Food system actor perspectives on future-proofing European food systems through plant breeding

Crop improvement is a key innovation area in the pursuit of sustainable food systems. However, realising its potential requires integration of the needs and priorities of all agri-food chain stakeholders. In this study, we provide a multi-stakeholder perspective on the role of crop improvement in future-proofing the European food system. We engaged agri-business, farm- and consumer-level stakeholders, and plant scientists through an online survey and focus groups. Four of each group's top five priorities were shared and related to environmental sustainability goals (water, nitrogen and phosphorus efficiency, and heat stress). Consensus was identified on issues including considering existing alternatives to plant breeding (e.g. management strategies), minimising trade-offs, and addressing geographical variation in needs. We conducted a rapid evidence synthesis on the impacts of priority crop improvement options, highlighting the urgent need for further research examining downstream sustainability impacts to identify concrete targets for plant breeding innovation as a food systems solution.

Trabeculectomy with or without mitomycin-C for paediatric glaucoma in aphakia and pseudophakia following congenital cataract surgery

PURPOSE

To evaluate the safety and efficacy of trabeculectomy with or without mitomycin-C (MMC) in the management of glaucoma in aphakia and pseudophakia following congenital cataract surgery.

PATIENTS AND METHODS

All patients of glaucoma with aphakia or pseudophakia who underwent trabeculectomy with or without MMC from January 1989 to April 2000 were included. The medical records of 19 consecutive patients (23 eyes) were reviewed. Data collected from a retrospective chart review were analysed. Outcome measures were evaluated using Kaplan-Meier survival analysis. Pre- and postoperative intraocular pressures (IOPs), visual acuities, success rate, bleb characteristics, surgical failure and complications were the main outcome measures. Successful IOP control was defined as an IOP between 6 and 21 mmHg, without antiglaucoma medications, without further antiglaucoma surgery and without any sight-threatening complication.

RESULTS

The mean age of patients was 8.8+/-5.5 years at the time of trabeculectomy with MMC compared to 11.0+/-12.4 years for trabeculectomy without MMC. Eight patients underwent trabeculectomy with MMC and 11 patients underwent trabeculectomy without MMC. There was no statistically significant difference between the two groups in terms of visual acuity, IOP, antiglaucoma medications, age at cataract surgery and at trabeculectomy. The IOP reduced from a preoperative level of 34.2+/-8.9 mmHg (range: 20-52) to a postoperative level of 18.4+/-12.2 mmHg (range: 2-60) with a mean follow-up of 24.2+/-17.9 months. The mean reduction in IOP in the MMC group was 15.5+/-17.3 and 16.3+/-13.8 mmHg in the other group (P = 0.967). Overall, complete success was achieved in 36.8%, qualified success in 21.1% and surgical failure in 42.1% of patients with a mean follow-up of 24.2+/-17.9 months. There was no difference in the success between the two groups at the last follow-up. One patient developed bleb-related endophthalmitis in both eyes following trabeculectomy with MMC.

CONCLUSIONS

The success rate of trabeculectomy in glaucoma following congenital cataract surgery was 36.8% at the end of 3 years. The present study proves a poor success rate of trabeculectomy in a small series of aphakic Asian Indian patients even with the use of MMC.

Acceleration of catalase and peroxidase activities in Lemna minor L. and Allium cepa L. in response to low levels of aquatic mercury

The purpose of this study was to assess certain physiological responses of Lemna minor L. (duckweed) and Allium cepa L. (onion) to aquatic mercury at low concentrations. Following a 96-h exposure of plants to nutrient medium contaminated with known levels of mercuric chloride (HgCl(2)), 0.001 to 4 mg litre(-1) (0.0007 to 2.95 mg Hg litre(-1)) or methyl mercuric chloride (MeHgCl(2)), 0.0001 to 0.1 mg litre(-1) (0.0007 to 0.07 mg Hg litre(-1)), the physiological endpoints measured were the growth of fronds (Lemna minor) or roots (Allium cepa), and catalase and peroxidase activities in both plant assays. The EC(50) for HgCl(2) on the basis of the growth curve of Lemna minor was found to be 2.1 mg litre(-1). HgCl(2) and MeHgCl(2) were lethal to L. minor at concentrations of 4 and 0.01 mg litre(-1), respectively. The range of low concentrations that accelerated growth as well as enzymic activities in L. minor was 0.004 to 0.04 mg litre(-1) for HgCl(2) and 0.001 mg litre(-1) for MeHgCl(2). HgCl(2) and MeHgCl(2) induced maximum enzymic activity in Lemna fronds at concentrations of 0.008 and 0.0005 mg litre(-1), respectively. In Allium roots, catalase activity was accelerated at all the concentrations of HgCl(2) (0.001-2 mg litre(-1)) and MeHgCl(2) (0.0001-0.1 mg litre(-1)) tested. The activity of peroxidase was, however, accelerated by HgCl(2) at concentration range 0.01-1.0 mg litre(-1), or by MeHgCl(2) at 0.001 mg litre(-1). The concentrations of HgCl(2) and MeHgCl(2) that induced the highest enzymic activity in Allium roots were 0.05 mg litre(-1) and 0.001 mg litre(-1), respectively.