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Rice is the major staple food crop for more than 50% of the world's total population, and its production is of immense importance for global food security. As a photophilic plant, its yield is governed by the quality and duration of light. Like all photosynthesizing plants, rice perceives the changes in the intensity of environmental light using phytochromes as photoreceptors, and it initiates a morphological response that is termed as the shade-avoidance response (SAR). Phytochromes (PHYs) are the most important photoreceptor family, and they are primarily responsible for the absorption of the red (R) and far-red (FR) spectra of light. In our endeavor, we identified the morphological differences between two contrasting cultivars of rice: IR-64 (low-light susceptible) and Swarnaprabha (low-light tolerant), and we observed the phenological differences in their growth in response to the reduced light conditions. In order to create genomic resources for low-light tolerant rice, we constructed a subgenomic library of Swarnaprabha that expedited our efforts to isolate light-responsive photoreceptors. The titer of the library was found to be 3.22 × 10 5 cfu/mL, and the constructed library comprised clones of 4-9 kb in length. The library was found to be highly efficient as per the number of recombinant clones. The subgenomic library will serve as a genomic resource for the Gramineae community to isolate photoreceptors and other genes from rice.

Disease outbreaks attributed to monsoon flood-induced pathogen exposure are frequently reported, especially in developing cities with poor sanitation. Contamination levels have been monitored in past studies, yet the sources, routes, and extents of contamination are not always clear. We evaluated pollution from municipal wastewater (MWW) discharge and investigated fecal contamination by Escherichia coli ( E. coli ) in three agricultural fields on the outskirts of Hue City, Vietnam. After E. coli concentration was determined in irrigation water (IRW), MWW, soil, vegetables (VEG), and manure, its dispersion from MWW was tracked using multilocus sequence typing (MLST) and phylogenetic analyses during the wet and dry seasons. IRW was severely contaminated; 94% of the samples were positive with E. coli exceeding the stipulated standards, while VEG contamination was very low in both seasons. The confirmed total number of isolates was comparable between the seasons; however, results from MLST and phylogenetic clustering revealed more links between the sites and samples to MWW during the wet season. The wet season had four mixed clusters of E. coli isolates from multiple locations and samples linked to MWW, while only one mixed cluster also linking MWW to IRW was observed during the dry season. The most prevalent sequence type (ST) complex 10 and two others (40 and 155) have been associated with disease outbreaks, while other STs have links to major pathotypes. Irrigation canals are significant routes for E. coli dispersion through direct links to the urban drainage-infested river. This study clarified the genotype of E . coli in Hue city, and the numerous links between the samples and sites revealed MWW discharge as the source of E. coli contamination that was enhanced by flooding.

Simultaneous integration of photon emission and biocompatibility into nanoparticles is an interesting strategy to develop applications of advanced optical materials. In this work, we present the synthesis of biocompatible optical nanocomposites from the combination of near-infrared luminescent lanthanide nanoparticles and water-soluble chitosan. NaYF 4 :Yb,Er upconverting nanocrystal guests and water-soluble chitosan hosts are prepared and integrated together into biofunctional optical composites. The control of aqueous dissolution, gelation, assembly, and drying of NaYF 4 :Yb,Er nanocolloids and chitosan liquids allowed us to design novel optical structures of spongelike aerogels and beadlike microspheres. Well-defined shape and near-infrared response lead upconverting nanocrystals to serve as photon converters to couple with plasmonic gold (Au) nanoparticles. Biocompatible chitosan-stabilized Au/NaYF 4 :Yb,Er nanocomposites are prepared to show their potential use in biomedicine as we find them exhibiting a half-maximal effective concentration (EC 50 ) of 0.58 mg mL -1 for chitosan-stabilized Au/NaYF 4 :Yb,Er nanorods versus 0.24 mg mL -1 for chitosan-stabilized NaYF 4 :Yb,Er after 24 h. As a result of their low cytotoxicity and upconverting response, these novel materials hold promise to be interesting for biomedicine, analytical sensing, and other applications., Competing Interests: The authors declare no competing financial interest.

Objective: Older adults, those aged 65 and older, frequently require emergency care. However, only limited national data describe the Emergency Medical Services (EMS) care provided to older adults. We sought to determine the characteristics of EMS care provided to older adults in the United States., Methods: We used data from the 2014 National Emergency Medical Services Information System (NEMSIS), encompassing EMS response data from 46 States and territories. We excluded EMS responses for children <18 years, interfacility transports, intercepts, non-emergency medical transports, and standby responses. We defined older adults as age ≥65 years. We compared patient demographics (age, sex, race, primary payer), response characteristics (dispatch time, location type, time intervals), and clinical course (clinical impression, injury, procedures, medications) between older and younger adult EMS emergency 9-1-1 responses., Results: During the study period there were 20,212,245 EMS emergency responses. Among the 16,116,219 adult EMS responses, there were 6,569,064 (40.76%) older and 9,547,155 (59.24%) younger adults. Older EMS patients were more likely to be white and the EMS incident to be located in healthcare facilities (clinic, hospital, nursing home). Compared with younger patients, older EMS patients were more likely to present with syncope (5.68% vs. 3.40%; OR 1.71; CI: 1.71-1.72), cardiac arrest/rhythm disturbance (3.27% vs. 1.69%; OR 1.97; CI: 1.96-1.98), stroke (2.18% vs. 0.74%; OR 2.99; CI: 2.96-3.02) and shock (0.77% vs. 0.38%; OR 2.02; CI: 2.00-2.04). Common EMS interventions performed on older persons included intravenous access (32.02%), 12-lead ECG (14.37%), CPR (0.87%), and intubation (2.00%). The most common EMS drugs administered to older persons included epinephrine, atropine, furosemide, amiodarone, and albuterol or ipratropium., Conclusion: One of every three U.S. EMS emergency responses involves older adults. EMS personnel must be prepared to care for the older patient.

Bioinspired materials have aroused great interest as their inherent biocompatible and structural characteristics have given rise to sustainable applications. In this work, we have reported the phase and morphology transformation of chitosan from crystalline nanofibrils into amorphous sheets for fabricating sustainable materials. Acetylation-induced aqueous dissolution of native chitosan nanofibrils affords water-soluble chitosan as a biopolymeric liquid. Water-soluble chitosan macromolecules self-aggregate into amorphous sheets on solidification, presenting an interesting way to inspire new structures of chitosan assemblies. Through control over gelation, lyophilization, and self-assembled confinement of water-soluble chitosan, we have fabricated novel chitosan materials including filaments, aerogels, microspheres, and plastics that are promising for sustainable use.

The Vietnam Initiative for Zoonotic Infections (VIZIONS) includes community-based 'high-risk sentinel cohort' (HRSC) studies investigating individuals at risk of zoonotic infection due to occupational or residential exposure to animals. A total of 852 HRSC members were recruited between March 2013 and August 2014 from three provinces (Ha Noi, Dak Lak, and Dong Thap). The most numerous group (72.8%) corresponded to individuals living on farms, followed by slaughterers (16.3%) and animal health workers (8.5%). Nasal/pharyngeal and rectal swabs were collected from HRSC members at recruitment and after notifying illness. Exposure to exotic animals (including wild pigs, porcupine, monkey, civet, bamboo rat and bat) was highest for the Dak Lak cohort (53.7%), followed by Ha Noi (13.7%) and Dong Thap (4.0%). A total of 26.8% of individuals reported consumption of raw blood over the previous year; 33.6% slaughterers reported no use of protective equipment at work. Over 686 person-years of observation, 213 episodes of suspect infectious disease were notified, equivalent of 0.35 reports per person-year. Responsive samples were collected from animals in the farm cohort. There was noticeable time and space clustering of disease episodes suggesting that the VIZIONS set up is also suitable for the formal epidemiological investigation of disease outbreaks.

Iron-oxidizing bacterial consortia can be enriched in microbial fuel cells (MFCs) operated with ferrous iron as the sole electron donor. In this study, we investigated the possibility of using such lithotrophic iron-oxidizing MFC (LIO-MFC) systems as biosensors to monitor iron and manganese in water samples. When operated with anolytes containing only ferrous iron as the sole electron donor, the experimented LIO-MFCs generated electrical currents in response to the presence of Fe(2+) in the anolytes. For the concentrations of Fe(2+) in the range of 3-20 mM, a linear correlation between the current and the concentration of Fe(2+) could be achieved (r(2) = 0.98). The LIO-MFCs also responded to the presence of Mn(2+) in the anolytes but only when the Mn(2+) concentration was less than 3 mM. The presence of other metal ions such as Ni(2+) or Pb(2+) in the anolytes reduced the Fe(2+)-associated electricity generation of the LIO-MFCs at various levels. Organic compounds, when present at a non-excessive level together with Fe(2+) in the anolytes, did not affect the generation of electricity, although the compounds might serve as alternative electron donors for the anode bacteria. The performance of the LIO-MFCs was also affected to different degrees by operational parameters, including surrounding temperature, pH of the sample, buffer strength and external resistance. The results proved the potential of LIO-MFCs as biosensors sensing Fe(2+) in water samples with a significant specificity. However, the operation of the system should be in compliance with an optimal procedure to ensure reliable performance.

Quantifying protein-induced lipid disruptions at the atomistic level is a challenging problem in membrane biophysics. Here we propose a novel 3D Voronoi tessellation nearest-atom-neighbor shell method to classify and characterize lipid domains into discrete concentric lipid shells surrounding membrane proteins in structurally heterogeneous lipid membranes. This method needs only the coordinates of the system and is independent of force fields and simulation conditions. As a proof-of-principle, we use this multiple lipid shell method to analyze the lipid disruption profiles of three simulated membrane systems: phosphatidylcholine, phosphatidylcholine/cholesterol, and beta-amyloid/phosphatidylcholine/cholesterol. We observed different atomic volume disruption mechanisms due to cholesterol and beta-amyloid. Additionally, several lipid fractional groups and lipid-interfacial water did not converge to their control values with increasing distance or shell order from the protein. This volume divergent behavior was confirmed by bilayer thickness and chain orientational order calculations. Our method can also be used to analyze high-resolution structural experimental data., (Copyright © 2015 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.)

Purpose: To compare 3 clinical variables, namely, visual recovery, anterior chamber inflammation, and macular edema, between 2 different regimens after uncomplicated cataract surgery., Design: Prospective, randomized, single-blind study at a single center, private, teaching practice in Las Vegas, NV., Methods: Patients randomized to group I (nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs, n = 113) received besifloxacin ophthalmic suspension 0.6% and bromfenac 0.09%, whereas those randomized to group II (steroid, n = 109) received besifloxacin ophthalmic suspension 0.6% and prednisolone acetate 1%.Preoperative evaluation included a baseline macular optical coherence tomography. Postoperative data collected included visual acuity, direct visual anterior segment cell and flare counts, and macular optical coherence tomographies. Foveal thickness and total macular volume were used to assess the presence of cystoid macular edema., Results: Visual recovery was statistically insignificant with P values at 0.7, 0.10, 0.2, and 0.7 at 1 day, 1 week, 1 month, and 2 months, respectively.The degree of anterior segment inflammation was not statistically significant (P = 0.8) between the studied populations.The foveal thickness (1 week, P = 0.8; 1 month, P = 0.2; 2 months, P = 0.2) and total macular volume (1 week, P = 0.7; 1 month, P = 0.1; 2 months, P = 0.2) were not statistically significant between the groups, and the observed power were 0.902 and 0.666, respectively., Conclusions: This study demonstrated that bromfenac was equally efficacious when compared with a potent topical steroid in restoring visual function, decreasing and resolving anterior chamber inflammation, and preventing the development of macular edema.

Purpose: To report the prevalence and incidence of ophthalmic pathology from a small, rural town in Haiti and to determine the leading causes of blindness in this population., Design: Retrospective study from 2002 to 2009. Data collected include visual acuity, intraocular pressure, and ocular and family history., Method: The study was conducted in a single center--Hospital de Lascahobas, Lascahobas, Haiti. Patients were natives of Lascahobas and the surrounding areas. Treatments were dispensed as indicated or warranted., Results: A total of 3702 patients were seen and examined: 51.52% were male and 49.48% were female. Ages ranged from 6 months to 92 years (mean, 48.69 SD +/- 49.94). Uncorrected refractive error was the most common diagnosis (53.27%), followed by presbyopia (43.76%), hyperopia (34.03%), and myopia (22.21%). A total 981 patients (26.50%) were diagnosed with cataract. Three hundred twenty-three (32.93%) cataract surgeries were performed. The overall postoperative complications rate was 9.29%. A total of 706 patients (19.07%) were diagnosed with glaucoma: 23.65% were glaucoma suspect and 76.35% were diagnosed with open-angle glaucoma (POAG). Of those diagnosed with POAG, 35.06% had end-stage (absolute) glaucoma. The mean age at diagnosis was 52.56 SD +/- 8.2 years. The mean intraocular pressure was 24.07 and 25.60 mm Hg, and the mean cup to disc ratio of the right eye (OD) and the left eye (OS), respectively, was 0.67 and 0.72., Conclusions: Glaucoma was the most common cause for blindness. The most common cause of correctable vision loss was uncorrected refractive error followed by cataract. Providing constant eye care in this region will most likely decrease the incidence of correctable and permanent vision loss.

Shewanella putrefaciens 200, resistant to high concentration of Hg(II), was selected for co-removal of mercury and selenium from aqueous medium. Biogenic Hg(0) reduced from Hg(II) by S. putrefaciens 200 was captured into extracellular amorphous selenium nanospheres, resulting in the formation of stable HgSe nanoparticles. This bacterial reduction could be a new strategy for mercury removal from aquatic environments without secondary pollution of mercury methylation or Hg(0) volatilization., (Copyright © 2012 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.)

In North America, management of glaucoma includes observation, medical therapy, laser surgery, and ab-externa ocular surgery.[1] Although management of glaucoma in Russia does not differ greatly from that in the West, Russia has a unique biomaterial, Alloplant. Figure 1. (click image to zoom) Various Alloplant biomaterials for ophthalmic surgery. Courtesy of the Alloplant Web site: http://www.alloplant.ru/index2&#95;eng.php?page=3&pagel2=3. This unique biomaterial has been documented in Russian literature not only to lower intraocular pressure (IOP) but also to have the potential to induce normal tissue regeneration (allowing for restoration of normal eye physiology), decrease inflammatory response, prevent or minimize scarring, and stimulate regeneration of natural host tissues.

Purpose: To compare the clinical, subjective, and objective outcomes of the use of 2 topical nonsteroidal antiinflammatory drugs--ketorolac tromethamine LS 0.4% (Acular) and nepafenac 0.1% (Nevanac)--in patients having cataract surgery., Setting: Single-center private practice, Las Vegas, Nevada, USA., Methods: One hundred eighty-three patients (193 eyes) with visually significant cataract were recruited for the study. Consenting patients were randomized to a standard regimen of Acular, gatifloxacin 0.3% (Zymar), and prednisolone acetate 1% (Pred Forte) (ketorolac group) or Nevanac, moxifloxacin hydrochloride 0.5% (Vigamox), and prednisolone acetate (Econopred) (nepafenac group). Analysis included subjective complaints (burning, itching, foreign-body sensation, pain level after surgery) and objective findings (visual function, degree of inflammation in the anterior segment, complications)., Results: The ketorolac group consisted of 94 patients (100 eyes) and the nepafenac group, 89 patients (93 eyes). The between-group differences in visual outcomes and anterior chamber inflammation were not statistically significant (mean P = .33). There was a higher incidence of posterior capsule opacification in the nepafenac group (P = 0.019). Patient satisfaction, patient compliance, and postoperative pain control were statistically significantly better in the ketorolac group (P = .022, P = .023, and P = .025, respectively)., Conclusion: Ketorolac tromethamine was statistically significantly better than nepafenac in terms of patient satisfaction, compliance, and postoperative pain control.

Purpose: To report a case of metastatic malignant amelanotic melanoma to the skin from a patient diagnosed with bilateral diffuse uveal melanocytic proliferation (BDUMP). This dermatological finding is a unique phenomenon associated with BDUMP., Design: Retrospective case report., Methods: We studied the case of a 66-year-old Caucasian woman with gradual onset of blurred vision in her right eye followed by her left eye. She had previously been diagnosed with ovarian carcinoma, and findings of funduscopic examinations were consistent with BDUMP. Metastatic examination revealed no evidence of liver involvement. Clinical and histopathological examinations of both enucleated eyes were consistent with BDUMP., Results: The hematoxylin and eosin, S-100, and HMB-45 stains were consistent with metastatic malignant amelanotic melanoma to the skin., Conclusions: Although believed to have a low potential for metastasis, patients should be monitored and evaluated regularly to detect any new lesions not associated with their primary inciting carcinoma.