Short communication: Genetic relationships between functional longevity and direct health traits in Austrian Fleckvieh cattle.

The aim of this study was to conduct a multitrait 2-step approach applied to yield deviations and deregressed breeding values to get genetic parameters of functional longevity, clinical mastitis, early fertility disorders, cystic ovaries, and milk fever of Austrian Fleckvieh cattle. An approximate multitrait approach allows the combination of information from pseudo-phenotypes derived from different statistical models in routine genetic evaluation, which cannot be estimated easily in a full multitrait model. A total of 66,890 Fleckvieh cows were included in this study.

The knottin-like Blufensin family regulates genes involved in nuclear import and the secretory pathway in barley-powdery mildew interactions.

Plants have evolved complex regulatory mechanisms to control a multi-layered defense response to microbial attack. Both temporal and spatial gene expression are tightly regulated in response to pathogen ingress, modulating both positive and negative control of defense. BLUFENSINs, small knottin-like peptides in barley, wheat, and rice, are highly induced by attack from fungal pathogens, in particular, the obligate biotrophic fungus, Blumeria graminis f.

Genotoxic Stress Induces Senescence-Associated ADAM10-Dependent Release of NKG2D MIC Ligands in Multiple Myeloma Cells.

Genotoxic stress can promote antitumor NK cell responses by upregulating the surface expression of activating ligands on cancer cells. Moreover, a number of studies suggested a role for soluble NK group 2D ligands in the impairment of NK cell tumor recognition and killing. We investigated whether genotoxic stress could promote the release of NK group 2D ligands (MHC class I-related chain [MIC]A and MICB), as well as the molecular mechanisms underlying this event in human multiple myeloma (MM) cells.

Repeatability of Mice Consumption Discrimination of Wheat (Triticum aestivum L.) Varieties across Field Experiments and Mouse Cohorts.

Unlabelled: Whole grain wheat (Triticum aestivum L.) foods can provide critical nutrients for health and nutrition in the human diet. Potential flavor differences among varieties can be examined using consumption discrimination of the house mouse (Mus musculus L.

The Melibiose Transporter of Escherichia coli: CRITICAL CONTRIBUTION OF LYS-377 TO THE STRUCTURAL ORGANIZATION OF THE INTERACTING SUBSTRATE BINDING SITES.

We examine the role of Lys-377, the only charged residue in helix XI, on the functional mechanism of the Na(+)-sugar melibiose symporter from Escherichia coli. Intrinsic fluorescence, FRET, and Fourier transform infrared difference spectroscopy reveal that replacement of Lys-377 with either Cys, Val, Arg, or Asp disables both Na(+) and melibiose binding. On the other hand, molecular dynamics simulations extending up to 200-330 ns reveal that Lys-377 (helix XI) interacts with the anionic side chains of two of the three putative ligands for cation binding (Asp-55 and Asp-59 in helix II).

Broadly Conserved Fungal Effector BEC1019 Suppresses Host Cell Death and Enhances Pathogen Virulence in Powdery Mildew of Barley (Hordeum vulgare L.).

The interaction of barley, Hordeum vulgare L., with the powdery mildew fungus Blumeria graminis f. sp.

A comparison of methods to calculate a total merit index using stochastic simulation.

Background: Modern dairy cattle breeding goals include several production and more and more functional traits. Estimated breeding values (EBV) that are combined in the total merit index usually come from single-trait models or from multivariate models for groups of traits. In most cases, a multivariate animal model based on phenotypic data for all traits is not feasible and approximate methods based on selection index theory are applied to derive the total merit index.

The effects of bazedoxifene on bone structural strength evaluated by hip structure analysis.

Bazedoxifene (BZA) is a selective estrogen receptor modulator that has been shown to prevent and treat postmenopausal osteoporosis. Hip structure analysis (HSA) can be used to extract bone structural properties related to strength from hip bone mineral density (BMD) scans. This exploratory analysis used HSA to evaluate changes in hip structural geometry in postmenopausal women enrolled in a phase 3 osteoporosis treatment study who were treated with BZA 20mg or placebo for 2 years.

DSCAM promotes refinement in the mouse retina through cell death and restriction of exploring dendrites.

In this study we develop and use a gain-of-function mouse allele of the Down syndrome cell adhesion molecule (Dscam) to complement loss-of-function models. We assay the role of Dscam in promoting cell death, spacing, and laminar targeting of neurons in the developing mouse retina. We find that ectopic or overexpression of Dscam is sufficient to drive cell death.

A randomized trial of laparoscopic versus open surgery for rectal cancer.

Background: Laparoscopic resection of colorectal cancer is widely used. However, robust evidence to conclude that laparoscopic surgery and open surgery have similar outcomes in rectal cancer is lacking. A trial was designed to compare 3-year rates of cancer recurrence in the pelvic or perineal area (locoregional recurrence) and survival after laparoscopic and open resection of rectal cancer.

Variability of Tear Osmolarity in Patients With Dry Eye.

Importance: Knowledge about the variability of measurements using the TearLab Osmolarity System is necessary when evaluating the clinical utility of readings.

Objective: To examine the variability of tear osmolarity measured by the TearLab Osmolarity System in patients with Sjögren syndrome (SS), patients with blepharitis, and control participants.

Design, Setting, And Participants: Cross-sectional study at a tertiary care academic center from June 13, 2012, to March 21, 2013.

Structural basis for penetration of the glycan shield of hepatitis C virus E2 glycoprotein by a broadly neutralizing human antibody.

Hepatitis C virus (HCV) is a major cause of liver cirrhosis and hepatocellular carcinoma. A challenge for HCV vaccine development is to identify conserved epitopes able to elicit protective antibodies against this highly diverse virus. Glycan shielding is a mechanism by which HCV masks such epitopes on its E2 envelope glycoprotein.

Joint unloading implant modifies subchondral bone trabecular structure in medial knee osteoarthritis: 2-year outcomes of a pilot study using fractal signature analysis.

Background: Knee osteoarthritis (OA) is largely attributable to chronic excessive and aberrant joint loading. The purpose of this pilot study was to quantify radiographic changes in subchondral bone after treatment with a minimally invasive joint unloading implant (KineSpring(®) Knee Implant System).

Methods: Nine patients with unilateral medial knee OA resistant to nonsurgical therapy were treated with the KineSpring System and followed for 2 years.

Farmer-observed health data around calving--Genetic parameters and association with veterinarian diagnoses in Austrian Fleckvieh cows.

The objective of this study was to investigate if farmer-observed health data around calving can be used together with veterinarian diagnoses for genetic evaluations. Four diseases are recorded by farmers: retained placenta, downer cow syndrome, mastitis, and lameness. Mean disease frequencies were 4.

Elucidating the role of AII amacrine cells in glutamatergic retinal waves.

Spontaneous retinal activity mediated by glutamatergic neurotransmission-so-called "Stage 3" retinal waves-drives anti-correlated spiking in ON and OFF RGCs during the second week of postnatal development of the mouse. In the mature retina, the activity of a retinal interneuron called the AII amacrine cell is responsible for anti-correlated spiking in ON and OFF α-RGCs. In mature AIIs, membrane hyperpolarization elicits bursting behavior.

Adjuvant therapy in lymph node-positive vulvar cancer: the AGO-CaRE-1 study.

Background: Women with node-positive vulvar cancer have a high risk for disease recurrence. Indication criteria for adjuvant radiotherapy are controversial. This study was designed to further understand the role of adjuvant therapy in node-positive disease.

LC-MS-based metabolomics study of marine bacterial secondary metabolite and antibiotic production in Salinispora arenicola.

An LC-MS-based metabolomics approach was used to characterise the variation in secondary metabolite production due to changes in the salt content of the growth media as well as across different growth periods (incubation times). We used metabolomics as a tool to investigate the production of rifamycins (antibiotics) and other secondary metabolites in the obligate marine actinobacterial species Salinispora arenicola, isolated from Great Barrier Reef (GBR) sponges, at two defined salt concentrations and over three different incubation periods. The results indicated that a 14 day incubation period is optimal for the maximum production of rifamycin B, whereas rifamycin S and W achieve their maximum concentration at 29 days.

Artificial muscles for a novel simulator in minimally invasive spine surgery.

Vertebroplasty and kyphoplasty are commonly used minimally invasive methods to treat vertebral compression fractures. Novice surgeons gather surgical skills in different ways, mainly by "learning by doing" or training on models, specimens or simulators. Currently, a new training modality, an augmented reality simulator for minimally invasive spine surgeries, is going to be developed.

Ca2+ mobilization assays in GPCR drug discovery.

Intracellular calcium mobilization can be measured using several methods varying in indicator dyes and devices used. In this chapter, we describe the fluorescence-based method (FLIPR Calcium 4 Assay) developed by Molecular Devices for a FlexStation and routinely used in our laboratory for detecting intracellular calcium changes. The assay is designed to study calcium mobilization induced by majority of GPCRs and calcium channels and allows for simultaneous concentration-dependent analysis of several receptor agonists and antagonists, useful in receptor characterization and drug discovery projects.

Polyphenol oxidase as a biochemical seed defense mechanism.

Seed dormancy and resistance to decay are fundamental survival strategies, which allow a population of seeds to germinate over long periods of time. Seeds have physical, chemical, and biological defense mechanisms that protect their food reserves from decay-inducing organisms and herbivores. Here, we hypothesize that seeds also possess enzyme-based biochemical defenses, based on induction of the plant defense enzyme, polyphenol oxidase (PPO), when wild oat (Avena fatua L.

Characterization of the Anopheles gambiae octopamine receptor and discovery of potential agonists and antagonists using a combined computational-experimental approach.

Background: Octopamine receptors (OARs) perform key functions in the biological pathways of primarily invertebrates, making this class of G-protein coupled receptors (GPCRs) a potentially good target for insecticides. However, the lack of structural and experimental data for this insect-essential GPCR family has promoted the development of homology models that are good representations of their biological equivalents for in silico screening of small molecules.

Methods: Two Anopheles gambiae OARs were cloned, analysed and functionally characterized using a heterologous cell reporter system.

The house mouse (Mus musculus L.) exerts strong differential grain consumption preferences among hard red and white spring wheat (Triticum aestivum L.) varieties in a single-elimination tournament design.

Wheat (Triticum aestivum L.) plays a central role in the health and nutrition of humans. Yet, little is known about possible flavor differences among different varieties.

Developmentally dynamic colocalization patterns of DSCAM with adhesion and synaptic proteins in the mouse retina.

Purpose: The Down syndrome cell adhesion molecule (Dscam) gene is required for normal dendrite arborization and lamination in the mouse retina. In this study, we characterized the developmental localization of the DSCAM protein to better understand the postnatal stages of retinal development during which laminar disorganization occur in the absence of the protein.

Methods: Immunohistochemistry and colocalization analysis software were used to assay the localization of the DSCAM protein during development of the retina.

Patient-specific biomechanical model for the prediction of lung motion from 4-D CT images.

This paper presents an approach to predict the deformation of the lungs and surrounding organs during respiration. The framework incorporates a computational model of the respiratory system, which comprises an anatomical model extracted from computed tomography (CT) images at end-expiration (EE), and a biomechanical model of the respiratory physiology, including the material behavior and interactions between organs. A personalization step is performed to automatically estimate patient-specific thoracic pressure, which drives the biomechanical model.