Distant Body Research Articles

A Post-Newtonian Gravitomagnetic Effect on the Orbital Motion of a Test Particle around Its Primary Induced by the Spin of a Distant Third Body

We study a general relativistic gravitomagnetic 3-body effect induced by the spin angular momentum S X of a rotating mass M X orbited at distance r X by a local gravitationally bound restricted two-body system S of size r ≪ r X consisting of a test particle revolving around a massive body M. At the lowest post-Newtonian order, we analytically work out the doubly averaged rates of change of the Keplerian orbital elements of the test particle by finding non-vanishing long-term effects for the inclination I, the node Ω and the pericenter ω . Such theoretical results are confirmed by a numerical integration of the equations of motion for a fictitious 3-body system. We numerically calculate the magnitudes of the post-Newtonian gravitomagnetic 3-body precessions for some astronomical scenarios in our solar system. For putative man-made orbiters of the natural moons Enceladus and Europa in the external fields of Saturn and Jupiter, the relativistic precessions due to the angular momenta of the gaseous giant planets can be as large as ≃10 − 50 milliarcseconds per year (mas year−1). A preliminary numerical simulation shows that, for certain orbital configurations of a hypothetical Europa orbiter, its range-rate signal Δ ρ ˙ can become larger than the current Doppler accuracy of the existing spacecraft Juno at Jupiter, i.e., σ ρ ˙ = 0.015 mm s−1, after 1 d. The effects induced by the Sun’s angular momentum on artificial probes of Mercury and the Earth are at the level of ≃ 1 − 0.1 microarcseconds per year (μas year −1).

Bradykinin receptor deficiency or antagonism do not impact the host response during gram-negative pneumonia-derived sepsis

BackgroundKinins are short peptides with a wide range of proinflammatory properties that are generated from kininogens in the so-called kallikrein-kinin system. Kinins exert their biological activities through stimulation of two distinct receptor subtypes, the kinin or bradykinin B1 and B2 receptors (B1R, B2R). Acute challenge models have implicated B1R and B2R in the pathogenesis of sepsis. However, their role in the host response during sepsis originating from the lung is not known.ResultsTo determine the role of B1R and B2R in pneumonia-derived sepsis, B1R/B2R-deficient mice and wild-type mice treated with the B1R antagonist R-715 or the B2R antagonist HOE-140 were studied after infection with the common gram-negative pathogen Klebsiella pneumoniae via the airways. Neither B1R/B2R deficiency nor B1R or B2R inhibition influenced bacterial growth at the primary site of infection or dissemination to distant body sites. In addition, B1R/B2R deficiency or inhibition did not impact local or systemic inflammatory responses during Klebsiella induced pneumosepsis.ConclusionsThese data argue against an important role for kinins in the host response to pneumonia-derived sepsis caused by a clinically relevant pathogen.

Frequency-domain waveform approximants capturing Doppler shifts

Gravitational wave astrophysics has only just begun, and as current detectors are upgraded and new detectors are built, many new, albeit faint, features in the signals will become accessible. One such feature is the presence of time-dependent Doppler shifts, generated by the acceleration of the center of mass of the gravitational-wave emitting system. We here develop a generic method that takes a frequency-domain, gravitational-wave model devoid of Doppler shifts and introduces modifications that incorporate them. Building upon a perturbative expansion that assumes the Doppler-shift velocity is small relative to the speed of light, the method consists of the inclusion of a single term in the Fourier phase and two terms in the Fourier amplitude. We validate the method through matches between waveforms with a Doppler shift in the time domain and waveforms constructed with our method for two toy problems: constant accelerations induced by a distant third body and Gaussian accelerations that resemble a kick profile. We find mismatches below $\sim\!10^{-6}$ for all of the astrophysically relevant cases considered, and improve further at smaller velocities. The work presented here will allow for the use of future detectors to extract new, faint features in the signal from the noise.

Live single cell mass spectrometry reveals cancer-specific metabolic profiles of circulating tumor cells.

Recently, there has been increased attention on the analysis of circulating tumor cells (CTCs), also known as liquid biopsy, owing to its potential benefits in cancer diagnosis and treatment. Circulating tumor cells are released from primary tumor lesions into the blood stream and eventually metastasize to distant body organs. However, a major hurdle with CTC analysis is their natural scarcity. Existing methods lack sensitivity, specificity, or reproducibility required in CTC characterization and detection. Here, we report untargeted molecular profiling of single CTCs obtained from gastric cancer and colorectal cancer patients, using live single cell mass spectrometry integrated with microfluidics‐based cell enrichment techniques. Using this approach, we showed the difference in the metabolomic profile between CTCs originating from different cancer groups. Moreover, potential biomarkers were putatively annotated to be specific to each cancer type.

Somatosensory profiles in acute herpes zoster and predictors of postherpetic neuralgia.

This prospective cohort study aimed to characterize the sensory profile during acute herpes zoster (AHZ) and to explore sensory signs as well as physical and psychosocial health as predictors for postherpetic neuralgia (PHN). Results of quantitative sensory testing of 74 patients with AHZ at the affected site and at the distant contralateral control site were compared to a healthy control group. Pain characteristics (Neuropathic Pain and Symptom Inventory and SES), physical functioning, and psychosocial health aspects (Pain Disability Index, SF-36, and STAI) were assessed by questionnaires. Patients with PHN (n = 13) at 6-month follow-up were compared to those without PHN (n = 45). Sensory signs at the affected site were thermal and vibratory hypesthesia, dynamic mechanical allodynia (DMA), pressure hyperalgesia, and high wind-up (18%-29%), as well as paradoxical heat sensations and pinprick hypalgesia (13.5%). The unaffected control site exhibited thermal and vibratory hypesthesia, DMA, and pressure hyperalgesia. Dynamic mechanical allodynia and pinprick hypalgesia were mutually exclusive. Postherpetic neuralgia was associated with DMA (38.5% vs 6.7%; P = 0.010) and vibratory hypesthesia (38.5% vs 11.1%; P = 0.036) at the control site, with mechanical gain and/or loss combined with normal thermal detection (affected site: 69.2% vs 31.1%; P = 0.023; control site: 53.8% vs 15.5%; P = 0.009). Pain Disability Index (P = 0.036) and SES affective pain perception scores (P = 0.031) were over 50% higher, and 6 of 8 SF-36 subscores were over 50% lower (P < 0.045) in PHN. Sensory profiles in AHZ indicate deafferentation and central but not peripheral sensitization. Sensory signs at distant body sites, strong affective pain perception, as well as reduced quality of life and physical functioning in the acute phase may reflect risk factors for the transition to PHN.

Oral Dysbiosis in Pancreatic Cancer and Liver Cirrhosis: A Review of the Literature.

The human body is naturally colonized by a huge number of different commensal microbial species, in a relatively stable equilibrium. When this microbial community undergoes dysbiosis at any part of the body, it interacts with the innate immune system and results in a poor health status, locally or systemically. Research studies show that bacteria are capable of significantly influencing specific cells of the immune system, resulting in many diseases, including a neoplastic response. Amongst the multiple different types of diseases, pancreatic cancer and liver cirrhosis were significantly considered in this paper, as they are major fatal diseases. Recently, these two diseases were shown to be associated with increased or decreased numbers of certain oral bacterial species. These findings open the way for a broader perception and more specific investigative studies, to better understand the possible future treatment and prevention. This review aims to describe the correlation between oral dysbiosis and both pancreatic cancer and liver cirrhotic diseases, as well as demonstrating the possible diagnostic and treatment modalities, relying on the oral microbiota, itself, as prospective, simple, applicable non-invasive approaches to patients, by focusing on the state of the art. PubMed was electronically searched, using the following key words: “oral microbiota” and “pancreatic cancer” (PC), “liver cirrhosis”, “systemic involvement”, and “inflammatory mediators”. Oral dysbiosis is a common problem related to poor oral or systemic health conditions. Oral pathogens can disseminate to distant body organs via the local, oral blood circulation, or pass through the gastrointestinal tract and enter the systemic circulation. Once oral pathogens reach an organ, they modify the immune response and stimulate the release of the inflammatory mediators, this results in a disease. Recent studies have reported a correlation between oral dysbiosis and the increased risk of pancreatic and liver diseases and provided evidence of the presence of oral pathogens in diseased organs. The profound impact that microbial communities have on human health, provides a wide domain towards precisely investigating and clearly understanding the mechanism of many diseases, including cancer. Oral microbiota is an essential contributor to health status and imbalance in this community was correlated to oral and systemic diseases. The presence of elevated numbers of certain oral bacteria, particularly P. gingivalis, as well as elevated levels of blood serum antibodies, against this bacterial species, was associated with a higher risk of pancreatic cancer and liver cirrhosis incidence. Attempts are increasingly directed towards investigating the composition of oral microbiome as a simple diagnostic approach in multiple diseases, including pancreatic and liver pathosis. Moreover, treatment efforts are concerned in the recruitment of microbiota, for remedial purposes of the aforementioned and other different diseases. Further investigation is required to confirm and clarify the role of oral microbiota in enhancing pancreatic and liver diseases. Improving the treatment modalities requires an exertion of more effort, especially, concerning the microbiome engineering and oral microbiota transplantation.

Modeling the evection resonance for Trojan satellites: application to the Saturn system

Context. The stability of satellites in the solar system is affected by the so-called evection resonance. The moons of Saturn, in particular, exhibit a complex dynamical architecture in which co-orbital configurations occur, especially close to the planet where this resonance is present. Aims. We address the dynamics of the evection resonance, with particular focus on the Saturn system, and compare the known behavior of the resonance for a single moon with that of a pair of moons in co-orbital Trojan configuration. Methods. We developed an analytic expansion of the averaged Hamiltonian of a Trojan pair of bodies, including the perturbation from a distant massive body. The analysis of the corresponding equilibrium points was restricted to the asymmetric apsidal corotation solution of the co-orbital dynamics. We also performed numerical N-body simulations to construct dynamical maps of the stability of the evection resonance in the Saturn system, and to study the effects of this resonance under the migration of Trojan moons caused by tidal dissipation. Results. The structure of the phase space of the evection resonance for Trojan satellites is similar to that of a single satellite, differing in that the libration centers are displaced from their standard positions by an angle that depends on the periastron difference ϖ2 −ϖ1 and on the mass ratio m2∕m1 of the Trojan pair. In the Saturn system, the inner evection resonance, located at ~8 RS, may capture a pair of Trojan moons by migration; the stability of the captured system depends on the assumed values of the dissipation factor Q of the moons. On the other hand, the outer evection resonance, located at &gt;0.4 RHill, cannot exist at all for Trojan moons, because Trojan configurations are strongly unstable at distances from Saturn longer than ~0.15 RHill. Conclusions. The interaction with the inner evection resonance may have been relevant during the early evolution of the Saturn moons Tethys, Dione, and Rhea. In particular, Rhea may have had Trojan companions in the past that were lost when it crossed the evection resonance, while Tethys and Dione may either have retained their Trojans or have never crossed the evection. This may help to constrain the dynamical processes that led to the migration of these satellites and to the evection itself.

Nbeal2 Deficiency Increases Organ Damage but Does Not Affect Host Defense During Gram-Negative Pneumonia-Derived Sepsis.

Objective- Nbeal2-/- mice, a model of human gray platelet syndrome, have reduced neutrophil granularity and impaired host defense against systemic Staphylococcus aureus infection. We here aimed to study the role of Nbeal2 deficiency in both leukocytes and platelets during gram-negative pneumonia and sepsis. Approach and Results- We studied the role of Nbeal2 in platelets and leukocytes during murine pneumonia and sepsis by Klebsiella pneumoniae. Apart from platelet α-granule deficiency and reduced neutrophil granularity, also monocyte granularity was reduced in Nbeal2-/- mice, whereas plasma levels of MPO (myeloperoxidase), elastase, NGAL (neutrophil gelatinase-associated lipocalin), and MMP-9 (matrix metalloproteinase 9), and leukocyte CD11b expression were increased. Nbeal2-/- leukocytes showed unaltered in vitro antibacterial response and phagocytosis capacity against Klebsiella, and unchanged reactive nitrogen species and cytokine production. Also during Klebsiella pneumonia and sepsis, Nbeal2-/- mice had similar bacterial growth in lung and distant body sites, with enhanced leukocyte migration to the bronchoalveolar space. Despite similar infection-induced inflammation, organ damage was increased in Nbeal2-/- mice, which was also seen during endotoxemia. Platelet-specific Nbeal2 deficiency did not influence leukocyte functions, indicating that Nbeal2 directly modifies leukocytes. Transfusion of Nbeal2-/- but not of Nbeal2+/+ platelets into thrombocytopenic mice was associated with bleeding in the lung but similar host defense, pointing at a role for platelet α-granules in maintaining vascular integrity but not host defense during Klebsiella pneumosepsis. Conclusions- These data show that Nbeal2 deficiency-resulting in gray platelet syndrome-affects platelets, neutrophils, and monocytes, with intact host defense but increased organ damage during gram-negative pneumosepsis.

The Protease Activated Receptor2 Promotes Rab5a Mediated Generation of Pro-metastatic Microvesicles

Metastasis, the hallmark of cancer propagation is attributed by the modification of phenotypic/functional behavior of cells to break attachment and migrate to distant body parts. Cancer cell-secreted microvesicles (MVs) contribute immensely in disease propagation. These nano-vesicles, generated from plasma membrane outward budding are taken up by nearby healthy cells thereby inducing phenotypic alterations in those recipient cells. Protease activated receptor 2 (PAR2), activated by trypsin, also contributes to cancer progression by increasing metastasis, angiogenesis etc. Here, we report that PAR2 activation promotes pro-metastatic MVs generation from human breast cancer cell line, MDA-MB-231. Rab5a, located at the plasma membrane plays vital roles in MVs biogenesis. We show that PAR2 stimulation promotes AKT phosphorylation which activates Rab5a by converting inactive Rab5a-GDP to active Rab5a-GTP. Active Rab5a polymerizes actin which critically regulates MVs shedding. Not only MVs generation, has this Rab5a activation also promoted cell migration and invasion. We reveal that Rab5a is over-expressed in human breast tumor specimen and contributes MVs generation in those patients. The involvement of p38 MAPK in MVs-induced cell metastasis has also been highlighted in the present study. Blockade of Rab5a activation can be a potential therapeutic approach to restrict MVs shedding and associated breast cancer metastasis.

Platelet glycoprotein VI aids in local immunity during pneumonia-derived sepsis caused by gram-negative bacteria

AbstractPlatelet collagen receptor glycoprotein VI (GPVI) and podoplanin receptor C-type lectin-like receptor 2 (CLEC2) are receptors implicated in platelet activation that both signal via an immunoreceptor tyrosine–based activation motif. Platelets are necessary for host defense and prevention of hemorrhage during sepsis, but the role of platelet GPVI and CLEC2 herein is unknown. To investigate this, we infected mice depleted of platelet GPVI or CLEC2 by antibody treatment or GPVI−/− mice with the common human sepsis pathogen Klebsiella pneumoniae via the airways to induce pneumonia-derived sepsis. The GPVI ligand collagen and the CLEC2 ligand podoplanin were constitutively present in the lung, whereas the GPVI ligands fibrin and histone were induced during pneumonia. During late-stage infection, both mice depleted of GPVI and GPVI−/− mice showed increased bacterial growth in lungs, and GPVI−/− mice also showed increased bacterial growth in distant body sites. Despite higher bacterial loads, GPVI-depleted mice showed reduced platelet numbers, platelet activation, and platelet–leukocyte complex formation in the bronchoalveolar space. Consistently, in human whole blood, GPVI stimulation of platelets increased platelet–leukocyte complex formation and leukocyte activation, which was accompanied by enhanced phagocytosis of Klebsiella. GPVI-depleted mice showed increased lung hemorrhage during infection, but not to the extent observed in platelet-depleted mice, and lung bleeding was not significantly different between GPVI−/− and wild-type mice. CLEC2 depletion did not affect any of the responses during pneumonia. These results suggest that platelet GPVI, but not CLEC2, contributes to local host defense during pneumonia-derived sepsis by enhancing leukocyte function.

Limited role of kininogen in the host response during gram-negative pneumonia-derived sepsis.

High-molecular-weight kininogen (HK), together with factor XI, factor XII and prekallikrein, is part of the contact system that has proinflammatory, prothrombotic, and vasoactive properties. We hypothesized that HK plays a role in the host response during pneumonia-derived sepsis. To this end mice were depleted of kininogen (KNG) to plasma HK levels of 28% of normal by repeated treatment with a specific antisense oligonucleotide (KNG ASO) for 3 wk before infection with the common human sepsis pathogen Klebsiella pneumoniae via the airways. Whereas plasma HK levels increased during infection in mice treated with a scrambled control ASO (Ctrl ASO), HK level in the KNG ASO-treated group remained reduced to 25-30% of that in the corresponding Ctrl ASO group both before and after infection. KNG depletion did not influence bacterial growth in lungs or dissemination to distant body sites. KNG depletion was associated with lower lung CXC chemokine and myeloperoxidase levels but did not impact neutrophil influx, lung pathology, activation of the vascular endothelium, activation of the coagulation system, or the extent of distant organ injury. These results were corroborated by studies in mice with a genetic deficiency of KNG, which were indistinguishable from wild-type mice during Klebsiella-induced sepsis. Both KNG depletion and KNG deficiency were associated with strongly reduced plasma prekallikrein levels, indicating the carrier function of HK for this zymogen. This study suggests that KNG does not significantly contribute to the host defense during gram-negative pneumonia-derived sepsis.

TLR4 deficiency abrogated widespread tactile allodynia, but not widespread thermal hyperalgesia and trigeminal neuropathic pain after partial infraorbital nerve transection.

Pain sensitization after partial infraorbital nerve transection (p-IONX) in mice not only presents in orofacial region, but also spreads to distant body parts. The roles of toll-like receptor 4 (TLR4) in orofacial pain and the spreading process are still unclear. Here, we found that mice with deficient TLR4 because of Tr4 gene point mutation (C3H/HeJ) or spontaneous deletion (C57BL/10ScNJ) developed tactile allodynia and thermal hyperalgesia in the vibrissal pad in a parallel way to their respective wild types (C3HeB/FeJ or C57BL/6J) after p-IONX. However, allodynia in the hind paw was absent in mice with TLR4 deficiency. Pharmacological antagonism of TLR4 with LPS-RS, administered either intracisternally or intrathecally, abrogated allodynia in the hind paw without affecting the hypersensitivity in the vibrissal pad and hyperalgesia in the hind paw. Although TNF-α expression was upregulated in both the medulla and lumbar cord, the expression of TLR4 downstream molecule MyD88 increased only in the lumbar cord after p-IONX in wild types. By contrast, hind paw hypersensitivity after partial sciatic nerve ligation was significantly attenuated by TLR4 deletion. The hypersensitivity, which did not spread to the vibrissal pad, was accompanied with upregulation of MyD88 in the lumbar cord rather than in the medulla. These results suggest that TLR4 participates in the spread of allodynia component of orofacial pain to distant body sites, but not trigeminal neuropathic pain or the spread of its hyperalgesia component. This study suggests that TLR4 may serve as a potential target for the management of widespread allodynia associated with orofacial pain.

The Use of Benzoyl-Dl-Arginine-Naphthylamide (Bana) Test as A Screening Test for Mother at Risk for Delivery of Pre-Term and Low Birth Weight in A Rwandan Population

Oral infections can act as the site of origin for dissemination of periodonto-bacteria and their toxins as well as induce inflammatory mechanisms to distant body sites, thus linking periodontal diseases to pre-term delivery of low birth weight (PLBW) infants. Periodontal disease is an infection of the tissues surrounding and supporting the teeth. Researchers showed that between 18 and 50 % of all pre-term deliveries are associated with periodontal disease. Porphyromonasgingivalis, Treponema denticola and Tannerella forsythia are among the subgingival microflora most frequently associated with periodontal disease. The presence of these bacteria can be identified by their ability to hydrolyse BANA. BANA is a rapid and effective diagnostic aid shown to correlate well with the clinical indices used to diagnose periodontal disease. The objective of this study was to investigate the association between the presence of member of the red complex (BANA positive species) in subgingival plaque and pre-term delivery of low birth weight in a Rwandan population. Three clinical indices (PI,GI and PD) were measured for each patient. Plaque sample were collected by inserting a sterile probe into the base of the pocket and this served for the measurement of the BANA enzyme test. The age of the population study was between 18 and 47 years with a mean of 30.8 (± 5.34). Among the 450 women examined, 57.1 % had a PI score of 2, 56.0 % had GI score of 2 and 89.6 % had a PD between 4-6 mm. At a level of 5%, a significant association of p-value=0.000 was found between PI vs BANA, GI vs BANA and PD vs BANA. No significant association (p-value=0.073) was found between BANA and mothers who delivered preterm of low birth weight (PLBW). In conclusion, findings of this study showed that BANA cannot be used for now as screening test for mother at risk for preterm delivery, while waiting for a multicenter study which will help to verify the cause of these discrepancies of results. In the other hand we can recommend BANA to be used as a routine test for the detection of periodontal disease due it strong relationship with clinical indices used to diagnose periodontal disease.

Etonogestrel implant migration to the vasculature, chest wall, and distant body sites: cases from a pharmacovigilance database

ObjectiveTo describe clinical outcomes of etonogestrel implant patients with migration to the vasculature, chest wall and other distant body sites spontaneously reported to the US Food and Drug Administration Adverse Event Reporting System (FAERS) database. Study designWe performed a standardized Medical Dictionary for Regulatory Activities (MedDRA) query in the FAERS database (through November 15, 2015), with reports coded with one or more MedDRA preferred terms that indicate complications with device placement or migration of the device from the original site of insertion to the vasculature, chest wall and other distant body sites. We excluded any cases previously described in the medical literature. ResultsWe identified 38 cases of pronounced etonogestrel implant migration. Migration locations included the lung/pulmonary artery (n=9), chest wall (n=1), vasculature at locations other than the lung/pulmonary artery (n=14) and extravascular migrations (n=14) to other body sites (e.g., the axilla and clavicle/neck line/shoulder). The majority of cases were asymptomatic and detected when the patient desired implant removal; however, seven cases reported symptoms such as pain, discomfort and dyspnea in association with implant migration. Three cases also describe pulmonary fibrosis and skin reactions as a result of implant migration to the vasculature, chest wall and other distant body sites. Sixteen cases reported surgical removal in an operating room setting. ConclusionsOur FAERS case series demonstrates etonogestrel implant migration to the vasculature, chest wall and other body sites distant from the site of original insertion. Implications statementAs noted by the sponsor in current prescribing information, a key determinant in the risk for etonogestrel contraceptive implant migration appears to be improper insertion technique. Although migration of etonogestrel implants to the vasculature is rare, awareness of migration and education on proper insertion technique may reduce the risk.

Optimal quantum metrology of distant black bodies

Measurements of an object's temperature are important in many disciplines, from astronomy to engineering, as are estimates of an object's spatial configuration. We present the quantum optimal estimator for the temperature of a distant body based on the black body radiation received in the far-field. We also show how to perform separable quantum optimal estimates of the spatial configuration of a distant object, i.e. imaging. In doing so we necessarily deal with multi-parameter quantum estimation of incompatible observables, a problem that is poorly understood. We compare our optimal observables to the two mode analogue of lensed imaging and find that the latter is far from optimal, even when compared to measurements which are separable. To prove the optimality of the estimators we show that they minimise the cost function weighted by the quantum Fisher information---this is equivalent to maximising the average fidelity between the actual state and the estimated one.

Antibacterial activities of natural lichen compounds against Streptococcus gordonii and Porphyromonas gingivalis

The oral bacteria not only infect the mouth and reside there, but also travel through the blood and reach distant body organs. If left untreated, the dental biofilm that can cause destructive inflammation in the oral cavity may result in serious medical complications. In dental biofilm, Streptococcus gordonii, a primary oral colonizer, constitutes the platform on which late pathogenic colonizers like Porphyromonas gingivalis, the causative agent of periodontal diseases, will bind. The aim of this study was to determine the antibacterial activity of eleven natural lichen compounds belonging to different chemical families and spanning from linear into cyclic and aromatic structures to uncover new antibiotics which can fight against the oral bacteria. The compounds were screened by broth microdilution assay. Three compounds were shown to have promising antibacterial activities where the depsidone core with certain functional groups constituted the best compound, psoromic acid, with the lowest MICs=11.72 and 5.86μg/mL against S. gordonii and P. gingivalis, respectively. The compounds screened had promising antibacterial activity which might be attributed to some important functional groups as discussed in our study. The best compounds did not induce the death of gingival epithelial carcinoma cells (Ca9-22). These results introduce new compounds having potent antibacterial activities against oral pathogens causing serious medical complications.

Participatory planning processes in Indian cities: its challenges and opportunities

Historically, India has had strong local governments and probably drawing from this, is the spirit in which the country enacted the 73rd and the 74th constitutional amendment acts (CAA), in 1992[1]. This amendment aimed at a redistribution of powers to enable local bodies which are closer to local issues to respond more quickly and efficiently, rather than relying on a distant central body. However, the practices in participatory planning in Indian cities have been, at best, tokenistic in nature in the face of the challenge of implementing an effective decentralisation processes. The paradigm of citizen engagement and participative planning today must shift from one of the traditional redressal of grievances to that of collaborative solution building bringing both the government and citizen together in the development of local areas. This paper aims to analyse and evaluate participative local area planning practices in India, particularly at the level of the smallest administrative unit, i.e. wards. The study has been categorised in mainly two aspects: institutionalised and non-institutionalised processes dealing with participation at the bottommost rung of planning. This study is an attempt to highlight successful models of engagement, institutional structure and processes that allow for effective participatory planning and to identify possible ways of overcoming challenges of inclusiveness, budgeting and financing and the disconnect between citizens and administration in this process.

A probable dwarf planet beyond Neptune.

Outer Solar System The cold outer reaches of our solar system host an array of orbiting bodies and may even hide a distant planet. Gerdes et al. have searched for new bodies in that region by using an optical survey that is primarily used for cosmology. They discovered an object, designated 2014 UZ224, located 92 times as far from the Sun as Earth—making it the second-most distant body whose orbit is known. Follow-up millimeter-wavelength observations allowed them to measure the thermal emission and thereby estimate the body's size and temperature. With a diameter of around 600 km, it is probably a dwarf planet. Astrophys. J. 839 , L15 (2017).

CD44 deficiency enhanced Streptococcus equi ssp. zooepidemicus dissemination and inflammation response in a mouse model

Streptococcus equi ssp. zooepidemicus (S. zooepidemicus) is responsible for peritonitis, septicemia, meningitis, arthritis and several other serious diseases in various species. Recent studies have demonstrated that CD44 is implicated in the process of host defense against pathogenic microorganisms. In the present study, the role of CD44 in the host response to S. zooepidemicus infection was investigated in a mouse model. Upon intraperitoneal infection with S. zooepidemicus, the expression of CD44 on the peritoneal exudate cells from wild-type (WT) mice was increased. CD44 deficiency accelerated mortality, which was accompanied by increased peritoneal bacterial growth and dissemination to distant body sites. CD44 knock-out (KO) mice showed enhanced early inflammatory cell recruitment into the peritoneal fluid on S. zooepidemicus infection. In line with this, the expression of proinflammatory cytokines, chemokines in peritoneal exudate cells and peritoneal macrophages of CD44 KO mice were increased compared with those of WT mice. In addition, CD44 deficiency was associated with reduced expression of A20, a negative regulator in TLR signaling. Overall, the present study suggests that CD44 plays a protective role in antibacterial defense against S. zooepidemicus in mice.

Oral Yeast Colonization and Fungal Infections in Peritoneal Dialysis Patients: A Pilot Study.

Peritonitis and exit-site infections are important complications in peritoneal dialysis (PD) patients that are occasionally caused by opportunistic fungi inhabiting distant body sites. In this study, the oral yeast colonization of PD patients and the antifungal susceptibility profile of the isolated yeasts were accessed and correlated with fungal infection episodes in the following 4 years. Saliva yeast colonization was accessed in 21 PD patients and 27 healthy controls by growth in CHROMagar-Candida® and 18S rRNA/ITS sequencing. PD patients presented a lower oral yeast prevalence when compared to controls, namely, Candida albicans. Other species were also isolated, Candida glabrata and Candida carpophila. The antifungal susceptibility profiles of these isolates revealed resistance to itraconazole, variable susceptibility to caspofungin, and higher MIC values of posaconazole compared to previous reports. The 4-year longitudinal evaluation of these patients revealed Candida parapsilosis and Candida zeylanoides as PD-related exit-site infectious agents, but no correlation was found with oral yeast colonization. This pilot study suggests that oral yeast colonization may represent a limited risk for fungal infection development in PD patients. Oral yeast isolates presented a variable antifungal susceptibility profile, which may suggest resistance to some second-line drugs, highlighting the importance of antifungal susceptibility assessment in the clinical practice.