Probiotics for preventing acute otitis media in children

This is a protocol for a Cochrane Review (Intervention). The objectives are as follows: to assess the effects of probiotics to prevent the occurrence and reduce the severity of acute otitis media in children.</p

Seed bank and growth comparisons of native (Virgilia divaricata) and invasive alien (Acacia mearnsii and A. melanoxylon) plants: implications for conservation

Background Invasive alien plants with long-lived dormant seed banks and fast growth rates are difficult to manage. Acacia mearnsii and Acacia melanoxylon are two such invaders in the southern Cape of South Africa which occasionally co-occur with a native, ecologically analogous species, Virgilia divaricata. We compared the performance of these three species to determine potential for the native species to be used in management of the invasives. Methods We compared the study species in terms of (i) soil seed bank densities, their vertical distribution, and the viability of seeds underneath the canopies of mature trees; (ii) seedling growth from planted seeds over a period of three months; and (iii) growth rates of saplings over a period of 10 months in stands that have naturally regenerated in the field (these stands were dominated by A. mearnsii) and where saplings have been exposed to varying levels of competition from surrounding saplings. Results Seed bank densities differed significantly among species but not among soil depth classes. Acacia mearnsii had the highest seed bank densities (mean of 7,596 seeds m−2), followed by V. divaricata (938 seeds m−2) and A. melanoxylon (274 seeds m−2). Seed viability was high (87–91%) in all three study species and did not differ significantly among species or soil depth classes. As seedlings, V. divaricata significantly outgrew A. mearnsii in terms of height, root and shoot dry mass, and root:shoot ratio. Relative growth (the relationship between growth in height and initial height) was negative in the seedlings of both species. Trends during the sapling stage were opposite to those during the seedling stage; A. mearnsii (but not A. melanoxylon) saplings significantly outgrew V. divaricata saplings in height, while relative growth rates were positive in all species. Sapling growth of all species was furthermore uninfluenced by the collective biomass of surrounding competitors. Discussion Our findings suggest that amongst the measures considered, A. mearnsii’s success as an invader is primarily attributable to its large seed banks, and secondly to its vigorous growth in height as saplings. However, the superior growth performance of V. divaricata seedlings and no apparent negative effect of competition from the acacias on sapling growth show promise for its use in integrated management of the acacias

An fMRI study of saccadic and smooth pursuit eye movement control

PURPOSE. To compare the cortical networks that underlie oculomotor function in patients with age-related macular degeneration (AMD) with those in normally sighted control subjects, using functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI). METHODS. Six patients with bilateral geographic retinal atrophy due to AMD (age range, 55-83 years) were recruited for the study. The visual acuities of the patients ranged from 20/76 (0.58 logMAR) to 20/360 (1.26 logMAR). An additional six younger (age range, 22-31 years) and six older (age range, 54 -78 years) normally sighted individuals were recruited as control subjects. fMRI data were acquired on a 3.0-Tesla, scanner while subjects performed visually guided saccade (VGS) and smooth-pursuit (SmP) tasks. RESULTS. Contrasts between VGS and fixation on a stationary target identified a network of activation that included the frontal eye fields (FEFs), supplementary eye fields (SMA/SEFs), prefrontal cortex (PFC), intraparietal sulci (IPS), and the areas of the visual cortex (MT/V5, V2/V3, and V1) in control subjects and patients. A similar network was identified for comparisons between SmP and periods of fixation. Marked variability was observed in the performance of both tasks across all patients. For both tasks, the patients generally showed increased PFC and IPS activation, with decreased activation in visual cortex compared with the control subjects. The patients showed significantly increased activation of the FEFs and SMA/SEFs in the SmP task, compared with the control subjects. CONCLUSIONS. These data suggest that performance of both eye movement tasks required greater involvement of the cortical regions generally implicated in attention and effort in patients with AMD. (Invest Ophthalmol Vis Sci. 2008;49:1728 -1735) DOI:10.1167/iovs.07-0372 T he most common visual impairment in persons older than 50 years is a progressive loss of central visual function as a result of AMD. 1,2 It has been estimated that one in three individuals more than 75 years of age and 1 in 30 individuals more than 52 years of age are affected by AMD. 3 Previous research in our laboratory with patients having juvenile or age-related macular degeneration has demonstrated that good central visual acuity is critically important in performing everyday activities, such as reading, writing personal correspondence, and recognizing faces and expressions, and that patients with macular degeneration are impaired in these areas. 4 -8 Commonly, patients who are affected by AMD show some adaptation to their compromised visual system. This adaptation is observed clinically by the use of preferred retinal locations (PRLs) and viewing eccentrically outside of diseased foveae. The use of PRLs is effortful and fatiguing to the patients. Furthermore, many patients use different PRLs depending on the nature of the task. 9,10 Although adaptive in nature, the use of PRLs does not result in normal oculomotor function. For example, the reading rates of patients with AMD using PRLs are substantially lower than those of normally sighted subjects. 11-14 A potential reason for reduced function in patients using PRLs is abnormal scanning of text, which would involve unsteady fixation, and inaccurate saccadic and pursuit eye movements. The primary goal of the present study was to examine the cortical networks that underlie saccadic and pursuit eye movements in patients affected by AMD who use PRLs. To do this, patients and normally sighted control subjects performed saccadic and pursuit eye movement tasks interspersed with periods of central fixation while functional magnetic imaging data were acquired. This study provides insight into the downstream cortical consequences of retinal disease

Current status of technology-use for plantation re-establishment in South Africa

Plantation re-establishment is a key component of silviculture as it deals with the creation of a suitable environment when planting or seeding a stand. Re-establishment practices include slash management, site preparation, marking and preparation of a planting position, planting, fertilisation and vegetation management. Over the past decade, there has been a shift towards mechanising re-establishment activities primarily due to labour challenges such as: aging rural workforce; increasing labour costs; high labour turnover; problematic health issues leading to lower productivity; inconsistent work quality by manual labour; and poor ergonomic practices. A survey was conducted to assess and gauge the level of mechanisation within these re-establishment practices in South Africa. Responses to an e-mail questionnaire were received from 43 contractors and 11 grower companies from within the different provinces where commercial forestry is practiced in South Africa. The survey, a first of its kind, was designed and administered following the techniques used in conducting the Forest Engineering technical survey. Descriptive and inferential statistics were used to analyse the data. The results showed that the total area re-planted by respondent contractors and grower companies was ± 36 923 ha–1 per year. The predominant activities conducted prior to planting comprised: burning (78%); marking a planting position using the baseline method (71%); preparation of a planting position using a road pick (57%) and pre-plant chemical weeding with a knapsack (70%). Furthermore, 45% of planting and 77% of blanking operations were carried out manually with a trowel. Post planting activities such as fertilizing and weeding were carried out through manual spot application of fertiliser (61%) and herbicide application with a knapsack (43%). Overall, the results indicated that typical re-establishment activities are still dominated by manual methods. This study is a baseline for future, periodic surveys that can be conducted to analyse trends and identify areas for improvement in re-establishment activities in South Africa.The Nelson Mandela University and FP&M SETA.https://www.tandfonline.com/loi/tsfs202021-11-18hj2021Plant Production and Soil Scienc

Effects of training on postural control and agility when wearing socks of different compression levels

Study aim: The aim of this study was to evaluate the effects of training while wearing socks differing in compression level (clinical, sub-clinical, regular) on performance of static and dynamic balancing and agility tasks in healthy, physically active people. We sought to understand whether socks with different compression properties supported postural regulation and agility task performance by enhancing somatosensory perception, unskewed by specific age range effects. Material and methods: Participants comprised 61 adults aged 18-75 years, divided into three groups (two experimental groups wearing clinical or sub-clinical level compression socks, and one control group wearing regular non-compression socks during training). An 8-week (2 × 1h per week) intervention programme was administered to train static and dynamic balance and postural control, leg strength and agility. Results: A mixed model ANOVA revealed no differences in static and dynamic balance and postural control and agility performance between clinical, sub-clinical, and control groups before and after training. All groups significantly improved their test performance, suggesting that training had some benefit on motor performance. Conclusions: These results raised interesting questions requiring further investigation to examine the effects of wearing socks (with and without different levels of compression) on motor behaviours in specific groups of elderly vs. young participants, in physically active vs. less physically active people, and in performance settings outside standardized laboratory tests to study applications in natural performance environments

Redox-neutral organocatalytic Mitsunobu reactions

Nucleophilic substitution reactions of alcohols are amongst the most fundamental and strategically important transformations in organic chemistry. For over half a century these reactions have been achieved using stoichiometric, and often hazardous, reagents to activate the otherwise unreactive alcohols. Here we demonstrate that a specially designed phosphine oxide promotes nucleophilic substitution reactions of primary and secondary alcohols within a redoxneutral catalysis manifold that produces water as the sole by-product. The scope of the catalytic coupling process encompasses a range of acidic pronucleophiles that allow stereospecific construction of carbon-oxygen and carbon-nitrogen bonds

Advanced optical imaging in living embryos

Developmental biology investigations have evolved from static studies of embryo anatomy and into dynamic studies of the genetic and cellular mechanisms responsible for shaping the embryo anatomy. With the advancement of fluorescent protein fusions, the ability to visualize and comprehend how thousands to millions of cells interact with one another to form tissues and organs in three dimensions (xyz) over time (t) is just beginning to be realized and exploited. In this review, we explore recent advances utilizing confocal and multi-photon time-lapse microscopy to capture gene expression, cell behavior, and embryo development. From choosing the appropriate fluorophore, to labeling strategy, to experimental set-up, and data pipeline handling, this review covers the various aspects related to acquiring and analyzing multi-dimensional data sets. These innovative techniques in multi-dimensional imaging and analysis can be applied across a number of fields in time and space including protein dynamics to cell biology to morphogenesis

Systematic Association Mapping Identifies NELL1 as a Novel IBD Disease Gene

Crohn disease (CD), a sub-entity of inflammatory bowel disease (IBD), is a complex polygenic disorder. Although recent studies have successfully identified CD-associated genetic variants, these susceptibility loci explain only a fraction of the heritability of the disease. Here, we report on a multi-stage genome-wide scan of 393 German CD cases and 399 controls. Among the 116,161 single-nucleotide polymorphisms tested, an association with the known CD susceptibility gene NOD2, the 5q31 haplotype, and the recently reported CD locus at 5p13.1 was confirmed. In addition, SNP rs1793004 in the gene encoding nel-like 1 precursor (NELL1, chromosome 11p15.1) showed a consistent disease-association in independent German population- and family-based samples (942 cases, 1082 controls, 375 trios). Subsequent fine mapping and replication in an independent sample of 454 French/Canadian CD trios supported the authenticity of the NELL1 association. Further confirmation in a large German ulcerative colitis (UC) sample indicated that NELL1 is a ubiquitous IBD susceptibility locus (combined p<10−6; OR = 1.66, 95% CI: 1.30–2.11). The novel 5p13.1 locus was also replicated in the French/Canadian sample and in an independent UK CD patient panel (453 cases, 521 controls, combined p<10−6 for SNP rs1992660). Several associations were replicated in at least one independent sample, point to an involvement of ITGB6 (upstream), GRM8 (downstream), OR5V1 (downstream), PPP3R2 (downstream), NM_152575 (upstream) and HNF4G (intron)

Changes in the investigation and management of suspected myocardial infarction and injury during COVID-19: a multi-centre study using routinely collected healthcare data

Objective: The COVID-19 pandemic was associated with a reduction in the incidence of myocardial infarction (MI) diagnosis, in part because patients were less likely to present to hospital. Whether changes in clinical decision making with respect to the investigation and management of patients with suspected MI also contributed to this phenomenon is unknown. Methods: Multicentre retrospective cohort study in three UK centres contributing data to the National Institute for Health Research Health Informatics Collaborative. Patients presenting to the Emergency Department (ED) of these centres between 1st January 2020 and 1st September 2020 were included. Three time epochs within this period were defined based on the course of the first wave of the COVID-19 pandemic: pre-pandemic (epoch 1), lockdown (epoch 2), post-lockdown (epoch 3). Results: During the study period, 10,670 unique patients attended the ED with chest pain or dyspnoea, of whom 6,928 were admitted. Despite fewer total ED attendances in epoch 2, patient presentations with dyspnoea were increased (p < 0.001), with greater likelihood of troponin testing in both chest pain (p = 0.001) and dyspnoea (p < 0.001). There was a dramatic reduction in elective and emergency cardiac procedures (both p < 0.001), and greater overall mortality of patients (p < 0.001), compared to the pre-pandemic period. Positive COVID-19 and/or troponin test results were associated with increased mortality (p < 0.001), though the temporal risk profile differed. Conclusions: The first wave of the COVID-19 pandemic was associated with significant changes not just in presentation, but also the investigation, management, and outcomes of patients presenting with suspected myocardial injury or MI

Perceived Social Support Network and Achievement : Mediation by Motivational Beliefs and Moderation by Gender

Research has shown that perceived social support (PSS) (from parents and teachers) influences achievement. However, little is known about how this relationship operates. This study examines the multiple mediational effects of students’ motivational beliefs in relationship to the association between PSS and mathematics achievement. The sample included the African countries that participated in the TIMSS 2011 (Ghana, Botswana, South Africa, Morocco, and Tunisia). A bootstrap analysis indicated a unique pattern of the role of motivational beliefs in mediating the relationships between PSS and achievement. Moreover, gender was found to moderate the indirect effect in some countries. The findings indicate that total mediation effect of students’ motivational belief on the relationship between PSS and achievement is “culture-fair but not culture-free”Research has shown that perceived social support (PSS) (from parents and teachers) influences achievement. However, little is known about how this relationship operates. This study examines the multiple mediational effects of students’ motivational beliefs in relationship to the association between PSS and mathematics achievement. The sample included the African countries that participated in the TIMSS 2011 (Ghana, Botswana, South Africa, Morocco, and Tunisia). A bootstrap analysis indicated a unique pattern of the role of motivational beliefs in mediating the relationships between PSS and achievement. Moreover, gender was found to moderate the indirect effect in some countries. The findings indicate that total mediation effect of students’ motivational belief on the relationship between PSS and achievement is “culture-fair but not culture-free”.Peer reviewe