The DUF579 proteins GhIRX15s regulate cotton fiber development by interacting with proteins involved in xylan synthesis

Cotton provides the most abundant natural fiber for the textile industry.The mature cotton fiber largely consists of secondary cell walls with the highest proportion of cellulose and a small amount of hemicellulose and lignin.To dissect the roles of hemicellulosic polysaccharides during fiber development,four IRREGULAR XYLEM 15(IRX15)genes,GhIRX15-1/-2/-3/-4,were functionally characterized in cotton.These genes encode DUF579 domain-containing proteins,which are homologs of AtIRX15 involved in xylan biosynthesis.The four GhIRX15 genes were predominantly expressed during fiber secondary wall thickening,and the encoded proteins were localized to the Golgi apparatus.Each GhIRX15 gene could restore the xylan deficient phenotype in the Arabidopsis irx15irx15l double mutant.Silencing of GhIRX15s in cotton resulted in shorter mature fibers with a thinner cell wall and reduced cellulose content as compared to the wild type.Intriguingly,GhIRX15-2 and GhIRX15-4 formed homodimers and heterodimers.In addition,the GhIRX15s showed physical interaction with glycosyltransferases GhGT43C,GhGT47A and GhGT47B,which are responsible for synthesis of the xylan backbone and reducing end sequence.Moreover,the GhIRX15s can form heterocomplexes with enzymes involved in xylan modification and side chain synthesis,such as GhGUX1/2,GhGXM1/2 and GhTBL1.These findings suggest that GhIRX15s participate in fiber xylan biosynthesis and modulate fiber development via forming large multiprotein complexes.

A phylogenetic approach identifies patterns of beta diversity and floristic subregions of the Qinghai-Tibet Plateau

Patterns of taxonomic and phylogenetic beta diversity and their relationships with environmental correlates can help reveal the origin and evolutionary history of regional biota.The Qinghai-Tibet Plateau(QTP)harbors an exceptionally diverse flora,however,a phylogenetic perspective has rarely been used to investigate its beta diversity and floristic regions.In this study,we used a phylogenetic approach to identify patterns of beta diversity and quantitatively delimit floristic regions on the Qinghai-Tibet Plateau.We also examined the relationships between multifaceted beta diversity,geographical distance,and climatic difference,and evaluated the relative importance of various factors(i.e.,climate,topography and history)in shaping patterns of beta diversity.Sørensen dissimilarity indices indicated that patterns of species turnover among sites dominated the QTP.We also found that patterns of both taxonomic and phylogenetic beta diversity were significantly related to geographical distance and climatic difference.The environmental factors that contributed most to these patterns of beta diversity include annual precipitation,mean annual temperature,climatic gradients and climatic instability.Hierarchical dendrograms of dissimilarity and non-metric multidimensional scaling ordination based on phylogenetic beta diversity data identified ten floristic subregions in the QTP.Our results suggest that the contemporary environment and historical climate changes have filtered species composition among sites and eventually determined beta diversity patterns of plants in the QTP.

Identific tion of quantitative trait loci and associated candidate genes for pregnancy success in Angus–Brahman crossbred heifers

Background In beef cattle, more than 50% of the energy input to produce a unit of beef is consumed by the female that produced the calf. Development of genomic tools to identify females with high genetic merit for reproductive function could increase the profitability and sustainability of beef production.Results Genome-wide association studies(GWAS) were performed using a single-step genomic best linear unbiased prediction approach on pregnancy outcome traits from a population of Angus–Brahman crossbred heifers. Furthermore, a validation GWAS was performed using data from another farm. Heifers were genotyped with the Bovine GGP F250 array that contains 221,077 SNPs. In the discovery population, heifers were bred in winter breeding seasons involving a single round of timed artificial insemination(AI) followed by natural mating for 3 months. Two phenotypes were analyzed: pregnancy outcome to first-service AI(PAI;n = 1,481) and pregnancy status at the end of the breeding season(PEBS;n = 1,725). The heritability was estimated as 0.149 and 0.122 for PAI and PEBS, respectively. In the PAI model, one quantitative trait locus(QTL), located between 52.3 and 52.5 Mb on BTA7, explained about 3% of the genetic variation, in a region containing a cluster of γ-protocadherin genes and SLC25A2. Other QTLs explaining between 0.5% and 1% of the genetic variation were found on BTA12 and 25. In the PEBS model, a large QTL on BTA7 was synonymous with the QTL for PAI, with minor QTLs located on BTA5, 9, 10, 11, 19, and 20. The validation population for pregnancy status at the end of the breeding season were Angus–Brahman crossbred heifers bred by natural mating. In concordance with the discovery population, the large QTL on BTA7 and QTLs on BTA10 and 12 were identified.Conclusions In summary, QTLs and candidate SNPs identified were associated with pregnancy outcomes in beef heifers, including a large QTL associated with a group of protocadherin genes. Confirmation of these associations with larger populations could lead to the development of genomic predictions of reproductive function in beef cattle. Moreover, additional research is warranted to study the function of candidate genes associated with QTLs.

Comparison of methods for deriving phenotypes from incomplete observation data with an application to age at puberty in dairy cattle

Background Many phenotypes in animal breeding are derived from incomplete measures,especially if they are challenging or expensive to measure precisely.Examples include time-dependent traits such as reproductive status,or lifespan.Incomplete measures for these traits result in phenotypes that are subject to left-,interval-and rightcensoring,where phenotypes are only known to fall below an upper bound,between a lower and upper bound,or above a lower bound respectively.Here we compare three methods for deriving phenotypes from incomplete data using age at first elevation(>1 ng/mL)in blood plasma progesterone(AGEP4),which generally coincides with onset of puberty,as an example trait.Methods We produced AGEP4 phenotypes from three blood samples collected at about 30-day intervals from approximately 5,000 Holstein–Friesian or Holstein–Friesian×Jersey cross-bred dairy heifers managed in 54 seasonal-calving,pasture-based herds in New Zealand.We used these actual data to simulate 7 different visit scenarios,increasing the extent of censoring by disregarding data from one or two of the three visits.Three methods for deriving phenotypes from these data were explored:1)ordinal categorical variables which were analysed using categorical threshold analysis;2)continuous variables,with a penalty of 31 d assigned to right-censored phenotypes;and 3)continuous variables,sampled from within a lower and upper bound using a data augmentation approach.Results Credibility intervals for heritability estimations overlapped across all methods and visit scenarios,but estimated heritabilities tended to be higher when left censoring was reduced.For sires with at least 5 daughters,the correlations between estimated breeding values(EBVs)from our three-visit scenario and each reduced data scenario varied by method,ranging from 0.65 to 0.95.The estimated breed effects also varied by method,but breed differences were smaller as phenotype censoring increased.Conclusion Our results indicate that using some methods,phenotypes derived from one observation per offspring for a time-dependent trait such as AGEP4 may provide comparable sire rankings to three observations per offspring.This has implications for the design of large-scale phenotyping initiatives where animal breeders aim to estimate variance parameters and estimated breeding values(EBVs)for phenotypes that are challenging to measure or prohibitively expensive.

Neurological heterotopic ossification:novel mechanisms,prognostic biomarkers and prophylactic therapies

Neurological heterotopic ossification(NHO)is a debilitating condition where bone forms in soft tissue,such as muscle surrounding the hip and knee,following an injury to the brain or spinal cord.This abnormal formation of bone can result in nerve impingement,pain,contractures and impaired movement.Patients are often diagnosed with NHO after the bone tissue has completely mineralised,leaving invasive surgical resection the only remaining treatment option.Surgical resection of NHO creates potential for added complications,particularly in patients with concomitant injury to the central nervous system(CNS).Although recent work has begun to shed light on the physiological mechanisms involved in NHO,there remains a significant knowledge gap related to the prognostic biomarkers and prophylactic treatments which are necessary to prevent NHO and optimise patient outcomes.This article reviews the current understanding pertaining to NHO epidemiology,pathobiology,biomarkers and treatment options.In particular,we focus on how concomitant CNS injury may drive ectopic bone formation and discuss considerations for treating polytrauma patients with NHO.We conclude that understanding of the pathogenesis of NHO is rapidly advancing,and as such,there is the strong potential for future research to unearth methods capable of identifying patients likely to develop NHO,and targeted treatments to prevent its manifestation.

Effect of Crossbreed on the Muscle Quality(Chemical Composition) in Yun-Ling Black Goats

Twenty castrated male goats, each of Yun-Ling Black goats （YLB goat）, N × YLB hybrid goats （Nubian ♂ ×Yun-Ling Black goats 9） and B × YLB hybrid goats （Boer ♂× Yun-Ling Black goats ♀）, were used to evaluate the effect of crossbreeding on the meat chemical composition in the YLB goats of China. After weaning of 90 days, all the experimental goats were reared on natural pasture when they were slaughtered at an age of 730 days. The longissimus dorsi （LD） and biceps femoris （BF） muscles were sampled from each carcass to determine chemical compositions. Both hybrid goats had higher protein content （P 〈 0.01） and lower fat content （P 〈 0.05） than the YLB goats in the two types of muscle. The inosinic acid contents of LD muscle for the YLB goats and the B × YLB hybrid goats were significantly higher （P 〈 0.05） than that for the N × YLB hybrid goats. The LD muscle from the YLB goats contained higher essential amino acid （P 〈 0.01）, total amino acid （P 〈 0.01）, and some individual amino acid （P 〈 0.05） than those from the hybrid goats. The concentration of unsaturated fatty acid （USFA） of LD muscle from the N × YLB hybrid goats was significantly higher than the other two goat breeds （P〈0.05） but did not differ between the other two goat breeds （P〉0.05）. The YLB goats had significantly higher （P〈0.05） concentrations of oleic acid （C18：1） and linolenic acid （C18：3） of LD muscle than the hybrid goats, had significantly higher （P 〈 0.05） proportion of mono-unsaturated （Sum for C 16：1 and C 18：1） than the B ×YLB hybrid goats, and tended to be higher than the N × YLB hybrid goats （P 〉 0.05）. In contrast, the proportion of poly-unsaturated in the YLB goats was significantly lower （P 〈 0.05） than that in the hybrid goats.

Inoculation with Phosphate-Solubilizing Fungi Diversifies the Bacterial Community in Rhizospheres of Maize and Soybean

Application of phosphate-solubilizing microorganisms (PSMs) has been reported to increase P uptake and plant growth. However, no information is available regarding the ecological consequences of the inoculation with PSMs. The effect of inoculation with phosphate-solubilizing fungal (PSF) isolates Aspergillus niger P39 and Penicillium oxalicum P66 on the bacterial communities in the rhizospheres of maize (Zea mays L. 'Haiyu 6') and soybean (Glycine max Merr. 'Heinong 35') was examined using culture-dependent methods as well as a culture-independent method, polymerase chain reaction-denaturing gradient gel electrophoresis (PCR-DGGE). Compared with the control, the number of culturable microbes for soybean was significantly greater with P39, whereas for maize, the same was significantly greater with P66. In addition, a greater number of microbes were found in the rhizosphere of maize compared with soybean. The fingerprint of DGGE for 16S rDNA indicated that inoculation with PSF also increased bacterial communities, with the P66 treatment having higher numbers of DGGE bands and a higher Shannon-Weaver diversity index compared with P39; the composition of the microbial community was also more complex with the P66 treatment. Overall, complex interactions between plant species and exotic PSMs affected the structure of the bacterial community in the rhizosphere, but plant species were more important in determining the bacterial community structure than the introduction of exotic microorganisms.

AMPK Subcellular Localisation in <i>Dictyostelium discoideum</i>

The Dictyostelium discoideum AMP-activated protein kinase (AMPK) snfA subcellular localization was studied in AX2 and stable HPF strains by use of AMPK antipeptide antibody and goat anti-rabbit Alexa-Flour 488-conjugated IgG antibody. The AMPK exhibited cytosolic localization patterns and uniform focalised concentrations in wild type and the strains alike. Constitutive activation and attenuation of the α subunit expression did not affect subcellular distribution of AMPK. However, snfA expression was more intense in strains in which AMPK was constitutively active compared with the AX2 but lesser in attenuation strains. The localisation of the snfA reinforced the putative standing that it had a plethora of cytoplasmic functions. Moreover, the oxidative cellular function would require a ubiquitous system and might coordinately regulate responses to metabolic requirements. Furthermore, the developmental phases of the life cycle would support the cytosolic localization;and since organelles were potentially reorganized or removed entirely during the transition from vegetative living to fruiting body morphology. This study provided insight into the subcellular distribution of AMPK in Dictyostelium discoideum. We demonstrated that AMPK localization was steady in AX2 and derived strains whether constitutively active or anti-sense inhibited depicting extreme genetic states.

Development of a loop‑mediated isothermal amplification assay for detection of Austropeplea tomentosa from environmental water samples

Lymnaeid snails are key intermediate hosts for the development and survival of Fasciola spp.,the causative agent of Fascioliasis which are economically important parasites infecting humans and livestock globally.The current control method for treating Fascioliasis is heavily reliant on anthelmintic drugs,particularly Triclabendazole(TCBZ)which has resulted in drug-resistant parasites and poses significant risk as there are no long-term efficacious alternatives available.Sustainable control measures at the farm level could include both parasite and snail control will play an important role in Fasciola spp.control and reduce the reliance on anthelmintic drugs.Implementation of such sustainable control measures requires effective identification of snails on the property however Lymnaeid snails are small and difficult to physically locate.Snail identification using an environmental DNA approach is a recent approach in which physically locating snails are not required.Austropeplea tomentosa,is the primary intermediate snail host for F.hepatica transmission in South-East Australia and we present an in-field loop-mediated isothermal amplification and water filtering method for the detection of A.tomentosa eDNA from water samples to improve current surveillance methods.This methodology is highly sensitive with a detection limit of 5×10^(−6)ng/μL,detected in<20 minutes,with cumulative sample preparation and amplification time under 1 hour.This proposed workflow could assist in monitoring areas to determine the risk of Fascioliasis infection and implement strategies to manage snail populations to ultimately reduce the risk of infection for humans and livestock.

Knowledge and Perceptions of Hospital Care Staff towards Medical Internet of Things and the Role of Awareness Videos: A Quasi Experimental Study

Introduction: The healthcare industry continues to adopt and integrate smart technology into its operations. However, the adoption of the eHealth solutions has not been smooth in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia (KSA) due to negative beliefs about the technology, lack of awareness and motivation and resistance to change. Thus, this study was developed to investigate the knowledge and perceptions of hospital care staff towards the Medical Internet of Things and to explore the role of awareness videos in changing negative perceptions. Methods: One group pre-test post-test quasi-experimental study design was incorporated, and 116 participants from Ministry of Health hospitals in Riyadh, KSA, were included. A series of four videos were developed to observe their influence on the knowledge and perceptions of mIoT. Results: The findings showed that participants had more knowledge about the individual components of mIoT (particularly wearable devices) compared to the processes or functions of mIoT. Similarly, just over half (56.0%) of the individuals think that the current systems in the hospital are enough to deliver mIoT. However, 90% think mIoT is the future of digital health. Similarly, PE, SI, BI, EE and CESE were considered facilitators and PTA and CC were considered grave barriers to mIoT adoption. The awareness videos positively influenced knowledge and perceptions of PE, EE, CESE and SI. Conclusion: The study concludes that hospital staff in Riyadh (excluding doctors) possess basic mIoT knowledge, consider various adoption factors as enablers, and awareness video can play a critical role in effectively introducing the technology to the hospital care staff.

我国公立医院医生薪酬制度研究

以公立医院医生薪酬制度的概念框架为基础,分析了目前国内公立医院医生薪酬制度的现状、存在的问题及其导致的行为结果;进一步分析了医生薪酬制度与其他卫生政策之间相互依赖、相互影响的关系;同时借鉴公立医院医生薪酬制度及激励机制的国际经验,对国内医院薪酬制度设计提出了政策建议。

中澳两国高校计算机专业本科生课程设置的比较研究

比较澳大利亚的拉筹伯大学和中国的南通大学在计算机专业本科生课程设置方面的异同,发现澳方具有中方值得借鉴的优势:重视实验和实践这一教学环节;选修课学分在总学分中所占比例明显偏高;学习条件比较好;软件工程项目、程序设计项目注重理论联系实际;重视职业道德教育,反对抄袭行为;重视每门课程的教学质量;课程设置量少、实用、信息量大。

中澳两高校计算机房建设与管理的比较研究

澳大利亚维多利亚州的拉筹伯大学和中国江苏省的南通大学在计算机房建设与管理方面存有很多相同点和不同点,通过对其中的差异性进行研究,可以发现发达国家在计算机房建设与管理方面有很多东西值得国内高校借鉴。

IGF1-PI3K-induced physiological cardiac hypertrophy:Implications for new heart failure therapies,biomarkers,and predicting cardiotoxicity

Heart failure represents the end point of a variety of cardiovascular diseases.It is a growing health burden and a leading cause of death worldwide.To date,limited treatment options exist for the treatment of heart failure,but exercise has been well-established as one of the few safe and effective interventions,leading to improved outcomes in patients.However,a lack of patient adherence remains a significant barrier in the implementation of exercise-based therapy for the treatment of heart failure.The insulin-like growth factor 1(IGF1)phosphoinositide 3-kinase(PI3K)pathway has been recognized as perhaps the most critical pathway for mediating exercisedinduced heart growth and protection.Here,we discuss how modulating activity of the IGF1PI3K pathway may be a valuable approach for the development of therapies that mimic the protective effects of exercise on the heart.We outline some of the promising approaches being investigated that utilize PI3K-based therapy for the treatment of heart failure.We discuss the implications for cardiac pathology and cardiotoxicity that arise in a setting of reduced PI3K activity.Finally,we discuss the use of animal models of cardiac health and disease,and genetic mice with increased or decreased cardiac PI3K activity for the discovery of novel drug targets and biomarkers of cardiovascular disease.

Cirrhotic portal hypertension: From pathophysiology to novel therapeutics

Portal hypertension and bleeding from gastroesophageal varices is the major cause of morbidity and mortality in patients with cirrhosis. Portal hypertension is initiated by increased intrahepatic vascular resistance and a hyperdynamic circulatory state. The latter is characterized by a high cardiac output, increased total blood volume and splanchnic vasodilatation, resulting in increased mesenteric blood flow. Pharmacological manipulation of cirrhotic portal hypertension targets both the splanchnic and hepatic vascular beds. Drugs such as angiotensin converting enzyme inhibitors and angiotensin Ⅱ type receptor 1 blockers, which target the components of the classical renin angiotensin system(RAS), are expected to reduce intrahepatic vascular tone by reducing extracellular matrix deposition and vasoactivity of contractile cells and thereby improve portal hypertension. However, these drugs have been shown to produce significant offtarget effects such as systemic hypotension and renal failure. Therefore, the current pharmacological mainstay in clinical practice to prevent variceal bleeding and improving patient survival by reducing portal pressure is non-selective-blockers(NSBBs). These NSBBs work by reducing cardiac output and splanchnic vasodilatation but most patients do not achieve an optimal therapeutic response and a significant proportion of patients are unable to tolerate these drugs.Although statins, used alone or in combination with NSBBs, have been shown to improve portal pressure and overall mortality in cirrhotic patients, further randomized clinical trials are warranted involving larger patient populations with clear clinical end points. On the other hand, recent findings from studies that have investigated the potential use of the blockers of the components of the alternate RAS provided compelling evidence that could lead to the development of drugs targeting the splanchnic vascular bed to inhibit splanchnic vasodilatation in portal hypertension. This review outlines the mechanisms related to the pathogenesis of portal hypertension and attempts to provide an update on currently available therapeutic approaches in the management of portal hypertension with special emphasis on how the alternate RAS could be manipulated in our search for development of safe, specific and effective novel therapies to treat portal hypertension in cirrhosis.

A Review of Technical Advances,Barriers,and Solutions in the Power to Hydrogen(P2H)Roadmap

Power to hydrogen(P2H)provides a promising solution to the geographic mismatch between sources of renewable energy and the market,due to its technological maturity,flexibility,and the availability of technical and economic data from a range of active demonstration projects.In this review,we aim to provide an overview of the status of P2H,analyze its technical barriers and solutions,and propose potential opportunities for future research and industrial demonstrations.We specifically focus on the transport of hydrogen via natural gas pipeline networks and end-user purification.Strong evidence shows that an addition of about 10%hydrogen into natural gas pipelines has negligible effects on the pipelines and utilization appliances,and may therefore extend the asset value of the pipelines after natural gas is depleted.To obtain pure hydrogen from hydrogen-enriched natural gas(HENG)mixtures,end-user separation is inevitable,and can be achieved through membranes,adsorption,and other promising separation technologies.However,novel materials with high selectivity and capacity will be the key to the development of industrial processes,and an integrated membrane-adsorption process may be considered in order to produce high-purity hydrogen from HENG.It is also worth investigating the feasibility of electrochemical separation(hydrogen pumping)at a large scale and its energy analysis.Cryogenics may only be feasible when liquefied natural gas(LNG)is one of the major products.A range of other technological and operational barriers and opportunities,such as water availability,byproduct(oxygen)utilization,and environmental impacts,are also discussed.This review will advance readers’understanding of P2H and foster the development of the hydrogen economy.

Salt Dynamics in Rhizosphere of Puccinellia ciliata Bor. in a Loamy Soil

A glasshouse experiment using a rhizobox technique was conducted to examine salt dynamics in the rhizosphere of a salt-tolerant grass, Puccinellia ciliata Bor. ’Irwin Hunter’, grown in a loamy soil, and to study the effect of rainfall flush on salt accumulation in the rhizosphere. The rhizobox (10 × 5.5 × 50 cm) had a nylon mesh (1 μm) positioned vertically in the middle to create two compartments filled with soil amended with 1 g NaCl kg-1. The plants were grown in one compartment only. Flushed treatments received 275 mL of deionized water two days before harvest. In the plant-growing compartment, soils were sectioned vertically at 5 cm intervals. Significant differences in soil electrical conductivity (EC) (P < 0.05) and pH (P < 0.05) were observed for depths, but not between flushed and non-flushed treatments. In the no-plant compartment (rhizosphere), soil cores were taken horizontally at depths of 5, 20 and 40 cm and sliced at 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 7, 10, 15 and 20 mm away from the roots. Soil EC and Cl- concentration at the 5 and 20 cm depths, and Na+ concentration at the 5 cm depth significantly decreased (P < 0.05) with the distance away from the root, but no significant differences were observed in soil pH and concentrations of the K+ and Ca2+. The flush treatment only had significant influence on soil EC, pH, and Cl- concentration at the 20 cm depth. Thus, salt accumulation could occur in the rhizosphere of salt-tolerant species on saline soils, and the periodic low rainfall might not have a strong influence on salt distribution in the rhizosphere and/or root zone.

为残障用户利用网络资源和服务的匿名都柏林元数据应用纲要(英文)

网络资源用户中具在残障的群体,他们或者在认知方面存在障碍(如失聪、听力障碍、失明、视力障碍等)或由于衰老而引起残障,而这些身体上或认知上的障碍意味着他们在浏览使用网络信息的时候需要有适合他们需要的特殊元数据和界面。尽管每个人的残障情况各有不同,但是每一种情况都会有一些共同点。通过建立元数据应用纲要来对这共同点进行描述,使信息系统能够根据元数据纲要描述的不同来调节网络信息的显示和功能,同时又保证残障用户的隐私权,是本文的主要内容。本文作者为都柏林元数据提出了一个新的元素:DC:Adaptability,用这个元素来描述具有残障的个人(匿名)元数据纲要,并且为该元素提出了一套规范词,包括显示、控制、内容三个大类共22个规范用词,这些规范词照顾到了用户的个人隐私权,不对残障种类和个人需要或偏好作任何暗示。作者还解释了该纲要不仅可以用来为残障用户提供个人化的信息显示和操作,而且也可以用来为一般用户提供个人化的系统显示。

Potential contributions of the methodology to the variability of glycaemic index of foods

Glycaemic index(GI)testing provides a useful point of comparison between carbohydrate sources.For this comparison to be meaningful,the methods used to determine GI values need to be rigorous and consistent between testing events.This requirement has led to increasing standardization of the GI methodology,with an international standard developed in joint consultation with FAO/WHO(ISO 26642:2010)currently the most up to date document.The purpose of this review is to compare the international standard to methods of published studies claiming to have performed a GI test.This analysis revealed that the international standard permits a wide range of choices for researchers when designing a GI testing plan,rather than a single standardized protocol.It has also been revealed that the literature contains significant variation,both between studies and from the international standard for critical aspects of GI testing methodology.The primary areas of variation include;what glucose specification is used,which reference food is used,how much reference food is given,what drink is given during testing,the blood sampling site chosen and what assay and equipment is used to measure blood glucose concentration.For each of these aspects we have explored some of the methodological and physiological implications of these variations.These insights suggest that whilst the international standard has assisted with framing the general parameters of GI testing,further standardization to testing procedures is still required to ensure the continued relevance of the GI to clinical nutrition.