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International audience; BACKGROUND:Three international surveys were developed aiming to identify the current nutrition educational tools used in the management of phenylketonuria (PKU) and the perceived effectiveness of these tools by clinicians, parents and patients.METHODS:The first two surveys were distributed through the Metabolic Dietitians ListServe (pno-metabl@listserv.cc.emory.edu), and the third survey was distributed by international clinics and the National PKU Alliance website (www.npkua.org). A total of 888 responses (S1, n = 88; S2, n = 81; S3, n = 719) were collected from all three surveys. The surveys represent participants from 17 countries, in Europe; North America (USA and Canada); Mexico; Argentina; Turkey; Australia; and Africa (Tunisia).RESULTS:A consistent decline in 'parents as role models' as an educational tool was observed starting at age 10 years. Patients responded they feel their families are the most effective form of education, whereas handouts were selected as the least effective educational tool by patients. Parents responded they feel the most effective educational tool is one-on-one counselling. Patients and parents show a desirable trend in wanting to attend group clinic, even in centres where this type of educational tool is not offered.CONCLUSIONS:There was a discrepancy between clinicians and patient views regarding the perceived effectiveness of the nutrition education tools. Future research is needed surrounding the impact nutrition education may have on improved dietary compliance in patients with PKU.

In holometabolous insects, larval nutrition affects adult body size, a life history trait with a profound influence on performance and fitness. Individual nutritional components of larval diets are often complex and may interact with one another, necessitating the use of a geometric framework for elucidating nutritional effects. In the honey bee, Apis mellifera, nurse bees provision food to developing larvae, directly moderating growth rates and caste development. However, the eusocial nature of honey bees makes nutritional studies challenging, because diet components cannot be systematically manipulated in the hive. Using in vitro rearing, we investigated the roles and interactions between carbohydrate and protein content on larval survival, growth, and development in A. mellifera. We applied a geometric framework to determine how these two nutritional components interact across nine artificial diets. Honey bees successfully completed larval development under a wide range of protein and carbohydrate contents, with the medium protein (∼5%) diet having the highest survival. Protein and carbohydrate both had significant and non-linear effects on growth rate, with the highest growth rates observed on a medium-protein, low-carbohydrate diet. Diet composition did not have a statistically significant effect on development time. These results confirm previous findings that protein and carbohydrate content affect the growth of A. mellifera larvae. However, this study identified an interaction between carbohydrate and protein content that indicates a low-protein, high-carb diet has a negative effect on larval growth and survival. These results imply that worker recruitment in the hive would decline under low protein conditions, even when nectar abundance or honey stores are sufficient., Summary: Protein to carbohydrate ratio affects the survival and growth rate of larval worker honey bees in vitro. Protein and carbohydrate content of food interact in complex ways to alter growth rate, development time and survival in worker bound honey bee larvae.

Vertebrae are connected through a synovial joint made up of the inferior and superior articulating facets, also referred to as the zygapophyseal joint, and assist in motion of the spine unique to their location within the cervical, thoracic, and lumbar spine. Two medial branches of the dorsal primary rami innervate each specific zygapophyseal joint. Patients with acute facet arthropathy may complain of pain provocation with extension, rotation, and/or axial loading. Typical referral patterns for pain emanating from specific facet joints have been identified and mapped for the cervical, thoracic, and lumbar zygapophyseal joints (Dwyer et al. Spine. 1990; 15(6):453–457; Kellegren. Clin Sci 1939;4:35–46). Treatment may include conservative measures, for example, medications, physical therapy, spinal manipulation, and injections. Standard treatment for acute facet arthropathy-related pain typically includes physical therapy and intra-articular corticosteroid injections and/or radiofrequency ablation of the medial branches that innervate the zygapophyseal joint.

Previous studies show that the COPII coat is phosphorylated. The phosphorylated coat, however, cannot rebind to the ER to initiate a new round of vesicle budding. The present study shows that Sit4p/PP6, a Ser/Thr phosphatase, dephosphorylates the COPII coat. Consistent with a role in coat recycling, Sit4p/PP6 regulates ER-to-Golgi traffic., Traffic from the endoplasmic reticulum (ER) to the Golgi complex is initiated when the activated form of the GTPase Sar1p recruits the Sec23p-Sec24p complex to ER membranes. The Sec23p-Sec24p complex, which forms the inner shell of the COPII coat, sorts cargo into ER-derived vesicles. The coat inner shell recruits the Sec13p-Sec31p complex, leading to coat polymerization and vesicle budding. Recent studies revealed that the Sec23p subunit sequentially interacts with three different binding partners to direct a COPII vesicle to the Golgi. One of these binding partners is the serine/threonine kinase Hrr25p. Hrr25p phosphorylates the COPII coat, driving the membrane-bound pool into the cytosol. The phosphorylated coat cannot rebind to the ER to initiate a new round of vesicle budding unless it is dephosphorylated. Here we screen all known protein phosphatases in yeast to identify one whose loss of function alters the cellular distribution of COPII coat subunits. This screen identifies the PP2A-like phosphatase Sit4p as a regulator of COPII coat dephosphorylation. Hyperphosphorylated coat subunits accumulate in the sit4Δ mutant in vivo. In vitro, Sit4p dephosphorylates COPII coat subunits. Consistent with a role in coat recycling, Sit4p and its mammalian orthologue, PP6, regulate traffic from the ER to the Golgi complex.

STUDY DESIGN Nonrandomized trial. OBJECTIVE This is an ex vivo study using pork chops to simulate human vertebra to determine the effects of various anesthetic fluids injectates and concentrations on lesion size and shape created when using cooled radiofrequency ablation. Secondary objective is to determine the effects of various time durations of applied lesion on lesion size created. Our final objective is to determine the effects of fluid injectates on tissue temperature and impedance. SUMMARY OF BACKGROUND DATA Radiofrequency neurotomy is a therapeutic procedure involving ablation of sensory afferent nerves to the vertebral zygapophyseal joints. Larger lesions increase the likelihood the target nerve is ablated. METHODS Before cooled radiofrequency ablation, tissue was injected with either 0.9% normal saline, 1% lidocaine, 2% lidocaine, 0.25% bupivacaine, 0.5% bupivacaine, 0.75% bupivacaine, 0.2% ropivacaine, 0.5% ropivacaine, or 1% ropivacaine. Duration of cooled radiofrequency was either 45, 90, or 150 seconds. RESULTS There was no significant difference in the size of the lesion created when using different injectates and concentrations. There was no significant difference in the size of the lesion created when applying a 90 seconds duration lesion compared with a 150 seconds duration lesion. CONCLUSION Applying a 90 seconds duration lesion can be considered in clinical use for cooled radiofrequency ablation. The use of an injectate did not significantly alter the size or desired spherical shape of the lesion created, did not significantly alter the time required to create the lesion, and did not significantly lower the temperature threshold. The study is limited by the use of ex vivo tissue which does not account for the effects of tissue perfusion. The use of an injectate before cooled radiofrequency ablation can be made at the interventionalist's discretion. LEVEL OF EVIDENCE N/A.

A calculation is presented that converts plant frequency per plot size sampled to expected frequency per any plot size of interest so as to compare studies that used different plot sizes or to assess degrees of spatial randomness in individual studies that used multiple plot sizes. Expected frequency is exponentially related to measured frequency, being dependent on plot size of interest relative to plot size from which measured frequency was obtained. Expected frequency per plot size of interest (Fe) may be expressed as Fe = 1 − (1 − Fs)r, where Fs is measured frequency per plot size sampled and r is the ratio of plot size of interest to plot size sampled. The calculation assumes that plants are randomly distributed, or approximately so, and criteria for presence of plants in plots are consistent in studies being compared.

Aim To examine patterns of marine hydrozoan richness around southern Africa and to test the hypothesis that patterns of biogeography become weaker with increasing dispersal ability. Location The coastline of southern Africa from 21° S, 14° E to 28° S, 33° E, extending from the intertidal zone seawards a distance of 200 nautical miles. Methods Published and unpublished information on the distribution of marine Hydrozoa was entered as presence/absence data onto a gridded coastline of the region. A similarity matrix between the species composition of grid squares was constructed using the Bray–Curtis index and visualized using non-metric multidimensional scaling ordinations. Separate analyses were conducted, and compared, on the three major life cycle groupings: holoplanktic, meroplanktic and benthic. Results Over 450 species of marine Hydrozoa have been reported from the region, and species richness increases eastwards, in a manner at odds with the distribution of sampling effort. There was a significant correlation between the geographic structures of the resemblance matrices generated for the three life cycle groupings. In other words, all three groups showed similar patterns of biogeography around the region, and these were broadly similar to those reported by others. However, there were differences between them that reflect the resolution at which the data were examined. At a level of 40% similarity, there was no biogeographic structure to the holoplanktic fauna, the meroplanktic taxa were simply sub-divided into cool- and warm-temperate/subtropical elements, and in the case of benthic taxa, the cool-water fauna was further split into a southern Namaqua and a depauperate northern Namib component. Even at a resolution of 70% similarity, the holopelagic taxa could be separated only into cool-temperate and warm-temperate/subtropical faunas. Main conclusions Holoplanktic taxa show comparatively less biogeographic structure than meroplanktic taxa, which in turn show less clearly defined biogeographic structure than benthic taxa. It is suggested that this is related to the interaction between oceanography and dispersive-stage duration. The role that the Agulhas Current plays in influencing the Benguela Current fauna is highlighted. This study has implications for conservation planning exercises based on protecting representative biotopes in different biogeographic regions.

This work demonstrates that α-synuclein inhibits the biosynthetic secretory pathway of mammalian cells potently and directly under nontoxic conditions and in the absence of insoluble α-synuclein aggregates. A potential mechanism involving α-synuclein binding to ER/Golgi SNAREs and inhibiting fusogenic SNARE complex assembly is elucidated., Toxicity of human α-synuclein when expressed in simple organisms can be suppressed by overexpression of endoplasmic reticulum (ER)-to-Golgi transport machinery, suggesting that inhibition of constitutive secretion represents a fundamental cause of the toxicity. Whether similar inhibition in mammals represents a cause of familial Parkinson's disease has not been established. We tested elements of this hypothesis by expressing human α-synuclein in mammalian kidney and neuroendocrine cells and assessing ER-to-Golgi transport. Overexpression of wild type or the familial disease-associated A53T mutant α-synuclein delayed transport by up to 50%; however, A53T inhibited more potently. The secretory delay occurred at low expression levels and was not accompanied by insoluble α-synuclein aggregates or mistargeting of transport machinery, suggesting a direct action of soluble α-synuclein on trafficking proteins. Co-overexpression of ER/Golgi arginine soluble N-ethylmaleimide-sensitive factor attachment protein receptors (R-SNAREs) specifically rescued transport, indicating that α-synuclein antagonizes SNARE function. Ykt6 reversed α-synuclein inhibition much more effectively than sec22b, suggesting a possible neuroprotective role for the enigmatic high expression of ykt6 in neurons. In in vitro reconstitutions, purified α-synuclein A53T protein specifically inhibited COPII vesicle docking and fusion at a pre-Golgi step. Finally, soluble α-synuclein A53T directly bound ER/Golgi SNAREs and inhibited SNARE complex assembly, providing a potential mechanism for toxic effects in the early secretory pathway.

Most trypanosomatid genes are transcribed into polycistronic precursor RNAs that are processed into monocistronic mRNAs possessing a 39-nucleotide spliced leader (SL) at their 5'-ends and polyadenylation at their 3'-ends. We show here that precursor RNA derived from a luciferase gene integrated in reverse orientation at the rDNA locus of Trypanosoma brucei is processed into three major SL-containing RNAs in bloodstream cells and a single SL-containing RNA in procyclic RNAs. This difference in trans RNA splicing between bloodstream and procyclic cells is independent of the 5'- and 3'-UTRs flanking the luciferase coding region. Thus, bloodstream cells can recognize some sequences in precursor RNA as a SL addition site that procyclic cells do not. These alternative SL addition sites may be aberrant or they might be utilized to expand the number of gene products from individual genes. Future experiments on endogenous genes will be necessary to examine the latter possibility.

Background Simple life cycles arise from complex life cycles when one or more developmental stages are lost. This raises a fundamental question - how can an intermediate stage, such as a larva, be removed, and development still produce a normal adult? To address this question, we examined the development in several species of pelagiid jellyfish. Most members of Pelagiidae have a complex life cycle with a sessile polyp that gives rise to ephyrae (juvenile medusae); but one species within Pelagiidae, Pelagia noctiluca, spends its whole life in the water column, developing from a larva directly into an ephyra. In many complex life cycles, adult features develop from cell populations that remain quiescent in larvae, and this is known as life cycle compartmentalization and may facilitate the evolution of direct life cycles. A second type of metamorphic processes, known as remodeling, occurs when adult features are formed through modification of already differentiated larval structures. We examined muscle morphology to determine which of these alternatives may be present in Pelagiidae. Results We first examined the structure and development of polyp and ephyra musculature in Chrysaora quinquecirrha, a close relative of P. noctiluca with a complex life cycle. Using phallotoxin staining and confocal microscopy, we verified that polyps have four to six cord muscles that persist in strobilae and discovered that cord muscles is physically separated from ephyra muscle. When cord muscle is removed from ephyra segments, normal ephyra muscle still develops. This suggests that polyp cord muscle is not necessary for ephyra muscle formation. We also found no evidence of polyp-like muscle in P. noctiluca. In both species, we discovered that ephyra muscle arises de novo in a similar manner, regardless of the life cycle. Conclusions The separate origins of polyp and ephyra muscle in C. quinquecirrha and the absence of polyp-like muscle in P. noctiluca suggest that polyp muscle is not remodeled to form ephyra muscle in Pelagiidae. Life cycle stages in Scyphozoa may instead be compartmentalized. Because polyp muscle is not directly remodeled, this may have facilitated the loss of the polyp stage in the evolution of P. noctiluca. Electronic supplementary material The online version of this article (doi:10.1186/s13227-015-0005-7) contains supplementary material, which is available to authorized users.

Objective For interlaminar cervical epidural steroid injections (CESI) the lateral fluoroscopic view (LAT) is often considered to improve needle localization. However, the contralateral-oblique view (CLO) is a useful alternative with potential advantages to improve identification of cervical anatomy and needle depth assessment. The authors explored the attitudes and perceptions of pain medicine fellows currently training in two ACGME-accredited pain medicine fellowship programs regarding the use of these two types of fluoroscopic views. Methods The survey was conducted online following a request by e-mail. Of a total of 20 fellows who were contacted, there were 17 respondents who had experience with both techniques, and they were included for analysis. Results The response rate for participation was 95%. Whereas 70.6% respondents reported they were very certain about the assessment of anatomy with the CLO view, only 17.6% felt very certain with the LAT view. Compared with learning to perform interlaminar CESI using the LAT view only, the majority of fellows thought that using the CLO technique was easier to learn (P

ALS2 is an autosomal recessive form of spastic paraparesis (motor neuron disease) with juvenile onset and slow progression caused by loss of function of alsin, an activator of Rac1 and Rab5 small GTPases. To establish an animal model of ALS2 and derive insights into the pathogenesis of this illness, we have generated alsin-null mice. Cytosol from brains of Als2 −/− mice shows marked diminution of Rab5-dependent endosome fusion activity. Furthermore, primary neurons from Als2 −/− mice show a disturbance in endosomal transport of insulin-like growth factor 1 (IGF1) and BDNF receptors, whereas neuronal viability and endocytosis of transferrin and dextran seem unaltered. There is a significant decrease in the size of cortical motor neurons, and Als2 −/− mice are mildly hypoactive. Altered trophic receptor trafficking in neurons of Als2 −/− mice may underlie the histopathological and behavioral changes observed and the pathogenesis of ALS2.

Objective.—To investigate the high-frequency vestibulo-ocular reflex (VOR) in patients with migraine, with and without dizziness and aura. Background.—Migraine is a common cause of dizziness. Although many vestibular testing abnormalities have been documented in migraine patients, high-frequency VOR abnormalities have not been reported. Methods.—Thirty-nine consecutive patients with migraine were studied with the vestibular autorotation test (VAT®). The patients were subclassified as having migraine headache only, migraine with visual aura, migraine with dizziness, or migraine with visual aura and dizziness. Results.—Only a high vertical phase in the 4 to 5 Hz range was correlated with migraine (correlation coefficients: .356, P= .03). Further analysis revealed that an abnormal 4 to 5 Hz vertical phase result also was positively correlated with migraine with aura and dizziness (correlation coefficients: .392). Conclusion.—The results suggest that patients with migraine may have an abnormal vertical VOR at higher head movement frequencies. Migraine patients with visual aura and dizziness are even more likely to have this abnormality.

Mutations in the ALS2 gene, which encodes alsin, cause autosomal recessive juvenile-onset amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS2) and related conditions. Using both a novel monoclonal antibody and LacZ knock-in mice, we demonstrate that alsin is widely expressed in neurons of the CNS, including the cortex, brain stem and motor neurons of the spinal cord. Interestingly, the highest levels of alsin are found in the molecular layer of the cerebellum, a brain region not previously implicated in ALS2. During development, alsin is expressed by day E9.5, but CNS expression does not become predominant until early postnatal life. At the subcellular level, alsin is tightly associated with endosomal membranes and is likely to be part of a large protein complex that may include the actin cytoskeleton. ALS2 is present in primates, rodents, fish and flies, but not in the nematode worm or yeast, and is more highly conserved than expected among mammals. Additionally, the product of a second, widely expressed gene, ALS2 C-terminal like (ALS2CL), may subserve or modulate some of the functions of alsin as an activator of Rab and Rho GTPases.

What are the greatest sizes that the largest marine megafauna obtain? This is a simple question with a difficult and complex answer. Many of the largest-sized species occur in the world’s oceans. For many of these, rarity, remoteness, and quite simply the logistics of measuring these giants has made obtaining accurate size measurements difficult. Inaccurate reports of maximum sizes run rampant through the scientific literature and popular media. Moreover, how intraspecific variation in the body sizes of these animals relates to sex, population structure, the environment, and interactions with humans remains underappreciated. Here, we review and analyze body size for 25 ocean giants ranging across the animal kingdom. For each taxon we document body size for the largest known marine species of several clades. We also analyze intraspecific variation and identify the largest known individuals for each species. Where data allows, we analyze spatial and temporal intraspecific size variation. We also provide allometric scaling equations between different size measurements as resources to other researchers. In some cases, the lack of data prevents us from fully examining these topics and instead we specifically highlight these deficiencies and the barriers that exist for data collection. Overall, we found considerable variability in intraspecific size distributions from strongly left- to strongly right-skewed. We provide several allometric equations that allow for estimation of total lengths and weights from more easily obtained measurements. In several cases, we also quantify considerable geographic variation and decreases in size likely attributed to humans.

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Disclosures: R. Nguyen, No Disclosures: I Have No Relevant Financial Relationships to Disclose. Case Description: The patient is a 45-year-old woman who presented with chronic right groin pain that started about 10 years prior. Because she was an avid dancer, she attributed her pain to years of dancing. She saw Orthopaedics and underwent hip and pelvis x-rays which demonstrated preserved joint spaces. She underwent an MR arthrogram of the right hip which showed evidence of fluid accumulating in the right greater trochanteric bursa. There was no evidence of labral tear, occult bony abnormality, muscle tear, or psoas tenosynovitis. She had been through PT, used ice, and NSAIDs. Of note, she had a motor vehicle accident 26 years prior with subsequent spleen rupture and then was diagnosed with ectopic spleen and underwent surgical removal by OB/GYN one year prior. Program Description: Musculoskeletal outpatient center. Setting: Academic Center. Results or Clinical Course: MRI pelvis was obtained showing increased signal overlying the right greater trochanter suggesting trochanter bursitis and gluteal tendinopathy. There was a 5 2 cm intrapelvic globular lesion on the left side of the pelvis and a 2.5 2 cm lesion on the right side of the pelvis. There were other bilateral lower pelvis soft tissue lesions, possibly external iliac adenopathy. She underwent a spleen nuclear scan, which confirmed ectopic spleen. It was felt that the masses were likely the underlying etiology of her pain given the local compression and traction on nearby structures. She saw General Surgery. CT was obtained showing absent spleen and multiple enhancing soft tissue masses, including in the omentum and right pelvic sidewall likely representing splenosis. She was planned for surgical excision with GYN-Oncology and Vascular Surgery given the close proximity to the vascular structures. Discussion: We present an interesting case of splenosis resulting in groin/pelvic pain manifesting many years later. While there have been descriptions of splenosis in the gynecologic and internal medicine literature, this is a unique case in an athlete who first underwent orthopaedic evaluation as symptoms initially suggested hip pathology. Conclusions: When the past medical history includes posttraumatic splenectomy and other workup is unrevealing, symptomatic splenosis should be considered in the differential diagnosis of chronic groin/pelvic pain.

Insect metamorphosis is a complex developmental transition determined and coordinated by hormonal signaling that begins at a critical weight late in the larval phase of life. Even though this hormonal signaling is well understood in insects, the internal factors that are assessed at the critical weight and that drive commitment to metamorphosis have remained unresolved in most species. The critical weight may represent either an autonomous decision by the neuroendocrine system without input from other developing larval tissues, or an assessment of developmental thresholds occurring throughout the body that are then integrated by the neuroendocrine tissues. The latter hypothesis predicts that there could be one or more developmental threshold signals that originate from developing tissues and ultimately induce the onset of metamorphosis. However, there is no evidence for such a signal in the organisms for which the critical weight is well described. Here we test for the evidence of this factor in Manduca sexta (Lepidoptera: Sphingidae) by transferring hemolymph from individuals that are either post- or pre-critical weight into pre-critical weight 5(th) instar larvae. We found that hemolymph from a post-critical weight donor induces a shortening of development time, though the mass at pupation is unaffected. This suggests that metamorphic commitment occurring at the critical weight is at least partially coordinated by signaling from developing tissues via a hemolymph-borne signaling factor.

Luminal calcium released from secretory organelles has been suggested to play a regulatory role in vesicle transport at several steps in the secretory pathway; however, its functional roles and effector pathways have not been elucidated. Here we demonstrate for the first time that specific luminal calcium depletion leads to a significant decrease in endoplasmic reticulum (ER)-to-Golgi transport rates in intact cells. Ultrastructural analysis revealed that luminal calcium depletion is accompanied by increased accumulation of intermediate compartment proteins in COPII buds and clusters of unfused COPII vesicles at ER exit sites. Furthermore, we present several lines of evidence suggesting that luminal calcium affected transport at least in part through calcium-dependent interactions between apoptosis-linked gene-2 (ALG-2) and the Sec31A proline-rich region: 1) targeted disruption of ALG-2/Sec31A interactions caused severe defects in ER-to-Golgi transport in intact cells; 2) effects of luminal calcium and ALG-2/Sec31A interactions on transport mutually required each other; and 3) Sec31A function in transport required luminal calcium. Morphological phenotypes of disrupted ALG-2/Sec31A interactions were characterized. We found that ALG-2/Sec31A interactions were not required for the localization of Sec31A to ER exit sites per se but appeared to acutely regulate the stability and trafficking of the cargo receptor p24 and the distribution of the vesicle tether protein p115. These results represent the first outline of a mechanism that connects luminal calcium to specific protein interactions regulating vesicle trafficking machinery.

A number of advances in the scientific knowledge concerning adverse food reactions have been made in the past few years. Understanding about the nature of the food allergen itself, the molecular characterization of the epitopes on these allergens, the pathophysiology of the clinical reaction, and the diagnostic methods have all been significantly enhanced.

The effects of extracellular acidification on Ca2+-dependent signaling pathways in human microglia were investigated using Ca2+-sensitive fluorescence microscopy. Adenosine triphosphate (ATP) was used to elicit Ca2+ responses primarily dependent on the depletion of intracellular endoplasmic reticulum (ER) stores, while platelet-activating factor (PAF) was used to elicit responses primarily dependent on store-operated channel (SOC) influx of Ca2+. The duration of transient responses induced by ATP was not significantly different in standard physiological pH 7.4 (mean duration 30.2 ± 2.5 s) or acidified pH 6.2 (mean duration 31.7 ± 2.8 s) extracellular solutions. However, the time course of the PAF response at pH 7.4 was significantly reduced by 87% with external pH at 6.2. These results suggest that acidification of extracellular solutions inhibits SOC entry of Ca2+ with little or no effect on depletion of ER stores. Changes of extracellular pH over the range from 8.6 to 6.2 during the development of a sustained SOC influx induced by PAF resulted in instantaneous modulation of SOC amplitude indicating a rapidly reversible effect of pH on this Ca2+ pathway. Whole-cell patch clamp recordings showed external acidification blocked depolarization-activated outward K+ current indicating cellular depolarization may be involved in the acid pH inhibition. Since SOC mediated influx of Ca2+ is strongly modulated by membrane potential, the electrophysiological data suggest that acidification may act to inhibit SOC by cellular depolarization. These results suggest that acidification observed during cerebral ischemia may alter microglial responses and functions. GLIA 36:22–30, 2001. © 2001 Wiley-Liss, Inc.

The high performance satellite communications networks of the future will have to be interoperable with terrestrial fiber cables. These satellite networks will evolve from narrowband analogue formats to broadband digital transmission schemes, with protocols, algorithms and transmission architectures that will segment the data into uniform cells and frames, and then transmit these data via larger and more efficient synchronous optional (SONET) and asynchronous transfer mode (ATM) networks that are being developed for the information “superhighway”. These high performance satellite communications and information networks are required for modern applications, such as electronic commerce, digital libraries, medical imaging, distance learning, and the distribution of science data. In order for satellites to participate in these information superhighway networks, it is essential that they demonstrate their ability to: (1) operate seamlessly with heterogeneous architectures and applications, (2) carry data at SONET rates with the same quality of service as optical fibers, (3) qualify transmission delay as a parameter not a problem, and (4) show that satellites have several performance and economic advantages over fiber cable networks.

There has been much recent progress in the use of reclaimed water (treated municipal sewage plant effluent) for use in the cooling circuits of electric utility plants and other industrial facilities. In the greater Los Angeles area, reclaimed water has been used industrially for over 25 years but some major new projects have been initiated in 1995. By using reclaimed water, electric utility generating stations and other industrial facilities can reduce their need for water from higher quality water sources which can then be conserved for other purposes, such as municipal drinking water. This paper presents an overview of the factors required to successfully use reclaimed water as makeup to recirculating cooling systems. The primary focus is on the possible effects on equipment relative to corrosion, deposition and biological fouling and on the required changes in water treatment. Implementation of the use of this water in some new projects began in May 1995. The paper provides some of the latest available results on the use of this water. The pretreatment process for ammonia removal and chlorination practices is also discussed.

This paper describes two high data rate experiments chat are being developed for the gigabit NASA Advanced Communications Technology Satellite (ACTS). The first is a telescience experiment that remotely acquires image data at the Keck telescope from the Caltech campus. The second is a distributed global climate application that is run between two supercomputer centers interconnected by ACTS. The implementation approach for each is described along with the expected results. Also. the ACTS high data rate (HDR) ground station is also described in detail.

Cocaine generates drug-seeking behavior by creating long-lasting changes in the reward pathway. The role of the growth factor, brain-derived neurotrophic factor (BDNF) in facilitating these changes was investigated in the present report with a genetic rat model. Using conditioned place preference, the current study investigated the hypothesis that a partial knockout of the BDNF gene in rats (BDNF(+/-)) would attenuate the rewarding effects of cocaine. Wildtype rats exposed to cocaine exhibited normal cocaine-seeking responses one day after conditioning and cocaine-seeking behavior was reinstated with drug priming following drug abstinence. In contrast, BDNF(+/-) rats did not show cocaine-seeking behavior one day after conditioning, nor did they respond to drug priming. A median split of rats based on BDNF levels in sera collected prior to behavioral procedures revealed that wildtype rats with high BDNF levels showed stronger conditioned place preference and reinstatement to cocaine. Together, the results support the hypothesis that a partial knockout of the BDNF gene attenuates the rewarding properties of cocaine. Additionally, individual differences in BDNF levels may predict future cocaine-seeking behavior. An underlying mechanism of these effects may be a reduction of the amount of synaptic changes made in the reward pathway.

SummaryOrganisms must accommodate oxygen delivery to developing tissues as body mass increases during growth. In insects, the growth of the respiratory system has been assumed to occur only when it molts, whereas body mass and volume increase during the larval stages between molts. This decouples whole body growth from the growth of the oxygen supply system. This assumption is derived from the observation that the insect respiratory system is an invagination of the exoskeleton, which must be shed during molts for continued growth to occur. Here, we provide evidence that this assumption is incorrect. We found that the respiratory system increases substantially in both mass and volume within the last larval instar of Manduca sexta larvae, and that the growth of the respiratory system changes with diet quality, potentially as a consequence of shifting metabolic demands.

First experimental results from the final focus test beam (FFTB) are reported. The vertical dimension of a 47-GeV electron beam from the SLAC linac has been reduced at the focal point of the FFTB by a demagnification of 320 to a beam height of approximately 70 nm.

We investigated differential gene expression between functionally specialized feeding polyps and swimming medusae in the siphonophore Nanomia bijuga (Cnidaria) with a hybrid long-read/short-read sequencing strategy. We assembled a set of partial gene reference sequences from long-read data (Roche 454), and generated short-read sequences from replicated tissue samples that were mapped to the references to quantify expression. We collected and compared expression data with three short-read expression workflows that differ in sample preparation, sequencing technology, and mapping tools. These workflows were Illumina mRNA-Seq, which generates sequence reads from random locations along each transcript, and two tag-based approaches, SOLiD SAGE and Helicos DGE, which generate reads from particular tag sites. Differences in expression results across workflows were mostly due to the differential impact of missing data in the partial reference sequences. When all 454-derived gene reference sequences were considered, Illumina mRNA-Seq detected more than twice as many differentially expressed (DE) reference sequences as the tag-based workflows. This discrepancy was largely due to missing tag sites in the partial reference that led to false negatives in the tag-based workflows. When only the subset of reference sequences that unambiguously have tag sites was considered, we found broad congruence across workflows, and they all identified a similar set of DE sequences. Our results are promising in several regards for gene expression studies in non-model organisms. First, we demonstrate that a hybrid long-read/short-read sequencing strategy is an effective way to collect gene expression data when an annotated genome sequence is not available. Second, our replicated sampling indicates that expression profiles are highly consistent across field-collected animals in this case. Third, the impacts of partial reference sequences on the ability to detect DE can be mitigated through workflow choice and deeper reference sequencing.

In some group-living organisms, labor is divided among individuals. This allocation to particular tasks is frequently stable and predicted by individual physiology. Social insects are excellent model organisms in which to investigate the interplay between physiology and individual behavior, as division of labor is an important feature within colonies, and individual physiology varies among the highly related individuals of the colony. Previous studies have investigated what factors are important in determining how likely an individual is, compared to nest-mates, to perform certain tasks. One such task is foraging. Corpulence (i.e., percent lipid) has been shown to determine foraging propensity in honey bees and ants, with leaner individuals being more likely to be foragers. Is this a general trend across all social insects? Here we report data analyzing the individual physiology, specifically the percent lipid, of worker bumble bees (Bombus impatiens) from whom we also analyze behavioral task data. Bumble bees are also unusual among the social bees in that workers may vary widely in size. Surprisingly we find that, unlike other social insects, percent lipid is not associated with task propensity. Rather, body size closely predicts individual relative lipid stores, with smaller worker bees being allometrically fatter than larger worker bees.

Trilostane is a recognized treatment for canine pituitary-dependent hyperadrenocorticism (PDH); however, its efficacy in dogs with adrenal-dependent hyperadrenocorticism (ADH) is unknown.To examine factors that might influence survival in the medical management of ADH, with particular emphasis on treatment selection.Thirty-seven animals referred to 4 centers over a period of 12 years that had been diagnosed with ADH and treated with either trilostane (22/37), mitotane (13/37), or both (2/37).Retrospective analysis of clinical records.There was no statistically significant difference between the survival times of 13 dogs treated only with mitotane when compared with 22 dogs treated only with trilostane. The median survival time for animals treated with trilostane was 353 days (95% confidence interval [CI] 95-528 days), whereas it was 102 days (95% CI 43-277 days) for mitotane. Metastatic disease was detected in 8 of 37 dogs. There was a significantly lower probability of survival for dogs with metastatic disease when compared with those without metastatic disease (P.001).The choice of medical treatment for ADH may not have a major effect on survival times. However, the presence of metastatic disease considerably decreases survival time regardless of the choice of medical treatment.