A Phylogenetic Analysis of the African Plant Genus Palisota (family Commelinaceae) based on Chloroplast DNA Sequences

The plant genus Palisota (family Commelinaceae, or spiderwort family) consists of approximately 20 species and is distributed throughout the forests of tropical Africa. The genus exhibits several unusual morphological characteristics, and as a result has been difficult to classify based on morphology. Molecular phylogenetic studies have placed it near the base of Commelinaceae, but the exact placement of Palisota within the family is not clear. As the African continent has become more arid in recent geological times, the forests have receded, reducing the habitat for Palisota species and potentially impacting speciation and extinction rates within the genus. The goal of this study is to sequence the chloroplast-encoded gene rbcL in several additional species of Palisota and its relatives in order to: 1) determine the phylogenetic relationship of the genus with respect to other members of Commelinaceae; 2) evaluate phylogenentic relationships among species of Palisota; and 3) infer relative speciation/extinction rates within the genus. Additionally, we are exploring the use of other molecular regions for phylogenetic analysis with the genus

Autoplot: A browser for scientific data on the web

Autoplot is software developed for the Virtual Observatories in Heliophysics to provide intelligent and automated plotting capabilities for many typical data products that are stored in a variety of file formats or databases. Autoplot has proven to be a flexible tool for exploring, accessing, and viewing data resources as typically found on the web, usually in the form of a directory containing data files with multiple parameters contained in each file. Data from a data source is abstracted into a common internal data model called QDataSet. Autoplot is built from individually useful components, and can be extended and reused to create specialized data handling and analysis applications and is being used in a variety of science visualization and analysis applications. Although originally developed for viewing heliophysics-related time series and spectrograms, its flexible and generic data representation model makes it potentially useful for the Earth sciences.Comment: 16 page

Risk factors for otitis media in children with special emphasis on the role of colonization with bacterial airway pathogens: the Generation R study

Acute otitis media is the most frequent diagnosis in children visiting physicians’ offices. Risk factors for otitis media have been widely studied. Yet, the correlation between bacterial carriage and the development of otitis media is not entirely clear. Our aim was to study in a population-based prospective cohort the risk factors for otitis media in the second year of life with special emphasis on the role of colonization with Streptococcus pneumoniae, Haemophilus influenzae and Moraxella catarrhalis. The study was embedded in the Generation R Study. Data on risk factors and doctor-diagnosed otitis media were obtained by midwives, hospital registries and postal questionnaires in the whole cohort (n = 7,295). Nasopharyngeal swabs were obtained at the age of 1.5, 6 and 14 months in the focus cohort (n = 1,079). Of these children, 2,515 (47.2%) suffered at least one period of otitis media in their second year of life. The occurrence of otitis media during the follow-up period in the first 6 months of life and between 6 and 12 months of age was associated with the risk of otitis media in the second year of life (aOR, 1.83 95% CI 1.24–2.71 and aOR 2.72, 95% CI 2.18–3.38, respectively). Having siblings was associated with an increased risk for otitis media in the second year of life (aOR 1.42, 95% CI 1.13–1.79). No associations were found between bacterial carriage in the first year of life and otitis media in the second year of life. In our study, otitis media in the first year of life is an independent risk factor for otitis media in the second year of life. Surprisingly, bacterial carriage in the first year of life did not add to this risk. Moreover, no association was observed between bacterial carriage in the first year of life and otitis in the second year of life

Outcomes of deep hypothermic circulatory arrest in pediatric cardiac surgery: A single center experience

AbstractBackgroundDeep hypothermic circulatory arrest (DHCA) is a technique used in the repair of complex congenital cardiac lesions that require aortic arch or pulmonary vein repair. DHCA has been linked to adverse outcomes and neurologic complications. Selective cerebral perfusion (SCP) may be added to DHCA to prevent neurological complication. Air embolism and hyperperfusion injury may be encountered. The aim of this study was to evaluate the safety and efficacy of simple DHCA and to outline the early outcomes especially the neurological ones.MethodsTwenty nine patients underwent surgical repair of congenital cardiac lesion with DHCA at a single institution from January 2010 to November 2015. DHCA was conducted with a target esophageal temperature of 18° and placement of an ice pack on the head. No selective perfusion was done. Demographic, operative and postoperative data were reviewed. Mortality, any neurological complications including seizers, coma, and stroke were recorded.ResultsThe mean age was 20.6 ± 8.2 months (range: 9 days to 154 months). The majority were males (20, 69%). The mean weight was 5.57 ± 4.2 kg (range: 2.3–17.5 kg). DHCA time was 20.03 min (range 3–52 min). There were three (10.3%) deaths. Two deaths occurred after Norwood operation, and one after interrupted aortic arch repair. None of the deaths were related to neurological injury. None of the patients developed seizers, coma, abnormal movement or neurological deficits.ConclusionsSimple DHCA without SCP is a safe, expeditious and reliable method for brain protection during repair of complex cardiac lesions, with acceptable outcomes

Perivascular Expression and Potent Vasoconstrictor Effect of Dynorphin A in Cerebral Arteries

BACKGROUND: Numerous literary data indicate that dynorphin A (DYN-A) has a significant impact on cerebral circulation, especially under pathophysiological conditions, but its potential direct influence on the tone of cerebral vessels is obscure. The aim of the present study was threefold: 1) to clarify if DYN-A is present in cerebral vessels, 2) to determine if it exerts any direct effect on cerebrovascular tone, and if so, 3) to analyze the role of κ-opiate receptors in mediating the effect. METHODOLOGY/PRINCIPAL FINDINGS: Immunohistochemical analysis revealed the expression of DYN-A in perivascular nerves of rat pial arteries as well as in both rat and human intraparenchymal vessels of the cerebral cortex. In isolated rat basilar and middle cerebral arteries (BAs and MCAs) DYN-A (1-13) and DYN-A (1-17) but not DYN-A (1-8) or dynorphin B (DYN-B) induced strong vasoconstriction in micromolar concentrations. The maximal effects, compared to a reference contraction induced by 124 mM K(+), were 115±6% and 104±10% in BAs and 113±3% and 125±9% in MCAs for 10 µM of DYN-A (1-13) and DYN-A (1-17), respectively. The vasoconstrictor effects of DYN-A (1-13) could be inhibited but not abolished by both the κ-opiate receptor antagonist nor-Binaltorphimine dihydrochloride (NORBI) and blockade of G(i/o)-protein mediated signaling by pertussis toxin. Finally, des-Tyr(1) DYN-A (2-13), which reportedly fails to activate κ-opiate receptors, induced vasoconstriction of 45±11% in BAs and 50±5% in MCAs at 10 µM, which effects were resistant to NORBI. CONCLUSION/SIGNIFICANCE: DYN-A is present in rat and human cerebral perivascular nerves and induces sustained contraction of rat cerebral arteries. This vasoconstrictor effect is only partly mediated by κ-opiate receptors and heterotrimeric G(i/o)-proteins. To our knowledge our present findings are the first to indicate that DYN-A has a direct cerebral vasoconstrictor effect and that a dynorphin-induced vascular action may be, at least in part, independent of κ-opiate receptors

Evaluation of a Rapid Immunochromatographic ODK-0901 Test for Detection of Pneumococcal Antigen in Middle Ear Fluids and Nasopharyngeal Secretions

Since the incidence of penicillin-resistant Streptococcus pneumoniae has been increasing at an astonishing rate throughout the world, the need for accurate and rapid identification of pneumococci has become increasingly important to determine the appropriate antimicrobial treatment. We have evaluated an immunochromatographic test (ODK-0901) that detects pneumococcal antigens using 264 middle ear fluids (MEFs) and 268 nasopharyngeal secretions (NPSs). A sample was defined to contain S. pneumoniae when optochin and bile sensitive alpha hemolytic streptococcal colonies were isolated by culture. The sensitivity and specificity of the ODK-0901 test were 81.4% and 80.5%, respectively, for MEFs from patients with acute otitis media (AOM). In addition, the sensitivity and specificity were 75.2% and 88.8%, respectively, for NPSs from patients with acute rhinosinusitis. The ODK-0901 test may provide a rapid and highly sensitive evaluation of the presence of S. pneumoniae and thus may be a promising method of identifying pneumococci in MEFs and NPSs

СВЧ плазмохимическое осаждение структур для высокоапертурных планарных оптических волноводов

Представлены результаты разработки технологии и исследования оптических характеристик высокоапертурных ПОВ на основе SiO₂-F | SiO₂ | SiO₂-F-структур, формируемых в плазме СВЧ-разряда