ABSTRACT
Crop loss due to drought is a complex issue, because it changes according to the drought intensity and duration, and the developmental stage of the plants when drought occurs. In order to ...assess the drought‐induced decline in crop harvest, drought variability and the yield sensitivity of winter wheat, maize, sugar beet, and sunflower to drought during their growing seasons is investigated in the Republic of Moldova. This is then used as an example of the response of non‐irrigated crops to increasing drought tendency in south‐eastern Europe. The quantification of drought was done by using the standardized precipitation evapotranspiration index (SPEI) at 1‐ to 12‐month lags during the period from 1951 to 2012. The relationship between drought at various time scales and the standardized yield residuals series (SYRS) for individual crops over the country and the Balti chernozem steppe of Moldova (represented by Balti experimental site) for the 1962–2012 farming years were investigated. In order to detect the trends and the shifts in the SPEI time series over 62 years, the non‐parametric, Mann–Kendall and Pettitt tests were used for each month of the year to cover the main life cycle of the crops. The trend analysis of agricultural drought emphasizes an increasing trend from June to October, and becomes significant in the southern region at the 95% level during July to September. The SPEI highlights the main periods of dry/wet persistence and the regional characteristics of drought which are present in the Southern region, and make this region more prone to severe drought persistence, mostly during the last decade. Drought during the plant reproductive stages may significantly reduce grain yield potential, the relation between the SYRS and the SPEI explaining up to 62% of the low‐yield variability.
The 2017 World Health Organization (WHO) classification proposes to type and subtype primary adenohypophyseal tumours according to their cell lineages with the aim to establish more uniform tumour ...groups. The definition of atypical adenoma was removed in favour of high-risk adenoma, and the assessment of proliferative activity and invasion was recommended to diagnose aggressive tumours. Recently, the International Pituitary Pathology Club proposed to replace adenoma with the term of pituitary neuroendocrine tumour (PitNET) to better reflect the similarities between adenohypophyseal and neuroendocrine tumours of other organs. The European Pituitary Pathology Group (EPPG) endorses this terminology and develops practical recommendations for standardised reports of PitNETs that are addressed to histo- and neuropathologists. This brief report presents the results of EPPG’s consensus for the reporting of PitNETs and proposes a diagnostic algorithm.
Quality physical education (QPE) in primary school optimises children's well-being. However, international research indicates that the preparation of classroom teachers is impeded by systemic ...barriers, resulting in low-classroom teacher confidence, competence and subsequent interest. This empirical research investigates school principal headteacher perceptions of how quality physical education in primary schools is implemented. The 73 principal headteacher participants were randomly selected to represent a cross-section of Government Primary School communities, in a region, where PE responsibility lies with classroom teachers; New South Wales (NSW), Australia. Data were gathered using ex-post facto surveys embedded within an interpretivist paradigm. The questionnaire formulated open-ended questions providing principals headteachers with the opportunity to express themselves, and closed-ended questions where they chose the category that best described their school. Findings suggest the largest barrier for QPE in primary schools is the qualifications and preparation of teachers. It is recommended that opportunities for developmentally appropriate primary education PE specialisms be provided within degrees, allowing every primary school over time to have a sustainable infrastructure of PE expertise and advocacy. This recommendation will in time provide QPE experiences for all children; offering global direction for learning in the physical dimension and consequently, optimise holistic education.
In vitro, endotoxin on coarse fraction particulate matter (PM
2.5-10) accounts for the majority of the ability of PM
2.5-10 to induce cytokine responses from alveolar macrophages.
We examined
in vivo ...whether inhaled PM
2.5-10 from local ambient air induce inflammatory and immune responses in the airways of healthy human beings and whether biologic material on PM
2.5-10 accounts for these effects.
On 3 separate visits, 9 healthy subjects inhaled nebulized saline (0.9%, control), PM
2.5-10 collected from local ambient air that was heated to inactivate biological material (PM
2.5-10
−), or nonheated PM (PM
2.5-10
+). PM
2.5-10 deposition (∼0.65 mg/subject) targeted the bronchial airways (confirmed by using radiolabeled aerosol), and induced sputum was obtained 2 to 3 hours postinhalation for analysis of cellular and biochemical markers of inflammation and innate immune function.
Inhaled PM
2.5-10
+ induced elevated inflammation (% PMNs, macrophage mRNA TNF-α), increased eotaxin, upregulated immune surface phenotypes on macrophages (mCD14, CD11b, HLA-DR), and increased phagocytosis (monocytes) versus saline (
P < .05). Biological inactivation of PM
2.5-10 (PM
2.5-10
−) had no effect on neutrophilia but significantly (
P < .05) attenuated mRNA TNF-α, eotaxin levels, cell surface marker responses, and phagocytosis.
Biological components of PM
2.5-10 are not necessary to induce neutrophil responses but are essential in mediating macrophage responses. The ability of PM
2.5-10 to activate monocytic cells and potentially skew the airways toward an allergic phenotype by enhancing eotaxin levels may enhance responses to allergens or bacteria in individuals with allergy.
PM
2.5-10 might enhance the response of individuals with allergy to airborne bacteria.
Metformin-associated lactic acidosis (MALA) is a rare but life-threatening condition. Here, we report the outcome of a patient with MALA complicated by acute coronary syndrome.
A 47-year-old obese ...woman of Caucasian ethnicity was admitted for syncope and tachypnea with Kussmaul breathing. She had a type-2 diabetes and was on oral antidiabetic therapy. Hemoglobin A1c was 6.6%. On admission, a severe acute kidney injury (serum creatinine: 1251 µmol/L) with hyperkalemia (7.5 mmol/L) and severe lactic acidosis (ph:7.042, bicarbonate: 9.9 mmol/L, partial pressure of carbon dioxide: 21.8 mmHg, lactate: 20.0 mmol/L) was found. Despite bicarbonate therapy, ph further decreased. Within 2.5 h of admission, a temporary hemodialysis catheter was placed, and one session of a high-efficiency hemodialysis was performed. 8 h after admission, a continuous venovenous hemodiafiltration was initiated and maintained for 2 days. The metformin therapy was stopped. Supplemental oxygen, intravenous catecholamines (4 days) and antibiotic therapy (7 days) were applied. During this therapy of lactic acidosis, an acute coronary syndrome evolved by day 2 after admission and resolved by day 5 in hospital. After recovery, the patient was transferred to a general ward on day 7 and left the hospital on day 11. By discharge, both the acute kidney injury and the acute coronary syndrome were reversible.
In the patient with MALA complicated by acute coronary syndrome, the combination of a high-efficiency hemodialysis and, consecutively, continuous venovenous hemodiafiltration led to a favorable outcome.
The title "physical education" (PE) is the traditional taxonomy used to represent the education discipline. Health and physical education (HPE) is regarded to be an all-encompassing ...health-dimensional title that has been recently embraced by various education systems around the world. Hence, it can be argued that PE and HPE are often used interchangeably by educationalists, portraying a similar meaning and understanding. This can be regarded as internationally confusing, as historically PE and HPE have represented different and at times paradoxical discourses and ideologies. Amongst the ambiguity of which title to use, PE or HPE, new terms of branding such as "physical literacy" and "health literacy" have re/emerged. The purpose of this interpretivist study is to identify if associated terms used for the original PE label are a help or hindrance to practitioners? Participants were asked an open-ended question relating to PE nomenclatures. The data gathered were analysed and findings confirmed that practitioner confusion does exist. It is suggested that children are first and foremost "physically educated"; therefore a strong, clear and comprehensive grounding in quality PE is essential for teachers and students.
Objective
Although not previously reported, experience suggests that dentoalveolar injury is ‐common among patients with maxillofacial fractures. The objective of this study was to evaluate and ...describe the prevalence and nature of dentoalveolar injuries in patients identified with maxillofacial fractures.
Methods
Medical records of 43 dogs and cats diagnosed with maxillofacial fractures between 2005 and 2012 were reviewed to identify patients with concurrent dentoalveolar injury. Medical records of patients with dentoalveolar injury were ed for the following information: signalment (including sex, age and skull type), mechanism of maxillofacial trauma, location and number of maxillofacial fractures, dentoalveolar injury type and location and the number of dentoalveolar injury per patient. Statistical evaluation was performed to determine associations between signalment, mechanism of trauma, location and number of maxillofacial fractures and the prevalence and nature of concurrent dentoalveolar injury.
Results
Dentoalveolar injuries are common among patients with maxillofacial trauma. Age and mechanism of trauma are significant predictors of the presence of dentoalveolar injuries in patients with maxillofacial trauma.
Conclusions and Clinical Relevance
The findings of this study serve to encourage veterinarians to fully assess the oral cavity in patients with maxillofacial fractures as dentoalveolar injuries are common and can be predicted by age and mechanism of trauma.
High fidelity homologous DNA recombination depends on mismatch repair (MMR), which antagonizes recombination between divergent sequences by rejecting heteroduplex DNA containing excessive nucleotide ...mismatches. The hMSH2–hMSH6 heterodimer is the first responder in postreplicative MMR and also plays a prominent role in heteroduplex rejection. Whether a similar molecular mechanism underlies its function in these two processes remains enigmatic. We have determined that hMSH2–hMSH6 efficiently recognizes mismatches within a D-loop recombination initiation intermediate. Mismatch recognition by hMSH2–hMSH6 is not abrogated by human replication protein A (HsRPA) bound to the displaced single-stranded DNA (ssDNA) or by HsRAD51. In addition, ATP-bound hMSH2–hMSH6 sliding clamps that are essential for downstream MMR processes are formed and constrained within the heteroduplex region of the D-loop. Moreover, the hMSH2–hMSH6 sliding clamps are stabilized on the D-loop by HsRPA bound to the displaced ssDNA. Our findings reveal similarities and differences in hMSH2–hMSH6 mismatch recognition and sliding-clamp formation between a D-loop recombination intermediate and linear duplex DNA.
It has been proposed that oxidant stress of cells in the lung is one of the underlying mechanisms of particulate pollution-induced exacerbation of lung disease. Individuals who are considered most ...sensitive to particulate pollution are those with pre-existing airways inflammation, such as chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD), lung infection or asthma. These diseases are characterized by a presence of inflammatory cells in the airways including neutrophils (PMN), eosinophils and monocytes (Mo), and increased numbers of alveolar macrophages (AM). These cells have a high capacity for production of oxygen radicals, as compared to other cell types of the lung. To assess the oxidative response of these various cell types to pollution particles of various sources, luminol-dependent chemiluminescence was employed. Particles including transition metal-rich residual oil fly ashes (ROFAs), coal fly ashes, diesel, SiO
2, TiO
2 and fugitive dusts were co-cultured with AM, Mo and PMN in a dose range of 10–100 μg/2×10
5 cells and chemiluminescence determined following a 20-min interaction. A strong oxidant response of AM was restricted to oil fly ashes, while the PMN were most reactive to the dusts containing aluminium silicate. In general, the Mo response was less vigorous, but overlapped both AM- and PMN-stimulating dusts. However, in response to SiO
2 and volcanic ash the Mo chemiluminescence exceeded that of the other cell types. Oxygen radicals generated in response to ROFA by the AM were likely to be dependent on mitochondrial processes, while the response in PMN involved the membrane NADPH oxidase complex, as determined by targeting inhibitors. The response of AM to SiO
2 of various sizes and TiO
2 in the fine size range obtained from different commercial sources, was highly variable, implying that composition rather than size was responsible for the oxidant response. A strong chemiluminescence response was not consistently associated with cytotoxicity in the responsive cell. Taken together, these results suggest that oxidant activation by various sources of particulate matter is cell specific. Therefore, the inflamed lung is likely to be more susceptible to harm of ambient air particulates because of the oxidant stress posed by a broader range of particles.
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