-In 2015, China was the world's second most important producer of rapeseed after Canada, with 7.59 million hectares under cultivation and a production of 14.1 million tons. It is also a major importer of rapeseed grain, as well as the premier consumer. Currently, its R&D remains mainly public. Its rapeseed seed market is slightly superior to 2.7 billion RMB (362 million e) and concerns partly hybrid varieties Nevertheless, the improvement in living standards and the strong development of animal production in China has brought with it an increasing dependence on oil and protein crops, notably rapeseed but especially soybean and palm.Keywords: Rapeseed / Brassica / Brassica napus / P.R. of China / production / yield / quality / end-uses / R&D / breeding / biotechnologies / oil / meal Résumé -Colza en Chine. En 2015, la Chine était le second producteur mondial de colza après le Canada, avec une surface de 7,59 millions d'hectares et une production de 14,1 million tons. C'est également un importateur majeur de colza grain et le premier consommateur. Aujourd'hui, sa R&D reste essentiellement publique. Son marché de semences de colza dépasse 2,7 milliards de RMB (362 million e) et concerne pour partie des variétés hybrides. Néanmoins, l'amélioration du niveau de vie en Chine et l'essor spectaculaire de ses productions animales s'accompagnent d'une dépendance croissante du pays en oléo-protéagineux, notamment en soja et huile de palme et plus qu'en colza. Mots clés :Colza / Brassica / Brassica napus / Chine / production / rendement / utilisations / R&D / selection / biotechnologies / huile / tourteaux
BackgroundParkinson’s disease (PD) is not exclusively a motor disorder. Among non-motor features, patients with PD possess sensory visual dysfunctions. Depth perception and oculomotor deficits can significantly impact patients’ motor performance. Stereopsis and eye behavioral study using 3D stimuli may help determine their implications in disease status.ObjectiveThe objective of this study is to investigate stereopsis and eye movement abnormalities in PD with reliable tools and their correlation with indicators of PD severity. We hypothesize that patients with PD exhibit different eye behaviors and that these differences may correlate to the severity of motor symptoms and cognitive status.MethodsControl and PD participants were first evaluated for visual acuity, visual field, contrast acuity, and stereo perception with 2D and Titmus stereotests, followed by the assessment with a 3D active shutter system. Eye movement behaviors were assessed by a Tobii X2-60 eye tracker.ResultsScreening visual tests did not reveal any differences between the PD and control groups. With the 3D active shutter system, the PD group demonstrated significantly worse stereopsis. The preserved cognitive function was correlated to a more intact stereo function. Patients with PD had longer visual response times, with a higher number of fixations and bigger saccade amplitude, suggesting fixation stabilization difficulties. Such changes showed a positive correlation with the severity of motor symptoms and a negative correlation with normal cognitive status.ConclusionWe assessed stereopsis with a 3D active shutter system and oculomotor behaviors with the Tobii eye tracker. Patients with PD exhibit poorer stereopsis and impaired oculomotor behaviors during response time. These deficits were correlated with PD motor and cognitive status. The visual parameters may potentially serve as the clinical biomarkers for PD.
Background: Motor progression varies even among those with a single diagnosis such as Parkinson's disease (PD) and little is known about the trajectory of motor signs prior to death. Understanding deterioration patterns may help clinicians counsel patients and proactively plan interdisciplinary care, including palliative care. The objective of this study was to examine and describe Unified Parkinson's Disease Rating Scale motor score (UPDRS-III) trajectories at the end of life in PD.Methods: A retrospective chart review was performed for deceased PD patients who attended the Parkinson and Movement Disorders Program at the University of Alberta for at least 5 years between 1999 and 2018. UPDRS-III scores were recorded for all visits. Trajectory patterns were visualized with Loess curves stratified by sex and age at diagnosis. Piecewise linear models were used to individually model the UPDRS-III scores, and the trajectories obtained were clustered based on their features.Results: Among the 202 charts reviewed, 84 meeting inclusion criteria were analyzed. The UPDRS-III increased over time regardless of sex and age. Distinct trajectory variations present in PD (e.g., Consistent Deterioration, Stability-Deterioration, Improvement-Deterioration, Deterioration-Improvement-Deterioration) were identified. Twenty-five percent of the patients were classified as Undetermined/Irregular trajectories. In addition, regardless of trajectory type, many patients experienced a steep increase in UPDRS-III approaching death. Those with disease diagnosis after age 65 years had a shorter survival time, compared to PD patients with a younger age of onset.Conclusion: Our study identified dominant types of motor trajectory in PD that can help clinicians understand their patients' course of illness. This information can help counsel patients regarding the variability in motor deterioration and should alert physicians to recognize a terminal decline. Age of disease onset was correlated with survival time.
Background: Parkinson's disease (PD) is not exclusively a motor disorder. Among non-motor features, PD patients possess sensory visual dysfunctions. Stereopsis deficit can significantly impact patients' motor performance. However, it is not routinely tested, and its significance is under-investigated. Studying stereopsis using reliable 3D stimuli may help determine its implications in disease status in PD.The objective of the study is to investigate stereopsis abnormalities in PD with reliable and more physiological tools, and their correlation with indicators of PD severity. Methods: Twenty-four healthy control and 20 PD participants were first evaluated for visual acuity, visual field, contrast acuity, and stereoperception with 2D and Titmus stereotests, followed by the assessment with the 3D active shutter system. The correlation between stereopsis and disease severity, Unified Parkinson’s disease rating scale motor scores (UPDRS-III), levodopa equivalent daily dose (LEDD), course of disease and cognitive status were evaluated using univariate regression models. Results: Screening visual tests did not reveal any differences between PD and control group. With the 3D active shutter system, PD patients demonstrated significantly worse stereopsis (i.e p=0.002, 26 seconds of arc). There was a trend that UPDRS-III and LEDD negatively correlate with the stereo acuity, suggesting poorer stereoperception is related to disease severity. Preserved cognitive function correlated with more intact stereo acuity. Conclusion: With more reliable and physiological tools, PD patients exhibit poorer stereopsis. These deficits reflected PD motor and cognitive status. How stereopsis relates to gait, fall risks and navigation warrants more investigations in the future.
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