Association between baseline abundance of Peptoniphilus, a Gram-positive anaerobic coccus, and wound healing outcomes of DFUs

Diabetic foot ulcers (DFUs) lead to nearly 100,000 lower limb amputations annually in the United States. DFUs are colonized by complex microbial communities, and infection is one of the most common reasons for diabetes-related hospitalizations and amputations. In this study, we examined how DFU microbiomes respond to initial sharp debridement and off- loading and how the initial composition associates with 4 week healing outcomes. We employed 16S rRNA next generation sequencing to perform microbial profiling on 50 sam- ples collected from 10 patients with vascularized neuropathic DFUs. Debrided wound sam- ples were obtained at initial visit and after one week from two DFU locations, wound bed and wound edge. Samples of the foot skin outside of the wounds were also collected for compar- ison. We showed that DFU wound beds are colonized by a greater number of distinct bacte- rial phylotypes compared to the wound edge or skin outside the wound. However, no significant microbiome diversity changes occurred at the wound sites after one week of stan- dard care. Finally, increased initial abundance of Gram-positive anaerobic cocci (GPAC), especially Peptoniphilus (p \u3c 0.05; n = 5 subjects), was associated with impaired healing; thus, GPAC’s abundance could be a predictor of the wound-healing outcome

ASIS&T Webinar and Discussion: The Role of Information During a Global Health Crisis - Association for Information Science and Technology

You're viewing a past blog from the Good Systems Grand Challenge team at The University of Texas at Austin about free webinars offered to discuss the current and future effects of global crisis.Office of the VP for Researc

Voltage Divider Effect for the Improvement of Variability and Endurance of TaOx Memristor

The impact of a series resistor (RS) on the variability and endurance performance of memristor was studied in the TaOx memristive system. A dynamic voltage divider between the RS and memristor during both the set and the reset switching cycles can suppress the inherent irregularity of the voltage dropped on the memristor, resulting in a greatly reduced switching variability. By selecting the proper resistance value of RS for the set and reset cycles respectively, we observed a dramatically improved endurance of the TaOx memristor. Such a voltage divider effect can thus be critical for the memristor applications that require low variability, high endurance and fast speed

A conserved quality-control pathway that mediates degradation of unassembled ribosomal proteins

Overproduced yeast ribosomal protein (RP) Rpl26 fails to assemble into ribosomes and is degraded in the nucleus/nucleolus by a ubiquitin-proteasome system quality control pathway comprising the E2 enzymes Ubc4/Ubc5 and the ubiquitin ligase Tom1. tom1 cells show reduced ubiquitination of multiple RPs, exceptional accumulation of detergent-insoluble proteins including multiple RPs, and hypersensitivity to imbalances in production of RPs and rRNA, indicative of a profound perturbation to proteostasis. Tom1 directly ubiquitinates unassembled RPs primarily via residues that are concealed in mature ribosomes. Together, these data point to an important role for Tom1 in normal physiology and prompt us to refer to this pathway as ERISQ, for excess ribosomal protein quality control. A similar pathway, mediated by the Tom1 homolog Huwe1, restricts accumulation of overexpressed hRpl26 in human cells. We propose that ERISQ is a key element of the quality control machinery that sustains protein homeostasis and cellular fitness in eukaryotes

Global health crises are also information crises: A call to action

Association for Information Science & Technology published a piece from Bo Xie and others about the Misinformation/disinformation particularly during global health crises on March 13, 2020.Office of the VP for Researc

Tardy posterior interosseous nerve palsy resulting from residual dislocation of the radial head in a Monteggia fracture: a case report

<p>Abstract</p> <p>Introduction</p> <p>We report an extremely rare case of tardy posterior interosseous nerve palsy that developed 40 years after unreduced anterior dislocation of the radial head in a Monteggia fracture.</p> <p>Case presentation</p> <p>A 46-year-old Asian woman was diagnosed with tardy posterior interosseous nerve palsy resulting from residual dislocation of the radial head in a Monteggia fracture. The patient remembered that she had sustained a fracture to the right elbow when she was 6 years old but could not remember the details of either the injury or its treatment. Intra-operatively, the posterior interosseous nerve was compressed at the radial head, wrapped around the medial side of the radial neck, and ran into the distorted supinator muscle, and was stretched. We therefore excised the radial head and performed neurolysis. The function of the right hand was normal at a follow-up examination 8 months after surgery.</p> <p>Conclusion</p> <p>We theorize that excessive repeated motion with loss of elasticity of surrounding tissues because of long-term dislocation of the radial head may cause delayed posterior interosseous nerve palsy. It is necessary to make an accurate diagnosis and render proper treatment when a Monteggia fracture occurs, making sure that the radial head does not remain dislocated, to avoid possible posterior interosseous nerve palsy due to excessive pronation and supination even several decades later.</p

Induced neural stem cells from distinct genetic backgrounds exhibit different reprogramming status

Somatic cells could be directly converted into induced neural stem cells (iNSCs) by ectopic expression of defined transcription factors. However, the underlying mechanism of direct lineage transition into iNSCs is largely unknown. In this study, we examined the effect of genetic background on the direct conversion process into an iNSC state. The iNSCs from two different mouse strains exhibited the distinct efficiency of lineage conversion as well as clonal expansion. Furthermore, the expression levels of endogenous NSC markers, silencing of transgenes, and in vitro differentiation potential were also different between iNSC lines from different strains. Therefore, our data suggest that the genetic background of starting cells influences the conversion efficiency as well as reprogramming status of directly converted iNSCs.ope

The effect of backpack load on intersegmental motions of the foot and plantar pressure in individuals with mild flatfoot

Abstract Background The feet play an essential role in shock absorption, and foot posture is closely related to gait. The compensatory mechanism under heavy-load conditions in individuals with mild flatfoot is poorly understood. In the authors country, individuals with mild flatfoot are drafted as active-duty soldiers and participate in military rucking wearing heavy backpacks. This study investigated the effect of backpack load on gait and foot plantar pressure and possible differences in participants with mild flatfoot. The average weight of the backpack during military rucking (approximately 20 kg), was simulated in this study. Methods This study prospectively enrolled 30 healthy young males, divided into a control group (CON, n = 15) and a mild low-arched group (MLA, n = 15), based on the presence of flatfoot. Segmental foot kinematics were evaluated using a three-dimensional multi-segment foot model, and gait data of the temporal and spatial parameters were obtained. The dynamic plantar pressure was simultaneously measured using a pedobarography platform with gait trials. The protocol was repeated with all participants wearing 20 kg backpacks. Comparisons between the baseline and loaded states, as well as comparison between groups, were conducted. Results Although the cadence, gait speed, and stride length decreased in the loaded condition, step time and proportion of the stance phase increased in both groups. Although the MLA group showed more supinated and abducted positions of the forefoot and more pronated positions of the hindfoot than the CON group, the change in intersegmental foot and ankle motion in each group after backpack loading was minimal. However, the former showed a larger step width and a greater increase in contact area in the midfoot region, while the latter demonstrated a greater increase in peak pressure. Conclusions Individuals with mild flatfoot demonstrated significantly different gait curve patterns (waveforms) compared to the controls. In the loaded condition, the CON and MLA groups may have adopted different strategies to maintain balance during gait. We suggest that although individuals with asymptomatic mild flatfoot are drafted as active-duty soldiers, they should be thoroughly investigated under loaded conditions, and orthoses may be helpful

A conserved quality-control pathway that mediates degradation of unassembled ribosomal proteins

Overproduced yeast ribosomal protein (RP) Rpl26 fails to assemble into ribosomes and is degraded in the nucleus/nucleolus by a ubiquitin-proteasome system quality control pathway comprising the E2 enzymes Ubc4/Ubc5 and the ubiquitin ligase Tom1. tom1 cells show reduced ubiquitination of multiple RPs, exceptional accumulation of detergent-insoluble proteins including multiple RPs, and hypersensitivity to imbalances in production of RPs and rRNA, indicative of a profound perturbation to proteostasis. Tom1 directly ubiquitinates unassembled RPs primarily via residues that are concealed in mature ribosomes. Together, these data point to an important role for Tom1 in normal physiology and prompt us to refer to this pathway as ERISQ, for excess ribosomal protein quality control. A similar pathway, mediated by the Tom1 homolog Huwe1, restricts accumulation of overexpressed hRpl26 in human cells. We propose that ERISQ is a key element of the quality control machinery that sustains protein homeostasis and cellular fitness in eukaryotes