Chemotactic activity of extracellular nucleotideson human immune cells.

Purinergic P2 receptors are a class of plasma membrane receptors that are express in many tissues and are ligated by extracellular nucleotides [such as adenosine triphosphate (ATP), adenosine diphosphate (ADP), uridine 5–triphosphate (UTP) and uridine 5–diphosphate (UDP)], which are released as a consequence of cell damage, cell stress, bacterial infection or other noxious stimuli. According to the molecular structure, P2 receptors are divided into two subfamilies: P2X and P2Y receptors. The P2X receptors are ligand-gated channels, whereas P2Y receptors are G-protein-coupled seven-membrane-spanning receptors. Several studies indicate that nucleotides play an important role in immune response modulation through their action on multiple cell types, including monocytes, mast cells, dendritic cells, neutrophils, and eosinophils. Recent work by our group and others identified extracellular nucleotides as chemotaxins for various human immune cells, including eosinophils, neutrophils and dendritic cells. In this review, we summarise recent findings in this field and put forward a hypothesis on the role of P2 receptors in the early recruitment of human immune cells to the site of inflammation

Global patient outcomes after elective surgery: prospective cohort study in 27 low-, middle- and high-income countries.

BACKGROUND: As global initiatives increase patient access to surgical treatments, there remains a need to understand the adverse effects of surgery and define appropriate levels of perioperative care. METHODS: We designed a prospective international 7-day cohort study of outcomes following elective adult inpatient surgery in 27 countries. The primary outcome was in-hospital complications. Secondary outcomes were death following a complication (failure to rescue) and death in hospital. Process measures were admission to critical care immediately after surgery or to treat a complication and duration of hospital stay. A single definition of critical care was used for all countries. RESULTS: A total of 474 hospitals in 19 high-, 7 middle- and 1 low-income country were included in the primary analysis. Data included 44 814 patients with a median hospital stay of 4 (range 2-7) days. A total of 7508 patients (16.8%) developed one or more postoperative complication and 207 died (0.5%). The overall mortality among patients who developed complications was 2.8%. Mortality following complications ranged from 2.4% for pulmonary embolism to 43.9% for cardiac arrest. A total of 4360 (9.7%) patients were admitted to a critical care unit as routine immediately after surgery, of whom 2198 (50.4%) developed a complication, with 105 (2.4%) deaths. A total of 1233 patients (16.4%) were admitted to a critical care unit to treat complications, with 119 (9.7%) deaths. Despite lower baseline risk, outcomes were similar in low- and middle-income compared with high-income countries. CONCLUSIONS: Poor patient outcomes are common after inpatient surgery. Global initiatives to increase access to surgical treatments should also address the need for safe perioperative care. STUDY REGISTRATION: ISRCTN5181700

Early generation selection in 2 wheat crosses 2. F 3

Direct selection for grain number per spikelet, grain number per ear, or weight per grain was more effective than selection for yield per se as indicated by direct responses and realised heritabilities. Yield per plant did not show any response to direct selection. The base population for selection was 40 F₃ lines of each of 2 crosses, derived by intense and fairly effective single plant F₂ selection for these yield components. F₃ line selection for grain number per spikelet gave positively correlated responses for most yield components and yield per plant at 2 planting densities in Hilgendorf × Oroua and at the higher density in Kopara × Oroua. Although grain number per ear and weight per grain compensated for each other, selection for grain number per ear in Kopara × Oroua resulted in positively correlated responses in yield components (except weight per grain) and yield per plant at high density. Selection for weight per grain in both crosses gave significant increases in yield/m-² at low density, mainly because of high ear number. The lack of significant positive correlations between the performance of populations at low and high densities for ear number and yield suggested a high level of genotype-environment interaction