TES-1/Tes and ZYX-1/Zyxin protect junctional actin networks under tension during epidermal morphogenesis in the C. elegans embryo

Acknowledgments cDNA clones for hmr-1, ajm-1, zyx-1, zoo-1, hmp-1, and tes-1 (yk collection) were provided by Yuji Kohara (National Institute of Genetics). A.M.L., Y.Z., B.G.L., S.C.T.M., and J.H. were supported by NIH grant R01GM058038 and NIH MIRA R35GM145312 awarded to J.H.; S.C.T.M. was supported by a Gilliam Fellowship from the Howard Hughes Medical Institute and by an Advanced Opportunities Fellowship and a COVID-19 dissertation completion fellowship from the University of Wisconsin-Madison; S.B. and A.A. were supported by NIH MIRA R35GM134865 awarded to A.A.; J.D.W. was supported by NIH grant F32GM122372 and by NIH grant R01GM104032 and the Army Research Office Multidisciplinary University Research Initiative W911NF1410403 awarded to M.L.G.; and B.G. and M.M.S. were supported by NIH MIRA R35GM134838 awarded to B.G. and NIH grant F32GM119348 awarded to M.M.S. Some strains were provided by the Caenorhabditis Genetics Center (CGC; https://cbs.umn.edu/cgc/home), which is funded by the NIH Office of Research Infrastructure Programs (P40 OD010440).Peer reviewedPostprin

Alteration of Microbial Communities Colonizing Leaf Litter in a Temperate Woodland Stream by Growth of Trees Under Conditions of Elevated Atmospheric CO\u3csub\u3e2\u3c/sub\u3e

Elevated atmospheric CO2 can cause increased carbon fixation and altered foliar chemical composition in a variety of plants, which has the potential to impact forested headwater streams because they are detritus-based ecosystems that rely on leaf litter as their primary source of organic carbon. Fungi and bacteria play key roles in the entry of terrestrial carbon into aquatic food webs, as they decompose leaf litter and serve as a source of nutrition for invertebrate consumers. This study tested the hypothesis that changes in leaf chemistry caused by elevated atmospheric CO2 would result in changes in the size and composition of microbial communities colonizing leaves in a woodland stream. Three tree species, Populus tremuloides, Salix alba, and Acer saccharum, were grown under ambient (360 ppm) or elevated (720 ppm) CO2, and their leaves were incubated in a woodland stream. Elevated-CO2 treatment resulted in significant increases in the phenolic and tannin contents and C/N ratios of leaves. Microbial effects, which occurred only for P. tremuloides leaves, included decreased fungal biomass and decreased bacterial counts. Analysis of fungal and bacterial communities on P. tremuloides leaves via terminal restriction fragment length polymorphism (T-RFLP) and clone library sequencing revealed that fungal community composition was mostly unchanged by the elevated-CO2 treatment, whereas bacterial communities showed a significant shift in composition and a significant increase in diversity. Specific changes in bacterial communities included increased numbers of alphaproteobacterial and cytophaga-flavobacter-bacteroides (CFB) group sequences and decreased numbers of betaproteobacterial and firmicutes sequences, as well as a pronounced decrease in overall Gram-positive bacterial sequences

The Chandra Source Catalog

The Chandra Source Catalog (CSC) is a general purpose virtual X-ray astrophysics facility that provides access to a carefully selected set of generally useful quantities for individual X-ray sources, and is designed to satisfy the needs of a broad-based group of scientists, including those who may be less familiar with astronomical data analysis in the X-ray regime. The first release of the CSC includes information about 94,676 distinct X-ray sources detected in a subset of public ACIS imaging observations from roughly the first eight years of the Chandra mission. This release of the catalog includes point and compact sources with observed spatial extents <~ 30''. The catalog (1) provides access to the best estimates of the X-ray source properties for detected sources, with good scientific fidelity, and directly supports scientific analysis using the individual source data; (2) facilitates analysis of a wide range of statistical properties for classes of X-ray sources; and (3) provides efficient access to calibrated observational data and ancillary data products for individual X-ray sources, so that users can perform detailed further analysis using existing tools. The catalog includes real X-ray sources detected with flux estimates that are at least 3 times their estimated 1 sigma uncertainties in at least one energy band, while maintaining the number of spurious sources at a level of <~ 1 false source per field for a 100 ks observation. For each detected source, the CSC provides commonly tabulated quantities, including source position, extent, multi-band fluxes, hardness ratios, and variability statistics, derived from the observations in which the source is detected. In addition to these traditional catalog elements, for each X-ray source the CSC includes an extensive set of file-based data products that can be manipulated interactively.Comment: To appear in The Astrophysical Journal Supplement Series, 53 pages, 27 figure

Profilin-1 Serves as a Gatekeeper for Actin Assembly by Arp2/3-Dependent and -Independent Pathways

Cells contain multiple F-actin assembly pathways including the Arp2/3 complex, formins, and Ena/VASP, which have largely been analyzed separately. They collectively generate the bulk of F-actin from a common pool of G-actin; however, the interplay/competition between these pathways remains poorly understood. Using fibroblast lines derived from an Arpc2 conditional knockout mouse, we established matched-pair cells with and without the Arp2/3 complex. Arpc2−/− cells lack lamellipodia and migrate slower than WT cells, but have F-actin levels indistinguishable from controls. Actin assembly in Arpc2−/− cells was resistant to cytochalasin-D and was highly dependent on profilin-1 and Ena/VASP, but not formins. Profilin-1 depletion in WT cells increased F-actin and Arp2/3 complex in lamellipodia. Conversely, addition of exogenous profilin-1 inhibited Arp2/3 complex actin nucleation in vitro and in vivo. These observations suggest that antagonism of the Arp2/3 complex by profilin-1 in cells maintains actin homeostasis by balancing Arp2/3 complex-dependent and independent actin assembly pathways

Enhancing rehabilitation of mechanically ventilated patients in the intensive care unit: A quality improvement project

Purpose: Prolonged periods of mechanical ventilation are associated with significant physical and psychosocial adverse effects. Despite increasing evidence supporting early rehabilitation strategies, uptake and delivery of such interventions in Europe have been variable. The objective of this study was to evaluate the impact of an early and enhanced rehabilitation program for mechanically ventilated patients in a large tertiary referral, mixed-population intensive care unit (ICU). Method: A new supportive rehabilitation team was created within the ICU in April 2012, with a focus on promoting early and enhanced rehabilitation for patients at high risk for prolonged ICU and hospital stays. Baseline data on all patients invasively ventilated for at least 5 days in the previous 12 months (n = 290) were compared with all patients ventilated for at least 5 days in the 12 months after the introduction of the rehabilitation team (n = 292). The main outcome measures were mobility level at ICU discharge (assessed via the Manchester Mobility Score), mean ICU, and post-ICU length of stay (LOS), ventilator days, and in-hospital mortality. Results: The introduction of the ICU rehabilitation team was associated with a significant increase in mobility at ICU discharge, and this was associated with a significant reduction in ICU LOS (16.9 vs 14.4 days, P = .007), ventilator days (11.7 vs 9.3 days, P &lt; .05), total hospital LOS (35.3 vs 30.1 days, P &lt; .001), and in-hospital mortality (39% vs 28%, P &lt; .05). Conclusion: A quality improvement strategy to promote early and enhanced rehabilitation within this European ICU improved levels of mobility at critical care discharge, and this was associated with reduced ICU and hospital LOS and reduced days of mechanical ventilation

Statistical Characterization of the Chandra Source Catalog

The first release of the Chandra Source Catalog (CSC) contains ~95,000 X-ray sources in a total area of ~0.75% of the entire sky, using data from ~3,900 separate ACIS observations of a multitude of different types of X-ray sources. In order to maximize the scientific benefit of such a large, heterogeneous data-set, careful characterization of the statistical properties of the catalog, i.e., completeness, sensitivity, false source rate, and accuracy of source properties, is required. Characterization efforts of other, large Chandra catalogs, such as the ChaMP Point Source Catalog (Kim et al. 2007) or the 2 Mega-second Deep Field Surveys (Alexander et al. 2003), while informative, cannot serve this purpose, since the CSC analysis procedures are significantly different and the range of allowable data is much less restrictive. We describe here the characterization process for the CSC. This process includes both a comparison of real CSC results with those of other, deeper Chandra catalogs of the same targets and extensive simulations of blank-sky and point source populations.Comment: To be published in the Astrophysical Journal Supplement Series (Fig. 52 replaced with a version which astro-ph can convert to PDF without issues.

Health profiles and racial disparities among individuals on probation in Hennepin County, Minnesota, 2016: a cross-sectional study

ObjectivesTo estimate the health characteristics and racial/ethnic health disparities among a probation cohort in Hennepin County. We hypothesised the probation population would have higher health needs compared with the general population as well as significant racial/ethnic health disparities.DesignCross-sectional study using linked administrative records.ParticipantsOf 7992 eligible individuals, 5873 met inclusion criteria of 6 or more months of eligibility for a full-benefit Minnesota healthcare plan.SettingProbation system in Hennepin County in 2016.OutcomesWe compared health condition prevalence among our probation cohort with survey data from the general population and analysed by race/ethnicity. We also measured sociodemographic characteristics, including the use of safety-net services.ResultsIndividuals were predominantly male (80.5%), young (mean age: 35.5 years), and disproportionately black or African American (52.9%). A majority of individuals enrolled in Medicaid were eligible via Medicaid expansion (65.9%). Compared with the general population, individuals on probation had higher rates of substance use disorders (66.5% vs 8.1%), mental illness (55.3% vs 14.4%) and many physical conditions (eg, asthma: 17.0% vs 12.5%, chronic kidney disease: 5.8% vs 0.2%). White individuals on probation were significantly more likely than black or African American individuals to have a diagnosed substance use disorder (71.6% vs 62.0%) or mental health disorder (64.9% vs 48.5%), but fewer chronic physical health conditions (average: 0.52 vs 0.73 chronic physical conditions).ConclusionsIndividuals on probation have high health needs, which vary substantially by race/ethnicity. Without attention to this variation, interventions to address health conditions in this population could worsen racial/ethnic disparities