Correlation of interleukin-4 levels with Plasmodium falciparum malaria parasitaemia in Sudanese children

OBJECTIVES

This study aimed to measure the level of interleukin-4 (IL-4) in the serum of children patients with falciparum malaria and to correlate the production of this cytokine with the severity of malaria parasitaemia.

METHODS

One hundred ten patients with malaria participated in this study (53 males and 57 females) and their results were compared with that of 60 healthy control subjects. Their ages ranged between 6 months and 15 years. For the detection of parasitaemia, a calibrated thick-smear technique was used with standard Giemsa staining. For designation of the relative parasite count, a simple code from one to four crosses is used according to the criteria mentioned by Gilles and Warrell. The blood samples were assessed for IL-4 using enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA) technique.

RESULTS

Thirty-three malaria patients (30.27%) had one cross (+) parasitaemia, 13 patients (11.93%) had (++) parasitaemia, 24 patients (22.02%) had (+++) parasitaemia and 39 patients (35.78%) had (++++) parasitaemia. There was a significant difference (P<0.009) in the concentration of IL-4 between malaria patients (160.74±25.5 pg/ml) and control group (62.136±18.16 pg/ml). Uncomplicated malaria patients showed the highest record of IL-4 level followed by cerebral malaria (CM) group and then severe malaria anaemia group (SMA) (255.8±54.13, 102.7±34.88 and 90.95±20.90 pg/ml respectively, P>0.0001).

CONCLUSION

It was concluded that elevation of serum IL-4 in Sudanese children suffering from Plasmodium falciparum malaria is correlated with the severity of malaria hyperparasitaemia rather than with the severity of the disease.

Review and follow-up of patients using a regional sperm cryopreservation service: ensuring that resources are targeted to those patients most in need

Are all patients undergoing chemotherapy for long-term sperm banking at risk of permanent sterility? Male fertility is generally lower in men with cancer and all patient groups are at risk of azoospermia. Careful management is required to ensure that samples are not stored for excessively long periods should they not be required. A retrospective analysis of 1688 patient records and prospective recall of patients for semen testing were performed. Pre-therapy fertility was compared with a group of pre-vasectomy patients as a comparator. Those who fail to bank spermatozoa, rates of disposal of samples and the utilization in assisted reproduction were also examined. Sperm quality was poorest in testicular cancer (TC) patients followed by those with Hodgkin's lymphoma (HL) prior to treatment. Post-therapy data were available in 376 patients (42%). Sperm number was lowest (and azoospermia highest at 77%) in patients with HL treated with regimens other than adriamycin, bleomycin, vinblastine and dacarbazine (ABVD). Non-HL NHL and leukaemic patients had similarly high rates of azoospermia at 46 and 55%. HL patients treated with ABVD (11%) and TC patients (9.7%) had the lowest rates of azoospermia. Azoospermia was seen in every treatment group except for TC patients receiving carboplatin. Only 45 patients used their samples in ART (4.5%) in 10 years. Little is known about the fertility status of the patients not coming forward for follow-up testing, those conceiving naturally, those with no intention of conceiving and some which may have psychological reasons for not attending. In conclusion, virtually all patients undergoing chemotherapy are potentially at risk of temporary or permanent infertility. However, as uptake and utilization of stored material remain low, sperm banks should be carefully managed to ensure that resources are targeted to the patients most in need.

DNA barcoding for species identification in the Palmae family

DNA barcoding is a promising tool for species identification at the molecular level. The barcoding system is well established for species differentiation in animals, while it is less common in plants. We evaluated 2 barcoding regions, maturase K (matK) and ribulose bisphosphate carboxylase (rbcL), to compare species of Palmae according to amplification success, discrimination power, and inter- and intra-specific divergence. Both regions appear to have potential to discriminate most species of Palmae, but 2 species, Phoenix dactylifera and Phoenix sylvestris, did not show variation in the nucleotides of the barcode genes. P. sylvestris is said to be the sister species of P. dactilyfera according to its morphological and genetic proximity to the cultivated date palm. Thus, the status of these 2 species needs to be re-evaluated considering more genes as barcodes. Furthermore, rbcL has a higher discrimination power (90%) than matK (66.6%) and can thus be potentially used as a standard barcode to discriminate the species of Palmae.

The induction of the p53 tumor suppressor protein bridges the apoptotic and autophagic signaling pathways to regulate cell death in prostate cancer cells

The p53 tumor suppressor protein plays a crucial role in influencing cell fate decisions in response to cellular stress. As p53 elicits cell cycle arrest, senescence or apoptosis, the integrity of the p53 pathway is considered a key determinant of anti-tumor responses. p53 can also promote autophagy, however the role of p53-dependent autophagy in chemosensitivity is poorly understood. VMY-1-103 (VMY), a dansylated analog of purvalanol B, displays rapid and potent anti-tumor activities, however the pathways by which VMY works are not fully defined. Using established prostate cancer cell lines and novel conditionally reprogrammed cells (CRCs) derived from prostate cancer patients; we have defined the mechanisms of VMY-induced prostate cancer cell death. Herein, we show that the cytotoxic effects of VMY required a p53-dependent induction of autophagy, and that inhibition of autophagy abrogated VMY-induced cell death. Cancer cell lines harboring p53 missense mutations evaded VMY toxicity and treatment with a small molecule compound that restores p53 activity re-established VMY-induced cell death. The elucidation of the molecular mechanisms governing VMY-dependent cell death in cell lines, and importantly in CRCs, provides the rationale for clinical studies of VMY, alone or in combination with p53 reactivating compounds, in human prostate cancer.

Equilibrium and kinetics studies of arsenate adsorption by FePO(4)

The present work is focusing on removal of arsenate from aqueous solution using FePO4. The equilibrium study regarding the removal of arsenic by FePO4 was carried out at 298, 308, 318 and 328K. Langmuir parameters were found to increase with the increase in temperature indicating that the adsorption is favorable at high temperature. Kinetic study of arsenate adsorption on FePO4 was also carried out at different temperatures and at pH 6 and 8. Different kinetic models were used to the kinetic data amongst which pseudo second order model was best fitted. The mechanism of the adsorption kinetics was investigated by employing intraparticle diffusion and Richenberg models. The energy of activation (Ea) was found to be 30 and 35.52kJmol(-1) at pH 6 and pH 8, respectively, suggesting chemisorption nature of the adsorption process. The negative entropic values of activation signified the existence of entropy barrier while the positive ΔG(#) values indicated the existence of energy barrier to be crossed over for the occurrence of a chemical reaction. Both the spectroscopic studies and increase in equilibrium pH reveal the anion exchange removal of arsenate from aqueous solution to the solid surface.

Seroprevalence of Bordetella pertussis antibodies to pertussis toxin among healthy children

Pertussis or whooping cough is a highly communicable, vaccine-preventable acute respiratory tract disease, caused mainly by Bordetella pertussis. In this study, serosurveillance of IgG antibodies against pertussis toxin was carried out in healthy children, aged 3 months to 12 years, from the multiethnic cities of Islamabad and Rawalpindi, Pakistan. Kruskal- Wallis test was applied to determine the difference among groups. The results showed that the average values of pertussis toxin IgG dropped down significantly with age after getting the first dose in first 2 years (p < 0.001). Therefore, the researchers suggest introduction of booster vaccination with DTaP at second year of life and school going age to reduce the risk of getting B. pertussis infection.

Bioinformatics analysis of microRNA and putative target genes in bovine mammary tissue infected with Streptococcus uberis

MicroRNA (miRNA) are small single-stranded noncoding RNA with important roles in regulating innate immunity in nonruminants via transcriptional and posttranscriptional mechanisms. Mastitis causes significant losses in the dairy industry and a wealth of large-scale mRNA expression data from mammary tissue have provided fundamental insights into the tissue adaptations to pathogens. We studied the expression of 14 miRNA (miR-10a, -15b, -16a, -17, -21, -31, -145, -146a, -146b, -155, -181a, -205, -221, and -223) associated with regulation of innate immunity and mammary epithelial cell function in tissue challenged with Streptococcus uberis. Those data, along with microarray expression of 2,102 differentially expressed genes, were used for bioinformatics analysis to uncover putative target genes and the most affected biological pathways and functions. Three miRNA (181a, 16, and 31) were downregulated approximately 3- to 5-fold and miR-223 was upregulated approximately 2.5-fold in infected versus healthy tissue. Among differentially expressed genes due to infection, bioinformatics analysis revealed that the studied miRNA share in the regulation of a large number of metabolic (SCD, CD36, GPAM, and FASN), immune/oxidative stress (TNF, IL6, IL10, SOD2, LYZ, and TLR4), and cellular proliferation/differentiation (FOS and CASP4) target genes. This level of complex regulation was underscored by the coordinate effect revealed by bioinformatics on various cellular pathways within the Kyoto Encyclopedia of Genes and Genomes database. Most pathways associated with "cellular processes," "organismal systems," and "diseases" were activated by putative target genes of miR-31 and miR-16a, with an overlapping activation of "immune system" and "signal transduction." A pronounced effect and activation of miR-31 target genes was observed within "folding, sorting, and degradation," "cell growth and death," and "cell communication" pathways, whereas a marked inhibition of "lipid metabolism" occurred. Putative targets of miR-181a had a strong effect on FcγR-mediated phagocytosis, toll-like receptor signaling, and antigen processing and presentation, which were activated during intramammary infections. The targets of both miR-31 and miR-223 had an inhibitory effect on "lipid metabolism." Overall, the combined analyses indicated that changes in mammary tissue immune, metabolic, and cell growth-related signaling pathways during infection might have been mediated in part through effects of miRNA on gene transcription. Differential expression of miRNA supports the view from nonruminant cells/tissues that certain miRNA might be essential for the tissue's adaptive response to infection.

Short communication: Endoplasmic reticulum stress gene network expression in bovine mammary tissue during the lactation cycle

The endoplasmic reticulum (ER) has a crucial role in cellular metabolism. Recent studies in nonruminants discovered that components of the ER stress pathway, induced during the unfolded protein response, play critical roles in regulating lipogenesis. The bovine mammary gland faces extreme metabolic stress at the onset of lactation due primarily to the increase in flux through pathways associated with milk fat and protein synthesis. Our objective was to study, via quantitative real-time PCR, the expression of the ER stress pathway components P58IPK, PERK, XBP1, ATF4, ATF3, ATF6, CHOP, MBTPS1, GRP94, and BiP in mammary tissue (n=7 cows × 5 time points) collected at -15, 1, 15, 60, and 240 d relative to parturition. Expression of P58IPK and ATF4 increased to a peak at d 60, followed by a decrease by d 240 postpartum. Despite the decrease in expression by 240 d, P58IPK remained higher than prepartal levels (d -15). Expression patterns of ATF3 and CHOP were similar and peaked at d 15, followed by a decrease through d 240, at which point CHOP expression was still greater than prepartal levels. The sharp increase in milk production postpartum (d 15) as well as apoptosis during late lactation (240 d) may have induced a pseudo unfolded protein response state. This is supported by the similar expression patterns of P58IPK and PERK. In the context of lactation, however, transcriptional changes in the ER stress pathway at different stages of the lactation cycle are a normal aspect of the tissue's adaptation to the changing physiological state.

Annotation of Protein Domains Reveals Remarkable Conservation in the Functional Make up of Proteomes Across Superkingdoms

The functional repertoire of a cell is largely embodied in its proteome, the collection of proteins encoded in the genome of an organism. The molecular functions of proteins are the direct consequence of their structure and structure can be inferred from sequence using hidden Markov models of structural recognition. Here we analyze the functional annotation of protein domain structures in almost a thousand sequenced genomes, exploring the functional and structural diversity of proteomes. We find there is a remarkable conservation in the distribution of domains with respect to the molecular functions they perform in the three superkingdoms of life. In general, most of the protein repertoire is spent in functions related to metabolic processes but there are significant differences in the usage of domains for regulatory and extra-cellular processes both within and between superkingdoms. Our results support the hypotheses that the proteomes of superkingdom Eukarya evolved via genome expansion mechanisms that were directed towards innovating new domain architectures for regulatory and extra/intracellular process functions needed for example to maintain the integrity of multicellular structure or to interact with environmental biotic and abiotic factors (e.g., cell signaling and adhesion, immune responses, and toxin production). Proteomes of microbial superkingdoms Archaea and Bacteria retained fewer numbers of domains and maintained simple and smaller protein repertoires. Viruses appear to play an important role in the evolution of superkingdoms. We finally identify few genomic outliers that deviate significantly from the conserved functional design. These include Nanoarchaeum equitans, proteobacterial symbionts of insects with extremely reduced genomes, Tenericutes and Guillardia theta. These organisms spend most of their domains on information functions, including translation and transcription, rather than on metabolism and harbor a domain repertoire characteristic of parasitic organisms. In contrast, the functional repertoire of the proteomes of the Planctomycetes-Verrucomicrobia-Chlamydiae superphylum was no different than the rest of bacteria, failing to support claims of them representing a separate superkingdom. In turn, Protista and Bacteria shared similar functional distribution patterns suggesting an ancestral evolutionary link between these groups.

Still Struggling: characteristics of youth with OCD who are partial responders to medication treatment

The primary aim of this paper is to examine the characteristics of a large sample of youth with OCD who are partial responders (i.e., still have clinically significant symptoms) to serotonin reuptake inhibitor (SRI) medication. The sample will be described with regard to: demographics, treatment history, OCD symptoms/severity, family history and parental psychopathology, comorbidity, and global and family functioning. The sample includes 124 youth with OCD ranging in age from 7 to 17 with a primary diagnosis of OCD and a partial response to an SRI medication. The youth are a predominantly older (age 12 and over), Caucasian, middle to upper income group who had received significant past treatment. Key findings include moderate to severe OCD symptoms, high ratings of global impairment, and significant comorbidity, despite partial response to an adequate medication trial. Considerations regarding generalizability of the sample and limitations of the study are discussed.

Cation exchange removal of Cd from aqueous solution by NiO

Detailed adsorption experiments of Cd from aqueous solution on NiO were conducted under batch process with different concentrations of Cd, time and temperature of the suspension. The solution pH is found to play a decisive role in the metal ions precipitation, surface dissolution and adsorption of metal ions onto the NiO. Preliminary adsorption experiments show that the selectivity of NiO towards different divalent metal ions follows the trend Pb>Zn>Co>Cd, which is related to their first hydrolysis equilibrium constant. The exchange between the proton from the NiO surface and the metal from solution is responsible for the adsorption. The cation/exchange mechanism essentially remains the same for Pb, Zn, Co and Cd ions. The sorption of Cd on NiO particles is described by the modified Langmuir adsorption isotherms. The isosteric heat of adsorption (ΔH) indicates the endothermic nature of the cation exchange process. Spectroscopic analyses provide evidence that Cd is chemisorbed onto the surface of NiO.

Removal of Co2+ ions from aqueous solution by cation exchange sorption onto NiO

Batch adsorption technique was used to study the adsorption of cobalt on NiO. The aim of this work was to examine the effect of pH, concentration and temperature on the ion exchange removal of Co2+ from aqueous solution by the NiO surface. We used Langmuir model to interpret the adsorption data. The Kurbatov-type plots were tested to determine the adsorption mechanism. The kinetics of Co2+ adsorption on NiO was best described by film diffusion model. A well-known thermodynamic equation was used to assess the enthalpy and entropy of the system. The thermodynamic data were indicative of the spontaneous nature of the endothermic sorption process of Co2+ onto the NiO.

One new triterpene ester from Nepeta suavis

One new tetracyclic triterpene ester (1) has been isolated from the chloroform-soluble portion of the whole plant of Nepeta suavis along with two known compounds, namely artemetin (2) and jaceidin (3). The structures of the isolated compounds were assigned on the basis of their (1)H and (13)C NMR spectra including two-dimensional NMR techniques such as COSY, HMQC, and HMBC experiments and comparison with the literature data.

Cation exchange removal of Pb from aqueous solution by sorption onto NiO

This paper reports NiO as a novel and an efficient adsorbent for the removal of Pb from aqueous solutions. In the present investigation, Pb adsorption experiments on NiO were conducted on aqueous solution at different initial Pb concentration, pH of the solution and adsorption temperature. The mechanism of adsorption was observed to be an ion exchange between the surface proton and Pb in aqueous solution. Experimental data were best described by the Langmuir isotherms. The surface structure of the NiO before and after adsorption of Pb was analyzed by using FTIR spectroscopy, scanning electron microscopy (SEM) coupled with energy dispersive X-ray analyses (EDX).

Chromium (III) removal by weak acid exchanger Amberlite IRC-50 (Na)

Chromium (III) sorption on a weakly macroporous cation exchanger Amberlite IRC-50 (Na) is studied as a function of time and temperature. The rate constant values for chromium (III) sorption are calculated both for film and particle diffusion processes. The temperature is found to have a positive effect on both the diffusional processes. The high values of energy of activation confirm the particle diffusional nature of the process. The pH changes in the system show a competition between the Cr(OH)(2+) and H(+) ions for the exchange sites of the adsorbent. Equilibrium data are explained with the help of Langmuir equation. Various thermodynamic parameters (DeltaH degrees , DeltaS degrees and DeltaG degrees) from chromium (III) exchange on the resin are calculated.

Vanadium removal by metal (hydr)oxide adsorbents

Vanadium is listed on the United States Environment Protection Agency (USEPA) candidate contaminant list # 2 (CCL2), and regulatory guidelines for vanadium exist in some US states. The USEPA requires treatability studies before making regulatory decisions on CCL2 contaminants. Previous studies have examined vanadium adsorption onto some metal hydroxides but not onto commercially available adsorbents. This paper briefly summarizes known vanadium occurrence in North American groundwater and assesses vanadium removal by three commercially available metal oxide adsorbents with different mineralogies. GTO (Dow) is TiO2 based and E-33 (Seven Trents) and GFH (US Filter) are iron based. Preliminary vanadate adsorption kinetics onto GFH, E-33 and GTO has been studied and the homogenous surface diffusion model (HSDM) is used to describe the adsorption kinetics data. The effects of pH, vanadium concentration, and volume/mass ratio are assessed. Vanadium adsorption decreases with increasing pH, with maximum adsorption capacities achieved in at pH 3-4. Results indicate that all adsorbents remove vanadium; GFH has the highest adsorption capacity, followed by GTO and E-33. Data are best fit with the Langmuir model rather than Freundlich isotherms. Both the sorption maxima (Xm) and binding energy constant (b) follow the trend GFH>GTO>E-33. Naturally occurring vanadium is also removed from Arizona ground water in rapid small-scale column tests (RSSCTs). Metal oxide adsorption technologies currently used for arsenic removal may also remove vanadium but not always with the same effectiveness.

Experimental measurement of proton, Cd, Pb, Sr, and Zn adsorption onto the fungal species Saccharomyces cerevisiae

Proton, Cd, Pb, Sr, and Zn adsorption onto the fungal species Saccharomyces cerevisiae were measured in bulk adsorption experiments as a function of time, pH, surface: metal ratio, and ionic strength, and we measured the electrophoretic mobility of the cells as a function of pH. We modeled the acid/base properties of the fungal cell wall by invoking a nonelectrostatic surface complexation model with four discrete surface organic acid functional group types, with average pKa values (with 1 sigma uncertainties) of 3.4 +/- 0.4, 5.0 +/- 0.2, 6.8 +/- 0.4, and 8.9 +/- 0.6. The affinity of the fungal cells for the metal ions follows the following trend: Pb > Zn > Cd > Sr. We used the metal adsorption data to determine site-specific stability constants for the important metal fungal surface complexes. Our results suggest that S. cerevisiae may represent a novel biosorbent for the removal of heavy metal cations from aqueous waste streams.

Single step immobilized metal ion affinity precipitation/chromatography based procedures for purification of concanavalin A and Cajanus cajan mannose-specific lectin

Concanavalin A and a mannose-specific lectin could be precipitated specifically from extracts of jack bean and Cajanus cajan seeds, respectively, using metal charged EGTA. Single step purification of the lectins was also possible using iminodiacetic acid-Sepharose charged with metal ions. Nondenaturing electrophoresis in polyacrylamide gel and that performed in presence of SDS ascertained homogeneity of the isolated lectins. The migration behavior of the purified lectins was comparable with those of the lectins purified using alternative procedures.

Ion exchange sorption of Pb2+ ions on CrPO4

The chromium(III) phosphate was observed to have a high affinity towards Pb2+ ion and the sorption capacities were found to be in the order: Pb2+ > Cu2+ > Cd2+ > Ni2+. Different characterization methods i.e. FTIR, SEM and EDX were employed to investigate the sorption mechanism of Pb2+ by chromium(III) phosphate, which showed that no new solid phases were present in the residue after sorption of Pb2+. The exchange between protons from the surface and Pb2+ from solutions was found to be responsible for Pb2+ sorption by chromium (III) phosphate.

Sorption of divalent metal ions on CrPO4

The divalent metal ion sorption (Cu(2+), Cd(2+), Ni(2+), and Pb(2+)) on chromium phosphate (CrPO(4)) was studied as a function of pH, temperature, and concentration of metal ions. The sorption of metal ions is observed to increase with the increase in pH, temperature, and concentration of metal ions in solution. The mechanism of sorption is found to be the exchange of the hydrolyzed metal cations with the protons from solid at high temperature. The sorption at low temperature is found to be accompanied by the precipitation of the corresponding metal phosphates such as Pb(3)(PO(4))(2).

Phosphate/sulphate exchange studies on Amberlite IRA-400

The sorption behaviour of phosphate on strong basic anion exchanger, Amberlite IRA-400 (SO4(2-) form) is studied as a function of pH (3-11) at two different initial concentration ranges (0.161 - 0.807 mmol l(-1), 3.874 - 6.134 mmol l(-1)) at 25 degrees C. The stiochiometry of the exchange reactions is observed to be dependent upon concentration and pH of the solutions. It is suggested that the sorption of phosphate takes place initially as PO4(3-) followed by HPO4(2-)/H2PO4(-). The data obtained is explained with the help of a modified Langmuir and mass law action equations.

Temperature effect on xanthate sorption by chalcopyrite

Xanthate ions sorption on copper ore (chalcopyrite) is studied as a function of temperature (273-293 K) in the pH range (8-11). The sorption of xanthate ions at all the pH values is observed to increase with the increase in temperature. The changes in pH, dissolution studies of the ore, SO2(4)- concentration determinations, and FTIR studies were employed to probe the mechanism of the process of adsorption. The results are found to fit successfully to the linear form of the Freundlich equation. The isosteric heats of adsorption (DeltaHi) are also calculated and show that the adsorption of xanthate on copper ore under the given experimental condition is endothermic in nature. The values of DeltaHi found are in conformity with the ion exchange sorption of xanthate by the chalcopyrite.

Surface charge properties of Fe2O3 in aqueous and alcoholic mixed solvents

Iron oxide (Fe2O3) was identified and characterized by surface area, X-ray diffractometry, and FTIR analyses. Surface charge densities, point of zero charge (PZC), and surface ionization constants were determined from the potentiometric titration data in various aqueous and aqueous organic mixed solvents in the temperature range 293-313 K. The surface charge densities were observed to decrease with the increase in temperature and concentration of metal ions in both the aqueous and aqueous organic mixed solvents. The absolute values of the surface charge density were found to change in the order aqueous > aqueous/methanol > aqueous/ethanol. Further, the PZC of the iron oxide was observed to shift to the higher pH values in the order ethanol > methanol > aqueous solution, which indicated a decrease in the acidity of the surface -OH groups. The pKa1 and pKa2 values of iron oxide were also determined and then used for determination of the surface potential (psi0) of the solid in aqueous and aqueous organic mixed solvents. The surface potential-surface charge curves generally supplemented the results derived from psi0-pH curves.

Temperature effect on phosphate sorption by iron hydroxide

The ion exchange sorption of phosphate on Fe(OH)3 is studied as a function of temperature (25-55 degrees C) and concentration (1.49-3.23 mmol l(-1)). The mechanism of sorption is observed to be the exchange of OH- anions from the adsorbent surface by those of H2PO4- and HPO4(2-) from the aqueous solution. An equation developed in the Langmuir formalism is used to explain the ion exchange sorption of phosphate on Fe(OH)3. The isosteric heat of sorption illustrates that the uptake of phosphate on Fe(OH)3 takes place through an anion exchange process, involving both the phosphate anions H2PO4- and HPO4(2-). Further, at higher temperature the solid prefers the HPO4(2-) anions forming a binuclear bridging complex.

Selective removal of Pb2+ by AlPO4

Aluminium(III) phosphate was observed to have a very high selectivity towards Pb2+ ions. Under similar conditions, the sorption capacities of the exchanger were observed to follow the order: Pb2+ > Zn2+ > Ni2+ > Co2+. The potentiometric titration data were used to determine the deprotonation constants (pKa) of AlPO4, which were dependent upon the temperature and nature of the metal cations present in the aqueous phase. Different physical methods i.e. FTIR, EPM and the wet chemical analyses were used to investigate the uptake mechanism of Pb2+ by the solid, which showed that no new solid phases were present in the solid residue after sorption of Pb2+ at pH 5. The exchange between protons from the surfaceand Pb2+ from solutions was found to be responsible for Pb2+ sorption by aluminum(III) phosphate.

The Sorption of Divalent Metal Ions on AlPO4

The sorption of Cu(2+), Pb(2+), Ni(2+), and Cd(2+) ions on the aluminum(III) phosphate was observed to increase with increases in the concentration, temperature, and pH of the system. The apparent dissociation (pK(a)), binding (pK(b)) and exchange (pK(ex)) constants of aluminum(III) phosphate were evaluated and found to be dependent upon the temperature and nature of the metal cations. The values of the dissociation constants (pK(a)) followed the order Pb(2+)<Cu(2+)<Cd(2+)<Ni(2+)<K(+), opposite to the values of the binding constants and selectivity shown by the solid. Ion exchange between protons from the surface and metal cations from aqueous solution was found to be responsible for the metal ions sorption by AlPO(4). The values of the dissociation (pK(a)) and exchange (pK(ex)) constants were used to estimate the corresponding apparent thermodynamic parameters (DeltaH(o)(diss), DeltaS(o)(diss) and DeltaH(o)(exch), DeltaS(o)(exch)). The values of DeltaH(o)(diss) and DeltaH(o)(exch) were found to be positive, which showed that both the dissociation and exchange processes were endothermic in nature. The DeltaS(o)(diss) and DeltaS(o)(exch) were also found to be positive, which showed that both the deprotonation and exchange processes on the AlPO(4) were entropy driven and spontaneous.

Selective removal of chromates by macroporous exchanger Amberlyst A-21

Sorption studies of chromate on weakly basic macroporous anion exchanger Amberlyst A-21 were performed as a function of pH (2 - 9), temperature (20 - 40 degrees C) and concentration (0.4 - 80 mmol.l(-1)). Chromate sorption was observed to decrease with the increase in initial pH of the solution, with a sorption maxima at pH 2 and increased with the increase in temperature. The changes in pH and in the ratio of choride ions released to chromate ions sorbed suggested that the anion exchange process was accomanied by hydrolysis and Donnan invasion. The FTIR spectra and isoeteric heat of sorption besides showing the hydrolysis / Donnan invasion of resin under different experimental conditions of concentration, pH and temperature also showed the dimerization of the chromate species inside the resin phase.

Purification of Cajanus cajan root lectin and its interaction with rhizobial lipopolysaccharide as studied by different spectroscopic techniques

A lectin present in roots of Cajanus cajan seedlings was isolated and purified by affinity chromatography. Sugar specificity assayed by hemagglutination-inhibition activity indicated that lectin belongs to glucose/mannose-specific group. The root lectin was found to be mannose-specific from the second day onwards as it was reconfirmed by specific elution of different days' sample from mannose agarose matrix. The maximum interaction of lectin with goat IgM was obtained in 10-day-old sample, indicating the highest crude lectin content. Lectin (total amount of eluted protein) from different days soil sample showed a maximum amount in 10-day-old sample. For further studies, the lectin has been isolated from the roots of 10-day C. cajan seedlings and purified on mannose-CL agarose column by affinity chromatography. Lectin was found to be a dimer of 18.5-kDa subunit as revealed by SDS-PAGE. Tryptophan quenching fluorescence was studied for C. cajan root lectin. Secondary structure of C. cajan root lectin as studied by circular dichroism was found to be a typical beta-pleated sheet structure. The interaction of purified root lectin with C. cajan-specific rhizobial lipopolysaccharide and its inhibition by specific and nonspecific sugars was demonstrated by fluorescence and circular dichroism. Results discussed in this paper were studied for the first time by different spectroscopic methods, suggesting that C. cajan root lectin-lipopolysaccharide interaction is specific.

Prevalence of mental health problems in acne patients

BACKGROUND

Acne is the most common of all skin diseases. The condition affects young people at the time when they are undergoing maximum social and physical change and can produce significant psychological scarring. This study was done to determine the Mental Health problem in Patients suffering from acne and to determine significant difference of mental health problems in acne patients in comparison to seborrhic dermatitis patients as a control group.

METHODS

50 subjects with acne and 50 with seborrhic skin problems (13-25 yrs age) were included in this study through Psychiatry OPD of Lady Reading Hospital, Peshawar. The period of study was from March 1998 to August 1998. The patients were assessed for psychiatric problems by using WHO Guide to mental health in primary care ICD 10 chapter V primary care. The statistical significance was determined by chi square.

RESULTS

The data shows that out of 50 acne patients 19 (38%) were suffering from Depression, with a female predominance. The control group (seborrhic) presented lower prevalence of Depression i.e. 57% in females. Similarly Anxiety problem in particular social anxiety were overall more in acne group (34%) as compared to seborrhea group (10%). A statistically significant difference was observed between the two groups indicating that depression and social anxiety was more in the acne group. A consistent finding in the study over six months depicted the difference between gender i.e. more females presenting with depression. Total Depressed Patients were 19, while total with suicidal Thoughts were 4 (21%).

CONCLUSION

The importance of this study is to highlight depression among such patients.

Using costing as a district planning and management tool in Balochistan, Pakistan

This paper reports on two studies in the province of Balochistan, Pakistan, analyzing the costs of primary care facilities and district and divisional hospitals. There are no known previous cost studies within Balochistan and the information gained is a critical element in developing a more rational allocation of resources within the health sector. The results demonstrate both the high level of under-funding of primary care within the health sector and the current inefficiency of allocation towards primary care and, within budgets, between different line items. Medicines in particular are significantly under-funded at the expense of staffing costs. The results are of use in developing more bottom-up budgeting systems within a more rational resource allocation system that is being developed as an element of the more decentralized health system towards which the province is working.

Mannose-binding lectin is a component of innate mucosal defense against Cryptosporidium parvum in AIDS

BACKGROUND & AIMS

Nonimmune mechanisms of mucosal defense seem to be biologically important and might explain the observed variability in the course of enteric infection in immunodeficiency. Mannose-binding lectin (MBL) deficiency is associated with persistent diarrhea in children. We found that genetic determinants of MBL deficiency appear to predispose to cryptosporidiosis in patients with the acquired immunodeficiency syndrome (AIDS), and went on to study interactions of MBL and complement on Cryptosporidium parvum sporozoites.

METHODS

This study involved cross-sectional study of MBL genotype and enteric infection in 72 Zambian AIDS patients with diarrhea, immunofluorescence analysis of MBL and C4 binding to C. parvum, and immunoblotting for MBL and complement in small intestinal fluid.

RESULTS

Individuals homozygous for MBL structural gene mutations were at increased risk of cryptosporidiosis (odds ratio, 8.2; 95% confidence interval, 1. 5-42; P = 0.02). Lectin-mediated and concentration-dependent binding of purified MBL was detected on sporozoites but not oocysts, and MBL activated C4 on sporozoites. MBL, C3, C4, and albumin were detected in small intestinal fluid in half the patients tested, suggesting transudation of serum components into the enteropathic gut.

CONCLUSIONS

The increased risk of cryptosporidiosis in MBL deficiency appears to include patients with AIDS. It may operate through MBL-mediated complement activation on sporozoites.

The branchial arches and HGF are growth-promoting and chemoattractant for cranial motor axons

During development, cranial motor neurons extend their axons along distinct pathways into the periphery. For example, branchiomotor axons extend dorsally to leave the hindbrain via large dorsal exit points. They then grow in association with sensory ganglia, to their targets, the muscles of the branchial arches. We have investigated the possibility that pathway tissues might secrete diffusible chemorepellents or chemoattractants that guide cranial motor axons, using co-cultures in collagen gels. We found that explants of dorsal neural tube or hindbrain roof plate chemorepelled cranial motor axons, while explants of cranial sensory ganglia were weakly chemoattractive. Explants of branchial arch mesenchyme were strongly growth-promoting and chemoattractive for cranial motor axons. Enhanced and oriented axon outgrowth was also elicited by beads loaded with Hepatocyte Growth Factor (HGF); antibodies to this protein largely blocked the outgrowth and orientation effects of the branchial arch on motor axons. HGF was expressed in the branchial arches, whilst Met, which encodes an HGF receptor, was expressed by subpopulations of cranial motor neurons. Mice with targetted disruptions of HGF or Met showed defects in the navigation of hypoglossal motor axons into the branchial region. Branchial arch tissue may thus act as a target-derived factor that guides motor axons during development. This influence is likely to be mediated partly by Hepatocyte Growth Factor, although a component of branchial arch-mediated growth promotion and chemoattraction was not blocked by anti-HGF antibodies.

Resource allocation and budgetary mechanisms for decentralized health systems: experiences from Balochistan, Pakistan

This paper identifies key political and technical issues involved in the development of an appropriate resource allocation and budgetary system for the public health sector, using experience gained in the Province of Balochistan, Pakistan. The resource allocation and budgetary system is a critical, yet often neglected, component of any decentralization policy. Current systems are often based on historical incrementalism that is neither efficient nor equitable. This article describes technical work carried out in Balochistan to develop a system of resource allocation and budgeting that is needs-based, in line with policies of decentralization, and implementable within existing technical constraints. However, the development of technical systems, while necessary, is not a sufficient condition for the implementation of a resource allocation and decentralized budgeting system. This is illustrated by analysing the constraints that have been encountered in the development of such a system in Balochistan.

Comparative Sorption Properties of Metal(III) Phosphates

Sorptionbehavior of metal(III) phosphates toward Zn(2+) was investigated using different concentrations, pHs, and temperatures. Ion exchange between protons from the surface and metal cations from solutions was found to be responsible for metal sorption by metal(III) phosphates. Dissociation constants of metal(III) phosphates and binding constants of the Zn(2+) with metal(III) phosphates were determined using Henderson-Hasselbach and modified Langmuir equations, respectively. The sorption process in all the three metal phosphates was found to be endothermic in nature while the dissociation process was observed to be endothermic in AlPO(4) and FePO(4) and exothermic in CrPO(4). Copyright 1999 Academic Press.