1,829 research outputs found
Patient data ownership
Response of article in JAMA advocating patient data ownershi
Genetic characterization by amplified fragment length polymorphism (AFLP) markers and morphochemical traits of Carica papaya L. genotypes
Carica papaya L. is a native fruit from Central America and Mexico and it is an economically important fruit. As a pre-breeding genetic study, the variability of both parents (L7 and M22) and the F1 individuals derived from their crosses (L7 à M22), was evaluated in terms of 32 morphochemical traits, and contrasted with their genetic diversity indicated by amplified fragment length polymorphism (AFLP) markers. According to morphochemical traits, L7 and M22 were grouped in two different clades. The first group included L7 and 13 genotypes from the F1, while a second group included the parent M22 and 15 other genotypes from the F1 progeny. The analysis based on morphochemical traits showed an average correlation of 0.652 among genotypes. For AFLP analysis the combination of the primers E-ACA/M-CTA had the best polymorphic index (72.73%). When they were grouped based on AFLPs markers, it was confirmed that both parents are genetically distant, and they were again grouped in two different clades. Five genotypes from the F1 population were grouped in the same clade as L7 and shared 55% similarity. Twenty six genotypes were grouped in the same clade as M22, showing 63.3% similarity. Another 12 genotypes (mainly female genotypes) were grouped in a third independent clade. This relative general agreement between the grouping based on a large number of morphochemical traits (including both plant and fruit traits) and that based on its genetic diversity using AFLPs, suggests that morphochemical characterization, together with genetic analysis by AFLPs, can be complementary and useful techniques for the identification and assessment of genetic diversity within C. papaya L. genotypes, that should be useful for genetic breeding programs of this important species.Key words: Morphological markers, AFLP markers, genetic similarity, Carica papaya L
Lithium and boron in calcified tissues of vicuna and its relation to the chronic exposure by water ingestion in the Andean lithium triangle
Vicuna is a wild, endangered species of Andean camelid living in the hyperarid Andean plateau. In the central part of the plateau, the Lithium Triangle defines a zone with lithiumârich salt pans. Brine pools naturally form within the salt pans, and the adaptation strategy of vicuna consists of drinking from brine pools. Together with reporting the first chemical data on vicuna bones and teeth, we analyzed lithium, boron, and arsenic in water and brines, with the aim of assessing their relation to chronic exposure by water ingestion. We collected and analyzed bones of vicuna specimens lying in an Andean salt pan, together with brine and water samples. Brine and water samples are highly saline and contain large amounts of lithium, boron, and arsenic. Lithium (13.50â40 mg kgâ1 ) and boron (40â46.80 mg kgâ1 ), but not arsenic, were found in the vicuna bones and teeth. Based on our results and on previously reported data on human tissues in the Andes, we conducted statistical assessments of the relationships between lithium and boron in body tissues and water samples, and discuss their environmental significance in the context of the Lithium Triangle.Fil: LĂłpez Steinmetz, Romina Lucrecia. Universidad Nacional de Jujuy. Instituto de Ecorregiones Andinas. Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones CientĂficas y TĂ©cnicas. Centro CientĂfico TecnolĂłgico Conicet - Salta. Instituto de Ecorregiones Andinas; Argentina. Universidad Nacional de Jujuy. Instituto de GeologĂa Minera; ArgentinaFil: Fong, Shao Bing. University of Melbourne; AustraliaFil: Boyer, Emile. Universite de Rennes I; FranciaFil: LĂłpez Steinmetz, Lorena Cecilia. Universidad Nacional de CĂłrdoba. Instituto de Investigaciones PsicolĂłgicas. - Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones CientĂficas y TĂ©cnicas. Centro CientĂfico TecnolĂłgico Conicet - CĂłrdoba. Instituto de Investigaciones PsicolĂłgicas; ArgentinaFil: Tejerina, Norberto Elio. Universidad Nacional de Jujuy. Instituto de GeologĂa Minera; ArgentinaFil: Meuric, Vincent. Universite de Rennes I; Franci
Rituximab therapy for juvenile-onset systemic lupus erythematosus
Rituximab (RTX), an anti-CD20 monoclonal antibody, has been proposed for use in the therapy of systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE). We present the initial long-term experience of the safety and efficacy of rituximab for treatment of SLE in children. Eighteen patients (mean age 14â±â3 years) with severe SLE were treated with rituximab after demonstrating resistance or toxicity to conventional regimens. There was a predominance of female (16/18) and ethnic African (13/18) patients. All had lupus nephritis [World Health Organization (WHO) classes 3â5] and systemic manifestations of vasculitis. Clinical disease activity of the SLE was scored with the SLE-disease activity index 2K (SLEDAI-2K). Patients were followed-up for an average of 3.0â±â1.3 years (range 0.5 to 4.8 years). B-cell depletion occurred within 2 weeks in all patients and persisted for up to 1 year in some. Clinical activity scores, double-stranded DNA (dsDNA) antibodies, renal function and proteinuria [urine protein to creatinine ratio (Upr/cr)] improved in 93% of the patients. Five patients required multiple courses of RTX for relapse, with B-cell repopulation. One died of infectious endocarditis related to severe immunosuppression. In conclusion, our data support the efficacy of rituximab as adjunctive treatment for SLE in children. Although rituximab was well tolerated by the majority of patients, randomized controlled trials are required to establish its long-term safety and efficacy
A flexible sequential learning deficit in patients with Parkinsonâs disease: a 2Â ĂÂ 8 button-press task
A 2Â ĂÂ 8 button-press task is a sequential hand movement task in which subjects are required to press eight pairs of buttons as accurately and quickly as possible. The 2Â ĂÂ 8 task allows us to examine flexible sequential learning, more aptly called sequence-unselective learning. Sequence-unselective learning is observed after repeated experiences with the task, when subjects have shown good progress in learning, with new sequences as well as previously learned ones. Although cognitive inflexibility has been reported in patients with Parkinsonâs disease (PD), there have been few studies investigating their flexibility in sequential learning. We examined PD patientsâ ability for sequence-unselective learning through the use of a 2Â ĂÂ 8 button-press task. In the first session, PD patients and subjects from the control group performed a sequential 2Â ĂÂ 8 task until the learning criterion was fulfilled (Session 1). After 1Â month, they participated in other sessions: one involving the learned sequence (Session 2) and another involving the new sequence (Session 3). We found that PD patients made more errors than the normal control subjects only when learning the new sequence (Session 3) (PÂ <Â 0.01). In Session 3, control subjects reached the learning target with fewer errors than in the Session 1 (normal sequence-unselective learning), whereas the PD patients did not exhibit such an improvement. Our results revealed a sequence-unselective deficit in PD patients. The deficit may help to emphasize the cognitive and physical inflexibility of PD
Transformation and tumorigenicity testing of simian cell lines and evaluation of poliovirus replication
The key role of cell cultures in different scientific fields is worldwide recognized, both as in vitro research models alternative to laboratory animals and substrates for biological production. However, many safety concerns rise from the use of animal/human cell lines that may be tumorigenic, leading to potential adverse contaminations in cell-derived biologicals. In order to evaluate the suitability of 13 different cell lines for Poliovirus vaccine production, safety and quality, in vitro/in vivo tumorigenicity and Poliovirus propagation properties were evaluated.
Our results revealed that non-human primate cell lines CYNOM-K1, FRhK-4, 4MBr-5 and 4647 are free of tumorigenic features and represent highly susceptible substrates for attenuated Sabin Poliovirus strains. In particular, FRhK-4 and 4647 cell lines are characterized by a higher in vitro replication, resulting indicated for the use in large-scale production field
Non-thermal emission processes in massive binaries
In this paper, I present a general discussion of several astrophysical
processes likely to play a role in the production of non-thermal emission in
massive stars, with emphasis on massive binaries. Even though the discussion
will start in the radio domain where the non-thermal emission was first
detected, the census of physical processes involved in the non-thermal emission
from massive stars shows that many spectral domains are concerned, from the
radio to the very high energies.
First, the theoretical aspects of the non-thermal emission from early-type
stars will be addressed. The main topics that will be discussed are
respectively the physics of individual stellar winds and their interaction in
binary systems, the acceleration of relativistic electrons, the magnetic field
of massive stars, and finally the non-thermal emission processes relevant to
the case of massive stars. Second, this general qualitative discussion will be
followed by a more quantitative one, devoted to the most probable scenario
where non-thermal radio emitters are massive binaries. I will show how several
stellar, wind and orbital parameters can be combined in order to make some
semi-quantitative predictions on the high-energy counterpart to the non-thermal
emission detected in the radio domain.
These theoretical considerations will be followed by a census of results
obtained so far, and related to this topic... (see paper for full abstract)Comment: 47 pages, 5 postscript figures, accepted for publication in Astronomy
and Astrophysics Review. Astronomy and Astrophysics Review, in pres
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