Performance of swabs, lavage, and diluents to quantify biomarkers of female genital tract soluble mucosal mediators

Background: Measurement of immune mediators and antimicrobial activity in female genital tract secretions may provide biomarkers predictive of risk for HIV-1 acquisition and surrogate markers of microbicide safety. However, optimal methods for sample collection do not exist. This study compared collection methods. Methods: Secretions were collected from 48 women (24 with bacterial vaginosis [BV]) using vaginal and endocervical Dacron and flocked swabs. Cervicovaginal lavage (CVL) was collected with 10 mL of Normosol-R (n = 20), saline (n = 14), or water (n = 14). The concentration of gluconate in Normosol-R CVL was determined to estimate the dilution factor. Cytokine and antimicrobial mediators were measured by Luminex or ELISA and corrected for protein content. Endogenous anti-HIV-1 and anti-E. coli activity were measured by TZM-bl assay or E. coli growth. Results: Higher concentrations of protein were recovered by CVL, despite a 10-fold dilution of secretions, as compared to swab eluents. After protein correction, endocervical swabs recovered the highest mediator levels regardless of BV status. Endocervical and vaginal flocked swabs recovered significantly higher levels of anti-HIV-1 and anti-E. coli activity than Dacron swabs (P<0.001). BV had a significant effect on CVL mediator recovery. Normosol-R tended to recover higher levels of most mediators among women with BV, whereas saline or water tended to recover higher levels among women without BV. Saline recovered the highest levels of anti-HIV-1 activity regardless of BV status. Conclusions: Endocervical swabs and CVL collected with saline provide the best recovery of most mediators and would be the optimal sampling method(s) for clinical trials. © 2011 Dezzutti et al

JHK \u27-band IOTA interferometry of the circumstellar environment of R CrB

We report the first long-baseline interferometry of the circumstellar dust environment of R CrB. The observations were carried out with the Infrared Optical Telescope Array (IOTA), using our new JHK' beam combiner which enables us to record fringes in the J, H, and K' bands simultaneously. The circumstellar dust envelope of R CrB is resolved at a baseline of 21 m along a position angle of similar to170degrees, and the visibilities in the J, H, and K' bands are 0.97 +/- 0.06, 0.78 +/- 0.06, and 0.61 +/- 0.03, respectively. These observed visibilities, together with the K'-band visibility obtained by speckle interferometry with baselines of up to 6 m, and the spectral energy distribution are compared with predictions from spherical dust shell models which consist of the central star and an optically thin dust shell. The comparison reveals that the observed J- and H-band visibilities are in agreement with those predicted by these models, and the inner radius and inner boundary temperature of the dust shell were derived to be 60-80 R-* and 950-1050 K, respectively. However, the predicted K'-band visibilities are found to be similar to10% smaller than the one obtained with IOTA. Given the simplifications adopted in our models and the complex nature of the object, this can nevertheless be regarded as rough agreement. As a hypothesis to explain this small discrepancy, we propose that there might be a group of newly formed dust clouds, which may appear as a third visibility component

Revisões sistemáticas de antibioticoprofilaxia em cesarianas Systematic reviews of antibiotic prophylaxis in cesareans

O objetivo do trabalho foi analisar a evidência científica disponível sobre os efeitos da antibioticoprofilaxia em cesarianas. As presentes revisões sistemáticas compreenderam um exame detalhado da qualidade do desenho e da execução assim como da heterogeneidade clínica entre os ensaios. A meta-análise dos ensaios placebo-controlados (27 estudos) apontou eficácia aproximada de 65% para ambos os desfechos estudados, endometrite e infecção da ferida cirúrgica (IFC), correspondendo a uma queda da incidência de 11% e 5%, respectivamente. As análises de sensibilidade mostraram efeitos sumários semelhantes aos observados para o conjunto dos ensaios. O subgrupo dos 12 ensaios de cesáreas não eletivas indicou benefício importante da antibioticoprofilaxia para ambos os desfechos, correspondente a uma queda de 14% (endometrite) e 5% (IFC). Para cesáreas eletivas (dois ensaios), não foi mostrado benefício relevante. A evidência obtida dos ensaios comparativos de doses foi limitada devido a falhas metodológicas importantes e ao pequeno número de pacientes envolvidas (três ensaios). Os ensaios comparativos de antimicrobianos (sete estudos) não evidenciaram diferença de eficácia entre os dois esquemas analisados, cefalosporinas de 1ª e de 2ª geração.<br>This study reviews the available evidence on the efficacy of antibiotic prophylaxis in cesarean sections. The study included a detailed analysis of the quality of design and performance and the clinical heterogeneity of selected clinical trials. Meta-analysis of placebo-controlled trials estimated an efficacy of some 65% for the two study endpoints, endometritis and surgical wound infection, corresponding to a decrease in infection rates of some 11% and 5%, respectively. Sensitivity analyses showed summary effects similar to those observed for all studies. Results for the non-elective cesarean sections subgroup (12 studies) indicated a relevant benefit for both endpoints, corresponding to a decrease in incidence rates of some 14% (endometritis) and 5% (surgical infection wound). For elective surgeries (two trials), no relevant benefit was found. Evidence from comparative trials on number of doses was limited due to important methodological shortcomings and to the small number of patients enrolled (three trials). Comparative drug trials (seven studies) did not show evidence of different performance between first and second-generation cephalosporins