Epidemia asociada a Neisseria meningitidis detectada por Electroforesis Enzimática Multifocal

En Oregon y partes del Estado de Washington, la incidencia de la enfermedad producida por meningococo serogrupo B aumentó considerablemente en 1994. La subtipificación por electroforesis enzimática multifocal (MEE) de las cepas de N. meningitidis serogrupo B recolectadas en estas áreas durante 1993 y 1994, sugirió que estos aumentos eran debidos a un grupo de cepas relacionadas genéticamente del complejo enzimático del tipo-5 (ET- 5). Las cepas N. meningitidis serogrupo B ET-5 fueron primero reconocidas en Noruega en 1974 como la causa de la epidemia meningocócica que persistió hasta 1991. Desde 1974, el serogrupo B de meningococo del complejo ET-5 ha ocasionado epidemias en Europa, Cuba y Sudamérica; estas epidemias elevaron la tasa de enfermedad por muchos años en las áreas afectadas y condujo a esfuerzos sostenidos para el desarrollo de una vacuna. Este informe describe el uso de la MEE para comparar N. meningitidis invasiva serogrupo B, de cepas meningocócicas provenientes de Oregon y Washington, con las cepas de serogrupo B epidémicas de otros países y con cepas del serogrupo B que han ocasionado enfermedad endémica en otras partes de los Estados Unidos.Facultad de Ciencias Veterinaria

Book Reviews

Book Reviews: The Great Land: How Western America Nearly Became a Russian Possession by Jeremy Atiyah ; Sacred Claims: Repatriation and Living Tradition by Greg Johnson ; Who Owns the Crown Lands of Hawai'i? by Jon M. Van Dyke ; White Enough to Be American?: Race Mixing, Indigenous People, and the Boundaries of State and Nation by Lauren L. Basson ; Colonizing Leprosy: Imperialism and the Politics of Public Health in the United States by Michelle T. Moran ; Pacific Performances: Theatricality and Cross-Cultural Encounter in the South Seas by Christopher B. Balme ; Guardian of the Sea: Jizo in Hawai'i by John R. K. Clark ; Pathways to the Present: U.S. Development and Its Consequences in the Pacific by Mansel G. Blackford ; "Whole Oceans Away": Melville and the Pacific edited by Jill Barnum, Wyn Kelley, and Christopher Sten ; Ka Mo'olelo o Hi'iakaikapoliopele: Ka Wahine i ka Hikina a ka la, ka u'i Palekoki Uila o Halema'uma'u -- The Epic Tale of Hi'iakaikapoliopele: Woman of the Sunrise, Lightning-Skirted Beauty of Halema'uma'u by Ho'oulumahiehie ; We Go Eat: A Mixed Plate From Hawai'i's Food Culture edited by Susan Yim ; The White Pacific: U.S. Imperialism and Black Slavery in the South Seas after the Civil War by Gerald Horn

Photoswitchable Luminescence of Rhenium(I) Tricarbonyl Diimines

The synthesis, characterization, and X-ray crystal structures of [Re(diimine)(CO)_3(dpe)](PF_6) (dpe = 1,2-di(4-pyridyl)ethylene) compounds are reported. The cis-dpe complexes exhibit yellow luminescence after UV excitation, whereas the trans-dpe counterparts are nonluminescent. The luminescence quantum yields of the cis-dpe complexes are strongly dependent on the identity of the diimine ligand. Irradiation (350 nm) of the trans-dpe complexes induces trans → cis dpe-ligand isomerization with quantum yields on the order of 0.2, and this process leads to an on-switching of yellow luminescence. After long 350-nm irradiation times, a steady state composed of roughly 70% cis- and 30% trans-dpe complexes is reached. The reverse cis → trans photoisomerization reaction is induced by irradiating the cis-dpe complexes at 250 nm, switching off the yellow luminescence. For 250-nm excitation, photodecomposition of the [Re(diimine)(CO)_3(dpe)]^+ complexes competes efficiently with photoisomerization

Metachromatic Leukodystrophy: A Case of Triplets With the Late Infantile Variant and a Systematic Review of the Literature

Metachromatic Leukodystrophy is a rare disorder with great clinical variability. We report the first case of triplets with the late infantile form of the disease and their systematic progression of symptoms. We reviewed the literature and identified all human studies that reported new cases since 1921. We analyzed survival by decade to assess the impact of historical changes in management of care. Mean age at death and 5-year survival from onset of symptoms for late infantile, juvenile and adult phenotype were 4.2 years and 24.9%, 17.4 years and 70.3%, and 43.1 years and 88.6% respectively. 5-year survival of cases reported after 1990 was significantly better than cases reported before 1970 in all subtypes of metachromatic leukodystrophy (late infantile: 52% vs. 14%, juvenile: 100% vs. 46%, adult: 95% vs. 67%). Survival in the late infantile subtype was worse than in other subtypes. Survival significantly improved over time in all subtypes

Elucidating the long-range charge carrier mobility in metal halide perovskite thin films

Many optoelectronic properties have been reported for lead halide perovskite polycrystalline films. However, ambiguities in the evaluation of these properties remain, especially for long-range lateral charge transport, where ionic conduction can complicate interpretation of data. Here we demonstrate a new technique to measure the long-range charge carrier mobility in such materials. We combine quasi-steady-state photo-conductivity measurements (electrical probe) with photo-induced transmission and reflection measurements (optical probe) to simultaneously evaluate the conductivity and charge carrier density. With this knowledge we determine the lateral mobility to be ~ 2 cm2/Vs for CH3NH3PbI3 (MAPbI3) polycrystalline perovskite films prepared from the acetonitrile/methylamine solvent system. Furthermore, we present significant differences in long-range charge carrier mobilities, from 2.2 to 0.2 cm2/Vs, between films of contemporary perovskite compositions prepared via different fabrication processes, including solution and vapour phase deposition techniques. Arguably, our work provides the first accurate evaluation of the long-range lateral charge carrier mobility in lead halide perovskite films, with charge carrier density in the range typically achieved under photovoltaic operation

Strategies and methods to study sex differences in cardiovascular structure and function: a guide for basic scientists

<p>Abstract</p> <p>Background</p> <p>Cardiovascular disease remains the primary cause of death worldwide. In the US, deaths due to cardiovascular disease for women exceed those of men. While cultural and psychosocial factors such as education, economic status, marital status and access to healthcare contribute to sex differences in adverse outcomes, physiological and molecular bases of differences between women and men that contribute to development of cardiovascular disease and response to therapy remain underexplored.</p> <p>Methods</p> <p>This article describes concepts, methods and procedures to assist in the design of animal and tissue/cell based studies of sex differences in cardiovascular structure, function and models of disease.</p> <p>Results</p> <p>To address knowledge gaps, study designs must incorporate appropriate experimental material including species/strain characteristics, sex and hormonal status. Determining whether a sex difference exists in a trait must take into account the reproductive status and history of the animal including those used for tissue (cell) harvest, such as the presence of gonadal steroids at the time of testing, during development or number of pregnancies. When selecting the type of experimental animal, additional consideration should be given to diet requirements (soy or plant based influencing consumption of phytoestrogen), lifespan, frequency of estrous cycle in females, and ability to investigate developmental or environmental components of disease modulation. Stress imposed by disruption of sleep/wake cycles, patterns of social interaction (or degree of social isolation), or handling may influence adrenal hormones that interact with pathways activated by the sex steroid hormones. Care must be given to selection of hormonal treatment and route of administration.</p> <p>Conclusions</p> <p>Accounting for sex in the design and interpretation of studies including pharmacological effects of drugs is essential to increase the foundation of basic knowledge upon which to build translational approaches to prevent, diagnose and treat cardiovascular diseases in humans.</p

Improving polio vaccination during supplementary campaigns at areas of mass transit in India

<p>Abstract</p> <p>Background</p> <p>In India, children who are traveling during mass immunization campaigns for polio represent a substantial component of the total target population. These children are not easily accessible to health workers and may thus not receive vaccine. Vaccination activities at mass transit sites (such as major intersections, bus depots and train stations), can increase the proportion of children vaccinated but the effectiveness of these activities, and factors associated with their success, have not been rigorously evaluated.</p> <p>Methods</p> <p>We assessed data from polio vaccination activities in Jyotiba Phule Nagar district, Uttar Pradesh, India, conducted in June 2006. We used trends in the vaccination results from the June activities to plan the timing, locations, and human resource requirements for transit vaccination activities in two out of the seven blocks in the district for the July 2006 supplementary immunization activity (SIA). In July, similar data was collected and for the first time vaccination teams also recorded the proportion of children encountered each day who were vaccinated (a new monitoring system).</p> <p>Results</p> <p>In June, out of the 360,937 total children vaccinated, 34,643 (9.6%) received vaccinations at mass transit sites. In the July SIA, after implementation of a number of changes based on the June monitoring data, 36,475 children were vaccinated at transit sites (a 5.3% increase). Transit site vaccinations in July increased in the two intervention blocks from 18,194 to 21,588 (18.7%) and decreased from 16,449 to 14,887 (9.5%) in the five other blocks. The new monitoring system showed the proportion of unvaccinated children at street intersection transit sites in the July campaign decreased from 24% (1,784/7,405) at the start of the campaign to 3% (143/5,057) by the end of the SIA, consistent with findings from the more labor-intensive post-vaccination coverage surveys routinely performed by the program.</p> <p>Conclusions</p> <p>Analysis of vaccination data from transit sites can inform program management changes leading to improved outcomes in polio immunization campaigns. The number of vaccinated children encountered should be routinely recorded by transit teams and may provide a useful, inexpensive alternative mechanism to assess program coverage.</p

Rapid Assessment Tool for Haemophilus influenzae type b Disease in Developing Countries1

Haemophilus influenzae type b disease prevalence in children provides estimates of national disease prevalence

Boundary Crossing: Networked Policing and Emergent “Communities of Practice” in Safeguarding Children

Child safeguarding has come to the forefront of public debate in the UK in the aftermath of a series of highly publicised incidents of child sexual exploitation and abuse. These have exposed the inadequacies and failings of inter-organisational relations between police and key partners. While the discourse of policing partnerships is now accepted wisdom, progress has been distinctly hesitant. This paper contributes to understanding both the challenges and opportunities presented through working across organisational boundaries in the context of safeguarding children. It draws on a study of relations within one of the largest Safeguarding Children partnerships in England, developing insights from Etienne Wenger regarding the potential of ‘communities of practice’ that innovate on the basis of everyday learning through ‘boundary work’. We demonstrate how such networked approaches expose the differential power relations and sites of conflict between organisations but also provide possibilities to challenge introspective cultures and foster organisational learning. We argue that crucial in cultivating effective ‘communities of practice’ are: shared commitment and purpose; relations of trust; balanced exchange of information and resources; mutual respect for difference; and an open and mature dialogue over possible conflicts. Boundary crossing can open opportunities to foster increased reflexivity among policing professionals, prompting critical self-reflection on values, ongoing reassessment of assumptions and questioning of terminology. Yet, there is an inherent tension in that the learning and innovative potential afforded by emergent ‘communities of practice’ derives from the coexistence and interplay between both the depth of knowledge within practices and active boundaries across practices

Landscape Ecotoxicology of Coho Salmon Spawner Mortality in Urban Streams

In the Pacific Northwest of the United States, adult coho salmon (Oncorhynchus kisutch) returning from the ocean to spawn in urban basins of the Puget Sound region have been prematurely dying at high rates (up to 90% of the total runs) for more than a decade. The current weight of evidence indicates that coho deaths are caused by toxic chemical contaminants in land-based runoff to urban streams during the fall spawning season. Non-point source pollution in urban landscapes typically originates from discrete urban and residential land use activities. In the present study we conducted a series of spatial analyses to identify correlations between land use and land cover (roadways, impervious surfaces, forests, etc.) and the magnitude of coho mortality in six streams with different drainage basin characteristics. We found that spawner mortality was most closely and positively correlated with the relative proportion of local roads, impervious surfaces, and commercial property within a basin. These and other correlated variables were used to identify unmonitored basins in the greater Seattle metropolitan area where recurrent coho spawner die-offs may be likely. This predictive map indicates a substantial geographic area of vulnerability for the Puget Sound coho population segment, a species of concern under the U.S. Endangered Species Act. Our spatial risk representation has numerous applications for urban growth management, coho conservation, and basin restoration (e.g., avoiding the unintentional creation of ecological traps). Moreover, the approach and tools are transferable to areas supporting coho throughout western North America