Bloodborne viral infection in Irish injecting drug users.

The aim of this study was to determine the prevalence of, and factors associated with, hepatitis C (HCV), hepatitis B (HBV) and HIV infections among injecting drug users (IDUs) against this background. A cross-sectional survey of participants in an addiction treatment clinic was carried out on seven hundred and thirty-five people IDU tested for antibody to HCV (anti-HCV) between September 1992 and September 1997. Socio-demographic and drug use characteristics were measured. Serology tests for anti-HCV, HBV surface antigen (HBsAg) and HIV. The vast majority (89%) commenced injecting since 1990. Prevalence of anti-HCV was 61.8% (453/733), of HBsAg was 1.0% (7/729) and of HIV was 1.2% (7/600). Logistic regression analyses indicated that longer history of injecting and increased daily drug expenditure were the only independent variables associated with significantly increased risk of HCV. The only characteristic associated with increased prevalence of HBsAg was a history of injecting prior to 1990 (3.8%, 3/80). HIV prevalence was significantly higher when aged over 24 years (3.7%, 6/162), when injecting commenced prior to 1990 (6.3%, 4/64) and when injecting over 5 years (6.5%, 4/62). The study concluded that HIV prevalence has sustained a low level in this population. Interventions which aim to halt transmission of HCV are necessary and will need to target IDU very early in their injecting careers and also those at risk of commencing to inject

The architecture of EMC reveals a path for membrane protein insertion.

Funder: Boehringer Ingelheim Fonds; FundRef: http://dx.doi.org/10.13039/501100001645Funder: Naito Foundation; FundRef: http://dx.doi.org/10.13039/100007428Funder: Japanese Biochemical SocietyApproximately 25% of eukaryotic genes code for integral membrane proteins that are assembled at the endoplasmic reticulum. An abundant and widely conserved multi-protein complex termed EMC has been implicated in membrane protein biogenesis, but its mechanism of action is poorly understood. Here, we define the composition and architecture of human EMC using biochemical assays, crystallography of individual subunits, site-specific photocrosslinking, and cryo-EM reconstruction. Our results suggest that EMC's cytosolic domain contains a large, moderately hydrophobic vestibule that can bind a substrate's transmembrane domain (TMD). The cytosolic vestibule leads into a lumenally-sealed, lipid-exposed intramembrane groove large enough to accommodate a single substrate TMD. A gap between the cytosolic vestibule and intramembrane groove provides a potential path for substrate egress from EMC. These findings suggest how EMC facilitates energy-independent membrane insertion of TMDs, explain why only short lumenal domains are translocated by EMC, and constrain models of EMC's proposed chaperone function

Perioperative donor bone marrow infusion augments chimerism in heart and lung transplant recipients

Background.: We and others have demonstrated that a low level of donor cell chimerism was present for years after transplantation in tissues and peripheral blood of heart and lung recipients; it was associated, in the latter, with a lower incidence of chronic rejection. To augment this phenomenon, we initiated a trial combining simultaneous infusion of donor bone marrow with heart or lung allotransplantation. Methods.: Between September 1993 and January 1995, 15 nonconditioned patients received either heart (n = 10) or lung (n = 5) allografts concurrently with an infusion of unmodified donor bone marrow (3.0 × 108 cells/kg), and were maintained on an immunosuppressive regimen consisting of tacrolimus and steroids. Results.: There was no complication associated with the infusion of donor bone marrow. Chimerism was detectable in 73% of bone marrow-augmented patients up to the last sample tested. Of the 5 control recipients who did not receive bone marrow infusion, only 1 had detectable chimerism by flow on postoperative day 15, which dwindled to an undetectable level by postoperative day 36. None of the patients had evidence of donor-specific immune modulation by mixed lymphocyte reaction. Conclusions.: The combined infusion of donor bone marrow and heart or lung transplantation, without preconditioning of the recipient, is safe and is associated with an augmentation of donor cell chimerism. © 1995 The Society of Thoracic Surgeons

A Comparison of Cervical and Trunk Musculoskeletal Characteristics between Female and Male Army Helicopter Pilots

Introduction: Neck pain (NP) and low back pain (LBP) are prevalent among military helicopter pilots. Although there have been few studies on sex differences in the NP/LBP prevalence in this population, females are shown to be at a greater risk of NP/LBP in civilian studies. This disparity may be due to musculoskeletal characteristics differences that predispose females for NP/LBP. The purpose of this study was to compare cervical and trunk musculoskeletal characteristics between male and female pilots. Methods: A total of 8 female pilots (Age: 27.6 ± 4.2yrs, HT: 166.1 ± 7.7cm, WT: 67.9 ± 10.6kg) were tested, and they were matched (1:1 matching ratio) with male pilots (Age: 27.8 ± 4.2yrs, HT: 175.0 ± 6.8cm, WT: 79.5 ± 5.8kg), based on age (± three years) and flight experience (± two years). Cervical/trunk strength and flexibility were tested using the hand-held/isokinetic dynamometer and inclinometers, respectively. Strength values were normalized to body weight for analyses. Paired t-tests or Wilcoxon Signed Rank tests were used to examine sex differences across all variables (p \u3c 0.05). Results: Female pilots had significantly lower cervical flexion strength, trunk flexion strength, and trunk rotation strength (p \u3c 0.05). For flexibility measures, female pilots had significantly greater cervical rotation flexibility (p \u3c 0.05). No significant differences were observed in the lumbar spine flexibility. Discussion/Conclusion: The current preliminary study found sex differences in cervical and trunk musculoskeletal characteristics in Army helicopter pilots. Continued efforts are warranted to explore sex-specific intervention strategy and its effectiveness in reducing the NP/LBP prevalence among military helicopter pilots

The Grizzly, February 27, 1981

Police Involvement: Fraternity Pledging Marred by Bad Reports • Lewis Thomas Graduation Speaker • FCA Gearing Up for Special Olympics • Off-Campus Housing Explored by USGA • USGA Notes • Wickersham Outlines Fall Semester Senior Symposium • Departmental Focus: Romance Languages • Middle East: Soviet Rivalry Topic of Forum • Beta Sig to Sponsor Franken & Davis • Cafe International Opens Tonight • Bierprobe Taste-Testing a Big Success • Reborn Songfest Loses Appeal • IFC Dance Slated for March 20 • You See UC to Become Regular Friday Feature • Registration Delayed • Gifford Heading for Nationals • Lady Swimmers End Season at .500 • Basketball Shooting for NCAA Tournament • Aquabears Have High Hopes for MACs • Sweeney, DiMattia Take 1sts in Indoor Track • Women Hoopsters Enter Playoffs Looking for Titlehttps://digitalcommons.ursinus.edu/grizzlynews/1054/thumbnail.jp

Teratogenicity of Ochratoxin A and the Degradation Product, Ochratoxin α, in the Zebrafish (Danio rerio) Embryo Model of Vertebrate Development

Ochratoxins, and particularly ochratoxin A (OTA), are toxic fungal-derived contaminants of food and other agricultural products. Growing evidence supports the degradation of OTA by chemical, enzymatic and/or microbial means as a potential approach to remove this mycotoxin from food products. In particular, hydrolysis of OTA to ochratoxin α (OTα) and phenylalanine is the presumptive product of degradation in most cases. In the current study, we employed the zebrafish (Danio rerio) embryo, as a model of vertebrate development to evaluate, the teratogenicity of OTA and OTα. These studies show that OTA is potently active in the zebrafish embryo toxicity assay (ZETA), and that toxicity is both concentration- and time-dependent with discernible and quantifiable developmental toxicity observed at nanomolar concentrations. On the other hand, OTα had no significant effect on embryo development at all concentrations tested supporting a decreased toxicity of this degradation product. Taken together, these results suggest that ZETA is a useful, and highly sensitive, tool for evaluating OTA toxicity, as well as its degradation products, toward development of effective detoxification strategies. Specifically, the results obtained with ZETA, in the present study, further demonstrate the toxicity of OTA, and support its degradation via hydrolysis to OTα as an effective means of detoxification

Association of conjunctival bacterial infection and female sex in cicatricial trachoma.

PURPOSE: Conjunctival infection with non-chlamydial bacteria may play an important role in the progression of trachoma, especially with regard to the development of corneal opacity and blindness. To further characterize the microbiological profile of bacterial conjunctival infections in cicatricial trachoma, a conjunctival swabbing of adults in rural Ethiopia was performed. METHODS: In a cross-sectional study conducted in nine Ethiopian villages with hyperendemic trachoma, persons 40 years of age or older with signs or symptoms consistent with trichiasis were recruited and conjunctival swabbing for bacterial pathogens was performed. RESULTS: Conjunctival examination and swabbing on 112 females and 36 males were performed. Of the 148 study participants, 101 (68.2%) were confirmed to have trichiasis, and 118 (80%) had conjunctival swabs positive for bacteria. In multivariate analyses, growth of pathogenic conjunctival bacteria was independently associated with trichiasis (odds ratio [OR] 6.93; 95% confidence interval [CI] 2.71-17.7) and female sex (OR 5.90; 95% CI 2.09-16.7). Females were more likely to have swabs positive for Streptococcus pneumoniae or Haemophilus influenzae than were males (OR 9.09; 95% CI 1.17-70.8). CONCLUSIONS: In a region of Ethiopia with endemic trachoma, conjunctival bacterial growth was more common in females than that in males. S. pneumoniae and H. influenzae, both of which frequently colonize the nasopharynx of children, were more common in females, suggesting that the preponderance of infection in females may be attributable to close contact with children. This finding is consistent with the theory that childcare activities may preferentially expose females to ocular chlamydial infection. (ClinicalTrials.gov number, NCT00221364.)