Of 27 patients with available information, 11 (41%) had objective

evidence of reflux disease. Nineteen patients (70%) had concomitant typical reflux symptoms. Despite a frequently negative DeMeester score, abnormal proximal exposure, which occurred in the upright position, was observed in 19 patients (70%). Of 20 patients who subsequently underwent ARS, asthma symptoms improved in 18 (90%), and 6 of INCB024360 them discontinued or reduced pulmonary medications at a mean (range) follow-up of 4.6 (0.6-15.2) months. Pulmonary function test results before and after ARS revealed that of 5 patients, 4 (80%) had improvement of the forced expiratory volume in the first second of expiration and/or the peak expiratory flow rate, which correlated with symptomatic CA4P Cytoskeletal Signaling inhibitor improvement.\n\nConclusions: Adult-onset asthma is associated with abnormal proximal

exposure of the aerodigestive tract to refluxate; these patients respond to ARS despite negative pH test results. Patients with AOA should undergo testing with HMII because they would not be detected with conventional pH testing. JAMA Surg. 2013;148(1):50-58″
“Vaccination and antimicrobial therapy remain the cornerstones of the management of pneumococcal pneumonia. Despite significant successes, the capacity of the pneumococcus to evolve in the face of the selective pressure of anticapsular immunity challenges immunization programs. Treatment focuses on antimicrobial therapy but ignores the central role of the dysregulated inflammatory response during pneumonia. Future

therapeutic approaches GW4869 supplier need to build on the considerable recent advances in our understanding of the pathogenesis of pneumococcal pneumonia, including those from models of pneumonia. Enhancement of the essential components of the host response that prevents most colonized individuals from developing pneumonia and strategies to limit inappropriate inflammatory responses to lower respiratory tract infection are approaches that could be exploited to improve disease outcome. This review highlights recent discoveries relating to the microbial and host determinants of microbial clearance and regulation of the inflammatory response, which provide clues as to how this could be achieved in the future. CHEST 2012; 142(2):482-491″
“We briefly review the characteristics of several established health technology assessment (HTA) programs in industrialized societies including Germany, the UK and France. Special attention is paid on two issues: the position of HTA in coverage decision making and the role of economic assessment in evaluation processes.

Each principle is organized around three parts: (1) a brief description; (2) relevance to landscape ecological

research; and (3) recommended research topics. Using these principles, I suggest potential avenues to advance landscape ecological research about biodiversity, ecosystem services, and human well-being.”
“We have determined the technological properties of four lines containing combinations of three HMW-GS transgenes, encoding HMW-GS 1Ax1, 1Dx5 and 1Dy10L These lines were produced by conventional crossing PARP inhibitor of three single transgenic lines of the bread wheat cultivar Anza that contains the endogenous HMW-GS pairs 1Dx2 + 1Dy12 and 1Bx7* + 1By8 and is null for the Glu-A1 locus. Consequently, the total number of HMW-GS ranged from 4 in the control line Anza to 7 in line T618 which contains all three HMW-GS transgenes. The lines

were studied over two years using a range of widely used grain and dough testing methods. LY2835219 solubility dmso All lines with transgenic subunits showed higher levels of glutenin proteins than the Anza control, and these differences were highly significant for lines T616, T617 and T618, containing, respectively, the transgenes encoding HMW-GS 1Ax1 and 1Dy10, 1Dx5 and 1Dy10 and 1Ax1, 1Dx5 and 1Dy10. These increases in glutenin levels are compensated by lower levels of gliadins present in transgenic lines. These changes affected the ratio of polymeric to monomeric gluten proteins (poly:mono), the ratio of HMW-GS to LMW-GS (HMW:LMW) and the contents of individual 1Ax, 1Bx, 1By, 1Dx and 1Dy subunits. Transgenic lines expressing subunit 1Dy10 together with x-type subunits (T616, T617 and T618) were superior to line T606, which Selleckchem PD-1/PD-L1 Inhibitor 3 had only increases in x-type subunits. In particular, the combination of transgenic subunits 1Dx5 and 1Dy10 (line T617) gave better dough theological properties than the other combinations of transgenic subunits. For example, dough development time and stability were increased by 3.5-fold and 8.5-fold, respectively, while the mixing tolerance index (MTI) was decreased by 3.3-fold in line T617 with respect to the control line. Alveograph analyses showed that all four transgenic

combinations had increased P values compared to the Anza control but subunit 1Dx5 greatly reduced the extensibility (L). These results show that stacking HMW-GS transgenes by conventional crossing is a valid strategy for the improvement of wheat quality, with different effects being related to the different HMW-GS combinations. (c) 2009 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.”
“One of the challenges facing farmers today is to ensure adequate integration of natural resources into animal feeds. The aim of the present study is to evaluate the effects of Khaya senegalensis (KS) leaves on the performance of growing male rabbits, carcass traits and biochemical as well as hematological parameters. Thirty New Zealand White male growing rabbits were randomly divided into 3 groups (10 rabbits per group).

Tgfb2 expression was also downregulated in the RA-treated OFT region and was upregulated by Tbx2 in a culture system. Moreover, defective epithelial-mesenchymal transition caused by the excess RA was rescued by the addition of Tgf beta 2 in an organ culture system. These data suggest that RA signaling participates in the Tbx2 transcriptional mechanism during OFT development and that the Tbx2-Tgf beta 2 cascade is one of the key pathways involved

in inducing the TGA phenotype.”
“BACKGROUND. Lobular neoplasia (LN), encompassing atypical lobular hyperplasia (ALH) and lobular carcinoma in situ (LCIS), is often an incidental finding on core needle biopsies (CNBs) performed in instances of radiologic densities and/or calcifications. Because LN is generally considered a risk factor for breast carcinoma, the utility of subsequent find more excision is controversial.\n\nMETHODS. P5091 supplier The authors’ database yielded 98 cases of LCIS and/or ALH. Cases containing LN accompanied by a second lesion mandating excision (eg, radial scar, atypical ductal hyperplasia [ADH]) and those failing to meet strict diagnostic criteria for LN (eg, atypical cells, mitoses, single-cell necrosis) were excluded. Radiographic calcifications

were correlated with their histologic counterparts in terms of size, number, and pattern.\n\nRESULTS. Ninety-one biopsies were performed for calcifications and 7 were performed for mass lesions. The ages of the patients ranged from 35 to 82 years. Fifty-three patients were followed radiologically without excision, 42 of whom had available clinicoradiologic information. The 45 patients who under-went excision were without disease at follow-up periods ranging from I to 8 years. Of these 45 patients, Bindarit cell line 42 (93%) had biopsy results demonstrating only LN. The remaining 3 patients had biopsies with the following findings: ADH in 1 biopsy, residual LCIS and a separate minute focus of infiltrating lobular carcinoma (clearly an incidental finding) in the

second biopsy, and ductal carcinoma in situ admixed with LCIS in the third biopsy (a retrospective examination performed by 2 blinded breast pathologists revealed foci of atypical cells and mitoses).\n\nCONCLUSIONS. Excision of LN is unnecessary provided that: 1) careful radiographic- pathologic correlation is performed; and 2) strict histologic criteria are adhered to when making the diagnosis. Close radiologic and clinical follow-up is adequate.”
“Obesity is a world health problem that increases the risk for developing type 2 diabetes, cardiovascular disease, fatty liver, and some types of cancer. In postmenopausal women, it represents an important risk factor for the development of breast cancer (BC). Leptin is an adipokine that is secreted by fatty tissue, and high leptin levels are observed both in mouse models of obesity and in obese subjects.

Enzyme-assisted extraction

resulted in enhanced isoflavone extraction efficiency and revealed significant loss in total isoflavone content upon processing. This observation suggested that protein-isoflavone interactions, which are dependent on the protein structure and isoflavone form, affect isoflavone Akt inhibitor extractability, leading to underestimation of any loss that might have occurred in previously reported thermal studies. Accurate isoflavone measurements are essential to determine the processing conditions that result in the least loss of the biologically relevant isoflavone content.”
“Mid-IR fiber-optic reflectance spectroscopy (FORS) is a totally noninvasive infrared analytical technique allowing the investigation of artworks without the need for any sampling. The development and optimization of this analytical methodology can provide a tool that is capable of supporting conservators during the first steps of their interventions, yielding fast results and dramatically reducing the number of samples needed to identify the materials involved. Furthermore, since reflection IR spectra suffer from important spectral anomalies that complicate accurate spectral interpretation, it is

important to characterize known reference materials and substrates in advance. This work aims to verify the possibility of investigating and identifying the most widely used wood finishes by means of fiber-optic (chalcogenide and metal halides) LCL161 ic50 mid-infrared spectroscopy. Two historically widely employed wood finishes (beeswax, shellac) and two modern ones (a hydrogenated hydrocarbon resin and a microcrystalline wax) were investigated in an extended IR range (from 1000 to 6000 cm(-1)) with reflectance spectroscopy and with FORS. The broad spectral response of the MCT detector was exploited in order to include overtones and combination bands from the NIR spectral range in the investigation. The reflectance spectra were compared with those collected in transmission mode in order to highlight modifications to shapes and intensities, to assign absorptions, and finally to select “marker” bands indicating

the presence of certain finishing materials, even when applied onto a substrate such as wood, which shows many absorptions in the mid-infrared region. After the characterization, the different products were applied to samples Pinometostat price of aged pear wood and investigated with the same techniques in order to check the ability of mid-IR FORS to reveal the presence and composition of the product on the wooden substrate.”
“Trimetazidine (CAS 5011-34-7) is an effective and well-tolerated antianginal drug that possesses protective properties against ischemia-induced heart injury. The relative bioavailability and pharmacokinetic characteristics of two modified release formulations of 35 mg trimetazidine, one as the test product (Metacard MR) and one as the reference product, were compared in healthy Bangladeshi male volunteers.

The resulting cell population was consistent with the definition of mesenchymal stromal cells by the International Society for Cellular Therapy. As multipotent fetal dermal cells proliferate extensively, with no loss of multilineage differentiation potential up to passage 25, they may be an ideal source for cell therapy to repair damaged tissues and organs. Multipotent fetal dermal cells were not recognized as selleck kinase inhibitor targets by T lymphocytes in vitro, thus supporting their feasibility for allogenic transplantation. Moreover, the expansion protocol did not affect the normal

phenotype and karyotype of cells. When compared with adult dermal cells, fetal cells displayed several advantages, including a greater cellular yield after isolation, the ability to proliferate longer, and the retention of differentiation potential. Interestingly, multipotent fetal dermal cells expressed the pluripotency

marker SSEA4 (90.56 +/- 3.15% fetal vs. 10.5 +/- 8.5% adult) and coexpressed mesenchymal and epithelial markers ( bigger than 80% CD90(+)/CK18(+) cells), coexpression lacking in the adult counterparts isolated under the same conditions. Multipotent fetal dermal cells were able to form capillary structures, as well as differentiate into a simple epithelium in vitro, indicating skin regeneration capabilities.”
“Background and PurposeHydroxamate derivatives have attracted considerable attention see more because of their broad pharmacological selleck chemicals llc properties. Recent studies reported their potential use in the treatment of cardiovascular diseases, arthritis and infectious diseases. However, the mechanisms of the anti-inflammatory

effects of hydroxamate derivatives remain to be elucidated. In an effort to develop a novel pharmacological agent that could suppress abnormally activated macrophages, we investigated a novel aliphatic hydroxamate derivative, WMJ-S-001, and explored its anti-inflammatory mechanisms. Experimental ApproachRAW264.7 macrophages were exposed to LPS in the absence or presence of WMJ-S-001. COX-2 expression and signalling molecules activated by LPS were assessed. Key ResultsLPS-induced COX-2 expression was suppressed by WMJ-S-001. WMJ-S-001 inhibited p38MAPK, NF-B subunit p65 and CCAAT/enhancer-binding protein (C/EBP) phosphorylation in cells exposed to LPS. Treatment of cells with a p38MAPK inhibitor (p38MAPK inhibitor III) markedly inhibited LPS-induced p65 and C/EBP phosphorylation and COX-2 expression. LPS-increased p65 and C/EBP binding to the COX-2 promoter region was suppressed in the presence of WMJ-S-001. In addition, WMJ-S-001 suppression of p38MAPK, p65 and C/EBP phosphorylation, and subsequent COX-2 expression were restored in cells transfected with a dominant-negative (DN) mutant of MAPK phosphatase-1 (MKP-1). WMJ-S-001 also caused an increase in MKP-1 activity in RAW264.7 macrophages.

However, one study has reported that percentage body fat decreased by 3.2% after 8 months after VbX in comparison with resistance and control groups that performed no aerobic conditioning. The evidence to date suggests that VbX can increase whole and local oxygen uptake; however, with additional load, high vibration frequency, and/or amplitude, it cannot match the demands of conventional aerobic exercise. Therefore, caution is required when VbX programs are solely used

for the purpose of reducing body fat without considering dietary and aerobic conditioning guidelines.”
“Objectives Studies in rheumatoid arthritis (RA), osteoarthritis (OA) and mice with arthritis demonstrated tyrosine hydroxylase-positive (TH+) cells in XMU-MP-1 molecular weight arthritic synovium

and parallel loss of sympathetic nerve fibres. The exact function of TH+ cells and mode of TH induction are not known. Methods Synovial cells of RA/OA were isolated and cultured under normoxic/hypoxic conditions with/without stimulating enzyme cofactors of TH and inhibitors of TH. We studied TH expression and release of cytokines/catecholamines. In vivo function was tested by cell therapy with TH+ neuronal precursor cells (TH+ neuronal cells) in DBA/1 mice with collagen type II-induced arthritis (CIA). Results Compared with normoxic conditions, hypoxia increased TH protein expression and catecholamine synthesis and decreased release

of tumour necrosis factor (TNF) in OA/RA synovial cells. This inhibitory RSL3 in vivo effect on TNF was reversed by TH inhibition with alpha-methylpara-tyrosine (alpha MPT), which was particularly evident under hypoxic conditions. Incubation with specific TH cofactors BI 2536 (tetrahydrobiopterin and Fe2+) increased hypoxia-induced inhibition of TNF, which was also reversed by aMPT. To address a possible clinical role of TH+ cells, murine TH+ neuronal cells were generated from mesenchymal stem cells. TH+ neuronal cells exhibited a typical catecholaminergic phenotype. Adoptive transfer of TH+ neuronal cells markedly reduced CIA in mice, and 6-hydroxydopamine, which depletes TH+ cells, reversed this effect. Conclusions The anti-inflammatory effect of TH+ neuronal cells on experimental arthritis has been presented for the first time. In RA/OA, TH+ synovial cells have TH-dependent anti-inflammatory capacities, which are augmented under hypoxia. Using generated TH+ neuronal cells might open new avenues for cell-based therapy.”
“This study compares the impact of obesogenic environment (OE) in six different periods of development on sperm parameters and the testicular structure of adult rats and their correlations with sex steroid and metabolic scenario.

\n\nDesign:\n\nProspective, observational study.\n\nSetting:\n\nSingle center.\n\nPatients:\n\nWe enrolled 336 consecutive children (median age, 6 mo [range, 0-37 mo]) undergoing cardiac surgery (87 neonates; age, 7 d [5-12]; median, 25th-75th percentile; 24 infants and children; age, 11 mo [4-60]) and 436 healthy controls.\n\nInterventions:\n\nBrain natriuretic peptide was measured selleck inhibitor preoperatively, on every postoperative day in the ICU, and at discharge. Intubation time was the primary outcome.\n\nMeasurements and Main

Results:\n\nPreoperative brain natriuretic peptide values in patients with congenital heart disease were higher than those in controls (p < 0.01). Brain natriuretic peptide had a good diagnostic accuracy in discriminating between patients with congenital

heart disease and healthy controls with an area under the curve = https://www.selleckchem.com/products/MLN8237.html 0.918 for neonates and area under the curve = 0.894 for older children. The best cutoff values, calculated by receiver operating characteristic analysis, were different for the two age subgroups with cutoff values of 363.5 ng/L for neonates and 23.5 ng/L for older children. At 24 hours after surgery, although brain natriuretic peptide decreased in neonates (baseline 2723 vs 1290 ng/L, p < 0.001), it increased in children (60 vs 365 ng/L at 24 hours, p < 0.001). Multivariable analysis identified the preoperative level of brain natriuretic peptide in infant/children and the difference in SBE-β-CD cell line brain natriuretic peptide value (baseline 24 hours) in neonates, as independent predictors of intubation time. Furthermore, body surface area, Aristotle score, and cardiopulmonary bypass time had an

independent significant effect on the endpoint in either group.\n\nConclusions:\n\nBaseline cardiac endocrine function and its response to surgical stress are dependent on age in neonates and children, undergoing cardiac surgery for congenital heart disease. Brain natriuretic peptide shows a good diagnostic and prognostic accuracy in this setting, with different features in either neonates or infants/children subsets.”
“Dengue virus is the flavivirus that causes dengue fever, dengue hemorrhagic disease, and dengue shock syndrome, which are currently increasing in incidence worldwide. Dengue virus protease (NS2B-NS3pro) is essential for dengue virus infection and is thus a target of therapeutic interest. To date, attention has focused on developing active-site inhibitors of NS2B-NS3pro. The flat and charged nature of the NS2B-NS3pro active site may contribute to difficulties in developing inhibitors and suggests that a strategy of identifying allosteric sites may be useful. We report an approach that allowed us to scan the NS2B-NS3pro surface by cysteine mutagenesis and use cysteine reactive probes to identify regions of the protein that are susceptible to allosteric inhibition.

Use of ad hoc generated oblique reformation contributed to the enhanced sensitivity and specificity. The accuracy for inferior alveolar canal invasionwas 100%. There was excellent agreement between

the two observers. CONCLUSION: Sixteen-section MDCT used to its full potential has high accuracy for the detection of mandibular invasion in RMT SCC. (C) selleck inhibitor 2013 The Royal College of Radiologists. Published by Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.”
“BACKGROUND AND OBJECTIVE: Children with unilateral cerebral palsy present with impaired upper limb (UL) function affecting independence, participation, and quality of life and require effective rehabilitation. This study aims to systematically review the efficacy of nonsurgical upper limb therapies for children with unilateral cerebral palsy. METHODS: Medline, CINAHL (Cumulative Index to Nursing and Allied Health Literature), Embase, the Cochrane Central Register of Controlled Trials, and PubMed were searched to December 2012. Randomized controlled or comparison trials were included. RESULTS: Forty-two studies evaluating 113 UL therapy approaches (N = 1454 subjects) met the

inclusion criteria. Moderate to strong effects favoring intramuscular injections of botulinum toxin A and occupational therapy (OT) to improve UL and individualized outcomes compared with OT alone were identified. Constraint-induced movement therapy achieved modest to strong treatment effects CT99021 on improving movement quality and efficiency of the impaired UL compared with usual care. There were weak treatment effects for most outcomes when constraint therapy was compared with an equal dose (amount) of bimanual OT; both yielded similar improved outcomes. Newer interventions such as action observation training and mirror therapy should be viewed as experimental. CONCLUSIONS: There is modest evidence that intensive activity-based, goal-directed

interventions (eg, constraint-induced movement therapy, bimanual training) are more effective than standard care in improving UL and individualized outcomes. There is little evidence to support block therapy alone as the dose of intervention is unlikely to be PLX4032 order sufficient to lead to sustained changes in UL outcomes. There is strong evidence that goal-directed OT home programs are effective and could supplement hands-on direct therapy to achieve increased dose of intervention.”
“Curved membranes are a common and important attribute in cells. Protein and peptide curvature sensors are known to activate signaling pathways, initiate vesicle budding, trigger membrane fusion, and facilitate molecular transport across cell membranes. Nonetheless, there is little understanding how these proteins and peptides achieve preferential binding of different membrane curvatures. The current study is to elucidate specific factors required for curvature sensing.

29), compared with never users. Neither were significant associations found between fracture and smoking, social class and parity. The findings did not vary materially with age or type of fracture.\n\nConclusion: Ever use of oral contraception was not associated with fracture in this study. (C) 2011 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.”
“New Delhi metallo-beta-lactmase-1 (NDM-1) is an enzyme that confers antibiotic resistance to bacteria and is thus a serious threat to human health. Almost all clinically available beta-lactam antibiotics can be hydrolyzed by NDM-1. To S63845 determine the mechanism behind the wide substrate diversity and strong catalytic ability of NDM-1, we explored the molecular interactions between

NDM-1 and different beta-lactam antibiotics using computational methods. Molecular dynamics simulations and binding free energy calculations were performed on enzyme-substrate (ES) complex

models of NDM-1-Meropenem, NDM-1-Nitrocefin, and NDM-1-Ampicillin constructed by molecular docking. Our computational results suggest that mutant residues Ile35 and Lys216, and active site loop L1 residues 65-73 in NDM-1 play crucial roles in substrate recognition and binding. The results of our study provide new insights into the mechanism behind the enhanced substrate binding and wider substrate spectrum of NDM-1 compared IPI-145 cost with its homologous enzymes CcrA and IMP-1. These insights may be useful in the discovery and design of specific and potent inhibitors against NDM-1. (C) 2013 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.”
“BACKGROUND: Patients with osteosarcoma and Ewing sarcoma have achieved longer survival over the past decades, but late side effects of chemotherapy and radiotherapy have become important concerns. METHODS: The authors reviewed all patients with localized osteosarcoma or Ewing sarcoma who had been enrolled in the Italian Sarcoma Group neoadjuvant protocols from 1983 through 2006. Data were updated in December 2010 to determine 3 endpoints: the NU7441 in vitro incidence of a secondary

primary cancer (designated as “second malignant neoplasm” [SMN]), infertility, and cardiotoxicity. RESULTS: Data were available on 883 patients with osteosarcoma and 543 patients with Ewing sarcoma. In the osteosarcoma group, there were 39 SMNs (4.4%) in 36 patients; in the Ewing sarcoma group, 15 patients (2.8%) experienced a single SMN each. The cumulative 10-year and 20-year incidence of an SMN (+/- standard error) was 4.9%+/- 0.9% and 6.1%+/- 1.2%, respectively, in the osteosarcoma group and 3.4%+/- 0.9% and 4.7%+/- 1.6%, respectively, in the Ewing sarcoma group. The most common SMN in the osteosarcoma group was breast cancer (n = 11), and the most common SMN in the Ewing sarcoma group was radiotherapy-induced osteosarcoma (n = 6). After 20 years, the risk of developing an SMN increased, whereas the risk of a recurrence of the primary tumor decreased. Permanent sterility was more common in males than in females.

The pattern of thick basiconic sensilla at the apex of epipharynx exhibits distinct sexual dimorphism. The feeding mechanism is conjectured from the ultramorphology of the mouthparts. We suggest that scorpionflies are likely to feed on liquid food of their prey after extra-oral digestion. Hair brushes on the hirsute epipharynx, galeae, laciniae, labial palpi, and hypopharynx might serve to filtrate large particles. (C) 2011 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.”
“Statutes pertinent to elder abuse vary widely. This article provides examples of organizational structure, dependency and age of the victim, definitions of

abuse, classification of penalties, PP2 solubility dmso and investigation processes. Health care providers must learn their state’s elder abuse laws and review any operating manuals produced from the statutes or regulations. All health care workers must know and implement the law to protect the welfare of older persons.”
“Cephalopsyche, a new genus of caddisfly (Trichoptera, Odontoceridae), is described from Vietnam. Two new species are placed in the

genus: C. gorgona sp. n. and C. neboissi sp. n. The adult male and female of each species exhibit distinct sexual dimorphism, especially in head morphology. In males, there are hinged, chamber-like structures on the vertex of the head, containing filamentous, columnar tissue when exposed. Descriptions and illustrations of both species are provided.”
“Plastid casein kinase 2 (CK2) is a major AZD1152 Ser/Thr-specific

enzyme for protein phosphorylation in the chloroplast stroma and its kinase activity PF-02341066 concentration is regulated by redox signals. To understand the role of CK2 phosphorylation of chloroplast proteins in abiotic stress signalling, an Arabidopsis plastid CK2 (CKA4) knockout mutant was investigated in terms of the plant response to abscisic acid (ABA) and heat stress. CKA4 expression was upregulated by ABA and heat treatment. The cka4 mutant showed reduced sensitivity to ABA during seed germination and seedling growth, and increased stomatal aperture and leaf water loss with a slightly reduced leaf ABA level. The cka4 mutant was more sensitive to heat stress than the wild-type Columbia-0. The expression levels of a number of genes in the ABA regulatory network were reduced in the cka4 mutant. Many heat-upregulated genes (heat-shock factors and heat-shock proteins) were also reduced in the cka4 mutant. The cka4 mutant showed reduced expression levels of plastid-encoded RNA polymerase target genes (atpB and psbA). CKA4 knockout mutation also resulted in a reduction in expression of some critical genes (PTM, ABI4, and PRS1) involved in retrograde signalling from the chloroplast to the nucleus. Similar results were observed in mutant plants with the knockout mutation in both CKA4 and CKA3, which encodes a nuclear CK2 alpha 3 subunit. CKA3 expression was not responsive to ABA and heat stress.