Prevalence and risk factors of chlamydia and gonorrhea among rural Nepali women

OBJECTIVES

The epidemiology of sexually transmitted infections (STI) in rural, developing world populations is poorly understood. We estimated the prevalence and risk factors of Neisseria gonorrhoeae and Chlamydia trachomatis in a female population in rural Nepal.

METHODS

We conducted a cross sectional study in a sample of 1177 postpartum women participating in a micronutrient supplementation trial in Nepal. Urine samples were collected to test for the two infections using the ligase chain reaction (LCR).

RESULTS

C trachomatis was detected in 1.0% (95% confidence intervals (CI): 0.4 to 1.5) and N gonorrhoeae in 2.3% (95% CI: 1.2 to 3.4) of women. None of the women tested positive for both. Self report of all three symptoms of lower abdominal pain, pain and burning on urination, and vaginal discharge was associated with the presence of gonorrhoea (odds ratio (OR): 12.1, 95% CI: 1.3 to 115.0). Neonatal eye discharge was associated with maternal gonococcal infection (OR = 5.2, 95% CI: 1.1 to 24.9). Incidence of low birth weight was not related to these maternal infections, but very preterm delivery (<32 weeks) was higher among women positive for gonorrhoea (OR = 4.7, 95% CI: 1.0 to 22.0). In a multivariable analysis, low body mass index (<18.5) and cattle ownership were associated with gonorrhoea (p <0.05), whereas woman's literacy was associated with chlamydia (p = 0.06).

CONCLUSION

We found the rates of N gonorrhoeae and C trachomatis to be low among women in this rural population of Nepal.

Structure Determination and Relative Properties of Novel Cubic Borates MM‘4(BO3)3 (M = Li, M‘ = Sr; M = Na, M‘ = Sr, Ba)

A series of novel borates, MM'4(BO3)3 (M = Li, M' = Sr; M = Na, M' = Sr, Ba), have been successfully synthesized by standard solid-state reaction. The crystal structures have been determined from powder X-ray diffraction data. They crystallize in the cubic space group Iad with large lattice parameters: a = 14.95066(5) A for LiSr4(BO3)3, a = 15.14629(6) A for NaSr4(BO3)3, and a = 15.80719(8) A for NaBa4(BO3)3. The structure was built up from 64 small cubic grids, in which the M' atoms took up the corner angle and the BO3 triangles or MO6 cubic octahedra filled in the interspaces. The isolated [BO3]3- anionic groups are perpendicular to each other, distributed along three 100 directions. The anisotropic polarizations were counteracting, forming an isotropic crystal. Sr and Ba atoms were found to be completely soluble in the solid solution NaSr(4-)xBax(BO3)3 (0 < or = x < or = 4). The photoluminescence of samples doped with the ions Eu2+ and Eu3+ was studied, and effective yellow and red emission was detected, respectively. The results are consistent with the crystallographic study. The DTA and TGA curves of them show that they are chemically stable and congruent melting compounds.

Excision of a selectable marker in transgenic rice (Oryza sativa L.) using a chemically regulated Cre/loxP system

Removal of a selectable marker gene from genetically modified (GM) crops alleviates the risk of its release into the environment and hastens the public acceptance of GM crops. Here we report the production of marker-free transgenic rice by using a chemically regulated, Cre/loxP-mediated site-specific DNA recombination in a single transformation. Among 86 independent transgenic lines, ten were found to be marker-free in the T0 generation and an additional 17 lines segregated marker-free transgenic plants in the T1 generation. Molecular and genetic analyses indicated that the DNA recombination and excision in transgenic rice were precise and the marker-free recombinant T-DNA was stable and heritable.

Synthesis and ab initio X-ray powder diffraction structure of the new alkali and alkali earth metal borate NaCa(BO3)

A sodium calcium borate, NaCaBO3, has been synthesized by the solid-state reaction method and the structure solved from X-ray powder diffraction data. The compound crystallizes in space group Pmmn and has a desired structure type containing isolated planar BO3(3-) anions. Mixed occupancy is found to exist in the Ca site, with partial replacement by Na. One Ca/Na mixed atom and one Na atom are at sites with mm2 symmetry, and a second Ca/Na mixed atom, an Na atom, two B and two O atoms are on mirror planes.

[Physiological characteristics of nitrogen nutrition and stress-resistance of film-mulched rice in various ecological regions of Zhejiang Province]

The study showed that different ecological environment and cultivation system in various ecological regions of Zhejiang Province resulted in some different physiological characteristics of nitrogen nutrition and stress-resistance, especially in the aspect of NO3(-)-N and NH4+-N concentrations, between film-mulched and conventional flooded rice. Owing to the heat stress in Hangjiahu plain, the NO3(-)-N concentration of film-mulched rice decreased to some extent, but NH4+-N concentration increased markedly at tillering, jointing and booting stages, compared to conventional flooded rice. In Jinqu basin, the NO3(-)-N concentration of film-mulched rice at booting stage was higher, while the NH4+-N concentration in its roots was notably lower than those of conventional flooded rice, with NH4+-N concentration in its basal stems and leaves somewhat increased. Generally, the glutamine synthetase (GS) and nitrate reductase (NR) activities in film-mulched rice leaves were enhanced at booting stage, while malondiadehyde (MDA), soluble sugar (SS) and proline (Pro) concentrations had little changes. In conclusion, film-mulched cultivation was beneficial to the rice growth and its high yielding.

Role of activated astrocytes in neuronal damage: potential links to HIV-1-associated dementia

HIV-1-associated dementia (HAD) is an important complication of HIV-1 infection. Reactive astrogliosis is a key pathological feature in HAD brains and in other central nervous system (CNS) diseases. Activated astroglia may play a critical role in CNS inflammatory diseases such as HAD. In order to test the hypothesis that activated astrocytes cause neuronal injury, we stimulated primary human fetal astrocytes with HAD-relevant pro-inflammatory cytokine IL-1beta. IL-1beta-activated astrocytes induced apoptosis and significant changes in metabolic activity in primary human neurons. An FITC-conjugated pan-caspase inhibitor peptide FITC-VAD-FMK was used for confirming caspase activation in neurons. IL-1beta activation enhanced the expression of death protein FasL in astrocytes, suggesting that FasL is one of the potential factors responsible for neurotoxicity observed in HAD and other CNS diseases involving glial inflammation. Our data presented here add to the developing picture of role of activated glia in HAD pathogenesis.

Syntheses, Thermal Stability, and Structure Determination of the Novel Isostructural RBa3B9O18 (R = Y, Pr, Nd, Sm, Eu, Gd, Tb, Dy, Ho, Er, Tm, Yb)

A novel borate compound YBa(3)B(9)O(18) has crystallized in a melt of BaYB(9)O(16). Single-crystal X-ray diffraction measurements reveal that YBa(3)B(9)O(18) adopts a hexagonal space group P6(3)/m with cell parameters of a = 7.1761(6) A and c = 16.9657(6) A. The structure is made up of the planar B(3)O(6) groups parallel to each other along the (001) direction, regular YO(6) octahedra, and irregular BaO(6) and BaO(9) polyhedra to form an analogue structure of beta-BaB(2)O(4). A series of isostructural borate compounds RBa(3)B(9)O(18) (R = Y, Pr, Nd, Sm, Eu, Gd, Tb, Dy, Ho, Er, Tm, Yb) were prepared by powder solid-state reactions. The DTA and TGA curves of YBaB(9)O(16) show an obvious weight loss at about 955 degrees C associated with a decomposition into YBO(3), B(2)O(3), and YBa(3)B(9)O(18) due to its incongruent melting behavior. The DTA and TGA curves of YBa(3)B(9)O(18) show that it is chemically stable and a congruent melting compound. A comparison of the structures of YBa(3)B(9)O(18) and beta-BaB(2)O(4) is presented.

MIRACLE: mass isotopomer ratio analysis of U-13C-labeled extracts. A new method for accurate quantification of changes in concentrations of intracellular metabolites

First, we report the application of stable isotope dilution theory in metabolome characterization of aerobic glucose limited chemostat culture of S. cerevisiae CEN.PK 113-7D using liquid chromatography-electrospray ionization MS/MS (LC-ESI-MS/MS). A glucose-limited chemostat culture of S. cerevisiae was grown to steady state at a specific growth rate (mu)=0.05 h(-1) in a medium containing only naturally labeled (99% U-12C, 1% U-13C) carbon source. Upon reaching steady state, defined as 5 volume changes, the culture medium was switched to chemically identical medium except that the carbon source was replaced with 100% uniformly (U) 13C labeled stable carbon isotope, fed for 4 h, with sampling every hour. We observed that within a period of 1 h approximately 80% of the measured glycolytic metabolites were U-13C-labeled. Surprisingly, during the next 3 h no significant increase of the U-13C-labeled metabolites occurred. Second, we demonstrate for the first time the LC-ESI-MS/MS-based quantification of intracellular metabolite concentrations using U-13C-labeled metabolite extracts from chemostat cultivated S. cerevisiae cells, harvested after 4 h of feeding with 100% U-13C-labeled medium, as internal standard. This method is hereby termed "Mass Isotopomer Ratio Analysis of U-13C Labeled Extracts" (MIRACLE). With this method each metabolite concentration is quantified relative to the concentration of its U-13C-labeled equivalent, thereby eliminating drawbacks of LC-ESI-MS/MS analysis such as nonlinear response and matrix effects and thus leads to a significant reduction of experimental error and work load (i.e., no spiking and standard additions). By coextracting a known amount of U-13C labeled cells with the unlabeled samples, metabolite losses occurring during the sample extraction procedure are corrected for.

Characterization of Pantoea dispersa UQ68J: producer of a highly efficient sucrose isomerase for isomaltulose biosynthesis

AIMS

Isolation, identification and characterization of a highly efficient isomaltulose producer.

METHODS AND RESULTS

After an enrichment procedure for bacteria likely to metabolize isomaltulose in sucrose-rich environments, 578 isolates were screened for efficient isomaltulose biosynthesis using an aniline/diphenylamine assay and capillary electrophoresis. An isolate designated UQ68J was exceptionally efficient in sucrose isomerase activity. Conversion of sucrose into isomaltulose by UQ68J (enzyme activity of 90-100 U mg(-1) DW) was much faster than the current industrial strain Protaminobacter rubrum CBS574.77 (41-66 U mg(-1) DW) or a reference strain of Erwinia rhapontici (0.3-0.9 U mg(-1) DW). Maximum yield of isomaltulose at 78-80% of supplied sucrose was achieved in less than half the reaction time needed by CBS574.77, and the amount of contaminating trehalulose (4%) was the lowest recorded from an isomaltulose-producing microbe. UQ68J is a Gram negative, facultatively anaerobic, motile, noncapsulate, straight rod-shaped bacterium producing acid but no gas from glucose. Based on 16S rDNA analysis UQ68J is closest to Klebsiella oxytoca, but it differs from Klebsiella in defining characteristics and most closely resembles Pantoea dispersa in phenotype.

SIGNIFICANCE AND IMPACT OF STUDY

This organism is likely to have substantial advantage over previously characterized sucrose isomerase producers for the industrial production of isomaltulose.

Artificial neural networks: application to electrical stimulation of the human nervous system

Artificial neural networks are used increasingly in applications such as graphic pattern recognition, which are difficult to address with conventional statistical methods. In the management of chronic pain, graphic methods are used routinely; patients describe their patterns of pain using "pain drawings." The authors have previously reported an automated, computerized pain drawing methodology, which has been used by patients with implanted spinal cord stimulators to represent a technical goal of the procedure, the overlap of pain by stimulation paresthesias. Standard linear discriminant statistical methods have shown associations between stimulation parameters and electrode positions as independent variables and technical outcome and relief of pain as dependent variables. The authors have applied artificial neural networks to the problem of optimizing implanted stimulator adjustment. A data set of 3000 electrode combinations obtained in 41 patients was used to develop a linear discriminant statistical model on a mainframe computer and to train artificial neural networks on a personal computer. The performance of these two systems on a new data set obtained in 10 patients was compared with that of human "experts." The best neural network model was marginally better than the linear discriminant model; the variance in patient ratings was predicted by these models to a degree that the human experts were unable to predict. The authors anticipate expanding the role of these models and incorporating them into expert systems for clinical use.

Expression of cyclooxygenase-1 and 2 in naturally-occurring canine cancer

The purpose of this work was to determine cox-1 and cox-2 expression by immunohistochemistry in forms of naturally occurring canine cancer in order to identify animal systems for pre-clinical evaluation of cox inhibitors and cox-2 inhibitors in cancer. Canine lymphoma (LSA), prostatic carcinoma (PCA), osteosarcoma (OSA), oral melanoma (MEL), oral squamous cell carcinoma (SCC), oral fibrosarcoma (FSA), mammary carcinoma (MCA), and normal tissues were included. Cox-2 was expressed in epithelial tumors (17 of 26 SCC, 8 of 13 MCA, 5 of 9 PCA cases) and MEL (9 of 15 cases), but was generally absent in normal tissues. Cox-2 expression was minimal or absent in mesenchymal tumors and LSA. Cox-1 was expressed in normal epithelial tissues and in some osteoclast and osteoblast in bone, but was absent in normal lymph node. In conclusion, forms of canine cancer were identified for in vivo studies of the effects of cox inhibitors and selective cox-2 inhibitors on cancer.

Transforming growth factor-beta1 genotype and susceptibility to chronic obstructive pulmonary disease

BACKGROUND

Only a few long term smokers develop symptomatic chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) and this may be due, at least in part, to genetic susceptibility to the disease. Transforming growth factor beta1 (TGF-beta1) has a number of actions that make it a candidate for a role in the pathogenesis of COPD. We have investigated a single nucleotide polymorphism at exon 1 nucleotide position 29 (T-->C) of the TGF-beta1 gene that produces a substitution at codon 10 (Leu-->Pro).

METHODS

The frequency of this polymorphism was determined in 165 subjects with COPD, 140 healthy blood donors, and 76 smokers with normal lung function (resistant smokers) using the polymerase chain reaction and restriction enzyme fragment length polymorphism.

RESULTS

The distribution of genotypes was Leu-Leu (41.8%), Leu-Pro (50.3%), and Pro-Pro (7.9%) for subjects with COPD, which was significantly different from the control subjects (blood donors: Leu-Leu (29.3%), Leu-Pro (52.1%) and Pro-Pro (18.6%), p=0.006; resistant smokers: Leu-Leu (28.9%), Leu-Pro (51.3%) and Pro-Pro (19.7%), p=0.02). The Pro10 allele was less common in subjects with COPD (33%) than in blood donors (45%; OR=0.62, 95% CI 0.45 to 0.86, p=0.005) and resistant smokers (45%; OR=0.59, 95% CI 0.40 to 0.88, p=0.01).

CONCLUSIONS

The proline allele at codon 10 of the TGF-beta1 gene occurs more commonly in control subjects than in individuals with COPD. This allele is associated with increased production of TGF-beta1 which raises the possibility that TGF-beta1 has a protective role in COPD.

High-resolution genetic mapping of Xa27(t), a new bacterial blight resistance gene in rice, Oryza sativa L

Bacterial blight of rice, caused by Xanthomonas oryzae pv. oryzae ( Xoo) (Ishyama) Dye, is one of the serious diseases prevalent throughout Asia. In a previous study, a resistance ( R) locus was transferred from the tetraploid wild rice Oryza minuta to the cultivated rice species, Oryza sativa L. Here, we report the fine genetic mapping of the R locus, tentatively designated as Xa27(t). We performed disease evaluation with an Xa27(t) near-isogenic line, IRBB27, testing 35 Xoo strains collected from 11 countries. The Xa27(t) locus conferred a high level of resistance to 27 strains and moderate resistance to three strains. Resistance of the Xa27(t) gene was developmentally regulated in IRBB27 and showed semi-dominant or a dosage effect in the cv. CO39 genetic background. As a prelude to cloning Xa27(t), a molecular mapping strategy was employed with a large mapping population consisting of 3,875 gametes. Three molecular markers, M336, M1081, and M1059, closely linked to Xa27(t), were identified to facilitate the mapping of Xa27(t) to the long arm of chromosome 6. The Xa27(t) locus was confirmed by chromosome landing of M1081 and M1095 markers on the rice genome. Markers derived from the genomic sequence of O. sativa cv. Nipponbare were used to further saturate the Xa27(t) genomic region. Xa27(t) was finally located within a genetic interval of 0.052 cM, flanked by markers M964 and M1197, and co-segregated with markers M631, M1230, and M449.

A unique determination of boundary condition in quantitative electron diffraction: Application to accurate measurements of mean inner potentials

We combine off-axis electron holography and electron shadow imaging to accurately determine the specimen thickness and the incident electron beam direction over the illuminated area of a crystal. We, furthermore, quantify the variations in diffraction intensity with position over the same area. This unique solution to the experimental boundary condition problem enables us to make precise measurements of mean inner electrostatic potentials and structure factors that are sensitive to the bonding characteristics of materials. In this paper, we present the results of mean-inner potential determination from silicon and the newly discovered magnesiumdiboride superconductor.