Performance evaluation of a low-throughput qPCR-based Legionella assay for utility as an onsite industrial water system monitoring method.

Unlabelled: Legionella is a bacterial genus found in natural aquatic environments, as well as domestic and industrial water systems. Legionella presents potential human health risks when aerosolized and inhaled by at-risk individuals and is commonly monitored at locations with likelihood of proliferation and human exposure. Legionella monitoring is widely performed using culture-based testing, which faces limitations including turnaround time and interferences.

Unconventional life history in a migratory shorebird: desegregating reproduction and migration.

Conventional life-history theory predicts that energy-demanding events such as reproduction and migration must be temporally segregated to avoid resource limitation. Here, we provide, to our knowledge, the first direct evidence of 'itinerant breeding' in a migratory bird, an incredibly rare breeding strategy (less than 0.1% of extant bird species) that involves the temporal overlap of migratory and reproductive periods of the annual cycle.

Expression of programmed death ligand-1 (PD-L1) in metastatic and postchemotherapy viable testicular germ cell tumors.

Introduction: Chemotherapy for testicular germ cell tumors (GCT) is highly effective, with few patients who do not respond. Clinical studies to evaluated novel treatments are challenging given the rarity of these patients. Therefore, we sought to evaluate PD-L1 staining on metastatic and postchemotherapy viable testicular GCTs as a surrogate for potential benefit for immunotherapy targeting the PD-1/PD-L1 axis.

A Mobile Phone-Based App for Use During Cognitive Behavioral Therapy for Adolescents With Anxiety (MindClimb): User-Centered Design and Usability Study.

Background: Mobile device-based tools to help adolescents practice skills outside of cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT) sessions for treating an anxiety disorder may lead to greater treatment gains.

Objective: This study aimed to develop, design, and test the acceptability, learnability, heuristics, and usability of MindClimb, a smartphone-based app for adolescents with anxiety to use between CBT sessions to plan and complete exposure activities using skills (cognitive, relaxation, exposure practice, and reward) learned in treatment.

Methods: This 3-phase study took place from August 2015 to December 2018.

EFFICACY AND SAFETY OF TREATMENT OPTIONS FOR VITREOMACULAR TRACTION: A Case Series and Meta-Analysis.

Purpose: To evaluate treatment options for vitreomacular traction (VMT).

Methods: A retrospective, consecutive case series and a literature search with Boolean search logic. A random-effects meta-analysis was conducted to combine the rates of VMT resolution per treatment.

Airway collagen and elastic fiber content correlates with lung function in equine heaves.

The consequences on lung function and inflammation of alterations in the extracellular matrix affecting the peripheral airway wall in asthma are largely unknown. We hypothesized that remodeling of collagen and elastic fibers in the peripheral airway wall leads to airway obstruction and contributes to neutrophilic airway inflammation. Animals used were six heaves-affected horses and five controls.

Systematic resequencing of X-chromosome synaptic genes in autism spectrum disorder and schizophrenia.

Autism spectrum disorder (ASD) and schizophrenia (SCZ) are two common neurodevelopmental syndromes that result from the combined effects of environmental and genetic factors. We set out to test the hypothesis that rare variants in many different genes, including de novo variants, could predispose to these conditions in a fraction of cases. In addition, for both disorders, males are either more significantly or more severely affected than females, which may be explained in part by X-linked genetic factors.

[Ocular manifestations of thrombotic thrombocytopenic purpura].

We report a case of thrombotic thrombocytopenic purpura (TTP) in a 47-year-old woman, who presented fluctuating visual disturbances which had developed over the last six months. An antiphospholipid syndrome was suspected and intravenous heparin treatment was started. One week later, hemolytic anemia and renal insufficiency occurred.

Modulation of eIF5A1 expression alters xylem abundance in Arabidopsis thaliana.

Eukaryotic translation initiation factor 5A (eIF5A) is thought to facilitate protein synthesis by participating in the nuclear export of specific mRNAs. In Arabidopsis, there are three isoforms of eIF5A. One of them, AteIF5A1, has been shown to be expressed in vascular tissue, specifically developing vessel members, using GUS as a reporter.

Leaf-specific suppression of deoxyhypusine synthase in Arabidopsis thaliana enhances growth without negative pleiotropic effects.

Deoxyhypusine synthase (DHS) mediates the first of two enzymatic reactions required for the post-translational activation of eukaryotic translation initiation factor 5A (eIF5A), which in turn is thought to facilitate translation of specific mRNAs. Analyses of GUS activity in transgenic Arabidopsis plants expressing the GUS reporter gene under regulation of the promoter for AtDHS revealed that the expression of DHS changes both spatially and temporally as development progresses. In particular, DHS is expressed not only in rosette leaves, but also in the anthers of developing flowers.