Seasonality and longer-term development generate temporal dynamics in the Populus microbiome

Temporal variation in community composition is central to our understanding of the assembly and functioning of microbial communities, yet the controls over temporal dynamics for microbiomes of long-lived plants, such as trees, remain unclear. Temporal variation in tree microbiomes could arise primarily from seasonal (i.e., intra-annual) fluctuations in community composition or from longer-term changes across years as host plants age. To test these alternatives, we experimentally isolated temporal variation in plant microbiome composition using a common garden and clonally propagated plants, and we used amplicon sequencing to characterize bacterial/archaeal and fungal communities in the leaf endosphere, root endosphere, and rhizosphere of two Populus spp. over four seasons across two consecutive years. Microbial community composition differed among seasons and years (which accounted for up to 21% of the variation in microbial community composition) and was correlated with seasonal dissimilarity in climatic conditions. However, microbial community dissimilarity was also positively correlated with time, reflecting longer-term compositional shifts as host trees aged. Together, our findings demonstrate that temporal patterns in tree microbiomes arise from both seasonal fluctuations and longer-term changes, which interact to generate unique seasonal patterns each year. In addition to shedding light on two important controls over the assembly of plant microbiomes, our results also suggest future studies of tree microbiomes should account for background temporal dynamics when testing the drivers of spatial patterns in microbial community composition and temporal responses of plant microbiomes to environmental change.IMPORTANCEMicrobiomes are integral to the health of host plants, but we have a limited understanding of the factors that control how the composition of plant microbiomes changes over time. Especially little is known about the microbiome of long-lived trees, relative to annual and non-woody plants. We tested how tree microbiomes changed between seasons and years in poplar (genus Populus), which are widespread and ecologically important tree species that also serve as important biofuel feedstocks. We found the composition of bacterial, archaeal, and fungal communities differed among seasons, but these seasonal differences depended on year. This dependence was driven by longer-term changes in microbial composition as host trees developed across consecutive years. Our findings suggest that temporal variation in tree microbiomes is driven by both seasonal fluctuations and longer-term (i.e., multiyear) development.

A global ensemble of ocean wave climate statistics from contemporary wave reanalysis and hindcasts

There are numerous global ocean wave reanalysis and hindcast products currently being distributed and used across different scientific fields. However, there is not a consistent dataset that can sample across all existing products based on a standardized framework. Here, we present and describe the first coordinated multi-product ensemble of present-day global wave fields available to date. This dataset, produced through the Coordinated Ocean Wave Climate Project (COWCLIP) phase 2, includes general and extreme statistics of significant wave height (H_s), mean wave period (T_m) and mean wave direction (θ_m) computed across 1980–2014, at different frequency resolutions (monthly, seasonally, and annually). This coordinated global ensemble has been derived from fourteen state-of-the-science global wave products obtained from different atmospheric reanalysis forcing and downscaling methods. This data set has been processed, under a specific framework for consistency and quality, following standard Data Reference Syntax, Directory Structures and Metadata specifications. This new comprehensive dataset provides support to future broad-scale analysis of historical wave climatology and variability as well as coastal risk and vulnerability assessments across offshore and coastal engineering applications.

Measurement(s)	Significant wave height • Mean wave period • Mean wave direction
Technology Type(s)	Global wave reanalysis and hindcasts
Sample Characteristic - Environment	Wind-waves
Sample Characteristic - Location	Global

Uncertainty and Bias in Global to Regional Scale Assessments of Current and Future Coastal Flood Risk

This study provides a literature-based comparative assessment of uncertainties and biases in global to world-regional scale assessments of current and future coastal flood risks, considering mean and extreme sea-level hazards, the propagation of these into the floodplain, people and coastal assets exposed, and their vulnerability. Globally, by far the largest bias is introduced by not considering human adaptation, which can lead to an overestimation of coastal flood risk in 2100 by up to factor 1300. But even when considering adaptation, uncertainties in how coastal societies will adapt to sea-level rise dominate with a factor of up to 27 all other uncertainties. Other large uncertainties that have been quantified globally are associated with socio-economic development (factors 2.3-5.8), digital elevation data (factors 1.2-3.8), ice sheet models (factor 1.6-3.8) and greenhouse gas emissions (factors 1.6-2.1). Local uncertainties that stand out but have not been quantified globally, relate to depth-damage functions, defense failure mechanisms, surge and wave heights in areas affected by tropical cyclones (in particular for large return periods), as well as nearshore interactions between mean sea-levels, storm surges, tides and waves. Advancing the state-of-the-art requires analyzing and reporting more comprehensively on underlying uncertainties, including those in data, methods and adaptation scenarios. Epistemic uncertainties in digital elevation, coastal protection levels and depth-damage functions would be best reduced through open community-based efforts, in which many scholars work together in collecting and validating these data.

Abstract AP30: PHASE IB/II WITH EXPANSION OF PATIENTS AT THE MTD STUDY OF OLAPARIB PLUS WEEKLY (METRONOMIC) CARBOPLATIN AND PACLITAXEL IN RELAPSED OVARIAN CANCER PATIENTS

BACKGROUND: We established the olaparib tablet maximum tolerated dose (MTD) at 150 mg bid, dose limiting toxicities (DLT's) and response to therapy or carboplatin, paclitaxel and olaparib tablet given simultaneously, reported at ASCO 2014. This abstract will include data from both the phase 1b and the phase 2 expansion.

METHODS: A total of 54 subjects were evaluated in this trial, 14 in phase 1b and 40 in phase 2. Eligibility required measurable disease, adequate organ function and ECOG performance status of ~ 2. Subjects had to have failed first line platinum containing chemotherapy. BRCA testing was conducted as available. Subjects received the metronomic therapy of paclitaxel 60mg/m2 IV and carboplatin AUC 2 IV weekly, 3 weeks out of 4, and olaparib tablets at 150 mg bid administered orally for 3 consecutive days (D1-D3) every week for each cycle. Subjects were assessed for toxicity and response according to the protocol. Subjects that reached a confirmed complete remission were transitioned to olaparib tablets only, 300 mg bid until disease progression.

RESULTS: Median age was 58 and median number of prior regimens was 4. There have been no deaths due to the study regimen. One patient had grade 4 neutropenia and an allergic reaction to carboplatin. The common grade 3/4 toxicities were caused by the chemotherapy (neutropenia. anemia and thrombocytopenia). Two patients had mild GI toxicities. One patient had a skin rash. There was no evidence of cardiac, hepatic, or pulmonary toxicities in any of these patients. 25% of subjects had a complete remission (CR), 31% had PR, 23% had SD and 21% had

PD. Of the 13 CRs, 4 were BRCA negative. PFS median for BRCA positive subjects is 12.6 months vs 4.8 months for BRCA negative subjects. OS median for BRCA positive subjects is 24 months vs 16 months for BRCA negative subjects. All of the CR's are alive.

CONCLUSION: Olaparib tablet can be safely administered simultaneously with a weekly regimen of carboplatin and paclitaxel in heavily pretreated ovarian cancer patients. Olaparib appears to be highly effective in BRCA positive subjects. This is the first successful combination of olaparib tablets with carboplatin and paclitaxel that has been well tolerated.

Citation Format: Rivkin SE, Moon J, Iriarte D, Sloan H, Wiseman C, Klee M, Ference K, Drescher C, Veljovich D, Bondurant A, Peters W, Jiang P, Goodman G, Park M, Fer M, Shah C, Johnston E, Kaplan H, Wahl T, Ellis E. PHASE IB/II WITH EXPANSION OF PATIENTS AT THE MTD STUDY OF OLAPARIB PLUS WEEKLY (METRONOMIC) CARBOPLATIN AND PACLITAXEL IN RELAPSED OVARIAN CANCER PATIENTS [abstract]. In: Proceedings of the 11th Biennial Ovarian Cancer Research Symposium; Sep 12-13, 2016; Seattle, WA. Philadelphia (PA): AACR; Clin Cancer Res 2017;23(11 Suppl):Abstract nr AP30.

Implementation of a national electronic reporting system in Lithuania

Electronic reporting systems improve the quality and timeliness of the surveillance of communicable diseases. The aim of this paper is to present the process of the implementation and introduction of an electronic reporting system for the surveillance of communicable diseases in Lithuania. The project which started in 2002 was performed in collaboration between Lithuania and Sweden and was facilitated by the parallel process of adapting the surveillance system to European Union (EU) standards. The Lotus-based software, SmittAdm, was acquired from the Department of Communicable Diseases Control and Prevention of Stockholm County in Sweden and adopted for Lithuania, resulting in the Lithuanian software, ULISAS. A major advantage of this program for Lithuania was the possibility to work offline. The project was initiated in the two largest counties in Lithuania where ULISAS had been installed and put in use by January 2005. The introduction was gradual, the national level was connected to the system during late 2005, and all remaining counties were included during 2006 and 2007. The reporting system remains to be evaluated concerning timeliness and completeness of the surveillance. Further development is needed, for example the inclusion of all physicians and laboratories and an alert system for outbreaks. The introduction of this case-based, timely electronic reporting system in Lithuania allows better reporting of data to the European Centre for Disease Prevention and Control (ECDC) and the World Health Organization (WHO) compared to the former reporting system with paper-based, aggregated data.

Implementation of a national electronic reporting system in Lithuania

Electronic reporting systems improve the quality and timeliness of the surveillance of communicable diseases. The aim of this paper is to present the process of the implementation and introduction of an electronic reporting system for the surveillance of communicable diseases in Lithuania. The project which started in 2002 was performed in collaboration between Lithuania and Sweden and was facilitated by the parallel process of adapting the surveillance system to European Union (EU) standards. The Lotus-based software, SmittAdm, was acquired from the Department of Communicable Diseases Control and Prevention of Stockholm County in Sweden and adopted for Lithuania, resulting in the Lithuanian software, ULISAS. A major advantage of this program for Lithuania was the possibility to work offline. The project was initiated in the two largest counties in Lithuania where ULISAS had been installed and put in use by January 2005. The introduction was gradual, the national level was connected to the system during late 2005, and all remaining counties were included during 2006 and 2007. The reporting system remains to be evaluated concerning timeliness and completeness of the surveillance. Further development is needed, for example the inclusion of all physicians and laboratories and an alert system for outbreaks. The introduction of this case-based, timely electronic reporting system in Lithuania allows better reporting of data to the European Centre for Disease Prevention and Control (ECDC) and the World Health Organization (WHO) compared to the former reporting system with paper-based, aggregated data.

Attainment of glycaemic goals in type 2 diabetes with once-, twice-, or thrice-daily dosing with biphasic insulin aspart 70/30 (The 1-2-3 study)

AIM

This observational study in patients with type 2 diabetes failing oral agent therapy with or without basal insulin was conducted to assess whether addition and self-titration of biphasic insulin aspart 70/30 (BIAsp 30) could achieve American Association of Clinical Endocrinologists (AACE)/International Diabetes Federation (IDF) and American Diabetes Association (ADA) glycemic targets (HbA(1c)< or =6.5 and <7%).

METHODS

Enrolled patients (n = 100, HbA(1c)> or =7.5 and < or =10%) were > or =18 years of age, had diabetes > or =12 months and had received a stable antidiabetic regimen for at least 3 months [minimum of two oral antidiabetic drugs (OADs) or at least one OAD plus once-daily basal insulin < or =60 U]. Patients discontinued prior basal insulin and added one injection of BIAsp 30 (12 U or 70-100% of prior basal insulin dose within 15 min of dinner initiation). Patients self-titrated their BIAsp 30 dose with investigator guidance every 3 or 4 days to achieve pre-breakfast fasting blood glucose (FBG) of 80-110 mg/dl. At 16 weeks, a pre-breakfast injection of 6 U of BIAsp 30 was added if week 15 HbA(1c) exceeded 6.5%; the added dose was titrated to achieve pre-dinner BG of 80-110 mg/dl. After an additional 16 weeks, 3 U of pre-lunch BIAsp 30 was added if HbA(1c) exceeded 6.5%. This added dose was adjusted based on 2-h post-lunch BG to achieve postprandial glucose of 100-140 mg/dl. Subjects achieving an HbA(1c)< or =6.5% at 15 and 31 weeks completed the study at weeks 16 and 32 respectively.

RESULTS

Addition of once-daily BIAsp 30 before dinner enabled 21% of the patients to achieve AACE and IDF targets (HbA(1c)< or =6.5%) and 41% to achieve ADA targets (HbA(1c) <7%). With two daily injections of BIAsp 30, these glycaemic goals were achieved by 52 and 70% of subjects. With three daily BIAsp 30 injections, 60% of patients achieved HbA(1c)< or =6.5%, and 77% achieved HbA(1c) <7.0%.

CONCLUSIONS

This clinical trial demonstrates that initiation of once-daily BIAsp 30 to type 2 diabetes patients poorly controlled on various OAD regimens was an effective treatment approach for achieving glycaemic goals. Additional patients safely achieved these goals by increasing the number of BIAsp 30 injections from one to two, and then, if uncontrolled, from two to three doses per day. Eventually, most patients previously uncontrolled on OADs with or without basal insulin were controlled by the addition and vigorous titration of BIAsp 30 to oral agent therapy.

MRI-based volumetric differentiation of sporadic cerebellar ataxia

The term idiopathic cerebellar ataxia (IDCA) designates a variety of cerebellar syndromes that may present with a purely cerebellar syndrome (IDCA-C) or with additional extracerebellar features (IDCA-P). Multiple system atrophy is also a sporadic neurodegenerative disorder of unknown origin that may cause prominent cerebellar symptoms (MSA-C). The final neuropathological answer to the question whether IDCA-P and MSA-C represent different varieties of one disease or two distinct entities is still lacking. Three-dimensional MRI-based volumetry allows morphological investigations intra vitam. Volumetric analysis of cerebellum, brainstem and basal ganglia was therefore performed in 46 patients with sporadic cerebellar ataxia and 16 age-matched healthy controls. Patients with dementia were excluded from the study since cognitive impairment is an exclusion criterion for the diagnosis of MSA. Cerebellar patients were clinically divided into two groups: 33 patients with multiple system atrophy with prominent cerebellar symptoms (MSA-C) and 13 patients with extracerebellar features not corresponding to MSA-C (IDCA-P). There was evidence for substantial cerebellar atrophy in both cerebellar groups while additional brainstem atrophy was significantly more pronounced in MSA-C patients. Absolute caudate and putamen atrophy was found to be restricted to single MSA-C individuals while group comparisons of mean volumes did not yield significant differences from controls. Based on the volumetric data, diagnosis could be correctly predicted in 94% of control, 82% of MSA-C and 100% of IDCA-P individuals. The finding of specific imaging characteristics strengthens (i) the value of MRI volumetry in separating MSA-C from other types of sporadic cerebellar ataxia, and (ii) the hypothesis of two independent neurodegenerative disorders in MSA-C and IDCA-P.

Involvement of yeast sphingolipids in the heat stress response of Saccharomyces cerevisiae

A role for sphingolipids in the yeast heat stress response has been suggested by the isolation of suppressors of mutants lacking these lipids, which are unable to grow at elevated temperatures. The current study examines the possible role of sphingolipids in the heat adaptation of yeast cells as monitored by growth and viability studies. The suppressor of long chain base auxotrophy (SLC, strain 7R4) showed a heat-sensitive phenotype that was corrected by transformation with serine palmitoyltransferase. Thus, the deficiency in sphingolipids and not the suppressor mutation was the cause of the heat-sensitive phenotype of the SLC strain 7R4. The ability of sphingolipids to rescue the heat-sensitive phenotype was examined, and two endogenous yeast sphingoid backbones, phytosphingosine and dihydrosphingosine, were found to be most potent in this effect. Next, the effect of heat stress on the levels of the three major classes of sphingolipids was determined. The inositol phosphoceramides showed no change over a 1.5-h time course. However, the four detected species of sphingoid bases increased after 15 min of heat stress from 1.4- to 10.8-fold. The largest increases were seen in two sphingoid bases, C20 phytosphingosine and C20 dihydrosphingosine, which increased 6.4- and 10.8-fold over baseline, respectively. At 60 min of heat stress two species of yeast ceramide increased by 9.2- and 10.6-fold over baseline. The increase seen in the ceramides was partially decreased by Fumonisin B1, a ceramide synthase inhibitor. Therefore, heat stress induces accumulation of sphingoid bases and of ceramides, probably through de novo synthesis. Taken together, these results demonstrate that sphingolipids are involved in the yeast heat stress adaptation.

Image analysis of endodontic radiographs: digital subtraction and quantitative densitometry

In this study computerized image analysis procedures were applied to endodontic radiographs. Kontron IBAS 2000 is a commercially available image analysis system with processing routines applicable to radiograph digitizing and transformations. The system was evaluated for: its ability to harmonize blackening and contrast in endodontic radiographs; its ability to compensate for angulation distortion of sequential exposures of individual teeth; its potential for application of digital subtraction methods; and its use in automated gray-level analyses of diseased and healthy bone areas in endodontic radiographs. The Kontron IBAS 2000 system proved suitable for all applications. However, the specificity of the subtraction procedure was limited by some inherent problems in the harmonization of blackening and in the subtraction process itself. On the other hand, automated gray level measurements proved to be a robust method for unbiased and quantitative assessment of healing of apical periodontitis.

Emergency health impact of a severe storm

A severe, premature snow storm resulted in widespread loss of power, communications, and transportation in a populous region of the Northeast. Staff in hospital emergency departments centered in the path of the storm reported a large number of injuries and many unexpected health effects related to the storm. A retrospective survey of the five major hospital emergency departments serving the most heavily affected urban and suburban areas was undertaken to determine the emergency health impact of the storm and resulting operational problems. Expected findings included a decrease in emergency department visits the day of the storm, followed by a sharp increase the day after. Clean-up activities accounted for a large number of the injuries, most of which were preventable. Unexpected findings include a large number of carbon monoxide poisonings and disposition and staffing problems created by caring for many patients who lost access to customary home health care services. Emergency department staff are encouraged to engage in public education efforts that may reduce serious illness or injury related to severe weather and its aftermath. Moreover, traditional disaster plans may need to be supplemented in anticipation of the disposition and staffing problems created by a growing population of elderly patients who will be cut off from vital home health care services by severe weather.

Caudoxirene, the spermatozoid-releasing and attracting factor in the marine brown alga Perithalia caudata (Phaeophyceae, Sporochnales)

Caudoxirene (cis-3-(1,2-trans-epoxy-but-3-enyl)-4-vinyl-cyclopentene) is a new gamete releasing factor from Perithalia caudata (Sporochnales). Its threshold concentration is found at 30 pmol for gamete release. Multifidene, viridiene and a Z-isomer of caudoxirene were identified as by-products or trace constituents.

Stimulation of antibody following 51chromium survival studies

The survival of red blood cells (RBCs) radiolabeled with 51Chromium (51Cr) is a reliable method for predicting transfusion compatibility. Approximately 1.0 ml of 51Cr tagged RBCs is infused into the patient and samples are drawn at predetermined intervals post infusion to determine RBC survival. Red cells used for the study are usually incompatible with the patient's antibody. This antigenic rechallenge may stimulate further antibody production, which could contribute to accelerated destruction of RBCs during subsequent incompatible transfusions. To study this question, blood samples were collected from six patients with a single atypical alloantibody, seven to nine months after 51Cr RBC survival studies had been performed in an unrelated protocol. Blood had not been transfused in the interim. The samples were tested in parallel with pre-survival samples for change in antibody titer and score. In addition, RBCs used for the 51Cr survival study, sensitized in vitro with pre- and post-survival serum, were tested by the monocyte monolayer assay (MMA). Serum antibody titers showed a significant increase (> 2 dilutions) in two of six patients and antibody score was significantly increased (> 10) in three of six patients. One of the two negative MMAs became weakly positive. This study suggests that 51Cr survival tests using small volumes of RBCs can stimulate significant increases in antibody in some patients, a factor that must be considered in performing these tests and in planning subsequent transfusions.