Structural relatedness of lysis proteins from colicinogenic plasmids and icosahedral coliphages.

The host-lysis-inducing functions of phi X174 protein E and MS2 protein L were recently shown to reside on the N-terminal and C-terminal halves of the two respective lysis proteins. In the present study it is shown that the small lysis proteins encoded in various colicinogenic plasmids share local sequence similarities and certain structural characteristics with the essential peptides of their coliphage-coded counterparts. Despite their dissimilar sizes and origins, it is suggested that the colicinogenic lysis proteins are functionally analogous and evolutionarily related to those of icosahedral single-stranded DNA and RNA phages

Latent tuberculosis screening and treatment in HIV: highly acceptable in a prospective cohort study

Background: People living with HIV (PLWH) are at increased risk of re-activation of latent tuberculosis infection (LTBI). Although UK and international guidelines identify this group as a priority for LTBI screening and treatment, data on attitudes of PLWH to this policy recommendation are lacking. / Methods: A five-point, Likert-style questionnaire was administered to PLWH to assess views and intentions towards accepting LTBI screening and treatment. Subsequent interferon-γ release assay (IGRA) testing was offered, and chemoprophylaxis if required. Influencing demographic and psychological associations with planned, and actual, testing and treatment uptake were assessed using multivariable logistic regression. / Results: 444 out of 716 (62%) patients responded. 417 out of 437 (95.4%) expressed intention to accept LTBI testing. The only significant association was the perceived importance of testing to the individual (adjusted odds ratio (aOR) 8.98, 95% CI 2.55-31.67). 390 out of 393 (99.2%) accepted appropriate IGRA screening; 41 out of 390 (10.5%) were positive. 397 out of 431 (92.1%) expressed intention to accept chemoprophylaxis, associated with perceived importance of treatment (aOR 3.52, 95% CI 1.46-8.51), a desire to have treatment for LTBI (aOR 1.77, 95% CI 0.99-3.15) and confidence in taking treatment (aOR 3.77, 95% CI 1.84-7.72). Of those offered chemoprophylaxis, 36 out of 37 (97.3%) accepted and 34 out of 36 (94.4%) completed treatment. There were no correlates with actual screening acceptance. / Conclusions: LTBI is common amongst PLWH, highlighting the importance of robust screening and treatment programmes. This study shows that screening and treatment for LTBI is highly acceptable to PLWH and provides strong, objective evidence for policy-makers developing guidelines in this cohort

The potential impact of the next influenza pandemic on a national primary care medical workforce

BACKGROUND: Another influenza pandemic is all but inevitable. We estimated its potential impact on the primary care medical workforce in New Zealand, so that planning could mitigate the disruption from the pandemic and similar challenges. METHODS: The model in the "FluAid" software (Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, CDC, Atlanta) was applied to the New Zealand primary care medical workforce (i.e., general practitioners). RESULTS: At its peak (week 4) the pandemic would lead to 1.2% to 2.7% loss of medical work time, using conservative baseline assumptions. Most workdays (88%) would be lost due to illness, followed by hospitalisation (8%), and then premature death (4%). Inputs for a "more severe" scenario included greater health effects and time spent caring for sick relatives. For this scenario, 9% of medical workdays would be lost in the peak week, and 3% over a more compressed six-week period of the first pandemic wave. As with the base case, most (64%) of lost workdays would be due to illness, followed by caring for others (31%), hospitalisation (4%), and then premature death (1%). CONCLUSION: Preparedness planning for future influenza pandemics must consider the impact on this medical workforce and incorporate strategies to minimise this impact, including infection control measures, well-designed protocols, and improved health sector surge capacity

The primary care amplification model: taking the best of primary care forward

Background: Primary care internationally is approaching a new paradigm. The change agenda implicit in this threatens to de-stabilise and challenge established general practice and primary care

Restauração e conservação: algumas questões para os conservadores. A perspectiva da conservação de têxteis

O texto discute as idéias e diferentes conotações que os conceitos de conservação e restauração trazem em diferentes idiomas e culturas e as possíveis mudanças conceituais ocorridas nos últimos anos. São discutidas as diferenças de abordagem, procedimentos e objetivos que as duas atividades apresentam, sempre do ponto de vista da conservação de têxteis. Vários exemplos de abordagens distintas, desenvolvidas em função dos tratamentos de têxteis de diferentes naturezas são discutidos em detalhe

Validity and reliability of telephone administration of the patient-specific functional scale for the assessment of recovery from snakebite envenomation

Objectives: Although more than 1.8 million people survive snakebite envenomation each year, their recovery is understudied. Obtaining long-term follow-up is challenging in both high- and low-resource settings. The Patient-Specific Functional Scale (PSFS) is an easily administered, well-accepted patient-reported outcome that is validated for assessing limb recovery from snakebite envenomation. We studied whether the PSFS is valid and reliable when administered by telephone. Methods: This is a secondary analysis of data from a randomized clinical trial. We analyzed the results of PSFS collected in-person on days 3, 7, 14, 21, and 28 and by telephone on days 10, 17, and 24. We assessed the following scale psychometric properties: (a) content validity (ceiling and floor effects), (b) internal structure and consistency (Cronbach’s alpha), and (c) temporal and external validity using Intraclass Correlation Coefficient (ICC). Temporal stability was assessed using Spearman’s correlation coefficient and agreement between adjacent in-person and telephonic assessments with Cohen’s kappa. Bland Altman analysis was used to assess differential bias in low and high score results. Results: Data from 74 patients were available for analysis. Floor effects were seen in the early post-injury time points (median: 3 (IQR: 0, 5) at 3 days post-enrollment) and ceiling effects in the late time points (median: 9 (IQR: 8, 10). Internal consistency was good to excellent with both in-person (Cronbach α: 0.91 (95%CI 0.88, 0.95)) and telephone administration (0.81 (0.73, 0.89). Temporal stability was also good (ICC: 0.83 (0.72, 0.89) in-person, 0.80 (0.68, 0.88) telephone). A strong linear correlation was found between in-person and telephone administration (Spearman’s �: 0.83 (CI: 0.78, 0.84), consistency was assessed as excellent (Cohen’s κ 0.81 (CI: 0.78, 0.84), and Bland Altman analysis showed no systematic bias. Conclusions: Telephone administration of the PSFS provides valid, reliable, and consistent data for the assessment of recovery from snakebite envenomation