Loose Clusters Research Articles

Spectrum of cytomorphological features of extranodal NK/T-cell lymphoma, nasal type.

Extranodal natural killer/T-cell lymphoma, nasal type (ENKTL) is an aggressive extranodal lymphoma of NK-cell or T-cell lineage. Its clinical features overlap with those of several sinonasal mass lesions. While the histopathological features are well described, diagnosis is often difficult, owing to presence of extensive coagulative necrosis, so that repeated biopsies may sometimes be necessary for correct diagnosis. Literature on cytological findings of ENKTL is limited. Cytomorphological features of cases of histologically confirmed ENKTL having corresponding cytology samples were reviewed retrospectively, to identify distinctive features that could possibly suggest this entity. Aspirates from five patients were studied: four from cervical nodes, one from cheek swelling and one from pleural fluid. Two aspirates were reported as positive for malignancy, two as atypical lymphoid proliferation and one was non-diagnostic. Pleural fluid was reported as malignant, favouring a diagnosis of carcinoma. On cytology, aspirates showed medium to large cells with folded, indented nuclei and abundant pale cytoplasm, some with tongue-like cytoplasmic protrusions. A distinctive feature was presence of large loose clusters of tumour cells with arborising capillaries running through them. Interestingly, necrosis was consistently absent. Subsequent biopsies from palate (three cases) and nasal masses (two cases) confirmed the diagnosis of ENKTL. Suspicion of ENKTL on cytology is crucial for timely diagnosis to avoid diagnostic delay, especially when only highly necrotic biopsy samples are available. Awareness of distinctive cytomorphological features is required to make fine needle aspiration an effective diagnostic tool for initial diagnosis and for evaluation of possible recurrences.

Data driven filtering of bowel sounds using multivariate empirical mode decomposition

BackgroundThe analysis of abdominal sounds can help to diagnose gastro-intestinal diseases. Sounds originating from the stomach and the intestine, the so-called bowel sounds, occur in various forms. They are described as loose successions or clusters of rather sudden bursts. Realistic recordings of abdominal sounds are contaminated with noise and artifacts from which the bowel sounds must be differentiated.MethodsThe proposed intrinsic mode function-fractal dimension (IMF-FD) filtering utilizes the property of the multivariate empirical mode decomposition (MEMD) to behave as a series of band pass filters. The MEMD decomposes the abdominal signal into its different frequency components. The resulting intrinsic mode functions (IMFs) are modulated in amplitude and frequency where transient sonic events occur. Based on the complexity of the IMFs, measured by their fractal dimension (FD) in sliding windows, the information-carrying IMFs are selected. The filtered signal is formed as the superposition of all selected IMFs. The IMF-FD filter not only enhances the non-linear components of the original signal but also segments them from the rest. Another important aspect of this work is that typical artifacts that occur in the same frequency range as bowel sounds can be subsequently eliminated by heuristic rules.ConclusionsThe method is tested on a realistic, contaminated data set with promising performance: close to 100% of the manually labeled bowel sounds are identified.

Phenotypic, Hormonal, and Genomic Variation Among Vitis vinifera Clones With Different Cluster Compactness and Reproductive Performance.

Previous studies showed that the number of berries is a major component of the compactness level of the grapevine clusters. Variation in number of fruits is regulated by events occurring in the fruitset, but also before during the flower formation and pollination, through factors like the initial number of flowers or the gametic viability. Therefore, the identification of the genetic bases of this variation would provide an invaluable knowledge of the grapevine reproductive development and useful tools for managing yield and cluster compactness. We performed the phenotyping of four clones (two compact and two loose clones) of the Tempranillo cultivar with reproducible different levels of cluster compactness over seasons. Measures of reproductive performance included flower number per inflorescence, berry number per cluster, fruitset, coulure, and millerandage indices. Besides, their levels of several hormones during the inflorescence and flower development were determined, and their transcriptomes were evaluated at critical time points (just before the start and at the end of flowering). For some key reproductive traits, like number of berries per cluster and number of seeds per berry, clones bearing loose clusters showed differences with the compact clones and also differed from each other, indicating that each one follows different paths to produce loose clusters. Variation between clones was observed for abscisic acid and gibberellins levels at particular development stages, and differences in GAs could be related to phenotypic differences. Likewise, various changes between clones were found at the transcriptomic level, mostly just before the start of flowering. Several of the differentially expressed genes between one of the loose clones and the compact clones are known to be over-expressed in pollen, and many of them were related to cell wall modification processes or to the phenylpropanoids metabolism. We also found polymorphisms between clones in candidate genes that could be directly involved in the variation of the compactness level.

Identification of co-located QTLs and genomic regions affecting grapevine cluster architecture.

Loose cluster architecture is an important aim in grapevine breeding since it has high impact on the phytosanitary status of grapes. This investigation analyzed the contributions of individual cluster sub-traits to the overall trait of cluster architecture. Six sub-traits showed large impact on cluster architecture as major determinants. They explained 57% of the OIV204 descriptor for cluster compactness rating in a highly diverse cross-population of 149 genotypes. Genetic analysis revealed several genomic regions involved in the expression of this trait. Based on the linkage of phenotypic features to molecular markers, QTL calculations shed new light on the genetic determinants of cluster architecture. Eight QTL clusters harbor overlapping confidence intervals of up to four co-located QTLs. A physical projection of the QTL clusters by confidence interval-flanking markers onto the PN40024 reference genome sequence revealed genes enriched in these regions.

Pentecostalism, Politics, and Prosperity in South Africa

One of the fastest growing religious movements in South Africa is a form of Pentecostal Charismatic Evangelic (PCE) Christianity that has some version of prosperity theology as a central pillar. This paper, based on sermons and interviews with 97 PCE pastors in the area of Johannesburg, South Africa, argues that these churches form loose clusters defined by similar emphases along a continuum of prosperity theology. These clusters are “abilities prosperity,” “progress prosperity,” and “miracle prosperity.” Some churches fall neatly into one of the clusters, while others appear as more of a hybrid between two of these types. The paper shows that a relationship exists between the type of theology preached by PCE churches and the nature and extent of the political engagement that the pastors suggested that members in these churches should have.

Extrapulmonary Hepatic Histoplasmosis Presenting as Chronic Liver Disease: A Case Report

Introduction: Histoplasma capsulatum is the most common endemic mycosis in the United States. Extrapulmonary hepatic histoplasmosis as a primary manifestation is extremely rare. We report a case of histoplasmosis that presented like chronic liver disease with portal hypertension, splenomegaly, esophageal varices, and thrombocytopenia in an immunocompetent adult. Case Description: A 56 year-old Caucasian man from West Virginia who works in construction presented to the hepatology clinic for work up of chronic liver disease. He was initially evaluated by his primary care doctor for complaints of diarrhea and had an EGD performed that revealed esophageal varices. On examination, he was noted to have splenomegaly but no other stigmata of chronic liver disease. A CBC was only remarkable for a platelet count of 86. A CMP was unremarkable with normal liver enzymes. INR was 1.0. Serological work up for liver disease including ceruloplasmin, remote hepatitis panel, iron studies, anti-nuclear antibody, anti-mitochondrial antibody, anti-smooth muscle antibody, and alpha 1 anti-trypsin were normal. A RUQ ultrasound with elastography showed a normal, homogenous liver, splenomegaly and a liver stiffness of F2-F3 indicating moderate fibrosis. EGD was repeated which showed large (>5mm) esophageal varices that were banded. It also revealed moderate portal hypertensive gastropathy. Transjugular liver biopsy was performed that revealed bridging fibrosis with minimal steatosis, no obvious granulomas but loose clusters of histiocytes, and a gomori methenamine silver stain was performed looking for histoplasmosis that highlighted small yeast with budding typical for Histoplasma capsulatum. Histoplasma antibody in the blood was positive. The patient was seen by infectious disease and he was started on oral itraconazole. Discussion: Hepatic histoplasmosis can present as granulomatous hepatitis, as stigmata of portal hypertension, including ascites or varices, or with elevated liver enzymes. The most common hepatic finding on liver biopsy is portal lymphohistiocytic inflammation; discrete hepatic granulomas are seen in less than 20% of involved livers. There are only a few case reports of disseminated histoplasmosis presenting as primary hepatic histoplasmosis. A high clinical suspicion is warranted in patients who present with stigmata of portal hypertension and chronic liver disease with no evidence of cirrhosis, especially if the person lives in or has visited an endemic area.2252 Figure 1. The normal lobular architecture is distorted by bridging fibrosis. The hepatocytes show minimal steatosis. Although well-developed granulomas are not identified, there are loose clusters of histiocytes.

Dynamic ejection behaviour of water molecules passing through a nano-aperture nozzle

ABSTRACTThis study used molecular dynamics (MD) simulation to investigate the passage of water molecules through a composite graphene/Au nano-nozzle. Our focus was on the degree to which system temperature, extrusion speed, and nozzle diameter affect jet dynamics and the associated transient phenomena. Our findings show that high pressure and spatial confinement cause the nanojet from a small nozzle diameter (1.0 nm) to bend and twist, whereas the jets from a nozzle with a diameter of 1.5 nm present columns of greater stability. At 100 K, the H2O nanojet froze at the outlet of the nozzle in the form of condensed icicles. At 500 K, the H2O nanojet formed a loose spray and gaseous clusters. High extrusion speed of 55.824 m/s produced recirculating flow downstream from the nanojet with the appearance of an erupting volcano, which further prompted the jet column to thicken. Lower extrusion speeds produced jets with flow velocity insufficient to overcome the capillary force at the outlet of the nozzle, which subsequently manifests as unstable fluctuations in the flow rate.HIGHLIGHTSWater molecules through a composite graphene/Au nano-nozzle forming a nanojet is investigated.High pressure and spatial confinement cause the nanojet from a small nozzle diameter (≤1.0 nm) to bend and twist.High extrusion speed (≧55.824 m/s) produced recirculating flow downstream from the nanojet.Figure abstract: Schematic of the H2O nano-jet through a nano-nozzle of graphene/Au

Dual role of E-cadherin in the regulation of invasive collective migration of mammary carcinoma cells

In this article, we explore a non-canonical form of collective cell migration, displayed by the metastatic murine mammary carcinoma cell line 4T1. We show here that in sparsely plated 4T1 cells, E-cadherin levels are moderately reduced (~50%), leading to the development of collective migration, whereby cells translocate in loose clusters, interconnected by thin membrane tethers. Knocking down E-cadherin blocked tether formation in these cells, leading to enhancement of migration rate and, at the same time, to suppression of lung metastases formation in vivo, and inhibition of infiltration into fibroblast monolayers ex vivo. These findings suggest that the moderate E-cadherin levels present in wild-type 4T1 cells play a key role in promoting cancer invasion and metastasis.

Sentinel Lymph Nodes in Classic Invasive Lobular Carcinoma of the Breast: Cytokeratin Immunostain Ensures Detection, and Precise Determination of Extent, of Involvement.

The assessment of sentinel lymph nodes (SLN) on hematoxylin and eosin (H&E)-stained sections in cases of classic type of invasive lobular carcinoma (cILC) is considered unreliable, particularly in cases with minimal involvement, that is by either isolated tumor cells (pN0i+) or micrometastases (pN1mi). Although the impact of minimal SLN involvement has been shown to be insignificant in most clinical trials (even though cILC was either under-represented or not separated in the respective cohorts), the results of MIRROR trial did emphasize the need for additional therapy in cases with minimally involved SLN to ensure improved disease-free survival. We sought to study the role of cytokeratin immunohistochemistry (CK-IHC) in evaluating SLN in cILC. A total of 582 cILC cases with SLN diagnosed over a 12-year period (2005 to 2016) were reviewed. In all, 394/582 (68%) cases had H&E(-)/CK(-) SLN. In total, 188/582 (32%) cases showed some degree of SLN involvement of which 143/582 (25%) cases had readily identifiable SLN involvement on H&E slides. Overall, 45/582 (7.7%) cases had H&E(-)/CK(+) SLN. The following data relate to the latter subset of 45 cases. Mean age of patients: 61 y (range: 32 to 86 y); right: 24 (53%), left: 21 (47%); multifocal and/or multicentric: 22 (49%); mean size: 2.0 cm (range: 0.25 to 4.4 cm); mean number of SLN: 2.5; mean number of involved SLN: 1.2; and cases with prior needle core or excisional biopsy: 45 (100%). CK(+) cells were identified in isolation or in loose clusters, either in subcapsular sinuses or nodal cortex or both. Overall, 30/45 (67%) showed ≤200 CK(+) cells (ie, pN0i+), and 15/45 (33%) showed >200 CK(+) cells (ie, pN1mi). In total, 15/45 (33%) cases underwent axillary lymph node dissection, of which 4/45 (9%) cases were positive. cILC recurred in 3/45 (7%) cases. On statistical analyses, the number of CK(+) cells (≤/>200) did not correlate with either axillary lymph node-positivity or with recurrence. Number of CK(+) cells (≤/>200) readily distinguished pN0i+ from pN1mi based on AJCC's numerical criteria. CK(+) cells could be quantified in linear terms (ie, AJCC's size criteria of pN0i+ and pN1mi was applicable) in only 2 cases. On the basis of these findings, the use of CK-IHC staining should be considered for SLN in cases of cILC to ensure detection, and precise determination of extent, of involvement; however, the prognostic significance of this procedure would have to await results of additional studies with long-term follow-up.

Canopy physiology, vine performance and host-pathogen interaction in a fungi resistant cv. Sangiovese x Bianca accession vs. a susceptible clone

The present study compares the physiological and cropping response of the new fungi-resistant grapevine Accession 72–096 (‘Sangiovese’ x ‘Bianca’ hybrid) against a susceptible ‘Sangiovese’ clone which was either fully (FS-SG) or partially sprayed (PS-SG). Data logged on Accession 72–096 indicate that while two early season sprays were enough to avoid major downy mildew (DM) and powdery mildew (PM) outbreaks, Accession 72–096 also showed concurrent desirable features such as moderate cropping, loose clusters, fast sugar accumulation coupled with sufficient acidity even at peak total soluble solids (TSS) concentration (around 24 °Brix), good color and higher flavonols prompting co-pigmentation. Conversely, FS-SG showed final lower acidity despite the notably lower sugar concentration (≅18 °Brix), as well as larger clusters and berries that resulted in more compact bunches. From a methodological viewpoint, end of season single-leaf readings appeared to overestimate the limitation of leaf function due to PM and DM infections in SG-PS vines which, when assessed via a whole-canopy approach, did not show significant differences vs. Accession 72–096, a result likely due to counteracting effects linked to a compensation mechanism by healthy tissues. Our data also suggest that a PM infection can lead to a decoupling in sugar-color accumulation patterns.

The packing density of a supramolecular membrane protein cluster is controlled by cytoplasmic interactions.

Molecule clustering is an important mechanism underlying cellular self-organization. In the cell membrane, a variety of fundamentally different mechanisms drive membrane protein clustering into nanometre-sized assemblies. To date, it is unknown whether this clustering process can be dissected into steps differentially regulated by independent mechanisms. Using clustered syntaxin molecules as an example, we study the influence of a cytoplasmic protein domain on the clustering behaviour. Analysing protein mobility, cluster size and accessibility to myc-epitopes we show that forces acting on the transmembrane segment produce loose clusters, while cytoplasmic protein interactions mediate a tightly packed state. We conclude that the data identify a hierarchy in membrane protein clustering likely being a paradigm for many cellular self-organization processes.

Current and Emerging Therapies for HER2-Positive Women With Metastatic Breast Cancer

CASE STUDY DE, a 31-year-old premenopausal woman with a nonsignificant medical history, noticed a right breast mass after playing basketball in September 2011. She initially attributed the mass to slight trauma, but after 2 weeks, she realized the mass was increasing in size. Her primary care physician ordered a bilateral screening mammogram and ultrasound. Mammography revealed no evidence of malignancy in the left breast. In the right breast, at the 7 o'clock position, a loose cluster of faint calcifications spanned a 2.2-cm area. Ultrasound confirmed an irregular hypoechoic mass in the right breast measuring 3.5 × 2.7 × 2.8 cm. Ultrasound of the right axilla identified two enlarged right axillary lymph nodes. Ultrasound core-needle biopsy of the suspicious right breast mass confirmed invasive ductal carcinoma, nuclear grade 2, Ki67 index of 55%, estrogen receptor-positive (H score of 180), progesterone receptor-positive (H score of 135), HER2-positive (3+ on immunohistochemistry). Utilizing the TNM (tumor, node, metastasis) staging system, she was clinically staged with a stage IIB (cT2, cN1, M0) invasive breast tumor. The computerized axial tomography (CT) scan of the chest, abdomen, and pelvis demonstrated the known right breast mass and two enlarged right axillary lymph nodes; however, no metastatic disease was noted. Nuclear bone scan revealed no bone metastases. Her medical oncologist recommended she receive neoadjuvant chemotherapy. The patient was treated with 6 cycles of neoadjuvant docetaxel at 75 mg/m², carboplatin at an AUC (area under the curve) of 6, and trastuzumab (Herceptin) at 6 mg/kg (TCH), which she tolerated well. She then underwent a right segmental mastectomy with axillary lymph node dissection and was found to have a residual 1.0-cm invasive ductal carcinoma, representing a 60% tumor volume reduction. None of 13 axillary lymph nodes were positive for disease. Pathologic staging confirmed a stage IA (ypT1, ypN0, M0) tumor. DE completed 33 fractions of radiation therapy to the right breast. She initiated endocrine therapy with tamoxifen at 20 mg daily and received 1 year of maintenance trastuzumab (6 mg/kg). Due to vaginal discharge and weight gain, endocrine therapy was switched from tamoxifen to toremifene (Fareston), which she tolerated relatively well. She continued routine follow-up, with no evidence of disease. In September 2014, DE presented to her primary care physician complaining of left hip pain. Magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) of the left hip revealed T2 hyperintense masses within the right anterior superior iliac crest, right sacrum, and left iliac body consistent with skeletal metastases. She was referred back to her medical oncologist, and per National Comprehensive Cancer Network (NCCN) guidelines, a biopsy of the suspicious lesion was obtained. The bone biopsy of the lytic lesion was consistent with metastatic breast cancer, which was estrogen receptor-positive, progesterone receptor-positive, and HER2-positive (3+ on immunohistochemistry). Restaging CT scan of the chest, abdomen, and pelvis revealed new 4- to 6-mm pulmonary nodules, hilar and mediastinal lymphadenopathy, new liver lesions, and bone lesions. Nuclear bone scan confirmed multiple bone metastases of the right and left iliac bones and sternum. Complete blood cell count with differential and complete metabolic panel were within normal ranges. The CA 27-29 tumor marker for breast cancer was elevated at 495 U/mL (normal range, < 37 U/mL). DE was understandably devastated by the new diagnosis. She questioned how the treatment plan was to be established. Her medical oncologist struck a somewhat optimistic tone. He explained that metastatic breast cancer was not yet considered to be curable, but periods of disease stability and chronicity were possible. He explained that the HER2 positivity was perhaps the most important factor in delineating her treatment options. He told her that current treatment options were numerous and increasing in number.

Population differences in morphological and anatomical traits of Pinus mugo Turra needles from the Polish part of the Tatra Mountains

Abstract The main aim of this study was to describe the variation between the populations of the dwarf mountain pine Pinus mugo Turra based on the morphological and anatomical traits of their needles, and to investigate the relationship between the observed variation and environmental conditions (altitude and substrate). Two-year-old needles were collected from 180 individuals of six populations of P. mugo growing in the Tatra Mts. Two populations were classified as dense, located at 1360–1450 m altitude, and the remaining four formed loose clusters and were situated at 1500–1650 m altitude. Four of the populations are growing on granite and two on a limestone substrate. The natural variation of 10 morpho-anatomical and 3 synthetic needle traits was measured. In addition to descriptive statistics, the analyses of variance (ANOVA) with a Tukey test and principal component analysis were computed. We also estimated Pearson correlation coefficients for the examined needle traits and altitude as well as substrate. Our results indicate that the P. mugo populations differ significantly with regard to the investigated traits for which the Trzydniowiański Wierch population was the most distinct. The observed pattern of variability is largely caused by differences in stomatal traits and these features are positive correlated with altitude. Additionally, populations growing on granite have larger values for most of the examined traits compared to populations growing on limestone.

Genetic analysis of loose cluster architecture in grapevine

Loose cluster architecture is a well known trait supporting Botrytis resilience by permitting a faster drying of bunches. Furthermore, a loose bunch enables a better application of fungicides into the cluster. The analysis of 150 F1 plants of the superior breeding line GF.GA-47-42 (‘Bacchus' x ‘Seyval blanc') crossed with ‘Villard blanc' segregating for compactness of the cluster was used for QTL analysis. Plenty of QTL were identified reproducibly for two years, QTLs stable over three growing seasons were identified for rachis length, peduncle length, and pedicel length. In a second approach ‘Pinot noir' clones showing variation for cluster architecture were analyzed for differential gene expression. Grown in three different German viticultural areas, loose versus compact clustered ‘Pinot noir' clones showed in gene expression experiments a candidate gene expressed fivefold higher in loosely clustered clones between stages BBCH57 and BBCH71.

Solid pseudopapillary neoplasms: A case series and review of literature

Solid pseudopapillary neoplasm (SPPN) of the pancreas is a rare tumor entity that arises from different pancreatic parts constitutes up to 2.5% of all pancreatic neoplasms. We addressed special focus on the general descriptive features of SPPNs regarding age, gender, symptoms, diagnostic tools, pathological features, surgery, and outcome. SPPN has low malignant potential. It usually discovered incidentally with great predilection to occur in young women in about 90% of reported cases. SPPNs exhibit benign characteristics in most of cases reported with low tendency toward malignant behavior. Tumor size may reach up to 10 cm and the prevalent sites of tumor occurrence are the head and tail of the pancreas comprising 40% and 30%, respectively. SPPNs tend to arise as single pancreatic mass, but some reported cases of multicentric SPPN. Endoscopic ultrasound (EUS)-guided fine needle aspiration (EUS-FNA) is used as a preoperative diagnostic tool with sensitivity and specificity of 90% and 94%, respectively. Surgical resection is the standard of care for treatment of such neoplasms as it achieves cure and prolongs patient survival. Long-term prognosis is evidently excellent with 5-year survival rates ranging 95%–97%. In addition, 10-year survival may be as high as 90%, but these data are limited. Nonresectable tumors are treated by surgical debulking. In our series, we identified 18 cases of SPPN confirmed by histopathological examination. Female to male ratio is 9:1, and mean age was 29 with an average of 5.5 years. The oldest of our patients was a 70-year-old male. All patients presented with abdominal pains; some presented with anorexia and weight loss. EUS showed a soft tissue mass with multiple cystic areas that represented areas of internal hemorrhage. The size ranged from 2 cm up to 10 cm. Eight masses were located in the body, 7 in the head, 2 in the tail, and only one case in the uncinate process. The cytopathological study demonstrated single cells, small loose clusters, and scattered intact papillary structures with delicate fibrovascular cores, finely granular cytoplasm, and nuclei with fine chromatin. No distant metastasis was observed. EUS-FNA was done in all cases using a 22G needle and revealed SPPN in all cases. Distal pancreatectomy or modified Whipple operation was done and final histopathology confirmed the diagnosis. Only one patient operated by Whipple resection complicated by postoperative abdominal sepsis and died 2 weeks later. Follow-up for at least 2 years for the rest of the patients revealed no recurrence.

Correlating magnetoencephalography to stereo-electroencephalography in patients undergoing epilepsy surgery.

Magnetoencephalography and stereo-electroencephalography are often necessary in the course of the non-invasive and invasive presurgical evaluation of challenging patients with medically intractable focal epilepsies. In this study, we aim to examine the significance of magnetoencephalography dipole clusters and their relationship to stereo-electroencephalography findings, area of surgical resection, and seizure outcome. We also aim to define the positive and negative predictors based on magnetoencephalography dipole cluster characteristics pertaining to seizure-freedom. Included in this retrospective study were a consecutive series of 50 patients who underwent magnetoencephalography and stereo-electroencephalography at the Cleveland Clinic Epilepsy Center. Interictal magnetoencephalography localization was performed using a single equivalent current dipole model. Magnetoencephalography dipole clusters were classified based on tightness and orientation criteria. Magnetoencephalography dipole clusters, stereo-electroencephalography findings and area of resection were reconstructed and examined in the same space using the patient’s own magnetic resonance imaging scan. Seizure outcomes at 1 year post-operative were dichotomized into seizure-free or not seizure-free. We found that patients in whom the magnetoencephalography clusters were completely resected had a much higher chance of seizure-freedom compared to the partial and no resection groups ( P = 0.007). Furthermore, patients had a significantly higher chance of being seizure-free when stereo-electroencephalography completely sampled the area identified by magnetoencephalography as compared to those with incomplete or no sampling of magnetoencephalography results ( P = 0.012). Partial concordance between magnetoencephalography and interictal or ictal stereo-electroencephalography was associated with a much lower chance of seizure freedom as compared to the concordant group ( P = 0.0075). Patients with one single tight cluster on magnetoencephalography were more likely to become seizure-free compared to patients with a tight cluster plus scatter ( P = 0.0049) or patients with loose clusters ( P = 0.018). Patients whose magnetoencephalography clusters had a stable orientation perpendicular to the nearest major sulcus had a better chance of seizure-freedom as compared to other orientations ( P = 0.042). Our data demonstrate that stereo-electroencephalography exploration and subsequent resection are more likely to succeed, when guided by positive magnetoencephalography findings. As a corollary, magnetoencephalography clusters should not be ignored when planning the stereo-electroencephalography strategy. Magnetoencephalography tight cluster and stable orientation are positive predictors for a good seizure outcome after resective surgery, whereas the presence of scattered sources diminishes the probability of favourable outcomes. The concordance pattern between magnetoencephalography and stereo-electroencephalography is a strong argument in favour of incorporating localization with non-invasive tools into the process of presurgical evaluation before actual placement of electrodes. * Abbreviations : SECD : single equivalent current dipole SEEG : stereo-electroencephalography

Ultrastructure of Neoblasts in Turbellarian Geocentrophora wagini Timoshkin, 1984 (Lecithoepitheliata: Plathelminthes)

Acoelomorpha and Plathelminthes have a unique system of stem cells (neoblasts), which is believed to represent a common proliferative compartment of somatic and germ line cells. Meanwhile, on the electron-microscopic level, these cells are not studied in most taxa of Turbellaria. In this study, I describe the ultrastructure of neoblasts in Geocentrophora wagini Timoshkin, 1984 (Lecithoepitheliata, Plathelminthes), an endemic turbellarian from Lake Baikal. The neoblast-like cells showed a high nucleus/cytoplasm ratio. The cytoplasm revealed the features of undifferentiated cells. Particularly, there were free ribosomes and mitochondria, while other organelles were rare and did not occur in all the cells studied. Based on their cytoplasmic and nuclear organization, three main types of parenchymal neoblasts have been distinguished. In type 1, the nuclei had a complex, highly branched configuration. The peripheral heterochromatin was not developed. A large loose structure of fibrous nature and a tiny Golgi apparatus with several secretory granules could be observed in the type 1 neoblast cytoplasm. The nuclei of the type 2 neoblasts had much simpler outlines than those of type 1, despite some processes or invaginations. The poor development of peripheral condensed chromatin was observed and distribution density of the heterochromatin clumps tended to be slightly higher, as compared to type 1. A cluster of small dense granules or a little loose body occasionally could be seen in the proximity to nuclear membrane. Type 3 neoblasts had the most compact nuclei and their heterochromatin was seen as large, irregular clumps of extremely high electron density. Many of these clumps were connected with each other and with the nuclear membrane. The scarce cytoplasm contained only mitochondria and ribosomes. Undifferentiated cells in the gastrodermis were similar to the type 2 neoblasts in the parenchyma. For the first time outside Tricladida special structures were found in the neoblast cytoplasm. These loose fibrous bodies and clusters of granules are likely to be functionally identical to the planarian chromatoid bodies. The obtained results contribute to the comparative morphology of the stem cells in flatworms and basic Bilateria and confirm the heterogeneity of the proliferative compartment in Turbellaria.

Assembly and Reassembly of Polyelectrolyte Complex Formed by Poly(ethylene glycol)-block-poly(glutamate sodium) and S5R4 Peptide

The structure and stability of polyelectrolyte complex are controlled not only by electrostatic interaction but also by hydrogen bonding and hydrophobic interaction if they are present. The complexes formed by such multiple interactions should exhibit different responses to the environmental changes, such as ionic strength and pH. In this work, we designed a positively charged peptide S5R4, which can interact with poly(ethylene glycol)-block-poly(glutamate sodium) (PEG114-PGlu64) via electrostatic interaction, hydrogen bonding, and hydrophobic interaction. In deionized water at pH 7.1, the complexes formed by PEG114-PGlu64 and S5R4 assemble into wormlike micelles, spheres, and even hierarchical “wool balls”, depending on mixing ratio. However, a distinct dissociation–reassembly process is observed when 30 mM NaCl is added to screen the electrostatic interaction. The spheres transform into loose clusters after reassembly. This process is caused by the switch of driving force from electrostatic interaction ...

F-mode interaction with models of sunspot: near-field scattering and multifrequency effects

We use numerical simulations to investigate the interaction of an $f$-mode wave packet with small and large models of a sunspot in a stratified atmosphere. While a loose cluster model has been largely studied before, we focus in this study on the scattering from an ensemble of tightly compact tubes. We showed that the small compact cluster produces a slight distorted scattered wave field in the transverse direction, which can be attributed to the simultaneous oscillations of the pairs of tubes within the cluster aligned in a perpendicular direction to the incoming wave. However, no signature of a multiple-scattering regime has been observed from this model, while it has been clearly observable for the large compact cluster model. Furthermore, we pointed out the importance of the geometrical shape of the monolithic model on the interaction of $f$-mode waves with a sunspot in a high frequency range ($\nu =$ 5 mHz). These results are a contribution to the observational effort to distinguish seismically between different configurations of magnetic flux tubes within sunspots and plage.

A complete annotation of the chromosomes of the cellulase producer Trichoderma reesei provides insights in gene clusters, their expression and reveals genes required for fitness.

BackgroundInvestigations on a few eukaryotic model organisms showed that many genes are non-randomly distributed on chromosomes. In addition, chromosome ends frequently possess genes that are important for the fitness of the organisms. Trichoderma reesei is an industrial producer of enzymes for food, feed and biorefinery production. Its seven chromosomes have recently been assembled, thus making an investigation of its chromosome architecture possible.ResultsWe manually annotated and mapped 9194 ORFs on their respective chromosomes and investigated the clustering of the major gene categories and of genes encoding carbohydrate-active enzymes (CAZymes), and the relationship between clustering and expression. Genes responsible for RNA processing and modification, amino acid metabolism, transcription, translation and ribosomal structure and biogenesis indeed showed loose clustering, but this had no impact on their expression. A third of the genes encoding CAZymes also occurred in loose clusters that also contained a high number of genes encoding small secreted cysteine-rich proteins. Five CAZyme clusters were located less than 50 kb apart from the chromosome ends. These genes exhibited the lowest basal (but not induced) expression level, which correlated with an enrichment of H3K9 methylation in the terminal 50 kb areas indicating gene silencing. No differences were found in the expression of CAZyme genes present in other parts of the chromosomes. The putative subtelomeric areas were also enriched in genes encoding secreted proteases, amino acid permeases, enzyme clusters for polyketide synthases (PKS)–non-ribosomal peptide synthase (NRPS) fusion proteins (PKS–NRPS) and proteins involved in iron scavenging. They were strongly upregulated during conidiation and interaction with other fungi.ConclusionsOur findings suggest that gene clustering on the T. reesei chromosomes occurs but generally has no impact on their expression. CAZyme genes, located in subtelomers, however, exhibited a much lower basal expression level. The gene inventory of the subtelomers suggests a major role of competition for nitrogen and iron supported by antibiosis for the fitness of T. reesei. The availability of fully annotated chromosomes will facilitate the use of genetic crossings in identifying still unknown genes responsible for specific traits of T. reesei.Electronic supplementary materialThe online version of this article (doi:10.1186/s13068-016-0488-z) contains supplementary material, which is available to authorized users.