Sequential anti-cytomegalovirus response monitoring may allow prediction of cytomegalovirus reactivation after allogeneic stem cell transplantation

Background: Reconstitution of cytomegalovirus-specific CD3+CD8+ T cells (CMV-CTLs) after allogeneic hematopoietic stem cell transplantation (HSCT) is necessary to bring cytomegalovirus (CMV) reactivation under control. However, the parameters determining protective CMV-CTL reconstitution remain unclear to date. Design and Methods: In a prospective tri-center study, CMV-CTL reconstitution was analyzed in the peripheral blood from 278 patients during the year following HSCT using 7 commercially available tetrameric HLA-CMV epitope complexes. All patients included could be monitored with at least CMV-specific tetramer. Results: CMV-CTL reconstitution was detected in 198 patients (71%) after allogeneic HSCT. Most importantly, reconstitution with 1 CMV-CTL per µl blood between day +50 and day +75 post-HSCT discriminated between patients with and without CMV reactivation in the R+/D+ patient group, independent of the CMV-epitope recognized. In addition, CMV-CTLs expanded more daramtaically in patients experiencing only one CMV-reactivation than those without or those with multiple CMV reactivations. Monitoring using at least 2 tetramers was possible in 63% (n = 176) of the patients. The combinations of particular HLA molecules influenced the numbers of CMV-CTLs detected. The highest CMV-CTL count obtained for an individual tetramer also changed over time in 11% of these patients (n = 19) resulting in higher levels of HLA-B*0801 (IE-1) recognizing CMV-CTLs in 14 patients. Conclusions: Our results indicate that 1 CMV-CTL per µl blood between day +50 to +75 marks the beginning of an immune response against CMV in the R+/D+ group. Detection of CMV-CTL expansion thereafter indicates successful resolution of the CMV reactivation. Thus, sequential monitoring of CMV-CTL reconstitution can be used to predict patients at risk for recurrent CMV reactivation

MHC I Stabilizing Potential of Computer-Designed Octapeptides

Experimental results are presented for 180 in silico designed octapeptide sequences and their stabilizing effects on the major histocompatibility class I molecule H-2Kb. Peptide sequence design was accomplished by a combination of an ant colony optimization algorithm with artificial neural network classifiers. Experimental tests yielded nine H-2Kb stabilizing and 171 nonstabilizing peptides. 28 among the nonstabilizing octapeptides contain canonical motif residues known to be favorable for MHC I stabilization. For characterization of the area covered by stabilizing and non-stabilizing octapeptides in sequence space, we visualized the distribution of 100,603 octapeptides using a self-organizing map. The experimental results present evidence that the canonical sequence motives of the SYFPEITHI database on their own are insufficient for predicting MHC I protein stabilization

MERTIS – MErcury Radiometer and Thermal infrared Imaging Spectrometer

The MErcury Radiometer and Thermal infrared Imaging Spectrometer (MERTIS) [1] is part of the payload of the Mercury Planetary Orbiter spacecraft of the ESA-JAXA BepiColombo mission that will be launched in October 2018. MERTIS combines an imaging spectrometer covering the wavelength range from 7-14 μm with a radiometer covering the wavelength range from 7 to 40 μm. The instrument will map the whole surface of Mercury with a spatial resolution of 500m for the spectrometer channel and 2km for the radiometer channel. The compositional map of Mercury provided by MERTIS will allow unique insights into the evolution of the least explored terrestrial planet. MERTIS will also address directly questions raised by the NASA MESSENGER mission. For example we will be able to provide spatially re-solved compositional information on the hollows and pyroclastic deposits and answer the question whether hollows are actually predominately sulfide deposits

Pyrene Mineralization by Mycobacterium sp. Strain KMS in a Barley Rhizosphere

To determine whether the soil Mycobacterium isolate KMS would mineralize pyrene under rhizosphere conditions, a microcosm system was established to collect radioactive carbon dioxide released from the labeled polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbon. Microcosms were designed as sealed, flow-through systems that allowed the growth of plants. Experiments were conducted to evaluate mineralization of 14C-labeled pyrene in a sand amended with the polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons degrading Mycobacterium isolate KMS, barley plants, or barley plants with roots colonized by isolate KMS. Mineralization was quantified by collecting the 14CO2 produced from 14C-labeled pyrene at intervals during the 10-d incubation period. Roots and foliar tissues were examined for 14C incorporation. Mass balances for microcosms were determined through combustion of sand samples and collection and quantification of 14CO2 evolved from radiolabeled pyrene. No pyrene mineralization was observed in the sterile control systems. Greater release of 14CO2 was observed in the system with barley colonized by KMS than in microcosms containing just the bacterium inoculum or sterile barley plants. These findings suggest that phytostimulation of polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons mineralization could be applied in remediation schemes

Heterogenitätsbehandlung bei textueller Information verschiedener Datentypen und Inhaltserschließungsverfahren

"Die Sonderfördermaßnahme CARMEN ('Content Analysis, Retrieval and Metadata: Effective Networking') zielte im Rahmen des vom BMB+F geförderten Programms GLOBAL INFO unter anderem auf eine (semantische) Verbesserung der Ausweitung von Recherchen in Fachdatenbanken zu Internet-Recherchen und umgekehrt ab. Die dafür gewählten Konzepte zur Behandlung semantischer Heterogenität wurden entwickelt, implementiert und evaluiert. Der vorliegende Bericht beschreibt die Arbeiten und Ergebnisse der Projektpartner dieses Arbeitspakets (Fachbereich Mathematik/Informatik der Universität Osnabrück sowie das Informationszentrum Sozialwissenschaften Bonn)." (Autorenreferat

Revista de Vertebrados de la Estación Biológica de Doñana

Datos sobre la fauna de anfibios del Bajo GuadalquivirDiet of the Black Vulture (Aegypius monachus) in the Iberian PeninsulaBiología de reproducción de una pareja de Hieraetus fasciatus en España central.Sobre la migraclon de la focha común (Fulica atra) en el Mediterráneo Occidental en base a la información de la Estación Biológica de laTour du Valat (Camargue, Francia)Problemática y medidas de conservación de la Foca fraile (Monachus monachus, Hermann 1779) en el Sahara OccidentaNuevas citas de sifonápteros parásitos de mamíferos en España.Contribución al estudio de Lacerta monticola en la Sierra de Gredos (Avila. España)A melanistic Spanish smooth snake (Coranella a. austriaca)Nueva localidad para Vipera b. berus en el. Norte de EspañaSegunda cita en España de Porphyrula alleni (Thomson, 1842)Peer reviewe

Unmet Medical Needs in Ulcerative Colitis: An Expert Group Consensus

BACKGROUND The authors aimed to conduct an extensive literature review and consensus meeting to identify unmet needs in ulcerative colitis (UC) and ways to overcome them. UC is a relapsing and remitting inflammatory bowel disease with varied, and changing, incidence rates worldwide. UC has an unpredictable disease course and is associated with a high health economic burden. During 2016 and 2017, a panel of experts was convened to identify, discuss and address areas of unmet need in UC. METHODS PubMed and Cochrane Library databases were searched for relevant articles describing studies performed in patients with UC. These findings were used to generate a set of statements relating to unmet needs in UC. Consensus on these statements was then sought from a panel of 9 expert gastroenterologists using a modified Delphi review process that consisted of anonymous surveys followed by live meetings. RESULTS In 2 literature reviews, over 5,000 unique records were identified and a total of 138 articles were fully reviewed. These were used to consider 26 areas of unmet need, which were explored in 2 face-to-face meetings, in which the statements were debated and amended, resulting in consensus on 30 final statements. The unmet needs identified were categorised into 7 areas: impact of UC on patients' daily life; importance of early diagnosis and treatment; drawbacks of existing treatments; urgent need for new treatments; and disease-, practice- or patient-focused unmet needs. CONCLUSIONS These expert group meetings found a number of areas of unmet needs in UC, which is an important first step in tackling them in the future. Future research and development should be focused in these areas for the management of patients with UC

ECCO Topical Review on Biological Treatment Cycles in Crohn’s Disease

There are now a growing number of licensed biological therapies for patients with Crohn’s disease. However, there can be significant costs associated with long-term maintenance treatment, as well as some concerns about potential side-effects. As a result, there has been increasing interest in elective biological treatment discontinuation in selected patients, after a sustained period of remission. Following discontinuation, in cases of relapse, evidence to date has suggested that remission may often be regained by re-treatment with the same biological agent. Therefore, a concept has emerged in which cycles of biological therapy might be used. If this treatment strategy were to be applied in a subgroup of patients at low risk of relapse, cycling might allow a substantial number of patients to have a lower, overall therapeutic burden—ensuring decreased exposure to biological therapy but still enabling appropriate disease control.Currently, there remains uncertainty about the benefit–risk balance for using cycles of biological treatment for patients with Crohn’s disease. Accordingly, an expert panel was convened by the European Crohn’s and Colitis Organisation [ECCO] to review the published literature and agree a series of consensus practice points. The panel aimed to provide evidence-based guidance on multiple aspects of biological treatment discontinuation and cycling, including the risk of relapse after elective treatment discontinuation, predictors of probable relapse or remission, safety, patient preferences, and pharmacoeconomic aspects. Crucially, discussions about biological treatment discontinuation and cycling should be individualized, to enable shared decision-making by patients with their clinicians

Real-Time Hardware-in-the-Loop Test Configuration: Use Case for the Fine Guidance System of PLATO

The presentation describes a real-time hardware in the loop test configuration with payload hardware units and simulators, used for the verification and validation of the Fine Guidance System of the PLATO mission. The presentation covers the motivation behind a combination of real and emulated hardware, a description of the PLATO mission and its Fine Guidance System, the test configuration, the related timing expected during tests and tools for test automation. Morover, a solution for a data archiving tool is provided

I-CARE, a European prospective cohort study assessing safety and effectiveness of biologics in inflammatory bowel disease

There is a need to evaluate the benefit-risk ratio of current therapies in inflammatory bowel disease (IBD) patients to provide the best quality of care. The primary objective of I-CARE was to assess prospectively safety concerns in IBD, with specific focus on the risk of cancer/lymphoma and serious infections in patients treated with for anti-tumor necrosis factor and other biologics monotherapy as well as in combination with immunomodulators.I-CARE was designed as a European prospective longitudinal observational multicenter cohort study, to include patients with a diagnosis of Crohn's disease, ulcerative colitis or IBD unclassified established at least 3 months prior to enrollment.A total of 10,206 patients were enrolled between March 2016 and April 2019, including 6,169 (60.4%) patients with Crohn's disease, 3,853 (37.8%) with ulcerative colitis, and 184 (1.8%) with a diagnosis of IBD unclassified. Thirty-two percent of patients were receiving AZA/thiopurines, 4.6% 6-mercaptopurine, and 3.2% methotrexate at study entry. At inclusion, 47.3% of patients were treated with an anti-tumor necrosis factor agent, 8.8% with vedolizumab, and 3.4% with ustekinumab. Roughly one quarter of patients (26.8%) underwent prior IBD related surgery. Sixty-six % of patients had been previously treated with systemic steroids. Three percent of patients had a medical history of cancer prior to inclusion, and 1.1% had a history of colonic, esophageal or uterine cervix high-grade dysplasia.I-CARE is an ongoing investigator-initiated observational European prospective cohort study that will provide unique information on the long-term benefits and risks of biological therapies in IBD patients