and the effect of knockout of Solanum tuberosum self-pruning 6A (StSP6A) on H2O2-induced tuber formation were investigated to elucidate whether and how H2O2 is involved in induction and formation of potato tubers using two diploid landraces, Solanum phureja and S. ajanhuiri. The results showed that there was a significant accumulation of ROS (including H2O2, superoxide anion, O2−, and total ROS) during tuber induction and formation in stolons/tubers, especially in the hook-like subapical part of stolons prior to tuberization, as detected by staining observation and quantitative measurement. Furthermore, exogenous H2O2 treatment significantly enhanced percentage of tuber formation. By contrast, addition of either the ROS inhibitor diphenyleneiodonium chloride (DPI) or H2O2 scavenger catalase (CAT) resulted in a decline of tuber formation. In addition, expression analysis of nine key tuberization-related genes demonstrated that the H2O2-induced tuberization could be associated with H2O2-controlled regulation of these tuberization- and signaling-pathway-related genes, especially StSP6A, which was dramatically up-regulated during the early stage of tuber induction and H2O2 treatment. When StSP6A was knocked out by CRISPR-Cas9-mediated genome editing, the tuberization frequency of StSP6A null-mutants became significantly lower at various H2O2 concentration treatments. These findings indicate that H2O2 accumulation in stolons might play an important role by acting as a signaling molecule to initiate tuber induction, H2O2-induced tuber formation is triggered by regulating the tuberization-related gene expression and activating signal transduction pathways, and StSP6A is a pivotal player in H2O2-induced tuber formation in potato.

Respostas bioquímicas em manga ‘Kent’ cultivada no semiárido brasileiro sob diferentes doses de triacontanol

ABSTRACT The management adopted for the mango crop requires that, at a certain stage, the irrigation depth should be reduced to promote a more uniform flowering. In regard to that, it is necessary to introduce new alternatives that mitigate the harmful effects of abiotic stress and that promote greater fruit yield. Therefore, the present study aimed to evaluate the influence of triacontanol on the levels of organic solutes, antioxidant enzymatic activity, and production of ‘Kent’ mango under Brazilian semi-arid conditions. The experiment was carried out for two consecutive years, 2018 and 2019, in a commercial orchard located at the DAN Farm, Petrolina-PE. The experimental design used was randomized blocks, with five treatments and four replications, evaluating four plants per plot. The treatments consisted of triacontanol doses: 0 (control treatment), 3.75; 7.50; 11.25, and 15.00 ppb per plant. Two consecutive harvests (2018 and 2019) were evaluated during the stages of branch maturation (2019 only), floral induction, full flowering, and initial fruiting. Foliar application of triacontanol positively favored the contents of total amino acids, free proline, total proteins, and activity of the enzymes superoxide dismutase (SOD), ascorbate peroxidase (APX), and catalase (CAT). There was an increase in production of 50.85% (dose - 11.25 ppb) and 64.95% (dose - 10.50 ppb) in the 2018 and 2019 crop years, respectively.

Differentiation of stem cell-derived pancreatic progenitors into insulin-secreting islet clusters in a multiwell-based static 3D culture system

Orbital shaker-based suspension culture systems have been in widespread use for differentiating human pluripotent stem cell (hPSC)-derived pancreatic progenitors toward islet-like clusters during endocrine induction stages. However, reproducibility between experiments is hampered by variable degrees of cell loss in shaking cultures, which contributes to variable differentiation efficiencies. Here, we describe a 96-well-based static suspension culture method for differentiation of pancreatic progenitors into hPSC-islets. Compared with shaking culture, this static 3D culture system induces similar islet gene expression profiles during differentiation processes but significantly reduces cell loss and improves cell viability of endocrine clusters. This static culture method results in more reproducible and efficient generation of glucose-responsive, insulin-secreting hPSC-islets. The successful differentiation and well-to-well consistency in 96-well plates also provides a proof of principle that the static 3D culture system can serve as a platform for small-scale compound screening experiments as well as facilitating further protocol development.