Description: Recently, microbiologists have focused on characterizing the probiotic role of skin bacteria for amphibians threatened by the fungal disease chytridiomycosis. However, the specific characteristics of microbial diversity required to maintain health or trigger disease are still not well understood in natural populations. We hypothesized that seasonal and developmental transitions affecting susceptibility to chytridiomycosis could also alter the stability of microbial assemblages. To test our hypothesis, we examined patterns of skin bacterial diversity in two species of declining amphibians ( Lithobates yavapaiensis and Eleutherodactylus coqui ) affected by the pathogenic fungus Batrachochytrium dendrobatidis ( Bd ). We focused on two important transitions that affect Bd susceptibility: ontogenetic (from juvenile to adult) shifts in E. coqui and seasonal (from summer to winter) shifts in  L. yavapaiensis . We used a combination of community-fingerprinting analyses and 16S rRNA amplicon sequencing to quantify changes in bacterial diversity and assemblage composition between seasons and developmental stages, and to investigate the relationship between bacterial diversity and pathogen load. We found that winter-sampled frogs and juveniles, two states associated with increased Bd susceptibility, exhibited higher diversity compared with summer-sampled frogs and adult individuals. Our findings also revealed that hosts harbouring higher bacterial diversity carried lower Bd infections, providing support for the protective role of bacterial communities. Ongoing work to understand skin microbiome resilience after pathogen disturbance has the potential to identify key taxa involved in disease resistance.

Description: Backgound Amelanotic melanomas are often difficult to diagnose. Objectives Find and test best diagnosis methods with dermoscopy and reflectance confocal microscopy (RCM) tools. Methods We selected consecutive, difficult-to-diagnose, light-colored and amelanotic skin lesions from three centers (in Australia and Italy). Dermoscopy and RCM diagnostic utility were evaluated under blinded conditions utilizing 45 melanomas (16 in situ, 29 invasive), 68 nevi, 48 BCC, 10 AK, 10 SCC and 13 other benign lesions. Results Sensitivity and specificity for melanoma with dermoscopy pattern analysis by two blinded observers and their “confidence in diagnosis” were low. The amelanotic dermoscopy method had the highest sensitivity (83.3%) for a diagnosis of malignancy (melanoma, BCC or SCC) but the specificity was only 18%. Multivariate analysis confirmed the utility of RCM features previously identified for the diagnosis of BCC and melanoma (highest OR for melanoma: epidermal disarray, dark and/or round pagetoid cells). RCM sensitivity was 66.6% and 72.9% for melanoma and BCC diagnosis, respectively and its specificity for non-malignant lesion diagnosis was 56.1%. RCM reader confidence was higher than for dermoscopy; 84.4% of melanomas would have been biopsied and biopsy avoided in 46.9% of benign lesions. All melanomas misclassified by either dermoscopy or RCM were detected by the other tool. Conclusion Dermoscopy and RCM represent complimentary/synergistic methods for diagnosis of amelanotic/lightly-colored skin lesions. This article is protected by copyright. All rights reserved.

Description: A progression-risk score to predict treatment-free survival for early stage chronic lymphocytic leukemia patients Leukemia 30, 1440 (June 2016). doi:10.1038/leu.2015.333 Authors: M Gentile, T D Shanafelt, G Cutrona, S Molica, G Tripepi, I Alvarez, F R Mauro, N Di Renzo, F Di Raimondo, I Vincelli, K Todoerti, S Matis, C Musolino, S Fabris, E Vigna, L Levato, S Zupo, F Angrilli, U Consoli, G Festini, G Longo, A Cortelezzi, A Arcari, M Federico, D Mannina, A G Recchia, A Neri, N E Kay, M Ferrarini & F Morabito

Description: We read with great interest the letter by Rishpon and Colleagues on our paper titled “Uncovering the diagnostic dermoscopic features of flat melanomas located on the lower limbs” (1). In the current letter, we investigated a series of 247 lesions, including 71 thin melanomas, located on lower limbs with the aim to identify diagnostic specific dermoscopic criteria for melanoma diagnosis. Furthermore, a new dermoscopic descriptor, namely wider skin markings was introduced. This article is protected by copyright. All rights reserved.

Description: Background Neighbourhood Renewal (NR) was launched in Northern Ireland (NI) in 2003 to revive the social, economic and physical fabric of 36 deprived communities, characterised by a legacy of sectarian conflict. This study evaluates the impact of the policy on health over a decade. Methods A merged panel of secondary data from the British Household Panel Survey (2001–2008) and Understanding Society (2009–2012) yields longitudinal information on respondents for 12 years. We conducted a controlled before and after investigation for NR intervention areas (NRAs) and three control groups—two groups of comparably deprived areas that did not receive assistance and the rest of NI. Linear difference-in-difference regression was used to identify the impact of NR on mental health, self-rated health, life satisfaction, smoking and exercise. Subgroup analysis was conducted for males and females, higher and lower educated, retired, unemployed and home owner groups. Results NR did not have a discernible impact on mental distress. A small, non-significant trend towards a reduction in the gap of good self-rated health and life satisfaction between NRAs and controls was observed. A 10% increase in probability of rating life as satisfying was uncovered for retirees in NRAs compared with the rest of NI. Smoking in NRAs declined on par with people from control areas, so a NR influence was not obvious. A steady rise in undertaking weekly exercise in NRAs compared with controls was not statistically significant. Conclusions Area-based initiatives may not achieve health gains beyond mainstream service provision, though they may safeguard against widening of health disparities.

Description: Adipose triglyceride lipase (ATGL) catalyzes the rate-limiting removal of the first fatty acid from a triglyceride. ATGL is activated by comparative gene identification-58 and inhibited by G(0)/G(1) switch gene-2 protein (G0S2). Research in other tissues and cell culture indicates that inhibition is dependent on relative G0S2-to-ATGL protein content. G0S2 may also have several roles within mitochondria; however, this has yet to be observed in skeletal muscle. The purpose of this study was to determine if muscle G0S2 relative to ATGL content would decrease to facilitate intramuscular lipolysis following endurance training. Male Sprague-Dawley rats ( n = 10; age 51–53 days old) were progressively treadmill trained at a 10% incline for 8 wk ending with 25 m/min for 1 h compared with control. Sciatic nerve stimulation for hind-limb muscle contraction (and lipolysis) was administered for 30 min to one leg, leaving the opposing leg as a resting control. Soleus (SOL), red gastrocnemius (RG), and white gastrocnemius were excised from both legs following stimulation or control. ATGL protein increased in all trained muscles. Unexpectedly, G0S2 protein was greater in the trained SOL and RG. In RG-isolated mitochondria, G0S2 also increased with training, yet mitochondrial G0S2 content was unaltered with acute contraction; therefore, any role of G0S2 in the mitochondria does not appear to be acutely mediated by content alone. In summary, G0S2 increased with training in oxidative muscles and mitochondria but not following acute contraction, suggesting that inhibition is not through relative G0S2-to-ATGL content but through more complicated intracellular mechanisms.

Description: Several experiments have been conducted worldwide, with the goal of observing low-energy nuclear recoils induced by WIMPs scattering off target nuclei in ultra-sensitive, low-background detectors. In the last few decades noble liquid detectors designed to search for dark matter in the form of WIMPs have been extremely successful in improving their sensitivities and setting the best limits. One of the crucial problems to be faced for the development of large size (multi ton-scale) liquid argon experiments is the lack of reliable and low background cryogenic PMTs: their intrinsic radioactivity, cost, and borderline performance at 87 K rule them out as a possible candidate for photosensors. We propose a brand new concept of liquid argon-based detector for direct dark matter search: the Geiger-mode Avalanche Photodiode Time Projection Chamber (GAP-TPC) optimized in terms of residual radioactivity of the photosensors, energy and spatial resolution, light and charge collection efficie...

Description: Background The parallel ridge pattern (PRP) is considered as the dermoscopic hallmark of acral melanoma (AM). However, it was recently shown that approximately one third of AM do not display dermoscopically a PRP, rendering their detection more troublesome. Objective To investigate the diagnostic accuracy of dermoscopic criteria for the diagnosis of AM. Methods Dermoscopic images of consecutive cases of histopathologically diagnosed AMs and acral nevi with histopathologic diagnosis or with at least 1 year of follow up were evaluated by 3 independent investigators for the presence of pre-defined criteria. Crude odds ratios, adjusted odds ratios and corresponding 95% confidence intervals were calculated by univariate and multivariate logistic regression, respectively. ROC curves were used to choose among competing classification schemes. Results A total of 603 lesions (472 nevi and 131 AMs) were included in the study. A scoring system (named BRAAFF) composed of 6 variables was associated with optimal area under curve and sensitivity for the diagnosis of AM. This method included 4 positive (blotches irregular, ridge pattern, asymmetry of structures and asymmetry of colours) and 2 negative predictors (furrow pattern and fibrillar pattern). Conclusion The BRAAFF checklist significantly improves the diagnostic accuracy of dermoscopy for the diagnosis of AM. This article is protected by copyright. All rights reserved.

Description: The word "theranostic" derives from the fusion of two terms: therapeutic and diagnostic. It is a promising research field that aims to develop innovative therapies with high target specificity by exploiting the therapeutic and diagnostic properties, in particular for metal-based nanoparticles (NPs) developed to erase cancer. In the framework of a combined research program on low dose X-ray imaging and theranostic nanoparticles (NPs), high resolution Phase-Contrast Tomography images of mice organs injected with gadolinium and gold-NPs were acquired at the European Synchrotron Radiation Facility (ESRF). Both compounds are good X-ray contrast agents due to their high attenuation coefficient with respect to biological tissues, especially immediately above K-edge energy. X-ray tomography is a powerful non-invasive technique to image the 3D vasculature network in order to detect abnormalities. Phase contrast methods provide more detailed anatomical information with higher discriminati...