Real-time gigahertz free-space quantum key distribution within an emulated satellite overpass.

Satellite quantum key distribution (SatQKD) intermediated by a trusted satellite in a low-Earth orbit to ground stations along the satellite's path allows remote users to connect securely. To establish a secure connection, a SatQKD session must be conducted to each user over a dynamically changing free-space link, all within just a few hundred seconds. Because of the short time and large losses under which the QKD protocol will be implemented, it has not yet been possible to form a complete key by transmitting all the relevant information required within a single overpass of the satellite. Here, we demonstrate a real-time QKD system that is capable of forming a 4.58-megabit secure key between two nodes within an emulated satellite overpass. We anticipate that our system will set the stage for practical implementations of intercontinental quantum secure communications that can operate over large networks of nodes and enable the secure transmission of data globally.

Ontogenetic and spatial variability in parasite communities of white shrimp Penaeus setiferus (Decapoda: Penaeidae).

Understanding the combined effects of multi-parasite infections on their hosts is necessary for documenting parasite impacts and is particularly important for developing effective management strategies for economically important organisms. The white shrimp Penaeus setiferus supports important recreational and commercial fisheries along the southeastern and Gulf coasts of the United States and occupies an important ecological niche in estuarine and offshore habitats throughout these regions. The goal of this study was to identify and assess ontogenetic and spatial variation in white shrimp parasite communities and their relation to shrimp health. We used a series of trawl surveys in tidal creek and open water habitats of an estuary in the southeastern USA to collect and identify parasites of white shrimp using morphological and DNA sequencing techniques. Parasite communities in white shrimp were composed of organisms belonging to 6 classes: Conoidasida (gregarines), Oligohymenophorea (apostome and sessilid ciliates), Microsporea (meiodihaplophasids), Chromadorea (rhabditids), Cestoda (cyclophyllideans, lecanocephalideans and trypanorhynchs) and Trematoda (plagiorchiids). Parasite communities differed significantly among white shrimp life stages and localities. Furthermore, the health condition known as black gill occurred in some shrimp and was significantly related to parasite community structure. Infection metrics for the apostome ciliate Hyalophysa lynni, the trypanorhynch larvae Prochristianella sp. and the rhabditid larvae Hysterothylacium sp. were significantly different between shrimp exhibiting and not exhibiting black gill. These results highlight the importance of understanding parasite communities and the potential interactive effects of multiple parasite infections on shrimp health.

A rapid phenotype change in the pathogen Perkinsus marinus was associated with a historically significant marine disease emergence in the eastern oyster.

The protozoan parasite Perkinsus marinus, which causes dermo disease in Crassostrea virginica, is one of the most ecologically important and economically destructive marine pathogens. The rapid and persistent intensification of dermo in the USA in the 1980s has long been enigmatic. Attributed originally to the effects of multi-year drought, climatic factors fail to fully explain the geographic extent of dermo's intensification or the persistence of its intensified activity. Here we show that emergence of a unique, hypervirulent P. marinus phenotype was associated with the increase in prevalence and intensity of this disease and associated mortality. Retrospective histopathology of 8355 archival oysters from 1960 to 2018 spanning Chesapeake Bay, South Carolina, and New Jersey revealed that a new parasite phenotype emerged between 1983 and 1990, concurrent with major historical dermo disease outbreaks. Phenotypic changes included a shortening of the parasite's life cycle and a tropism shift from deeper connective tissues to digestive epithelia. The changes are likely adaptive with regard to the reduced oyster abundance and longevity faced by P. marinus after rapid establishment of exotic pathogen Haplosporidium nelsoni in 1959. Our findings, we hypothesize, illustrate a novel ecosystem response to a marine parasite invasion: an increase in virulence in a native parasite.

Assessing the Viability of American Horseshoe Crab (Limulus polyphemus) Embryos in Salt Marsh and Sandy Beach Habitats.

AbstractFor animal embryos that develop externally, the physio-chemical environment can substantially affect offspring viability. In the case of the American horseshoe crab (Limulus polyphemus), sediment conditions along estuarine shorelines influence development rates and embryonic viability. Sandy beach habitats are considered to have optimal conditions for horseshoe crab embryonic development; however, spawning is often observed outside of these optimal habitats, in areas such as salt marshes, where reduced oxygen availability is thought to decrease the viability of eggs laid in these sediments. We excavated horseshoe crab eggs, embryos, and trilobites laid naturally in marsh and beach sediments in South Carolina to compare their development and viability between habitats. We found all developmental stages in both marsh and beach habitats. For two of three sampling areas, trilobites were more likely to be found at beaches than at marshes. Multivariate analyses demonstrate that the prevalence of early and middle developmental stages was similar between habitats but that beaches had a greater proportion of late-stage trilobites than marshes. The lower likelihood of finding trilobites at some marshes may reflect differences in spawning phenology between habitats or reduced rates of embryonic development in marshes compared to beaches, leading to potentially different developmental timelines rather than a true reduction in viability. Nevertheless, the substantial proportions of eggs laid in salt marshes that survive to the trilobite stage indicate that spawning in this habitat could represent a previously underappreciated source of recruitment for horseshoe crab populations that may need to be incorporated into population assessments.

Frequency of Occurrence of the Rat Lungworm Parasite in the Invasive Island Apple Snail in South Carolina, USA.

The rat lungworm Angiostrongylus cantonensis is a nematode parasite that can cause potentially fatal eosinophilic meningitis in humans. The life cycle of A. cantonensis involves multiple hosts, with the most common terminal hosts being rodents and intermediate hosts comprising gastropods. One such gastropod is the invasive island apple snail Pomacea maculata, which is native to South America but is currently established in several states in the USA, including South Carolina. It has been identified as an intermediate host for A. cantonensis in several locations in Louisiana. The ability of the island apple snail to serve as an intermediate host for A. cantonensis poses significant potential threats to human health, yet no studies to date have determined the prevalence of this parasite in island apple snails in South Carolina. The objective of this study was to investigate the frequency of occurrence of A. cantonensis in South Carolina island apple snails by using a real-time PCR assay. One-hundred individuals from each of three distinct stormwater retention ponds were tested, and no positive detections were found. Determining the prevalence of A. cantonensis in island apple snails is critical in accurately informing the public as to the risks involved in handling and/or consuming island apple snails.

The local regulation of folliculogenesis by members of the transforming growth factor superfamily and its relevance for advanced breeding programmes.

Regulation of the growth and maturation of the ovarian follicle is critical for normal reproductive function. Alterations in this growth can lead to pathological conditions, such as cystic follicles, reduced oocyte quality, or an abnormal endocrine environment leading to poor fertility. Alterations in follicular growth also influence the number of follicles ovulating and thus can change litter size. Both endocrine factors, such as follicle stimulating hormone and luteinizing hormone, as well as local factors, are known to regulate follicular growth and development. This review will focus on the role of local factors in regulation of ovarian follicular growth in ruminants, with a focus on members of the transforming growth factor superfamily. The potential role of these factors in regulating proliferation, apoptosis, steroidogenesis and responsiveness to gonadotrophins will be considered.

Hyperimmunoglobulin E syndrome with persistent vertebral osteomyelitis due to methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus: Case report and review of the literature.

We report a case of vertebral osteomyelitis due to methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA) with a slowly progressive, relatively asymptomatic course in a young woman with suspected hyperimmunoglobulin E syndrome (Job's syndrome).

Increasing the sonoporation efficiency of targeted polydisperse microbubble populations using chirp excitation.

The therapeutic use of microbubbles for targeted drug or gene delivery is a highly active area of research. Phospholipid- encapsulated microbubbles typically have a polydisperse size distribution over the 1 to 10 µm range and can be functionalized for molecular targeting and loaded with drugcarrying liposomes. Sonoporation through the generation of shear stress on the cell membrane by microbubble oscillations is one mechanism that results in pore formation in the cell membrane and can improve drug delivery. A microbubble oscillating at its resonant frequency would generate maximum shear stress on a membrane. However, because of the polydisperse nature of phospholipid microbubbles, a range of resonant frequencies would exist in a single population. In this study, the use of linear chirp excitations was compared with equivalent duration and acoustic pressure tone excitations when measuring the sonoporation efficiency of targeted microbubbles on human colorectal cancer cells. A 3 to 7 MHz chirp had the greatest sonoporation efficiency of 26.9 ± 5.6%, compared with 16.4 ± 1.1% for the 1.32 to 3.08 MHz chirp. The equivalent 2.2- and 5-MHz tone excitations have efficiencies of 12.8 ± 2.1% and 15.6 ± 1.1%, respectively, which were all above the efficiency of 4.1 ± 3.1% from the control exposure.

Width-modulated square-wave pulses for ultrasound applications.

A method of output pressure control for ultrasound transducers using switched excitation is described. The method generates width-modulated square-wave pulse sequences that are suitable for driving ultrasound transducers using MOSFETs or similar devices. Sequences are encoded using an optimized level-shifted, carrier-comparison, pulse-width modulation (PWM) strategy derived from existing PWM theory, and modified specifically for ultrasound applications. The modifications are: a reduction in carrier frequency so that the smallest number of pulses are generated and minimal switching is necessary; alteration of a linear carrier form to follow a trigonometric relationship in accordance with the expected fundamental output; and application of frequency modulation to the carrier when generating frequency-modulated, amplitude- tapered signals. The PWM method permits control of output pressure for arbitrary waveform sequences at diagnostic frequencies (approximately 5 MHz) when sampled at 100 MHz, and is applicable to pulse shaping and array apodization. Arbitrary waveform generation capability is demonstrated in simulation using convolution with a transducer's impulse response, and experimentally with hydrophone measurement. Benefits in coded imaging are demonstrated when compared with fixed-width square-wave (pseudo-chirp) excitation in coded imaging, including reduction in image artifacts and peak side-lobe levels for two cases, showing 10 and 8 dB reduction in peak side-lobe level experimentally, compared with 11 and 7 dB reduction in simulation. In all cases, the experimental observations correlate strongly with simulated data.

Phase-inversion-based selective harmonic elimination (PI-SHE) in multi-level switched-mode tone- and frequency-modulated excitation.

Switched-mode operation allows the miniaturization of excitation circuitry but suffers from high harmonic distortion. This paper presents a method of phase-inversion-based selective harmonic elimination (PI-SHE) and the use of multiple switching levels. PI-SHE is shown to enable multiples of any selected harmonic to be eliminated through controlled timing of the transition between different excitation voltage levels. Multiples of the third harmonic are shown to be eliminated in three-level tone waveforms. In addition, multiples of the fifth harmonic are shown to be eliminated using five-level tone waveforms. A method of calculating the expected amplitude of each harmonic is presented. The application of PI-SHE in linear frequency-modulated (LFM) excitation is proposed. A heuristic derivation of the spectral properties of multilevel switched LFM waveforms is presented. The performance of the proposed PI-SHE method is confirmed through experimental measurement of the harmonics present in an ultrasound wave using two, three, and five levels for both tone and LFM excitation. The proposed method of controlling harmonics through the use of multilevel switched excitation is especially suitable for applications in which portability, high channel counts, and precise harmonic control are required.

Ultrasound array transmitter architecture with high timing resolution using embedded phase-locked loops.

Coarse time quantization of delay profiles within ultrasound array systems can produce undesirable side lobes in the radiated beam profile. The severity of these side lobes is dependent upon the magnitude of phase quantization error--the deviation from ideal delay profiles to the achievable quantized case. This paper describes a method to improve interchannel delay accuracy without increasing system clock frequency by utilizing embedded phase-locked loop (PLL) components within commercial field-programmable gate arrays (FPGAs). Precise delays are achieved by shifting the relative phases of embedded PLL output clocks in 208-ps steps. The described architecture can achieve the necessary interelement timing resolution required for driving ultrasound arrays up to 50 MHz. The applicability of the proposed method at higher frequencies is demonstrated by extrapolating experimental results obtained using a 5-MHz array transducer. Results indicate an increase in transmit dynamic range (TDR) when using accurate delay profiles generated by the embedded-PLL method described, as opposed to using delay profiles quantized to the system clock.

Paranasal sinus involvement in metastatic carcinoma.

Metastatic carcinoma involving the paranasal sinuses is uncommon. One hundred-sixty seven cases have been published in the literature since 1951. Symptoms, signs, and rhinoscopic and imaging findings are often nonspecific, and the diagnosis may be missed for considerable time. Therefore, a high level of suspicion is warranted in patients with known malignancies presenting with persistent or recurrent rhinosinusitis or facial complaints.

Postoperative pulmonary complications after laparotomy.

BACKGROUND: The frequency of, and risks for, postoperative pulmonary complications (PPCs) after laparotomy are incompletely understood. The wide-ranging incidence of PPCs in the literature reflects methodological issues including variable definitions of PPCs and varied patient populations. OBJECTIVES: We sought to elucidate the incidence of PPCs after laparotomy and clarify risks for their development. METHODS: We conducted a retrospective study of all laparotomies in adult patients on the general surgery service at our university-affiliated hospital in 2004. The definition of PPCs was rigorous and relevant in terms of key outcomes (morbidity, mortality, length of stay). We used a template for the review of medical records to identify PPCs and their consequences. RESULTS: Twenty-five PPCs (7.0%) occurred in 359 laparotomies. Logistic regression modeling identified the following independent predictors of risk: upper abdominal incisions (OR 15.3; p = 0.025), reoperation (OR 7.1; p = 0.013), emergency surgery (OR 6.3; p = 0.001) and nasogastric tubes (OR 5.4; p = 0.008). PPCs were associated with increased mortality (OR 6.17; p = 0.01), intensive care unit care (OR 13.0; p = 0.001), increased mean hospital length of stay (17.7 days longer; p = 0.001) and longer mean postoperative length of stay (15.2 days longer; p = 0.001). CONCLUSIONS: The incidence of PPCs after laparotomy in this study is lower than in many prior reports and reflects the relevant definition of PPCs used. Upper abdominal surgery carried the greatest risk. Reoperation was a risk not identified previously. Emergency procedures and the use of nasogastric tubes were confirmed as key risks. Morbidity, mortality and lengths of stay were significantly increased after PPCs.

Promoting collaborative practice for children of parents with mental illness and their families.

OBJECTIVE: This paper describes the implementation and outcomes of a trial interagency protocol to enhance the responsiveness of community services for children of parents with mental illness and their families. METHODS: Protocol implementation was supported by the allocation of designated project workers, Interagency and Advisory Committees, and cross-agency training. Survey data on staff perceptions of collaborative practice were obtained at baseline and 12 months later. Participants represented a range of child and adult-serving agencies, and included consumers and family members. RESULTS: Intra- and interagency collaboration increased, with staff reporting on barriers, e.g., work load and time pressures, and benefits, e.g., shared expertise. They indicated collaboration was of value to the children and families with whom they worked. CONCLUSIONS: Interagency efforts can enhance collaborative practice. Stakeholders continue to work together to refine their efforts and create new approaches to improving outcomes for all family members living with parental mental illness.

Endobronchial metastases from endometrial carcinoma.

A 78-year-old woman status post hysterectomy and radiation therapy 3 years earlier for endometrial carcinoma presented with cough, dyspnea, and weight loss. Computed tomography revealed left upper lobe atelectasis due to an obstructing endobronchial mass, enlarged mediastinal lymph nodes, a moderate left pleural effusion, and several subcentimeter nodules in the right lung. Flexible bronchoscopy confirmed a tumor mass obstructing the left upper lobe bronchus. Endobronchial biopsy revealed metastatic adenocarcinoma with histology similar to the previously resected endometrial primary and immunohistochemical staining consistent with endometrial carcinoma. To our knowledge, endobronchial metastases from endometrial carcinoma have been reported only once before.

Expression and regulation of epithelial Na+ channels by nucleotides in pleural mesothelial cells.

Pleural effusions are commonly clinical disorders, resulting from the imbalance between pleural fluid turnover and reabsorption. The mechanisms underlying pleural fluid clearance across the mesothelium remain to be elucidated. We hypothesized that epithelial Na(+) channel (ENaC) is expressed and forms the molecular basis of the amiloride-sensitive resistance in human mesothelial cells. Our RT-PCR results showed that three ENaC subunits, namely, alpha, beta, gamma, and two delta ENaC subunits, are expressed in human primary pleural mesothelial cells, a human mesothelioma cell line (M9K), and mouse pleural tissue. In addition, Western blotting and immunofluorescence microscopy studies revealed that alpha, beta, gamma, and delta ENaC subunits are expressed in primary human mesothelial cells and M9K cells at the protein level. An amiloride-inhibitable short-circuit current was detected in M9K monolayers and mouse pleural tissues when mounted in Ussing chambers. Whole-cell patch clamp recordings showed an ENaC-like channel with an amiloride concentration producing 50% inhibition of 12 microM in M9K cells. This cation channel has a high affinity for extracellular Na+ ions (K(m): 53 mM). The ion selectivity of this channel to cations follows the same order as ENaC: Li+ > Na+ > K+. The unitary Li(+) conductance was 15 pS in on-cell patches. Four ENaC subunits form a functional Na+ channel when coinjected into Xenopus oocytes. Furthermore, we found that both forskolin and cGMP increased the short-circuit currents in mouse pleural tissues. Taken together, our data demonstrate that the ENaC channels are biochemically and functionally expressed in human pleural mesothelial cells, and can be up-regulated by cyclic AMP and cyclic GMP.

A diagnostic and management dilemma: combined paraneoplastic myasthenia gravis and Lambert-Eaton myasthenic syndrome presenting as acute respiratory failure.

BACKGROUND: Neuromuscular junction disorders are usually categorized as either presynaptic or postsynaptic. The most frequently encountered disorder of the postsynaptic neuromuscular junction is acquired myasthenia gravis. Lambert-Eaton myasthenic syndrome is a well-known prototype of the presynaptic autoimmune disorders of neuromuscular transmission. These major disorders of neuromuscular transmission are relatively common and distinctly recognized, but co-occurrence of these disorders (overlap myasthenic syndrome) is rare and has so far attracted little attention. REVIEW SUMMARY: This report describes a patient with acquired myasthenia gravis and immunologic coexistence of Lambert-Eaton myasthenic syndrome (overlap myasthenic syndrome) in association with abdominal/uterine leiomyosarcoma. The patient presented with acute respiratory failure, making identification and management of her illness challenging. A general overview of the complexities associated with overlap between myasthenia gravis and Lambert-Eaton myasthenic syndrome is provided and this patient's complicated clinical course and response to therapy are discussed. CONCLUSION: To our knowledge, this is the first report of overlap myasthenic syndrome in conjunction with abdominal leiomyosarcoma. The immunologic coexistence of acquired myasthenia gravis and Lambert-Eaton myasthenic syndrome in a patient with a malignant smooth-muscle tumor is intriguing and suggests that a common paraneoplastic process targeting 2 different onconeural antigens was the underlying pathogenic mechanism in this patient.

Interregulation of proton-gated Na(+) channel 3 and cystic fibrosis transmembrane conductance regulator.

Proton-gated Na(+) channels (ASIC) are new members of the epithelial sodium channel/degenerin gene family. ASIC3 mRNA has been detected in the homogenate of pulmonary tissues. However, whether ASIC3 is expressed in the apical membranes of lung epithelial cells and whether it regulates cystic fibrosis transmembrane conductance regulator (CFTR) function are not known at the present time. Using reverse transcription-PCR, we found that the ASIC3 mRNA was expressed in the human airway mucosal gland (Calu-3) and human airway epithelial (16HBE14o) cells. Indirect immunofluorescence microscopy revealed that ASIC3 was co-segregated with CFTR in the apical membranes of Calu-3 cells. Proton-gated, amiloride-sensitive short circuit Na(+) currents were recorded across Calu-3 monolayers mounted in an Ussing chamber. In whole-cell patch clamp studies, activation of CFTR channels with cAMP reduced proton-gated Na(+) current in Calu-3 cells from -154 +/- 28 to -33 +/- 16 pA (n = 5, p < 0.05) at -100 mV. On the other hand, cAMP-activated CFTR activity was significantly inhibited following constitutive activation of putative ASIC3 at pH 6.0. Immunoassays showed that both ASIC3 and CFTR proteins were expressed and co-immunoprecipitated mutually in Calu-3 cells. Similar results were obtained in human embryonic kidney 293T cells following transient co-transfection of ASIC3 and CFTR. Our results indicate that putative CFTR and ASIC3 channels functionally interact with each other, possibly via an intermolecular association. Because acidic luminal fluid in the cystic fibrosis airway and lung tends to stimulate ASIC3 channel expression and activity, the interaction of ASIC3 and CFTR may contribute to defective salt and fluid transepithelial transport in the cystic fibrotic pulmonary system.

Delta-subunit confers novel biophysical features to alpha beta gamma-human epithelial sodium channel (ENaC) via a physical interaction.

Native amiloride-sensitive Na+ channels exhibit a variety of biophysical properties, including variable sensitivities to amiloride, different ion selectivities, and diverse unitary conductances. The molecular basis of these differences has not been elucidated. We tested the hypothesis that co-expression of delta-epithelial sodium channel (ENaC) underlies, at least in part, the multiplicity of amiloride-sensitive Na+ conductances in epithelial cells. For example, the delta-subunit may form multimeric channels with alpha beta gamma-ENaC. Reverse transcription-PCR revealed that delta-ENaC is co-expressed with alpha beta gamma-subunits in cultured human lung (H441 and A549), pancreatic (CFPAC), and colonic epithelial cells (Caco-2). Indirect immunofluorescence microscopy revealed that delta-ENaC is co-expressed with alpha-, beta-, and gamma-ENaC in H441 cells at the protein level. Measurement of current-voltage that cation selectivity ratios for the revealed relationships Na+/Li+/K+/Cs+/Ca2+/Mg2+, the apparent dissociation constant (Ki) for amiloride, and unitary conductances for delta alpha beta gamma-ENaC differed from those of both alpha beta gamma- and delta beta gamma-ENaC (n = 6). The contribution of the delta subunit to P(Li)/P(Na) ratio and unitary Na+ conductance under bi-ionic conditions depended on the injected cRNA concentration. In addition, the EC50 for proton activation, mean open and closed times, and the self-inhibition time of delta alpha beta gamma-ENaC differed from those of alpha beta gamma- and delta beta gamma-ENaC. Co-immunoprecipitation of delta-ENaC with alpha- and gamma-subunits in H441 and transfected COS-7 cells suggests an interaction among these proteins. We, therefore, concluded that the interactions of delta-ENaC with other subunits could account for heterogeneity of native epithelial channels.