The Kheda malaria project: the case for environmental control

The Kheda project experience has shown that bio-environmentalcontrol of malaria is feasible, cost effective and ecologicallysound. It clearly brings out the need to consider health issuesat the planning stage of all developments. Bio-environmentalcontrol of malaria is suggested as the first line of attackfor the control of mosquitoes, malaria and other mosquito-bornediseases. Insecticides may be reserved for short-term use. Thiswill enable judicious and selective use of insecticides in solelyepidemic situations. The growing problem of resistance to insecticidesin mosquitoes as well as environmental pollution, can then besolved on a long term basis.     

皮下静脉的红外成像

研究背景和目的 　　在急诊救治的过程中最重要的就是快速建立静脉通道,以补充体液、给药以及输血等.但是,由于皮下结构(如血管深度、脂肪组织、皮肤色素、血管内血容量)的复杂性,往往阻碍了肉眼下静脉穿刺过程的实施.血管超声可以辅助寻找相对较粗的静脉,但是此设备和技术的要求较高,影响了其在临床的广泛应用;可见光透射法所得结果不甚可靠,且容易造成灼伤.红外成像时由于其穿透深度较可见光深,而且血液对红外光能量的吸收明显高于脂肪和黑色素等血管周围组织,因而可以得到对比度清晰的图像.……     

Lymphokine-activated killer (LAK) activity to cultured rat kidney parenchymal components in vitro

Abstract. The susceptibility of cultured rat kidney parenchymal components to natural killer (NK) cell and lymphokine-activated killer (LAK) cell-mediated lysis in a 4-h in vitro ⁵¹chromium assay was investigated. Large granular lymphocytes (LGL) in the spleen and in the kidney allograft were able to lyse YAC cells during rejection, but they did not damage target endothelial, glomerular mesangial, glomerular epithelial, or tubular cells in resting state. Stimulation of the target cells with gamma-interferon - known to induce MHC (class II) antigens on the target cell surface - did not make the target cells susceptible to NK-mediated lysis. LAK cells generated by a 3-day incubation with interleukin-2 (IL-2) effectively lysed both YAC and P815 target cell lines. LAK cells were also slightly cytotoxic to all tested parenchymal target components in resting state. Gamma-interferon treatment of the cultured parenchymal cells prior to the chromium release assay, however, reduced LAK-mediated parenchymal cell cytotoxicity to nearly nondetectable levels. Obviously, many lymphokines, including IL-2 and gamma-interferon, are produced during rejection at the site of inflammation. This might induce the generation of LAK cells in situ as the lymphokines induce the production of MHC antigens in the graft. We interpret these findings as indicating that regardless of the generation of LAK, the protective effect of gamma-interferon neutralizes the LAK effect, and we suggest that neither LGL nor LAK cells play any essential role in rat kidney allograft rejection.     

Altered functional responsiveness of thymocyte subsets from CD3delta- deficient mice to TCR-CD3 engagement

CD3delta-deficient (delta degrees) mice are defective in alphabeta T cell development. Here we explore the capacity of TCR-CD3 signaling complexes expressed on delta degrees thymocytes to mediate the following functional outcomes in response to antibody cross-linking: (i) the transition from the CD4-CD8- to CD4+CD8+ stage, (ii) the transition from the CD4+CD8+ to CD4+CD8- or CD4-CD8+ stages and (iii) the induction of apoptosis. We provide evidence that CD3deltaepsilon complexes are dispensable for mediating the anti-CD3-mediated CD4-CD8- to CD4+CD8+ transition. On the other hand, CD3delta is critical at the CD4+CD8+ stage. We demonstrate that CD4+CD8+ thymocytes from delta degrees mice, unlike delta degrees CD4-CD8- thymocytes and wild-type CD4+CD8+ thymocytes, require prolonged or consecutive stimuli to elicit functional responses. Depending on the nature of the secondary stimulus, delta degrees thymocytes can be induced to undergo apoptosis or preferential maturation to the CD4-CD8+ stage. Taken together these results indicate that the signaling capacity of the TCR-CD3 complex is noticeably altered in the absence of CD3delta. The essential role of CD3delta at the CD4+CD8+ stage of development correlates with the onset of TCRalpha rearrangement, consistent with a critical structural and/or functional relationship between CD3delta and TCRalpha.      

Tropical pyomyositis

A 22 year old male presented with symptoms of diffuse muscle pain and multiple abnormal laboratory findings that were eventually attributed to tropical myositis. Computed tomography scan was more reliable than ultrasound and served as a guide to needle aspiration and pathologic diagnosis.     

The geometry of triple-balloon dilation

Triple-balloon dilation (TBD) of a variety of luminal structures has been successfully, though infrequently, used. A mathematical model is presented for the selection of balloon sizes, and equations and tables are derived that allow the user to estimate more accurately the size of balloons needed for TBD of structures with large lumina. With TBD, an approximately circular lumen can be formed. Also, TBD allows smaller, higher-pressure balloons to be used instead of single, low-pressure, large balloons. However, multiple puncture sites may be required for TBD.     

Strains of <Emphasis Type="Italic">Peru tomato virus</Emphasis> infecting cocona (<Emphasis Type="Italic">Solanum sessiliflorum</Emphasis>), tomato and pepper in Peru with reference to genome evolution in genus <Emphasis Type="Italic">Potyvirus</Emphasis>

Summary. Two isolates (SL1 and SL6) of Peru tomato virus (PTV, genus Potyvirus) were obtained from cocona plants (Solanum sessiliflorum) growing in Tingo María, the jungle of the Amazon basin in Peru. One PTV isolate (TM) was isolated from a tomato plant (Lycopersicon esculentum) growing in Huaral at the Peruvian coast. The three PTV isolates were readily transmissible by Myzus persicae. Isolate SL1, but not SL6, caused chlorotic lesions in inoculated leaves of Chenopodium amaranticolor and C. quinoa. Isolate TM differed from SL1 and SL6 in causing more severe mosaic symptoms in tomato, and vein necrosis in the leaves of cocona. Pepper cv. Avelar (Capsicum annuum) showed resistance to the PTV isolates SL1 and SL6 but not TM. The 5- and 3-proximal sequences of the three PTV isolates were cloned, sequenced and compared to the corresponding sequences of four PTV isolates from pepper, the only host from which PTV isolates have been previously characterised at the molecular level. Phylogenetic analyses on the P1 protein and coat protein amino acid sequences indicated, in accordance with the phenotypic data from indicator hosts, that the PTV isolates from cocona represented a distinguishable strain. In contrast, the PTV isolates from tomato and pepper were not grouped according to the host. Inclusion of the sequence data from the three PTV isolates of this study in a phylogenetic analysis with other PTV isolates and other potyviruses strengthen the membership of PTV in the so-called PVY subgroup of Potyvirus. This subgroup of closely related potyvirus species was also distinguishable from other potyviruses by their more uniform sizes of the protein-encoding regions within the polyprotein.The first two authors contributed equally.