A survey on lifestyle restrictions in children with asthma: A comparison with Quality of Life (QoL)

Objectives: To describe the Quality of Life and the restrictions imposed by parents and caregivers of asthmatic children aged 7-15 years.Methods: This comparative cross sectional study was conducted at outpatient clinics of two hospitals in Colombo. Children with physician diagnosed bronchial asthma, aged 7-15 years were recruited by systematic random sampling. The QoL was assessed using Mini Paediatric Asthma Quality of Life Questionnaire (MPAQoLQ). QoL was categorized as good (score=1.00-3.00) moderate (3.01-5.00) and poor (5.01-7.00).Results: A total of 254 completed questionnaires were returned. The mean MPAQoLQ score was 4.9. Six (2.4%) had poor, 116(45.7%) had moderate and 132(52%) had good scores. There were significant restrictions to food items, such as cold/chilled food (n=202; 79.5%), eggs (n=159; 62.6%), fresh milk (n=159; 62.6%) and soya bean products (n=127; 50.0%). Furthermore physical activity (n=23; 9.1%) and playing with pets (n=197; 77.6%) were restricted. There was a statistically significant association between MPAQoLQ score and restrictions on cold/chilled food (p=0.000), soya bean products (p=0.001), physical activity (p=0.000) and bathing (p=0.001).Conclusions: Quality of life of children with asthma is affected and it is in par with statistics of developed countries. However, dietary restrictions were highly prevalent (93.3%). These restrictions may be related to myths and beliefs in our society. Caregiver education on diet and lifestyle should be an integral part of out-patient management

Moments of the Neutron \u3cem\u3eg\u3c/em\u3e\u3csub\u3e2\u3c/sub\u3e Structure Function at Intermediate \u3cem\u3eQ\u3c/em\u3e\u3csup\u3e2\u3c/sup\u3e

We present new experimental results for the 3He spin structure function g2 in the resonance region at Q2 values between 1.2 and 3.0(GeV/c)2. Spin dependent moments of the neutron were extracted. Our main result, the inelastic contribution to the neutron d2 matrix element, was found to be small at ⟨Q2⟩=2.4(GeV/c)2 and in agreement with the lattice QCD calculation. The Burkhardt-Cottingham sum rule for 3He and the neutron was tested with the measured data and using the Wandzura-Wilczek relation for the low x unmeasured region

Immunohistochemical detection of Claudin low breast cancer; which subcellular level to be assessed?

Objectives: Claudin low breast cancers are often high grade, triple negative tumours with poor prognosis.  They are identified at genetic level and are not diagnosed routinely by immunohistochemistry. The objective was to determine the best subcellular level to detect Claudin low breast cancer by immunohistochemistry, in terms of their histopathological prognostic features.Methods: This cross sectional study included all archival breast cancer tissue collected up to December 2015 in our unit. Tissue microarrays (TMA) were constructed using 23 breast cancer cores with a diameter of 2mm, in each TMA. TMAs were immunohistochemically stained for Claudin 3 expression and was scored as; no staining=0, weak staining=1, moderate staining=2 and strong staining=3, separately for membrane, cytoplasmic and nuclear staining. A score <2 was considered Claudin low and analysed against the histopathological prognostic features of the breast cancer.Results: A total of 546 breast cancers were assessed. Claudin low expression was identified at cytoplasmic, membrane and nuclear level in 74.9%, 74.5% and 42% of breast cancers respectively. Low nuclear expression of Claudin 3 was associated with high grade (p=0.028), Nottingham Prognostic Index of >3.4 (p=0.028), ER and PR negative (p<0.001) and HER 2 negative (p=0.013) tumours while low membrane staining was associated with low grade (p=0.038), HER 2 negative (p<0.001) breast cancers. Low cytoplasmic staining was associated with HER 2 negative breast cancer only (p=0.002).Conclusions: Nuclear staining for Claudin should be assessed to identify Claudin low breast cancer by immunohistochemistry as it significantly associates with most of the Claudin low breast cancer characteristics

Optimizing sequencing protocols for leaderboard metagenomics by combining long and short reads.

As metagenomic studies move to increasing numbers of samples, communities like the human gut may benefit more from the assembly of abundant microbes in many samples, rather than the exhaustive assembly of fewer samples. We term this approach leaderboard metagenome sequencing. To explore protocol optimization for leaderboard metagenomics in real samples, we introduce a benchmark of library prep and sequencing using internal references generated by synthetic long-read technology, allowing us to evaluate high-throughput library preparation methods against gold-standard reference genomes derived from the samples themselves. We introduce a low-cost protocol for high-throughput library preparation and sequencing

Measurement of the Generalized Forward Spin Polarizabilities of the Neutron

The generalized forward spin polarizabilities $\gamma_0$ and $\delta_{LT}$ of the neutron have been extracted for the first time in a $Q^2$ range from 0.1 to 0.9 GeV$^2$. Since $\gamma_0$ is sensitive to nucleon resonances and $\delta_{LT}$ is insensitive to the $\Delta$ resonance, it is expected that the pair of forward spin polarizabilities should provide benchmark tests of the current understanding of the chiral dynamics of QCD. The new results on $\delta_{LT}$ show significant disagreement with Chiral Perturbation Theory calculations, while the data for $\gamma_0$ at low $Q^2$ are in good agreement with a next-to-lead order Relativistic Baryon Chiral Perturbation theory calculation. The data show good agreement with the phenomenological MAID model.Comment: 5 pages, 2 figures, corrected typo in author name, published in PR

The Q^2 evolution of the generalized Gerasimov-Drell-Hearn integral for the neutron using a He-3 target

We present data on the inclusive scattering of polarized electrons from a polarized He-3 target at energies from 0.862 to 5.06 GeV, obtained at a scattering angle of 15.5 degrees. Our data include measurements from the quasielastic peak, through the resonance region, to the beginning of the deep inelastic regime, and were used to determine the spin difference in the virtual photoabsorption cross section. We extract the extended Gerasimov-Drell-Hearn integral for the neutron in the range of 4-momentum transfer squared Q^2 of 0.1-0.9 GeV.Comment: 14 pages of text when TeXed in preprint format with figures embedded. RevTeX format. Three eps figure

Investigation of trace metals in air particulate matter collected from Colombo

The suspended particulate matter (SPM) in air is a complex multi-phase mixture of all airborne chemicals.Among the airborne inorganic chemicals, compounds associated with heavy metals have subjected tonumerous chemical investigations due their known health effects. Uniqueness of the heavy metalshas attributed its use in identifying or tracing the pollutant sources through source apportionmentstudies and in understanding the distribution of pollutants through computer modeling.In general, airborne metals exist in trace quantities. The suspended particulate matter may contain themetallic species as fine particles or they may have adsorbed onto other particulate matter originatedfrom natural or human activities. Agglomerated heavier particle settles due to gravitation and pose alesser risk to human health. Finer particles with aerodynamic diameter less than 2.5 urn (PM2) arebelieved to posses the biggest health threat through respirationCentral Environmental Authority (CEA) has been involved in air quality monitoring at the ColomboFort Railway Station. Using their high volume air sampler, particles having aerodynamic diameter lessthan I0 ~L1n(PM 10) were collected onto glass fiber filters daily during the period of November 2003 toNovember 2005 November. They were gravimetrically analyzed by CEA. This study was focused tofurther investigate randomly selected filters (two filters per month) to differentiate the levels of selectedmetals during the period. The filters were acid digested to recover the airborne metallic species.Levels of copper (Cu), nickel (Ni), cadmium (Cd), lead (Pb) and manganese (Mn) were analyzed byusing atom ic absorption spectrophotometer at the Department of Chemistry, University of ColomboThe average concentrations found during the study were Cu = 0.29 ± 0.25 ng/rri', N i = 0.21 ± 0.1 0 ng/m', Pb = 0.59 ± 0.48 ng/rn", Cd = 0.03 ± 0.03 ng/rn ', Mn = 0.43 ± 0.22 ng/rn '. During the study periodPb levels were found to be the highest and Cd levels were found to be the lowest. The maximumairborne levels were 1.24 ng/rn ' for ClI in April 2005,0.56 ng/rn ' for Ni in January 2005,2.37 ng/m 'for Pb in February 2004, 0.09 ng/m ' for Cd in February 2004 and 0.78 ng/rn ' for Ni in May 2005.On average the minimum airborne levels were found in the period of May to August. This is attributedto the settling of particles with rainfall as well as the wind patterns which drifts the pollutants awayfrom the sampler during the season. From November to Apri I all the five metals have showed relati velyhigher concentrations compared to any other months in each year. This may be due to poor dispersionpatterns in the Colombo air which results in stagnating pollutants. In general, wind speed is relativelyhigher for the period of May to August compared to the period of November to AprilThe most prevailing metal in the Colombo air is Pb while the least prevailing metal is Cd. The levelsofPb have demonstrated a pronounced decline in concentration starting from April 2005 whrch coincideswith the introductiorr of un-leaded petrol to Sri Lankan market in January 2004.