Nematode associates and susceptibility of a protected slug (Geomalacus maculosus) to four biocontrol nematodes

The impact of selected entomopathogenic nematodes and Phasmarhabditis hermaphrodita on the European-Union-protected slug Geomalacus maculosus and the sympatric Lehmannia marginata was investigated. There was no significant difference in mortality between slugs treated with nematodes and their controls. The presence of P. hermaphrodita in two G. maculosus cadavers may be the result of necromenic behaviour. This study constitutes the first record of P. californica in Europe

Designing with Friction: Inverting Notions of Seamless Technology

There is growing unease and a sense within the design community of the value placed on efficient, simplified, and seamless interactions, with a growing awareness and documentation of their unintended consequences across society. By prioritizing ‘frictionless’ finance, healthcare, education products, and services, there has been a consorted effort to reduce or eliminate our daily frictions in the pursuit of efficiency and ease of use. The role of friction, however, is more nuanced than this, with a growing appreciation for designing with frictions: leveraging features usually considered problematic or exploring the benefits, barriers, and complexity beyond hindering users. In seeking a more balanced understanding of friction in systems design, this workshop will offer ways of bringing friction to the fore of design and examining its role across the domains of care, privacy, security, repairability, and autonomous vehicles. Participants will contribute to an exhibition of frictions before taking part in sessions that will unpack digital systems, identify frictions, and examine the ethical ambiguities posed by the addition or removal of friction in particular contexts. In employing the concept of friction as a critical and constructive design lens, we seek to develop further a Human-Computer Interaction (HCI) agenda for future discourse that inverts and provokes preconceptions and assumptions of a seamless digital landscape

Recurrent respiratory papillomatosis: an overview of current thinking and treatment

Human papillomaviruses (HPV) infection in benign laryngeal papillomas is well established. The vast majority of recurrent respiratory papillomatosis lesions are due to HPV types 6 and 11. Human papillomaviruses are small non-enveloped viruses (>8 kb), that replicate within the nuclei of infected host cells. Infected host basal cell keratinocytes and papillomas arise from the disordered proliferation of these differentiating keratinocytes. Surgical debulking of papillomas is currently the treatment of choice; newer surgical approaches utilizing microdebriders are replacing laser ablation. Surgery aims to secure an adequate airway and improve and maintain an acceptable quality of voice. Adjuvant treatments currently used include cidofovir, indole-3-carbinol, ribavirin, mumps vaccine, and photodynamic therapy. The recent licensing of prophylactic HPV vaccines is a most interesting development. The low incidence of RRP does pose significant problems in recruitment of sufficient numbers to show statistical significance. Large multi-centre collaborative clinical trials are therefore required. Even so, sufficient clinical follow-up data would take several years

Sh3pxd2b Mice Are a Model for Craniofacial Dysmorphology and Otitis Media

Craniofacial defects that occur through gene mutation during development increase vulnerability to eustachian tube dysfunction. These defects can lead to an increased incidence of otitis media. We examined the effects of a mutation in the Sh3pxd2b gene (Sh3pxd2bnee) on the progression of otitis media and hearing impairment at various developmental stages. We found that all mice that had the Sh3pxd2bnee mutation went on to develop craniofacial dysmorphologies and subsequently otitis media, by as early as 11 days of age. We found noteworthy changes in cilia and goblet cells of the middle ear mucosa in Sh3pxd2bnee mutant mice using scanning electronic microscopy. By measuring craniofacial dimensions, we determined for the first time in an animal model that this mouse has altered eustachian tube morphology consistent with a more horizontal position of the eustachian tube. All mutants were found to have hearing impairment. Expression of TNF-α and TLR2, which correlates with inflammation in otitis media, was up-regulated in the ears of mutant mice when examined by immunohistochemistry and semi-quantitative RT-PCR. The mouse model with a mutation in the Sh3pxd2b gene (Sh3pxd2bnee) mirrors craniofacial dysmorphology and otitis media in humans

Horizontal acquisition of multiple mitochondrial genes from a parasitic plant followed by gene conversion with host mitochondrial genes

Background: Horizontal gene transfer (HGT) is relatively common in plant mitochondrial genomes but the mechanisms, extent and consequences of transfer remain largely unknown. Previous results indicate that parasitic plants are often involved as either transfer donors or recipients, suggesting that direct contact between parasite and host facilitates genetic transfer among plants. Results: In order to uncover the mechanistic details of plant-to-plant HGT, the extent and evolutionary fate of transfer was investigated between two groups: the parasitic genus Cuscuta and a small clade of Plantago species. A broad polymerase chain reaction (PCR) survey of mitochondrial genes revealed that at least three genes (atp1, atp6 and matR) were recently transferred from Cuscuta to Plantago. Quantitative PCR assays show that these three genes have a mitochondrial location in the one species line of Plantago examined. Patterns of sequence evolution suggest that these foreign genes degraded into pseudogenes shortly after transfer and reverse transcription (RT)- PCR analyses demonstrate that none are detectably transcribed. Three cases of gene conversion were detected between native and foreign copies of the atp1 gene. The identical phylogenetic distribution of the three foreign genes within Plantago and the retention of cytidines at ancestral positions of RNA editing indicate that these genes were probably acquired via a single, DNA-mediated transfer event. However, samplings of multiple individuals from two of the three species in the recipient Plantago clade revealed complex and perplexing phylogenetic discrepancies and patterns of sequence divergence for all three of the foreign genes. Conclusions: This study reports the best evidence to date that multiple mitochondrial genes can be transferred via a single HGT event and that transfer occurred via a strictly DNA-level intermediate. The discovery of gene conversion between co-resident foreign and native mitochondrial copies suggests that transferred genes may be evolutionarily important in generating mitochondrial genetic diversity. Finally, the complex relationships within each lineage of transferred genes imply a surprisingly complicated history of these genes in Plantago subsequent to their acquisition via HGT and this history probably involves some combination of additional transfers (including intracellular transfer), gene duplication, differential loss and mutation-rate variation. Unravelling this history will probably require sequencing multiple mitochondrial and nuclear genomes from Plantago

Avaliação longitudinal do desenvolvimento motor e da habilidade de sentar em crianças nascidas prematuras

Os bebês prematuros apresentam maior risco para atrasos na aquisição das habilidades neuromotoras. O objetivo do estudo foi detectar atrasos no desenvolvimento motor de crianças prematuras com baixo peso, analisar a evolução da habilidade do sentar e verificar a associação entre essa habilidade com outras aquisições motoras até os 8 meses de idade corrigida (IC). Foram avaliadas 10 crianças nascidas pré-termo, de ambos os sexos, dos 4 aos 8 meses de IC, pela escala motora infantil de Alberta AIMS (Alberta Infant Motor Scale). Cada criança foi avaliada três vezes, aos 4 para 5 meses, 5 para 6 meses, e 7 para 8 meses; os escores foram comparados para verificar alterações ao longo do tempo e identificação de possíveis atrasos no desenvolvimento motor. Os resultados mostram que, aos 7 para 8 meses, 30% das crianças apresentaram desenvolvimento motor atrasado e foram encaminhadas para tratamento fisioterapêutico. A habilidade de sentar foi melhorando progressiva e significativamente com a idade, tendo se mostrado fortemente correlacionada com outras posturas do desenvolvimento motor e com o escore total na AIMS.Preterm-born infants present higher risks of delayed neuromotor development. This study aimed at detecting delayed motor development in preterm, low-birthweight infants, by analysing development of the sitting skill in association to other motor development acquisitions until corrected age (CA) of 8 months. Ten preterm infants of both sexes were assessed by the AIMS - Alberta Infant Motor Scale from ages 4 to 8 months. Each child was evaluated three times, at 4-to-5 months, 5-to-6 months, and at 7-to-8 months CA; their scores were compared to verify changes over time and identify possible delays in motor development. Results show that at the age of 7-to-8 months, 30% of the children had delayed motor development and were referred for physical therapy treatment. The pace of sitting skill development increased gradually and significantly along the age; and strong correlations were found between the ability to sit and other motor development postures, and the total AIMS score

Social Safety Nets for Food and Nutritional Security in India

This paper brings together existing literature on the Mahatma Gandhi National Rural Employment Guarantee Act (MGNRGEA) and the Public Distribution System (PDS) in India, offering a narrative review of the evidence on impacts on food security, health and nutrition of beneficiaries. Both programs operate on a large scale and have the capacity to impact the factors leading to undernutrition. It is evident that despite the deficiencies in implementation, both the MGNREGA and the PDS are inclusive and reach the poor and the marginalized who are likely to also experience greater undernutrition and poor health. Data challenges have however prevented researchers from conducting studies that assess the ultimate impact of these two large-scale programs on health and nutrition. The evidence that exists suggests largely positive impacts indicating a clear potential to make these programs more nutrition sensitive not just by incorporating elements that would explicitly address nutritional concerns but also by directing specific attention to innovations that strengthen critical complementarities and synergies that exist between the two programs

A Novel Clinically Based Classification System For The Profunda Femoris Artery And The Circumflex Femoral Arteries

Background: The profunda femoris artery (PFA) supplies important collateral branches to both the ipsilateral internal iliac artery and the distal superficial femoral artery (SFA). The size and patency of these collateral pathways can determine the risk of pelvic malperfusion, spinal cord ischemia, and lower extremity limb loss following vascular interventions. Despite its importance, the anatomy of the PFA is rarely characterized in clinical studies involving the pelvic or lower extremity circulation. This discussion may be limited by the lack of a comprehensive classification system. Our objective was to describe the most common PFA anatomic variants and present a classification system based on its branching patterns. Methods: We dissected 155 fixed and nonfixed femoral artery systems from 88 cadavers. Seventy-seven female and 78 male femoral exposures were performed. Vessel diameters, branch configurations, and relative distances between the inguinal ligament, PFA, lateral circumflex femoral artery (LCFA), and medial circumflex femoral artery (MCFA) were recorded. Results: The mean diameters of the common femoral artery, SFA, and PFA were 10.3 mm, 8.0 mm, and 6.9 mm in males and 8.9 mm, 6.9 mm, and 6.1 mm in females, respectively (P \u3c 0.05). The mean distances from the inguinal ligament for PFA, MCFA, and LCFA were 41 mm, 41.7 mm, and 52.5 mm, respectively. No significant differences were noted relative to laterality or fixation. We developed a clinically applicable classification system based on the orientation of the PFA, LCFA, and MCFA. Six PFA, 5 LCFA, and 5 MCFA variations were identified and ranked by frequency. The 5 most common combinations accounted for 56.1% of our cadaver series. Conclusions: The anatomic orientation of the PFA and its branches is highly variable. We propose a novel classification system of this rich collateral system to facilitate consistent communication in academic and clinical vascular surgery