Insect eggs induce a systemic acquired resistance in Arabidopsis.

Although they constitute an inert stage of the insect's life, eggs trigger plant defences that lead to egg mortality or attraction of egg parasitoids. We recently found that salicylic acid (SA) accumulates in response to oviposition by the Large White butterfly Pieris brassicae, both in local and systemic leaves, and that plants activate a response that is similar to the recognition of pathogen-associated molecular patterns (PAMPs), which are involved in PAMP-triggered immunity (PTI). Here we discovered that natural oviposition by P. brassicae or treatment with egg extract inhibit growth of different Pseudomonas syringae strains in Arabidopsis through the activation of a systemic acquired resistance (SAR). This egg-induced SAR involves the metabolic SAR signal pipecolic acid, depends on ALD1 and FMO1, and is accompanied by a stronger induction of defence genes upon secondary infection. Although P. brassicae larvae showed a reduced performance when feeding on Pseudomonas syringae-infected plants, this effect was less pronounced when infected plants had been previously oviposited. Altogether, our results indicate that egg-induced SAR might have evolved as a strategy to prevent the detrimental effect of bacterial pathogens on feeding larvae

Bromocriptine treatment associated with recovery from peripartum cardiomyopathy in siblings: two case reports

<p>Abstract</p> <p>Introduction</p> <p>Peripartum cardiomyopathy is a rare form of cardiomyopathy, with heterogeneous presentation occurring in women between one-month antepartum and six months postpartum. It carries a poor prognosis and a high risk of mortality.</p> <p>Case presentation</p> <p>We report the development of peripartum cardiomyopathy in two sisters, 27- and 35-year-old African women, one of whom presented with a large left ventricular thrombus. Subsequently, both patients were treated with bromocriptine, heparin and standard therapy for heart failure (angiotensin converting enzyme inhibitors, beta-blockers and diuretics). During follow-up, the left ventricular thrombus observed in one patient degraded. Neither patient experienced a thrombotic event, and both experienced continuous improvements in cardiac function and New York Heart Association stage.</p> <p>Conclusion</p> <p>The development of peripartum cardiomyopathy in two sisters indicates that there may be a genetic basis for this type of cardiomyopathy, and that women with a positive family history for peripartum cardiomyopathy may have an increased risk of developing the disease. This is also the first report of a patient experiencing degradation of a large left ventricular thrombus under standard therapy for heart failure with bromocriptine. It suggests that the use of bromocriptine in association with adequate anti-coagulation and heart failure therapy may be beneficial and safe.</p

A systematic review and meta-analysis of selected motor learning principles in physiotherapy and medical education

Background Learning of procedural skills is an essential component in the education of future health professionals. There is little evidence on how procedural skills are best learnt and practiced in education. There is a need for educators to know what specific interventions could be used to increase learning of these skills. However, there is growing evidence from rehabilitation science, sport science and psychology that learning can be promoted with the application of motor learning principles. The aim of this review was to systematically evaluate the evidence for selected motor learning principles in physiotherapy and medical education. The selected principles were: whole or part practice, random or blocked practice, mental or no additional mental practice and terminal or concurrent feedback. Methods CINAHL, Cochrane Central, Embase, Eric and Medline were systematically searched for eligible studies using pre-defined keywords. Included studies were evaluated on their risk of bias with the Cochrane Collaboration's risk of bias tool. Results The search resulted in 740 records, following screening for relevance 15 randomised controlled trials including 695 participants were included in this systematic review. Most procedural skills in this review related to surgical procedures. Mental practice significantly improved performance on a post-acquisition test (SMD: 0.43, 95 % CI 0.01 to 0.85). Terminal feedback significantly improved learning on a transfer test (SMD: 0.94, 95 % CI 0.18 to 1.70). There were indications that whole practice had some advantages over part practice and random practice was superior to blocked practice on post-acquisition tests. All studies were evaluated as having a high risk of bias. Next to a possible performance bias in all included studies the method of sequence generation was often poorly reported. Conclusions There is some evidence to recommend the use of mental practice for procedural learning in medical education. There is limited evidence to conclude that terminal feedback is more effective than concurrent feedback on a transfer test. For the remaining parameters that were reviewed there was insufficient evidence to make definitive recommendations.Britain has a serious shortage of nurses, as well as problems in recruiting and retaining them It is not simply that there are too few nurses; some key skills shortages also exist, with increasing demand for more qualified staff in some areas Much better planning of the workforce is required, and this needs to be more integrated with the planning for other groups in healthcare A change in the pay system may help, but the creation of better work environments may be part of the solution The rapid pace of change in the nursing profession has produced a challenge that the NHS needs to addresssch_phy16pub4254pub1

Bi(OTf)(3)-, TfOH-, and TMSOTf-Mediated, One-Pot Epoxide Rearrangement, Addition, and Intramolecular Silyl-Modified Sakurai (ISMS) Cascade toward Dihydropyrans: Comparison of Catalysts and Role of Bi(OTf)(3)

Catalytic quantities of bismuth(III) triflate efficiently initiate the rearrangement of epoxides to aldehydes, which subsequently react with (Z)-delta-hydroxyalkenylsilanes to afford 2,6-disubstituted 3,6-dihydro-2H-pyrans. Isolated yields of desired products using Bi(OTf)(3) were compared with yields obtained when the reactions were run with TfOH and TMSOTf in the presence and absence of several additives. These studies, as well as NMR spectroscopic analyses, indicate an initial Lewis acid/base interaction between Bi(OTf)(3) and substrates providing TfOH in situ

SAMPLE ANALYSIS METHODOLOGY UTILIZNGELECTROMAGNETIC RADATION

Simultaneous use of wavelengths in at least two ranges Selected from RADIO, MICRO. FIR, IR, NIR-VIS-NUV. UV, DUV, VUV EUV, XRAY in a regression procedure to evaluate parameters in mathematical dispersion structures to model dielectric functions

Decellularized tissue engineered pericardium as replacement for tricuspid valve in cardiac surgery

Department of Cardiac, Thoracic, Transplantation and Vascular Surgery, Hannover Medical School, Hannover Germany and Leibniz Research Laboratories for Biotechnology and Artificial Organs (LEBAO), Hannover Medical School, Hannover, Germany, The 6th International Medical Congress for Students and Young Doctors, May 12-14, 2016Introduction: Tricuspid valve replacement is the last treatment choice in tricuspid valve pathology. The choice to insert mechanical or bioprosthetic valve remains controversial. Both prostheses have some limitations such as infection, risk of thromboembolism, need for life-long anticoagulation or limited durability. The following study aimed to develop a novel tissue-engineered tricuspid valve based on decellularized pericardium allograft. Materials and methods: Fresh ovine pericardium was harvested at the local slaughter house and decellularized using detergents. For disinfection all samples were treated for 24h with Phosphate Buffered Solution supplemented with 1% gentamicin and 1% streptomycin. The effectiveness of decellularization was evaluated by histological staining (hematoxylin-eosin, Movat’s Pentachrom and Van Gieson), Isolectin B4 staining (a-gal xenoantigen) and by DNA-quantification. Two valvular leaflets were manufactured out of decellularized pericardium and sutured ex-vivo into the tricuspid annulus of an ovine heart and suspended on papillary muscles. Hydraulic test were performed to prove valve competency. Discussion results: After detergent treatment pericardial tissue has been converted in a cell-free scaffold as proven by standard histological analysis. Immunofluorescent examinations revealed the absence of a-gal xenoantigens. DNA-quantification showed a substantial reduction in DNA content compared to the normal tissue. The alignment of collagenous fibers in decellularized scaffolds appeared well-preserved and was not affected by detergent decellularization procedure as proven by histological staining. Graft disinfection and storage in antibiotic solution after decellularization did not affect the texture of the scaffold. Furthermore, two leaflet structure created out of decellularized pericardium and surgically sutured in tricuspid position of ovine heart resulted in a competent valve prosthesis. Conclusion: The present results have shown successful decellularization of the ovine pericardium using detergents. Decellularized pericardial allograft can be used in cardiac surgery as a scaffold for valvular tissue engineering or for in-vivo guided tissue regeneration in tricuspid valve replacement

An electrospray chemical ionization source for real-time measurement of atmospheric organic and inorganic vapors

We present an electrospray ion source coupled to an orthogonal continuous-flow atmospheric pressure chemical ionization region. The source can generate intense and stable currents of several specific reagent ions using a range of salt solutions prepared in methanol, thereby providing both an alternative to more common radioactive ion sources and allowing for the generation of reagent ions that are not available in current chemical ionization mass spectrometry (CIMS) techniques, such as alkaline cations. We couple the orthogonal electrospray chemical ionization (ESCI) source to a high-resolution time-of-flight mass spectrometer (HR-ToF-MS), and assess instrument performance through calibrations using nitric acid (HNO3), formic acid (HCOOH), and isoprene epoxydiol (trans-β-IEPOX) gas standards, and through measurements of oxidized organic compounds formed from ozonolysis of α-pinene in a continuous-flow reaction chamber. When using iodide as the reagent ion, the HR-ToF-ESCIMS prototype has a sensitivity of 11, 2.4, and 10 cps pptv−1 per million counts per second (cps) of reagent ions and a detection limit (3σ, 5 s averaging) of 4.9, 12.5, and 1.4 pptv to HNO3, HCOOH, and IEPOX, respectively. These values are comparable to those obtained using an iodide-adduct HR-ToF-CIMS with a radioactive ion source and low-pressure ion–molecule reaction region. Applications to the α-pinene ozonolysis system demonstrates that HR-ToF-ESCIMS can generate multiple reagent ions (e.g., I−, NO3−, acetate, Li+, Na+, K+, and NH4+) having different selectivity to provide a comprehensive molecular description of a complex organic system

Metabolic changes in hypertrophic cardiomyopathies : Scientific update from the Working Group of Myocardial Function of the European Society of Cardiology

JV is supported by the Netherlands Cardiovascular Research Initiative, an initiative with support of the Dutch Heart Foundation, CVON2014-40 DOSIS. SH has received funding from the European Union Commission’s Seventh Framework programme under grant agreement N° 305507 (HOMAGE), N° 602904 (FIBROTARGETS) and FP7-Health-2013- Innovations-1 N° 602156 (HECATOS). . We acknowledge the support from the Netherlands Cardiovascular Research Initiative, an initiative with support of the Dutch Heart Foundation, CVON2011-ARENA, CVON2016-Early HFPEF, and ShePREDICTS. This research is cofinanced as a PPP-allowance Research and Innovation by the Ministry of Economic Affairs within Top Sector Life sciences & Health. This research was co-funded by the C3 project “Vision Core Leuven” of the Leuven UniversityPeer reviewedPublisher PD

Inhibition of permeability transition pore opening by mitochondrial STAT3 and its role in myocardial ischemia/reperfusion

The signal transducer and activator of transcription 3 (STAT3) contributes to cardioprotection by ischemic pre- and postconditioning. Mitochondria are central elements of cardioprotective signaling, most likely by delaying mitochondrial permeability transition pore (MPTP) opening, and STAT3 has recently been identified in mitochondria. We now characterized the mitochondrial localization of STAT3 and its impact on respiration and MPTP opening. STAT3 was mainly present in the matrix of subsarcolemmal and interfibrillar cardiomyocyte mitochondria. STAT1, but not STAT5 was also detected in mitochondria under physiological conditions. ADP-stimulated respiration was reduced in mitochondria from mice with a cardiomyocyte-specific deletion of STAT3 (STAT3-KO) versus wildtypes and in rat mitochondria treated with the STAT3 inhibitor Stattic (STAT3 inhibitory compound, 6-Nitrobenzo[b]thiophene 1,1-dioxide). Mitochondria from STAT3-KO mice and Stattic-treated rat mitochondria tolerated less calcium until MPTP opening occurred. STAT3 co-immunoprecipitated with cyclophilin D, the target of the cardioprotective agent and MPTP inhibitor cyclosporine A (CsA). However, CsA reduced infarct size to a similar extent in wildtype and STAT3-KO mice in vivo. Thus, STAT3 possibly contributes to cardioprotection by stimulation of respiration and inhibition of MPTP opening