A simple and rapid approach for screening of SARS-coronavirus genotypes: an evaluation study

Background  

The Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome (SARS) was a newly emerged infectious disease which caused a global epidemic in 2002–2003. Sequence analysis of SARS-coronavirus isolates revealed that specific genotypes predominated at different periods of the epidemic. This information can be used as a footprint for tracing the epidemiology of infections and monitor viral evolution. However, direct sequencing analysis of a large number of clinical samples is cumbersome and time consuming. We present here a simple and rapid assay for the screening of SARS-coronavirus genotypes based on the use of fluorogenic oligonucleotide probes for allelic discrimination.     

Oral misoprostol for cervical priming in non-pregnant women

Endometrial biopsy and hysteroscopy are important investigations in women presenting with abnormal vaginal bleeding. Endometrial biopsy is often performed as an outpatient procedure by endometrial aspiration. Difficulty in entering the internal cervical os may be encountered, especially in nulliparous women. The same problem may occur during hysteroscopy or dilatation and curettage. It is well known that use of a cervical priming agent is effective in reducing complications during cervical dilatation in pregnant women. However, its use in non-pregnant women is not well established. We compared oral misoprostol versus placebo for a cervical priming effect in non-pregnant women prior to hysteroscopy. The cumulative force required for cervical dilatation was significantly lower whereas the baseline cervical dilatation was significantly greater in the misoprostol group. We conclude that oral misoprostol is effective for pre-operative cervical dilatation in non- pregnant women.      

Mitochondrial DNA deletion in human oocytes and embryos

Mitochondrial DNA (mtDNA) deletions are present in both human oocytes and embryos. It has been found that these tissues contain a mtDNA mutation which is present in high amounts in patients with Kearns-Sayre syndrome (KSS) and progressive external ophthalmoplegia. In the present study, the frequency of this KSS deletion was investigated in human oocytes and embryos. Using a nested primer polymerase chain chian reaction (PCR) strategy, the frequency of the KSS deletion in 74 human oocytes and 137 embryos was found to be 32.8 and 8.0% respectively. Using a 'long PCR-short PCR' nested primer strategy, the frequency of the KSS deletion in 181 human oocytes and 104 embryos was found to be 47.0 and 20.2% respectively. There was no statistical correlation between the age of the patients at the time of oocyte retrieval and the presence of the deleted molecules. There was a statistical difference between the presence of the deleted molecules in oocytes versus embryos using either technique (P < 0.0001). The relevance of these findings to the accumulation of low levels of deleted mtDNA in both oocytes and embryos is discussed in this study.      

肺心病患者血浆内皮素-1和降钙素基因相关肽的水平

1　对象和方法1.1　对象　选择住院肺心病急性期患者38(男3,女12)例,年龄(65±2)岁.肺心病缓解期28(男17,女11)例,年龄(62±4)岁.所有患者病程6～21a,平均(18±6)a.均因受凉感冒、劳累等引起慢性支气管炎、肺心病急性发作、呼吸道症状加重.入院时均有明显气喘、咳痰、呼吸困难,严重者不能平卧,口唇紫绀、伴有不同程度呼吸衰竭及II°～III°右心衰竭.有5例并发上消化道出血,14例并电解质紊乱及心律失常.根据病史、症状、血气分析、胸部X线片及心电图等确定诊断,符合全国第3次肺心病专业会议诊断标准(1997,上海市).正常对照组31例,门诊健康…     

Neutron- and photon-activation detection limits in breast milk analysis for prospective dose evaluation of the suckling infant

Complex situations related to the environment, as in the regions affected by the Chernobyl accident and regions in which nuclear weapons testing were undertaken, as in Semipalatinsk, could be reflected in the trace element content in mothers' milk. The evaluation of fractional transfer to milk of ingested or inhaled activity and of the corresponding dose coefficients for the infant, following a mothers' radioactive intake, can take advantage from wide-ranging studies of elemental and radionuclide contents in mothers' milk. In this work the possibility to determine elements, such as Ru, Zr, Nb, Te, Ce, Th, U, in milk powder has been investigated. Although results from elemental analyses of breast milk are to be found in the literature, the determination of the identified elements has attracted poor attention since they are not considered essential elements from a biological point of view. Nevertheless, in the case of radioactive releases to the environment, such data could be of interest in evaluation of dose to the breast-fed infant.     

Pelvic floor muscle functioning in women with vulvar vestibulitis syndrome

Vaginal sEMG biofeedback and pelvic floor physical therapists' manual techniques are being increasingly included in the treatment of vulvar vestibulitis syndrome (VVS). Successful treatment outcomes have generated hypotheses concerning the role of pelvic floor pathology in the etiology of VVS. However, no data on pelvic floor functioning in women with VVS compared to controls are available. Twenty-nine women with VVS were matched to 29 women with no pain with intercourse. Two independent, structured pelvic floor examinations were carried out by physical therapists blind to the diagnostic status of the participants. Results indicated that therapists reached almost perfect agreement in their diagnosis of pelvic floor pathology. A series of significant correlations demonstrated the reliability of assessment results across muscle palpation sites. Women with VVS demonstrated significantly more vaginal hypertonicity, lack of vaginal muscle strength, and restriction of the vaginal opening, compared to women with no pain with intercourse. Anal palpation could not confirm generalized hypertonicity of the pelvic floor. We suggest that pelvic floor pathology in women with VVS is reactive in nature and elicited with palpations that result in VVS-type pain. Treatment interventions need to recognize the critical importance of addressing the conditioned, protective muscle guarding response in women with VVS.