Mobile phone technologies improve adherence to antiretroviral treatment in a resource-limited setting: a randomized controlled trial of text message reminders

There is limited evidence on whether growing mobile phone availability in sub-Saharan Africa can be used to promote high adherence to antiretroviral therapy (ART). This study tested the efficacy of short message service (SMS) reminders on adherence to ART among patients attending a rural clinic in Kenya

Bioinformatics and molecular modeling in glycobiology

The field of glycobiology is concerned with the study of the structure, properties, and biological functions of the family of biomolecules called carbohydrates. Bioinformatics for glycobiology is a particularly challenging field, because carbohydrates exhibit a high structural diversity and their chains are often branched. Significant improvements in experimental analytical methods over recent years have led to a tremendous increase in the amount of carbohydrate structure data generated. Consequently, the availability of databases and tools to store, retrieve and analyze these data in an efficient way is of fundamental importance to progress in glycobiology. In this review, the various graphical representations and sequence formats of carbohydrates are introduced, and an overview of newly developed databases, the latest developments in sequence alignment and data mining, and tools to support experimental glycan analysis are presented. Finally, the field of structural glycoinformatics and molecular modeling of carbohydrates, glycoproteins, and protein–carbohydrate interaction are reviewed

Antioxidant and antimicrobial activities of Bauhinia racemosa L. stem bark

The present study was carried out to evaluate the antioxidant and antimicrobial activities of a methanol extract of Bauhinia racemosa (MEBR) (Caesalpiniaceae) stem bark in various systems. 1,1-Diphenyl-2-picryl-hydrazyl (DPPH) radical, superoxide anion radical, nitric oxide radical, and hydroxyl radical scavenging assays were carried out to evaluate the antioxidant potential of the extract. The antioxidant activity of the methanol extract increased in a concentration-dependent manner. About 50, 100, 250, and 500 µg MEBR inhibited the peroxidation of a linoleic acid emulsion by 62.43, 67.21, 71.04, and 76.83%, respectively. Similarly, the effect of MEBR on reducing power increased in a concentration-dependent manner. In DPPH radical scavenging assays the IC50 value of the extract was 152.29 µg/ml. MEBR inhibited the nitric oxide radicals generated from sodium nitroprusside with an IC50 of 78.34 µg/ml, as opposed to 20.4 µg/ml for curcumin. Moreover, MEBR scavenged the superoxide generated by the PMS/NADH-NBT system. MEBR also inhibited the hydroxyl radical generated by Fenton's reaction, with an IC50 value of more than 1000 µg/ml, as compared to 5 µg/ml for catechin. The amounts of total phenolic compounds were also determined and 64.7 µg pyrocatechol phenol equivalents were detected in MEBR (1 mg). The antimicrobial activities of MEBR were determined by disc diffusion with five Gram-positive, four Gram-negative and four fungal species. MEBR showed broad-spectrum antimicrobial activity against all tested microorganisms. The results obtained in the present study indicate that MEBR can be a potential source of natural antioxidant and antimicrobial agents

Dissemination of gonococcal infection is associated with delayed stimulation of complement-dependent neutrophil chemotaxis in vitro

Gonococci isolated from patients with uncomplicated gonorrhea or disseminated infection were examined for their ability to stimulate neutrophil chemotaxis in vitro. A neutrophil chemotactic response was not observed when as many as 10(9) colony-forming units of gonococci were incubated in buffer alone. However, a striking response was observed when 4 x 10(7) colony-forming units were incubated in 10% pooled normal human serum. Activation of complement was required for chemotaxis as demonstrated by complement consumption and failure of chemotactic activity generation in serum treated with heat or EDTA. Chromatography of activated serum demonstrated a single peak of chemotactic activity with an apparent molecular weight of 15,000 and was shown to be due to C5a. Examination of the kinetics of chemotactic factor generation demonstrated that local isolates stimulated a rapid response (about 60% maximal in 5 min), whereas the response to disseminated isolates was delayed (50% maximal in 20 to 30 min). Chemotactic activity generated by both types of isolates was suppressed at early time periods in agammaglobulinemic serum, indicating that immunoglobulins contribute to the generation of activity. Both pathways of complement activation were utilized by the two types of gonococci, but there was preferential dependence on the alternative pathway for disseminated strains and on the classical pathway for local isolates. We suggest that delayed stimulation of complement-dependent neutrophil migration may account in part for the infrequency of genital symptoms and may contribute to the mechanism of dissemination in patients with systemic gonococcal infection.</jats:p