Platelet zinc status regulates prostaglandin-induced signaling, altering thrombus formation

BACKGROUND

Approximately 17.3% of the global population exhibits an element of zinc (Zn2+) deficiency. One symptom of Zn2+ deficiency is increased bleeding through impaired hemostasis. Platelets are crucial to hemostasis and are inhibited by endothelial-derived prostacyclin (prostaglandin I2 [PGI2]), which signals via adenylyl cyclase (AC) and cyclic adenosine monophosphate signaling. In other cell types, Zn2+ modulates cyclic adenosine monophosphate concentrations by changing AC and/or phosphodiesterase activity.

OBJECTIVES

To investigate if Zn2+ can modulate platelet PGI2 signaling.

METHODS

Platelet aggregation, spreading, and western blotting assays with Zn2+ chelators and cyclic nucleotide elevating agents were performed in washed platelets and platelet-rich plasma conditions. In vitro thrombus formation with various Zn2+ chelators and PGI2 was assessed in whole blood.

RESULTS

Incubation of whole blood or washed platelets with Zn2+ chelators caused either embolization of preformed thrombi or reversal of platelet spreading, respectively. To understand this effect, we analyzed resting platelets and identified that incubation with Zn2+ chelators elevated pVASPser157, a marker of PGI2 signaling. In agreement that Zn2+ affects PGI2 signaling, addition of the AC inhibitor SQ22536 blocked Zn2+ chelation-induced platelet spreading reversal, while addition of Zn2+ blocked PGI2-mediated platelet reversal. Moreover, Zn2+ specifically blocked forskolin-mediated AC reversal of platelet spreading. Finally, PGI2 inhibition of platelet aggregation and in vitro thrombus formation was potentiated in the presence of low doses of Zn2+ chelators, increasing its effectiveness in inducing platelet inhibition.

CONCLUSION

Zn2+ chelation potentiates platelet PGI2 signaling, elevating PGI2's ability to prevent effective platelet activation, aggregation, and thrombus formation.

Contributions of attentional control, hyperactivity-impulsivity, and reading skills to performance on a fourth-grade state writing test

Writing proficiency facilitates higher achievement in educational and professional endeavors, yet most students fail to meet national writing benchmarks by the end of high school. Attentional control and overall reading skill are documented to result in better writing quality; however, most research on these relationships has focused on early elementary students (K-3rd grade. This project evaluated the relationship between attentional control, hyperactivity-impulsivity, word reading, and reading comprehension to overall writing performance on a high-stakes writing test. Participants included 266 fourth-grade struggling readers who completed the Strengths and Weaknesses of ADHD Symptoms and Normal Behavior (SWAN; Swanson et al., 2001, 2012) for attentional control and hyperactivity-impulsivity, the Woodcock-Johnson III (WJ-III; Woodcock et al., 2001) Letter-Word Identification test for word reading, the WJ-III Passage Comprehension test for reading comprehension, and the State of Texas Assessments of Academic Readiness (STAAR) writing test for overall writing. Hyperactivity-impulsivity was not related to word reading (β = 0.02, p > .05), reading comprehension (β = 0.06, p > .05), or writing (β = 0.14, p > .05), whereas attentional control (β = 0.51, p < .01) and reading comprehension (β = 0.55, p < .001) contributed to overall writing. Reading comprehension (β = 0.55, p < .01) had a greater impact on writing than word reading (β = 0.13, p > .05), which suggests that as academic rigor increases in the upper elementary school grades (4th grade and higher), basic skills are less predictive of success on complex tasks such as writing. Implications for increasing writing proficiency through research and practice are discussed.

Reading-to-Writing Mediation model of higher-order literacy

Introduction

Writing difficulties frequently manifest comorbidly with reading challenges, and reading is implicated in particular acts of writing, such as reviewing and editing. Despite what is known, however, there remain significant barriers to understanding the nature of reading-writing relations, as few studies are comprehensive in the number and types of literacy skills evaluated. This study consists of a secondary data analysis of two studies employing structural equation modeling (SEM) to evaluate relations among reading and writing components skills independently, using the Direct and Inferential Mediation Model (DIME) of reading comprehension and Not-so-Simple View of Writing (NSVW) as theoretical frameworks.

Methods

We examine relations between reading and writing components from these models with a sample of upper elementary students with/at-risk for learning disabilities (n = 405). Lower-order components included word reading, vocabulary, handwriting and spelling. Higher-order components included background knowledge, reading strategies, inferencing, planning, editing, and revision. The literacy outcomes were oral and silent reading fluency, reading comprehension, and writing quality and productivity. We systematically build a Reading-to-Writing Mediation (RWM) model by first merging the DIME and NSVW components in a direct effects model (Aim 1), expanding the joint model to include reading and writing fluency (Aim 2), evaluating indirect effects between DIME and NSVW component skills (Aim 3), and finally, evaluating indirect effects with reading and writing fluency (Aim 4).

Results

The findings suggest that higher order fluency and comprehension skills are differentially related to writing activities and products.

Discussion

The pattern of results helps elucidate the mechanisms of how various reading and writing skills transfer and relate. The results have implications for targeted and implicit instruction in multicomponent interventions and the use of screeners to identify areas of risk.

PROPERTIES OF A COMBINED MEASURE OF READING AND WRITING: THE ASSESSMENT OF WRITING, SELF-MONITORING, AND READING (AWSM READER)

There is significant overlap between reading and writing, but no known standardized measure assesses these jointly. The goal of the present study is to evaluate the properties of a novel measure, the Assessment of Writing, Self-Monitoring, and Reading (AWSM Reader), that simultaneously evaluates both reading comprehension and writing. In doing so, we evaluate reliability (Cronbach's alpha) and various aspects of construct-related validity, including separate criterion measures of reading and writing, and the AWSM Reader's relations with other variables, including language and executive function (EF), both of which are implicated for both reading and writing. Participants were 377 3rd, 4th, and 5th graders with or at-risk for reading and writing difficulties. Reliability was low for the AWSM Reader reading comprehension (α = .58), but good for writing (α = .75-.80). Criterion-related validity indices revealed moderate correlations with other standardized and commonly used reading and writing measures, r = .47 to .50 (all ps < .001). Additionally, validity data supported the relations of both language and EF to AWSM Reader reading and writing, with EF showing unique prediction in both reading and writing domains. Results provide initial support for the measure per se but stress the difficulty in constructing combined reading and writing measures; directions are given for future work. Results also add to data on the contributions of language and EF to both reading and writing.

P01.18.B Structural abnormalities related to chemotherapy in cancer survivors: an ALE meta-analysis of neuroimaging studies

Background

Chemotherapy induced cognitive impairment (CICI) is a term used for the cognitive dysfunction reported with non-central nervous system cancer patients during or after chemotherapy. Recent neuroimaging studies have shown decreased activation in cancer patients during cognitive tasks post-chemotherapy. Structural changes are sought to be associated with cognitive decline in cancer survivors after chemotherapy. Here we aim to investigate the neuroimaging findings of structural abnormalities and gray matter alterations associated with chemotherapy in cancer survivors.

Material and Methods

A systematic search through PubMed database for peer-reviewed English-language studies yielded a total of 302 studies. Eligible studies were included in the activation likelihood estimation (ALE) meta-analysis if they reported coordinates in a stereotactic format (MNI or Talairach space) for voxel-based morphometric (VBM) studies on gray matter volume and post-chemotherapy cancer survivors compared to matched healthy controls. GingerALE (3.0.2) software from Brainmap.org was used to perform the ALE meta-analysis with threshold settings of uncorrected P-value &lt; 0.001 for multiple comparisons.

Results

The study sample included 299 patients comprised of breast cancer survivors (BCS), childhood acute lymphocytic leukemia (ALL) survivors, ovarian cancer survivors (OCS) and lung cancer with 279 matched healthy controls from 12 studies and 21 experiments. ALE-maps for post-chemotherapy cancer survivors showed reduced gray matter volume in comparison to healthy controls in the left inferior frontal gyrus, right thalamus, right superior frontal gyrus, right medial frontal gyrus and right cerebellum (peak coordinates: [-43,40,-6], [23,-29,2], [14,30,55], [9,57,-16], [9,-78,-41] respectively, and cluster size of 544 mm3, 312 mm3 and 257 mm3, 296 mm3, 297 mm3 respectively).

Conclusion

This is the first ALE meta-analysis that studied the converged areas of reduced gray matter volume in post-chemotherapy cancer survivors. Our findings of reduced gray matter volume in frontal regions and cerebellum might be responsible for the cognitive dysfunction in executive function, attention, and memory observed in cancer survivors. Further studies are needed to assess the impact of different chemotherapeutic regimens related to CICI .

The reading profiles of late elementary English learners with and without risk for dyslexia

Few studies have systematically investigated the reading skill profiles of English learners (ELs) in late elementary school, a critical developmental period for language and literacy and the most common grades for initial identification with specific learning disabilities (O'Connor et al., Learning Disabilities Research & Practice, 28(3), 98-112, 2013). We investigated the reading skill profiles of 331 ELs in 3rd and 4th grades, including ELs with and without risk for dyslexia due to significant deficits in word and pseudo-word reading accuracy and fluency. We utilized latent profile analysis and factor mixture modeling to investigate (1) the nature and distribution of reading skill profiles; (2) whether these profiles were associated with differences in reading comprehension growth across one academic year; and (3) the stability of reading profiles across an academic year. We selected a two-class solution (reading disabled and typically developing) based on model fit indices, theoretical considerations, pattern of results across profile-solutions and time-points, and parameterizations, making the approach stronger and more generalizable. These classes demonstrated clear, consistent differences in performance across reading component skills, with the RD class scoring consistently below the TD class across code-based and meaning-based domains of reading. Across the year, the TD class demonstrated significantly higher patterns of growth in reading comprehension (χ2 (1) = 206.21, p < 0.001). Class membership was largely stable (97% of participants maintain class membership). These results suggest that ELs with risk for dyslexia demonstrate multiple component skill deficits that may require long-term, comprehensive, intensive interventions to remediate.

Characterization and optimization of ZnS thin film properties synthesis via chemical bath deposition method for solar cell buffer layer

Zinc Sulphide is one of most studied semiconductor with wide band gap (3.5–3.9 eV) versatile material due to its physical and chemical properties. ZnS is a non-toxic material and a suitable candidate to be a buffer layer for heterojunction solar cells. In this study, Zinc Sulphide (ZnS) thin films were deposited by chemical bath deposition technique using Zinc Acetate Dihydrate [Zn (CH3COO)2. 2H2O] and Thiourea [CH4N2S]. The ZnS thin films samples were characterized by UV-Vis NIR Spectroscopy, X-ray diffraction (XRD), Scanning Electron Microscopy (SEM), Energy Dispersive Spectroscopy (EDX), Fourier-Transform Infrared Spectroscopy (FTIR) and Thin-Film Measurement Instrument. FTIR spectra confirmed the presence of ZnS bond in the crystalline thin film. XRD data confirmed the cubic structure of the deposited thin film only when the amount of Thiourea was increased and the complexing agent Hydrazine Hydrate was replaced with Tri-Sodium Citrate. Crystallite size and strain were estimated using Debye-Scherrer model and Williamson-Hall model and lattice constant was estimated using Nelson-Riley plot. Otherwise, XRD showed the amorphous phase. UV-Vis data confirmed ZnS thin films as enough transmittive and it showed higher bandgap. Thin-Film Measurement Instrument was used to measure the thickness of the ZnS thin films. Synthesized ZnS thin films exhibited promising characteristics for using as the buffer layer of the heterojunction solar cells. Highlights • ZnS thin films were prepared successfully by simple, low cost and environment friendly chemical bath deposition method. • XRD measurement confirmed both Amorphous and Crystalline phase of ZnS thin films. • By changing the precursor only can be achieved crystalline phase from amorphous phase of ZnS thin film. • The amount of precursor and deposition conditions can be optimized to produce crystalline ZnS thin film.

Structure Altering Effects of a Multicomponent Reading Intervention: An Application of the Direct and Inferential Mediation (DIME) Model of Reading Comprehension in Upper Elementary Grades

We evaluate the direct and inferential mediation (DIME) model for reading comprehension with a sample of struggling readers in Grades 3 to 5 (N = 364) in the context of a large-scale randomized controlled trial (RCT) investigating two theoretically distinct reading interventions (text processing + foundational skills [n = 117] or text processing only [n = 120]) and a control condition (n = 127). We investigate whether the intervention affects not just reading comprehension levels, but also how variables within the reading system interrelate. This approach allows the focus to shift from intervention as influencing a change in reading comprehension status to a complex set of processes. We fit structural equation models (SEMs) to evaluate the DIME model at baseline and a change model that included reading comprehension and word reading at posttest. There were no significant mean differences between groups in reading comprehension. However, significant differences emerged on the direct and indirect effects of background knowledge, vocabulary, word reading, strategies, and inferencing on comprehension across grade levels and treatment conditions. Related to treatment groups, background knowledge, vocabulary, and inferencing were significantly related to comprehension at posttest for students who received text processing and/or foundational skills interventions. The results have implications for the direct instruction of higher-order reading skills in the context of multicomponent interventions.

A Novel Automated Hematopathologist-Styled Commenter for Complete Blood Count and Smear Review

Introduction/Objective

Prevention of errors and increasing productivity are essential for managing the workflow in hematopathology labs, particularly under stress and fatigue conditions. The proposed automated commenter system is designed to directly address these critical issues. Care was also taken to ensure ease of use and minimum training time.

Methods/Case Report

Using 20 quantitative and qualitative parameters in 3 groups (RBCs, WBCs and platelets), our novel automated commenter is able to generate a hematopathologist’s report/interpretation for CBC and smear review. Built-in reference ranges can be adjusted to accommodate variability in cutoffs. There are alarms for entry of seemingly odd values, differential counts not adding up to 100% or suspected cold agglutination, lipemia and hemolysis in the specimen. Our automated commenter was developed and tested against more than 1,000 hematopathology reports. These reports included clinicopathologic correlations for different type hematopathology neoplasms and benign disorders. At least 100 reports were selected for each disease category covering all subclasses and grades. Ample user acceptance testing was conducted using feedback surveys from hematopathologists, hemato-oncologists and clinicians.

Results (if a Case Study enter NA)

Generated comments are narrative, concise, comprehensive and accurate. The abnormal findings are arranged by their grade and significance. For example, the following comment was generated using the system: “CBC and smear review reveals mild macrocytic pancytopenia with anisocytosis, increased peripheral circulating blasts above the cutoff of Acute Leukemia and critically severe neutropenia (Hgb 11.0 g/dL, MCV 103.5 fL, RDW 14.9%, WBC 3.2 K/µL, blasts 29%, promyelocytes 2%, myelocytes 5%, metamyelocytes 1%, nRBCs 5/100 WBCs, ANC 0.3 K/µL & Plt 125 K/µL) with mild dysgranulopoiesis and dacrocytosis (teardrops).”

Conclusion

Absence of clerical and scientific errors, reportedly positive user experience and saving 50-80% of pathologists’ working time are all advantages that indicate feasibility of large-scale adoption of our system by hematopathology labs. Workflow fitness, standardization, minimizing the manual variations and using the system as a professional training tool also strongly support this conjecture. The system could be used to fully automate clinicopathologic correlation with phenotypic and genetic tests and to develop an automated test selector (Triage Advisor).

A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis of Interventions for Orphans and Vulnerable Children Affected by HIV/AIDS Worldwide

BACKGROUND

Worldwide, there are more than 13.3 million orphans and vulnerable children affected by Human immunodeficiency virus infection and acquired immune deficiency syndrome (HIV/AIDS) (HIV OVC), defined as individuals below the age of 18 who have lost one or both parents to HIV/AIDS or have been made vulnerable by HIV/AIDS; they are at risk for negative psychosocial and cognitive outcomes.

PURPOSE

This meta-analysis aimed to examine the scientific literature on available interventions for HIV OVC, with a focus on community-based interventions (CBI).

METHODS

Systematic electronic searches were conducted from four databases between October 2016 and April 2017 to identify articles investigating the effectiveness of interventions for HIV OVC. Effect sizes were calculated for each article which provided enough information and data points for analyses.

RESULTS

Seventy-four articles were reviewed, including psychosocial interventions (d = 0.30), cognitive interventions (d = 0.14), social protection interventions (d = 0.36), and community-based interventions (CBI; d = 0.36). Study-specific effect sizes varied widely, ranging from -1.09 to 2.26, that is, from a negative effect to an impressively large positive one, but the majority of studies registered small to medium effects (the overall effect size for all studies was 0.32, SE = 0.03, 95% CI: 0.26-0.37). Social protection interventions had the highest positive outcomes whereas CBI tended to have the fewest significant positive outcomes, with some outcomes worsening instead of improving.

CONCLUSIONS

Overall, interventions provided to OVC have potential for improving cognitive, psychosocial, and risk-behavior outcomes. Social protection interventions and CBI had the highest effect sizes, but CBI had positive effects on fewer outcomes and demonstrated some negative effects. CBI warrant scrutiny for improvement, as they represent an important form of culturally embedded services with potentially long-term benefits to OVC, yet appear to be differentially effective. Successful components of other types of intervention were identified, including cash grants, mentorship, and family therapy. In addition, more research is needed that attends to which interventions may be more effective for specific populations, or that studies cost-effectiveness.

The Not-So-Simple View of Writing in Struggling Readers/Writers

Research suggests that executive function, motivation, transcription, and composition processes are implicated in the writing quality and productivity of children with and without learning difficulties. However, numerous components embedded within these constructs create both conceptual and empirical challenges to the study of written expression. These challenges are reflected in the writing research by way of poor delineation of constructs and insufficient distinction among domain general resources (e.g. working memory) versus processes related to the academic domain of writing (e.g. pre-planning), as well as among lower- (e.g. handwriting) and higher-order (e.g. editing) writing-specific processes. The current study utilizes the Not-so-Simple View of Writing (NSVW) as an organizing framework for examining the relations among multiple components, correlates, and attributes of writing in a sample of struggling readers/writers (n = 402) in grades 3-5. Data were collected on measures of (a) handwriting, spelling, planning, revision, and editing, derived from the Test of Oral Written Language (TOWL-4), (b) executive function derived from the NIH Examiner, and (c) motivation/self-efficacy derived from the Student Contextual Learning Scale. Structural equation modeling was utilized to test direct and indirect relations in the NSVW model. Results showed generally moderate correlations among observed/latent variables and found support for relations among writing-specific processes. Domain-general resources (executive function and motivation/self-efficacy) were related to spelling directly and indirectly to writing. Domain-specific processes (handwriting, spelling, planning, editing, and revision) were related to writing. The results have implications for explicit instruction of writing processes and for future research on empirical models.

Suppression of root-knot nematode Meloidogyne incognita on tomato plants using the nematode trapping fungus Arthrobotrys oligospora Fresenius

AIM

The aims of the study were to isolate and characterize the nematode trapping fungus, Arthrobotrys oligospora, to investigate the suppressive and predacious activities of the fungus against Meloidogyne incognita and to study the potentiality of A. oligospora in controlling root-knot caused by M. incognita on tomato plants.

METHODS AND RESULTS

Arthrobotrys oligospora (MRDS 300) was isolated from sandy soil samples collected from Al-Beheira, Egypt. In vitro experiments revealed a high efficiency of the fungus in capturing and suppressing M. incognita second juveniles (J₂ ). Microscopic observations showed that the fungus develops adhesive traps consisting of loops of hyphae. Moreover, an in vitro experiment showed that the culture filtrate of A. oligospora had a high toxic effect on the nematode. Pot experiments carried out in two seasons (2018-2019) showed that A. oligospora significantly suppressed root knot on tomato plants caused by M. incognita. The number of females, galls and nematodes in different developing stages were reduced significantly. The treatment with A. oligospora had a prominent effect on enhancing plant growth.

CONCLUSION

Arthrobotrys oligospora had significant suppressive and predacious effects against root-knot nematode, M. incognita. The fungus developed different forms of trapping devices in addition to secreting toxic metabolites to M. incognita. The fungus had a plant-growth promoting effect.

SIGNIFICANCE AND IMPACT OF THE STUDY

Arthrobotrys oligospora (MRDS 300) is a potential biological control agent that can be utilized in controlling the root-knot diseases caused by M. incognita.

Cognitive and Educational Interventions for Orphans and Vulnerable Children Affected by HIV/AIDS: A Meta-Analysis

Orphans and vulnerable children affected by HIV/AIDS (HIV OVC) are at risk for cognitive difficulties and lack of access to education. Interventions addressing cognitive or educational outcomes for HIV OVC worldwide were examined through systematic searches conducted from October 2016 to 2019. We examined the summative effectiveness of interventions and the specific effects of participant age and intervention length. Interventions targeting cognitive outcomes had a small, significant effect, with no effect of moderating variables. Interventions targeting educational outcomes had significant effects. Educational interventions over 1 year were effective, but effects of intervention length were not significant. Overall, this review provides support for the effectiveness of interventions targeting cognitive and educational outcomes for OVC and highlights the need for more research on such interventions.

A framework for executive function in the late elementary years

OBJECTIVE

Executive function (EF) is a commonly used but difficult to operationalize construct. In this study, we considered EF and related components as they are commonly presented in the neuropsychological literature, as well as the literatures of developmental, educational, and cognitive psychology. These components have not previously been examined simultaneously, particularly with this level of comprehensiveness, and/or at this age range or with this sample size. We expected that the EF components would be separate but related, and that a bifactor model would best represent the data relative to alternative models.

METHOD

We assessed EF with 27 measures in a large sample (N = 846) of late elementary school-age children, many of whom were struggling in reading, and who were demographically diverse. We tested structural models of EF, from unitary models to methodological models, utilizing model-comparison factor analytic techniques. We examined both a common factor as well as a bifactor structure.

RESULTS

Initial models showed strong overlap among several latent EF variables. The final model was a bifactor model with a common EF, and five specific EF factors (working memory-span/manipulation and planning; working memory-updating; generative fluency, self-regulated learning; metacognition).

CONCLUSIONS

Results speak to the commonality and potential separability of EF. These results are discussed in light of prevailing models of EF and how EF might be used for structure/description, prediction, and for identifying its mechanism for relevant outcomes. (PsycINFO Database Record

Executive Function: Association with Multiple Reading Skills

Executive function (EF) is related to reading. However, there is a lack of clarity around (a) the relative contribution of different components of EF to different reading components (word reading, fluency, comprehension), and (b) how EF operates in the context of known strong language predictors (e.g., components of the Simple View of Reading or SVR), and other skills theoretically related to reading (e.g., vocabulary, processing speed) and/or to EF (e.g., short-term memory, motor function). In a large sample of 3rd to 5th graders oversampled for struggling readers, this paper evaluates the impact of EF derived from a bifactor model (Cirino, Ahmed, Miciak, Taylor, Gerst, & Barnes, 2018) in the context of well-known covariates and demographics. Beyond common EF, five specific factors (two related to working memory, and factors of fluency, self-regulated learning, and behavioral inattention/metacognition) were addressed. EF consistently showed a unique contribution to already-strong predictive models for all reading outcomes; for reading comprehension, EF interacted with SVR indices (word reading and listening comprehension). The findings extend and refine our understanding of the contribution of EF to reading skill.

The ESC ACCA EAPCI EORP acute coronary syndrome ST-elevation myocardial infarction registry

Aims 

The Acute Cardiac Care Association (ACCA)–European Association of Percutaneous Coronary Intervention (EAPCI) Registry on ST-elevation myocardial infarction (STEMI) of the EurObservational programme (EORP) of the European Society of Cardiology (ESC) registry aimed to determine the current state of the use of reperfusion therapy in ESC member and ESC affiliated countries and the adherence to ESC STEMI guidelines in patients with STEMI.

Methods and results 

Between 1 January 2015 and 31 March 2018, a total of 11 462 patients admitted with an initial diagnosis of STEMI according to the 2012 ESC STEMI guidelines were enrolled. Individual patient data were collected across 196 centres and 29 countries. Among the centres, there were 136 percutaneous coronary intervention centres and 91 with cardiac surgery on-site. The majority of centres (129/196) were part of a STEMI network. The main objective of this study was to describe the demographic, clinical, and angiographic characteristics of patients with STEMI. Other objectives include to assess management patterns and in particular the current use of reperfusion therapies and to evaluate how recommendations of most recent STEMI European guidelines regarding reperfusion therapies and adjunctive pharmacological and non-pharmacological treatments are adopted in clinical practice and how their application can impact on patients’ outcomes. Patients will be followed for 1 year after admission.

Conclusion 

The ESC ACCA-EAPCI EORP ACS STEMI registry is an international registry of care and outcomes of patients hospitalized with STEMI. It will provide insights into the contemporary patient profile, management patterns, and 1-year outcome of patients with STEMI.

In vitro Characterization of Microspheres Containing Chemically Cross- Linked Gummy Exudates of Cochlospermum religiosum

Background:

The polymeric hydrocolloids of natural origin such as gums and mucilages have their own significance in food and pharmaceutical industries due to safety, cost, biodegradability, biocompatibility, etc.

Objective:

This study includes the assessment of feasibility of gummy exudates of Cochlospermum religiosum for development of microspheres through emulsification technique.

Methods:

The effects of exudates concentration, glutaraldehyde amount and process temperature were analyzed on particle-size and swelling dynamics of developed microspheres. The formulations were also characterized by thermal decomposition and powder X-ray diffraction technique to assess the effect of crosslinking.

Results:

The photomicrographs of preparations revealed the formation of microspheres with smooth, spherical and free-flowing nature. The swelling dynamics followed Fick’s diffusion mechanism for swelling media. Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy showed the formation of ether-linkage after crosslinking of exudates by glutaraldehyde. The thermogravimetric curves disclosed the formation of strong bonds during crosslinking.

Conclusion:

The ease of gummy exudates of Cochlospermum religiosum for microspheres formation ascribed the potential of these formulations to incorporate therapeutic agent(s) to be applied as novel drug-carriers.

Anaemia and thrombocytopenia among pregnant women attending Aminu Kano Teaching Hospital, Kano State, North Western Nigeria

BACKGROUND

Pregnancy induces a number of physiologic changes either directly or indirectly that affect the haematologic parameters. The most frequent haematologic complication associated with pregnancy is anaemia and thrombocytopenia.

OBJECTIVES

The aim of this case-control study was to investigate the prevalence of anaemia and thrombocytopenia among one hundred and twenty consecutively-recruited pregnant subjects and sixty age-matched non-pregnant controls.

METHOD

Socio-demographic and clinical data were obtained using a questionnaire. Three milliliters of blood were obtained from both the pregnant subjects and non-pregnant controls and distributed into EDTA and used for full blood count was determined using the fully automated Mythic 18 3-part differential haematology analyzer.

RESULT

The socio-demographic distribution among the subjects showed that the age group 25-29 years had the higher number of participants 41 (34.2%) followed by 30-34 years 39 (32.5%). Distribution based on socio-demography indicated that majority of the subjects were of Hausa ethnic group 47 (78.3), had no formal or Islamic education 53 (44.2%) and predominantly housewives 74 (61.7%). Distribution based on obstetric variables indicated that majority of the subjects were multiparous 86 (71.7%), had no problem in their previous pregnancies 99 (82.5%) and are not having problem in this current pregnancy 109 (90.8%). The HBG and HCT were significantly lower among the pregnant subjects compared to controls (p= 0.05 and 0.0308) respectively. The prevalence of anaemia and thrombocytopenia among the pregnant subjects was 75% and 6.7% respectively. The prevalence of anaemia (80%) and thrombocytopenia (8.0%) was higher among pregnant women in the second trimester compared to those in the first and third trimesters.

CONCLUSION

The values obtained from this research showed an increase in prevalence of anaemia and thrombocytopenia among pregnant women compared to the non-pregnant controls. It is vital to routinely monitor the indices of anaemia and thrombocytopenia among pregnant women to reduce the incidence of these diseases and of their complications.

Executive Functions and Response to Intervention: Identification of Students Struggling with Reading Comprehension

Inadequate responders demonstrate significant risk for learning disabilities. Previous investigations of the cognitive profiles of inadequate and adequate responders have not included measures of executive functions (EF), which have well-documented associations to reading comprehension. We evaluated EF performance on a common factor comprised of shared variance across tasks as well as five separable EF factors in the context of an intensive reading intervention for struggling fourth graders. To determine if EF performance at pretest is associated with subsequent responder status, we compared EF performance of three subgroups of students: inadequate and adequate responders and typical students not at-risk for reading disabilities. Results of discriminant function analyses and linear regression models comparing groups were largely null; EF performance at pretest demonstrated only small associations with responder status. These results suggest that the assessment of EF may have limited value in predicting which individual students will respond to intensive reading interventions.

Parent-Adolescent Concordance in Borderline Pathology and why it Matters

The aims of the current study were to: 1) identify patterns of agreement between parent-adolescent dyads on reports of adolescent borderline personality features utilizing latent class analysis (LCA) and 2) examine the clinical implications of class membership for indices of psychiatric severity and internal psychological resources. The sample included 643 adolescent inpatients. Borderline personality features were assessed by both adolescents and parents using the Borderline Personality Features Scale - Child (BPFS-C; Crick et al. 2005) and Borderline Personality Features Scale - Parent (BPFS-P; Sharp et al. 2010), respectively. Following recommended statistical approaches for evaluating rater concordance, LCA was utilized to identify distinct classes of parent-adolescent dyads based on concordance/discrepancy in BPFS reports. The subsequent classes were then related to outcome measures of psychiatric severity and internal psychological resources (emotion regulation and experiential acceptance). LCA identified 3 classes of parent-adolescent dyads: 2 convergent classes demonstrating BPFS-P and BPFS-C agreement at a moderate and high level and a divergent class consisting of dyads reporting clinically significant scores on the BPFS-P but clinically negligible BPFS-C scores. Both convergent classes evidenced higher rates of psychiatric severity and lower access to internal resources. The current study is the first to use LCA to examine the relation between informant concordance on reports of DSM-based adolescent borderline pathology in a clinical sample. The significance of the discrepancies within and between classes is discussed with relation to psychosocial outcomes, the diagnosis of borderline personality disorder and implications for what it means when parents and adolescents disagree.

Detection of Platelet Desensitization in Pregnancy-Induced Hypertension Is Dependent on the Agonist Used

The aggregation of platelets from women with pregnancy-induced hypertension (P.I.H.), or with normal pregnancies, in response to arachidonic acid, ADP, collagen or platelet activating factor (PAF) was examined. No differences in platelet aggregation between the normotensive and hypertensive women were detected when arachidonic acid or collagen were used to stimulate in vitro platelet aggregation. Higher concentrations of ADP and PAF were required to aggregate platelets from women with P.I.H. compared with platelets from normotensive controls. Platelets from women with normotensive pregnancies (n = 80) aggregated maximally in response to 20 nM PAF without exception. Reversible aggregation by platelets from women with P.I.H. (n = 25) was observed at the same concentration of PAF; again, this was found in all subjects tested. These results indicate that PAF at a concentration of 20 nM can clearly demonstrate differences in aggregation of platelets from women with normotensive pregnancy and women with P.I.H.

Trypanosoma equiperdum in the horse – a neglected threat?

Dourine is a contagious disease caused by Trypanosoma equiperdum that is transmitted directly from animal to animal during coitus. Dourine is known as an important disease in many countries, and it threatens equidae worldwide. It is reported to be widespread in South America, Eastern Europe, Russia, Mongolia, Namibia and Ethiopia. The disease can be carried to various parts of the world through the transportation of infected animals and semen. Since knowledge of the prepatent infectiousness of a recently infected animal is lacking, introduction of the disease is in principle an ever-present threat. Definitive diagnosis depends on the identification of the parasite by means of direct microscopy. This is rarely possible in practice and therefore, diagnosis in the field is based on the observation of typical clinical signs, together with serological tests. This paper is an endeavour to review briefly and compile information on the appearance and importance of Dourine in terms of its epidemiological and clinical features, as well as on its diagnosis, treatment and prognosis.

Reversal of stress fibre formation by Nitric Oxide mediated RhoA inhibition leads to reduction in the height of preformed thrombi

Evidence has emerged to suggest that thrombi are dynamic structures with distinct areas of differing platelet activation and inhibition. We hypothesised that Nitric oxide (NO), a platelet inhibitor, can modulate the actin cytoskeleton reversing platelet spreading, and therefore reduce the capability of thrombi to withstand a high shear environment. Our data demonstrates that GSNO, DEANONOate, and a PKG-activating cGMP analogue reversed stress fibre formation and increased actin nodule formation in adherent platelets. This effect is sGC dependent and independent of ADP and thromboxanes. Stress fibre formation is a RhoA dependent process and NO induced RhoA inhibition, however, it did not phosphorylate RhoA at ser188 in spread platelets. Interestingly NO and PGI₂ synergise to reverse stress fibre formation at physiologically relevant concentrations. Analysis of high shear conditions indicated that platelets activated on fibrinogen, induced stress fibre formation, which was reversed by GSNO treatment. Furthermore, preformed thrombi on collagen post perfused with GSNO had a 30% reduction in thrombus height in comparison to the control. This study demonstrates that NO can reverse key platelet functions after their initial activation and identifies a novel mechanism for controlling excessive thrombosis.

The Effects of One versus Two Years of Intensive Reading Intervention Implemented with Late Elementary Struggling Readers

We examined the effectiveness of a researcher-provided reading intervention with 484 fourth graders with significant reading difficulties. Students were randomly assigned to one year of intervention, two years of intervention, or a business-as-usual comparison condition (BAU). Students assigned to two years of intervention demonstrated significantly greater gains in reading fluency compared to students who received one year of intervention and the BAU group. Students in both the one- and two-year groups demonstrated similar and significantly larger gains in word reading in comparison to the BAU group. There were no statistically significant differences between the three groups on standardized measures of reading comprehension. We discuss these results in the context of research with late elementary and secondary students targeting reading comprehension.

Parent-adolescent concordance on the Revised Diagnostic Interview for Borderlines (DIB-R) and the Childhood Interview for Borderline Personality Disorder (CI-BPD)

While the degree of concordance between parent and adolescent self-report of internalizing and externalizing pathology is well studied, virtually nothing is known about concordance in borderline pathology and the implication of parent-adolescent discrepancies for outcomes. The present study aimed to (1) examine discrepancies between parents and adolescents on two interview-based measures of borderline personality disorder (BPD)-the Revised Diagnostic Interview for Borderlines (DIB-R²² ) and the Childhood Interview for Borderline Personality Disorder (CI-BPD²³ ); and (2) investigate the implications of discrepancies for clinical outcomes. Diagnostic concordance on the DIB-R and CI-BPD showed rates of 82% and 94% respectively, with lower concordance demonstrated for dimensionally scored variables. Standardized difference scores between adolescent and parent reports on both borderline measures were significantly correlated with few interview-based axis I diagnoses as reported by parents, but not adolescents themselves. Implications regarding the use of each measure for the assessment and diagnosis of borderline personality disorder are discussed. Copyright © 2017 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.

The Relation of Knowledge-Text Integration Processes and Reading Comprehension in 7th- to 12th-Grade Students

The integration of knowledge during reading was tested in 1,109 secondary school students. Reading times for the second sentence in a pair (Jane's headache went away) were compared in conditions where the first sentence was either causally or temporally related to the first sentence (Jane took an aspirin vs. Jane looked for an aspirin). Mixed-effects explanatory item response models revealed that at higher comprehension levels, sentences were read more quickly in the causal condition. There were no condition-related reading time differences at lower comprehension levels. This interaction held with comprehension- and inference-related factors (working memory, word and world knowledge, and word reading efficiency) in the models. Less skilled comprehenders have difficulty in knowledge-text integration processes that facilitate sentence processing during reading.

Histo-pathological Features of Genital Tract Malignancies as Seen in a Tertiary Health Center in North-Western Nigeria: A 10-year Review

Background:

The pattern of gynecological malignancies varies among nations and even within health institution in the same country. Understanding the histo-pathological pattern of these malignancies will help in the management of the patient.

Aim:

The aim of the following study is to establish the frequency, histo-pathological features, and distribution of genital tract malignancies as seen in a tertiary health institution in North - western Nigeria.

Materials and Methods:

A retrospective analysis of data from ward admissions and discharge records, surgical biopsy materials from the theater and the histopathology laboratory results of slides. The study was carried out at the Usmanu Dan-Fodiyo University Teaching Hospital Sokoto, Nigeria. Data were entered into a study proforma and analysis was through SPSS version 15 (Chicago IL) for windows. The results were expressed in simple percentages, tables and charts.

Results:

During the study period (2000-2009), there were 404 cases of gynecological malignancies recorded in the hospital. Cervical cancer was the most common gynecological malignancy 274/404 (69%), followed by choriocarcinoma 52/404 (13.1%), ovarian cancer 46/404 (11.4%) while the least common was vaginal cancer 1/404 (0.3%). The mean age of the cancers was 54 years (28.3). The mean age of incidence of all ovarian cancers was 52.5 years (SD ± 16.2). Epithelial ovarian tumors had a mean age incidence of 67 (12) years, while that of ovarian germ cell tumors was 18.5 (8) years. The incidence of cervical cancer showed a rising trend. Moderately differentiated squamous cell carcinoma was the most common histological variant of cervical carcinoma 170/252 (67.5%). Among the ovarian tumors, epithelial cancers were the most common 38/46 (82.6%), and were followed by the germ cell tumors 5/46 (10.9%). Dysgerminoma was the predominant ovarian germ cell tumour 4/5 (80%). There were 50 deaths from these cancers in our hospital.

Conclusion:

Cervical cancer is the most common gynecological malignancy in our centerand it was followed by Choriocarcinoma. Efforts to reduce the cancer burden should focus on heath education of the masses, national organized screening especially for cervical cancer and establishing regional centers for monitoring and evaluation of these programs.

First Report of Verticillium Wilt of Mango (Mangifera indica) Caused by Verticillium dahliae in Italy

Mango (Mangifera indica L.) is an important fruit crop in many tropical and subtropical countries. This crop has been recently introduced in Italy, mainly in Sicily (southern Italy), where it proves to be a good commodity for the national market. However, the future of mango cultivation in Sicily is threatened by diverse biotic and abiotic factors, which may limit production and fruit quality. For this reason, an investigation into soilborne diseases of mango was carried out in summer 2009 and spring 2010 (1). During May 2009, typical symptoms of Verticillium wilt were observed in four young mango orchards, cv. Kensington Pride, in Catania Province. The symptoms observed included gradual leaf yellowing, marginal browning, slow growth, and dieback on one side of the shoots. The dead leaves remained attached to infected branches and no defoliation was observed. Cross sections of affected branches showed brown vascular discoloration. The incidence of infected trees was about 25% of 96 examined trees. Small pieces of brownish, vascular wood tissues were surface disinfested and placed onto potato dextrose agar (PDA). After 5 days of incubation at 25°C in the dark, the isolates were purified using the single-spore isolation method. Pathogen identification was initially based on morphological characteristics, and then confirmed by molecular methods. The colonies produced from all the tested isolates showed irregular shape, black microsclerotia, and hyaline, elliptical, single-celled conidia developed on verticillate conidiophores (2). For molecular identification, two specific primer pairs (Ver2-Ver3 and Vd7b-Vd10) of the intergenic spacer region (IGS) were used (3). A fragment of 339 bp was obtained by Ver2-Ver3 primer pair, which is a genus-specific primer, while a fragment of 139 bp was amplified by Vd7b-Vd10 primer pair specific for V. dahliae. To fulfil Koch's postulates, 10-month-old mango plants cv. Kensington Pride were inoculated by dipping the roots in Verticillium conidial suspension for 10 min. Conidial suspension was approximately 4 × 10⁶ conidia/ml, prepared from Verticillium isolates Vd-1 and Vd-2 (10 plants for each isolate). Plants dipped in sterile water were used as controls. All plants were kept in a greenhouse at 25°C and 90 to 95% relative humidity. After 10 months, all inoculated plants showed symptoms identical to those observed in mango plants in the field; plants inoculated with water did not show symptoms. V. dahliae was consistently isolated from symptomatic plants but not from plants inoculated with water. To our knowledge, this is the first report of Verticillium wilt caused by V. dahliae on mango in Italy. Verticillium wilt is known to be a serious threat for the mango industry worldwide. The disease, still localized in Catania Province, may soon affects all Sicilian mango-growing provinces with serious economic consequences. References: (1) Y. M. Ahmed et al. J. Plant Pathol. 92:S4.71, 2010. (2) D. L. Hawksworth and P. W. Talboys. CMI Descriptions of Pathogenic Fungi and Bacteria, No. 256. CAB International, Wallingford, UK, 1970. (3) L. Schena et al. Phytopathol. Mediterr. 43:273, 2004.

Developmental Relations between Reading and Writing at the Word, Sentence and Text Levels: A Latent Change Score Analysis

Relations between reading and writing have been studied extensively but the less is known about the developmental nature of their interrelations. This study applied latent change score modeling to investigate longitudinal relations between reading and writing skills at the word, sentence and text levels. Latent change score models were used to compare unidirectional pathways (reading-to-writing and writing-to-reading) and bidirectional pathways in a test of nested models. Participants included 316 boys and girls who were assessed annually in grades 1 through 4. Measures of reading included pseudo-word decoding, sentence reading efficiency, oral reading fluency and passage comprehension. Measures of writing included spelling, a sentence combining task and writing prompts. Findings suggest that a reading-to-writing model better described the data for the word and text levels of language, but a bidirectional model best fit the data at the sentence level.

First Report of Citrus Root Rot Caused by Phytophthora palmivora in Egypt

During spring-summer 2009, a survey was conducted to determine the species of Phytophthora present in citrus nurseries in Egypt. A total of 300 samples of soil and fibrous roots were collected from the rhizosphere of symptomatic Volkameriana lemon (Citrus volkameriana Tan. & Pasq.) plants growing in Delta (Benha-Qalyubia) and a desert (Cairo/Alexandria desert road) citrus nurseries. Plants showed various symptoms. Canopies of affected plants showed few and yellowish leaves, a general stunted growth, no new vegetation, and sometimes sudden desiccation; the root system showed few dark brown feeder roots, no new yellow-white apexes, and a fibrous appearance of the rootlets due to disintegration of the cortical bark but not of the xylem. Collected rootlets and soil were plated in Petri dishes containing a selective medium for the oomycete Phytophthora (2) and incubated for 3 to 6 days at 19 ± 1°C as described by Ippolito et al. (1). Pure cultures were obtained by single-hypha transfers and the isolates were identified as Phytophthora palmivora (Butler) Butler on the basis of morphological and cultural characteristics (3). Isolates formed stoloniferous colonies on potato dextrose agar (PDA) and grew between 10 and 30°C, with the optimum at 25°C. On V8 juice agar, they showed a highly fluffy pattern and produced terminal and intercalary globose chlamydospores. Sporangia were papillate, elliptical (45 to 51 × 29 to 35 μm; length/breadth ratio of 1.3:1.8), and were caducous with short pedicel. All isolates were A2 mating type, forming spherical oogonia and amphigynous antheridia in dual cultures with reference P. palmivora isolate of A1 mating type. Identification of the isolates was further confirmed by amplification and sequencing of the internal transcribed spacer (ITS) region using the universal primers ITS4 and ITS6. BLASTn analysis of ITS sequences (GenBank Accession No. HE583183) showed 99% homology with P. palmivora isolates available in GenBank. Pathogenicity tests for P. palmivora were conducted by inoculating three groups of ten 6-month-old Volkameriana lemon plants, transplanted into 1.4 liter pots with growing medium artificially inoculated at the rate of 1% (v/v) of P. palmivora inoculum produced according to Yaseen (4). Ten uninoculated plants served as a control. Two months after the inoculation, plants were analyzed for canopy symptoms and the presence of pathogen in feeder roots. More than 50% of inoculated plants showed foliage symptoms and extensive decay of feeder roots. Colonies of Phytophthora were recovered from necrotic rootlets and identified as P. palmivora, fulfilling Koch's postulates. To the best of our knowledge, this is the first report of P. palmivora as a pathogen to citrus plants in the Egyptian nurseries. P. palmivora should be considered a potential threat to the Egyptian citrus industry since it may negatively influence the nurseries and orchards production in the future. References: (1) A. Ippolito, V. De Cicco, and M. Salerno. Rivista di Patologia Vegetale 2:57, 1992. (2) H. Masago, M. Yoshikawa, M. Fukada, and N. Nakanishi. Phytopathology 67:425, 1977. (3) D. J. Stamps. Revised tabular key to the species of Phytophthora. CAB International Mycological Institute, Kew, Surrey, 1990. (4) T. Yaseen. Molecular diagnosis and biological control of Phytophthora-citrus root rot. PhD thesis. University of Bari, Italy, 2004.