Primary and secondary branch growth in black spruce and balsam fir after Careful Logging around small Merchantable Stems (CLASS).

Careful logging around small merchantable stems (CLASS) is a partial cutting treatment that consists of the harvest of 70%–90% of the merchantable volume of an irregular coniferous stand. In this treatment, regeneration, saplings and small merchantable stems (DBH < 15 cm) are preserved and can continue to grow and develop into the dominant layer of the new stand. The aim of this project was to examine the effects of CLASS on the primary and secondary growth of branches, as well as on branch diameter in black spruce and balsam fir trees in the boreal forest of Quebec, Canada. Primary and secondary growth were measured on five branches per tree while branch diameter was analysed from 15 whorls distributed within the crown of the 48 black spruce and 48 balsam fir trees sampled. Branch primary and secondary growth significantly increased after CLASS in the lower part of the crown in both species, and both types of growth increased proportionally. These findings suggest that CLASS may delay crown recession as the lower branches tend to survive and grow for a longer period. However, although radial growth increased in the years post-CLASS, this did not significantly influence the final branch diameter and should not lead to lumber downgrade

Impact of medical, health related, social and occupational factors on post-liver transplant recovery: a longitudinal study

poster abstractPurpose: Organ transplantation is a serious surgery with nearly 10% of patients failing to survive the first three months. Studies of quality of life reflect an increase post-transplant, as compared to pre-transplant, then reports vary including a trend towards decreasing QOL scores by the end of the first transplanted year. In this first year, patients have an increased risk of re-hospitalization due to infection, failure of the body to accept the graft, problems with anti-rejection medications or post- surgical complications. Methods: A longitudinal study of liver transplant recipients (n=23) followed medical, social, and occupational factors, along with SF-36 measures. Results: Variability in QOL scores at 1, 2, 3, 6, 9, and 12 months were directly related to identifiable factors. In those subjects where health returned in an uncomplicated manner, QOL scores consistently improved with the greatest change occurring over the first six months and then tapering off through the end of the first year. Conclusions: These subjects almost uniformly expressed frustration at the length of time it took to return to a healthy state. In circumstances where recovery was delayed due to medical reasons, QOL scores declined significantly until the problems were resolved. In several cases, QOL scores stayed low as these individuals were unprepared for the potential complications associated with this difficult surgery

Fatigue as Reported at 12 Time Points during the First Year Post-Liver Transplant

abstractBACKGROUND: Although liver transplantation has evolved as an effective procedure, fatigue remains a post-transplant complaint [1]. As yet, there are no published accounts of the experience of fatigue at temporal intervals during the first post-transplant year, and this information would benefit LT candidates in recovery planning. Van Ginneken [2] found that time since transplant was not associated with physical fatigue and reduced activity, but was associated with albumin levels less than 25g/l and with lower GFR. METHODS: Data used in this study were collected through an ongoing, longitudinal, prospective design. Results presented here are for fatigue and biometric data at 12 data points starting one week post hospital discharge, continued weekly for the first 8 weeks, then monthly at 3, 6, 9, and 12 months. RESULTS: We sampled 30 subjects: 19 (70.4%) male and 8 (29.6%) female, age 55.4 ± 9.8 years. A mixed models analysis of variance was done to investigate a change in FACIT over time. The initial model included age, MELD, sex, week, albumin, ALT, BILI T, and CREAT. The final model included age, BILI T, and week. Increasing age and BILI T were associated with greater fatigue (p=0.0376 and p=0.0005, respectively). There was significant decrease in fatigue over time (p<0.0001). Pair-wise comparisons were done to determine which weeks significantly differed. Tukey’s adjustment for multiple comparisons was used. Figure 1 indicates which visits significantly differed. DISCUSSION: Our subjects experienced decreased fatigue over time. The data set was rich with prospectively collected longitudinal information helpful for establishing realistic expectations for post-transplant fatigue. Finding include early weeks of recovery (weeks 2-3) differ from weeks 7+ and that there is no significant change after 3 months, up to one year. No association was seen with Albumin levels although total bilirubin and age were associated with greater fatigue

Dynamics of depletion and replenishment of water storage in stem and roots of black spruce measured by dendrometers

In the short term, trees rely on the internal storage of water because it affects their ability to sustain photosynthesis and growth. However, water is not rapidly available for transpiration from all the compartments of the plant and the living tissues of the stem act as a buffer to preclude low water potentials during peaks of transpiration. In this paper, electronic dendrometers were used from mid-June to mid-September 2008 to compare the radius variations in stem and roots of black spruce [Picea mariana (Mill.) B.S.P.] in two sites of the boreal forest of Quebec, Canada, with different soil characteristics and water retention. The duration of the daily cycles was similar between sites and measurement heights but greater amplitudes of contraction and expansion were observed on the stem and in the site with the shallowest soil organic layer. The expansion phase had higher amplitudes and lasted longer than contraction. On average, the contraction phase occurred between 07:00 and 16:30 (legal time), while expansion lasted 14.5 h. The roots in the site with the deepest organic layer showed a wider variation in the onset of contraction, which could be as late as 13:00. The probability of observing the contraction phase depended on precipitation. With a precipitation 60% probability of observing contraction between 05:00 and 21:00, decreasing to 20% with precipitation >1.1 mm h−1. These findings demonstrated that the depth of the organic layer plays an important role in maintaining the internal water reserve of trees. The dynamics of water depletion and replenishment can modify the water potential of xylem and cell turgor during the enlargement phase, thus affecting radial growth. Changes in temperature and precipitation regime could influence the dynamics of internal water storage in trees growing on shallower and drier soils

A three-step procedure in SAS to analyze the time series from automatic dendrometers

Continuous measurements of stem radius variation in trees are obtained with automatic dendrometers that provide time series composed of seasonal tree growth and circadian rhythms of water storage and depletion. Several variables can be extracted from the raw data, such as amplitude and duration of radius increase and contraction, which are useful for understanding intra-annual tree growth, tree physiology and for performing growth-climate relationships. These measurements constitute a large dataset whose manipulation needs numerous algorithms and automatic procedures to efficiently and rapidly extract the information. This paper presents a three-step procedure using two SAS routines to extract the time series describing radius variation and associate them with environmental parameters. The first routine organizes and corrects data and generates outputs in the form of files and plots to visualize the results and improve data correction (first step). The second step consists of a reclassification of the hours of contraction or expansion that have been misclassified by the automatic process. The second routine classifies the daily patterns of stem variation into the three phases of contraction, expansion and radius increment and associates the environmental parameters (third step). An example of the procedure is given, with an explanation of the outputs generated. The advantages and shortcomings of the procedure and its importance for the intra-annual analyses of tree growth are discussed

Pancreas Transplantation: Personal Factors Associated with Good and Poor Post-Transplant Adaptive Response

Notable differences in patient adaptation after pancreas transplant cause some to thrive and return to independent living, while others struggle with emotional and social problems. In order to prepare vulnerable individuals to better cope after transplant, we investigated pre-transplant factors associated with post-transplant adaptive capacity. The pancreas transplant team de ned; good adaptive response (GAR) in patients who were responsible, resourceful, and optimistic. Poor adaptive response (PAR) was associated with patients who tended to complain and were emotionally dependent. METHODS: Experts included 3 nurse coordinators and 3 social workers. A modified Delphi approach was used to achieve consensus on the de nition of GAR and PAR. 200 of the last transplanted pancreas recipients were selected if they: received a pancreas transplant for type 1 DM, with, or without a kidney, and survived a minimum of six months post-transplant. The experts classified cases into GAR and PAR, contextualized by confidence. We completed a chart abstraction of all 200 cases using pre-transplant data and the extracted variables were regressed on the 54 top weighted GAR cases and the top 40 weighted PAR cases. RESULTS: In the final model, past smoker, currently on disability, simultaneous pancreas and kidney (SPK), and less than high school education significantly predicted probability of having a PAR (p<0.05). The model was a well-fitting model with a Hosmer and Lemeshow goodness of t test of (p=0.8250 < 0.05). Given the lack of inclusion of any of the predicted social variables for PAR patients we looked at predictors of GAR. The goodness of fit test was a well-fitting model (p= 0.6294 < 0.05). In addition to pancreas after kidney (PAK) having an odds ratio of 10.39, past smoker was 10.99 and current disability was 5.8. Discussion: The association of PAK with GAR and SPK with PAR suggests a possible effect from prior experience with transplant aiding in coping afterwards. Our findings support the need for a prospective study of coping with pancreas transplant and points to more intensive pre-transplant preparation of recipients, particularly those with lesser education

Altered Humoral Immune Responses and IgG Subtypes in NOX2-Deficient Mice and Patients: A Key Role for NOX2 in Antigen-Presenting Cells

Chronic granulomatous disease (CGD) is a primary immunodeficiency resulting from loss of function mutations in the reactive oxygen species generating phagocyte NADPH oxidase (NOX2). CGD patients are prone to infection, but also have an increased susceptibility to autoimmune diseases. The aim of this study was to investigate the role of NOX2 in the regulation of specific immunity. In both CGD patients and NOX2-deficient mice, we observed an alteration in the basal proportions of IgG subtypes. Upon immunization with curdlan—a dectin 1 agonist—NOX2-deficient mice showed increased production of IgG2c compared to controls, and restimulation of lymph node-derived cells led to increased production of IFNγ, but not IL-5, indicative hallmark of an enhanced Th1 response. T cell activation was increased in NOX2-deficient mice and a similar trend was observed in vitro when T cells were co-cultured with NOX2-deficient bone marrow-derived cells. In contrast, no difference in T cell activation was observed when NOX2-deficient T cells were co-cultured with wild-type BMDC. Following stimulation of NOX2-deficient dendritic cells (DCs), no difference in costimulatory molecules was observed, while there was an increase in the release of Th1-driving cytokines. In summary, both CGD patients and CGD mice have an altered IgG subtype distribution, which is associated with an increased IFNγ production. Thus, NOX2 within DCs appears to be an important regulator at the interface of innate and specific immunity, especially after activation of the dectin 1 pathway, limiting immune activation and the development of autoimmunity

Loss-of-function variants in the KCNQ5 gene are implicated in genetic generalized epilepsies

Summary Background De novo missense variants in KCNQ5, encoding the voltage-gated K+ channel KV7.5, have been described to cause developmental and epileptic encephalopathy (DEE) or intellectual disability (ID). We set out to identify disease-related KCNQ5 variants in genetic generalized epilepsy (GGE) and their underlying mechanisms. Methods 1292 families with GGE were studied by next-generation sequencing. Whole-cell patch-clamp recordings, biotinylation and phospholipid overlay assays were performed in mammalian cells combined with homology modelling. Findings We identified three deleterious heterozygous missense variants, one truncation and one splice site alteration in five independent families with GGE with predominant absence seizures; two variants were also associated with mild to moderate ID. All missense variants displayed a strongly decreased current density indicating a loss-of-function (LOF). When mutant channels were co-expressed with wild-type (WT) KV7.5 or KV7.5 and KV7.3 channels, three variants also revealed a significant dominant-negative effect on WT channels. Other gating parameters were unchanged. Biotinylation assays indicated a normal surface expression of the variants. The R359C variant altered PI(4,5)P2-interaction. Interpretation Our study identified deleterious KCNQ5 variants in GGE, partially combined with mild to moderate ID. The disease mechanism is a LOF partially with dominant-negative effects through functional deficits. LOF of KV7.5 channels will reduce the M-current, likely resulting in increased excitability of KV7.5-expressing neurons. Further studies on network level are necessary to understand which circuits are affected and how this induces generalized seizures. Funding DFG/FNR Research Unit FOR-2715 (Germany/Luxemburg), BMBF rare disease network Treat-ION (Germany), foundation ‘no epilep’ (Germany)

Gram-Negative Bacterial Sensors for Eukaryotic Signal Molecules

Ample evidence exists showing that eukaryotic signal molecules synthesized and released by the host can activate the virulence of opportunistic pathogens. The sensitivity of prokaryotes to host signal molecules requires the presence of bacterial sensors. These prokaryotic sensors, or receptors, have a double function: stereospecific recognition in a complex environment and transduction of the message in order to initiate bacterial physiological modifications. As messengers are generally unable to freely cross the bacterial membrane, they require either the presence of sensors anchored in the membrane or transporters allowing direct recognition inside the bacterial cytoplasm. Since the discovery of quorum sensing, it was established that the production of virulence factors by bacteria is tightly growth-phase regulated. It is now obvious that expression of bacterial virulence is also controlled by detection of the eukaryotic messengers released in the micro-environment as endocrine or neuro-endocrine modulators. In the presence of host physiological stress many eukaryotic factors are released and detected by Gram-negative bacteria which in return rapidly adapt their physiology. For instance, Pseudomonas aeruginosa can bind elements of the host immune system such as interferon-γ and dynorphin and then through quorum sensing circuitry enhance its virulence. Escherichia coli sensitivity to the neurohormones of the catecholamines family appears relayed by a recently identified bacterial adrenergic receptor. In the present review, we will describe the mechanisms by which various eukaryotic signal molecules produced by host may activate Gram-negative bacteria virulence. Particular attention will be paid to Pseudomonas, a genus whose representative species, P. aeruginosa, is a common opportunistic pathogen. The discussion will be particularly focused on the pivotal role played by these new types of pathogen sensors from the sensing to the transduction mechanism involved in virulence factors regulation. Finally, we will discuss the consequence of the impact of host signal molecules on commensally or opportunistic pathogens associated with different human tissue

The James Webb Space Telescope Mission

Twenty-six years ago a small committee report, building on earlier studies, expounded a compelling and poetic vision for the future of astronomy, calling for an infrared-optimized space telescope with an aperture of at least $4m$. With the support of their governments in the US, Europe, and Canada, 20,000 people realized that vision as the $6.5m$ James Webb Space Telescope. A generation of astronomers will celebrate their accomplishments for the life of the mission, potentially as long as 20 years, and beyond. This report and the scientific discoveries that follow are extended thank-you notes to the 20,000 team members. The telescope is working perfectly, with much better image quality than expected. In this and accompanying papers, we give a brief history, describe the observatory, outline its objectives and current observing program, and discuss the inventions and people who made it possible. We cite detailed reports on the design and the measured performance on orbit.Comment: Accepted by PASP for the special issue on The James Webb Space Telescope Overview, 29 pages, 4 figure