Treatment of recurrent coronary rupture by implantation of three coronary stent-grafts

The authors report a case of recurrent left anterior descending artery rupture during coronary interventions in a 70-year-old man. Coronary artery rupture was treated successfully by percutaneous coronary stent-graft implantation. Based on this experience, the authors advise against repeat angioplasty of a coronary artery which has ruptured during a prior intervention. Membrane-covered stents should be the first choice in the treatment of life-threatening coronary artery rupture.     

Two-pass imputation algorithm for missing value estimation in gene expression time series

Gene expression microarray experiments frequently generate datasets with multiple values missing. However, most of the analysis, mining, and classification methods for gene expression data require a complete matrix of gene array values. Therefore, the accurate estimation of missing values in such datasets has been recognized as an important issue, and several imputation algorithms have already been proposed to the biological community. Most of these approaches, however, are not particularly suitable for time series expression profiles. In view of this, we propose a novel imputation algorithm, which is specially suited for the estimation of missing values in gene expression time series data. The algorithm utilizes Dynamic Time Warping (DTW) distance in order to measure the similarity between time expression profiles, and subsequently selects for each gene expression profile with missing values a dedicated set of candidate profiles for estimation. Three different DTW-based imputation (DTWimpute) algorithms have been considered: position-wise, neighborhood-wise, and two-pass imputation. These have initially been prototyped in Perl, and their accuracy has been evaluated on yeast expression time series data using several different parameter settings. The experiments have shown that the two-pass algorithm consistently outperforms, in particular for datasets with a higher level of missing entries, the neighborhood-wise and the position-wise algorithms. The performance of the two-pass DTWimpute algorithm has further been benchmarked against the weighted K-Nearest Neighbors algorithm, which is widely used in the biological community; the former algorithm has appeared superior to the latter one. Motivated by these findings, indicating clearly the added value of the DTW techniques for missing value estimation in time series data, we have built an optimized C++ implementation of the two-pass DTWimpute algorithm. The software also provides for a choice between three different initial rough imputation methods.     

Longitudinal Analysis of T and B Cell Phenotype and Function in Renal Transplant Recipients with or without Rituximab Induction Therapy

Background

Prevention of rejection after renal transplantation requires treatment with immunosuppressive drugs. Data on their in vivo effects on T- and B-cell phenotype and function are limited.

Methods

In a randomized double-blind placebo-controlled study to prevent renal allograft rejection, patients were treated with tacrolimus, mycophenolate mofetil (MMF), steroids, and a single dose of rituximab or placebo during transplant surgery. In a subset of patients, we analyzed the number and phenotype of peripheral T and B cells by multiparameter flow cytometry before transplantation, and at 3, 6, 12, and 24 months after transplantation.

Results

In patients treated with tacrolimus/MMF/steroids the proportion of central memory CD4⁺ and CD8⁺ T cells was higher at 3 months post-transplant compared to pre-transplant levels. In addition, the ratio between the percentage of central memory CD4⁺ and CD4⁺ regulatory T cells was significantly higher up to 24 months post-transplant compared to pre-transplant levels. Interestingly, treatment with tacrolimus/MMF/steroids resulted in a shift toward a more memory-like B-cell phenotype post-transplant. Addition of a single dose of rituximab resulted in a long-lasting B-cell depletion. At 12 months post-transplant, the small fraction of repopulated B cells consisted of a high percentage of transitional B cells. Rituximab treatment had no effect on the T-cell phenotype and function post-transplant.

Conclusions

Renal transplant recipients treated with tacrolimus/MMF/steroids show an altered memory T and B-cell compartment post-transplant. Additional B-cell depletion by rituximab leads to a relative increase of transitional and memory-like B cells, without affecting T-cell phenotype and function.

Trial Registration

ClinicalTrials.gov {"type":"clinical-trial","attrs":{"text":"NCT00565331","term_id":"NCT00565331"}}NCT00565331     

Optimization of S-adenosyl-L-methionine production by Kluyveromyces lactis on whey in batch culture using a mathematical model

Growth, lactose utilization and S-adenosyl-l-methionine (AdoMet) production by Kluyveromyces lactis AM-65 on whey in batch fermentation were investigated and an unstructured model of the process has been derived. The optimal set of parameters was estimated by fitting the model to experimental results. After incubation for 20 h the optimal fermentation conditions (28.5 °C, pH 5.3, agitation at 270 rpm) resulted in AdoMet production at 1.55 g l^–1.     

The role of tissue factor in thrombosis and hemostasis

The tissue factor (TF) is one of the most important regulators of arterial thrombosis. Because arterial thrombosis is the pathophysiologic background of acute coronary syndrome, the possible impact of blocking the arterial thrombosis on its onset is a challenging problem. The investigations of TF brought a new concept of "cell-based coagulation model" which highlighted the question of blood-borne TF as a source of TF in circulating blood. In this review we summarize essential information on the pathophysiology, molecular structure, expression and distribution of TF and we propose a novel concept of blood-borne TF, suggesting the possibilities of inhibition of the coagulation cascade with newly synthetized drugs.     

Drinking and Flying: Does Alcohol Consumption Affect the Flight and Echolocation Performance of Phyllostomid Bats?

Background

In the wild, frugivorous and nectarivorous bats often eat fermenting fruits and nectar, and thus may consume levels of ethanol that could induce inebriation. To understand if consumption of ethanol by bats alters their access to food and general survival requires examination of behavioural responses to its ingestion, as well as assessment of interspecific variation in those responses. We predicted that bats fed ethanol would show impaired flight and echolocation behaviour compared to bats fed control sugar water, and that there would be behavioural differences among species.

Methodology/Principal Findings

We fed wild caught Artibeus jamaicensis, A. lituratus, A. phaeotis, Carollia sowelli, Glossophaga soricina, and Sturnira lilium (Chiroptera, Phyllostomidae) sugar water (44 g of table sugar in 500 ml of water) or sugar water with ethanol before challenging them to fly through an obstacle course while we simultaneously recorded their echolocation calls. We used bat saliva, a non-invasive proxy, to measure blood ethanol concentrations ranging from 0 to >0.3% immediately before flight trials. Flight performance and echolocation behaviour were not significantly affected by consumption of ethanol, but species differed in their blood alcohol concentrations after consuming it.

Conclusions/Significance

The bats we studied display a tolerance for ethanol that could have ramifications for the adaptive radiation of frugivorous and nectarivorous bats by allowing them to use ephemeral food resources over a wide span of time. By sampling across phyllostomid genera, we show that patterns of apparent ethanol tolerance in New World bats are broad, and thus may have been an important early step in the evolution of frugivory and nectarivory in these animals.     

MEMOR: A database of archeological human remains collections from Flanders,Belgium

The aim of this article is to describe a newly created open access database of archeological human remains collections from Flanders, Belgium. The MEMOR database ( www.memor.be ) was created to provide an overview of the current practices of loans, reburial, and the research potential of human skeletons from archeological sites currently stored in Flanders. In addition, the project aimed to provide a legal and ethical framework for the handling of human remains and was created around stakeholder involvement from anthropologists, geneticists, contract archeologists, the local, regional and national government agencies, local and national government, universities, and representatives of the major religions. The project has resulted in the creation of a rich database with many collections available for study. The database was created using the open-source Arches data management platform that is freely available for organizations worldwide to configure in accordance with their individual needs and without restrictions on its use. Each collection is linked to information about the excavation and the site the remains originate from, its size and time period. In addition, a research potential tab reveals whether any analyses were performed, and whether excavation notes are available with the assemblage. The database currently contains 742 collections, ranging in size from 1 to over 1000 individuals. New collections will continue to be added when new assemblages are excavated and studied. The database can also be expanded to include human remains collections from other regions and other material categories, such as archaeozoological collections.     

Effect of pectin charge density on formation of multilayer films with chitosan

The effect of pectin charge density on the formation of multilayer films with chitosan (PEC/CHI) is studied by means of electro-optics. Pectins of low (21%) and high (71%) degrees of esterification, which are inversely proportional to the pectin charge density, are used to form films on colloidal beta-FeOOH particles at pH 4.0 when the CHI is fully ionized. We find that, after deposition of the first 3-4 layers, the film thickness increases linearly with the number of adsorbed layers. However, the increase in the film thickness is larger when the film is terminated with CHI. Irregular increase of the film thickness is more marked for the PEC with higher density of charge. Oscillation in the electrical polarizability of the film-coated particles with the number of deposited layers is also registered in the PEC/CHI films. The charge balance of the multilayers, calculated from electrical polarizability of the film-coated particles, is positive, with larger excess of positive charge within the film constructed from CHI and less charged PEC. This is attributed to the ability of CHI to diffuse into the film at each deposition step. Despite the CHI diffusion, the film thickness increases linearly due to the dissolution of unstable PEC/CHI complexes from the film surface.     

Complexation of ferric oxide particles with pectins of ordered and random distribution of charged units

Complexation between ferric oxide particles and pectins with degree of methylation 50% but having ordered or random arrangement of free carboxyl groups is investigated by electric light scattering and electrophoresis. The influence of charge distribution in pectin chain on the electrical properties of oppositely charged oxide particles and stability of their suspensions is examined as a function of pectin concentration. Although the difference in charge density of pectin samples is ~5%, we found small but measurable difference in the behavior of both oxide/pectin complexes. This is attributed to condensation of counterions near the chains of pectin with ordered distribution of charges, leading to a decrease in the effective charge density and to a corresponding decrease in the contour length of the adsorbing pectin chains. Two parameters are sensitive to the conformation of the adsorbed chains in suspensions, stabilized by pectin adsorption (at particle charge reversal). The electro-optical effect is higher for the complex with less charged pectin, which is explained with larger amount of chains, adsorbed in more coiled conformation than the chains of pectin with random distribution of free carboxyl groups. The addition of small amounts of CaCl(2) has no significant influence on the thickness of the layer from the less charged pectin, in agreement with a more compact conformation of the chains in this adsorbed layer. In contrast, the thickness of the layer from pectin with random distribution of charged groups decreases with increasing concentration of CaCl(2), indicating a more loose structure of this layer.