The family
Rhodobacteraceae
consists of alphaproteobacteria that are metabolically, phenotypically, and ecologically diverse. It includes the roseobacter clade, an informal designation, representing ...one of the most abundant groups of marine bacteria. The rapid pace of discovery of novel roseobacters in the last three decades meant that the best practice for taxonomic classification, a polyphasic approach utilizing phenotypic, genotypic, and phylogenetic characteristics, was not always followed. Early efforts for classification relied heavily on 16S rRNA gene sequence similarity and resulted in numerous taxonomic inconsistencies, with several poly- and paraphyletic genera within this family. Next-generation sequencing technologies have allowed whole-genome sequences to be obtained for most type strains, making a revision of their taxonomy possible. In this study, we performed whole-genome phylogenetic and genotypic analyses combined with a meta-analysis of phenotypic data to review taxonomic classifications of 331 type strains (under 119 genera) within the
Rhodobacteraceae
family. Representatives of the roseobacter clade not only have different environmental adaptions from other
Rhodobacteraceae
isolates but were also found to be distinct based on genomic, phylogenetic, and
in silico
-predicted phenotypic data. As such, we propose to move this group of bacteria into a new family,
Roseobacteraceae
fam. nov. In total, reclassifications resulted to 327 species and 128 genera, suggesting that misidentification is more problematic at the genus than species level. By resolving taxonomic inconsistencies of type strains within this family, we have established a set of coherent criteria based on whole-genome-based analyses that will help guide future taxonomic efforts and prevent the propagation of errors.
Functional and aesthetic results after vaginoplasty in sexual reassignment surgery have improved in recent years. Improved surgical techniques, well-established expert teams and a growing demand for ...and interest in this type of surgery are some of the reasons for these results. However, there is a growing demand for genital cosmetic surgery, not only among cis women, but also among trans women. The main shortcomings in results are therefore presented and listed. The aesthetic revision surgery techniques specifically indicated are described. Labiaplasty and clitoridoplasty appear to be the two main requests for secondary surgery following trans vaginoplasty.
We describe the first implanted glucose biofuel cell (GBFC) that is capable of generating sufficient power from a mammal's body fluids to act as the sole power source for electronic devices. This ...GBFC is based on carbon nanotube/enzyme electrodes, which utilize glucose oxidase for glucose oxidation and laccase for dioxygen reduction. The GBFC, implanted in the abdominal cavity of a rat, produces an average open-circuit voltage of 0.57 V. This implanted GBFC delivered a power output of 38.7 μW, which corresponded to a power density of 193.5 μW cm(-2) and a volumetric power of 161 μW mL(-1). We demonstrate that one single implanted enzymatic GBFC can power a light-emitting diode (LED), or a digital thermometer. In addition, no signs of rejection or inflammation were observed after 110 days implantation in the rat.
Female genital cosmetic surgery is becoming more and more widespread both in the field of plastic and gynaecological surgery. The increased demand for vulvar surgery is spurred by the belief that the ...vulva is abnormal in appearance. What is normal in terms of labial anatomy? Labia minora enlargement or hypertrophy remains a clinical diagnosis which is poorly defined as it could be considered a variation of the normal anatomy. Enlarged labia minora can cause functional, aesthetic and psychosocial problems. In reality, given the wide variety of vulvar morphology among people, it is a very subjective issue to define the “normal” vulva. The spread of nudity in the general media plays a major role in creating an artificial image and standards with regard to the ideal form. Physicians should be aware that the patient’s self-perception of the normal or ideal vulva is highly influenced by the arguably distorted image related to our socio-psychological environment, as presented to us by the general media and internet. As physicians, we have to educate our patients on the variation of vulvar anatomy and the potential risks of these surgeries.
Level of Evidence V
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.
Because of the large energy separation between O-K and Mo-L2,3 edges, extracting precise and reliable chemical information from core-loss EELS analyze of molybdenum oxides has always been a ...challenge. In this regard Mo-M2,3 edges represents an interesting alternative as they are situated close to the O-K edges. They should allow thus the extraction of a wealth of chemical information from the same spectra. However the main difficulty to overcome in order to work properly with these edges is the delayed maxima of the Mo-M4,5 edges which hinders the automated background subtraction with the usual inverse power low function. In this study we propose another background subtraction method specifically designed to overcome this obstacle and we apply it to the study of MoO3 and MoO2. We are able to show that quantitative chemical information can be precisely and accurately determined from the joined analyze of O-K and Mo-M2,3 edges. In particular k-factors are derived as a function of the integration window width and standard errors close to 2% are reported. The possibility to discriminate the two oxides thanks to chemical shifts and energy-loss near-edge structures is also investigated and discussed. Furthermore the M3/M2 ratios are derived and are found to be strongly dependent on the local chemical environment. This result is confirmed by multiplet calculations for which the crystal field parameters have been determined by ab initio calculations. The whole methodology as well as the conclusions presented in this paper should be easily transposable to any transitions metal oxides of the 4d family. This work should open a new and easier way regarding the quantitative EELS analyses of these compounds.
•EELS study of MoO3 and MoO2 compounds by using O-K and M2,3 edges.•New method to subtract the background before 4d transition metal M2,3 edges.•Discussion of chemical shifts and ELNES of O-K and Mo-M2,3 edges.•Mo-M2,3 edges can be used for quantification with a great precision.•Good agreement between experimental and calculated M3/M2 ratios.
The ChemCam instrument on the Mars Curiosity rover is generating thousands of LIBS spectra and bringing interest in this technique to public attention. The key to interpreting Mars or any other types ...of LIBS data are calibrations that relate laboratory standards to unknowns examined in other settings and enable predictions of chemical composition. Here, LIBS spectral data are analyzed using linear regression methods including partial least squares (PLS-1 and PLS-2), principal component regression (PCR), least absolute shrinkage and selection operator (lasso), elastic net, and linear support vector regression (SVR-Lin). These were compared against results from nonlinear regression methods including kernel principal component regression (K-PCR), polynomial kernel support vector regression (SVR-Py) and k-nearest neighbor (kNN) regression to discern the most effective models for interpreting chemical abundances from LIBS spectra of geological samples. The results were evaluated for 100 samples analyzed with 50 laser pulses at each of five locations averaged together. Wilcoxon signed-rank tests were employed to evaluate the statistical significance of differences among the nine models using their predicted residual sum of squares (PRESS) to make comparisons. For MgO, SiO2, Fe2O3, CaO, and MnO, the sparse models outperform all the others except for linear SVR, while for Na2O, K2O, TiO2, and P2O5, the sparse methods produce inferior results, likely because their emission lines in this energy range have lower transition probabilities. The strong performance of the sparse methods in this study suggests that use of dimensionality-reduction techniques as a preprocessing step may improve the performance of the linear models. Nonlinear methods tend to overfit the data and predict less accurately, while the linear methods proved to be more generalizable with better predictive performance. These results are attributed to the high dimensionality of the data (6144 channels) relative to the small number of samples studied. The best-performing models were SVR-Lin for SiO2, MgO, Fe2O3, and Na2O, lasso for Al2O3, elastic net for MnO, and PLS-1 for CaO, TiO2, and K2O. Although these differences in model performance between methods were identified, most of the models produce comparable results when p≤0.05 and all techniques except kNN produced statistically-indistinguishable results. It is likely that a combination of models could be used together to yield a lower total error of prediction, depending on the requirements of the user.
•We compared 9 machine learning regression models for predicting mineral composition from LIBS.•These models vary over factors: linear/nonlinear, sparse/dense, univariate/multivariate.•The linear models evaluated generalized well for out-of-sample predictions.•The nonlinear models evaluated tended to overfit the training data and generalize poorly.•Sparse models best predicted the elements with a small number of high transition probability emission lines.
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•Primula sect. Auricula is the largest plant clade in the European Alpine system.•Molecular data was obtained from sequence capture using RAD probes.•Phylogenetic relationships are ...greatly improved and four clades are recognized.•Results present agreements and conflicts with the current species delimitations.•The biogeography of sect. Auricula has been more complex than previously assumed.
Species-rich evolutionary radiations are a common feature of mountain floras worldwide. However, the frequent lack of phylogenetic resolution in species-rich alpine plant groups hampers progress towards clarifying the causes of diversification in mountains. In this study, we use the largest plant group endemic to the European Alpine system, Primula sect. Auricula, as a model system. We employ a newly developed next-generation-sequencing protocol, involving sequence capture with RAD probes, and map reads to the reference genome of Primula veris to obtain DNA matrices with thousands of SNPs. We use these data-rich matrices to infer phylogenetic relationships in Primula sect. Auricula and examine species delimitations in two taxonomically difficult subgroups: the clades formed by the close relatives of P. auricula and P. pedemontana, respectively. Our molecular dataset enables us to resolve most phylogenetic relationships in the group with strong support, and in particular to infer four well-supported clades within sect. Auricula. Our results support existing species delimitations for P. auricula, P. lutea, and P. subpyrenaica, while they suggest that the group formed by P. pedemontana and close relatives might need taxonomic revision. Finally, we discuss preliminary implications of these findings on the biogeographic history of Primula sect. Auricula.
The purpose of this study was to determine the objective response rate (ORR) following treatment of canine mast cell tumors (MCT) with toceranib phosphate (Palladia, SU11654), a kinase inhibitor with ...both antitumor and antiangiogenic activity through inhibition of KIT, vascular endothelial growth factor receptor 2, and PDGFRbeta. Secondary objectives were to determine biological response rate, time to tumor progression, duration of objective response, health-related quality of life, and safety of Palladia.
Dogs were randomized to receive oral Palladia 3.25 mg/kg or placebo every other day for 6 weeks in the blinded phase. Thereafter, eligible dogs received open-label Palladia.
The blinded phase ORR in Palladia-treated dogs (n = 86) was 37.2% (7 complete response, 25 partial response) versus 7.9% (5 partial response) in placebo-treated dogs (n = 63; P = 0.0004). Of 58 dogs that received Palladia following placebo-escape, 41.4% (8 complete response, 16 partial response) experienced objective response. The ORR for all 145 dogs receiving Palladia was 42.8% (21 complete response, 41 partial response); among the 62 responders, the median duration of objective response and time to tumor progression was 12.0 weeks and 18.1 weeks, respectively. Palladia-treated responders scored higher on health-related quality of life versus Palladia-treated nonresponders (P = 0.030). There was no significant difference in the number of dogs with grade 3/4 (of 4) adverse events; adverse events were generally manageable with dose modification and/or supportive care.
Palladia has biological activity against canine MCTs and can be administered on a continuous schedule without need for routine planned treatment breaks. This clinical trial further shows that spontaneous tumors in dogs are good models to evaluate therapeutic index of targeted therapeutics in a clinical setting.
Fournier's gangrene, a rare infectious condition affecting the external genitalia, often requires aggressive medical-surgical interventions, resulting in variable scrotal tissue loss. Despite ...numerous proposed reconstruction techniques, achieving a consensus on the most effective approach that balances aesthetics and function remains elusive. This case report presents a one-year follow-up on scrotal reconstruction using a pedicled Superficial Circumflex Iliac Artery Perforator (SCIP) propeller flap.
A 56-year-old patient with significant scrotal tissue loss due to Fournier's gangrene underwent scrotal reconstruction using a pedicled SCIP propeller flap. Optimal placement was ensured through a subcutaneous tunnel, with a thin thigh skin graft applied to cover the penile skin defect.
The SCIP flap is distinguished by its thin and pliable characteristics, rapid harvesting and featuring a discreet donor site. It stands as a compelling alternative to skin grafts, providing advantages in sensory restoration, color congruence, and resilience against tension. Considering the thickness of the reconstruction helps both in recovering testicular function and improving the appearance by restoring the natural contour.
The utilization of the pedicled SCIP propeller flap for scrotal tissue loss resulting from Fournier's gangrene has demonstrated both aesthetic and functional success, underscoring its potential as an effective reconstructive option.
La gangrène de Fournier est une infection rare affectant les organes génitaux externes, nécessitant souvent des interventions médicochirurgicales agressives et entraînant des pertes de substance scrotales variables. Malgré de nombreuses techniques de reconstruction proposées, parvenir à un consensus sur l’approche la plus efficace, conciliant esthétique et fonction, demeure difficile. Ce cas clinique présente un suivi d’un an sur la reconstruction scrotale en utilisant un lambeau perforant en hélice pédiculé SCIP.
Un patient de 56 ans, victime d’une perte de substance scrotale due à une gangrène de Fournier, a bénéficié d’une reconstruction en utilisant un lambeau propeller SCIP pédiculé. La conformation a été réalisée par un tunnel sous-cutané, avec l’application d’une greffe de peau mince prélevée sur la cuisse pour couvrir la perte de substance cutanée pénienne.
Le lambeau SCIP se distingue par sa finesse et sa souplesse, par un prélèvement rapide et en ayant un site donneur discret. Il se positionne comme une alternative aux greffes cutanées, offrant des avantages en termes de récupération sensitive, de concordance de couleur et de résistance à la tension. La prise en compte de l’épaisseur de la reconstruction contribue tant à la récupération de la fonction testiculaire qu’à l’aspect esthétique, en favorisant la restauration naturelle du contour.
L’utilisation du lambeau perforant en hélice SCIP pédiculé pour la perte de substance scrotale résultant de la gangrène de Fournier a permis une reconstruction esthétique et fonctionnelle, soulignant son potentiel comme une option de reconstruction efficace.
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