Monitoring Observations of the Jupiter-Family Comet 17P/Holmes during 2014 Perihelion Passage

We performed a monitoring observation of a Jupiter-Family comet, 17P/Holmes, during its 2014 perihelion passage to investigate its secular change in activity. The comet has drawn the attention of astronomers since its historic outburst in 2007, and this occasion was its first perihelion passage since then. We analyzed the obtained data using aperture photometry package and derived the Afrho parameter, a proxy for the dust production rate. We found that Afrho showed asymmetric properties with respect to the perihelion passage: it increased moderately from 100 cm at the heliocentric distance r_h=2.6-3.1 AU to a maximal value of 185 cm at r_h = 2.2 AU (near the perihelion) during the inbound orbit, while dropping rapidly to 35 cm at r_h = 3.2 AU during the outbound orbit. We applied a model for characterizing dust production rates as a function of r_h and found that the fractional active area of the cometary nucleus had dropped from 20%-40% in 2008-2011 (around the aphelion) to 0.1%-0.3% in 2014-2015 (around the perihelion). This result suggests that a dust mantle would have developed rapidly in only one orbital revolution around the sun. Although a minor eruption was observed on UT 2015 January 26 at r_h = 3.0 AU, the areas excavated by the 2007 outburst would be covered with a layer of dust (<~ 10 cm depth) which would be enough to insulate the subsurface ice and to keep the nucleus in a state of low activity.Comment: 25 pages, 6 figures, 2 tables, ApJ accepted on December 29, 201

Potential Nematode Alarm Pheromone Induces Acute Avoidance in Caenorhabditis elegans

It is crucial for animal survival to detect dangers such as predators. A good indicator of dangers is injury of conspecifics. Here we show that fluids released from injured conspecifics invoke acute avoidance in both free-living and parasitic nematodes. Caenorhabditis elegans avoids extracts from closely related nematode species but not fruit fly larvae. The worm extracts have no impact on animal lifespan, suggesting that the worm extract may function as an alarm instead of inflicting physical harm. Avoidance of the worm extract requires the function of a cGMP signaling pathway that includes the cGMP-gated channel TAX-2/TAX-4 in the amphid sensory neurons ASI and ASK. Genetic evidence indicates that the avoidance behavior is modulated by the neurotransmitters GABA and serotonin, two common targets of anxiolytic drugs. Together, these data support a model that nematodes use a nematode-specific alarm pheromone to detect conspecific injury

Bronchial and non-bronchial systemic artery embolization with transradial access in patients with hemoptysis

PURPOSEWe aimed to determine the safety and feasibility of transradial access (TRA) in bronchial artery and non-bronchial systemic artery (NBSA) embolization in patients with non-massive hemoptysis.METHODSThis retrospective study was approved by the Institutional Review Board. Among the 300 patients treated for hemoptysis with bronchial artery and NBSA embolization between April 2018 and July 2019, 19 procedures in 19 patients were conducted by TRA and were retrospectively analyzed. TRA was considered when the bronchial artery or NBSA originated from the arch vessel or its tributaries. The exclusion criteria of TRA included Barbeau C or D waveform and a radial artery diameter of less than 1.8 mm on ultrasound. TRA was also avoided in cases of the high-origin bronchial artery (i.e., T4 or higher level of the aorta). The hemoptysis-free time was estimated using the Kaplan–Meier method.RESULTSThe technical success (i.e., embolization of all target artery with TRA) rate was 94.7% (18 out of 19 patients). In terms of the target arteries, embolization with TRA was technically successful in treating 47 out of 48 arteries (97.9%). The 1-month and 6-month hemoptysis-free rates were 89.5% (17/19) and 73.7% (14/19), respectively. The only adverse event was iatrogenic dissection of the bronchial artery with little clinical significance in 1 patient. No access site complications were identified on post-procedure day 1 ultrasonography.CONCLUSIONWith proper patient selection, TRA offers a safe and effective approach to embolize the bronchial arteries and NBSAs in patients with hemoptysis

Aberrant host immune response induced by highly virulent PRRSV identified by digital gene expression tag profiling

<p>Abstract</p> <p>Background</p> <p>There was a large scale outbreak of the highly pathogenic porcine reproductive and respiratory syndrome (PRRS) in China and Vietnam during 2006 and 2007 that resulted in unusually high morbidity and mortality among pigs of all ages. The mechanisms underlying the molecular pathogenesis of the highly virulent PRRS virus (H-PRRSV) remains unknown. Therefore, the relationship between pulmonary gene expression profiles after H-PRRSV infection and infection pathology were analyzed in this study using high-throughput deep sequencing and histopathology.</p> <p>Results</p> <p>H-PRRSV infection resulted in severe lung pathology. The results indicate that aberrant host innate immune responses to H-PRRSV and induction of an anti-apoptotic state could be responsible for the aggressive replication and dissemination of H-PRRSV. Prolific rapid replication of H-PRRSV could have triggered aberrant sustained expression of pro-inflammatory cytokines and chemokines leading to a markedly robust inflammatory response compounded by significant cell death and increased oxidative damage. The end result was severe tissue damage and high pathogenicity.</p> <p>Conclusions</p> <p>The systems analysis utilized in this study provides a comprehensive basis for better understanding the pathogenesis of H-PRRSV. Furthermore, it allows the genetic components involved in H-PRRSV resistance/susceptibility in swine populations to be identified.</p

Effects of intra-articular SHINBARO treatment on monosodium iodoacetate-induced osteoarthritis in rats

BACKGROUND: SHINBARO is a refined herbal formulation used to treat inflamed lesions and bone diseases. This study aimed to investigate the anti-osteoarthritic activities of intra-articular administration of SHINBARO and determine its underlying molecular mechanism in a monosodium iodoacetate (MIA)-induced osteoarthritis rat model. METHODS: Male Sprague–Dawley rats received a single intra-articular injection of MIA into the infrapatellar ligament of the right knee. Subsequently, the rats were treated with normal saline, SHINBARO, and diclofenac once daily for 21 days. Rats treated with normal saline, but not MIA, comprised the control group. Histological changes in the femur of the MIA-induced osteoarthritis rat model were observed by micro-computed tomography scanning and staining with hematoxylin and eosin, and safranin-O fast green. Serum levels of PGE(2) and anti-type II collagen antibodies in the MIA-induced osteoarthritis rat model were measured using commercial kits. Protein levels of inflammatory enzymes (iNOS, COX-2), pro-inflammatory cytokines (TNF-α, IL-1β), and inflammatory mediators (NF-κB, IκB) in cartilaginous tissues were determined by western blot analysis. RESULTS: Intra-articular administration of SHINBARO (IAS) at 20 mg/kg remarkably restrained the decrease in bone volume/total volume, being 28 % (P = 0.0001) higher than that in the vehicle-treated MIA group. IAS (2, 10, and 20 mg/kg) treatment significantly recovered the mean number of objects values with increased percentage changes of 13.5 % (P = 0.147), 27.5 % (P = 0.028), and 44.5 % (P = 0.031), respectively, compared with the vehicle-treated MIA group. The serum level of PGE(2) in the IAS group at 20 mg/kg was markedly inhibited by 60.6 % (P = 0.0007) compared with the vehicle-treated MIA group, and the anti-collagen type II antibody level in the IAS group was reduced in a dose-dependent manner. IAS (20 mg/kg) effectively suppressed the induction of inflammation-mediated enzymes (iNOS and COX-2) and pro-inflammatory cytokines (TNF-α and IL-1β). IAS treatment also downregulated the NF-κB level and increased the IκB-α level in the MIA- induced osteoarthritis rat model. CONCLUSION: SHINBARO inhibited PGE(2) and anti-type II collagen antibody production and modulated the balance of inflammatory enzymes, mediators, and cytokines in the MIA-induced osteoarthritis rat model. ELECTRONIC SUPPLEMENTARY MATERIAL: The online version of this article (doi:10.1186/s13020-016-0089-6) contains supplementary material, which is available to authorized users

Global assessment of marine plastic exposure risk for oceanic birds

Plastic pollution is distributed patchily around the world’s oceans. Likewise, marine organisms that are vulnerable to plastic ingestion or entanglement have uneven distributions. Understanding where wildlife encounters plastic is crucial for targeting research and mitigation. Oceanic seabirds, particularly petrels, frequently ingest plastic, are highly threatened, and cover vast distances during foraging and migration. However, the spatial overlap between petrels and plastics is poorly understood. Here we combine marine plastic density estimates with individual movement data for 7137 birds of 77 petrel species to estimate relative exposure risk. We identify high exposure risk areas in the Mediterranean and Black seas, and the northeast Pacific, northwest Pacific, South Atlantic and southwest Indian oceans. Plastic exposure risk varies greatly among species and populations, and between breeding and non-breeding seasons. Exposure risk is disproportionately high for Threatened species. Outside the Mediterranean and Black seas, exposure risk is highest in the high seas and Exclusive Economic Zones (EEZs) of the USA, Japan, and the UK. Birds generally had higher plastic exposure risk outside the EEZ of the country where they breed. We identify conservation and research priorities, and highlight that international collaboration is key to addressing the impacts of marine plastic on wide-ranging species

Robust estimation of bacterial cell count from optical density

Optical density (OD) is widely used to estimate the density of cells in liquid culture, but cannot be compared between instruments without a standardized calibration protocol and is challenging to relate to actual cell count. We address this with an interlaboratory study comparing three simple, low-cost, and highly accessible OD calibration protocols across 244 laboratories, applied to eight strains of constitutive GFP-expressing E. coli. Based on our results, we recommend calibrating OD to estimated cell count using serial dilution of silica microspheres, which produces highly precise calibration (95.5% of residuals &lt;1.2-fold), is easily assessed for quality control, also assesses instrument effective linear range, and can be combined with fluorescence calibration to obtain units of Molecules of Equivalent Fluorescein (MEFL) per cell, allowing direct comparison and data fusion with flow cytometry measurements: in our study, fluorescence per cell measurements showed only a 1.07-fold mean difference between plate reader and flow cytometry data

Global assessment of marine plastic exposure risk for oceanic birds

Plastic pollution is distributed patchily around the world’s oceans. Likewise, marine organisms that are vulnerable to plastic ingestion or entanglement have uneven distributions. Understanding where wildlife encounters plastic is crucial for targeting research and mitigation. Oceanic seabirds, particularly petrels, frequently ingest plastic, are highly threatened, and cover vast distances during foraging and migration. However, the spatial overlap between petrels and plastics is poorly understood. Here we combine marine plastic density estimates with individual movement data for 7137 birds of 77 petrel species to estimate relative exposure risk. We identify high exposure risk areas in the Mediterranean and Black seas, and the northeast Pacific, northwest Pacific, South Atlantic and southwest Indian oceans. Plastic exposure risk varies greatly among species and populations, and between breeding and non-breeding seasons. Exposure risk is disproportionately high for Threatened species. Outside the Mediterranean and Black seas, exposure risk is highest in the high seas and Exclusive Economic Zones (EEZs) of the USA, Japan, and the UK. Birds generally had higher plastic exposure risk outside the EEZ of the country where they breed. We identify conservation and research priorities, and highlight that international collaboration is key to addressing the impacts of marine plastic on wide-ranging species

Global assessment of marine plastic exposure risk for oceanic birds

Plastic pollution is distributed patchily around the world's oceans. Likewise, marine organisms that are vulnerable to plastic ingestion or entanglement have uneven distributions. Understanding where wildlife encounters plastic is crucial for targeting research and mitigation. Oceanic seabirds, particularly petrels, frequently ingest plastic, are highly threatened, and cover vast distances during foraging and migration. However, the spatial overlap between petrels and plastics is poorly understood. Here we combine marine plastic density estimates with individual movement data for 7137 birds of 77 petrel species to estimate relative exposure risk. We identify high exposure risk areas in the Mediterranean and Black seas, and the northeast Pacific, northwest Pacific, South Atlantic and southwest Indian oceans. Plastic exposure risk varies greatly among species and populations, and between breeding and non-breeding seasons. Exposure risk is disproportionately high for Threatened species. Outside the Mediterranean and Black seas, exposure risk is highest in the high seas and Exclusive Economic Zones (EEZs) of the USA, Japan, and the UK. Birds generally had higher plastic exposure risk outside the EEZ of the country where they breed. We identify conservation and research priorities, and highlight that international collaboration is key to addressing the impacts of marine plastic on wide-ranging species.B.L.C., C.H., and A.M. were funded by the Cambridge Conservation Initiative’s Collaborative Fund sponsored by the Prince Albert II of Monaco Foundation. E.J.P. was supported by the Natural Environment Research Council C-CLEAR doctoral training programme (Grant no. NE/S007164/1). We are grateful to all those who assisted with the collection and curation of tracking data. Further details are provided in the Supplementary Acknowledgements. Any use of trade, firm, or product names is for descriptive purposes only and does not imply endorsement by the U.S. Government.Peer reviewe