Measuring maternal mortality: An overview of opportunities and options for developing countries

Background  

There is currently an unprecedented expressed need and demand for estimates of maternal mortality in developing countries. This has been stimulated in part by the creation of a Millennium Development Goal that will be judged partly on the basis of reductions in maternal mortality by 2015.     

Perceived environment and physical activity in youth

The examination of physical environments to explain and promote physical activity is an important yet under-investigated area of research inquiry. This study explored relationships between the perceived availability of physical environmental resources and the perceived importance of these resources in relation to physical activity levels amongst youth. A self-report questionnaire was completed by 610 students (mean age = 15.5 years old; 62% female participants) from four high schools (grades 9-12) in rural Alberta, Canada. Perceived physical environment constructs explained 5% of the variance in physical activity, with home, neighborhood, and school as significant domains. Perceived importance constructs explained 8% of the variance in physical activity with school context showing the only significant relationship with physical activity. A hierarchical regression analysis entered sex, grade, self-efficacy, peer, family and physical education teacher relationships, as the first block and eight environmental constructs as the second block. The first block variables accounted for 22% of the variance and environmental constructs accounted for an added 4% of the variance in physical activity. Perceived importance of the school environment was the only environment variable significantly associated with physical activity (β = .14; p < .05) after taking into account the impact of these traditional predictors. These findings reinforce the need to provide and support school physical environments related to physical activity.     

A new calicivirus isolated from a marine mammal

Summary A new serotype of calicivirus, designated as San Miguel sea lion virus type 6 (SMSV-6), was isolated from vesicular lesions on the flipper of a California sea lion pup. Serologic studies show that SMSV-6 neutralizing antibodies (SN) occur frequently among California sea lions and occasionally among northern fur seals. Feral swine, 1- to 6-week elephant seal pups and grey whales tested negative for SMSV-6 antibody.     

In vitro synergistic effect of minocycline combined with antifungals against Cryptococcus neoformans

BackgroundCryptococcus neoformans infections occur in immunocompromised patients, especially those with HIV infection, chemoradiotherapy after cancer, and organ transplantation. Infection can cause pneumonia and meningoencephalitis in severe cases with a high mortality rate if not treated. Although fluconazole and amphotericin B are the first-line treatments for cryptococcosis, the rate of fluconazole resistance has increased significantly due to long-term use. Minocycline is a derivative of tetracycline that exerts its antibacterial effect through inhibition of bacterial protein synthesis. It is also able to pass the blood-brain barrier to act on the central nervous system. The present study investigates the effects of minocycline in combination with antifungals in treating C. neoformans.ObjectiveTo determine in vitro interactions of minocycline combined with itraconazole, voriconazole, posaconazole, fluconazole and amphotericin B against C. neoformans.MethodsThe minimum inhibitory concentrations (MIC) of the antifungals were determined by the CLSI Clinical and Laboratory Standards Institute M27-A3 microdilution method. The in vitro synergistic effects of minocycline combined with itraconazole, voriconazole, posaconazole, fluconazole, and amphotericin B on C. neoformans were detected by the broth microdilution checkerboard technique and disk diffusion testing.Results and ConclusionThe working concentration ranges were 0.125–4 µg/mL for itraconazole, 0.03–0.125 µg/ml for voriconazole, 0.03–1 µg/ml for posaconazole, 0.25–16 µg/ml for fluconazole, and 0.125–2 µg/ml for amphotericin B. The synergistic rates of minocycline combinations against C. neoformans were 55% with itraconazole, 10% with voriconazole, 85% with posaconazole, 20% with fluconazole, and 70% with amphotericin B. The effective MIC value of minocycline in the synergistic combination decreased to 2–32 µg/ml, while the MIC of itraconazole decreased to 0.03–0.125 µg/ml, voriconazole 0.03–0.125 µg/ml, posaconazole 0.03–0.125 µg/ml, 0.125–4 µg/ml fluconazole, and 0.06–0.50 µg/ml amphotericin B. The disk diffusion assay showed that the plates containing minocycline and antifungal drugs produced inhibition zones with diameters larger than the single drug plates. Minocycline showed no antagonistic effect in the combinations. In conclusion, the combination of minocycline and azoles or amphotericin B has synergistic effects against C. neoformans in vitro.     

幽门螺杆菌基因hp0231和hp0410的克隆表达及生物信息学分析

目的获取幽门螺杆菌hp0231和hp0410基因的序列,预测其编码蛋白HP0231和HP0410作为候选疫苗的可行性,在大肠杆菌表达系统中表达hp0231和hp0410。方法提取幽门螺杆菌标准株NCTC11639的基因组DNA,按照GenBank中幽门螺杆菌标准株22695的序列设计引物PCR,扩增hp0231和hp0410基因,克隆入pMD18-T载体中测序,进行生物信息学分析。将hp0231和hp0410克隆入表达载体pGEX-4T-1中,诱导表达,SDS-PAGE电泳鉴定。结果生物信息学分析表明HP0231和HP0410均为外膜蛋白,具良好的抗原性,并且与其他生物的同源性较低,其作为Hp疫苗不易产生交叉反应以及自身免疫性反应,构建的重组菌可高水平表达可溶性重组蛋白。结论HP0231和HP0410是有良好应用前景的Hp候选疫苗。     

脑膜炎大肠埃希菌侵袭素IbeA结合多肽的初步研究

目的脑膜炎大肠埃希菌（E．coli）侵袭素IbeA通过与脑微血管内皮细胞表面受体结合，从而介导细菌穿透血脑屏障引起新生儿细菌性脑膜炎。为通过肽库筛选获得与IbeA蛋白结合的多肽，建立噬菌体随机肽库筛选IbeA结合多肽模体的方法。方法首先制备靶分子，用PCR扩增出全长ibeA基因序列，克隆至表达载体pET28a中，转化大肠埃希菌BL21（DE3）．经IPTG诱导表达出带有His-tag的目的蛋白，经变性复性后通过Ni^2＋-NTA亲和层析柱得到纯度达90％的重组蛋白。然后以固相化IbeA重组蛋白为靶亲和筛选噬菌体线性12肽库。结果经过3轮淘选，得到能和IbeA结合的24个重组噬菌体克隆；挑选15个亲和力高的克隆进行DNA测序，对比分析所得的短肽序列。固相Fmoc法合成短肽，并进行结合实验、阻断实验和竞争抑制实验。绪论以重组表达的IbeA融合蛋白为靶筛选得到的重组噬菌体十二肽克隆，能够和IbeA蛋白结合，为IbeA蛋白结合多肽。结果提示所筛选的阳性噬菌体克隆及其合成肽可能模拟IbeA受体表位的结构。     

热带医学专业信息资源库几个重要问题的思考及其改进

基于校园网和广东省专业信息资源库平台，构建“热带医学专业信息资源库”。对试题库、动画库、专家库、powerpoint教学资源库等几个重要问题进行思考，提出改进的建议。     

Identification of tissue-embedded ascarid larvae by ribosomal DNA sequencing

Polymerase chain reaction (PCR) was applied to identify tissue-embedded ascarid nematode larvae. Two sequences of the internal transcribed spacer (ITS) regions of ribosomal DNA (rDNA), ITS1 and ITS2, of the ascarid parasites were amplified and compared with those of ascarid-nematodes registered in a DNA database (GenBank). The ITS sequences of the PCR products obtained from the ascarid parasite specimen in our laboratory were compatible with those of registered adult Ascaris and Toxocara parasites. PCR amplification of the ITS regions was sensitive enough to detect a single larva of Ascaris suum mixed with porcine liver tissue. Using this method, ascarid larvae embedded in the liver of a naturally infected turkey were identified as Toxocara canis. These results suggest that even a single larva embedded in tissues from patients with larva migrans could be identified by sequencing the ITS regions.