Dynamics of auto- and heterotrophic picoplankton and associated viruses in Lake Geneva

Microbial dynamics have rarely been investigated in Lake Geneva, known as the largest lake in western Europe. From a 5-month survey, we report dynamic patterns of free-living virus, bacteria and small phytoplankton abundances in response to a variety of environmental parameters. For the first time, we fractionated the primary production to separate the contribution of different size-related biological compartments and measured both bacterial and viral production in addition to experiments conducted to quantify the virus-induced bacterial mortality. We observed marked seasonal and vertical variations in picocyanobacteria, bacteria and virus abundances and production. The contribution of picoplankton and nanoplankton production to the total primary production was high (reaching up to 76% of total primary production) in November and the spring–summer transition period, respectively. The impact of viral lysis on both bacteria and picocyanobacteria was significantly higher than grazing activities. Virus-induced picocyanobacterial mortality reached up to 66% of cell removal compared to virus induced (heterotrophic) bacterial mortality, which reached a maximum of 34% in July. Statistical analyzes revealed that temperature and top-down control by viruses are among important factors regulating the picocyanobacterial dynamics in this lake. More generally speaking, our results add to the growing evidence and accepted view nowadays that viruses are an important actor of freshwater microbial dynamics and more globally of the functioning of the microbial food webs

120kev Ar8+-li Collisions Studied By Near Uv And Visible Photon Spectroscopy

A spectroscopic analysis of light emitted in the 200-600 nm wavelength range by Ar7+, Ar6+ and Ar5+ ions after charge exchange in 120keV Ar8+-Li collisions is performed. Transitions with Δn = 1 and Δn = 2 for n = 8, 9, 10 and 11 states of Ar8 following single electron capture are identified and the production cross sections for n = 8 and n = 9 are deduced from emission cross sections and compared with those calculated by the three-body classical trajectory Monte-Carlo method. Lines due to double capture process were observed and identified as Rydberg transitions 3snl-3sn\u27l\u27 (n = 7, 8 and 9) in Ar VII. Lines due to triple electron capture process were found and identified as transitions 3s2nl-3s2n\u27ï and 3s3pnl- 3s3pril\u27(n = 7, 8) in Ar VI. The configurations produced during the collision provides evidence that electron-electron interaction play an important role in double and triple charge exchange processes. © 1993 IOP Publishing Ltd

Morphine activates neuroinflammation in a manner parallel to endotoxin

Opioids create a neuroinflammatory response within the CNS, compromising opioid-induced analgesia and contributing to various unwanted actions. How this occurs is unknown but has been assumed to be via classic opioid receptors. Herein, we provide direct evidence that morphine creates neuroinflammation via the activation of an innate immune receptor and not via classic opioid receptors. We demonstrate that morphine binds to an accessory protein of Toll-like receptor 4 (TLR4), myeloid differentiation protein 2 (MD-2), thereby inducing TLR4 oligomerization and triggering proinflammation. Small-molecule inhibitors, RNA interference, and genetic knockout validate the TLR4/MD-2 complex as a feasible target for beneficially modifying morphine actions. Disrupting TLR4/MD-2 protein–protein association potentiated morphine analgesia in vivo and abolished morphine-induced proinflammation in vitro, the latter demonstrating that morphine-induced proinflammation only depends on TLR4, despite the presence of opioid receptors. These results provide an exciting, nonconventional avenue to improving the clinical efficacy of opioids.Xiaohui Wang, Lisa C. Loram, Khara Ramos, Armando J. de Jesus, Jacob Thomas, Kui Cheng, Anireddy Reddy, Andrew A. Somogyi, Mark R. Hutchinson, Linda R. Watkins and Hang Yi

Effects of nonnative species on the stability of riverine fish communities

ResearchDespite the increasing ubiquity of biological invasions worldwide, little is known about the scale-dependent effects of nonnative species on real-world ecological dynamics. Here, using an extensive time series dataset of riverine fish communities across different biogeographic regions of the world, we assessed the effects of nonnative species on the temporal variability and synchrony in abundance at different organizational levels (population, metapopulation, community and metacommunity) and spatial scales (stream reach and river basin). At the reach scale, we found that populations of nonnative species were more variable over time than native species, and that this effect scaled up to the community level – significantly destabilizing the dynamics of riverine fish communities. Nonnative species not only contributed to reduced community stability, but also increased variability of native populations. By contrast, we found no effect of nonnative species dominance on local interspecific synchrony among native species. At the basin scale, nonnative metapopulations were again more variable than the native ones. However, neither native metapopulations nor metacommunities showed differences in temporal variability or synchrony as nonnative species dominance increased basin-wide. This suggests a ‘dilution effect’ where the contribution to regional stability of local native populations from sites displaying low levels of invasion reduced the destabilizing effects of nonnative species. Overall, our results indicate that accounting for the destabilizing effect of nonnative species is critical to understanding native species persistence and community stabilityinfo:eu-repo/semantics/publishedVersio

The Transcriptomic Landscape of Prostate Cancer Development and Progression: An Integrative Analysis

Next-generation sequencing of primary tumors is now standard for transcriptomic studies, but microarray-based data still constitute the majority of available information on other clinically valuable samples, including archive material. Using prostate cancer (PC) as a model, we developed a robust analytical framework to integrate data across different technical platforms and disease subtypes to connect distinct disease stages and reveal potentially relevant genes not identifiable from single studies alone. We reconstructed the molecular profile of PC to yield the first comprehensive insight into its development, by tracking changes in mRNA levels from normal prostate to high-grade prostatic intraepithelial neoplasia, and metastatic disease. A total of nine previously unreported stage-specific candidate genes with prognostic significance were also found. Here, we integrate gene expression data from disparate sample types, disease stages and technical platforms into one coherent whole, to give a global view of the expression changes associated with the development and progression of PC from normal tissue through to metastatic disease. Summary and individual data are available online at the Prostate Integrative Expression Database (PIXdb), a user-friendly interface designed for clinicians and laboratory researchers to facilitate translational research

Consensus on circulatory shock and hemodynamic monitoring. Task force of the European Society of Intensive Care Medicine.

OBJECTIVE: Circulatory shock is a life-threatening syndrome resulting in multiorgan failure and a high mortality rate. The aim of this consensus is to provide support to the bedside clinician regarding the diagnosis, management and monitoring of shock. METHODS: The European Society of Intensive Care Medicine invited 12 experts to form a Task Force to update a previous consensus (Antonelli et al.: Intensive Care Med 33:575-590, 2007). The same five questions addressed in the earlier consensus were used as the outline for the literature search and review, with the aim of the Task Force to produce statements based on the available literature and evidence. These questions were: (1) What are the epidemiologic and pathophysiologic features of shock in the intensive care unit ? (2) Should we monitor preload and fluid responsiveness in shock ? (3) How and when should we monitor stroke volume or cardiac output in shock ? (4) What markers of the regional and microcirculation can be monitored, and how can cellular function be assessed in shock ? (5) What is the evidence for using hemodynamic monitoring to direct therapy in shock ? Four types of statements were used: definition, recommendation, best practice and statement of fact. RESULTS: Forty-four statements were made. The main new statements include: (1) statements on individualizing blood pressure targets; (2) statements on the assessment and prediction of fluid responsiveness; (3) statements on the use of echocardiography and hemodynamic monitoring. CONCLUSIONS: This consensus provides 44 statements that can be used at the bedside to diagnose, treat and monitor patients with shock

The Transcriptomic Landscape of Prostate Cancer Development and Progression: An Integrative Analysis

Next-generation sequencing of primary tumors is now standard for transcriptomic studies, but microarray-based data still constitute the majority of available information on other clinically valuable samples, including archive material. Using prostate cancer (PC) as a model, we developed a robust analytical framework to integrate data across different technical platforms and disease subtypes to connect distinct disease stages and reveal potentially relevant genes not identifiable from single studies alone. We reconstructed the molecular profile of PC to yield the first comprehensive insight into its development, by tracking changes in mRNA levels from normal prostate to high-grade prostatic intraepithelial neoplasia, and metastatic disease. A total of nine previously unreported stage-specific candidate genes with prognostic significance were also found. Here, we integrate gene expression data from disparate sample types, disease stages and technical platforms into one coherent whole, to give a global view of the expression changes associated with the development and progression of PC from normal tissue through to metastatic disease. Summary and individual data are available online at the Prostate Integrative Expression Database (PIXdb), a user-friendly interface designed for clinicians and laboratory researchers to facilitate translational research

X-ray fluorescence from the element with atomic number Z = 120

Accepted for publication in Physical Review LettersAn atomic clock based on X-ray fluorescence yields has been used to estimate the mean characteristic time for fusion followed by fission in reactions 238U + 64Ni at 6.6 MeV/A. Inner shell vacancies are created during the collisions in the electronic structure of the possibly formed Z=120 compound nuclei. The filling of these vacancies accompanied by X-ray emission with energies characteristic of Z=120 can take place only if the atomic transitions occur before nuclear fission. Therefore, the X-ray yield characteristic of the united atom with 120 protons is strongly related to the fission time and to the vacancy lifetimes. K X-rays from the element with Z = 120 have been unambiguously identified from a coupled analysis of the involved nuclear reaction mechanisms and of the measured photon spectra. A minimum mean fission time $\tau$_f$ = 2.5×10−18s has been deduced for Z=120 from the measured X-ray multiplicity