Worldwide glaciers are annually retreating due to global overheating and this phenomenon determines the potential lost of microbial diversity represented by psychrophilic microbial population sharing ...these peculiar habitats. In this context, yeast strains, all unable to grow above 20°C, consisting of 42 strains from Antarctic soil and 14 strains isolated from Alpine Glacier, were isolated and grouped together based on similar morphological and physiological characteristics. Sequences of the D1/D2 and ITS regions of the ribosomal DNA confirmed the previous analyses and demonstrated that the strains belong to unknown species. Three new species are proposed: Mrakia robertii sp. nov. (type strain CBS 8912), Mrakia blollopis sp. nov. (type strain CBS 8921) and a related anamorphic species Mrakiella niccombsii sp. nov. (type strain CBS 8917). Phylogenetic analysis of the ITS region revealed that the new proposed species were closely related to each other within the Mrakia clade in the order Cystofilobasidiales, class Tremellomycetes. The Mrakia clade now contains 8 sub-clades. Teliospores were observed in all strains except CBS 8918 and for the Mrakiella niccombsii strains.
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EMUNI, FIS, FZAB, GEOZS, GIS, IJS, IMTLJ, KILJ, KISLJ, MFDPS, NLZOH, NUK, OILJ, PNG, SAZU, SBCE, SBJE, SBMB, SBNM, UKNU, UL, UM, UPUK, VKSCE, ZAGLJ
Aneurysmal dilation of arteriovenous fistulae used for haemodialysis is a recognised complication but its clinical significance is a contentious issue. Our aims were to describe aneurysmal fistulae ...morphologically and clinically.Sixty patients underwent duplex scanning to measure the maximum diameter and skin thickness of their fistula. Haemodialysis function and bleeding risk were assessed clinically.The 75th percentile of maximum diameter was 2.05 cm. In addition to conventional diameter measurement, we describe a novel volume measurement technique which may be of value. No relationship was found between maximum diameter or volume and function, skin thickness or bleeding.Some studies define aneurysm at 2 cm (75th percentile); however, this definition and other arbitrary definitions lack clinical significance. This work suggests that fistula dilation should be considered together with clinical issues when determining the clinical significance of an aneurysm. Our finding that haemodialysis function, skin thickness and bleeding were not associated with diameter needs further study.
Several diagnostic symptoms of the visual-processing deficit Meares-Irlen/Visual Stress Syndrome are remarkably similar to symptom manifestations reported by individuals with chronic fatigue syndrome ...(CFS). We surveyed the specific incidences of nine widely-recognised symptoms of visual stress (VS) in a group of subjects (n=20) previously diagnosed with CFS. The presence of each symptom of VS in the CFS group was compared to its respective presence in both an age and sex matched healthy comparison group (n=46), and an age and sex matched group comprised of individuals (n=14) diagnosed with VS. Results showed the frequencies of all nine VS symptoms in the CFS-diagnosed group to be significantly higher (p=.032 – p<.0005) than in the comparison group, with only two symptoms being statistically less frequent in the CFS group than in the VS-diagnosed group. The average number of VS symptoms reported by the CFS group was also significantly higher than the comparison group, yet not significantly different from the VS group. Thus, the occurrence of VS symptoms in subjects diagnosed with CFS appears to be far greater than previously reported, which in turn may indicate the interplay of some yet to be identified underlying factor(s) common to both conditions.
Algunos síntomas del Síndrome de Estrés Visual/Meares-Irlen son similares a los informados por individuos con síndrome de fatiga crónica (SFC). Se evaluó la incidencia de nueve síntomas ampliamente reconocidos de estrés visual (EV) en un grupo de sujetos (n=20) con síndrome de fatiga crónica. La presencia de cada síntoma de EV en el grupo con SFC se comparó con un grupo control de sujetos sanos (n=46) y con un grupo de individuos (n=14) con diagnóstico de EV, equiparables en sexo y edad. Los resultados mostraron una frecuencia en los nueve síntomas de EV en el grupo diagnosticado SFC significativamente mayor (p=0,032-p<0,0005) que en el grupo de comparación, con sólo dos síntomas estadísticamente menos frecuentes en el grupo SFC que en el grupo EV. El número medio de síntomas EV señalados por el grupo SFC también fue significativamente mayor que el del grupo de comparación, aunque no significati vamente diferente el grupo EV. Por lo tanto, la presencia de los síntomas de EV en sujetos con diagnóstico de SFC parece ser mucho mayor que la informada, lo que puede indicar la interacción de algún factor/s subyacente/s aún no identificado/s comunes a ambas condiciones.
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GEOZS, IJS, IMTLJ, IZUM, KILJ, KISLJ, NLZOH, NUK, OILJ, PILJ, PNG, SAZU, SBCE, SBJE, UILJ, UL, UM, UPCLJ, UPUK, ZAGLJ, ZRSKP
Abstract
In 1999 the Institute of Medicine reported that most medical injuries relate to unavoidable human error in a context of system failure. Patient safety improves when healthcare providers ...facilitate blame-free reporting and organisational learning. This is at odds with fault-based civil liability law, which discourages a more open (doctor-patient) communication on medical injuries. The absence of a clear-cut definition of 'medical error' complicates litigation and hence swift, appropriate patient compensation. No-fault systems perform better in this respect. A dual track liability system for medical malpractice is challenging to implement and operate, yet may be the only option for Pan-European harmonisation of medical liability.
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BFBNIB, DOBA, IZUM, KILJ, NMLJ, NUK, ODKLJ, PILJ, PNG, PRFLJ, SAZU, UILJ, UKNU, UL, UM, UPUK
The objective of this laboratory study was to measure the effect of decreased lung compliance and endotracheal tube (ETT) leakage on measured exhaled tidal volume at the airway and at the ventilator, ...in a research study with a test lung.
The subjects were infant, adult and pediatric test lungs. In the test lung model, lung compliances were set to normal and to levels seen in acute respiratory distress syndrome. Set tidal volume was 6 ml/kg across a range of simulated weights and ETT sizes. Data were recorded from both the ventilator light-emitting diode display and the CO2SMO Plus monitor display by a single observer. Effective tidal volume was calculated from a standard equation.
In all test lung models, exhaled tidal volume measured at the airway decreased markedly with decreasing lung compliance, but measurement at the ventilator showed minimal change. In the absence of a simulated ETT leak, calculation of the effective tidal volume led to measurements very similar to exhaled tidal volume measured at the ETT. With a simulated ETT tube leak, the effective tidal volume markedly overestimated tidal volume measured at the airway.
Previous investigators have emphasized the need to measure tidal volume at the ETT for all children. When ETT leakage is minimal, it seems from our simulated lung models that calculation of effective tidal volume would give similar readings to tidal volume measured at the airway, even in small patients. Future studies of tidal volume measurement accuracy in mechanically ventilated children should control for the degree of ETT leakage.
Chromatography-based drug assays are generally considered to be linear, provided that the back calculated concentrations of 75% of the calibrators are within ±15% of their target values. Data meeting ...this criterion are not usually subject to further examination in order to evaluate the extent of any nonlinearity and whether use of a nonlinear calibration function would improve the accuracy. Examples of nonlinear behavior are presented for several chromatographic systems and most are best described by the nonlinear equation y = a + bx + cxln(x). A more critical evaluation of linearity, as presented herein, can lead to the identification of nonlinear behavior and an improvement in accuracy by use of a nonlinear calibration regression.
Although uncommon, "brain cancer" is one of the most feared diseases that afflict human beings. While still regarded as one of the most deadly forms of primary brain neoplasm, recent advances in the ...treatment of glioblastoma (GBM) have offered new hope for patients, families, and clinicians. In the first part of this two-part review, we will focus on the multidisciplinary advances that have established the current treatment approach in the management of GBM. In the second part of this review, ongoing research will be presented including current clinical trials as well as some of the newer technologies that are forming the promise of the future.
Traditional approaches to the assessment of the linearity of chromatographic assays initially assume that the concentration-response relationship is linear and only deemed to be nonlinear if certain ...parameters lie outside pre-set acceptance criteria. A different approach is described in that the a priori assumption is made that the assay does have some curvature that can be described by fitting a nonlinear regression curve. Any nonlinearity can be quantified from the curvature terms of the resultant regression coefficients. The success of this alternative approach is dependent upon the appropriate choice of nonlinear regression to accurately describe concentration versus response relationship of the assay.
Abstract
The role of ergosterol in yeast stress tolerance, together with heat shock proteins (hsps) and trehalose, was examined in a sterol auxotrophic mutant of Saccharomyces cerevisiae. Ergosterol ...levels paralleled viability data, with cells containing higher levels of the sterol exhibiting greater tolerances to heat and ethanol. Although the mutant synthesised hsps and accumulated trehalose upon heat shock to the same levels as the wild-type cells, these parameters did not relate to stress tolerance. These results indicate that the role of ergosterol in stress tolerance is independent of hsps or trehalose.
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BFBNIB, FZAB, GIS, IJS, KILJ, NLZOH, NUK, OILJ, SAZU, SBCE, SBMB, UL, UM, UPUK
1 School of Biological, Biomedical and Molecular Sciences, University of New England, Armidale, NSW 2351, Australia
2 School of Agricultural Science, University of Tasmania, Hobart, Tasmania 7004, ...Australia
Correspondence Sharon P. Guffogg sguffogg{at}pobox.une.edu.au
Soil, snow and organic material, collected in November 1997 from the Vestvold Hills, Davis Base, Antarctica, were screened for yeasts. Two isolates, which were shown to be indistinguishable by rDNA sequencing and protein analysis by SDS-PAGE, are described in this communication as a novel species, Cryptococcus watticus sp. nov. (type culture, CBS 9496 T =NRRL Y-27556 T ). Sequence analyses of the 26S rDNA D1/D2 region placed C. watticus in the hymenomycetous yeasts in a cluster with Holtermannia corniformis and Cryptococcus nyarrowii . This species has been allocated to the genus Cryptococcus on the basis of physiological and morphological characteristics.
Published online ahead of print on 1 August 2003 as DOI 10.1099/ijs.0.02877-0.
The GenBank/EMBL/DDBJ accession number for the 26S rDNA sequence of Cryptococcus watticus is AY138478 .
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