B cell differentiation in sheep

The ileal Peyer's patch (IPP) of lambs is a region of intense lymphopoiesis and B cell development. Monoclonal antibodies against ovine lymphocyte antigens have been used to characterise the IPP lymphocyte. Three murine monoclonal antibodies against ovine IgM, IgGi and Ig light chain were produced and are described fully. IgM and MHC class II antigens are expressed on the vast majority of IPP cells whilst cells bearing other serum Ig isotypes and T cell antigens are rare. A novel Ig molecule appears to be coexpressed with IgM, it is proposed that this is the ovine equivalent of IgD.The ileal Peyer's patch (IPP) of lambs is a region of intense lymphopoiesis and B cell development. Monoclonal antibodies against ovine lymphocyte antigens have been used to characterise the IPP lymphocyte. Three murine monoclonal antibodies against ovine IgM, IgGi and Ig light chain were produced and are described fully. IgM and MHC class II antigens are expressed on the vast majority of IPP cells whilst cells bearing other serum Ig isotypes and T cell antigens are rare. A novel Ig molecule appears to be coexpressed with IgM, it is proposed that this is the ovine equivalent of IgD.IPP cells can be induced to proliferate and differentiate when cultured with lipopolysaccharide (LPS) and interleukin 2 (IL2). Proliferation is inhibited by rabbit anti-sheep Ig antibodies. Using an ELISA for Ig, it has been posible to quantitate Ig synthesis and secretion. Mean cellular Ig increases greater than 25-fold during differentiation. High-rate secretion begins 4 days after initiation of culture and is virtually complete by day 7.As IPP B cells differentiate to IgM secretion, membrane Ig is rapidly lost so that by day 6, only 15% of cells express Ig en their surfaces. Changes in MHC class II antigens were also studied. Surface expression of MHC class II molecules doubled by 24 hours and slowly declined to resting levels as differentiation proceeded. A large increase in cytoplasmic MHC class II content was noted on day 3. The reasons for this inci-ease are discussed

ASSESSMENT OF DECELERATION ABILITY AND RELATIONSHIP TO APPROACH SPEED AND ECCENTRIC STRENGTH

The purpose of this study was to develop a method for assessing an athlete’s deceleration ability and investigate its relationship with acceleration distance, % maximum speed and eccentric strength. A Laveg LDM 300C was used to collect peak speed and distance of 9 male athletes in a 30m maximal sprint and acceleration-deceleration efforts within set distances of 5, 10, 15 and 20m. The ‘deceleration gradient’ derived from 10m and 5m peak speeds and stopping distances was found to exhibit a low association with eccentric strength of the quadriceps (R2 = 0.284) and hamstrings (R2 = 0.219). Equations were generated linking % maximum speed attained with acceleration distance (R2 = 0.961) and stopping distance (R2 = 0.851) which could help to set realistic conditions for acceleration-deceleration drills and to revise speed zones within match analysis applications

Electromagnetic navigation in total knee arthroplasty—a single center, randomized, single-blind study comparing the results with conventional techniques

We report on the results of a randomized study (n = 200) to compare total knee arthroplasty performed using conventional instrumentation or electromagnetic computer assisted surgical technique. 92% of navigated and 85% of conventional knees were implanted within ± 3° from neutral mechanical alignment; there was no statistically significant difference between these proportions. There was also no difference in femoral or tibial rotation assessed by CT scan. At 1 year follow up there was no statistical difference between the two groups in American Knee Society Score, Oxford Knee Scores, patient satisfaction, quality of life, hospital length of stay, complication rates or other adverse events. Tourniquet time in the navigated group was longer. Proving value for navigation in total knee arthroplasty surgery remains a challenge

Proficiency deficiency: mastery of fundamental movement skills and skill components in overweight and obese children

The purpose of this observational study was to compare the mastery of 12 fundamental movement skills (FMS) and skill components between a treatment-seeking sample of overweight/obese children and a reference sample from the United States. Mastery of six locomotor and six object-control skills (24 components in each subdomain) were video-assessed by one assessor using the test of gross motor development-2 (TGMD-2). The 153 overweight/obese children (mean ± s.d. age = 8.3 ± 1.1 years, BMI z-score = 2.78 ± 0.69, 58% girls, 77% obese) were categorized into age groups (for the underhand roll and strike: 7–8 years and 9–10 years; all other FMS: 6–7 years and 8–10 years) and mastery prevalence rates were compared with representative US data (N = 876) using χ2 analysis. For all 12 skills in all age groups, the prevalence of mastery was lower among overweight/obese children compared with the reference sample (all P < 0.05). This was consistent for 18 locomotor and upto 21 object-control skill components (all P < 0.05). Differences were largest for the run, slide, hop, dribble, and kick. Specific movement patterns that could be targeted for improvement include positioning of the body and feet, the control or release of an object at an optimal position, and better use of the arms to maintain effective force production during the performance of FMS. Physical activity programs designed for overweight and obese children may need to address deficiencies in FMS proficiency to foster the movement capabilities required for participation in health-enhancing physical activity

Thresholds of biodiversity and ecosystem function in a forest ecosystem undergoing dieback

Ecological thresholds, which represent points of rapid change in ecological properties, are of major scientific and societal concern. However, very little research has focused on empirically testing the occurrence of thresholds in temperate terrestrial ecosystems. To address this knowledge gap, we tested whether a number of biodiversity, ecosystem functions and ecosystem condition metrics exhibited thresholds in response to a gradient of forest dieback, measured as changes in basal area of living trees relative to areas that lacked recent dieback. The gradient of dieback was sampled using 12 replicate study areas in a temperate forest ecosystem. Our results provide novel evidence of several thresholds in biodiversity (namely species richness of ectomycorrhizal fungi, epiphytic lichen and ground flora); for ecological condition (e.g. sward height, palatable seedling abundance) and a single threshold for ecosystem function (i.e. soil respiration rate). Mechanisms for these thresholds are explored. As climate-induced forest dieback is increasing worldwide, both in scale and speed, these results imply that threshold responses may become increasingly widespread

Improved accuracy of component positioning with robotic-assisted unicompartmental knee arthroplasty : data from a prospective, randomized controlled study

Higher revision rates have been reported in patients who have undergone unicompartmental knee arthroplasty compared with patients who have undergone total knee arthroplasty, with poor component positioning identified as a factor in implant failure. A robotic-assisted surgical procedure has been proposed as a method of improving the accuracy of component implantation in arthroplasty. The aim of this prospective, randomized, single-blinded, controlled trial was to evaluate the accuracy of component positioning in unicompartmental knee arthroplasty comparing robotic-assisted and conventional implantation techniques. One hundred and thirty-nine patients were randomly assigned to treatment with either a robotic-assisted surgical procedure using the MAKO Robotic Interactive Orthopaedic Arm (RIO) system or a conventional surgical procedure using the Oxford Phase-3 unicompartmental knee replacement with traditional instrumentation. A postoperative computed tomographic scan was performed at three months to assess the accuracy of the axial, coronal, and sagittal component positioning. Data were available for 120 patients, sixty-two who had undergone robotic-assisted unicompartmental knee arthroplasty and fifty-eight who had undergone conventional unicompartmental knee arthroplasty. Intraobserver agreement was good for all measured component parameters. The accuracy of component positioning was improved with the use of the robotic-assisted surgical procedure, with lower root mean square errors and significantly lower median errors in all component parameters (p < 0.01). The proportion of patients with component implantation within 2° of the target position was significantly greater in the group who underwent robotic-assisted unicompartmental knee arthroplasty compared with the group who underwent conventional unicompartmental knee arthroscopy with regard to the femoral component sagittal position (57% compared with 26%, p = 0.0008), femoral component coronal position (70% compared with 28%, p = 0.0001), femoral component axial position (53% compared with 31%, p = 0.0163), tibial component sagittal position (80% compared with 22%, p = 0.0001), and tibial component axial position (48% compared with 19%, p = 0.0009). Robotic-assisted surgical procedures with the use of the MAKO RIO lead to improved accuracy of implant positioning compared with conventional unicompartmental knee arthroplasty surgical techniques

Insulin detemir offers improved glycemic control compared with NPH insulin in people with type 1 diabetes - A randomized clinical trial

OBJECTIVE—Insulin detemir is a soluble long-acting basal insulin analog designed to overcome the limitations of conventional basal insulin formulations. Accordingly, insulin detemir has been compared with NPH insulin with respect to glycemic control (HbA1c, prebreakfast glucose levels and variability, and hypoglycemia) and timing of administration. RESEARCH DESIGN AND METHODS—People with type 1 diabetes (n = 408) were randomized in an open-label, parallel-group trial of 16-week treatment duration using either insulin detemir or NPH insulin. Insulin detemir was administered twice daily using two different regimens, either before breakfast and at bedtime (IDetmorn+bed) or at a 12-h interval (IDet12h). NPH insulin was administered before breakfast and at bedtime. Mealtime insulin was given as the rapid-acting insulin analog insulin aspart. RESULTS—With both insulin detemir groups, clinic fasting plasma glucose was lower than with NPH insulin (IDet12h vs. NPH, −1.5 mmol/l [95% CI −2.51 to −0.48], P = 0.004; IDetmorn+bed vs. NPH, −2.3 mmol/l (−3.32 to −1.29), P < 0.001), as was self-measured prebreakfast plasma glucose (P = 0.006 and P = 0.004, respectively). The risk of minor hypoglycemia was lower in both insulin detemir groups (25%, P = 0.046; 32%, P = 0.002; respectively) compared with NPH insulin in the last 12 weeks of treatment, this being mainly attributable to a 53% reduction in nocturnal hypoglycemia in the IDetmorn+bed group (P < 0.001). Although HbA1c for each insulin detemir group was not different from the NPH group, HbA1c for the pooled insulin detemir groups was significantly lower than for the NPH group (mean difference −0.18% [−0.34 to −0.02], P = 0.027). Within-person between-day variation in self-measured prebreakfast plasma glucose was lower for both detemir groups (both P < 0.001). The NPH group gained weight during the study, but there was no change in weight in either of the insulin detemir groups (IDet12h vs. NPH, −0.8 kg [−1.44 to −0.24], P = 0.006; IDetmorn+bed vs. NPH, −0.6 kg [−1.23 to −0.03], P = 0.040). CONCLUSIONS—Overall glycemic control with insulin detemir was improved compared with NPH insulin. The data provide a basis for tailoring the timing of administration of insulin detemir to the individual person’s needs

Volumetric, relaxometric and diffusometric correlates of psychotic experiences in a non-clinical sample of young adults

BackgroundGrey matter (GM) abnormalities are robust features of schizophrenia and of people at ultra high-risk for psychosis. However the extent to which neuroanatomical alterations are evident in non-clinical subjects with isolated psychotic experiences is less clear.MethodsIndividuals (mean age 20 years) with (n = 123) or without (n = 125) psychotic experiences (PEs) were identified from a population-based cohort. All underwent T1-weighted structural, diffusion and quantitative T1 relaxometry MRI, to characterise GM macrostructure, microstructure and myelination respectively. Differences in quantitative GM structure were assessed using voxel-based morphometry (VBM). Binary and ordinal models of PEs were tested. Correlations between socioeconomic and other risk factors for psychosis with cortical GM measures were also computed.ResultsGM volume in the left supra-marginal gyrus was reduced in individuals with PEs relative to those with no PEs. The greater the severity of PEs, the greater the reduction in T1 relaxation rate (R1) across left temporoparietal and right pre-frontal cortices. In these regions, R1 was positively correlated with maternal education and inversely correlated with general psychopathology.ConclusionsPEs in non-clinical subjects were associated with regional reductions in grey-matter volume reduction and T1 relaxation rate. The alterations in T1 relaxation rate were also linked to the level of general psychopathology. Follow up of these subjects should clarify whether these alterations predict the later development of an ultra high-risk state or a psychotic disorder

Insecticidal roof barriers mounted on untreated bed nets can be as effective against Anopheles gambiae as regular insecticide-treated bed nets

Barrier bednets (BBnets), regular bednets with a vertical insecticidal panel to target mosquitoes above the bednet roof, where they are most active, have the potential to improve existing Insecticidal Treated Bednets (ITNs), by reducing the quantity of insecticide required per net, reducing the toxic risks to those using the net, potentially increasing insecticide choice. We evaluated the performance of PermaNet 3.0 (P3) and untreated (Ut) bed nets with and without pyrethroid and piperonyl butoxide roof barriers in killing pyrethroid-resistant and susceptible Anopheles gambiae, simultaneously video-recording mosquito flight tracks. Bioassay results showed that treated roof barriers, particularly the longitudinal P3 barrier (P3L) could be an effective addition to a bed net: P3 + P3L were consistently significantly more effective than the reference P3 bednet while performance of untreated nets could be raised to equal that of the reference P3 following the addition of a P3 barrier. The BBnet’s potential to augment existing bednets and enhance their performance is considered

The HIKCUPS trial: a multi-site randomized controlled trial of a combined physical activity skill-development and dietary modification program in overweight and obese children

BACKGROUND: Childhood obesity is one of the most pressing health issues of our time. Key health organizations have recommended research be conducted on the effectiveness of well-designed interventions to combat childhood obesity that can be translated into a variety of settings. This paper describes the design and methods used in the Hunter Illawarra Kids Challenge Using Parent Support (HIKCUPS) trial, an ongoing multi-site randomized controlled trial, in overweight/obese children comparing the efficacy of three interventions: 1) a parent-centered dietary modification program; 2) a child-centered physical activity skill-development program; and 3) a program combining both 1 and 2 above. METHODS/DESIGN: Each intervention consists of three components: i) 10-weekly face-to-face group sessions; ii) a weekly homework component, completed between each face-to-face session and iii) three telephone calls at monthly intervals following completion of the 10-week program. Details of the programs' methodological aspects of recruitment, randomization and statistical analyses are described here a priori. DISCUSSION: Importantly this paper describes how HIKCUPS addresses some of the short falls in the current literature pertaining to the efficacy of child obesity interventions. The HIKCUPS trial is funded by the National Medical Research Council, Australia