Two prominent characteristics of epithelial cells, apical-basal polarity and a highly ordered cytoskeleton, depend on the existence of precisely localized protein complexes associated with the apical plasma membrane, and on a separate machinery that regulates the spatial order of actin assembly. ERM (ezrin, radixin, moesin) proteins have been proposed to link transmembrane proteins to the actin cytoskeleton in the apical domain, suggesting a structural role in epithelial cells, and they have been implicated in signalling pathways. Here, we show that the sole Drosophila ERM protein Moesin functions to promote cortical actin assembly and apical-basal polarity. As a result, cells lacking Moesin lose epithelial characteristics and adopt invasive migratory behaviour. Our data demonstrate that Moesin facilitates epithelial morphology not by providing an essential structural function, but rather by antagonizing activity of the small GTPase Rho. Thus, Moesin functions in maintaining epithelial integrity by regulating cell-signalling events that affect actin organization and polarity. Furthermore, our results show that there is negative feedback between ERM activation and activity of the Rho pathway.

We performed a randomized trial to compare nebulized and viscous topical steroid treatments for eosinophilic esophagitis (EoE). Subjects with incident EoE (n=25) received budesonide 1 mg twice daily—either nebulized and then swallowed (NEB) or as an oral viscous slurry (OVB)—for 8 weeks. Baseline eosinophil counts for the NEB and OVB groups were 101 and 83 (P=.62). Post-treatment counts were 89 and 11 (P=.02). The mucosal medication contact time, measured by scintigraphy, was higher for the OVB group than the NEB group (P<.005) and was inversely correlated with eosinophil count (R= −0.67; P=.001). OVB was more effective than NEB in reducing numbers of esophageal eosinophils in patients with EoE. OVB provided a significantly higher level of esophageal exposure to the therapeutic agent, which correlated with lower eosinophil counts.

Objectives Proton pump inhibitor-responsive esophageal eosinophilia (PPI-REE) is a newly recognized entity that must be differentiated from eosinophilic esophagitis (EoE). Little is known about this condition. We aimed to determine the prevalence of PPI-REE and EoE in patients undergoing upper endoscopy, and determine features that distinguish the two groups. Methods This prospective study conducted at University of North Carolina from 2009–2011 enrolled consecutive adult patients undergoing outpatient upper endoscopy. Subjects had esophageal biopsies to quantify the maximum eosinophil count per high-powered field (eos/hpf; hpf = 0.24mm2). If biopsies revealed ≥15 eos/hpf, subjects were treated with twice daily PPI for 8 weeks and endoscopy was repeated. If ≥15 eos/hpf persisted despite PPI therapy, EoE was diagnosed. If there were <15 eos/hpf, PPI-REE was diagnosed. The proportion of patients in each group was calculated, and patients with EoE and PPI-REE were compared. Results Of the 223 subjects enrolled, 173 had dysphagia and 50 did not. Of those with dysphagia, 66 (38%) had ≥15 eos/hpf. After the PPI trial, 40 (23%) were confirmed to have EoE, and 24 (14%) had PPI-REE. Of those without dysphagia, 2 (4%) had ≥15 eos/hpf and after the PPI trial, 1 (2%) had EoE. Compared with EoE, PPI-REE patients were more likely to be older and male, and less likely to have typical endoscopic findings of EoE. However, none of the individual factors was independently predictive of PPI-REE status on multivariable analysis. Similarly, while some endoscopic findings were differentially distributed between PPI-REE and EoE, none were significantly associated with disease status on multivariable analysis. Conclusions Esophageal eosinophilia is common among patients undergoing EGD for dysphagia. While EoE was seen in nearly a quarter of patients with dysphagia, PPI-REE was almost as common, and accounted for over one-third of those with ≥15 eos/hpf. No clinical or endoscopic features independently distinguished PPI-REE from EoE prior to the PPI trial.

Over the last few decades, the systematic approach of knowledge transfer from biological concept generators to technical applications has received increasing attention, particularly because marketable bio-derived developments are often described as sustainable. The objective of this paper is to rationalize and refine the discussion about bio-derived developments also with respect to sustainability by taking descriptive, normative and emotional aspects into consideration. In the framework of supervised learning, a dataset of 70 biology-derived and technology-derived developments characterised by 9 different attributes together with their respective values and assigned to one of 17 classes was created. On the basis of the dataset a decision tree was generated which can be used as a straightforward classification tool to identify biology-derived and technology-derived developments. The validation of the applied learning procedure achieved an average accuracy of 90.0%. Additional extraordinary qualities of technical applications are generally discussed by means of selected biology-derived and technology-derived examples with reference to normative (contribution to sustainability) and emotional aspects (aesthetics and symbolic character). In the context of a case study from the building sector, all aspects are critically discussed.