Chlamydia pneumoniae-Specific IgE Is Prevalent in Asthma and Is Associated with Disease Severity

Background: Several Chlamydia pneumoniae (Cp) biomarkers have been associated with asthma but Cp-specific IgE (Cp IgE) has not been investigated extensively. Our objective was to investigate Cp IgE in community adult asthma patients. Methods: (1) Prevalence of Cp IgE (measured by immunoblotting) and Cp DNA (by polymerase chain reaction) in peripheral blood, and biomarker associations with asthma severity. (2) Case-control studies of Cp IgE association with asthma using healthy blood donor (study 1) and non-asthmatic clinic patient (study 2) controls. Results: Of 66 asthma subjects (mean age 40.9 years, range 5–75, 59% male, 45% ever-smokers) 33 (50%) were Cp IgE positive and 16 (24%) were Cp DNA positive (P = 0.001 for association of Cp IgE and DNA). Cp IgE was detected in 21% of mild intermittent asthma v 79% of severe persistent asthma (test for trend over severity categories, P = 0.002). Cp IgE detection was significantly (P = 0.001) associated with asthma when compared to healthy blood donor controls but not when compared to clinic controls. Conclusions: Half of this sample of community asthma patients had detectable IgE against C. pneumoniae. Cp IgE was strongly and positively associated with asthma severity and with asthma when healthy blood donor controls were used. These results support the inclusion of Cp IgE as a biomarker in future studies of infectious contributions to asthma pathogenesis

Active Connections: Means For Faculty To Create An Environment In Which Students WANT To Engage!

This interactive, cross-disciplinary research explores face-to-face and online strategies for faculty to deploy in the classroom that encourage connections beyond forced engagement methodologies commonly used. Concentration is on methods of connecting that are “out of the mainstream” and benefit both students and faculty. Findings indicate that the more students feel as a valued participant of the learning community, the more they engage in the class activities

Correction: Detection of Chlamydia in the peripheral blood cells of normal donors using in vitro culture, immunofluorescence microscopy and flow cytometry techniques

BACKGROUND: Chlamydia trachomatis (Ct) and Chlamydia pneumoniae (Cp) are medically significant infectious agents associated with various chronic human pathologies. Nevertheless, specific roles in disease progression or initiation are incompletely defined. Both pathogens infect established cell lines in vitro and polymerase chain reaction (PCR) has detected Chlamydia DNA in various clinical specimens as well as in normal donor peripheral blood monocytes (PBMC). However, Chlamydia infection of other blood cell types, quantification of Chlamydia infected cells in peripheral blood and transmission of this infection in vitro have not been examined. METHODS: Cp specific titers were assessed for sera from 459 normal human donor blood (NBD) samples. Isolated white blood cells (WBC) were assayed by in vitro culture to evaluate infection transmission of blood cell borne chlamydiae. Smears of fresh blood samples (FB) were dual immunostained for microscopic identification of Chlamydia-infected cell types and aliquots also assessed using Flow Cytometry (FC). RESULTS: ELISA demonstrated that 219 (47.7%) of the NBD samples exhibit elevated anti-Cp antibody titers. Imunofluorescence microscopy of smears demonstrated 113 (24.6%) of samples contained intracellular Chlamydia and monoclonals to specific CD markers showed that in vivo infection of neutrophil and eosinophil/basophil cells as well as monocytes occurs. In vitro culture established WBCs of 114 (24.8%) of the NBD samples harbored infectious chlamydiae, clinically a potentially source of transmission, FC demonstrated both Chlamydia infected and uninfected cells can be readily identified and quantified. CONCLUSION: NBD can harbor infected neutrophils, eosinophil/basophils and monocytes. The chlamydiae are infectious in vitro, and both total, and cell type specific Chlamydia carriage is quantifiable by FC

Astrophysical S_{17}(0) factor from a measurement of d(7Be,8B)n reaction at E_{c.m.} = 4.5 MeV

Angular distribution measurements of $^2$H($^7$Be,$^7$Be)$^2$H and $^2$H($^7$Be,$^8$B)$n$ reactions at $E_{c.m.}\sim$~4.5 MeV were performed to extract the astrophysical $S_{17}(0)$ factor using the asymptotic normalization coefficient (ANC) method. For this purpose a pure, low emittance $^7$Be beam was separated from the primary $^7$Li beam by a recoil mass spectrometer operated in a novel mode. A beam stopper at 0$^{\circ}$ allowed the use of a higher $^7$Be beam intensity. Measurement of the elastic scattering in the entrance channel using kinematic coincidence, facilitated the determination of the optical model parameters needed for the analysis of the transfer data. The present measurement significantly reduces errors in the extracted $^7$Be(p,$\gamma$) cross section using the ANC method. We get $S_{17}$~(0)~=~20.7~$\pm$~2.4 eV~b.Comment: 15 pages including 3 eps figures, one figure removed and discussions updated. Version to appear in Physical Review

Functional recovery is considered the most important target: a survey of dedicated professionals

Background: The aim of this study was to survey the relative importance of postoperative recovery targets and perioperative care items, as perceived by a large group of international dedicated professionals. Methods: A questionnaire with eight postoperative recovery targets and 13 perioperative care items was mailed to participants of the first international Enhanced Recovery After Surgery (ERAS) congress and to authors of papers with a clear relevance to ERAS in abdominal surgery. The responders were divided into categories according to profession and region. Results: The recovery targets ‘To be completely free of nausea’, ‘To be independently mobile’ and ‘To be able to eat and drink as soon as possible’ received the highest score irrespective of the responder's profession or region of origin. Equally, the care items ‘Optimizing fluid balance’, ‘Preoperative counselling’ and ‘Promoting early and scheduled mobilisation’ received the highest score across all groups. Conclusions: Functional recovery, as in tolerance of food without nausea and regained mobility, was considered the most important target of recovery. There was a consistent uniformity in the way international dedicated professionals scored the relative importance of recovery targets and care items. The relative rating of the perioperative care items was not dependent on the strength of evidence supporting the items

The Health-e Babies App for antenatal education: Feasibility for socially disadvantaged women

BackgroundThe use of mobile technology such as phone applications (apps) has been proposed as an efficient means of providing health and clinical information in a variety of healthcare settings. We developed the Health-e Babies app as an Android smart phone application for pregnant women attending a tertiary hospital in a low socio-economic community, with the objective of providing health information about early pregnancy that would increase maternal confidence and reduce anxiety. Based on our earlier research, this form of health communication was viewed as a preferred source of information for women of reproductive age. However, the pilot study had a poor participation rate with 76% (n = 94) not completing the study requirements. These initial findings raised some very important issues in relation to the difficulties of engaging women with a pregnancy app. This paper analyses the characteristics of the participants who did not complete the study requirements in an attempt to identify potential barriers associated with the implementation of a pregnancy app.MethodsThis retrospective review of quantitative and qualitative data collected at the commencement of the Health-e Babies App trial, related to the participant's communication technology use, confidence in knowing where to seek help and mental health status, maternal-fetal attachment and parenting confidence. Engagement and use of the Health-e Babies App
 was measured by the completion of a questionnaire about the app and downloaded data from participant's phones. Mental health status, confidence and self-efficacy were measured by questionnaires.ResultsAll women were similar in terms of age, race, marital status and level of education. Of the 94 women (76%) who did not complete the trial, they were significantly more anxious as indicated by State Trait Anxiety Inventory (p = 0.001 Student T-test) and more likely to be unemployed (50% vs 31%, p = 0.012 Student T-Test).ConclusionThis study provides important information about the challenges associated with the implementation of a pregnancy app in a socially disadvantaged community. The data suggests that factors including social and mental health issues, financial constraints and technological ability can affect women’s engagement with a mobile phone app

Percentile reference values for anthropometric body composition indices in European children from the IDEFICS study

INTRODUCTION: To characterise the nutritional status in children with obesity or wasting conditions, European anthropometric reference values for body composition measures beyond the body mass index (BMI) are needed. Differentiated assessment of body composition in children has long been hampered by the lack of appropriate references. OBJECTIVES: The aim of our study is to provide percentiles for body composition indices in normal weight European children, based on the IDEFICS cohort (Identification and prevention of Dietary-and lifestyle-induced health Effects in Children and infantS). METHODS: Overall 18 745 2.0-10.9-year-old children from eight countries participated in the study. Children classified as overweight/obese or underweight according to IOTF (N = 5915) were excluded from the analysis. Anthropometric measurements (BMI (N = 12 830); triceps, subscapular, fat mass and fat mass index (N = 11 845-11 901); biceps, suprailiac skinfolds, sum of skinfolds calculated from skinfold thicknesses (N = 8129-8205), neck circumference (N = 12 241); waist circumference and waist-to-height ratio (N = 12 381)) were analysed stratified by sex and smoothed 1st, 3rd, 10th, 25th, 50th, 75th, 90th, 97th and 99th percentile curves were calculated using GAMLSS. RESULTS: Percentile values of the most important anthropometric measures related to the degree of adiposity are depicted for European girls and boys. Age-and sex-specific differences were investigated for all measures. As an example, the 50th and 99th percentile values of waist circumference ranged from 50.7-59.2 cm and from 51.3-58.7 cm in 4.5-to < 5.0-year-old girls and boys, respectively, to 60.6-74.5 cm in girls and to 59.9-76.7 cm in boys at the age of 10.5-10.9 years. CONCLUSION: The presented percentile curves may aid a differentiated assessment of total and abdominal adiposity in European children

Deception has no acute or residual effect on cycling time trial performance but negatively effects perceptual responses.

Feedback deception is used to explore the importance of expectations on pacing strategy and performance in self-paced exercise. The deception of feedback from a previous performance explores the importance of experience knowledge on exercise behaviour. This study aimed to explore the acute and residual effects of the deception of previous performance speed on perceptual responses and performance in cycling time trials.A parallel-group design.Twenty cyclists were assigned to a control or deception group and performed 16.1km time trials. Following a ride-alone baseline time trial (FBL), participants performed against a virtual avatar representing their FBL performance (PACER), then completed a subsequent ride-alone time trial (SUB). The avatar in the deception group, however, was unknowingly set 2% faster than their FBL.Both groups performed faster in PACER than FBL and SUB (p<0.05), but SUB was not significantly different to FBL. Affect was more negative and Ratings of Perceived Exertion (RPE) were higher in PACER than FBL in the deception group (p<0.05).The presence of a visual pacer acutely facilitated time trial performance, but deceptive feedback had no additional effect on performance. The deception group, however, experienced more negative affect and higher RPE in PACER, whereas these responses were absent in the control group. The performance improvement was not sustained in SUB, suggesting no residual performance effects occurred

Enhanced recovery program in laparoscopic colectomy for cancer

Introduction: Both laparoscopic colectomy and application of enhanced recovery program (ERP) in open colectomy have been demonstrated to enable early recovery and to shorten hospital stay. This study evaluated the impact of ERP on results of laparoscopic colectomy and comparison was made with the outcomes of patients prior to the application of ERP. Methods: An ERP was implemented in the authors' center in December 2006. Short-term outcomes of consecutive 84 patients who underwent laparoscopic colonic cancer resection 23 months before (control group) and 96 patients who were operated within 13 months; after application of ERP (ERP group) were compared. Results: Between the ERP and control groups, there was no statistical difference in patient characteristics, pathology, operating time, blood loss, conversion rate or complications. Compared to the control group, patients in the ERP group had earlier passage of flatus [2 (range: 1-5) versus 2 (range: 1-4) days after operation respectively; p∈=∈0.03)] and a lower incidence of prolonged post-operative ileus (6% versus 0 respectively; p∈=∈0.02). There was no difference in the hospital stay between the two groups [4 (range: 2-34) days in control group and 4 (range: 2-23) days in ERP group; p∈=∈0.4)]. The re-admission rate was also similar (7% in control group and 5% in ERP group; p∈=∈0.59). Conclusions: In laparoscopic colectomy for cancer, application of ERP was associated with no increase in complication rate but significant improvement of gastrointestinal function. ERP further hastened patient recovery but resulted in no difference in hospital stay. © 2010 The Author(s).published_or_final_versionSpringer Open Choice, 31 May 201