An Examination of a Putative System for the In Vitro Synthesis of \u3cem\u3eDrosophila\u3c/em\u3e Tryptophan Pyrrolase

A system, reported by Morrison (1964), for the in vitro synthesis of Drosophila tryptophan pyrrolase has been critically studied. This putative system is based on the addition of a Drosophila RNA extract to a Drosophila cell-free protein synthesizing system; the synthesized enzyme is then allowed to catalyze a specific reaction, the product of which is measured by direct adsorption. The results of this study present a three-fold argument against the interpretation of synthesis of tryptophan pyrrolase in the Morrison in vitro system: (1) RNA from a null-allele, v36f, stimulated the same tryptophan pyrrolase activity in the in vitro system as Canton-s RNA. (2) The Bratton-Marshall test, a valid kynurenine assay in this system, detects no tryptophan pyrrolase activity in systems showing activity when assayed by the direct adsorption method used by Morrison. (3) An ascorbate dependent, nonenzymatic reaction, which produced a pseudotryptophan pyrrolase activity, was detected in the Morrison assay system. This pseudoactivity, which is eliminated by the substitution of 2-mercaptoethanol for ascorbate, was interpreted by Morrison as being representative of tryptophan pyrrolase produced in the in vitro system

Carbohydrate gel ingestion significantly improves the intermittent endurance capacity, but not sprint performance, of adolescent team games players during a simulated team games protocol

The aim of this study was to investigate the influence of ingesting a carbohydrate (CHO) gel on the intermittent endurance capacity and sprint performance of adolescent team games players. Eleven participants [mean age 13.5 ± 0.7 years, height 1.72 ± 0.08 m, body mass (BM) 62.1 ± 9.4 kg] performed two trials separated by 3–7 days. In each trial, they completed four 15 min periods of part A of the Loughborough Intermittent Shuttle Test (LIST), followed by an intermittent run to exhaustion (part B). In the 5 min pre-exercise, participants consumed 0.818 mL kg−1 BM of a CHO or a non-CHO placebo gel, and a further 0.327 mL kg−1 BM every 15 min during part A of the LIST (38.0 ± 5.5 g CHO h−1 in the CHO trial). Intermittent endurance capacity was increased by 21.1% during part B when the CHO gel was ingested (4.6 ± 2.0 vs. 3.8 ± 2.4 min, P < 0.05, r = 0.67), with distance covered in part B significantly greater in the CHO trial (787 ± 319 vs. 669 ± 424 m, P < 0.05, r = 0.57). Gel ingestion did not significantly influence mean 15 m sprint time (P = 0.34), peak sprint time (P = 0.81), or heart rate (P = 0.66). Ingestion of a CHO gel significantly increases the intermittent endurance capacity of adolescent team games players during a simulated team games protocol

Complete Enumeration and Properties of Binary Pseudo-Youden Designs PYD(9, 6, 6)

A binary pseudo -Youden design PYD(9, 6, 6) is a 6 × 6 array in which each cell contains one element from the set V = {1, 2, . . ., 9}, and each element from V occurs 4 times. Every row of the array contains distinct elements and every column contains distinct elements. The rows and columns, when taken together, are pairwise balanced and form a (9, 12, 8, 6, 5)-BIBD. In Preece (1968) and (1976) a total of 345 species of binary PYD(9, 6, 6) were found. Here we complete this enumeration and find 348 species of binary PYD(9, 6, 6). We give a complete set of invariants for these species based upon the numbers of intercalates and anti-intercalates that they contain; and discuss some of their properties. We also show that there are 696 non-isomorphic binary PYD(9, 6, 6), and give a complete set of invariants for these arrays

Apps for Older People's Pain Self-Management: Perspectives of Primary Care and Allied Health Clinicians.

BACKGROUND: Chronic arthritic pain is one of the major causes of physical suffering and disability among older people. Primary care and allied health clinicians use various approaches to help their older clients better manage their arthritic pain. The growing uptake of technology among older people offers the potential for clinicians to integrate an arthritic pain app into their patients' self-management plans. This study explored the perspectives of Australian primary care and allied health clinicians regarding the use of pain self-management apps to help their older patients/clients better manage their arthritic pain. METHODS: Qualitative design using a semistructured interview approach. Interviews were conducted via telephone with primary and allied health clinicians (N = 17) across Australia. RESULTS: The overarching theme underlying participants' views on integration of apps into older people's pain self-management strategy was that this approach is an idealistic but uniquely challenging endeavor. Four subthemes emerged, namely: 1) self-management apps are a potentially useful tool but require careful consideration; 2) clinicians' involvement is crucial yet potentially onerous; 3) no single app is right for every older person with arthritic pain; and 4) patient data access is beneficial, but caution is needed for real-time data access. DISCUSSION: The predominant clinician perspective of integrating apps into their older patients/clients' pain self-management strategies was that this approach is an idealistic but uniquely challenging endeavor. Apps were seen as having potential to support various aspects of patients' self-management behaviors; however, there were notable concerns with regards to the challenges inherent in this approach for both clinicians and older users (patients/clients)

Quality and usability of arthritic pain self-management apps for older adults: A systematic review

© 2017 American Academy of Pain Medicine. Objective. To appraise the quality and usability of currently available pain applications that could be used by community-dwelling older adults to selfmanage their arthritic pain. Methods. A systematic review. Searches were conducted in App Store and Google Play to identify pain self-management apps relevant to arthritic pain management. English language pain management apps providing pain assessment and documentation function and pain management education were considered for inclusion. A quality evaluation audit tool based on the Stanford Arthritis Self-Management Program was developed a priori to evaluate app content quality. The usability of included apps was assessed using an established usability evaluation tool. Results. Out of the 373 apps that were identified, four met the inclusion criteria. The included apps all included a pain assessment and documentation function and instructions on medication use, communication with health professionals, cognitive behavioral therapy-based pain management, and physical exercise. Management of mood, depression, anxiety, and sleep were featured in most apps (N =3). Three-quarters (N = 3) of the apps fell below the acceptable moderate usability score (≥3), while one app obtained a moderate score (3.2). Conclusions. Few of the currently available pain apps offer a comprehensive pain self-management approach incorporating evidence-based strategies in accordance with the Stanford Arthritis Self- Management Program. The moderate-level usability across the included apps indicates a need to consider the usability needs of the older population in future pain self-management app development endeavors

Feasibility evaluation of a pain self-management app-based intervention among older people living with arthritic pain: study protocol.

Background: Optimal management of chronic arthritic pain experienced by older adults involves applying active self-management strategies every day. Cost-effective and innovative strategies to help build older people's pain self-management capability are required. This study protocol is designed to evaluate the feasibility, acceptability, and preliminary outcomes of a pain self-management app among older people living in the community with arthritic pain. Methods/design: This is a phase I feasibility study. A pre-post test study design will be used to trial a freely available pain self-management app named Rheumatoid Arthritis Information Support and Education ("RAISE") for 14 days. Thirty community-dwelling older people living with arthritic pain who use a smartphone will be recruited from (1) various community-based social clubs/organizations/groups or (2) via Facebook groups with potentially high number of older members. In addition, snowballing sampling approach will also be utilized.These participants will trial the RAISE app, which was selected following a systematic evaluation of all available chronic pain apps by the investigator team. A face-to-face or telephone-based meeting will be organized with all consenting participants in order to seek their informed consent, download and set up the intervention app on their mobile device, be provided with app training, and complete the pre-test data (Time 1 (T1)). Participants will be asked to use the RAISE app as desired for 14 days. Post-test data collection (Time 2 (T2)) will occur on day 15. Data collected includes participant's demographic and clinical information, pain scores, pain self-efficacy, and online technology self-efficacy. Participants will be invited to take part in a semi-structured telephone interview at T2 to explore their experiences of using the app.An evaluation of patterns of app use, recruitment, retention, attrition rates, and analysis of the missing data will inform the study and intervention feasibility. Preliminary outcomes are participant's pain intensity and interference, pain self-efficacy, and online technology self-efficacy. Discussion: This study will help us better understand the feasibility and acceptability of using this novel intervention among community-dwelling older people living with arthritic pain. The results will also help inform future pain app studies. Trial registration: Australia New Zealand Clinical Trials Registry: ACTRN12617000921381

Ascospore release and survival in Sclerotinia sclerotiorum

The release and survival of ascospores of a UK Sclerotinia sclerotiorum isolate were studied. Apothecia placed in a spore clock apparatus with different lighting regimes at 15 °C released ascospores continuously with an increasing rate for the duration of experiments (72–84 h). Spore release was not confined to light or dark periods in alternating regimes and occurred in continuous dark or light. Ascospores were released in both saturated air (90–95% rh) and at 65–75% rh. High temperature and rh were detrimental to ascospore survival but spore viability was maintained for longer periods than previously reported. The significance of these results in relation to disease control is discussed