Reclaiming Self-care: Self-care as a Social Justice Tool for Black Wellness

Black communities face multiple stressors including racism, discrimination, and navigating systems of oppression, all of which affect their mental health and wellbeing. In recent years, the practice of self-care has gained popularity as a strategy to cope with stress and to improve overall health. However, the current discourse often focuses on individual self-care behaviors and excludes systemic and community level factors that encourage, sustain, or inhibit self-care practices. This paper contextualizes a conceptual model of self-care with intersectionality theory and the psychology of liberation framework, in relation to the lived experiences of Black communities. The paper aims to underscore the necessity of self and community care as a tool for social justice, preservation, and resistance against oppressive systems that threaten the mental health and wellness of this community.

     

Dynamics of the Cytokine Response to Mycobacterium ulcerans during Antibiotic Treatment for M. ulcerans Disease (Buruli Ulcer) in Humans

We have studied the evolution of the gamma interferon (IFN-γ) and interleukin 10 (IL-10) responses after Mycobacterium ulcerans sonicate stimulation of whole blood from patients with early M. ulcerans lesions during treatment with rifampin and streptomycin for 8 weeks. Among the 26 patients, secretion of IFN-γ increased during treatment, with a significant increase at 4 weeks and a further increase after 8 weeks overall. The increase was more rapid in patients with large or ulcerative lesions, becoming significant by 4 weeks. For small lesions, there was only a minor increase, which did not reach significance. There was no significant change in the median IL-10 response during antibiotic therapy, and there was no inverse correlation between IFN-γ and IL-10 responses. These results demonstrate that an IFN-γ secretory response to M. ulcerans developed, independently of IL-10 secretion, in patients whose M. ulcerans disease healed during antibiotic therapy.     

带快照的混合数据库系统设计与应用

随着对海量数据处理的广泛需求,对数据库系统的性能也提出了更高的要求.本文介绍了一种带快照的混合数据库系统的设计.它在传统数据库系统基于磁盘存储的基础上,选择部分需被频繁或快速访问的数据以快照的形式组织在主存中,从而兼顾了处理海量数据和快速响应用户访问要求两方面的需求.最后,简要给出了一个在地理信息系统中的应用实例.     

Combining PCR with microscopy to reduce costs of laboratory diagnosis of Buruli ulcer

The introduction of antibiotic therapy as first-line treatment of Buruli ulcer underlines the importance of laboratory confirmation of clinical diagnosis. Because smear microscopy has very limited sensitivity, the technically demanding and more expensive IS2404 diagnostic polymerase chain reaction (PCR) has become the main method for confirmation. By optimization of the release of mycobacteria from swab specimen and concentration of bacterial suspensions before smearing, we were able to improve the detection rate of acid-fast bacilli by microscopy after Ziehl-Neelsen staining. Compared with IS2404 PCR, which is the gold standard diagnostic method, the sensitivity and specificity of microscopy with 100 concentrated specimens were 58.4% and 95.7%, respectively. We subsequently evaluated a stepwise laboratory confirmation algorithm with detection of AFB as first-line method and IS2404 PCR performed only with those samples that were negative in microscopic analysis. This stepwise approach reduced unit cost by more than 50% to $5.41, and the total costs were reduced from $917 to $433.     

Evaluation of an Antigen-Antibody “Combination” Enzyme Linked Immunosorbent Assay for Diagnosis of Hepatitis C Virus Infections

Background

Development of “combination” assays detecting in parallel, within a single test, Hepatitis C Virus (HCV) antigens and antibodies, not only reduces the window period in HCV-infection but also costs. Reduction of costs is important for developing countries where money and personal resources are limited.

Methods

We compared the Monolisa® HCV Antigen-Antibody Ultra (Bio-Rad Laboratories Limited, Marnes La Coquette, France) with the AXSYM HCV version 3.0 (Abbot Diagnostics, Germany)-the latter assay detecting only antibodies to HCV. Seventy three HCV-PCR positive and negative samples were tested.

Results

Although the two assays showed comparable results, two samples from a bone marrow transplant (BMT) patient of viral loads 7.8 × 10₅ and 8.9 × 10₆ IU/mL could not be detected by the Monolisa® HCV Antigen-Antibody Ultra assay. Failure to detect the two samples with viral loads considered above threshold of detection for antigen proteins suggested a lack of sensitivity by this assay to discover viral capsid protein in patient samples. Genotyping of these samples revealed genotype 1b, a HCV-subtype which is widespread and should thus be easily detected.

Conclusion

We conclude that although this assay depicts high sensitivity and specificity in detecting antibodies to HCV, it seems not to add further benefit in our study population to detect HCV infections by enhanced sensitivity due the potential contingency to trace viral capsid antigens.     

全复配食用菌提取物对C26荷瘤小鼠的抑瘤作用和免疫功能影响

背景与目的:食用真菌在医疗保健领域的研究展现出强大的应用潜力.该课题探讨全复配食用菌提取物的抗肿瘤作用及对荷瘤小鼠免疫功能的影响.方法:小鼠随机编号分组,其中预防组预先给予全复配食用菌提取物灌胃2周,每天1次,之后各组均接种C26细胞建立荷瘤小鼠模型,接种后第2天给小鼠予以不同制剂灌胃(空白组灌0.9%氯化钠溶液,治疗组、预防阻灌复配食用菌提取物,CTX阳性组腹腔注射CTX)每天1次,观察记录小鼠一般状态,2周后处死小鼠无菌取脾脏、取瘤称重.MTT法检测小鼠脾淋巴细胞转化功能,乳酸脱氢酶(LDH)法检测NK细胞杀伤活性.结果:复配食用菌提取物预防组对小鼠C26肿瘤有30.4%的抑制率;小鼠脾淋巴细胞在ConA刺激下的增殖能力和NK细胞杀伤功能均显著高于空白组.结论:复配食用菌提取物预防性摄入对再接种C26小鼠有抑瘤和免疫增强作用.     

生物标志物与非小细胞肺癌治疗结局相关

血管内皮生长因子（VEGF）和可溶性VEGF受体2（sVEGFR-2）由VEGF通路抑制因子所调控,化疗、VEGFR抑制剂或两者联合治疗是否可引起细胞因子和血管生成因子（CAFs）的改变,而这些改变是否又能预示临床获益？