Search

In modular educational systems, students are allowed to choose a part of their curriculum themselves. The rationale behind letting students choose their courses themselves is to enhance self-responsibility, improve student motivation, and allow for focus on specific areas of interest. A central instrument for bringing these systems to fruition is the timetable. However, scheduling the timetable in such systems can be an extremely challenging and time-consuming task. In this study, we present a framework for classifying modular educational systems in Europe that reflects different degrees of freedom regarding student choices and explore the consequences from the perspective of scheduling a timetable that satisfies all requirements from the organizational and pedagogical perspectives. For this purpose, we conducted interviews in Austria, Germany, Finland, Switzerland, the Netherlands, and Luxembourg, and applied the framework to these educational systems, finding that among them the Finnish system shows the highest degree of modularity. After analyzing the consequences of modularity from the scheduling perspective, we assess the necessity for automated scheduling methods, which are central to realizing the potential and many benefits of modular education. The framework developed in this paper can be used by educational systems to assess their degree of modularity and consider the right approach to timetabling based on it.

ObjectivesTo report the surgical outcomes of treating patellar luxation (PL) in dogs with surgical planning based on three-dimensional (3D) automated measurement of femoral angles.Study designMulticenter retrospective study.MethodsForty-one dogs with PL underwent preoperative computed tomography (CT). Three-dimensional femur models were exported as stereolithographic files, and imported into computer-aided design (CAD) software where 3D measurements were performed. The anatomical laterodistal femoral (aLDFA), femoral neck (FNA), and femoral torsion (FTA) angles were recorded. Surgical records, complications, radiographic femoral postoperative alignment, preoperative and postoperative lameness evaluation, and patellar position were reviewed. The success of the surgical outcome was based on the presence of normal patellar tracking at the last clinical recheck.ResultsForty-seven limbs were included; 46% of the cases (22/47) were affected by grade 3 PL. Mean (±SD) 3D aLDFA, FNA, and FTA measurements were 101.4° (±3.6), 132.5° (±2.6), and 17.6° (±4.3) in dogs with medial patellar luxation (MPL) and 89.3° (±7.6), 134.8° (±2.9), 36.9° (±5.3) with lateral patellar luxation (LPL), respectively. Based on the 3D preoperative planning, corrective osteotomies were performed in 34 of 47 cases. The mean radiographic follow-up was 4.7 months. At the final follow-up, PL was successfully treated in 45 of 47 cases. Patella reluxated in five cases. In three of five cases, the 3D automated plan was not followed by the surgeon.DiscussionSurgical treatment of PL based on 3D femoral measurements successfully corrected PL in 45 of 47 cases (96%). This is the first study reporting the use of 3D automated femoral angle measurement in clinical cases affected by PL.

Bone morphometry varies among dogs of different sizes and breeds. Studying these differences may help understand the predisposition of certain breeds for specific orthopedic pathologies. This study aimed to develop a statistical shape model (SSM) of the femur, patella, and tibia of dogs without any clinical orthopeadic abnormalities to analyze and compare morphological variations based on body weight and breed. A total of 97 CT scans were collected from different facilities and divided based on breed and body weight. The 3D models of the bones were obtained and aligned to a coordinate system. The SSM was created using principal component analysis (PCA) to analyze shape variations. The study found that the first few modes of variation accounted for a significant percentage of the total variation, with size/scale being the most prominent factor. The results provide valuable insights into normal anatomical variations and can be used for future research in understanding pathological bone morphologies and developing 3D imaging algorithms in veterinary medicine.

Background: Two-staged hepatectomy (TSH) including portal vein embolization (PVE) may offer surgical treatment for extensive bilobar colorectal liver metastases (CRLM). This study aimed to investigate the feasibility and outcomes of extended right hepatectomy (ERH) within TSH including PVE for patients with extended CRLM. Methods: We retrospectively collected data of patients who underwent TSH for extended CRLM between 2015 and 2021 at our institution. Clearance of the left liver lobe (clear-up, CU) associated with PVE was followed by ERH. Results: Minimally invasive (n = 12, 46%, MIH) or open hepatectomy (n = 14, 54%, OH) was performed. Postoperative major morbidity and 90-day mortality were 54% and 0%. Three-year overall survival was 95%. Baseline characteristics, postoperative and long-term outcomes were comparable between MIH and OH. However, hospital stay was significantly shorter after MIH (8 vs. 15 days, p = 0.008). Additionally, the need for intraoperative transfusions tended to be lower in the MIH group (17% vs. 50%, p = 0.110). Conclusions: ERH following CU and PVE for extended CRLM is feasible and safe in laparoscopic and open approaches. MIH for ERH may result in shorter postoperative hospital stays. Further high-volume, multicenter studies are required to evaluate the potential superiority of MIH.

The mini-hemilaminectomy is a frequently used surgical technique for decompressive disk surgery on dogs. The aim of the study was to assess landmarks in the canine thoracolumbar spine to perform a mini-hemilaminectomy, with the aim of achieving optimal exposure of the ventral aspect of the vertebral canal. We hypothesized that the accessory process is a useful landmark for the identification of the level of the vertebral canal floor (VCF) and for decreasing surgical time. To define the level of the VCF, different landmarks and their distance to the VCF from computed tomography images of 40 mature chondrodystrophic dogs were evaluated in the first part of the study. To test the predefined landmarks, a cadaveric experiment was subsequently performed in the second part of the study. An experienced surgeon and a second-year surgical resident performed mini-hemilaminectomies as precisely as possible, with and without using the landmark values. Surgery time, precision of the mini-hemilaminectomy, and iatrogenic damage of the spinal nerve roots were compared between the two groups. Based on the results in the first part of the study, the distance from the dorsal border of the accessory process to the VCF (DBAP-VCF) was chosen as a landmark due to the good intra- (0.96) and interobserver (0.83) agreement. However, the distance is highly variable between breeds. In the second part of the study, using the DBAP-VCF landmark value did not influence the surgery time in both surgeons (p = 0.467, p > 0.99). An improved accuracy of the VCF was seen for the surgical resident with limited experience (p = 0.014), but not for the experienced surgeon (p = 0.926). For both surgeons, the spinal nerve roots were injured in 20% of the cases unrelated to the use of landmark values. In conclusion, this study suggests that the DBAP-VCF has been described as a breed-specific landmark that can be determined in CT with good agreement. Using the previously evaluated landmark values can help improve precision in decompressive spinal surgery for a surgeon with limited experience without prolonging surgical time.

Abstract Realistic haptic feedback is a key for virtual reality applications in order to transition from solely procedural training to motor-skill training. Currently, haptic feedback is mostly used in low-force medical procedures in dentistry, laparoscopy, arthroscopy and alike. However, joint replacement procedures at hip, knee or shoulder, require the simulation of high-forces in order to enable motor-skill training. In this work a prototype of a haptic device capable of delivering double the force (35 N to 70 N) of state-of-the-art devices is used to examine the four most common haptic rendering methods (penalty-, impulse-, constraint-, rigid body-based haptic rendering) in three bimanual tasks (contact, rotation, uniaxial transition with increasing forces from 30 to 60 N) regarding their capabilities to provide a realistic haptic feedback. In order to provide baseline data, a worst-case scenario of a steel/steel interaction was chosen. The participants needed to compare a real steel/steel interaction with a simulated one. In order to substantiate our results, we replicated the study using the same study protocol and experimental setup at another laboratory. The results of the original study and the replication study deliver almost identical results. We found that certain investigated haptic rendering method are likely able to deliver a realistic sensation for bone-cartilage/steel contact but not for steel/steel contact. Whilst no clear best haptic rendering method emerged, penalty-based haptic rendering performed worst. For simulating high force bimanual tasks, we recommend a mixed implementation approach of using impulse-based haptic rendering for simulating contacts and combine it with constraint or rigid body-based haptic rendering for rotational and translational movements.

Sole ulcers, a common cause of lameness is the costliest non-infectious foot lesion in dairy cows and one of the most prevalent non-infectious foot lesions in freestall housing systems. Costs associated with sole ulcers are treatment costs, plus increased labor and decreased productivity and fertility. Routine hoof trimming is part of a strategy to manage sole ulcers. However, hoof trimming strategies differ among farms. The two most frequently applied strategies are: 1) partial herd hoof trimming with a 2-month interval between trims; and 2) whole herd hoof trimming at 6-month intervals. A Markov model was developed to investigate whether every 2 months partial herd hoof trimming or whole herd hoof trimming every 6 months was the most cost-effective strategy to avoid costs associated with sole ulcers. In this model, the net benefits for a 100-cow herd and the average productive life span of a dairy cow in intensive dairy systems of 3 years were evaluated. Partial herd hoof trimming was the most cost-effective strategy 100% of the time compared to whole herd hoof trimming, with a difference in 3-year net benefits of US$4,337 (95% CI: US$2,713-US$5,830). Based on sensitivity analyses, variables that were the sources of the biggest uncertainty in the model were herd size, the probability of being trimmed in a partial herd trim, and the prevalence of sole ulcers. To further investigate the impacts of herd size and of probability of being trimmed, various scenario analyses were conducted. With increasing herd size, the difference in net benefits in favor of partial herd hoof trimming increased even more. Scenario analyses about the probability of getting trimmed all indicated that targeted intervention increased the difference in net benefits in favor of partial herd hoof trimming. However, if the selection of cows to be trimmed in a partial herd trim was random, the whole herd hoof trimming strategy became cost-effective. Therefore, targeted selection and early intervention are necessary to decrease costs associated with sole ulcers.

Abstract Introduction Reactive arthritis (REA) and Guillain–Barré syndrome (GBS) are postinfectious complications of Campylobacter enteritis (CE); associations with inflammatory bowel diseases and irritable bowel syndrome (IBS) are also discussed. The objective of this study was to summarize existing evidence on the probability of sequelae following confirmed CE. Methods All studies included in previous reviews and meta‐analyses on this topic were retrieved and assessed for eligibility; a systematic literature search was conducted to collect more recent reports. For each sequela, random effects meta‐analyses were performed; the risk of bias and the quality of evidence were evaluated. Results In total, 50 reports of observational studies were included; between 110,765 and 175,839 CE cases were considered for each sequela. The pooled proportion of CE cases that developed a sequela was 1.72% (95% CI 0.81–3.61; prediction interval [PI]: 0.03–47.65) for REA, 0.07% (0.03–0.16; PI: 0.003–1.59) for GBS, 0.22% (0.06–0.73; PI: 0.002–20.69) for Crohn's disease (CD), 0.35% (0.11–1.15; PI: 0.003–28.16) for ulcerative colitis (UC), and 4.48% (1.92–10.08; PI: 0.09–70.62) for IBS. The high between‐study heterogeneity could partially be explained by study size and design, the method of assessing sequelae, and the period between CE and sequelae onset. The quality of evidence was rated as moderate for GBS and UC, and low for REA, CD, and IBS. Conclusion Updated estimates of the probability to develop sequelae after CE are provided, for CD and UC for the first time. However, uncertainty regarding the true probabilities remains, which is reflected in the broad PIs.

Objective:. To compare the outcome of minimally invasive liver surgery (MILS) to open liver surgery (OLS) for resection of colorectal liver metastases (CRLM) on a nationwide level. Background:. Colorectal cancer is the third most common malignancy worldwide. Up to 50% of all patients with colorectal cancer develop CRLM. MILS represents an attractive alternative to OLS for treatment of CRLM. Methods:. Retrospective cohort study using the prospectively recorded German Quality management registry for liver surgery. Propensity-score matching was performed to account for variance in the extent of resection and patient demographics. Results:. In total, 1037 patients underwent liver resection for CRLM from 2019 to 2021. MILS was performed in 31%. Operative time was significantly longer in MILS (234 vs 222 minutes, P = 0.02) compared with OLS. After MILS, median length of hospital stay (LOS) was significantly shorter (7 vs 10 days; P < 0.001). Despite 76% of major resections being OLS, postoperative complications and 90-day morbidity and mortality did not differ. The Pringle maneuver was more frequently used in MILS (48% vs 40%, P = 0.048). After propensity-score matching for age, body mass index, Eastern Cooperative Oncology Group, and extent of resection, LOS remained shorter in the MILS cohort (6 vs 10 days, P < 0.001) and operative time did not differ significantly (P = 0.2). Conclusion:. MILS is not the standard for resection of CRLM in Germany. Drawbacks, such as a longer operative time remain. However, if technically possible, MILS is a reasonable alternative to OLS for resection of CRLM, with comparable postoperative complications, reduced LOS, and equal oncological radicality.

The study material consisted of 360 eggs from a reproductive flock of meat-type hens; 240 were double-yolked eggs and 120 were single-yolked as a control group. The eggs were numbered individually and then analysed for their quality in terms of characteristics of the whole egg (weight, shape index, specific gravity), shell (colour, strength, weight, density), albumen (pH, height, weight, Haugh units) and yolk (colour, weight, shape index, pH). During the analyses, yolks were sampled for analyses including basic composition, fatty acid profile (by gas chromatography) and fatty acid indices. It was found that double-yolked eggs differed significantly from single-yolked ones in terms of weight, proportion of individual elements in the egg weight, total protein content in the yolks as well as in terms of the fatty acid profile and their indices both due to the presence or absence of two yolks and in the context of the individual yolks analysed. The results indicate the possibility of using double-yolked eggs as table eggs due to the absence of negative effects stemming from being double-yolked and the increased content of biologically important components such as fatty acids.

In Bell scenarios with two outcomes per party, we algorithmically consider the two sides of the membership problem for the local polytope: Constructing local models and deriving separating hyperplanes, that is, Bell inequalities. We take advantage of the recent developments in so-called Frank-Wolfe algorithms to significantly increase the convergence rate of existing methods. First, we study the threshold value for the nonlocality of two-qubit Werner states under projective measurements. Here, we improve on both the upper and lower bounds present in the literature. Importantly, our bounds are entirely analytical; moreover, they yield refined bounds on the value of the Grothendieck constant of order three: 1.4367⩽K_{G}(3)⩽1.4546. Second, we demonstrate the efficiency of our approach in multipartite Bell scenarios, and present local models for all projective measurements with visibilities noticeably higher than the entanglement threshold. We make our entire code accessible as a julia library called BellPolytopes.jl.

African trypanosomes collectively move in a process called social motility. Here, the authors show that procyclic forms acidify their environment as a consequence of glucose metabolism, generating pH gradients by diffusion that are sensed via cyclic AMP signalling. Parasite mutants defective in cAMP signaling are inhibited in fly infection.

Abstract Background Robotic-assisted pancreatic surgery (RPS) has fundamentally developed over the past few years. For subgroups, e.g. elderly patients, applicability and safety of RPS still needs to be defined. Given prognosticated demographic developments, we aim to assess the role of RPS based on preoperative, operative and postoperative parameters. Methods We included 129 patients undergoing RPS at our institution between 2017 and 2020. Eleven patients required conversion to open surgery and were excluded from further analysis. We divided patients into two groups; ≥ 70 years old (Group 1; n = 32) and

Abstract Background The number of elderly patients diagnosed with esophageal cancer rises. Current information about outcomes in elderly patients undergoing thoracoscopic Ivor Lewis esophagectomy is limited. The objective of this study was to evaluate the influence of age on short-and mid-term outcomes after thoracoscopic Ivor Lewis esophagectomy. Methods A retrospective review of 188 patients with esophageal cancer undergoing thoracoscopic Ivor Lewis esophagectomy between August 2014 and July 2019 was performed. Patients were divided into patients aged > 75 years (elderly group (EG), n = 37) and patients ≤ 75 years (younger group (YG), n = 151) and matched using propensity-score matching. Baseline characteristics, length of hospital stay, mortality and major postoperative complications (Clavien-Dindo ≥ grade III) were compared. Results After matching 74 patients remained (n = 37 in each group). Postoperatively, no significant differences in major and overall complications, intra-hospital and 30-day mortality, disease-free or overall survival up to 3 years after surgery were noted. The incidence of pulmonary complications (65% vs. 38%) and pneumonia (54% vs. 30%) was significantly higher and the median hospital length of stay (12 vs. 14 days) significantly longer in the EG versus YG. Conclusion Thoracoscopic Ivor Lewis esophagectomies resulted in acceptable postoperative major morbidity and mortality without compromising 3-years overall and disease-free survival in elderly compared to younger patients with esophageal cancer. However, the incidence of postoperative pulmonary complications was higher in patients aged over 75 years.

Abstract Objective Generation of knockouts and in situ tagging of genes in Trypanosoma brucei has been greatly facilitated by using CRISPR/Cas9 as a genome editing tool. To date, this has entailed using a limited number of cell lines that are stably transformed to express Cas9 and T7 RNA polymerase (T7RNAP). It would be desirable, however, to be able to use CRISPR/Cas9 for any trypanosome cell line. Results We describe a sequential transfection expression system that enables transient expression of the two proteins, followed by delivery of PCR products for gRNAs and repair templates. This procedure can be used for genome editing without the need for stable integration of the Cas9 and T7RNAP genes.

The most popular protein source in poultry feed mixtures is soybean. However, cheaper and more available alternative protein sources are being sought, and feed manufacturers more and more often turn their attention to the post-extraction meals of local oil plants, e.g., rapeseed. Therefore, the effect of fermented and non-fermented post-extraction rapeseed meal used as a feed additive for Japanese quails was investigated on the eggs’ quality. The study was performed on 280 females of Japanese quails fed with a mixture without rapeseed meal, with non-fermented post-extraction rapeseed meal (5%, 10% and 15%) and with fermented one (5%, 10% and 15%). During the experiment, eggs were collected from each group four times (every 4 weeks) and evaluated for their quality characteristics. The addition of 10% fermented rapeseed meal had the most beneficial effect on such eggs quality traits as egg weight, specific gravity, yolk index and color and albumen pH. However, in the majority of examined parameters, no significant differences were found between birds fed with soybean meal and those fed with fermented and non-fermented rapeseed meal (morphological elements proportions, yolk weight, albumen height and Haugh’s units, eggshell quality). This supports the thesis that the use of rapeseed meals instead of soybean meals may allow obtaining the proper quality of animal raw materials at a lower cost and with the use of local feed resources.

The aim of the study was to characterize the population structure and assess the genetic diversity of warmblood horses used in the show jumping discipline. Pedigree data of 1,048 horses participating in the Polish Championships for Young Horses were analyzed. The pedigree of these animals included 12 863 individuals. The study consisted in analysis of the pedigree structure of the horses and characterization of the homozygosity and genetic diversity in the population. It was found that pedigree completeness and depth were sufficient for reliable assessment of the genetic diversity in the analyzed population. Although the average inbreeding coefficient exhibited at an acceptable level (approx. 1.01%), the increasing percentage of inbred animals seems disturbing. The results have shown that modern sport horses are derived from a small number of high-quality sires whose offspring were intensively used for breeding—bottleneck effect. In consequence, a greater part of the genetic variation reduction was observed in the non-founder generations. Given the changes in the studied population, the level of inbreeding in modern sport horses should be monitored, and pedigree data should be effectively used in selection for mating.

Objective: To evaluate the effects of neck-specific sensorimotor training using a virtual reality device compared with 2 standard rehabilitation programmes: with, and without general sensorimotor training, in patients with non-traumatic chronic neck pain. Design: Pilot randomized control study. Patients and methods: A total of 51 participants were randomly assigned to 1 of 3 groups: 1: control group; 2: sensorimotor group; 3: virtual reality group. All 3 groups received the clinic’s standard rehabilitation programme. Group 2 also received “general sensori-motor training” in the form of group therapy, for a total of 120 min. Group 3 received additional virtual reality-based “neck-specific sensorimotor training” for a total of 120 min. Participants’ neck pain, head-aches, active cervical range of motion, and Neck Disability Index were determined before and after 3 weeks of intervention. Results: Compared with the control group, the virtual reality group showed significant (p

Corporate mobility is often based on a fixed assignment of vehicles to employees. Relaxing this fixation and including alternatives such as public transportation or taxis for business and private trips could increase fleet utilization and foster the use of battery electric vehicles. We introduce the mobility offer allocation problemas the core concept of a flexible booking system for corporate mobility. The problem is equivalent to interval scheduling on dedicated unrelated parallel machines. We show that the problem is NP-hard to approximate within any factor. We describe problem specific conflict graphs for representing and exploring the structure of feasible solutions. A characterization of all maximum cliques in these conflict graphs reveals symmetries which allow to formulate stronger integer linear programming models. We also present an adaptive large neighborhood search based approach which makes use of conflict graphs as well. In a computational study, the approaches are evaluated. It was found that greedy heuristics perform best if very tight run-time requirements are given, a solver for the integer linear programming model performs best on small and medium instances, and the adaptive large neighborhood search performs best on large instances.

It has been demonstrated in numerous studies that bee pollen supplementation shows numerous positive effects on health. However, its impact on bones is largely unknown. The purpose of this study was to investigate the effect of bee pollen supplementation on the tibia biomechanical properties and bone morphometric measures using Japanese quail as an animal model. The experiment was arranged in a 2x2x2 factorial design, with sex, quail line (meat-type or egg-lying type), and bee pollen inclusion (0 or 10 g/kg of feed) as factors. The quails were one-day-old at the beginning of the experiment, they were euthanized after 42 days. Our study showed for the first time unfavorable effects of bee pollen on bones properties. Bee pollen supplementation negatively affected bone structure, irrespective of quails' sex or line type. Bone length (P < 0.001), weight (P < 0.01), and mean relative wall thickness (P < 0.01) and mineralization (P < 0.05) were reduced by bee pollen treatment. For female quails, irrespective of line type, the decrease of yield load (P < 0.001), ultimate load (P < 0.01), yield stress (P < 0.001) and ultimate stress (P < 0.05) was noted. Analysis of growth plate in bone metaphysis showed that bee pollen supplementation slowed the process of bone maturation irrespective of sex (P < 0.05). On contrary, dietary bee pollen positively affected bone homeostasis of trabecular bone in bone metaphysis as bone mineral density increased in experimental groups (P < 0.05). In males, this was the result of the increase of trabecular thickness (P < 0.01), in females due to the reduction of trabecular space (P < 0.001). In conclusion, our results demonstrate that bee pollen (1.0%, 10 g/kg of feed) supplementation caused significant negative effects on the mechanical endurance of the tibia of quails, while showed beneficial effects on trabecular bone histomorphometry.

Lysine degradation and the role of the metabolites glutarate and L-2-hydroxyglutarate have remained elusive in many organisms including Escherichia coli. Here authors present a pathway for catabolism of lysine to succinate in E. coli involving glutarate and L-2-hydroxyglutarate as intermediates.

The present study was carried out to evaluate the effect of different lines and generations of adult males and females of Japanese quail (Coturnix japonica) on total lipid, fatty acid (FA) composition and cholesterol content of breast muscle, as well as the identification of quantitative trait loci (QTLs) controlling the above mentioned meat quality traits. Forty-four quails (generation F0), 22 Pharaoh (F-33) meat-type males and 22 Standard (S-22) laying-type females, were crossed to produce the F1 hybrids generation. F2 generation was created by mating one F1 male with one F1 female, full siblings. The birds, randomly chosen from F0 (22 males and 22 females), F1 (22 males and 22 females) and F2 (84 males and 152 females), were raised to 20 weeks of age in collective cages. After slaughter the carcasses were dissected and the breast muscle was removed for the chemical analysis. Genomic DNA was extracted from the whole blood and 30 microsatellite markers located on two quail chromosomes were genotyped. S-22 quails exhibited higher amounts of total saturated fatty acids (SFA) and polyunsaturated fatty acids (PUFA), while F-33 quails had a greater content of total monounsaturated fatty acids (MUFA). F-33 quails supplied meat with lower atherogenic and thrombogenic indexes. A partial effect of sex on the FA composition of quail meat was found in the F1 generation; while in the F2 generation a sex-effect was more evident. F2 females exhibited a higher PUFA content and PUFA/SFA ratio, and a lower muscle cholesterol content compared to F2 males. In conclusion, total lipid, FA composition and cholesterol content were affected by first- and second-generation crosses. For the cholesterol content a QTL showing additive effect has been detected on CJA02 at 85 cM; no QTLs were found for total SFA, MUFA and PUFA. To current knowledge, this is the first study of a QTL associated with muscle cholesterol in quails.

Human pluripotent stem cell (hPSC)-derived mesencephalic dopaminergic (mesDA) neurons can relieve motor deficits in animal models of Parkinson's disease (PD). Clinical translation of differentiation protocols requires standardization of production procedures, and surface-marker-based cell sorting is considered instrumental for reproducible generation of defined cell products. Here, we demonstrate that integrin-associated protein (IAP) is a cell surface marker suitable for enrichment of hPSC-derived mesDA progenitor cells. Immunomagnetically sorted IAP+ mesDA progenitors showed increased expression of ventral midbrain floor plate markers, lacked expression of pluripotency markers, and differentiated into mature dopaminergic (DA) neurons in vitro. Intrastriatal transplantation of IAP+ cells sorted at day 16 of differentiation in a rat model of PD resulted in functional recovery. Grafts from sorted IAP+ mesDA progenitors were more homogeneous in size and DA neuron density. Thus, we suggest IAP-based sorting for reproducible prospective enrichment of mesDA progenitor cells in clinical cell replacement strategies.

The aim of the study was to investigate the changes in bone geometry, histological structure, and selected mechanical characteristics in young male and female Japanese quails supplemented with Saccharomyces cerevisiae. Quails were fed a basal diet containing no yeast or a basal diet supplemented with 1.5% (15 g per 1 kg of diet) of inactive S. cerevisiae, for a period of 42 days. S. cerevisiae inclusion had no effect on bone weight, length, and density, diaphysis geometry (cross-sectional area, wall thickness, moment of inertia) or on the mechanical strength (yield load, ultimate load, stiffness, Young’s modulus, yield stress, ultimate stress). Yeast supplementation improved the morphology of the articular cartilage both in male and female quails, as the total thickness of the articular cartilage was significantly increased. In trabecular bone, an increase in real bone volume and trabecular thickness was observed in females supplemented with S. cerevisiae, while in males the increase in trabecular number was accompanied by a reduction in trabecular thickness. The results of the present study demonstrate that S. cerevisiae, through a sex-dependent action on the gut-bone axis, improved the structure of articular cartilage and microarchitecture of trabecular bone. The positive effects of S. cerevisiae supplementation were more evident in female quails.

Though helical magnetic fields are generally believed to arise when the jets of Active Galactic Nuclei (AGN) are launched, it is still unclear what role they play (and if they survive) to the largest jet scales. A helical or toroidal B-field may contribute substantially to the collimation of the jet. This B-field structure can be detected in images of the Faraday rotation measure (RM)—a measure of the change in polarisation angle of an electromagnetic wave as it passes through a magneto-ionic medium. The Faraday rotation measure is directly proportional to the line-of-sight magnetic field; therefore a monotonic gradient in the RM transverse to the jet indicates similar behaviour of the line-of-sight B-field component. This type of analysis has mostly been done on parsec scales using VLBI observations at centimetre wavelengths, while relatively few studies have probed decaparsec to kiloparsec scales. The detection of RM gradients with significances of 3 σ or more on such large scales can demonstrate the presence of a toroidal field component, which may be associated with a helical field that has persisted to these distances from the centre of the AGN. We present the results of new Faraday rotation analyses for 2 AGN on kiloparsec scales based on multiwavelength VLA observations, with robust transverse RM gradients detected in both. Furthermore, the direction of the inferred toroidal B-fields on the sky supports previous results indicating a predominance of outward currents in the jets on kiloparsec scales.

The protozoan pathogen Trypanosoma brucei is transmitted between mammals by tsetse flies. The first compartment colonised by trypanosomes after a blood meal is the fly midgut lumen. Trypanosomes present in the lumen-designated as early procyclic forms-express the stage-specific surface glycoproteins EP and GPEET procyclin. When the trypanosomes establish a mature infection and colonise the ectoperitrophic space, GPEET is down-regulated, and EP becomes the major surface protein of late procyclic forms. A few years ago, it was discovered that procyclic form trypanosomes exhibit social motility (SoMo) when inoculated on a semi-solid surface. We demonstrate that SoMo is a feature of early procyclic forms, and that late procyclic forms are invariably SoMo-negative. In addition, we show that, apart from GPEET, other markers are differentially expressed in these two life-cycle stages, both in culture and in tsetse flies, indicating that they have different biological properties and should be considered distinct stages of the life cycle. Differentially expressed genes include two closely related adenylate cyclases, both hexokinases and calflagins. These findings link the phenomenon of SoMo in vitro to the parasite forms found during the first 4-7 days of a midgut infection. We postulate that ordered group movement on plates reflects the migration of parasites from the midgut lumen into the ectoperitrophic space within the tsetse fly. Moreover, the process can be uncoupled from colonisation of the salivary glands. Although they are the major surface proteins of procyclic forms, EP and GPEET are not essential for SoMo, nor, as shown previously, are they required for near normal colonisation of the fly midgut.

Cellular reprogramming of somatic cells into induced pluripotent stem cells (iPSC) opens up new avenues for basic research and regenerative medicine. However, the low efficiency of the procedure remains a major limitation. To identify iPSC, many studies to date relied on the activation of pluripotency-associated transcription factors. Such strategies are either retrospective or depend on genetically modified reporter cells. We aimed at identifying naturally occurring surface proteins in a systematic approach, focusing on antibody-targeted markers to enable live-cell identification and selective isolation. We tested 170 antibodies for differential expression between mouse embryonic fibroblasts (MEF) and mouse pluripotent stem cells (PSC). Differentially expressed markers were evaluated for their ability to identify and isolate iPSC in reprogramming cultures. Epithelial cell adhesion molecule (EPCAM) and stage-specific embryonic antigen 1 (SSEA1) were upregulated early during reprogramming and enabled enrichment of OCT4 expressing cells by magnetic cell sorting. Downregulation of somatic marker FAS was equally suitable to enrich OCT4 expressing cells, which has not been described so far. Furthermore, FAS downregulation correlated with viral transgene silencing. Finally, using the marker SSEA-1 we exemplified that magnetic separation enables the establishment of bona fide iPSC and propose strategies to enrich iPSC from a variety of human source tissues.

Rezensiertes Werk: Gerold Ambrosius, Regulativer Wettbewerb und koordinative Standardisierung zwischen Staaten. Theoretische Annahmen und historische Beispiele, Stuttgart: Franz Steiner 2005, 227 S., ISBN 3-515-08695-1

The circadian clock of cyanobacteria, which predicts daily environmental changes, typically includes a standard oscillator consisting of proteins KaiA, KaiB, and KaiC. However, several cyanobacteria have diverse Kai protein homologs of unclear function. In particular, Synechocystis sp. PCC 6803 harbours, in addition to a canonical kaiABC gene cluster (named kaiAB1C1), two further kaiB and kaiC homologs (kaiB2, kaiB3, kaiC2, kaiC3). Here, we identify a chimeric KaiA homolog, named KaiA3, encoded by a gene located upstream of kaiB3. At the N-terminus, KaiA3 is similar to response-regulator receiver domains, whereas its C-terminal domain resembles that of KaiA. Homology analysis shows that a KaiA3-KaiB3-KaiC3 system exists in several cyanobacteria and other bacteria. Using the Synechocystis sp. PCC 6803 homologs, we observe circadian oscillations in KaiC3 phosphorylation in vitro in the presence of KaiA3 and KaiB3. Mutations of kaiA3 affect KaiC3 phosphorylation, leading to growth defects under both mixotrophic and chemoheterotrophic conditions. KaiC1 and KaiC3 exhibit phase-locked free-running phosphorylation rhythms. Deletion of either system (∆kaiAB1C1 or ∆kaiA3B3C3) alters the period of the cellular backscattering rhythm. Furthermore, both oscillators are required to maintain high-amplitude, self-sustained backscatter oscillations with a period of approximately 24 h, indicating their interconnected nature., (© 2024. The Author(s).)

Background: Lipofuscin-like cytoplasmic inclusions have been reported in human blood neutrophils and monocytes but have not been described in dogs. In people, these "green granules of death" have been associated with moderate to severe hepatocellular injury and high mortality., Objectives: To describe clinicopathologic abnormalities, diagnoses, and outcomes of dogs with greenish inclusions in blood neutrophils or monocytes, and to determine if the inclusions have features of lipofuscin., Methods: Clinical cases were identified prospectively through routine evaluation of CBC samples. Leukocyte inclusions were characterized with routine staining and assessed for iron and autofluorescence. Additional cases were identified by examination of archived blood smears from dogs meeting search criteria for hepatocellular injury, and clinicopathologic findings were recorded., Results: All 7 prospectively identified dogs with inclusions had inflammation and moderate to marked increases in serum alanine aminotransferase (ALT) activity, as did the 4 dogs identified from the 97 meeting retrospective search criteria. The inclusions were Prussian blue-negative (5/5) with broad-spectrum autofluorescence (5/5) and the appearance of lipofuscin with and without Wright staining. Most clinical diagnoses involved hepatic disorders (5/7 prospective and 3/4 retrospective cases) or pancreatitis (3/7 prospective and 2/4 retrospective cases), and some involved both; 8 of 11 dogs died within 7 days of admission., Conclusions: Blue-green cytoplasmic inclusions uncommonly found in blood neutrophils ± monocytes of routine canine blood smears have stained and unstained properties of lipofuscin and suggest the presence of hepatocellular injury, often severe. Reporting these inclusions is recommended to guide clinical management., (© 2024 The Authors. Veterinary Clinical Pathology published by Wiley Periodicals LLC on behalf of American Society for Veterinary Clinical Pathology.)

Live-cell imaging has revolutionized our understanding of dynamic cellular processes in bacteria and eukaryotes. Although similar techniques have been applied to the study of halophilic archaea [1-5], our ability to explore the cell biology of thermophilic archaea has been limited by the technical challenges of imaging at high temperatures. Sulfolobus are the most intensively studied members of TACK archaea and have well-established molecular genetics [6-9]. Additionally, studies using Sulfolobus were among the first to reveal striking similarities between the cell biology of eukaryotes and archaea [10-15]. However, to date, it has not been possible to image Sulfolobus cells as they grow and divide. Here, we report the construction of the Sulfoscope, a heated chamber on an inverted fluorescent microscope that enables live-cell imaging of thermophiles. By using thermostable fluorescent probes together with this system, we were able to image Sulfolobus acidocaldarius cells live to reveal tight coupling between changes in DNA condensation, segregation, and cell division. Furthermore, by imaging deletion mutants, we observed functional differences between the two ESCRT-III proteins implicated in cytokinesis, CdvB1 and CdvB2. The deletion of cdvB1 compromised cell division, causing occasional division failures, whereas the ΔcdvB2 exhibited a profound loss of division symmetry, generating daughter cells that vary widely in size and eventually generating ghost cells. These data indicate that DNA separation and cytokinesis are coordinated in Sulfolobus, as is the case in eukaryotes, and that two contractile ESCRT-III polymers perform distinct roles to ensure that Sulfolobus cells undergo a robust and symmetrical division., Competing Interests: Declaration of interests The authors declare no competing interests., (Copyright © 2020 The Authors. Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.)