Communication and signal exchange in the Rhizobium bradyrhizobium legume system

A new comprehensive communication concept in the Rhizobium/Bradyrhizobium legume symbiosis was developed. It includes a root zone specific flavonoid exudation, the differential activity of phenylpropane/acetate pathway derivatives on chemotaxis, nod-gene inducing activity and phytoalexin resistance induction on the microsymbiont side (Bradyrhizobium). Nod factor production from the microsymbiont affects the host plant in root hair curling and meristem induction. Phytoalexin production in the host plant is also an early response, however repressed to a low level after a few hours. Another strategy of the microsymbiont to overcome phytoalexin effects is degradation of phytoalexins in Rhizobium leguminosarum bv. vicieae. Competitiveness within the same infection group of the microsymbiont was studied with gus-gene fusion, using the blue coloured nodules to easily discriminate marked strains from unmarked competitors. New exopolysaccharide (EPS) mutants of Bradyrhizobium japonicum were reconstructed homologous with a DNA region to exoB gene of Rhizobium meliloti. Their clearly reduced competitiveness of nodulation, demonstrates that exopolysaccharides of Bradyrhizohium japonicum also have an important function during the early stages of this symbiotic interaction

Assessment of chemical species of lead accumulated in tidemarks of human articular cartilage by X-ray absorption near-edge structure analysis

Lead is a toxic trace element that shows a highly specific accumulation in the transition zone between calcified and non-calcified articular cartilage, the so-called ‘tidemark’. Excellent agreement has been found between XANES spectra of synthetic Pb-doped carbonated hydroxyapatite and spectra obtained in the tidemark region and trabecular bone of normal human samples, confirming that in both tissues Pb is incorporated into the hydroxyapatite crystal structure of bone. During this study the µ-XANES set-up at the SUL-X beamline at ANKA was tested and has proven to be well suited for speciation of lead in human mineralized tissue samples

Active surveillance of Q fever in human and animal population of Cyprus

BACKGROUND: A long-term active surveillance of Q fever was conducted in Cyprus organized in two phases. METHODS: Following serological tests and identification of seropositive humans and animals for C. burnetii in two villages (VIL1 and VIL2), all seronegative individuals were followed up for one year on a monthly basis by trained physicians to detect possible seroconversion for Q fever. In the second phase of the study, active surveillance for one year was conducted in the entire Cyprus. Physicians were following specific case definition criteria for Q fever. Standardized questionnaires, a geographical information system on a regional level, Immunofluorescence Assay (IFA) examinations and shell vial technique were used. RESULTS: Eighty-one seronegative humans and 239 seronegative animals from both villages participated in the first phase surveillance period of Q fever. Despite the small number of confirmed clinical cases (2 humans and 1 goat), a significant percentage of new seropositives for C. burnetii (44.4% of human participants and 13.8% of animals) was detected at the end of the year. During the second phase of surveillance, 82 humans, 100 goats, and 76 sheep were considered suspected cases of Q fever. However, only 9 human, 8 goat, and 4 sheep cases were serologically confirmed, while C. burnetii was isolated from three human and two animal samples. The human incidence rate was estimated at 1.2 per 100,000 population per year. CONCLUSION: A small number of confirmed clinical cases of Q fever were observed despite the high seroprevalence for C. burnetii in human and animal population of Cyprus. Most of the cases in the local population of Cyprus appear to be subclinical. Moreover further studies should investigate the role of ticks in the epidemiology of Q fever and their relation to human seropositivity

The ATLAS inner detector trigger performance in pp collisions at 13 TeV during LHC Run 2

The design and performance of the inner detector trigger for the high level trigger of the ATLAS experiment at the Large Hadron Collider during the 2016-18 data taking period is discussed. In 2016, 2017, and 2018 the ATLAS detector recorded 35.6 fb$^{-1}$, 46.9 fb$^{-1}$, and 60.6 fb$^{-1}$ respectively of proton-proton collision data at a centre-of-mass energy of 13 TeV. In order to deal with the very high interaction multiplicities per bunch crossing expected with the 13 TeV collisions the inner detector trigger was redesigned during the long shutdown of the Large Hadron Collider from 2013 until 2015. An overview of these developments is provided and the performance of the tracking in the trigger for the muon, electron, tau and $b$-jet signatures is discussed. The high performance of the inner detector trigger with these extreme interaction multiplicities demonstrates how the inner detector tracking continues to lie at the heart of the trigger performance and is essential in enabling the ATLAS physics programme

Observation of electroweak production of two jets in association with an isolated photon and missing transverse momentum, and search for a Higgs boson decaying into invisible particles at 13 TeV with the ATLAS detector

This paper presents the measurement of the electroweak production of two jets in association with a $Z\gamma$ pair with the $Z$ boson decaying into two neutrinos. It also presents the search for invisible or partially invisible decays of a Higgs boson with a mass of 125 GeV produced through vector-boson fusion with a photon in the final state. These results use data from LHC proton-proton collisions at $\sqrt{s}$ = 13 TeV collected with the ATLAS detector corresponding to an integrated luminosity of 139 fb$^{-1}$. The event signature, shared by all benchmark processes considered for measurements and searches, is characterized by a significant amount of unbalanced transverse momentum and a photon in the final state, in addition to a pair of forward jets. For electroweak production of $Z\gamma$ in association with two jets, the background-only hypothesis is rejected with an observed (expected) significance of 5.2 (5.1) standard deviations. The measured fiducial cross-section for this process is 1.31$\pm$0.29 fb. Observed (expected) upper limit of 0.37 (0.34) at 95% confidence level is set on the branching ratio of a 125 GeV Higgs boson to invisible particles, assuming the Standard Model production cross-section. The signature is also interpreted in the context of decays of a Higgs boson to a photon and a dark photon. An observed (expected) 95% CL upper limit on the branching ratio for this decay is set at 0.018 (0.017), assuming the 125 GeV Standard Model Higgs boson production cross-section

The ATLAS inner detector trigger performance in pp collisions at 13 TeV during LHC Run 2

The design and performance of the inner detector trigger for the high level trigger of the ATLAS experiment at the Large Hadron Collider during the 2016-18 data taking period is discussed. In 2016, 2017, and 2018 the ATLAS detector recorded 35.6 fb$^{-1}$, 46.9 fb$^{-1}$, and 60.6 fb$^{-1}$ respectively of proton-proton collision data at a centre-of-mass energy of 13 TeV. In order to deal with the very high interaction multiplicities per bunch crossing expected with the 13 TeV collisions the inner detector trigger was redesigned during the long shutdown of the Large Hadron Collider from 2013 until 2015. An overview of these developments is provided and the performance of the tracking in the trigger for the muon, electron, tau and $b$-jet signatures is discussed. The high performance of the inner detector trigger with these extreme interaction multiplicities demonstrates how the inner detector tracking continues to lie at the heart of the trigger performance and is essential in enabling the ATLAS physics programme

Stress- and Sex-Related Differences in the Activation of Neuronal Subtypes in the Basolateral Amygdala of the Rat

Previous studies suggest that stress alters the activational profiles among phenotypically-distinct subpopulations of neurons within the basolateral amygdala (BLA) of the rat. Given the connectivity of this region of the brain to the hippocampus, and the implications of the role of the BLA in modulating long-term potentiation associated with memory and learning, inferences of stress having a negative impact on cognition and memory can be drawn. Observations regarding stress response disparities between males and females in our model prompted the investigation of the role gender plays in cognition under conditions of stress, as well as the responses to stress itself. This study compares distinct subpopulations of BLA neurons recruited in response to a mild physical stress in adult male and female Sprague-Dawley rats. Acute (A; 30min x 1d) or chronic (R; 30min x 14d) restraint stressed animals are compared to unstressed controls (C). Neuronal activation was determined through immunohistochemical staining for cFos immunoreactivity observed in the BLA of 30µm coronal sections. Further distinctions among neuronal subpopulations were made using fluorescent immunohistochemistry for Calbinidn and Parvalbumin markers with comparisons drawn across stress and gender variables. BLA immunohistochemical identification was achieved in both sexes and previous studies proposes that female response to repeated stress differs from that of males in that female responses have greater variability. Additional results will be discussed

Adapting an Objective Structured Clinical Examination (OSCE) on Conducting Difficult Conversations Between Nephrology Fellows and Patients to a Virtual Platform: A Research Letter

Background: We previously described a nephrology-specific “Breaking Bad News” Objective Structured Clinical Examination (OSCE) assessing nephrology fellow communication and counseling skills in 3 scenarios: kidney replacement therapy (KRT) in kidney failure, urgent KRT in acute kidney injury (AKI), and kidney biopsy (KBx). Objective: The main objectives of this study is to adapt the OSCE to a virtual platform, simulating nephrology patient telemedicine encounters involving difficult conversations, and to assess fellow and faculty satisfaction with the virtual format. Design: Description of a formative telemedicine simulation for nephrology fellows. Setting: Fully virtual simulation conducted by 2 academic medical simulation centers. Participants: Nephrology faculty and fellows at 3 urban/suburban training programs in the eastern United States. Measurements: Description of the virtual OSCE process. Fellow and faculty satisfaction overall and for each scenario. Faculty and fellow estimates of frequency of virtual patient encounters in the past year. Methods: The OSCE consisted of 3 scenarios: KRT in kidney failure, urgent KRT in AKI, and KBx. Objective Structured Clinical Examinations were administered in May 2021. Each scenario lasted 20 minutes. The AKI scenario was audio only. Fellows telephoned a simulated patient surrogate for urgent KRT consent. Kidney failure and KBx scenarios were video encounters. Faculty observed while muted/video off. Immediately after the OSCE, fellows and faculty were anonymously surveyed regarding their satisfaction with each scenario, the OSCE overall, and their estimate of outpatient encounters and inpatient KRT counseling done virtually in the preceding year. Results: Seventeen fellows completed the OSCE at 2 centers (3 programs). Sixteen (94%) completed the survey. Almost 94% rated the OSCE as a good/very good approximation of telemedicine encounters. Those satisfied/very satisfied with each scenario are as follow: 100% for AKI, 75% for kidney failure, and 75% for KBx. Two commented that they often did urgent KRT counseling by telephone. Fellows estimated a median 20% (interquartile range: 175, 50%) of counseling for acute inpatient KRT and a median 50% (IQR: 33.75, 70%) of outpatient encounters were virtual in the prior year. Two (regarding the kidney failure and KBx scenarios) indicated they would not have counseled similar outpatients virtually. Limitations: The 15-minute interactions may be too short to allow the encounter to be completed comfortably. A small number of programs and fellows participated, and programs were located in urban/suburban areas on the east coast of the United States. Conclusions: Overall, fellows felt that the OSCE was a good approximation of virtual encounters. The OSCE is an opportunity for fellows to practice telemedicine communication skills

sj-pdf-1-cjk-10.1177_20543581221150553 – Supplemental material for Adapting an Objective Structured Clinical Examination (OSCE) on Conducting Difficult Conversations Between Nephrology Fellows and Patients to a Virtual Platform: A Research Letter

Supplemental material, sj-pdf-1-cjk-10.1177_20543581221150553 for Adapting an Objective Structured Clinical Examination (OSCE) on Conducting Difficult Conversations Between Nephrology Fellows and Patients to a Virtual Platform: A Research Letter by Maura A. Watson, Anna M. Howle, Oliver Lenz, Ross J. Scalese, Joshua D. King, Jonathan A. Bolanos and Christina M. Yuan in Canadian Journal of Kidney Health and Disease</p