Knowledge, attitude and practice(KAP) of tuberculosis patients enrolled on treatment in Juba City, South Sudan 2010: a pilot study

Study setting: Juba Teaching Hospital, Juba city, Republic of South Sudan, 2010.Objective: To examine, knowledge, attitude and practices of tuberculosis (TB) patients enrolled on tuberculosis treatment, Juba, South Sudan.Design: Descriptive studyResults: Knowledge in TB: Of the 102 patients interviewed; up to 80.4% were not knowledgeable on cause of TB, 52% did not know correct signs and symptoms of TB, 39.2% did not know overall treatment duration, 54.9% did not know the importance of strict adherence to treatment. Knowledge on correct diagnosis was 87.3% and on correct means of TB transmission was 79.4%.Practices and Attitudes: On practices; 94.1% respondents were able to perform at least one task to stop spread of disease, access to free TB test occurred in 100% of cases and for free drugs in 99% cases. Health care workers correctly suspected TB on first contact in 95.1% of cases. Patients were offered health education on drug side effects in 93.1% of cases, on HIV testing and counselling in 74.5% of cases. Disclosure of TB diagnosis by patient to family or community did not occur in 91.2% cases. Family, community and employers offered support to patients in 92.2%, 95.1% and 98% of cases respectively.Conclusion: We found key knowledge gaps among Juba TB patients enrolled on treatment. These knowledge gaps are probably responsible for the high treatment defaulter rates reported in Juba, South Sudan. Tuberculosis patients are still not interested to freely reveal disease diagnosis to members of the family and community at large

Reduced Nucleus Accumbens SK Channel Activity Enhances Alcohol Seeking during Abstinence

SummaryThe cellular mechanisms underlying pathological alcohol seeking remain poorly understood. Here, we show an enhancement of nucleus accumbens (NAcb) core action potential firing ex vivo after protracted abstinence from alcohol but not sucrose self-administration. Increased firing is associated with reduced small-conductance calcium-activated potassium channel (SK) currents and decreased SK3 but not SK2 subunit protein expression. Furthermore, SK activation ex vivo produces greater firing suppression in NAcb core neurons from alcohol- versus sucrose-abstinent rats. Accordingly, SK activation in the NAcb core significantly reduces alcohol but not sucrose seeking after abstinence. In contrast, NAcb shell and lateral dorsal striatal firing ex vivo are not altered after abstinence from alcohol, and SK activation in these regions has little effect on alcohol seeking. Thus, decreased NAcb core SK currents and increased excitability represents a critical mechanism that facilitates motivation to seek alcohol after abstinence

Knowledge, Attitude and Practice(KAP) of tuberculosis patients enrolled on treatment in Juba City, South Sudan2010. A pilot study

Study setting: Juba Teaching Hospital, Juba city, Republic of South Sudan, 2010. Objective: To examine, knowledge, attitude and practices of tuberculosis (TB) patients enrolled on tuberculosis treatment, Juba, South Sudan. Design: Descriptive study Results: Knowledge in TB: Of the 102 patients interviewed; up to 80.4% were not knowledgeable on cause of TB, 52% did not know correct signs and symptoms of TB, 39.2% did not know overall treatment duration, 54.9% did not know the importance of strict adherence to treatment. Knowledge on correct diagnosis was 87.3% and on correct means of TB transmission was 79.4%. Practices and Attitudes: On practices; 94.1% respondents were able to perform at least one task to stop spread of disease, access to free TB test occurred in 100% of cases and for free drugs in 99% cases. Health care workers correctly suspected TB on first contact in 95.1% of cases. Patients were offered health education on drug side effects in 93.1% of cases, on HIV testing and counselling in 74.5% of cases. Disclosure of TB diagnosis by patient to family or community did not occur in 91.2% cases. Family, community and employers offered support to patients in 92.2%, 95.1% and 98% of cases respectively. Conclusion: We found key knowledge gaps among Juba TB patients enrolled on treatment. These knowledge gaps are probably responsible for the high treatment defaulter rates reported in Juba, South Sudan. Tuberculosis patients are still not interested to freely reveal disease diagnosis to members of the family and community at large

Transcriptome and gene expression analysis in cold-acclimated guayule (\u3ci\u3eParthenium argentatum\u3c/i\u3e) rubber-producing tissue

Natural rubber biosynthesis in guayule (Parthenium argentatum Gray) is associated with moderately cold night temperatures. To begin to dissect the molecular events triggered by cold temperatures that govern rubber synthesis induction in guayule, the transcriptome of bark tissue, where rubber is produced, was investigated. A total of 11,748 quality expressed sequence tags (ESTs) were obtained. The vast majority of ESTs encoded proteins that are similar to stress-related proteins, whereas those encoding rubber biosynthesis- related proteins comprised just over one percent of the ESTs. Sequence information derived from the ESTs was used to design primers for quantitative analysis of the expression of genes that encode selected enzymes and proteins with potential impact on rubber biosynthesis in field-grown guayule plants, including 3-hydroxy-3-methylglutaryl-CoA synthase, 3-hydroxy-3-methylglutaryl-CoA reductase, farnesyl pyrophosphate synthase, squalene synthase, small rubber particle protein, allene oxide synthase, and cis-prenyl transferase. Gene expression was studied for field-grown plants during the normal course of seasonal variation in temperature (monthly average maximum 41.7 °C to minimum 0 °C, from November 2005 through March 2007) and rubber transferase enzymatic activity was also evaluated. Levels of gene expression did not correlate with air temperatures nor with rubber transferase activity. Interestingly, a sudden increase in night temperature 10 days before harvest took place in advance of the highest CPT gene expression level

Experimental folate and vitamin B12 deficiency does not alter bone quality in rats

Hyperhomocysteinemia (HHCY) has been linked to fragility fractures and osteoporosis. Folate and vitamin B(12) deficiencies are among the main causes of HHCY. However, the impact of these vitamins on bone health has been poorly studied. This study analyzed the effect of folate and vitamin B(12) deficiency on bone in rats. We used two groups of rats: a control group (Co, n = 10) and a vitamin-deficient group (VitDef, n = 10). VitDef animals were fed for 12 wk with a folate- and vitamin B(12)-free diet. Co animals received an equicaloric control diet. Tissue and plasma concentrations of homocysteine (HCY), S-adenosyl-homocysteine (SAH), and S-adenosyl-methionine (SAM) were measured. Bone quality was assessed by biomechanical testing (maximum force of an axial compression test; F(max)), histomorphometry (bone area/total area; B.Ar./T.Ar.], and the measurement of biochemical bone turnover markers (osteocalcin, collagen I C-terminal cross-laps [CTX]). VitDef animals developed significant HHCY (Co versus VitDef: 6.8 +/- 2.7 versus 61.1 +/- 12.8 microM, p < 0.001) that was accompanied by a high plasma concentration of SAH (Co versus VitDef: 24.1 +/- 5.9 versus 86.4 +/- 44.3 nM, p < 0.001). However, bone tissue concentrations of HCY, SAH, and SAM were similar in the two groups. Fmax, B.Ar./T.Ar., OC, and CTX did not differ between VitDef and Co animals, indicating that bone quality was not affected. Folate and vitamin B(12) deficiency induces distinct HHCY but has no effect on bone health in otherwise healthy adult rats. The unchanged HCY metabolism in bone is the most probable explanation for the missing effect of the vitamin-free diet on bone

Spectral-domain Optical Coherence Tomography Findings after Severe Exogenous Endophthalmitis

PURPOSE To report outcomes and assess structural changes in the retina in patients with severe endophthalmitis. METHODS Retrospective, nonrandomized, interventional case series at a tertiary referral centre. Spectral domain optical coherence tomography (OCT) images of both eyes were acquired at least 5 months after pars plana vitrectomy. OCT images were analyzed using retinal layer segmentation. RESULTS Nine patients (46-80 years of age) were included in this study. Average ETDRS visual acuity before treatment was 23 letters and improved to 74 letters. In our cohort we did not find a generalized reduction of retinal layers using automated layer segmentation. CONCLUSION Our findings suggest that prompt treatment of severe endophthalmitis with intravitreal antibiotics followed by pars plana vitrectomy may lead to excellent visual outcomes with minimal damage to the retinal architecture