A novel application of entropy analysis for assessing changes in movement variability during cumulative tackles in young elite rugby league players

The aim of this study was to identify between-position (forwards vs. backs) differences in movement variability in cumulative tackle events training during both attacking and defensive roles. Eleven elite adolescent male rugby league players volunteered to participate in this study (mean ± SD, age; 18.5 ± 0.5 years, height; 179.5 ± 5.0 cm, body mass; 88.3 ± 13.0 kg). Participants performed a drill encompassing four blocks of six tackling (i.e. tackling an opponent) and six tackled (i.e. being tackled by an opponent while carrying a ball) events (i.e. 48 total tackles) while wearing a micro-technological inertial measurement unit (WIMU, Realtrack Systems, Spain). The acceleration data were used to calculate sample entropy (SampEn) to analyse the movement variability during tackles performance. In tackling actions SampEn showed significant between-position differences in block 1 (p = 0.0001) and block 2 (p = 0.0003). Significant between-block differences were observed in backs (block 1 vs 3, p = 0,0021; and block 1 vs 4, p = 0,0001) but not in forwards. When being tackled, SampEn showed significant between-position differences in block 1 (p = 0.0007) and block 3 (p = 0.0118). Significant between-block differences were only observed for backs in block 1 vs 4 (p = 0,0025). Movement variability shows a progressive reduction with cumulative tackle events, especially in backs and when in the defensive role (tackling). Forwards present lower movement variability values in all blocks, particularly in the first block, both in the attacking and defensive role. Entropy measures can be used by practitioners as an alternative tool to analyse the temporal structure of variability of tackle actions and quantify the load of these actions according to playing position.     

Contribution of the putative heparan sulfate-binding motif BBXB of RANTES to transendothelial migration

The chemokines are a family of small chemoattractant proteins that have a range of functions, including activation and promotion of vectorial migration of leukocytes. Regulation on activation, normal T cell expressed and secreted (RANTES; CCL5), a member of the CC-chemokine subfamily, has been implicated in a variety of immune responses. In addition to the interaction of CC-chemokines with their cognate cell-surface receptors, it is known that they also bind to glycosaminoglycans (GAGs), including heparan sulfate. This potential for binding to GAG components of proteoglycans on the cell surface or within the extracellular matrix might allow formation of the stable chemokine concentration gradients necessary for leukocyte chemotaxis. In this study, we created a panel of mutant RANTES molecules containing neutral amino acid substitutions within putative, basic GAG-binding domains. Despite showing reduced binding to GAGs, it was found that each mutant containing a single amino acid substitution induced a similar leukocyte chemotactic response within a concentration gradient generated by free solute diffusion. However, we found that the mutant K45A had a significantly reduced potential to stimulate chemotaxis across a monolayer of microvascular endothelial cells. Significantly, this mutant bound to the CCR5 receptor and showed a potential to mobilize Ca(2+) with an affinity similar to the wild-type protein. These results show that the interaction between RANTES and GAGs is not necessary for specific receptor engagement, signal transduction, or leukocyte migration. However, this interaction is required for the induction of efficient chemotaxis through the extracellular matrix between confluent endothelial cells.     

Cloning and characterization of novel tumor-targeting immunocytokines based on murine IL7

We generated and characterized novel antibody-cytokine fusion proteins (“immunocytokines”) based on murine interleukin-7 (IL7), an immunomodulatory protein which has previously shown anti-cancer activity in preclinical models and whose human counterpart is currently being investigated in clinical trials. The sequential fusion of the clinical-stage antibody fragment scFv(F8), specific to a tumor-associated splice isoform of fibronectin, yielded an immunocytokine (termed “F8-mIL7”) of insufficient pharmaceutical quality and in vivo tumor targeting performance, with a striking dose dependence on tumor targeting selectivity. By contrast, a novel immunocytokine design (termed “F8-mIL7-F8”), in which two scFv moieties were fused at the N- and C-terminus of murine IL7, yielded a protein of excellent pharmaceutical quality and with improved tumor-targeting performance [tumor: blood ratio = 16:1, 24 h after injection]. Both F8-mIL7 and F8-mIL7-F8 could induce tumor growth retardation in immunocompetent mice, but were not able to eradicate F9 tumors. The combination of F8-mIL7-F8 with paclitaxel led to improved therapeutic results, which were significantly better compared to those obtained with saline treatment. The study indicates how the engineering of novel immunocytokine formats may help generate fusion proteins of acceptable pharmaceutical quality, for those immunomodulatory proteins which do not lend themselves to a direct fusion with antibody fragments.     

FT overexpression induces precocious flowering and normal reproductive development in Eucalyptus

Eucalyptus trees are among the most important species for industrial forestry worldwide. However, as with most forest trees, flowering does not begin for one to several years after planting which can limit the rate of conventional and molecular breeding. To speed flowering, we transformed a Eucalyptus grandis × urophylla hybrid (SP7) with a variety of constructs that enable overexpression of FLOWERING LOCUS T (FT). We found that FT expression led to very early flowering, with events showing floral buds within 1–5 months of transplanting to the glasshouse. The most rapid flowering was observed when the cauliflower mosaic virus 35S promoter was used to drive the Arabidopsis thaliana FT gene (AtFT). Early flowering was also observed with AtFT overexpression from a 409S ubiquitin promoter and under heat induction conditions with Populus trichocarpa FT1 (PtFT1) under control of a heat‐shock promoter. Early flowering trees grew robustly, but exhibited a highly branched phenotype compared to the strong apical dominance of nonflowering transgenic and control trees. AtFT‐induced flowers were morphologically normal and produced viable pollen grains and viable self‐ and cross‐pollinated seeds. Many self‐seedlings inherited AtFT and flowered early. FT overexpression‐induced flowering in Eucalyptus may be a valuable means for accelerating breeding and genetic studies as the transgene can be easily segregated away in progeny, restoring normal growth and form.     

Stepwise sRNA targeting of structured bacterial mRNAs leads to abortive annealing

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Ligneous membranitis in Scottish Terriers is associated with a single nucleotide polymorphism in the plasminogen (PLG) gene

Ligneous membranitis (LM) is a rare chronic inflammatory condition of the mucous membranes associated with plasminogen (encoded by PLG) deficiency in affected humans and dogs. In human, the condition is genetic in nature with numerous mutations and polymorphisms in PLG identified in affected individuals and related family members. The condition is uncommonly reported in dogs and, to date, no genetic studies have been performed. We identified related Scottish Terriers (littermates) with severe LM and unaffected relatives (sire, dam and a sibling from a previous litter). Plasma plasminogen activity was below normal in one affected dog but within normal reference intervals for the other. Sequencing of PLG from the affected dogs revealed a homozygous A>T single nucleotide polymorphism in an intron donor site (c.1256+2T>A). The related, unaffected dogs displayed heterozygous alleles at this position (c.1256+2T/A), whereas no mutation was detected in unaffected, non‐related control dogs. This is the first report to identify gene polymorphisms associated with LM in dogs.     

Tori lines mitigate seabird bycatch in a pelagic longline fishery

Reviews in Fish Biology and Fisheries - Albatross bycatch has been increasing over the past decade in the US tuna longline fishery of the central North Pacific. A controlled field...     

Characterizing and modeling hydrogen sulfide production in anaerobic digestion of livestock manure,agro-industrial wastes,and wastewater sludge

Hydrogen sulfide (H₂S) is the most undesirable inorganic gas in biogas from anaerobic digestion (AD). However, H₂S production in AD is complex and understanding of its processes is still limited. This study performed six controlled batch anaerobic co-digestion experiments to investigate H₂S production. Materials were obtained from four field anaerobic digester systems and co-digestion feedstocks from agroindustry. An additional precipitation experiment was conducted to further examine H₂S production dynamics. Digesters containing highly soluble, carbohydrate-based wastes had a high H₂S final specific production (FSP) value. Additionally, the FSP values were negatively correlated with the initial Fe(II):S ratios in the digester liquid of the batch tests. The precipitation experiment indicated that iron sulfide precipitation was preferred in the presence of an anaerobic community. The H₂S production as a time series was successfully modeled using a generalized additive model (R² > 0.82). This study revealed that sulfate, phosphorus, and iron concentrations are important predictors and potential inhibitors of H₂S production in AD. Further examination of real-time H₂S modeling in AD is warranted.     

Novel Use of Proton Magnetic Resonance Spectroscopy (1HMRS) to Non-Invasively Assess Placental Metabolism

Background

Placental insufficiency is a major cause of antepartum stillbirth and fetal growth restriction (FGR). In affected pregnancies, delivery is expedited when the risks of ongoing pregnancy outweigh those of prematurity. Current tests are unable to assess placental function and determine optimal timing for delivery. An accurate, non-invasive test that clearly defines the failing placenta would address a major unmet clinical need. Proton magnetic resonance spectroscopy (¹H MRS) can be used to assess the metabolic profile of tissue in-vivo. In FGR pregnancies, a reduction in N-acetylaspartate (NAA)/choline ratio and detection of lactate methyl are emerging as biomarkers of impaired neuronal metabolism and fetal hypoxia, respectively. However, fetal brain hypoxia is a late and sometimes fatal event in placental compromise, limiting clinical utility of brain ¹H MRS to prevent stillbirth. We hypothesised that abnormal placental ¹H MRS may be an earlier biomarker of intrauterine hypoxia, affording the opportunity to optimise timing of delivery in at-risk fetuses.

Methods and Findings

We recruited three women with severe placental insufficiency/FGR and three matched controls. Using a 3T MR system and a combination of phased-array coils, a 20×20×40 mm¹H MRS voxel was selected along the ‘long-axis’ of the placenta with saturation bands placed around the voxel to prevent contaminant signals. A significant choline peak (choline/lipid ratio 1.35–1.79) was detected in all healthy placentae. In contrast, in pregnancies complicated by FGR, the choline/lipid ratio was ≤0.02 in all placentae, despite preservation of the lipid peak (p<0.001).

Conclusions

This novel proof-of-concept study suggests that in severe placental insufficiency/FGR, the observed 60-fold reduction in the choline/lipid ratio by ¹H MRS may represent an early biomarker of critical placental insufficiency. Further studies will determine performance of this test and the potential role of 1H-MRS in the in-vivo assessment of placental function to inform timing of delivery.