Multilayered Structure of Tension Wood Cell Walls in Salicaceae \u3ci\u3esensu lato\u3c/i\u3e and Its Taxonomic Significance

Salicaceae have been enlarged to include a majority of the species formerly placed in the polyphyletic tropical Flacourtiaceae. Several studies have reported a peculiar and infrequently formed multilayered structure of tension wood in four of the tropical genera. Tension wood is a tissue produced by trees to restore their vertical orientation and most studies have focused on trees developing tension wood by means of cellulose-rich, gelatinous fibres, as in Populus and Salix (Salicaceae s.s.). This study aims to determine if the multilayered structure of tension wood is an anatomical characteristic common in other Salicaceae and, if so, how its distribution correlates to phylogenetic relationships. Therefore, we studied the tension wood of 14 genera of Salicaceae and two genera of Achariaceae, one genus of Goupiaceae and one genus of Lacistemataceae, families closely related to Salicaceae or formerly placed in Flacourtiaceae. Opposite wood and tension wood were compared with light microscopy and three-dimensional laser scanning confocal microscopy. The results indicate that a multilayered structure of tension wood is common in the family except in Salix, Populus and one of their closest relatives, Idesia polycarpa. We suggest that tension wood may be a useful anatomical character in understanding phylogenetic relationships in Salicaceae. Further investigation is still needed on the tension wood of several other putatively close relatives of Salix and Populus, in particular Bennettiodendron, Macrohasseltia and Itoa

A Belgian consensus on the definition of a treat‐to‐target outcome set in psoriasis management

Objective: Treat-to-target (T2T) is an algorithm to reach a predefined outcome. Here, we define a T2T outcome for moderate-to-severe psoriasis vulgaris. Methods: Briefly, the study included a literature review, discussions with key opinion leaders, recruitment of additional dermatologists with experience in managing moderate-to-severe psoriasis, 3 eDelphi survey rounds and a patient focus group. Relevant topics were selected during discussions prior to the survey for the statements. Surveys were based on the eDelphi methodology for consensus-building using a series of statements. Consensus was defined as at least 80% of participants agreeing. A psoriasis patient focus group provided feedback on topic selection and outcome. Results: A total of 5 discussions were held, and 3 eDelphi rounds were conducted with an average of 19 participants per round. The T2T outcome was set assuming shared decision between patient and dermatologist, awareness and referral for comorbidities by the dermatologist and appropriate treatment adherence by the patient. We defined 'ideal' and 'acceptable' targets; the latter referring to conditions restricting certain drugs. The T2T outcome was multidimensional, including >= Delta PASI90/75 or PGA <= 1, itch VAS score <= 1, absence of disturbing lesions, DLQI <= 1/3, incapacity daily functioning VAS score <= 1, safety <= mild side-effects and full/mild tolerability of treatment for the ideal and acceptable target, respectively. Finally, time to achieve the T2T outcome was set at 12 weeks after initiation for all treatments. At all times, safety should not exceed the presence of mild side-effects. Conclusion: With this novel T2T composite outcome for psoriasis, clinicians and patients can make shared decisions on the treatment goals they envisage, as a guidance for future treatment steps - leading to a tight control management of the disease

Efficacy of vinblastine in central nervous system Langerhans cell histiocytosis: a nationwide retrospective study

<p>Abstract</p> <p>Background</p> <p>Vinblastine (VBL) is the standard treatment for systemic Langerhans cell histiocytosis (LCH), but little is known about its efficacy in central nervous system (CNS) mass lesions.</p> <p>Methods</p> <p>A retrospective chart review was conducted. Twenty patients from the French LCH Study Group register met the inclusion criteria. In brief, they had CNS mass lesions, had been treated with VBL, and were evaluable for radiologic response.</p> <p>Results</p> <p>The median age at diagnosis of LCH was 11.5 years (range: 1-50). Intravenous VBL 6 mg/m²was given in a 6-week induction treatment, followed by a maintenance treatment. The median total duration was 12 months (range: 3-30). Eleven patients received steroids concomitantly. Fifteen patients achieved an objective response; five had a complete response (CR: 25%), ten had a partial response (PR: 50%), four had stable disease (SD: 20%) and one patient progressed (PD: 5%). Of interest, four out of the six patients who received VBL without concomitant steroids achieved an objective response. With a median follow-up of 6.8 years, the 5-year event-free and overall survival was 61% and 84%, respectively. VBL was well-tolerated and there were no patient withdrawals due to adverse events.</p> <p>Conclusion</p> <p>VBL, with or without steroids, could potentially be a useful therapeutic option in LCH with CNS mass lesions, especially for those with inoperable lesions or multiple lesions. Prospective clinical trials are warranted for the evaluation of VBL in this indication.</p

Research and Design of a Routing Protocol in Large-Scale Wireless Sensor Networks

无线传感器网络，作为全球未来十大技术之一，集成了传感器技术、嵌入式计算技术、分布式信息处理和自组织网技术，可实时感知、采集、处理、传输网络分布区域内的各种信息数据，在军事国防、生物医疗、环境监测、抢险救灾、防恐反恐、危险区域远程控制等领域具有十分广阔的应用前景。 本文研究分析了无线传感器网络的已有路由协议，并针对大规模的无线传感器网络设计了一种树状路由协议，它根据节点地址信息来形成路由，从而简化了复杂繁冗的路由表查找和维护，节省了不必要的开销，提高了路由效率，实现了快速有效的数据传输。 为支持此路由协议本文提出了一种自适应动态地址分配算——ADAR（AdaptiveDynamicAddre...As one of the ten high technologies in the future, wireless sensor network, which is the integration of micro-sensors, embedded computing, modern network and Ad Hoc technologies, can apperceive, collect, process and transmit various information data within the region. It can be used in military defense, biomedical, environmental monitoring, disaster relief, counter-terrorism, remote control of haz...学位：工学硕士院系专业：信息科学与技术学院通信工程系_通信与信息系统学号：2332007115216

Socializing One Health: an innovative strategy to investigate social and behavioral risks of emerging viral threats

In an effort to strengthen global capacity to prevent, detect, and control infectious diseases in animals and people, the United States Agency for International Development’s (USAID) Emerging Pandemic Threats (EPT) PREDICT project funded development of regional, national, and local One Health capacities for early disease detection, rapid response, disease control, and risk reduction. From the outset, the EPT approach was inclusive of social science research methods designed to understand the contexts and behaviors of communities living and working at human-animal-environment interfaces considered high-risk for virus emergence. Using qualitative and quantitative approaches, PREDICT behavioral research aimed to identify and assess a range of socio-cultural behaviors that could be influential in zoonotic disease emergence, amplification, and transmission. This broad approach to behavioral risk characterization enabled us to identify and characterize human activities that could be linked to the transmission dynamics of new and emerging viruses. This paper provides a discussion of implementation of a social science approach within a zoonotic surveillance framework. We conducted in-depth ethnographic interviews and focus groups to better understand the individual- and community-level knowledge, attitudes, and practices that potentially put participants at risk for zoonotic disease transmission from the animals they live and work with, across 6 interface domains. When we asked highly-exposed individuals (ie. bushmeat hunters, wildlife or guano farmers) about the risk they perceived in their occupational activities, most did not perceive it to be risky, whether because it was normalized by years (or generations) of doing such an activity, or due to lack of information about potential risks. Integrating the social sciences allows investigations of the specific human activities that are hypothesized to drive disease emergence, amplification, and transmission, in order to better substantiate behavioral disease drivers, along with the social dimensions of infection and transmission dynamics. Understanding these dynamics is critical to achieving health security--the protection from threats to health-- which requires investments in both collective and individual health security. Involving behavioral sciences into zoonotic disease surveillance allowed us to push toward fuller community integration and engagement and toward dialogue and implementation of recommendations for disease prevention and improved health security

Discutindo a educação ambiental no cotidiano escolar: desenvolvimento de projetos na escola formação inicial e continuada de professores

A presente pesquisa buscou discutir como a Educação Ambiental (EA) vem sendo trabalhada, no Ensino Fundamental e como os docentes desta escola compreendem e vem inserindo a EA no cotidiano escolar., em uma escola estadual do município de Tangará da Serra/MT, Brasil. Para tanto, realizou-se entrevistas com os professores que fazem parte de um projeto interdisciplinar de EA na escola pesquisada. Verificou-se que o projeto da escola não vem conseguindo alcançar os objetivos propostos por: desconhecimento do mesmo, pelos professores; formação deficiente dos professores, não entendimento da EA como processo de ensino-aprendizagem, falta de recursos didáticos, planejamento inadequado das atividades. A partir dessa constatação, procurou-se debater a impossibilidade de tratar do tema fora do trabalho interdisciplinar, bem como, e principalmente, a importância de um estudo mais aprofundado de EA, vinculando teoria e prática, tanto na formação docente, como em projetos escolares, a fim de fugir do tradicional vínculo “EA e ecologia, lixo e horta”.Facultad de Humanidades y Ciencias de la Educació

Impact of Permanent Magnet Field on Inductance Variation of a PMLSM

Analytical models of Surface Mounted Permanent Magnet Linear Synchronous Motors are generally presented with constant inductances. However, the impact of powerful rare-earth PMs in the saturation phenomena cannot be neglected anymore. In this paper, a new non-linear model of PMLSM inductances is suggested. This model is defined as a function of the current value as well as of the magnet position. So, an analytical study, a finite-element analysis and experimental results are presented and confronted

Control of myelination in Schwann cells: a Krox20 cis-regulatory element integrates Oct6, Brn2 and Sox10 activities

Myelination in Schwann cells is governed by several transcription factors, including the POU proteins Oct6 and Brn2, the high mobility group protein Sox10 and the zinc-finger protein Krox20. How the function of these factors is integrated in the control of myelination has not been established. Previously, we identified an enhancer element controlling Krox20 expression throughout myelination in Schwann cells. In this paper, cell culture experiments were combined with transgenesis to identify transcription factors acting directly upstream of Krox20. The results show that during the promyelin–myelin transition, Krox20 expression is directly activated by Oct6 and Brn2 acting on this enhancer. In addition, the enhancer-dependent synergism between these POU proteins and Sox10 suggests that Krox20 expression requires this combination of factors. These results resolve previous controversy concerning the mechanism of action of Oct6 and Brn2 during myelination and provide an explanation for myelin deficiencies in Waardenberg–Hirschsprung disease patients whereby Sox10 mutations could lead to a loss of Krox20 expression

Type I Interferon Signal Transduction

grantor: University of TorontoThe Type I interferons (IFNs), including IFN-alpha, -beta and -omega (IFN-$\alpha/\beta/\omega),$ bind to a receptor consisting of the IFNAR1 and IFNAR2 transmembrane subunits and the intracellular kinases, Tyk2 and Jak1. Following ligand binding, the kinases activate the signal transducer and activator of transcription (STAT) proteins. STAT complexes formed in response to Type I IFNs regulate transcription by binding to enhancer elements in the promoters of interferon stimulated genes (ISGs). The interferon stimulated gene factor-3 (ISGF3), which consists of Stat2, Stat1 and an adapter protein, p48, binds to the interferon stimulated response element (ISRE). In addition, several other STAT complexes are formed that bind to the palindromic interferon response element (pIRE). The glycosphingolipids (GSLs) globotriaosylceramide (Gb\sb3) and galabiosylceramide (Gb\sb2) are receptors for the Escherichia coli derived subunit toxin, Verocytotoxin (VT-1). Interestingly, the Gb\sb2/Gb\sb3 binding subunit of VT-1 exhibits sequence identity with the extracellular region of IFNAR1. Consistent with earlier studies, evidence is provided that low levels of Gb\sb2/Gb\sb3 correlate with both a decreased responsiveness and binding capacity of cells for IFN-$\alpha.$ Using a fusion protein containing the extracellular domain of IFNAR1, preferential binding of IFNAR1 to Gb\sb2 was demonstrated. These results suggest that an association of IFNAR1 with Gb\sb2/Gb\sb3 facilitates receptor-mediated signaling. Exploiting the species specificity of the ligand-receptor interaction identified for Type I IFNs, experiments were conducted to elucidate the role of IFNAR1 in IFN-induced signaling. Murine cells expressing human IFNAR1 are deficient in the human Type I IFN response. However, murine cells containing human chromosome 21, encoding IFNAR1, are responsive to all human subtypes. The increased response may be explained in part by the chromosomal location of the second receptor chain, IFNAR2, on chromosome 21. Nevertheless, studies with human MRC-5 cells, expressing all known components of the Type I IFN signaling pathway, reveal that an additional factor(s) that modulates ligand binding, may be required for a full biological response. In an attempt to identify all DNA-binding STAT complexes formed in response to Type I IFNs, a biochemical procedure was developed, based on genomic DNA affinity chromatography (GDAC). Using this approach, an IFN-$\alpha$-inducible ISGF3-independent Stat2 containing STAT complex was identified. In parallel, coimmunoprecipitation studies revealed the IFN-dependent formation of both Stat2:1 and Stat2:3 complexes. The Stat2:1 complex exhibited pIRE binding activity in the mobility shift/Western assay. In studies that employed cyclic amplification and selection of targets (CASTing), the data indicate that Stat2:1 complexes bind with highest affinity to the consensus pIRE. Therefore, in addition to ISGF3, IFN-$\alpha$ activates multiple Stat2-containing STAT complexes that may regulate gene expression by binding to the pIRE.Ph.D