A study of the root surface phosphatase activities of three species of higher plants: Juncus effusus, Phragnutes australis, and Typha latifolia

The aim of this project was to investigate a possible link between environmental phosphorus status and the root surface phosphatase activities of three species of emergent macrophytes, with a view to assessing their potential for use as "biondicators". Analyses of water phosphorus concentrations and rates of surface phosphatase activities of Juncus effusus, Phragmites australis and Typha latifolia were carried out on samples from Bakethin Reservoir, Northumberland and Durham University Botanic Garden. Differences were found in water phosphorus concentrations at the sites. Water from Bakethin Reservoir was found to have lower levels of P than water from the Botanic Garden. Interspecific differences at p = 0.0002 were discovered in rates of phosphatase activity between Juncus, Phragmites and Typha. Juncus and Typha were found to exhibit significantly lower rates of phosphatase activity at the Botanic Garden than at Bakethin reservoir (p = 0.026 for Juncus, p = 0.037 for Typha). High rates of phosphatase activity in Juncus and Typha at Bakethin Reservoir corresponded with low concenfrations of environmental phosphorus, so it is possible that root surface phosphatases of both species are inducible in conditions of P- limitation. Juncus and Typha may therefore have the potential for use as bioindicators of environmental phosphorus status. Several practical problems were encountered, and may be of general significance. Rates of phosphatase activity declined rapidly in 100 μM pNPP assays. As a consequence, assays were terminated after 10 min. It was also observed that roots removed after assays had been terminated often showed a yellow coloration, presumably due to the retention of pNP. The accuracy of the pNPP assay relies upon all the pNP produced by the hydrolysis of pNPP being released into solution. The apparent retention of pNP by roots therefore brings the use of the pNPP assay, as a method for determining rates of phosphatase activity in eukaryotes, under scrutiny. One preliminary experiment carried out showed that more pNP was retained by roots under conditions of low pH

Active Residents in Care Homes (ARCH) : study protocol to investigate the implementation and outcomes of a whole-systems activity programme in residential care homes for older people

OBJECTIVES: To evaluate the effectiveness, acceptability and costs of Active Residents in Care Homes, ARCH - a programme aiming to increase opportunities for activity in older care home residents. DESIGN: Feasibility study. SETTING: Residential care homes for older people. PARTICIPANTS: 10-15 residents, staff and family members will be recruited in each of the three participating care homes. INTERVENTION: ARCH is a 12-month 'whole-systems' programme implemented by occupational therapists and physiotherapists. They will conduct a comprehensive assessment of each care home, considering the physical environment, working practices and organisation structure as well as residents' individual needs, and recommend ways to address barriers and increase residents' activity levels. The therapists will then work with staff to improve understanding of the issues, instigate training, environmental, organisational and working practice changes as necessary. MAIN OUTCOME MEASURES: Residents' activity levels, health and quality of life will be tested using several measures to see which are practicable and appropriate for this population in this context. This includes: Assessment of Physical Activity in Frail Older People; Pool Activity Level Checklist; Dementia Care Mapping observations; and EQ-5D-5L. Residents will be assessed prior to programme implementation then 4- and 12-months post-implementation. Semi-structured interviews will explore the experiences of residents, staff, family members and therapists. CONCLUSIONS: Providing evidence of effectiveness and acceptability of ARCH, and documenting factors that impede/facilitate implementation will help us identify ways to enhance the care and quality of life of older people in residential care, and our understanding of how to implement them

Chest ultrasound findings in children with suspected pulmonary tuberculosis

Introduction: Chest ultrasound is increasingly used for the diagnosis of pediatric lung disease but there are limited data for its use in pediatric pulmonary tuberculosis (PTB). Aim: To describe chest ultrasound findings in children with suspected PTB. Methods: Consecutive children, presenting with suspected PTB to a tertiary children's hospital in Cape Town between July 2014 and March 2016, were enrolled in this cohort study. Children were categorized into three groups based on microbiological and clinical features; confirmed PTB (microbiologically confirmed), unconfirmed PTB (clinical diagnosis only), and unlikely PTB (respiratory disease not due to PTB). A clinician, blinded to categorization, performed chest and mediastinal ultrasound for consolidation, pleural gaps, pleural effusions, B-lines or enlarged mediastinal lymph nodes at enrolment and 1, 3, and 6 months thereafter. Two readers interpreted the ultrasounds independently. Results: One hundred seventy children (median age 26.6 months) were enrolled; 40 (24%) confirmed PTB, 85 (50%) unconfirmed PTB, and 45 (26%) unlikely PTB. In children with confirmed PTB, pleural effusion was more common (30% vs 9% in unlikely PTB, P = 0.024), mediastinal lymph nodes were larger (median size 1.5 cm vs 1.0 cm in unlikely PTB, P = 0.027), resolution of consolidation occurred less commonly at 1-month follow-up (24% vs 67% unlikely TB, P = 0.014) and the proportional size reduction of a consolidation was lower (44% vs 80% in unlikely PTB, P = 0.009). Inter-reader agreement was perfect to moderate. Conclusion: Chest ultrasound identified abnormalities suggestive of PTB with a high inter-reader agreement. Consolidation showed slower resolution in children with confirmed PTB

The tale of TILs in breast cancer: A report from The International Immuno-Oncology Biomarker Working Group

International audienceAbstract The advent of immune-checkpoint inhibitors (ICI) in modern oncology has significantly improved survival in several cancer settings. A subgroup of women with breast cancer (BC) has immunogenic infiltration of lymphocytes with expression of programmed death-ligand 1 (PD-L1). These patients may potentially benefit from ICI targeting the programmed death 1 (PD-1)/PD-L1 signaling axis. The use of tumor-infiltrating lymphocytes (TILs) as predictive and prognostic biomarkers has been under intense examination. Emerging data suggest that TILs are associated with response to both cytotoxic treatments and immunotherapy, particularly for patients with triple-negative BC. In this review from The International Immuno-Oncology Biomarker Working Group , we discuss (a) the biological understanding of TILs, (b) their analytical and clinical validity and efforts toward the clinical utility in BC, and (c) the current status of PD-L1 and TIL testing across different continents, including experiences from low-to-middle-income countries, incorporating also the view of a patient advocate. This information will help set the stage for future approaches to optimize the understanding and clinical utilization of TIL analysis in patients with BC