A synthesis of the echinoderm fauna of the Maltese Islands

A review of existing literature records of echinoderms from Malta and a study of a large collection of specimens was carried out between 2000 and 2004 so as to update and produce a validated checklist of echinoderms occurring in Maltese waters. Seventy different species of echinoderms are recorded, including a number of species for which only single records exist for the Maltese islands and five species that were not found in the present study. The Maltese echinoderm fauna includes 45% of the 153 recorded Mediterranean echinoderm species, and apart from two aliens, is typical of the central Mediterranean region.peer-reviewe

Comparative proteomics of uropathogenic Escherichia coli during growth in human urine identify UCA-like (UCL) fimbriae as an adherence factor involved in biofilm formation and binding to uroepithelial cells

Uropathogenic Escherichia coli (UPEC) are the primary cause of urinary tract infection (UTI) in humans. For the successful colonisation of the human urinary tract, UPEC employ a diverse collection of secreted or surface-exposed virulence factors including toxins, iron acquisition systems and adhesins. In this study, a comparative proteomic approach was utilised to define the UPEC pan and core surface proteome following growth in pooled human urine. Identified proteins were investigated for subcellular origin, prevalence and homology to characterised virulence factors. Fourteen core surface proteins were identified, as well as eleven iron uptake receptor proteins and four distinct fimbrial types, including type 1, P, F1C/S and a previously uncharacterised fimbrial type, designated UCA-like (UCL) fimbriae in this study. These pathogenicity island (PAI)-associated fimbriae are related to UCA fimbriae of Proteus mirabilis, associated with UPEC and exclusively found in members of the E. coli B2 and D phylogroup. We further demonstrated that UCL fimbriae promote significant biofilm formation on abiotic surfaces and mediate specific attachment to exfoliated human uroepithelial cells. Combined, this study has defined the surface proteomic profiles and core surface proteome of UPEC during growth in human urine and identified a new type of fimbriae that may contribute to UTI

Clozapine treatment in patients living in the community

OBJECTIVE: The aim of this study was to assess clozapine treatment in the local community with respect to patient monitoring during dispensing, patient compliance through prescription refills, presence of any other existing co-morbidities and presence of potential drug-drug interactions. METHOD: An audit on whether pharmacy personnel check patients’ white blood cell count and absolute neutrophil count prior to dispensing was performed. A total of 100 audits were carried out. A computer programme entitled ‘Pharmacy Dispensing System’ was used to assess patient compliance through prescription refills over a 3-month period. Another computer programme entitled ‘Schedule V’ was used to determine any other comorbidities. After determining the list of all the chronic medications, analysis of the presence of any potential drugdrug interactions was undertaken. The ‘Drug Interaction Checker’, a drug interaction database provided by RxList, was used. This database classified potential drug-drug interactions into 3 categories namely minor, significant and serious. KEY FINDINGS: The white blood cell count and absolute neutrophil count were checked in all instances (N=100), however this intervention was not documented. Over a 3-month period, 78 out of 90 patients were compliant. Diabetes was the most common co-morbidity (n=15) and 76 patients receiving clozapine may be exposed to a potential drug-drug interaction. A total of 363 possible drug interactions were present in this group of patients. The most common type of potential drug-drug interaction fell in the ‘significant drug-drug interactions’ category (n=289). CONCLUSION: Patient monitoring was carried out, however documentation processes need to be elaborated. Identification of drug interactions is of utmost importance since certain interactions can be dangerous. Apart from detecting drug interactions, discussion with other healthcare professionals should be undertaken to assess the possibility of replacing such interacting drugs with alternative options. This measure should be carried out to promote patient safety.peer-reviewe

Comparison of commercial diagnostic tests for Helicobacter pylori antibodies

A number of serological tests measuring the presence of Helicobacter pylori-specific serum immunoglobulin G (IgG) are now commercially available. The aim of this study was to evaluate the clinical accuracy of five commercial H. pylori antibody tests: GAP-IgG (Biomerica), HELpTEST (AMRAD, Kew, Victoria, Australia), HELICO-G (Porton Cambridge), Pyloriset (Orion Diagnostica), and ROCHE (Roche Diagnostics). A total of 162 subjects presenting for routine upper endoscopy were studied. H. pylori was diagnosed if culture, histology, or both were positive. Ten milliliters of venous blood was collected at the time of endoscopy for serological assessment. The sensitivity and specificity of each test (GAP-IgG, HELpTEST, HELICO-G, Pyloriset, and ROCHE) were as follows: 83 and 79%, 92 and 77%, 86 and 65%, 89 and 56%, and 98 and 69%, respectively. Positive and negative predictive values were 97 and 83%, 90 and 91%, 76 and 83%, 68 and 84%, and 86 and 97%, respectively. The specificity of most tests increased by approximately 10% when sera from subjects less than 45 years old were examined. The number of sera falling into the grey zone for each test (an indeterminate result with respect to H. pylori status) varied between 2.5 and 19%. This study highlights the need for all serological kits to be independently evaluated on the population to be studied by testing against a microbiologically defined panel of H. pylori-positive and -negative sera

The application of multivariate analytical techniques to the study of marine benthic assemblages : a review with special reference to the Maltese Islands

In recent years there have been numerous studies made on the marine benthic assemblages of Maltese coastal waters, either as elements of the seascape, or in order to gain an understanding of the nature of these assemblages and of the factors which structure them, or to assess the potential of such assemblages as indicators of environmental change, principally that due to anthropogenic activities. The massive data sets generated by such studies can realistically only be analysed objectively using an array of sophisticated statistical techniques that it has only been possible to apply now that powerful computers are readily available. Starting with the basics of data analysis, this paper reviews the statistical techniques currently used for the analysis of benthic assemblages, particularly those that have been found suitable for the type and character of data from the Mediterranean. Emphasis is placed on multivariate techniques, since benthic data are usually highly multivariate. A brief review of the development of these techniques and of their application to benthic ecological research is also given. The objective is to provide a guide to techniques and to the literature which local workers may find useful as a starting point when designing an experimental, data collection, or analytical protocol.peer-reviewe

Drug design of novel molecules using a bioisosteric and de novo techniques - a comparison

Rational drug design is an area of science that evolves continuously in order to answer contemporary demands for a decrease in novel drug discovery turnover time. Multiple drug design modalities exist which may be exploited in response to the parameters of specific drug design projects. Bioisosteric modification of existing molecules and de novo design are two such approaches, both of which were employed in parallel in this study which aimed to compare their scope and efficiency using Tricyclic Antidepressants (TCAs) and Selective Serotonin Reuptake Inhibiting (SSRIs) molecules as case studies. Results indicated that bioisosterically modified structures did not have a higher affinity for their cognate receptor when compared to the template structure while the de novo design yielded molecules that were markedly different to the template from a structural perspective, and which also bound to the cognate receptor with an affinity superior to that of the template. This study showed therefore that bioisosteric modification is of utility when minor structural variations are considered sufficiently relative to a template molecule, and could consequently be of utility in the acquisition of new patents, in the reduction of toxicity, or in the attainment of improved biological profiles. It indicated furthermore, the role of the de novo approach in the successful exploration of novel pharmacophoric space and in the generation of molecular structures with an affinity significantly greater than that of lead molecules for a target receptor.peer-reviewe

Character Education: How Does it Affect Student Self-Perception of Both Character and Achievement in an Integrated Curriculum?

Over the last few decades, change in communities, families, and education has placed an increasing demand on teachers to supplement societal deficiencies at school with hopes of improving the quality of child and adolescent development. In an effort to address this growing need, educators have revamped their traditional teaching styles to meet the educational needs of all students. This has been accomplished by initiating integrated curriculums that create more inviting, student-centered environments that focus on authentic education. The goal is to teach content through real-world scenarios in hopes to supplement valuable life lessons. This study focused on 48 students in a unique integrated curriculum within Penfield High School, a predominately white middle to upper class suburb of Rochester, New York. It was determined through surveys, one-on-one interviews, focus group feedback, teacher checklists, exit reflections, and field notes that character education in an integrated environment, that focused on specific instructional strategies, improved student self-perception of both character and academic performance

Reduction in urinary organophosphate pesticide metabolites in adults after a week-long organic diet

Background Conventional food production commonly uses organophosphate (OP) pesticides, which can have negative health effects, while organic food is deemed healthier because it is produced without these pesticides. Studies suggest that organic food consumption may significantly reduce OP pesticide exposure in children who have relatively higher pesticide exposure than adults due to their different diets, body weight, behaviour and less efficient metabolism. Objectives A prospective, randomised, crossover study was conducted to determine if an organic food diet reduces organophosphate exposure in adults. Methods Thirteen participants were randomly allocated to consume a diet of at least 80% organic or conventional food for 7 days and then crossed over to the alternate diet. Urinary levels of six dialkylphosphate metabolites were analysed in first-morning voids collected on day 8 of each phase using GC-MS/MS with detection limits of 0.11-0.51 ug/L. Results The mean total DAP results in the organic phase were 89% lower than in the conventional phase (M=0.032 [SD=0.038] and 0.294 [SD=0.435] respectively, p=0.013). For total dimethyl DAPs there was a 96% reduction (M=0.011 [SD=0.023] and 0.252 [SD=0.403] respectively, p=0.005). Mean total diethyl DAP levels in the organic phase were half those of the conventional phase (M=0.021 [SD=0.020] and 0.042 [SD=0.038] respectively), yet the wide variability and small sample size meant the difference was not statistically significant. Conclusions The consumption of an organic diet for one week significantly reduced OP pesticide exposure in adults. Larger scale studies in different populations are required to confirm these findings and investigate their clinical relevance