Lack of the endosomal SNAREs vti1a and vti1b led to significant impairments in neuronal development

Fusion between membranes is mediated by specific SNARE complexes. Here we report that fibroblasts survive the absence of the trans-Golgi network/early endosomal SNARE vti1a and the late endosomal SNARE vti1b with intact organelle morphology and minor trafficking defects. Because vti1a and vti1b are the only members of their SNARE subclass and the yeast homolog Vti1p is essential for cell survival, these data suggest that more distantly related SNAREs acquired the ability to function in endosomal traffic during evolution. However, absence of vti1a and vti1b resulted in perinatal lethality. Major axon tracts were missing, reduced in size, or misrouted in Vti1a(-/-) Vti1b(-/-) embryos. Progressive neurodegeneration was observed in most Vti1a(-/-) Vti1b(-/-) peripheral ganglia. Neurons were reduced by more than 95% in Vti1a(-/-) Vti1b(-/-) dorsal root and geniculate ganglia at embryonic day 18.5. These data suggest that special demands for endosomal membrane traffic could not be met in Vti1a(-/-) Vti1b(-/-) neurons. Vti1a(-/-) and Vti1b(-/-) single deficient mice were viable without these neuronal defects, indicating that they can substitute for each other in these processes.     

Skilled care at birth among rural women in Nepal: practice and challenges

In Nepal, most births take place at home, and many, particularly in rural areas, are not attended by a skilled birth attendant. The main objectives of the study were to assess the use of skilled delivery care and barriers to access such care in a rural community and to assess health problems during delivery and seeking care. This cross-sectional study was carried out in two Village Development Committees in Nepal in 2006. In total, 150 women who had a live birth in the 24 months preceding the survey were interviewed using a structured questionnaire. The sample population included married women aged 15-49 years. Forty-six (31%) women delivered their babies at hospital, and 104 (69%) delivered at home. The cost of delivery at hospital was significantly (p < 0.001) higher than that of a delivery at home. Results of univariate analysis showed that women from Brahmin-Chhetri ethnicity, women with higher education or who were more skilled, whose husbands had higher education and more skilled jobs, had first or second childbirth, and having adverse previous obstetric history were associated with institutional delivery while women with higher education and having an adverse history of pregnancy outcome predicted the uptake of skilled delivery care in Nepal. The main perceived problems to access skilled delivery care were: distance to hospital, lack of transportation, lack of awareness on delivery care, and cost. The main reasons for seeking intrapartum care were long labour, retained placenta, and excessive bleeding. Only a quarter of women sought care immediately after problems occurred. The main reasons seeking care late were: the woman or her family not perceiving that there was a serious problem, distance to health facility, and lack of transport. The use of skilled birth attendants at delivery among rural women in Nepal is very poor. Home delivery by unskilled birth attendants is still a common practice among them. Many associated factors relating to the use of skilled delivery care that were identified included age, education and occupation of women, and education and occupation of husbands. Therefore, the availability of skilled delivery care services at the community, initiation of a primary health centre with skilled staff for delivery, and increasing awareness among women to seek skilled delivery care are the best solution.     

Failure of primary atovaquone prophylaxis for prevention of toxoplasmosis in hematopoietic cell transplant recipients

The efficacy of primary prophylaxis with atovaquone in preventing Toxoplasma reactivation and disease in hematopoietic cell transplant (HCT) recipients is unknown. We describe 2 cases of atovaquone prophylaxis failure in pre‐HCT Toxoplasma‐seropositive (pre‐HCTSP) recipients who underwent allogeneic HCT (allo‐HCT) and review the literature on atovaquone prophylaxis in HCT recipients.     

Asymptomatic colonization of upper respiratory tract by potential bacterial pathogens

Objective  

To screen for asymptomatic respiratory carriage of S. pneumoniae, H. influenzae and Group A Streptococcus (GAS) in children attending JIPMER, correlate carriage rate with different socio-demographic factors and to detect antimicrobial resistance among the isolates.     

关节镜下自体腘绳肌和异体胫前肌单束重建前交叉韧带的1年随访比较

背景：由于人工韧带存在慢性疲劳,越来越多的人采用异体肌腱重建前后交叉韧带损伤。 目的：比较关节镜下自体腘绳肌和异体胫前肌单束重建前交叉韧带的疗效。 方法：收集关节镜下用自体腘绳肌和异体胫前肌单束重建前交叉韧带随访满1年的病例。自体腘绳肌重建前交叉韧带组28例;异体胫前肌重建前交叉韧带组18例。采用股骨端Endobutten、胫骨端可吸收螺钉固定。采用支具固定并进行功能训练。 结果与结论：前交叉韧带重建后6个月,异体肌腱组lysholm评分高于自体肌腱组(P < 0.05);重建后12个月两组lysholm评分差异无显著性意义。两组重建后6,12个月与重建前比较差异均有显著性意义(P < 0.05),重建后12个月与6个月比较差异有显著性意义(P < 0.05)。结果表明,自体和异体肌腱重建前交叉韧带随访1年疗效相当。     

Effect of [Pyridylmethanimine]/[CuI] Ratio,Ligand, Solvent and Temperature on the Activation Rate Constants in Atom Transfer Radical Polymerization

Summary: The effect of [L]/[Cu^I] ratio, ligand, the choice of solvent and temperature on the activation rate constants in ATRP with catalyst complexes formed with two pyridylmethanimine ligands [PMI, i.e., N‐propyl‐pyridylmethanimine (NPPMI) and N‐octyl‐pyridylmethanimine (NOPMI)] were studied. Maximal values for the apparent rate constants were observed at an [L]/[Cu^I] ratio of ∼2/1 and 1/1 in polar and nonpolar solvents, respectively. This is similar to the results obtained with the Cu^I/bpy system and was attributed to the formation of [Cu^I/L₂]⁺Br⁻ and [Cu^I/L₂]⁺Cu^IBr species. The Cu^I/NPPMI system was only soluble in polar reaction media; however, the Cu^I/NOPMI complex was soluble in both polar and less polar reaction media. The activation rate constants increased with increasing temperature and the value of activation energy (E_a) for Cu^I/NPPMI in the activation process was 58.1 kJ · M ⁻¹ · K⁻¹.

Arrhenius plot of ln k_a versus 1/T for the activation process for NPPMI and bpy in acetonitrile; [Cu^IBr/NPPMI₂]₀ ([Cu^IBr/bpy₂]₀)/[EtBriB]₀/[TEMPO]₀/[TCB]₀ = 20/1/10/2 × 10⁻³ M .     

Rosai-Dorfman disease mimicking a sphenoid wing meningioma

A 40-year-old male presented with a single generalized tonic-clonic seizure. MRI revealed an enhancing, dural-based, left lateral sphenoid wing lesion suggestive of a meningioma. At microsurgical excision, the lesion was firm and relatively avascular. The histopathological report revealed S-100 positive histiocytic proliferation with lymphophagocytosis (emperipolesis) characteristic of the Rosai-Dorfman disease. The case and its management are discussed.     

Histoplasmosis in transplant recipients

Histoplasma capsulatum is a dimorphic fungus that most often causes asymptomatic infection in the immunocompetent population. In immunocompromised patients, including solid organ transplant (SOT) and hematopoietic cell transplant (HCT) recipients, however, it is likely to cause severe life‐threatening infection. Post‐transplant histoplasmosis (PTH) in SOT is uncommon with an incidence of ≤1% and is even rarer in HCT patients. The majority of PTH in SOT is diagnosed in the first 2 years following transplantation. Histoplasmosis may result from endogenous reactivation of latent infection, de novo post‐transplant acquisition, and donor‐derived infection. Disseminated infection is common. Fever is the most common symptom and clinical features are often nonspecific, but patients with disseminated infection may present with a septic picture. Other features, including pancytopenia and hepatosplenomegaly, may not be prominent early in the course of illness. Contemporary histoplasma antigen assays are the most sensitive tests but cross‐reactivity with antigens of other fungi, including with Aspergillus galactomannan, is not uncommon. Treatment should be continued for at least a year. Histoplasma antigen levels have prognostic value and can be used to monitor the response to therapy. The attributable mortality is approximately 10%. Routine screening of donors and recipients is not currently recommended.