Immunological and molecular epidemiological characteristics of acute and fulminant viral hepatitis A

<p>Abstract</p> <p>Background</p> <p>Hepatitis A virus is an infection of liver; it is hyperendemic in vast areas of the world including India. In most cases it causes an acute self limited illness but rarely fulminant. There is growing concern about change in pattern from asymptomatic childhood infection to an increased incidence of symptomatic disease in the adult population.</p> <p>Objective</p> <p>In-depth analysis of immunological, viral quantification and genotype of acute and fulminant hepatitis A virus.</p> <p>Methods</p> <p>Serum samples obtained from 1009 cases of suspected acute viral hepatitis was employed for different biochemical and serological examination. RNA was extracted from blood serum, reverse transcribed into cDNA and amplified using nested PCR for viral quantification, sequencing and genotyping. Immunological cell count from freshly collected whole blood was carried out by fluorescence activated cell sorter.</p> <p>Results</p> <p>Fulminant hepatitis A was mostly detected with other hepatic viruses. CD8⁺T cells count increases in fulminant hepatitis to a significantly high level (P = 0.005) compared to normal healthy control. The immunological helper/suppressor (CD4⁺/CD8⁺) ratio of fulminant hepatitis was significantly lower compared to acute cases. The serologically positive patients were confirmed by RT-PCR and total of 72 (69.2%) were quantified and sequenced. The average quantitative viral load of fulminant cases was significantly higher (<it>P </it>< 0.05). There was similar genotypic distribution in both acute and fulminant category, with predominance of genotype IIIA (70%) compared to IA (30%).</p> <p>Conclusions</p> <p>Immunological factors in combination with viral load defines the severity of the fulminant hepatitis A. Phylogenetic analysis of acute and fulminant hepatitis A confirmed genotypes IIIA as predominant against IA with no preference of disease severity.</p

Isospin and spin-isospin modes in charge-exchange reactions

The microscopic structure of the Gamow-Teller resonance (GTR) and spin-dipole resonance (SDR) in 208Bi has been investigated in the 208Pb(3He,tp)207Pb reaction at E(3He)=450 MeV and very forward scattering angles. The partial and total branching ratios and the escape widths for GTR and SDR decay to the residual neutron-hole states in 207Pb were deduced. These are found to be in good agreement with recent theoretical estimates. The (3He,tp) reaction on Pb at E(3He)=177 MeV was also studied in order to locate isovector monopole strength corresponding to 2ℏω transitions. Monopole strength at excitation energies above 25 MeV was discovered and compared to calculated strength due to the isovector giant monopole resonance and the spin-flip isovector monopole resonance. Calculations in a normal-mode framework show that all isovector monopole strength can be accounted for if the branching ratio for decay by proton emission is 20%

Aspirin inhibits serine phosphorylation of IRS-1 in muscle and adipose tissue of septic rats

Whole body insulin resistance has been demonstrated in septic patients and in infected animals. In this study, we demonstrate that sepsis induces insulin resistance and that pretreatment with aspirin inhibits sepsis-induced insulin resistance. Sepsis was observed to lead to serine phosphorylation of IRS-1, a phenomenon which was reversed by aspirin in muscle and WAT, in parallel with a reduction in JNK activity. In addition, our data show an impairment of insulin activation of IR and IRS-1 tyrosine phosphorylation in septic rats and, consistent with the reduction of IRS-1 serine phosphorylation observed in septic animals pretreated with aspirin, there was an increase in IRS-1 protein levels and tyrosine phosphorylation in muscle and WAT. Overall, these results provide important new insights into the mechanism of sepsis-induced insulin resistance. (C) 2004 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.320399299

Distribuição espacial do sistema radicular do cafeeiro fertirrigado por gotejamento em Campinas Root distribution of fertirrigated coffee trees in Campinas, State of São Paulo, Brazil

Este estudo teve como objetivo avaliar o efeito da fertirrigação por gotejamento, utilizando-se emissores com diferentes espaçamentos (0,50 ou 0,80 m) e profundidades de instalação (superficial, 0,10 e 0,20 m), na distribuição espacial do sistema radicular do cafeeiro. Observaram-se no cafeeiro irrigado e adubado de forma convencional diferentes condições de desenvolvimento radicular, variando conforme os tratamentos impostos. Para as plantas irrigadas por tubogotejadores com emissores espaçados a cada 0,50 m, a profundidade radicular efetiva foi menor (média de 0,63 m) do que a observada para as plantas irrigadas por emissores posicionados a cada 0,80 m (média de 0,70 m). No manejo nutricional por fertirrigação observou-se menor desigualdade na profundidade radicular efetiva entre os tratamentos, bem como, em um aumento médio de 51,1% de densidade de raízes. Houve tendência de manutenção do volume radicular na região próxima aos emissores, enquanto nos pontos mais distantes do desenvolvimento do bulbo úmido, o crescimento radicular foi de 77%. A irrigação das plantas por tubogotejadores enterrados a 0,10 m de profundidade proporcionou maior desenvolvimento radicular em resposta à fertirrigação.<br>This study aimed to evaluate the effect of the drip fertirrigation system, by using emitters with different arranging of spaces (0.50 or 0.80 m) and depths of installation (superficial, 0.10 or 0.20 m on the ground), over the root spatial distribution of coffee tree. The coffee tree conventionally irrigated and fertilized presented different conditions of root development, varying according to the treatment imposed. For plants irrigated by emitters spaced every 0.50 m, the effective root depth was smaller (mean of 0.63 m) than that observed for plants irrigated by emitters spaced every 0.80 m (mean of 0.70 m). The fertirrigation nutritional management allowed an uniform effective root depth among the treatments, as well as an increase of 51.1% in root density. There was a trend of maintenance of root volume in the places closer to the emitters, while in the most distant points of development of wet bulb, the growth of roots reached 77%. The plants irrigated by 0.10 m depth emitters provided the largest root development in response to fertirrigation