Application of network methods for understanding evolutionary dynamics in discrete habitats.

In populations occupying discrete habitat patches, gene flow between habitat patches may form an intricate population structure. In such structures, the evolutionary dynamics resulting from interaction of gene-flow patterns with other evolutionary forces may be exceedingly complex. Several models describing gene flow between discrete habitat patches have been presented in the population-genetics literature; however, these models have usually addressed relatively simple settings of habitable patches and have stopped short of providing general methodologies for addressing nontrivial gene-flow patterns.

Phase Ib Safety, Two-Dose Study of MultiGeneAngio in Patients with Chronic Critical Limb Ischemia.

Critical limb ischemia (CLI) is the most severe presentation of peripheral arterial disease. We developed cell-based therapy entailing intra-arterial injection of autologous venous endothelial cells (ECs) modified to express angiopoietin 1, combined with autologous venous smooth muscle cells (SMCs) modified to express vascular endothelial growth factor. This combination promoted arteriogenesis in animal models and was safe in patients with limiting claudication.

Association Between Knee Osteoarthritis and Functional Changes in Ankle Joint and Achilles Tendon.

Increasing evidence has shown that biomechanical forces often drive the progression of knee osteoarthritis (OA). Attention should be given to the changes in adjacent joints and their relation to knee OA. The purpose of the present study was to examine the changes in Achilles tendon thickness of individuals with knee OA and to evaluate the correlation between Achilles tendon thickness and knee OA severity in a case-control prospective observational study.

Development of High Affinity and High Specificity Inhibitors of Matrix Metalloproteinase 14 through Computational Design and Directed Evolution.

Degradation of the extracellular matrices in the human body is controlled by matrix metalloproteinases (MMPs), a family of more than 20 homologous enzymes. Imbalance in MMP activity can result in many diseases, such as arthritis, cardiovascular diseases, neurological disorders, fibrosis, and cancers. Thus, MMPs present attractive targets for drug design and have been a focus for inhibitor design for as long as 3 decades.

A bioinformatics tool for ensuring the backwards compatibility of Legionella pneumophila typing in the genomic era.

Objectives: Whole genome sequencing (WGS) has revolutionized the subtyping of Legionella pneumophila but calling the traditional sequence-based type from genomic data is hampered by multiple copies of the mompS locus. We propose a novel bioinformatics solution for rectifying that limitation, ensuring the feasibility of WGS for cluster investigation.

Methods: We designed a novel approach based on the alignment of raw reads with a reference sequence.

Two to one CRTD pacing: When the T wave and the P wave interact.

We presented a unique phenomenon of 2:1 cardiac resynchronization therapy pacing due to T wave oversensing. Ultimately, by utilizing a unique feature of integrated bipolar sensing, we succeeded to eliminate the T wave oversensing signals, and restore 1:1 CRTD pacing. Importantly, this feature enabled us to overcome the T wave oversensing issue, without the need to decrease the ventricular sensitivity, which could potentially interfere with ventricular arrhythmia detection and appropriate shock delivery when required.

Mapping Whole-Transcriptome Splicing in Mouse Hematopoietic Stem Cells.

Hematopoietic stem cells (HSCs) are rare cells that generate all the various types of blood and immune cells. High-quality transcriptome data have enabled the identification of significant genes for HSCs. However, most genes are expressed in various forms by alternative splicing (AS), extending transcriptome complexity.

Primary prophylaxis for children with severe congenital factor VII deficiency - Clinical and laboratory assessment.

Severe congenital factor VII (FVII) deficiency is a rare bleeding disorder. Prophylaxis with replacement therapy has been suggested to patients, yet the most beneficial dosing regimens and therapy intervals are still to be defined. Due to the lack of evidence-based data, we hereby present our experience with long-term administration and monitoring primary prophylaxis in children with severe FVII deficiency and an extremely high bleeding risk.

Quantitation of bleeding symptoms in a national registry of patients with inherited platelet disorders.

Background: Inherited platelet deficiency and/or dysfunction may be more common in the general population than has previously been appreciated. In 2013 the Israeli Inherited Platelet Disorder (IPD) Registry was established.

Methods: Clinical and laboratory data were collected to pre-specified registration forms.

Absorbed in sleep: Dissociative absorption as a predictor of sleepiness following sleep deprivation in two high-functioning samples.

In recent years, a labile sleep-wake cycle has been implicated as a cause for dissociative experiences, and studies show that dissociation is elevated following sleep deprivation. Dissociative individuals may find it harder to regulate sleepiness in the face of sleep disruption. Although there is significant variability in reactions to sleep deprivation, research on trait predictors is scarce.

Seasonal biotic and abiotic factors affecting hunting strategy in free-living Saharan sand vipers, Cerastes vipera.

Sit-and-wait ambushing and active hunting are two strategies used by predators to capture prey. In snakes, hunting strategy is conserved phylogenetically; most species employ only one strategy. Active hunters encounter and capture more prey but invest more energy in hunting and have higher risks of being predated.

Synthesis of coumaperine derivatives: Their NF-κB inhibitory effect, inhibition of cell migration and their cytotoxic activity.

Coumaperine (an amide alkaloid, present in white piper) and its derivatives were synthesized and investigated for their cytotoxicity against L428 and A549 cells and their NF-κB inhibitory activity. It was found that the coumaperine derivatives CP-9 and CP-38 suppress NF-κB subunits p50 and p65 in nuclear fractions by western blot and by NF-κB luciferase reporter gene assay in a dose dependent manner. Confirmation of these results was obtained by confocal microscopy.

Lack of effect of chronic ketamine administration on depression-like behavior and frontal cortex autophagy in female and male ICR mice.

The acute antidepressant effects of ketamine provide hope for the development of a fast acting approach to treat depression but the consequences of chronic treatment with ketamine are still unclear. One theory regarding the acute effect is that ketamine acts through activation of mTOR but chronic activation of mTOR may lead to reduced autophagy and reduced autophagy could have negative consequences on neuronal plasticity and survival and on affect. To study the interaction between chronic ketamine administration, autophagy and depression the present study tested the effects of 3 weeks daily administration of 5 or 10mg/kg ketamine in both female and male ICR mice on behavior in the open field and the forced swim test and on frontal cortex levels of beclin-1 and p62, two proteins that serve as markers of autophagy.

Improved method for effective screening of ACC (1-aminocyclopropane-1-carboxylate) deaminase producing microorganisms.

Aminocyclopropane-1-carboxylate deaminase (ACCD) producing microorganisms support plant growth under a variety of biotic and abiotic stress conditions such as drought, soil salinity, flooding, heavy metal pollution and phyto-pathogen attack. Available screening methods for ACCD give idea only about its primary microbial ACCD activity than the actual potential. In the present investigation, we have simply improved screening method by incorporating pH indicator dyes (phenol red and bromothymol blue) in ACC containing medium.

TGF-β affinity-bound to a macroporous alginate scaffold generates local and peripheral immunotolerant responses and improves allocell transplantation.

Unlabelled: Enhancing vascularization of cell-transplantation devices is necessary for maintaining cell viability and integration within the host, but it also increases the risk of allograft rejection. Here, we investigated the feasibility of generating an immunoregulatory environment in a highly vascularized macroporous alginate scaffold by affinity-binding of the transforming growth factor-β (TGF-β) in a manner mimicking its binding to heparan sulfate. Using this device to transplant allofibroblasts under the kidney capsule resulted in the induction of local and peripheral TGF-β-dependent immunotolerance, characterized by higher frequency of immature dendritic cells and regulatory T cells within the device and by markedly reduced allofibroblast-specific T-cell response in the spleen, thereby increasing the viability of the transplanted cells.

The effect of HMB ingestion on the IGF-I and IGF binding protein response to high intensity military training.

Objective: Insulin-like growth factor-I (IGF-I) is a metabolic and anabolic biomarker that has been proposed to reflect physiological adaptations resulting from multistressor environments. The bioactivity of IGF-I is regulated by seven different insulin-like growth factor binding proteins (IGFBPs) which act not only as carriers of IGF-1, but also function as a modulator of IGF-I availability and activity. Supplementing with β-hydroxy-β-methylbutyrate (HMB) has been shown to enhance physiological outcomes associated with intense training, and has been reported to augment the IGF-1 response.

Adherence to Self-Care Behaviors among Patients with Type 2 Diabetes-The Role of Risk Preferences.

Objectives: To examine whether the degree of risk aversion is associated with adherence to disease self-management among adults with type 2 diabetes.

Methods: This was a cross-sectional study of patients with type 2 diabetes (n = 408) aged 21 to 70 years who presented for routine visits in the diabetes clinic at a university medical center in Beer-Sheva, Israel. The authors used validated questionnaires to estimate adherence, risk preferences, motivation, self-efficacy, impulsivity, perceptions about the disease and the interpersonal process of care, and demographic and socioeconomic characteristics, in addition to retrieving data from computerized patient medical records of clinical indicators of disease severity.

Conjugates of HA2 with octaarginine-grafted HPMA copolymer offer effective siRNA delivery and gene silencing in cancer cells.

The key for successful gene silencing is to design a safe and efficient siRNA delivery system for the transfer of therapeutic nucleic acids into the target cells. Here, we describe the design of hydrophilic N-(2-hydroxypropyl)methacrylamide (HPMA) copolymer displaying multiple copies of octaarginine (R8) and its use in promoting the effective delivery of small interfering RNA (siRNA) molecules intracellularly. Fluorescein-5-isothiocyanate (FITC)-labeled HPMA copolymer-bound R8 (P-R8-FITC) was synthesized with increasing R8 molar ratios (4-9.

Hip and groin pain in a cyclist resolved after performing a pelvic floor fascial mobilization.

Pelvic floor muscle assessment in situations of hip/groin pain in both male and female patients can be a key element in treatment success. We present herein, a 32 year old male professional cyclist, exhibiting right hip and groin pain during cycling and prolonged sitting. The pain commenced after the patient suffered a right hip severe contusion in 2013 causing a tear in the tensor fascia lata and gluteus medius muscle.

Colorectal cancer in southern Israel: Comparison between Bedouin Arab and Jewish patients.

Purpose: Colorectal cancer (CRC) is the second most common malignancy and the third leading cause of cancer deaths in Israel; it is less common among the Arab than the Jewish population. This study compares the clinico-pathologic features, treatment, and prognosis between Bedouin-Arab (BA) and Jewish CRC patients treated at our medical centre.

Methods: The medical records of 56 BA patients with CRC were compared retrospectively to 115 Jewish patients.

Long-term functional outcomes following mesh-augmented posterior vaginal prolapse repair.

Objective: To assess long-term patient-centered functional outcomes following posterior vaginal wall repair using mesh implants.

Method: The present prospective telephone interview study enrolled a cohort of women who had undergone posterior vaginal wall repair with mesh between January 1, 2006 and February 28, 2009, at a single center in Israel. Patients were asked to report long-term outcomes, and demographic, clinical, intraoperative, and postoperative follow-up data were retrieved from patients' medical files.

Heterogeneous 'proportionality constants' - A challenge to Taylor's Power Law for temporal fluctuations in abundance.

Taylor's Power Law for the temporal fluctuation in population size (TL) posits that the variance in abundance scales according to aM(b); where M is the mean abundance and a and b are the 'proportionality' and 'scaling' coefficients. As one of the few empirical rules in population ecology, TL has attracted substantial theoretical and empirical attention. Much of this attention focused on the scaling coefficient; particularly its ubiquitous deviation from the null value of 2.

Organic phase synthesis of noble metal-zinc chalcogenide core-shell nanostructures.

Multi-component nanostructures have been attracting tremendous attention due to their ability to form novel materials with unique chemical, optical and physical properties. Development of hybrid nanostructures that are composed of metal-semiconductor components using a simple approach is of interest. Herein, we report a robust and general organic phase synthesis of metal (Au or Ag)-Zinc chalcogenide (ZnS or ZnSe) core-shell nanostructures.

Decomposing the n-back task: An individual differences study using the reference-back paradigm.

Working memory (WM) has two major functions: Maintenance, which is the ability to shield information from being overwritten by irrelevant information, and updating, the ability to modify the maintained information when needed. These two conflicting demands are suggested to be controlled by a gating mechanism (for review see O'Reilly (2006)) which enables selective control over updating. Information is robustly maintained in WM when the gate is closed, while opening the gate enables updating.

Alerting cues enhance the subitizing process.

Enumeration of elements differs as a function of their range. Subitizing (quantities 1-4) is considered to be an accurate and quick process with reaction times minimally affected by the number of presented elements within its range. In contrast, small estimation (range of 5-9 elements exposed briefly) is a less precise linear process.