Identifying the brain regions associated with acute spasticity in patients diagnosed with an ischemic stroke

Spasticity is a common impairment found in patients that have been diagnosed with a stroke. Little is known about the pathophysiology of spasticity at the level of the brain. This retrospective study was performed to identify an association between the area of the brain affected by an ischemic stroke and the presence of acute spasticity. Physical and occupational therapy assessments from all patients (n?=?441) that had suffered a stroke and were admitted into a local hospital over a 4-year period were screened for inclusion in this study. Subjects that fit the inclusion criteria were grouped according to the presence (n?=?42) or absence (n?=?129) of acute spasticity by the Modified Ashworth Scale score given during the hospital admission assessment. Magnetic resonance images from 20 subjects in the spasticity group and 52 from the control group were then compared using lesion density plots and voxel-based lesion–symptom mapping. An association of acute spasticity with the gray matter regions of the insula, basal ganglia, and thalamus was found in this study. White matter tracts including the pontine crossing tract, corticospinal tract, internal capsule, corona radiata, external capsule, and the superior fronto-occipital fasciculus were also found to be significantly associated with acute spasticity. This is the first study to describe an association between a region of the brain affected by an infarct and the presence of acute spasticity. Understanding the regions associated with acute spasticity will aid in understanding the pathophysiology of this musculoskeletal impairment at the level of the brain.     

High resolution genetic mapping uncovers chitin synthase-1 as the target-site of the structurally diverse mite growth inhibitors clofentezine,hexythiazox and etoxazole in Tetranychus urticae

The acaricides clofentezine, hexythiazox and etoxazole are commonly referred to as ‘mite growth inhibitors’, and clofentezine and hexythiazox have been used successfully for the integrated control of plant mite pests for decades. Although they are still important today, their mode of action has remained elusive. Recently, a mutation in chitin synthase 1 (CHS1) was linked to etoxazole resistance. In this study, we identified and investigated a Tetranychus urticae strain (HexR) harboring recessive, monogenic resistance to each of hexythiazox, clofentezine, and etoxazole. To elucidate if there is a common genetic basis for the observed cross-resistance, we adapted a previously developed bulk segregant analysis method to map with high resolution a single, shared resistance locus for all three compounds. This finding indicates that the underlying molecular basis for resistance to all three compounds is identical. This locus is centered on the CHS1 gene, and as supported by additional genetic and biochemical studies, a non-synonymous variant (I1017F) in CHS1 associates with resistance to each of the tested acaricides in HexR. Our findings thus demonstrate a shared molecular mode of action for the chemically diverse mite growth inhibitors clofentezine, hexythiazox and etoxazole as inhibitors of an essential, non-catalytic activity of CHS1. Given the previously documented cross-resistance between clofentezine, hexythiazox and the benzyolphenylurea (BPU) compounds flufenoxuron and cycloxuron, CHS1 should be also considered as a potential target-site of insecticidal BPUs.     

Mapping of noninvasion TnphoA mutations on the Escherichia coli O18:K1:H7 chromosome

Abstract The most virulent newborn meningitis-associated Escherichia coli are of the serotype O18: K1: H7. We previously isolated a large number of E. coli O18:K1:H7 mutants resulting from transposon Tn phoA mutagenesis that fail to invade brain microvascular endothelial cells. We have now determined the locations of 45 independent insertions. Twelve were localized to the 98 min region, containing a 120 kb segment that is characteristic of E. coli O18:K1:H7. Another, the previously described insertion ibe -10::Tn phoA , was localized to the 87 min region, containing a 20 kb segment found in this E. coli . These noninvasion mutations may define new O18:K1:H7 pathogenicity islands carrying genes for penetration of the blood-brain barrier of newborn mammals.     

Studies on the frequency and associations of equine leucocyte antigens in sarcoid and summer dermatitis

The equine leucocyte antigen (ELA) types and the clinical diagnosis for equine sarcoid and summer dermatitis were evaluated in 2026 horses representing five breeds. Data were analysed in unrelated animals and in family material. In the case of equine sarcoid, a strong association was observed between the ELA class II DW13 antigen and its effect on Swiss (cP < 0·001), French (cP < 0·0001) and Irish (cP < 0·01) Warmblood horses. The class I antigen A3 occurred more frequently in sarcoid-affected French horses (cP < 0·001). These results confirm our earlier findings (Gerber et al. 1988). Among Freiberger horses, which lack the ELA DW13 and A3 specificities, a breed-specific class I antigen, ABe108, displayed an increased frequency (cP < 0·05) in the affected group. Among Arabian horses, a tendency for increased frequency of the A1 antigen was observed in the affected animals, but the number of affected horses is too small for statistical significance. The Mendelian segregation in diseased half-siblings by ELA DW13 heterozygous stallions showed a strong association (P < 0·0001) between the inherited DW13 antigen and susceptibility to the sarcoid effect. In the case of summer dermatitis, previously published data (Marti et al. 1992) have been extended. The ELA types in four multiple-case families, founded by the same stallion, were analysed for an association with the effect of sarcoid. Eight out of nine ELA-typed affected offspring inherited the paternal haplotype A15, DW23 in contrast to nonaffected offspring where three out of 12 displayed these antigens (P < 0·005). Moreover, the ELA haplotypes of 11 out of 12 informative affected half-siblings sired by another stallion inherited the paternal haplotype A3, W12, DW23 (P < 0·05). Our findings demonstrate statistically significant associations between certain ELA antigens and two equine diseases. It is still unknown if the major histocompatibility complex (MHC) molecules themselves or another linked gene(s) play a role in the pathogenesis of these conditions.     

New gene assignments using a complete, characterized sheep-hamster somatic cell hybrid panel

The generation and characterization of new sheep-hamster cell hybrids is reported from the fusion of sheep white blood cells with six different hamster auxotrophs. Selection from these and previously generated cell hybrids has led to the production of a panel of 30 hybrids covering the complete sheep genome of 28 chromosomes. Over half of the cell hybrids in this panel contain single sheep chromosomes. By complementation, the following new assignments have been made using the panel: phosphoribosyl N-formylglycinamide amidotransferase (PRFGA) to sheep chromosome (chr) 11; adenylosuccinate synthetase (ADSS) to sheep chr 12; adenylosuccinate lyase (ADSL) to sheep chr 3q; 3-hydroxy-3-methylglutaryl-coenzyme A synthase (HMGCS) to sheep chr 16; dihydrofolate reductase (DHFR) to sheep chr 5; and adenine phosphoribosyltransferase (APRT) to sheep chr 14. The gene phosphoribosylaminoinidazole-carboxamide formyltransferase/Inosinicase (PRACFT) has now been regionally assigned to chr 2q. By isozyme analysis, phosphogluconate dehydrogenase (PGD) was assigned to sheep chr 12, anchoring the sheep syntenic group U1 to this chromosome, and mannose phosphate isomerase (MPI) was assigned to sheep chr 18. Furthermore, the chromosomal assignment of 110 microsatellites was confirmed using this cell panel.     

Matching structural densities from different biophysical origins with gain and bias

The registration of volumetric structures in real space involves geometric and density transformations that align a target map and a probe map in the best way possible. Many computational docking strategies exist for finding the geometric transformations that superimpose maps, but the problem of finding an optimal density transformation, for the purposes of difference calculations or segmentation, has received little attention in the literature. We report results based on simulated and experimental electron microscopy maps, showing that a single scale factor (gain) may be insufficient when it comes to minimizing the density discrepancy between an aligned target and probe. We propose an affine transformation, with gain and bias, that is parameterized by known surface isovalues and by an interactive centering of the “cancellation peak” in the surface thresholded difference map histogram. The proposed approach minimizes discrepancies across a wide range of interior densities. Owing to having only two parameters, it avoids overfitting and requires only minimal knowledge of the probe and target maps. The linear transformation also preserves phases and relative amplitudes in Fourier space. The histogram matching strategy was implemented in the newly revised volhist tool of the Situs package, version 2.6.     

Vegetation mapping with the aid of low-altitude aerial photography

Abstract. A technique for fine-scale vegetation mapping with the aid of low-altitude aerial photography was developed. The procedure is as follows: 1. The site is divided into a lattice pattern - in case the site is too large to fit into a single photograph with satisfactory resolution. The coordinates of every lattice point are surveyed to be used as control points for geometric correction. A photograph of each block of the lattice is taken using a remote-controlled camera system lifted by a captive helium balloon. 2. The vegetation is classified on the basis of a phytosociological survey. 3. The shapes and locations of vegetation patches appearing in the photographs are entered into a computer, using a digitizer. A geometric correction is carried out through coordinate transformation referring to the coordinates of the control points and subsequently a draft vegetation map is produced. Finally, discrepancies are corrected and the map is coloured to produce the final version of the vegetation map. This technique was applied to vegetation mapping at a bar, 500 m wide and 2 km long, in the river Yoshino in Shikoku, Japan. A fine-scale vegetation map was obtained and used to analyse the influence of plants on geomorphic processes and community-specific hydrogeomorphic conditions on the bar.