Noninvasive spinal stimulation improves walking in chronic stroke survivors: a proof-of-concept case series.

BACKGROUND: After stroke, restoring safe, independent, and efficient walking is a top rehabilitation priority. However, in nearly 70% of stroke survivors asymmetrical walking patterns and reduced walking speed persist. This case series study aims to investigate the effectiveness of transcutaneous spinal cord stimulation (tSCS) in enhancing walking ability of persons with chronic stroke. METHODS: Eight participants with hemiparesis after a single, chronic stroke were enrolled. Each participant was assigned to either the Stim group (N = 4, gait training + tSCS) or Control group (N = 4, gait training alone). Each participant in the Stim group was matched to a participant in the Control group based on age, time since stroke, and self-selected gait speed. For the Stim group, tSCS was delivered during gait training via electrodes placed on the skin between the spinous processes of C5-C6, T11-T12, and L1-L2. Both groups received 24 sessions of gait training over 8 weeks with a physical therapist providing verbal cueing for improved gait symmetry. Gait speed (measured from 10 m walk test), endurance (measured from 6 min walk test), spatiotemporal gait symmetries (step length and swing time), as well as the neurophysiological outcomes (muscle synergy, resting motor thresholds via spinal motor evoked responses) were collected without tSCS at baseline, completion, and 3 month follow-up. RESULTS: All four Stim participants sustained spatiotemporal symmetry improvements at the 3 month follow-up (step length: 17.7%, swing time: 10.1%) compared to the Control group (step length: 1.1%, swing time 3.6%). Additionally, 3 of 4 Stim participants showed increased number of muscle synergies and/or lowered resting motor thresholds compared to the Control group. CONCLUSIONS: This study provides promising preliminary evidence that using tSCS as a therapeutic catalyst to gait training may increase the efficacy of gait rehabilitation in individuals with chronic stroke. Trial registration NCT03714282 (clinicaltrials.gov), registration date: 2018-10-18.

Prophylactic and therapeutic vaccination protects sperm health from Chlamydia muridarum-induced abnormalities.

Chlamydia is the most common bacterial sexually transmitted infection worldwide and it is widely acknowledged that controlling the rampant community transmission of this infection requires vaccine development. In this study, for the first time, we elucidate the long-term response to male mouse chlamydial vaccination with chlamydial major outer membrane protein (MOMP) and ISCOMATRIX (IMX) both prophylactically and in a novel therapeutic setting. Vaccination significantly reduced and, in some cases, cleared chlamydial burden from the prostates, epididymides, and testes, which correlates with high IgG and IgA tires in tissues and serum. Important markers of sperm health and fertility were protected including sperm motility and proteins associated with fertility in men. Within splenocytes, expression of IFNγ, TNFα, IL17, IL13, IL10, and TGFß were changed by both infection and vaccination within CD4 and CD8 T cells and regulatory T cells. Within the testicular tissue, phenotypic and concentration changes were observed in macrophages and T cells (resident and transitory). This revealed some pathogenic phenotypes associated with infection and critically that vaccination allows maintenance of testicular homeostasis, likely by preventing significant influx of CD4 T cells and promoting IL10 production. Finally, we demonstrated the testes contained immature (B220+) B cells and mature (CD138+) Chlamydia-specific plasma cells. Thus, through vaccination, we can maintain the healthy function of the testes, which is vital to protection of male fertility.

Higher portal venous pulsatility is associated with worse clinical outcomes following congenital heart surgery: a single-centre prospective cohort study.

PURPOSE: Increased portal venous flow pulsatility is associated with major complications after adult cardiac surgery. Nevertheless, no data are available for pediatric patients with congenital heart disease. We hypothesized that Doppler parameters including portal flow pulsatility could be associated with postoperative outcomes in children undergoing various cardiac surgeries. METHODS: We conducted a prospective observational cohort study in children undergoing congenital cardiac surgery. We obtained postoperative portal, splenic, and hepatic venous Doppler data and perioperative clinical data including major postoperative complications. Portal and splenic venous flow pulsatility were calculated. We evaluated the association between venous Doppler parameters and adverse outcomes. The primary objective was to determine whether postoperative portal flow pulsatility could indicate major complications following congenital heart surgery. RESULTS: In this study, we enrolled 389 children, 74 of whom experienced major postoperative complications. The mean (standard deviation) portal pulsatility (44 [30]% vs 25 [14]%; 95% confidence interval [CI] for mean difference, 12 to 26; P < 0.001] and splenic pulsatility indices (41 [30]% vs 26 [16]%; 95% CI, 7 to 23; P < 0.001) were significantly higher in children with postoperative complications than in those without complications. The portal pulsatility index was able to help identify postoperative complications in biventricular patients and univentricular patients receiving bidirectional cavopulmonary shunt whereas it did not in other univentricular patients. An increased postoperative portal pulsatility index was significantly associated with major complications after pediatric cardiac surgery (odds ratio, 1.40; 95% CI, 1.29 to 1.91; P < 0.001). CONCLUSIONS: Higher portal venous pulsatility is associated with major postoperative complications in children undergoing cardiac surgery. Nevertheless, more data are needed to conclude the efficacy of portal venous pulsatility in patients with univentricular physiology. STUDY REGISTRATION: ClinicalTrials.gov (NCT03990779); registered 19 June 2019.

RéSUMé: OBJECTIF: L'augmentation de la pulsatilité du flux de la veine porte est associée à des complications majeures après une chirurgie cardiaque chez l'adulte. Néanmoins, aucune donnée n'est disponible pour la patientèle pédiatrique atteinte de cardiopathie congénitale. Nous avons émis l'hypothèse que les paramètres Doppler, y compris la pulsatilité du flux de la veine porte, pourraient être associés aux devenirs postopératoires des enfants bénéficiant de diverses chirurgies cardiaques. MéTHODE: Nous avons réalisé une étude de cohorte observationnelle prospective portant sur des enfants bénéficiant d'une chirurgie cardiaque congénitale. Nous avons obtenu des données Doppler des veines porte, spléniques et hépatiques postopératoires ainsi que des données cliniques périopératoires, y compris les complications postopératoires majeures. La pulsatilité du flux des veines porte et spléniques a été calculée. Nous avons évalué l'association entre les paramètres Doppler veineux et les issues indésirables. L'objectif principal était de déterminer si la pulsatilité du flux postopératoire de la veine porte pouvait constituer un indicateur des complications majeures après une chirurgie cardiaque congénitale. RéSULTATS: Dans cette étude, nous avons recruté 389 enfants, dont 74 ont présenté des complications postopératoires majeures. La pulsatilité moyenne de la veine porte (écart type) (44 [30] % vs 25 [14] %; intervalle de confiance [IC] à 95 % pour la différence moyenne, 12 à 26; P < 0,001] et les indices de pulsatilité splénique (41 [30] % vs 26 [16] %; IC 95 %, 7 à 23; P < 0,001) étaient significativement plus élevés chez les enfants présentant des complications postopératoires que chez les enfants sans complications. L'indice de pulsatilité de la veine porte a permis d'identifier les complications postopératoires chez les patient·es biventriculaires et les patient·es univentriculaires recevant une anastomose cavo-pulmonaire bidirectionnelle (procédure de Glenn), alors que ce n'était pas le cas chez les autres patient·es univentriculaires. Une augmentation postopératoire de l'indice de pulsatilité de la veine porte était significativement associée à des complications majeures après une chirurgie cardiaque pédiatrique (rapport de cotes, 1,40; IC 95 %, 1,29 à 1,91; P < 0,001). CONCLUSION: Une pulsatilité plus élevée de la veine porte est associée à des complications postopératoires majeures chez les enfants bénéficiant d'une chirurgie cardiaque. Néanmoins, davantage de données sont nécessaires pour conclure à l'efficacité de la pulsatilité de la veine porte chez les patient·es présentant une physiologie univentriculaire. ENREGISTREMENT DE L'éTUDE: ClinicalTrials.gov (NCT03990779); enregistrée le 19 juin 2019.

The effect of audiovisual feedback of monitor/defibrillators on percentage of appropriate compression depth and rate during cardiopulmonary resuscitation.

BACKGROUND: High quality cardiopulmonary resuscitation (CPR) is one of the key elements of the survival chain in cardiac arrest. Audiovisual feedback of chest compressions have been suggested to be beneficial by increasing the quality of CPR in the simulated cardiac arrests. METHODS: A prospective before and after study was performed to investigate the effect of a real-time audiovisual feedback system on CPR quality during in-hospital cardiac arrest in intensive care units from November 2018 to February 2022. In the feedback period, CPR was performed with the aid of the real-time audiovisual feedback system. The primary outcome was the percentage of compressions with both adequate depth (5.0-6.0 cm) and rate (100-120/minute). RESULTS: A total of 27,295 compressions in 30 cardiac arrests in the no-feedback period and 27,965 compressions in 30 arrests in the feedback period were analyzed. The percentage of compressions with both adequate depth and rate was 11.8% in the feedback period and 16.8% in the no-feedback period (P < 0.01). The percentage of compressions with adequate rate in the feedback period was lower than that in the no-feedback period (67.3% vs. 75.5%, P < 0.01). The percentage of beyond-target depth with the feedback was significantly higher than that without feedback (64.2% vs. 51.4%, P < 0.01). CONCLUSION: Real-time audiovisual feedback system did not increase CPR quality and was associated with a higher percentage of compression depth deeper than the recommended 5.0-6.0 cm. It is essential to explore more effective ways of implementing feedback in real clinical settings to improve of the quality of CPR. TRIAL REGISTRATION: NCT03902873 (study start: Nov. 2018, initial release April 2019, retrospectively registered).

Enzyme Activity and Lipogenesis Inhibition by Fermented Grain Using Natural Enzymes.

This study aims to compare the effects of three enzyme-rich foods, including one fermented (grain enzyme) and two non-fermented foods (enzyme foods 1 and 2), by investigating their antioxidant, anti-inflammatory, and anti-adipogenic properties. Grain enzyme exhibited the highest radical scavenging activity and was rich in antioxidant components, including total polyphenol and total flavonoid contents. Grain enzyme and enzyme foods 1 and 2 inhibited nitric oxide production by 27, 34, and 17%, respectively, at a concentration of 200 µg/mL in LPS-stimulated macrophages. Among the tested enzymes, grain enzyme demonstrated the strongest inhibition on the expression of inducible nitric oxide synthase (INOS), cyclooxygenase-2 (COX-2), and interleukin (IL)-1ß, while Enzyme Food 2 exhibited the most significant suppression of IL-6 mRNA levels. Furthermore, Grain Enzyme demonstrated a stronger inhibitory effect compared to Enzyme Food 1 and 2. Grain Enzyme decreased the mRNA expression of peroxisome proliferator-activated receptor (PPAR)γ, CCAAT/enhancer-binding protein (C/EBP)α, and fatty acid-binding protein (FABP)4 by 28, 21, and 30%, respectively, at a concentration of 400 µg/mL. In summary, fermented grain enzymes outperformed non-fermented enzymes in suppressing inflammation and adipogenesis. This study highlights the anti-inflammatory and anti-adipogenic effects of grain enzyme, suggesting its potential as a valuable dietary supplement for managing metabolic disorders.

Genomic analysis of plasmid content in food isolates of E. coli strongly supports its role as a reservoir for the horizontal transfer of virulence and antibiotic resistance genes.

The link between E. coli strains contaminating foods and human disease is unclear, with some reports supporting a direct transmission of pathogenic strains via food and others highlighting their role as reservoirs for resistance and virulence genes. Here we take a genomics approach, analyzing a large set of fully-assembled genomic sequences from E. coli available in GenBank. Most of the strains isolated in food are more closely related to each other than to clinical strains, arguing against a frequent direct transmission of pathogenic strains from food to the clinic. We also provide strong evidence of genetic exchanges between food and clinical strains that are facilitated by plasmids. This is based on an overlapped representation of virulence and resistance genes in plasmids isolated from these two sources. We identify clusters of phylogenetically-related plasmids that are largely responsible for the observed overlap and see evidence of specialization, with some food plasmid clusters preferentially transferring virulence factors over resistance genes. Consistent with these observations, food plasmids have a high mobilization potential based on their plasmid taxonomic unit classification and on an analysis of mobilization gene content. We report antibiotic resistance genes of high clinical relevance and their specific incompatibility group associations. Finally, we also report a striking enrichment for adhesins in food plasmids and their association with specific IncF replicon subtypes. The identification of food plasmids with specific markers (Inc and PTU combinations) as mediators of horizontal transfer between food and clinical strains opens new research avenues and should assist with the design of surveillance strategies.

MicrobeTrace: Retooling molecular epidemiology for rapid public health response.

Outbreak investigations use data from interviews, healthcare providers, laboratories and surveillance systems. However, integrated use of data from multiple sources requires a patchwork of software that present challenges in usability, interoperability, confidentiality, and cost. Rapid integration, visualization and analysis of data from multiple sources can guide effective public health interventions. We developed MicrobeTrace to facilitate rapid public health responses by overcoming barriers to data integration and exploration in molecular epidemiology. MicrobeTrace is a web-based, client-side, JavaScript application (https://microbetrace.cdc.gov) that runs in Chromium-based browsers and remains fully operational without an internet connection. Using publicly available data, we demonstrate the analysis of viral genetic distance networks and introduce a novel approach to minimum spanning trees that simplifies results. We also illustrate the potential utility of MicrobeTrace in support of contact tracing by analyzing and displaying data from an outbreak of SARS-CoV-2 in South Korea in early 2020. MicrobeTrace is developed and actively maintained by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Users can email microbetrace@cdc.gov for support. The source code is available at https://github.com/cdcgov/microbetrace.

Comparison of the Analgesic Efficacy of Opioid-Sparing Multimodal Analgesia and Morphine-Based Patient-Controlled Analgesia in Minimally Invasive Surgery for Colorectal Cancer.

BACKGROUND: A multimodal analgesia (MMA) protocol has shown the effect of postoperative pain control and reduced the postoperative opioid consumption. However, it was questionable whether MMA could replace opioid-based patient-controlled analgesia (PCA) for postoperative pain control. Therefore, this study aimed to investigate whether an MMA protocol is non-inferior to opioid-based PCA for pain management after a minimally invasive colorectal cancer surgery. METHODS: A randomized, open-label, non-inferiority clinical trial was conducted on patients undergoing laparoscopic or robotic resection of colorectal cancer. The patients were randomly assigned to either the PCA or MMA group. The MMA protocol included pregabalin, tramadol, wound infiltration, and transversus abdominis plane block. The primary outcome was the numeric rating scale (NRS) score for pain at rest 24 h postoperatively. RESULTS: Ninety-seven patients were included in the intention-to-treat analysis. The mean difference in NRS score at rest at 24 h was 0.25 (95% confidence interval, - 0.61 to 1.11). This result demonstrated the non-inferiority of MMA to PCA in our non-inferiority margin (- 1). Compared with the PCA group, the median remifentanil dose (996 vs. 654 µg; p < 0.001) and time in the post-anesthesia care unit (35 vs. 25 min; p < 0.001) were significantly less in the MMA group. CONCLUSIONS: Our MMA protocol successfully controlled postoperative pain and was non-inferior to morphine-based PCA based on patient-reported pain intensity, with no significant increase in adverse events. These results will help construct a strategy to reduce conventional opioid prescriptions for pain management after a minimally invasive colorectal cancer surgery. Trial Registration Number Trial Registration Clinical Research Information Service Identifier: KCT0002593.

Dynamic visualization of ultraviolet dose on skin with sunscreen applied using minimum erythema dose.

BACKGROUND: Visualizing the ultraviolet (UV) dose on skin serve as an intuitive approach to ensure appropriate sunscreen usage and reduce the risk of erythema. UV dose is determined by a number of external factors, such as properties of sunscreens, weather, and type of outdoor activity. We propose a framework for visualizing UV doses that considers various external factors. MATERIALS AND METHODS: First, the skin of a three-dimensional human model was represented using triangular meshes, and various static postures and dynamic motions were simulated to express outdoor activities. Then, we evaluated the persistency and insufficiency properties of sunscreen, which are time dependent and directly affect the effectiveness of the sunscreen skin protection factor (SPF) during UV exposure. Finally, to calculate the UV dose in real time, we tracked the trajectory of the sun and motion of the skin while considering the time-dependent properties of sunscreen. RESULTS: An S/W system was implemented based on the proposed framework to visualize the distribution of UV doses through dynamic color changes in exposed skin areas. The color types include true colors, which represent the minimum erythema dose (MED), and pseudo colors representing states before 1 MED is reached. We devised various examples to discuss the usability of the proposed framework. CONCLUSION: The system conveniently displays the MED according to an individual's skin phototype. When the properties of a wide range of commercial sunscreens are added to the system database, it is expected that the rate of appropriate sunscreen usage by customers will increase.

Association Between Intraoperative Hyperoxia and Acute Kidney Injury After Cardiac Surgery: A Retrospective Observational Study.

OBJECTIVE: Optimal oxygen management during cardiac surgery has not been established, and studies on the effects of perioperative hyperoxia on postoperative acute kidney injury (AKI) are scarce. The association between intraoperative hyperoxia and AKI after cardiac surgery involving cardiopulmonary bypass was evaluated for the present study. DESIGN: Retrospective observational study. SETTING: A tertiary teaching hospital. PARTICIPANTS: Adult patients who underwent cardiac surgery with cardiopulmonary bypass from November 2006-December 2018. INTERVENTIONS: None. MEASUREMENTS AND MAIN RESULTS: The area above arterial oxygen partial pressure (PaO2) threshold of 300 mmHg (AOT300, mmHg × h) was used as a metric of intraoperative hyperoxia and was associated with postoperative AKI, using the logistic regression analysis. Data also were fitted using the restricted cubic spline model. Sensitivity analyses were conducted using different PaO2 thresholds (150, 200, 250, and 350 mmHg). A total of 2,926 patients were analyzed. Intraoperative AOT300 independently was associated with the risk of AKI (odds ratio 1.0009; 95% confidence interval 1.0002-1.0015). A PaO2 increment of 100 mmHg above PaO2 300 mmHg for an hour was associated with an increased risk of AKI by 9.4% (1.0009100 ≈ 1.094). In the spline model, the log-odds of AKI increased as AOT300 increased. In the sensitivity analyses, AOT250 and AOT350 also significantly were associated with the risk of AKI, whereas AOT150 and AOT200 were not. As the PaO2 threshold increased from 150 to 350 mmHg, the odds ratio gradually increased. CONCLUSIONS: Intraoperative hyperoxia significantly was associated with the risk of AKI after cardiac surgery involving cardiopulmonary bypass.

The influence of powered prostheses on user perspectives, metabolics, and activity: a randomized crossover trial.

BACKGROUND: Powered prosthetic ankles provide battery-powered mechanical push-off, with the aim of reducing the metabolic demands of walking for people with transtibial amputations. The efficacy of powered ankles has been shown in active, high functioning individuals with transtibial amputation, but is less clear in other populations. Additionally, it is unclear how use of a powered prosthesis influences everyday physical activity and mobility. METHODS: Individuals with unilateral transtibial amputations participated in a randomized clinical trial comparing their prescribed, unpowered prosthesis and the BiOM powered prosthesis. Participants' metabolic costs and self-selected walking speeds were measured in the laboratory and daily step count, daily steps away from home, and walking speed were measured over two weeks of at-home prosthesis use. Participants also rated their perception of mobility and quality of life and provided free-form feedback. Dependent measures were compared between prostheses and the relationships between metabolic cost, perception of mobility, and characteristics of walking in daily life were explored using Pearson's correlations. RESULTS: Twelve people were randomly allocated to the powered prosthesis first (n = 7) or unpowered prosthesis first (n = 5) and ten completed the full study. There were no differences in metabolic costs (p = 0.585), daily step count (p = 0.995), walking speed in-lab (p = 0.145) and in daily life (p = 0.226), or perception of mobility between prostheses (p ≥ 0.058). Changes varied across participants, however. There were several medium-sized effects for device comparisons. With the powered prosthesis, participants had increased self-reported ambulation (g = 0.682) and decreased frustration (g = 0.506). CONCLUSIONS: There were no universal benefits of the powered prosthesis on function in the lab or home environment. However, the effects were subject-specific, with some reporting preference for power and improved mobility, and some increasing their activity and decreasing their metabolic effort. Additionally, self-reported preferences did not often correlate with objective measures of function. This highlights the need for future clinical research to include both perception and objective measures to better inform prosthetic prescription. TRIAL REGISTRATION: https://clinicaltrials.gov , #NCT02828982. Registered 12 July 2016, https://clinicaltrials.gov/ct2/show/NCT02828982.

Insights into the red algae and eukaryotic evolution from the genome of Porphyra umbilicalis (Bangiophyceae, Rhodophyta).

Porphyra umbilicalis (laver) belongs to an ancient group of red algae (Bangiophyceae), is harvested for human food, and thrives in the harsh conditions of the upper intertidal zone. Here we present the 87.7-Mbp haploid Porphyra genome (65.8% G + C content, 13,125 gene loci) and elucidate traits that inform our understanding of the biology of red algae as one of the few multicellular eukaryotic lineages. Novel features of the Porphyra genome shared by other red algae relate to the cytoskeleton, calcium signaling, the cell cycle, and stress-tolerance mechanisms including photoprotection. Cytoskeletal motor proteins in Porphyra are restricted to a small set of kinesins that appear to be the only universal cytoskeletal motors within the red algae. Dynein motors are absent, and most red algae, including Porphyra, lack myosin. This surprisingly minimal cytoskeleton offers a potential explanation for why red algal cells and multicellular structures are more limited in size than in most multicellular lineages. Additional discoveries further relating to the stress tolerance of bangiophytes include ancestral enzymes for sulfation of the hydrophilic galactan-rich cell wall, evidence for mannan synthesis that originated before the divergence of green and red algae, and a high capacity for nutrient uptake. Our analyses provide a comprehensive understanding of the red algae, which are both commercially important and have played a major role in the evolution of other algal groups through secondary endosymbioses.

Identification of Noise Sources and Design of Noise Reduction Measures for a Pneumatic Nail Gun.

An experimental-analytical procedure was implemented to reduce the operating noise level of a nail gun, a commonly found power tool in a construction site. The procedure is comprised of preliminary measurements, identification and ranking of major noise sources and application of noise controls. Preliminary measurements show that the impact noise transmitted through the structure and the exhaust related noise were found to be the first and second major contributors. Applying a noise absorbing foam on the outside of the nail gun body was found to be an effective noise reduction technique. One and two-volume small mufflers were designed and applied to the exhaust side of the nail gun which reduced not only the exhaust noise but also the impact noise. It was shown that the overall noise level could be reduced by as much as 3.5 dB, suggesting that significant noise reduction is possible in construction power tools without any significant increase of the cost.

Particulate mass and polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons exposure from secondhand smoke in the back seat of a vehicle.

CONTEXT: Exposure to secondhand smoke (SHS) has been reduced in the USA by banning smoking in public places. These restrictions have not had the same effect on children's exposure to SHS as adults suggesting that children are exposed to SHS in locations not covered by bans, such as private homes and cars. OBJECTIVES: Assess exposure to SHS in the backseat of a stationary vehicle where a child would sit, quantify exposures to fine particulates (PM2.5), polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAH), carbon monoxide (CO) and nicotine. Estimate the impact on a child's mean daily exposure to PM2.5. METHODS: SHS exposures in stationary vehicles with two different window configurations were monitored. A volunteer smoked three cigarettes in a one-hour period for twenty-two experiments. PM2.5, CO, nicotine and PAH where measured in the backseat of the vehicle. 16 PAH compounds were measured for in gas and particle phases as well as real-time particle phase concentrations. RESULTS: The mean PAH concentration, 1325.1 ng/m(3), was larger than concentrations measured in bars and restaurants were smoking is banned in many countries. We estimate that a child spending only ten minutes in the car with a smoker at the mean PM2.5 concentration measured in the first window configuration--1697 mg/m(3)--will cause a 30% increase to the daily mean PM2.5 personal average of a child. CONCLUSIONS: Estimates made using the measured data and previously reported PM2.5 daily mean concentrations for children in California showing that even short exposure periods are capable of creating large exposure to smoke.

The genome sequence of the leaf-cutter ant Atta cephalotes reveals insights into its obligate symbiotic lifestyle.

Leaf-cutter ants are one of the most important herbivorous insects in the Neotropics, harvesting vast quantities of fresh leaf material. The ants use leaves to cultivate a fungus that serves as the colony's primary food source. This obligate ant-fungus mutualism is one of the few occurrences of farming by non-humans and likely facilitated the formation of their massive colonies. Mature leaf-cutter ant colonies contain millions of workers ranging in size from small garden tenders to large soldiers, resulting in one of the most complex polymorphic caste systems within ants. To begin uncovering the genomic underpinnings of this system, we sequenced the genome of Atta cephalotes using 454 pyrosequencing. One prediction from this ant's lifestyle is that it has undergone genetic modifications that reflect its obligate dependence on the fungus for nutrients. Analysis of this genome sequence is consistent with this hypothesis, as we find evidence for reductions in genes related to nutrient acquisition. These include extensive reductions in serine proteases (which are likely unnecessary because proteolysis is not a primary mechanism used to process nutrients obtained from the fungus), a loss of genes involved in arginine biosynthesis (suggesting that this amino acid is obtained from the fungus), and the absence of a hexamerin (which sequesters amino acids during larval development in other insects). Following recent reports of genome sequences from other insects that engage in symbioses with beneficial microbes, the A. cephalotes genome provides new insights into the symbiotic lifestyle of this ant and advances our understanding of host-microbe symbioses.

Draft genome of the globally widespread and invasive Argentine ant (Linepithema humile).

Ants are some of the most abundant and familiar animals on Earth, and they play vital roles in most terrestrial ecosystems. Although all ants are eusocial, and display a variety of complex and fascinating behaviors, few genomic resources exist for them. Here, we report the draft genome sequence of a particularly widespread and well-studied species, the invasive Argentine ant (Linepithema humile), which was accomplished using a combination of 454 (Roche) and Illumina sequencing and community-based funding rather than federal grant support. Manual annotation of >1,000 genes from a variety of different gene families and functional classes reveals unique features of the Argentine ant's biology, as well as similarities to Apis mellifera and Nasonia vitripennis. Distinctive features of the Argentine ant genome include remarkable expansions of gustatory (116 genes) and odorant receptors (367 genes), an abundance of cytochrome P450 genes (>110), lineage-specific expansions of yellow/major royal jelly proteins and desaturases, and complete CpG DNA methylation and RNAi toolkits. The Argentine ant genome contains fewer immune genes than Drosophila and Tribolium, which may reflect the prominent role played by behavioral and chemical suppression of pathogens. Analysis of the ratio of observed to expected CpG nucleotides for genes in the reproductive development and apoptosis pathways suggests higher levels of methylation than in the genome overall. The resources provided by this genome sequence will offer an abundance of tools for researchers seeking to illuminate the fascinating biology of this emerging model organism.

Draft genome of the red harvester ant Pogonomyrmex barbatus.

We report the draft genome sequence of the red harvester ant, Pogonomyrmex barbatus. The genome was sequenced using 454 pyrosequencing, and the current assembly and annotation were completed in less than 1 y. Analyses of conserved gene groups (more than 1,200 manually annotated genes to date) suggest a high-quality assembly and annotation comparable to recently sequenced insect genomes using Sanger sequencing. The red harvester ant is a model for studying reproductive division of labor, phenotypic plasticity, and sociogenomics. Although the genome of P. barbatus is similar to other sequenced hymenopterans (Apis mellifera and Nasonia vitripennis) in GC content and compositional organization, and possesses a complete CpG methylation toolkit, its predicted genomic CpG content differs markedly from the other hymenopterans. Gene networks involved in generating key differences between the queen and worker castes (e.g., wings and ovaries) show signatures of increased methylation and suggest that ants and bees may have independently co-opted the same gene regulatory mechanisms for reproductive division of labor. Gene family expansions (e.g., 344 functional odorant receptors) and pseudogene accumulation in chemoreception and P450 genes compared with A. mellifera and N. vitripennis are consistent with major life-history changes during the adaptive radiation of Pogonomyrmex spp., perhaps in parallel with the development of the North American deserts.

Difference in knee rotation between total and unicompartmental knee arthroplasties during stair climbing.

PURPOSE: The purpose of this study was to compare knee kinematics during stair walking in patients with simultaneous total knee arthroplasty (TKA) and unicompartmental knee arthroplasties (UKA). It was hypothesized that UKA would reproduce more normalized knee kinematics than TKA during stair ascent and descent. METHODS: Six patients who received UKA in one knee and TKA in the other knee were included in the study. For this study, a four-step staircase was assembled with two force platforms being positioned at the centre of the second and third steps. Each patient was attached with 16 reflective markers at both lower extremities and was asked to perform five roundtrip trials of stair climbing. Kinematic parameters including stance duration, knee angle, vertical ground reaction force (GRF), joint reaction force, and moments were obtained and analysed using a10-camera motion system (VICON, Oxford, UK). Nonparametric Friedman test was used to compare the results between two arthroplasty methods and between stair ascent and descent. RESULTS: Compared to TKA, UKA knees exhibited significantly greater degree of rotation in transverse planes (5.0 degrees during ascent and 6.0 degrees during descent on average), but showed no difference in terms of the other parameters. When comparing the results during stair ascent with descent, overall greater knee angle, vertical GRF, joint reaction force, and moment were observed during stair descent. CONCLUSIONS: Both UKA and TKA knees have shown overall similar knee kinematics, though UKA knee may allow greater degree of rotation freedom, which resembles normal knee kinematics during stair walking.

Deciphering perivascular macrophages and microglia in the retinal ganglion cell layers.

Introduction: The classically defined two retinal microglia layers are distributed in inner and outer plexiform layers. Although there are some reports that retinal microglia are also superficially located around the ganglion cell layer (GCL) in contact with the vitreous, there has been a lack of detailed descriptions and not fully understood yet. Methods: We visualized the microglial layers by using CX3CR1-GFP (C57BL6) transgenic mice with both healthy and disease conditions including NaIO3-induced retinal degeneration models and IRBP-induced auto-immune uveitis models. Result: We found the GCL microglia has two subsets; peripheral (pph) microglia located on the retinal parenchyma and BAM (CNS Border Associated Macrophage) which have a special stretched phenotype only located on the surface of large retinal veins. First, in the pph microglia subset, but not in BAM, Galectin-3 and LYVE1 are focally expressed. However, LYVE1 is specifically expressed in the amoeboid or transition forms, except the typical dendritic morphology in the pph microglia. Second, BAM is tightly attached to the surface of the retinal veins and has similar morphology patterns in both the healthy and disease conditions. CD86+ BAM has a longer process which vertically passes the proximal retinal veins. Our data helps decipher the basic anatomy and pathophysiology of the retinal microglia in the GCL. Discussion: Our data helps decipher the basic anatomy and pathophysiology of the retinal microglia in the GCL.

Mortality and bleeding associated with the management of sub-massive pulmonary embolism: a systematic review and Bayesian network meta-analysis.

Current guidelines recommend anticoagulation (AC) for low and intermediate-risk pulmonary embolism (PE) and systemic thrombolysis (tPA) for high risk (massive) PE. How these treatment options compare with other modalities of treatment such as catheter directed thrombolysis (CDT), ultrasound assisted catheter thrombolysis (USAT), and administering lower dose of thrombolytics (LDT) is unclear. There is no study that has compared all these treatment options. We conducted a systematic review and Bayesian network meta-analysis of randomized controlled trials in patients with submassive (intermediate risk) PE. Fourteen randomized controlled trials were included, comprising 2132 patients. On Bayesian network meta-analysis, a significant decrease in mortality was noted in tPA versus AC. There was no significant difference between USAT versus CDT. For risk of major bleeding, there was no significant difference in relative risk of major bleeding between tPA versus AC and USAT versus CDT. tPA was found to have a significantly higher risk of minor bleeding and a lower risk of recurrent PE compared to AC. Systemic thrombolysis is associated with a significant reduction in mortality and recurrent PE compared to anticoagulation but an increased risk of minor bleeding. There was no difference in risk of major bleeding. Our study also shows that while the newer modalities of treatment for pulmonary embolism are promising, there is lack of data to comment on the purported advantages.