Search

Dinoflagellates of Order Suessiales include the diverse Family Symbiodiniaceae known for their role as essential coral reef symbionts, and the cold-adaptedPolarella glacialis. These taxa inhabit a broad range of ecological niches and exhibit extensive genomic divergence, although their genomes are in the smaller size ranges (haploid size < 3 Gbp) compared to most other dinoflagellates. Different isolates of a species are known to form symbiosis with distinct hosts and exhibit different regimes of gene expression, but intraspecies whole-genome divergence remains little known. Focusing on three Symbiodiniaceae species (the free-livingEffrenium voratum, and the symbioticSymbiodinium microadriaticumandDurusdinium trenchii) and the free-living outgroupP. glacialis, all for which whole-genome data from multiple isolates are available, we assessed intraspecies genomic divergence at sequence and structural levels. Our analysis based on alignment and alignment-free methods revealed greater extent of intraspecies sequence divergence in symbiodiniacean species than inP. glacialis. Our results also reveal the implications of gene duplication in generating functional innovation and diversification of Symbiodiniaceae, particularly inD. trenchiifor which whole-genome duplication was involved. Interestingly, tandem duplication of single-exon genes was found to be more prevalent in genomes of free-living species than in those of symbiotic species. These results in combination demonstrate the remarkable intraspecies genomic divergence in dinoflagellates under the constraint of reduced genome sizes, shaped by genetic duplications and symbiogenesis events during diversification of Symbiodiniaceae.

Dinoflagellates in the Family Symbiodiniaceae (Order Suessiales) are diverse, predominantly symbiotic lineages that associate with taxa such as corals and jellyfish. Their ancestor is believed to have been free-living, and the establishment of symbiosis (i.e., symbiogenesis) is hypothesised to have occurred multiple times during Symbiodiniaceae evolution. Among Symbiodiniaceae taxa, the genusEffreniumis an early diverging, free-living lineage that is phylogenetically positioned between two robustly supported groups of genera within which symbiotic taxa have emerged. The lack of symbiogenesis inEffreniumsuggests that the ancestral features of Symbiodiniaceae may have been retained in this lineage. Here we presentde novoassembled genomes and associated transcriptome data from three isolates ofEffrenium voratum. We compared theEffreniumgenomes (1.2-1.9 Gbp in size) and gene features with those of 16 Symbiodiniaceae taxa and other outgroup dinoflagellates. Surprisingly, we find that genome reduction, which is often associated with a symbiotic lifestyle, predates the origin of Symbiodiniaceae. We postulate that adaptation to an extreme habitat (e.g., as inPolarella glacialis) or life in oligotrophic conditions resulted in the Suessiales ancestor having a haploid genome size<2Gbp, which was retained (or reduced) among all extant algae in this lineage. Nonetheless, our data reveal that the free-living lifestyle distinguishesEffreniumfrom symbiotic Symbiodiniaceae vis-à-vis their longer introns, more-extensive mRNA editing, fewer (∼30%) lineage-specific gene families, and lower (∼10%) level of pseudogenisation. These results demonstrate how genome reduction and the adaptation to symbiotic versus free-living lifestyles intersect, and have driven the diversification and genome evolution of Symbiodiniaceae.

Over 3 billion years, photosynthetic algae have evolved complex uses for cellulose, the most abundant polymer worldwide. A major cell-wall component of lignocellulosic plants, seaweeds, microalgae, and bacteria, cellulose can be processed to nanocellulose, a promising nanomaterial with novel properties. The structural diversity of macro- and microalgal nanocelluloses opens opportunities to couple low-impact biomass production with novel, green-chemistry processing to yield valuable, sustainable nanomaterials for a multitude of applications ranging from novel wound dressings to organic solar cells. We review the origins of algal cellulose and the applications and uses of nanocellulose, and highlight the potential for microalgae as a nanocellulose source. Given the limited state of current knowledge, we identify research challenges and strategies to help to realise this potential.

While the diversity of diasporic Muslim public experiences has been examined, the social contours of religious approach have received less attention. Moreover, the ways in which religion shapes marital relations remains understudied. This article, which features data from a larger research project, highlights two divergent trends in Muslim approaches to religion: exclusivity, which frames only one approach to Islam as correct, and inclusivity, which frames multiple approaches as correct. This divergence plays a role in shaping definitions of 'good Muslim', as exclusivist Muslims focus on ritual acts (outward observance), while inclusivist Muslims prioritize good manners (inward observance). The author demonstrates how these inward and outward definitions of Muslimness in turn inform how participants evaluate their spouses' religiosity and, thus, the potential for conflict over religiosity with their spouses.Alors que la diversité des expériences publiques des musulmans de la diaspora a été largement analysée, les contours sociaux de l’approche religieuse ont reçu moins d’attention. Par ailleurs, la manière dont la religion façonne les relations conjugales reste un sujet peu étudié. Cet article, qui présente les données d’un projet de recherche plus vaste, met en évidence deux tendances divergentes dans les approches musulmanes de la religion: l’exclusivité, qui considère qu’une seule approche de l’islam est acceptable, et l’inclusivité, qui considère que plusieurs approches sont acceptables. Cette contradiction joue un rôle dans la manière de définir le « bon musulman », car les musulmans exclusivistes se concentrent sur les actes rituels (observance extérieure), alors que les musulmans inclusivistes privilégient les bonnes manières (observance intérieure). L’auteur démontre comment ces définitions « intérieures » et « extérieures » de la condition musulmane influencent à leur tour la façon dont les participants évaluent la religiosité de leur conjoint et, par conséquent, les possibilités de conflit avec leur conjoint en matière de religiosité.

Background Dinoflagellates in the family Symbiodiniaceae are important photosynthetic symbionts in cnidarians (such as corals) and other coral reef organisms. Breakdown of the coral-dinoflagellate symbiosis due to environmental stress (i.e. coral bleaching) can lead to coral death and the potential collapse of reef ecosystems. However, evolution of Symbiodiniaceae genomes, and its implications for the coral, is little understood. Genome sequences of Symbiodiniaceae remain scarce due in part to their large genome sizes (1–5 Gbp) and idiosyncratic genome features. Results Here, we present de novo genome assemblies of seven members of the genus Symbiodinium, of which two are free-living, one is an opportunistic symbiont, and the remainder are mutualistic symbionts. Integrating other available data, we compare 15 dinoflagellate genomes revealing high sequence and structural divergence. Divergence among some Symbiodinium isolates is comparable to that among distinct genera of Symbiodiniaceae. We also recovered hundreds of gene families specific to each lineage, many of which encode unknown functions. An in-depth comparison between the genomes of the symbiotic Symbiodinium tridacnidorum (isolated from a coral) and the free-living Symbiodinium natans reveals a greater prevalence of transposable elements, genetic duplication, structural rearrangements, and pseudogenisation in the symbiotic species. Conclusions Our results underscore the potential impact of lifestyle on lineage-specific gene-function innovation, genome divergence, and the diversification of Symbiodinium and Symbiodiniaceae. The divergent features we report, and their putative causes, may also apply to other microbial eukaryotes that have undergone symbiotic phases in their evolutionary history.

“Red tides” are harmful algal blooms (HABs) caused by dinoflagellate microalgae that accumulate toxins lethal to other organisms, including humansviaconsumption of contaminated seafood. Increasingly frequent, HABs are driven by a combination of environmental factors including nutrient enrichment, particularly in warm waters. Here, we present thede novoassembled genome (~4.75 Gbp), transcriptome, proteome, and metabolome fromProrocentrum cordatum, a globally abundant, bloom-forming dinoflagellate. Using axenic algal cultures, we studied the molecular mechanisms that underpin response to temperature stress, which is relevant to current ocean warming trends. We discovered a complementary interplay between RNA editing and exon usage that regulates the expression and functional diversity of biomolecules, reflected by reduction in photosynthesis, central metabolism, and protein synthesis. Our multi-omics analyses uncover the molecular response to heat stress in an important HAB species, which is driven by complex gene structures in a large, high-G+C genome, combined with multi-level transcriptional regulation.

Dinoflagellates of the family Symbiodiniaceae are crucial photosymbionts in corals and other marine organisms. Of these

A data analytics application submitted to a Spark cluster often has to finish executing by a specified time target. To use cluster resources effectively, the key challenge is having the ability to gain quick insights on how the execution time of any given application is likely to be impacted by the resources allocated to the application, e.g., the number of Spark executor cores assigned, and the size of the data to be processed. Such insights can be used to quickly estimate the required resources and configure a Spark application for a desired execution time using the least amount of resources. Our paper proposes an automated execution time estimation approach called PERIDOT that involves executing a given application under a fixed resource setting with two different-sized, small subsets of its input data to offer fast, lightweight execution time predictions. It analyzes logs from these two executions to estimate the dependencies between internal stages of the application. Information on these dependencies combined with knowledge of Spark's data partitioning mechanisms is used to derive an analytic model that can estimate execution times for other resource settings and input data sizes. Our results from a wide range of applications and multiple Spark clusters show that PERIDOT can accurately estimate the execution time of an application from limited historical data, and suggest the minimum amount of resources required to closely meet an execution time target.

Coral reefs are fundamentally sustained by symbioses involving dinoflagellate algae in the Family Symbiodiniaceae. The coral symbiont Durusdinium trenchii is notable for enhancing the resilience of coral holobionts under thermal stress. Believed to have experienced whole-genome duplication (WGD), D. trenchii offers a valuable model system to understand how selection acts on the genome of a facultative symbiont after WGD. We present genome assemblies for two isolates of D. trenchii and confirm WGD in these taxa, providing the first example of this phenomenon in a single-celled eukaryotic symbiont. We assess how the facultative lifestyle has contributed to the retention and divergence of duplicated genes, and how these results intersect with the observed thermotolerance of corals hosting D. trenchii symbionts. Our findings reveal that the free-living lifestyle is the main driver of post-WGD evolution, however, they also implicate symbiosis in this process, with both lifestyles increasing algal fitness. Our results demonstrate that WGD, driven by selection in the free-living phase, has converted D. trenchii into a coral symbiont that serendipitously provides increased thermal stress protection to the host coral.

Dinoflagellates of the family Symbiodiniaceae are predominantly essential symbionts of corals and other marine organisms. Recent research reveals extensive genome sequence divergence among Symbiodiniaceae taxa and high phylogenetic diversity hidden behind subtly different cell morphologies. Using an alignment-free phylogenetic approach based on sub-sequences of fixed length k (i.e. k-mers), we assessed the phylogenetic signal among whole-genome sequences from 16 Symbiodiniaceae taxa (including the genera of Symbiodinium, Breviolum, Cladocopium, Durusdinium and Fugacium) and two strains of Polarella glacialis as outgroup. Based on phylogenetic trees inferred from k-mers in distinct genomic regions (i.e. repeat-masked genome sequences, protein-coding sequences, introns and repeats) and in protein sequences, the phylogenetic signal associated with protein-coding DNA and the encoded amino acids is largely consistent with the Symbiodiniaceae phylogeny based on established markers, such as large subunit rRNA. The other genome sequences (introns and repeats) exhibit distinct phylogenetic signals, supporting the expected differential evolutionary pressure acting on these regions. Our analysis of conserved core k-mers revealed the prevalence of conserved k-mers (>95% core 23-mers among all 18 genomes) in annotated repeats and non-genic regions of the genomes. We observed 180 distinct repeat types that are significantly enriched in genomes of the symbiotic versus free-living Symbiodinium taxa, suggesting an enhanced activity of transposable elements linked to the symbiotic lifestyle. We provide evidence that representation of alignment-free phylogenies as dynamic networks enhances the ability to generate new hypotheses about genome evolution in Symbiodiniaceae. These results demonstrate the potential of alignment-free phylogenetic methods as a scalable approach for inferring comprehensive, unbiased whole-genome phylogenies of dinoflagellates and more broadly of microbial eukaryotes.

Modern microbial taxonomy generally relies on the use of single marker genes or sets of concatenated genes to generate a framework for the delineation and classification of organisms at different taxonomic levels. However, given that DNA is the 'blueprint of life', and hence the ultimate arbiter of taxonomy, classification systems should attempt to use as much of the blueprint as possible to capture a comprehensive phylogenetic signal. Recent analysis of whole-genome sequences from coral reef symbionts (dinoflagellates of the family Symbiodiniaceae) and other microalgal groups has uncovered extensive divergence not recognised by current algal taxonomic approaches. In the era of 'sequence everything', we argue that whole-genome data are pivotal to guide informed taxonomic inference, particularly for microbial eukaryotes.

Historically, most Muslims understood sexuality as an aspect of fluid gender performance, not fixed sexual orientations. Decolonizing same-sex discourse can promote queer Muslim acceptance and also build positive relationships in normative Muslim communities. Drawing on theories of boundary-making and Orientalism, we investigate how sexual relations have been socially interpreted pre- and post-colonially and the consequent implications for non-heteronormative Muslims. When Muslim same-sex relations are socially constructed as expressions of gender performance, not sexual orientation, queer Muslims are within the boundaries of normative “Muslimness” in historical and some contemporary Muslim societies. However, when queerness is reconstructed in terms of sexual orientation, a product of Western colonial intervention, rather than gender performance, queer Muslims are excluded from normative Muslimness. We argue that this social reconstruction of same-sex relations as sexual orientation results in exclusionary boundaries and the ongoing neglect of queer Muslims in public discourse. We conclude that varying acceptance of queer Muslims in normative Muslim spaces, including both diasporic Muslim communities and Muslim-majority countries, may rest in whether same-sex relations are constructed as gender performance or sexual orientation—the former yielding inclusion of queer Muslims while the latter yields exclusion.

Dinoflagellates of the Symbiodiniaceae family encompass diverse symbionts that are critical to corals and other species living in coral reefs. It is well known that sexual reproduction enhances adaptive evolution in changing environments. Although genes related to meiotic functions were reported in Symbiodiniaceae, cytological evidence of meiosis and fertilisation are however yet to be observed in these taxa. Using transcriptome and genome data from 21 Symbiodiniaceae isolates, we studied genes that encode proteins associated with distinct stages of meiosis and syngamy. We report the absence of genes that encode main components of the synaptonemal complex (SC), a protein structure that mediates homologous chromosomal pairing and class I crossovers. This result suggests an independent loss of canonical SCs in the alveolates, that also includes the SC-lacking ciliates. We hypothesise that this loss was due in part to permanently condensed chromosomes and repeat-rich sequences in Symbiodiniaceae (and other dinoflagellates) which favoured the SC-independent class II crossover pathway. Our results reveal novel insights into evolution of the meiotic molecular machinery in the ecologically important Symbiodiniaceae and in other eukaryotes.

Religiosity is well documented as a coping resource that protects against the effects of discrimination on distress, but little is known about the utility of religious minorities’ religiosity. This...

The ongoing denigration of Arabs in the media, the Western democratic political shifts away from Muslim religious freedom, and increasing anxiety about Muslim radicalization prompt the question: How do Arabs respond to global events when the Muslim and Western worlds are perceived to clash? Our study draws on the theory of imagined communities to examine the extent to which exogenous world events influence attitudes towards out-group members in the Egyptian context. We apply a “pre-post” quasi-experimental design using the World Values Survey, and examine the influence the events of September 11th, 2001 had on Egyptian perceptions of Jews and non-Arabs. Results suggest that intolerance towards both Jews and ethnic minorities decreased after the attacks. Results also suggest a complex, dynamic association between religiosity and tolerance towards out-group members. We conclude by discussing the theoretical contributions of this paper by highlighting the significance of context and religion when framing imagined communities.

Dinoflagellates of the family Symbiodiniaceae (Order Suessiales) are predominantly symbiotic, and many are known for their association with corals. The genetic and functional diversity among Symbiodiniaceae is well acknowledged, but the genome-wide sequence divergence among these lineages remains little known. Here, we present de novo genome assemblies of five isolates from the basal genus Symbiodinium, encompassing distinct ecological niches. Incorporating existing data from Symbiodiniaceae and other Suessiales (15 genome datasets in total), we investigated genome features that are common or unique to these Symbiodiniaceae, to genus Symbiodinium, and to the individual species S. microadriaticum and S. tridacnidorum. Our whole-genome comparisons reveal extensive sequence divergence, with no sequence regions common to all 15. Based on similarity of k-mers from whole-genome sequences, the distances among Symbiodinium isolates are similar to those between isolates of distinct genera. We observed extensive structural rearrangements among symbiodiniacean genomes; those from two distinct Symbiodinium species share the most (853) syntenic gene blocks. Functions enriched in genes core to Symbiodiniaceae are also enriched in those core to Symbiodinium. Gene functions related to symbiosis and stress response exhibit similar relative abundance in all analysed genomes. Our results suggest that structural rearrangements contribute to genome sequence divergence in Symbiodiniaceae even within a same species, but the gene functions have remained largely conserved in Suessiales. This is the first comprehensive comparison of Symbiodiniaceae based on whole-genome sequence data, including comparisons at the intra-genus and intra-species levels.

Aim: Rhinomaxillary mucormycosis (RMM) is a detrimental and progressive deep fungal infection which predominantly affects immunocompromised patients. The disease has heterogeneity in clinical manifestation and presents with unfavorable consequences. Despite recent advances in the diagnosis and treatment, the disease has inadequate prognosis overall. The aim of our study is to compare Fluconazole vs. Itraconazole for the management of RMM.Methods: We retrieved demographic, clinical, radiological and histopathological data of patients affected with osteomyelitis in head and neck region and 33 patients exclusively affected with RMM were separated from departmental records. Several characteristics such as Gender, age, Diabetic status, co-morbidity were observed. Patients were randomly distributed in two groups with respect to the azole drug prescribed to them. Group A was given Fluconazole while group B was given Itraconazole. Aggressive surgery with concomitant use of antifungal drug was the mandatory treatment in all patients. Regular monitoring of side effects of drugs and recurrence was carried out for prolonged time.Results: Overall, 18 patients were male and 15 patients were female with a ratio of M:F 1.2. Mean age of patients was 48.21 (11.66) with the age range from 25 years to 70 years. Out of 33 patients, 30 of the patients (90.9%) were diabetic. Fifteen patients in Group A were managed with Fluconazole while 18 patients in group B were treated with Itraconazole. There was no statistically significant difference observed in most of the clinical signs and symptoms presented in both groups as p>0.05 except for bone necrosis (P=0.381). In group A, 4 patients exhibited recurrence (26.6%) while in group B, 5 (27.7%) patients presented with recurrence (p=0.943).Conclusion: Aggressive surgical approach along with supportive antifungal medication remained the mainstay of the treatment. Between Fluconazole and Itraconazole there was no difference observed., Amaç: Çalışmamızın amacı, rhinomaksiler mukormikoz (RMM) tedavisi için Fluconazole - Itraconazole uygulamasını karşılaştırmaktır.Yöntemler: Baş ve boyun bölgesinde osteomiyelit ile etkilenen hastaların demografik, klinik, radyolojik ve histopatolojik verilerini aldık ve sadece RMM'den etkilenen 33 hasta bölümsel kayıtlardan ayrıldı. Cinsiyet, yaş, diyabetik durum, komorbidite gibi çeşitli özellikler kaydedildi. Hastalar, kendilerine verilen azol ilacı açısından rastgele iki gruba ayrıldı. A grubuna Flukonazol, B grubuna Itrakonazol verildi. Antifungal ilacın birlikte kullanılması ile yapılan agresif cerrahi, tüm hastalarda zorunlu tedavi idi. İlaçların yan etkilerinin düzenli olarak izlenmesi ve tekrarlama uzun süre takip edildi.Bulgular: Toplamda 18 hasta erkek, 15 hasta kadındı (E/K 1,2). Hastaların yaş ortalaması 48.21 (11,66), yaşları 25 ile 70 arasında değişmekteydi. 33 hastanın 30'u (%90,9) diyabetikti. Grup A'da 15 hasta Fluconazole ile tedavi edilirken, grup B'de 18 hasta Itraconazole ile tedavi edildi. Kemik nekrozu dışında her iki grupta da sunulan klinik belirti ve semptomların çoğunda p>0.05 düzeyinde istatistiksel olarak anlamlı bir fark bulunmadı (P=0.381). Grup A'da 4 hastada nüks görüldü (%26,6), grup B'de ise 5 hastada (%27,7) nüks saptandı (p=0,943).Sonuç: Destekleyici antifungal ilaçlar ile birlikte agresif cerrahi yaklaşım tedavinin dayanak noktası olarak kaldı. Flukonazol ve Itrakonazol arasında anlamlı bir fark gözlenmedi.

Distiller-dried grain solid (DDGS), a co-product of alcohol production, contains cereal grain residues, proteins, and yeast metabolites, which make it suitable in poultry feeding. However, high phytate content of DDGS limits its applicability in poultry feed. In this study, Plackett–Burman design was used to improve cell-bound phytase production by Williopsis saturnus NCIM 3298, and we achieved an enzyme activity of 269 IU/g of dry–wet biomass. The effect of this enhanced phytase-displaying yeast strain on hydrolysis of corn phytate and subsequently on ethanol production and DDGS quality was then investigated. Results of saccharification in the presence of phytase showed that reducing sugar content of liquefied mash increased by 11%, which subsequently improved the ethanol production by 18% (w/v) (p

Complete mitochondrion-related organelle (MRO) genomes of several subtypes (STs) of the unicellular stramenopile Blastocystis are presented. Complete conservation of gene content and synteny in gene order is observed across all MRO genomes, comprising 27 protein coding genes, 2 ribosomal RNA genes, and 16 transfer RNA (tRNA) genes. Despite the synteny, differences in the degree of overlap between genes were observed between subtypes and also between isolates within the same subtype. Other notable features include unusual base-pairing mismatches in the predicted secondary structures of some tRNAs. Intriguingly, the rps4 gene in some MRO genomes is missing a start codon and, based on phylogenetic relationships among STs, this loss has happened twice independently. One unidentified open reading frame (orf160) is present in all MRO genomes. However, with the exception of ST4 where the feature has been lost secondarily, orf160 contains variously one or two in-frame stop codons. The overall evidence suggests that both the orf160 and rps4 genes are functional in all STs, but how they are expressed remains unclear.

Objective: The aim of this study was to find out the performances of the operative section of the dental department by instructional against non-instructional/training dentists in Faisalabad along with a comparison of dental material and methodology selection by the dentist of both the categories. Methodology: The design of the research was cross-sectional performed at Dental Departments of Allied Hospital Faisalabad and chosen private dental clinic on variant locations of Faisalabad. The total number of dental patients enrolled for the research was seventy-one and ninety-seven in teaching as well as non-teaching category respectively. Researcher performed stratified casual specimen for research. Concerning data was achieved by utilizing self-managed and arranged questionnaire. Questionnaires consist of ten questions. Researcher utilized chi-square test for assessing differences of services design in the both categories along with application of Kappa static, to find out the authentication of facts collected for the research. Results: the ratio of response in teaching category was almost ninety-five percent (seventy-one out of seventy-five) whereas, in non-teaching category, it was forty-four percent (ninety-seven out two hundred and twenty). The authenticity of the collected facts achieved in this research is accounted as best (the value of Kappa is 0.53 to 0.72). There are expressive variations in between the dual categories concerning to selection of indemnity for the cavity. The selection concerning to utilization of bleaching elements for whitening of teeth, retraction cords, porcelain veneers, rubber dams, gold crowns and inlay- on lay preparedness is expressively changed in both the categories. The entire of these performances are given by a large number of teaching dentists against the private clinicians. Conclusions: The findings of our research are that there is statically expressive variation in the accomplishment, choice of dental material and design of dental performances given by the teaching dentist’s category against the private clinician’s category. Key Words: Potency, Approximately Million, Glass Ionomers, Self-Managed, Expressive Variations, Retraction Cords.

This paper will add to the expanding scholarship in the sociology of Islam and explore the influence of Sunni-Shi’a affiliation on views of gender traditionalism. Using a subset of the World Values Survey, we contrast views towards women’s roles in society held by Sunni and Shi’a respondents in Iran, Iraq, Lebanon and Pakistan (n = 10,799). Our findings suggest that views of gender traditionalism are not solely a function of sectarian affiliation but that educational attainment, income, demographic factors and national culture are stronger and more consistent predictors of gender traditionalism than sectarian affiliation alone. We draw from theories of religious incongruence and discuss the theoretical implications of our findings. These findings suggest the need for additional research that links sociological theories of religion to the empirical study of Islam, as well as a greater emphasis on the role that social context plays in shaping Muslim public opinion.

We have conducted an open observational study of the use of spironolactone 25-50 mg in the management of patients with resistant hypertension. This drug was recommended in 133 patients who were already receiving an angiotensin-blocking drug in addition to other therapies.Of these, three defaulted from follow-up and 11 could not tolerate spironolactone. We therefore have outcome data on 119 patients. The addition of spironolactone (median dose 25 mg) was associated with a mean (SD) fall in systolic blood pressure of 21.7 mmHg (24.0; P0.001) and diastolic blood pressure of 8.5 mmHg (14.9; P0.001). In two patients spironolactone had to be discontinued on account of a rise of serum potassium to above 6.0 mmol/l, whereas overall the mean increase in serum potassium was 0.3 mmol/l.With careful monitoring of plasma electrolytes, spironolactone at a low dose is an effective add-in drug in patients with hypertension resistant to a regime that includes an angiotensin-blocking agent.

Subarachnoid haemorrhage affects up to 9,000 people a year in the UK (Lindsay and Bone 1997) and is a devastating condition. Although many patients make a good physical recovery, some are left with cognitive and perceptual deficits. Early rehabilitation and support is essential, and caring for these patients and their families is a major challenge for nurses.

Background. The benefits of using plasma arc curing lights with their shorter curing times in the management of children are potentially great, provided there are no adverse effects. Objective. The aim of this study was to investigate whether the microleakage of a resin-based sealant is influenced by polymerization with either a conventional quartz tungsten halogen or a plasma arc curing light. Design. This study took the form of an in vitro randomized control trial. Seventy extracted human first and second permanent premolars and molars were randomly allocated into two groups. Their occlusal surfaces were sealed with a light-cured fissure sealant using either a quartz tungsten halogen curing light or a plasma arc curing light. The teeth were then sectioned, resulting in four surfaces per tooth, which were examined for microleakage under × 15 magnification with a light microscope. The principal unit of analysis was the tooth (worst section score) and not the section microleakage score. Results. No statistical significant difference in microleakage scoring between the two groups was demonstrated. Conclusion. This study found no difference in the degree of microleakage of fissure sealants polymerized by either light source.

Transformed mouse mammary epithelial cells, r3T, injected into the arterial circulation form bone metastases with high frequency. Here we report that metastases to the choroid of the eye also occur in these mice with a penetrance of at least 50%. The tumors can occupy as much as half the volume of the eye, and pigmented cells become incorporated into and distributed throughout the tumors. Pigmentation is also observed in the brains and optic nerves of mice with choroidal tumors, suggesting that the tumor cells stimulate migration of pigmented cells along the optic nerve into the brain. To our knowledge, this is the first mouse model of breast cancer choroidal metastasis, and should be useful in the study of this disease.

Sharing of best practice and use of all available evidence is important in developing effective clinical guidelines for nursing practice. This can be achieved through benchmarking. Sharing of good practice and achieving consensus guidelines can avoid repetition of effort by nurses engaged in similar fields of practice. The Pan London Neuroscience Practice Development Forum was established in 1998 to share best practice within the field of neuroscience nursing across London. The Pan London Forum has now achieved consensus and developed evidence-based clinical guidelines for the management of external ventricular drainage. Within the scope of this article, the principles of external ventricular drainage will be highlighted, before identifying the evidence base for nursing management of patients. Approaches for troubleshooting common problems will also be discussed and the benchmarked clinical guidelines will be presented.

This article discusses the use of the Glasgow Coma Scale and its role as part of an holistic neurological assessment.