Towards a target label-free suboptimum oligonucleotide displacement-based detection system

A novel method for the future development of label-free DNA sensors is proposed here. The approach is based on the displacement of a labelled suboptimum mutated oligonucleotide hybridised with the immobilised biotin-capture probe. The target fully complementary to the biotin-capture probe can displace the labelled oligonucleotide causing a subsequent decrease of the signal that verifies the presence of the target. The decrease of signal was demonstrated to be proportional to the target concentration. A study of the hybridisation of mutated and complementary labelled oligonucleotides with an immobilised biotin-capture probe was carried out. Different kinetic and thermodynamic behaviour was observed for heterogeneous hybridisation of biotin-capture probe with complementary or suboptimum oligonucleotides. The displacement method evaluated colourimetrically achieved the objective of decreasing the response time from 1 h for direct hybridisation of 19-mer oligonucleotides in the direct enzyme-linked oligonucleotide assay (ELONA) to 5 min in the case of displacement detection in the micromolar concentration range

Search for new phenomena in final states with an energetic jet and large missing transverse momentum in pp collisions at √ s = 8 TeV with the ATLAS detector

Results of a search for new phenomena in final states with an energetic jet and large missing transverse momentum are reported. The search uses 20.3 fb−1 of √ s = 8 TeV data collected in 2012 with the ATLAS detector at the LHC. Events are required to have at least one jet with pT > 120 GeV and no leptons. Nine signal regions are considered with increasing missing transverse momentum requirements between Emiss T > 150 GeV and Emiss T > 700 GeV. Good agreement is observed between the number of events in data and Standard Model expectations. The results are translated into exclusion limits on models with either large extra spatial dimensions, pair production of weakly interacting dark matter candidates, or production of very light gravitinos in a gauge-mediated supersymmetric model. In addition, limits on the production of an invisibly decaying Higgs-like boson leading to similar topologies in the final state are presente

Risk factors for hospitalization among adults with asthma: the influence of sociodemographic factors and asthma severity

BACKGROUND: The morbidity and mortality from asthma have markedly increased since the late 1970s. The hospitalization rate, an important marker of asthma severity, remains substantial. METHODS: In adults with health care access, we prospectively studied 242 with asthma, aged 18–50 years, recruited from a random sample of allergy and pulmonary physician practices in Northern California to identify risk factors for subsequent hospitalization. RESULTS: Thirty-nine subjects (16%) reported hospitalization for asthma during the 18-month follow-up period. On controlling for asthma severity in multiple logistic regression analysis, non-white race (odds ratio [OR], 3.1; 95% confidence interval [CI], 1.1–8.8) and lower income (OR, 1.1 per $10,000 decrement; 95$10,000 decrement; 95% CI, 1.02–1.4). CONCLUSION: In adult asthmatics with access to health care, non-white race, low income, and greater asthma severity were associated with a higher risk of hospitalization. Targeted interventions applied to high-risk asthma patients may reduce asthma morbidity and mortality

Genomic and biological characterization of chiltepin yellow mosaic virus, a new tymovirus infecting Capsicum annuum var. aviculare in Mexico.

The characterization of viruses infecting wild plants is a key step towards understanding the ecology of plant viruses. In this work, the complete genomic nucleotide sequence of a new tymovirus species infecting chiltepin, the wild ancestor of Capsicum annuum pepper crops, in Mexico was determined, and its host range has been explored. The genome of 6,517 nucleotides has the three open reading frames described for tymoviruses, putatively encoding an RNA-dependent RNA polymerase, a movement protein and a coat protein. The 5′ and 3′ untranslated regions have structures with typical signatures of the tymoviruses. Phylogenetic analyses revealed that this new virus is closely related to the other tymoviruses isolated from solanaceous plants. Its host range is mainly limited to solanaceous species, which notably include cultivated Capsicum species. In the latter, infection resulted in a severe reduction of growth, indicating the potential of this virus to be a significant crop pathogen. The name of chiltepin yellow mosaic virus (ChiYMV) is proposed for this new tymovirus

Deep brain stimulation for refractory obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD): emerging or established therapy?

A consensus has yet to emerge whether deep brain stimulation (DBS) for treatment-refractory obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD) can be considered an established therapy. In 2014, the World Society for Stereotactic and Functional Neurosurgery (WSSFN) published consensus guidelines stating that a therapy becomes established when “at least two blinded randomized controlled clinical trials from two different groups of researchers are published, both reporting an acceptable risk-benefit ratio, at least comparable with other existing therapies. The clinical trials should be on the same brain area for the same psychiatric indication.” The authors have now compiled the available evidence to make a clear statement on whether DBS for OCD is established therapy. Two blinded randomized controlled trials have been published, one with level I evidence (Yale-Brown Obsessive Compulsive Scale (Y-BOCS) score improved 37% during stimulation on), the other with level II evidence (25% improvement). A clinical cohort study (N = 70) showed 40% Y-BOCS score improvement during DBS, and a prospective international multi-center study 42% improvement (N = 30). The WSSFN states that electrical stimulation for otherwise treatment refractory OCD using a multipolar electrode implanted in the ventral anterior capsule region (including bed nucleus of stria terminalis and nucleus accumbens) remains investigational. It represents an emerging, but not yet established therapy. A multidisciplinary team involving psychiatrists and neurosurgeons is a prerequisite for such therapy, and the future of surgical treatment of psychiatric patients remains in the realm of the psychiatrist

The AdS 5 non-Abelian T-dual of Klebanov-Witten as a N=1 linear quiver from M5-branes

In this paper we study an $AdS_5$ solution constructed using non-Abelian T-duality, acting on the Klebanov-Witten background. We show that this is dual to a linear quiver with two tails of gauge groups of increasing rank. The field theory dynamics arises from a D4-NS5-NS5' brane set-up, generalizing the constructions discussed by Bah and Bobev. These realize $\mathcal{N}=1$ quiver gauge theories built out of $\mathcal{N}=1$ and $\mathcal{N}=2$ vector multiplets flowing to interacting fixed points in the infrared. We compute the central charge using $a$-maximization, and show its precise agreement with the holographic calculation. Our result exhibits $n^3$ scaling with the number of five-branes. This suggests an eleven-dimensional interpretation in terms of M5-branes, a generic feature of various $AdS$ backgrounds obtained via non-Abelian T-duality.Comment: 27 pages plus interesting appendixes and various figures. Improved quiver field theory proposa

Overlapping expression patterns and differential transcript levels of phosphate transporter genes in arbuscular mycorrhizal, Pi-fertilised and phytohormone-treated Medicago truncatula roots

A microarray carrying 5,648 probes of Medicago truncatula root-expressed genes was screened in order to identify those that are specifically regulated by the arbuscular mycorrhizal (AM) fungus Gigaspora rosea, by Pi fertilisation or by the phytohormones abscisic acid and jasmonic acid. Amongst the identified genes, 21% showed a common induction and 31% a common repression between roots fertilised with Pi or inoculated with the AM fungus G. rosea, while there was no obvious overlap in the expression patterns between mycorrhizal and phytohormone-treated roots. Expression patterns were further studied by comparing the results with published data obtained from roots colonised by the AM fungi Glomus mosseae and Glomus intraradices, but only very few genes were identified as being commonly regulated by all three AM fungi. Analysis of Pi concentrations in plants colonised by either of the three AM fungi revealed that this could be due to the higher Pi levels in plants inoculated by G. rosea compared with the other two fungi, explaining that numerous genes are commonly regulated by the interaction with G. rosea and by phosphate. Differential gene expression in roots inoculated with the three AM fungi was further studied by expression analyses of six genes from the phosphate transporter gene family in M. truncatula. While MtPT4 was induced by all three fungi, the other five genes showed different degrees of repression mirroring the functional differences in phosphate nutrition by G. rosea, G. mosseae and G. intraradices

Unraveling gene regulatory networks from time-resolved gene expression data -- a measures comparison study

Peer reviewedPublisher PD

Effects of Experimental Brood Size Manipulation and Gender on Carotenoid Levels of Eurasian Kestrels Falco tinnunculus

Animals use carotenoid-pigments for coloration, as antioxidants and as enhancers of the immune system. Carotenoid-dependent colours can thus signal individual quality and carotenoids have also been suggested to mediate life-history trade-offs.