Procalcitonin as a marker of bacterial infection in the emergency department: an observational study

Introduction  

Procalcitonin (PCT) has been proposed as a marker of infection in critically ill patients; its level is related to the severity of infection. We evaluated the value of PCT as a marker of bacterial infection for emergency department patients.     

Effects of instruction by practice assistants on inhaler technique and respiratory symptoms of patients. A controlled randomized videotaped intervention study

BACKGROUND: Many patients with asthma or chronic obstructive pulmonary diseaseuse their medication inhalers incorrectly. General practitioners,pharmacists and other health care providers do not always havethe opportunity to instruct patients in correct inhaler technique. OBJECTIVE: To find out whether the inhaler technique and respiratory symptomsof patients can be improved after instruction by practice assistants. METHODS: Single blind, randomized intervention study in which 48 patientswho had been using a dry powder inhaler for at least one monthtook part. Their inhaler technique was videotaped on two visitswith a two-week interval between visits. The inhaler techniqueon the videos was subsequently scored by two experts on ninecriteria. At both visits the patients completed a questionnaireabout their respiratory symptoms. After the first video, 25patients were randomly chosen to receive instruction from oneof six practice assistants who had followed a one evening courseabout inhaler instruction, and who had been issued an instruction-set. RESULTS: The patients who received instruction had a significantly greaterreduction in number of mistakes at the second visit than thepatients who did not (P = 0.01). The instructed patients alsoreported less dyspnoea at the second visit (P = 0.03). No effectof instruction was found on wheezing, cough and sputum production. CONCLUSION: The inhaler technique of patients can be improved significantlyby the instruction of patients by trained practice assistants,possibly resulting in less dyspnoea. Keywords. Administration-inhalation, obstructive lung diseases, airways symptoms, patient-education, general practice.     

Molecular genetic characterization of XRCC4 function

XRCC4 is a generally expressed protein of 334 amino acids that is involved in the repair of DNA double-strand breaks and in V(D)J recombination, but its function is unknown. In this study, we have used a mutational approach and the yeast two-hybrid method to perform an initial characterization of this protein. We show that the XRCC4 protein is located in the nucleus. We also demonstrate that several potential phosphorylation sites are not required for XRCC4 function in a transient V(D)J recombination assay. In addition, we show that XRCC4 forms a homodimer in vivo with the homodimerization domain being located within amino acids 115-204. Finally, we define a core domain of XRCC4 that functions in V(D)J recombination and comprises amino acids 18-204. Potential functions of XRCC4 are discussed.      

Transformation of ψ − Saccharomyces cerevisiae to ψ + with DNA co-purified with 3 μm circles

Summary DNA enriched for supercoiled plasmids prepared from the 3 m plasmid-enriched, [ ⁺], [2 m°] strain 6-1G-P188 and from the [2 m⁺] [⁺] strain LL20 can be used to transform a ^– recipient strain to ⁺. Fractionation of the former preparation by electrophoresis showed that the 3 Mm plasmid band contained the transforming activity.     

Monitoring peanut allergen in food products by measuring Ara h 1

BACKGROUND: Peanut allergy is an important health problem in the United States, affecting approximately 0.6% of children. Inadvertent exposure to peanut is a risk factor for life-threatening food-induced anaphylaxis. OBJECTIVE: The purpose of this investigation was to develop an immunoassay for a major peanut allergen, Ara h 1, to detect peanut allergen in foods so that the risk of inadvertent exposure can be reduced. METHODS: A specific 2-site monoclonal antibody-based ELISA was developed to measure Ara h 1 in foods. The sensitivity of the assay was 30 ng/mL. Ara h 1 was measured in foods (n = 83) with or without peanut and in experiments to optimize allergen yield and to determine peanut contamination in spiked foods. RESULTS: Ara h 1 levels in food products ranged from less than 0.1 microg/g to 500 microg/g. Ara h 1 measured in ng/mL was transformed to microg/g for food products. Peanut butter contained the highest amounts of Ara h 1. Peanut extracts contained from 0.5 to 15 mg Ara h 1/g of peanut depending on the extraction conditions. Optimal extraction of Ara h 1 was obtained by using phosphate buffer with 1 mol/L NaCl and Tween at 60 degrees C. Ara h 1 was not always detected in presence of chocolate under the extraction conditions tested. Spiking experiments showed that the assay could detect approximately 0.1% Ara h 1 contamination of food with ground peanut. There was an excellent correlation between Ara h 1 levels and peanut content measured by using a commercial polyclonal antibody-based ELISA (r = 93, n = 31, P <.001). CONCLUSION: A new sensitive and specific monoclonal antibody-based ELISA was used to monitor Ara h 1 content in food products. This assay should be useful for monitoring peanut contamination in the food manufacturing and processing industry and in developing thresholds for sensitization or allergic reaction in persons with peanut allergy.     

Human anti-JC virus serum reacts with native but not denatured JC virus major capsid protein VP1

The immunoreactivity of human anti-JC virus (JCV) serum against the major capsid protein VP1 of JCV was analyzed by Western blot, dot blot, and hemagglutination inhibition (HAI) assays. JCV-positive human serum reacted with native but not denatured JCV major capsid protein VP1, as demonstrated by dot blot and Western blot. Rabbit antiserum raised against native JCV capsid had immunoreactivities similar to those of human anti-JCV serum. These results indicate that the antigenecity of native and denatured JCV VP1 is different. In addition, both JCV-positive human serum and rabbit antiserum raised against native JCV capsid protein inhibited the hemagglutination activity of JCV capsid particles. In contrast, rabbit antiserum raised against denatured JCV VP1 did not inhibit hemagglutination. These findings reveal that denaturation may alter the antigenic epitopes of JCV VP1. Therefore, keeping the JCV capsid protein native appears to be essential for serological or other immunological analyses of the virus.     

Is fecundability associated with month of birth? An analysis of 19th and early 20th century family reconstitution data from The Netherlands

The relationship between fecundability and month of birth was investigated in a cohort of 1526 women who married between 1802 and 1929, using only women whose first marriage occurred before the age of 35 years. On the basis of their time to pregnancy (TTP, calculated as time between wedding and first birth minus gestational length), women were categorized into two groups: fecunds (TTP up to 12 months or prenuptial conceptions, n = 1348) and subfecunds (TTP >18 months, n = 118). By use of logistic regression, cosinor functions with a period of 1 year or 6 months and variable shift and amplitude were fitted through the monthly odds of subfecunds versus fecunds. The best fitting curve was unimodal, with a zenith in September (P = 0.13 for H0: no differences). Exclusion of childless women (n = 36, minimum follow-up 5 years) from the subfecunds led to a similar curve (P < 0.01), while childless women, as compared with fecunds, showed a birth distribution that was best represented with a bimodal curve with zeniths in January and July (P = 0.06). This study provides evidence for the existence of differences in fecundability by month of birth. The cause of this relationship is unclear, but may lie in a melatonin-dependent circannual variability of the quality of the oocyte.