190 research outputs found
Literacy improves short-term serial recall of spoken verbal but not visuospatial items - Evidence from illiterate and literate adults
© 2019 Elsevier B.V. This manuscript is made available under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-NoDerivatives 4.0 International licence (CC BY-NC-ND 4.0). For further details please see: https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-nd/4.0/It is widely accepted that specific memory processes, such as serial-order memory, are involved in written language development and predictive of reading and spelling abilities. The reverse question, namely whether orthographic abilities also affect serial-order memory, has hardly been investigated. In the current study, we compared 20 illiterate people with a group of 20 literate matched controls on a verbal and a visuospatial version of the Hebb paradigm, measuring both short- and long-term serial-order memory abilities. We observed better short-term serial-recall performance for the literate compared with the illiterate people. This effect was stronger in the verbal than in the visuospatial modality, suggesting that the improved capacity of the literate group is a consequence of learning orthographic skills. The long-term consolidation of ordered information was comparable across groups, for both stimulus modalities. The implications of these findings for current views regarding the bi-directional interactions between memory and written language development are discussed.Peer reviewe
Corrective wedge ostectomy for an atypical femoral procurvatum deformity stabilised with a supracondylar bone plate
Physeal fractures of the distal femur are among the most commonly encountered fractures in skeletally immature dogs. These fractures respond poorly to conservative management and thus early surgical reduction and stabilisation are recommended. A 7-month-old intact male Border collie presented with a history of chronic lameness. Clinical examination revealed a predominantly non-weight-bearing lameness of the right hindlimb and concurrent muscle atrophy. A pronounced, but atypical, procurvatum deformity of the right distal femur was diagnosed on survey radiographs. Malunion of a SalterâHarris Type III physeal fracture was suspected as there was an associated history of trauma. A cranially based closing wedge ostectomy was performed to address the femoral deformity and subsequently stabilised using a supracondylar bone plate. The dog recovered well and was moderately weight-bearing lame on the right hindlimb 6 weeks post-operatively. Ten months following the operation the range of motion had improved in the right stifle and no signs of lameness were evident at a walk. We advocate surgical correction of sagittal plane deformities of the distal femur using the CORA method. Overall, a good functional outcome was achieved, which is consistent with previously reported cases with similar deformities
Gallbladder mucocoele : a review
Gallbladder mucocoele (GBM) is an abnormal, intraluminal accumulation of inspissated
bile and/or mucous within the gallbladder. Older, small- to medium-breed dogs seem to be
predisposed, but no sex predilection has been identified. Clinical signs are often non-specific
and include vomiting, lethargy, anorexia, abdominal pain, icterus and polyuriaâpolydipsia.
Results of a complete blood count may be unremarkable, but serum biochemistry usually
reveals increased liver enzymes. The ultrasonographic appearance is diagnostic and well
described in the literature. Surgical intervention for the treatment of GBM remains the
therapeutic gold standard, with short- and long-term survival for biliary surgery being
66%. The worst outcome is seen in those dogs requiring cholecystoenterostomy. With GBM
becoming an apparently increasingly common cause of extrahepatic biliary disease in
canines, it is essential that clinicians become familiar with the current literature pertaining
to this condition. Numerous predisposing factors are highlighted in this review article and
the role of certain endocrinopathies (e.g. hyperadrenocorticism and hypothyroidism) in the
development of GBM is touched upon. Furthermore, the aetiopathogenesis of this disease
is discussed with reference to the latest literature. Cholecystectomy remains the treatment
of choice, but other options are considered based on a current literature review.http://www.jsava.co.zaam201
Gallbladder mucocoele : a review
Gallbladder mucocoele (GBM) is an abnormal, intraluminal accumulation of inspissated
bile and/or mucous within the gallbladder. Older, small- to medium-breed dogs seem to be
predisposed, but no sex predilection has been identified. Clinical signs are often non-specific
and include vomiting, lethargy, anorexia, abdominal pain, icterus and polyuriaâpolydipsia.
Results of a complete blood count may be unremarkable, but serum biochemistry usually
reveals increased liver enzymes. The ultrasonographic appearance is diagnostic and well
described in the literature. Surgical intervention for the treatment of GBM remains the
therapeutic gold standard, with short- and long-term survival for biliary surgery being
66%. The worst outcome is seen in those dogs requiring cholecystoenterostomy. With GBM
becoming an apparently increasingly common cause of extrahepatic biliary disease in
canines, it is essential that clinicians become familiar with the current literature pertaining
to this condition. Numerous predisposing factors are highlighted in this review article and
the role of certain endocrinopathies (e.g. hyperadrenocorticism and hypothyroidism) in the
development of GBM is touched upon. Furthermore, the aetiopathogenesis of this disease
is discussed with reference to the latest literature. Cholecystectomy remains the treatment
of choice, but other options are considered based on a current literature review.http://www.jsava.co.zaam201
Hormonal Regulation of Plant Growth and Development
Besides environmental factors, plant growth depends upon endogenous signals. Bill Gray examines what these hormonal signals are and how they act to regulate many aspects of growth and development
The role of CDC48 in the retro-translocation of non-ubiquitinated toxin substrates in plant cells
When the catalytic A subunits of the castor
bean toxins ricin and Ricinus communis
agglutinin (denoted as RTA and RCA A,
respectively) are delivered into the
endoplasmic reticulum (ER) of tobacco
protoplasts, they become substrates for ER-associated
protein degradation (ERAD). As
such, these orphan polypeptides are retro-translocated
to the cytosol, where a significant
proportion of each protein is degraded by
proteasomes. Here we begin to characterise
the ERAD pathway in plant cells, showing
that retro-translocation of these lysine-deficient
glycoproteins requires the ATPase
activity of cytosolic CDC48. Lysine
polyubiquitination is not obligatory for this
step. We also show that while RCA A is found
in a mannose-untrimmed form prior to its
retro-translocation, a significant proportion of
newly synthesised RTA cycles via the Golgi
and becomes modified by downstream
glycosylation enzymes. Despite these
differences, both proteins are similarly retro-translocated
What factors shape surgical access in West Africa? A qualitative study exploring patient and provider experiences of managing injuries in Sierra Leone
Introduction
Surgical access is central to universalising health coverage, yet 5âbillion people lack timely access to safe surgical services. Surgical need is particularly acute in post conflict settings like Sierra Leone. There is limited understanding of the barriers and opportunities at the service delivery and community levels. Focusing on fractures and wound care which constitute an enormous disease burden in Sierra Leone as a proxy for general surgical need, we examine provider and patient perceived factors impeding or facilitating surgical care in the post-Ebola context of a weakened health system.
Methods
Across Western Area Urban (Freetown), Bo and Tonkolili districts, 60 participants were involved in 38 semistructured interviews and 22 participants in 5 focus group discussions. Respondents included surgical providers, district-level policy-makers, traditional healers and patients. Data were thematically analysed, combining deductive and inductive techniques to generate codes.
Results
Interacting demand-side and supply-side issues affected user access to surgical services. On the demand side, high cost of care at medical facilities combined with the affordability and convenient mode of payment to the traditional health practitioners hindered access to the medical facilities. On the supply side, capacity shortages and staff motivation were challenges at facilities. Problems were compounded by patientsâ delaying care mainly spurred by sociocultural beliefs in traditional practice and economic factors, thereby impeding early intervention for patients with surgical need. In the absence of formal support services, the onus of first aid and frontline trauma care is borne by lay citizens.
Conclusion
Within a resource-constrained context, supply-side strengthening need accompanying by demand-side measures involving community and traditional actors. On the supply side, non-specialists could be effectively utilised in surgical delivery. Existing human resource capacity can be enhanced through better incentives for non-physicians. Traditional provider networks can be deployed for community outreach. Developing a lay responder system for first-aid and front-line support could be a useful mechanism for prompt clinical intervention
Incidence and risk factors of surgical site infections and related antibiotic resistance in Freetown, Sierra Leone: a prospective cohort study
BACKGROUND: There is limited information on surgical site infections (SSI) and the related antibiotic resistance needed to guide their management and prevention in Sierra Leone. In this study, we aimed to establish the incidence and risk factors of SSI and the related antibiotic resistance among adults attending a tertiary hospital, and a secondary health facility in Freetown, Sierra Leone. METHODS: This is a prospective cohort study designed to collect data from adult (18 years or older) patients who attended elective and emergency surgeries at two hospitals in Freetown between February and July, 2021. Data analysis was done using STATA version 16. RESULTS: Of 338 patients, 245 (72.5%) and 93 (27.5%) had their surgeries at the tertiary and secondary hospitals, respectively. Many were males 192 (56.8%), less than 35 years 164 (48.5%), and 39 (11.5%) developed an SSI. Of the 39 patients who acquired an SSI, 7 (17.9%) and 32 (82.1%) had their surgeries at the secondary and tertiary hospitals, respectively. The incidence of SSI is higher in contaminated 17 (43.6%) than in clean-contaminated 12 (30.8%) and clean 10 (25.6%) wounds. Wound swabs were collected in 29 (74.4%) patients, of which 18 (62.1%) had bacterial growth. In total, 49 isolates of 14 different bacteria including gram-negative 41 (83.7%) and gram-positive 8 (16.3%) isolates were identified. Of these, 32 (65.3%) were Enterobacteriaceae, 9 (18.4%) were Non-fermenting gram-negative bacilli and 10 (12.2%) were Enterococci. The most common isolates were Escherichia coli (12, 24.5%), Klebsiella pneumoniae (10, 20.4%), Acinetobacter baumannii (5, 10.2%), Klebsiella oxytoca (4, 8.2%) and Enterococcus faecalis (4, 8.2%). The Enterobacteriaceae were either resistance to carbapenems (4, 8.2%) or were extended-spectrum beta-lactamase (ESBL) producing organisms (29, 59.2%). Male sex [p = 0.031], an ASA score >/= 2 [p = 0.020), administration of general anaesthesia [p = 0.018] and elevated fasting glucose [p = 0.033] were predictive of SSI. CONCLUSION: The incidence of SSI in this study is comparable to other low- and middle-income countries, but a substantial proportion of these postoperative wounds have an ESBL-producing Enterobacteriaceae. Therefore, routine surveillance of SSI and related antibiotic resistance is required in resource-limited settings
A Model for the Development of the Rhizobial and Arbuscular Mycorrhizal Symbioses in Legumes and Its Use to Understand the Roles of Ethylene in the Establishment of these two Symbioses
We propose a model depicting the development of nodulation and arbuscular mycorrhizae. Both processes are dissected into many steps, using Pisum sativum L. nodulation mutants as a guideline. For nodulation, we distinguish two main developmental programs, one epidermal and one cortical. Whereas Nod factors alone affect the cortical program, bacteria are required to trigger the epidermal events. We propose that the two programs of the rhizobial symbiosis evolved separately and that, over time, they came to function together. The distinction between these two programs does not exist for arbuscular mycorrhizae development despite events occurring in both root tissues. Mutations that affect both symbioses are restricted to the epidermal program. We propose here sites of action and potential roles for ethylene during the formation of the two symbioses with a specific hypothesis for nodule organogenesis. Assuming the epidermis does not make ethylene, the microsymbionts probably first encounter a regulatory level of ethylene at the epidermisâoutermost cortical cell layer interface. Depending on the hormone concentrations there, infection will either progress or be blocked. In the former case, ethylene affects the cortex cytoskeleton, allowing reorganization that facilitates infection; in the latter case, ethylene acts on several enzymes that interfere with infection thread growth, causing it to abort. Throughout this review, the difficulty of generalizing the roles of ethylene is emphasized and numerous examples are given to demonstrate the diversity that exists in plants
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