Prevalence of malaria and HIV coinfection and influence of HIV infection on malaria disease severity in population residing in malaria endemic area along the Thai–Myanmar border

The objective of the study is to investigate the prevalence of malaria and HIV coinfection and assess the effect of HIV coinfection on malaria disease severity in malaria patients from the endemic area of Thailand along the Thai–Myanmar border. Blood samples were collected from a total of 867 patients with malaria (all species and severity) who attended Mae Tao clinic for migrant workers, Tak Province during 2005–2007 (439 samples), 2008–2010 (273 samples), and 2011–2013 (155 samples). The average prevalence rate of malaria and HIV coinfected cases in this malaria endemic area of the country during the three periods was 1.85%. HIV coinfection was observed only in samples with mono-infection of Plasmodium falciparum or Plasmodium vivax, with similar proportions (0.81 vs. 1.04%). Patients’ admission parasite density, an indicator of disease severity, was significantly higher in cases with HIV coinfection observed during 2008–2010. Anemia was found at a significantly higher frequency in patients coinfected with malaria and HIV observed during 2005–2007 compared with those infected with malaria alone. No association was observed between malaria and HIV coinfection and gender, and infected malaria species during the three observation periods. Patients with malaria and HIV coinfection had a significantly lower hemoglobin level than those with malaria infection alone. In conclusion, the prevalence of malaria and HIV coinfection in population of the malaria endemic area along the Thai–Myanmar border is low. HIV coinfection tended to increase parasite density, an indicator of malaria disease severity.     

Antimalarial activity and toxicity of Garcinia mangostana Linn.

Objective:To investigate the antimalarial activity and toxicity of the crude ethanolic extract of its pericarp both in vitro and in vim.Methods:The antimalarial activity of Gareinja mangostana(G.mangostana)Linn.extract against 3D7 and Kl Plasmodium falciparum(P.falciparum)clone were assessed using SYBR green I-based assay.A 4-day suppressive test of Plasmodium berghei{P.berghei)infected mouse was performed to investigate in vivo antimalarial activity.Results:The in vitro antimalarial activity was seleclive(SI5?and classified as weak and good lo moderate activity against both 3D7 and K1 P.falciparum,clones with median IC_(50)(range)values of 11.12(10.94-11.29)and 7.54(6.80-7.68)μg/mL,respectively.The extract was considered nontoxic to mice.The maximum tolerated doses for acute and subacute toxicity in mice were 5 000and 2 000 mg/kg,respectively.Median(range)parasite density on day 4 of the negative control group(25%Tween-80),mice treated with 250,500,1000,and 2 000 mg/kg body weight of the extract,and 10 mg/kg body weight of chloroquine for 14 d were 12.8(12.2-13.7),11.4(9.49-13.8),11.6(9.9-12.5),11.7(10.6-12.8),10.9(9.4-11.6)and 0(0-0)%respectively.Parasite density on day 4in the control group treated with Tween-80 was higher than the groups treated with chloroquine and all dose levels of the extract.Conclusions:G.mangostana linn,showed weak antimalarial activity of the extract both in vitro and in vivo could be due to limitation of absorption of the active compounds.     

Anaesthetic experiences in three sets of conjoined twins in King Chulalongkorn Memorial Hospital

We describe the anaesthetic management for magnetic resonance image scanning, angiography and surgical operations in three sets of conjoined twins (ischiopagus, throracopagus and pygopagus) in King Chulalongkorn Memorial Hospital during 1996-2002. The anaesthetic technique and associated problems are summarized.     

Predictors of Compliance in Toddlers: Child Temperament, Maternal Personality, and Emotional Availability. Portions of the research were presented at the Conference on Human Development, Mobile, AL, March 6, 1998.

Fifty-one mother-toddler (15 to 31 months) dyads participated in a study on the predictors of compliance. Mothers completed two questionnaires: the Multidimensional Personality Questionnaire (Tellegen, 1982), a measure of maternal personality, and the Toddler Behavior Assessment Questionnaire (Goldsmith, 1987), a measure of child temperament. A free play period in the laboratory provided the observations for scoring the quality of the mother-toddler interactions with the Emotional Availability Scales (Biringen, Robinson, and Emde, 1993). The following clean-up task in which children were asked to help put the toys in the basket provided the observations for scoring compliance with maternal directives. Emotional availability was the strongest predictor of compliance, especially the maternal variables of sensitivity and structuring. Child temperament was also implicated, with high compliance toddlers perceived by their mothers to be less socially fearful and less prone to anger than their less compliant peers. The results are discussed in terms of the contribution of the mother-child emotional climate to the development of compliance.     

慢性阻塞性肺疾病病人健康行为水平调查及护理干预

[目的]探讨慢性阻塞性肺疾病（COPD）病人健康行为水平和护理干预方法。[方法]随机选取60例 COPD住院病人作为观察组,随机在社区选取60例无COPD的健康老年人为对照组。用健康促进生活方式量表Ⅱ（HPLP Ⅱ）和世界卫生组织生活质量评定量表简表（WHOQOL BERF）分别评定两组对象的健康行为水平和生活质量水平。对观察组病人进行6个月的护理干预,干预结束后再用 HPLP Ⅱ、WHOQOL BERF对观察组进行评定,比较干预前后其健康行为和生活质量水平变化情况。[结果]观察组HPLP Ⅱ总分和自我实现、健康责任、运动和锻炼、压力应对4个分量表评分及WHOQOL BERF总分明显低于对照组（P〈0.01）;经护理干预后,观察组 HPLP Ⅱ总分和健康责任、运动和锻炼、人际关系、压力应对4个分量表评分及 WHOQOL BERF总分明显提高（P〈0.01）。[结论]COPD病人健康行为和生活质量水平较低,通过护理干预,可提高其健康行为水平和生活质量。     

Biochemical Characterization of Cardiolipin Synthase Mutations Associated with Daptomycin Resistance in Enterococci

Daptomycin (DAP) resistance in enterococci has been linked to mutations in genes that alter the cell envelope stress response (CESR) (liaFSR) and changes in enzymes that directly affect phospholipid homeostasis, and these changes may alter membrane composition, such as that of cardiolipin synthase (Cls). While Cls substitutions are observed in response to DAP therapy, the effect of these mutations on Cls activity remains obscure. We have expressed, purified, and characterized Cls enzymes from both Enterococcus faecium S447 (residues 52 to 482; Cls447a) and Enterococcus faecalis S613 (residues 53 to 483; Cls613a) as well as Cls variants harboring a single-amino-acid change derived from DAP-resistant isolates of E. faecium. E. faecium Cls447a and E. faecalis Cls613a are tightly associated with the membrane and copurify with their substrate, phosphatidylglycerol (PG), and product, cardiolipin (CL). The amount of PG that copurifies with Cls is in molar excess to protein, suggesting that the enzyme localizes to PG-rich membrane regions. Both Cls447a^H215R and Cls447a^R218Q showed an increase in V_max (μM CL/min/μM protein) from 0.16 ± 0.01 to 0.26 ± 0.02 and 0.26 ± 0.04, respectively, indicating that mutations associated with adaptation to DAP increase Cls activity. Modeling of Cls447a to Streptomyces sp. phospholipase D indicates that the adaptive mutations Cls447a^H215R and Cls447a^R218Q are proximal to the phospholipase domain 1 (PLD1) active site and near the putative nucleophile H217. As mutations to Cls are part of a larger genomic adaptation process, increased Cls activity is likely to be highly epistatic with other changes to facilitate DAP resistance.