Daily changes of individual gait patterns identified by means of support vector machines

Despite the common knowledge about the individual character of human gait patterns and about their non-repeatability, little is known about their stability, their interactions and their changes over time. Variations of gait patterns are typically described as random deviations around a stable mean curve derived from groups, which appear due to noise or experimental insufficiencies. The purpose of this study is to examine the nature of intrinsic inter-session variability in more detail by proving separable characteristics of gait patterns between individuals as well as within individuals in repeated measurement sessions. Eight healthy subjects performed 15 gait trials at a self-selected speed on eight days within two weeks. For each trial, the time-continuous ground reaction forces and lower body kinematics were quantified. A total of 960 gait patterns were analysed by means of support vector machines and the coefficient of multiple correlation. The results emphasise the remarkable amount of individual characteristics in human gait. Support vector machines results showed an error-free assignment of gait patterns to the corresponding individual. Thus, differences in gait patterns between individuals seem to be persistent over two weeks. Within the range of individual gait patterns, day specific characteristics could be distinguished by classification rates of 97.3% and 59.5% for the eight-day classification of lower body joint angles and ground reaction forces, respectively. Hence, gait patterns can be assumed not to be constant over time and rather exhibit discernible daily changes within previously stated good repeatability. Advantages for more individual and situational diagnoses or therapy are identified.

Translation, modification and cellular distribution of two AC4 variants of African cassava mosaic virus in yeast and their pathogenic potential in plants

Plant infecting geminiviruses encode a small (A)C4 protein within the open reading frame of the replication-initiator protein. In African cassava mosaic virus, two in-frame start codons may be used for the translation of a longer and a shorter AC4 variant. Both were fused to green fluorescent protein or glutathione-S-transferase genes and expressed in fission yeast. The longer variant accumulated in discrete spots in the cytoplasm, whereas the shorter variant localized to the plasma membrane. A similar expression pattern was found in plants. A myristoylation motif may promote a targeting of the shorter variant to the plasma membrane. Mass spectrometry analysis of the yeast-expressed shorter variant detected the corresponding myristoylation. The biological relevance of the second start codon was confirmed using mutated infectious clones. Whereas mutating the first start codon had no effect on the infectivity in Nicotiana benthamiana plants, the second start codon proved to be essential.

Integrated multidisciplinary care of headache disorders: A narrative review

Background

Recent evidence shows that multidisciplinary treatment is effective in chronic pain syndromes, especially in headache disorders.

Aim

The aim of this review is to summarize current knowledge on integrative care concepts in headache patients regarding the optimal and necessary treatment parts, optimal duration and setting.

Methods

We present a narrative review reporting current literature and personal experience.

Results and conclusion

Based on current knowledge, multidisciplinary treatment programs appear to be reasonable and efficient in headache disorders. Sufficient controlled studies regarding the need for individual parts of the integrative care approach are missing as yet. Recommendations are therefore at least partly based on personal experiences. It seems to be unambiguous that patients should be referred to a specialized headache center offering such a program instead of being sent sequentially to various medical specialists. The extent and kind of required therapy (e.g. personal consultation versus group sessions) is not known yet. All patients should learn relaxation training, although it is unclear yet which training is the best for which patient. Physiotherapy with guidance on more activity and individual exercises should be used in all patients. Some patients might benefit from cognitive behavioral therapy. However, therapies often depend more on country-specific health care systems than on clinical needs or scientific data.

Properties of African Cassava Mosaic Virus Capsid Protein Expressed in Fission Yeast

The capsid proteins (CPs) of geminiviruses combine multiple functions for packaging the single-stranded viral genome, insect transmission and shuttling between the nucleus and the cytoplasm. African cassava mosaic virus (ACMV) CP was expressed in fission yeast, and purified by SDS gel electrophoresis. After tryptic digestion of this protein, mass spectrometry covered 85% of the amino acid sequence and detected three N-terminal phosphorylation sites (threonine 12, serines 25 and 62). Differential centrifugation of cell extracts separated the CP into two fractions, the supernatant and pellet. Upon isopycnic centrifugation of the supernatant, most of the CP accumulated at densities typical for free proteins, whereas the CP in the pellet fraction showed a partial binding to nucleic acids. Size-exclusion chromatography of the supernatant CP indicated high order complexes. In DNA binding assays, supernatant CP accelerated the migration of ssDNA in agarose gels, which is a first hint for particle formation. Correspondingly, CP shifted ssDNA to the expected densities of virus particles upon isopycnic centrifugation. Nevertheless, electron microscopy did not reveal any twin particles, which are characteristic for geminiviruses.

Photothermal method for absorption measurements in anisotropic crystals

A measurement system for quantitative determination of both surface and bulk contributions to the photo-thermal absorption has been extended to anisotropic optical media. It bases upon a highly sensitive Hartmann-Shack wavefront sensor, accomplishing precise on-line monitoring of wavefront deformations of a collimated test beam transmitted perpendicularly through the laser-irradiated side of a cuboid sample. Caused by the temperature dependence of the refractive index as well as thermal expansion, the initially plane wavefront of the test beam is distorted. Sign and magnitude depend on index change and expansion. By comparison with thermal theory, a calibration of the measurement is possible, yielding a quantitative absolute measure of bulk and surface absorption losses from the transient wavefront distortion. Results for KTP and BBO single crystals are presented.

Light-dependent segregation of begomoviruses in Asystasia gangetica leaves

Asystasia gangetica (Acanthaceae) from tropical Africa and Asia is used as source of food and for medical applications. Plants collected in West Africa in the 1980s with typical geminivirus symptoms showed an unusual symptom segregation that included vein yellowing, curling and mosaic, which were present simultaneously or separately on different leaves of the same plant or on different plants propagated as cuttings from a single plant. Rolling-circle amplification in combination with restriction fragment length polymorphism analysis followed by deep sequencing of the RCA products identified two geminiviruses in these plants. One with a bipartite genome, Asystasia begomovirus 1, and the other with a monopartite genome together with its defective DNA, Asystasia begomovirus 2. The relationship between leaf symptoms and virus distribution under different light regimes was investigated, and showed for the first time an unusual segregation of symptoms and viruses, either within a single plant, or even within a leaf.

The RXL motif of the African cassava mosaic virus Rep protein is necessary for rereplication of yeast DNA and viral infection in plants

Geminiviruses, single-stranded DNA plant viruses, encode a replication-initiator protein (Rep) that is indispensable for virus replication. A potential cyclin interaction motif (RXL) in the sequence of African cassava mosaic virus Rep may be an alternative link to cell cycle controls to the known interaction with plant homologs of retinoblastoma protein (pRBR). Mutation of this motif abrogated rereplication in fission yeast induced by expression of wildtype Rep suggesting that Rep interacts via its RXL motif with one or several yeast proteins. The RXL motif is essential for viral infection of Nicotiana benthamiana plants, since mutation of this motif in infectious clones prevented any symptomatic infection. The cell-cycle link (Clink) protein of a nanovirus (faba bean necrotic yellows virus) was investigated that activates the cell cycle by binding via its LXCXE motif to pRBR. Expression of wildtype Clink and a Clink mutant deficient in pRBR-binding did not trigger rereplication in fission yeast.

Analysis of the oligomeric state and transactivation potential of TAp73α

The proteins p73 and p63 are members of the p53 protein family and are involved in important developmental processes. Their high sequence identity with the tumor suppressor p53 has suggested that they act as tumor suppressors as well. While p63 has a crucial role in the maintenance of epithelial stem cells and in the quality control of oocytes without a clear role as a tumor suppressor, p73's tumor suppressor activity is well documented. In a recent study we have shown that the transcriptional activity of TAp63α, the isoform responsible for the quality control in oocytes, is regulated by its oligomeric state. The protein forms an inactive, dimeric and compact conformation in resting oocytes, while the detection of DNA damage leads to the formation of an active, tetrameric and open conformation. p73 shows a high sequence identity to p63, including those domains that are crucial in stabilizing its inactive state, thus suggesting that p73's activity might be regulated by its oligomeric state as well. Here, we have investigated the oligomeric state of TAp73α by size exclusion chromatography and detailed domain interaction mapping, and show that in contrast to p63, TAp73α is a constitutive open tetramer. However, its transactivation potential depends on the cellular background and the promoter context. These results imply that the regulation of p73's transcriptional activity might be more closely related to p53 than to p63.

Circular DNA genomics (circomics) exemplified for geminiviruses in bean crops and weeds of northeastern Brazil

Circomics was coined to describe the combination of rolling circle amplification (RCA), restriction fragment length polymorphism (RFLP) and pyro-sequencing to investigate the genome structures of small circular DNAs. A batch procedure is described using 61 plant samples from Asia, South America and Central America which revealed 83 contig sequences of geminiviral DNA components and 4 contig sequences of DNA satellites. The usefulness of this approach is validated for the Brazilian begomoviruses, and the sequence fidelity is determined by comparing the results with those of conventional cloning and sequencing of Bolivian begomoviruses reported recently. Therefore, circomics has been proven to be a major step forward to economize costs and labor and to characterize reliably geminiviral genomes in their population structure of the quasispecies.

Time-resolved investigation of nanometer scale deformations induced by a high flux x-ray beam

We present results of a time-resolved pump-probe experiment where a Si sample was exposed to an intense 15 keV beam and its surface monitored by measuring the wavefront deformation of a reflected optical laser probe beam. By reconstructing and back propagating the wavefront, the deformed surface can be retrieved for each time step. The dynamics of the heat bump, build-up and relaxation, is followed with a spatial resolution in the nanometer range. The results are interpreted taking into account results of finite element method simulations. Due to its robustness and simplicity this method should find further developments at new x-ray light sources (FEL) or be used to gain understanding on thermo-dynamical behavior of highly excited materials.

The genomes of four novel begomoviruses and a new Sida micrantha mosaic virus strain from Bolivian weeds

Begomovirus is the largest genus within the family Geminiviridae and includes economically important plant DNA viruses infecting a broad range of plant species and causing devastating crop diseases, mainly in subtropical and tropical countries. Besides cultivated plants, many weeds act as virus reservoirs. Eight begomovirus isolates from Bolivian weeds were examined using rolling-circle amplification (RCA) and restriction fragment length polymorphism (RFLP). An efficient, novel cloning strategy using limited Sau3A digestion to obtain tandem-repeat inserts allowed the sequencing of the complete genomes. The viruses were classified by phylogenetic analysis as typical bipartite New World begomoviruses. Four of them represented distinct new virus species, for which the names Solanum mosaic Bolivia virus, Sida mosaic Bolivia virus 1, Sida mosaic Bolivia virus 2, and Abutilon mosaic Bolivia virus are proposed. Three were variants of a new strain of Sida micrantha mosaic virus (SimMV), SimMV-rho[BoVi07], SimMV-rho[Bo:CF1:07] and SimMV-rho[Bo:CF2:07], and one was a new variant of a previously described SimMV, SimMV-MGS2:07-Bo.

KIF5C: a new binding partner for protein kinase CK2 with a preference for the CK2alpha' subunit

Protein kinase CK2 is a highly conserved serine/threonine kinase that is ubiquitously expressed in eukaryotic cells. CK2 is a constitutively active tetrameric enzyme composed of two catalytic alpha and/or alpha'-subunits and two regulatory beta-subunits. There is increasing evidence that the individual subunits may have independent functions and that they are asymmetrically distributed inside the cell. To gain a better understanding of the functions of the individual subunits, we employed a yeast-two-hybrid screen with CK2alpha and CK2alpha'. We identified the motor neuron protein KIF5C as a new binding partner for CK2. The interaction found in the yeast-two-hybrid screen was confirmed by co-sedimentation analysis on a sucrose density gradient and by co-immunoprecipitation analysis. Pull-down experiments and surface plasmon resonance spectrometry revealed a direct binding of KIF5C to CK2alpha'. Co-localization studies with neuroblastoma cells, bone marrow and with primary neurons confirmed the biochemical analysis that KIF5C preferentially bound to CK2alpha'.

Wave microcarrier cultivation of MDCK cells for influenza virus production in serum containing and serum-free media

A process for equine influenza virus vaccine production using a microcarrier system (Cytodex 1) in a 2 L Wave bioreactor is described. Growth of Madin Darby canine kidney (MDCK) cells in serum containing GMEM medium (SC) is compared to growth in serum-free Ex-Cell MDCK medium (SF) without washing steps and medium exchange before infection. Cultivations with microcarrier concentrations of 2 and 4 g/L for both media are shown. Metabolic data from carbon and amino acid metabolism are discussed. Additionally, in roller bottle experiments the influence of multiplicity of infection (moi) and trypsin concentration on the HA value was investigated. Analysis of HA and TCID(50) at 37 degrees C showed a stable HA of maximum 2.6 log HA/100 microL for 2 weeks. Peak TCID(50) titers of 10(7.7) viruses/mL were achieved 20h post infection, but infectivity was below detection limit after 150 h. Cell attachment onto microcarriers under serum-free conditions was improved by Ca(2+) addition and by cell harvesting without trypsin using only an EDTA/PBS solution. For the wave cultivation maximum virus titers of 2.3-2.6 log HA units/100 microL were reached from infection with a moi of 0.05. However, in SF medium pH dropped to less than pH 6.8 which resulted in lower HA titers of 1.7 log HA units/100 microL. For the higher microcarrier concentration (4 g/L) medium exchange steps (500 mL) were needed for both media. Omission of the washing step and medium exchange before infection in SF medium clearly simplified the influenza production process; however, for higher virus yields a better pH control of the wave bioreactor would be required. Higher cell densities (2.8 x 10(6) cells/mL for 2 g/L microcarrier) and better attachment compared to stirred tank bioreactors showed, that the wave bioreactor is a good alternative to stirred tank processes for expanding production capacities in case of a pandemic.

The in vivo form of the murine class VI POU protein Emb is larger than that encoded by previously described transcripts

The class VI POU domain family member known as Emb in the mouse (rat Brn5 or human mPOU/TCFbeta1) is present in vivo as a protein migrating at about 80 kDa on western blots, considerably larger than that predicted (about 42 kDa) from previously cloned coding sequences. By RT-PCR and 5' RACE strategies a full-length Emb sequence, Emb FL, is now identified. Shorter sequences encoding the -COOH terminal, and an -NH(2) terminal isoform, EmbN, were also isolated. Comparisons of Emb coding sequences between species, including the full-length zebra fish, POU(c), are presented, together with a compilation of the multiple transcripts produced by alternative splicing and the presence of different transcriptional start and stop sites, from the Emb gene.