IFN-gamma is associated with risk of Schistosoma japonicum infection in China.

Before the start of the schistosomiasis transmission season, 129 villagers resident on a Schistosoma japonicum-endemic island in Poyang Lake, Jiangxi Province, 64 of whom were stool-positive for S. japonicum eggs by the Kato method and 65 negative, were treated with praziquantel. Forty-five days later the 93 subjects who presented for follow-up were all stool-negative. Blood samples were collected from all 93 individuals. S. japonicum soluble worm antigen (SWAP) and soluble egg antigen (SEA) stimulated IL-4, IL-5 and IFN-gamma production in whole-blood cultures were measured by ELISA. All the subjects were interviewed nine times during the subsequent transmission season to estimate the intensity of their contact with potentially infective snail habitats, and the subjects were all re-screened for S. japonicum by the Kato method at the end of the transmission season. Fourteen subjects were found to be infected at that time. There was some indication that the risk of infection might be associated with gender (with females being at higher risk) and with the intensity of water contact, and there was evidence that levels of SEA-induced IFN-gamma production were associated with reduced risk of infection

Social Determinants of Community Health Services Utilization among the Users in China: A 4-Year Cross-Sectional Study

Background To identify social factors determining the frequency of community health service (CHS) utilization among CHS users in China. Methods Nationwide cross-sectional surveys were conducted in 2008, 2009, 2010, and 2011. A total of 86,116 CHS visitors selected from 35 cities were interviewed. Descriptive analysis and multinomial logistic regression analysis were employed to analyze characteristics of CHS users, frequency of CHS utilization, and the socio-demographic and socio-economic factors influencing frequency of CHS utilization. Results Female and senior CHS clients were more likely to make 3–5 and ≥6 CHS visits (as opposed to 1–2 visits) than male and young clients, respectively. CHS clients with higher education were less frequent users than individuals with primary education or less in 2008 and 2009; in later surveys, CHS clients with higher education were the more frequent users. The association between frequent CHS visits and family income has changed significantly between 2008 and 2011. In 2011, income status did not have a discernible effect on the likelihood of making ≥6 CHS visits, and it only had a slight effect on making 3–5 CHS visits. Conclusion CHS may play an important role in providing primary health care to meet the demands of vulnerable populations in China. Over time, individuals with higher education are increasingly likely to make frequent CHS visits than individuals with primary school education or below. The gap in frequency of CHS utilization among different economic income groups decreased from 2008 to 2011

Síntomas de pacientes antes de la primera hospitalización por Síndrome Coronario Agudo

Este estudo objetivou caracterizar os pacientes quanto ao relato da presença de sintomas de dor torácica, dispneia e limitação das atividades diárias uma semana antes da primeira hospitalização por Síndrome Coronariana Aguda, segundo a forma de apresentação clínica, e compará-las. Estudo transversal, descritivo e correlacional. Utilizou-se um instrumento de avaliação clínica que investigou a presença e a gravidade dos sintomas de dispneia, precordialgia e restrição física decorrentes da isquemia do miocárdio. Com relação à limitação para realização de atividades físicas, pacientes com diagnóstico de angina instável mostraram maior comprometimento na semana que antecedeu a internação, assim como relataram a presença de dispneia e precordialgia com maior frequência do que os pacientes infartados em situações que vão desde realizarem grandes esforços como, por exemplo, caminhar na subida ou muito rápido no plano, até situações de repouso ou de pequenos esforços.The objective of this study was to characterize and compare patients regarding their report of experiencing chest pain, dyspnea and limitation of the daily life activities one week before their first hospitalization due to Acute Coronary Syndrome, according to the clinical presentation form, and compare them. This is a cross-sectional, descriptive and correlational study. A clinical evaluation instrument was used to investigate the presence and severity of dyspnea, chest pain and physical restriction due to myocardial ischemia. Regarding the limitation to carry out physical activities, patients diagnosed with unstable angina showed lower capacity the week before hospitalization, and reported experiencing dyspnea and chest pain more frequently than patients who had an infarction in situations ranging from making strong efforts, such as walking uphill or on a flat surface but very quickly, to resting and in situations of little effort.Estudio que objetivó caracterizar a pacientes en cuanto al relato de presencia de síntomas de dolor torácico, disnea y limitación de actividades diarias una semana antes de la primera hospitalización por Síndrome Coronario Agudo, según la forma de presentación clínica, y compararlas. Estudio transversal, descriptivo y correlacional. Se utilizó un instrumento de evaluación clínica que investigó la presencia y gravedad de síntomas de disnea, precordialgia y restricción física derivadas de isquemia de miocardio. En relación a limitaciones para realización de actividades físicas, pacientes con diagnóstico de angina inestable mostraron mayor compromiso en la semana que antecedió a la internación, así como relataron la presencia de disnea y precordialgia con mayor frecuencia que en los pacientes infartados en situaciones tales como realizar grandes esfuerzos como, por ejemplo, caminar en pendiente ascendiente o muy rápido en el llano, hasta situaciones de reposo o pequeños esfuerzos

New mutations at the imprinted Gnas cluster show gene dosage effects of Gsα in postnatal growth and implicate XLαs in bone and fat metabolism, but not in suckling

The imprinted Gnas cluster is involved in obesity, energy metabolism, feeding behavior, and viability. Relative contribution of paternally expressed proteins XLαs, XLN1, and ALEX or a double dose of maternally expressed Gsα to phenotype has not been established. In this study, we have generated two new mutants (Ex1A-T-CON and Ex1A-T) at the Gnas cluster. Paternal inheritance of Ex1A-T-CON leads to loss of imprinting of Gsα, resulting in preweaning growth retardation followed by catch-up growth. Paternal inheritance of Ex1A-T leads to loss of imprinting of Gsα and loss of expression of XLαs and XLN1. These mice have severe preweaning growth retardation and incomplete catch-up growth. They are fully viable probably because suckling is unimpaired, unlike mutants in which the expression of all the known paternally expressed Gnasxl proteins (XLαs, XLN1 and ALEX) is compromised. We suggest that loss of ALEX is most likely responsible for the suckling defects previously observed. In adults, paternal inheritance of Ex1A-T results in an increased metabolic rate and reductions in fat mass, leptin, and bone mineral density attributable to loss of XLαs. This is, to our knowledge, the first report describing a role for XLαs in bone metabolism. We propose that XLαs is involved in the regulation of bone and adipocyte metabolism

Effects of AR7 Joint Complex on arthralgia for patients with osteoarthritis: Results of a three-month study in Shanghai, China

<p>Abstract</p> <p>Background</p> <p>Osteoarthritis-induced arthralgia is a common cause of morbidity in both men and women worldwide. AR7 Joint Complex is a nutritional supplement containing various ingredients including sternum collagen II and methylsulfonylmethane. The product has been marketed in United States for over a decade, but clinical data measuring the effectiveness of this supplement in relieving arthralgia is lacking. The goal of this study was to determine the effect of AR7 Joint Complex on osteoarthritis.</p> <p>Methods</p> <p>A total of 100 patients over the age of 50 who had osteoarthritis were recruited to the double-blind study and randomly assigned into either treatment or placebo control groups. The patients in the treatment group were given AR7 Joint Complex orally, 1 capsule daily for 12 weeks, while the patients in the control group were given a placebo for the same period of time. Prior to and at the end of the study, data including Quality of Life questionnaires (SF-36), visual analog scales (1 to 100 mm), and X-rays of affected joints were collected.</p> <p>Results</p> <p>A total of 89 patients completed the study: 44 from the treatment group and 45 from the control group. No significant change in X-ray results was found in either group after the study. However, there was a significant decrease in patients complaining of arthralgia and tenderness (P < 0.01) in the treatment group and there was also a significant difference between the treatment and control groups at the end of the study. In addition, for Quality of Life data, the body pain index (BP) in the treatment group was significantly improved (P < 0.05) compared to the control group. No significant toxicity was noted in either group.</p> <p>Conclusion</p> <p>AR7 Joint Complex appears to have short-term effects in relieving pain in patients with osteoarthritis. Whether such an effect is long-lasting remains to be seen.</p

An approach for the calculation of one-loop effective actions, vacuum energies, and spectral counting functions

In this paper, we provide an approach for the calculation of one-loop effective actions, vacuum energies, and spectral counting functions and discuss the application of this approach in some physical problems. Concretely, we construct the equations for these three quantities; this allows us to achieve them by directly solving equations. In order to construct the equations, we introduce shifted local one-loop effective actions, shifted local vacuum energies, and local spectral counting functions. We solve the equations of one-loop effective actions, vacuum energies, and spectral counting functions for free massive scalar fields in $\mathbb{R}^{n}$, scalar fields in three-dimensional hyperbolic space $H_{3}$ (the Euclidean Anti-de Sitter space $AdS_{3}$), in $H_{3}/Z$ (the geometry of the Euclidean BTZ black hole), and in $S^{1}$, and the Higgs model in a $(1+1)$-dimensional finite interval. Moreover, in the above cases, we also calculate the spectra from the counting functions. Besides exact solutions, we give a general discussion on approximate solutions and construct the general series expansion for one-loop effective actions, vacuum energies, and spectral counting functions. In doing this, we encounter divergences. In order to remove the divergences, renormalization procedures are used. In this approach, these three physical quantities are regarded as spectral functions in the spectral problem.Comment: 37 pages, no figure. This is an enlarged and improved version of the paper published in JHE

Acute kidney disease and renal recovery : consensus report of the Acute Disease Quality Initiative (ADQI) 16 Workgroup

Consensus definitions have been reached for both acute kidney injury (AKI) and chronic kidney disease (CKD) and these definitions are now routinely used in research and clinical practice. The KDIGO guideline defines AKI as an abrupt decrease in kidney function occurring over 7 days or less, whereas CKD is defined by the persistence of kidney disease for a period of > 90 days. AKI and CKD are increasingly recognized as related entities and in some instances probably represent a continuum of the disease process. For patients in whom pathophysiologic processes are ongoing, the term acute kidney disease (AKD) has been proposed to define the course of disease after AKI; however, definitions of AKD and strategies for the management of patients with AKD are not currently available. In this consensus statement, the Acute Disease Quality Initiative (ADQI) proposes definitions, staging criteria for AKD, and strategies for the management of affected patients. We also make recommendations for areas of future research, which aim to improve understanding of the underlying processes and improve outcomes for patients with AKD