Allogeneic bone marrow transplantation with a fixed low number of T cells in the marrow graft [see comments]

Despite prophylaxis with immunosuppressive drugs, severe acute graft- versus-host disease (GVHD) remains a major cause of morbidity and mortality in patients transplanted with unmodified bone marrow (BM) grafts from HLA-identical siblings. Although T-cell depletion of the BM graft has evolved as the most effective method to prevent severe acute GVHD, this beneficial effect is counterbalanced by an increased rate of graft failure and relapse of the disease. To find an approach to T-cell depletion that may avoid these extreme risks, we gave BM recipients a fixed low number of 1 x 10(5) donor T cells per kilogram of recipient's body weight in the graft. This corresponds with 99% T-cell depletion and is achieved by the addition of T cells to the graft that was previously depleted of T cells. A total of 70 patients with hematologic malignancies or aplastic anemia, including 40 patients with standard- risk leukemias, received BM grafts, depleted of T cells according to this approach, from HLA-identical siblings. The preparative regimen consisted of cyclophosphamide and total body irradiation. The patients also received a short course of cyclosporine posttransplant. Graft failure did not occur. Acute GVHD, only grade I or II, was seen in 70% of the patients and was limited to the skin in all patients. Chronic GVHD occurred in 31% of the patients and, with the exception of 1 patient, was limited to the skin as well. Relapse occurred in 3 of 40 (8%) patients with standard-risk leukemias, resulting in a projected survival at 5 years of 80%. Patients with standard-risk diseases had a procedure-related mortality of 11%. Quality of life, determined 1 year after BM transplant, was good in almost all patients with standard-risk diseases. Thus, this approach of T-cell depletion may be an approach that avoids the development of severe acute and chronic GVHD without damaging the function or antileukemic effect of the graft and that has a low transplant-related morbidity and mortality.     

Gender effect on eating habits of Nigerian school children

It is important to investigate children''s eating habits based on different eating behaviors such as satiety responsiveness (SR), slowness in eating (SE), food fussiness (FF), food responsiveness (FR), enjoyment of food (EF), desire to drink (DD), emotional under-eating (EUE), and emotional over-eating (EOE). The main objective of this research was to investigate whether gender affects the eating habits of Nigerian school children.A cross-sectional survey was conducted between March and June 2019. A total of 120 parents of school children participated in the study. The Child Eating Behavior Questionnaire (CEBQ) was used to collect data. The CEBQ is composed of 35 items and eight subscales.Based on the analysis of parents’ reports, DD was higher in boys than girls, t (118) = 7.086, P < .001; EOE was higher in boys than girls, t (118) = 5.184, P < .001; EF was higher in boys than girls, t (118) = 2.183, P < .001; FF was higher in boys than girls, t (118) = 9.441, P < .001; and SR was higher in boys than girls, t (118) = 7.323, P < .001. However, EUE was lower in boys than girls, t (118) = −4.339, P < .001; FR was lower in boys than girls, t(118) = −3.112, P < .001; SE was lower in boys than girls, t(118) = −3.832, P < .001; thus, gender had a significant influence on eating habits of the school children.Gender significantly affects the eating habits of Nigerian school children. Thus, gender is an important factor to be considered when aiming to improve the eating habits of Nigerian school children.     

Improving work-life balance among administrative officers in Catholic primary schools: Assessing the effect of a Christian religious rational emotive behavior therapy

Objective:Work-life balance (WLB) is an essential precursor of workers’ mental health. The theory of rational emotive behaviour therapy proposes that an imbalance in work and family life may result from people''s dysfunctional perceptions of their work and other aspects of their personal life. Also, the constructive philosophies of rational emotive behavior therapy are said to be congruent with most religious belief systems of Christian clients. Therefore, our research examined the efficacy of Christian religious rational emotive behaviour therapy (CRREBT) on WLB among administrative officers in Catholic primary schools.Methods:This is a group randomized trial involving 162 administrative officers from Catholic primary schools in Southeast Nigeria. The treatment process involved an 8-session CRREBT programme.Results:The scores for WLB of the administrative officers enrolled in the CRREBT programme were significantly improved compared to those in the control group at the end of the study. At the follow-up phase, the CRREBT programme proved to be effective over a 3-month period.Conclusion:CRREBT is an effective therapeutic strategy for managing WLB among Catholic school administrative officers.     

Rational emotive education for reducing stress of undergraduate students of religious education program: An experimental study

Background:Rational emotive education (REE) program aims to improve the behavioral and mental health of students. This study objective was to evaluate the effect of an REE program on stress among undergraduate students of religious education program in Nigerian Universities.Method:One hundred and fifty (150) religious education undergraduates who had high level of stress participated in the study. Participants were assigned to 2 different groups. The treatment group had 75 participants and while control group also had 75 participants. Data collection was done using the Perceived Stress Scale (PSS-10) while data analysis was done using independent sample t test and paired t test statistics at .05 probability level.Results:The REE program resulted in a significant decrease in level of stress among undergraduate students of religious education program in the treatment group compared with those students in the control group. Also, the effect of the REE program was maintained during the follow-up among undergraduate students of religious education program exposed to it.Conclusion:The REE program can be used to assist undergraduate students of religious education program to manage their stress.     

BCR-ABL-mediated inhibition of apoptosis with delay of G2/M transition after DNA damage: a mechanism of resistance to multiple anticancer agents

A critical determinant of the efficacy of antineoplastic therapy is the response of malignant cells to DNA damage induced by anticancer agents. The p53 tumor-suppressor gene is a critical component of two distinct cellular responses to DNA damage, the induction of a reversible arrest at the G1/S cell cycle checkpoint, and the activation of apoptosis, a genetic program of autonomous cell death. Expression of the BCR-ABL chimeric gene produced by a balanced translocation in chronic myeloid leukemia, confers resistance to multiple genotoxic anticancer agents. BCR-ABL expression inhibits the apoptotic response to DNA damage without altering either the p53-dependent WAF1/CIP1-mediated G1 arrest or DNA repair. BCR-ABL-mediated inhibition of DNA damage-induced apoptosis is associated with a prolongation of cell cycle arrest at the G2/M restriction point; the delay of G2/M transition may allow time to repair and complete DNA replication and chromosomal segregation, thereby preventing a mitotic catastrophe. The inherent resistance of human cancers to genotoxic agents may result not only by the loss or inactivation of the wild-type p53 gene, but also by genetic alterations such as BCR-ABL that can delay G2/M transition after DNA damage.     

血吸虫对吡喹酮抗药性的研究Ⅳ曼氏血吸虫吡喹酮敏感株与抗性株成虫对吡喹酮的体外反应性

目的　体外比较曼氏血吸虫吡喹酮敏感株与抗性株成虫阶段对吡喹酮的反应性。方法　将各虫株成熟成虫分别培养于含吡喹酮分别为 3.2× 10 - 4、8× 10 - 4、1.6× 10 - 3m ol/ L的 MEM培养液中 ,37℃孵育 15、30、4 5、6 0、75 min后 ,分别在解剖镜下观察虫体的存活状况并计算存活率。结果　当孵育于含吡喹酮 3.2× 10 - 4m ol/ L的 MEM中 75 m in,敏感株与抗性株雌虫均能存活 ;但敏感株与抗性株雄虫的存活率仅为 11.5 % - 16 .0 %和 32 .7% - 36 .5 %。孵育于含吡喹酮 8× 10 - 4m ol/L 的 MEM中 15 min,抗性株雄虫与雌虫存活率为 4 8.3% - 5 0 .0 %和 5 7.9% - 6 3.6 % ;敏感株雄虫与雌虫的存活率为 2 2 .4 % - 2 5 .9%和 38.5 % - 4 8.3% ;75 min后 ,抗性株雄虫的存活率为 13.3%- 17.3% ,敏感株雄虫的存活率则为 0。孵育于含吡喹酮 1.6× 10 - 3m ol/ L 的 MEM中 15 min,抗性株雄虫与雌虫的存活率为 11.1% - 19.6 %和 2 7.5 % - 2 9.9% ;敏感株雄虫与雌虫的存活率均为 0。结论　将曼氏血吸虫吡喹酮抗性株和敏感株成虫孵育于含一定浓度吡喹酮的 MEM中不同时间后 ,抗性株的存活率高于敏感株 ;雌虫的存活率高于雄虫     

Effects of Annual Mass Treatment with Ivermectin for Onchocerciasis on the Prevalence of Intestinal Helminths

We evaluated the effect of annual ivermectin (IV) distribution for onchocerciasis on the prevalence of soil transmitted helminth (STH) infections in school-aged (SAC) and preschool-aged (PAC) children by comparing children in villages that had received treatment for 13 years to those from socioeconomically similar villages in untreated areas. We enrolled 1,031 SAC and 211 PAC for Kato Katz examinations. Treated areas had a lower prevalence of Ascaris (SAC: 3% versus 12%, P < 0.0001; PAC: 3% versus 10%, P < 0.051) and Trichuris (SAC: 6% versus 10%, P = 0.012; PAC: 1% versus 8%, P = 0.019), but not hookworm (SAC: 38% versus 42%, P = 0.20; PAC: 21% versus 27%, P = 0.30). The prevalence of Ascaris or Trichuris in treated areas was below the WHO threshold for mass antihelminthic treatment (MDA), but not for hookworm. We conclude that benzimidazole MDA in IV treatment areas is indicated to effectively control hookworm.