The Revised Fibromyalgia Impact Questionnaire (FIQR): validation and psychometric properties

Introduction  

The Fibromyalgia Impact Questionnaire (FIQ) is a commonly used instrument in the evaluation of fibromyalgia (FM) patients. Over the last 18 years, since the publication of the original FIQ, several deficiencies have become apparent and the cumbersome scoring algorithm has been a barrier to widespread clinical use. The aim of this paper is to describe and validate a revised version of the FIQ: the FIQR.     

Does hydraulic lift exist in shallow-rooted species? A quantitative examination with a half-shrub Gutierrezia sarothrae

Hydraulic lift occurs in some deep-rooted shrub and herbaceous species. In this process, water taken up by deep roots from the moist subsoil is delivered to the drier topsoil where it is later reabsorbed by shallow roots. However, little is known about the existence of hydraulic lift in shallow-rooted xeric species. The objectives of this study were 1) to ascertain whether hydraulic lift exists in Gutierrezia sarothrae (broom snakeweed), a widespread North American desert species with a shallow root system, grown in pot and field conditions and 2) if it does, how much water can be transferred from the subsoil to the 30 cm topsoil during the night. Snakeweed seedlings were transplanted in buried pots allowing the deeper roots to grow into the subsoil 30 cm below the surface. Soil water content inside and outside of the pot was measured seasonally and diurnally with time domain reflectometry technique (TDR). An increase in water content was detected in the pot after the plant was covered for 3 h by an opaque plastic bag during the day, suggesting hydraulic lift from deeper depths and exudation of water into the drier topsoil. Root exudation was also observed on native range sites dominated by snakeweed. Water efflux in the pot was 271 g per plant per night. which was equivalent to 15.3% of the extrapolated, porometer-derived whole-plant daily transpiration. Hydraulic lift observed in Gutierrezia improved water uptake during the day when evaporative demand is high and less water is available in the topsoil. We concluded that hydraulic lift might help snakeweed to alleviate the effect of water stress.     

Genbank accession #: AF111812

Plant Molecular Biology -     

The effects of water-level fluctuations on weekly tree growth in a southeastern usa swamp

Annual growth of wetland trees has been shown to be related to variations in hydrologic regimes, however the relationship between water level fluctuations and tree growth throughout the growing season has not been documented. In a study of weekly growth patterns of three wetland tree species in a southeastern forested wetland, transfer function modeling was used to examine relationships between tree growth and the weekly changes in water levels and weekly changes in the atmospheric water balance (precipitation minus potential evapotranspiration). An autoregressive-moving average model was fit to each time series of water-level changes (input series), and the selected model was then used to filter the tree-growth (output) time series. Cross-correlations between each input and output time series were examined and significant relationships between weekly changes in water levels and tree diameter were found for Nyssa sylvatica and Taxodium distichum trees growing at sites with periodic shallow flooding. There were no significant relationships between changing water levels and tree growth in areas with permanent flooding or soil saturation. Further, changes in growth of N. sylvatica, N. aquatica, and T. distichum were significantly cross-correlated with weekly changes in the atmospheric water balance at sites with either periodic or permanent flooding.     

Shigella Effector OspB Activates mTORC1 in a Manner That Depends on IQGAP1 and Promotes Cell Proliferation

The intracellular bacterial pathogen Shigella infects and spreads through the human intestinal epithelium. Effector proteins delivered by Shigella into cells promote infection by modulating diverse host functions. We demonstrate that the effector protein OspB interacts directly with the scaffolding protein IQGAP1, and that the absence of either OspB or IQGAP1 during infection leads to larger areas of S. flexneri spread through cell monolayers. We show that the effect on the area of bacterial spread is due to OspB triggering increased cell proliferation at the periphery of infected foci, thereby replacing some of the cells that die within infected foci and restricting the area of bacterial spread. We demonstrate that OspB enhancement of cell proliferation results from activation of mTORC1, a master regulator of cell growth, and is blocked by the mTORC1-specific inhibitor rapamycin. OspB activation of mTORC1, and its effects on cell proliferation and bacterial spread, depends on IQGAP1. Our results identify OspB as a regulator of mTORC1 and mTORC1-dependent cell proliferation early during S. flexneri infection and establish a role for IQGAP1 in mTORC1 signaling. They also raise the possibility that IQGAP1 serves as a scaffold for the assembly of an OspB-mTORC1 signaling complex.     

Understory vegetation as an indicator for floodplain forest restoration in the Mississippi River Alluvial Valley,U.S.A.

In the Mississippi River Alluvial Valley (MAV), complete alteration of river‐floodplain hydrology allowed for widespread conversion of forested bottomlands to intensive agriculture, resulting in nearly 80% forest loss. Governmental programs have attempted to restore forest habitat and functions within this altered landscape by the methods of tree planting (afforestation) and local hydrologic enhancement on reclaimed croplands. Early assessments identified factors that influenced whether planting plus tree colonization could establish an overstory community similar to natural bottomland forests. The extent to which afforested sites develop typical understory vegetation has not been evaluated, yet understory composition may be indicative of restored site conditions. As part of a broad study quantifying the ecosystem services gained from restoration efforts, understory vegetation was compared between 37 afforested sites and 26 mature forest sites. Differences in vegetation attributes for species growth forms, wetland indicator classes, and native status were tested with univariate analyses; floristic composition data were analyzed by multivariate techniques. Understory vegetation of restoration sites was generally hydrophytic, but species composition differed from that of mature bottomland forest because of young successional age and differing responses of plant growth forms. Attribute and floristic variation among restoration sites was related to variation in canopy development and local wetness conditions, which in turn reflected both intrinsic site features and outcomes of restoration practices. Thus, understory vegetation is a useful indicator of functional progress in floodplain forest restoration.     

Commensal Bacteria-induced Interleukin 1β (IL-1β) Secreted by Macrophages Up-regulates Hepcidin Expression in Hepatocytes by Activating the Bone Morphogenetic Protein Signaling Pathway

The liver hormone hepcidin is the central regulator of systemic iron metabolism. Its increased expression in inflammatory states leads to hypoferremia and anemia. Elucidation of the mechanisms that up-regulate hepcidin during inflammation is essential for developing rational therapies for this anemia. Using mouse models of inflammatory bowel disease, we have shown previously that colitis-associated hepcidin induction is influenced by intestinal microbiota composition. Here we investigate how two commensal bacteria, Bifidobacterium longum and Bacteroides fragilis, representative members of the gut microbiota, affect hepcidin expression. We found that supernatants of a human macrophage cell line infected with either of the bacteria up-regulated hepcidin when added to a human hepatocyte cell line. This activity was abrogated by neutralization of IL-1β. Moreover, purified IL-1β increased hepcidin expression when added to the hepatocyte line or primary human hepatocytes and when injected into mice. IL-1β activated the bone morphogenetic protein (BMP) signaling pathway in hepatocytes and in mouse liver, as indicated by increased phosphorylation of small mothers against decapentaplegic proteins. Activation of BMP signaling correlated with IL-1β-induced expression of BMP2 in human hepatocytes and activin B in mouse liver. Treatment of hepatocytes with two different chemical inhibitors of BMP signaling or with a neutralizing antibody to BMP2 prevented IL-1β-induced up-regulation of hepcidin. Our results clarify how commensal bacteria affect hepcidin expression and reveal a novel connection between IL-1β and activation of BMP signaling. They also suggest that there may be differences between mice and humans with respect to the mechanism by which IL-1β up-regulates hepcidin.     

Characterization of PR-10 genes from eight Betula species and detection of Bet v 1 isoforms in birch pollen

Background  

Bet v 1 is an important cause of hay fever in northern Europe. Bet v 1 isoforms from the European white birch (Betula pendula) have been investigated extensively, but the allergenic potency of other birch species is unknown. The presence of Bet v 1 and closely related PR-10 genes in the genome was established by amplification and sequencing of alleles from eight birch species that represent the four subgenera within the genus Betula. Q-TOF LC-MS^E was applied to identify which PR-10/Bet v 1 genes are actually expressed in pollen and to determine the relative abundances of individual isoforms in the pollen proteome.