Pharmacy customers' knowledge of side effects of purchased medicines in Mexico

To analyse pharmacy customers' knowledge and information sources about side effects of medicines they purchased and factors associated with this knowledge. Cross-sectional survey and semi-structured interviews with customers of 52 randomly selected community pharmacies in Morelos state, Mexico. Customers were included if they were older than 18 years, bought at least one drug either with or without medical prescription, and agreed to take part in the survey. Data were analysed using a multinomial logistic regression model. A total of 1445 customers buying 1946 drugs were surveyed (age 42.9 +/- 15.7 years, 56.9% female); 627 (59%) of 1055 customers who purchased prescription-only medicines (POM) did so without a prescription. Of all customers interviewed, 172 (11.9%) affirmed that the bought medicine(s) could cause harm. Only half of those (87 or 6%) were able to identify correctly at least one side effect of the purchased medicines. The majority received the information about side effects from a physician. Customers in semirural areas knew less about side effects (odds ratio: 0.26; 95% CI: 0.11-0.61; P = 0.00); whereas customers buying medicines for chronic pain, hypertension or diabetes knew more (odds ratio 2.63; 95% CI: 1.44-4.80; P = 0.00). The overall majority of customers did not know that medicines they bought could be harmful. This is particularly alarming because they frequently used POM without consulting a physician.Analyser la connaissance des clients de la pharmacie et les sources d'information sur les effets secondaires des mEdicaments qu'ils achetent ainsi que les facteurs associEs a ces connaissances. Etude transversale et interviews semi-structurEes avec les clients de 52 pharmacies d'officine sElectionnEes alEatoirement dans l'Etat de Morelos au Mexique. Les clients ont EtE inclus s'ils Etaient agEs de plus de 18 ans, ont achetE au moins un mEdicament avec ou sans prescription mEdicale et ont dEcidE de prendre part a l'enquete. Les donnEes ont EtE analysEes en utilisant un modele multinominal de rEgression logistique. 1445 clients qui ont achetE 1870 mEdicaments ont EtE interrogEs (age: 42,9 +/- 15,7 ans, 56,9% des femmes), 627 (59%) des 1055 clients qui ont achetE seulement des mEdicaments sur prescription uniquement l'ont fait sans ordonnance. De tous les clients interrogEs, 172 (11,9%) ont affirmE que les mEdicaments achetEs pourraient causer des dommages. Seule la moitiE de ceux-ci (87 ou 6%) Etaient en mesure d'identifier correctement au moins un effet secondaire des mEdicaments achetEs. La majoritE a recu des informations sur les effets secondaires du mEdecin. Les clients dans les zones semi-rurales savaient moins sur les effets secondaires (odds ratio: 0,26; IC95%: 0,11-0,61, p = 0,00), alors que les clients achetant des mEdicaments pour la douleur chronique, l'hypertension ou le diabete en savaient plus (odds ratio 2,63; IC95%: 1,44-4,80, p = 0.00). Dans l'Etat de Morelos au Mexique, la grande majoritE des clients ne savent pas que les mEdicaments qu'ils achetent pourraient causer des dommages. Cela est particulierement alarmant car ils utilisent frEquemment des mEdicaments sous prescription uniquement sans consulter un mEdecin.Analizar los conocimientos de clientes de farmacias y sus fuentes de informacion sobre efectos secundarios de los medicamentos que compran, asi como factores asociados a dicho conocimiento. Estudio croseccional y entrevistas semiestructuradas con clientes de 52 farmacias comunitarias seleccionadas al azar en el estado de Morelos, MEjico. Los clientes fueron incluidos si eran mayores de 18 anos, compraban al menos un medicamento con o sin receta mEdica, y estaban de acuerdo en participar en el estudio. Los datos fueron analizados utilizando un modelo de regresion logistica multinomial. 1,445 clientes compraron; 1,870 medicamentos fueron inspeccionados (edad 42.9 + /-15.7 anos, 56.9% mujers); 627 (59%) de 1055 clientes que compraron medicamentos que solo se venden con receta mEdica, lo hicieron sin tener la prescripcion. De todos los clientes entrevistados, 172 (11.9%) afirmaron que los medicamentos que compraban podian causar dano. Solo la mitad de ellos (87 o 6%) eran capaces de identificar correctamente al menos un efecto secundario de los medicamentos adquiridos. La mayoria recibia informacion sobre los efectos secundarios de boca de un mEdico. Los clientes de areas semi-rurales tenian menos conocimientos sobre los efectos secundarios (odds ratio: 0.26; 95%IC 0.11, 0.61; p = 0.00); mientras que los clientes que compraban medicinas para dolor cronico, hipertension o diabetes tenian mas conocimientos (odds ratio 2.63; 95% IC 1.44, 4.80; p = 0.00). En el estado de Morelos, MEjico, la mayoria de los clientes no eran conscientes de que los medicamentos que compraban podian ser nocivos. Esto es particularmente alarmante puesto que frecuentemente utilizan medicinas que requieren receta mEdica sin haber consultado previamente un mEdico

Molecular Biology, Biochemistry and Cellular Physiology of Cysteine Metabolism in Arabidopsis thaliana

Cysteine is one of the most versatile molecules in biology, taking over such different functions as catalysis, structure, regulation and electron transport during evolution. Research on Arabidopsis has contributed decisively to the understanding of cysteine synthesis and its role in the assimilatory pathways of S, N and C in plants. The multimeric cysteine synthase complex is present in the cytosol, plastids and mitochondria and forms the centre of a unique metabolic sensing and signaling system. Its association is reversible, rendering the first enzyme of cysteine synthesis active and the second one inactive, and vice-versa. Complex formation is triggered by the reaction intermediates of cysteine synthesis in response to supply and demand and gives rise to regulation of genes of sulfur metabolism to adjust cellular sulfur homeostasis. Combinations of biochemistry, forward and reverse genetics, structural- and cell-biology approaches using Arabidopsis have revealed new enzyme functions and the unique pattern of spatial distribution of cysteine metabolism in plant cells. These findings place the synthesis of cysteine in the centre of the network of primary metabolism

A sirtuin in the African trypanosome is involved in both DNA repair and telomeric gene silencing but is not required for antigenic variation

Silent information regulator 2 (Sir2)-related proteins or sirtuins function as NAD(+)-dependent deacetylases or ADP ribosylases that target a range of substrates, thereby influencing chromatin structure and a diverse range of other biological functions. Genes encoding three Sir2-related proteins (SIR2rp1-3) have been identified in the parasitic trypanosomatids, early branching protozoa with no previously reported transcriptional silencing machinery. Here we show that, in the mammalian-infective bloodstream-stage of the African trypanosome, Trypanosoma brucei, SIR2rp1 localizes to the nucleus while SIR2rp2 and SIR2rp3 are both mitochondrial proteins. The nuclear protein, SIR2rp1, controls DNA repair and repression of RNA polymerase I-mediated expression immediately adjacent to telomeres. Antigenic variation, however, which involves the silencing and Pol I-mediated transcriptional switching of subtelomeric variant surface glycoprotein genes, continues to operate independent of SIR2rp1

Multi-messenger Observations of a Binary Neutron Star Merger

International audienceOn 2017 August 17 a binary neutron star coalescence candidate (later designated GW170817) with merger time 12:41:04 UTC was observed through gravitational waves by the Advanced LIGO and Advanced Virgo detectors. The Fermi Gamma-ray Burst Monitor independently detected a gamma-ray burst (GRB 170817A) with a time delay of $\sim 1.7\,{\rm{s}}$ with respect to the merger time. From the gravitational-wave signal, the source was initially localized to a sky region of 31 deg(2) at a luminosity distance of ${40}_{-8}^{+8}$ Mpc and with component masses consistent with neutron stars. The component masses were later measured to be in the range 0.86 to 2.26 $\,{M}_{\odot }$. An extensive observing campaign was launched across the electromagnetic spectrum leading to the discovery of a bright optical transient (SSS17a, now with the IAU identification of AT 2017gfo) in NGC 4993 (at $\sim 40\,{\rm{Mpc}}$) less than 11 hours after the merger by the One-Meter, Two Hemisphere (1M2H) team using the 1 m Swope Telescope. The optical transient was independently detected by multiple teams within an hour. Subsequent observations targeted the object and its environment. Early ultraviolet observations revealed a blue transient that faded within 48 hours. Optical and infrared observations showed a redward evolution over ∼10 days. Following early non-detections, X-ray and radio emission were discovered at the transient’s position $\sim 9$ and $\sim 16$ days, respectively, after the merger. Both the X-ray and radio emission likely arise from a physical process that is distinct from the one that generates the UV/optical/near-infrared emission. No ultra-high-energy gamma-rays and no neutrino candidates consistent with the source were found in follow-up searches. These observations support the hypothesis that GW170817 was produced by the merger of two neutron stars in NGC 4993 followed by a short gamma-ray burst (GRB 170817A) and a kilonova/macronova powered by the radioactive decay of r-process nuclei synthesized in the ejecta