47 research outputs found
Regulation of proteinaceous effector expression in phytopathogenic fungi
Effectors are molecules used by microbial pathogens to facilitate infection via effector-triggered susceptibility or tissue necrosis in their host. Much research has been focussed on the identification and elucidating the function of fungal effectors during plant pathogenesis. By comparison, knowledge of how phytopathogenic fungi regulate the expression of effector genes has been lagging. Several recent studies have illustrated the role of various transcription factors, chromosome-based control, effector epistasis, and mobilisation of endosomes within the fungal hyphae in regulating effector expression and virulence on the host plant. Improved knowledge of effector regulation is likely to assist in improving novel crop protection strategies
Biliary atresia
Biliary atresia (BA) is a rare disease characterised by a biliary obstruction of unknown origin that presents in the neonatal period. It is the most frequent surgical cause of cholestatic jaundice in this age group. BA occurs in approximately 1/18,000 live births in Western Europe. In the world, the reported incidence varies from 5/100,000 to 32/100,000 live births, and is highest in Asia and the Pacific region. Females are affected slightly more often than males. The common histopathological picture is one of inflammatory damage to the intra- and extrahepatic bile ducts with sclerosis and narrowing or even obliteration of the biliary tree. Untreated, this condition leads to cirrhosis and death within the first years of life. BA is not known to be a hereditary condition. No primary medical treatment is relevant for the management of BA. Once BA suspected, surgical intervention (Kasai portoenterostomy) should be performed as soon as possible as operations performed early in life is more likely to be successful. Liver transplantation may be needed later if the Kasai operation fails to restore the biliary flow or if cirrhotic complications occur. At present, approximately 90% of BA patients survive and the majority have normal quality of life
Relation between surface topography and sea-salt snow chemistry from Princess Elizabeth Land, East Antarctica
Previous studies on Antarctic snow have established an unambiguous correlation between variability of sea-salt records and site specific features like elevation and proximity to the sea. On the other hand, variations of Cl<sup>&minus;</sup>/Na<sup>+</sup> ratios in snow have been attributed to the reaction mechanisms involving atmospheric acids. In the present study, the annual records of Na<sup>+</sup>, Cl<sup>&minus;</sup> and SO<sub>4</sub><sup>2&minus;</sup> were investigated using snow cores along a 180 km coast to inland transect in Princess Elizabeth Land, East Antarctica. Exceptionally high Na<sup>+</sup> concentrations and large variations in Cl<sup>&minus;</sup>/Na<sup>+</sup> ratios were observed up to 50 km (&sim;1100 m elevation) of the transect. The steepest slope in the entire transect (49.3 m km<sup>&minus;1</sup>) was between 20 and 30 km and the sea-salt records in snow from this area revealed extensive modifications, with Cl<sup>&minus;</sup>/Na<sup>+</sup> ratios as low as 0.2. Statistical analysis showed a strong association between the slope and variations in Cl<sup>&minus;</sup>/Na<sup>+</sup> ratios along the transect (<i>r</i> = â0.676, 99% confidence level). While distance from the coast accounted for some variability, the altitude by itself has no significant control over the sea-salt ion variability. However, the steep slopes influence the deposition of sea-salt aerosols in snow. The wind redistribution of snow due to the steep slopes on the coastal escarpment increases the concentration of Na<sup>+</sup>, resulting in a low Cl<sup>&minus;</sup>/Na<sup>+</sup> ratios. We propose that the slope variations in the coastal regions of Antarctica could significantly influence the sea-salt chemistry of snow
Major ion chemistry and selected snow accumulation rates of snow cores along two transects in central Dronning Maud Land and Princess Elizabeth Land
This dataset includes basic information (location and depth) and major ion chemistry (Sodium, Chloride, Calcium, Nitrate) of snow cores from East Antarctic ice sheet. The snow cores were collected from two different regions - central Dronning Maud Land (cDML) and Princess Elizabeth Land (PEL) during the austral summer of 2008-09
Patterns of personâcentred communications in public HIV clinics: a latent class analysis using the Roter interaction analysis system
Abstract Introduction Poor clientâprovider communication is a critical barrier to longâterm retention in care among people living with HIV. However, standardized assessments of this key metric are limited in Africa. We used the Roter Interaction Analysis System (RIAS) to quantitatively characterize patterns of personâcentred communication (PCC) behaviours in Zambia. Methods We enrolled pairs of people living with HIV making routine HIV followâup visit and their providers at 24 Ministry of Healthâfacilities supported by the Centre for Infectious Disease Research in Zambia in Lusaka province between August 2019 and November 2021. Clientâprovider encounters were audioârecorded and coded using RIAS by trained research staff. We performed latent class analysis to identify interactions with distinctive patterns of provider PCC behaviours (i.e. rapport building, personâcentred counselling, PCC micropractices [e.g. brief empathy statements], assessing barriers to care, shared decisionâmaking and leveraging discretionary power) and compared their distribution across client, provider, interaction and facility characteristics. Results We enrolled 478 people living with HIV and 139 providers (14% nurses, 73.6% clinical officers, 12.3% were medical officers). We identified four distinct profiles: (1) âMedically Oriented Interaction, Minimal PCC Behavioursâ (47.6% of interactions) was characterized by medical discussion, minimal psychosocial/nonâmedical talk and low use of PCC behaviours; (2) âBalanced Medical/Nonâmedical Interaction, Low PCC Behavioursâ (21.0%) was characterized by medical and nonâmedical discussion but limited use of other PCC behaviours; (3) âMedically Oriented Interaction, Good PCC Behavioursâ (23.9%) was characterized by medically oriented discussion, more informationâgiving and increased use of PCC behaviours; and (4) âHighly personâcentred Interactionâ (7.5%) was characterized by both balanced medical/nonâmedical focus and the highest use of PCC behaviours. Nurse interactions were more likely to be characterized by more PCC behaviours (i.e. Class 3 or 4) (44.8%), followed by medical officers (33.9%) and clinical officers (27.3%) (p = 0.031). Longer interactions were also more likely to integrate more PCC behaviours (p < 0.001). Conclusions PCC behaviours are relatively uncommon in HIV care in Zambia, and often limited to brief rapportâbuilding statements and PCC micropractices. Strengthening PCC, such as shared decisionâmaking and leveraging discretionary power to better accommodate client needs and preferences, may be an important strategy for improving the quality in HIV treatment programmes