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Additional file 1: Figure S1. Additional controls used in this study. Panel A shows the expression of AmilCP under the control of the uspA (Universal Stress Protein) promoter sequence. As an activating agent, H2O2 was used and mitomycin C as a negative control (MC). Panel B shows the effect of varying concentrations of SDS on the activation of the recA reporter strain. Panel C shows the activation of varying concentrations of ethanol. Panel D shows the viability and activation of the reporter strain during a 30 min. heat shock. The clear area on each experiment indicates cell death. The purple halos indicate reporter strain activation. Panel E, representative examples of 35 mm petri dish assays using MC at different concentrations and the plot of halo diameter against MC concentration, an average of three independent experiments, to show that below 1 ��g of MC the signal is barely detectable. Figure S2. Evaluation of lower concentrations of the chromium contaminated lixiviates from a chromite processing facility. Panel A shows the activation of the reporter strain at lower concentrations of the Cr(VI) containing lixiviates. In Panel B, control lixiviates are shown from the mountainside of the contaminated soil known to be clear of Cr(VI). The clear area on each experiment indicates cell death. The purple halos indicate reporter strain activation.

An amendment to this paper has been published and can be accessed via a link at the top of the paper.

The conditions to store sweet cherry pollen of six cultivars ("Brooks", "Cristobalina", "Marvin", "New Star", "Ruby" and "Somerset") for a long period of time were studied. Pollen samples were stored at 4 deg C or -20 deg C and were taken at 7, 15, 30, 60, 90, 180, 270, 365 or 540 days of storage for all cultivars (with the exception of "Somerset" at 30 days). "Cristobalina" showed the highest pollen germination (over 60%). For the rest of cultivars, maximum pollen germination ranged from 36% to 44%. Pollen viability was completely lost for most cultivars after only 60 days of storage at 4 drg C. However, percentages of germinated pollen in all cultivars were not different from the control after one year of storage at -20 deg C, with the exception of "New Star" and "Marvin" that showed a reduction in pollen germination. Storage for periods longer than one year at -20 deg C produced a decrease in pollen viability with the exception of "Cristobalina" and "Somerset" pollen that maintained similar viability at all times. Results indicate that pollen viability could be maintained at reasonably high percentages after storage at -20 deg C during one year for all cultivars studied., Se han estudiado las condiciones de conservación del polen de seis variedades de cerezo ("Brooks", "Cristobalina", "Marvin", "New Star", "Ruby" y "Somerset") durante un largo período de almacenamiento. El polen se conservó a 4 grados C y -20 grados C y se tomaron muestras a los 7, 15, 30, 60, 90, 180, 270, 365 y 540 días de almacenamiento de todas las variedades, con la excepción de "Somerset" a los 30 días. "Cristobalina" mostró los porcentajes de germinación mayores (por encima de 60%). Los valores alcanzados por el resto de las variedades oscilaron entre el 36% y el 44%. La mayoría de las variedades perdieron completamente la viabilidad del polen tan solo a los 60 días de conservación a 4 grados C. Sin embargo, los porcentajes de germinación del polen conservado a -20 grados C no variaron después de un año, excepto en las variedades "New Star" y "Marvin", que mostraron una reducción en su germinación. La conservación del polen a -20 grados C durante un periodo superior al año disminuyó la viabilidad del polen, excepto en el caso de "Cristobalina" y "Somerset", donde la viabilidad fue similar durante todo el tiempo. De los resultados de este trabajo se puede concluir que la viabilidad del polen de cerezo se puede mantener en porcentajes razonablemente elevados durante un año a -20 grados C en todas las variedades estudiadas.

Forty-eight grazing mid-lactating anoestrous dual-purpose cows were used to determine the effect of feed supplementation (FS) on body condition score (BCS), milk yield, metabolic profile and pregnancy rate in the dry (DS, n= 24) and rainy (RS, n= 24) seasons in Mexico. Half of the cows received FS with 19% crude protein from days 0 to 45. On days 0 and 45 BCS was assessed in all cows, and blood samples were collected to determine the serum concentrations of some metabolites. Milk yield was individually recorded from days-7 to 45 (day 0 = start of the FS period). On day 10 all cows were induced to oestrous with norgestomet and then artificially inseminated. BCS, serum albumin concentration and pregnancy rate were higher (P < 0.05) in DS. Milk yield and serum inorganic phosphorus concentration were not affected (P > 0.05) by FS or season of the year. Serum total protein was higher (P < 0.05) on day 0 in cows receiving FS in DS. Serum urea was lower (P < 0.05) on day 45 in cows without FS in DS, but was higher on day 45 in cows with and without FS in RS (P < 0.05). Serum copper and zinc were higher (P < 0.05) in RS, and serum zinc was also higher (P < 0.05) on day 45 in cows with and without FS in DS. In conclusion, FS affected serum concentrations of total protein, urea and zinc, whereas season of the year affected BCS, serum concentrations of albumin, copper and zinc and pregnancy rate Se determinó el efecto de la suplementación alimenticia (FS) sobre condición corporal (BCS), producción láctea, perfil metabólico y tasa de gestación en 48 vacas de doble propósito anéstricas en pastoreo en lactancia media en época de secas (DS, n = 24) y lluvias (RS, n = 24) en México. La mitad de las vacas recibió FS con 19% PC del día 0 al 45. Los días 0 y 45 se evaluó la BCS en todas las vacas y se tomaron muestras sanguíneas para determinar concentraciones séricas de ciertos metabolitos. La producción láctea se registró individualmente los días -7 a 45. El día 10 todas las vacas recibieron norgestomet para inducir el estro y después fueron inseminadas. La BCS, la albúmina sérica y la tasa de gestación fueron mayores (P < 0,05) en DS. La producción láctea y el fósforo inorgánico sérico no difirieron (P > 0,05) por FS o época del año. La proteína total sérica fue mayor (P < 0,05) el día 0 en vacas con FS en DS. La urea sérica fue menor y mayor (P < 0,05) el día 45 en vacas con y sin FS en DS y RS, respectivamente. Las concentraciones séricas de cobre y zinc fueron mayores (P < 0,05) en RS, y las de zinc fueron mayores (P < 0,05) también el día 45 en vacas con y sin FS en DS. En conclusión, la FS afectó las concentraciones séricas de proteína total, urea y zinc, y la época del año afectó la BCS, las concentraciones de albúmina, cobre y zinc y la tasa de gestación

Caso clínico: Varón de 21 años se presenta con pérdida de visión bilateral desde hace un año, y ataxia cerebelosa desde la infancia. Dos familiares presentaban un cuadro clínico similar. En la exploración se objetivaron escotomas centrales bilaterales y patrón compatible con distrofia conos-bastones en electrorretinograma y tomografía de coherencia óptica. El análisis molecular mediante amplificación por PCR y genotipado del gen SCA7 estableció el diagnóstico de SCA-7, un síndrome genético por expansión de poliglutaminas. Discusión: SCA-7 es un síndrome genético por expansión de poliglutaminas y la única ataxia espinocerebelosa que asocia una distrofia conos-bastones, probablemente por una interacción anómala con proteínas reguladoras de genes específicos de fotorreceptores. Clinical case: A 21-year-old male presented with bilateral loss of visual acuity within the last year, and cerebellar ataxia since childhood. Two members of his family had a similar disorder. Examination showed bilateral central scotomas, as well as an electroretinogram pattern and optic coherence tomography images consistent with cone-rod dystrophy. Molecular analysis by PCR amplification and genotyping of the SCA7 gene established the diagnosis of SCA-7. Discussion: SCA-7 is a polyglutamine expansion disorder and the only spinocerebellar ataxia that shows a cone-rod dystrophy phenotype, which probably results from interference with the action of specific cone-rod genes.

Background The aim of the study was to demonstrate the safety and effectiveness of a suture-mediated vascular closure device to perform hemostasis after an axillary artery access during endovascular procedures on the aortic valve, the aorta and its side branches. Methods A physician-initiated, international, multicenter, retrospective registry was designed to evaluate the success rate (VARC-2 reporting standards) of percutaneous transaxillary access closure with a suture-mediated closure device. Secondary end points were minor access vascular complications, transient peripheral nerve injury, stroke, and influence on periprocedural outcomes of puncture technique. Results Three hundred thirty-one patients (median age, 76 years; 69.2% males) in 11 centers received a percutaneous transaxillary access during endovascular cardiac (n = 166) or vascular (n = 165) procedures. The closure success rate was 84.6%, with 5 open conversions (1.5%), 45 adjunctive endovascular procedures (13.6%), and 1 nerve injury (0.3%). Secondary closure success was obtained in 325 patients (98%) after 7 bare stenting, 37 covered stenting, and 1 thrombin injection. Introducer sheaths 16F or larger (odds ratio, 3.70; 95% confidence interval, 1.22-11.42) and balloon-assisted hemostasis (odds ratio, 4.45; 95% confidence interval, 1.27-15.68) were associated with closure failure. A threshold of five percutaneous axillary accesses was associated with decreased rates of open conversion, but not with increased primary closure success. Primary closure success was 90.3% in the 175 patients with sheaths smaller than 16F, performed after the first 5 procedures in each center. Temporary nerve injury and stroke were observed in 2% and 4% of patients, respectively. Conclusions Percutaneous transaxillary aortic procedures, in selected patients, can be performed with low rates of open conversion. The need for additional endovascular bailout procedures is not negligible when introducers sheaths 16F or larger are required.

Background: Cataract surgery is the most common operation performed worldwide. A fixed topical corticosteroid-antibiotic combination is usually prescribed in clinical practice for 2 or more weeks to treat post surgical inflammation and prevent infection. However, this protracted schedule may increase the incidence of corticosteroid-related adverse events and notably promote antibiotic resistance. Methods: This International, multicentre, randomized, blinded-assessor, parallel-group clinical study evaluated the non-inferiority of 1-week levofloxacin/dexamethasone eye drops, followed by 1-week dexamethasone alone, vs. 2-week gold-standard tobramycin/dexamethasone (one drop QID for all schedules) to prevent and treat ocular inflammation and prevent infection after uncomplicated cataract surgery. Non-inferiority was defined as the lower limit of the 95% confidence interval (CI) around a treatment difference >–10%. The study randomized 808 patients enrolled in 53 centres (Italy, Germany, Spain and Russia). The primary endpoint was the proportion of patients without anterior chamber inflammation on day 15 defined as the end of treatment. Endophthalmitis was the key secondary endpoint. This study is registered with EudraCT code: 2018-000286-36. Results: After the end of treatment, 95.2% of the patients in the test arm vs. 94.9% of the control arm had no signs of inflammation in the anterior chamber (difference between proportions of patients = 0.028; 95% CI: −0.0275/0.0331). No case of endophthalmitis was reported. No statistically significant difference was evident in any of the other secondary endpoints. Both treatments were well tolerated. Conclusions: Non-inferiority of the new short pharmacological strategy was proven. One week of levofloxacin/dexamethasone prevents infection, ensures complete control of inflammation in almost all patients and may contain antibiotic resistance.