Use of ambulance dispatch data as an early warning system for communitywide influenzalike illness,New York City

In 1998, the New York City Department of Health and the Mayor’s Office of Emergency Management began monitoring the volume of ambulance dispatch calls as a surveillance tool for biologic terrorism. We adapted statistical techniques designed to measure excess influenza mortality and applied them to outbreak detection using ambulance dispatch data. Since 1999, we have been performing serial daily regressions to determine the alarm threshold for the current day. In this article, we evaluate this approach by simulating a series of 2,200 daily regressions. In the influenza detection implementation of this model, there were 71 (3.2%) alarms at the 99% level. Of these alarms, 64 (90%) occurred shortly before or during a period of peak influenza in each of six influenza seasons. In the bioterrorism detection implementation of this methodology, after accounting for current influenza activity, there were 24 (1.1%) alarms at the 99% level. Two occurred during a large snowstorm, 1 is unexplained, and 21 occurred shortly before or during a period of peak influenza activity in each of six influenza seasons. Our findings suggest that this surveillance system is sensitive to communitywide respiratory outbreaks with relatively few false alarms. More work needs to be done to evaluate the sensitivity of this approach for detecting nonrespiratory illness and more localized outbreaks.     

A comparative study of clinical features between monotypic and dual infection cases with Chikungunya virus and dengue virus in West Bengal, India

Chikungunya virus (CHIKV) and dengue virus (DENV) are circulating individually in the state of West Bengal, India. However, after 1965 the dual-infection caused by both viruses had not been recorded until 2010. In 2010, an investigation of the febrile cases was carried out to confirm the involvement of both viruses simultaneously. A total of 550 blood samples were tested for the detection of immunoglobulin M (IgM) antibody against both CHIKV and DENV. Serology by the enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay method confirmed that 131 (23.8%) and 104 (18.9%) patients had IgM antibody against CHIKV and DENV, respectively, whereas 68 (12.4%) had IgM antibodies against both CHIKV and DENV. Fever, joint pain, rashes, headache, myalgia, and nausea/vomiting are the common features in the case of both monotypic and dual-infection. Severe arthralgia and swelling of joints were common only in CHIKV-positive cases and abdominal pain was mainly associated with DENV infection. Diarrhea was reported only by the dual-infected patients (16.2%).     

A Review on Basic Biology of Bacterial Biofilm Infections and Their Treatments by Nanotechnology-Based Approaches

Biofilms are responsible for causing 80% of human infections including chronic infections like-cystic fibrosis, endocarditis and osteomyelitis. The growing ability of the biofilm to resist most of the available antibiotics has caused a serious threat to different life forms. Plenty of research work has already been reported, and some are ongoing to combat this serious health issue worldwide. Recent developments in nanotechnology have given a great boost in dealing biofilm infections. The unique size-dependent properties for antibacterial and antibiofilm activities provide the nanoparticles better options to eradicate biofilms. Here, the authors have discussed the basic biology of bacterial biofilm and their impact on human health. In addition, different nanotechnology-based strategies to overcome serious health issues caused by biofilm infections have been highlighted.

     

Calcineurin inhibitors suppress acute graft-versus-host disease via NFAT-independent inhibition of T cell receptor signaling

Inhibitors of calcineurin phosphatase activity (CNIs) such as cyclosporin A (CsA) are widely used to treat tissue transplant rejection and acute graft-versus-host disease (aGVHD), for which inhibition of gene expression dependent on nuclear factor of activated T cells (NFAT) is the mechanistic paradigm. We recently reported that CNIs inhibit TCR-proximal signaling by preventing calcineurin-mediated dephosphorylation of Lck^S59, an inhibitory modification, raising the possibility of another mechanism by which CNIs suppress immune responses. Here we used T cells from mice that express Lck^S59A, which cannot accept a phosphate at residue 59, to initiate aGVHD. Although CsA inhibited NFAT-dependent gene upregulation in allo-aggressive T cells expressing either Lck^WT or Lck^S59A, it was ineffective in treating disease when the T cells expressed Lck^S59A. Two important NFAT-independent T cell functions were found to be CsA-resistant in Lck^S59A T cells: upregulation of the cytolytic protein perforin in tissue-infiltrating CD8⁺ T cells and antigen-specific T/DC adhesion and clustering in lymph nodes. These results demonstrate that effective treatment of aGVHD by CsA requires NFAT-independent inhibition of TCR signaling. Given that NFATs are widely expressed and off-target effects are a major limitation in CNI use, it is possible that targeting TCR-associated calcineurin directly may provide effective therapies with less toxicity.     

Cytokine levels in HIV infected and uninfected Indian women: Correlation with other STAs

Host immune status is an important determinant of disease progression. Infections in the genital tract may alter the immunity in the particular site and hence affect the production of local cytokines. We performed this study to determine whether HIV in association with cervical HPV and CT/GC infections influences the production of local cytokines. Cervical secretions from 100 women with or without HIV infection were collected for measuring IL-1β, -6, -10 and -12 concentrations by ELISA. Cervical HPV and CT/GC DNA were detected by HCII test. Significant elevations of IL-6 and IL-10 were observed in patients having HIV infection. Although cervical HPV infection increased the concentrations of both IL-6 and IL-1β but HPV induced abnormal cervical smear was associated only with increased IL-6 concentrations significantly. Double infection had marked relation with IL-6 and IL-10. CT/GC had no direct effect on any of these cytokines but in association with HIV and HPV, these bacterial pathogens elevated the concentrations of IL-6 significantly. Thus, our results suggest that the presence of HIV and other STAs in the genital tract can cause imbalance of local cytokine levels which in turn may facilitate other opportunistic infections.     

Degradation of total carotenoids and texture in frozen pumpkins when kept for storage under varying conditions of time and temperature

The total carotenoid content and textural properties of pumpkin pieces thermally treated at 55 degrees C, 65 degrees C, 75 degrees C, 85 degrees C and 95 degrees C for different blanch times (3 min, 5 min, and 10 min) and subsequently kept for storage at 0 degrees C, -18 degrees C and -40 degrees C for a period of 80 days were measured. The total carotenoids content increased in the thermally treated pumpkin pieces, the increase being greater at 55 degrees C than at 95 degrees C. Storing the pumpkin pieces caused the total carotenoids content to decrease by 35-40% at 0 degrees C, by 15-20% at -18 degrees C and by 25-30% at -40 degrees C. A low-temperature blanch gave a firmer texture to pumpkin in comparison with high-temperature blanching. The texture of thermally treated pumpkins degraded when kept for storage, the losses being greater at 0 degrees C than at -18 degrees C and -40 degrees C. A split plot analysis was performed to study the effect of the factors on the retention of carotenoids.     

Acetaminophen inhibits neuronal inflammation and protects neurons from oxidative stress

Background  

Recent studies have demonstrated a link between the inflammatory response, increased cytokine formation, and neurodegeneration in the brain. The beneficial effects of anti-inflammatory drugs in neurodegenerative diseases, such as Alzheimer's disease (AD), have been documented. Increasing evidence suggests that acetaminophen has unappreciated anti-oxidant and anti-inflammatory properties. The objectives of this study are to determine the effects of acetaminophen on cultured brain neuronal survival and inflammatory factor expression when exposed to oxidative stress.