Can fungal biomarkers be used to improve antifungal therapy in the intensive care unit?

Invasive fungal infections have an increasing incidence worldwide, and patients in intensive care settings are particularly vulnerable to them. Candidemia is the third most common bloodstream pathogen in intensive care units (ICUs) in the United States, and a number of reports have recently been published regarding the increasing incidence of invasive aspergillosis in ICUs throughout the world. Because research has shown that early antifungal therapy is associated with better outcomes, clinicians are starting to explore new diagnostic fungal markers, which are more sensitive and faster than the traditional diagnostic standards of culture and histopathology.     

What factors determine the number of nonmuscle myosin II in the sarcomeric unit of stress fibers?

Biomechanics and Modeling in Mechanobiology - Actin stress fibers (SFs), a contractile apparatus in nonmuscle cells, possess a contractile unit that is apparently similar to the sarcomere of...     

The effect of enhancing environmental factors on the quality of patients’ sleep in a cardiac surgical intensive care unit

The aim of this study was to investigate the effect of enhancing environmental factors on the duration and quality of sleep among patients in a cardiovascular surgery intensive care unit (CSICU). This quasi-experimental study was conducted upon 100 patients. The experimental group received nursing interventions to control the environmental factors that negatively affect nocturnal sleep. Data also were collected using a form to assess the environmental factors and the Richards–Campbell Sleep Questionnaire in the morning of the second day after the operation. The difference between the groups was statistically significant in favor of the experimental group for eight of the environmental factors. Compared with that in the control group, the duration of sleep was longer (experimental, 6.30 h; control, 3.98 h) and the quality of sleep was higher (experimental, 66.57 units; control, 44.43 units) in the experimental group. We conclude that nursing interventions should be used to control the environmental factors that negatively affect nocturnal sleep in CSICUs.     

Could shading reduce the negative impacts of drought on coffee? A morphophysiological analysis

Based on indirect evidence, it was previously suggested that shading could attenuate the negative impacts of drought on coffee (Coffea arabica), a tropical crop species native to shady environments. A variety (47) of morphological and physiological traits were examined in plants grown in 30-l pots in either full sunlight or 85% shade for 8 months, after which a 4-month water shortage was implemented. Overall, the traits showed weak or negligible responses to the light × water interaction, explaining less than 10% of the total data variation. Only slight variations in biomass allocation were observed in the combined shade and drought treatment. Differences in relative growth rates were mainly associated with physiological and not with morphological adjustments. In high light, drought constrained the photosynthetic rate through stomatal limitations with no sign of apparent photoinhibition; in low light, such constraints were apparently linked to biochemical factors. Sun-grown plants displayed osmotic adjustments, decreased tissue elasticities and improved long-term water use efficiencies, especially under drought. Regardless of the water availability, higher concentrations of lipids, total phenols, total soluble sugars and lignin were found in high light compared to shade conditions, in contrast to the effects on cellulose and hemicellulose concentrations. Proline concentrations increased in water-deprived plants, particularly those grown under full sun. Phenotypic plasticity was much higher in response to the light than to the water supply. Overall, shading did not alleviate the negative impacts of drought on the coffee tree.     

Could Candida dubliniensis be involved in lung fungus balls?

We describe a case of cavitary pneumonia due to Candida dubliniensis along with fungemia due to Candida kefyr in a leukemic patient. This is the first case of C. dubliniensis isolated in our laboratory. The identification was performed by phenotypic and molecular methods such as thermotolerance test, carbohydrate fermentation and polymerase chain reaction.     

Does nest box use reduce the fitness of a tree-cavity dependent mammal?

Nest boxes are frequently used in conservation programs for tree-cavity dependent wildlife. There is growing concern that the poor insulation properties of nest boxes may produce an ecological trap, because species may require microclimates less extreme or less variable than those experienced inside nest boxes. I investigated the fitness consequences of nest box use in a non-flying mammal. Fifty-two of 104 squirrel gliders (Petaurus norfolcensis) trapped over a 3-year period used nest boxes. Population modelling of the capture data revealed that the probability of apparent survival increased with increasing nest box use. There was no difference in breeding frequency between females that used or did not use nest boxes. There was no evidence that offspring development was hindered within nest boxes. These findings may arise because: (1) gliders could access tree hollows during extreme temperatures, (2) ambient temperatures were mild during the study, (3) gliders construct leaf nests which insulate against low temperatures in winter, and (4) gliders breed between autumn and spring when temperatures are relatively benign. The estimate of annual survival of animals using nest boxes (0.60), was equivalent to estimates at locations where squirrel gliders were either reliant on nest boxes (0.54) or on tree cavities (0.55) for shelter. Studies such as this need to be conducted on a range of species across a range of locations to better understand the influence of nest box use on non-flying mammals.     

Does HIV status influence the outcome of patients admitted to a surgical intensive care unit? A prospective double blind study.

OBJECTIVES: (a) To assess the impact of HIV status (HIV negative, HIV positive, AIDS) on the outcome of patients admitted to intensive care units for diseases unrelated to HIV; (b) to decide whether a positive test result for HIV should be a criterion for excluding patients from intensive care for diseases unrelated to HIV. DESIGN: A prospective double blind study of all admissions over six months. HIV status was determined in all patients by enzyme linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA), immunofluorescence assay, western blotting, and flow cytometry. The ethics committee considered the clinical implications of the study important enough to waive patients'' right to informed consent. Staff and patients were blinded to HIV results. On discharge patients could be advised of their HIV status if they wished. SETTING: A 16 bed surgical intensive care unit. SUBJECTS: All 267 men and 135 women admitted to the unit during the study period. INTERVENTIONS: None. MAIN OUTCOME MEASURES: APACHE II score (acute physiological, age, and chronic health evaluation), organ failure, septic shock, durations of intensive care unit and hospital stay, and intensive care unit and hospital mortality. RESULTS: No patient had AIDS. 52 patients were tested positive for HIV and 350 patients were tested negative. The two groups were similar in sex distribution but differed significantly in age, incidence of organ failure (37 (71%) v 171 (49%) patients), and incidence of septic shock (20 (38%) v 54 (15%)). After adjustment for age there were no differences in intensive care unit or hospital mortality or in the durations of stay in the intensive care unit or hospital. CONCLUSIONS: Morbidity was higher in HIV positive patients but there was no difference in mortality. In this patient population a positive HIV test result should not be a criterion for excluding a patient from intensive care.     

Could lowering the tackle height in rugby union reduce ball carrier inertial head kinematics?

There is mounting evidence of reduced long-term cognitive ability in rugby players, even in those without a reported history of concussion. The tackle height law is an area of controversy. However, little is known about the effects of repetitive inertial head loading in rugby. Furthermore, the magnitude and influencing factors for head kinematics are generally unknown. In this exploratory study, 45 multibody front-on shoulder tackles simulated with the MADYMO pedestrian model and 20 staged rugby tackles executed by professional rugby players in a marker-based 3D motion laboratory were used to assess the effect of tackle height on ball carrier head kinematics. The peak resultant head linear accelerations, angular accelerations and change in angular velocities were measured and examined. The results suggest that tackle height strongly affects the head kinematics experienced by the ball carrier. In particular, higher ball carrier head kinematic values were identified for upper trunk tackles compared to mid/lower trunk tackles in both the multibody simulations and the staged rugby tackles. Average ball carrier peak resultant head linear acceleration, angular acceleration and change in angular velocity values for upper trunk tackles were greater than for mid/lower trunk tackles by a factor of 1.5, 2.5 and 1.7, in the multibody simulations, respectively, and 1.8 (p = 0.102), 2.2 (p = 0.025) and 2.3 (p = 0.004), in the staged tackles, respectively. The results of the study support the proposition of lowering the current tackle height laws to below the chest.     

Could Bacillus biofilms enhance the effectivity of biocontrol strategies in the phyllosphere?

Maize (Zea mays L.), a major crop in Argentina and a staple food around the world, is affected by the emergence and re-emergence of foliar diseases. Agrochemicals are the main control strategy nowadays; however, they can cause resistance in insects and microbial pathogens and have negative effects on the environment and human health. An emerging alternative is the use of living organisms, i.e. microbial biocontrol agents, to suppress plant pathogen populations. This is a risk-free approach when the organisms acting as biocontrol agents come from the same ecosystem as the foliar pathogens they are meant to antagonize. Some epiphytic microorganisms may form biofilm by becoming aggregated and attached to a surface, as is the case of spore-forming bacteria from the genus Bacillus. Their ability to sporulate and their tolerance to long storage periods make them a frequently used biocontrol agent. Moreover, the biofilm that they create protects them against different abiotic and biotic factors and helps them to acquire nutrients, which ensures their survival on the plants they protect. This review analyzes the interactions that the phyllosphere-inhabiting Bacillus genus establishes with its environment through biofilm, and how this lifestyle could serve to design effective biological control strategies.     

Could the intrinsic rate of increase represent the fitness in terrestrial ectotherms?

The intrinsic rate of increase (r_m) has been considered as an important indicator of fitness in terrestrial ectotherms since long. It is actually an equivalent to the instantaneous growth rate of the exponential equation for describing the density-independent population growth. In terrestrial ectotherms, r_m has been demonstrated to be temperature-dependent. The temperature at which r_m was maximal, was considered to be the “optimal” temperature for fitness in Amarasekare and Savage (2012), but this definition needs further analysis. Only r_m cannot provide thorough representation of fitness. Because body size can affect the competitive abilities in many terrestrial ectotherms, both population size and body size should be considered in measuring the fitness of ectotherms. The rule of “bigger is better” requires relatively low temperature to increase in body size, whereas relatively high temperature is required for a rapid increase in population size. Thus, there is presumably a trade-off in temperature for adjusting individual body size and population size to achieve maximum fitness. We hypothesized that this temperature could be reflected by the intrinsic optimum temperature for developmental rate in the Sharpe–Schoolfield–Ikemoto model, and it led to a temperature estimate around 20 °C. However, the traditional viewpoint based on the temperature corresponding to the maximal intrinsic rate of increase provides a temperature estimate around 30 °C. This study suggests that a low temperature around 20 °C might authentically represent the optimal ambient temperature for fitness in terrestrial ectotherms. It implies that thermal biologists who are interested in the effect of temperature on the fitness in terrestrial ectotherms should pay more attention to their performance at low temperature rather than high temperature.     

Can intensification reduce emission intensity of biofuel through optimized fertilizer use? Theory and the case of oil palm in Indonesia

Closing yield gaps through higher fertilizer use increases direct greenhouse gas emissions but shares the burden over a larger production volume. Net greenhouse gas (GHG) footprints per unit product under agricultural intensification vary depending on the context, scale and accounting method. Life cycle analysis of footprints includes attributable emissions due to (i) land conversion (‘fixed cost’); (ii) external inputs used (‘variable cost’); (iii) crop production (‘agronomic efficiency’); and (iv) postharvest transport and processing (‘proportional’ cost). The interplay between fixed and variable costs results in a nuanced opportunity for intermediate levels of intensification to minimize footprints. The fertilizer level that minimizes the footprint may differ from the economic optimum. The optimization problem can be solved algebraically for quadratic crop fertilizer response equations. We applied this theory to data of palm oil production and fertilizer use from 23 plantations across the Indonesian production range. The current EU threshold requiring at least 35% emission saving for biofuel use can never be achieved by palm oil if produced: (i) on peat soils, or (ii) on mineral soils where the C debt due to conversion is larger than 20 Mg C ha^?1, if the footprint is calculated using an emission ratio of N₂O–N/N fertilizer of 4%. At current fertilizer price levels in Indonesia, the economically optimized N fertilizer rate is 344–394 kg N ha^?1, while the reported mean N fertilizer rate is 141 kg N ha^?1 yr^?1 and rates of 74–277 kg N ha^?1 would minimize footprints, for a N₂O–N/N fertilizer ratio of 4–1%, respectively. At a C debt of 30 Mg C ha^?1, these values are 200–310 kg N ha^?1. Sustainable weighting of ecology and economics would require a higher fertilizer/yield price ratio, depending on C debt. Increasing production by higher fertilizer use from current 67% to 80% of attainable yields would not decrease footprints in current production conditions.     

Why study the use of animal products in traditional medicines?

The World Health Organization (WHO) estimates that as many as 80% of the world's more than six billion people rely primarily on animal and plant-based medicines. The healing of human ailments by using therapeutics based on medicines obtained from animals or ultimately derived from them is known as zootherapy. The phenomenon of zootherapy is marked both by a broad geographical distribution and very deep historical origins. Despite their importance, studies on the therapeutic use of animals and animal parts have been neglected, when compared to plants. This paper discusses some related aspects of the use of animals or parts thereof as medicines, and their implications for ecology, culture (the traditional knowledge), economy, and public health.     

Can general practitioners use training in relaxation and management of stress to reduce mild hypertension?

To see whether general practitioners could effectively carry out training in relaxation and management of stress to reduce mild hypertension a study was carried out with a subsample of phase 2 of the Medical Research Council''s treatment of mild hypertension trial.¹ In the main mild hypertension trial patients had been receiving either an active drug or placebo for six years. In phase 2 a subsample of these patients were randomly allocated either to continue or to stop receiving the active drug or placebo. In a further subsample patients were again randomised to receive or not to receive relaxation therapy. This factorial design presented an additional opportunity to assess whether patients controlled with active drugs might have their blood pressure maintained by this behavioural therapy once drug treatment was stopped and to assess whether blood pressure might be further reduced by this therapy in patients who had been under regular medical supervision for as long as six years and who had already received non-pharmacological advice. The therapy was conducted by general practitioners in group sessions once a week for eight weeks. The training in relaxation was accompanied by galvanic skin resistance biofeedback. At one year follow up blood pressure in the relaxation subgroups was either maintained (in the group who had stopped receiving drugs) or reduced further (in the group who had continued receiving drugs and in both placebo groups), while in the control group it had increased in all the subgroups, but particularly in those who had stopped receiving drugs. Differences in changes in blood pressure between the relaxation and control groups were significant. There were five new cardiovascular events, including evidence of myocardial ischaemia in blindly coded electrocardiograms in the control group, compared with one in the treatment group.General practitioners, if motivated, can successfully apply this technique of training those with mild hypertension in relaxation and management of stress.     

Could plant hormones be the basis of maturation indices in Pinus radiata?

Maturation and phase change in woody plants are developmental processes at present poorly understood, especially from a physiological point of view. Maturation indices, such as phytohormones, could be used to understand more about the events that accompany the increase in the developmental state and to choose optimal conditions in order to improve forest programs and make them more profitable. In order to determine this putative index, the contents in abscisic acid-like substances (ABA-like), indole-3-acetic acid (IAA) and several cytokinins (Cks) were analysed in terminal and axillary buds of Pinus radiata trees with different developmental states to compare their phytohormonal status. An increase in the content of some zeatin-type (Z-type) Cks, and a decrease in isopentenyladenine-type (iP-type) Cks levels throughout maturation were shown both in terminal and axillary buds. This fact allowed us to consider the ratio iP-type/Z-type Cks, which decreased in parallel with the increasing developmental state of the tree, as a maturation index. According to the results, ABA-like compounds and IAA contents could not be considered as a maturation index in Pinus radiata, even though similar patterns were in fact found between the two kinds of buds.