Differences in clinicopathologic variables between Borrelia C6 antigen seroreactive and Borrelia C6 seronegative glomerulopathy in dogs.

BackgroundRapidly progressive glomerulonephritis has been described in dogs that seroreact to Borrelia burgdorferi, but no studies have compared clinicopathologic differences in Lyme-seroreactive dogs with protein-losing nephropathy (PLN) versus dogs with Borrelia-seronegative PLN.Hypothesis/objectivesDogs with Borrelia C6 antigen-seroreactive PLN have distinct clinicopathologic findings when compared to dogs with Borrelia seronegative PLN.AnimalsForty dogs with PLN and Borrelia C6 antigen seroreactivity and 78 C6-seronegative temporally matched dogs with PLN.MethodsRetrospective prevalence case-control study. Clinical information was retrieved from records of dogs examined at the University of California, Davis, Veterinary Medical Teaching Hospital. Histopathologic findings in renal tissue procured by biopsy or necropsy of dogs with PLN were reviewed.ResultsRetrievers and retriever mixes were overrepresented in seroreactive dogs (P < .001). Seroreactive dogs were more likely to have thrombocytopenia (P < .001), azotemia (P = .002), hyperphosphatemia (P < .001), anemia (P < .001), and neutrophilia (P = .003). Hematuria, glucosuria, and pyuria despite negative urine culture were more likely in seroreactive dogs (all P ≤ .002). Histopathologic findings were consistent with immune-complex glomerulonephritis in 16 of 16 case dogs and 7 of 23 control dogs (P = 006). Prevalence of polyarthritis was not different between groups (P = .17).Conclusions and clinical importanceC6 seroreactivity in dogs with PLN is associated with a clinicopathologically distinct syndrome when compared with other types of PLN. Early recognition of this syndrome has the potential to improve outcomes through specific aggressive and early treatment

Relative expression of hypothetical protein-related genes for Bradyrhizobium diazoefficiens CPAC 7.

ABSTRACT: From the proteomic map of Bradyrhizobium diazoefficiens strain CPAC 7 we selected nine hypothetical protein-related genes and evaluated their relative expression by Realtime quantitative PCR (RT-qPCR). The experiment was performed with two treatments (induced or not with 5 µM genistein). Six out of nine protein-related genes were upregulated in the presence genistein

SuperCDMS Cold Hardware Design

We discuss the current design of the cold hardware and cold electronics to be used in the upcoming SuperCDMS Soudan deployment. Engineering challenges associated with such concerns as thermal isolation, microphonics, radiopurity, and power dissipation are discussed, along with identifying the design changes necessary for SuperCDMS SNOLAB. The Cryogenic Dark Matter Search (CDMS) employs ultrapure 1-inch thick, 3-inch diameter germanium crystals operating below 50 mK in a dilution cryostat. These detectors give an ionization and phonon signal, which gives us rejection capabilities regarding background events versus dark matter signals.United States. Dept. of Energy (Grant DEAC02-76SF00515)United States. Dept. of Energy (Contract DC-AC02-07CH11359)National Science Foundation (U.S.) (Awards 0705052, 0902182, 1004714 and 0802575

Glass transition of an epoxy resin induced by temperature, pressure and chemical conversion: a configurational entropy rationale

A comparative study is reported on the dynamics of a glass-forming epoxy resin when the glass transition is approached through different paths: cooling, compression, and polymerization. In particular, the influence of temperature, pressure and chemical conversion on the dynamics has been investigated by dielectric spectroscopy. Deep similarities are found in dynamic properties. A unified reading of our experimental results for the structural relaxation time is given in the framework of the Adam-Gibbs theory. The quantitative agreement with the experimental data is remarkable, joined with physical values of the fitting parameters. In particular, the fitting function of the isothermal tau(P) data gives a well reasonable prediction for the molar thermal expansion of the neat system, and the fitting function of the isobaric-isothermal tau(C) data under step- polymerization conforms to the prediction of diverging tau at complete conversion of the system.Comment: 16 pages, 8 figures, from the talk given at the 4th International Discussion Meeting on Relaxations in Complex Systems (IDMRCS), Hersonissos, Helaklion, Crete (Greece), 17-23 June 200

Activated Random Walkers: Facts, Conjectures and Challenges

We study a particle system with hopping (random walk) dynamics on the integer lattice $\mathbb Z^d$. The particles can exist in two states, active or inactive (sleeping); only the former can hop. The dynamics conserves the number of particles; there is no limit on the number of particles at a given site. Isolated active particles fall asleep at rate $\lambda > 0$, and then remain asleep until joined by another particle at the same site. The state in which all particles are inactive is absorbing. Whether activity continues at long times depends on the relation between the particle density $\zeta$ and the sleeping rate $\lambda$. We discuss the general case, and then, for the one-dimensional totally asymmetric case, study the phase transition between an active phase (for sufficiently large particle densities and/or small $\lambda$) and an absorbing one. We also present arguments regarding the asymptotic mean hopping velocity in the active phase, the rate of fixation in the absorbing phase, and survival of the infinite system at criticality. Using mean-field theory and Monte Carlo simulation, we locate the phase boundary. The phase transition appears to be continuous in both the symmetric and asymmetric versions of the process, but the critical behavior is very different. The former case is characterized by simple integer or rational values for critical exponents ($\beta = 1$, for example), and the phase diagram is in accord with the prediction of mean-field theory. We present evidence that the symmetric version belongs to the universality class of conserved stochastic sandpiles, also known as conserved directed percolation. Simulations also reveal an interesting transient phenomenon of damped oscillations in the activity density

Regulatory nodD1 and nodD2 genes of Rhizobium tropici strain CIAT 899 and their roles in the early stages of molecular signaling and host-legume nodulation.

Nodulation and symbiotic nitrogen fixation are mediated by several genes, both of the host legume and of the bacterium. The rhizobial regulatory nodD gene plays a critical role, orchestrating the transcription of the other nodulation genes. Rhizobium tropici strain CIAT 899 is an effective symbiont of several legumes?with an emphasis on common bean (Phaseolus vulgaris)?and is unusual in carrying multiple copies of nodD, the roles of which remain to be elucidated. Results: Phenotypes, Nod factors and gene expression of nodD1 and nodD2 mutants of CIAT 899 were compared with those of the wild type strain, both in the presence and in the absence of the nod-gene-inducing molecules apigenin and salt (NaCl). Differences between the wild type and mutants were observed in swimming motility and IAA (indole acetic acid) synthesis. In the presence of both apigenin and salt, large numbers of Nod factors were detected in CIAT 899, with fewer detected in the mutants. nodC expression was lower in both mutants; differences in nodD1 and nodD2 expression were observed between the wild type and the mutants, with variation according to the inducing molecule, and with a major role of apigenin with nodD1 and of salt with nodD2. In the nodD1 mutant, nodulation was markedly reduced in common bean and abolished in leucaena (Leucaena leucocephala) and siratro (Macroptilium atropurpureum), whereas a mutation in nodD2 reduced nodulation in common bean, but not in the other two legumes. Conclusion: Our proposed model considers that full nodulation of common bean by R. tropici requires both nodD1 and nodD2, whereas, in other legume species that might represent the original host, nodD1 plays the major role. In general, nodD2 is an activator of nod-gene transcription, but, in specific conditions, it can slightly repress nodD1. nodD1 and nodD2 play other roles beyond nodulation, such as swimming motility and IAA synthesis