Genotype prevalence and risk factors for severe clinical adenovirus infection, United States 2004-2006.

BACKGROUND: Recently, epidemiological and clinical data have revealed important changes with regard to clinical adenovirus infection, including alterations in antigenic presentation, geographical distribution, and virulence of the virus. METHODS: In an effort to better understand the epidemiology of clinical adenovirus infection in the United States, we adopted a new molecular adenovirus typing technique to study clinical adenovirus isolates collected from 22 medical facilities over a 25-month period during 2004-2006. A hexon gene sequence typing method was used to characterize 2237 clinical adenovirus-positive specimens, comparing their sequences with those of the 51 currently recognized prototype human adenovirus strains. In a blinded comparison, this method performed well and was much faster than the classic serologic typing method. RESULTS: Among civilians, the most prevalent adenovirus types were types 3 (prevalence, 34.6%), 2 (24.3%), 1 (17.7%), and 5 (5.3%). Among military trainees, the most prevalent types were types 4 (prevalence, 92.8%), 3 (2.6%), and 21 (2.4%). CONCLUSIONS: For both populations, we observed a statistically significant increasing trend of adenovirus type 21 detection over time. Among adenovirus isolates recovered from specimens from civilians, 50% were associated with hospitalization, 19.6% with a chronic disease condition, 11% with a bone marrow or solid organ transplantation, 7.4% with intensive care unit stay, and 4.2% with a cancer diagnosis. Multivariable risk factor modeling for adenovirus disease severity found that age <7 years (odds ratio [OR], 3.2; 95% confidence interval [CI], 1.4-7.4), chronic disease (OR, 3.6; 95% CI, 2.6-5.1), recent transplantation (OR, 2.7; 95% CI, 1.3-5.2), and adenovirus type 5 (OR, 2.7; 95% CI, 1.5-4.7) or type 21 infection (OR, 7.6; 95% CI, 2.6-22.3) increased the risk of severe disease.     

中面部年轻化手术进展

随着生活水平的提高，人们越来越关注并热切希望改善自己的外表，许多整形外科医生都在努力探索各种美容手术方法，以期最终能达到使患者衰老的面容年轻化的目的。最初的方法主要是通过直接切除多余的皮肤。     

Ovarian Steroid Levels inSalamandra salamandra infraimmaculataduring the Reproductive Cycle

Gonadal steroid levels were determined in the ovary ofSalamandra salamandra infraimmaculataduring the reproductive cycle in populations from a xeric region in northern Israel. Varying proportions of previtellogenic and vitellogenic oocytes were present throughout the year, and mature oocytes were present in winter and spring. The numbers of mature oocytes were greater between December and April, after parturition. The levels of 17β-estradiol and testosterone rose during oocyte vitellogenesis and maturation. Levels of progesterone and 17α-hydroxy progesterone appeared to be related to the level of vitellogenesis. Gravid females contained greater quantities of all four steroids than did nongravid females.     

Synthesis of 14C‐labeled piperidines and application to synthesis of [14C]SCH 351125, a CCR5 receptor antagonist

1‐Benzyl‐4‐hydroxy[2‐¹⁴C]piperidine, a useful intermediate in labeled compound synthesis, was prepared from [¹⁴C]formaldehyde in high yield. The distribution pattern of ¹⁴C in the product is consistent with a mechanism involving reversible iminium ion formation and rapid equilibration of the iminium ion through a cationic aza‐Cope rearrangement. These steps precede the rate‐determining intramolecular cyclization step. SCH 351125 is a potent, selective CCR5 receptor antagonist with potential as a treatment for HIV infection. [¹⁴C]SCH 351125, required for metabolism studies, was prepared from 1‐benzyl‐4‐hydroxy[2‐¹⁴C]piperidine in six steps. [¹⁴C]SCH 351125 is a mixture of four atropisomers. Preparation of [¹⁴C]SCH 351125 besylate salt of the desired atropisomer pair is also described. Copyright © 2007 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

Changing patterns of intellectual strengths and weaknesses in males with fragile X syndrome

Examined the changing profiles of intelligence in males with fragile X syndrome as these individuals increased in chronological age. Using a psychometric instrument designed to measure styles of information processing, 21 males aged 4 to 27 years were examined cross-sectionally in sequential processing, simultaneous processing, and achievement. The age of the subject was associated with age-equivalent levels of both simultaneous processing and achievement, but fragile X males did not show higher levels of sequential processing with increasing chronological age. Compared to younger fragile X males, the older subjects were more delayed in sequential processing skills relative to their abilities in other areas. A smaller longitudinal study confirmed the presence of a plateau in sequential processing among those subjects tested two times after the age of 10 years. Implications are discussed for diagnosis, intervention, and the matching of subject groups in mental retardation research.This research was supported in part by the John Merck Fund, the Joseph P. Kennedy, Jr. Foundation, NIH grants RR00125 and HD03008, and NIMH grants MH18268 and MH30929. We thank Wendy Marans and Joel Bregman for their comments on an earlier draft of this paper.     

Genetic diversity and molecular identification of mosquito species in the Anopheles maculatus group using the ITS2 region of rDNA.

The species diversity and genetic structure of mosquitoes belonging to the Anopheles maculatus group in Southeast Asia were investigated using the internal transcribed spacer 2 (ITS2) of ribosomal DNA (rDNA). A molecular phylogeny indicates the presence of at least one hitherto unrecognised species. Mosquitoes of chromosomal form K from eastern Thailand have a unique ITS2 sequence that is 3.7% divergent from the next most closely related taxon (An. sawadwongporni) in the group. In the context of negligible intraspecific variation at ITS2, this suggests that chromosomal form K is most probably a distinct species. Although An. maculatus sensu stricto from northern Thailand and southern Thailand/peninsular Malaysia differ from each other in chromosomal banding pattern and vectorial capacity, no intraspecific variation was observed in the ITS2 sequences of this species over this entire geographic area despite an extensive survey. A PCR-based identification method was developed to distinguish five species of the group (An. maculatus, An. dravidicus, An. pseudowillmori, An. sawadwongporni and chromosomal form K) to assist field-based studies in northwestern Thailand. Sequences from 187 mosquitoes (mostly An. maculatus and An. sawadwongporni) revealed no intraspecific variation in specimens from Thailand, Cambodia, mainland China, Malaysia, Taiwan and Vietnam, suggesting that this identification method will be widely applicable in Southeast Asia. The lack of detectable genetic structure also suggests that populations of these species are either connected by gene flow and/or share a recent common history.