Structural investigations of cross-linked hyaluronan.

Structural properties of several cross-linked hyaluronan derivatives, obtained by scanning electron microscopy, monodimensional NMR microscopy and small angle X-ray scattering of synchrotron radiation, are presented and compared with those observed for non-modified hyaluronic acid, used as a reference material. The experimental results, obtained in different media, showed a consistent picture of the synthesized matrices. In particular, the presence of zones of denser polymeric material observed by electron microscopy resulted in a higher transversal relaxation rate of the bulk water protons as well as in a decrease of the diffusion coefficient obtained by NMR microscopy. Moreover, the presence of polymer junction zones gave rise to the appearance of a well-defined correlation peak in the pattern of intensity of the scattered X-radiation.     

Epidemiology of Chronic Kidney Disease,With Special Emphasis on Chronic Kidney Disease of Uncertain Etiology,in the North Central Region of Sri Lanka

Background

The aim of the study was to identify the epidemiology of chronic kidney disease of uncertain etiology in Sri Lanka.

Methods

A cross-sectional study was carried out by analyzing health statistics, and three cohort studies were conducted (n = 15 630, 3996, and 2809) to analyze the demographic information, age-specific prevalence, etiology, and stage of presentation. We screened 7604 individuals for chronic kidney disease of uncertain etiology.

Results

The results showed that the male:female ratio was 2.4:1, the mean age of patients was 54.7 ± 8 years, 92% of the patients were farmers, and 93% consumed water from shallow dug wells. Familial occurrence was common (36%). The prevalence of chronic kidney disease in different age groups was 3% in those aged 30–40 years; 7% in those aged 41–50 years, 20% in those aged 51–60 years, and 29% in those older than 60 years. Chronic kidney disease of uncertain etiology was diagnosed in 70.2% of patients, while 15.7% and 9.6% were due to hypertension and diabetic mellitus, respectively. The majority of patients were stage 4 (40%) at first presentation, while 31.8% were stage 3 and 24.5% were stage 5. Stage 1 and 2 presentation accounted for only 3.4%.

Conclusions

Low prevalence of CKDU was noticed (1.5%) among those who consumed water from natural springs. Prevalence was highest among males, rice farming communities, and those presenting at later disease stages.Key words: chronic kidney disease, uncertain etiology, epidemiology, North Central Province, male farmers, natural spring water     

What is the optimal approach for using a direct amplification test in the routine diagnosis of pulmonary tuberculosis? A preliminary assessment

OBJECTIVE: The aim of this study was to determine the most appropriate strategy for the rapid diagnosis of pulmonary tuberculosis (PTB) using a nucleic acid amplification (NAA) test. METHODOLOGY: This was a prospective study of 128 adult patients in whom respiratory secretions were tested for Mycobacterium tuberculosis by the AMPLICOR assay. The basis for starting PTB treatment was noted for each patient. The optimal approach was determined by using Bayes' theorem to compare different combinations of pretest probability, smear results with the AMPLICOR test. RESULTS: The incidence of PTB was 15.6%. In only one patient was treatment for PTB commenced because of a positive AMPLICOR result. The rest were managed according to the conventional approach which relied upon clinical judgment and direct smear. The optimal approach was to treat patients with high or intermediate pretest risk for PTB who returned positive AMPLICOR tests. The overall accuracies of the conventional approach, AMPLICOR test and optimal approach were 89.8, 95.3 and 96.1%, respectively. CONCLUSION: This small study suggests that NAA testing be limited to patients with high or intermediate pretest risk of PTB. In this group, positive results demand treatment while the management of those with negative results still relies on clinical judgment.     

Biochemical changes in oxidative stress markers following endurance training and consumption of purslane seed in rats with hydrogen peroxide-induced toxicity

Sport Sciences for Health - The current study examined fluctuations in oxidative stress markers following endurance training (ET) and consumption of purslane seeds (Ps) in rats after receiving...     

ATPases and phosphate exchange activities in magnesium chelatase subunits of Rhodobacter sphaeroides

Three separate proteins, BchD, BchH, and BchI, together with ATP, insert magnesium into protoporphyrin IX. An analysis of ATP utilization by the subunits revealed the following: BchH catalyzed ATP hydrolysis at the rate of 0.9 nmol per min per mg of protein. BchI and BchD, tested individually, had no ATPase activity but, when combined, hydrolyzed ATP at the rate of 117.9 nmol/min per mg of protein. Magnesium ions were required for the ATPase activities of both BchH and BchI+D, and these activities were inhibited 50% by 2 mM o-phenanthroline. BchI additionally catalyzed a phosphate exchange reaction from ATP and ADP. We conclude that ATP hydrolysis by BchI+D is required for an activation step in the magnesium chelatase reaction, whereas ATPase activity of BchH and the phosphate exchange activity of BchI participate in subsequent reactions leading to the insertion of Mg²⁺ into protoporphyrin IX.     

Effect of purslane seed supplementation on inflammatory cytokines,oxidative stress and muscle damage in response to high-intensity intermittent exercise in national athlete runners

Sport Sciences for Health - Purslane supplementation has anti-oxidative, anti-inflammatory, skeletal muscle-relaxant activities. However, it is unknown if the ingestion of purslane will affect the...     

Secretive females or swaggering males? An assessment of the quality of sexual partnership reporting in rural Tanzania

In population-based surveys on sexual behaviour, men consistently report higher numbers of sexual partners than women, which may be associated with male exaggeration or female under-reporting or with issues related to sampling, such as exclusion of female sex workers. This paper presents an analysis of data collected in the context of a longitudinal study in rural Tanzania, where a sexual partnership module was applied to all participating men and women in the study population. Since the study design included all men and women of reproductive ages and did not involve sampling, these data provide a unique opportunity to compare the consistency of aggregate measures of sexual behaviour between men and women living in the same villages. The analysis shows that non-marital partnerships were common amongst single people of both sexes--around 70% of unmarried men and women report at least one sexual partner in the last year. However, 40% of married men also report having non-marital partners, but only 3% of married women did so. Single women reported about half as many multiple partnerships in the last year as men. Under-reporting of non-marital partnerships was much more common among single women than among married women and men. Furthermore, women were more likely to report longer duration partnerships and partnership with urban men or more educated men than with others. If a woman reports multiple partners, biological data indicate that she is at high risk of contracting HIV. For men, however, there is only a weak association between number of partnerships and the risk of HIV, and it cannot be excluded that men, especially single men, exaggerate the number of sexual partners.     

Addition of ipratropium to nebulized albuterol in children with acute asthma presenting to a pediatric office

A prospective, randomized, double-blind study was conducted to determine whether there was any benefit to the addition of ipratropium to a single nebulized albuterol treatment in infants and children with mild to moderate acute asthma presenting to a pediatric office. There were no significant differences between the albuterol group and the combined albuterol-ipratropium group in the relief of the respiratory distress, disposition of the patients from the office, or in the incidence of relapse. The addition of ipratropium to nebulized albuterol is of no added benefit in the treatment of infants and children with mild-to-moderate acute asthma presenting to a pediatric office.     

Familial heterogeneity of colon cancer risk

The authors have assembled detailed family histories of cancer on 857 cancer probands, of whom 180 manifested colorectal carcinoma. This study determines if some families had a greater risk for colorectal cancer than others, and if so, what factors were associated with an increase in risk. To test for the possibility of heterogeneity of risk, a parameter called the Z-score, was calculated for each family. The Z-score is a measure of the number of cancer cases in the family adjusted for the number of expected cases. A permutation test was employed to test whether or not the variance of Z-scores from the sample was greater then expected by random chance. The variance for families ascertained through colon cancer probands, but not in any of the other groups, was significantly increased. Of the colon group, 10.6% fell into a high-risk category, as did 5.56% of the rectal cancer families, but only 3.95% of the other groups combined were at high risk. Anatomic sites (in the proband) with the highest Z-score variances were sigmoid and transverse colon, whereas lower variances were seen for cecum and descending colon. Risk status therefore may be partially dependent upon exact anatomic sites within the colon. The effect of proband's age of diagnosis was not significant, but did show the possibility of an effect on heterogeneity of risk for both the younger and older groups.     

Pattern of pesticide storage before pesticide self-poisoning in rural Sri Lanka

Background  

Deliberate self-poisoning with agricultural pesticides is the commonest means of suicide in rural Asia. It is mostly impulsive and facilitated by easy access to pesticides. The aim of this large observational study was to investigate the immediate source of pesticides used for self-harm to help inform suicide prevention strategies such as reducing domestic access to pesticides.