Enzyme catalytic resonance scattering spectral detection of trace hydrogen peroxide using guaiacol as substrate

Hydrogen peroxide oxidized guaiacol to form tetramer particles that exhibited a strong resonance scattering (RS) peak at 530 nm in the presence of horseradish peroxidase (HRP) in citric acid-Na2HPO4 buffer solution of pH 4.4. The RS peak increased when the concentration of hydrogen peroxide increased. The increased RS intensity (ΔI530 nm) was linear to the hydrogen peroxide concentration in the range of 0.55-27.6 μM, with a linear regression equation of ΔI530 nm = 17.1C + 1.6, a relative coefficient of 0.9996 and a detection limit of 0.03 μM H2O2. This proposed method was applied to detect hydrogen peroxide in rain water, with sensitivity, selectivity, rapidity, and recovery of 98.0-104 %.KEY WORDS: HRP, H2O2, Guaiacol, Resonance scattering spectral method Bull. Chem. Soc. Ethiop. 2011, 25(2), 161-168. 

Effectiveness of electronic reminders to improve medication adherence in tuberculosis patients: a cluster-randomised trial

An anonymised dataset of 4,292 TB patients who gave informed consent to participate in a pragmatic, cluster-randomised trial of 36 districts/counties (clusters) within the provinces of Heilongjiang, Jiangsu, Hunan, and Chongqing, China between June 2011- March 2012. Dataset contains variables on stratified randomisation and cluster code, socio-demographic information, TB treatment outcomes, adherence outcomes, medication monitor problems, mobile phone problems, and the type of patient treatment management therapy initiated (if at all)

An integrated energy-efficient operation methodology for metro systems based on a real case of Shanghai Metro Line One

Metro systems are one of the most important transportation systems in people's lives. Due to the huge amount of energy it consumes every day, highly-efficient operation of a metro system will lead to significant energy savings. In this paper, a new integrated Energy-efficient Operation Methodology (EOM) for metro systems is proposed and validated. Compared with other energy saving methods, EOM does not incur additional cost. In addition, it provides solutions to the frequent disturbance problems in the metro systems. EOM can be divided into two parts: Timetable Optimization (TO) and Compensational Driving Strategy Algorithm (CDSA). First, to get a basic energy-saving effect, a genetic algorithm is used to modify the dwell time of each stop to obtain the most optimal energy-efficient timetable. Then, in order to save additional energy when disturbances happen, a novel CDSA algorithm is formulated and proposed based on the foregoing method. To validate the correctness and effectiveness of the energy-savings possible with EOM, a real case of Shanghai Metro Line One (SMLO) is studied, where EOM was applied. The result shows that a significant amount of energy can be saved by using EOM

Spatial epidemiology and spatial ecology study of worldwide drug-resistant tuberculosis

<p>Abstract</p> <p>Background</p> <p>Drug-resistant tuberculosis (DR-TB) is a major public health problem caused by various factors. It is essential to systematically investigate the epidemiological and, in particular, the ecological factors of DR-TB for its prevention and control. Studies of the ecological factors can provide information on etiology, and assist in the effective prevention and control of disease. So it is of great significance for public health to explore the ecological factors of DR-TB, which can provide guidance for formulating regional prevention and control strategies.</p> <p>Methods</p> <p>Anti-TB drug resistance data were obtained from the World Health Organization/International Union Against Tuberculosis and Lung Disease (WHO/UNION) Global Project on Anti-Tuberculosis Drug Resistance Surveillance, and data on ecological factors were collected to explore the ecological factors for DR-TB. Partial least square path modeling (PLS-PM), in combination with ordinary least squares (OLS) regression, as well as geographically weighted regression (GWR), were used to build a global and local spatial regression model between the latent synthetic DR-TB factor ("DR-TB") and latent synthetic risk factors.</p> <p>Results</p> <p>OLS regression and PLS-PM indicated a significant globally linear spatial association between "DR-TB" and its latent synthetic risk factors. However, the GWR model showed marked spatial variability across the study regions. The "TB Epidemic", "Health Service" and "DOTS (directly-observed treatment strategy) Effect" factors were all positively related to "DR-TB" in most regions of the world, while "Health Expenditure" and "Temperature" factors were negatively related in most areas of the world, and the "Humidity" factor had a negative influence on "DR-TB" in all regions of the world.</p> <p>Conclusions</p> <p>In summary, the influences of the latent synthetic risk factors on DR-TB presented spatial variability. We should formulate regional DR-TB monitoring planning and prevention and control strategies, based on the spatial characteristics of the latent synthetic risk factors and spatial variability of the local relationship between DR-TB and latent synthetic risk factors.</p

Temporal Factors and Missed Doses of Tuberculosis Treatment: A Causal Associations Approach to Analyses of Digital Adherence Data

Rationale: Tuberculosis treatment lasts for 6 months or more. Treatment adherence is critical; regimen length, among other factors, makes this challenging. Globally, analyses mapping common types of nonadherence are lacking. For example, is there a greater challenge resulting from early treatment cessation (discontinuation) or intermittent missed doses (suboptimal dosing implementation)? This is essential knowledge for the development of effective interventions and more "forgiving" regimens, as well as to direct national tuberculosis programs.Objectives: To granularly describe how patients take their tuberculosis medication and the temporal factors associated with missed doses.Methods: The present study included patients with pulmonary tuberculosis enrolled in the control arm of a pragmatic, cluster-randomized trial in China of electronic reminders to improve treatment adherence. Treatment was the standard 6-month course (180 d), dosed every other day (90 doses). Medication monitor boxes recorded adherence (box opening) without prompting reminders. Patterns of adherence were visualized and described. Mixed-effects logistic regression models examined the temporal factors associated with per-dose suboptimal dosing implementation, adjusting for clustering within a participant. Cox regression models were used to examine the association between early suboptimal dosing implementation and permanent discontinuation.Results: Across 780 patients, 16,794 (23.9%) of 70,200 doses were missed, 9,487 of which were from suboptimal dosing implementation (56.5%). By 60 days, 5.1% of participants had discontinued, and 14.4% had discontinued by 120 days. Most participants (95.9%) missed at least one dose. The majority of gaps were of a single dose (71.4%), although 22.6% of participants had at least one gap of 2 weeks or more. In adjusted models, the initiation-continuation phase transition (odds ratio, 3.07 [95% confidence interval, 2.68-3.51]) and national holidays (1.52 [1.39-1.65]) were associated with increased odds of suboptimal dosing implementation. Early-stage suboptimal dosing implementation was associated with increased discontinuation rates.Conclusions: Digital tools provide an unprecedented step change in describing and addressing nonadherence. In our setting, nonadherence was common; patients displayed a complex range of patterns. Dividing nonadherence into suboptimal dosing implementation and discontinuation, we found that both increased over time. Discontinuation was associated with early suboptimal dosing implementation. These apparent causal associations between temporal factors and nonadherence present opportunities for targeted interventions.Clinical trial registered with the ISRCTN Registry (ISRCTN46846388)

Increased Expression and Altered Methylation of HERVWE1 in the Human Placentas of Smaller Fetuses from Monozygotic, Dichorionic, Discordant Twins

<div><h3>Background</h3><p>The human endogenous retroviral family W, Env(C7), member 1 gene (<em>HERVWE1</em>) is thought to participate in trophoblast cell fusion, and its expression is diminished in the placentas of singleton intrauterine growth-retarded pregnancies. However, there is limited information about the role of <em>HERVWE1</em> in discordant fetal growth in twins. This study was to compare <em>HERVWE1</em> gene expression between the placentas of discordant monozygotic twins and to identify its regulation by methylation.</p> <h3>Methodology/Principal Findings</h3><p>Fetuses from twenty-one pairs of monozygotic, dichorionic, discordant twins were marked as “smaller” or “larger” according to birth weight. Placental <em>HERVWE1</em> mRNA and protein expression profiles were analyzed using quantitative RT-PCR and immunohistochemistry (IHC) staining. Methylation profiles of the <em>HERVWE1</em> promoter region were analyzed using a pyrosequencing assay. DNA methyltransferase (<em>DNMT</em>) transcript levels were analyzed by RT-PCR. 5-methyl cytosine (5-MC) was stained using an immunohistochemical assay. There was a significant negative correlation between <em>HERVWE1</em> mRNA levels and birth weight in twins (<em>P</em><0.01). Whereas the mean methylation level of the <em>HERVWE1</em> promoter region was diminished in the smaller group in discordant twins(<em>P</em><0.01), increased mRNA and protein levels of <em>HERVWE1</em> were found in smaller fetuses compared with larger fetuses in discordant twins(<em>P</em><0.01). There was no significant difference in 5-MC staining intensity between discordant twins (<em>P</em>>0.05). The <em>DNMT3b3</em> mRNA levels in the smaller group were significantly downregulated compared with the larger group in discordant twins(<em>P</em><0.05), whereas the <em>DNMT3b7</em> mRNA levels in the smaller group were significantly upregulated compared with the larger group in discordant twins(<em>P</em><0.05).</p> <h3>Conclusions/Significance</h3><p>In discordant, monozygotic, dichorionic twins, <em>HERVWE1</em> expression was higher in smaller fetuses and lower in larger fetuses. Methylation of the <em>HERVWE1</em> gene promoter region may participate in the regulation of <em>HERVWE1</em> gene expression in discordant twin pregnancies.</p> </div