Maternal nicotine exposure during pregnancy and developtnent of etnphysetna-like datnage'in the offspring

The aim of this investigation was to determine whether nicotine exposure (1 mg/kg body mass/d) during pregnancy and lactation contributes to the rupturing of alveolar septa in the lungs ofneonatal rats. These rats received nicotine only via the placenta and mother's milk. The results show that maternal nicotine exposure interferes with elastic tissue formation. It also interferes with alveoli formation and causes the development of emphysema- like lesions. It is therefore suggested that maternal nicotine intake frolll smoking during pregnancy and lactation may interfere with lung developlllent and maturation to an extent that increases susceptibility to emphysema

Nelson Mandela – Madiba, ‘Infirmary: Another prison… another island’

No abstract available

Identification and drug resistance of fungal pathogens in cystic fibrosis patients

Cystic fibrosis (CF) is an autosomal genetic disease that causes infection in the lungs due to a lack of mucus clearance in the airways. Published studies on fungal pathogens in CF patients noted that the use of multiple antibiotics to treat drug-resistant bacterial infections in these patients has created an opening for colonization of the lung with fungal pathogens, and these organisms may also be drug-resistant. I hypothesized that fungal pathogens can be isolated from CF patient samples, and these fungal organisms will be resistant to antifungal therapies. Sputum samples were taken from CF patients from the Cystic Fibrosis Clinic in Oklahoma City, OK. Samples were plated using selective media to enrich for fungal growth. Following this, single colonies were isolated and cultured for inoculation of biochemical tests (API AUX20 C test strips) or for isolation of DNA. DNA samples were subjected to PCR for the ITS3 gene followed by gel electrophoresis to identify fungal ITS3 bands. Isolates with positive ITS3 bands were sequenced to identify the fungal species. In addition, MIC assays were conducted with antifungal drugs. Analysis of colonies tested by API test strips showed that several Candida species were present, and we further confirmed the species by sequencing the ITS3 gene. MIC assays were conducted with antifungal drugs fluconazole, caspofungin, and novel compound EIPE-1. MIC assays showed that some of these isolates were resistant to typical antifungal drugs and all were sensitive to EIPE-1. Further understanding the fungal pathogens and drug resistance in CF patients as well as identifying alternatives to current antifungal drugs could potentially prolong CF patient lifespan and decrease the severity of CF lung infections

Vertex-Coloring with Star-Defects

Defective coloring is a variant of traditional vertex-coloring, according to which adjacent vertices are allowed to have the same color, as long as the monochromatic components induced by the corresponding edges have a certain structure. Due to its important applications, as for example in the bipartisation of graphs, this type of coloring has been extensively studied, mainly with respect to the size, degree, and acyclicity of the monochromatic components. In this paper we focus on defective colorings in which the monochromatic components are acyclic and have small diameter, namely, they form stars. For outerplanar graphs, we give a linear-time algorithm to decide if such a defective coloring exists with two colors and, in the positive case, to construct one. Also, we prove that an outerpath (i.e., an outerplanar graph whose weak-dual is a path) always admits such a two-coloring. Finally, we present NP-completeness results for non-planar and planar graphs of bounded degree for the cases of two and three colors

Recommendations for the management of indeterminate HIV PCR results within South Africa’s early infant diagnosis programme

Indeterminate HIV PCR results represent missed diagnostic opportunities within South Africa’s early infant diagnosis programme. These results not only delay diagnosis and appropriate management but are also a source of confusion and apprehension amongst clinicians and caregivers. We describe the extent of indeterminate HIV PCR results within South Africa’s early infant diagnosis programme and provide recommendations for the management of these cases, both in terms of laboratory practice and the clinical care of the infants.They also thank the United Nations Children’s Emergency Fund (UNICEF) for partial funding of this work. A.H.M. acknowledges the Discovery Foundation for financial support.http://www.sajhivmed.org.zaam2016Medical Virolog