Experiences of identifying pre-school children with disabilities in resource limited settings - an account from Malawi, Pakistan and Uganda.

Although access to effective medical care for acutely sick children has improved globally, the number of children surviving but who may not be thriving due to disability, is increasing. This study aimed to understand the views of health professionals, educators and caregivers of pre-school children with disabilities in Malawi, Pakistan and Uganda regarding early identification, referral and support. Using applied thematic analysis, we identified themes relating to; limited 'demand' by caregivers for services; different local beliefs and community perceptions regarding the causes of childhood disability.

Impacts of 120 years of fertilizer addition on a temperate grassland ecosystem.

The widespread application of fertilizers has greatly influenced many processes and properties of agroecosystems, and agricultural fertilization is expected to increase even further in the future. To date, most research on fertilizer impacts has used short-term studies, which may be unrepresentative of long-term responses, thus hindering our capacity to predict long-term impacts. Here, we examined the effects of long-term fertilizer addition on key ecosystem properties in a long-term grassland experiment (Palace Leas Hay Meadow) in which farmyard manure (FYM) and inorganic fertilizer treatments have been applied consistently for 120 years in order to characterize the experimental site more fully and compare ecosystem responses with those observed at other long-term and short-term experiments.

Competition between plant and bacterial cells at the microscale regulates the dynamics of nitrogen acquisition in wheat (Triticum aestivum).

The ability of plants to compete effectively for nitrogen (N) resources is critical to plant survival. However, controversy surrounds the importance of organic and inorganic sources of N in plant nutrition because of our poor ability to visualize and understand processes happening at the root-microbial-soil interface. Using high-resolution nano-scale secondary ion mass spectrometry stable isotope imaging (NanoSIMS-SII), we quantified the fate of ¹⁵N over both space and time within the rhizosphere.

Application of nanoscale secondary ion mass spectrometry to plant cell research.

Imaging resource flow in soil-plant systems remains central to understanding plant development and interactions with the environment. Typically, subcellular resolution is required to fully elucidate the compartmentation, behavior, and mode of action of organic compounds and mineral elements within plants. For many situations this has been limited by the poor spatial resolution of imaging techniques and the inability to undertake studies in situ.

In situ mapping of nutrient uptake in the rhizosphere using nanoscale secondary ion mass spectrometry.

Plant roots and microorganisms interact and compete for nutrients within the rhizosphere, which is considered one of the most biologically complex systems on Earth. Unraveling the nitrogen (N) cycle is key to understanding and managing nutrient flows in terrestrial ecosystems, yet to date it has proved impossible to analyze and image N transfer in situ within such a complex system at a scale relevant to soil-microbe-plant interactions. Linking the physical heterogeneity of soil to biological processes marks a current frontier in plant and soil sciences.

A phase II study of irinotecan in children with relapsed or refractory neuroblastoma: a European cooperation of the Société Française d'Oncologie Pédiatrique (SFOP) and the United Kingdom Children Cancer Study Group (UKCCSG).

Purpose: To evaluate the efficacy and safety of irinotecan in paediatric recurrent or refractory neuroblastoma.

Patients And Methods: Thirty seven patients aged between 6 months and < or = 20 years, with relapsed or refractory neuroblastoma, received irinotecan at 600 mg/m(2) administered as a 60-min infusion, every 3 weeks. Tumour response was evaluated by conventional radiological and mIBG scans every two cycles.

Phase II trial of irinotecan in children with relapsed or refractory rhabdomyosarcoma: a joint study of the French Society of Pediatric Oncology and the United Kingdom Children's Cancer Study Group.

Purpose: This phase II study was designed to evaluate the efficacy of irinotecan administered intravenously once every 3 weeks in pediatric patients with recurrent or refractory rhabdomyosarcoma.

Patients And Methods: A total of 35 patients younger than age 20 years, with refractory or relapsed rhabdomyosarcoma for which standard treatments have failed, received irinotecan at 600 mg/m2 administered as a 60-minute infusion every 3 weeks. Concomitant treatments included atropine for cholinergic symptoms, loperamide for diarrhea at the first liquid stool, and preventive antiemetic treatment.

A novel method for the study of the biophysical interface in soils using nano-scale secondary ion mass spectrometry.

The spatial location of microorganisms and their activity within the soil matrix have major impacts on biological processes such as nutrient cycling. However, characterizing the biophysical interface in soils is hampered by a lack of techniques at relevant scales. A novel method for studying the distribution of microorganisms that have incorporated isotopically labelled substrate ('active' microorganisms) in relation to the soil microbial habitat is provided by nano-scale secondary ion mass spectrometry (NanoSIMS).