In mammalian ovarian follicles, follicle stimulating hormone (FSH) and luteinizing hormone (LH) signal primarily through the G-protein Gs to elevate cAMP, but both of these hormones can also elevate ...Ca2+ under some conditions. Here, we investigate FSH- and LH-induced Ca2+ signaling in intact follicles of mice expressing genetically encoded Ca2+ sensors, Twitch-2B and GCaMP6s. At a physiological concentration (1 nM), FSH elevates Ca2+ within the granulosa cells of preantral and antral follicles. The Ca2+ rise begins several minutes after FSH application, peaks at ∼10 min, remains above baseline for another ∼10 min, and depends on extracellular Ca2+. However, suppression of the FSH-induced Ca2+ increase by reducing extracellular Ca2+ does not inhibit FSH-induced phosphorylation of MAP kinase, estradiol production, or the acquisition of LH responsiveness. Like FSH, LH also increases Ca2+, when applied to preovulatory follicles. At a physiological concentration (10 nM), LH elicits Ca2+ oscillations in a subset of cells in the outer mural granulosa layer. These oscillations continue for at least 6 h and depend on the activity of Gq family G-proteins. Suppression of the oscillations by Gq inhibition does not inhibit meiotic resumption, but does delay the time to 50% ovulation by about 3 h. In summary, both FSH and LH increase Ca2+ in the granulosa cells of intact follicles, but the functions of these Ca2+ rises are only starting to be identified. Summary Sentence Both FSH and LH increase Ca2+ in the granulosa cells of intact ovarian follicles from mice expressing genetically encoded sensors.
Abstract Since 1968, the Australian Dung Beetle Project has carried out field releases of 43 deliberately introduced dung beetle species for the biological control of livestock dung and dung‐breeding ...pests. Of these, 23 species are known to have become established. For most of these species, sufficient time has elapsed for population expansion to fill the extent of their potential geographic range through both natural and human‐assisted dispersal. Consequently, over the last 20 years, extensive efforts have been made to quantify the current distribution of these introduced dung beetles, as well as the seasonal and spatial variation in their activity levels. Much of these data and their associated metadata have remained unpublished, and they have not previously been synthesized into a cohesive dataset. Here, we collate and report data from the three largest dung beetle monitoring projects from 2001 to 2022. Together, these projects encompass data collected from across Australia, and include records for all 23 species of established dung beetles introduced for biocontrol purposes. In total, these data include 22,718 presence records and 213,538 absence records collected during 10,272 sampling events at 546 locations. Most presence records (97%) include abundance data. In total, 1,752,807 dung beetles were identified as part of these data. The distributional occurrence and abundance data can be used to explore questions such as factors influencing dung beetle species distributions, dung beetle biocontrol, and insect‐mediated ecosystem services. These data are provided under a CC‐BY‐NC 4.0 license and users are encouraged to cite this data paper when using the data.
Since 1968, the Australian Dung Beetle Project has carried out field releases of 43 deliberately introduced dung beetle species for the biological control of livestock dung and dung‐breeding pests. ...Of these, 23 species are known to have become established. For most of these species, sufficient time has elapsed for population expansion to fill the extent of their potential geographic range through both natural and human‐assisted dispersal. Consequently, over the last 20 years, extensive efforts have been made to quantify the current distribution of these introduced dung beetles, as well as the seasonal and spatial variation in their activity levels. Much of these data and their associated metadata have remained unpublished, and they have not previously been synthesized into a cohesive dataset. Here, we collate and report data from the three largest dung beetle monitoring projects from 2001 to 2022. Together, these projects encompass data collected from across Australia, and include records for all 23 species of established dung beetles introduced for biocontrol purposes. In total, these data include 22,718 presence records and 213,538 absence records collected during 10,272 sampling events at 546 locations. Most presence records (97%) include abundance data. In total, 1,752,807 dung beetles were identified as part of these data. The distributional occurrence and abundance data can be used to explore questions such as factors influencing dung beetle species distributions, dung beetle biocontrol, and insect‐mediated ecosystem services. These data are provided under a CC‐BY‐NC 4.0 license and users are encouraged to cite this data paper when using the data.
Post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) is a debilitating mental disorder with a prevalence of more than 7% in the US population and 12% in the military. An interaction of childhood trauma with FKBP5 ...(a glucocorticoid-regulated immunophilin) has been reported to be associated with PTSD in the general population. However, there are few reports on the association of FKBP5 with PTSD, particularly in important high-risk population such as the military. Here, we examined the association between four single-nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs; rs3800373, rs9296158, rs1360780, rs9470080) covering the FKBP5 gene and probable PTSD in US service members deployed to Iraq and Afghanistan, a high-risk military population (n = 3890) (Hines et al., 2014). We found that probable PTSD subjects were significantly more likely to carry the A-allele of rs3800373, G-allele of rs9296158, C-allele of rs1360780, and C-allele of rs9470080. Furthermore, the four SNPs were in one block of strong pairwise linkage disequilibrium (r = 0.91–0.96). Within the block there were two major haplotypes of CATT and AGCC (rs3800373-rs9296158-rs1360780-rs9470080) that account for 99% of haplotype diversity. The distribution of the AGCC haplotype was significantly higher in probable PTSD subjects compared to non-PTSD (p<.05). The diplotype-based analysis indicated that the AGCC carriers tended to be probable PTSD. In this study, we demonstrated the association between FKBP5 and probable PTSD in US service members deployed to Iraq and Afghanistan, indicating that FKBP5 might be a risk factor for PTSD.
Category:
Hindfoot; Sports; Trauma
Introduction/Purpose:
Rupture of the Achilles tendon is a common injury that requires a lengthy duration of recovery and rehabilitation. Patients of various levels ...of physical activity, ranging from professional high-impact sports to low-impact recreational activities, can be affected by this injury. Often, one of the most important outcomes from the patient’s perspective is the ability to return to the same pre-injury level of sporting activity after recovery. The objective of the current study is to examine the relationship between global ankle strength and the ability to return to previous level of play following surgical repair of an Achilles tendon tear.
Methods:
Patients aged 18-50 years old at a minimum 1-year post-op from surgical repair of an isolated Achilles tendon rupture were recruited to return for a study visit. Patients reported both pre-injury and current activity level using the 10-point Tegner Activity Level Scale. Isokinetic strength testing was performed and the Isokinetic Strength Score (ISS) was calculated using maximal effort dorsiflexion and plantarflexion strength at 30o/s, 90o/s, and 240o/s comparing the operative and uninvolved extremity. The primary outcome was the patients’ ability to return to same level of play or within 1 Tegner activity level. Logitistic regression analysis was used to determine the relationship between ISS and return to play. Subgroup analysis was performed on patients participating in high level athletic activity (pre-injury Tegner >= 7) an those participating in only recreational or low level activity (pre-injury Tegner <7).
Results:
A total of 36 patients (mean 35 years, 72% male) completed the study protocol at a mean 1.8 years post-op (range 1 year to 3.6 years). Logistic regression revealed no association between ISS and return to play in the complete cohort. Subgroup analysis revealed that for 20 patients who had participated in high level competitive athletics prior to injury (Pre-injury Tegner >= 7), for every 16 point increase in ISS, the odds ratio for return to same level of play was 8.3 (p=0.055) and the OR for return to within 1 Tegner level of play was 6.3 (p=0.043). There was no association between ISS and return to previous activity in the 16 patients with lower pre-injury levels of activity.
Conclusion:
Improved ankle strength was associated with return to previous level of activity only in patients who participate in high level athletic activity. These results suggest that patients with more strenuous athletic activity prior to injury are more dependent on recovery of ankle strength in the post-operative time period in order to return to their previous high level of play. In contrast, regaining strength may be less important for returning to normal activities for less active patients.
DIM miktoarm star copolymers, composed of polydimethylsiloxane D, poly(1,4-isoprene) I, and poly(methyl methacrylate) M, were synthesized using a newly developed linking methodology with ...4-allyl-1,1-diphenylethylene as a linking agent. The equilibrium bulk morphologies of the DIM stars were found to range from 6.6.6 tiling patterns to alternating lamellar and alternating cylindrical morphologies, as determined experimentally by small-angle X-ray scattering and transmission electron microscopy and confirmed by dissipative particle dynamics and self-consistent field theory based arguments. The thin film morphologies, which differ from those found in the bulk, were identified by scanning electron microscopy, coupled with oxygen plasma etching. Square arrays of the PDMS nanodots and empty core cylinders were formed on silica after oxygen plasma removal of the poly(1,4-isoprene) and poly(methyl methacrylate) which generated nanostructured substrates decorated with these features readily observable.
Ever since the first atomic structure of an enzyme was solved, the discovery of the mechanism and dynamics of reactions catalyzed by biomolecules has been the key goal for the understanding of the ...molecular processes that drive life on earth. Despite a large number of successful methods for trapping reaction intermediates, the direct observation of an ongoing reaction has been possible only in rare and exceptional cases.
Here, we demonstrate a general method for capturing enzyme catalysis "in action" by mix-and-inject serial crystallography (MISC). Specifically, we follow the catalytic reaction of the Mycobacterium tuberculosis β-lactamase with the third-generation antibiotic ceftriaxone by time-resolved serial femtosecond crystallography. The results reveal, in near atomic detail, antibiotic cleavage and inactivation from 30 ms to 2 s.
MISC is a versatile and generally applicable method to investigate reactions of biological macromolecules, some of which are of immense biological significance and might be, in addition, important targets for structure-based drug design. With megahertz X-ray pulse rates expected at the Linac Coherent Light Source II and the European X-ray free-electron laser, multiple, finely spaced time delays can be collected rapidly, allowing a comprehensive description of biomolecular reactions in terms of structure and kinetics from the same set of X-ray data.
Celotno besedilo
Dostopno za:
DOBA, IZUM, KILJ, NUK, PILJ, PNG, SAZU, SIK, UILJ, UKNU, UL, UM, UPUK
Context: Efficiently diagnosing COVID-19-related pneumonia is of high clinical relevance. Point-of-care ultrasound allows detecting lung conditions via patterns of artifacts, such as clustered ...B-lines. Aims: The aim is to classify lung ultrasound videos into three categories: Normal (containing A-lines), interstitial abnormalities (B-lines), and confluent abnormalities (pleural effusion/consolidations) using a semi-automated approach. Settings and Design: This was a prospective observational study using 1530 videos in 300 patients presenting with clinical suspicion of COVID-19 pneumonia, where the data were collected and labeled by human experts versus machine learning. Subjects and Methods: Experts labeled each of the videos into one of the three categories. The labels were used to train a neural network to automatically perform the same classification. The proposed neural network uses a unique two-stream approach, one based on raw red-green-blue channel (RGB) input and the other consisting of velocity information. In this manner, both spatial and temporal ultrasound features can be captured. Statistical Analysis Used: A 5-fold cross-validation approach was utilized for the evaluation. Cohen's kappa and Gwet's AC1 metrics are calculated to measure the agreement with the human rater for the three categories. Cases are also divided into interstitial abnormalities (B-lines) and other (A-lines and confluent abnormalities) and precision-recall and receiver operating curve curves created. Results: This study demonstrated robustness in determining interstitial abnormalities, with a high F1 score of 0.86. For the human rater agreement for interstitial abnormalities versus the rest, the proposed method obtained a Gwet's AC1 metric of 0.88. Conclusions: The study demonstrates the use of a deep learning approach to classify artifacts contained in lung ultrasound videos in a robust manner.
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