The smartphone as a tool to screen for scoliosis, applicable by everyone.

PURPOSE (MAIN PURPOSES AND RESEARCH QUESTION): The purpose of this study is to assess the accuracy and precision of the smartphone with application and casing (Scolioscreen) compared to the Scoliometer. METHODS: The Axial Trunk Rotation (ATR) was measured in adolescent scoliosis patients visiting the outpatient clinic while performing the Adam Forward Bending Test. The Scolioscreen measurements were performed by the orthopedic surgeon and a parent. They were compared to the measurement with the Scoliometer by the orthopedic surgeon, the gold standard. The accuracy was determined with the Pearson's correlation coefficient, and precision was determined by assessing the intra- and inter-variability with the intra-class correlation coefficient (ICC). RESULTS: Fifty patients with adolescent idiopathic scoliosis (44 girls) were included with a mean age of 14.1 years and a mean Cobb angle of 38.5°. The accuracy of both the parents and orthopedic surgeon was excellent with a Pearson correlation coefficient of 0.92 and 0.97, respectively. All the ICC's, both intra- and inter-observer, were over 0.92 demonstrating excellent precision. CONCLUSION: This study confirms the accuracy and precision of the Scolioscreen when measuring the ATR on patients with AIS. Therefore, the Scoliometer can be replaced by the more easily available Scolioscreen which can be used by both physician and parents.

Creative potential: mental well-being impact assessment of the Liverpool 2008 European capital of culture programme.

OBJECTIVES: Culture has a number of potential impacts upon health and well-being. This project was undertaken to assess the potential impacts of the Liverpool 2008 European Capital of Culture programme upon mental well-being, so that positive effects can be maximized and negative impacts reduced, in order that health and well-being are promoted and inequalities are reduced. STUDY DESIGN: A mental well-being impact assessment (MWIA) toolkit has been developed, and was piloted in this study. MWIA uses a sequence of procedures designed to systematically assess the effect of projects, programmes and policies upon people's mental well-being and health. METHODS: The MWIA toolkit was used to explore the potential positive and negative impacts on mental well-being of a sample of projects and policies from the European Capital of Culture programme. This was achieved by asking stakeholders to answer a series of questions, holding participative workshops, constructing a community profile and reviewing the research literature. Recommendations were developed which aim to enhance the impact of the programme on people's mental well-being. RESULTS: As expected, both positive and negative impacts of the European Capital of Culture programme on mental well-being were identified. Fourteen themes were identified as emerging from the workshops, screening and reviewing the research evidence. Based on these data, 33 recommendations were developed by the project steering group and have been presented to the Liverpool Culture Company. CONCLUSIONS: The process of conducting the assessment, particularly its participatory nature and its awareness-raising role, had impacts upon mental well-being. The findings demonstrate the potential for the Culture Company programme to have a profound impact upon mental well-being, and highlight areas which could be addressed to optimize the impact of the programme.

Phytoextraction of cadmium and zinc from arable soils amended with sewage sludge using Thlaspi caerulescens: development of a predictive model.

The objectives of this study were to assess the potential for using Thlaspi caerulescens as a phytoextraction plant and develop a user-advice model, which can predict the frequency of phytoextraction operation required under prescribed conditions. Pot and field trials were conducted using soil collected from a dedicated sewage sludge disposal facility. Soil amendments (sulphuric acid, potassium chloride and EDTA) intended to increase Cd solubility were also tested. Predictive models of Cd and Zn uptake were developed which were able to reproduce the observed pH-dependence of Cd uptake with an apparent maximum around pH 6. Chemical treatments did not significantly increase the uptake of Cd. The periodic use of phytoextraction with T. caerulescens to maintain soils below statutory metal concentration limits, when modern sewage sludges are repeatedly applied, seems very attractive given the non-intrusive and cost-effective nature of the process. The major limitations lie with the large-scale husbandry of T. caerulescens.

Soil phosphate status modifies response of mycorrhizal and non-mycorrhizal Senecio vulgaris L. to infection by the rust, Puccinia lagenophorae Cooke.

The impact of rust infection (Puccinia lagenophorae Cooke) on growth of mycorrhizal and non-mycorrhizal Senecio vulgaris L. was examined under three levels of phosphorus fertilization. Seeds were then collected from infected and control plants and germination, seed chemistry and offspring vigour were examined. Rust infection did not become established on plants which were phosphorus limited, but on hosts fed with medium or high levels of P, the proportion of total leaf number exhibiting infection was a function of leaf production. Capitula production was decreased by rust infection and increased by mycorrhizal colonization in plants fed with a medium concentration of P. In plants fed with a high P concentration, leaf number was reduced by rust infection of mycorrhizal plants, whilst rust was deleterious to both mycorrhizal and non-mycorrhizal plants grown with a medium P supply. However, the effects of the rust were less marked in the mycorrhizal plants. Seed production and weight were unaffected by fungal treatments, although percentage germination of the resultant seeds was reduced by maternal mycorrhizal colonization and enhanced in seed from rusted, mycorrhizal plants grown at high soil P. The amount of total C, N and P was also reduced by maternal mycorrhizal infection at high soil P and increased in seeds from rusted, mycorrhizal mothers. Vigour of offspring produced from treated mother plants was influenced by mycorrhizal × phosphorus and rust × phosphorus interactions with respect to bud and leaf numbers. Mycorrhizal infection of mother plants grown with a medium P supply benefited the offspring as increased leaf and bud production was observed, but rusted mothers at the same P level produced offspring with reduced leaf number and potential fecundity.

Interactions between arbuscular mycorrhizal fungi and foliar-feeding insects in Plantago lanceolata L.

A field experiment was conducted to investigate whether infection by arbuscular mycorrhizal (AM) fungi has any effect on herbivory by foliar-feeding insects. Plants of PI ant ago laureolata L. were grown in a randomized block design and natural levels of mycorrhizal infection reduced by the application of the granular fungicide iprodione. Plant growth responses were examined and herbivore bioassays performed by rearing both a chewing and sucking insect on the leaves of mycorrhizal and fungicide-treated plants. Fungicide application successfully reduced mycorrhizal infection, and this led to reductions in foliar biomass, caused by lower leaf number. However, fungicide-treated plants suffered consistently higher levels of damage by centralist chewing and leaf-mining insects, which colonized the plants. The chewing insect bioassay confirmed the field results, in that larvae of Arttia caja L. (Lepidoptera: Arctiidae) consumed more leaf material from plants in which infection was reduced. There was no evidence that AM fungi altered food quality for the chewing insect. Instead, infection caused an increase in the carbon/nutrient balance, which in turn led to increased levels of the carbon-based feeding deterrents, aucubin and catalpol, The sucking insect, Mvzus perskae (Sulzer) reacted in an opposite fashion to the ehewtr. with performance being greater on mycorrhizal plants. Again, there was no evidence that an alteration in food Quality was the cause, and in this case infection may result in changes in leaf morphology which benefit the insect. We suggest that under conditions of high light and low nutrient availability. AM infection can alter the carbon/nutrient balance of plants, leading to an increased allocation to carbon-based defences. This can have important consequences for insect herbivore performance and the patterns of herbivory in field situations.

Immunoperoxidase demonstration of herpes simplex virus type 1 in the brain of a psychotic patient without history of encephalitis.

A 75-year-old female with a remote history of electroconvulsive-shock therapy and more recent care for psychotic depression died due to thromboembolic disease. Intranuclear inclusions were found to be widespread in her brain after autopsy. There was a paucity of the usual pathologic findings of herpes simplex virus (HSV) encephalitis, but light microscopic studies using antiserum to HSV type 1 demonstrated the presence of this agent in the intranuclear inclusions and in the cytoplasm of neurons and glial cells using immunoperoxidase staining methods. Immunostaining was also performed at the ultrastructural level and virus-like particles were identified. No immunostaining was obtained using normal control serum or antiserum to HSV type 2, while HSV type 1 or type 2 was demonstrated by immunostaining in control tissues. Control brain tissue from a group of psychotic and non-psychotic patients failed to show immunostaining for HSV antigen. This case is discussed in light of the current evidence pointing to a link between viral disease and psychosis.