Antigenicity of Recombinant Maltose Binding Protein-Mycobacterium avium subsp. paratuberculosis Fusion Proteins with and without Factor Xa Cleaving

Mycobacterium avium subsp. paratuberculosis causes Johne''s disease (JD) in ruminants. Proteomic studies have shown that M. avium subsp. paratuberculosis expresses certain proteins when exposed to in vitro physiological stress conditions similar to the conditions experienced within a host during natural infection. Such proteins are hypothesized to be expressed in vivo, are recognized by the host immune system, and may be of potential use in the diagnosis of JD. In this study, 50 recombinant maltose binding protein (MBP)-M. avium subsp. paratuberculosis fusion proteins were evaluated using serum samples from sheep infected with M. avium subsp. paratuberculosis, and 29 (58%) were found to be antigenic. Among 50 fusion proteins, 10 were evaluated in MBP fusion and factor Xa-cleaved forms. A total of 31 proteins (62%) were found to be antigenic in either MBP fusion or factor Xa-cleaved forms. Antigenicity after cleavage and removal of the MBP tag was marginally enhanced.     

Consumption of animal source foods,especially fish,is associated with better nutritional status among women of reproductive age in rural Bangladesh

In rural Bangladesh, intake of nutrient-rich foods, such as animal source foods (ASFs), is generally suboptimal. Diets low in nutrients and lacking in diversity put women of reproductive age (WRA) at risk of malnutrition as well as adverse birth outcomes. The objective of this study was to assess the relationship between maternal dietary diversity, consumption of specific food groups and markers of nutritional status, including underweight [body mass index (BMI) < 18.5 kg/m²], overweight (BMI ≥ 23 kg/m²) and anaemia (haemoglobin < 120 g/dl) among WRA in Bangladesh. This analysis used data from the third round of a longitudinal observational study, collected from February through May of 2017. Dietary data were collected with a questionnaire, and Women's Dietary Diversity Score (WDDS) was calculated. Associations between WDDS, food group consumption and markers of nutritional status were assessed with separate adjusted logistic regression models. Among WRA, the prevalence of underweight, overweight and anaemia was 13.38%, 40.94% and 39.99%, respectively. Women who consumed dark green leafy vegetables (DGLV) or eggs were less likely to be anaemic or underweight, respectively, and women who consumed ASFs, particularly fish, were less likely to be underweight compared with women who did not consume these foods. WDDS did not show any consistent relationship with WRA outcomes. Interventions that focus on promoting optimal nutritional status among WRA in Bangladesh should emphasise increasing consumption of specific nutrient-rich foods, including ASFs, DGLV and eggs, rather than solely focusing on improving diet diversity in general.     

To transfer or not to transfer: Aged care nurses’ decision-making in transferring residents to the emergency department

BackgroundNurses are key decision makers in residential aged care facilities and play a significant role in the transfer of residents from residential aged care facilities to emergency departments. There is scant literature about the role of nurses in the transfer decision-making process.AimTo describe the experiences of residential aged care facility nurses who engage in decision-making to transfer residents to emergency department.MethodsThis research has adopted interpretive qualitative approach of phenomenography. In-depth interviews were undertaken with 20 residential aged care facility nurses across two sites. Uniquely, drawing was used as one way to collect rich, textured data in these in-depth interviews.FindingsSix categories emerged to represent residential aged care facility nurses’ conceptions of decision-making about transferring a resident to the emergency department: “Being a marionette”; “Too dumb to have an opinion”; “Making the family happy”; “Not about the resident”; “Having experience”; and “Being on your own”.DiscussionResidential aged care facility nurses experienced decision-making as not being able to do what is right for the resident most of the time due to a myriad of factors, with heavy influence of other key stakeholders.ConclusionDecision-making is described as a professional responsibility wherein residential aged care facility nurses face dilemmas related to the transfer of a resident to the emergency department and perceived as a constraint.     

Isolation and structure elucidation of halymeniaol,a new antimalarial sterol derivative from the red alga Halymenia floresii

A new mono-hydroxy acetylated sterol derivative: 12β-hydroxy-3β, 15α, 16β-triacetoxy-cholest-5-en-7-one (halymeniaol) (1), and cholesterol (2) were isolated from the marine red alga Halymenia floresii. The structure of the compound 1 (halymeniaol) was established from its spectral data, derived from HRMS/MS and 2D NMR. Compound 1 exhibited growth inhibitory activity against chloroquine-resistant Plasmodium falciparum 3D7 strain with an IC₅₀ of 3.0 μM.     

Prevalence of chronic hepatitis B virus infection before and after implementation of a hepatitis B vaccination program among children in Nepal

Background

In Nepal, an estimated 2–4% of the population has chronic hepatitis B virus (HBV) infection. To combat this problem, from 2002 to 2004, a national three dose hepatitis B vaccination program was implemented to decrease infection rates among children. The program does not currently include a birth dose to prevent perinatal HBV transmission. In 2012, to assess the impact of the program, we conducted a serosurvey among children born before and after vaccine introduction.

Methods

In 2012, a cross-sectional nationally representative stratified cluster survey was conducted to estimate hepatitis B surface antigen (HBsAg) prevalence among children born from 2006 to 2007 (post-vaccine cohort) and among children born from 2000 to 2002 (pre-vaccine cohort). Demographic data, as well as written and oral vaccination history were collected. All children were tested for HBsAg; mothers of HBsAg positive children were also tested. Furthermore, we evaluated the field sensitivity and specificity of the SD Bioline HBsAg rapid diagnostic test by comparing results with an enzyme immunoassay.

Results

Among 2181 post-vaccination cohort children with vaccination data by either card or recall, 86% (95% confidence interval [CI] 77–95%) received ≥3 hepatitis B vaccine doses. Of 1200 children born in the pre-vaccination cohort, 0.28% (95% CI 0.09–0.85%) were positive for HBsAg; of 2187 children born in the post-vaccination cohort, 0.13% (95% CI 0.04–0.39%) were positive for HBsAg (p = 0.39). Of the six children who tested positive for HBsAg, two had mothers who were positive for HBsAg. Finally, we found the SD Bioline HBsAg rapid diagnostic test to have a sensitivity of 100% and a specificity of 100%.

Conclusions

This is the first nationally representative hepatitis B serosurvey conducted in Nepal. Overall, a low burden of chronic HBV infection was found in children born in both the pre and post-vaccination cohorts. Current vaccination strategies should be continued.     

Some fetal and pregnancy parameters in Nepal

In Patan Hospital, Kathmandu, 4600 single live births were analysed concerning birth weight in relation to gestational age. At term, the median birth weight of females was 2900 g and of males 3010 g. Compared with Norwegian newborns, the birthweights of Nepali babies were lower for all corresponding gestational lengths. The differences increased with gestational age. Fundal height was lower in Nepali than in Norwegian pregnant women for all periods of pregnancy. An increase in the differences between Norwegian and Nepali women was also noted. Hematocrit values of Nepali women who did not take supplementary iron, correspond well to findings in Norwegian women without iron supplementation. Only a slight degree of hemoconcentration was noted towards term. For Norwegian women with iron supplementation the hematocrit values were much higher, with a tendency towards hemoconcentration near term. In Nepal the average woman probably has small iron stores, and without iron supplementation the hematocrit values will remain low throughout the pregnancy. The high altitude does not seem to cause hemoconcentration in pregnancy to a greater extent than at lower altitude. Hemoconcentration is therefore not a major causative factor of the lower birth weights.