We highlight the progress, current status, and open challenges of QCD-driven physics, in theory and in experiment. We discuss how the strong interaction is intimately connected to a broad sweep of ...physical problems, in settings ranging from astrophysics and cosmology to strongly coupled, complex systems in particle and condensed-matter physics, as well as to searches for physics beyond the Standard Model. We also discuss how success in describing the strong interaction impacts other fields, and, in turn, how such subjects can impact studies of the strong interaction. In the course of the work we offer a perspective on the many research streams which flow into and out of QCD, as well as a vision for future developments.
Plant growth-promoting rhizobacteria (PGPR) includes a wide variety of bacterial strains from different taxonomic groups that inhabit plant roots and their rhizosphere. By bringing about complex ...changes in plant growth and development, PGPR can enhance both productivity of agricultural crops, and their pathogen resistance. Colonization by PGPR is associated with changes in plant metabolism, signaling and hormone homeostasis. Different PGPR strains can synthesize phytohormones, metabolize them, or affect plants' hormone synthesis and signal transduction. This review covers various mechanisms employed by PGPB to alter the homeostasis of the plant hormones auxin, ethylene, cytokinin, gibberellin, abscisic acid, jasmonic acid and salicylic acid.
•Colonization by PGPR can affect concentration, signaling and metabolism of plant hormones.•PGPR may influence plant hormone homeostasis by various mechanisms depending on the strain.•Plant growth promotion by PGPR may depend on associated changes in phytohormone homeostasis.
Summary
Background
Recently, conformational activation of ADAMTS‐13 was identified. This mechanism showed the evolution from a condensed conformation, in which the proximal MDTCS and distal T2‐CUB2 ...domains are in close contact with each other, to an activated, open structure due to binding with von Willebrand factor (VWF).
Objectives
Identification of cryptic epitope/exosite exposure after conformational activation and of sites of flexibility in ADAMTS‐13.
Methods
The activating effect of 25 anti‐T2‐CUB2 antibodies was studied in the FRETS‐VWF73 and the vortex assay. Cryptic epitope/exosite exposure was determined with ELISA and VWF binding assay. The molecular basis for flexibility was hypothesized through rapid automatic detection and alignment of repeats (RADAR) analysis, tested with ELISA using deletion variants and visualized using electron microscopy.
Results
Eleven activating anti‐ADAMTS‐13 antibodies, directed against the T5‐CUB2 domains, were identified in the FRETS‐VWF73 assay. RADAR analysis identified three linker regions in the distal domains. Interestingly, identification of an antibody recognizing a cryptic epitope in the metalloprotease domain confirmed the contribution of these linker regions to conformational activation of the enzyme. The proof of flexibility around both the T2 and metalloprotease domains, as shown by by electron microscopy, further supported this contribution. In addition, cryptic epitope exposure was identified in the distal domains, because activating anti‐T2‐CUB2 antibodies increased the binding to folded VWF up to ~3‐fold.
Conclusion
Conformational activation of ADAMTS‐13 leads to cryptic epitope/exosite exposure in both proximal and distal domains, subsequently inducing increased activity. Furthermore, three linker regions in the distal domains are responsible for flexibility and enable the interaction between the proximal and the T8‐CUB2 domains.
Summary
In 50–79-year-olds who participated in the Tromsø Study (1994–1995), the risk of non-vertebral osteoporotic fractures during 15 years follow-up increased by 22% in men and 9% in women per 1 ...SD lower grip strength. The strongest association was observed in men aged 50–64 years.
Introduction
We aimed to explore whether low grip strength was associated with increased risk of non-vertebral osteoporotic fracture in the population-based Tromsø Study 1994–1995.
Methods
Grip strength (bar) was measured by a Martin Vigorimeter and fractures were retrieved from the X-ray archives at the University Hospital of North Norway between 1994 and 2010. At baseline, weight and height were measured, whereas information on the other covariates were obtained through self-reported questionnaires. Cox regression was used to estimate the hazard ratio (HR) of fracture in age- and gender-specific quintiles of grip-strength, and per 1 SD lower grip strength. Similar analyses were done solely for hip fractures. Adjustments were made for age, height, body mass index (BMI), marital status, education, smoking, physical activity, use of alcohol, self-perceived health, and self-reported diseases.
Results
In 2891 men and 4002 women aged 50–79 years, 1099 non-vertebral osteoporotic fractures—including 393 hip fractures—were sustained during the median 15 years follow-up. Risk of non-vertebral osteoporotic fracture increased with declining grip strength: hazard ratios per SD decline was 1.22 (95% CI 1.05–1.43) in men and 1.09 (95% CI 1.01–1.18) in women. HR for fracture in lower vs. upper quintile was 1.58 (95% CI 1.02–2.45) in men and 1.28 (95% CI 1.03–1.59) in women. The association was most pronounced in men aged 50–64 years with HR = 3.39 (95% CI 1.76–6.53) in the lower compared to the upper quintile.
Conclusions
The risk of non-vertebral osteoporotic fracture increased with declining grip-strength in both genders, particularly in men aged 50–64 years.
Rhabdomyosarcoma (RMS) in children occurs as two major histological subtypes, embryonal (ERMS) and alveolar (ARMS). ERMS is associated with an 11p15.5 loss of heterozygosity (LOH) and may be confused ...with nonmyogenic, non-RMS soft tissue sarcomas. ARMS expresses the product of a genomic translocation that fuses FOXO1 (FKHR) with either PAX3 or PAX7 (P-F); however, at least 25% of cases lack these translocations. Here, we describe a genomic-based classification scheme that is derived from the combined gene expression profiling and LOH analysis of 160 cases of RMS and non-RMS soft tissue sarcomas that is at variance with conventional histopathological schemes. We found that gene expression profiles and patterns of LOH of ARMS cases lacking P-F translocations are indistinguishable from conventional ERMS cases. A subset of tumors that has been histologically classified as RMS lack myogenic gene expression. However, classification based on gene expression is possible using as few as five genes with an estimated error rate of less than 5%. Using immunohistochemistry, we characterized two markers, HMGA2 and TFAP2ss, which facilitate the differential diagnoses of ERMS and P-F RMS, respectively, using clinical material. These objectively derived molecular classes are based solely on genomic analysis at the time of diagnosis and are highly reproducible. Adoption of these molecular criteria may offer a more clinically relevant diagnostic scheme, thus potentially improving patient management and therapeutic RMS outcomes.
A
bstract
Thermal screening masses related to the conserved vector current are determined for the case that the current carries a non-zero Matsubara frequency, both in a weak-coupling approach and ...through lattice QCD. We point out that such screening masses are sensitive to the same infrared physics as light-cone real-time rates. In particular, on the perturbative side, the inhomogeneous Schrödinger equation determining screening correlators is shown to have the same general form as the equation implementing LPM resummation for the soft-dilepton and photon production rates from a hot QCD plasma. The static potential appearing in the equation is identical to that whose soft part has been determined up to NLO and on the lattice in the context of jet quenching. Numerical results based on this potential suggest that screening masses overshoot the free results (multiples of 2
πT
) more strongly than at zero Matsubara frequency. Four-dimensional lattice simulations in two-flavour QCD at temperatures of 250 and 340 MeV confirm the non-static screening masses at the 10% level. Overall our results lend support to studies of jet quenching based on the same potential at
T
≳ 250 MeV.
Summary
In 2009, a federally funded clinical and research consortium (PID–NET, http://www.pid‐net.org) established the first national registry for primary immunodeficiencies (PID) in Germany. The ...registry contains clinical and genetic information on PID patients and is set up within the framework of the existing European Database for Primary Immunodeficiencies, run by the European Society for Primary Immunodeficiencies. Following the example of other national registries, a central data entry clerk has been employed to support data entry at the participating centres. Regulations for ethics approvals have presented a major challenge for participation of individual centres and have led to a delay in data entry in some cases. Data on 630 patients, entered into the European registry between 2004 and 2009, were incorporated into the national registry. From April 2009 to March 2012, the number of contributing centres increased from seven to 21 and 738 additional patients were reported, leading to a total number of 1368 patients, of whom 1232 were alive. The age distribution of living patients differs significantly by gender, with twice as many males than females among children, but 15% more women than men in the age group 30 years and older. The diagnostic delay between onset of symptoms and diagnosis has decreased for some PID over the past 20 years, but remains particularly high at a median of 4 years in common variable immunodeficiency (CVID), the most prevalent PID.
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