Microbiome profiling suggests novel endosymbiont associations of insect pests of stored grain.

Many arthropods, including economically important pests of stored grains, host intracellular bacterial symbionts. These symbionts can have diverse impacts on host morphology, stress tolerance, and reproductive success. The ability to rapidly determine the infection status of host insects and the identity of intracellular symbionts, if present, is vital to understanding the biology and ecology of these organisms.

Do mitochondria use efflux pumps to protect their ribosomes from antibiotics?

Fungal environments are rich in natural and engineered antimicrobials, and this, combined with the fact that fungal genomes are rich in coding sequences for transporters, suggests that fungi are an intriguing group in which to search for evidence of antimicrobial efflux pumps in mitochondria. Herein, the range of protective mechanisms used by fungi against antimicrobials is introduced, and it is hypothesized, based on the susceptibility of mitochondrial and bacterial ribosomes to the same antibiotics, that mitochondria might also contain pumps that efflux antibiotics from these organelles. Preliminary evidence of ethidium bromide efflux is presented and several candidate efflux pumps are identified in fungal mitochondrial proteomes.

Ties that Bind: The Effects of Transgender Contact on Transphobia.

Allport's Theory of Interpersonal Contact suggests that coming into contact with a member of an outgroup should increase support for that outgroup. Previous studies find mixed results when applying Allport's theory to reported contact with transgender people. We posit that this is due to imprecise and aggregated measures of contact and a lack of attention to the differences between contact that is ephemeral or ongoing and voluntary or obligatory.

WRKY70 prevents axenic activation of plant immunity by direct repression of SARD1.

SARD1 is an activator of plant immunity that promotes production of the hormone salicylic acid (SA) and activation of defense gene expression. SARD1 itself is strongly inducible by infection. Here, we investigated the transcriptional control of SARD1.

Phosphatase specificity and pathway insulation in signaling networks.

Phosphatases play an important role in cellular signaling networks by regulating the phosphorylation state of proteins. Phosphatases are classically considered to be promiscuous, acting on tens to hundreds of different substrates. We recently demonstrated that a shared phosphatase can couple the responses of two proteins to incoming signals, even if those two substrates are from otherwise isolated areas of the network.

The at-risk registers in severe asthma (ARRISA) study: a cluster-randomised controlled trial examining effectiveness and costs in primary care.

Background: Patients at risk of severe exacerbations contribute disproportionally to asthma mortality, morbidity and costs. We evaluated the effectiveness and costs of using 'asthma risk registers' for these patients in primary care.

Methods: In a cluster-randomised trial, 29 primary care practices identified 911 at-risk asthma patients using British asthma guideline criteria (severe asthma plus adverse psychosocial characteristics).

Risk factors for childhood asthma deaths from the UK Eastern Region Confidential Enquiry 2001-2006.

Background: Confidential enquiries into asthma deaths can identify inadequacies in medical management and factors which contribute to patients' death.

Aims: To identify risk factors for paediatric asthma deaths over a 6-year period.

Methods: Observational case-series study of paediatric asthma deaths between 2001-2006 in the UK Eastern Region.

Introducing the national COPD resources and outcomes project.

Background: We report baseline data on the organisation of COPD care in UK NHS hospitals participating in the National COPD Resources and Outcomes Project (NCROP).

Methods: We undertook an initial survey of participating hospitals in 2007, looking at organisation and performance indicators in relation to general aspects of care, provision of non-invasive ventilation (NIV), pulmonary rehabilitation, early discharge schemes, and oxygen. We compare, where possible, against the national 2003 audit.

Psycho-educational interventions for adults with severe or difficult asthma: a systematic review.

Research highlights psychosocial factors associated with adverse asthma events. This systematic review therefore examined whether psycho-educational interventions improve health and self-management outcomes in adults with severe or difficult asthma. Seventeen controlled studies were included.

Psychosocial factors and asthma in a community sample of older adults.

Objective: The objective of this study was to investigate the associations between psychosocial factors and asthma in a population-based cohort study of older adults.

Methods: A total of 20,888 participants in the Norfolk cohort of the European Prospective Investigation into Cancer study completed assessments that included details of lifetime self-reported doctor-diagnosed asthma, mood disorder history, social adversity experience, and social support.

Results: Doctor-diagnosed asthma was reported by 1699 (8.

An ongoing Confidential Enquiry into asthma deaths in the Eastern Region of the UK, 2001-2003.

Introduction: The Eastern Region Confidential Enquiry into asthma deaths started in 2001. It incorporates the Norwich and East Anglian Enquiries started in 1988 and 1992, respectively. The aim of this study was to analyse all asthma deaths in the Eastern region between 2001 and 2003, to elicit any factors contributing to the patients' deaths, and to make comparisons with the previous Norwich and East Anglian data.

Severity assessment criteria recommended by the British Thoracic Society (BTS) for community-acquired pneumonia (CAP) and older patients. Should SOAR (systolic blood pressure, oxygenation, age and respiratory rate) criteria be used in older people? A compilation study of two prospective cohorts.

Objectives: To assess the usefulness of the British Thoracic Society guidelines for severity assessment of community-acquired pneumonia (CAP) in predicting mortality and to explore alternative criteria which could be more useful in older patients.

Design: Compilation study of two prospective observational cohorts.

Setting And Participants: A University hospital in Norfolk, UK with a catchment population of 568,000.

Clinician-assessed poor compliance identifies adults with severe asthma who are at risk of adverse outcomes.

Our aim was to determine whether clinician-identified poor compliance is useful in identifying, from among adults with severe asthma, patients with characteristics likely to put them at risk of adverse outcomes. Patients with severe asthma (previous hospital admissions and/or prescribed step 4-5 treatment according to British Thoracic Society guidelines) considered by clinicians to be either compliant (C, N = 41) or poorly compliant (PC, N = 92) with aspects of their recommended management (attendance at appointments, taking medication, and monitoring asthma) provided data on symptoms, health service use, medication, self-management practices, physical and psychological comorbidities, and sociodemographic/socioeconomic characteristics. Cross-sectional univariate analyses were used to examine whether the groups differed with respect to self-reported indicators of asthma morbidity and self-management.

The benefits of providing GPs with the results of a Confidential Enquiry into asthma deaths.

Aims: Printed materials are used to change behaviour yet evidence suggests they generally have little effect. This survey investigated the impact on GPs of reports from a Confidential Enquiry into Asthma Deaths.

Methods: A random sample of 1 in 4 general practitioners from East Anglia were sent a questionnaire, total = 306.