The international classification of functioning, disability and health in clinical practice, research findings and their impact on training and education.

At the ICF Research Institute (at MSH Medical School Hamburg) multiprofessional experts collaborate on various research projects with a focus on bio-psycho-social health and education. Initially, the main goal was monitoring and evaluating the implementation of the International Classification of Functioning, Disability and Health (ICF) in clinical practice. Over time and based on the initial findings, the research group started developing new approaches to support training and education of health professionals in the use of the ICF.

Overexpression of the Small Ubiquitin-Like Modifier protease OTS1 gene enhances drought tolerance in sugarcane (Saccharum spp. hybrid).

Sugarcane is an economically important crop plant across the globe as it is the primary source of sugar and biofuel. Its growth and development are greatly influenced by water availability; therefore, in periods of water scarcity, yields are severely compromised. Small Ubiquitin-Like Modifier (SUMO) proteases play an important role in stress responses by regulating the SUMO-related post-translational modification of proteins.

The 5-azacytidine-induced epimutagenesis of sugarcane (Saccharum spp. hybrids) for aluminium tolerance.

A protocol for generating aluminium (Al) tolerant sugarcane using 5-azacytidine (5-azaC)-induced epimutagenesis was developed. Eight (8) plantlets per gram of cultivar N51 calli were generated from the 5-azaC (100 μM) and Al (1.5-50 mM) treatment (+Az + Al) when compared with 104 plantlets from non-mutagenised, no Al control treatment.

Teaching interprofessional collaboration among future healthcare professionals.

Healthcare has become more complex in recent years. Such complexity can best be addressed by interprofessional teams. We argue that to ensure successful communication and cooperation in interprofessional teams, it is important to establish interprofessional education in health-related study programs.

Atrial Fibrillation Detected by Implantable Monitor in Embolic Stroke of Undetermined Source: A New Clinical Entity.

Background: High incidence of covert paroxysmal atrial fibrillation (CPAF) detected by an implantable cardiac monitor (ICM) is expected in embolic stroke of undetermined source (ESUS) patients. This study aimed to determine the CPAF rate in an ESUS cohort using ICMs and compare stroke characteristics of patients with CPAF to those with known or inpatient-diagnosed AF (KIDAF).

Methods: ESUS patients with ICMs were enrolled.

20 Years of ICF-International Classification of Functioning, Disability and Health: Uses and Applications around the World.

The International Classification of Functioning Disability and Health (ICF) was approved in 2001 and, since then, several studies reported the increased interest about its use in different sectors. A recent overview that summarizes its applications is lacking. This study aims to provide an updated overview about 20 years of ICF application through an international online questionnaire, developed by the byline authors, and sent to each World Health Organization Collaborating Centers of the Family of International Classifications (WHO-FIC CCs).

The Potential of Cryotherapy to Remove Sugarcane Mosaic Virus from Sugarcane (Saccharum spp. hybrids) Shoot Tips.

Background: Virus-free sugarcane is difficult to achieve due to the multiple vegetative propagation cycles employed commercially. In vitro culture using small (1 mm) meristematic shoot tips has eliminated viruses but survival is low with small explants.

Objective: Droplet-Vitrification (D-V) and V-Cryoplate protocols were investigated for the elimination of Sugarcane mosaic virus (SCMV) from large (c.

Avoiding the Banality of Evil in Times of COVID-19: Thinking Differently with a Biopsychosocial Perspective for Future Health and Social Policies Development.

The COVID-19 pandemic provides the opportunity to re-think health policies and health systems approaches by the adoption of a biopsychosocial perspective, thus acting on environmental factors so as to increase facilitators and diminish barriers. Specifically, vulnerable people should not face discrimination because of their vulnerability in the allocation of care or life-sustaining treatments. Adoption of biopsychosocial model helps to identify key elements where to act to diminish effects of the pandemics.

The value of interprofessional education in identifying unaddressed primary health-care challenges in a community: a case study from South Africa.

Many countries rely on community health workers (CHWs) at a primary health care (PHC) level to connect individuals with needs to health professionals at health-care facilities, especially in resource-limited environments. The majority of health professionals are centrally based in facilities with little to no interaction with communities or CHWs. Stellenbosch University (South Africa), included interprofessional home visits in collaboration with CHWs as part of students' contextual PHC exposure in a rural community to identify factors impacting on the health of patients and their families.

Interprofessional service-learning: cutting teeth and learning to crawl.

An interprofessional community-based service-learning initiative, supporting early childhood development in an impoverished community, was launched on a South African university's rural training platform. The study aimed to determine how this learning experience influenced students' interprofessional person-centered practice. An interpretative qualitative approach was followed.

Development of cadaver perfusion models for surgical training: an experimental study.

Purpose: Perfusion techniques on cadavers are heterogeneous and imperfect. The objective of this study was to improve the existing circulation model for surgical simulation on cadavers.

Methods: We used a three-step experimental approach.

Exposing an interprofessional class of first years to an underserved community contributed to students' contextualisation of the determinants of health.

Students often find the primarily theoretical, classroom-based teaching of Public Health early on in undergraduate health professions curricula boring, failing to see its relevance for their future careers. An innovative approach to this challenge, based on social constructivist theory, was introduced at a South African university. First-year students were divided into interprofessional groups to visit an underserved community.

Assessing the Likelihood of Gene Flow From Sugarcane ( Hybrids) to Wild Relatives in South Africa.

Pre-commercialization studies on environmental biosafety of genetically modified (GM) crops are necessary to evaluate the potential for sexual hybridization with related plant species that occur in the release area. The aim of the study was a preliminary assessment of factors that may contribute to gene flow from sugarcane ( hybrids) to indigenous relatives in the sugarcane production regions of Mpumalanga and KwaZulu-Natal provinces, South Africa. In the first instance, an assessment of wild relatives was conducted based on existing phylogenies and literature surveys.

Agronomic evaluation and molecular characterisation of the acetolactate synthase gene in imazapyr tolerant sugarcane (Saccharum hybrid) genotypes.

Mutagenesis had no effect on number of stalks/plot, stalk height, fibre and sucrose content of mutants. Imazapyr tolerance is likely due to a S622N mutation in the acetolactate synthase gene. The herbicidal compound imazapyr is effective against weeds such as Cynodon and Rottboellia species that constrain sugarcane production.

Improved nitrogen use efficiency in transgenic sugarcane: phenotypic assessment in a pot trial under low nitrogen conditions.

Sugarcane lines transformed with an alanine aminotransferase gene demonstrated an improved nitrogen use efficiency compared with untransformed controls in a pot trial under low nitrogen conditions.

International Classification of Functioning, Disability and Health: Catalyst for interprofessional education and collaborative practice.

Patient-centred and community-based care is required for promotion of health equity. To enhance patient-centred interprofessional care, the World Health Organization recommends using the framework of the International Classification of Functioning, Disability and Health (ICF). Stellenbosch University's Interprofessional Education and Collaborative Practice (IPECP) strategy has promoted using ICF since 2010.

In vitro generation of somaclonal variant plants of sugarcane for tolerance to Fusarium sacchari.

KEY MESSAGE : A combination of in vitro culture and mutagenesis using ethyl methanesulfonate (EMS) followed by culture filtrate-mediated selection produced variant sugarcane plants tolerant and resistant to Fusarium sacchari. Eldana saccharina is a destructive pest of the sugarcane crop in South Africa. Fusarium sacchari PNG40 (a fungal strain harmful to E.

Refining the application of direct embryogenesis in sugarcane: Effect of the developmental phase of leaf disc explants and the timing of DNA transfer on transformation efficiency.

A rapid in vitro protocol using direct somatic embryogenesis and microprojectile bombardment was investigated to establish the developmental phases most suitable for efficient sugarcane transformation. Immature leaf roll disc explants with and without pre-emergent inflorescence tissue were compared. It was shown that for effective transformation to occur, explants should be cultured for several days to allow initiation of embryo development prior to bombardment.

Regulation of fatty acid biosynthesis as a possible mechanism for the mitoinhibitory effect of fumonisin B1 in primary rat hepatocytes.

The mitoinhibitory effect of fumonisin B1 (FB1) on the mitogenic response of epidermal growth factor (EGF) was investigated in primary hepatocyte cultures with respect to the alterations in the omega6 fatty acid metabolic pathway. Fatty acid analyses of hepatocytes showed that EGF treatment resulted in a significant decrease in the relative levels of 20:4omega6 (arachidonic acid) and an increase in 18:2omega6 (linoleic acid). Supplementation of the hepatocyte cultures with 20:4omega6 in the absence of EGF resulted in an increase in the total omega6 and omega6/omega3 fatty acid ratio.

Inhibition of sphingolipid biosynthesis in rat primary hepatocyte cultures by fumonisin B1 and other structurally related compounds.

The fumonisins and toxins produced by Alternaria alternata f. sp. lycopersici (AAL toxins) are structurally related mycotoxins that disrupt sphingolipid biosynthesis by inhibiting the rate-limiting enzyme, ceramide synthase.

Effect of fumonisin B1 on the levels and fatty acid composition of selected lipids in rat liver in vivo.

The modulating role of fumonisin B1 (FB1) on lipid biosynthesis was evaluated in a short-term (21 day) experiment using male Fischer rats fed high dietary levels (50, 100 and 250 mg FB1/kg) and in a long-term (2 yr) experiment using male BD IX rats fed low dietary levels (1, 10 and 25 mg FB1/kg) of FB1. The total serum and liver cholesterol was significantly (P < 0.01) increased in the rats fed 250 mg FB1/kg diet for 21 days, while the liver phospholipids, sphingomyelin and phosphatidylethanolamine (PE) were significantly decreased (P < 0.

The cancer-promoting potential of fumonisin B1 in rat liver using diethylnitrosamine as a cancer initiator.

The cancer-promoting potential of fumonisin B1 (FB1) was investigated by feeding different dietary levels (10, 50, 100, 250, 500 mg FB1/kg) to diethynitrosamine (DEN)-initiated rats for 21 days. Dietary levels containing 50 mg FB1/kg and higher, markedly increased the number and size of the placental form of glutathione-S-transferase-positive (GSTP+) foci in the liver of the rats. The cancer-promoting activity of FB1 was associated with an inhibitory effect on partial hepatectomy (PH)-induced regenerative hepatocyte proliferation, as the incorporation of 3H-labelled thymidine was significantly (P < 0.

Effect of fumonisin B1 on protein and lipid synthesis in primary rat hepatocytes.

The effect of fumonisin B1 (FB1) on protein and lipid synthesis was evaluated in primary rat hepatocytes. FB1 did not affect incorporation of [3H]leucine into hepatocytes at either non-toxic (150 microM) or cytotoxic (500 microM) concentrations indicating that protein synthesis was not affected. However, FB1 significantly (P < 0.