The investigation of the hidden metric space behind complex network topologies is a fervid topic in current network science and the hyperbolic space is one of the most studied, because it seems associated to the structural organization of many real complex systems. The popularity-similarity-optimization (PSO) model simulates how random geometric graphs grow in the hyperbolic space, generating realistic networks with clustering, small-worldness, scale-freeness and rich-clubness. However, it misses to reproduce an important feature of real complex networks, which is the community organization. The geometrical-preferential-attachment (GPA) model was recently developed in order to confer to the PSO also a soft community structure, which is obtained by forcing different angular regions of the hyperbolic disk to have a variable level of attractiveness. However, the number and size of the communities cannot be explicitly controlled in the GPA, which is a clear limitation for real applications. Here, we introduce the nonuniform PSO (nPSO) model. Differently from GPA, the nPSO generates synthetic networks in the hyperbolic space where heterogeneous angular node attractiveness is forced by sampling the angular coordinates from a tailored nonuniform probability distribution (for instance a mixture of Gaussians). The nPSO differs from GPA in other three aspects: it allows one to explicitly fix the number and size of communities; it allows one to tune their mixing property by means of the network temperature; it is efficient to generate networks with high clustering. Several tests on the detectability of the community structure in nPSO synthetic networks and wide investigations on their structural properties confirm that the nPSO is a valid and efficient model to generate realistic complex networks with communities.

The fetus is highly responsive to the level of glucocorticoids in the gestational environment. Perturbing glucocorticoids during fetal development could yield long-term consequences. Extending prior research about effects of prenatally exposed synthetic glucocorticoids (sGC) on brain structural development during childhood, we investigated functional brain correlates of cognitive conflict monitoring in term-born adolescents, who were prenatally exposed to sGC. Relative to the comparison group, behavioral response consistency (indexed by lower reaction time variability) and a brain correlate of conflict monitoring (the N2 event-related potential) were reduced in the sGC exposed group. Relatedly, source localization analyses showed that activations in the fronto-parietal network, most notably in the cingulate cortex and precuneus, were also attenuated in these adolescents. These regions are known to subserve conflict detection and response inhibition as well as top-down regulation of stress responses. Moreover, source activation in the anterior cingulate cortex correlated negatively with reaction time variability, whereas activation in the precuneus correlated positively with salivary cortisol reactivity to social stress in the sGC exposed group. Taken together, findings of this study indicate that prenatal exposure to sGC yields lasting impacts on the development of fronto-parietal brain functions during adolescence, affecting multiple facets of adaptive cognitive and behavioral control.

The Kinaesthetics care conception is a nursing approach for patient handling which aims to prevent work-related complaints and diseases. The evidence about the influence of Kinaesthetics on musculoskeletal disorders among persons who handle patients is unclear to date. The purposes of the scoping review are to gain insight into the current state of research regarding the clinical effectiveness of Kinaesthetics (in terms of perceived exertion and musculoskeletal complaints) among persons who handle patients and to identify potential research gaps. A scoping review was conducted. The search strategy comprised a systematic search in electronic databases (MEDLINE, EMBASE, AMED, CINAHL), a hand search, a fast forward search (Web of Science) and a Google scholar-search. The review process was carried out independently by two reviewers. Methodological quality was assessed for all studies using three methodological main categories (reporting quality, internal validity, external validity). Thirteen studies with different study designs were included. Seven studies investigated musculoskeletal complaints and nine studies the perceived exertion of nursing staff. Most studies were of very low methodology. Most studies reported a decrease of musculoskeletal complaints and perceived exertion due to Kinaesthetics. In conclusion, there is only little evidence of very low quality about the effectiveness of Kinaesthetics. Out of the studies it could be assumed that Kinaesthetics may decrease the patient handling related perceived exertion and musculoskeletal pain of persons who handle patients. But an overestimation of these results is likely, due to inadequate methodology of included studies. As a result, no clear recommendations about the effectiveness of the Kinaesthetics care conception can be made yet. Since a research gap was shown, further high quality intervention studies are necessary for clarifying the effectiveness of Kinaesthetics.

The genus Eimeria (Apicomplexa, Coccidia) provides a wide range of different species with different hosts to study common and variable features within the genus and its species. A common characteristic of all known Eimeria species is the oocyst, the infectious stage where its life cycle starts and ends. In our study, we utilized Eimeria nieschulzi as a model organism. This rat-specific parasite has complex oocyst morphology and can be transfected and even cultivated in vitro up to the oocyst stage. We wanted to elucidate how the known oocyst wall-forming proteins are preserved in this rodent Eimeria species compared to other Eimeria. In newly obtained genomics data, we were able to identify different gametocyte genes that are orthologous to already known gam genes involved in the oocyst wall formation of avian Eimeria species. These genes appeared putatively as single exon genes, but cDNA analysis showed alternative splicing events in the transcripts. The analysis of the translated sequence revealed different conserved motifs but also dissimilar regions in GAM proteins, as well as polymorphic regions. The occurrence of an underrepresented gam56 gene version suggests the existence of a second distinct E. nieschulzi genotype within the E. nieschulzi Landers isolate that we maintain.

BACKGROUND: In order to better understand the multifactorial nature of osteoporosis, animal models are utilized and compared to healthy controls. Female sheep are well established as a model for osteoporosis induced by ovariectomy, calcium and vitamin D low diet, application of steroids, or a combination of these treatments. Transcriptional studies can be performed by applying quantitative real time PCR (RT-qPCR). RT-qPCR estimates mRNA-levels of target genes in relation to reference genes. A chosen set of reference genes should not show variation under experimental conditions. Currently, no standard reference genes are accepted for all tissue types and experimental conditions. Studies examining reference genes for sheep are rare and only one study described stable reference in mandibular bone. However, this type of bone differs from trabecular bone where most osteoporotic fractures occur. The present study aimed at identifying a set of reference genes for relative quantification of transcriptional activity of ovine spine bone and ovine in vitro differentiated mesenchymal stromal cells (MSC) for reliable comparability. METHODS: Twelve candidate reference genes belonging to different functional classes were selected and their expression was measured from cultured ovMSCs (n = 18) and ovine bone samples (n = 16), respectively. RefFinder was used to rank the candidate genes. RESULTS: We identified B2M, GAPDH, RPL19 and YWHAZ as the best combination of reference genes for normalization of RT-qPCR results for transcriptional analyses of these ovine samples. CONCLUSION: This study demonstrates the importance of applying a set of reference genes for RT-qPCR analysis in sheep. Based on our data we recommend using four identified reference genes for relative quantification of gene expression studies in ovine bone or for in vitro experiments with osteogenically differentiated ovine MSCs.

Randomized controlled trials (RCTs) are the hallmark of evidence-based medicine and form the basis for translating research data into clinical practice. This review summarizes commonly applied designs and quality indicators of RCTs to provide guidance in interpreting and critically evaluating clinical research data. It further reflects on the principle of equipoise and its practical applicability to clinical science with an emphasis on critical care and neurological research. We performed a review of educational material, review articles, methodological studies, and published clinical trials using the databases MEDLINE, PubMed, and ClinicalTrials.gov. The most relevant recommendations regarding design, conduction, and reporting of RCTs may include the following: 1) clinically relevant end points should be defined a priori, and an unbiased analysis and report of the study results should be warranted, 2) both significant and nonsignificant results should be objectively reported and published, 3) structured study design and performance as indicated in the Consolidated Standards of Reporting Trials statement should be employed as well as registration in a public trial database, 4) potential conflicts of interest and funding sources should be disclaimed in study report or publication, and 5) in the comparison of experimental treatment with standard care, preplanned interim analyses during an ongoing RCT can aid in maintaining clinical equipoise by assessing benefit, harm, or futility, thus allowing decision on continuation or termination of the trial.

The species-rich genus Peperomia (Black Pepper relatives) is the only genus among early diverging angiosperms where epiphytism evolved. The majority of fruits of Peperomia release sticky secretions or exhibit hook-shaped appendages indicative of epizoochorous dispersal, which is in contrast to other flowering plants, where epiphytes are generally characterized by fruit morphological adaptations for anemochory or endozoochory. We investigate fruit characters using Cryo-SEM. Comparative phylogenetic analyses are applied for the first time to include life form and fruit character information to study diversification in Peperomia. Likelihood ratio tests uncover correlated character evolution. We demonstrate that diversification within Peperomia is not homogenous across its phylogeny, and that net diversification rates increase by twofold within the most species-rich subgenus. In contrast to former land plant studies that provide general evidence for increased diversification in epiphytic lineages, we demonstrate that the evolution of epiphytism within Peperomia predates the diversification shift. An epiphytic-dependent diversification is only observed for the background phylogeny. An elevated frequency of life form transitions between epiphytes and terrestrials and thus evolutionary flexibility of life forms is uncovered to coincide with the diversification shift. The evolution of fruits showing dispersal related structures is key to diversification in the foreground region of the phylogeny and postdates the evolution of epiphytism. We conclude that the success of Peperomia, measured in species numbers, is likely the result of enhanced vertical and horizontal dispersal ability and life form flexibility but not the evolution of epiphytism itself.

Extracellular matrix (ECM) composition and structural integrity is one of many factors that influence cellular differentiation. Fibronectin (FN) which is in many tissues the most abundant ECM protein forms a unique fibrillary network. FN homes several binding sites for sulfated glycosaminoglycans (sGAG), such as heparin (Hep), which was previously shown to influence FN conformation and protein binding. Synthetically sulfated hyaluronan derivatives (sHA) can serve as model molecules with a well characterized sulfation pattern to study sGAG-FN interaction. Here is shown that the low-sulfated sHA (sHA1) interacts with FN and influences fibril assembly. The interaction of FN fibrils with sHA1 and Hep, but not with non-sulfated HA was visualized by immunofluorescent co-staining. FRET analysis of FN confirmed the presence of more extended fibrils in human bone marrow stromal cells (hBMSC)-derived ECM in response to sHA1 and Hep. Although both sHA1 and Hep affected FN conformation, exclusively sHA1 increased FN protein level and led to thinner fibrils. Further, only sHA1 had a pro-osteogenic effect and enhanced the activity of tissue non-specific alkaline phosphatase. We hypothesize that the sHA1-triggered change in FN assembly influences the entire ECM network and could be the underlying mechanism for the pro-osteogenic effect of sHA1 on hBMSC.

Deep drawing of paperboard with rigid tools and immediate compression has only a small presence in the market for secondary packaging solutions due to a lack of understanding of the physical relations that occur during the forming process. As with other processes that deal with interactions between two solids in contact, the control of the factors that affect friction is important due to friction’s impact on runnability and process reliability. A new friction measurement device was developed to evaluate the factors influencing the friction behavior of paperboard such as under the specific conditions of the deep drawing process, which differ from the standard friction testing methods. The tribocharging of the contacting surfaces, generated during sliding friction, was determined to be a major influence on the dynamic coefficient of friction between paperboard and metal. The same effect could be examined during the deep drawing process. With increased contact temperature due to the heating of the tools, the coefficient of friction decreased significantly, but it remained constant after reaching a certain charging state after several repetitions. Consequently, to avoid ruptures of the wall during the forming process, tools that are in contact with the paperboard should be heated.

Theory suggests that plant interactions at the neighbourhood scale play a fundamental role in regulating biodiversity–productivity relationships (BPRs) in tree communities. However, empirical evidence of this prediction is rare, as little is known about how neighbourhood interactions scale up to influence community BPRs. Here, using a biodiversity–ecosystem functioning experiment, we provide insights into processes underlying BPRs by demonstrating that diversity-mediated interactions among local neighbours are a strong regulator of productivity in species mixtures. Our results show that local neighbourhood interactions explain over half of the variation in observed community productivity along a diversity gradient. Overall, individual tree growth increased with neighbourhood species richness, leading to a positive BPR at the community scale. The importance of local-scale neighbourhood effects for regulating community productivity, however, distinctly increased with increasing community species richness. Preserving tree species diversity at the local neighbourhood scale, thus seems to be a promising way for promoting forest productivity.