Antioxidant Role for Lipid Droplets in a Stem Cell Niche of Drosophila

SummaryStem cells reside in specialized microenvironments known as niches. During Drosophila development, glial cells provide a niche that sustains the proliferation of neural stem cells (neuroblasts) during starvation. We now find that the glial cell niche also preserves neuroblast proliferation under conditions of hypoxia and oxidative stress. Lipid droplets that form in niche glia during oxidative stress limit the levels of reactive oxygen species (ROS) and inhibit the oxidation of polyunsaturated fatty acids (PUFAs). These droplets protect glia and also neuroblasts from peroxidation chain reactions that can damage many types of macromolecules. The underlying antioxidant mechanism involves diverting PUFAs, including diet-derived linoleic acid, away from membranes to the core of lipid droplets, where they are less vulnerable to peroxidation. This study reveals an antioxidant role for lipid droplets that could be relevant in many different biological contexts

The Cholecystectomy As A Day Case (CAAD) Score: A Validated Score of Preoperative Predictors of Successful Day-Case Cholecystectomy Using the CholeS Data Set

Background Day-case surgery is associated with significant patient and cost benefits. However, only 43% of cholecystectomy patients are discharged home the same day. One hypothesis is day-case cholecystectomy rates, defined as patients discharged the same day as their operation, may be improved by better assessment of patients using standard preoperative variables. Methods Data were extracted from a prospectively collected data set of cholecystectomy patients from 166 UK and Irish hospitals (CholeS). Cholecystectomies performed as elective procedures were divided into main (75%) and validation (25%) data sets. Preoperative predictors were identified, and a risk score of failed day case was devised using multivariate logistic regression. Receiver operating curve analysis was used to validate the score in the validation data set. Results Of the 7426 elective cholecystectomies performed, 49% of these were discharged home the same day. Same-day discharge following cholecystectomy was less likely with older patients (OR 0.18, 95% CI 0.15–0.23), higher ASA scores (OR 0.19, 95% CI 0.15–0.23), complicated cholelithiasis (OR 0.38, 95% CI 0.31 to 0.48), male gender (OR 0.66, 95% CI 0.58–0.74), previous acute gallstone-related admissions (OR 0.54, 95% CI 0.48–0.60) and preoperative endoscopic intervention (OR 0.40, 95% CI 0.34–0.47). The CAAD score was developed using these variables. When applied to the validation subgroup, a CAAD score of ≤5 was associated with 80.8% successful day-case cholecystectomy compared with 19.2% associated with a CAAD score >5 (p < 0.001). Conclusions The CAAD score which utilises data readily available from clinic letters and electronic sources can predict same-day discharges following cholecystectomy

Trends in informal care in Great Britain during the 1990s

The population of adult carers in Great Britain declined during the 1990s while the proportion of those heavily involved in providing informal care increased. The intensification of care-giving was associated with an increasing number of caring relationships that typically make heavy demands on the carer: spouse care and caring for a child or parent. The provision of informal care by friends and neighbours diminished resulting in an overall decline in care-giving between households. However, parents were increasingly looked after in their own homes by non-resident daughters. More women than men withdrew from the less intensive care-giving between households while more men than women took on the role of a spouse carer. By the end of the decade, as many men as women provided informal care for a spouse or partner. If the trends identified here continue beyond the study period, increasing resources will be required to identify heavily involved carers, assess their needs, and support them in their caring activities. The findings are based on secondary analysis of the British Household Panel Survey covering the years 1991-1998. As well as charting trends in the prevalence of informal care, changes in the locus of care, the number of care recipients, their relationship to their carer and the amount of time devoted to caring activities are described and interpreted

Characterising atmospheric cloud particles using spatial light scattering

Original article can be found at : http://www.sciencedirect.com/ Copyright Elsevier [Full text of this article is not available in the UHRA]To be able to understand the radiative transfer properties of ice and mixed phase (ice and water) clouds, a detailed knowledge of the cloud particles' shapes and sizes is required, along with measurements of the number concentration of ice and super-cooled liquid particles (Foot 1988; Arnott et al. 1994). In addition, measurement of the total ice crystal number is important to facilitate the testing of theories of the nucleation of ice crystals and their interaction with aerosol particles. This paper describes progress of the development of a new aircraft mounted instrument for use in cloud and aerosol microphysical research where particle size and shape are important parameters, such as in the discrimination between supercooled water droplets and ice crystals of I-25pm size within cirrus clouds, (virtually impossible to achieve with current instrumentation).Peer reviewe