Hydrozoa

The European list was derived from URMO which was edited by W. Vervoort. S.D. Cairns provided the list of hydrocorals and P. Schuchert provided additions the list of hydroids

Follow-up study of sensory-motor polyneuropathy in Type 1 (insulin-dependent) diabetic subjects after simultaneous pancreas and kidney transplantation and after graft rejection

The influence of successful simultaneous pancreas and kidney transplantation on peripheral polyneuropathy was investigated in 53 patients for a mean observation period of 40.3 months. Seventeen patients were followed-up for more than 3 years. Symptoms and signs were assessed every 6 months using a standard questionnaire, neurological examination and measurement of sensory and motor nerve conduction velocities. While symptoms of polyneuropathy improved (pain, paraesthesia, cramps, restless-legs) and nerve conduction velocity increased, there was no change of clinical signs (sensation, muscle-force, tendon-reflexes). Following kidney-graft-rejection there was a slight decrease of nerve conduction verlocity during the first year, which was not statistically significant. Following pancreas-graft rejection there was no change of nerve conduction velocity during the first year. Comparing the maximum nerve conduction velocity of the patients with pancreas-graft-rejection to the nerve conduction velocities of these patients at the end of the study, there was a statistically significant decrease of 6.5 m/s. In conclusion, we believe that strict normalization of glucose metabolism alters the progressive course of diabetic polyneuropathy. It may be stabilized or partly reversed after successful grafting even in long-term diabetic patients

Regulation of vascular signalling by nuclear Sprouty2 in fetal lung epithelial cells:Implications for co-ordinated airway and vascular branching in lung development

This work was supported by a Wellcome Trust project grant 088032/Z/08/Z to SCL.Sprouty2 (Spry2) acts as a central regulator of tubular growth and branch patterning in the developing mammalian lung by controlling both magnitude and duration of growth factor signalling. To determine if this protein coordinates airway and vascular growth factor signalling, we tested the hypothesis that Spry2 links the primary cue for airway outgrowth, fibroblast growth factor-10 (FGF-10), to genomic events underpinning the expression and release of vascular endothelial growth factor-A (VEGF-A). Using primary fetal distal lung epithelial cells (FDLE) from rat, and immortalised human bronchial epithelial cells (16HBE14o-), we identified a nuclear sub-population of Spry2 which interacted with regions of the rat and human VEGF-A promoter spanning the hypoxia response element (HRE) and adjacent 3′ sites. In FDLE cultured at the PO2 of the fetal lung, FGF-10 relieved the Spry2 interaction at the HRE region by promoting clearance of a 39 kDa form and this was accompanied by histone-3 S10K14 phosphoacetylation, promoter de-methylation, hypoxia inducible factor-1α activation and VEGF-A expression. This repressive characteristic of nuclear Spry2 was relieved in 16HBE14o- by shRNA knockdown, and stable expression of mutants (C218A; C221A) that do not interact with the VEGF-A promoter HRE region. We conclude that nuclear Spry2 acts as a molecular link which co-ordinates airway and vascular growth of the cardiopulmonary system. This identifies Spry2 as a contributing determinant of design optimality in the mammalian lung.Publisher PDFPeer reviewe

The Sustainability Conundrum of Fishmeal Substitution by Plant Ingredients in Shrimp Feeds

Aquaculture is central in meeting expanding global demands for shrimp consumption. Consequently, increasing feed use is mainly responsible for the overall environmental impact of aquaculture production. Significant amounts of fishmeal are included in shrimp diets, causing dependency on finite marine resources. Driven by economic incentives, terrestrial plant ingredients are widely viewed as sustainable alternatives. Incremental fishmeal substitution by plant ingredients in shrimp feed was modeled and effects on marine and terrestrial resources such as fish, land, freshwater, nitrogen, and phosphorus were assessed. We find that complete substitution of 20–30% fishmeal totals could lead to increasing demand for freshwater (up to 63%), land (up to 81%), and phosphorus (up to 83%), while other substitution rates lead to proportionally lower impacts. These findings suggest additional pressures on essential agricultural resources with associated socio-economic and environmental effects as a trade-off to pressures on finite marine resources. Even though the production of shrimp feed (or aquafeed in general) utilizes only a small percentage of the global crop production, the findings indicate that the sustainability of substituting fishmeal by plant ingredients should not be taken for granted, especially since aquaculture has been one of the fastest growing food sectors. Therefore, the importance of utilizing by-products and novel ingredients such as microbial biomass, algae, and insect meals in mitigating the use of marine and terrestrial resources is discussed

The sustainability conundrum of fishmeal substitution by plant ingredients in shrimp feeds

Aquaculture is central in meeting expanding global demands for shrimp consumption. Consequently, increasing feed use is mainly responsible for the overall environmental impact of aquaculture production. Significant amounts of fishmeal are included in shrimp diets, causing dependency on finite marine resources. Driven by economic incentives, terrestrial plant ingredients are widely viewed as sustainable alternatives. Incremental fishmeal substitution by plant ingredients in shrimp feed was modeled and effects on marine and terrestrial resources such as fish, land, freshwater, nitrogen, and phosphorus were assessed. We find that complete substitution of 20–30% fishmeal totals could lead to increasing demand for freshwater (up to 63%), land (up to 81%), and phosphorus (up to 83%), while other substitution rates lead to proportionally lower impacts. These findings suggest additional pressures on essential agricultural resources with associated socio-economic and environmental effects as a trade-off to pressures on finite marine resources. Even though the production of shrimp feed (or aquafeed in general) utilizes only a small percentage of the global crop production, the findings indicate that the sustainability of substituting fishmeal by plant ingredients should not be taken for granted, especially since aquaculture has been one of the fastest growing food sectors. Therefore, the importance of utilizing by-products and novel ingredients such as microbial biomass, algae, and insect meals in mitigating the use of marine and terrestrial resources is discussed

Dendritic Cell–Based Immunotherapy in Patients With Resected Pancreatic Cancer

PURPOSE:Immunotherapies have shown limited responses in patients with advanced pancreatic cancer. Recently, we reported that dendritic cell (DC)–based immunotherapy induced T-cell responses against pancreatic cancer antigens. The primary objective of this study was to determine the efficacy of DC-based immunotherapy to prevent recurrence of disease.METHODS: This was a single-center, open-label, single-arm, combined phase I/II trial. The primary end point was the 2-year recurrence-free survival (RFS) rate. A 2-year RFS rate of ≥60% was defined as a clinically meaningful improvement. We included patients with pancreatic cancer after resection and completion of standard-of-care (SOC) treatment without recurrent disease on cross-sectional imaging. Patients were treated with autologous DCs pulsed with an allogeneic mesothelioma tumor cell lysate, comprising antigens also expressed in pancreatic ductal adenocarcinoma. RESULTS: Thirty-eight patients were included in the analysis of the primary end point (47% male, 53% female). The median age was 62 years (IQR, 55-68). Twenty-eight patients (74%) received five DC vaccinations and completed the study protocol. Three patients (8%) received four vaccinations, and seven patients (16%) received three vaccinations. After a median follow-up of 25.5 months, 26 patients (68%) had not developed recurrence of disease. The estimated 2-year RFS was 64%. Vaccination led to the enrichment of circulating activated CD41 T cells and the detection of treatment-induced immune responses in vitro. T-cell receptor-sequencing analyses of a resected solitary lung metastasis showed influx of vaccine-specific T cells.CONCLUSION: This study reached its primary end point of a 2-year RFS rate of ≥60% following pancreatectomy after SOC treatment and adjuvant DC-based immunotherapy in patients with pancreatic cancer. These results warrant a future randomized trial.</p

Organoids derived from neoadjuvant FOLFIRINOX patients recapitulate therapy resistance in pancreatic ductal adenocarcinoma

Purpose: We investigated whether organoids can be generated from resected tumors of patients who received eight cycles of neoadjuvant FOLFIRINOX chemotherapy before surgery, and evaluated the sensitivity/resistance of these surviving cancer cells to cancer therapy. Experimental Design: We generated a library of 10 PDAC organoid lines: five each from treatment-naive and FOLFIRINOX-treated patients. We, first, assessed the histological, genetic, and transcriptional characteristics of the organoids and their matched primary PDAC tissue. Next, the organoids' response to treatment with single agents - 5-FU, irinotecan, and oxaliplatin - of the FOLFIRINOX regimen as well as combined regimen was evaluated. Finally, global mRNA-seq analyses were performed to identify FOLFIRINOX resistance pathways. Results: All 10 patient-derived PDAC organoids recapitulate histological, genetic, and transcriptional characteristics of their primary tumor tissue. Neoadjuvant FOLFIRINOXtreated organoids display resistance to FOLFIRINOX (5/5), irinotecan (5/5) and oxaliplatin (4/5) when compared to treatment-naive organoids (FOLFIRINOX: 1/5, irinotecan: 2/5, oxaliplatin: 0/5). 5-FU treatment responses between naive and treated organoids were similar. Comparative global transcriptome analysis of treatment-naive and FOLFIRINOX samples - in both organoids and corresponding matched tumor tissues - uncovered modulated pathways mainly involved in genomic instability, energy metabolism, and innate immune system. Conclusion: Resistance development in neoadjuvant FOLFIRINOX organoids, recapitulating their primary tumor resistance, suggests continuation of FOLFIRINOX therapy as an adjuvant treatment may not be advantageous for these patients. Gene expression profiles of PDAC organoids identify targetable pathways involved in chemoresistance development upon neoadjuvant FOLFIRINOX treatment, thus opening up combination therapy possibilities.Genome Instability and Cance

Usefulness of primary care electronic networks to assess the incidence of chlamydia, diagnosed by general practitioners

Background: Chlamydia is the most common curable sexually transmitted infection (STI) in the Netherlands. The majority of chlamydia diagnoses are made by general practitioners (GPs). Baseline data from primary care will facilitate the future evaluation of the ongoing large population-based screening in the Netherlands. The aim of this study was to assess the usefulness of electronic medical records for monitoring the incidence of chlamydia cases diagnosed in primary care in the Netherlands. Methods. In the electronic records of two regional and two national networks, we identified chlamydia diagnoses by means of ICPC codes (International Classification of Primary Care), laboratory results in free text and the prescription of antibiotics. The year of study was 2007 for the two regional networks and one national network, for the other national network the year of study was 2005. We calculated the incidence of diagnosed chlamydia cases per sex, age group and degree of urbanization. Results: A large diversity was observed in the way chlamydia episodes were coded in the four different GP networks and how easily information concerning chlamydia diagnoses could be extracted. The overall incidence ranged from 103.2/100,000 to 590.2/100,000. Differences were partly related to differences between patient populations. Nevertheless, we observed similar trends in the incidence of chlamydia diagnoses in all networks and findings were in line with earlier reports. Conclusions: Electronic patient records, originally intended for individual patient care in general practice, can be an additional source of data for monitoring chlamydia incidence in primary care and can be of use in assessing the future impact of population-based chlamydia screening programs. To increase the usefulness of data we recommend more efforts to standardize registration by (specific) ICPC code and laboratory results across the existing GP networks

Visual Search Strategies of Soccer Players Executing a Power vs. Placement Penalty Kick

Introduction: When taking a soccer penalty kick, there are two distinct kicking techniques that can be adopted; a ‘power’ penalty or a ‘placement’ penalty. The current study investigated how the type of penalty kick being taken affected the kicker’s visual search strategy and where the ball hit the goal (end ball location). Method: Wearing a portable eye tracker, 12 university footballers executed 2 power and placement penalty kicks, indoors, both with and without the presence of a goalkeeper. Video cameras were used to determine initial ball velocity and end ball location. Results: When taking the power penalty, the football was kicked significantly harder and more centrally in the goal compared to the placement penalty. During the power penalty, players fixated on the football for longer and more often at the goalkeeper (and by implication the middle of the goal), whereas in the placement penalty, fixated longer at the goal, specifically the edges. Findings remained consistent irrespective of goalkeeper presence. Discussion/conclusion: Findings indicate differences in visual search strategy and end ball location as a function of type of penalty kick. When taking the placement penalty, players fixated and kicked the football to the edges of the goal in an attempt to direct the ball to an area that the goalkeeper would have difficulty reaching and saving. Fixating significantly longer on the football when taking the power compared to placement penalty indicates a greater importance of obtaining visual information from the football. This can be attributed to ensuring accurate foot-to-ball contact and subsequent generation of ball velocity. Aligning gaze and kicking the football centrally in the goal when executing the power compared to placement penalty may have been a strategy to reduce the risk of kicking wide of the goal altogether

Galaxy Zoo: the dependence of morphology and colour on environment

We analyse the relationships between galaxy morphology, colour, environment and stellar mass using data for over 100,000 objects from Galaxy Zoo, the largest sample of visually classified morphologies yet compiled. We conclusively show that colour and morphology fractions are very different functions of environment. Both are sensitive to stellar mass; however, at fixed stellar mass, while colour is also highly sensitive to environment, morphology displays much weaker environmental trends. Only a small part of both relations can be attributed to variation in the stellar mass function with environment. Galaxies with high stellar masses are mostly red, in all environments and irrespective of their morphology. Low stellar-mass galaxies are mostly blue in low-density environments, but mostly red in high-density environments, again irrespective of their morphology. The colour-density relation is primarily driven by variations in colour fractions at fixed morphology, in particular the fraction of spiral galaxies that have red colours, and especially at low stellar masses. We demonstrate that our red spirals primarily include galaxies with true spiral morphology. We clearly show there is an environmental dependence for colour beyond that for morphology. Before using the Galaxy Zoo morphologies to produce the above results, we first quantify a luminosity-, size- and redshift-dependent classification bias that affects this dataset, and probably most other studies of galaxy population morphology. A correction for this bias is derived and applied to produce a sample of galaxies with reliable morphological type likelihoods, on which we base our analysis.Comment: 25 pages, 20 figures (+ 6 pages, 11 figures in appendices); moderately revised following referee's comments; accepted by MNRA