A Clinical and Epidemiological Investigation of the First Reported Human Infection With the Zoonotic Parasite Trypanosoma evansi in Southeast Asia

Background. Trypanosoma is a genus of unicellular parasitic flagellate protozoa. Trypanosoma brucei species and Trypanosoma cruzi are the major agents of human trypanosomiasis; other Trypanosoma species can cause human disease, but are rare. In March 2015, a 38-year-old woman presented to a healthcare facility in southern Vietnam with fever, headache, and arthralgia. Microscopic examination of blood revealed infection with Trypanosoma. Methods. Microscopic observation, polymerase chain reaction (PCR) amplification of blood samples, and serological testing were performed to identify the infecting species. The patient's blood was screened for the trypanocidal protein apolipoprotein L1 (APOL1), and a field investigation was performed to identify the zoonotic source. Results. PCR amplification and serological testing identified the infecting species as Trypanosoma evansi. Despite relapsing 6 weeks after completing amphotericin B therapy, the patient made a complete recovery after 5 weeks of suramin. The patient was found to have 2 wild-type APOL1 alleles and a normal serum APOL1 concentration. After responsive animal sampling in the presumed location of exposure, cattle and/or buffalo were determined to be the most likely source of the infection, with 14 of 30 (47%) animal blood samples testing PCR positive for T. evansi. Conclusions. We report the first laboratory-confirmed case of T. evansi in a previously healthy individual without APOL1 deficiency, potentially contracted via a wound while butchering raw beef, and successfully treated with suramin. A linked epidemiological investigation revealed widespread and previously unidentified burden of T. evansi in local cattle, highlighting the need for surveillance of this infection in animals and the possibility of further human cases

Lower prevalence of drug resistance mutations at first-line virological failure to first-line therapy with atripla vs. tenofovirRemtricitabine/lamivudineRefavirenz administered on a multiple tablet therapy

Fixed-dose combination antiretroviral therapy administered as a single-tablet regimen (STR) may improve virologic suppression rates. The effect of STRs on development of resistance when virologic failure occurs on STRs is not known

A zoomable shopping browser using a graphic-treemap

Effective and efficient navigation and representation of the entire structure of the product catalogue is one of the important factors for on-line market. This paper proposes an application using Treemaps visualization to enhance the functionality of online product category. We aim to develop high-quality catalog interfaces in terms of readability, understandability and comprehension by integrating graphics into Treemaps. We applied two types of Treemaps: 1) Slice-and-Dice Treemap, 2) Squarified Treemap, into the on-line catalogue to address the small windowproblem allowing buyers to overview and navigate large product categories dynamically. We also use a history bar that locates on the top of each category and sub-category to provide a 2.5-dimensional view of contextual information. © 2009 IEEE

The potential regulation of the miR-17-92a cluster by miR-21.

MicroRNAs (miRNA,miRs) are small noncoding RNAs that are ubiquitously expressed in all mammalian cells. Their primary function is the regulation of nascent RNA transcripts by direct binding to regions on the target. There is now exciting data to suggest that these miRNAs can bind to other miRNAs, and this may have a broader impact on gene regulation in disease states. The oncomiR miR-21 is one of the highest-expressing miRNAs in cancer cells, and in this study, we characterise which miRNAs could be potential targets of miR-21. In cancer cells delivered with a miR-21 mimic, there was an observable shift of the miRNA milieu. We demonstrate that the miR-17-92a cluster, which harbours six miRNA members, may be a target for miR-21 regulation. Additionally, the primary transcript of miR-17-92a was reduced in the presence of miR-21. In the broader context of miR:miR regulation, overexpression of miR-21 shifted the expression of more than 150 miRNAs, including those known to regulate genes in cancer pathways such as the MAPK signalling and FoxO pathways. This study expands upon our limited understanding of miR:miR regulatory network and reinforces the concept that miRNAs can regulate each other, thereby influencing broader gene networks

Modulating gradients in regulatory signals within mesenchymal stem cell seeded hydrogels: a novel strategy to engineer zonal articular cartilage.

This is an open-access article distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution License, which permits unrestricted use, distribution, and reproduction in any medium, provided the original author and source are credited.Engineering organs and tissues with the spatial composition and organisation of their native equivalents remains a major challenge. One approach to engineer such spatial complexity is to recapitulate the gradients in regulatory signals that during development and maturation are believed to drive spatial changes in stem cell differentiation. Mesenchymal stem cell (MSC) differentiation is known to be influenced by both soluble factors and mechanical cues present in the local microenvironment. The objective of this study was to engineer a cartilaginous tissue with a native zonal composition by modulating both the oxygen tension and mechanical environment thorough the depth of MSC seeded hydrogels. To this end, constructs were radially confined to half their thickness and subjected to dynamic compression (DC). Confinement reduced oxygen levels in the bottom of the construct and with the application of DC, increased strains across the top of the construct. These spatial changes correlated with increased glycosaminoglycan accumulation in the bottom of constructs, increased collagen accumulation in the top of constructs, and a suppression of hypertrophy and calcification throughout the construct. Matrix accumulation increased for higher hydrogel cell seeding densities; with DC further enhancing both glycosaminoglycan accumulation and construct stiffness. The combination of spatial confinement and DC was also found to increase proteoglycan-4 (lubricin) deposition toward the top surface of these tissues. In conclusion, by modulating the environment through the depth of developing constructs, it is possible to suppress MSC endochondral progression and to engineer tissues with zonal gradients mimicking certain aspects of articular cartilage.Funding was provided by Science Foundation Ireland (President of Ireland Young Researcher Award: 08/Y15/B1336) and the European Research Council (StemRepair – Project number 258463)

Phylogeography of the vector nematode Xiphinema index using mitochondrial and microsatellite markers highlights its Eastern origin closely linked to grapevine domestication.

The economic impact of the dagger nematode Xiphinema index is high in Western vineyards by transmitting the damaging Grapevine fanleaf virus. Our phylogeographical study based on mitochondrial sequences and microsatellite loci used more than 80 X. index representative samples collected from the Middle- and Near East, the Eastern-, Central- and Western Mediterranean, and the Western countries (Europe and the Americas). In this mainly (meiotic) parthenogenetic species, the mitochondrial marker CytB was first considered for comparison of X. index with the related amphimictic vector species X. diversicaudatum. Xiphinema index exhibits a significantly lower intraspecific molecular variability than X. diversicaudatum, in agreement with the respective reproduction modes of both nematodes. We then showed that CytB, concatenated with additional mitochondrial genes ATP6, ND4 and COI, display a robust phylogeographical pattern consisting in three clades grouping Eastern Mediterranean, Nearand Middle Eastern samples and a single clade grouping samples from Western Mediterranean, Europe and the Americas. The highest mitochondrial polymorphism is observed in one clade of Middle- and Near-East samples that overlaps the Transcaucasia and Southern Caspian Sea region from where grapevine has been presumably domesticated and that likely overlaps the nematode native area. East-to-west nematode dissemination appears to match that of its domesticated grapevine host during the Antiquity mainly by the Greeks and then the Romans. In Western Mediterranean, Europe and the Americas, two close and almost exclusive mitochondrial haplotypes were detected. The first haplotype, found in vineyards from the Southern Iberian Peninsula, Bordeaux and Provence, exhibits a high microsatellite polymorphism. By contrast, the second haplotype contains a single predominant microsatellite genotype surprisingly widespread in most Western countries. This is almost certainly due to its recent dispersal during the massive grapevine replants following the 19th century phylloxera crisis. Our data provide an improved knowledge of X. index diversity for future pest control strategies

Development and evaluation of a non-ribosomal random PCR and next-generation sequencing based assay for detection and sequencing of hand, foot and mouth disease pathogens

Hand, foot and mouth disease (HFMD) has become a major public health problem across the Asia-Pacific region, and is commonly caused by enterovirus A71 (EV-A71) and coxsackievirus A6 (CV-A6), CV-A10 and CV-A16. Generating pathogen whole-genome sequences is essential for understanding their evolutionary biology. The frequent replacements among EV serotypes and a limited numbers of available whole-genome sequences hinder the development of overlapping PCRs for whole-genome sequencing. We developed and evaluated a non-ribosomal random PCR (rPCR) and next-generation sequencing based assay for sequence-independent whole-genome amplification and sequencing of HFMD pathogens. A total of 16 EV-A71/CV-A6/CV-A10/CV-A16 PCR positive rectal/throat swabs (Cp values: 20.9-33.3) were used for assay evaluation.Our assay evidently outperformed the conventional rPCR in terms of the total number of EV-A71 reads and the percentage of EV-A71 reads: 2.6 % (1275/50,000 reads) vs. 0.1 % (31/50,000) and 6 % (3008/50,000) vs. 0.9 % (433/50,000) for two samples with Cp values of 30 and 26, respectively. Additionally the assay could generate genome sequences with the percentages of coverage of 94-100 % of 4 different enterovirus serotypes in 73 % of the tested samples, representing the first whole-genome sequences of CV-A6/10/16 from Vietnam, and could assign correctly serotyping results in 100 % of 24 tested specimens. In all but three the obtained consensuses of two replicates from the same sample were 100 % identical, suggesting that our assay is highly reproducible.In conclusion, we have successfully developed a non-ribosomal rPCR and next-generation sequencing based assay for sensitive detection and direct whole-genome sequencing of HFMD pathogens from clinical samples

Genetic variation and exercise-induced muscle damage: implications for athletic performance, injury and ageing.

Prolonged unaccustomed exercise involving muscle lengthening (eccentric) actions can result in ultrastructural muscle disruption, impaired excitation-contraction coupling, inflammation and muscle protein degradation. This process is associated with delayed onset muscle soreness and is referred to as exercise-induced muscle damage. Although a certain amount of muscle damage may be necessary for adaptation to occur, excessive damage or inadequate recovery from exercise-induced muscle damage can increase injury risk, particularly in older individuals, who experience more damage and require longer to recover from muscle damaging exercise than younger adults. Furthermore, it is apparent that inter-individual variation exists in the response to exercise-induced muscle damage, and there is evidence that genetic variability may play a key role. Although this area of research is in its infancy, certain gene variations, or polymorphisms have been associated with exercise-induced muscle damage (i.e. individuals with certain genotypes experience greater muscle damage, and require longer recovery, following strenuous exercise). These polymorphisms include ACTN3 (R577X, rs1815739), TNF (-308 G>A, rs1800629), IL6 (-174 G>C, rs1800795), and IGF2 (ApaI, 17200 G>A, rs680). Knowing how someone is likely to respond to a particular type of exercise could help coaches/practitioners individualise the exercise training of their athletes/patients, thus maximising recovery and adaptation, while reducing overload-associated injury risk. The purpose of this review is to provide a critical analysis of the literature concerning gene polymorphisms associated with exercise-induced muscle damage, both in young and older individuals, and to highlight the potential mechanisms underpinning these associations, thus providing a better understanding of exercise-induced muscle damage

Charged-particle distributions at low transverse momentum in √s=13 13 TeV pp interactions measured with the ATLAS detector at the LHC

Measurements of distributions of charged particles produced in proton–proton collisions with a centre-of-mass energy of 13 TeV are presented. The data were recorded by the ATLAS detector at the LHC and correspond to an integrated luminosity of 151 μb −1 μb−1 . The particles are required to have a transverse momentum greater than 100 MeV and an absolute pseudorapidity less than 2.5. The charged-particle multiplicity, its dependence on transverse momentum and pseudorapidity and the dependence of the mean transverse momentum on multiplicity are measured in events containing at least two charged particles satisfying the above kinematic criteria. The results are corrected for detector effects and compared to the predictions from several Monte Carlo event generators