Fever Screening at Airports and Imported Dengue

Airport fever screening in Taiwan, July 2003–June 2004, identified 40 confirmed dengue cases. Results obtained by capture immunoglobulin (Ig) M and IgG enzyme-linked immunoassay, real time 1-step polymerase chain reaction, and virus isolation showed that 33 (82.5%) of 40 patients were viremic. Airport fever screening can thus quickly identify imported dengue cases

护理学生临床实习前锐器伤预防的认知情况调查研究

Objective: To investigate the cognition of sharp injury prevention among nursing students before the clinical practice in order to provide a basis for corresponding measures and active measures. Methods: In July 2014, a total of 232 nursing students in 3 A grade Hospital of Guangzhou, from 30 colleges and universities of 8 provinces, were tested by self-made questionnaire in regard to sharp injury prevention knowledge. Results: The awareness rate of occupational exposure, occupational exposure prevention, Guideline for prevention and control for occupational exposure to bloodborne pathogen by National Health and Family Planning Commission 2009 was 28.94% and 13.71%, 1.01%; and the highest score of sharp instrument injury prevention knowledge was 22 points, the lowest score was 4 points, with an average of 15.92 ± 2.59 points. Sharp injury knowledge gained from school education accounts for 87.31%, but the students who have not received relevant education accounts for 3.05%. Conclusion: The overall situation of occupational exposures cognition is not optimistic, the master of sharp instrument injury prevention knowledge is not complete; and related curriculum in part of the schools is unreasonable, or receives poor effect. Some schools need to adjust the curriculum, strengthen the prevention knowledge of sharp injuries, occupational exposure to bloodborne pathogen. Hospitals need to strengthen pre-job training of nursing students and strengthen the clinical teaching work. Schools and hospitals need to jointly explore teaching mode for nursing students, so as to promote the students to master the sharp instrument injury prevention knowledge, the implementation of relevant measures of protection, and ensure the safety of students and patients. 目的  对护理学生临床实习前锐器伤预防的认知情况进行了解，以便为采取积极有效的应对措施提供依据。方法  采用自行编制问卷对2014年7月广州市某三甲医院来自全国8省30所高等院校的232名护理实习学生的一般资料和锐器伤认知情况进行调查并分析。结果  职业暴露、职业暴露后预防、国家卫计委2009《血源性病原体职业接触防护导则》知晓率为28.94%、13.71%、1.01%；锐器伤预防知识最高得分22分，最低得分4分，均数为（15.92±2.59）分。锐器伤知识来源于学校教育为87.31%，而未接受过相关教育者为3.05%。结论  研究对象对职业暴露认知总体情况不容乐观；锐器伤预防知识掌握不全；部分学校相关课程设置不合理或教育效果欠佳。部分学校需调整课程设置，加强锐器伤预防、血源性病原体职业接触防护等相关知识的教育，医院需强化护理实习生岗前培训，加强临床带教工作，学校与医院需探讨共同教导护理实习学生模式，从而促进学生掌握锐器伤预防相关知识，落实相关防护措施，保障患者和学生的安全

All-trans retinoic acid ameliorates glycemic control in diabetic mice via modulating pancreatic islet production of vascular endothelial growth factor-A.

Patients with type 1 diabetes mellitus are associated with impairment in vitamin A metabolism. This study evaluated whether treatment with retinoic acid, the biologically active metabolite of vitamin A, can ameliorate diabetes. All-trans retinoic acid (atRA) was used to treat streptozotocin (STZ)-induced diabetic mice which revealed atRA administration ameliorated blood glucose levels of diabetic mice. This hyperglycemic amelioration was accompanied by an increase in the amount of β cells co-expressed Pdx1 and insulin and by restoration of the vascular laminin expression. The atRA-induced production of vascular endothelial growth factor-A from the pancreatic islets was possibly the key factor that mediated the restoration of islet vascularity and recovery of β-cell mass. Furthermore, the combination of islet transplantation and atRA administration significantly rescued hyperglycemia in diabetic mice. These findings suggest that vitamin A derivatives can potentially be used as a supplementary treatment to improve diabetes management and glycemic control

Clinical features and pitfalls in the laboratory diagnosis of dengue in travellers

BACKGROUND: Several enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA)-kits are commercially available for the rapid diagnosis of dengue infection, and have demonstrated good sensitivity and specificity in paired serum samples. In practice, however, often only one blood sample is available from febrile travellers returning from dengue endemic areas. METHODS: To evaluate the diagnostic value of positive dengue antibody-titres performed by a standard ELISA (PanBio IgM- and IgG-ELISA) in single serum samples (regarded as "probable infection"), 127 positive samples were further analyzed using envelope/membrane IgM-, and nonstructural protein 1 IgM- and IgG-ELISAs, immunofluorescence assays, and real-time reverse transcription polymerase chain reaction assays (RT-PCR). A combination of the test-results served as the diagnostic "gold standard". A total of 1,035 febrile travellers returning from dengue-endemic countries with negative dengue-serology and RT-PCR served as controls to compare clinical and haematological features. RESULTS: Overall, only 64 (positive predictive value = 50%) of the probable cases were confirmed by additional analysis and 54 (42.5%) were confirmed to be "false-positive". Rash was the only clinical feature significantly associated with confirmed dengue fever. The combination of thrombocytopenia and leucopenia was present in 40.4% of confirmed and in 6.1% of false-positive cases. Thus, the positive predictive value for the combination of positive PanBio-ELISA plus the two haematological features was 90.5%. CONCLUSION: The examination of paired serum samples is considered the most reliable serodiagnostic procedure for dengue. However, if only one blood sample is available, a single positive ELISA-result carries a high rate of false-positivity and should be confirmed using a second and more specific diagnostic technique. In the absence of further testing, platelet and white blood cell counts are helpful for the correct interpretation

Anti-Neuroinflammatory Effects of the Calcium Channel Blocker Nicardipine on Microglial Cells: Implications for Neuroprotection

Background/Objective Nicardipine is a calcium channel blocker that has been widely used to control blood pressure in severe hypertension following events such as ischemic stroke, traumatic brain injury, and intracerebral hemorrhage. However, accumulating evidence suggests that inflammatory processes in the central nervous system that are mediated by microglial activation play important roles in neurodegeneration, and the effect of nicardipine on microglial activation remains unresolved. Methodology/Principal Findings In the present study, using murine BV-2 microglia, we demonstrated that nicardipine significantly inhibits microglia-related neuroinflammatory responses. Treatment with nicardipine inhibited microglial cell migration. Nicardipine also significantly inhibited LPS plus IFN-γ-induced release of nitric oxide (NO), and the expression of inducible nitric oxide synthase (iNOS) and cyclooxygenase-2 (COX-2). Furthermore, nicardipine also inhibited microglial activation by peptidoglycan, the major component of the Gram-positive bacterium cell wall. Notably, nicardipine also showed significant anti-neuroinflammatory effects on microglial activation in mice in vivo. Conclusion/Significance The present study is the first to report a novel inhibitory role of nicardipine on neuroinflammation and provides a new candidate agent for the development of therapies for inflammation-related neurodegenerative diseases

Human Bocavirus Infection, People’s Republic of China

A newly identified parvovirus, human bocavirus (HBoV), was found in 21 (8.3%) of 252 nasopharyngeal aspirates from hospitalized children with lower respiratory tract infection in Hunan Province, People’s Republic of China. Viral loads were 104 to 1010 copies/mL. Phylogenetic analysis of the VP1 gene showed a single genetic lineage of HBoV worldwide