Die Zellwände und Arabinogalaktan-Proteine von streptophytischen Algen, Moosen und Farnen im Kontext der Evolution

While much is known about the cell walls of seed plants, there is a significant gap in the knowledge on the cell walls of streptophyte algae and spore-producing land plants. To expand this knowledge, the cell walls of several streptophyte algae, bryophytes and ferns were isolated and characterized in this work. Analytical investigations revealed that the main polysaccharide classes of the cell walls of seed plants were also present in the cell walls of the species investigated, although there were differences in quantity and structure within the subclasses. In addition to polysaccharides, cell wall glycoproteins, especially arabinogalactan-proteins (AGPs), are also part of the cell wall. The search for these AGPs in the cell walls of the Charales members demonstrated that only the galactan core structure of pyranosidic 1,3-, 1,6- and 1,3,6-galactose (Galp) known from seed plant AGPs was found, but not the connection of the carbohydrate and the protein part via hydroxyproline. Furthermore, the branched galactans were characterized by a unique feature: high amounts of the unusual monosaccharide 3-O-methyl Gal. In all investigated land plant species, AGPs were present. Within the bryophytes, a hornwort AGP was isolated for the first time and revealed an unusual 1,3,4-Galp branching point. Furthermore, terminal furanosidic arabinose (t-Araf) residues dominated and were accompanied by low amounts of pyranosidic t-Ara and 1,3-Araf. The AGP of the eusporangiate fern Psilotum exhibited mainly 1,3-linked Araf and both t-Ara residues, but these in an equal ratio and thus resembled the AGP isolated from a lycophyte. In contrast, all leptosporangiate ferns were characterized by 1,2-linked Araf and t-Araf. All AGPs of the analysed species had in common that they contained end groups with rhamnose (Rha) and/or the unusual 3-O-methylated Rha, which is not part of angiosperm cell walls

Motor imagery ability in patients with traumatic brain injury

Oostra KM, Vereecke A, Jones K, Vanderstraeten G, Vingerhoets G. Motor imagery ability in patients with traumatic brain injury. Arch Phys Med Rehabil 2012;93:828-33. Objective: To assess motor imagery (MI) ability in patients with moderate to severe traumatic brain injury (TBI). Design: Prospective, cohort study. Setting: University hospital rehabilitation unit. Participants: Patients with traumatic brain injury (mean coma duration, 18d) undergoing rehabilitation (n=20) and healthy controls (n=17) matched for age and education level. Interventions: Not applicable. Main Outcome Measures: The vividness of MI was assessed using a revised version of the Movement Imagery Questionnaire-Revised second version (MIQ-RS); the temporal features were assessed using the time-dependent motor imagery (TDMI) screening test, the temporal congruence test, and a walking trajectory imagery test; and the accuracy of MI was assessed using a mental rotation test. Results: The MIQ-RS revealed a decrease of MI vividness in the TBI group. An increasing number of stepping movements was observed with increasing time periods in both groups during the TDMI screening test. The TBI group performed a significantly smaller number of imagery movements in the same movement time. The temporal congruence test revealed a significant correlation between imagery and actual stepping time in both groups. The walking trajectory test revealed an increase of the imagery and actual walking time with increasing path length in both groups, but the ratio of imaginary walking over actual walking time was significantly greater than 1 in the TBI group. Results of the hand mental rotation test indicated significant effects of rotation angles on imagery movement times in both groups, but rotation time was significantly slower in the TBI group. Conclusions: Our patients with TBI demonstrated a relatively preserved MI ability indicating that MI could be used to aid rehabilitation and subsequent functional recovery

Implementation of a Volunteer-Based Hospital Visitation Program for Older Adults

This research suggests that a volunteer program has a positive impact on hospital delirium, with longer visits having more effect

Making sense: dopamine activates conscious self-monitoring through medial prefrontal cortex

When experiences become meaningful to the self, they are linked to synchronous activity in a paralimbic network of self-awareness and dopaminergic activity. This network includes medial prefrontal and medial parietal/posterior cingulate cortices, where transcranial magnetic stimulation may transiently impair self-awareness. Conversely, we hypothesize that dopaminergic stimulation may improve self-awareness and metacognition (i.e., the ability of the brain to consciously monitor its own cognitive processes). Here, we demonstrate improved noetic (conscious) metacognition by oral administration of 100 mg dopamine in minimal self-awareness. In a separate experiment with extended self-awareness dopamine improved the retrieval accuracy of memories of self-judgment (autonoetic, i.e., explicitly self-conscious) metacognition. Concomitantly, magnetoencephalography (MEG) showed increased amplitudes of oscillations (power) preferentially in the medial prefrontal cortex. Given that electromagnetic activity in this region is instrumental in self-awareness, this explains the specific effect of dopamine on explicit self-awareness and autonoetic metacognition

“Don’t think of a soda”: Contradictory public health messaging from a content analysis of Twitter posts about sugar-sweetened beverage taxes in California from 2015 to 2018

To show how sugar-sweetened beverage (SSB) taxes were framed in posts on Twitter (now known as X) through text and images, we conducted a content analysis on a sample of Tweets from California users posted between January 1, 2015 and December 31, 2018 about SSB taxes in Berkeley, San Francisco, Oakland, and/or Albany, California. We evaluated posts for information sources, arguments for or against SSB tax policies, and images used. We found that posts presented a mix of messages through text and images. The majority of posts (64%) included arguments supporting SSB taxes, 28% presented a neutral position (e.g., factual information) or a mix of both pro-and anti-tax arguments, and 8% opposed. One-third of posts included an image, almost half of which appeared to be stock photos from SSB advertisements: many of these were shared by medical and public health users. Some tax supporters also reposted messages and images from opposition campaigns and added their own criticisms. By reposting opponents' anti-tax messages and images of SSBs, tax supporters may have inadvertently promoted SSBs, reinforced opposition to SSB taxes, and normalized SSBs. While advocates effectively shared pro-tax arguments, they should also ensure that accompanying images reflect the solutions they seek, not just the problem they are trying to combat

WALLABY Pilot Survey: H I gas kinematics of galaxy pairs in cluster environment

We examine the H I gas kinematics of galaxy pairs in two clusters and a group using Australian Square Kilometre Array Pathfinder (ASKAP) WALLABY pilot survey observations. We compare the H I properties of galaxy pair candidates in the Hydra I and Norma clusters, and the NGC 4636 group, with those of non-paired control galaxies selected in the same fields. We perform H I profile decomposition of the sample galaxies using a tool, BAYGAUD, which allows us to deblend a line-of-sight velocity profile with an optimal number of Gaussian components. We construct H I superprofiles of the sample galaxies via stacking of their line profiles after aligning the central velocities. We fit a double Gaussian model to the superprofiles and classify them as kinematically narrow and broad components with respect to their velocity dispersions. Additionally, we investigate the gravitational instability of H I gas discs of the sample galaxies using Toomre Q parameters and H I morphological disturbances. We investigate the effect of the cluster environment on the H I properties of galaxy pairs by dividing the cluster environment into three subcluster regions (i.e. outskirts, infalling, and central regions). We find that the denser cluster environment (i.e. infalling and central regions) is likely to impact the H I gas properties of galaxies in a way of decreasing the amplitude of the kinematically narrow H I gas (⁠MHInarrow /MHItotal ⁠), and increasing the Toomre Q values of the infalling and central galaxies. This tendency is likely to be more enhanced for galaxy pairs in the cluster environment

MALDI MSI separation of Same Donor’s fingermarks based on time of deposition—a proof-of-concept study

Despite the advent of DNA profiling, fingerprints still play an important role in suspect identification. However, if single crime scene marks may be challenging to identify, overlapping fingermarks, understandably, pose an even greater challenge. In the last decade, mass spectrometry-imaging methods have provided a possible solution to the separation of fingermarks from two or more donors, based on the differential chemical composition. However, there are no studies attempting to separate overlapping marks from the same donor. This is important in relation to fingermark deposition at different times, which could be critical, for example, to ascertain legitimate access to the scene. In the work presented here, we investigate whether Matrix-Assisted Laser Desorption Ionisation Mass Spectrometry Imaging can separate the same donor’s fingermarks deposited at different times based on intra-donor fingermark composition variability. Additionally, the hypothesis that the different times of deposition could be also determined was investigated in the view of linking the suspect at the scene at different times; the dating window of MALDI MSI within the selected molecular range was explored. Results show that it is possible to separate overlapping fingermarks from the same donor in most cases, even from natural marks. Fresh marks (0 days) could be separated from those of fourteen days of age, though the latter could not be distinguished from the set aged for seven days. Due to the use of only one donor, these are to be considered preliminary data, though findings are interesting enough to warrant further investigation of the capabilities and limitations of this approach using a larger cohort of donors

Ballroom Music Spillover into a Beluga Whale Aquarium Exhibit

It is not uncommon for modern aquaria to be built with special entertainment areas. There are no known measurements of sound spillover from such entertainment areas into underwater animal exhibits. Entertainment organizations typically prefer to play music for events at 95 and 100 dBA in a ballroom at Georgia Aquarium. Concern over the potential effects of the music and noise on animals in adjacent exhibits inspired an initial project to monitor and compare sound levels in the adjacent underwater exhibits against the typical in-air sound levels of the ballroom. Measured underwater noise levels were compared to modeled levels based on finite element analysis and plane wave transmission loss calculations through the acrylic viewing window. Results were compared with the model to determine how, if at all, the ambient noise level in the Cold Water Quest exhibit changed as a result of music played in the ballroom

LeafAI: query generator for clinical cohort discovery rivaling a human programmer

Objective: Identifying study-eligible patients within clinical databases is a critical step in clinical research. However, accurate query design typically requires extensive technical and biomedical expertise. We sought to create a system capable of generating data model-agnostic queries while also providing novel logical reasoning capabilities for complex clinical trial eligibility criteria. Materials and Methods: The task of query creation from eligibility criteria requires solving several text-processing problems, including named entity recognition and relation extraction, sequence-to-sequence transformation, normalization, and reasoning. We incorporated hybrid deep learning and rule-based modules for these, as well as a knowledge base of the Unified Medical Language System (UMLS) and linked ontologies. To enable data-model agnostic query creation, we introduce a novel method for tagging database schema elements using UMLS concepts. To evaluate our system, called LeafAI, we compared the capability of LeafAI to a human database programmer to identify patients who had been enrolled in 8 clinical trials conducted at our institution. We measured performance by the number of actual enrolled patients matched by generated queries. Results: LeafAI matched a mean 43% of enrolled patients with 27,225 eligible across 8 clinical trials, compared to 27% matched and 14,587 eligible in queries by a human database programmer. The human programmer spent 26 total hours crafting queries compared to several minutes by LeafAI. Conclusions: Our work contributes a state-of-the-art data model-agnostic query generation system capable of conditional reasoning using a knowledge base. We demonstrate that LeafAI can rival a human programmer in finding patients eligible for clinical trials

Epidemiology of small-bowel obstruction beyond the neonatal period

Background: The aim of this study was to evaluate the etiologies causing intestinal obstruction beyond the neonatal period.Patients and methods: An observational study was conducted on children between 1 month and 17 years of age who underwent surgery for small-bowel obstruction (SBO) at this tertiary referral center between 1 January 2004 and 31 December 2013.Results: In total, 133 patients (38 female) with a median age of 3.4 (range 0.16–15.8) years were included in the study group. Forty-four patients (18 female) had intussusception, of whom seven presented with a pathological lead point. Thirty-nine individuals (12 female) had a postoperative SBO. The median formation time for the SBO was 1.75 years, and neonatal anomalies represented the most frequent cause of initial surgery. Primary SBO with no previous surgery was observed in 30 children (eight girls), including 12 (9%) with Meckel’s diverticulum, nine (7%) with congenital bands, and three (2%) with bezoars. Twenty patients (15%), all boys, presented with an irreducible inguinal hernia. During the surgery, a total of 43 (32%) patients underwent bowel  resection or enterotomy. Five patients (3.8%) died, four as a result of sepsis and one following parenteral nutritionrelated liver failure.Conclusion: Nearly a quarter of this cohort had a primary SBO. SBO in children is more prevalent among boys (M : F ratio, 2.5 : 1). Intussusception, postoperative adhesions, and irreducible inguinal hernias are the most common pathologies for SBO, followed by Meckel’s diverticulum and congenital adhesive bands.Keywords: congenital band, inguinal hernia, intussusception, Meckel’s diverticulum, postoperative adhesion, small bowel obstructio