Socio-emotional processing and functioning of youth at high risk for bipolar disorder.

Background: The goal of this study was to investigate differences in socio-emotional processing and functioning in children and adolescents at high risk for bipolar disorder (BD) and healthy control participants.

Methods: Children and adolescents with a parent with bipolar disorder, who had mood dysregulation but not fully syndromal BD (high risk, HR, n=24), were compared to participants with no personal or family history of psychopathology (healthy control, HC, n=27) across several neuropsychological domains. Social reciprocity was measured by the Social Responsiveness Scale, theory of mind was measured by use of the NEPSY, and affect recognition was measured by the NEPSY and the Diagnostic Test of Nonverbal Accuracy 2 (DANVA).

Synthase-dependent exopolysaccharide secretion in Gram-negative bacteria.

The biosynthesis and export of bacterial cell-surface polysaccharides is known to occur through several distinct mechanisms. Recent advances in the biochemistry and structural biology of several proteins in synthase-dependent polysaccharide secretion systems have identified key conserved components of this pathway in Gram-negative bacteria. These components include an inner-membrane-embedded polysaccharide synthase, a periplasmic tetratricopeptide repeat (TPR)-containing scaffold protein, and an outer-membrane β-barrel porin.

Evaluation of serum galactomannan detection for diagnosis of feline upper respiratory tract aspergillosis.

Measurement of serum galactomannan (GM), a polysaccharide fungal cell-wall component, is a non-invasive test for early diagnosis of invasive aspergillosis in humans. Feline upper respiratory tract (URT) aspergillosis is an emerging infectious disease in cats. Diagnosis requires biopsy for procurement of tissue specimens for cytological or histological detection of fungal hyphae and for fungal culture.

Dead men tell no tales: analysis of the use of autopsy reports in trauma system performance improvement activities.

Purpose: To analyze the influence and use of autopsy report review on preventability judgments as part of trauma system performance improvement activities.

Methods: All cases trauma fatalities occurring across one state within 1 year were reviewed. Preventability judgments were first analyzed by multidisciplinary panel consensus without benefit of autopsy report.

Spatial and temporal measurements of temperature and cell viability in response to nanoparticle-mediated photothermal therapy.

Aim: Nanoparticle-enhanced photothermal therapy is a promising alternative to tumor resection. However, quantitative measurements of cellular response to these treatments are limited. This article introduces a Bimodal Enhanced Analysis of Spatiotemporal Temperature (BEAST) algorithm to rapidly determine the viability of cancer cells in vitro following photothermal therapy alone or in combination with nanoparticles.

The impact of inpatient point-of-care blood glucose quality control testing.

Analyze the effectiveness of mandated point-of-care (POC) blood glucose (BG) meter quality control (QC) testing. All POC BG QC tests were analyzed to evaluate operator and strip/meter error rates and institutional cost. POC BG QC test failure (17/103,580 over 24 months) was low and no meters failed subsequent linearity testing.

The structure- and metal-dependent activity of Escherichia coli PgaB provides insight into the partial de-N-acetylation of poly-β-1,6-N-acetyl-D-glucosamine.

Exopolysaccharides are required for the development and integrity of biofilms produced by a wide variety of bacteria. In Escherichia coli, partial de-N-acetylation of the exopolysaccharide poly-β-1,6-N-acetyl-D-glucosamine (PNAG) by the periplasmic protein PgaB is required for polysaccharide intercellular adhesin-dependent biofilm formation. To understand the molecular basis for PNAG de-N-acetylation, the structure of PgaB in complex with Ni(2+) and Fe(3+) have been determined to 1.

Identification of high risk fallers among older people living in residential care facilities: a simple screen based on easily collectable measures.

Purpose: To develop a simple screen based on easily collectable measures to identify older people living in residential care facilities at high risk of falls.

Methods: This prospective study was conducted in seven residential care facilities in the U.K.

Combining in situ proteolysis and mass spectrometry to crystallize Escherichia coli PgaB.

The periplasmic poly-β-1,6-N-acetyl-D-glucosamine (PNAG) de-N-acetylase PgaB from Escherichia coli was overexpressed and purified, but was recalcitrant to crystallization. Use of the in situ proteolysis technique produced crystals of PgaB, but these crystals could not be optimized for diffraction studies. By analyzing the initial crystal hits using SDS-PAGE and mass spectrometry, the boundaries of the protein species that crystallized were determined.

Retrospective review of the reduction of oral pressure ulcers in mechanically ventilated patients: a change in practice.

Hospital-acquired pressure ulcers (HAPU) are a growing concern in patient care. Mucosal pressure ulcers (PUs) on the lips, mouth, gums, and tongue caused by oral intubation and their securement devices can be difficult to identify and prevent. In an effort to address this problem and reduce mucosal PU, implementation of an alternative securement device, the Hollister ETAD endotracheal (ET) tube securing device, in conjunction with the B&B Medical Universal Bite Block, was introduced at our institution, a level 1 trauma and burn center, in July 2007.

Structure of the cytoplasmic region of PelD, a degenerate diguanylate cyclase receptor that regulates exopolysaccharide production in Pseudomonas aeruginosa.

High cellular concentrations of bis-(3',5')-cyclic dimeric guanosine mono-phosphate (c-di-GMP) regulate a diverse range of phenotypes in bacteria including biofilm development. The opportunistic pathogen Pseudomonas aeruginosa produces the PEL polysaccharide to form a biofilm at the air-liquid interface of standing cultures. Among the proteins required for PEL polysaccharide production, PelD has been identified as a membrane-bound c-di-GMP-specific receptor.

Understanding risk of falls in people with cognitive impairment living in residential care.

Objectives: To better understand fall risk factors in older adults with cognitive impairment living in residential care.

Design: A prospective observational cohort study.

Setting: Residential care homes in South London, UK.

Conceptual design of flapping-wing micro air vehicles.

Traditional micro air vehicles (MAVs) are miniature versions of full-scale aircraft from which their design principles closely follow. The first step in aircraft design is the development of a conceptual design, where basic specifications and vehicle size are established. Conceptual design methods do not rely on specific knowledge of the propulsion system, vehicle layout and subsystems; these details are addressed later in the design process.

Information processing in adolescents with bipolar I disorder.

Background: Cognitive models of bipolar I disorder (BD) may aid in identification of children who are especially vulnerable to chronic mood dysregulation. Information-processing biases related to memory and attention likely play a role in the development and persistence of BD among adolescents; however, these biases have not been extensively studied in youth with BD.

Methods: We administered the self-referent encoding task and the dot-probe task to adolescents with bipolar I disorder (BD, n = 35) and a demographically similar healthy comparison group (HC, n = 25) at baseline, and at a 1-year follow-up in a subset of this cohort (n = 22 per group).

Expression, purification, crystallization and preliminary X-ray analysis of Pseudomonas aeruginosa PelD.

The production of the PEL polysaccharide in Pseudomonas aeruginosa requires the binding of bis-(3',5')-cyclic dimeric guanosine monophosphate (c-di-GMP) to the cytoplasmic GGDEF domain of the inner membrane protein PelD. Here, the overexpression, purification and crystallization of a soluble construct of PelD that encompasses the GGDEF domain and a predicted GAF domain is reported. Diffraction-quality crystals were grown using the hanging-drop vapour-diffusion method.

The Pel and Psl polysaccharides provide Pseudomonas aeruginosa structural redundancy within the biofilm matrix.

Extracellular polysaccharides comprise a major component of the biofilm matrix. Many species that are adept at biofilm formation have the capacity to produce multiple types of polysaccharides. Pseudomonas aeruginosa produces at least three extracellular polysaccharides, alginate, Pel and Psl, that have been implicated in biofilm development.

Heat shock protein expression and temperature distribution in prostate tumours treated with laser irradiation and nanoshells.

Purpose: Sub-lethal temperature elevations in the tumour incurred during laser cancer therapy can induce heat shock protein (HSP) expression leading to enhanced tumour survival and recurrence. Nanoshells utilised in combination with laser therapy can potentially enable selective heat deposition, greater thermal injury, and diminished HSP expression in the tumour. The study objective was to measure the distribution of temperature and HSP expression in prostate tumours in response to laser therapy alone or with nanoshells to determine if these combinatorial therapies can minimise HSP expression.

Understanding pressure ulcer research and education needs: a comparison of the association for the advancement of wound care pressure ulcer guideline evidence levels and content validity scores.

 Although difficult to quantify due to methodological variations, the worldwide burden of pressure ulcers (PUs) is substantial. Recognizing the importance of providing evidence-based care to help reduce this burden, the North American Wound Care Council societies collaborated to identify PU research and education opportunities using the PU "Guideline of Guidelines" developed and tested by Association for the Advancement of Wound Care Guideline Department (AAWC GD). Volunteer AAWC GD members compiled recommendations from PU guidelines available in 2008, searched the lit- erature for additional research as needed, and developed evidence levels for all recommendations using an established level-of-evidence rating scheme.

Evolutionary mechanisms of retroviral persistence.

Retroviruses are known to exhibit remarkable genomic pliancy, a capacity that has been attributed to one or more error prone steps in the viral replication cycle. However, increasing evidence suggests that such error represents a key element in viral survival, as exemplified by studies on virus immune evasion, shifts of cellular tropism, and anatomic compartmentalization, which facilitate persistent virus reservoirs. Understanding the dynamic mechanisms that contribute to the establishment and maintenance of retroviral persistence is critical toward the goal of attaining HIV-1 eradication.

Risk profile characteristics associated with outcomes of hospital-acquired pressure ulcers: a retrospective review.

Background: Hospital-acquired pressure ulcers are a common problem. Although a number of risk factors have been identified, relationships among risk profile characteristics and pressure ulcer outcomes have not been described in hospitalized patients.

Objectives: To describe patients' characteristics and risk factors associated with pressure ulcer outcome.

Structural basis for alginate secretion across the bacterial outer membrane.

Pseudomonas aeruginosa is the predominant pathogen associated with chronic lung infection among cystic fibrosis patients. During colonization of the lung, P. aeruginosa converts to a mucoid phenotype characterized by the overproduction of the exopolysaccharide alginate.

The TRIM5 gene modulates penile mucosal acquisition of simian immunodeficiency virus in rhesus monkeys.

There is considerable variability in host susceptibility to human immunodeficiency virus type 1 (HIV-1) infection, but the host genetic determinants of that variability are not well understood. In addition to serving as a block for cross-species retroviral infection, TRIM5 was recently shown to play a central role in limiting primate immunodeficiency virus replication. We hypothesized that TRIM5 may also contribute to susceptibility to mucosal acquisition of simian immunodeficiency virus (SIV) in rhesus monkeys.

Enhancing medical-surgical nursing practice: using practice tests and clinical examples to promote active learning and program evaluation.

In a 14-week medical-surgical nursing review course, two teaching strategies are used to promote active learning and assess the transfer of knowledge to nursing practice. Practice tests and clinical examples provide opportunities for participants to engage in self-assessment and reflective learning and enhance their nursing knowledge, skills, and practice. These strategies also contribute to program evaluation and are adaptable to a variety of course formats, including traditional classroom, web conference, and online self-study.

Family work in anorexia nervosa: a qualitative study of carers' experiences of two methods of family intervention.

Background: Qualitative methods can aid in the development of complex interventions.

Aims: Qualitative methodology was used to examine treatment efficacy, carer satisfaction and process of change in carers of people with anorexia nervosa who participated in a randomised controlled trial (RCT) comparing individual family work (IFW) and multi-(dual) family workshops.

Method: Twenty-three carers were interviewed.