Can morbidity associated with untreated asthma in primary school children be reduced?: a controlled intervention study.

OBJECTIVE--To determine whether an intervention programme based on existing school and community resources can reduce school absence and improve participation in games lessons and sport in children with unrecognised or undertreated asthma. DESIGN--Parallel group controlled intervention study. SETTING--102 primary schools in Nottingham: 49 were randomised to receive the intervention and 53 to be control schools. SUBJECTS--All children aged 5 to 10 years with parent reported absence from school because of wheezing in the previous year and taking no treatment or beta agonists only. INTERVENTIONS--Children with asthma were referred to their general practitioner for assessment of symptoms and treatment. Teachers were given education on asthma by the school nurse in 44 of the 49 intervention schools. MAIN OUTCOME MEASURES--Changes in school absence and missed games and swimming lessons because of wheezing, and schools'' policy towards management of asthma in school. RESULTS--Of 17,432 children screened, 451 met the entry criteria--228 in intervention schools and 223 in control schools. 152 (67%) children in intervention schools visited their general practitioner, of whom 39 (26%) were given a new diagnosis of asthma and 58 (38%) had treatment for asthma increased or changed. Over the next academic year mean (SE) parent reported school absence due to wheezing fell significantly, but to a similar extent, in both intervention and control schools (0.82 (0.11) and 1.09 (0.21) weeks respectively). There was little change in school recorded absence or participation in games lessons and swimming lessons in either group. At the end of the study intervention schools were more likely to have improved aspects of management of asthma in school. CONCLUSION--The intervention resulted in a majority of children being assessed by their general practitioner and improved teachers'' understanding and management of asthma, but it did not result in any appreciable reduction in morbidity.     

Serum Lipoprotein(a) Positively Correlates with Coronary Artery Calcification in Low-Risk Chinese Han Patients: A Study from a Single Center

Background

Elevated plasma levels of lipoprotein(a) (Lp(a)) and a higher degree of coronary artery calcification (CAC) are both considered to be risk factors for atherosclerosis. However, previous studies have demonstrated that the relationship between Lp(a) levels and the degree of CAC indicates significant heterogeneity that may be due to varying ethnicities. The purpose of this study was to examine the predictive power of Lp(a) for CAC as measured by multidetector computed tomography (MDCT) in the Han ethnic group of China.

Methods

A total of 1082 subjects were recruited in this study. The patients were divided into four groups: patients without hypertension or diabetes were group 1, patients with hypertension were group 2, patients with diabetes were group 3 and patients with both hypertension and diabetes were group 4. CAC score (CACs), lipid profiles (Lp(a), LDL, HDL, TG, TC), HbA1C, glucose, personal health history and body morphology were measured in all participants. The predictive power of Lp(a) for calcified atherosclerotic plaque was determined by correlations and ordinal logistic regression.

Results

There was no significant difference in the CACs between group 2 and group 3 (z = 1.790, p = 0.736), and there were significant differences among the other groups. However, there was no significant difference in the total Lp(a) among the 4 groups (χ² = 0.649, p = 0.885). Only In group 1, Lp(a) was a statistically significant predictor of the presence of calcified coronary plaque using ordinal logistic regression.

Conclusions

Levels of Lp(a) positively correlate with CACs among Chinese Han people who are without diabetes and hypertension, suggesting that Lp(a) may be an important risk factor for the presence of calcified atheromas.     

Lessons from a Beetle and an Ant: Coping with Taxon-Dependent Differences in Microsatellite Development Success

Microsatellites are powerful markers often isolated de novo for species yet to be investigated. Enriched genomic libraries are usually used for isolation purposes. We critically evaluate the outcome of an enrichment-based protocol applied to two insect species (the ant Lasius austriacus and the beetle Pityogenes chalcographus) which yielded contrasting numbers of suitable loci. Our findings of differences in microsatellite isolation are consistent with the available data on differences in genomic characteristics across these taxa. In the beetle repeated isolation of identical motifs, difficulties in primer development, and multibanded products caused loss of most candidate clones. We identified critical steps during marker development. Reviewing Editor: Dr. John Oakeshott     

Land Surface Model and Particle Swarm Optimization Algorithm Based on the Model-Optimization Method for Improving Soil Moisture Simulation in a Semi-Arid Region

Improving the capability of land-surface process models to simulate soil moisture assists in better understanding the atmosphere-land interaction. In semi-arid regions, due to limited near-surface observational data and large errors in large-scale parameters obtained by the remote sensing method, there exist uncertainties in land surface parameters, which can cause large offsets between the simulated results of land-surface process models and the observational data for the soil moisture. In this study, observational data from the Semi-Arid Climate Observatory and Laboratory (SACOL) station in the semi-arid loess plateau of China were divided into three datasets: summer, autumn, and summer-autumn. By combing the particle swarm optimization (PSO) algorithm and the land-surface process model SHAW (Simultaneous Heat and Water), the soil and vegetation parameters that are related to the soil moisture but difficult to obtain by observations are optimized using three datasets. On this basis, the SHAW model was run with the optimized parameters to simulate the characteristics of the land-surface process in the semi-arid loess plateau. Simultaneously, the default SHAW model was run with the same atmospheric forcing as a comparison test. Simulation results revealed the following: parameters optimized by the particle swarm optimization algorithm in all simulation tests improved simulations of the soil moisture and latent heat flux; differences between simulated results and observational data are clearly reduced, but simulation tests involving the adoption of optimized parameters cannot simultaneously improve the simulation results for the net radiation, sensible heat flux, and soil temperature. Optimized soil and vegetation parameters based on different datasets have the same order of magnitude but are not identical; soil parameters only vary to a small degree, but the variation range of vegetation parameters is large.     

Development and Application of a New Method To Extract Bacterial DNA from Soil Based on Separation of Bacteria from Soil with Cation-Exchange Resin

A new method for the extraction of bacterial DNA from soil has been developed. Soil samples of 50 g were dispersed, and bacteria were released by use of a cation-exchange resin; subsequently, bacteria were separated from soil particles by low-speed centrifugation and lysed with lysozyme and ionic detergent, and the DNA was then purified by CsCl-ethidium bromide equilibrium density centrifugation. The extracted DNA was of high molecular weight and sufficiently pure for restriction enzyme digestion, DNA-DNA hybridization, and amplification by the polymerase chain reaction. The advantages of the new method are that the separation of bacteria from soil is considerably faster than by repeated blending, more samples can be handled, and furthermore no aerosols are formed during separation. Also, we investigated whether the CsCl-ethidium bromide equilibrium density centrifugation could be replaced by purification using Gene-Clean. However, this method produced DNAs which were insufficiently pure for several types of analysis. The new method was used to study survival of a 2,4-dichlorophenoxyacetic acid (2,4-D)-degrading Pseudomonas cepacia DBO1 (pRO101) in unamended soil and in soil amended with 2,4-D. We found that the degrading strain, irrespective of inoculation level, was able to grow to the same high numbers in soil amended with 2,4-D, while the strain in nonamended soil were maintained at the inoculation level. Detection based on DNA extraction and subsequent dot blot DNA-DNA hybridization was in accordance with detection by plating on selective medium.     

Weighting in LCA Based on Ecotaxes - Development of a Mid-point Method and Experiences from Case Studies

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DOI: http://dx.doi.org/10.1065/lca2006.04.015

Goal, Scope and Background

The weighting phase in Life Cycle Assessment (LCA) is and has always been a controversial issue, partly because this element requires the incorporation of social, political and ethical values. Despite the controversies, weighting is widely used in practise. In this paper we will present an approach for monetisation of environmental impacts which is based on the consistent use of ecotaxes and fees in Sweden as a basis for the economic values. The idea behind this approach is that taxes and fees are expressions of the values society places on resource uses and emissions. An underlying assumption for this is that the decisions taken by policy-makers are reflecting societal values thus reflecting a positive view of representative democracy.

Methods

In the method a number of different ecotaxes are used. In many cases they can directly be used as valuation weighting factors, an example is the CO2-tax that can be used as a valuation of CO2-emissions. In some cases, a calculation has to be made in order to derive a weighting factor. An example of this is the tax on nitrogen fertilisers which can be recalculated to an emission of nitrogen which can be used as a weighting factor for nitrogen emissions. The valuation weighting factors can be connected to characterisation methods in the normal LCA practise. We have often used the Ecotax method in parallel to other weighting methods such as the Ecoindicator and EPS methods and the results are compared.

Results and Discussion

A new set of weighting factors has been developed which has been used in case studies. It is interesting to note that the Ecotax method is able to identify different environmental problems as the most important ones in different case studies. In some cases, the Ecotax method has identified some interventions as the most important ones which lack weighting factors in other weighting methods. The midpoint-endpoint debate in the LCA literature has often centred on different types of uncertainties. Sometimes it is claimed that an advantage with having an endpoint approach is that the weighting would be easier and less uncertain. Here we are however suggesting a mid-point weighting method that we claim are no less uncertain than other often used weighting methods based on a damage assessment. This paper can therefore be seen as a discussion paper also in the midpoint-endpoint debate.

Conclusion and Recommendation

The Ecotax method is ready to use. It should be further updated and developed as taxes are changed and new characterisation methods are developed. The method is not only relevant for LCA but also for other environmental systems analysis. The Ecotax method has also been used as a valuation method for Cost-Benefit Analysis (CBA), Life Cycle Costing (LCC) and within the context of a Strategic Environmental Assessment (SEA).

     

Mutation Detection in DNA Oligonucleotides Based on a Guanine Quenching Method Coupled with Enzymatic Digestion of Single-Stranded DNA

Fluorescence quenching by guanine allows DNA hybridization to be monitored and any point mutations in oligonucleotides to be detected. However, fluorescence quenching is often affected by untargeted guanine located in a protruding end (single-strand DNA) of the probe-target DNA duplex resulting in an unsatisfactory sensitivity. In the present study, we used enzymatic digestion of the protruding end of a probe-target DNA duplex to avoid interference by untargeted guanine on fluorescence quenching for detection of a nucleobase mutation. Enzymatic digestion of the protruding end of the DNA duplex fully prevented interference by untargeted guanine, and produced a marked difference in the quenching ratios (36% for wild-type, and 0% for mutant).     

Growth Physics in Nitella: a Method for Continuous in Vivo Analysis of Extensibility Based on a Micro-manometer Technique for Turgor Pressure

The view that the plant cell grows by the yielding of the cell wall to turgor pressure can be expressed in the equation: rate = cell extensibility × turgor. All growth rate responses can in principle be resolved into changes in the 2 latter variables. Extensibility will relate primarily to the yielding properties of the cell wall, turgor primarily to solute uptake or production. Use of this simple relationship in vivo requires that at least 2 of the 3 variables be measured in a growing cell. Extensibility is not amenable to direct measurement. Data on rate and turgor for single Nitella cells can, however, be continuously gathered to permit calculation of extensibility (rate/turgor). Rate is accurately obtained from measurements on time-lapse film. Turgor is estimated in the same cell, to within 0.1 atm or less, by measurement of the ability of the cell to compress gas trapped in the closed end of a capillary the open end of which is in the cell vacuole. The method is independent of osmotic equilibrium. It operates continuously for several days, over a several fold increase in cell length, and has response time of less than one minute. Rapid changes in turgor brought on by changes in tonicity of the medium, show that extensibility, as defined above, is not constant but has a value of zero unless the cell has about 80% of normal turgor. Because elastic changes are small, extensibility relates to growth. Over long periods of treatment in a variety of osmotica the threshold value for extensibility and growth is seen to fall to lower values to permit resumption of growth at reduced turgor. A brief period of rapid growth (5× normal) follows the return to normal turgor. All variables then become normal and the cycle can be repeated. The cell remains essentially at osmotic equilibrium, even while growing at 5× the normal rate. The method has potential for detailed in vivo analyses of “wall softening.”     

Liposomal Anticancer Drugs as Agents to be used in Combination with other Anticancer Agents: Studies on a Liposomal Formulation with two Encapsulated Drugs

Abstract

When considering the use of combination therapies with liposomal anticancer agents several approaches can be defined. One approach could rely on administration of one liposomal formulation with more than one entrapped cytotoxic drug. This study focuses on an assessment of a liposomal formulation containing vincristine and mitoxantrone. Distearoyl phosphatidylcholine (DSPC)/Cholesterol (Choi) (55:45 molar ratio) liposomes were loaded with vincristine using transmembrane pH gradients. These systems were subsequently incubated with mitoxantrone to effect uptake of the second drug. Retention of both drugs was determined in vitro and in vivo. In vitro drug release indicated >95% retention of mitoxantrone and approximately 75% retention of vincristine when liposomes were prepared with an initial interior pH of 2.0. In vivo results however, demonstrated that greater than 80% of the encapsulated vincristine was released within 1 hour following i.v. administration. The instability of a liposomal formulation containing two anticancer drugs following i.v. administration may be a consequence of a combination of factors including drug-loading induced collapse of the transmembrane pH gradient, loss due to osmotic effects and an associated insertion of serum proteins into the bilayer, as well as the presence of a large biological “sink” which can alter the transbilayer drug gradient in favor of drug release.     

Evidence from a gelechiid leaf-tier on mesquite (Mimosaceae: Prosopis) that semi-concealed Lepidopteran biological control agents may not be at risk from parasitism in Australian rangelands

Parasitism can limit the effectiveness of weed biological control agents. In this study, we surveyed larval and pupal parasitoids of the leaf-tying moth, Evippe sp. #1 (Gelechiidae), a biological control agent released widely in rangeland Australia against mesquite (Mimosaceae: Prosopis spp.). This moth was expected to be vulnerable to parasitism, as it has a semi-concealed feeding habit, is a member of a well-represented family, and is a herbivore on a well-represented family of trees and shrubs. We conducted surveys in four regions across Australia to determine whether parasitoids were responsible for differential performance of the moth in rangeland Australia, and what the consequences might be for the release of further semi-concealed Lepidoptera. The parasitoid fauna was found to be diverse, but the composition was similar across the four regions surveyed. It included primary and hyperparasitoids of both larvae and pupae. Parasitism rates were generally low, rarely above a few percentage points in any one survey, and therefore, unlikely to threaten moth populations. There was also no relationship between parasitism rates and leaf-tie abundance. These results suggest that any new semi-concealed lepidopteran biological control agents in rangeland Australia might also be parasitised by a diverse fauna. However, a better understanding of what determines parasitism rates is required to predict whether it would be sufficient to threaten biological control.     

Effect of a Treatment with Naphthaleneacetic Acid on the Arrangement of Lateral Roots in Onion (Allium cepa L): General Pattern and Coordination between Ranks

Lateral roots in Allium cepa arise in longitudinal rows opposite the protoxylem poles of adventitious roots. The number, spacing within ranks and positional relationship to laterals in different ranks were analysed in control roots and those treated with an auxin (α-naphthaleneacetic acid). Treatment increased numbers of laterals per rank and distributed the more evenly in all ranks. Laterals of control roots were concentrated in two neighbouring ranks. Auxin-treated roots showed a more regular distribution of laterals between ranks and close spacing of laterals along each rank. Comparisons with theoretical random distributions suggest a dispersed spacing model for lateral root arrangement with mutual repulsion between successive lateral roots within each rank both in control and auxintreated roots. On the other hand, there is some interaction between laterals in different ranks in 0.1 mM NAA-treated roots.     

Thyrotoxic Periodic Paralysis and Complicated Thyrotoxicosis,Two Presentations of Hyperthyroidism with Notable Differences in their Clinical Manifestations: An Experience from a Tertiary Care Hospital in the United States

Objective: Thyrotoxic periodic paralysis (TPP) is a muscular disorder characterized by sudden episodes of muscle weakness and hypokalemia in the setting of thyrotoxicosis. We aimed to report our experience with TPP in West Texas and compare its clinical presentation to that of patients admitted for complicated thyrotoxicosis.Methods: Retrospective review of records of adult patients with admission diagnosis of hyperthyroidism, thyrotoxicosis, and/or discharge diagnosis of periodic paralysis seen at our institution in a 6-year period.Results: Patients admitted for complicated thyrotoxicosis were more commonly females of a mean age of 44 years. Patients with TPP were more commonly Hispanic males of a mean age of 27 years. Despite no significantly different thyroid hormone levels, patients with TPP presented with less-severe signs and symptoms of hyperthyroidism, as reflected by lower Burch-Wartofsky score on admission (19 vs. 35; P<.001) and lower occurrence of atrial fibrillation in the TPP group (0% vs. 36%; P<.001). Finally, 89% of TPP patients presented with corrected QT (QTc) prolongation, whereas only 19% of thyrotoxic patient presented with a prolonged QTc.Conclusion: Hispanic patients with TTP seems to have relative resistance to the actions of thyroid hormones and commonly present with QTc prolongation, a risk factor for cardiac arrhythmias.Abbreviations: BWS = Burch-Wartofsky point scale; EKG = electrocardiogram; FT3 = free triiodothyronine; FT4 = free thyroxine; ICD = International Classification of Diseases; QTc = corrected QT; TPP = thyrotoxic periodic paralysis     

Nucleosomal arrays can be salt-reconstituted on a single-copy MMTV promoter DNA template: their properties differ in several ways from those of comparable 5S concatameric arrays

Subsaturated nucleosomal arrays were reconstituted on a single-copy MMTV promoter DNA fragment by salt dialysis procedures and studied by atomic force microscopy. Up to an occupation level of approximately eight nucleosomes on this 1900 bp template, salt reconstitution produces nucleosomal arrays which look very similar to comparably loaded 5S rDNA nucleosomal arrays; i.e., nucleosomes are dispersed on the DNA template. Thus, at these occupation levels, the single-copy MMTV template forms arrays suitable for biophysical analyses. A quantitative comparison of the population features of subsaturated MMTV and 5S arrays detects differences between the two: a requirement for higher histone levels to achieve a given level of nucleosome occupation on MMTV templates, indicating that nucleosome loading is thermodynamically less favorable on this template; a preference for pairwise nucleosome occupation of the MMTV (but not the 5S) template at midrange occupation levels; and an enhanced salt stability for nucleosomes on MMTV versus 5S arrays, particularly in the midrange of array occupation. When average occupation levels exceed approximately eight nucleosomes per template, MMTV arrays show a significant level of mainly intramolecular compaction; 5S arrays do not. Taken together, these results show clearly that the nature of the underlying DNA template can affect the physical properties of nucleosomal arrays. DNA sequence-directed differences in the physical properties of chromatin may have important consequences for functional processes such as gene regulation.     

Construction of a Diverse Fab Expression Library from Autoimmunized Mice Based on an Improved Preparation of Cloning Arms from Bacteriophage Vectors: A New Library with Potential for Screening of Biocatalysts

This paper describes an improved procedure for the preparation of cloning arms from vectors Lc1 and Hc2 for the construction of cDNA libraries in phage δ for expression in E. coli of the combinatorial Fab fragments of the immunoglobulin repertoire from autoimmunized mice. It was found that annealing, dialysis and dephorphorylation after the restriction enzyme digestion of vectors were critical for the high efficient preparation of cloning arms. The construction of Fab cDNA libraries involves the use of primer-directed PCR amplification products of total RNA from autoimmunized mice. Fab production was confirmed by the immunoassay and sequence analysis. The partial sequenced genes for Fab fragments were different from each other in the FR4, CDR3 and FR3 regions, indicating a diverse nature of the library. This library may be used to screen for catalytic Fab's.     

Prognostic Significance of Systemic Inflammation-Based Lymphocyte- Monocyte Ratio in Patients with Lung Cancer: Based on a Large Cohort Study

Increasing evidence indicates cancer-related inflammatory biomarkers show great promise for predicting the outcome of cancer patients. The lymphocyte- monocyte ratio (LMR) was demonstrated to be independent prognostic factor mainly in hematologic tumor. The aim of the present study was to investigate the prognostic value of LMR in operable lung cancer. We retrospectively enrolled a large cohort of patients with primary lung cancer who underwent complete resection at our institution from 2006 to 2011. Inflammatory biomarkers including lymphocyte count and monocyte count were collected from routinely performed preoperative blood tests and the LMR was calculated. Survival analyses were calculated for overall survival (OS) and disease-free survival (DFS). A total of 1453 patients were enrolled in the study. The LMR was significantly associated with OS and DFS in multivariate analyses of the whole cohort (HR = 1.522, 95% CI: 1.275–1.816 for OS, and HR = 1.338, 95% CI: 1.152–1.556 for DFS). Univariate subgroup analyses disclosed that the prognostic value was limited to patients with non-small-cell lung cancer (NSCLC) (HR: 1.824, 95% CI: 1.520–2.190), in contrast to patients with small cell lung cancer (HR: 1.718, 95% CI: 0.946–3.122). Multivariate analyses demonstrated that LMR was still an independent prognostic factor in NSCLC. LMR can be considered as a useful independent prognostic marker in patients with NSCLC after complete resection. This will provide a reliable and convenient biomarker to stratify high risk of death in patients with operable NSCLC.