Clinical and Economic Burden of Community-Acquired Pneumonia among Adults in the Czech Republic,Hungary, Poland and Slovakia

We estimate and describe the incidence rates, mortality, and cost of CAP (community-acquired pneumonia), in both inpatient and outpatient settings, in the Czech Republic (CZ), Slovakia (SK), Poland (PL), and Hungary (HU). A retrospective analysis was conducted on administrative data from the health ministry and insurance reimbursement claims with a primary diagnosis of pneumonia in 2009 to determine hospitalization rates, costs, and mortality in adults ≥50 years of age. Patient chart reviews were conducted to estimate the number of outpatient cases. Among all adults ≥50 years, the incidence of hospitalized CAP per 100,000 person years was: 456.6 (CZ), 504.6 (SK), 363.9 (PL), and 845.3 (HU). The average fatality rate for all adults ≥50 is 19.1%, and for each country; 21.7% (CZ), 20.9% (SK), 18.6% (PL), 17.8% (HU). Incidence, fatality, and likelihood of hospitalization increased with advancing age. Total healthcare costs of CAP in EUR was 12,579,543 (CZ); 9,160,774 (SK); 22,409,085 (PL); and 18,298,449 (HU); with hospitalization representing over 90% of the direct costs of treatment. The burden of CAP increases with advancing age in four CEE countries, with hospitalizations driving the costs of CAP upwards in the elderly population. Mortality rates are generally higher than reported in Western EU countries.     

Flow cytometry for assessing the efficacy of interspecific gynogenesis induction in sturgeon

The efficacy of ploidy analysis for separating progeny of Siberian sturgeon Acipenser baerii after induced gynogenesis was demonstrated using sperm of a paternal species differing in ploidy level from the maternal species. Gynogenesis was induced in tetraploid A. baerii with UV‐C irradiated sperm from the diploid sterlet Acipenser ruthenus and vice‐versa. The success of sperm UV irradiation and diploidy restoration by heat‐shock was estimated based on the ploidy level of progeny, confirmed by microsatellite parentage assignment. Hatching rates of interspecific gynogenotes were comparable with rates reported for gynogenesis induction using sperm and eggs of the same species. Juvenile mortality was similar to that observed in the control hybrids. The efficiency and reliability of this method may foster its use for production of gynogenotes in aquaculture, potentially allowing interspecific gynogenesis to replace intraspecific.     

A cellular study of teosinte Zea mays subsp. parviglumis (Poaceae) caryopsis development showing several processes conserved in maize

The evolutionary history of maize (Zea mays subsp. mays) is of general interest because of its economic and scientific importance. Here we show that many cellular traits described previously in developing caryopses of maize are also seen in its wild progenitor teosinte (Zea mays subsp. parviglumis). These features, each with a possible role in development, include (1) an early programmed cell death in the maternal placento-chalazal (P-C) layer that may lead to increased hydrolytic conductance to the developing seed; (2) accumulation of phenolics and flavonoids in the P-C layer that may be related to antimicrobial activity; (3) formation of wall ingrowths in the basal endosperm transfer layer (BETL); (4) localization of cell wall invertase in the BETL, which is attributed to the increased transport capacity of photosynthates to the sink; and (5) endoreduplication in endosperm nuclei suggested to contribute to increased gene expression and greater sink capacity of the developing seed. In maize caryopsis, these cellular traits have been previously attributed to domestication and selection for larger seed size and vigor. Given the conservation of the entire cellular program in developing teosinte caryopses described here, we suggest that these traits evolved independently of domestication and predate human selection pressure.     

Curvature-induced accumulation of anisotropic membrane components and raft formation in cylindrical membrane protrusions

Coupling between the area density of anisotropic membrane inclusions and local membrane curvature is considered theoretically for a simple case of nearly flat bilayer membrane with thin tubular membrane protrusions. Lateral phase separation, i.e. accumulation of membrane inclusions in tubular membrane protrusions was obtained for strongly anisotropic inclusions if the radius of tubular protrusions is small enough. In accordance with these theoretical predictions we observed persistence of long tubular membrane protrusions devoid of internal rod-like microtubular structure in cells. We suggest that the stability of the tubular membrane protrusions without the inner supporting rod-like cytoskeleton is a consequence of the accumulation of anisotropic membrane components in the bilayer membrane of these protrusions. Based on the presented theoretical and experimental results it is suggested that previously reported concentration of prominin rafts in thin tubular membrane protrusions may be caused by a curvature-induced accumulation of small prominin-lipid complexes (inclusions) in protrusions and their coalescence into larger rafts.     

Perturbing the ubiquitin pathway reveals how mitosis is hijacked to denucleate and regulate cell proliferation and differentiation in vivo

Background

The eye lens presents a unique opportunity to explore roles for specific molecules in cell proliferation, differentiation and development because cells remain in place throughout life and, like red blood cells and keratinocytes, they go through the most extreme differentiation, including removal of nuclei and cessation of protein synthesis. Ubiquitination controls many critical cellular processes, most of which require specific lysines on ubiquitin (Ub). Of the 7 lysines (K) least is known about effects of modification of K6.

Methodology and Principal Findings

We replaced K6 with tryptophan (W) because K6 is the most readily modified K and W is the most structurally similar residue to biotin. The backbone of K6W-Ub is indistinguishable from that of Wt-Ub. K6W-Ub is effectively conjugated and deconjugated but the conjugates are not degraded via the ubiquitin proteasome pathways (UPP). Expression of K6W-ubiquitin in the lens and lens cells results in accumulation of intracellular aggregates and also slows cell proliferation and the differentiation program, including expression of lens specific proteins, differentiation of epithelial cells into fibers, achieving proper fiber cell morphology, and removal of nuclei. The latter is critical for transparency, but the mechanism by which cell nuclei are removed has remained an age old enigma. This was also solved by expressing K6W-Ub. p27^kip, a UPP substrate accumulates in lenses which express K6W-Ub. This precludes phosphorylation of nuclear lamin by the mitotic kinase, a prerequisite for disassembly of the nuclear membrane. Thus the nucleus remains intact and DNAseIIβ neither gains entry to the nucleus nor degrades the DNA. These results could not be obtained using chemical proteasome inhibitors that cannot be directed to specific tissues.

Conclusions and Significance

K6W-Ub provides a novel, genetic means to study functions of the UPP because it can be targeted to specific cells and tissues. A fully functional UPP is required to execute most stages of lens differentiation, specifically removal of cell nuclei. In the absence of a functional UPP, small aggregate prone, cataractous lenses are formed.