485 research outputs found
Unilateral subthalamotomy in Parkinson's disease: Cognitive, psychiatric and, neuroimaging changes
Unilateral subthalamotomy is an effective treatment for the cardinal motor features of Parkinson's disease (PD). However, non-motor changes possibly associated with right or left subthalamotomy remain unknown. Our aim was to assess cognitive, psychiatric and neuroimaging changes after treatment with unilateral subthalamotomy. Fourteen medicated patients with PD were evaluated before and after (mean 6 months after operation) unilateral subthalamotomy (5 right, 9 left). In addition to motor assessments, cognitive (global cognition and executive functions), psychiatric (apathy, depression, anxiety, mania, hypo- and hyperdopaminergic behaviours, impulsivity), quality of life evaluations and volume of lesions were obtained. After surgery, significant improvement of motor signs was observed. Unilateral subthalamotomy improved general cognitive status, but left subthalamotomy reduced semantic verbal fluency compared to the pre-operative state. Depression and quality of life were improved with both right and left subthalamotomy. However, hyper-emotionality was present after surgery and right subthalamotomy increased impulsivity and disinhibition (on NeuroPsychiatric Inventory and Ardouin Scale for Behaviour in PD), a result linked to larger lesion volumes. We conclude that unilateral subthalamotomy is effective for treating the cardinal motor features of PD and improves mood. Right subthalamotomy is associated with greater risk of impulsivity and disinhibition, while left subthalamotomy induces further impairment of semantic verbal fluency
Effect of Co-Inoculation with Mycorrhiza and Rhizobia on the Nodule Trehalose Content of Different Bean Genotypes
Studies on Rhizobium-legume symbiosis show that trehalose content in nodules under drought stress correlates positively with an increase in plant tolerance to this stress. Fewer reports describe trehalose accumulation in mycorrhiza where, in contrast with rhizobia, there is no flux of carbohydrates from the microsymbiont to the plant. However, the trehalose dynamics in the Mycorrhiza-Rhizobium-Legume tripartite symbiosis is unknown. The present study explores the role of this tripartite symbiosis in the trehalose content of nodules grown under contrasting moisture conditions. Three wild genotypes (P. filiformis, P. acutifolis and P. vulgaris) and two commercial genotypes of Phaseolus vulgaris (Pinto villa and Flor de Mayo) were used. Co-inoculation treatments were conducted with Glomus intraradices and a mixture of seven native rhizobial strains, and trehalose content was determined by GC/MS. The results showed a negative effect of mycorrhizal inoculation on nodule development, as mycorrhized plants showed fewer nodules and lower nodule dry weight compared to plants inoculated only with Rhizobium. Mycorrhizal colonization was also higher in plants inoculated only with Glomus as compared to plants co-inoculated with both microsymbionts. In regard to trehalose, co-inoculation negatively affects its accumulation in the nodules of each genotype tested. However, the correlation analysis showed a significantly positive correlation between mycorrhizal colonization and nodule trehalose content
The NIKA instrument: results and perspectives towards a permanent KID based camera for the Pico Veleta observatory
The New IRAM KIDs Array (NIKA) is a pathfinder instrument devoted to
millimetric astronomy. In 2009 it was the first multiplexed KID camera on the
sky; currently it is installed at the focal plane of the IRAM 30-meters
telescope at Pico Veleta (Spain). We present preliminary data from the last
observational run and the ongoing developments devoted to the next NIKA-2
kilopixels camera, to be commissioned in 2015. We also report on the latest
laboratory measurements, and recent improvements in detector cosmetics and
read-out electronics. Furthermore, we describe a new acquisition strategy
allowing us to improve the photometric accuracy, and the related automatic
tuning procedure.Comment: 24th International Symposium on Space Terahertz Technology, ISSTT
2013, April 8 to 10, 2013, Groningen, the Netherland
Latest NIKA results and the NIKA-2 project
NIKA (New IRAM KID Arrays) is a dual-band imaging instrument installed at the
IRAM (Institut de RadioAstronomie Millimetrique) 30-meter telescope at Pico
Veleta (Spain). Two distinct Kinetic Inductance Detectors (KID) focal planes
allow the camera to simultaneously image a field-of-view of about 2 arc-min in
the bands 125 to 175 GHz (150 GHz) and 200 to 280 GHz (240 GHz). The
sensitivity and stability achieved during the last commissioning Run in June
2013 allows opening the instrument to general observers. We report here the
latest results, in particular in terms of sensitivity, now comparable to the
state-of-the-art Transition Edge Sensors (TES) bolometers, relative and
absolute photometry. We describe briefly the next generation NIKA-2 instrument,
selected by IRAM to occupy, from 2015, the continuum imager/polarimeter slot at
the 30-m telescope.Comment: Proceedings of Low Temperature Detectors 15 (LTD-15), Pasadena, June
201
Use of colonoscopy as a primary screening test for colorectal cancer in average risk people
The use of colonoscopy as a primary screening test for colorectal
cancer (CRC) in average risk adults is a subject of controversy. Our primary
objective was to build a predictive model based on a few simple variables that
could be used as a guide for identifying average risk adults more suitable for
examination with colonoscopy as a primary screening test. METHODS: The prevalence
of advanced adenomas was assessed by primary screening colonoscopy in 2210
consecutive adults at least 40 yr old, without known risk factors for CRC. Age,
gender, and clinical and biochemical data were compared among people without
adenomas, those with non-advanced adenomas, and those with any advanced neoplasm.
A combined score to assess the risk of advanced adenomas was built with the
variables selected by multiple logistic regression analysis. RESULTS: Neoplastic
lesions were found in 617 subjects (27.9%), including 259 with at least one
neoplasm that was 10 mm or larger, villous, or with moderate-to-severe dysplasia,
and 11 with invasive cancers. Advanced lesions were more frequent among men,
older people, and those with a higher body mass index (BMI). These three
variables were independent predictors of advanced adenomas in multivariate
analysis. A score combining age, sex, and BMI was developed as a guide for
identifying individuals more suitable for screening colonoscopy. CONCLUSIONS:
Age, gender, and BMI can be used to build a simple score to select those average
risk adults who might be candidates for primary screening colonoscop
Diagnostic value of distal colonic polyps for prediction of advanced proximal neoplasia in an average-risk population undergoing screening colonoscopy
For colorectal cancer screening, the predictive value of distal
findings in the ascertainment of proximal lesions is not fully established. The
aims of this study were to assess distal findings as predictors of advanced
proximal neoplasia and to compare the predictive value of endoscopy alone vs.
combined endoscopic and histopathologic data. METHODS: Primary colonoscopy
screening was performed in 2210 consecutive, average-risk adults. Age, gender,
endoscopic (size, number of polyps), and histopathologic distal findings were
used as potential predictors of advanced proximal neoplasms (i.e., any adenoma >
or =1 cm in size, and/or with villous histology, and/or with severe dysplasia or
invasive cancer). Polyps were defined as distal if located in the descending
colon, the sigmoid colon, or the rectum. Those in other locations were designated
proximal. RESULTS: Neoplastic lesions, including 11 invasive cancers, were found
in 617 (27.9%) patients. Advanced proximal neoplasms without any distal adenoma
were present in 1.3% of patients. Of the advanced proximal lesions, 39% were not
associated with any distal polyp. Older age, male gender, and distal adenoma were
independent predictors of advanced proximal neoplasms. The predictive ability of
a model with endoscopic data alone did not improve after inclusion of
histopathologic data. In multivariate logistic regression analysis, the
predictive ability of models that use age, gender, and any combination of distal
findings was relatively low. The proportion of advanced proximal neoplasms
identified if any distal polyp was an indication for colonoscopy was only 62%.
CONCLUSIONS: A strategy in which colonoscopy is performed solely in patients with
distal colonic findings is not effective screening for the detection of advanced
proximal neoplasms in an average-risk populatio
Venezuelan Equine Encephalitis Virus, Southern Mexico
Evidence of enzootic and endemic Venezuelan equine encephalitis virus circulation in southern Mexico since the 1996 epizootic was obtained from serosurveys and virus isolations
A structure filter for the Eukaryotic Linear Motif Resource
<p>Abstract</p> <p>Background</p> <p>Many proteins are highly modular, being assembled from globular domains and segments of natively disordered polypeptides. Linear motifs, short sequence modules functioning independently of protein tertiary structure, are most abundant in natively disordered polypeptides but are also found in accessible parts of globular domains, such as exposed loops. The prediction of novel occurrences of known linear motifs attempts the difficult task of distinguishing functional matches from stochastically occurring non-functional matches. Although functionality can only be confirmed experimentally, confidence in a putative motif is increased if a motif exhibits attributes associated with functional instances such as occurrence in the correct taxonomic range, cellular compartment, conservation in homologues and accessibility to interacting partners. Several tools now use these attributes to classify putative motifs based on confidence of functionality.</p> <p>Results</p> <p>Current methods assessing motif accessibility do not consider much of the information available, either predicting accessibility from primary sequence or regarding any motif occurring in a globular region as low confidence. We present a method considering accessibility and secondary structural context derived from experimentally solved protein structures to rectify this situation. Putatively functional motif occurrences are mapped onto a representative domain, given that a high quality reference SCOP domain structure is available for the protein itself or a close relative. Candidate motifs can then be scored for solvent-accessibility and secondary structure context. The scores are calibrated on a benchmark set of experimentally verified motif instances compared with a set of random matches. A combined score yields 3-fold enrichment for functional motifs assigned to high confidence classifications and 2.5-fold enrichment for random motifs assigned to low confidence classifications. The structure filter is implemented as a pipeline with both a graphical interface via the ELM resource <url>http://elm.eu.org/</url> and through a Web Service protocol.</p> <p>Conclusion</p> <p>New occurrences of known linear motifs require experimental validation as the bioinformatics tools currently have limited reliability. The ELM structure filter will aid users assessing candidate motifs presenting in globular structural regions. Most importantly, it will help users to decide whether to expend their valuable time and resources on experimental testing of interesting motif candidates.</p
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