Highly selective aptamer‐molecularly imprinted polymer hybrids for recognition of SARS‐CoV‐2 spike protein variants

Virus recognition has been driven to the forefront of molecular recognition research due to the COVID-19 pandemic. Development of highly sensitive recognition elements, both natural and synthetic is critical to facing such a global issue. However, as viruses mutate, it is possible for their recognition to wane through changes in the target substrate, which can lead to detection avoidance and increased false negatives. Likewise, the ability to detect specific variants is of great interest for clinical analysis of all viruses. Here, a hybrid aptamer-molecularly imprinted polymer (aptaMIP), that maintains selective recognition for the spike protein template across various mutations, while improving performance over individual aptamer or MIP components (which themselves demonstrate excellent performance). The aptaMIP exhibits an equilibrium dissociation constant of 1.61 nM toward its template which matches or exceeds published examples of imprinting of the spike protein. The work here demonstrates that “fixing” the aptamer within a polymeric scaffold increases its capability to selectivity recognize its original target and points toward a methodology that will allow variant selective molecular recognition with exceptional affinity

Conservative management versus tonsillectomy in adults with recurrent acute tonsillitis in the UK (NATTINA): a multicentre, open-label, randomised controlled trial

Background: Tonsillectomy is regularly performed in adults with acute tonsillitis, but with scarce evidence. A reduction in tonsillectomies has coincided with an increase in acute adult hospitalisation for tonsillitis complications. We aimed to assess the clinical effectiveness and cost-effectiveness of conservative management versus tonsillectomy in patients with recurrent acute tonsillitis. Methods: This pragmatic multicentre, open-label, randomised controlled trial was conducted in 27 hospitals in the UK. Participants were adults aged 16 years or older who were newly referred to secondary care otolaryngology clinics with recurrent acute tonsillitis. Patients were randomly assigned (1:1) to receive tonsillectomy or conservative management using random permuted blocks of variable length. Stratification by recruiting centre and baseline symptom severity was assessed using the Tonsil Outcome Inventory-14 score (categories defined as mild 0–35, moderate 36–48, or severe 49–70). Participants in the tonsillectomy group received elective surgery to dissect the palatine tonsils within 8 weeks after random assignment and those in the conservative management group received standard non-surgical care during 24 months. The primary outcome was the number of sore throat days collected during 24 months after random assignment, reported once per week with a text message. The primary analysis was done in the intention-to-treat (ITT) population. This study is registered with the ISRCTN registry, 55284102. Findings: Between May 11, 2015, and April 30, 2018, 4165 participants with recurrent acute tonsillitis were assessed for eligibility and 3712 were excluded. 453 eligible participants were randomly assigned (233 in the immediate tonsillectomy group vs 220 in the conservative management group). 429 (95%) patients were included in the primary ITT analysis (224 vs 205). The median age of participants was 23 years (IQR 19–30), with 355 (78%) females and 97 (21%) males. Most participants were White (407 [90%]). Participants in the immediate tonsillectomy group had fewer days of sore throat during 24 months than those in the conservative management group (median 23 days [IQR 11–46] vs 30 days [14–65]). After adjustment for site and baseline severity, the incident rate ratio of total sore throat days in the immediate tonsillectomy group (n=224) compared with the conservative management group (n=205) was 0·53 (95% CI 0·43 to 0·65; <0·0001). 191 adverse events in 90 (39%) of 231 participants were deemed related to tonsillectomy. The most common adverse event was bleeding (54 events in 44 [19%] participants). No deaths occurred during the study. Interpretation: Compared with conservative management, immediate tonsillectomy is clinically effective and cost-effective in adults with recurrent acute tonsillitis. Funding: National Institute for Health Research

Clinical effectiveness of septoplasty versus medical management for nasal airways obstruction: multicentre, open label, randomised controlled trial

OBJECTIVE: To assess the clinical effectiveness of septoplasty. DESIGN: Multicentre, randomised controlled trial. SETTING: 17 otolaryngology clinics in the UK's National Health Service. PARTICIPANTS: 378 adults (≥18 years, 67% men) newly referred with symptoms of nasal obstruction associated with septal deviation and at least moderate symptoms of nasal obstruction (score >30 on the Nasal Obstruction and Symptom Evaluation (NOSE) scale). INTERVENTIONS: Participants were randomised 1:1 to receive either septoplasty (n=188) or defined medical management (n=190, nasal steroid and saline spray for six months), stratified by baseline symptom severity and sex. MAIN OUTCOME MEASURES: The primary outcome measure was patient reported score on the Sino-Nasal Outcome Test-22 (SNOT-22) at six months, with 9 points defined as the minimal clinically important difference. Secondary outcomes included quality of life and objective nasal airflow measures. RESULTS: Mean SNOT-22 scores at six months were 19.9 (95% confidence interval 17.0 to 22.7) in the septoplasty arm (n=152, intention-to-treat population) and 39.5 (36.1 to 42.9) in the medical management arm (n=155); an estimated 20.0 points lower (better) for participants randomised to receive septoplasty (95% confidence interval 16.4 to 23.6, P<0.001, adjusted for baseline continuous SNOT-22 score and the stratification variables sex and baseline NOSE severity categories). Greater improvement in SNOT-22 scores was predicted by higher baseline symptom severity scores. Quality of life outcomes and nasal airflow measures (including peak nasal inspiratory flow and absolute inhalational nasal partitioning ratio) improved more in participants in the septoplasty group. Readmission to hospital with bleeding after septoplasty occurred in seven participants (4% of 174 who had septoplasty), and a further 20 participants (12%) required antibiotics for infections. CONCLUSIONS: Septoplasty is a more effective intervention than a defined medical management regimen with a nasal steroid and saline spray in adults with nasal obstruction associated with a deviated nasal septum. TRIAL REGISTRATION: ISRCTN Registry ISRCTN16168569

TRY plant trait database – enhanced coverage and open access

Plant traits—the morphological, anatomical, physiological, biochemical and phenological characteristics of plants—determine how plants respond to environmental factors, affect other trophic levels, and influence ecosystem properties and their benefits and detriments to people. Plant trait data thus represent the basis for a vast area of research spanning from evolutionary biology, community and functional ecology, to biodiversity conservation, ecosystem and landscape management, restoration, biogeography and earth system modelling. Since its foundation in 2007, the TRY database of plant traits has grown continuously. It now provides unprecedented data coverage under an open access data policy and is the main plant trait database used by the research community worldwide. Increasingly, the TRY database also supports new frontiers of trait‐based plant research, including the identification of data gaps and the subsequent mobilization or measurement of new data. To support this development, in this article we evaluate the extent of the trait data compiled in TRY and analyse emerging patterns of data coverage and representativeness. Best species coverage is achieved for categorical traits—almost complete coverage for ‘plant growth form’. However, most traits relevant for ecology and vegetation modelling are characterized by continuous intraspecific variation and trait–environmental relationships. These traits have to be measured on individual plants in their respective environment. Despite unprecedented data coverage, we observe a humbling lack of completeness and representativeness of these continuous traits in many aspects. We, therefore, conclude that reducing data gaps and biases in the TRY database remains a key challenge and requires a coordinated approach to data mobilization and trait measurements. This can only be achieved in collaboration with other initiatives

Klossiella quimrensis (Apicomplexa: Klossiellibae) causes renal coccidiosis in western barred bandicoots Perameles bougainville (Marsupialia: Peramelidae) in Western Australia

Previous studies have described a range of Klossiella species parasitic in marsupial hosts. Klossiella quimrensis is the etiologic agent of renal coccidiosis in the peramelid marsupial hosts Isoodon obesulus and Perameles gunnii in Eastern Australia, but there is no previous report of klossiellosis in Western Australian peramelids. This study describes klossiellosis diagnosed by histology of renal tissue sections collected during necropsy of 20 Perameles bougainville between 2000 and 2005. Sporonts, sporoblasts, and macrogametes were identified within parasitophorous vacuoles of epithelial cells located near the renal corticomedullary junction. The prevalence of renal coccidiosis in P. bougainville diagnosed by renal histology is estimated at 30%. Only a single unsporulated sporocyst was detected by examination of cystocentesis-collected urine, indicating that microscopic evaluation of urine samples is an insensitive diagnostic test for detection of K. quimrensis in P. bougainville. This infection in P. bougainville is indirectly associated with mild multifocal interstitial lymphohistiocytic nephritis and is likely to be only minimally pathogenic in otherwise healthy individuals. Our study also extends the host and geographic range of K. quimrensis to include P. bougainville and Western Australia

Indicators of environmental impact: plan of the improvement of the high watershed of the Virilla river, Costa Rica

Tesis (M. Sc) -- CATIE, Turrialba (Costa Rica),1996La Cuenca Alta del r?o Virilla, ubicada dentro de la Gran Area Metropolitana, provincia de San Jos?, Costa Rica, comprende una superficie de 142 km cuadrados. En ella se produce el agua para el consumo de cerca del 54 por ciento de la poblaci?n del ?rea metropolitana, y el 10 por ciento de la energ?a el?ctrica que se consume en el pa?s. De tiempo atr?s presenta problemas de contaminaci?n de las aguas causadas por las distintas actividades socioecon?micas de la poblaci?n. La cuenca constituye el ?rea de acci?n del proyecto Plan de Mejoramiento Ambiental de la Cuenca Alta del r?o Virilla, PLAMA-VIRILLA, implementado por la Compa??a Nacional de Fuerza y Luz, S.A. (CNFL). Una estrategia de acci?n del PLAMA-VIRILLA fue la delimitaci?n de la cuenca en cinco microcuencas, siendo la microcuenca 1 la de mayor implementaci?n de sus actividades. El objetivo de este estudio es efectuar un an?lisis integral de las acciones socioecon?micas y ambientales del PLAMA-VIRILLA, en la microcuenca 1, el cual permita determinar la efectividad de las acciones del proyecto, para fortalecer y replantear las acciones futuras. La metodolog?a del estudio consisti? en comparar los resultados esperados con los resultados obtenidos, durante el per?odo de acci?n de 1993 a 1996. La informaci?n fue generada mediante encuestas a productores, centros educativos, asociaciones de desarrollo, autoridades cantonales, t?cnicos del proyecto taller de consulta tipo delphi y revisi?n bibliogr?fica. En base a estos datos se determinaron los resultados obtenidos desde el inicio del proyecto, se plantearon los posibles impactos que ocurrieron o estar?n ocurriendo en el corto, mediano y largo plazo. Posteriormente se identificaron los indicadores de impacto ambiental para cada situaci?n. Los resultados revelan que el alcance m?s importante obtenido por el PLAMA-VIRILLA en la microcuenca 1, ha sido la concientizaci?n sobre la problem?tica ambiental que se presenta en ella. Con esto se ha iniciado el involucramiento parcial de los protagonistas del desarrollo de la microcuenca, siendo los mas importantes, el de los productores y centros educativos. Los resultados tambi?n reflejan aspectos t?cnicos e institucionales que el PLAMA-VIRILLA no ha logrado insertar en sus acciones, como por ejemplo el manejo de agroqu?micos, y el de involucrar a otras instituciones en la ejecuci?n de las actividades contempladas en los planes de trabajos anuales. La metodolog?a desarrollada permiti? identificar los cambios o impactos que se est?n dando o se dar?n a corto, mediano y largo plazo, a nivel de finca, comunidades y microcuenca. Se propone la realizaci?n de una gu?a de monitoreo y evaluaci?n de impacto ambiental, de las acciones del PLAMA-VIRILLA, para la microcuenca 1, basado en los indicadores identificados en este estudio

Chronic patellar dislocation due to excessive femoral neck anteversion. Treatment with a combination of derotational femoral shaft osteotomy and Elmslie-Trillat procedure

A number of factors may contribute to symptomatic patellar instability. The case of a 20-year-old male patient suffering from symptomatic patellar dislocation since his early days is reported; his patella was laterally dislocated from full extension to 40° of flexion and would remain subluxated thereafter. A CT-scan revealed excessive ipsilateral femoral neck anteversion (45°) that resulted in substantial internal femoral torsion and subsequently led to patella dislocation.He was treated with a staged procedure that involved arthroscopic assessment of patellar tracking followed by derotational femoral shaft osteotomy and subsequently arthroscopic lateral release and Elmslie-Trillat tibial tubercle transfer. This led to very satisfactory patellar tracking. Two years postoperatively he had significant functional improvement and a ROM of 0-110°.This complex case highlights excessive femoral neck anteversion as a causative factor for patellar dislocation. A combination of proximal and distal bony realignment procedures is proposed and the role of arthroscopy is emphasised

Efficacy of oryzalin and associated histological changes in Cryptosporidium-infected neonatal rats

This paper reports the anti-cryptosporidial effects of, and concomitant amelioration of the histological changes in the gut of neonatal rats with intestinal cryptosporidiosis treated with the dinitroaniline, oryzalin. The ED50 was determined to be 7 mg/kg using twice daily doses administered for 3 consecutive days. A maximum inhibition of 85.5% was achieved at 25 mg/kg and this inhibition remained constant despite increasing the oryzalin dose to 200 mg/kg. Cryptosporidiosis significantly decreased the intestinal villus/crypt (VC) ratio by approximately 50% (duodenum = 2.3, jejunum = 2.5 and ileum = 1.7) when compared to uninfected untreated controls (duodenum = 4.3, jejunum = 5.9 and ileum = 4.5). Treatment with oryzalin doubled the VC ratio in the duodenum, jejunum and ileum following doses of 5 mg, 50 mg and 200 mg/kg respectively. Oryzalin concentrations in the small intestine contents and plasma were determined, using HPLC, at 0.5, 1 and 2 h after dosing. The much greater dose required to return VC ratios to normal in the ileum (200 mg/kg) compared to the duodenum (6.25 mg/kg) appeared to reflect the decreased concentration of the drug in the distal small intestine. Concentrations of oryzalin equivalent to the in vitro IC50 were maintained for 2 h in the first half of the small intestine following a single dose of 100 mg/kg