Identity of the fungal species present in the homes of asthmatic children

BACKGROUND

Fungal exposures are believed to play an important role in the development of asthma and atopy, accounting for increased asthmatic symptoms and severe asthma exacerbation. Indoor fungal species vary both in taxa and concentration in different residences and in different regions.

OBJECTIVES

We explored the fungal species spectrum in 88 homes with at least one asthmatic child in the Middle West region of the United States mostly during late spring and fall season in comparison with 85 homes that did not contain an asthmatic child during flu season.

METHODS

The average fungal spore counts per cubic metre of air in the bedroom of the enrolled child, the main living spaces and outdoor environments, and the culturable fungal colony-forming units per cubic metre of air samples in the main living space from each home were measured.

RESULTS

The results indicated that Cladosporium, Penicillium, Aspergillus, Basidiospores, Epicoccum and Pithomyces were found in more asthmatic homes than in homes without an asthmatic child or existed in higher concentration in asthmatic homes than in homes without an asthmatic child even after adjusting outdoor spore concentration. The results for culturable fungal species confirmed most of these findings even after adjusting for seasonal factors. Although Alternaria was commonly found in both kinds of homes, there was no significant difference in detection rate or concentration of Alternaria between asthmatic homes and homes without an asthmatic child by either spore counting or culturable airborne detection.

CONCLUSION AND CLINICAL RELEVANCE

Since many allergens have been identified in these fungal species, identifying and controlling these fungal species in asthmatic homes might be expected to improve asthma care and benefit asthmatic children.

Fine mapping and characterization of BPH27, a brown planthopper resistance gene from wild rice (Oryza rufipogon Griff.)

The brown planthopper (Nilaparvata lugens Stål; BPH) is one of the most serious rice pests worldwide. Growing resistant varieties is the most effective way to manage this insect, and wild rice species are a valuable source of resistance genes for developing resistant cultivars. BPH27 derived from an accession of Guangxi wild rice, Oryza rufipogon Griff. (Accession no. 2183, hereafter named GX2183), was primarily mapped to a 17-cM region on the long arm of the chromosome four. In this study, fine mapping of BPH27 was conducted using two BC(1)F(2) populations derived from introgression lines of GX2183. Insect resistance was evaluated in the BC(1)F(2) populations with 6,010 individual offsprings, and 346 resistance extremes were obtained and employed for fine mapping of BPH27. High-resolution linkage analysis defined the BPH27 locus to an 86.3-kb region in Nipponbare. Regarding the sequence information of rice cultivars, Nipponbare and 93-11, all predicted open reading frames (ORFs) in the fine-mapping region have been annotated as 11 types of proteins, and three ORFs encode disease-related proteins. Moreover, the average BPH numbers showed significant differences in 96-120 h after release in comparisons between the preliminary near-isogenic lines (pre-NILs, lines harboring resistance genes) and BaiR54. BPH growth and development were inhibited and survival rates were lower in the pre-NIL plants compared with the recurrent parent BaiR54. The pre-NIL exhibited 50.7% reductions in population growth rates (PGR) compared to BaiR54. The new development in fine mapping of BPH27 will facilitate the efforts to clone this important resistant gene and to use it in BPH-resistance rice breeding.

Continuity clinics in oncology training programs in Canada

PURPOSE

Continuity clinics (ccs) give trainees an opportunity for longitudinal follow-up of a patient cohort. Trainees can function in a semi-autonomous manner and prepare for independent practice. Data about such clinics in Canada are limited. Our objective was to assess the utility of ccs in Canadian oncology training programs.

METHODS

Surveys were developed by the authors for medical and radiation oncology program directors (pds) and trainees, to assess the utility of ccs in Canadian oncology training programs.oncology patients, to assess their attitudes toward ccs. The pds were contacted by e-mail, using the Web site of the Canadian Resident Matching Service; the trainees were contacted by e-mail through the pds and their administrative assistants. Surveys were distributed electronically using SurveyMonkey. Patients were approached by staff oncologists during follow-up visits at The Ottawa Hospital Cancer Centre.

RESULTS

Completed surveys were received from 33% of trainees and 63% of pds contacted; patient surveys were completed by 95 patients. Participation in a cc was reported by 47% of responding pds and 37% of responding trainees. Among respondents, 80% rated the ccs as "important" or "very important" to training. The biggest challenge identified by trainees and pds was lack of clinic space. Most pds (57%) and trainees (59%) felt that the staff oncologist should review the patient only if the trainee has concerns, but only 37% of patients shared that view (p = 0.0002). However, many patients expressed the desire to participate in trainee education.

CONCLUSIONS

Continuity clinics are considered beneficial by pds and trainees. Patients desire more trainee supervision than the trainees themselves and the pds do, a factor that should be considered when implementing a cc.

Coping when pain is a potential threat: the efficacy of acceptance versus cognitive distraction

This experiment investigated the impact of brief training in acceptance versus distraction-based pain management on experimental pain tolerance in conditions of lower and higher potential threats. One hundred fifty-one pain-free Chinese adults (93 women, 58 men) randomly assigned to acceptance, distraction or pain education control conditions engaged in a cold pressor test (CPT) after reading validated orienting information designed to prime either the safety of the CPT (lower threat) or symptoms and damaging effects of exposure to extreme cold (higher threat). A 2 (threat level) × 3 (training strategy) analysis of covariance, controlling for pre-intervention pain tolerance and education, indicated the acceptance group was more pain tolerant than other training groups. This main effect was qualified by an interaction with threat level: in the lower threat condition, acceptance group participants were more pain tolerant than peers in the distraction or pain education groups while no training group differences were found in the higher threat condition. Supplementary analyses identified catastrophizing as a partial mediator of training group differences in pain tolerance. In summary, findings suggested acceptance-based coping is superior to distraction as a means of managing experimental pain, particularly when pain sensations are viewed as comparatively low in potential threat.

Asthma-related SNP in FCER2 is associated with increased expression of IL-4R on human B cells

A SNP (rs2228137) (R62W) in FCER2 has been linked with severe exacerbations in asthmatics. Transfectants expressing the SNP exhibited increased IL-4Rα expression after stimulation through CD23 compared with wild-type. Our data suggest that the SNP may favour increased IgE production through increased responsiveness to IL-4 in patients possessing this genotype.

The association between bacterial colonization and inflammatory pattern in Chinese chronic rhinosinusitis patients with nasal polyps

BACKGROUND

Chronic rhinosinusitis with nasal polyps (CRSwNP) can be subdivided according to the mucosal inflammatory patterns. In mainland China, apart from interleukin (IL)-5-positive and IL-17-positive polyps, a large group of patients with IL-5/IL-17/interferon-gamma (IFNγ)-negative nasal polyps (referred to as key cytokine-negative (KCN) polyps) can be found.

OBJECTIVE

To further study the KCN polyps and evaluate the associations between bacterial colonization and mucosal inflammatory pattern in KCN vs IL-5-positive nasal polyps.

METHODS

Nasal polyp or nasal turbinate tissue was obtained from 89 Chinese CRSwNP patients and 36 nonatopic control subjects during surgery. Samples without and after SEB exposure were processed for the assessment of pro-inflammatory cytokines and mediators by immunoassay. Prior to surgery, nasal swabs were taken from each patient for microbiological evaluation.

RESULTS

Overall, 80% polyp tissue did not express IL-5, with about 70% (49/71) of these being KCN. Key cytokine-negative nasal polyps were characterized by the synthesis of mediators promoting neutrophilic inflammation (myeloperoxidase (MPO), IL-1β, IL-6 and IL-8), whereas IL-5-positive nasal polyps were characterized by the synthesis of mediators promoting eosinophilic inflammation (IL-5, ECP, total IgE and SE-IgE). Key cytokine-negative nasal polyps were associated with greater Gram-negative bacterial load compared with controls, while IL-5-positive nasal polyps were associated with greater Gram-positive bacterial colonization vs controls and KCN polyps.

CONCLUSION

Our findings suggest that the bacteria colonizing nasal polyps of CRSwNP patients may impact on or be determined by the presence/absence of IL-5.

First Report of Yam mild mosaic virus in Yam in Guangxi Province, China

Yams (Dioscorea spp.) are widely grown in China as vegetables and herbal medicine. However, studies on viral diseases on yams are still limited. As a pilot project of a government initiative for improving yam productivity, a small study was conducted in Guangxi, a southern province of China, on viral disease in yams. Incidence of virus-like disease for the three extensively grown D. alata cultivars, GH2, GH5, and GH6, were 12 to 40%, 12 to 29%, and 11 to 25%, respectively, as found in a field survey with a five-plot sampling method in 2010. A total of 112 leaf samples showing mosaic or mottling or leaves without symptoms were collected from the cvs. GH2, GH5, GH6, and seven additional cultivars (D. alata cvs. GY2, GY23, GY47, GY69, GY62, GY72, and D. batatas cv. Tiegun). To determine if the symptoms were caused by Yam mild mosaic virus (YMMV; genus Potyvirus, family Potyviridae), total RNA was extracted from leaves with a commercial RNA purification kit (TIANGEN, Beijing, China), and reverse-transcription (RT)-PCR was conducted with a YMMV-specific primer pair (4) that amplifies the 3'-terminal portion of the viral genome. A PCR product with the predicted size of 262 bp was obtained from samples of GH5 (number testing positive of total number of leaves = 5 of 12), GH6 (24 of 42), and GY72 (1 of 1), but not from asymptomatic leaves. PCR products from a GH5 sample (YMMV-Nanning) and a GH6 sample (YMMV-Luzhai) were cloned and sequenced using an ABI PRISM 3770 DNA Sequencer. The two PCR products were 97% identical at nucleotide (nt) level and with the highest homology (89% identity) to a YMMV isolate (GenBank Accession No. AJ305466). To further characterize the isolates, degenerate primers (2) were used to amplify viral genome sequence corresponding to the C-terminal region of the nuclear inclusion protein b (NIb) and the N-terminal region of the coat protein (CP). These 781-nt fragments were sequenced and a new primer, YMMV For1 (5'-TTCATGTCGCACAAAGCAGTTAAG-3') corresponding to the NIb region, was designed and used together with primer YMMV UTR 1R to amplify a fragment that covers the complete CP region of YMMV by RT-PCR. These 1,278-nt fragments were sequenced (GenBank Accession Nos. JF357962 and JF357963). CP nucleotide sequences of the YMMV-Nanning and YMMV-Luzhai isolates were 94% similar, while amino acid sequences were 99% similar. BLAST searches revealed a nucleotide identity of 82 to 89% and a similarity of 88 to 97% for amino acids to sequences of YMMV isolates (AF548499 and AF548519 and AAQ12304 and BAA82070, respectively) in GenBank. YMMV is known to be prevalent on D. alata in Africa and the South Pacific, and has recently been identified in the Caribbean (1) and Colombia (3). To our knowledge, this is the first report of the natural occurrence of YMMV in China and it may have implications for yam production and germplasm exchange within China. References: (1) M. Bousalem and S. Dallot. Plant Dis. 84:200, 2000. (2) D. Colinet et al. Phytopathology 84:65, 1994. (3) S. Dallot et al. Plant Dis. 85:803, 2001. (4) R. A. Mumford and S. E. Seal. J. Virol. Methods 69:73, 1997.

Antimagnetic rotation band in nuclei: a microscopic description

Covariant density functional theory and the tilted axis cranking method are used to investigate antimagnetic rotation (AMR) in nuclei for the first time in a fully self-consistent and microscopic way. The experimental spectrum as well as the B(E2) values of the recently observed AMR band in (105)Cd are reproduced very well. This gives a further strong hint that AMR is realized in specific bands in nuclei.

Influence of proline-rich inositol polyphosphate 5-phosphatase, on early development of fertilized mouse eggs, via inhibition of phosphorylation of Akt

OBJECTIVES

Proline-rich inositol polyphosphate 5-phosphatase (PIPP) is one of the signal-modifying enzymes that play pivotal regulatory roles in PI3K signalling pathway. The aim of this study was to determine the role of PIPP in early development of fertilized mouse eggs, via inhibition of Akt activity and subsequent downstream signalling events.

MATERIALS AND METHODS

The mRNA transcript levels of endogenous PIPP and Akt1, Akt2, Akt3 were detected in G(1) , S, G(2) and M phases of fertilized mouse eggs by RT-PCR. Levels of exogenous PIPP, phosphorylated Akt at Ser473, dephosphorylated cdc2 at Tyr15 and levels of CCNB1, were detected respectively by immunoblotting. Changes in Akt localization were observed by fluoroimmunoassay; meanwhile, changes in activity of Akt and its downstream MPF were detected. Percentages of cells undergoing division were determined by counting, using a dissecting microscope.

RESULTS

PIPP and Akt1 transcripts were detectable in G(1), S, G(2) and M phases of fertilized mouse eggs, but Akt2 and Akt3 were not. We also observed that overexpression of PIPP in fertilized eggs decreased expression of phosphorylated Akt at Ser473 and altered membrane localization of phosphorylated Akt at Ser473 specifically. Furthermore, overexpression of PIPP resulted in decreases in mitosis-phase promoting factor activity, level of dephosphorylated cdc2 at Tyr15 and cleavage rate of fertilized mouse eggs.

CONCLUSIONS

Our data suggest, for the first time, that PIPP may affect development of fertilized mouse eggs by inhibition of level of phosphorylated Akt at Ser473 and subsequent inhibition of downstream signal cascades.

Antimicrobial resistance and molecular subtyping of Campylobacter jejuni and Campylobacter coli from retail meats

Campylobacter isolates (n = 297; 202 C. jejuni and 95 C. coli isolates) recovered from 2,513 retail meat samples (chicken breasts, ground turkey, ground beef, and pork chops) were examined for antimicrobial susceptibility. The isolates were further analyzed for genetic relatedness by pulsed-field gel electrophoresis (PFGE) using SmaI and KpnI restriction enzymes, and a subset of isolates (n = 174) were subtyped by multilocus sequence typing (MLST). The resistance most frequently observed was that to doxycycline (27.6%), followed by ciprofloxacin (13.8%) and erythromycin (6.4%). All isolates were susceptible to gentamicin and meropenem. C. coli showed higher resistance to doxycycline than did C. jejuni (42.1 versus 20.8%) and lower resistance to ciprofloxacin than did C. jejuni (10.5 versus 15.3%). Erythromycin resistance was only observed in C. coli. PFGE using SmaI plus KpnI digestion generated 168 clusters from 297 isolates: 115 from C. jejuni and 53 from C. coli. MLST revealed 44 sequence types (STs) under 10 clonal complexes from 120 C. jejuni and 27 STs under two clonal complexes from 54 C. coli. There was a positive association between PFGE and STs; however, PFGE showed greater discriminatory power than MLST. Subtyping data did not correlate with antimicrobial resistance phenotypes.

Escherichia coli from retail meats carry genes associated with uropathogenic Escherichia coli, but are weakly invasive in human bladder cell culture

AIMS

The aim of this study was to determine the uropathogenic potential of Escherichia coli isolated from retail meats.

METHODS AND RESULTS

Two hundred E. coli isolates recovered from retail meats, which were previously identified molecularly as extraintestinal pathogenic E. coli, were investigated for the presence of 21 uropathogenic E. coli (UPEC) virulence-associated genes. Twenty-three E. coli isolates were selected based on their serogroups and the number of virulence genes they contained, and further characterized using multilocus sequence typing, and by tissue culture assays for adherence to and invasion of T-24 human bladder cells and for their induction of interleukin (IL)-6 secretion. All virulence genes tested, except afa/dra and hlyD, were detected among the E. coli isolates. Multilocus sequence typing analysis of 23 selected isolates revealed that 17 isolates belonged to STs associated with human UPEC. Nearly all 23 isolates exhibited lower level of adherence and invasion compared to a clinical strain, UPEC CFT073.

CONCLUSIONS

These observations suggested that a small proportion of E. coli isolates from retail meats carry uropathogenic associated virulence genes and thus may serve as a reservoir of these genes to UPEC in the human intestine. Their virulence potential seemed limited as they were only weakly invasive in human bladder cell culture.

SIGNIFICANCE AND IMPACT OF THE STUDY

These findings support the hypothesis that retail meat E. coli may play a role in relation to urinary tract infection (UTI) and may be considered in development of a UTI prevention strategy.

Performance and inhibition recovery of anammox reactors seeded with different types of sludge

In order to study the performance, inhibition and recovery processes of different types of anammox sludge, three up-flow anaerobic sludge blanket reactors were inoculated with flocculent sludge, granular sludge, and cultured inactive methanogenic granules. During stable period, with nitrogen loading rates of 0.9-1.1 kg/m(3)/d, the total nitrogen removal efficiencies of these reactors averaged at 86.5%, 90.8% and 93.5%, respectively. The kinetics study indicated that the reactor seeded with cultured inactive methanogenic granules possessed the highest nitrogen removal potential, followed by the granular anammox reactor and the flocculent anammox reactor. The study suggested that a concentration as high as 988.3 mg NH(4)(+)-N/L and 484.4 mg NO(2)(-)-N/L could totally inhibit granular anammox bacteria and result in a inhibition of 50% flocculent anammox activity. In addition, reactors seeded with flocculent sludge and anammox granules could be fully recovered by decreasing their influent substrate concentrations. However, the decrease of influent substrate concentration for the reactor with cultured inactive methanogenic granules could only restore about 75% of its bacterial activity. In this study, anammox bacteria purity was the major factor to evaluate the recovery ability in comparison with sludge type. Free ammonia was a more appropriate indicator for the anammox recovery process compared to free nitric acid.

The role of p27(Kip1) phosphorylation at serine 10 in the migration of malignant glioma cells in vitro

Until recently, Cip/Kip members were almost solely viewed as nuclear proteins with a principal function of inhibiting cyclin/cyclin dependent kinase (CDK) activity and hence, inhibiting cell cycle progression. P27(Kip1) (hereafter p27) belongs to the Cip/Kip family that binds and inhibits all the cyclin/CDK complexes, thus often referred as a universal CDK inhibitor. However, emerging studies now suggest that Cip/Kip proteins play additional roles outside of the nucleus. Indeed, previous reports have linked p27 to the regulation of actin dynamics and cell migration. In this study, we constructed a model of migration-activated glioma cells by using the migration-stimulating substrate, a kind of ECM, laminin in vitro. Our results present evidence that laminin drives glioma cell migration without altering cell proliferation. Further, actively migrating cells which expressioned high phosphorylation of p27 at Ser10, and induced its cytoplasmic localization. In this process, Jab1 and CRM1 were also involved. Thus phosphorylation of p27 at Ser10 is necessary for both cytoplasmic localization and induction of cell migration. These observations solidified a genetic role of p27 in cell migration and this was independent of cyclin/CDK inhibition. Eventually, we transiently transfected p27S10A into T98G glioma cells, found that overexpression of p27S10A inhibited cell migration but not cell proliferation. These data linked phosphorylation of p27 at Ser10 and cell motility. Therefore, the major phosphorylation site at Ser10 of p27 played a pivotal role in the migration of malignant glioma cells.

Observational study of food safety practices in retail deli departments

In order to improve the safety of refrigerated ready-to-eat food products prepared at retail deli departments, a better understanding of current practices in these establishments is needed. Food employees in deli departments at six chain and three independent retail establishments in Maryland and Virginia were observed, using notational analysis, as they prepared deli products for sale. The frequency of contact with objects and deli products before sale, hand washing and glove changing during preparation, and equipment, utensil, and surface cleaning and sanitizing was determined. Compliance with the U.S. Food and Drug Administration's 2005 model Food Code recommendations, which must be adopted by the individual state and local jurisdictions that are responsible for directly regulating retail establishments, was also assessed. Observations indicated there were a large number of actions for which hand washing was recommended at independent and chain stores (273 recommended of 1,098 total actions and 439 recommended of 3,073 total actions, respectively). Moreover, 67% (295 of 439) of the actions for which hand washing was recommended at the chain stores and 86% (235 of 273) of those at the independent stores resulted from employees touching non-food contact surfaces prior to handling ready-to-eat food. Compliance with hand washing recommendations was generally low and varied depending on store type with independent stores exhibiting lower compliance than chain stores (5 instances of compliance for 273 recommended actions and 73 instances of compliance for 439 recommended actions, respectively). Potential risk mitigation measures that may reduce the frequency of hand washing actions needed during ready-to-eat food preparation in retail deli departments are discussed. More research is needed to determine the impact of such measures on food safety.