Extra-intestinal and long term consequences of Giardia duodenalis infections

Giardiasis is the most common waterborne parasitic infection of the human intestine worldwide.The etiological agent,Giardia duodenalis(syn.G.intestinalis,G.lamblia),is a flagellated,binucleated protozoan parasite which infects a wide array of mammalian hosts.Human giardiasis is a true cosmopolitan pathogen,with highest prevalence in developing countries.Giardiasis can present with a broad range of clinical manifestations from asymptomatic,to acute or chronic diarrheal disease associated with abdominal pain and nausea.Most infections are self-limiting,although re-infection and chronic infection can occur.Recent evidence indicating that Giardia may cause chronic post-infectious gastrointestinal complications have made it a topic of intense research.The causes of the post-infectious clinical manifestations due to Giardia,even after complete elimination of the parasite,remain obscure.This review offers a state-of-the-art discussion on the long-term consequences of Giardia infections,from extra-intestinal manifestations,growth and cognitive deficiencies,to post-infectious irritable bowel syndrome.The discussion also sheds light on some of the novel mechanisms recently implicated in the production of these postinfectious manifestations.     

Microswitch clusters to support responding and appropriate posture of students with multiple disabilities: three case evaluations

Purpose:?This study extended the evaluation of microswitch clusters to support responding and appropriate posture with three students with multiple disabilities.

Method:?Initially, a baseline level was established for the target response selected for each student. Then, Intervention I was implemented to increase the frequency of that response through the presentation of favourite stimuli. During Intervention II, the response was followed by favourite stimuli only if the microswitch cluster detected it in combination with appropriate posture. Post-intervention checks were carried out within 2 or 3 months from the end of Intervention II.

Results and conclusions:?All students showed an increase in the frequency of the target response during Intervention I and in the percentage of times the response occurred in combination with appropriate posture during Intervention II. These changes lasted over time. The importance of microswitch clusters to enhance the performance of students with multiple disabilities was underlined.     

Lineage infidelity of a human myelogenous leukemia cell line

We have analyzed the organization and expression of the immunoglobulin heavy and light chain gene in the human myeloblastic leukemic sublines, ML1, ML2, and ML3, and in the human myeloid leukemic cell lines, HL-60, U937, THP1, and K562. ML1, ML2, and ML3 cells, despite a predominant granulocytic phenotype, express a rearrangement of the immunoglobulin heavy chain gene that typically occurs during the early stages of the B cell differentiation pathway. No rearrangement was found in any of the other cell lines tested. These findings strongly support the notion that, at least in some cases, acute myeloid leukemia (AML) cells represent highly atypical cells with profoundly altered gene expression, rather than cells arrested at a well-defined stage of the myeloid lineage.