CRISPR/Cas-mediated editing of cis-regulatory elements for crop improvement.

To improve future agricultural production, major technological advances are required to increase crop production and yield. Targeting the coding region of genes via the Clustered Regularly Interspaced Short Palindromic Repeats/CRISPR-associated Protein (CRISPR/Cas) system has been well established and has enabled the rapid generation of transgene-free plants, which can lead to crop improvement. The emergence of the CRISPR/Cas system has also enabled scientists to achieve cis-regulatory element (CRE) editing and, consequently, engineering endogenous critical CREs to modulate the expression of target genes. Recent genome-wide association studies have identified the domestication of natural CRE variants to regulate complex agronomic quantitative traits and have allowed for their engineering via the CRISPR/Cas system. Although engineering plant CREs can be advantageous to drive gene expression, there are still many limitations to its practical application. Here, we review the current progress in CRE editing and propose future strategies to effectively target CREs for transcriptional regulation for crop improvement.

Predictors of inadequate bowel preparation for inpatient colonoscopy.

BACKGROUND/AIMS: Adequate colonic cleansing is essential for achieving effective and safe colonoscopy. Inpatient status is one of several factors associated with poor bowel preparation leading to incomplete colonoscopy procedures, which in turn may cause increased patient morbidity, missed pathology, prolonged hospital stay, and increased cost. The aim of this study was to identify predictors of inadequate bowel preparation for inpatient colonoscopy. MATERIALS AND METHODS: Medical records of inpatients who underwent colonoscopy at a university hospital between January 2015 and June 2016 were reviewed. Logistic regression analysis was used to identify predictors of "inadequate" bowel preparation. Odds ratios (OR) with 95% confidence intervals (CI) were reported. RESULTS: We included 130 patients in the analysis with a mean age of 58.2 (17.3) years. Fifty-seven percent of the patients underwent the procedure before noon, and the remaining between noon and 4 pm. The most common indications for inpatient colonoscopies were gastrointestinal bleeding and screening for colorectal cancer, and the majority of patients received meperidine for sedation (38.5%). The overall bowel preparation success rate was 57%, and the success rate was higher in the morning procedures compared to the afternoon procedures (71% vs. 46%, p=0.004). Regression analysis identified procedure time as a significant predictor of bowel preparation success such that procedures performed in the afternoon had lower chances of success (OR=0.32, 95% CI=0.14-0.74, p=0.007). Aspirin use was also a positive predictor for bowel preparation success (OR=3.1, 95% CI=1.03-9.24, p=0.044). CONCLUSION: Incomplete colonoscopies for inpatients due to inadequate bowel preparation are very common. Procedures performed in the afternoon are less likely to be successful.