Production of a monoclonal antibody for evaluation of hard red winter wheat cultivars to wheat streak mosaic virus

The monoclonal antibody technology has provided a means to produce a supply of highly specific uniform antibody which is useful in the detection of plant viruses and which facilitates disease resistance screening. Because of the specificity of a monoclonal antibody to an epitope, a monoclonal antibody may not react to a partially degraded protein. Wheat streak mosaic virus (WSMV) is a member of the potyvirus group and is transmitted by the wheat curl mite Eriophyes tulipae Keifer. The capsid protein of WSMV, like many potyviruses, is degraded in planta. Monoclonal antibodies produced to WSMV reacted to native as well as trypsin treated virions. The antibodies were also useful for evaluation of hard red winter wheat cultivars inoculated with WSMV in the fall or in the spring under field conditions.     

Laboratory evaluation of differential white blood cell count information from the Coulter S-plus IV and Technicon H-1 in patient populations requiring rapid "turnaround" time

Automated differential counts produced by the Coulter S-Plus IV (S + 4) and the Technicon H-1 (H-1) were compared with routine and reference manual differentials with the use of samples from the adult emergency room (ER) and the neonatal intensive care unit (NICU), populations in which rapid reporting of laboratory results is considered important. Error rates for routine technologists were 9.3% in the ER and 15.3% in the NICU. Error rates for the two instruments were higher than those for technologists with samples from the ER but could be reduced to 4-5% if instrument flags and additional criteria were used to signal the need for a conventional differential. Instrument error rates were higher yet with NICU samples, and specificity was very low (10% for each device). There were small differences between the instruments in detection of immature neutrophils, but flags from the H-1 were more specific (except for detection of nucleated red blood cells in samples from the ER). If either instrument were used in an adult ER and flags and additional criteria were used to signal the need for conventional differentials, 64-75% fewer manual counts would be performed with no decrease in accuracy and a considerable improvement in turnaround time.     

Correction to: Middle School Effects of the Dating Matters® Comprehensive Teen Dating Violence Prevention Model on Physical Violence,Bullying, and Cyberbullying: A Cluster-Randomized Controlled Trial

Prevention Science - The article “Middle School Effects of the Dating Matters® Comprehensive Teen Dating Violence Prevention Model on Physical Violence, Bullying, and Cyberbullying: a...     

Success Rates of Debridement,Antibiotics, and Implant Retention in 230 Infected Total Knee Arthroplasties: Implications for Classification of Periprosthetic Joint Infection

BackgroundProsthetic joint infection (PJI) is the most common cause of failure following total knee arthroplasty (TKA). This study aimed to determine the success of debridement, antibiotics, and implant retention (DAIR) in a large cohort of TKA PJIs and assess the utility of current classification systems in predicting DAIR outcomes in early postoperative, late hematogenous, and chronic PJIs.MethodsIn a multicenter review over 15 years, 230 patients underwent DAIR for first episode PJI following primary TKA. Patient demographics, disease and surgical factors, treatment regime, and outcomes were identified. Univariate and multivariate survival analyses were performed to identify factors associated with successful DAIR. Continuous variables with predictive value were further analyzed using receiver operating characteristic curves. The ability to predict DAIR outcomes of multiple classification systems was also assessed.ResultsPatients were followed for an average of 6.9 years. The overall success rate of DAIR was 53.9%. On receiver operating characteristic analysis, 3 months (area under the curve = 0.63) and 1-year age (area under the curve = 0.66) of implant cut-offs was similarly predictive of outcomes. On multivariate survival analysis, DAIR was successful in 64% of “early” PJIs (implant <1 year) vs 38% of “late hematogenous” PJIs (implant >1 year; odds ratio [OR] 1.78, P = .01). For late PJIs (implant >1 year), Staphylococcus aureus (OR 4.70, P < .001) and gram-negative infections (OR 2.56, P = .031) were risk factors for DAIR failure.ConclusionDAIR has a high failure rate in all PJIs occurring more than a year post primary TKA, particularly when caused by S aureus or gram-negative bacteria. The age of implant is an important predictor of DAIR outcomes.     

Smoking Alters Inflammation and Skeletal Stem and Progenitor Cell Activity During Fracture Healing in Different Murine Strains

Smokers are at a higher risk of delayed union or nonunion after fracture repair. Few specific interventions are available for prevention because the molecular mechanisms that result in these negative sequelae are poorly understood. Murine models that mimic fracture healing in smokers are crucial in further understanding the local cellular and molecular alterations during fracture healing caused by smoking. We exposed three murine strains, C57BL/6J, 129X1/SvJ, and BALB/cJ, to cigarette smoke for 3 months before the induction of a midshaft transverse femoral osteotomy. We evaluated fracture healing 4 weeks after the osteotomy using radiography, micro-computed tomography (μCT), and biomechanical testing. Radiographic analysis demonstrated a significant decrease in the fracture healing capacity of smoking 129X1/SvJ mice. μCT results showed delayed remodeling of fracture calluses in all three strains after cigarette smoke exposure. Biomechanical testing indicated the most significant impairment in the functional properties of 129X1/SvJ in comparison with C57BL/6J and BALB/cJ mice after cigarette smoke exposure. Thus, the 129X1/SvJ strain is most suitable in simulating smoking-induced impaired fracture healing. Furthermore, in smoking 129X1/SvJ murine models, we investigated the molecular and cellular alterations in fracture healing caused by cigarette smoking using histology, flow cytometry, and multiplex cytokine/chemokine analysis. Histological analysis showed impaired chondrogenesis in cigarette smoking. In addition, the important reparative cell populations, including skeletal stem cells and their downstream progenitors, demonstrated decreased expansion after injury as a result of cigarette smoking. Moreover, significantly increased pro-inflammatory mediators and the recruitment of immune cells in fracture hematomas were demonstrated in smoking mice. Collectively, our findings demonstrate the significant cellular and molecular alterations during fracture healing impaired by smoking, including disrupted chondrogenesis, aberrant skeletal stem and progenitor cell activity, and a pronounced initial inflammatory response. © 2020 American Society for Bone and Mineral Research (ASBMR).     

STAG2 as a prognostic biomarker in low-grade non-muscle invasive bladder cancer

ObjectiveImprovements to bladder cancer risk stratification guidelines are needed to better tailor post-operative surveillance and adjuvant therapy to individual patients. We previously identified STAG2 as a commonly mutated tumor suppressor gene in bladder cancer and an independent predictor of progression in NMIBC. Here we test the value of combining STAG2 immunostaining with other risk stratification biomarkers in NMIBC, and as an individual biomarker in MIBC.Materials and MethodsSTAG2 immunohistochemistry was performed on a progressor-enriched cohort of tumors from 297 patients with NMIBC, and on tumors from 406 patients with MIBC from Aarhus University Hospital in Denmark. Survival analysis was performed using Kaplan-Meier survival analysis, the log rank test, and Cox proportional hazards models.ResultsSTAG2-negative low-grade NMIBC tumors were 2.5 times less likely to progress to muscle invasion than STAG2-positive low-grade NMIBC tumors (Log-rank test, P = 0.008). In a composite group of patients with AUA intermediate and high-risk NMIBC tumors, STAG2-negative tumors were less likely to progress (Log-rank test, P = 0.02). In contrast to NMIBC, we show that STAG2 is not useful as a prognostic biomarker in MIBC.ConclusionsSTAG2 immunostaining can be used to subdivide low-grade NMIBC tumors into two groups with substantially different risks of disease progression. Furthermore, STAG2 immunostaining may be useful to enhance NMIBC risk stratification guidelines, though larger cohorts are needed to solidify this conclusion in individual risk groups. STAG2 is not useful as a biomarker in MIBC. Further study of the use of STAG2 immunostaining as a biomarker for predicting the clinical behavior in NMIBC is warranted.     

The Psychology of Kink: A Cross-Sectional Survey Study Investigating the Roles of Sensation Seeking and Coping Style in BDSM-Related Interests

Archives of Sexual Behavior - Despite the gaining popularity in mainstream media of the phenomenon that is BDSM, empirical research on the motives and underlying psychological mechanisms driving...     

Obesity and Excess Protein and Carbohydrate Consumption Are Risk Factors for Thyroid Cancer

Conflicting data concerning the association between obesity and differentiated thyroid cancer (DTC) may be attributed to the lack of records showing dietary intake and inadequate evaluation of nutrient composition. We evaluated 115 DTC patients carefully paired with 103 healthy control individuals by using a structured questionnaire, including a 24-h recordatory during 3 days, to investigate calorie intake and macronutrient (proteins, carbohydrates, and lipids) composition of the diet. We observed that excess weight (body mass index > 25 kg/m²) increased individual susceptibility to DTC [odds ratio (OR) = 3.787; 95% confidence interval (CI) = 1.115–6.814; P < 0.0001). This augmented risk was evident in women (OR = 1.925; 95% CI = 1.110–3.338; P = 0.0259) but not in men (P = 0.3498). Excess calorie intake was more frequent in patients with DTC than in controls (OR = 5.890; 95% CI = 3.124–11.103; P < 0.0001), and both excess protein (OR = 4.601; 95% CI = 1.634–12.954; P = 0.0039) and carbohydrate (OR = 4.905; 95% CI = 2.593–9.278; P < 0.0001) consumption were associated with an increased risk of DTC, contrarily to lipid/fiber intake and physical activity (P = 0.894 and 0.5932, respectively). In conclusion, our data indicate that overweight and risk of DTC are associated with higher protein and carbohydrate consumption than the rates recommended by the World Health Organization. The nutritional orientation should be part of preventive strategy targets designed to combat the increasing incidence of both obesity and DTC.     

Baseline Results from Hawaii's Nā Mikimiki Project: A Physical Activity Intervention Tailored to Multiethnic Postpartum Women

During the postpartum period, ethnic minority women have higher rates of inactivity/under-activity than white women. The Nā Mikimiki (“the active ones”) Project is designed to increase moderate-to-vigorous physical activity over 18 months among multiethnic women with infants 2–12 months old. The study was designed to test, via a randomized controlled trial, the effectiveness of a tailored telephone counseling of moderate-to-vigorous physical activity intervention compared to a print/website materials-only condition. Healthy, underactive women (mean age = 32 ± 5.6 years) with a baby (mean age = 5.7 ± 2.8 months) were enrolled from 2008–2009 (N = 278). Of the total sample, 84% were ethnic minority women, predominantly Asian–American and Native Hawaiian. Mean self-reported baseline level of moderate-to-vigorous physical activity was 40 minutes/week with no significant differences by study condition, ethnicity, infant's age, maternal body mass index, or maternal employment. Women had high scores on perceived benefits, self-efficacy, and environmental support for exercise but low scores on social support for exercise. This multiethnic sample's demographic and psychosocial characteristics and their perceived barriers to exercise were comparable to previous physical activity studies conducted largely with white postpartum women. The Nā Mikimiki Project's innovative tailored technology-based intervention and unique population are significant contributions to the literature on moderate-to-vigorous physical activity in postpartum women.