Review of In Pursuit ...: a Novel, by Joanna FitzPatrick

Review of In Pursuit ... The Katherine Mansfield Story Retold, by Joanna FitzPatrick (New York: La Drome Press, 2010

The corticotropin-releasing factor-like diuretic hormone 44 (DH44) and kinin neuropeptides modulate desiccation and starvation tolerance in Drosophila melanogaster

Malpighian tubules are critical organs for epithelial fluid transport and stress tolerance in insects, and are under neuroendocrine control by multiple neuropeptides secreted by identified neurons. Here, we demonstrate roles for CRF-like diuretic hormone 44 (DH44) and Drosophila melanogaster kinin (Drome-kinin, DK) in desiccation and starvation tolerance. Gene expression and labelled DH44 ligand binding data, as well as highly selective knockdowns and/or neuronal ablations of DH44 in neurons of the pars intercerebralis and DH44 receptor (DH44-R2) in Malpighian tubule principal cells, indicate that suppression of DH44 signalling improves desiccation tolerance of the intact fly. Drome-kinin receptor, encoded by the leucokinin receptor gene, LKR, is expressed in DH44 neurons as well as in stellate cells of the Malpighian tubules. LKR knockdown in DH44-expressing neurons reduces Malpighian tubule-specific LKR, suggesting interactions between DH44 and LK signalling pathways. Finally, although a role for DK in desiccation tolerance was not defined, we demonstrate a novel role for Malpighian tubule cell-specific LKR in starvation tolerance. Starvation increases gene expression of epithelial LKR. Also, Malpighian tubule stellate cell-specific knockdown of LKR significantly reduced starvation tolerance, demonstrating a role for neuropeptide signalling during starvation stress

Organisation de la journée d'études sur les dynamiques territoriales de transition vers l'AB et l'écologisation des systèmes agri-alimentaires, sur le thème des biorégions, à Eurre (Biovallée)

This seminar brought together French, Italian, Autrian researchers, European bioregions leaders and local actors from the Drome department to discuss about bioregions and territorial transition of agrifood systems. It took place in Eurre, in the Biovallée bioregion (Drôme, France)

Evaluating health visitors’ existing knowledge of Down syndrome and the effect of a training workshop

© 2018 The Authors. Journal of Policy and Practice in Intellectual Disabilities published by International Association for the Scientific Study of Intellectual and Developmental Disabilities and Wiley Periodicals, Inc.Children with Down syndrome are at an increased risk of health and development issues in early childhood, therefore monitoring their development and identifying health conditions as early as possible is critical. Health professionals may not always have the training and knowledge to effectively support families of children with disabilities, including Down syndrome. In the UK, health visitors conduct health and development reviews for children under 5 years, therefore they have a key role to play in monitoring and identifying health issues in young children with Down syndrome. However there has been no research on health visitors' knowledge and training needs regarding Down syndrome. This study aimed to assess health visitors' existing knowledge of Down syndrome and evaluate a pilot Down syndrome training session for health visitors. Twenty-six health visitors from two NHS Trusts in England participated in 1 of 5 group training workshops. Pretraining and posttraining questionnaires assessed knowledge about Down syndrome, and feedback on the training session. Knowledge about Down syndrome was low prior to the training and increased significantly following the training session. Health visitors rated the training workshop very highly and would recommend it to a colleague. Health visitors identified a need for training to enable them to increase their knowledge about Down syndrome and better support families. In summary, a pilot training session about Down syndrome received positive feedback from health visitors, and led to improvements in knowledge and understanding about Down syndrome. This has the potential to improve health outcomes for children with Down syndrome.Peer reviewe

Preclinical Cushing's syndrome in adrenal incidentalomas

Adrenal tumors are usually diagnosed by clinical symptoms of hormone excess. The increasing use of ultrasound and computed tomography results in the detection of a substantial number of incidentally discovered adrenal tumors. Most of these tumors are nonfunctional adrenocortical adenomas, but a few cases of subclinical cortisol production in "incidentalomas" have been reported. We investigated prospectively the prevalence of autonomous cortisol production in 68 patients (44 females and 24 males, aged 25-90 yr) with adrenal incidentalomas at our institution. As a screening procedure all patients with incidentalomas underwent an overnight dexamethasone suppression test (1 mg). Patients who failed to suppress serum cortisol below 140 nmol/L (5 micrograms/dL) underwent more comprehensive studies (prolonged dexamethasone suppression test, determination of the diurnal rhythm of cortisol secretion in saliva, and CRH stimulation test). Eight patients (12% of all patients with incidentalomas; 5 females and 3 males, aged 25-71 yr) were finally identified as having cortisol- producing tumors, and the findings in these patients were compared with those of overt Cushing's syndrome in 8 patients (8 females, aged 26-50 yr) suffering from cortisol-producing adrenal adenomas. The tumor size of patients with cortisol-producing incidentalomas ranged from 2-5 cm. No specific signs and symptoms of hypercortisolism were present, but arterial hypertension (seven of eight subjects), diffuse obesity (four of eight subjects), and noninsulin-dependent diabetes mellitus (NIDDM; two of eight subjects) were frequently observed. Baseline cortisol levels were in the normal to upper normal range, whereas baseline ACTH levels were suppressed in five of the eight patients. In none of the patients was serum cortisol suppressible by low dose or high dose dexamethasone. The ACTH and cortisol responses to CRH were normal in two, blunted in one, and suppressed in four patients. Unilateral adrenalectomy was performed in seven patients and resulted in temporary adrenal insufficiency in four of them. After surgery, improvement of arterial hypertension, a permanent weight loss in obese subjects, and a better metabolic control of NIDDM were noted in the majority of patients. The following conclusions were reached. Incidentally diagnosed adrenal tumors with pathological cortisol secretion in otherwise clinically asymptomatic patients are more frequently observed than previously assumed. Adrenocortical insufficiency is a major risk in these patients after adrenalectomy. After surgery, hypertension, obesity, and NIDDM may improve. Patients with asymptomatic adrenal incidentalomas, therefore, should be screened for cortisol production by means of an overnight dexamethasone suppression test

Structure and stereochemistry of the base excision repair glycosylase MutY reveal a mechanism similar to retaining glycosidases.

MutY adenine glycosylases prevent DNA mutations by excising adenine from promutagenic 8-oxo-7,8-dihydroguanine (OG):A mismatches. Here, we describe structural features of the MutY active site bound to an azaribose transition state analog which indicate a catalytic role for Tyr126 and approach of the water nucleophile on the same side as the departing adenine base. The idea that Tyr126 participates in catalysis, recently predicted by modeling calculations, is strongly supported by mutagenesis and by seeing close contact between the hydroxyl group of this residue and the azaribose moiety of the transition state analog. NMR analysis of MutY methanolysis products corroborates a mechanism for adenine removal with retention of stereochemistry. Based on these results, we propose a revised mechanism for MutY that involves two nucleophilic displacement steps akin to the mechanisms accepted for 'retaining' O-glycosidases. This new-for-MutY yet familiar mechanism may also be operative in related base excision repair glycosylases and provides a critical framework for analysis of human MutY (MUTYH) variants associated with inherited colorectal cancer

Homosexuality and the Pediatrician

Homosexuality is a psychiatric syn drome which begins in childhood. By rec ognizing some of the predisposing factors early, and then using his influence and knowledge to work towards their correc tion, the pediatrician can often play a ma jor role in preventing its development. Homosexuality must be looked upon as the illness which it is. It is not just a "different way of life."Peer Reviewedhttp://deepblue.lib.umich.edu/bitstream/2027.42/66638/2/10.1177_000992286600500815.pd

Age related metabolic syndrome among hemodialysis patients in Gorgan, Iran

People with metabolic syndrome are at high risk for developing cardiovascular disease. The present study aimed to determine the age related metabolic syndrome of hemodialysis patients. The biochemical parameters and demographic information were registered. The prevalence of metabolic syndrome was significantly high in ages 50-59 and 60-69 years in hemodialysis patients when compared with other age groups (P< 0.05). There was elevated frequency of metabolic syndrome from age 50-59 and 40-49 years in male and female hemodialysis patients, respectively. The frequency of metabolic syndrome in female subjects (65.27%) was higher than male (47.14%, P<0.05). The prevalence of metabolic syndrome was high in ages 50-59 years in males and females. There was a significant difference in hemodialysis patients with metabolic syndrome in ages 50-59 years in males and from ages 40-49, 50-59 and 60-69 years in females (P< 0.05). Our results show that 25.71%, 18.57% and 2.86% males and 36.11%, 20.83% and 8.33% females had three, four and five criteria for metabolic syndrome, respectively. The results of this study showed that females patients were more affected than males. This may depended on the specific lifestyle alterations among females and males patients in this area. Marjani et al