Performance of a 70-mer oligonucleotide microarray for genotyping of Campylobacter jejuni

<p>Abstract</p> <p>Background</p> <p><it>Campylobacter jejuni </it>is widespread in the environment and is the major cause of bacterial gastroenteritis in humans. In the present study we use microarray-based comparative genomic hybridizations (CGH), pulsed-field gel electrophoresis (PFGE) and multilocus sequence typing (MLST) to analyze closely related <it>C. jejuni </it>isolates from chicken and human infection.</p> <p>Results</p> <p>With the exception of one isolate, the microarray data clusters the isolates according to the five groups determined by PFGE. In contrast, MLST defines only three genotypes among the isolates, indicating a lower resolution. All methods show that there is no inherit difference between isolates infecting humans and chicken, suggesting a common underlying population of <it>C. jejuni</it>. We further identify regions that frequently differ between isolates, including both previously described and novel regions. Finally, we show that genes that belong to certain functional groups differ between isolates more often than expected by chance.</p> <p>Conclusion</p> <p>In this study we demonstrated the utility of 70-mer oligonucleotide microarrays for genotyping of <it>Campylobacter jejuni </it>isolates, with resolution outperforming MLST.</p

Design and synthesis of soluble and cell-permeable PI3Kδ inhibitors for long-acting inhaled administration

PI3Kδ is a lipid kinase that is believed to be important in the migration and activation of cells of the immune system. Inhibition is hypothesised to provide a powerful yet selective immunomodulatory effect that may be beneficial for the treatment of conditions such as asthma or rheumatoid arthritis. In this work we describe the identification of inhibitors based on a thiazolopyridone core structure and their subsequent optimisation for inhalation. The initially identified compound (13) had good potency and isoform selectivity but was not suitable for inhalation. Addition of basic substituents to a region of the molecule pointing to solvent was tolerated (enzyme inhibition pIC50 >9) and by careful manipulation of the pKa and lipophilicity we were able to discover compounds (20b, 20f) with good lung retention and cell potency that could be taken forward to in-vivo studies where significant target engagement could be demonstrated

Coping strategies for chronic pain – a literature review

Bakgrund Uppskattningsvis lever cirka 20 procent av svenska befolkningen med långvarig smärta vilket kostar samhället stora summor varje år och orsakar lidande för den som är drabbad och dennes anhöriga. Enligt Association for the Study of Pain (2021) definieras smärta som en associering till faktisk eller potentiell vävnadsskada. Denna litteraturöversikt är angelägen för att ge en ökad förståelse för personer som lider av långvarig smärta och de copingstrategier som de använder för att hantera sin smärta. Syfte Att beskriva copingstrategier hos personer i arbetsför ålder som lider av långvarig smärta. Metod En strukturerad litteraturöversikt med inslag av den metodologi som används vid systematiska översikter. Sökningarna gjordes mellan 2017 och 2022 genom databaserna CINAHL och PubMed. Därefter undersöktes utvalda artiklar genom en integrerad analys. Resultat Resultatet visade att personer med långvarig smärta ofta drog sig undan och isolerade sig i rädsla för att vara andra till last, trots att forskning visat på att sociala relationer var den viktigaste faktorn för att hantera smärtan. Brist på effektiva copingstrategier ökade katastrofiering och rädslor samt minskade fysisk aktivitet. Detta ledde till ökad smärta och trötthet vilket bidrog till större funktionsnedsättning, ångest och maktlöshet. Läkemedel var den vanligaste formen av smärtbehandling trots att forskning visat att kognitiv beteendeterapi har bättre effekt för att öka patienters välmående vid långvarig smärta. Slutsats Resultatet i denna litteraturöversikt visade att personer med långvarig smärta använder sig av en rad olika copingstrategier för att hantera sin smärta.Background It is estimated that around 20 percent of the Swedish population lives with chronic pain, which costs society large sums every year and causes suffering to the person affected and their relatives. According to the Association for the Study of Pain (2021), pain is defined as an association with actual or potential tissue damage. This literature review emphasizes the importance of an increased understanding of people suffering from chronic pain and the coping strategies they use to manage their pain. Aim To describe coping strategies by people 18 to 65 years old who suffer from chronic pain. Method A structured literature review with elements of the methodology used in systematic reviews. The searches were made between 2017 and 2022 through the CINAHL and PubMed databases. Selected articles were examined through an integrated analysis. Results The results showed that people with chronic pain often withdrew and isolated themselves in fear of being a burden to others, despite research showing that social relationships were the most important factor in managing the pain. Lack of effective coping strategies increased catastrophizing and fears and reduced physical activity. This led to increased pain and fatigue which contributed to greater functional impairment, anxiety and powerlessness. Medicines were the most common form of pain treatment despite research showing that cognitive behavioral therapy is more effective in increasing patients' wellbeing concerning chronic pain. Conclusions The results of this literature review showed that people with chronic pain use a range of different coping strategies to manage their pain

Health-promoting factors among students in higher education within health care and social work: a cross-sectional analysis of baseline data in a multicentre longitudinal study

Background Educational environments are considered important in strengthening students’ health status and knowledge, which are associated with good educational outcomes. It has been suggested to establish healthy universities based on a salutogenic approach – namely, health promotion. The aim of this study was to describe health-promoting resources and factors among first-semester students in higher education in healthcare and social work. Methods This cross-sectional study is based on a survey distributed among all students in seven healthcare and social work programmes at six universities in southern Sweden. The survey was carried out in 2018 using a self-reported, web-based questionnaire focussing on general health and well-being, lifestyle factors together with three validated instruments measuring health-promoting factors and processes: the Sense of Coherence (SOC) scale, Salutogenic Health Indicator Scale (SHIS) and Occupational Balance Questionnaire (OBQ). Results Of 2283 students, 851 (37.3%) completed the survey, of whom 742 (87.1%) were women; 722 (84.8%) were enrolled on healthcare programmes, and 129 (15.2%) were enrolled on social work programmes. Most reported good general health and well-being (88.1% and 83.7%, respectively). The total mean scores for the SOC scale, SHIS and OBQ were, respectively, 59.09 (SD = 11.78), 44.04 (SD = 9.38) and 26.40 (SD = 7.07). Well-being and several healthy lifestyles were related to better general health and higher SOC, SHIS and OBQ scores. Multiple linear and logistic regressions showed that perceived well-being and no sleeping problems significantly predicted higher general health and higher SOC, SHIS and OBQ scores. Being less sedentary and non-smoking habits were significant predictors of higher SOC. Conclusions Swedish students in higher education within the healthcare and social work sector report good general health and well-being in the first semester, as well as health-promoting resources (i.e. SOC, SHIS and OBQ), and in some aspects, a healthy lifestyle. High-intensity exercise, no sleeping problems and non-smoking seem to be of importance to both general health and health-promotive resources. This study contributes to knowledge about the health promotive characteristics of students in the healthcare and social work fields, which is of importance for planning universities with a salutogenic approach.Open access funding provided by Halmstad University. The six universities in the Swedish framework for ‘Health Research in Collaboration’ and Region Västra Götaland jointly financed the cost of project management. All authors receive regular research support from their respective universities. This research project has not received external funding and has not undergone peer review by the funding body.</p

The effect of M-value threshold on sensitivity and specificity for detection of different degrees of probe-target mismatch: (A) ≥ 1 mismatch (B) ≥ 2 mismatches (C) ≥ 3 mismatches and (D) ≥ 4 mismatches

M-values ranging from -3.0 to -0.25 are plotted with an interval of -0.25. An M-value of <p><b>Copyright information:</b></p><p>Taken from "Performance of a 70-mer oligonucleotide microarray for genotyping of "</p><p>http://www.biomedcentral.com/1471-2180/8/73</p><p>BMC Microbiology 2008;8():73-73.</p><p>Published online 8 May 2008</p><p>PMCID:PMC2396164.</p><p></p

Discovery of Highly Isoform Selective Orally Bioavailable Phosphoinositide 3‑Kinase (PI3K)‑γ Inhibitors

In this paper, we describe the discovery and optimization of a new chemotype of isoform selective PI3Kγ inhibitors. Starting from an HTS hit, potency and physicochemical properties could be improved to give compounds such as <b>15</b>, which is a potent and remarkably selective PI3Kγ inhibitor with ADME properties suitable for oral administration. Compound <b>15</b> was advanced into in vivo studies showing dose-dependent inhibition of LPS-induced airway neutrophilia in rats when administered orally