Tinea capitis in adults in Tunisia

Objective To determine the pattern of infectious agents causing tinea capitis (TC) in adult patients in adult patients in Tunisia. Methods From January 1990 to December 2005, we retrospectively collected all cases of adult TC, confirmed by the mycological examination. Results Sixty patients (18 male, 42 female) with a mean age of 34.5 years were diagnosed as having adult TC among a total number of 1137 cases of TC (5.27%). Clinical features were polymorphic and diagnosis was made on mycological examination. Culture identified Trichophyton violaceum in 36 cases (60%), Microsporum canis in 12 cases (20%), Trichophyton schoenleini in 7 cases (12%), Trichophyton verrucosum in two cases (3.5%), and Trichophyton mentagrophytes and Trichophyton rubrum in one case (each 1.77%). Culture was negative in one case. Treatment consisted of administration of Griseofulvin at the dose of 20–25 mg/kg/d during 6–8 weeks associated with antifungal topics. A complete recovery was noted in 55 cases and relapse occurred in two patients. A scary alopecia was observed in one patient and two patients were lost to follow‐up. Conclusion Trichophyton violaceum remains the most common etiological agent of adult TC in Tunisia. Microsporum canis is rising rapidly most notably due to the high frequency of asymptomatic carriage by domestic animals.     

Polygon-based image registration: a new approach for geo-referencing historical maps

This paper presents a new approach for geo-referencing historical maps using a polygon-based image registration technique. Since most historical maps lack long lasting point features to serve as control primitives for image registration, we explore the use of polygon features as control primitives that can be identified in both the map and the geo-referenced coordinate system based on matching the polygons’ shape context. A coordinate transformation model can be established using the matched vertices of the polygons, and the model coefficients are subsequently estimated using least-squares adjustment. The proposed method was tested on a digitized lithographic map of downtown Toronto, Ontario, Canada, created in 1857. The experimental work showed a good agreement for the image registration where the Dice similarity coefficient was 0.8 (i.e. 80% of overlap found between the two sets of polygons), regardless of using affine or polynomial model.     

Proliferation and cell fate establishment during Arabidopsis male gametogenesis depends on the Retinoblastoma protein

The Retinoblastoma (Rb) protein is a conserved repressor of cell proliferation. In animals and plants, deregulation of Rb protein causes hyperproliferation and perturbs cell differentiation to various degrees. However, the primary developmental impact of the loss of Rb protein has remained unclear. In this study we investigated the direct consequences of Rb protein knockout in the Arabidopsis male germline using cytological and molecular markers. The Arabidopsis germ line derives from the unequal division of the microspore, producing a small germ cell and a large terminally differentiated vegetative cell. A single division of the germ cell produces the 2 sperm cells. We observed that the loss of Rb protein does not have a major impact on microspore division but causes limited hyperproliferation of the vegetative cell and, to a lesser degree, of the sperm cells. In addition, cell fate is perturbed in a fraction of Rb-defective vegetative cells. These defects are rescued by preventing cell proliferation arising from down-regulation of cyclin-dependent kinase A1. Our results indicate that hyperproliferation caused by the loss of Rb protein prevents or delays cell determination during plant male gametogenesis, providing further evidence for a direct link between fate determination and cell proliferation.     

The portrayal of bone tumours in the press

The media are pivotal in educating and informing the general public. The stories they cover and how they cover them has a powerful influence on public perceptions. There have been no previous reports of the portrayal of bone tumours in the press. LexisNexis? Professional search engine used to retrieve articles from all United Kingdom National Newspapers over one year containing terms “bone tumour/bone tumour” and 46 other named bone and joint tumours from May 2009 to May 2010. A total of 253 relevant articles were found. Seven per cent solely bone tumour related, 41 % main theme and 52 % mentioned in passing. 52 % mentioned tumour type. These were 51 % multiple myeloma, 15 % Ewing’s sarcoma, 9 % sarcoma unspecified, 6 % clear cell sarcoma, 4.5 % epithelial sarcoma, 4 % synovial sarcoma, 3 % osteosarcoma, 3 % bony metastasis and 1.5 % chondrosarcoma. Benign bone tumours not mentioned. Article focus: chemotherapy 17 %, surgeon/doctor 7 % and new surgical technique 2 %. The overall attitudinal tone of the articles were 52 % negative, 32 % neutral and 16 % positive. Only 13 % quoted an oncologist, and 1 % an orthopaedic surgeon. Quality of medical information provided was limited with 90 % providing no meaningful medical information and this medical information being correct only 68 % of the time. Articles with quotes from a doctor were significantly more likely to contain meaningful medical information than those without—33 versus 4 %, respectively (p < 0.001 Chi-squared test)—and there was a trend for them to be more factually correct overall—68 versus 50 % (p = 0.192 Fisher’s exact Test).     

A critical comparison between the World Health Organization list of essential medicines for children and the Brazilian list of essential medicines (Rename)

ObjectiveTo perform a critical comparison between the Brazilian national essential medicines list (Rename, 2012) with the list of essential medicines for children (LEMC, 2011) of the World Health Organization (WHO), regarding the differences among drugs and formulations listed for children.MethodsThe LEMC drugs were classified into four categories: 1) absent in Rename; 2) included in Rename but without any formulation suitable for children; 3) listed in Rename only in some formulations; 4) present in Rename in all formulations. The missing formulations were analyzed by therapeutic group. Alternatives present in Rename were searched.ResultsFrom the 261 drugs of interest on the LEMC, 30.3% are absent from Rename, 11.1% are in Rename but without any pediatric formulation, and 32.2% are present in some but not all formulations listed in LEMC. Considering all formulations items listed in the LEMC (n = 577), 349 are missing from Rename, of these 19.6% due to their strength, and 18.5% due to the the dosage form. Useful formulations specific for neonatal care, respiratory tract, central nervous system, and anti-infectives, among other groups, are missing.ConclusionThe lack of age-appropriate formulations of essential medicines for children in Brazil includes important therapeutic groups and indispensable drugs for severe clinical conditions. Some of these products exist in the Brazilian pharmaceutical market, but not in public facilities; others could be produced by national laboratories with commercial interest or stimulated by a specific governmental policy, as in other countries.