First molecular characterization of Giardia duodenalis from goats in Malaysia

In the present study, 310 faecal samples from goats from eight different farms in Malaysia were tested for the presence of Giardia using a PCR-coupled approach. The nested PCR for SSU amplified products of the expected size (～200 bp) from 21 of 310 (6.8%) samples. Sixteen of these 21 products could be sequenced successfully and represented six distinct sequence types. Phylogenetic analysis of the SSU sequence data using Bayesian Inference (BI) identified Giardia assemblages A, B and E. The identification of the ‘zoonotic’ assemblages A and B suggests that Giardia-infected goats represent a possible reservoir for human giardiasis in Malaysia.     

Bronchoscopic management of airway obstruction in pediatric endobronchial tuberculosis

The present report describes a case of severe airway obstruction caused by endobronchial tuberculosis in an 11-year-old girl who was successfully treated by bronchoscopic balloon dilation. This case illustrates the insidious presentation and the increasingly important role of bronchoscopic intervention in the management of endobronchial tuberculosis. In addition, a brief literature review of the condition in the pediatric age group is included.     

Rearrangement of the T cell receptor gamma-chain gene in childhood acute lymphoblastic leukemia

We analyzed rearrangements of the T cell receptor gamma-chain (T gamma) gene as well as rearrangements of the T cell receptor beta-chain (T beta) gene and immunoglobulin heavy-chain (IgH) gene in 68 children with acute lymphoblastic leukemia (ALL). All 15 patients with T cell ALL showed rearrangements of both T beta and T gamma genes. Twenty-four of 53 non-T, non-B ALL patients (45%) showed T gamma gene rearrangements and only 14 of these also showed T beta gene rearrangements. Only a single patient rearranged the T beta gene in the absence of T gamma gene rearrangement. The rearrangement patterns of the T gamma gene in non-T, non-B ALL were quite different from those observed in T cell ALL, as 20 of 23 patients retained at least one germline band of the T gamma gene. In contrast, all T cell ALL patients showed no retention of germline bands. These data indicate that rearrangement of the T gamma gene is not specific for T cell ALL. Further, the results also suggest that T gamma gene rearrangement precedes T beta gene rearrangement. The combined analysis of rearrangement patterns of IgH, T beta, and T gamma genes provides new criteria for defining the cellular origin of leukemic cells and for further delineation of leukemia cell heterogeneity.     

The Role of Serotonin (5-HT) in Behavioral Control: Findings from Animal Research and Clinical Implications

The neurotransmitters serotonin and dopamine both have a critical role in the underlying neurobiology of different behaviors. With focus on the interplay between dopamine and serotonin, it has been proposed that dopamine biases behavior towards habitual responding, and with serotonin offsetting this phenomenon and directing the balance toward more flexible, goal-directed responding. The present focus paper stands in close relationship to the publication by Worbe et al. (2015), which deals with the effects of acute tryptophan depletion, a neurodietary physiological method to decrease central nervous serotonin synthesis in humans for a short period of time, on the balance between hypothetical goal-directed and habitual systems. In that research, acute tryptophan depletion challenge administration and a following short-term reduction in central nervous serotonin synthesis were associated with a shift of behavioral performance towards habitual responding, providing further evidence that central nervous serotonin function modulates the balance between goal-directed and stimulus-response habitual systems of behavioral control. In the present focus paper, we discuss the findings by Worbe and colleagues in light of animal experiments as well as clinical implications and discuss potential future avenues for related research.     

Comparison of biodegradable and newer generation durable polymer drug-eluting stents with short-term dual antiplatelet therapy: a systematic review and Bayesian network meta-analysis of randomized trials comprising of 43,875 patients

Journal of Thrombosis and Thrombolysis - Newer generation durable polymer drug-eluting stents (DP-DES) and biodegradable polymer DES (BP-DES) have similar efficacy with dual-antiplatelet therapy...