Wills - Execution - Attestation

Prospective witnesses to a will saw the testatrix standing in an adjoining room engaged in writing. Soon thereafter, the testatrix asked them to come in and sign a paper. Her name had already been written on the document, and she neither signed it in the witnesses\u27 presence nor in any manner indicated the writing to be her will. The witnesses read enough of the document, however, to know it was a will, before subscribing it in the presence of the testatrix and one another. Three of the testatrix\u27 sons objected to the probate of the will on the ground that it was not duly executed. The lower court denied probate on the ground asserted by the contestants. On appeal, held, reversed. The signature of the testatrix on the will was exhibited to the witnesses, and they were requested to sign. Since the requirements of attestation and subscription are synonymous in Wisconsin, all the statutory requirements were met upon the witnesses subscribing the instrument. In Re Estate of White, 273 Wis. 212, 77 N.W. (2d) 404 (1956)

Limitation of Actions- Substantive and Remedial Statutes - Extension of Statutory Period for Fraud

Plaintiff brought an action under the Federal Employers\u27 Liability Act to recover damages from the defendant employer for an industrial disease allegedly contracted more than three years prior to bringing suit. Plaintiff alleged that defendant misrepresented the time within which this action could be brought and thereby tolled the three-year statute of limitations in the FELA. Held, defendant\u27s motion to dismiss granted. The time limitation is an integral part of the statute creating a substantive right and is not extended by fraud or misrepresentation. Glus v. Brooklyn Eastern District Terminal, (S.D. N.Y. 1957) 154 F. Supp. 863

Regulation of Business - Sherman Act - Expansion of Per Se Doctrine Over Tying Agreements

Through congressional grant defendant\u27s predecessor acquired approximately forty million acres of land, consisting of every alternate section in a twenty to forty mile wide belt on each side of its railroad track from Lake Superior to Puget Sound. Defendant sold about thirty-seven million acres of its holdings and leased the balance. Many of the sales contracts and most of the leases, together covering several million acres of land, contained preferential routing clauses which compelled the grantee or lessee to ship all commodities produced or manufactured on the land over defendant\u27s lines, unless competitors\u27 rates were lower or, in some instances, unless their services were better. In an action for injunctive relief by the government, charging that defendant\u27s preferential routing, or tying, agreements were unlawful as unreasonable restraints of trade in violation of section I of the Sherman Act, the district court granted the government\u27s motion for summary judgment. On appeal, held, affirmed, three justices dissenting and one justice not sitting. Tying agreements are per se unreasonable whenever a party has sufficient economic power with respect to the tying product (land) to restrain appreciably free competition in the market for the tied product (transportation) and a not insubstantial amount of interstate commerce is affected. Northern Pacific Ry. Co. v. United States, 356 U.S. I (1958)

Donor Fecal Microbiota Transplantation Alters Gut Microbiota and Metabolites in Obese Individuals With Steatohepatitis

The intestinal microbiota has been linked to the development and prevalence of steatohepatitis in humans. Interestingly, steatohepatitis is significantly lower in individuals taking a plant-based, low-animal-protein diet, which is thought to be mediated by gut microbiota. However, data on causality between these observations in humans is scarce. In this regard, fecal microbiota transplantation (FMT) using healthy donors is safe and is capable of changing microbial composition in human disease. We therefore performed a double-blind randomized controlled proof-of-principle study in which individuals with hepatic steatosis on ultrasound were randomized to two study arms: lean vegan donor (allogenic n = 10) or own (autologous n = 11) FMT. Both were performed three times at 8-week intervals. A liver biopsy was performed at baseline and after 24 weeks in every subject to determine histopathology (Nonalcoholic Steatohepatitis Clinical Research Network) classification and changes in hepatic gene expression based on RNA sequencing. Secondary outcome parameters were changes in intestinal microbiota composition and fasting plasma metabolomics. We observed a trend toward improved necro-inflammatory histology, and found significant changes in expression of hepatic genes involved in inflammation and lipid metabolism following allogenic FMT. Intestinal microbial community structure changed following allogenic FMT, which was associated with changes in plasma metabolites as well as markers of .Conclusion:Allogenic FMT using lean vegan donors in individuals with hepatic steatosis shows an effect on intestinal microbiota composition, which is associated with beneficial changes in plasma metabolites and markers of steatohepatitis.Peer reviewe

Duodenal Anaerobutyricum soehngenii infusion stimulates GLP-1 production, ameliorates glycaemic control and beneficially shapes the duodenal transcriptome in metabolic syndrome subjects : a randomised double-blind placebo-controlled cross-over study

Objective Although gut dysbiosis is increasingly recognised as a pathophysiological component of metabolic syndrome (MetS), the role and mode of action of specific gut microbes in metabolic health remain elusive. Previously, we identified the commensal butyrogenic Anaerobutyricum soehngenii to be associated with improved insulin sensitivity in subjects with MetS. In this proof-of-concept study, we investigated the potential therapeutic effects of A. soehngenii L2-7 on systemic metabolic responses and duodenal transcriptome profiles in individuals with MetS. Design In this randomised double-blind placebo-controlled cross-over study, 12 male subjects with MetS received duodenal infusions of A. soehngenii/ placebo and underwent duodenal biopsies, mixed meal tests (6 hours postinfusion) and 24-hour continuous glucose monitoring. Results A. soehngenii treatment provoked a markedly increased postprandial excursion of the insulinotropic hormone glucagon-like peptide 1 (GLP-1) and an elevation of plasma secondary bile acids, which were positively associated with GLP-1 levels. Moreover, A. soehngenii treatment robustly shaped the duodenal expression of 73 genes, with the highest fold induction in the expression of regenerating islet-protein 1B (REG1B)-encoding gene. Strikingly, duodenal REG1B expression positively correlated with GLP-1 levels and negatively correlated with peripheral glucose variability, which was significantly diminished in the 24 hours following A. soehngenii intake. Mechanistically, Reg1B expression is induced upon sensing butyrate or bacterial peptidoglycan. Importantly, A. soehngenii duodenal administration was safe and well tolerated. Conclusions A single dose of A. soehngenii improves peripheral glycaemic control within 24 hours; it specifically stimulates intestinal GLP-1 production and REG1B expression. Further studies are needed to delineate the specific pathways involved in REG1B induction and function in insulin sensitivity.Peer reviewe

Improvement of Insulin Sensitivity after Lean Donor Feces in Metabolic Syndrome Is Driven by Baseline Intestinal Microbiota Composition

The intestinal microbiota has been implicated in insulin resistance, although evidence regarding causality in humans is scarce. We therefore studied the effect of lean donor (allogenic) versus own (autologous) fecal microbiota transplantation (FMT) to male recipients with the metabolic syndrome. Whereas we did not observe metabolic changes at 18 weeks after FMT, insulin sensitivity at 6 weeks after allogenic FMT was significantly improved, accompanied by altered microbiota composition. We also observed changes in plasma metabolites such as gamma-aminobutyric acid and show that metabolic response upon allogenic FMT (defined as improved insulin sensitivity 6 weeks after FMT) is dependent on decreased fecal microbial diversity at baseline. In conclusion, the beneficial effects of lean donor FMT on glucose metabolism are associated with changes in intestinal microbiota and plasma metabolites and can be predicted based on baseline fecal microbiota composition.Peer reviewe

The genetic architecture of the human cerebral cortex

The cerebral cortex underlies our complex cognitive capabilities, yet little is known about the specific genetic loci that influence human cortical structure. To identify genetic variants that affect cortical structure, we conducted a genome-wide association meta-analysis of brain magnetic resonance imaging data from 51,665 individuals. We analyzed the surface area and average thickness of the whole cortex and 34 regions with known functional specializations. We identified 199 significant loci and found significant enrichment for loci influencing total surface area within regulatory elements that are active during prenatal cortical development, supporting the radial unit hypothesis. Loci that affect regional surface area cluster near genes in Wnt signaling pathways, which influence progenitor expansion and areal identity. Variation in cortical structure is genetically correlated with cognitive function, Parkinson's disease, insomnia, depression, neuroticism, and attention deficit hyperactivity disorder