Effect of nitrate supply and mycorrhizal inoculation on characteristics of tobacco root plasma membrane vesicles

Plant plasma membrane (pm) vesicles from mycorrhizal tobacco (Nicotiana tabacum cv. Samsun) roots were isolated with negligible fungal contamination by the aqueous two-phase partitioning technique as proven by fatty acid analysis. Palmitvaccenic acid became apparent as an appropriate indicator for fungal membranes in root pm preparations. The pm vesicles had a low specific activity of the vanadate-sensitive ATPase and probably originated from non-infected root cells. In a phosphate-limited tobacco culture system, root colonisation by the vesicular arbuscular mycorrhizal fungus, Glomus mosseae, is inhibited by external nitrate in a dose-dependent way. However, detrimental high concentrations of 25 mM nitrate lead to the highest colonisation rate observed, indicating that the defence system of the plant is impaired. Nitric oxide formation by the pm-bound nitrite:NO reductase increased in parallel with external nitrate supply in mycorrhizal roots in comparison to the control plants, but decreased under excess nitrate. Mycorrhizal pm vesicles had roughly a twofold higher specific activity as the non-infected control plants when supplied with 10–15 mM nitrate

Evaluation of appendicitis risk prediction models in adults with suspected appendicitis

Background Appendicitis is the most common general surgical emergency worldwide, but its diagnosis remains challenging. The aim of this study was to determine whether existing risk prediction models can reliably identify patients presenting to hospital in the UK with acute right iliac fossa (RIF) pain who are at low risk of appendicitis. Methods A systematic search was completed to identify all existing appendicitis risk prediction models. Models were validated using UK data from an international prospective cohort study that captured consecutive patients aged 16–45 years presenting to hospital with acute RIF in March to June 2017. The main outcome was best achievable model specificity (proportion of patients who did not have appendicitis correctly classified as low risk) whilst maintaining a failure rate below 5 per cent (proportion of patients identified as low risk who actually had appendicitis). Results Some 5345 patients across 154 UK hospitals were identified, of which two‐thirds (3613 of 5345, 67·6 per cent) were women. Women were more than twice as likely to undergo surgery with removal of a histologically normal appendix (272 of 964, 28·2 per cent) than men (120 of 993, 12·1 per cent) (relative risk 2·33, 95 per cent c.i. 1·92 to 2·84; P < 0·001). Of 15 validated risk prediction models, the Adult Appendicitis Score performed best (cut‐off score 8 or less, specificity 63·1 per cent, failure rate 3·7 per cent). The Appendicitis Inflammatory Response Score performed best for men (cut‐off score 2 or less, specificity 24·7 per cent, failure rate 2·4 per cent). Conclusion Women in the UK had a disproportionate risk of admission without surgical intervention and had high rates of normal appendicectomy. Risk prediction models to support shared decision‐making by identifying adults in the UK at low risk of appendicitis were identified

Estudio comparativo de dos esquemas terapéuticos en 70 pacientes con toxoplasmosis ocular

Se realiz&oacute; un estudio terap&eacute;utico comparativo en dos grupos de pacientes con toxoplasmosis ocular, tratados uno con pirimetamina y el otro con clindamicina, ambos f&aacute;rmacos asociados a sulfadiazina, por v&iacute;a oral

IgG Anti-Leishmania prevalence in the rural population of zipayare, Zulia State, Venezuela

Se realizo un estudio sexológico en 150 individuos de la población de Zipayare, estado Zulia, Venezuela. A cada persona se le tomó muestra de sangre en papel filtro que luego fue eluída con solución tampón pH 7,2. Los anticuerpos fueron procesados por la técnica de inmunofluorescencia indirecta (IFI-IgG), utilizando como antígeno promastigotes de Leishmania braziliensis, y como conjugado anti-IgG específica marcada con fluorescencia. La prevalencia de anticuerpos obtenida fue de 6.7%, la cual se determinó en cuanto al sexo: 9,2% en hembras y 3,2% en varones; a la edad, la mayor prevalencia se encontró en los individuos entre 35-45 años y la menor entre 5 años; a la ocupación, la prevalencia de anticuerpos fue de 24% en personas que se dedican a oficios del hogar, 15,5% en otras actividades, 10% en trabajadores agropecuarios y 7.4% en los preescolares. El Ji cuadrado (X2) reveló independencia entre la variable sexo y la presencia de anticuerpos y, asociación significativa entre la edad y la ocupación de los individuos con respecto a los niveles de anticuerpos. Se concluye que la determinación de anticuerpos (6,7%) en individuos aparentemente normales y sin cicatrices, justifica la existencia de formas subclínicas de la infección; así mismo, la cura espontánea de lesiones cutáneas asociadas a la ausencia de lesiones mucosas, puede significar una mayor resistencia del hospedero o una atenuación de la cepa predominante. Se recomienda mantener vigilancia epidemiológica sobre la población animal (doméstica y silvestre), considerando que los mismos pueden contribuir con la diseminación y formación de nuevos focos de la enfermedad.91 - 99BimestralA serologic study in 150 people from Zipayare, Zulia state, Venezuela was carried out. A blood sample of each person was taken in blotting paper, each sample had a concentration degrading from more lo less, with a tampon solution ph 7.2. The antibodies were processed by the indirect immunofluorescence technique (IFI-IgG), using promastigotes of Leishmania braziliensis as antigen, and as joint anti-IgG, specific labeled with fluoresceina. The prevalence of antibodies obtained was 6.7%; for sex: 9.2% in females and 3.2% in males. As lo ages, the highest prevalence was found in individuals between 5 and 14 years of age. As lo occupation, the antibodies prevalence was of 24% in people who are homemakers, 15.5% in other activities, 10% in agricultural workers and 7.4% in kindergarten children. The X2 revealed independence between the variables of sex and the antibodies presence. It is concluded that the antibodies determination (6.7%) in apparently normal individuals and without scars justifies the existence of sub-clinic forms of the infection. Likewise, the spontaneous or natural cure of cutaneous injures, associated with the absence of mucous injures, may represent a greater resistance from the host, or a lowering of the predominant study origin. It is recommended lo keep epidemiologic surveillance on the animal population (domestic and wild), considering that they may contribute lo the spreading and formation of new settlements for the disease