Journal of Indian Society of Periodontology (JISP) a makeover and helped it carve a niche in the mind of the dental scientific community.I cannot think of any other title that would be concise and at the same time express the huge magnitude of the change that has helped in planting ISP firmly on the world periodontists’ map. The dynamic thinking of the editor, my mentor, Dr D Arunachalam has given JISP one of the first Indian journals on dentistry to be indexed with Pubmed, archived with PMC and have a regular citation tracking.This new avatar, our editor’s brainchild, eliminated geographical boundaries by enabling electronic submission and review of all articles. The regular publication with international participation and registration with DOI have made JISP now has its own blog, and a Wikipedia page. It is also available as an e-book and in mobile optimised formats and has its records added to library search engines (Discover Solutions) and secondary aggregation agencies like ProQuest.Keeping pace with the expanding web usage, JISP, www.jisponline.comI am grateful to the periodontal fraternity for selecting us to showcase their original research and to our expert review panel in maintaining the highest quality of scientific content. It is indeed an honour to be associated with this new chapter of


Cardiovascular Journal of Africa (CVJA) is increasingly gaining recognition as a medical science journal of standing. It is widely distributed and indexed, with at least 3 000 full-text articles downloaded a month via PubMed alone. This is apart from South African and African tertiary institutions, which have access to full-text capabilities on the SABINET system.The The CVJA is now an important source of information in Africa on diseases related to the cardiovascular system. It also presents significant advances worldwide in heart disease and related technology.It is envisaged that 10 issues of CVJA will be published in 2012; essentially a 40% expansion in journal content. This is in response to the increase in numbers of submitted and accepted manuscripts, despite the relatively high rejection rate of 50%. This will significantly shorten the time between acceptance of articles and publication.The main obstacle to the journal’s further development is adequate funding, outside of advertising revenue. Government will be approached, possibly through the MRC, as well as international philanthropic organisations such as the Bill Gates Foundation and the Qatar Sovereign Fund. Sponsorships are constantly being sought.Funding for medical research in South Africa and Africa is raised in a number of ways, such as from governments, international philanthropic and research organisations, sponsorship from private enterprises, societies’ membership subscriptions, campaigns to collect money from the public for heart and cancer research, and individual bequests. Whatever the amounts raised they always seem insufficient to meet the demand.Medical research is of little value if it is not published and made available to the global community. Unpublished medial research is a waste of money, time and effort. More support is therefore needed for journal publications.Payment to process manuscripts is now required by many journals. The CVJA has recently introduced a modest processing fee of $50 per article. In order to obtain additional funding, the journal also provides an up-to-date news section for clinicians, including conference coverage and interviews with medical experts. Additional charges for advance online publication on PubMed are now an accepted feature, which works well for those authors requiring speedy publication of results.The splintering of medical disciplines into minor groups is a complicating factor for the publication of relevant medical research. Each group produces a journal for its internal communication and consequently, many more ‘overnight’ or ‘passingthrough journals’ come to life. ‘Birth control’ may need to be practiced by the various disciplines and all will have to consider consolidating and working together.Cardiovasc J Afr 2010; 21(5): 268–273. This concept of coping with stress has not to our knowledge been studied before in African men. The award for 2011 is now under consideration by the CVJA evaluating panel.Good-quality research published in the CVJA is now recognised, with the introduction of the Andries Brink-Kaye Award. In 2010 this award was presented to Andrea de Kock of Potchefstroom University for her article ‘Coping and metabolic syndrome indicators in urban black South African men: the SABPA study’ in There is little doubt that the CVJA has filled a need and has a promising future. We will be celebrating 25 years of publishing cardiovascular research in Africa in 2014, which is only 24 months away. As part of our strategy, we are planning an African celebratory issue. Relevant ideas from our readers and other stakeholders would be appreciated.


D) fixed by planktonic cyanobacteria in pelagic food webs remains unresolved, particularly for toxic cyanophytes that are selectively avoided by most herbivorous zooplankton. Current theory suggests that ND fixed during cyanobacterial blooms can enter planktonic food webs contemporaneously with peak bloom biomass via direct grazing of zooplankton on cyanobacteria or via the uptake of bioavailable ND  by palatable phytoplankton or microbial consortia. Alternatively, ND can enter planktonic food webs post-bloom following the remineralization of bloom detritus. Although the relative contribution of these processes to planktonic nutrient cycles is unknown, we hypothesized that assimilation of bioavailable ND  by palatable phytoplankton and subsequent grazing by zooplankton  would be the primary pathway by which ND was incorporated into the planktonic food web. Instead, in situ stable isotope measurements and grazing experiments clearly documented that the assimilation of ND by zooplankton outpaced assimilation by palatable phytoplankton during a bloom of toxic Nodularia spumigena Mertens. We identified two distinct temporal phases in the trophic transfer of ND from N. spumigena to the plankton community. The first phase was a highly dynamic transfer of ND to zooplankton with rates that covaried with bloom biomass while bypassing other phytoplankton taxa; a trophic transfer that we infer was routed through bloom-associated bacteria. The second phase was a slowly accelerating assimilation of the dissolved-ND pool by phytoplankton that was decoupled from contemporaneous variability in N. spumigena concentrations. These findings provide empirical evidence that ND can be assimilated and transferred rapidly throughout natural plankton communities and yield insights into the specific processes underlying the propagation of ND through pelagic food webs.The fate of diazotrophic nitrogen (N The filamentous N. spumigena is a toxic diazotrophic cyanobacterium that produces the hepatotoxin nodularin D, be it via uptake of ND exuded by N. spumigena during the bloom or remineralised post bloom. We expected evidence of a bloom-contemporary transfer of ND to zooplankton, although we hypothesized that this was likely to be small relative to post-bloom processes. We also hypothesized that direct grazing of zooplankton on N. spumigena would be negligible and we conducted grazing experiments to quantify the role of direct grazing. We used δ15N stable isotope data to track the fate of bloom-derived ND and generate estimates of mass-specific flux rates of ND through different functional groups of the plankton community. Patterns in ND flux rates and compositional changes in the plankton community were interpreted to infer the role of contemporaneous  and post-bloom processes  as delivery mechanisms of ND to the planktonic food web. Our study verifies the transfer of ND from cyanobacteria to multiple elements of the estuarine food web and identifies the specific trophic routing that facilitates the propagation of ND to higher trophic levels.Our current understanding of plankton trophodynamics and cyanobacterial physiology suggests that NNodularia spumigena Mertens The Gippsland Lakes are an interconnected chain of three lagoonal estuaries in southeastern Victoria  that are subject to anthropogenic eutrophication and experience episodic blooms of Bioassay experiments were conducted using the dilution method in situ temperatures under natural light conditions: ∼ 100 µmol photons m−2 s−1 illumination and a 14-hr light:10-hr dark cycle. The composition of the autotrophic community was analysed non-destructively in a Phytopam , which quantifies the relative contribution of green (chlorophytes), brown (diatoms and dinoflagellates) and cyan (cyanobacteria) groups to the total measured chlorophyll fluorescence . Regression of Phytopam output against direct cell counts showed the intensity of the cyan channel to be an excellent predictor of N. spumigena biovolume . During the experiments, there was evidence that N. spumigena fluorescence was contributing to the intensity of the green channel; therefore, the green channel was not considered in the data analysis. This was justified on the basis that chlorophytes made a negligible contribution to total phytoplankton biomass throughout this study. Dark-adapted fluorescence measurements were taken at the start of each incubation and every 1–2 days thereafter from each chamber. Incubations were maintained for 7–12 d; however, growth and grazing rate calculations were based on the initial response of each phytoplankton group  to minimize the influence of bottle-effects on rate measurements.Three replicate 100-ml incubations were prepared in 150 ml chambers by diluting ambient estuary water with 0.7 µm GF/F filtered water in ratios of 1∶0 , 1∶4 and 1∶19. Incubation chambers were maintained in a water bath at G, d−1) associated with color channels were calculated for each replicate incubation chamber. A least-squares linear regression was fitted to G (dependent variable) across the three different dilution regimes (independent variable) and the extrapolated intercept interpreted as the maximum predicted daily growth rate (Gmax) in the absence of zooplankton grazing. The difference between Gmax and the mean G observed in the undiluted control samples yields an estimate of grazing rate  by zooplankton on each phytoplankton group. Differences in rG between the cyan and brown groups were tested with a separate variance t-test due to evidence of heteroskedasticity in the data .Daily growth rates of phytoplankton  and Sedgewick Rafter chamber (larger taxa). Biovolumes of N. spumigena were estimated using the Sedgewick Rafter chamber on the Lugol’s preserved samples. Additional biovolume estimates were provided by ancillary sampling conducted by the Victorian Environmental Protection Agency (EPA).We targeted four unique components of the planktonic food web for stable isotope analysis: phytoplankton (0.7–63 µm), microzooplankton (80–149 µm), mesozooplankton (≥150 µm), and N. spumigena filaments in the sample and subsequent analysis verified that the day-specific δ15N of the 63 µm filtered phytoplankton was significantly enriched relative to ambient water samples during the bloom  but not after . Larger size classes of plankton were collected by towing an 80 µm plankton net for 3–5 min at ∼ 3 km h−1 at each location. High concentrations of N. spumigena filaments in net samples precluded the partitioning of plankton size classes in the field; therefore, whole plankton samples were stored in sample bottles with 0.7 µm filtered ambient water and held on ice for up to several hours until stored at −20°C in the laboratory.The 0.7–63 µm phytoplankton samples were collected by filtering a known volume of 63 µm prefiltered ambient water onto pre-combusted glass fiber filters . Prefiltering removed most N. spumigena filaments from other plankton in the water samples. A 150-µm sieve was used to separate the remaining plankton into the 80–149 µm microzooplankton and ≥150 µm mesozooplankton size classes. After filtering, light microscopy was used to verify that biomass of N. spumigena was a negligible component of the size-fractioned plankton samples. If substantial N. spumigena filaments were apparent , size-fractioned samples were diluted with deionized water and centrifuged at 2000–4000 rpm in a refrigerated swinging bucket centrifuge for 5–10 min. Non-N. spumigena plankton typically settled out first and formed the apex of the sediment; whereas, N. spumigena remained suspended in solution or formed a recognizable green upper layer on the sediment. The supernatant and any sedimented N. spumigena was discarded and the remaining sediment re-examined under a microscope. This procedure was repeated until the bulk of the sample biomass was composed of non-N. spumigena taxa. The sample material was then refiltered and triple-rinsed with deionized water to remove any particulates generated during the centrifugation process.In the laboratory, samples were thawed and a pipette used to siphon the positively buoyant Aulacoseira sp., Pseudo-nitzschia sp., Skeletonema costatum), with scattered mixotrophs  and heterotrophs  also present at low levels. Microzooplankton biomass was primarily heterotrophic zooplankton  with mixotrophic dinoflagellates and Coscinodiscus sp. contributing a small fraction to the total organic biomass. Biomass in the mesozooplankton was almost exclusively heterotrophic zooplankton .The size classes in this study generally correspond to taxonomically and functionally different plankton components δ-notation relative to ambient air with precision = 0.1‰.Samples were held in an oven at 60°C until completely dried (min 48 hrs), after which they were ground to a fine homogenous powder and packed into sterile tin capsules for N-isotope analysis. Isotope samples were analysed on a Hydra 20–22 isotope ratio mass-spectrometer and coupled ANCA-GSL2 elemental analyser  at Monash University. Isotope values are reported in the δ15N of plankton groups at each site from initial conditions (pre-bloom) to the termination of the bloom (22 September 2011–7 February 2012).Least-squares linear regression was used to assess the magnitude of observed declines in D) into the non-N. spumigena plankton groups were calculated using isotope mass balances. Mass-specific rate calculations were carried out using the mass-balance approach described by Montoya et al. δ15N was included in estimates of ND flux into the micro- and mesozooplankton groups, but not the phytoplankton group. The proportion of ND present in the biomass of plankton group i at day t was estimated by calculating the proportion of ND in each plankton sample, p, using a simple two-endmember mixing model:i,tδN is the nitrogen isotope value of plankton group i at time t, i,0δN is the nitrogen isotope value of the plankton group prior to the N. spumigena bloom, NodδN is the average nitrogen isotope value of N. spumigena, and Δ is the trophic fractionation value assigned to that particular plankton group.Daily uptake rates of diazotrophic N (NV (d−1), was calculated as:Δt is the interval in days between samples and i,tp is the proportion of the total nitrogen derived from ND in plankton group i at day = t. Mass-specific uptake of ND, i,tρ (nmol N mg−1 d−1), was then calculated as:The specific rate of nitrogen uptake, Δ = 3.4 ‰ ρ estimates increased by 14.9±8.2 (SD) nmol N mg−1 d−1 (microzooplankton) and 27.8±13.0 nmol N mg−1 d−1 (mesozooplankton) for each 1 ‰ increase in the value of the Δ parameter. These patterns were consistent: estimates of ND flux increased (decreased) for a plankton group if the group was assigned to a higher (lower) estimated trophic position or if the value of the fractionation term was increased (decreased). Although the absolute value of our flux estimates are contingent on the value of Δ, the relative changes and the overall patterns among plankton groups were unaffected by the presence or absence of the fractionation term. In the absence of empirical trophic position estimates for zooplankton in this study and based on the flexible feeding ecologies of these taxa, we opted to include Δ while using a conservative estimate of 1 trophic exchange between zooplankton groups and their putative food source.We used a nominal one-trophic level enrichment of δ15ND can also occur during assimilation of dissolved ND by phytoplankton 4+ in the water column 4+ and NO3−, particularly when N-limited; thus, the mass-balance of the combined uptake of total DIN by phytoplankton would not reflect the kinetic discrimination of 15ND during nitrification. Taken together, these conditions suggest that declines in δ15N values across plankton groups were primarily driven by assimilation of ND into their tissues rather than a reduction in the concentration of 15N in the DIN pool.Fractionation of D through planktonic food webs; yet ultimately, the planktonic web is only one of several interacting components of the larger aquatic food web. We investigated the transfer of bloom-associated ND to the demersal food web by analyzing the white muscle and liver tissue δ15N composition of a commercially caught finfish, black bream Acanthopagrus butcheri, collected over the course of the study. The δ15N composition of fish muscle and liver tissue equilibrate to the isotopic composition of diet (with fractionation) at different rates δ15N value of these tissues during a time-series can provide an indicator of the timing and relative magnitude of ND flux from the pelagic food web to the demersal food web. All fish were collected with gill nets from areas affected by the N. spumigena bloom and immediately frozen. White muscle from the dorsal musculature and liver tissue were dried at 60°C, then pulverized and analysed for δ15N on the isotope ratio mass-spectrometer as previously described.The focus of this study is on the flux of NN. spumigena throughout Lake King during the summer months of November 2011 to February 2012. N. spumigena was present in low concentrations (c. 0.5 mm3 L−1) at both sites in Lake King by late September (study day = 21) but substantial biovolumes did not develop until mid-November , the secondary bloom of N. spumigena had collapsed at both sites and biovolumes declined to concentrations of ∼ 0.2 mm3 L−1; by May N. spumigena was no longer detectable in the water column.There was a large bloom of N. spumigena bloom, the autotrophic plankton community was dominated by the cyanobacterium Eucapsis sp., the diatom Coscinodiscus sp. and a chlorophyte Kirchneriella sp. Copepods, primarily adult Sulcanus conflictus  and a mixed assemblage of unidentified adult-stage calanoids and nauplii, were the most abundant zooplankton taxa during the same pre-bloom period. There was a shift in the plankton community coincident with the N. spumigena bloom that was marked by declines in most of the dominant pre-bloom taxa and the appearance of previously unobserved taxa. The autotrophic plankton community of the mid-summer peak bloom period was numerically dominated by N. spumigena with the remainder composed of a suite of diatoms , dinoflagellates  and a small number  of unidentified chlorophytes. Non-N. spumigena phytoplankton typically contributed an average of <5% to total autotrophic cell counts during the bloom. The cyclopoid copepod Oncaea media replaced S. conflictus as the most abundant copepod species with copepod nauplii, bivalve veligers, and ciliates  also present. Following the final collapse of the N. spumigena bloom, the diatoms Pseudo-nitzschia cf. pungens and S. costatum, dinoflagellates Prorocentrum minimum, Prorocentrum lima, and C. furca, and unidentified chlorophytes dominated the phytoplankton. Abundant post-bloom zooplankton included the ciliates Favella sp. and Mesodinium rubrum, several cyclopoid copepods including O. media, and a mixed assemblage of copepod nauplii.Prior to the Gr (d−1), between N. spumigena and a combined diatom and dinoflagellate group. For N. spumigena, growth rate peaked at G = 0.34±0.12 (SD) d−1 on study day = 106, coincident with the first peak in bloom biovolume. Among the diatoms and dinoflagellates, G peaked later in the time series at 0.46±0.15 on study day = 161 following the collapse of the N. spumigena bloom. Estimates of specific grazing rates (N. spumigena (Gr = −0.25±0.23) and preferentially selected  the diatoms and dinoflagellates (Gr = 0.62±0.97). These taxon-specific patterns in grazing rate were consistent over the course of the bloom cycle  ‰ and −0.1±0.5 ‰ for the northern and southern site, respectively. Negative δ15N values in this range of are typical of nitrogen-fixing cyanobacteria such as N. spumigenaN. spumigena, δ15N values of the other plankton groups were enriched, with pre-bloom isotope values spanning 8.8–11.8 ‰ , 3.9±1.8 ‰ in the 80–149 µm size class (hereafter “microzooplankton”) and 4.9±0.7 ‰ in the ≥150 µm size class (hereafter “mesozooplankton”) by early February. During the bloom, daily rates of change in δ15N among plankton groups ranged from −0.03 to −0.07 ‰ d−1 and were consistent within size classes between sites.Plankton isotope dynamics followed very similar trends between the two sampling locations . Through8–11.8 ‰ . FollowiD flux ρ (µmol diazotrophic N mg dry wt−1 day−1) into plankton groups indicated rapid and dynamic transfer of ND into all measured compartments of the planktonic food web (ρ over time in the phytoplankton showed ND-flux accelerated consistently throughout the bloom and most of the post-bloom periods (study days 89–196) at rates of 0.97±0.08 (SE) nmol ND mg−1 d−2 at the north site  and 1.32±0.20 nmol ND mg−1 d−2 at the south site . Mean flux rates of ND into the phytoplankton peaked at ρ = 126.8 and 135.6 nmol N mg−1 d−1 at the north and south sites respectively, approximately 20 to 30 d after the collapse of the secondary bloom. Flux rates had declined to 68.0 (north site) and 104.8 nmol ND mg−1 d−1 (south site) by the end of the time-series. Flux into the micro- and mesozooplankton groups differed from that into the phytoplankton in both the timing and magnitude of peak uptake rates  d (microzooplankton) and 21±11 d (mesozooplankton). Mean peak ρ values for the microzooplankton ranged from 211.4–217.1 nmol ND mg−1 d−1 at the north site and 151.8–191.8 nmol ND mg−1 d−1 at the south site. Mesozooplankton displayed comparable uptake maxima, with ρ values of 288.7–295.0 nmol ND mg−1 d−1 at the north site and 288.4–258.9 nmol ND mg−1 d−1 at the south site. Similar to the phytoplankton, ρ had declined by the end of the time-series at both sites to 60.5–109.8 nmol ND mg−1 d−1 in the microzooplankton and 60.4–65.8 nmol ND mg−1 d−1 in the mesozooplankton.Estimates of mass-specific Nfood web . Least-ske rates . Unlike δ15N values for black bream displayed different patterns over the course of the time-series  to 9.9±0.1 ‰ after the post-bloom depletion (study days: 181–202). Post-hoc tests of differences between bloom and post-bloom periods for each tissue showed no difference for muscle tissue ; whereas, the decline in liver δ15N was significant between bloom periods  and nutrient addition experiments showed N-limitation among diatoms and dinoflagellates  that indicate a rapid transfer of ND from filamentous cyanobacteria to epiphytic bacteria . Bacterivory is very common among the protozoan and certain metazoan  taxa that constitute the microzooplankton N. spumigena-associated bacteria has been inferred from experimental mesocosms D to the microzooplankton. In turn, mesozooplankton are effective predators of microzooplankton ρ that we observed between the micro- and mesozooplankton suggests a close coupling between these two functional groups. Thus, nutrient transfer from N. spumigena to consortial bacteria followed by heterotrophic transfers from bacteria to microzooplankton to mesozooplankton represents the most likely trophic pathway supporting the flux of ND into heterotrophic zooplankton taxa.In the absence of direct grazing, we infer that ND in the zooplankton functional groups versus the autotrophic producers throughout the bloom and immediate post-bloom phases  estuary. Further work is needed to quantify the total flux of ND during different bloom phases as well as the allocation of assimilated ND to the somatic and metabolic demands of higher trophic level consumers within the estuarine food web.Results from the tissue analysis of black bream provide initial evidence that the post-bloom uptake of remineralized ND constitutes a potentially important subsidy for production among higher trophic levels in coastal and oceanic pelagic food webs D during the bloom and the post-bloom weeks  the short-term ‘snapshot’ characteristics of the sampling regimes. Other studies have noted the transfer of ND-fixation products from diazotrophic cyanobacteria to consortial bacteria D from cyanobacteria to zooplankton. Our results provide strong support for this consensus and emphasize the trophic linkages between N. spumigena-associated bacterial communities and the eukaryotic elements of the planktonic food web Click here for additional data file.


World Allergy Organization Journal  has recently published a number of position papers, statements and guidelines on topics of global importance in allergy and clinical immunology, including hereditary angioedema [http://www.waojournal.org). This significant publishing activity represents the ongoing goals of the WAO Journal to provide the most up-to-date and useful information on critical topics of global relevance in the field of allergy/immunology. Since the switch by the World Allergy Organization (WAO) of its Journal to an online-only format five years ago, the Journal has disseminated timely, informative original studies and reviews that offer a global perspective. Now in the sixth year of publication, there are a number of important updates and changes regarding the WAO Journal that should be highlighted.The gioedema , urticargioedema , probiotgioedema , biodivegioedema , as wellgioedema , an effoWAO Journal is now published by BioMed Central, as of January 2013, introducing a new era for the Journal in the open-access publishing arena. The Journal’s former publisher, Lippincott Williams & Wilkins, partnered with WAO to create and develop the WAO Journal as a fully online publication, and at the time of its launch, it was one of the few of its kind. This recent move to open access publishing reinforces the vision of the WAO Journal as a fully accessible authoritative resource for allergists, immunologists and all medical professionals interested in the field. While the Journal has been freely available to all individual members of the WAO Member Societies, it is now fully open to readers everywhere, and its contents will also be available through PubMed Central. This move is pmount in the continuing evolution of the WAO Journal as an indispensable source of new research and authoritative review of scientific and clinical advances and knowledge in the allergy community worldwide.The Another significant change coming in the Journal’s sixth year is an editorial transition, as this will be my last year as Editor-in-Chief. This represents a completion of my five-year tenure in this role. Over the next six months WAO will be searching for and evaluating a potential new Editor-in-Chief, derived and solicited from all corners of our community. The new Editor-in-Chief will ideally serve for a few months as Deputy Editor-in-Chief, assuming full responsibility as Editor-in-Chief in January 2014. It is satisfying to see, during my term as Editor-in-Chief, the progress the Journal has made as the flagship publication of the World Allergy Organization in providing a global forum for the exchange of research and information on allergy, asthma, and clinical immunology through publication of original research, clinical reviews, position papers, and epidemiological studies that contribute practice-relevant science in patient care.


Of all the goals listed in last year's President's address, most of them were realized. The National Health Personnel Licensing Examination Board (NHPLEB) of the Republic of Korea earned the ISO 9001 certificate in August 2011. The Journal of Educational Evaluation for Health Professions (JEEHP) was accepted as an official journal of the Association for Medical Education in the Western Pacific Region. This means that a new international window was opened for communicating ideas on educational evaluation within the Western Pacific Region. Another remarkable project was two trial runs of an examination of ubiquitous-based testing (UBT) for medical technologist students in November and December 2011. Smart pads were kindly provided by Korea Telecom. Some bandwidth problems and procedural mistakes in the first examination were corrected in the second one. The response from examinees and the faculty was favorable to UBT suggesting the possibility of introducing UBT to the variety of national health personnel licensing examinations. At last November's meeting of the Board of the Korean Medical Licensing Examination, the NHPLEB was also asked to prepare for the introduction of computer-based testing (CBT) within 7 years. 2012 is the 20th anniversary of NHPLEB. To continue the success of the last 20 years of hard work and perspiration, a conference will be held this May. Here, the new short-term and long-term goals of NHPLEB and new educational evaluation projects will be discussed in depth, preparing plans for the next 20 years worthy of our pride and admiration. Among those planned projects, UBT and CBT will be implemented to two health personnel fields, medical technologists and dentists as trial run of examination.I have been pleased to observe the increase in the papers published through this journal. In 2012, I hope an even greater number of invaluable articles will appear in the journal to promote higher quality educational evaluation for health personnel.


CCL5 (Rantes) is a chemotactic cytokine playing an active role in recruiting leukocytes into inflammatory sites and known to attract Treg cells in solid tumors where they inhibit immune responses.vs. 1.17 ± 0.48 ng/ml; p<0.01). Myeloid-derived suppressor cells (MDSC), a major cell type producing CCL5 in blood, also presented a reduced capacity to produce CCL5 in these tolerant animals. In contrast, intragraft levels of CCL5 mRNA and protein were higher in tolerated allografts, establishing an increased graft-to-periphery CCL5 gradient possibly contributing to the recruitment of Treg cells into the graft, as in solid tumor, and leading to the establishment and maintenance of tolerance. To test the hypothesis, we broke the gradient by restoring normal plasma concentrations of CCL5 by implantation of osmotic pumps. This induced a strong reduction of intragraft Treg cells , and led to an increase of creatinine and urea concentrations and eventually to kidney graft rejection.In rat recipients of kidney allografts where tolerance was induced by costimulation blockade, we observed a 2-fold decrease of plasma CCL5 levels as compared to control syngeneic grafted animals (0.60 ± 0.17 Our data uncover a novel role of CCL5, possibly controlled by MDSC, in this rat model of kidney transplant tolerance: a graft-to-periphery gradient of CCL5 help recruiting Treg cells into the graft where they maintain tolerance.


European Journal of Psychotraumatology (EJPT), for optimal dissemination of knowledge.Although European countries differ widely in their approach to psychotrauma and its consequences, with 20 years of European psychotraumatology in the form of the European Society for Traumatic Studies (ESTSS) there is now increasing dissemination of evidence-based care reaching more and more professionals and scholars in Europe. The society has moved forward to become a European umbrella organization serving many different European countries and cultures. This article describes the process of the restructuring and how ESTSS has grown from collaboration with other traumatic stress partners inside and outside Europe. The knowledge generated by The European Network for Traumatic Stress (TENTS) project has helped this process as well as the creation of an international open-access journal, the  Clinicians and researchers in Europe in the field of trauma and PTSD have become increasingly aware of the need for consensus regarding evidence-based effective interventions for psychotrauma-related disorders. Although European countries differ widely in their approach to psychotrauma and its consequences .My first memory of ESTSS stems from the ESTSS conference in Edinburgh in 2001. There was a great scientific program, very helpful for a newcomer in the field, but it is interesting to note that sometimes the social and cultural events so typical for ESTSS meetings seem to be remembered best. In this case, I have a vivid memory of serious scientists dancing in Scottish kilts. In all, it has been a pleasure to have been part of this warm and inspiring society which has also very much shaped my career. Below I will describe what I have felt as important tasks for ESTSS and how I tried to move the society forward during my years on the ESTSS board. This comes down to implementing the restructuring of the society, coordinating The European Network for Traumatic Stress (TENTS), and starting an open-access scientific journal: the supplementary material). But this trend has now been changed. After me, Brigitte Lueger Schuester helped to make up for the gender imbalance, now slightly better reflecting the population we are serving . It was also an interesting experience to learn to appreciate different cultures, societal and scientific, from serious training and teaching to (a sip of) vodka with the director in the basement of a beautiful classical music hall.This led to an exciting and challenging organizational adventure of trying to cover Europe and in particular to include more Eastern and Southern European countries. It was a very rewarding job as the ESTSS expertise was warm heartedly received by new organizations that we have been helping to start up , the German-speaking countries (DeGPT), Switzerland (SSPT), Italy (SISST), Denmark (The Danish Society of Psychotraumatology), Portugal (Centro de Trauma), and Croatia (Croatian Society for Traumatic Stress). Newly affiliated to ESTSS were organizations from Norway (NKVTS and RVTS), Spain (EMDR Spain), Belgium (BIPE), Ukraine (ECP), Lithuania , Sweden (EMDR Sweden) and Austria . I also felt it was important to have strong links with other overarching European societies and that members would benefit from discounts from each other's meetings. Therefore, we also affiliated with EMDR Europe, ESTD, ESSPD, TENTS, EFPA standing committee on trauma and disasters, and the International Red Cross. Newly affiliated Non-European societies are the Japanese Society for Traumatic Stress Studies, and The World Society of Victimology (WSV). For the full and current listing, see ISTSS Journal of Traumatic Stress and the free publication in the EJPT.In parallel to the restructuring, we have created a completely new website—with a new logo and fresher look—containing up-to-date information on the new structure, the participating societies, the conferences, literature, and other news and information on member benefits such as access to the ESTSS history page> “About” section has been very helpful refreshing my memory for this article!The <It has been very rewarding to not only connect to or help establish member and affiliated societies in Europe, but also to affiliate with our colleagues in Australasia and Japan. Important also are the collaborations that come from affiliations with other European societies such as ESTD, ESTPD, and EMDR societies , which help to unite the field and improve collaboration.There is constructive collaboration with ISTSS whose board meetings often take place during the ESTSS conference and whose members help to provide popular keynotes and workshops. There has always been a close connection between ESTSS and ISTSS, sometimes perceived as “productive rivalry” Gersons, . TheoretAnother way to increase international partnership is the Global Collaboration initiative that I am currently chairing. It is fantastic to experience how ISTSS, ESTSS and other ISTSS affiliate societies agreed to work alongside each other on an equal basis, identify objectives, facilitate development, and coordinate activities of global importance.childhood abuse and neglect in adults. Very briefly, the aim is to synthesize a core guideline for prevention and treatment that can be customized for specific cultural contexts worldwide and to disseminate these guidelines using a mobile app that will allow for worldwide distribution and cultural customization .The restructuring fitted very well with the TENTS project where we have been aiming to improve evidence-based care across Europe with a large consortium of European researchers and clinicians, a project started and supported by ESTSS board members. TENTS consisted of nine associated partners (i.e. countries) and six collaborating partners throughout Europe, see also The TENTS project initially focused on interventions in the aftermath of disaster and implementation of these interventions, later broadened to all trauma types. It was recognized that many countries and regions throughout Europe have limited expertise available and lack the capacity to effectively respond to psychosocial needs in the aftermath of disasters. The European Union (EU) acknowledged these issues and demonstrated its support by co-funding the TENTS project. The general purpose of TENTS was to build Europe-wide networks of expertise on the psychosocial management of victims of natural and other disasters, and to help mental health services of provincial and district health authorities develop into more evidence-based and effective services.TENTS resulted in the development of evidence-informed post-disaster psychosocial management guidelines , a second EU-funded program, was broadened to all types of traumatic events and has been focusing on the implementation of knowledge in the form of training and practice across Europe. It is still ongoing with a dedicated group of partners now within the General Certificate of Psychotraumatology  with both scientific papers and more clinical practice-oriented contributions. The journal is in line with ESTSS's mission to advance and disseminate scientific knowledge about traumatic stress within Europe and internationally, and it is intended as a forum for the publication of peer-reviewed original research papers as well as to serve as a forum to disseminate evidence-based clinical practice.With the dissemination of knowledge of evidence-based practice a high priority, in December 2010, ESTSS launched its own journal: I thought it was particularly important that the journal would be open access, reflecting ESTSS's stand on free accessibility of research publications to a wider community via the web. The Dutch research council (NWO) provided a grant to help the journal start up and to make it possible to waive publication fees for the first 3 years. The open-access policy is increasingly embraced, and in the future it will become mandatory to publish open access on research funded by the EU or other public money.EJPT has been a very exciting endeavor. We have a great team of associate editors , as well a large international editorial board of psychotrauma experts. Now after 2 years, it has already been indexed in major databases, including PubMed, and has an unofficial impact factor of 1.51 (for its development, see also Olff, Being editor-in-chief of My presidency ended in 2011 at the ESTSS conference in Vienna. Here, I handed the presidency over to Brigitte Lueger Schuester, and she will hand over to our Turkish colleague, Vedat Sar, at the conference in Bologna.ESTSS conferences are attended by between 800 and 1,200 participants from all over Europe as well as from the United States, South-America, Asia, Africa, and Australia. Typically, local groups organize these European conferences, usually with active support from local government. The diversity of culture, food, and music helps to make these conferences very attractive meeting places for trauma professionals to get to know each other as well as to exchange experiences and present their scientific and clinical expertise.In summary, I hope to have shown that European psychotraumatology has a rich history in international and cross-cultural collaboration and that by uniting forces, bringing together countries and cultures, we are stronger and wiser. I look forward to the next 20 years of ESTSS. And nobody should miss the birthday party at the ESTSS conference in Bologna!


The Journal of Spinal Cord Medicine — its new design reflects a new direction, new partnerships, and new opportunities. The journal's new cover identifies JSCM as a publication of Maney Publishing and formalizes its status as the official journal of both the Academy of Spinal Cord Injury Professionals and the American Spinal Injury Association (ASIA).2011 brings change to the JSCM continues to broaden its influence under the auspices of Maney Publishing. Maney publishes more than 90 academic journals in a variety of disciplines, including science and medicine, and has offices in the UK and the US. Maney's capabilities enable the journal to offer more services to readers and authors. All issues will now be published in print and also online via IngentaConnect. Authors will benefit from Fast Track publication and CrossRef services. Table of contents alerts and RSS feeds will inform readers when new content is available. Maney's subscription services will ensure global availability of JSCM through libraries and subscription services.In its 34th year, JSCM is now published six times a year, bringing readers issues more frequently and providing more editorial pages for multidisciplinary articles in the field of spinal cord medicine, research and rehabilitation. Addressing the scope of topics in our field requires a broad range of contributions from researchers, scientists, and clinicians. For all prospective authors, the journal's submission process remains the same; papers should be submitted through JSCM’'s Editorial Manager site at www.editorialmanager.com/jscm. The Academy of SCI Professionals retains the copyright for all published materials. Beginning with this first issue of 2011, JSCM carries the logo of ASIA, which has identified JSCM as its official journal.JSCM’'s new publisher and its comprehensive services for authors, readers and subscribers.All of our readers are encouraged to explore www.maneyusa.com to learn more about Many of our readers are aware of other changes affecting the Academy of SCI Professionals. The Academy, now independent from Paralyzed Veterans of America, has announced a new date and venue for its 2011 annual conference – September 5-7 at the Rio All-Suites Hotel in Las Vegas, Nevada. Abstracts may be submitted until March 14 at the new website www.academyscipro.org.This spring, ASIA holds its annual scientific meeting from June 4-8, 2011 at the Grand Hyatt Washington Hotel in Washington, DC. Attending these conferences helps all of us to advance the care we render and the research we perform.JSCM will continue to thrive as the premier journal in our field.For more than 3 decades, this journal has reflected our efforts to improve the lives of people with spinal cord injury. With your support,


Starch is also used as a renewable raw material in a range of industrial sectors. It can be chemically modified to introduce new physicochemical properties. In this way starch is adapted to a variety of specific end-uses. Recombinant DNA technologies offers an alternative to starch industrial processing. The plant biosynthetic pathway can be manipulated to design starches with novel structure and improved technological properties. In the future this may reduce or eliminate the economical and environmental costs of industrial modification. Recently, many advances have been achieved to clarify the genetic mechanism that controls starch biosynthesis. Several genes involved in the synthesis and modification of complex carbohydrates in many organisms have been identified and cloned. This knowledge suggests a number of strategies and a series of candidate genes for genetic transformation of crops to generate new types of starch-based polymers. However transformation of cereals is a slow process and there is no easy model system available to test the efficiency of candidate genes Agrobacterium-transformation. A Green Fluorescent Protein reporter protein tag was used to identify and propagate only fully transgenic callus explants. Around 1 – 1.5 g dry weight of fully transgenic callus could be produced in 9 weeks. Callus starch granules were smaller than endosperm starch granules and contained less amylose. Similarly the expression profile of starch biosynthesis genes were slightly different in callus compared with developing endosperm.We explored the possibility to use transgenic barley callus generated from immature embryo for a fast test of transgenic modification strategies of starch biosynthesis. We found that this callus contains 4% (w/w dw) starch granules, which we could modify by generating fully transgenic calli by in planta model system for starch bioengineering in cereals. We suggest that this method can be used as a time-efficient model system for fast screening of candidate genes for the generation of modified starch or new types of carbohydrate polymers.In this study we have developed an easy and rapid  Cereal crops produce the majority of starch in agriculture. Starch is also a useful biopolymer used in different industrial sectors . Differechnology ,8. Therein vitro approach may potentially boost the production of new valuable crops synthesizing rationally designed polymers.A fast model system for genetic transformation of starch would therefore be useful. The model system should permit the high-throughput screening of candidate transgene activities and the preliminary characterization of the generated modified polysaccharide in a time-efficient way. This could allow to test the validity of several potential transformation strategies. The promising transgenic constructs would be selected to be employed in a cycle of plant transformation, full regeneration and propagation. Such Callus tissues of different plants accumulate starch granules especially when they are grown in high sugar media and specific culture conditions, such as controlled temperature, correct hormone treatment and osmotic potential -15. It iAgrobacterium-mediated transformation were found to store significant amounts of starch granules, which are comparable to the ones accumulated in barley storage organs. The system was tested by over-expressing the gene encoding granular bound starch synthase Ia (GBSSIa) tagged with green fluorescent protein (GFP). GBSS is known to synthesize amylose. The transgenic protein localized in the starch granules of the callus and increased the content of amylose.In this study we explore the possibility to use transgenic callus of immature barley embryos as a fast model system to study starch biosynthesis and bioengineering of starch in cereals. We optimized a protocol to purify starch from callus. Transgenic callus induced from immature barley embryo after Ubi:GFP-NOS, pUCEUbi:TP-GFP-HvGBSSIaΔTP:NOS and pUCEUbi:HvGBSSIa-GFP:NOS respectively  reporter gene in the cytosol of the transgenic calli was used as a control to generate transgenic calli without altered GBSS expression. The constructs pUCEUbi:TP-GFP-HvGBSSIaΔTP:NOS and pUCEUbi:HvGBSSIa-GFP:NOS were used to over-express GBSSIa tagged with GFP at the N- or C- terminal end, respectively. The presence of a GFP tag allows to identify the cells in each callus, which are expressing the transgenic protein, but is also useful for examination of the sub-cellular localization of the transgenic GBSSIa enzyme. In addition to the GFP marker, a hygromycin selection marker was used to select for growth of transgenic cells over non-transgenic cells. One hundred and fifty embryos were transfected for each of the three constructs. After the first three weeks on selective medium the calli consisted of a mosaic of transgenic/fluorescent and non-transgenic/non-fluorescent cells. Those parts of callus tissues not showing fluorescence were removed by excision. The remaining pieces of calli were sub-cultured into the medium of new petri dishes for additionally 3 weeks, after which the calli consisted only of transgenic cells. After another additional sub-culturing period most of the calli were pooled from each of the lines and harvested. Between 1 and 1.5 g dw tissue was obtained for each of the three different constructs, from which we could purify between 5 and 10 mg of starch from each. However we suggest that it may be possible to optimize culture conditions  in order to increase starch content, influence the starch biosynthetic activity pathway and alter starch composition [Three transgenic callus cultures, Ubi:GFP (control), Ubi:GFP:GBSS and Ubi:GBSS:GFP, were obtained from barley immature embryo transformation with the transgenic constructs pUCEy Figure . The pUCposition ,12,21,22position . The staCalli were cut in 30 μm thick sections with a microtome. Presence of starch granules in the control callus tissues was observed with light microscopy after staining with Lugol iodine. The staining showed the presence of numerous starch granules deposited inside cells , starch branching enzyme IIa (SBE IIa), starch synthase I (SSI), starch synthase IIa (SSIIa), starch synthase IIIa (SSIIIa), starch synthase IV (SSIV), granule bound starch synthase Ia (GBSSIa), granule bound starch synthase Ib (GBSSIb), glucan water dikinase I (GWD)  in callus as described above. We observed that control callus (Ubi:GFP) has a very low gene expression level of GBSSI Figure , which sBefore the extraction process, samples of calli were stained with Lugol iodine stain solution and examined by microscopy. Starch granules deposited in Ubi:GBSS: GFP tissues stained dark blue in contrast to the brownish granules found in Ubi:GFP calli, confirming that these granules contain a higher amount of amylose Figure . The samPolymorphism in the genes encoding starch synthases have been demonstrated to be associated with variation in starch functionality such as gelatinization temperature and retrogradation ,34. In aThe use of a GFP tag on the overexpressed enzyme allowed us to visualize its subcellular localization. In control callus (Ubi:GFP) GFP was found in the cytosol Figure a whereasPlant callus tissues have been used as a tool for biochemical studies of the parent tissues ,36. AtteIn our study we aimed to demonstrate that transgenic barley callus may represent a valid model system for starch bioengineering by transgenic transformation of the callus.We analysed the starch produced by callus generated from immature barley embryos. There is a lower quantity of starch in callus than in endosperm tissue. The starch granules are smaller and contain only little amylose. We examined the expression profile of various genes involved in starch biosynthesis. Callus has a different expression profile than endosperm of the various forms of starch synthases, which is reflected in a different chain length distribution of the starch. We suggest that among the starch synthases the callus system may be particularly well suited for studying the effect of expression of transgenic variants of GBSSIa and SSIa, because these two genes only have very little expression in callus already. We used GFP as a tag for expression of transgenic enzymes in the callus. GFP fluorescence was easily detectable in the callus, and could be used to validate gene transfer to the callus and localize transgenic cells. Fluorescent transgenic cells could be isolated by cutting the callus with a scalpel and sub-culture it to obtain stable transgenic callus Figure . 1 g of Agrobacterium-mediated transformation as described previously [Ubi:GFP-NOS) and two vectors designed to manipulate starch synthesis altering amylose content (pUCEUbi:TP-GFP-HvGBSSIaΔTP:NOS and pUCEUbi:HvGBSSIa-GFP:NOS). They were engineered by using the pUCE tool box for construction of cereal transformation vectors as described previously [Ubi:GFP:NOS) was engineered for constitutive expression of GFP without an enzyme . The other binary vectors were designed to overexpress barley granule bound starch synthase Ia. (HvGBSSIa), In the case of pUCEUbi:TP-GFP-HvGBSSIaΔTP:NOS the transit peptide (TP) from GBSSIa was attached in front of GFP. The GBSSI-GFP and GFP-GBSSI sequences were synthesized artificially by DNA2.0 (http://www.dna20.com) fusing together the coding sequence of GFP with the coding sequence of HvGBSS with or without the native transit peptide, respectively. The two constructs were provided by the company in their cloning vectors and they were both digested with PacI , and re-cloned into the pUCE vectors Ubi:USER:NOS and Ubi:TP-USER:NOS  respectively. The two binary vectors are described in details in [Transgenic callus cultures were induced from immature embryos of Golden Promise, by eviously . Three peviously . They altails in .After two days on callus induction media the embryos were transferred to callus production media as described in the protocol in . After t2, 2.5 g KI, 125 mL ddH2O) and mounted on a Zeiss Axioplan 2 Imaging microscope. Pictures were taken using the software provided by the manufacturer.For light microscopy analysis, 30 μm sections were cut from fresh frozen callus tissues using a HM 550 OM Cryostat microtome. Callus tissue sections, mashed tissue and purified starch granules were stained with Lugol´s iodine stain solution  using the protocol recommended by the manufacturer for samples containing also GAPDH) was co-amplified as housekeeping gene to calculate relative quantification of expression [SbeI), starch branching enzyme IIa (SbeIIa), starch branching enzyme IIb (SbeIIb), starch synthase I (SSI), starch synthase IIa (SSIIa), starch synthase IIIa (SSIIIa), starch synthase IV (SSIV), granule bound starch synthase Ia (GBSSIa), granule bound starch synthase Ib (GBSSIb), glucan water dikinase I (GWDI). The primer sequences are described in Additional file Total RNA was purified from transgenic callus tissues, barley endosperm 15–20 DAP and barley leaves; and cDNA was synthesised and quantitative real-time PCR (RT qPCR was conducted as described in . Glycerapression . All theStarch purification form barley grain was conducted according to the protocol described in Additional file Scanning electron microscopy was carried out as described in .The amylose content was determined by iodine colorimetrics following the method described in .Chain length distribution was assessed according to the protocol described in ,43.The authors declare that they have no competing interests.MC developed protocols for purification of callus starch and carried out the starch and gene expression analysis and participated with a major contribution to construction of vectors and callus transformation and with a major contribution to the writing of the manuscript. AB supervised, coordinated and participated in the starch analysis and analyzing of data. MMN participated in the construction of vectors. PBH supervised on transformation and genetics of barley. KHH conceived of the study and coordinated the design and analysis of experiments, and participated with a major contribution in the construction of vectors, transformation of callus and fluorescence microscopy and participated with a major contribution to the writing and editing of the manuscript. All authors read and approved the final manuscript.Figure S1. Lugol iodine stain of callus. Click here for fileTable S1. Primers.Click here for fileProtocol.Click here for file


This time, it's being held at AIIMS, New Delhi. The conference also coincides with the International Conference on Translational Pharmacology. It's time to meet peer groups, friends, and renewing lost contacts.I wish all the participants of the 41I take this opportunity to thank all the Executive Committee members who have worked very hard throughout the year to make important decisions for the Society. Some of them are historic, for example, it was decided to bring a white paper on the development of pharmacology in India with a special focus on how it can be further developed to be in sync with international research. This will showcase the contributions made by all the senior pharmacologists of India and may serve as a great record to preserve their contributions.There has been a consensus on putting into place a standard operating procedure on various prizes which are to be awarded during the Annual Conference. This will help future members take decisions with greater transparency and serve as a great confidence builder for all the participants in competitions.An important discussion that needs to take place in this General Body meeting is to find a permanent home for the Pharmacology Society. The conference is being held in Delhi which may be accepted as the home for our Society.I would like to again thank Dr. Jagadeesh, USFDA for conducting the preConference workshop on scientific writing. Every year, his efforts have a profound effect on young pharmacologists as the topics covered are important and updated. Like last year, this workshop's deliberations will be published in the Indian Journal of Pharmacology for the benefit of those who missed the opportunity to attend this excellent event.I welcome the new incumbent, Prof. R. K. Goyal, Vice Chancellor, Baroda University, as the new President of the Society next year. He takes over from the veteran pharmacologist, Prof. Manjeet Singh and will bring many new perspectives to the Society. Prof. Goyal has served the Society in various capacities and his great networking capability would bring professionals closer.It takes lot of hard work, time, and personal commitment to conduct the conference. I appreciate the pains taken by the Organizing Committee of AIIMS in organizing this Annual Conference. For the first time, the Abstracts supplement of the journal will be available during the inaugural session.I cannot forget my Editorial team and publisher. They have done a tremendous job to make the journal a great place to publish pharmacology research. I thank Medknow Publications for their support in bringing fresh design covers every time.I wish all our readers a very happy and prosperous new year.


However, such analysis in Asian cohorts has not been reported. In the present study, we performed the comprehensive analysis of CD8+ T cell responses to cocktails of the peptides were evaluated by measuring IFN-g-producing CD8+T cells by using ELISPOT assay.The CD8+ individuals and non-responders using two-tailed Mann-Whitney’s test. We found that several HLA alleles were significantly correlated with low viral load and high CD4 counts in the responses to 5 Nef, 10 Gag, or 16 Pol cocktails. In these cocktails, we identified 2 Nef, 12 Gag and 7 Pol CTL epitopes restricted by 9 HLA alleles. The breadth of CTL responses to these epitopes was significantly associated with low viral load (p=1.7x10-10) and high CD4 counts (p=4.1x10-13). The total magnitude of responses to the epitopes was also significantly correlated with low viral load  and high CD4 counts .To clarify CTLs which control HIV-1 infection in this cohort, we statistically analyzed differences of viral load and CD4 counts between responders to each peptide cocktail in each HLAThese results suggest that the CTL responses to these epitopes play an important role in the control of HIV-1 infection in chronically HIV-1-infected Japanese individuals.


Although cricket has origins in the British Empire, it is followed as a religion in South Asia, probably due to the influence of the former during their rule. The sport is equally popular among all groups of the society, and is not subject to gender or age constraints. It marks the epitome of reverence and is considered a battle for self-esteem, not only for those playing, but for those watching as well. The intensity of emotional attachment with this sport renders certain public health benefits as well as drawbacks to the general masses. WHO defines health as: “a state of complete physical, mental and social well-being and not merely the absence of disease or infirmity” . TechnolSports have been used as a means of improving physical, social and spiritual health since ancient times. However, benefits from sports can extend beyond the aforementioned domains, and include other positive impacts related to mental wellbeing and personal development . The spoIn this review, we aim to briefly identify the possible health impacts of sporting activities, with special reference to cricket. The demographic area targeted is South Asia, which is a major hub for cricketing events.Sports encourage healthy lifestyle choices among people belonging to all ages and genders. They exert beneficial effects on bone metabolism, promote cardiovascular and respiratory health and contribute to improvements in motor and cognitive functions -9. MoreoRegular physical activity reduces the risk of premature mortality . SubstanHowever sports, analogous to the impressive Dr Jekyll, also have a darker side reminiscent of Edward Hyde. Different kinds of sports can lead to multiple health related problems and varying degrees of injuries . Almost Apart from injuries, sport events are also associated with increased risk of exposure to infectious agents ,30. FansExperts recommend at least one hour of light physical activity every day for school-going children. Childhood and adolescence are no longer referred to as the healthiest part of a person’s lifecycle. This has been made possible by the lethargic lifestyle prevalent individuals belonging to this age group. Youngsters today are not active enough, as computers and other modern day electronics that compete for their attention. Overweight children generally live more sedentary lifestyles and are socially inert. They have an increased risk for developing serious health conditions such as heart disease, high blood pressure, type 2 diabetes, fatty liver disease, sleep apnea and asthma. Engaging in adequate physical activity is considered an essential component for the maintenance of weight loss and provides many other health benefits for children . Other sVideo game companies usually release new editions of their popular sporting games after major events. Children spend a large amount of time playing these games, especially on the computer . These vThe term “exergaming” needs special mention when discussing the beneficial effects of video games. It is used to denote a hybrid of video gaming and exercise. When kids play exergames, they burn more calories than if they were sitting and playing video games. Videogame companies have released several versions of consoles especially designed to promote exergaming. Apart from benefits associated with exergaming, videogames are said to improve the player's manual dexterity and computer literacy.As mentioned before, different forms of sporting activities are widely used as an educational tool for arousing awareness against factors influencing communicable diseases such as HIV/AIDS, malaria and tuberculosis via mass media advertisement campaigns . For exaExcessive television viewing has other implications beyond disturbing the metabolic status. For example, it has been found to be associated with an increased risk of myopia and other visual abnormalities. Similarly, long periods of television viewing may lead to impingement of neuronal mechanism leading to short attention span and a possibility of developing autism . FurtherCricket dominates the spectrum of outdoor games played in South Asia. Therefore, it is only fitting to discuss its health impacts separately.Although cricket has origins in the British Empire, it is followed as a religion in South Asia, probably due to the influence of the former during their rule . The spoCricket matches come in three flavors: test, one-day and twenty-twenty. The former is usually considered a trial of a player’s psychological strength, whereas the latter two usually judge his corporeal strength. During the span of one match, the bowlers, batsmen, fielders and the wicket-keepers are subjected to tremendous physical and mental stress. For example, contrary to its unidentical twin baseball, the bowler in this sport usually bowls from a variable runup. This runup may range from a few feet to several meters. Once the bowler reaches the delivery mark, he must ensure that his arm does not exceed a certain angle, while reaching optimum speeds. He must also maintain certain wrist positions in order move the ball in the air or off the pitch. The complete process, therefore, requires a complex amalgamation of might and dexterity. Similarly, the batsman has to judge the pitch of the ball, and then use his muscles to artistically divert it to his location of choice. He then has to crossover to the other side and complete a run. The fielders have to remain vigilant throughout the course of the innings, and once the ball finds their territory, have to run on to gather it and then throw it back. These, along with the boons similar to those associated with other strategic team sports, imply that each cricket game is an intense and involving experience, and every minute spent on the field requires an intricate balance between the mind and the body.The Worldcup, which is organized every 4 years, is the major tournament for cricket. This tournament attracts a lot of fans from different countries, and thus provides opportunities for diplomatic and economic benefits. Other formats of cricket are more popular among localized populations. For example, “gully cricket” is a phenomenon not too peculiar to the streets of South Asia. Almost every subcontinental street has witnessed at least one game of this genre. In this format, streets that do not receive a lot of ongoing traffic are used as cricket fields. This format, therefore, serves as a healthy platform for active participation of all individuals in a society, and not just professional cricketers.Cricket has been shown, in various studies, to improve stamina and endurance. Most professional cricketers undergo rigorous training periods before they are considered fit to play . The tra-2.h-1, corresponding to an energy expenditure of 680 kJ.h-1 for an average cricketer having a body surface area of 1.8 m2. He concluded that the mean energy expenditure for an average Test cricketer was only slightly more than that achieved while standing, with the expenditure surpassing tennis only while practicing in the nets. This study gives an impression that cricket is a relatively undemanding sport. However, Noakes rebuked this impression, stating that one-day cricket was a far consuming format, which required the players to be athletic [In 1955, Fletcher conducted an evaluation of the average energy expenditure in test cricket during the 1953 Ashes Test series between England and Australia . He calcathletic . FurtherHowever cricket, once called the “gentleman’s game,” has also been a target of criticism from health circles. For example, professional cricketers spend countless hours in open daylight. Excessive exposure to heat in these individuals increases the risk of dehydration, heat stroke and heat exhaustion, whereas excessive sunlight exposure has been associated with an increased risk of melanoma and other skin cancers . To counInjuries sustained during cricketing activities form a major chunk of the health hazards caused as a result of playing the sport. A cricketing injury is defined as ‘any injury or other medical condition that either prevents a player from being fully available for selection for a major match, or during a major match, causes a player to be unable to bat, bowl or keep wicket when required’ . CurrentCricketing injuries range from minor contusions and lacerations to career-threatening deformations. For example, Mark Boucher, the former South African wicketkeeper was forced to retire early from international cricket following a serious eye injury. Graver consequences have occurred to other players, with many not being able to cope with the imposing physiological demands of the game, and some even dying during the course of a match. Fast bowlers and batsmen are especially the endangered species . The pacBowlers, especially fast bowlers, are at the highest risk of cricketing injuries, with 33.0% to 65.7% sustaining back injuries . OveruseBatsmen and fielders are at an increased risk of impact injuries caused by the incoming ball. These may include fractures, soft tissue injuries as well as orbital injuries . SplenicMajor cricket teams hire professional experts such as batting, fielding and bowling coaches to guide the players on injury prevention. In addition, professional cricketers participate in training sessions and warm-up exercises before the match. During the match, batsmen and close-in fielders wear protective clothing such as gloves, helmets, pads and guards in order to prevent impact injuries. Each cricket match has drinks and lunch breaks at regular intervals, which help prevent dehydration and hypoglycemia. Most cricket teams also have a physiotherapist, who provides rehabilitation services in the event of an injury. A psychologist also often accompanies the team.Cricket has a vast profile of social and economic effects. The social impact of genres such as “gully cricket” have already been described. High profile cricketers are idolized by fans as role models, especially in the subcontinent . For exaIn the past century, cricket has seen a transition from an imperial game to a global sport . InternaCricket also enjoys a demanding presence in social media circles. Cricket websites such as ESPN Cricinfo® maintain large databases containing match summaries and player profiles, which has tremendously helped in broadening the perspective of the audience. In addition, online forums serve as healthy platforms for cricket-related discussions. Cricket also has a wide following on social networking websites, as shown by the fact that the word “Cricket” has over 75 million likes on Facebook®, and the Indian Cricket Team has over 7 million.Cricket, like many other sports, has been a medium of commercialization. This is, in part, attributable to globalization of the sport and the consequent increase in both ground and television audience . For insInvolvement of large amount of capital in cricket has also led to certain drawbacks. For example, cricket labor migration is a problem that plagues both developed as well as developing countries ,84. In aDespite the low physiological requirements of playing cricket compared to other sports, it has been traditionally considered “a man’s game”. However, recent times have seen an increase in the number of female cricketers, with the ICC introducing mega-events for the female gender. Even then, the participation of women is still limited at both administrative and playing levels .Although the national game of Pakistan is hockey, the majority carries a greater reverence for cricket. In the few lines that follow, we will briefly try to elaborate the implications of previously mentioned health impacts on this particular population.The government of Pakistan does not impose any limitations on games played on public property. This notion has led to sports being played outside stadiums and courts. On one hand, formats such as “gully cricket” seem to provide the country with an inexhaustible supply of competent sportsmen. However, on the other, such events may lead to irreversible damages being incurred to property, players or passers-by. The political instability prevalent in the country has also plagued sporting activities. Terrorist activities have been rampant and have rendered negative impacts on sports. An attack on the Sri Lankan cricket team saw all major sporting activities being pulled out of Pakistan. These, coupled with allegations of nepotism and corruption, have led to severe crippling of the sports system in the country.The public health implications of watching sporting events in our setup are also appalling. The association of watching excessive television with metabolic conditions has already been discussed. As per Forbes’ list of world’s “fattest countries”, Pakistan ranks 165 out of 194 countries in stipulations of its overweight population, with a figure of about 22.2% people above age 15, traversing the threshold of obesity . This nuIn view of the above discussion, cricketing activities can be considered as being advantageous to both physical and mental health. However, in order to derive maximum benefits from sporting activities, an optimal combination of type, frequency and intensity is almost invariably required; a clear consensus exists that regular physical activity of at least 30 minutes of moderate intensity can guarantee a healthy lifestyle. Similarly, although severe health concerns exist for major cricketing events, their cultural significance cannot be undermined. Health and harmony prevail as a result of such events, and their organization brings economic stability to a country. However, efforts should be made to regulate commercials and advertisements that promote inappropriate or unhealthy content. Similarly, proper security protocols should also be strictly followed in order to ensure a substantial audience. Keeping the above in mind, we can successfully conclude that the glimmer of the pros of cricket may be suppressed by its cons, most of which are indirect and can be controlled with proper implementation of international guidelines.The authors declare that no competing interests exist. The authors did not receive any financial support or grant for this study.AS conceived the topic and was involved in drafting the initial manuscript. SAA, AS, SA and SSA were involved in critically revising the manuscript, listed in decreasing order of their contributions. The authors have read and approved the manuscript.


Anterior bone grafts are used as struts to reconstruct the anterior column of the spine in kyphosis or following injury. An incomplete fusion can lead to later correction losses and compromise further healing. Despite the different stabilizing techniques that have evolved, from posterior or anterior fixating implants to combined anterior/posterior instrumentation, graft pseudarthrosis rates remain an important concern. Furthermore, the need for additional anterior implant fixation is still controversial. In this bench-top study, we focused on the graft-bone interface under various conditions, using two simulated spinal injury models and common surgical fixation techniques to investigate the effect of implant-mediated compression and contact on the anterior graft.Calf spines were stabilised with posterior internal fixators. The wooden blocks as substitutes for strut grafts were impacted using a “pressfit” technique and pressure-sensitive films placed at the interface between the vertebral bone and the graft to record the compression force and the contact area with various stabilization techniques. Compression was achieved either with posterior internal fixator alone or with an additional anterior implant. The importance of concomitant ligament damage was also considered using two simulated injury models: pure compression Magerl/AO fracture type A or rotation/translation fracture type C models.In type A injury models, 1 mm-oversized grafts for impaction grafting provided good compression and fair contact areas that were both markedly increased by the use of additional compressing anterior rods or by shortening the posterior fixator construct. Anterior instrumentation by itself had similar effects. For type C injuries, dramatic differences were observed between the techniques, as there was a net decrease in compression and an inadequate contact on the graft occurred in this model. Under these circumstances, both compression and the contact area on graft could only be maintained at high levels with the use of additional anterior rods.Under experimental conditions, we observed that ligamentous injury following type C fracture has a negative influence on the compression and contact area of anterior interbody bone grafts when only an internal fixator is used for stabilization. Because of the loss of tension banding effects in type C injuries, an additional anterior compressing implant can be beneficial to restore both compression to and contact on the strut graft. Surgical spinal fracture repair can be achieved via numerous techniques employing a posterior, anterior or combined approach. In unstable spinal fracture cases, in which the weight bearing role of the anterior column is compromised, anterior reconstruction is required, using either iliac crest autograft or a distractable vertebral body implant in addition to stabilizing implants. Most surgeons use distractible implants combined with a cancellous bone or allograft to bridge bi-segmental lesions, whereas fractures limited to one injured segment and disc space can be treated by monosegmental fusion through bone strut grafts . The relBony fusion is essential in order to preserve the initial reduction obtained from the surgical procedure. Numerous factors can have an effect on bone fusion rates in spinal trauma repair. While many studies have examined the biomechanics of a range of instrumentation for spinal fixation, these studies limit their focus to corpectomy surgical models -8. Some Bone grafts should be maintained under maximum compression to optimize fusion . Many auex vivo study was to investigate the compression and fixation capabilities of posterior, anterior and combined instrumentation with internal fixator and anterior implants on monosegmental strut graft repair, and to examine the role of severed spinal ligaments in these treatment strategies.To determine which technique would preserve the maximum compression and contact in the graft-vertebral bone interface, the aim of this Fresh-frozen thoracolumbar calf spines  were immediately used after thawing and preparation, in which surrounding soft tissue and muscles were dissected with care to preserve bone, discs and spinal ligaments. An incomplete burst fracture model, representing the Magerl/AO type A3.1 fracture   or an anterior locking screw single rod construct  Figure . Normal Iliac crest autografts were simulated by wooden blocks (20 × 30 mm) cut to an appropriate gap length, with a 1 mm overhang to create a “pressfit” situation that reflects the method used in the clinical setting  that had been inserted into the defect site before the block grafts were impacted. New sensors were used for each series of experiments to minimize the effect of sensor deterioration. Conditioning and calibration was performed according to the manufacturer’s recommendations and methodology, as described previously ,18. The 2) of the grafts were recorded online for 3 sec. with sensor scanning at 100 Hz. The signals were averaged and processed by the Iscan® software during the setup conditions that reflect surgical practice, as follows:Compressive force (N) and contact area .This allowed investigation of the four common surgical applications for anterior strut graft fixation: by (1) an internal fixator, (2) anterior interbody implant-mediated compression in addition to an internal fixator, (3) posterior interbody compression by the internal fixator or (4) anterior interbody compression by the anterior compressing implant only. Instrumentation and compression techniques were performed following the manufacturers’ instructions and manuals by an experienced surgeon.P < 0.05, as determined by statistical software analysis .The collected data for compressive force and contact area were calculated as the mean and standard deviation (in parentheses). After testing for normality, these values were then compared for statistical significance by t-test and using repeated measures analysis of variance with multiple comparisons tests (Holm-Sidak). Significance was set at 2, representing ¾ of the maximal calculated surface of a block graft (20 × 30 mm). Block graft compression could be increased by more than 2-fold of this “pressfit” baseline by the use of additional fixation on the anterior column with the rod system and anterior compression (AR/IF) or with compression using the posterior fixator (IF + PC) , but the graft contact area was only 82% of the maximum surface area; however, this was not significantly different to IF stabilisation alone.In calf spines with intact soft tissue (group A-Type impaction), the 1 mm-oversized wooden dowels provided a compression of 224 (59) N with posterior stabilization by an internal fixator (IF). The resulting contact area in the interface between the graft and the resection edge of the vertebral body reached 449 (72) mmaft 20 × 0 mm. Blo2; both measurements were significantly lower than the initial values obtained in the group A-Type  (Table When the surrounding ligaments and capsule-tissue were severed (group C-Type), the “pressfit” method of insertion by impacting the blocks was unable to reach the compressive forces obtained in the group A-Type. At baseline (IF), the group C-Type injury model had a compression of 97 36) N and a resulting contact area of 318 (90) mm6 N and ae Figure a,b. ThesIn contrast, the sole posterior compression technique (IF + PC) failed to substantially increase the compressive force or the contact area on the interbody block graft in the group C-Type injury model Figure . ExclusiThis study was performed on calf spines, which are regarded valid substitutes for human cadaveric spine testing experiments . Human sOur findings underline the importance of ligaments and stabilizing soft tissue around the spine ,28. The When considering the dynamic role of the ligaments in the stabilised spine, our results allow supplemental aspects to the following studies, which stress the importance of graft compression forces under movement and compression versus contact area in different setups. Extension movements of instrumented spines have been shown to reduce the compressive force on interbody grafts in cadaveric human corpectomy specimens in the spine simulator with pure bending moments . From thThe effect of internal fixator pretension was investigated by a finite element analysis of bone graft techniques in a computer simulation , in whicThe maintenance of implant-mediated graft compression is of major importance to ensure healing. Previous clinical experience with cervical anterior autograft fusions has endorsed this philosophy and encouraged the further investigations of aspects on bone-graft interactions . Bone auIn this regard, the results of our study could influence the choice of strut graft fixation for patients. “Pressfit” impaction or simple posterior compression by the internal fixator provides good contact and compression to the anterior strut grafts in fractures without ligament deficiency. This would subsequently avoid the requirement for supplemental implants and excessively rigid fixation . On the other hand, for cases that present with ligamentous injuries, as in Magerl /AO type C fractures, it seems necessary to add anterior compressing implants to secure the bone grafts. The limitation of this bench-top study is that the findings from an unloaded bovine ex-vivo model might not necessarily be fully applicable to a scenario in-vivo.Our experimental study used the modern generation of thin, pressure-sensitive films to investigate for the first time the interface between interbody graft and vertebral bone in a stabilised fracture model. This new approach for the assessing the bone graft/vertebral body interface could help to clarify the requirements for fixation. Our results may provide knowledge that can help surgeons in their choice of implant and surgical approach for successful spinal reconstruction.AO: Arbeitsgemeinschaft für osteosynthesefragen; USS™: Universal spine system, brand name for the internal fixator implant; IF: Impacted block graft, spine fixation by an Internal Fixator, posteriorly; AR/IF: Additional graft compression by anterior rod implant, fixation by an Internal Fixator; IF + PC: Graft compression through Internal Fixator posteriorly, no anterior implant; AR: Anterior graft compression and fixation by anterior rod implant, without an Internal Fixator.The authors declare that they have no financial or non-financial competing interests.AP conceived the study, participated in its design and drafted the manuscript. JHH participated in the design of the study and helped to draft the manuscript. FV carried out the experiments and performed the statistical analysis. MB revised the manuscript critically for important intellectual content. TP made substantial contributions to the conception and design of the study and helped in data analysis and interpretation. All authors read and approved the final manuscript.The pre-publication history for this paper can be accessed here:http://www.biomedcentral.com/1471-2474/14/254/prepub