Evaluation of Intraocular Pressure (IOP) Regarding Circadian Rhythm, Age, Sex and Eye Side in Awassi Sheep

Measurement of intraocular pressure (IOP) in domestic animals has become a part of routine eye examination with advent of applanation tonometer. Delayed control of high IOP may lead to permanent blindness due to retinal ganglion cells dysfunction and optic nerve degeneration. This study aimed at evaluating IOP of Awassi sheep with respect to circadian rhythm, age, sex and eye sides and finally to establish a reference (baseline, normal) IOP value for this particular species. A total of 24 healthy sheep with different ages and sexes were used. The animals were divided into 2 equal groups, = 1 (6 male, 6 female, n = 12) years old. IOP measurements were performed twice, in the morning (6:00 a.m.) and in the evening (8:00 p.m.) with Tono-pen Vet (R) applanation tonometer. Mean LOP in the animals decreased from 16.21 mmHg in the morning to 12.65 mmHg in the evening with an approximately rate of 22% (P = 1 (n=48) showed no difference (P >0.05). The reference IOP for this animal was calculated as 14.43 +/- 2.72 mmHg notwithstanding any variable. It was concluded that in this breed IOP values can vary significantly as far as circadian rhythm is concerned and Tono-pen Vet (R) can be used for sheep IOP measurement as an alternative to other applanation tonometry

Genome-wide identification of new Wnt/β-catenin target genes in the human genome using CART method

<p>Abstract</p> <p>Background</p> <p>The importance of <it>in silico </it>predictions for understanding cellular processes is now widely accepted, and a variety of algorithms useful for studying different biological features have been designed. In particular, the prediction of <it>cis </it>regulatory modules in non-coding human genome regions represents a major challenge for understanding gene regulation in several diseases. Recently, studies of the Wnt signaling pathway revealed a connection with neurodegenerative diseases such as Alzheimer's. In this article, we construct a classification tool that uses the transcription factor binding site motifs composition of some gene promoters to identify new Wnt/β-catenin pathway target genes potentially involved in brain diseases.</p> <p>Results</p> <p>In this study, we propose 89 new Wnt/β-catenin pathway target genes predicted <it>in silico </it>by using a method based on multiple Classification and Regression Tree (CART) analysis. We used as decision variables the presence of transcription factor binding site motifs in the upstream region of each gene. This prediction was validated by RT-qPCR in a sample of 9 genes. As expected, LEF1, a member of the T-cell factor/lymphoid enhancer-binding factor family (TCF/LEF1), was relevant for the classification algorithm and, remarkably, other factors related directly or indirectly to the inflammatory response and amyloidogenic processes also appeared to be relevant for the classification. Among the 89 new Wnt/β-catenin pathway targets, we found a group expressed in brain tissue that could be involved in diverse responses to neurodegenerative diseases, like Alzheimer's disease (AD). These genes represent new candidates to protect cells against amyloid β toxicity, in agreement with the proposed neuroprotective role of the Wnt signaling pathway.</p> <p>Conclusions</p> <p>Our multiple CART strategy proved to be an effective tool to identify new Wnt/β-catenin pathway targets based on the study of their regulatory regions in the human genome. In particular, several of these genes represent a new group of transcriptional dependent targets of the canonical Wnt pathway. The functions of these genes indicate that they are involved in pathophysiology related to Alzheimer's disease or other brain disorders.</p

THERMODYNAMICS OF A BROWNIAN BRIDGE POLYMER MODEL IN A RANDOM ENVIRONMENT

We consider a directed random walk making either 0 or $+1$ moves and a Brownian bridge, independent of the walk, conditioned to arrive at point $b$ on time $T$. The Hamiltonian is defined as the sum of the square of increments of the bridge between the moments of jump of the random walk and interpreted as an energy function over the bridge connfiguration; the random walk acts as the random environment. This model provides a continuum version of a model with some relevance to protein conformation. The thermodynamic limit of the specific free energy is shown to exist and to be self-averaging, i.e. it is equal to a trivial --- explicitly computed --- random variable. An estimate of the asymptotic behaviour of the ground state energy is also obtained.Comment: 20 pages, uuencoded postscrip

Improved survival beyond 28 days up to 1 year after cytosorb treatment for refractory septic shock: A propensity-weighted retrospective survival analysis

Background and Aims: It is currently unknown whether CytoSorb treatment for septic shock improves long-term survival beyond 28 days

Arthropod diversity in pure oak forests of coppice origin in northern Thrace (Turkey)

Oak (Quercus spp.) forests are among the most important forest types in Turkey. In the past, oak forests were managed through coppice clear-cutting, but in recent decades they have mostly been converted to high forest. This study was aimed at explaining how arthropod diversity is affected during conversion from coppice to high oak forest and during the early stages of coppice succession. We tested the hypothesis that arthropod richness, abundance and diversity in coppice oak sites varied according to stand age and a number of other forest characteristics. Arthropod communities were sampled in 50 plots using four different methods: pitfall traps, sweep nets, sticky cards and cloth shaking. A total of 13 084 individuals were collected and classified into 193 Recognizable Taxonomic Units (RTUs), with the most RTUs and the greatest number of specimens captured by sweep netting. We identified 17 taxa within RTU’s with more than 1% of the captured arthropods, which constituted 75% of the total specimens. The number of RTUs varied significantly according to trap type. Arthropod richness and Shannon-Wiener biodiversity index (H′) increased with elevation and precipitation. In young (1-40 yrs-old) and middle-aged (41-80 yrs) stands, arthropod biodiversity was not significantly affected by stand type, but slightly increased with diameter at breast height and tree height. Forest characteristics, such as the litter layer, understory and crown diameter, weakly influenced arthropod richness and abundance. Cluster analysis revealed that stand types and trap types differed taxonomically. Principal component analysis showed that stand types were clearly separated by the stand parameters measured. Insect families (Formicidae, Thripidae, Lygaeidae, Dolichopodidae, Luaxanidae, Cicadellidae and Ichneumonidae) could potentially be used as indicators of coppice oak conditions. As the coppice oak changes to mature forest, further studies are needed to better assess the relation between arthropods, forest types and structural characteristics of stands

WS2 2D Semiconductor Down to Monolayers by Pulsed-Laser Deposition for Large-Scale Integration in Electronics and Spintronics Circuits

We report on the achievement of a large-scale tungsten disulfide (WS2) 2D semiconducting platform derived by pulsed-laser deposition (PLD) on both insulating substrates (SrTiO3), as required for in-plane semiconductor circuit definition, and ferromagnetic spin sources (Ni), as required for spintronics applications. We show thickness and phase control, with highly homogeneous wafer-scale monolayers observed under certain conditions, as demonstrated by X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy and Raman spectroscopy mappings. Interestingly, growth appears to be dependent on the substrate selection, with a dramatically increased growth rate on Ni substrates. We show that this 2D-semiconductor integration protocol preserves the interface integrity. Illustratively, the WS2/Ni electrode is shown to be resistant to oxidation (even after extended exposure to ambient conditions) and to present tunneling characteristics once integrated into a complete vertical device. Overall, these experiments show that the presented PLD approach used here for WS2 growth is versatile and has a strong potential to accelerate the integration and evaluation of large-scale 2D-semiconductor platforms in electronics and spintronics circuits

Hemoadsorption with CytoSorb shows a decreased observed versus expected 28-day all-cause mortality in ICU patients with septic shock: A propensity-score-weighted retrospective study

Background and aims: Innovative treatment modalities have not yet shown a clinical benefit in patients with septic shock. To reduce severe cytokinaemia, CytoSorb as an add-on to continuous renal replacement therapy (CRRT) showed promising results in case reports. However, there are no clinical trials investigating outcomes. Methods: In this investigator-initiated retrospective study, patients with septic shock were treated with CRRT + CytoSorb (n = 67) or CRRT alone (n = 49). The primary outcome was the 28-day all-cause mortality rate. Patients were weighted by stabilized inverse probability of treatment weights (sIPTW) to overcome differences in baseline characteristics. Results: At the start of therapy, CytoSorb-treated patients had higher lactate levels (p < 0.001), lower mean arterial pressure (p = 0.007) and higher levels of noradrenaline (p < 0.001) compared to the CRRT group. For CytoSorb, the mean predicted mortality rate based on a SOFA of 13.8 (n = 67) was 75% (95%CI 71-79%), while the actual 28-day mortality rate was 48% (mean difference - 27%, 95%CI - 38 to - 15%, p < 0.001). For CRRT, based on a SOFA of 12.8 (n = 49), the mean predicted versus observed mortality was 68% versus 51% (mean difference - 16.9% [95%CI - 32.6 to - 1.2%, p = 0.035]). By sIPTW analysis, patients treated with CytoSorb had a significantly lower 28-day mortality rate compared to CRRT alone (53% vs. 72%, respectively, p = 0.038). Independent predictors of 28-day mortality in the CytoSorb group were the presence of pneumosepsis (adjusted odds ratio [aOR] 5.47, p = 0.029), higher levels of lactate at the start of CytoSorb (aOR 1.15, p = 0.031) and older age (aOR per 10 years 1.67, p = 0.034). Conclusions: CytoSorb was associated with a decreased observed versus expected 28-day all-cause mortality. By IPTW analysis, intervention with CytoSorb may be associated with a decreased all-cause mortality at 28 days compared to CRRT alone

Simian virus 40 inhibits differentiation and maturation of rhesus macaque DC-SIGN+-dendritic cells

Dendritic cells (DC) are the initiators and modulators of the immune responses. Some species of pathogenic microorganisms have developed immune evasion strategies by controlling antigen presentation function of DC. Simian virus 40 (SV40) is a DNA tumor virus of rhesus monkey origin. It can induce cell transformation and tumorigenesis in many vertebrate species, but often causes no visible effects and persists as a latent infection in rhesus monkeys under natural conditions. To investigate the interaction between SV40 and rhesus monkey DC, rhesus monkey peripheral blood monocyte-derived DC were induced using recombinant human Interleukin-4 (rhIL-4) and infective SV40, the phenotype and function of DC-specific intracellular adhesion molecule-3 grabbing nonintegrin (DC-SIGN)+ DC were analyzed by flow cytometry (FCM) and mixed lymphocyte reaction (MLR). Results showed that SV40 can down-regulate the expression of CD83 and CD86 on DC and impair DC-induced activation of T cell proliferation. These findings suggest that SV40 might also cause immune suppression by influencing differentiation and maturation of DC