How do women talk about self-funded breast cancer genetic testing?: Small stories and stance-taking strategies.

Genetic testing for breast cancer genes is an experience which is inextricably linked with health communication practices and the broader social context in which it occurs. Linguistic approaches can provide perspective on how women seeking self-funded BRCA1/2 gene testing represent their experiences, knowledge, roles, choices and emotions through the way they talk. A discursive constructionist epistemology and narrative theoretical framework informed the applied linguistics methodology. Analysis of 'small stories' and stance-taking was performed on eight transcripts of audio-recorded telephone interviews with women at low to moderate risk of carrying BRCA1/2 pathogenic variants who self-funded genetic testing. We found a high prevalence of 'small stories' including accounts of events, hypotheticals, habitual narratives, and stories which combined multiple genres. Stance-taking was a means by which participants constructed personal identities in the conversational context, such as that of a responsible person. Via stance-taking strategies, participants also actively negotiated the conversational agenda, for example expressing different degrees of alignment with the interviewer's orientation towards emotions. This study provides a basis for recognizing linguistic markers in genetic counseling interactions about genetic testing for breast cancer genes. Enhanced awareness of client language choice, and the ways in which small stories and stance can signify the client's evaluation of experience and choices, alignment with the genetic counselor's questions/statements, and investment in the conversation, has potential to improve the therapeutic interaction

Fermentative attributes of wilted vs. unwilted Digitaria eriantha silage

Silages made from directly cut or wilted Digitaria eriantha treated with or without molasses were evaluated to determine fermentative characteristics. The grass was harvested at the boot stage of growth and the material was ensiled in 1 kg mini-silos. Treatments were arranged in a factorial design of two moisture levels (directly cut or wilted) and two molasses addition (with or without molasses). Each treatment was ensiled in 12 separate bottles. The pH of molasses added silage declined faster than the pH of silage without molasses. The pH of unwilted silages continued to decline up to day 120 post ensiling compared to wilted treatments. Lactic acid concentration was higher for molasses added silage than those made without molasses at all ensiling times, and also higher for directly cut silage than those wilted prior to ensiling. In direct cut silages, acetic acid concentration was lower for molasses added silage than those made without molasses at all ensiling times. In both silages, with or without molasses, the acetic acid concentrations were significantly higher for unwilted silage than silage wilted prior to ensiling. The ammonia nitrogen (NH3-N) as percentage of total nitrogen (N) was higher in unwilted silage than prior wilted silage without molasses, while in the presence of molasses the effect of wilting on NH3-N as percentage of total N was not significant. Keywords: Silage, fermentation process, moisture level, Digitaria eriantha, Smutsfinger grassSouth African Journal of Animal Science Vol. 37 (4) 2007: pp. 261-26

Younger age at onset and sex predict celiac disease in children and adolescents with type 1 diabetes: an Italian multicenter study

OBJECTIVE— To estimate the prevalence of biopsy-confirmed celiac disease in Italian children and adolescents with type 1 diabetes and to assess whether age at onset of type 1 diabetes is independently associated with diagnosis of celiac disease. RESEARCH DESIGNANDMETHODS— The study group was a clinic-based cohort of children and adolescents with type 1 diabetes cared for in 25 Italian centers for childhood diabetes. Yearly screening for celiac disease was performed using IgA/IgG anti-gliadin and IgA anti-endomysium antibodies. RESULTS— Of the 4,322 children and adolescents (age 11.8 4.2 years) identified with type 1 diabetes, biopsy-confirmed celiac disease was diagnosed in 292 (prevalence 6.8%, 95% confidence interval [CI] 6.0 –7.6), with a higher risk seen in girls than in boys (odds ratio [OR] 1.93, 1.51–2.47). In 89% of these, diabetes was diagnosed before celiac disease. In logistic regression analyses, being younger at onset of diabetes, being female, and having a diagnosis of a thyroid disorder were independently associated with the risk of having diabetes and celiac disease. In comparison with subjects who were older than 9 years at onset of diabetes, subjects who were younger than 4 years at onset had an OR of 3.27 (2.20–4.85). CONCLUSIONS— We have provided evidence that 1) the prevalence of biopsy-confirmed celiac disease in children and adolescents with type 1 diabetes is high (6.8%); 2) the risk of having both diseases is threefold higher in children diagnosed with type 1 diabetes at age 4 years than in those age 9 years; and 3) girls have a higher risk of having both diseases than boys

Seedling and field assessment of wheat Triticum aestivum dwarfing genes and their influence on root traits in multiple genetic backgrounds

Deployment of the Rht-B1b and Rht-D1b dwarfing genes helped facilitate the Green Revolution to increase wheat yields globally. Much is known of the influence of these genes on plant height and agronomic performance, but not of their effects on root architecture. We assessed 29 near-isogenic lines (NILs) representing 11 Green Revolution and alternative dwarfing genes across multiple genetic backgrounds for root architecture characteristics in controlled and field environments. Genetic background did not influence plant height, but had a small and significant (P<0.05) effect on root architecture. All dwarfing gene NILs were significantly (P<0.01) shorter compared with tall controls. The Green Revolution Rht-B1b and Rht-D1b sometimes had longer seedling roots but were not different from their respective tall controls for root depth in the field. The Rht8, Rht12, and Rht18 dwarfing gene NILs produced long seminal roots in seedling pouches, and a greater maximum rooting depth (MRD) and root penetration rate (RPR) in the field. Genotypic increases in MRD and RPR were strongly correlated with increased harvest index and grain yield, particularly in dry environments. Careful root phenotyping highlights the potential of novel dwarfing genes for wheat genetic improvement under water-limited conditions

Seedling and field assessment of wheat (<i>Triticum aestivum</i> L.) dwarfing genes and their influence on root traits in multiple genetic backgrounds

Abstract Deployment of the Rht-B1b and Rht-D1b dwarfing genes helped facilitate the Green Revolution to increase wheat yields globally. Much is known of the influence of these genes on plant height and agronomic performance, but not of their effects on root architecture. We assessed 29 near-isogenic lines (NILs) representing 11 Green Revolution and alternative dwarfing genes across multiple genetic backgrounds for root architecture characteristics in controlled and field environments. Genetic background did not influence plant height, but had a small and significant (P&amp;lt;0.05) effect on root architecture. All dwarfing gene NILs were significantly (P&amp;lt;0.01) shorter compared with tall controls. The Green Revolution Rht-B1b and Rht-D1b sometimes had longer seedling roots but were not different from their respective tall controls for root depth in the field. The Rht8, Rht12, and Rht18 dwarfing gene NILs produced long seminal roots in seedling pouches, and a greater maximum rooting depth (MRD) and root penetration rate (RPR) in the field. Genotypic increases in MRD and RPR were strongly correlated with increased harvest index and grain yield, particularly in dry environments. Careful root phenotyping highlights the potential of novel dwarfing genes for wheat genetic improvement under water-limited conditions.</jats:p

Ground-Based LiDAR Improves Phenotypic Repeatability of Above-Ground Biomass and Crop Growth Rate in Wheat

Highly repeatable, nondestructive, and high-throughput measures of above-ground biomass (AGB) and crop growth rate (CGR) are important for wheat improvement programs. This study evaluates the repeatability of destructive AGB and CGR measurements in comparison to two previously described methods for the estimation of AGB from LiDAR: 3D voxel index (3DVI) and 3D profile index (3DPI). Across three field experiments, contrasting in available water supply and comprising up to 98 wheat genotypes varying for canopy architecture, several concurrent measurements of LiDAR and AGB were made from jointing to anthesis. Phenotypic correlations at discrete events between AGB and the LiDAR-derived biomass indices were significant, ranging from 0.31 ( P &lt; 0.05 ) to 0.86 ( P &lt; 0.0001 ), providing confidence in the LiDAR indices as effective surrogates for AGB. The repeatability of the LiDAR biomass indices at discrete events was at least similar to and often higher than AGB, particularly under water limitation. The correlations between calculated CGR for AGB and the LiDAR indices were moderate to high and varied between experiments. However, across all experiments, the repeatabilities of the CGR derived from the LiDAR indices were appreciably greater than those for AGB, except for the 3DPI in the water-limited environment. In our experiments, the repeatability of either LiDAR index was consistently higher than that of AGB, both at discrete time points and when CGR was calculated. These findings provide promising support for the reliable use of ground-based LiDAR, as a surrogate measure of AGB and CGR, for screening germplasm in research and wheat breeding. </jats:p

Ground-Based LiDAR Improves Phenotypic Repeatability of Above-Ground Biomass and Crop Growth Rate in Wheat

Highly repeatable, nondestructive, and high-throughput measures of above-ground biomass (AGB) and crop growth rate (CGR) are important for wheat improvement programs. This study evaluates the repeatability of destructive AGB and CGR measurements in comparison to two previously described methods for the estimation of AGB from LiDAR: 3D voxel index (3DVI) and 3D profile index (3DPI). Across three field experiments, contrasting in available water supply and comprising up to 98 wheat genotypes varying for canopy architecture, several concurrent measurements of LiDAR and AGB were made from jointing to anthesis. Phenotypic correlations at discrete events between AGB and the LiDAR-derived biomass indices were significant, ranging from 0.31 (P<0.05) to 0.86 (P<0.0001), providing confidence in the LiDAR indices as effective surrogates for AGB. The repeatability of the LiDAR biomass indices at discrete events was at least similar to and often higher than AGB, particularly under water limitation. The correlations between calculated CGR for AGB and the LiDAR indices were moderate to high and varied between experiments. However, across all experiments, the repeatabilities of the CGR derived from the LiDAR indices were appreciably greater than those for AGB, except for the 3DPI in the water-limited environment. In our experiments, the repeatability of either LiDAR index was consistently higher than that of AGB, both at discrete time points and when CGR was calculated. These findings provide promising support for the reliable use of ground-based LiDAR, as a surrogate measure of AGB and CGR, for screening germplasm in research and wheat breeding