Optimizing severe acute respiratory syndrome response strategies: lessons learned from quarantine

Taiwan used quarantine as 1 of numerous interventions implemented to control the outbreak of severe acute respiratory syndrome in 2003. From March 18 to July 31, 2003, 147,526 persons were placed under quarantine. Quarantining only persons with known exposure to people infected with severe acute respiratory syndrome could have reduced the number of persons quarantined by approximately 64%. Focusing quarantine efforts on persons with known or suspected exposure can greatly decrease the number of persons placed under quarantine, without substantially compromising its yield and effectiveness.     

吸虱和其啮齿动物宿主的关系—偕同进化的证据

采自贵州省猪尾鼠的吸虱具有特殊的形态。李氏欣奇虱独自成为一科。双叶盲鼠虱隶拟血虱科。拟血虱科中的拟血虱属和钩板虱属均寄生于鼹科,裂虱属和盲鼠虱属则寄生于睡鼠科和刺山鼠科。后者曾被置于睡鼠科。研究食虫目动物的吸虱将可能对吸虱与其宿主动物的偕同进化提供更多的证据。     

Challenges faced by hospital healthcare workers in using a syndrome-based surveillance system during the 2003 outbreak of severe acute respiratory syndrome in Taiwan.

Because the severe acute respiratory syndrome (SARS) outbreak in Taiwan in 2003 was worsened by hospital infections, we analyzed 229 questionnaires (84.8% of 270 sent) completed by surveyed healthcare workers who cared for patients with SARS in 3 types of hospitals, to identify surveillance problems. Atypical clinical presentation was the most often reported problem, regardless of hospital type, which strongly indicates that more timely syndromic surveillance was needed.     

Polymethoxyflavones prevent benzo[a]pyrene/dextran sodium sulfate‐induced colorectal carcinogenesis through modulating xenobiotic metabolism and ameliorate autophagic defect in ICR mice

Polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) are widespread environmental carcinogenic pollutants and they have become an important issue in food contamination. Dietary intake of PAHs has been recognized as a major route of human exposure. However, the mechanisms behind dietary PAH‐induced colorectal cancer (CRC) remain unclear. Several studies have shown that polymethoxyflavones (PMFs) are effective in preventing carcinogen‐induced CRC or colitis. In this study, we investigated the preventive effect of PMFs on benzo[a]pyrene/dextran sulfate sodium (BaP/DSS)‐induced colorectal tumorigenesis in ICR mice. We found that PMFs significantly prevented BaP/DSS‐induced colorectal tumor formation. BaP mutagenic metabolite and DNA adducts were found to be reduced in colonic tissue in the PMFs‐treated groups through the modulation of BaP metabolism. At the molecular level, the results of RNA‐sequencing indicated that PMFs ameliorated BaP/DSS‐induced abnormal molecular mechanism change including activated inflammation, downregulated anti‐oxidation targets, and induced metastasis genes. The autophagic defect caused by BaP/DSS‐induced tumorigenesis was improved by pretreatment with PMFs. We found BaP/DSS‐induced CRC may be a Wnt/β‐catenin independent process. Additionally, consumption of PMFs extracts also altered the composition of gut microbiota and made it similar to that in the control group by increasing butyrate‐producing probiotics and decreasing CRC‐related bacteria. BaP in combination with DSS significantly induced colorectal tumorigenesis through induced DNA adduct formation, abnormal gene expression, and imbalanced gut microbiota composition. PMFs were a powerful preventive agent that suppressed BaP/DSS‐induced CRC via modulating multiple pathways as well as ameliorating autophagic defect. These results demonstrated for the first time the chemopreventive efficacy and comprehensive mechanisms of dietary PMFs for preventing BaP/DSS‐induced colorectal carcinogenesis.     

Mechanisms of Lysosomal Enzyme Release from Human Leukocytes II. EFFECTS OF cAMP AND cGMP, AUTONOMIC AGONISTS, AND AGENTS WHICH AFFECT MICROTUBULE FUNCTION

Selective release of inflammatory materials from leukocyte lysosomes is reduced by compounds which increase cyclic 3',5'-adenosine monophosphate (cAMP) levels in suspensions of human leukocytes and is augmented by agents which increase cyclic 3',5'-guanosine monophosphate (cGMP) levels in these cell suspensions. Lysosomal enzymes are released in the absence of phagocytosis when cytochalasin B (5 mug/ml) converts polymorphonuclear leukocytes (PMN) to secretory cells: lysosomes merge directly with the plasma membrane upon encounter of PMN with zymosan, and cells selectively extrude substantial proportions of lysosomal, but not cytoplasmic enzymes. beta-Adrenergic stimulation of human leukocytes produced a dose-related reduction in beta-glucuronidase release (blocked by 10(-6) M propranolol) whereas alpha-adrenergic stimulation (phenylephrine plus propranolol) was ineffective. In contrast, the cholinergic agonist carbamylcholine chloride enhanced enzyme secretion, an effect blocked by 10(-6) M atropine. Incubation of cells with exogenous cAMP or with agents that increase endogenous cAMP levels (prostaglandin E1, histamine, isoproterenol, and cholera enterotoxin) reduced extrusion of lysosomal enzymes; in contrast, exogenous cGMP and carbamylcholine chloride (which increases endogenous cGMP levels), increased beta-glucuronidase release. Whereas colchicine (5 x 10(-4) M), a drug which impairs microtubule integrity, reduced selective enzyme release, deuterium oxide, which favors microtubule assembly, enhanced selective release of lyosomal enzymes. The data suggest that granule movement and acid hydrolase release from leukocyte lysosomes requires intact microtubules and may be modulated by adrenergic and cholinergic agents which appear to provoke changes in concentrations of cyclic nucleotides.     

Mode of action of the biotin antimetabolites actithiazic acid and alpha-methyldethiobiotin.

Actithiazic acid and alpha-methyldethiobiotin inhibited the conversion of dethiobiotin to biotin resting-cell suspensions of Escherichia coli. The concentrations which effected 50% inhibition were 0.45 and 1.1 microM for actithiazic acid and alpha-methyldethiobiotin, respectively. Cells grown in low concentrations of the two biotin antimetabolites showed derepression of the biotin A operon, as evidenced by the enhanced levels of the enzymes 7,8-diaminopelargonic acid aminotransferase and dethiobiotin synthetase. Derepression was not due to any direct regulatory effect of the antibiotics but was the consequence of the inhibition of the biotin synthetase enzyme; this inhibition prevented the intracellular concentration of biotin from reaching the levels required for normal regulation of the biotin A operon.     

Synthesis and Electroluminescent Properties of Disubstituted Polyacetylene Derivatives Containing Multi‐Fluorophenyl and Cyclohexylphenyl Side Groups

A new series of disubstituted polyacetylene derivatives that contain multi‐fluorine atoms on the pendent phenyl ring have been synthesized and characterized. The results reveal a greater red‐shift in UV‐vis absorption and PL emission upon incorporating more fluorine atoms on the pendent phenyl ring. Among them, disubstituted polyacetylene with a difluorophenyl group ( PDPA‐2F ) showed the highest luminescent efficiency. The device performance can be promoted by blending a hole‐transporting material TM‐TPD into PDPA‐2F as the active layer or by using a light‐emitting copolymer in which PDPA‐2F was copolymerized with a carbazole group ( PDPA‐2Fcab ). A light‐emitting diode of ITO/PEDOT/ PDPA‐2Fcab /Ca/Al revealed a maximum luminescence of 4230 cd · m^?2 at 14 V and a maximum current efficiency of 3.37 cd · A^?1 at 7 V.