Prion expression is activated by Adenovirus 5 infection and affects the adenoviral cycle in human cells

The prion protein is a cell surface glycoprotein whose physiological role remains elusive, while its implication in transmissible spongiform encephalopathies (TSEs) has been demonstrated. Multiple interactions between the prion protein and viruses have been described: viruses can act as co-factors in TSEs and life cycles of different viruses have been found to be controlled by prion modulation. We present data showing that human Adenovirus 5 induces prion expression. Inactivated Adenovirus did not alter prion transcription, while variants encoding for early products did, suggesting that the prion is stimulated by an early adenoviral function. Down-regulation of the prion through RNA interference showed that the prion controls adenovirus replication and expression. These data suggest that the prion protein could play a role in the defense strategy mounted by the host during viral infection, in a cell autonomous manner. These results have implications for the study of the prion protein and of associated TSEs

Direct imaging of the induced‐fit effect in molecular self‐assembly

Molecular recognition is a crucial driving force for molecular self‐assembly. In many cases molecules arrange in the lowest energy configuration following a lock‐and‐key principle. When molecular flexibility comes into play, the induced‐fit effect may govern the self‐assembly. Here, the self‐assembly of dicyanovinyl‐hexathiophene (DCV6T) molecules, a prototype specie for highly efficient organic solar cells, on Au(111) by using low‐temperature scanning tunneling microscopy and atomic force microscopy is investigated. DCV6T molecules assemble on the surface forming either islands or chains. In the islands the molecules are straight—the lowest energy configuration in gas phase—and expose the dicyano moieties to form hydrogen bonds with neighbor molecules. In contrast, the structure of DCV6T molecules in the chain assemblies deviates significantly from their gas‐phase analogues. The seemingly energetically unfavorable bent geometry is enforced by hydrogen‐bonding intermolecular interactions. Density functional theory calculations of molecular dimers quantitatively demonstrate that the deformation of individual molecules optimizes the intermolecular bonding structure. The intermolecular bonding energy thus drives the chain structure formation, which is an expression of the induced‐fit effect

Diagnosis and classification of pediatric acute appendicitis by artificial intelligence methods: An investigator-independent approach

Acute appendicitis is one of the major causes for emergency surgery in childhood and adolescence. Appendectomy is still the therapy of choice, but conservative strategies are increasingly being studied for uncomplicated inflammation. Diagnosis of acute appendicitis remains challenging, especially due to the frequently unspecific clinical picture. Inflammatory blood markers and imaging methods like ultrasound are limited as they have to be interpreted by experts and still do not offer sufficient diagnostic certainty. This study presents a method for automatic diagnosis of appendicitis as well as the differentiation between complicated and uncomplicated inflammation using values/parameters which are routinely and unbiasedly obtained for each patient with suspected appendicitis. We analyzed full blood counts, c-reactive protein (CRP) and appendiceal diameters in ultrasound investigations corresponding to children and adolescents aged 0–17 years from a hospital based population in Berlin, Germany. A total of 590 patients (473 patients with appendicitis in histopathology and 117 with negative histopathological findings) were analyzed retrospectively with modern algorithms from machine learning (ML) and artificial intelligence (AI). The discovery of informative parameters (biomarker signatures) and training of the classification model were done with a maximum of 35% of the patients. The remaining minimum 65% of patients were used for validation. At clinical relevant cut-off points the accuracy of the biomarker signature for diagnosis of appendicitis was 90% (93% sensitivity, 67% specificity), while the accuracy to correctly identify complicated inflammation was 51% (95% sensitivity, 33% specificity) on validation data. Such a test would be capable to prevent two out of three patients without appendicitis from useless surgery as well as one out of three patients with uncomplicated appendicitis. The presented method has the potential to change today’s therapeutic approach for appendicitis and demonstrates the capability of algorithms from AI and ML to significantly improve diagnostics even based on routine diagnostic parameters

Revising the AESOP Core Curriculum – for the 21st century

In 1995, AESOP issued its ‘Statement on European Planning Education’Footnote1 – with the objective of establishing common principles that would foster high-quality planning education provision across Europe. These common principles were encapsulated in a set of requirements forming a Core Curriculum for planning education. Adopted by the AESOP community, these principles served as the basis for the admission of new AESOP member institutions and to promote quality in planning education.However, as planning is a very dynamic field, planning practice and the profession have changed considerably since 1995. Awareness of issues related to climate change and sustainable development has increased; national and local democracies have evolved; and the digital revolution is profoundly impacting the process and the tools of planning, to mention a few important changes. Furthermore, the Bologna agreement (1999) has changed the academic landscape, offering new possibilities and imposing new constraints on the organisation of planning education. For these reasons, in 2021, AESOP’s ExCo decided to embark on updating the principles eschewed in its Core Curriculum

The Role of the Curator as a Mediator in the Settlement of a Bankruptcy Case

The purpose of this study is to look for the efforts that can be made by debtors to have their cases of bankruptcy resolved peacefully and to examine the procedures to be undertaken by Curator to achieve peace in the efforts of settling the case of so bankruptcy. This type of research is normative legal research done with a statute approach, conceptual approach, and case approach to legislation. The legal materials were collected by applying the method of library research. The results of data analysis show that in order to achieve peace in the settlement of the cases of bankruptcy, a a debtor needs to immediately make a rational peace plan that is acceptable to the creditors. In achieving this, the curator takes a key role to convice the debtors to make a good decision in preparing a plan of peace. The implication is the prepapred peace plan should be made sure capable of assuring the creditors to take. Thus, it is the curator’s responsibility to also convince the creditor to accept the plan of peace made by the bankrupt creditors. Keywords: Bankruptcy; Curato

Heavy Metal Analysis in Lens and Aqueous Humor of Cataract Patients by Total Reflection X-Ray Fluorescence Spectrometry

The human eye is continuously exposed to the environment yet little is known about how much of toxins, specifically heavy metals are present in its different parts and how they influence vision and acuity. To shed light into this subject, aqueous humor and lens samples were collected from 14 cataract patients to study the presence and concentration of selected metals in the eye. Subjects undergoing routine cataract surgery were consecutively enrolled for study by simple random sampling. Prior to surgery, subject demographic were compiled. The surgical procedure involved small incision cataract removal using phacoemulsification. During the procedure, a small aliquot of aqueous humor was retained for analysis, whereas homogenized lens fragments were obtained during phacoemulsification. A balanced salt solution was used as control for each set of samples. Both ocular specimens were analyzed by total reflection X-ray fluorescence spectrometry after dilution and addition of an internal standard. The data obtained show substantial variations in elemental signature between the two media (aqueous humor and lens) and the patients themselves. Most commonly found heavy metals in both types of media were chromium and manganese. Barium was found in the lens, but not in aqueous tissue, whereas nickel was found only in the aqueous humor. Concentrations were generally higher in aqueous samples. Further study and increased sample size are required to more accurately elucidate the relationship between systemic and ocular metal accumulation and the impact of metal accumulation on measures of visual function and ocular disease

Species boundaries within the recently diverged South American monocot-like Eryngium (Apiaceae, Saniculoideae) based on biogeographic, climatic, morphological, and molecular data: E. cerradense, a new species from Paraguay

The species of Eryngium with a monocot-like habit are among the most taxonomically complex. They show low phenotypic and molecular differentiation due to their recent, rapid, and reticulate speciation during the Quaternary period. In this study, we evaluate the boundaries of the monocot-like Eryngium regnellii and a closely related entity from the grasslands in the Cerrado of Paraguay. We integrated evidence from multiple data sources to test species delimitation: we estimated the phylogenetic position of both entities within Eryngium based on ITS nrDNA and cpDNA sequences; we carried out univariate and multivariate morphometric analyses to test statistically significant differences and to recognize morphological diagnostic characters; we also an- alyzed geographic distribution, habitat, and bioclimatic variables to evaluate divergence in environmental niche, and finally, we used Bayesian coalescent-based delimitation approaches to test genetic structure. Divergence in morphology, environmental niche, and genetic structure between E. regnellii and the lineage from Paraguay support the hypothesis of evolutionary independence among these two lineages. Therefore, based on an integrative approach, we recognize and describe a new species from Paraguay: Eryngium cerradense.Fil: Esquivel Mattos, Patricia. Universidad Nacional del Comahue. Centro Regional Universitario Bariloche; Argentina.Fil: Esquivel Mattos, Patricia. Instituto de Investigaciones en Biodiversidad y Medioambiente. Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas; Argentina.Fil: Fernández, Martina. Universidad Nacional del Comahue. Centro Regional Universitario Bariloche; Argentina.Fil: Fernández, Martina. Instituto de Investigaciones en Biodiversidad y Medioambiente. Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas; Argentina.Fil: Calviño, Carolina I. Universidad Nacional del Comahue. Centro Regional Universitario Bariloche; Argentina.Fil: Calviño, Carolina I. Instituto de Investigaciones en Biodiversidad y Medioambiente. Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas; Argentina