Introduction of a quality management system and outcome after hematopoietic stem-cell transplantation.

Purpose: A comprehensive quality management system called JACIE (Joint Accreditation Committee International Society for Cellular Therapy and the European Group for Blood and Marrow Transplantation), was introduced to improve quality of care in hematopoietic stem-cell transplantation (HSCT). We therefore tested the hypothesis that the introduction of JACIE improved patient survival.

Patients And Methods: Data on 41,623 allogeneic (39%) and 66,281 autologous (61%) HSCTs for an acquired hematologic disorder performed between 1999 and 2007 by 421 teams in Europe were used to assess the outcomes of patients who received a transplantation at baseline (> 3 years before application or no application), during preparation (3 years before application), during application (time from application to accreditation), and after JACIE accreditation.

Reactions inside nanoscale protein cages.

Chemical reactions are traditionally carried out in bulk solution, but in nature confined spaces, like cell organelles, are used to obtain control in time and space of conversion. One way of studying these reactions in confinement is the development and use of small reaction vessels dispersed in solution, such as vesicles and micelles. The utilization of protein cages as reaction vessels is a relatively new field and very promising as these capsules are inherently monodisperse, in that way providing uniform reaction conditions, and are readily accessible to both chemical and genetic modifications.

Amine-reactive PEGylated nanoparticles for potential bioconjugation.

Water-dispersible PEGylated nanoparticles (NPs) presenting amine-reactive conjugation sites at their surfaces were synthesized and their ability to react with amines was demonstrated. An amphiphilic block copolymer bearing an N-succinimidyl ester at its water-soluble end was synthesized by the consecutive controlled radical polymerization of poly(ethylene glycol) methacrylate and styrene from a functional halide initiator. After purification of the copolymer, NPs of approximately 40 nm were obtained by a self-assembly process in water.

Metal-ion-induced formation and stabilization of protein cages based on the cowpea chlorotic mottle virus.

The cowpea chlorotic mottle virus (CCMV) is a versatile building block for the construction of nanoreactors and functional materials. Upon RNA removal, the capsid can be reversibly assembled and disassembed by adjusting the pH. At pH 5.

How do bryophytes govern generative recruitment of vascular plants?

Interactions between vascular plants and bryophytes determine plant community composition in many ecosystems. Yet, little is known about the importance of interspecific differences between bryophytes with respect to their effects on vascular plants. We compared the extent to which species-specific bryophyte effects on vascular plant generative recruitment depend on the following underlying mechanisms: allelopathy, mechanical obstruction, soil moisture and temperature control.

Highly pathogenic or low pathogenic avian influenza virus subtype H7N1 infection in chicken lungs: small differences in general acute responses.

Avian influenza virus can be divided into two groups, highly pathogenic avian influenza virus (HPAI) and low pathogenic avian influenza virus (LPAI) based on their difference in virulence. To investigate if the difference in clinical outcome between LPAI and HPAI in chickens is due to immunological host responses in the lung within the first 24 hours post infection (hpi), chickens were infected with LPAI or HPAI of subtype H7N1. Virus was found in the caudal and cranial part of the lung.

The trait contribution to wood decomposition rates of 15 Neotropical tree species.

The decomposition of dead wood is a critical uncertainty in models of the global carbon cycle. Despite this, relatively few studies have focused on dead wood decomposition, with a strong bias to higher latitudes. Especially the effect of interspecific variation in species traits on differences in wood decomposition rates remains unknown.

Sequential energy and electron transfer in polyisocyanopeptide-based multichromophoric arrays.

We report on the synthesis and detailed photo-physical investigation of four model chromophore side chain polyisocyanopeptides: two homopolymers of platinum-porphyrin functionalized polyisocyanopeptides (Pt-porphyrin-PIC) and perylene-bis(dicarboximide) functionalized polyisocyanopeptides (PDI-PIC), and two statistical copolymers with different ratios of Pt-porphyrin and PDI molecules attached to a rigid, helical polyisocyanopeptide backbone. (1)H NMR and circular dichroism measurements confirm that our model compounds retain a chiral architecture in the presence of the chromophores. The combination of Pt-porphyrin and PDI chromophores allows charge- and/or energy transfer to happen.

Global patterns of leaf mechanical properties.

Leaf mechanical properties strongly influence leaf lifespan, plant-herbivore interactions, litter decomposition and nutrient cycling, but global patterns in their interspecific variation and underlying mechanisms remain poorly understood. We synthesize data across the three major measurement methods, permitting the first global analyses of leaf mechanics and associated traits, for 2819 species from 90 sites worldwide. Key measures of leaf mechanical resistance varied c.

Evidence for acute neurotoxicity after chemotherapy.

Objective: Chronic neurotoxicity is a recognized long-term complication following chemotherapy in a range of diseases. Neurotoxicity adversely affects patients' quality of life. The objective of this study is to examine whether there is evidence of acute neurotoxicity.

Cause of heart murmurs in 57 apparently healthy cats.

Heart murmurs are caused by turbulent blood flow or by vibration of cardiac structures. Turbulent blood flow may originate from structural heart disease or from physiological phenomena. The aims of this study were to establish the cause of heart murmurs in apparently healthy adult cats and to determine whether a heart murmur is a reliable indicator of heart disease.

Similar cation exchange capacities among bryophyte species refute a presumed mechanism of peatland acidification.

Fen-bog succession is accompanied by strong increases of carbon accumulation rates. We tested the prevailing hypothesis that living Sphagna have extraordinarily high cation exchange capacity (CEC) and therefore acidify their environment by exchanging tissue-bound protons for basic cations in soil water. As Sphagnum invasion in a peatland usually coincides with succession from a brown moss-dominated alkaline fen to an acidic bog, the CEC of Sphagna is widely believed to play an important role in this acidification process.

Allogeneic stem-cell transplantation in patients with Waldenström macroglobulinemia: report from the Lymphoma Working Party of the European Group for Blood and Marrow Transplantation.

Purpose: Allogeneic stem-cell transplantation (alloSCT) is a curative therapeutic option for patients with low-grade lymphoid malignancies. Information regarding alloSCT in Waldenström macroglobulinemia (WM) is limited. This study presents the long-term outcome of a large series of patients with WM treated with alloSCT.

The impact of CD4+Foxp3+ Treg on immunity to murine cytomegalovirus after bone marrow transplantation depends on the peripheral or thymic source of T cell regeneration.

Objective: The adoptive transfer of regulatory T cells (Treg) in murine models has been shown to ameliorate graft-versus-host disease while it may preserve the graft-versus-leukemia effect. However, the impact of Treg on infectious immunity after bone marrow transplantation (BMT) is still unclear. Immunocompetence against opportunistic viral infections depends on the kinetics of T cell recovery after BMT through two distinctive processes, i.

Polymersome stomatocytes: controlled shape transformation in polymer vesicles.

We report here a controllable shape transformation of polymer vesicles (polymersomes) constructed from block copolymers of which the hydrophobic part is a high-molecular-weight glassy segment. Control over the shape transformation is obtained by kinetic manipulation of the phase behavior of this glassy hydrophobic segment. Kinetic manipulation of the phase behavior of polymer membranes allows for different shapes of polymersomes to be captured at specific times, which directly translates into physically robust nanostructures that are otherwise unobtainable.

Coordinated variation in leaf and root traits across multiple spatial scales in Chinese semi-arid and arid ecosystems.

• Variation in plant functional traits is the product of evolutionary and environmental drivers operating at different scales. Little is known about whether, or how, this variation is coordinated between aboveground and belowground organs across and within spatial scales. • We address these questions using a hierarchically designed dataset of pairwise leaf and root traits related to carbon and nutrient economy of 64 species belonging to 14 plant communities in northern Chinese semi-arid and arid regions.

A hydrogel-based enzyme-loaded polymersome reactor.

In this study we report the immobilization of enzyme-containing polymersomes into a macromolecular hydrogel. Whereas free enzyme shows progressive leakage from the hydrogel in a period of days, leakage of the polymersome-protected enzyme is virtually absent. The preparation of the hydrogel occurs under mild conditions and does not inhibit the activity of the encapsulated enzymes nor does it affect the structure of the polymersomes.

Non-pharmacological care for patients with generalized osteoarthritis: design of a randomized clinical trial.

Background: Non-pharmacological treatment (NPT) is a useful treatment option in the management of hip or knee osteoarthritis. To our knowledge however, no studies have investigated the effect of NPT in patients with generalized osteoarthritis (GOA). The primary aim of this study is to compare the effectiveness of two currently existing health care programs with different intensity and mode of delivery on daily functioning in patients with GOA.

Immune monitoring with iTAg MHC Tetramers for prediction of recurrent or persistent cytomegalovirus infection or disease in allogeneic hematopoietic stem cell transplant recipients: a prospective multicenter study.

Cytomegalovirus (CMV) infection is an important cause of morbidity and mortality in hematopoietic stem cell transplant recipients despite the introduction of posttransplantation viral monitoring and preemptive antiviral therapy. We evaluated the use of HLA class I tetramers in monitoring CMV-specific T-cell recovery to predict patients at risk for CMV-related complications. This prospective multicenter clinical trial obtained nearly 1400 tetramer/allele results in more than 800 biweekly blood samples from 83 patients monitored for 1 year after transplantation.

Complex assembly behavior during the encapsulation of green fluorescent protein analogs in virus derived protein capsules.

Enzymes encapsulated in nanocontainers are a better model of the conditions inside a living cell than free enzymes in solution. In a first step toward the encapsulation of multiple enzymes inside the cowpea chlorotic mottle virus (CCMV) capsid, enhanced green fluorescent protein (EGFP) was attached to CCMV capsid proteins. The capsid protein-EGFP complex was then co-assembled with wild-type capsid protein (wt CP) in various ratios.

Virus-like particles templated by DNA micelles: a general method for loading virus nanocarriers.

DNA amphiphile particles template formation of virus capsids and enable their loading.

Cysteine-containing polyisocyanides as versatile nanoplatforms for chromophoric and bioscaffolding.

The straightforward syntheses of polyisocyanides containing the alanine-cysteine motif in their side chains have been achieved. Detailed characterization of the polymers revealed a well-defined and highly stable helical conformation of the polyimine backbone responsible for the formation of rodlike structures of over one hundred nanometers. The 4(1) helix is further stabilized by beta-sheet-like interactions between the peptide arms.