Analysis of Clonal Type-Specific Antibody Reactions in Toxoplasma gondii Seropositive Humans from Germany by Peptide-Microarray

BACKGROUND: Different clonal types of Toxoplasma gondii are thought to be associated with distinct clinical manifestations of infections. Serotyping is a novel technique which may allow to determine the clonal type of T. gondii humans are infected with and to extend typing studies to larger populations which include infected but non-diseased individuals. METHODOLOGY: A peptide-microarray test for T. gondii serotyping was established with 54 previously published synthetic peptides, which mimic clonal type-specific epitopes. The test was applied to human sera (n = 174) collected from individuals with an acute T. gondii infection (n = 21), a latent T. gondii infection (n = 53) and from T. gondii-seropositive forest workers (n = 100). FINDINGS: The majority (n = 124; 71%) of all T. gondii seropositive human sera showed reactions against synthetic peptides with sequences specific for clonal type II (type II peptides). Type I and type III peptides were recognized by 42% (n = 73) or 16% (n = 28) of the human sera, respectively, while type II-III, type I-III or type I-II peptides were recognized by 49% (n = 85), 36% (n = 62) or 14% (n = 25) of the sera, respectively. Highest reaction intensities were observed with synthetic peptides mimicking type II-specific epitopes. A proportion of the sera (n = 22; 13%) showed no reaction with type-specific peptides. Individuals with acute toxoplasmosis reacted with a statistically significantly higher number of peptides as compared to individuals with latent T. gondii infection or seropositive forest workers. CONCLUSIONS: Type II-specific reactions were overrepresented and higher in intensity in the study population, which was in accord with genotyping studies on T. gondii oocysts previously conducted in the same area. There were also individuals with type I- or type III-specific reactions. Well-characterized reference sera and further specific peptide markers are needed to establish and to perform future serotyping approaches with higher resolution

Barriers and enablers to delivery of the Healthy Kids Check: An analysis informed by the Theoretical Domains Framework and COM-B model

Background: More than a fifth of Australian children arrive at school developmentally vulnerable. To counteract this, the Healthy Kids Check (HKC), a one-off health assessment aimed at preschool children, was introduced in 2008 into Australian general practice. Delivery of services has, however, remained low. The Theoretical Domains Framework, which provides a method to understand behaviours theoretically, can be condensed into three core components: capability, opportunity and motivation, and the COM-B model. Utilising this system, this study aimed to determine the barriers and enablers to delivery of the HKC, to inform the design of an intervention to promote provision of HKC services in Australian general practice. Methods: Data from 6 focus group discussions with 40 practitioners from general practices in socio-culturally diverse areas of Melbourne, Victoria, were analysed using thematic analysis. Results: Many practitioners expressed uncertainty regarding their capabilities and the practicalities of delivering HKCs, but in some cases HKCs had acted as a catalyst for professional development. Key connections between immunisation services and delivery of HKCs prompted practices to have systems of recall and reminder in place. Standardisation of methods for developmental assessment and streamlined referral pathways affected practitioners' confidence and motivation to perform HKCs. Conclusion: Application of a systematic framework effectively demonstrated how a number of behaviours could be targeted to increase delivery of HKCs. Interventions need to target practice systems, the support of office staff and referral options, as well as practitioners' training. Many behavioural changes could be applied through a single intervention programme delivered by the primary healthcare organisations charged with local healthcare needs (Medicare Locals) providing vital links between general practice, community and the health of young children. © 2014 Alexander et al.; licensee BioMed Central Ltd

The 3XLSS point source catalogue

We present the version of the point source catalogue of the XXL Survey that was used, in part, in the first series of XXL papers. In this paper we release, in our database in Milan and at CDS: (i) the X-ray source catalogue with 26 056 objects in two areas of 25 deg2 with a flux limit (at 3σ) of ~10−15 erg s−1 cm−2 in [0.5–2] keV, and ~ 3 × 10−15 erg s−1 cm−2 in [2–10] keV, yielding a 90% completeness limit of 5.8 × 10−15 and 3.8 × 10−14 respectively;(ii) the associated multiwavelength catalogues with candidate counterparts of the X-ray sources in the infrared, near-infrared, optical, and ultraviolet (plus spectroscopic redshift when available); and (iii) a catalogue of spectroscopic redshifts recently obtained in the southern XXL area. We also present the basic properties of the X-ray point sources and their counterparts. Other catalogues described in the second series of XXL papers will be released contextually, and will constitute the second XXLdata release

A922 Sequential measurement of 1 hour creatinine clearance (1-CRCL) in critically ill patients at risk of acute kidney injury (AKI)

Meeting abstrac

Iron Behaving Badly: Inappropriate Iron Chelation as a Major Contributor to the Aetiology of Vascular and Other Progressive Inflammatory and Degenerative Diseases

The production of peroxide and superoxide is an inevitable consequence of aerobic metabolism, and while these particular "reactive oxygen species" (ROSs) can exhibit a number of biological effects, they are not of themselves excessively reactive and thus they are not especially damaging at physiological concentrations. However, their reactions with poorly liganded iron species can lead to the catalytic production of the very reactive and dangerous hydroxyl radical, which is exceptionally damaging, and a major cause of chronic inflammation. We review the considerable and wide-ranging evidence for the involvement of this combination of (su)peroxide and poorly liganded iron in a large number of physiological and indeed pathological processes and inflammatory disorders, especially those involving the progressive degradation of cellular and organismal performance. These diseases share a great many similarities and thus might be considered to have a common cause (i.e. iron-catalysed free radical and especially hydroxyl radical generation). The studies reviewed include those focused on a series of cardiovascular, metabolic and neurological diseases, where iron can be found at the sites of plaques and lesions, as well as studies showing the significance of iron to aging and longevity. The effective chelation of iron by natural or synthetic ligands is thus of major physiological (and potentially therapeutic) importance. As systems properties, we need to recognise that physiological observables have multiple molecular causes, and studying them in isolation leads to inconsistent patterns of apparent causality when it is the simultaneous combination of multiple factors that is responsible. This explains, for instance, the decidedly mixed effects of antioxidants that have been observed, etc...Comment: 159 pages, including 9 Figs and 2184 reference

The 3XLSS point source catalogue

We present the version of the point source catalogue of the XXL Survey that was used, in part, in the first series of XXL papers. In this paper we release, in our database in Milan and at CDS: (i) the X-ray source catalogue with 26 056 objects in two areas of 25 deg2 with a flux limit (at 3σ) of ~10−15 erg s−1 cm−2 in [0.5–2] keV, and ~ 3 × 10−15 erg s−1 cm−2 in [2–10] keV, yielding a 90% completeness limit of 5.8 × 10−15 and 3.8 × 10−14 respectively;(ii) the associated multiwavelength catalogues with candidate counterparts of the X-ray sources in the infrared, near-infrared, optical, and ultraviolet (plus spectroscopic redshift when available); and (iii) a catalogue of spectroscopic redshifts recently obtained in the southern XXL area. We also present the basic properties of the X-ray point sources and their counterparts. Other catalogues described in the second series of XXL papers will be released contextually, and will constitute the second XXLdata release