Clinical Frailty Scale score is a predictor of short-, mid- and long-term mortality in critically ill older adults (≥ 70 years) admitted to the emergency department: an observational study.

Background: The estimated prognos of a patient might influence the expected benefit/risk ratio of different interventions. The main purpose of this study was to investigate the Clinical Frailty Scale (CFS) score as an independent predictor of short-, mid- and long-term mortality in critically ill older adults (aged ≥ 70) admitted to the emergency department (ED).

Methods: This is a retrospective, single-center, observational study, involving critically ill older adults, recruited consecutively in an ED.

Context dependent cognitive development in Bhutanese children.

We assessed risk/protective factors for cognitive development of Bhutanese children (504 3-5 year-olds, 49% girls, major ethnicities Ngalop 26%, Tshangla 30%, Lhotsampa 34%) using a non-verbal test of cognitive capacity (SON-R) and primary caregiver interviews. Cognitive capacity was related to the family's SES and whether the family belonged to the primary Buddhist majority ethnic groups (Ngalop or Tshangla) or primarily Hindu minorities (Lhotsampa). In majority families more engagement in Buddhist practices was associated with higher cognitive capacity in children.

Rbf/E2F1 control growth and endoreplication via steroid-independent Ecdysone Receptor signalling in Drosophila prostate-like secondary cells.

In prostate cancer, loss of the tumour suppressor gene, Retinoblastoma (Rb), and consequent activation of transcription factor E2F1 typically occurs at a late-stage of tumour progression. It appears to regulate a switch to an androgen-independent form of cancer, castration-resistant prostate cancer (CRPC), which frequently still requires androgen receptor (AR) signalling. We have previously shown that upon mating, binucleate secondary cells (SCs) of the Drosophila melanogaster male accessory gland (AG), which share some similarities with prostate epithelial cells, switch their growth regulation from a steroid-dependent to a steroid-independent form of Ecdysone Receptor (EcR) control.

Predictors of short- and long-term mortality in critically ill, older adults admitted to the emergency department: an observational study.

Background: In the future, we can expect an increase in older patients in emergency departments (ED) and acute wards. The main purpose of this study was to identify predictors of short- and long-term mortality in the ED and at hospital discharge.

Methods: This is a retrospective, observational, single-center, cohort study, involving critically ill older adults, recruited consecutively in an ED.

Sex Peptide controls the assembly of lipid microcarriers in seminal fluid.

Seminal fluid plays an essential role in promoting male reproductive success and modulating female physiology and behavior. In the fruit fly, , Sex Peptide (SP) is the best-characterized protein mediator of these effects. It is secreted from the paired male accessory glands (AGs), which, like the mammalian prostate and seminal vesicles, generate most of the seminal fluid contents.

Mating induces switch from hormone-dependent to hormone-independent steroid receptor-mediated growth in Drosophila secondary cells.

Male reproductive glands like the mammalian prostate and the paired Drosophila melanogaster accessory glands secrete seminal fluid components that enhance fecundity. In humans, the prostate, stimulated by environmentally regulated endocrine and local androgens, grows throughout adult life. We previously showed that in fly accessory glands, secondary cells (SCs) and their nuclei also grow in adults, a process enhanced by mating and controlled by bone morphogenetic protein (BMP) signalling.

Run-on of germline apoptosis promotes gonad senescence in C. elegans.

Aging (senescence) includes causal mechanisms (etiologies) of late-life disease, which remain poorly understood. According to the recently proposed hyperfunction theory, based on the older theory of antagonistic pleiotropy, senescent pathologies can arise from futile, post-reproductive run-on of processes that in early life promote fitness. Here we apply this idea to investigate the etiology of senescent pathologies in the reproductive system of Caenorhabditis elegans hermaphrodites, particularly distal gonad degeneration and disintegration.

Regulation of Dense-Core Granule Replenishment by Autocrine BMP Signalling in Drosophila Secondary Cells.

Regulated secretion by glands and neurons involves release of signalling molecules and enzymes selectively concentrated in dense-core granules (DCGs). Although we understand how many secretagogues stimulate DCG release, how DCG biogenesis is then accelerated to replenish the DCG pool remains poorly characterised. Here we demonstrate that each prostate-like secondary cell (SC) in the paired adult Drosophila melanogaster male accessory glands contains approximately ten large DCGs, which are loaded with the Bone Morphogenetic Protein (BMP) ligand Decapentaplegic (Dpp).

Genomic EWSR1 Fusion Sequence as Highly Sensitive and Dynamic Plasma Tumor Marker in Ewing Sarcoma.

Purpose: The application of the tumor-specific genomic fusion sequence as noninvasive biomarker for therapy monitoring in Ewing sarcoma (EwS) has been evaluated.

Experimental Design: EwS xenograft mouse models were used to explore detectability in small plasma volumes and correlation of genomic EWSR1-FLI1 copy numbers with tumor burden. Furthermore, 234 blood samples from 20 EwS patients were analyzed before and during multimodal treatment.

The broad-spectrum antibiotic, zeamine, kills the nematode worm Caenorhabditis elegans.

Soil bacteria can be prolific producers of secondary metabolites and other biologically active compounds of economic and clinical importance. These natural products are often synthesized by large multi-enzyme complexes such as polyketide synthases (PKSs) or non-ribosomal peptide synthases (NRPSs). The plant-associated Gram-negative bacterium, Serratia plymuthica A153, produces several secondary metabolites and is capable of killing the nematode worm Caenorhabditis elegans; a commonly used model for the study of bacterial virulence.

The genomic and phenotypic diversity of Schizosaccharomyces pombe.

Natural variation within species reveals aspects of genome evolution and function. The fission yeast Schizosaccharomyces pombe is an important model for eukaryotic biology, but researchers typically use one standard laboratory strain. To extend the usefulness of this model, we surveyed the genomic and phenotypic variation in 161 natural isolates.

MDL-1, a growth- and tumor-suppressor, slows aging and prevents germline hyperplasia and hypertrophy in C. elegans.

In C. elegans, increased lifespan in daf-2 insulin/IGF-1 receptor mutants is accompanied by up-regulation of the MDL-1 Mad basic helix-loop-helix leucine zipper transcription factor. Here we describe the role of mdl-1 in C.

Myeloid cell RelA/p65 promotes lung cancer proliferation through Wnt/β-catenin signaling in murine and human tumor cells.

Smoking is the most important risk factor for both lung cancer (LC) and chronic obstructive pulmonary disease. The aim of this study was to investigate the role of myeloid cell nuclear factor-κB in the regulation of tumor cell growth signaling. We subjected mice lacking myeloid RelA/p65 (rela(Δ-/-)) to a metastatic LC model.

[The effects of tobacco smoke on alveolar macrophages - an in vivo mouse lung model for short-term smoking].

Background: The effect of cigarette smoke (CS) on the phagocytosis of alveolar macrophages is discussed controversially on the basis of in vitro experiments. In this short report we describe the in vivo observations that we have performed.

Methods: For this purpose mice were exposed to CS for three consecutive days.

FOXO transcription factors regulate innate immune mechanisms in respiratory epithelial cells.

Bacterial pathogens are a leading cause of lung infections and contribute to acute exacerbations in patients with chronic respiratory diseases. The innate immune system of the respiratory tract controls and prevents colonization of the lung with bacterial pathogens. Forkhead box transcription factor family O (FOXO) transcription factors are key regulators of cellular metabolism, proliferation, and stress resistance.

IL-17C is a mediator of respiratory epithelial innate immune response.

The IL-17 family of cytokines consists of at least six members (IL-17A to -F). IL-17 directly activates epithelial cells leading to the expression of inflammatory mediators and antimicrobial factors. Recent studies showed that IL-17C is expressed by epithelial cells.

Adsorption of n-butyl-substituted tetrathiafulvalene dodecanethiol on gold.

Tetrathiafulvalene (TTF) derivative substituted with two butyl- and two dodecylthiol chains is adsorbed on polycrystalline gold. The TTF-derived thiol adsorbates were characterized by ellipsometry, contact angle goniometry, infrared and X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy and cyclic voltammetry. The molecule is strongly anchored on the gold surface through the sulfur terminating the alkylthiol chains.

Solution-processed, highly-oriented supramolecular architectures of functionalized porphyrins with extended electronic states.

Thin films of aligned supramolecular architectures built from newly synthesized thiophene-substituted porphyrins have been processed from solution on surfaces.

Polymer-assisted laser desorption/ionization analysis of small molecular weight compounds.

The use of non-polar, small polymers as matrices for the analysis of low molecular weight compounds in polymer-assisted laser desorption/ionization mass spectrometry (PALDI-MS) is demonstrated. The matrices evaluated were either based on an oligothiophene or a benzodioxin backbone. Metallocenes, polycyclic hydrocarbons, a fluorosurfactant, and a subset of small organic compounds with various functionalities, served as model analytes.

Neurotoxicity of methylmercury in squirrel monkeys. Cerebral cortical pathology, interference with scotopic vision, and changes in operant behavior.

Blood mercury was raised to levels exceeding 1,000 ng/gm by weekly oral doses of methylmercury hydroxide to squirrel monkeys. Operant behavior tests were employed and neurological signs were recorded on film. Sudden visual disturbance occured with subacute exposure.