An Outbreak of Trichinellosis with Detection of Trichinella Larvae in Leftover Wild Boar Meat

The clinical diagnosis of trichinellosis can be difficult due to lack of pathognomonic signs or symptoms. In Korea, since the first report of human infection by Trichinella spiralis in 1997 following the consumption of raw badger meat, there have been occasional trichinellosis outbreaks. We describe an outbreak of 12 cases of trichinellosis in Korea and implicate raw wild boar meat as the culprit. A total of 27 larvae of Trichinella (0.54 larvae per gram of meat) were recovered from the leftover raw wild boar meat

Improved face detection method using edge histogram feature in the infrared images

In this paper, a face detection method using a new feature, edge histogram feature, with a support vector machine (SVM) in the near-infrared (NIR) images is proposed. The edge histogram feature is extracted using 16-directional edge intensity and a histogram. Compared to the previous method using local binary pattern (LBP) feature, the proposed method using edge histogram feature has better performance in both smaller feature size and lower equal error rate (EER) for face detection experiments in NIR databases

Improved face detection method using edge histogram feature in the infrared images

In this paper, a face detection method using a new feature, edge histogram feature, with a support vector machine (SVM) in the near-infrared (NIR) images is proposed. The edge histogram feature is extracted using 16-directional edge intensity and a histogram. Compared to the previous method using local binary pattern (LBP) feature, the proposed method using edge histogram feature has better performance in both smaller feature size and lower equal error rate (EER) for face detection experiments in NIR databases

Immunological Characterizations of a Cloned 13.1-Kilodalton Protein from Pathogenic Naegleria fowleri

We previously cloned an antigenic gene (named nfa1) from a cDNA library of Naegleria fowleri by immunoscreening. The nfa1 gene had a coding nucleotide sequence consisting of 357 bases and produced a recombinant 13.1-kDa protein (Nfa1). In this study, to get more information regarding the recombinant Nfa1 protein (rNfa1), we produced an anti-Nfa1 polyclonal antibody from mice immunized with rNfa1 and used a peroxidase staining method to carry out immunocytochemistry experiments. In addition, we observed the effect of the presence of an anti-Nfa1 antibody on the in vitro cytotoxicity of N. fowleri against Chinese hamster ovary (CHO) cells. Trophozoites of N. fowleri in cultivation reacted strongly with a peroxidase-labeled anti-Nfa1 antibody. In inflammatory and necrotic regions of brain tissue infected with N. fowleri, labeled trophozoites that were stained brown were also observed. When examined using a transmission electron microscope, the Nfa1 protein showed pseudopodium-specific immunolocalization on a trophozoite of N. fowleri. When examined using a light microscope, CHO cells grown in cocultures with N. fowleri trophozoites (group I) for 48 h showed morphologically severe destruction but CHO cells grown in cocultures with N. fowleri trophozoites and an anti-Nfa1 polyclonal antibody (group II) showed less destruction. The results of a lactate dehydrogenase release assay showed that group I CHO cells exhibited 81% cytotoxicity and group II CHO cells exhibited 13.8% cytotoxicity

Plasmodium vivax: Comparison of the immune responses between oral and parenteral immunization of rPv54 in BALB/c mice

The merozoite surface protein-1 (MSP-1) from Plasmodium vivax was evaluated as an oral vaccine candidate by cloning and expressing the interspecies conserved block 10 (ICB10) of the MSP-1 from a Korean isolate in Escherichia coli. The expressed fusion protein contained ICB10 and a maltose-binding protein (MBP), rPv54, has a molecular weight of approximately 54 kDa as determined by SOS-PAGE analysis. IgG against rPv54 was successfully produced in BALB/c mice by oral immunization and sustained for more than 4 months. IgG2b was dominantly produced in both oral and parenteral immunizations. The rPv54 increased the frequency of NK, NKT. CD4+ T, CD8+ T, and B cells in both immunizations. IL-5 and TNF-alpha were increased in both significantly. In conclusion, rPv54 might be a valuable potential vaccine candidate for the oral and parenteral immunization against vivax malaria.11Nsciescopu

Intracellular Ca2+ Mobilization and Beta-hexosaminidase Release Are Not Influenced by 60 Hz-electromagnetic Fields (EMF) in RBL 2H3 Cells

The effects of extremely low frequency electromagnetic fields (EMF) on intracellular Ca2+ mobilization and cellular function in RBL 2H3 cells were investigated. Exposure to EMF (60 Hz, 0.1 or 1 mT) for 4 or 16 h did not produce any cytotoxic effects in RBL 2H3 cells. Melittin, ionomycin and thapsigargin each dose-dependently increased the intracellular Ca2+ concentration. The increase of intracellular Ca2+ induced by these three agents was not affected by exposure to EMF (60 Hz, 1 mT) for 4 or 16 h in RBL 2H3 cells. To investigate the effect of EMF on exocytosis, we measured beta-hexosaminidase release in RBL 2H3 cells. Basal release of beta-hexosaminidase was 12.3±2.3% in RBL 2H3 cells. Exposure to EMF (60 Hz, 0.1 or 1 mT) for 4 or 16 h did not affect the basal or 1 µM melittin-induced beta-hexosaminidase release in RBL 2H3 cells. This study suggests that exposure to EMF (60 Hz, 0.1 or 1 mT), which is the limit of occupational exposure, has no influence on intracellular Ca2+ mobilization and cellular function in RBL 2H3 cells

Impact of the maze operation combined with left-sided valve surgery on the change in tricuspid regurgitation over time

BACKGROUND: Atrial fibrillation (AF) has been reported to be a predisposing factor for the progression of TR in patients with previous mitral or combined mitral/aortic valve surgery. We hypothesized that the maze operation (MAZE) can prevent the progression of tricuspid regurgitation (TR) in these patients. METHODS AND RESULTS: We analyzed 170 patients (age, 45.5+/-10.9 years) who had undergone mitral or combined mitral/aortic valve surgery. On the basis of preoperative rhythm, patients were divided into 3 groups; GrI was composed of 44 patients with sinus rhythm, GrII of 48 who had undergone MAZE, and GrIII of 78 with AF who had not undergone MAZE. Echocardiographic examinations were performed before, immediately after, and 92.2+/-17.2 (range, 50 to 131) months after surgery. Preoperative and immediate postoperative clinical and echocardiographic parameters were similar among the groups. Insignificant TR at the immediate postoperative examination worsened with time in 7.3% of GrI (3 of 41), 12.8% of GrII (6 of 47), and 38.8% of GrIII (26 of 67) patients at the final examination (P=0.63 for GrI versus GrII, P=0.001 for GrI versus GrIII, P=0.005 for GrII versus GrIII). The incidence of significant TR at the final echocardiographic examination was higher in GrIII (39.7%) compared with GrI (9.1%) and GrII (14.6%) (P=0.001 for GrI versus GrIII, P=0.005 for GrII versus GrIII), whereas GrI and GrII did not show any difference (P=0.63). By multivariate analysis, the only factor identified to prevent TR progression was the group factor (GrI and GrII versus GrIII, P=0.002 and P=0.005, respectively). In a subgroup analysis of GrII according to the presence or absence of atrial mechanical activity, the absence of atrial mechanical activity was identified as an independent parameter for the progression of TR (P=0.001). CONCLUSIONS: AF predisposes patients undergoing mitral valve surgery to the progression of TR, which can be prevented by MAZE. This additional benefit of MAZE is largely dependent on the restoration and maintenance of atrial mechanical function