Peptides and proteins have been largely neglected in the analysis of insect tarsal adhesives. After extraction of the protein fraction of the tarsal secretion of the desert locust, Schistocerca ...gregaria, and Madagascar hissing cockroach, Gromphadorhina portentosa, we combined Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (FTIR), sodium dodecyl sulphate polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis (SDS‐PAGE) and matrix‐assisted laser desorption/ionization mass spectrometry (MALDI‐TOF MS) analyses for protein mass detection. In both these insects, SDS‐PAGE analysis revealed several protein bands ranging from 8–190 kDa in both the tarsal secretion and the tibia control sample. Two (S. gregaria) and one (G. portentosa) protein bands exclusively occurred in the tarsal secretion and can be considered to belong to peptides and proteins specific to this secretion. MALDI‐TOF analyses revealed 83 different proteins/peptides of 1–7 kDa in S. gregaria, and 48 of 1–11 kDa in G. portentosa. 59 (S. gregaria) and 27 (G. portentosa) proteins exclusively occurred in the tarsal secretion. In G. portentosa, a characteristic series of signal peaks occurred in the range of c. 10–12 kDa, each peak being approximately 160 Da apart. Such a pattern is indicative of proteins modified by glycosylation. Our approach demonstrates that extensive sampling involving considerable time and manpower to sample the adhesive fluid directly from the tarsi opens up a perspective for extracting peptides and proteins in sufficient quantities. This makes them accessible to the field of proteomics and thus to elucidate their possible function in the adhesive process.
This article presents the results of crop yield in areas with different technologies of cultivation based on the network of automatic stations that provide data on climatic and soil-hydrological ...monitoring in the dry steppe during the vegetation period of May–September 2013–2016 . These data on regional ecological and climatic parameters are of great interest to the ecologists, plant physiologists, and farmers working in the Kulunda Plain (Altai Territory). We compared the following options for cropping technologies: the modern system, which is the "no-till", technology without autumn tillage;the intensive technology of deep autumn tillage by plough PG-3-5 at a depth of 22–24 cm. Cultivation of crops was carried out using the following scheme of crop rotation: the modern system: 1–2–3–4 (wheat – peas – wheat – rape); the intensive system: 5/6 – 7/8 – 9/10 (fallow – wheat – wheat). We believe that the use of modern technology in these conditions is better due to exchange between the different layers of soil. When the ordinary Soviet system , the so-called "plow sole" , was used , at a depth of 24 cm , we observed that this creates a water conductivity barrier that seems to preclude the possibility of lifting water from the lower horizons. Results of the study of infiltration of soil moisture at the depth of 30 and 60 cm have shown in some years the advantages of the modern technology over the ordinary Soviet system: in the version with the use of modern technology we can trace better exchange between the various horizons and , probably, moisture replenishment from the lower horizons. Differences in individual observation periods are comparatively large due to the redistribution of soil moisture, depending on the weather conditions, the crops used in the crop rotations, and cultivation techniques. Moreover, the average moisture reserves within the one meter layer did not show any significant differences during the growing seasons of 2013–2016 . In terms of soil moisture usage and productive grain yield according to the four year experiment, the application of the modern technology with crop rotation "wheat – rape – wheat – peas" was more effective than the ordinary Soviet system with crop rotation "wheat – fallow – wheat – wheat". The four-year observation period is clearly insufficient to identify the advantages of the modern system, as during this time it is impossible to significantly improve soil quality indicators, which will continue to determine its water-retaining properties and moisture accumulation.
Endovascular treatment is an increasingly used therapeutic option in patients with chronic atherosclerotic occlusive mesenteric disease. Purpose of this study was evaluation of patency and mortality ...in patients treated with visceral artery percutaneous transluminal angioplasty (PTA) or stenting including follow-up.
A retrospective review of 17 consecutive patients (4 women, 13 men) with endovascular treatment for symptomatic chronic mesenteric ischemia from 1998 to 2004 was performed. Mean follow-up period was 42 months. Patient demographics, interventional details, primary and/or secondary patency and mortality were recorded. Cumulative mortality and patency rates were determined using Kaplan-Meier life table analysis.
Twenty-six interventions (PTA alone n=13, PTA and stenting n=13) were performed in 17 patients. Interventions were performed in the superior mesenteric artery (n=13) and celiac artery (n=13). The re-intervention rate was 30% (6/26). Re-interventions were performed for the superior mesenteric artery (n=4) and celiac artery (n=2). Cumulative overall 1-year results were primary patency rate 81%, secondary patency rate 94%, and survival rate 82%. Cumulative 10-year results were primary patency rate 73%, secondary patency rate 94%, and survival rate 65%. The 10-year secondary patency rate was 100% in patients post initial stenting and 86% in patients post initial PTA.
Long-term follow-up post endovascular treatment for chronic mesenteric ischemia demonstrated a considerable overall secondary patency rate of 94%. However, the long-term secondary patency rate was higher in patients post initial stenting compared to PTA alone.
Abstract
Peptides and proteins have been largely neglected in the analysis of insect tarsal adhesives. After extraction of the protein fraction of the tarsal secretion of the desert locust,
...Schistocerca gregaria
, and Madagascar hissing cockroach,
Gromphadorhina portentosa
, we combined Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (FTIR), sodium dodecyl sulphate polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis (SDS‐PAGE) and matrix‐assisted laser desorption/ionization mass spectrometry (MALDI‐TOF MS) analyses for protein mass detection. In both these insects, SDS‐PAGE analysis revealed several protein bands ranging from 8–190 kDa in both the tarsal secretion and the tibia control sample. Two (
S. gregaria
) and one (
G. portentosa
) protein bands exclusively occurred in the tarsal secretion and can be considered to belong to peptides and proteins specific to this secretion. MALDI‐TOF analyses revealed 83 different proteins/peptides of 1–7 kDa in
S. gregaria
, and 48 of 1–11 kDa in
G. portentosa
. 59 (
S. gregaria
) and 27 (
G. portentosa
) proteins exclusively occurred in the tarsal secretion. In
G. portentosa
, a characteristic series of signal peaks occurred in the range of
c
. 10–12 kDa, each peak being approximately 160 Da apart. Such a pattern is indicative of proteins modified by glycosylation. Our approach demonstrates that extensive sampling involving considerable time and manpower to sample the adhesive fluid directly from the tarsi opens up a perspective for extracting peptides and proteins in sufficient quantities. This makes them accessible to the field of proteomics and thus to elucidate their possible function in the adhesive process.
Background Dabigatran is a novel oral anti-coagulant (NOAC) that reduces risk of stroke in patients with non-valvular atrial fibrillation (NVAF). It does not require routine monitoring with ...laboratory testing which may have an adverse impact on adherence. We aimed to describe adherence to dabigatran in the first year after initiation and assess the association between non-adherence to dabigatran and clinical outcomes in a large integrated healthcare system. Methods We studied a national cohort of 5,376 patients with NVAF, initiated on dabigatran between October-2010 and September-2012 at all Veterans Affairs hospitals. Adherence to dabigatran was calculated as proportion of days covered (PDC) and association between PDC and outcomes was assessed using standard regression techniques. Results Mean age of the study cohort was 71.3 ± 9.7 years; 98.3% were men and mean CHADS2 score was 2.4 ± 1.2 (mean CHA2 DS2 VASc score 3.2 ± 1.4). Median PDC was 94% (IQR 76%-100%; mean PDC 84% ± 22%) over a median follow-up of 244 days (IQR 140-351). A total of 1,494 (27.8%) patients had a PDC <80% and were classified as non-adherent. After multivariable adjustment, lower adherence was associated with increased risk for combined all-cause mortality and stroke (HR 1.13, 95% CI 1.07–1.19 per 10% decrease in PDC). Adherence to dabigatran was not associated with non-fatal bleeding or myocardial infarction. Conclusions In the year after initiation, adherence to dabigatran for a majority of patients is very good. However, 28% of patients in our cohort had poor adherence. Furthermore, lower adherence to dabigatran was associated with increased adverse outcomes. Concerted efforts are needed to optimize adherence to NOACs.
Access to safe and affordable drinking water, sanitation and hygiene (WASH) for all is needed to safeguard human health, high on societal and political agendas. According to official estimates, ...populations in high-income countries (HICs) are well served. Vulnerable communities at the margins of rich societies, including people experiencing homelessness, however, are often underserved and overlooked. For them, safe WASH is often a dream rather than reality. To date, no study has been conducted in Germany - one of the countries most affected in Europe.
We chose a qualitative mixed-method approach to understand WASH (in)security challenges that people experiencing homelessness are facing. Data were collected in Bonn, Germany, from 25 people experiencing homelessness (in-depth interviews, arts-based workshops, group discussions), their service providers (social workers), and (un)available public infrastructure (inspections), in 2023. Data were analyzed following the dimensions of the Human Right to Water and Sanitation (HRTWS): availability; accessibility; affordability; acceptability; quality and safety.
People experiencing homelessness largely lack available, accessible, affordable, acceptable and safe WASH. Open urination and defecation are often the only alternative, resulting in substantial health risks and diseases. Women face particular challenges, especially while menstruating. Extreme weather events complicate existing WASH insecurity further, creating additional hardships for unhoused people and their service providers. The missed realization of the HRTWS has far-reaching consequences, making it harder to transition out of homelessness.
Much remains to be done to serve unhoused people in HICs better with WASH. Their experiences shed light on the underlying complexities, and the implications of different often interconnected challenges, including instability, mobility, preexisting diseases, mental health conditions and substance use disorder. Different insecurities exist among different sub-groups (e.g. women, people with limited mobility). They are valuable key informants for targeted health messaging and interventions.
A simple, high resolution colormetric planar optode imaging approach is presented. The approach is simple and inexpensive yet versatile, and can be used to study the two‐dimensional distribution and ...dynamics of a range of analytes. The imaging approach utilizes the inbuilt color filter of standard commercial digital single lens reflex cameras to simultaneously record different colors (red, green, and blue) of luminophore emission light using only one excitation light source. Using the ratio between the intensity of the different colors recorded in a single image analyte concentrations can be calculated. The robustness of the approach is documented by obtaining high resolution data of O2 and pH distributions in marine sediments using easy synthesizable sensors. The sensors rely on the platinum(II)octaethylporphyrin (PtOEP) and lipophilic 8‐Hydroxy‐1,3,6‐pyrenetrisulfonic acid trisodium (HPTS) salt derivate for O2 and pH measurements, respectively. The brightness of both indicators is dramatically enhanced by making use of energy transfer from a donor molecule (Macrolex yellow coumarin). Furthermore, the emission from the donor serves as an internal reference for the O2 sensor. The approach relies on semitransparent sensors, facilitating visual inspection of the sediment behind the sensors during measurements. Software for data acquisition and calibration will be available from the authors, whereas all hardware is available from a range of commercial sources. The total cost of the complete measuring system is approximately $3000 US.
Many microbial, fungal, or oomcyete populations violate assumptions for population genetic analysis because these populations are clonal, admixed, partially clonal, and/or sexual. Furthermore, few ...tools exist that are specifically designed for analyzing data from clonal populations, making analysis difficult and haphazard. We developed the R package poppr providing unique tools for analysis of data from admixed, clonal, mixed, and/or sexual populations. Currently, poppr can be used for dominant/codominant and haploid/diploid genetic data. Data can be imported from several formats including GenAlEx formatted text files and can be analyzed on a user-defined hierarchy that includes unlimited levels of subpopulation structure and clone censoring. New functions include calculation of Bruvo's distance for microsatellites, batch-analysis of the index of association with several indices of genotypic diversity, and graphing including dendrograms with bootstrap support and minimum spanning networks. While functions for genotypic diversity and clone censoring are specific for clonal populations, several functions found in poppr are also valuable to analysis of any populations. A manual with documentation and examples is provided. Poppr is open source and major releases are available on CRAN: http://cran.r-project.org/package=poppr. More supporting documentation and tutorials can be found under 'resources' at: http://grunwaldlab.cgrb.oregonstate.edu/.
The role of hematopoietic cell transplantation (HCT) in the management of newly diagnosed adult acute myeloid leukemia (AML) is reviewed and critically evaluated in this evidence-based review. An AML ...expert panel, consisting of both transplant and nontransplant experts, was invited to develop clinically relevant frequently asked questions covering disease- and HCT-related topics. A systematic literature review was conducted to generate core recommendations that were graded based on the quality and strength of underlying evidence based on the standardized criteria established by the American Society of Transplantation and Cellular Therapy Steering Committee for evidence-based reviews. Allogeneic HCT offers a survival benefit in patients with intermediate- and high-risk AML and is currently a part of standard clinical care. We recommend the preferential use of myeloablative conditioning in eligible patients. A haploidentical related donor marrow graft is preferred over a cord blood unit in the absence of a fully HLA-matched donor. The evolving role of allogeneic HCT in the context of measurable residual disease monitoring and recent therapeutic advances in AML with regards to maintenance therapy after HCT are also discussed.
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