[Ophthalmic findings caused by Encephalitozoon cuniculi (strain III) in a dog]. / Ophthalmologische Befunde durch Enzephalitozoon cuniculi (Stamm III) bei einem Hund.

A 2-year-old female mixed-breed canine patient from Namibia presented originally with chronic uveitis. A serum antibody titer and a PCR test performed on the aqueous humor were positive for encephalitozoon cuniculi. The left eye showed an immature anterior focal cortical cataract in the periphery with suspected lens capsule rupture and signs of chronic uveitis. An incipient anterior focal cortical cataract was also perceivable in the patient's right eye. Despite local treatment as well as systemic administration of carprofen, prednisolone, and fenbendazol recurrent uveitis occurred. The patient then underwent bilateral extracapsular lensextraction via phacoemulsification. A PCR test of the lens material was positive for encephalitozoon cuniculi strain III. Recurring uveitis and secondary glaucoma 10 months post-op resulted in permanent blindness of the left eye. The patient then continued to receive local anti-inflammatory treatment. The last recheck examination of both eyes, 31 month post-op, revealed no signs of uveitis. This is the first case reported of a cataract in a canine patient caused by encephalitozoon cuniculi strain III.

Effect of Flywheel versus Traditional Resistance Training on Change of Direction Performance in Male Athletes: A Systematic Review with Meta-Analysis.

Objective: This study aimed to systematically review and meta-analyze the effect of flywheel resistance training (FRT) versus traditional resistance training (TRT) on change of direction (CoD) performance in male athletes. Methods: Five databases were screened up to December 2021. Results: Seven studies were included. The results indicated a significantly larger effect of FRT compared with TRT (standardized mean difference [SMD] = 0.64). A within-group comparison indicated a significant large effect of FRT on CoD performance (SMD = 1.63). For TRT, a significant moderate effect was observed (SMD = 0.62). FRT of ≤2 sessions/week resulted in a significant large effect (SMD = 1.33), whereas no significant effect was noted for >2 sessions/week. Additionally, a significant large effect of ≤12 FRT sessions (SMD = 1.83) was observed, with no effect of >12 sessions. Regarding TRT, no significant effects of any of the training factors were detected (p > 0.05). Conclusions: FRT appears to be more effective than TRT in improving CoD performance in male athletes. Independently computed single training factor analyses for FRT indicated that ≤2 sessions/week resulted in a larger effect on CoD performance than >2 sessions/week. Additionally, a total of ≤12 FRT sessions induced a larger effect than >12 training sessions. Practitioners in sports, in which accelerative and decelerative actions occur in quick succession to change direction, should regularly implement FRT.

Dielectric Properties and Ion Transport in Layered MoS2 Grown by Vapor-Phase Sulfurization for Potential Applications in Nanoelectronics.

Electronic and dielectric properties of vapor-phase grown MoS2 have been investigated in metal/MoS2/silicon capacitor structures by capacitance-voltage and conductance-voltage techniques. Analytical methods confirm the MoS2 layered structure, the presence of interfacial silicon oxide (SiO x ) and the composition of the films. Electrical characteristics in combination with theoretical considerations quantify the concentration of electron states at the interface between Si and a 2.5-3 nm thick silicon oxide interlayer between Si and MoS2. Measurements under electric field stress indicate the existence of mobile ions in MoS2 that interact with interface states. On the basis of time-of-flight secondary ion mass spectrometry, we propose OH- ions as probable candidates responsible for the observations. The dielectric constant of the vapor-phase grown MoS2 extracted from CV measurements at 100 kHz is 2.6 to 2.9. The present study advances the understanding of defects and interface states in MoS2. It also indicates opportunities for ion-based plasticity in 2D material devices for neuromorphic computing applications.

Residual γH2AX foci predict local tumour control after radiotherapy.

PURPOSE: Evaluation of micromilieu-dependent quantified γH2AX foci as a potential predictive biomarker in well-oxygenated tumour areas in 9 HNSCC xenograft models in vivo. MATERIALS & METHODS: GammaH2AX foci were quantified in perfused tumour areas 30 min (initial γH2AX foci) and 24 h (residual γH2AX foci) after exposure to a single dose of 4 Gy. The initial and residual normalised γH2AX foci were correlated with TCD50 after single dose irradiation under clamped blood flow (SDclamp) or a fractionated irradiation setting under ambient blood flow (fx). RESULTS: A significant negative correlation between initial and residual normalised γH2AX foci and TCD50 SDclamp and TCD50 fx for 9 HNSCC tumour xenograft models in vivo was found. Residual normalised γH2AX foci showed higher intertumoural variability and their correlation with TCD50 was more robust. CONCLUSIONS: For the first time a significant negative correlation between γH2AX foci and local tumour control after irradiation has been demonstrated. Our results underline the potential of residual γH2AX foci as a predictive biomarker for local tumour control after radiotherapy.

Cancer stem cells: targets and potential biomarkers for radiotherapy.

Cancer stem cells (CSC) have the unique ability to cause tumor recurrences if they survive treatment. Radiotherapy has curative potential because it has been functionally shown to sufficiently inactivate CSCs. It is well known that CSCs mediate the radiation resistance of tumors by tumor-specific factors, such as the pretreatment number of CSCs and repopulation or reoxygenation during fractionated radiotherapy. CSCs appear to have a higher intrinsic radioresistance than non-CSCs, a factor that is especially important for the development of predictive biomarkers that, if this finding holds true, can only be successfully established if they are stem-cell specific. Recent clinical data imply that stem-cell-related surface markers may be directly used as predictors for the radiocurability of tumors with comparable risk factors, such as histology and size. Future studies need to address the question of which additional markers need to be considered if more heterogeneous patient collectives are investigated. With the goal of developing a direct targeting approach, investigators are currently evaluating several drugs that are intended to target CSCs by inhibiting stem-cell-related signal transduction pathways. We need to preclinically test such drugs as combined-modality therapies in combination with radiotherapy to evaluate their curative potential, and optimize them by increasing their specificity to CSCs over normal tissue stem cells to avoid increased radiation toxicity.

Single dietary amino acids control resting egg production and affect population growth of a key freshwater herbivore.

The enormous success of the genus Daphnia in freshwater ecosystems is at least partially due to their cyclical parthenogenetic life cycle, in which asexual and sexual reproduction alternate periodically. This temporal change between reproductive strategies allows for (1) rapid population growth via subitaneously developing eggs when environmental conditions are appropriate and (2) the maintenance of genetic diversity via sexual reproduction and the production of resting eggs when environmental conditions deteriorate. We show here that dietary amino acids are involved in triggering the switch between reproductive modes in Daphnia pulex. Supplementation experiments demonstrate that specific dietary amino acids, in particular arginine and histidine, avert crowding-induced resting egg production, enhance subitaneous reproduction by increasing algal food quality and, as a combined effect of both processes, increase population growth rates. These findings suggest that the availability of single dietary amino acids potentially affects the seasonal dynamics and long-term persistence of Daphnia populations in the field, which may have consequences for the efficiency of carbon transfer and thus the trophic structure of freshwater food webs.

PINCH1 regulates Akt1 activation and enhances radioresistance by inhibiting PP1alpha.

Tumor cell resistance to ionizing radiation and chemotherapy is a major obstacle in cancer therapy. One factor contributing to this is integrin-mediated adhesion to ECM. The adapter protein particularly interesting new cysteine-histidine-rich 1 (PINCH1) is recruited to integrin adhesion sites and promotes cell survival, but the mechanisms underlying this effect are not well understood. Here we have shown that PINCH1 is expressed at elevated levels in human tumors of diverse origins relative to normal tissue. Furthermore, PINCH1 promoted cell survival upon treatment with ionizing radiation in vitro and in vivo by perpetuating Akt1 phosphorylation and activity. Mechanistically, PINCH1 was found to directly bind to protein phosphatase 1alpha (PP1alpha) - an Akt1-regulating protein - and inhibit PP1alpha activity, resulting in increased Akt1 phosphorylation and enhanced radioresistance. Thus, our data suggest that targeting signaling molecules such as PINCH1 that function downstream of focal adhesions (the complexes that mediate tumor cell adhesion to ECM) may overcome radio- and chemoresistance, providing new therapeutic approaches for cancer.

Cancer stem cells at the crossroads of current cancer therapy failures--radiation oncology perspective.

Despite continuous improvements in cancer management, locoregional recurrence or metastatic spread still occurs in a high proportion of patients after radiotherapy or combined treatments. One underlying reason might be a low efficacy of current treatments on eradication of cancer stem cells (CSCs). It has been recognised for a long time, that only the small subpopulation of CSCs can cause recurrences and that all CSCs need to be killed for permanent tumour cure. However, only recently novel technologies have allowed to enrich CSCs and to investigate their biology. An emerging experimental and clinical database provides first hints that cell populations accumulated by putative stem cell markers or tumours that highly express such markers may be more radioresistant than their marker-negative counterparts. Other data support a higher tolerance of CSCs to hypoxia and preferential location in specific microenvironmental niches. However, conflicting data, methodological problems of the assays and a generally small database on only few tumour types necessitate further large and well-designed prospective experimental and clinical investigations that specifically address this question to corroborate this hypothesis. If such investigations confirm biological differences between CSCs and non-CSCs, this would imply that novel treatment strategies need to be tested specifically for their effect on CSCs. Another implication is that also biomarkers for prediction of local tumour control after radiotherapy or combined treatments need to reflect the behaviour of CSCs and not of the bulk of all cancer cells. This review discusses the importance of CSCs for treatment failure and challenges occurring from the CSC concept for cancer diagnosis, treatment and prediction of outcome. It is concluded that CSC-based endpoints and biomarkers are eventually expected to considerably improve tumour cure rates in the clinics through individualised tailoring of treatment.

Midterm follow-up of vertebral geometry and remodeling of the vertebral bidisk unit (VDU) after percutaneous vertebroplasty of osteoporotic vertebral fractures.

The purpose of this study was to investigate geometrical stability and preservation of height gain of vertebral bodies after percutaneous vertebroplasty during 2 years' follow-up and to elucidate the geometric remodeling process of the vertebral bidisk unit (VDU) of the affected segment. Patients with osteoporotic vertebral compression fractures with pain resistant to analgetic drugs were treated with polymethylmethacrylate vertebroplasty. Mean +/- standard error cement volume was 5.1 +/- 2.0 ml. Vertebral geometry was documented by sagittal and coronal reformations from multidetector computed tomography data sets: anterior, posterior, and lateral vertebral heights, end plate angles, and compression index (CI = anterior/posterior height). Additionally, the VDU (vertebral bodies plus both adjacent disk spaces) was calculated from the multidetector computed tomography data sets: anterior, posterior, and both lateral aspects. Patients were assigned to two groups: moderate compression with CI of >0.75 (group 1) and severe compression with CI of <0.75 (group 2). A total of 83 vertebral bodies of 30 patients (7 men, 23 women, age 70.7 +/- 9.7 years, range 40-82 years) were treated with vertebroplasty and prospectively followed for 24 months. In the moderate compression group (group 1), the vertebral heights were stabilized over time at the preinterventional levels. Compared with group 1, group 2 showed a greater anterior height gain (+2.8 +/- 2.2 mm vs. +0.8 +/- 2.0 mm, P < 0.001), better reduction of end plate angle (-4.9 +/- 4.8 degrees vs. -1.0 +/- 2.7 degrees , P < 0.01), and improved CI (+0.12 +/- 0.13 vs. +0.02 +/- 0.07, P < 0.01) and demonstrated preserved anterior height gain at 2 years (+1.2 +/- 3.2 mm, P < 0.01) as well as improved end plate angles (-5.2 +/- 5.0 degrees , P < 0.01) and compression indices (+0.11 +/- 0.15, P < 0.01). Thus, posterior height loss of vertebrae and adjacent intervertebral disk spaces contributed to a remodeling of the VDU, resulting in some compensation of the kyphotic malposition of the affected vertebral segment. Vertebroplasty improved vertebral geometry during midterm follow-up. In severe vertebral compression, significant height gain and improvement of end plate angles were achieved. The remodeling of the VDUs contributes to reduction of kyphosis and an overall improvement of the statics of the spine.

Food quality triggers the reproductive mode in the cyclical parthenogen Daphnia (Cladocera).

Cyclic parthenogenesis (heterogony) is a widespread reproductive mode found in diverse taxa such as digenean trematodes, gall wasps, gall midges, aphids, cladocerans and rotifers. It is of particular interest as it combines the advantages of asexual reproduction (rapid population growth) and sexual reproduction (recombination). Usually sexual reproduction is initiated when, or slightly before, environmental conditions deteriorate, and often results in the production of resting stages. The optimal timing of diapause induction must thus be under strong natural selection. Using the cladoceran Daphnia as a model system, we show here for the first time that the switch from parthenogenetic to sexual reproduction in a cyclical parthenogenetic organism can be influenced by the chemical composition of food. Under crowding conditions Daphnia reproduced parthenogenetically with subitaneous eggs when fed the algal species Cryptomonas sp., but started the production of resting eggs when fed with the green algal species Scenedesmus obliquus. Supplementation experiments with lipids and especially proteins showed that the induction of resting egg production in two clones of different Daphnia species was due to a dietary deficiency in the green alga. Hence, the low food quality induced a switch in the reproductive mode that may contribute to optimal timing of the sexual reproduction of Daphnia in nature. Furthermore, our results have two other major implications: first, they suggest that protein compounds should be added to the list of diet constituents potentially limiting or influencing Daphnia reproduction. Second, we show that the role of food quality goes far beyond the up to now documented effects of food quality on somatic growth and trophic transfer efficiency of herbivores: due to its effects on sexual reproduction and the production of resting eggs, food quality might influence genetic diversity and long-term persistence of Daphnia in lakes.

CT-guided vertebroplasty: analysis of technical results, extraosseous cement leakages, and complications in 500 procedures.

The aim of this study was to analyze the technical results, the extraosseous cement leakages, and the complications in our first 500 vertebroplasty procedures. Patients with osteoporotic vertebral compression fractures or osteolytic lesions caused by malignant tumors were treated with CT-guided vertebroplasty. The technical results were documented with CT, and the extraosseous cement leakages and periinterventional clinical complications were analyzed as well as secondary fractures during follow-up. Since 2002, 500 vertebroplasty procedures have been performed on 251 patients (82 male, 169 female, age 71.5 +/- 9.8 years) suffering from osteoporotic compression fractures (n = 217) and/or malignant tumour infiltration (n = 34). The number of vertebrae treated per patient was 1.96 +/- 1.29 (range 1-10); the numbers of interventions per patient and interventions per vertebra were 1.33 +/- 0.75 (range 1-6) and 1.01 +/- 0.10, respectively. The amount of PMMA cement was 4.5 +/- 1.9 ml and decreased during the 5-year period of investigation. The procedure-related 30-day mortality was 0.4% (1 of 251 patients) due to pulmonary embolism in this case. The procedure-related morbidity was 2.8% (7/251), including one acute coronary syndrome beginning 12 h after the procedure and one missing patellar reflex in a patients with a cement leak near the neuroformen because of osteolytic destruction of the respective pedicle. Additionally, one patient developed a medullary conus syndrome after a fall during the night after vertebroplasty, two patients reached an inadequate depth of conscious sedation, and two cases had additional fractures (one pedicle fracture, one rib fracture). The overall CT-based cement leak rate was 55.4% and included leakages predominantly into intervertebral disc spaces (25.2%), epidural vein plexus (16.0%), through the posterior wall (2.6%), into the neuroforamen (1.6%), into paravertebral vessels (7.2%), and combinations of these and others. During follow-up (15.2 +/- 13.4 months) the secondary fracture rate was 17.1%, including comparable numbers for vertebrae at adjacent and distant levels. The presence of intradiscal cement leaks was not associated with increased adjacent fracture rates. CT-guided vertebroplasty is safe and effective for treatment of vertebral compression fractures. CT-fluoroscopy provides an excellent control of the posterior vertebral wall. The number of cement leakages alone is not directly associated with clinical complications. However, even small volumes of pulmonary PMMA embolism might be responsible for the fatal outcome in cases with underlying cardiopulmonary insufficiency.

Alteration of kairomone-induced antipredator response of the freshwater amphipod Gammarus roeseli by sediment type.

The importance of sediment type and of kairomones released by juvenile burbot (Lota Iota) on behavioral responses of the freshwater amphipod Gammarus roeseli was studied in laboratory experiments. In the absence of kairomones. G. roeseli preferred coarse substrates; the highest preference was shown for the most coarse sediment. In the presence of kairomones, the amphipods preferred the less-coarse substrate pebbles over gravel. This difference is an effective antipredator response; G. roeseli is able to hide efficiently in the interstices of the pebbles. Juvenile burbot have a low foraging efficiency on pebbles and preferentially forage in the interstices of coarser sediments. G. roeseli responded differently to kairmones in different sediment types. The amphipods decreased their activity only in pebbles. In gravel, the rate of exploration behavior increased, and on a bare surface, the area containing fish kairomones was avoided.