A POPULATION STUDY TO IDENTIFY FRACTURE RISK IN LIVERPOOL, ENGLAND

BACKGROUND: Fractures are in most cases treated by Accident and Emergency (A&E) departments and they have a substantial financial impact on health budgets. The epidemiology of fractures in the Liverpool city region has not been systematically investigated in recent years. This study aims to address this issue by providing valuable data that could aid in the design of fracture prevention strategies. METHODS: Population fracture data was collected by the Liverpool Primary Care Trust between February 2009 and July 2010, accounting for the majority of fractures registered in the city. The data was sorted by type, age, sex and upper/lower body in order to observe patterns in different groups. RESULTS: The data highlighted a significant difference between the sexes where anatomical sites varied greatly. Females suffer from fractures of the femur and the arm bones in a higher frequency, while males exhibit their highest fracture rates in the femur, lower arm and hand and craniofacial regions. Women also tend to have fractures later in life while most men fracture bones earlier. CONCLUSION: This finding corresponds with numerous sources in the medical literature. The present work supports the development of strategies designed to reduce fractures in specific age groups

Reproductive efficiency of the bethylid wasp Cephalonomia tarsalis: the influences of spatial structure and host density

The parasitoid wasp Cephalonomia tarsalis (Ashmead) (Hymenoptera: Bethylidae) is commonly present in stored product facilities. While beneficial, it does not provide a high 24 degree of biological pest control against its host, the saw-toothed beetle Oryzaephilus surinamensis (L.) (Coleoptera: Silvanidae). A candidate explanation for poor host population suppression is that adult females interfere with each other’s foraging and reproductive behavior. We used simple laboratory microcosms to evaluate such mutual interference in terms of its overall effects on offspring production. We varied the density of the hosts and also the spatial structure of the environment, via the extent of population sub-division and the provision of different substrates. Production of C. tarsalis offspring was positively influenced by host density and by the isolation of females. With incomplete sub-division within microcosms offspring production was, in contrast, low and even zero. The provision of corrugated paper as a substrate enhanced offspring production and partially mitigated the effects of mutual interference. We recommend simple improvements to mass rearing practice and identify promising areas for further behavioral and chemical studies towards a better understanding of the mechanisms of mutual interference

Analysis of clonality and antibiotic resistance among early clinical isolates of Enterococcus faecium in the United States.

BACKGROUND: The Enterococcus faecium genogroup, referred to as clonal complex 17 (CC17), seems to possess multiple determinants that increase its ability to survive and cause disease in nosocomial environments. METHODS: Using 53 clinical and geographically diverse US E. faecium isolates dating from 1971 to 1994, we determined the multilocus sequence type; the presence of 16 putative virulence genes (hyl(Efm), esp(Efm), and fms genes); resistance to ampicillin (AMP) and vancomycin (VAN); and high-level resistance to gentamicin and streptomycin. RESULTS: Overall, 16 different sequence types (STs), mostly CC17 isolates, were identified in 9 different regions of the United States. The earliest CC17 isolates were part of an outbreak that occurred in 1982 in Richmond, Virginia. The characteristics of CC17 isolates included increases in resistance to AMP, the presence of hyl(Efm) and esp(Efm), emergence of resistance to VAN, and the presence of at least 13 of 14 fms genes. Eight of 41 of the early isolates with resistance to AMP, however, were not in CC17. CONCLUSIONS: Although not all early US AMP isolates were clonally related, E. faecium CC17 isolates have been circulating in the United States since at least 1982 and appear to have progressively acquired additional virulence and antibiotic resistance determinants, perhaps explaining the recent success of this species in the hospital environment

Primary and malignant cholangiocytes undergo CD40 mediated Fas dependent Apoptosis, but are insensitive to direct activation with exogenous fas ligand

Introduction Cholangiocarcinoma is a rare malignancy of the biliary tract, the incidence of which is rising, but the pathogenesis of which remains uncertain. No common genetic defects have been described but it is accepted that chronic inflammation is an important contributing factor. We have shown that primary human cholangiocyte and hepatocyte survival is tightly regulated via co-operative interactions between two tumour necrosis family (TNF) receptor family members; CD40 and Fas (CD95). Functional deficiency of CD154, the ligand for CD40, leads to a failure of clearance of biliary tract infections and a predisposition to cholangiocarcinoma implying a direct link between TNF receptor-mediated apoptosis and the development of cholangiocarcinoma. Aims To determine whether malignant cholangiocytes display defects in CD40 mediated apoptosis. By comparing CD40 and Fas-mediated apoptosis and intracellular signalling in primary human cholangiocytes and three cholangiocyte cell lines. Results Primary cholangiocytes and cholangiocyte cell lines were relatively insensitive to direct Fas-mediated killing with exogenous FasL when compared with Jurkat cells, which readily underwent Fas-mediated apoptosis, but were extremely sensitive to CD154 stimulation. The sensitivity of cells to CD40 activation was similar in magnitude in both primary and malignant cells and was STAT-3 and AP-1 dependent in both. Conclusions 1) Both primary and malignant cholangiocytes are relatively resistant to Fas–mediated killing but show exquisite sensitivity to CD154, suggesting that the CD40 pathway is intact and fully functional in both primary and malignant cholangiocytes 2) The relative insensitivity of cholangiocytes to Fas activation demonstrates the importance of CD40 augmentation of Fas dependent death in these cells. Agonistic therapies which target CD40 and associated intracellular signalling pathways may be effective in promoting apoptosis of malignant cholangiocytes

Generalized β\beta-conformal change and special Finsler spaces

In this paper, we investigate the change of Finslr metrics $$L(x,y) \to\bar{L}(x,y) = f(e^{\sigma(x)}L(x,y),\beta(x,y)),$$ which we refer to as a generalized $\beta$-conformal change. Under this change, we study some special Finsler spaces, namely, quasi C-reducible, semi C-reducible, C-reducible, $C_2$-like, $S_3$-like and $S_4$-like Finsler spaces. We also obtain the transformation of the T-tensor under this change and study some interesting special cases. We then impose a certain condition on the generalized $\beta$-conformal change, which we call the b-condition, and investigate the geometric consequences of such condition. Finally, we give the conditions under which a generalized $\beta$-conformal change is projective and generalize some known results in the literature.Comment: References added, some modifications are performed, LateX file, 24 page

First record of the wood-boring beetles Oxymirus cursor and Sinodendron cylindricum in Greece

Δύο είδη ξυλοφάγων κολεοπτέρων καταγράφηκαν για πρώτη φορά στην Ελλάδα. Στα τέλη του Ιουνίου 2001, το είδος Oxymirus cursor (L.) (Coleoptera: Cerambycidae) της φυλής Oxymirini βρέθηκε στο όρος Ροδόπη, ενώ στις αρχές Αυγούστου 2012 το είδος Sinodendron cylindricum (L.) (Coleoptera: Lucanidae) της φυλής Sinidendrini βρέθηκε στο όρος Φαλακρό, στη Β. Ελλάδα. Παρουσιάζονται εικόνες των δύο ειδών καθώς και πληροφορίες σχετικά με την εξάπλωση τους, την βιολογία και οικολογία τους.Two wood-boring beetles are recorded for the first time in Greece. On late June 2001, the lepturine longicorn beetle Oxymirus cursor (L.) (Coleoptera: Cerambycidae) was found on Mt. Rodopi, and on early August 2012 the lucanid beetle Sinodendron cylindricum (L.) (Coleoptera: Lucanidae) was found on Mt. Falakron, in N. Greece. Images of both species and information on their distribution, ecology and biology, are presented

First record of the wood-boring beetles Oxymirus cursor and Sinodendron cylindricum in Greece

Δύο είδη ξυλοφάγων κολεοπτέρων καταγράφηκαν για πρώτη φορά στην Ελλάδα. Στα τέλη του Ιουνίου 2001, το είδος Oxymirus cursor (L.) (Coleoptera: Cerambycidae) της φυλής Oxymirini βρέθηκε στο όρος Ροδόπη, ενώ στις αρχές Αυγούστου 2012 το είδος Sinodendron cylindricum (L.) (Coleoptera: Lucanidae) της φυλής Sinidendrini βρέθηκε στο όρος Φαλακρό, στη Β. Ελλάδα. Παρουσιάζονται εικόνες των δύο ειδών καθώς και πληροφορίες σχετικά με την εξάπλωση τους, την βιολογία και οικολογία τους.Two wood-boring beetles are recorded for the first time in Greece. On late June 2001, the lepturine longicorn beetle Oxymirus cursor (L.) (Coleoptera: Cerambycidae) was found on Mt. Rodopi, and on early August 2012 the lucanid beetle Sinodendron cylindricum (L.) (Coleoptera: Lucanidae) was found on Mt. Falakron, in N. Greece. Images of both species and information on their distribution, ecology and biology, are presented

Automated detection and monitoring of grain beetles using a “smart” pitfall trap: Poster

A smart, electronic, modified pitfall trap, for automatic detection of adult beetle pests inside the grain mass is presented. The whole system is equipped with optoelectronic sensors to guard the entrance of the trap in order to detect, time-stamp, and GPS tag the incoming insect. Insect counts as well as environmental parameters that correlate with insect’s population development are wirelessly transmitted to a central monitoring agency in real time, are visualized and streamed to statistical methods to assist effective control of grain pests. The prototype trap was put in a large plastic barrel (120lt) with 80kg maize. Adult beetles of various species were collected from laboratory rearings and transferred to the experimental barrel. Caught beetle adults were checked and counted after 24h and were compared with the counts from the electronic system. Results from the evaluation procedure showed that our system is very accurate, reaching 98-99% accuracy on automatic counts compared with real detected numbers of adult beetles inside the trap. In this work we emphasize on how the traps can be selforganized in networks that collectively report data at local, regional, country, continental, and global scales using the emerging technology of the Internet of Things (IoT). We argue that smart traps communicating through IoT to report in real-time the level of the pest population from the grain mass straight to a human controlled agency can, in the very near future, have a profound impact on the decision making process in stored grain protection.A smart, electronic, modified pitfall trap, for automatic detection of adult beetle pests inside the grain mass is presented. The whole system is equipped with optoelectronic sensors to guard the entrance of the trap in order to detect, time-stamp, and GPS tag the incoming insect. Insect counts as well as environmental parameters that correlate with insect’s population development are wirelessly transmitted to a central monitoring agency in real time, are visualized and streamed to statistical methods to assist effective control of grain pests. The prototype trap was put in a large plastic barrel (120lt) with 80kg maize. Adult beetles of various species were collected from laboratory rearings and transferred to the experimental barrel. Caught beetle adults were checked and counted after 24h and were compared with the counts from the electronic system. Results from the evaluation procedure showed that our system is very accurate, reaching 98-99% accuracy on automatic counts compared with real detected numbers of adult beetles inside the trap. In this work we emphasize on how the traps can be selforganized in networks that collectively report data at local, regional, country, continental, and global scales using the emerging technology of the Internet of Things (IoT). We argue that smart traps communicating through IoT to report in real-time the level of the pest population from the grain mass straight to a human controlled agency can, in the very near future, have a profound impact on the decision making process in stored grain protection

Evaluating synergy between marbofloxacin and gentamicin in Pseudomonas aeruginosa strains isolated from dogs with otitis externa

The aim of this study was to determine antimicrobial susceptibility of Pseudomonas aeruginosa strains to marbofloxacin and gentamicin, and investigate the possible synergistic, additive, indifferent or antagonistic effects between the two agents. P. aeruginosa strains can develop resistance quickly against certain antibiotics if used alone, thus the need emerges to find synergistic combinations. A total of 68 P. aeruginosa strains isolated from dogs were examined. In order to describe interactions between marbofloxacin and gentamicin the checkerboard microdilution method was utilized. The MICs (minimum inhibitory concentrations) for marbofloxacin and gentamicin were in the range 0.25–64 mg/L and 0.25–32 mg/L, respectively. The combination of marbofloxacin and gentamicin was more effective with a MIC range of 0.031–8 mg/L and a MIC90 of 1 mg/L, compared to 16 mg/L for marbofloxacin alone and 8 mg/L for gentamicin alone. The FIC (fractional inhibitory concentration) indices ranged from 0.0945 (pronounced synergy) to 1.0625 (indifference). Synergy between marbofloxacin and gentamicin was found in 33 isolates. The mean FIC index is 0.546, which represents a partial synergistic/additive effect close to the full synergy threshold. In vitro results indicate that marbofloxacin and gentamicin as partially synergistic agents may prove clinically useful in combination therapy against P. aeruginosa infections. Although marbofloxacin is not used in the human practice, the interactions between fluoroquinolones and aminoglycosides may have importance outside the veterinary field