Whey- vs Casein-Based Enteral Formula and Gastrointestinal Function in Children With Cerebral Palsy.

Objectives: Children with severe cerebral palsy (CP) commonly have gastrointestinal (GI) dysfunction. Whey-based enteral formulas have been postulated to reduce gastroesophageal reflux (GOR) and accelerate gastric emptying (GE). The authors investigated whether whey-based (vs casein-based) enteral formulas reduce GOR and accelerate GE in children who have severe CP with a gastrostomy and fundoplication. Methods: Thirteen children received a casein-based formula for 1 week and either a 50% whey whole protein (50% WWP) or a 100% whey partially hydrolyzed protein (100% WPHP) formula for 1 week. Reflux episodes, gastric half-emptying time (GE t1/2), and reported pain and GI symptoms were measured. Results: Whey formulas emptied significantly faster than casein (median [interquartile range (IQR)] GE t1/2, 33.9 [25.3-166.2] min vs 56.6 [46-191] min; P = .033). Reflux parameters were unchanged. GI symptoms were lower in children who received 50% WWP (visual analog symptom score, median [IQR], 0[0-11.8]) vs 100% WPHP (13.0 [2.5-24.8]) (P = .035). Conclusion: This pilot study shows that in children who have severe CP with a gastrostomy and fundoplication, GE of the whey-based enteral formula is significantly faster than casein. The acceleration in GE does not alter GOR frequency, and there appears to be no effect of whey vs casein in reducing acid, nonacid, and total reflux episodes. The results indicate that enteral formula selection may be particularly important for children with severe CP and delayed GE. (JPEN J Parenter Enteral Nutr. 2012;36:118S-123S

A solid-phase extraction method for rapidly determining the adsorption coefficient of pharmaceuticals in sewage sludge

AbstractThe partitioning of pharmaceuticals in the environment can be assessed by measuring their adsorption coefficients (Kd) between aqueous and solid phases. Measuring this coefficient in sewage sludge gives an indication of their partitioning behaviour in a wastewater treatment plant and hence contributes to an understanding of their subsequent fate. The regulatory approved method for measuring Kd in sewage sludge is the US Environmental Protection Agency's Office of Prevention, Pesticides and Toxic Substances (OPPTS) guideline 835.1110, which is labour intensive and time consuming. We describe an alternative method for measuring the Kd of pharmaceuticals in sewage sludge using a modified solid-phase extraction (SPE) technique. SPE cartridges were packed at different sludge/PTFE ratios (0.4, 6.0, 24.0 and 40.0% w/w sludge) and eluted with phosphate buffer at pH 7.4. The approach was tested initially using three pharmaceuticals (clofibric acid, diclofenac and oxytetracycline) that covered a range of Kd values. Subsequently, the sorption behaviour of ten further pharmaceuticals with varying physico-chemical properties was evaluated. Results from the SPE method were comparable to those of the OPPTS test, with a correlation coefficient of 0.93 between the two approaches. SPE cartridges packed with sludge and PTFE were stable for up to one year; use within one month reduced variability in measurements (to a maximum of 0.6 log units). The SPE method is low-cost, easy to use and enables the rapid measurement of Kd values for a large number of chemicals. It can be used as an alternative to the more laborious full OPPTS test in environmental fate studies and risk assessments

Prenatal development is linked to bronchial reactivity: epidemiological and animal model evidence

Chronic cardiorespiratory disease is associated with low birthweight suggesting the importance of the developmental environment. Prenatal factors affecting fetal growth are believed important, but the underlying mechanisms are unknown. The influence of developmental programming on bronchial hyperreactivity is investigated in an animal model and evidence for comparable associations is sought in humans. Pregnant Wistar rats were fed either control or protein-restricted diets throughout pregnancy. Bronchoconstrictor responses were recorded from offspring bronchial segments. Morphometric analysis of paraffin-embedded lung sections was conducted. In a human mother-child cohort ultrasound measurements of fetal growth were related to bronchial hyperreactivity, measured at age six years using methacholine. Protein-restricted rats' offspring demonstrated greater bronchoconstriction than controls. Airway structure was not altered. Children with lesser abdominal circumference growth during 11-19 weeks' gestation had greater bronchial hyperreactivity than those with more rapid abdominal growth. Imbalanced maternal nutrition during pregnancy results in offspring bronchial hyperreactivity. Prenatal environmental influences might play a comparable role in humans

Reflections on a 'virtual' practice development unit: changing practice through identity development

Aims. This paper draws together the personal thoughts and critical reflections of key people involved in the establishment of a ‘virtual’ practice development unit of clinical nurse specialists in the south of England. Background. This practice development unit is ‘virtual’ in that it is not constrained by physical or specialty boundaries. It became the first group of Trust-wide clinical nurse specialists to be accredited in the UK as a practice development unit in 2004. Design and methods. The local university was asked to facilitate the accreditation process via 11 two-hour audio-recorded learning sessions. Critical reflections from practice development unit members, leaders and university staff were written 12 months after successful accreditation, and the framework of their content analysed. Findings and discussion. Practice development was seen as a way for the clinical nurse specialists to realize their potential for improving patient care by transforming care practice in a collaborative, interprofessional and evolutionary manner. The practice development unit provided a means for these nurses to analyse their role and function within the Trust. Roberts’ identity development model for nursing serves as a useful theoretical underpinning for the reflections contained in this paper. Conclusions. These narratives provide another example of nurses making the effort to shape and contribute to patient care through organizational redesign. This group of nurses began to realize that the structure of the practice development unit process provided them with the means to analyse their role and function within the organization and, as they reflected on this structure, their behaviour began to change. Relevance to clinical practice. Evidence from these reflections supports the view that practice development unit participants have secured a positive and professional identity and are, therefore, better able to improve the patient experience

Catch me if you can: the influence of refuge / trap design, previous feeding experience, and semiochemical lures on vine weevil (Coleoptera: Curculionidae) monitoring success

BACKGROUND Vine weevil, Otiorhynchus sulcatus F. (Coleoptera: Curculionidae), is one of the most economically important pest species of berry and ornamental crops globally. Monitoring this nocturnal pest can be difficult and time consuming and the efficacy of current tools is uncertain. Without effective monitoring tools, implementation of integrated pest management strategies is challenging. This study tests the relative efficacy of a range of vine weevil monitoring tools. Whether host‐plant volatiles and weevil feeding experience influence vine weevil capture is also tested. RESULTS Monitoring tool efficacy differed overall between the six monitoring tool designs tested and ranged from catches of 0.4 % to 26.7 % under semi‐field conditions. Previous feeding experience influenced vine weevil behaviour. In yew conditioned populations, 39 % of the weevils responded to and were retained in the trap baited with yew foliage while 37 % of weevils from Euonymus fortunei conditioned populations responded to and were retained in the trap baited with E. forunei foliage. A simple synthetic lure consisting of (Z)‐2‐pentenol + methyl eugenol also increased vine weevil catches compared with an unbaited trap. CONCLUSION Demonstrating differences in the efficacy of different monitoring tool designs is an important first step for developing improved methods for monitoring vine weevil populations within crops. This study presents the first direct comparison of vine weevil monitoring tool designs and indicates that trap efficacy can be improved by baiting with host‐plant material or a synthetic lure based on host‐plant volatiles

Higgs Mass from D-Terms: a Litmus Test

We explore supersymmetric theories in which the Higgs mass is boosted by the non-decoupling D-terms of an extended $U(1)_X$ gauge symmetry, defined here to be a general linear combination of hypercharge, baryon number, and lepton number. Crucially, the gauge coupling, $g_X$, is bounded from below to accommodate the Higgs mass, while the quarks and leptons are required by gauge invariance to carry non-zero charge under $U(1)_X$. This induces an irreducible rate, $\sigma$BR, for $pp \rightarrow X \rightarrow \ell\ell$ relevant to existing and future resonance searches, and gives rise to higher dimension operators that are stringently constrained by precision electroweak measurements. Combined, these bounds define a maximally allowed region in the space of observables, ($\sigma$BR, $m_X$), outside of which is excluded by naturalness and experimental limits. If natural supersymmetry utilizes non-decoupling D-terms, then the associated $X$ boson can only be observed within this window, providing a model independent `litmus test' for this broad class of scenarios at the LHC. Comparing limits, we find that current LHC results only exclude regions in parameter space which were already disfavored by precision electroweak data.Comment: 7 pages, 9 figure

Platelet microparticle delivered microRNA-Let-7a promotes the angiogenic switch

Platelet microparticle (PMP)-induced angiogenesis plays a key role in tumour metastasis and has been proposed to contribute towards cardiovascular disease by enhancing atherosclerotic plaque vulnerability. However, the mechanisms underlying PMP induced angiogenesis are ill defined. Recent reports demonstrate that PMPs deliver micro-RNAs (miRNAs) to recipient cells, controlling gene expression. We therefore evaluated whether miRNA transfer was a key regulator of PMP-induced angiogenesis. Co-culturing PMPs with human umbilical vein endothelial cells (HUVEC) on extracellular matrix gel induced robust capillary like structure formation. PMP treatment altered the release of angiogenesis modulators from HUVEC, including significantly reducing production of anti-angiogenic thrombospondin-1 (THBS-1). Both functional responses were abrogated by treating PMPs with RNase, suggesting the transfer of PMP-derived RNA was a critical event. PMPs were an abundant source of miRNA Let-7a, which was transferred to HUVEC following co-incubation. Using luciferase reporter assays we have shown that Let-7a directly targets the 3’UTR of the THBS-1 mRNA. HUVEC transfection with a Let-7a anti-sense oligonucleotide reduced the ability of PMPs to inhibit THBS-1 release, and significantly decreased PMP induced in vitro angiogenesis. Antibody neutralisation of THBS-1 reversed the anti-angiogenic effect of let-7a inhibition in PMP treated HUVEC, highlighting Let-7a dependent translational repression of THBS-1 drives angiogenesis. Importantly, plasmid overexpression of Let-7a in HUVEC alone induced robust tubule formation on extracellular matrix gel. These data reveal a new role for Let-7a in promoting angiogenesis and show for the first time PMPs induced angiogenic responses occur through miRNA regulation of HUVEC

Human papillomavirus type 16 infection activates the host serine arginine protein kinase 1 (SRPK1) - splicing factor axis

The infectious life cycle of human papillomaviruses (HPVs) is tightly linked to keratinocyte differentiation. Evidence suggests a sophisticated interplay between host gene regulation and virus replication. Alternative splicing is an essential process for host and viral gene expression, and is generally upregulated by serine arginine-rich splicing factors (SRSFs). SRSF activity can be positively or negatively controlled by cycles of phosphorylation/dephosphorylation. Here we show that HPV16 infection leads to accumulation of the paradigm SRSF protein, SRSF1, in the cytoplasm in a keratinocyte differentiation-specific manner. Moreover, HPV16 infection leads to increased levels of cytoplasmic and nuclear phosphorylated SRSF1. SR protein kinase 1 (SRPK1) phosphorylates SRSF1. Similar to HPV upregulation of SRSF1, we demonstrate HPV upregulation of SRPK1 via the viral E2 protein. SRPK1 depletion or drug inhibition of SRPK1 kinase activity resulted in reduced levels of SRSF1, suggesting that phosphorylation stabilizes the protein in differentiated HPV-infected keratinocytes. Together, these data indicate HPV infection stimulates the SRPK1–SRSF axis in keratinocytes

Developments in the field of clinical allergy in 2018 through the eyes of Clinical and Experimental Allergy, Part II

In this article, we describe developments in the field of clinical allergy as described by Clinical and Experimental Allergy in 2018; epidemiology, asthma and rhinitis, clinical allergy and allergens are all covered.Peer Reviewedhttps://deepblue.lib.umich.edu/bitstream/2027.42/153257/1/cea13535.pd