Synthesis, Crystal Structure, and Solid-State NMR Investigations of Heteronuclear Zn/Co Coordination Networks - A Comparative Study

Synthesis and solid-state NMR characterization of two isomorphous series of zinc and cobalt coordination networks with 1,2,4-triazolyl benzoate ligands are reported. Both series consist of 3D diamondoid networks with four-fold interpenetration. Solid-state NMR identifies the metal coordination of the ligands, and assignment of all 1H and 13C shifts was enabled by the combination of 13C editing, FSLG-HETCOR spectra, and 2D 1H–1H back-to-back (BABA) spectra with results from NMR-CASTEP calculations. The incorporation of Co2+ replacing Zn2+ ions in the MOF over the full range of concentrations has significant influences on the NMR spectra. A uniform distribution of metal ions is documented based on the analysis of 1H T1 relaxation time measurements

Needle to needle robot-assisted manufacture of cell therapy products

Advanced therapeutic medicinal products (ATMPs) have emerged as novel therapies for untreatable diseases, generating the need for large volumes of high-quality, clinically-compliant GMP cells to replace costly, high-risk and limited scale manual expansion processes. We present the design of a fully automated, robot-assisted platform incorporating the use of multiliter stirred tank bioreactors for scalable production of adherent human stem cells. The design addresses a needle-to-needle closed process incorporating automated bone marrow collection, cell isolation, expansion, and collection into cryovials for patient delivery. AUTOSTEM, a modular, adaptable, fully closed system ensures no direct operator interaction with biological material; all commands are performed through a graphic interface. Seeding of source material, process monitoring, feeding, sampling, harvesting and cryopreservation are automated within the closed platform, comprising two clean room levels enabling both open and closed processes. A bioprocess based on human MSCs expanded on microcarriers was used for proof of concept. Utilizing equivalent culture parameters, the AUTOSTEM robot-assisted platform successfully performed cell expansion at the liter scale, generating results comparable to manual production, while maintaining cell quality postprocessing

Exploring the effectiveness of the output-based aid voucher program to increase uptake of gender-based violence recovery services in Kenya: a qualitative evaluation

This is an Open Access article distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution License (http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/2.0), which permits unrestricted use, distribution, and reproduction in any medium, provided the original work is properly cited.Background: Few studies in Africa have explored in detail the ability of output-based aid (OBA) voucher programs to increase access to gender-based violence recovery (GBVR) services. Methods: A qualitative study was conducted in 2010 and involved: (i) in-depth interviews (IDIs) with health managers, service providers, voucher management agency (VMA) managers and (ii) focus group discussions (FGDs) with voucher users, voucher non-users, voucher distributors and opinion leaders drawn from five program sites in Kenya. Results: The findings showed promising prospects for the uptake of OBA GBVR services among target population. However, a number of factors affect the uptake of the services. These include lack of general awareness of the GBVR services vouchers, lack of understanding of the benefit package, immediate financial needs of survivors, as well as stigma and cultural beliefs that undermine reporting of cases or seeking essential medical services. Moreover, accreditation of only hospitals to offer GBVR services undermines access to the services in rural areas. Poor responsiveness from law enforcement agencies and fear of reprisal from perpetrators also undermine treatment options and access to medical services. Low provider knowledge on GBVR services and lack of supplies also affect effective provision and management of GBVR services. Conclusions: The above findings suggest that there is a need to build the capacity of health care providers and police officers, strengthen the community strategy component of the OBA program to promote the GBVR services voucher, and conduct widespread community education programs aimed at prevention, ensuring survivors know how and where to access services and addressing stigma and cultural barriers.The Bill and Melinda Gates Foundatio

The influence of the accessory genome on bacterial pathogen evolution

Bacterial pathogens exhibit significant variation in their genomic content of virulence factors. This reflects the abundance of strategies pathogens evolved to infect host organisms by suppressing host immunity. Molecular arms-races have been a strong driving force for the evolution of pathogenicity, with pathogens often encoding overlapping or redundant functions, such as type III protein secretion effectors and hosts encoding ever more sophisticated immune systems. The pathogens’ frequent exposure to other microbes, either in their host or in the environment, provides opportunities for the acquisition or interchange of mobile genetic elements. These DNA elements accessorise the core genome and can play major roles in shaping genome structure and altering the complement of virulence factors. Here, we review the different mobile genetic elements focusing on the more recent discoveries and highlighting their role in shaping bacterial pathogen evolution

Acute camptocormia induced by olanzapine: a case report

<p>Abstract</p> <p>Introduction</p> <p>Camptocormia refers to an abnormal posture with flexion of the thoraco-lumbar spine which increases during walking and resolves in supine position. This symptom is an increasingly recognized feature of parkinsonian and dystonic disorders, but may also be caused by neuromuscular diseases. There is recent evidence that both central and peripheral mechanisms may be involved in the pathogenesis of camptocormia. We report a case of acute onset of camptocormia, a rare side effect induced by olanzapine, a second-generation atypical anti-psychotic drug with fewer extra-pyramidal side-effects, increasingly used as first line therapy for schizophrenia, delusional disorders and bipolar disorder.</p> <p>Case presentation</p> <p>A 73-year-old Caucasian woman with no history of neuromuscular disorder, treated for chronic delusional disorder for the last ten years, received two injections of long-acting haloperidol. She was then referred for fatigue. Physical examination showed a frank parkinsonism without other abnormalities. Routine laboratory tests showed normal results, notably concerning creatine kinase level. Fatigue was attributed to haloperidol which was substituted for olanzapine. Our patient left the hospital after five days without complaint. She was admitted again three days later with acute back pain. Examination showed camptocormia and tenderness in paraspinal muscles. Creatine kinase level was elevated (2986 UI/L). Magnetic resonance imaging showed necrosis and edema in paraspinal muscles. Olanzapine was discontinued. Pain resolved quickly and muscle enzymes were normalized within ten days. Risperidone was later introduced without significant side-effect. The camptocormic posture had disappeared when the patient was seen as an out-patient one year later.</p> <p>Conclusions</p> <p>Camptocormia is a heterogeneous syndrome of various causes. We believe that our case illustrates the need to search for paraspinal muscle damage, including drug-induced rhabdomyolysis, in patients presenting with acute-onset bent spine syndrome. Although rare, the occurrence of camptocormia induced by olanzapine must be considered.</p

Religiosity and decreased risk of substance use disorders: is the effect mediated by social support or mental health status?

The negative association between religiosity (religious beliefs and church attendance) and the likelihood of substance use disorders is well established, but the mechanism(s) remain poorly understood. We investigated whether this association was mediated by social support or mental health status. We utilized cross-sectional data from the 2002 National Survey on Drug Use and Health (n = 36,370). We first used logistic regression to regress any alcohol use in the past year on sociodemographic and religiosity variables. Then, among individuals who drank in the past year, we regressed past year alcohol abuse/dependence on sociodemographic and religiosity variables. To investigate whether social support mediated the association between religiosity and alcohol use and alcohol abuse/dependence we repeated the above models, adding the social support variables. To the extent that these added predictors modified the magnitude of the effect of the religiosity variables, we interpreted social support as a possible mediator. We also formally tested for mediation using path analysis. We investigated the possible mediating role of mental health status analogously. Parallel sets of analyses were conducted for any drug use, and drug abuse/dependence among those using any drugs as the dependent variables. The addition of social support and mental health status variables to logistic regression models had little effect on the magnitude of the religiosity coefficients in any of the models. While some of the tests of mediation were significant in the path analyses, the results were not always in the expected direction, and the magnitude of the effects was small. The association between religiosity and decreased likelihood of a substance use disorder does not appear to be substantively mediated by either social support or mental health status

MEG resting state functional connectivity in Parkinson's disease related dementia

Parkinson's disease (PD) related dementia (PDD) develops in up to 60% of patients, but the pathophysiology is far from being elucidated. Abnormalities of resting state functional connectivity have been reported in Alzheimer's disease (AD). The present study was performed to determine whether PDD is likewise characterized by changes in resting state functional connectivity. MEG recordings were obtained in 13 demented and 13 non-demented PD patients. The synchronization likelihood (SL) was calculated within and between cortical areas in six frequency bands. Compared to non-demented PD, PDD was characterized by lower fronto-temporal SL in the alpha range, lower intertemporal SL in delta, theta and alpha1 bands as well as decreased centro-parietal gamma band synchronization. In addition, higher parieto-occipital synchronization in the alpha2 and beta bands was found in PDD. The observed changes in functional connectivity are reminiscent of changes in AD, and may reflect reduced cholinergic activity and/or loss of cortico-cortical anatomical connections in PDD. © 2008 The Author(s)

Increased EEG gamma band activity in Alzheimer’s disease and mild cognitive impairment

High frequency (30–70 Hz) gamma band oscillations in the human electro-encephalogram (EEG) are thought to reflect perceptual and cognitive processes. It is therefore interesting to study these measures in cognitive impairment and dementia. To evaluate gamma band oscillations as a diagnostic biomarker in Alzheimer’s disease (AD) and mild cognitive impairment (MCI), 15 psychoactive drug naïve AD patients, 20 MCI patients and 20 healthy controls participated in this study. Gamma band power (GBP) was measured in four conditions viz. resting state, music listening, story listening and visual stimulation. To evaluate test–retest reliability (TRR), subjects underwent a similar assessment one week after the first. The overall TRR was high. Elevated GBP was observed in AD when compared to MCI and control subjects in all conditions. The results suggest that elevated GBP is a reproducible and sensitive measure for cognitive dysfunction in AD in comparison with MCI and controls

Intimate partner violence against women in an economically vulnerable urban area, Central-West Brazil

OBJETIVO: Estimar a prevalência de tipos de violência e de comportamentos de controle praticados por parceiros íntimos contra mulheres residentes em área economicamente vulnerável. MÉTODOS: Conduziu-se estudo transversal com 278 mulheres de 15 a 49 anos que tiveram parceiros íntimos alguma vez na vida, residentes em uma área metropolitana de Brasília, DF, em 2007. Utilizou-se processo de amostragem aleatória sistemática. O instrumento de pesquisa constou de um questionário com 58 perguntas desenvolvido pela Organização Mundial de Saúde. Foram analisadas as prevalências de violência física, psicológica e sexual. As variáveis independentes consideradas foram características sociodemográficas da mulher, de contexto familiar e comunitário bem como as sociodemográfi cas do parceiro, de comportamento (freqüência do uso de bebidas ou drogas ilícitas e relacionamento extraconjugal). RESULTADOS: A prevalência de violência psicológica foi a mais alta: 80,2% (n=223) das mulheres entrevistadas relataram pelo menos um ato no decorrer da vida e 50% (n=139) nos últimos 12 meses. A prevalência de violência física ao longo da vida foi (58,6%) e nos últimos 12 meses (32%), enquanto a prevalência de mulheres que sofreram violência sexual foi de 28,8% e 15,5%, respectivamente. CONCLUSÕES: As altas prevalências das violências mostram a magnitude da vulnerabilidade e das agressões praticadas contra mulheres nas relações com parceiros íntimos.OBJECTIVE: To estimate the prevalence of gender-based controlling behavior and types of violence committed by intimate partners against women living in an economically vulnerable area. METHODS: A cross-sectional study was performed with 278 women aged between 15 and 49 years, who had had at least one male intimate partner in their lives and lived in a metropolitan area of the city of Brasília, Central-West Brazil, in 2007. Systematic random sampling process was used. The research instrument consisted of a questionnaire with 58 questions, developed by the World Health Organization. Prevalences of physical, psychological and sexual violence were analyzed. Independent variables considered were women’s sociodemographic, family and community context characteristics, in addition to their partners’ sociodemographic and behavior characteristics (frequency of alcohol or illicit drug use and extra-marital relationship). RESULTS: The highest prevalence was that of psychological violence: 80.2% (n=223) of the women interviewed reported at least one act throughout their lives and 50% (n=139) in the last 12 months. Prevalence of physical violence was 58.6% throughout life and 32% in the last 12 months, whereas those of sexual violence were 28.8% and 15.5%, respectively. CONCLUSIONS: High prevalences of violence show the magnitude of vulnerability and aggressions committed against women in relationships with intimate partners