Uropathogens isolated from HIV-infected patients from Limpopo Province, South Africa

The primary aim of this study was to determine the prevalence and antibiotic susceptibility profiles of uropathogens isolated from HIV-infected patients in Limpopo Province, South Africa. One hundred and ninety-five urine samples were obtained from HIV-infected patients between June 2008 and May 2009 and the samples were investigated using standard and conventional microbiological methods. Urinary tract infections (UTIs) were detected in 95 samples. Enterobacter species (37.6%) was the most prevalent uropathogen. Other bacterial isolates included Escherichia coli and Klebsiella species, each constituting 17.9%, Citrobacter species (9.7%), Proteus species (7.4%) and others (11.6%). Resistance to trimethoprim/sulfamethoxazole (SXT) which is used for empiric therapy was above 35%. However, majority of the isolates were susceptible to amikacin, ciprofloxacin and most of the second generation cephalosporins as well as imipenem. Resistance of uropathogens to SXT in Limpopo Province is higher than the recommended IDSA setting and this requires the introduction of an alternative first-line therapy.Keywords: Antibiotic resistance, HIV, uropathogens, urinary tract infection

Cortisol-Induced Masculinization: Does Thermal Stress Affect Gonadal Fate in Pejerrey, a Teleost Fish with Temperature-Dependent Sex Determination?

BACKGROUND: Gonadal fate in many reptiles, fish, and amphibians is modulated by the temperature experienced during a critical period early in life (temperature-dependent sex determination; TSD). Several molecular processes involved in TSD have been described but how the animals "sense" environmental temperature remains unknown. We examined whether the stress-related hormone cortisol mediates between temperature and sex differentiation of pejerrey, a gonochoristic teleost fish with marked TSD, and the possibility that it involves glucocorticoid receptor- and/or steroid biosynthesis-modulation. METHODOLOGY/PRINCIPAL FINDINGS: Larvae maintained during the period of gonadal sex differentiation at a masculinizing temperature (29 degrees C; 100% males) consistently had higher cortisol, 11-ketotestoterone (11-KT), and testosterone (T) titres than those at a feminizing temperature (17 degrees C; 100% females). Cortisol-treated animals had elevated 11-KT and T, and showed a typical molecular signature of masculinization including amh upregulation, cyp19a1a downregulation, and higher incidence of gonadal apoptosis during sex differentiation. Administration of cortisol and a non-metabolizable glucocorticoid receptor (GR) agonist (Dexamethasone) to larvae at a "sexually neutral" temperature (24 degrees C) caused significant increases in the proportion of males. CONCLUSIONS/SIGNIFICANCE: Our results suggest a role of cortisol in the masculinization of pejerrey and provide a possible link between stress and testicular differentiation in this gonochoristic TSD species. Cortisol role or roles during TSD of pejerrey seem(s) to involve both androgen biosynthesis- and GR-mediated processes. These findings and recent reports of cortisol effects on sex determination of sequential hermaphroditic fishes, TSD reptiles, and birds provide support to the notion that stress responses might be involved in various forms of environmental sex determination

125Te-NMR Study on a Single Crystal of Heavy Fermion Superconductor UTe2

We report 125Te-NMR studies on a newly discovered heavy fermion superconductor UTe2. Using a single crystal, we have measured the 125Te-NMR Knight shift K and spin-lattice relaxation rate 1/T1 for fields along the three orthorhombic crystal axes. The data confirm a moderate Ising anisotropy for both the static (K) and dynamical susceptibilities (1/T1) in the paramagnetic state above about 20 K. Around 20 K, however, we have observed a sudden loss of NMR spin-echo signal due to sudden enhancement of the NMR spin-spin relaxation rate 1/T2, when the field is applied along the easy axis of magnetization (=a axis). This behavior suggests the development of longitudinal magnetic fluctuations along the a axis at very low frequencies below 20 K.Comment: 5 pages, 7 figures, accepted for publication in J. Phys. Soc. Jp

Novel Variants in the CLCN1, RYR2, and DCTN1 Found in Elderly Japanese Dementia Patients: A Case Series

Dementia has an enormous impact on medical and financial resources in aging societies like Japan. Diagnosis of dementia can be made by physical and mental examinations, imaging tests, and findings of high abnormal proteins in cerebrospinal fluids. In addition, genetic tests can be performed in neurodegenerative diseases such as Alzheimer's disease (AD), frontotemporal dementia (FTD), and Parkinson's disease (PD). In this case series, we presented three cases of dementia with unknown causes who carry novel variants in the genes associated with neurodegenerative diseases. Three patients (Patients 1, 2, and 6) were found by screening 18 dementia patients using a gene panel including 63 genes. The age of onset for Patient 1 was 74 years old, and his father had PD and mother had AD. The age of onset for Patient 2 was 75 years old, and her mother had AD. The age of onset for Patient 6 was 83 years old, and her father, two sisters, and daughter had dementia. The Mini-Mental State Examination produced results of 20, 15, and 22, respectively. The suspected diagnosis by neurological examinations and imaging studies for Patients 1 and 2 was AD, and for Patient 6 was FTD. Patient 1 was treated with donepezil; Patient 2 was treated with donepezil and memantine; and Patient 6 was treated with donepezil, galantamine, and rivastigmine. The three rare variants identified were: CLCN1, encoding a chloride channel, c.2848G>A:p.Glu950Lys (Patient 1); RYR2, encoding a calcium releasing ryanodine receptor, c.13175A>G:p.Lys4392Arg (Patient 2); and DCTN1, encoding a subunit of dynactin, c. 3209G>A:p.Arg1070Gln (Patient 6). The detected variants were interpreted according to the American College of Medical Genetics (ACMG) guidelines. The minor allele frequency for each variant was 0.025%, 0.023%, and 0.0004% in East Asians, respectively. The DCTN1 variant found in Patient 6 might be associated with FTD. Although none of them were previously reported in dementia patients, all variants were classified as variants of unknown significance (VUS). Our report suggests that results of genetic tests in elderly patients with dementia need to be carefully interpreted. Further data accumulation of genotype-phenotype relationships and development of appropriate functional models are warranted

Dietary intake, mental status, physical activity, and lifestyle affecting bowel movement frequency and stool texture in young Japanese women

Constipation is a symptom-based disorder, and its definition is mainly subjective. Patients are more concerned with ease ofpassage and consistency rather than frequency of bowel movement. Studies on bowel movement frequency and stool texture inthe general population are sparse, especially in young women. In this cross-sectional study, data obtained from self-administered questionnaires, including age, height, body weight, lifestyle, food habits, anxiety, depressive status, frequency of bowel movements,stool texture, and defecation-related symptoms were analyzed in 245 female Japanese university students. An establishedsemiquantitative questionnaire available for clinical investigation (FFQg) was used to obtain a detailed assessment of food intake and physical activity levels. Of the participants, 21.4% had bowel movements ?3 times per week and 33.3% had hard or lumpy stools ?25% and loose (mushy) or watery stools <25% of bowel movements. There was a positive association between infrequent bowel movements and hard or lumpy stools. These two situations both caused similar symptoms such as a sensation of incomplete evacuation and straining. There was no association of bowel movement frequency and stool texture with any specificnutrients and foods, dietary intake, mental status, or physical activity. Several lifestyle factors such as regular bowel movements and hesitation with evacuation were associated with bowel movement frequency and stool texture. Several lifestyle factors, but not mental, physical, or dietary intake factors, were associated with bowel movement frequency and stool texture in young Japanese women

The Socioeconomic Determinants of HIV/AIDS Infection Rates in Lesotho, Malawi, Swaziland and Zimbabwe

This paper uses data from the Demographic and Health Survey to analyze the relationship between HIV status and the socioeconomic and demographic characteristics of adults in Lesotho, Malawi, Swaziland and Zimbabwe. We construct the HIV/AIDS risk profile of the average adult, compute the values of age, education and wealth where the estimated probability of infection assumes its highest value, and we determine the percentage of adults for which age, education and wealth are positively correlated with the probability of infection. We find that in all the four countries: (i) the probability of being HIV positive is higher for women than for men; (ii) the likelihood of infection is higher for urban residents than for rural residents; and (iii) there is an inverted-U relationship between age and HIV status. We also find that unlike gender, rural/urban residence and age, the relationship between the probability of HIV infection and wealth, education and marital status varies by country. Our results provide support for country specific and more targeted HIV policies and programs

IACT observations of gamma-ray bursts: prospects for the Cherenkov Telescope Array

Gamma rays at rest frame energies as high as 90 GeV have been reported from gamma-ray bursts (GRBs) by the Fermi Large Area Telescope (LAT). There is considerable hope that a confirmed GRB detection will be possible with the upcoming Cherenkov Telescope Array (CTA), which will have a larger effective area and better low-energy sensitivity than current-generation imaging atmospheric Cherenkov telescopes (IACTs). To estimate the likelihood of such a detection, we have developed a phenomenological model for GRB emission between 1 GeV and 1 TeV that is motivated by the high-energy GRB detections of Fermi-LAT, and allows us to extrapolate the statistics of GRBs seen by lower energy instruments such as the Swift-BAT and BATSE on the Compton Gamma-ray Observatory. We show a number of statistics for detected GRBs, and describe how the detectability of GRBs with CTA could vary based on a number of parameters, such as the typical observation delay between the burst onset and the start of ground observations. We also consider the possibility of using GBM on Fermi as a finder of GRBs for rapid ground follow-up. While the uncertainty of GBM localization is problematic, the small field-of-view for IACTs can potentially be overcome by scanning over the GBM error region. Overall, our results indicate that CTA should be able to detect one GRB every 20 to 30 months with our baseline instrument model, assuming consistently rapid pursuit of GRB alerts, and provided that spectral breaks below 100 GeV are not a common feature of the bright GRB population. With a more optimistic instrument model, the detection rate can be as high as 1 to 2 GRBs per year.Comment: 28 pages, 24 figures, 4 tables, submitted to Experimental Astronom

Measurement of serum hepcidin-25 levels as a potential test for diagnosing hemochromatosis and related disorders

石川県立中央病院金沢大学医薬保健研究域医学系Iron overload syndromes include a wide spectrum of genetic and acquired conditions. Recent studies suggest suppressed hepcidin synthesis in the liver to be the molecular basis of hemochromatosis. However, a liver with acquired iron overload synthesizes an adequate amount of hepcidin. Thus, hepcidin could function as a biochemical marker for differential diagnosis of iron overload syndromes. Methods We measured serum iron parameters and hepcidin- 25 levels followed by sequencing HFE, HJV, HAMP, TFR2, and SLC40A1 genes in 13 Japanese patients with iron overload syndromes. In addition, we performed direct measurement of serum hepcidin-25 levels using liquid chromatography-tandem mass spectrometry in 3 Japanese patients with aceruloplasminemia and 4 Italians with HFE hemochromatosis. Results One patient with HJV hemochromatosis, 2 with TFR2 hemochromatosis, and 3 with ferroportin disease were found among the 13 Japanese patients. The remaining 7 Japanese patients showed no evidence for genetic basis of iron overload syndrome. As far as the serum hepcidin-25 was concerned, seven patients with hemochromatosis and 3 with aceruloplasminemia showed markedly decreased serum hepcidin-25 levels. In contrast, 3 patients with ferroportin disease and 7 with secondary iron overload syndromes showed serum hepcidin levels parallel to their hyperferritinemia. Patients with iron overload syndromes were divided into 2 phenotypes presenting as low and high hepcidinemia. These were then associated with their genotypes. Conclusion Determining serum hepcidin-25 levels may aid differential diagnosis of iron overload syndromes prior to genetic analysis. © Springer 2010