Controlling stem strength

The irregular xylem (irx) mutation in Arabidopsis collapses the stem, causing dwarfism, and can be rescued by cell-specific control of xylan expression to create viable plants with enhanced traits for biofuel production.

Lifestyle and mental health

Felice Jacka et al. discuss new evidence from studies on diet quality and common mental disorders, and argue that depression and anxiety be ranked amongst prevalent medical conditions influenced by lifestyle, to help develop prevention strategies.

Bipolar disorder and diabetes

There is a stronger association between the use of anti-diabetic agents and mood stabilizers in women than in men, indicating that diabetes and bipolar disorder may have shared risk pathways and women are more at risk of having both conditions.

Innate immune response to Dengue Virus

Guanylate-binding protein 1 (GBP1), an interferon stimulated gene, was upregulated during Dengue Virus infection of macrophages. GBP1 knock-down decreased cytokine production whilst increasing virus growth. This suggests that GBP1 forms part of the anti-viral response to Dengue Virus.

Viral defense genes in Capsicum annuum

The transcriptome of Capsicum annuum infected with the begomovirus "pepper golden mosaic virus" was compared to uninfected plants and those that had recovered from infection. 309 genes were differentially expressed including some that may be novel defense genes, and many of which are conserved in tomato and potato.

Schizophrenia care & survival patterns

Schizophrenia is linked to excess mortality and multimorbidity; schizophrenics in the U.S. aged 50 years or over treated appropriately for their comorbidity have improved survival, highlighting the importance of guideline-concordant care.

TransFIC: functional impact of variants

Cancer genome projects need to identify cancer-causing variants; a new method improves the assessment of the functional impact of SNVs by including the baseline tolerance of genes to mutations.

Tissue engineering for muscular dystrophy

A novel therapeutic technique involving the delivery of mesoangioblast stem cells via a hydrogel cell-carrier matrix, is capable of producing enriched donor cell engraftment into skeletal muscle.

Recognizing and treating rage

Episodes of rage and violence can have a devastating effect on people's lives, but are rarely mentioned by patients; David T George and colleagues recommend that physicians have an important opportunity to recognize and treat the problem.

Biochemistry of the black dahlia

The distinctive coloration of the few black-flowered cultivars of the popular dahlia plant is the result of a dramatic increase in the accumulation of metabolites known as anthocyanins, at the expense of related chemicals called flavones.