Multi-center observational study on occurrence and related clinical factors of neurogenic heterotopic ossification in patients with disorders of consciousness.

Aims: to assess occurrence and clinical correlates of neurogenic heterotopic ossifications (NHO) in patients with prolonged disorder of consciousness (DoC).Design: multi-center cross-sectional observational study.Setting: 23 intensive neurorehabilitation units.Subjects: 287 patients with prolonged disorder of consciousness (DoC; 150 in vegetative state, VS, and 128 in minimally conscious state, MCS) of different etiology (vascular = 125, traumatic = 83, anoxic = 56, others = 14).Main Measures: clinical evidence of NHO confirmed by standard radiological and/or sonographic evaluation; Coma Recovery Scale-Revised; Disability Rating Scale (DRS); Early Rehabilitation Barthel Index; presence of ventilator support, spasticity, bone fractures and paroxysmal sympathetic hyperactivity.Results: 31 patients (11.2%) presented NHO. Univariate analyses showed that NHO was associated with VS diagnosis, traumatic etiology, high DRS category and total score, and high occurrence of limb spasticity and bone fractures. A cluster-corrected binary logistic regression model (excluding spasticity available in a subset of patients) showed that only lower DRS total score and presence of bone fractures were independently associated with NHO.Conclusions: NHO are relatively frequent in patients with DoC, and are independently associated with functional disability, bone fractures and spasticity. These findings contribute to identifying patients with DoC prone to develop NHO and requiring special interventions to improve functional recovery.

Multi-center study on overall clinical complexity of patients with prolonged disorders of consciousness of different etiologies.

Aim: to assess overall clinical complexity of patients with acquired disorders of consciousness (DoC) in vegetative state/unresponsive wakefulness syndrome (VS/UWS) vs. minimally conscious state- MCS) and in different etiologies..Design: Multi-center cross-sectional observational study.Setting: 23 intensive neurorehabilitation units.Subjects: 264 patients with DoC in the post-acute phase: VS/UWS = 141, and MCS = 123 due to vascular (n = 125), traumatic (n = 83) or anoxic (n = 56) brain injury.Main Measures: Coma Recovery Scale-Revised, and Disability Rating Scale (DRS); presence of medical devices (e.g., for eating or breathing); occurrence and severity of medical complications.Results: patients in DoC, and particularly those in VS/UWS, showed severe overall clinical complexity. Anoxic patients had higher overall clinical complexity, lower level of responsiveness/consciousness, higher functional disability, and higher needs of medical devices. Vascular patients had worse premorbid clinical comorbidities. The two etiologies showed a comparable rate of MC, higher than that observed in traumatic etiology.Conclusion: overall clinical complexity is significantly higher in VS/UWS than in MCS, and in non-traumatic vs. traumatic etiology. These findings could explain the worse clinical evolution reported in anoxic and vascular etiologies and in VS/UWS patients and contribute to plan patient-tailored care and rehabilitation programmes.

SHR overexpression induces the formation of supernumerary cell layers with cortex cell identity in rice.

The number of root cortex cell layers varies among plants, and many species have several cortical cell layers. We recently demonstrated that the two rice orthologs of the Arabidopsis SHR gene, OsSHR1 and OsSHR2, could complement the A. thaliana shr mutant. Moreover, OsSHR1 and OsSHR2 expression in A. thaliana roots induced the formation of extra root cortical cell layers. In this article, we demonstrate that the overexpression of AtSHR and OsSHR2 in rice roots leads to plants with wide and short roots that contain a high number of extra cortical cell layers. We hypothesize that SHR genes share a conserved function in the control of cortical cell layer division and the number of ground tissue cell layers in land plants.

Surfing along the root ground tissue gene network.

Organization of tissues in Arabidopsis thaliana root is made of, from outside in, epidermis, cortex, middle cortex, endodermis, pericycle and vascular tissues. Cortex, middle cortex and endodermis form the ground tissue (GT) system. Functional and molecular characterization of GT patterning mutants' properties has greatly increased our understanding of fundamental processes of plant root development. These studies have demonstrated GT is an elegant model that can be used to study how different cell types and cell fates are specified. This review analyzes GT mutants to provide a detailed account of the molecular network that regulates GT formation in A. thaliana. The most recent results indicate an unexpectedly complex network of transcription factors, epigenetic and hormonal controls that play crucial roles in GT development. Major differences exist between GT formation in dicots and monocots, particularly in the model plant rice, opening the way for evo-devo of GT formation in angiosperm. In rice, adaptation to submergence relies on a multilayered cortex. Moreover, variation in the number of cortex cell layers is also observed between the five root types. A mechanism of control for cortical cell number should then exist in rice and it remains to be determined if any of the Arabidopsis thaliana identified GT network members are also involved in this process in rice. Alternatively, a totally different network may have been invented. However, first available results suggest functional conservation in rice of at least two transcription factors, SHORT ROOT (SHR) and SCARECROW (SCR), involved in ground tissue formation in Arabidopsis.

GreenPhylDB: a database for plant comparative genomics.

GreenPhylDB (http://greenphyl.cirad.fr) is a comprehensive platform designed to facilitate comparative functional genomics in Oryza sativa and Arabidopsis thaliana genomes. The main functions of GreenPhylDB are to assign O. sativa and A. thaliana sequences to gene families using a semi-automatic clustering procedure and to create 'orthologous' groups using a phylogenomic approach. To date, GreenPhylDB comprises the most complete list of plant gene families, which have been manually curated (6421 families). GreenPhylDB also contains all of the phylogenomic relationships computed for 4375 families. A total of 492 TAIR, 1903 InterPro and 981 KEGG families and subfamilies were manually curated using the clusters created with the TribeMCL software. GreenPhylDB integrates information from several other databases including UniProt, KEGG, InterPro, TAIR and TIGR. Several entry points can be used to display phylogenomic relationships for A. thaliana or O. sativa sequences, using TAIR, TIGR gene ID, family name, InterPro, gene alias, UniProt or protein/nucleic sequence. Finally, a powerful phylogenomics tool, GreenPhyl Ortholog Search Tool (GOST), was incorporated into GreenPhylDB to predict orthologous relationships between O. sativa/A. thaliana protein(s) and sequences from other plant species.

OryGenesDB: a database for rice reverse genetics.

Insertional mutant databases containing Flanking Sequence Tags (FSTs) are becoming key resources for plant functional genomics. We have developed OryGenesDB (http://orygenesdb.cirad.fr/), a database dedicated to rice reverse genetics. Insertion mutants of rice genes are catalogued by Flanking Sequence Tag (FST) information that can be readily accessed by this database. Our database presently contains 44166 FSTs generated by most of the rice insertional mutagenesis projects. The OryGenesDB genome browser is based on the powerful Generic Genome Browser (GGB) developed in the framework of the Generic Model Organism Project (GMOD). The main interface of our web site displays search and analysis interfaces to look for insertions in any candidate gene of interest. Several starting points can be used to exhaustively retrieve the insertions positions and associated genomic information using blast, keywords or gene name search. The toolbox integrated in our database also includes an 'anchoring' option that allows immediate mapping and visualization of up to 50 nucleic acid sequences in the rice Genome Browser of OryGenesDB. As a first step toward plant comparative genomics, we have linked the rice and Arabidopsis whole genome using all the predicted pairs of orthologs by best BLAST mutual hit (BBMH) connectors.

Root cone angle is enlarged in docs1 LRR-RLK mutants in rice.

BACKGROUND: The DEFECTIVE IN OUTER CELL LAYER SPECIFICATION 1 (DOCS1) gene belongs to the Leucine-Rich Repeat Receptor-Like Kinase (LRR-RLK) subfamily. It has been discovered few years ago in Oryza sativa (rice) in a screen to isolate mutants with defects in sensitivity to aluminum. The c68 (docs1-1) mutant possessed a nonsense mutation in the C-terminal part of the DOCS1 kinase domain. FINDINGS: We have generated a new loss-of-function mutation in the DOCS1 gene (docs1-2) using the CRISPR-Cas9 technology. This new loss-of-function mutant and docs1-1 present similar phenotypes suggesting the original docs1-1 was a null allele. Besides the aluminum sensitivity phenotype, both docs1 mutants shared also several root phenotypes described previously: less root hairs and mixed identities of the outer cell layers. Moreover, our new results suggest that DOCS1 could also play a role in root cap development. We hypothesized these docs1 root phenotypes may affect gravity responses. As expected, in seedlings, the early gravitropic response was delayed. Furthermore, at adult stage, the root gravitropic set angle of docs1 mutants was also affected since docs1 mutant plants displayed larger root cone angles. CONCLUSIONS: All these observations add new insights into the DOCS1 gene function in gravitropic responses at several stages of plant development.

HIV infection and drug use: influence on cognitive function.

OBJECTIVE: To examine the involvement of cognitive function in HIV-seropositive drug users (DU) in a pre-AIDS state. DESIGN: Fifty-six HIV-positive DU were prospectively evaluated. They belonged to groups II, III and IV (subgroups A, C2 and E) of the 1987 Centers for Disease Control and Prevention classification, with anamnesis negative for neurological pathology. HIV-negative DU (n = 19) and non-DU (n = 27) were used as controls. Infection with HIV and use of toxic drugs were considered variables of influence on cognitive function. METHOD: Subjects underwent neuropsychological evaluation by tests designed to explore cortical and subcortical function. RESULTS: HIV-positive DU showed worse performance scores at the psychometric tests than HIV-negative non-DU, but there was no difference when compared with HIV-negative DU. Ex-DU showed better performance than active DU. No difference with regard to degree of disease evolution was observed among HIV-positive individuals (i.e., groups II and III versus group IV). CONCLUSIONS: There was no evidence of cognitive deficits in HIV-positive individuals in non-AIDS phases to indicate early involvement by HIV at the cerebral level. Progression of the disease, prior to the AIDS phase, did not determine a worsening of intellectual performance. Instead, cognitive function was affected by the chronic and current use of toxic substances. In HIV-positive DU, a decline in cognitive function was found to be attributable to the chronic use of toxic substances rather than HIV infection.

A reference map of Cucumis melo based on two recombinant inbred line populations.

A composite genetic melon map was generated based on two recombinant inbred line (RI) populations. By analyzing the segregation of 346 AFLPs, 113 IMAs and phenotypic characters on a RI population of 163 individuals derived from the cross Védrantais x PI 161375, a first map was constructed. About 20% of the molecular markers were skewed, and the residual heterozygosity was estimated at 4.43% which was not significantly different from the theoretical value of 4.2%. The genome distribution of molecular markers among the 12 linkage groups was not different from a random distribution with the exception of linkage group XII which was found significantly less populated. The genome distributions of IMAs and AFLPs were complementary. AFLPs were found mainly in the middle of each linkage group and sometimes clustered, whereas IMAs were found mainly at the end. A total of 318 molecular markers, mainly AFLP and IMA markers, were mapped on 63 RIs of the second population, Védrantais x PI 414723. Comparison of the maps enables one to conclude that AFLPs and IMAs of like molecular size, amplified with the same primer combination, correspond to the same genetic locus. Both maps were joined through 116 common markers comprising 106 comigrating AFLPs/IMAs, plus five SSRs and five phenotypic markers. The integrated melon map contained 668 loci issuing from the segregation of 1,093 molecular markers in the two RI populations. The composite map spanned 1,654 cM on 12 linkage groups which is the haploid number of chromosomes in melon. Thirty two known-function probes, i.e. known-function genes (9) and morphological traits (23), were included in this map. In addition, the composite map was anchored to previously published maps through SSRs, RFLPs and phenotypic characters.

Resistance gene homologues in melon are linked to genetic loci conferring disease and pest resistance.

Genomic and cDNA fragments with homology to known disease resistance genes (RGH fragments) were cloned from Cucumis melo using degenerate-primer PCR. Fifteen homologues of the NBS-LRR gene family have been isolated. The NBS-LRR homologues show high divergence and, based on the partial NBS-fragment sequences, appear to include members of the two major subfamilies that have been described in dicot plants, one that possesses a TIR-protein element and one that lacks such a domain. Genomic organization of these sequences was explored by DNA gel-blot analysis, and conservation among other Cucurbitaceae was assessed. Two mapping populations that segregate for several disease and pest resistance loci were used to map the RGH probes onto the melon genetic map. Several NBS-LRR related sequences mapped to the vicinity of genetic loci that control resistance to papaya ringspot virus, Fusarium oxysporum race 1, F. oxysporum race 2 and to the insect pest Aphis gossypii. The utility of such markers for breeding resistant melon cultivars and for cloning the respective R-genes is discussed.

Effect of pilocarpine mouthwash on salivary flow.

Pilocarpine is a cholinergic agonist that increases salivary flow and has been used to treat xerostomia. Oral intake is the most frequent route of administration. Adverse effects are dose-dependent and include sudoresis, facial blushing and increased urinary frequency. The objective of the present study was to evaluate the effects of topical pilocarpine solutions as mouthwashes on salivary flow and their adverse effects on healthy subjects. Forty volunteers received 10 ml 0.5, 1 and 2% pilocarpine solutions or 0.9% saline in a randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled manner. Salivation was measured before and 45, 60 and 75 min after mouth rinsing for 1 min with 10 ml of saline or pilocarpine solutions. Vital signs were measured and ocular, gastrointestinal and cardiovascular symptoms, anxiety and flushing were estimated using visual analog scales. There was a dose-dependent increase in salivation. Salivation measured after 1 and 2% pilocarpine (1.4 +/- 0.36 and 2.22 +/- 0.42 g, respectively) was significantly (P<0.001) higher than before (0.70 +/- 0.15 and 0.64 +/- 0.1 g), with a plateau between 45 and 75 min. Cardiovascular, visual, gastrointestinal and behavioral symptoms and signs were not changed by topical pilocarpine. Mouth rinsing with pilocarpine solutions at concentrations of 1 to 2% induced a significant objective and subjective dose-dependent increase in salivary flow, similar to the results reported by others studying the effect of oral 5 mg pilocarpine. The present study revealed the efficacy of pilocarpine mouthwash solutions in increasing salivary flow in healthy volunteers, with no adverse effects. Additional studies on patients with xerostomia are needed.

Psychiatric disorders in patients suffering from an acute cerebrovascular accident or traumatic injury, and their effects on rehabilitation: an observational study.

BACKGROUND: The presence of a post-traumatic psychiatric disorder in patients with acute injuries may have adverse effects on outcomes. AIM: In this study our aims were: (1) to assess the frequency of psychiatric disorders after a cerebrovascular accident or traumatic injury requiring rehabilitation; (2) to examine whether there was any correlation between psychiatric disorders and patients' baseline demographic and clinical variables. DESIGN: The study consisted of two phases: the first was cross-sectional and the second prospective with a 12-month follow-up. The period of recruitment was two years. The results of the first phase are presented here. SETTING: The study sample consisted of a consecutive series of patients admitted to hospital because of an acute cerebrovascular accident or a traumatic injury and referred for a rehabilitation program. Two inpatient Rehabilitation Hospitals were involved in the study. POPULATION: The sample consisted of 230 consecutive patients with a recent cerebrovascular accident or trauma included in a rehabilitation program. METHODS: The sample included: 89 men (39%) and 141 women (61%) aged 20-97 years. Psychiatric disorders and motor disabilities were assessed through psychiatric interview and the mini-international neuropsychiatric interview plus (MINI Plus) and, respectively, with the functional independent measure (FIM). In case of post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD), severity was assessed through the Davidson's Trauma scale. Psychiatric disorders were correlated to demographic and clinical variables through univariate and multivariate analyses, the latter with logistic regression models. RESULTS: The most frequent entry diagnoses were traumatic fracture (41.3%) and stroke (37.0%). Ninety-three patients (40.4%) had one or more psychiatric disturbances at study entry, the commonest being depression (56 cases, 24.7%) and anxiety (23 cases, 10.0%). PTSD was present in 8 cases (3.5%). A history of psychiatric disorder was reported by 55 patients (24.2%) Compared to the rest of the study population, these subjects had more psychopathologic complaints (P<0.001). Mean total FIM score was 54.4 (SD=17.8) and 61.2 (SD=19.6) in patients with and without psychopathology (P<0.01) Independent predictors of psychopathology included past psychiatric history, lower total FIM scores, and limb amputation. Depression was predicted by history of psychiatric disorders and lack of partner. CONCLUSION: History of psychiatric disorders is the most relevant factor associated with psychopathology in patients with an acute cerebrovascular accident or traumatic injury, followed by lower total FIM scores, and type of pathologic event. CLINICAL REHABILITATION IMPACT: The presence of psychiatric disorders may potentially influence the rehabilitation process and outcomes; thus their recognition and management are key factors during a rehabilitation program.

Assessment of cognitive function in asymptomatic HIV-positive subjects.

This retrospective study aims to assess cognitive involvement in pre-AIDS, not drug abuser subjects and to determine whether CD4 status or disease stage best correlates with cognitive changes that may portend development of ADC. 328 cases were analyzed. No differences in psychometric performance in relation to CDC stage were found. Instead, patients with CD4 < 200/microl performed worse overall, with a statistically significant difference for Digit Symbol, Corsi Test, Block Design and HIVDA Scale. Even if cognitive decline is not evident in the early phase of HIV infection, CD4 count seems the more sensitive early indicator of cognitive changes adequately pointed out by the HIVDA Scale, which could be considered a useful screening tool for cognitive deficit.

Reversible bilateral opercular syndrome secondary to AIDS-associated cerebral toxoplasmosis.

A case of reversible anterior bilateral opercular syndrome (Foix-Chavany-Marie syndrome) secondary to cerebral toxoplasma abscesses is described in a patient with AIDS. The symptoms regressed following antitoxoplasma and antiedema drug therapy. Although this is the first reported AIDS-related case, the syndrome is likely to recur in AIDS sufferers in whom multifocal cerebral lesions are common.

Neuropsychological performance in HIV-1-infected drug abusers.

Twenty-five HIV-seropositive drug abusers (DA+HIV+) (groups II-III and IV [A, C2 and E] of the CDC classification) were evaluated by use of the WAIS scale to determine any possible involvement of cognitive functions in the not yet overt phases of AIDS. The results were compared with those obtained in two control populations composed of 19 seronegative drug abusers (DA+HIV-) and 24 healthy subjects (DA-HIV-) to evaluate, in addition to the disease, the possible effect of the use of alcohol and toxic substances on cognitive performance. In spite of the small number of subjects, the study indicated that drug abuse is the main factor, among those analyzed, in determining a decline in cognitive functions.

Genetic control of fruit shape acts prior to anthesis in melon ( Cucumis melo L.).

Genetic control of fruit shape in Cucumis melo was studied using QTL analysis in two Recombinant Inbred (RI) populations consisting of 163 and 63 individuals, respectively, obtained by crossing the same round-fruited parent with two different elongated-fruit lines. Fruit shape is mainly explained by fruit length in these two populations. Most QTLs for fruit shape and ovary shape detected were found to co-segregate, thus demonstrating early control of fruit shape during ovary development. A high level of correlation between fruit shape and ovary shape was also found in 14 unrelated genetic lines, a finding which suggests that control of fruit shape by gene(s) active early in the ovary is a general feature in C. melo. Two major flower genes, a ( monoecious) and p ( pentamerous), were shown to have major effects on fruit shape. Major tightly linked QTLs for fruit and ovary shape were found close to the a and p genes, probably reflecting their pleiotropic effect on fruit shape. Moreover, one of the two QTLs detected in the Védrantais x PI 414723 population was also found in the Védrantais x PI 161375 population. Variation of fruit shape in melon could be due to variations having quantitative effects on a large set of genes that are probably involved in ovary development.

Effects of HIV seropositivity and drug abuse on cognitive function.

Fifty-eight HIV-positive drug abusers and 22 HIV-positive nondrug abusers at stages II-III and IV of the Centers for Disease Control classification were evaluated neuropsychologically. The study confirmed previous findings that drug abuse has a negative influence on cognitive function. It also emerges that seropositivity affects cognitive function, although the poor performance of group II-III patients compared to group IV may be explained by factors related to seropositivity (anxiety and panic) rather than the disease itself. It is concluded that disease-related factors probably determine cognitive performance in the earlier stages of HIV infection.