Explaining International Trends in Mortality on Hemodialysis Through Changes in Hemodialysis Practices in the Dialysis Outcomes and Practice Patterns Study (DOPPS).

Rationale & Objective: Case-mix adjusted hemodialysis mortality has decreased since 1998. Many factors that influence mortality may have contributed to this trend, and these associations may differ by continental region. We studied changes in hemodialysis facility practices over time and their potential role in mediating changes in patient survival.

A force-sensitive mutation reveals a non-canonical role for dynein in anaphase progression.

The diverse roles of the dynein motor in shaping microtubule networks and cargo transport complicate in vivo analysis of its functions significantly. To address this issue, we have generated a series of missense mutations in Drosophila Dynein heavy chain. We show that mutations associated with human neurological disease cause a range of defects, including impaired cargo trafficking in neurons.

Evidence for long-term efficacy of a membrane filtration device in rural villages in Ghana.

Drinking water contaminated by pathogenic micro-organisms increases the risk of infectious gastrointestinal disease which could potentially lead to acute kidney injury and even death, particularly amongst the young and the elderly. Earlier studies have shown a substantial reduction in the incidence of diarrheal disease over a period of one year using a polysulfone membrane water gravity-powered water filtration device. The current report is a continuation of these studies to assess the long-term effects of the innovative method on diarrheal incidence rates over a 4-year follow-up period.

The pleiotropic functions of Pri smORF peptides synchronize leg development regulators.

The last decade witnesses the emergence of the abundant family of smORF peptides, encoded by small ORF (<100 codons), whose biological functions remain largely unexplored. Bioinformatic analyses here identify hundreds of putative smORF peptides expressed in Drosophila imaginal leg discs. Thanks to a functional screen in leg, we found smORF peptides involved in morphogenesis, including the pioneer smORF peptides Pri.