Preparing the patient for bone marrow transplantation: nursing care issues

The phases of bone marrow transplantation can be identified as the pre-transplant period, the immediate post-transplant period, and the late post-transplant period. The pre-transplant period is characterized by identification of the appropriate type of transplant to be done and, if necessary, finding an appropriate donor; entry of the patient into the transplant unit; administration of the preparative chemotherapy/irradiation regime; management of early toxicities; and pre-transplant supportive care. Nurses play an integral role during the entire transplant process. During the pre-transplant phase, nursing expertise is exemplified in the administration of chemotherapy, management of side effects, teaching of transplant procedures to patient and family, and supportive care. This paper reviews the patient care issues during the pre-transplant phase of bone marrow transplantation and identifies nursing management strategies.     

食品、药品微生物检测实验室质量控制方法分析

系统分析食品、药品微生物检测实验室的质量控制方法,从总体环境条件控制、微生物室管理、样品管理、仪器设备管理、人员管理、培养基质量控制、标准菌(毒)种管理、操作过程控制、记录管理等9个方面进行系统分析,对微生物实验室的质量控制工作提供系统指导,提高微生物检测结果的准确性.     

Field and laboratory selection of brassicaceous plants that differentially affect infestation levels by Delia radicum

Several plant traits control plant–insect interactions and shape host range of herbivorous insects according to their degree of dietary specialization. Understanding how plant species diversity influences herbivore infestations is of interest for the development of alternative crop protection strategies. In a pest management context, an appropriate selection of plants can modify pest distribution at the field scale. To develop a ‘push–pull’ strategy against the cabbage root fly, Delia radicum, we conducted a field study to both determine which plants exhibit contrasted pest infestation levels and to evaluate their influence on egg predation activity. Our field experiment reveals that infestation levels of brassicaceous plants by the cabbage root fly in the field can vary considerably according to plant genotype and species, while the number of predated eggs is only slightly affected by plant species. Olfactometry studies carried out under laboratory conditions revealed that plants harbouring the highest number of eggs in the field were also highly attractive, suggesting that olfactory stimuli are responsible, at least partially, for the differential infestation levels observed in the field. In a ‘push–pull’ context, this study demonstrates that different brassicaceous plants could be used to redistribute cabbage root flies in broccoli crops without compromising herbivore control by natural enemies. In addition, the importance of plant volatiles for infestation levels suggests a potential for developing a semiochemically assisted ‘push–pull’ system in which trap plants would be enhanced by synthetic release of attractive compounds.     

Evaluation of copper speciation and water quality factors that affect aqueous copper tasting response

This study determined taste thresholds for copper as its speciation was varied among free cupric ion, complexed cupric ion, and precipitated cupric particles. The impact of copper chemistry on taste is important as copper is added to many beverages and can be present in drinking water as a natural mineral or due to corrosion of copper plumbing. A one-of-five test was used to define thresholds with solutions containing 0.025-8 mg/l Cu (from copper sulfate) in distilled or mineralized water of varying pH. The mineralized water was designed to mimic the composition of a typical tap water. Group thresholds for copper in either distilled-deionized water or mineralized water were not significantly different and ranged from 0.4 to 0.8 mg/l Cu. A difference from control test was used to assess the impact of soluble and particulate copper on taste. Soluble copper species, including free cupric ion and complexed copper species, were readily tasted, while particulate copper was poorly tasted.     

Prothrombin and fibrinogen carbonylation: How that can affect the blood clotting

Objectives: The aim of the work was the development of a simple method for measuring the plasma prothrombin carbonylation and the study the impact of prothrombin and fibrinogen oxidation on the rate of plasma clotting.

Methods: A new method was based on the ability of prothrombin to be adsorbed by the barium sulfate. It consists of four steps: prothrombin mixing with the water suspension of BaSO₄; reaction of 2,4-dinitrophenylhydrazine with the BaSO₄-bound prothrombin; desorption of prothrombin-2,4-dinitrophenylhydrazone complex from BaSO₄ in an alkaline medium; neutralization and reading of the optical absorbance of the complex (λ?=?370?nm). The prothrombin/fibrinogen carbonylation and plasma clotting rate in vitro in the presence of reactive oxygen species (ROS)-generating agents (0.05–0.8?mM Fe²⁺/H₂O₂) were monitored.

Results: The plasma volume required for measurement of carbonylated prothrombin was 0.4?ml. High level of linearity and reproducibility was observed (r?=?0.9995, P?=?0.0005 – for the protein; r?=?0.9971, P?=?0.0029 – for carbonyls). In the intact rats, the concentration of blood plasma prothrombin was 0.355?±?0.009?mg/ml, and that of carbonyls was 4.94?±?0.09?nmol/mg.

Discussion: Prothrombin and plasma clotting rate was not affected by low concentrations of ROS (0.05–0.2?mM Fe²⁺/H₂O₂). The fibrinogen was susceptible to ROS-related effect over all the used range of concentration (0.05–0.8?mM Fe²⁺/H₂O₂). Carbonylation of fibrinogen did not affect the plasma clotting activity at low ROS concentration (0.05–0.2?mM Fe²⁺/H₂O₂), however it retarded the clotting at higher ROS (0.2–0.8?mM Fe²⁺/H₂O₂).     

S100 proteins: Diagnostic and prognostic biomarkers in laboratory medicine

S100 proteins are members of the superfamily of Ca²⁺-binding proteins characterized by the specific Ca²⁺-binding motif, the EF-hand. Proteins of this superfamily are of clinical use as important diagnostic and prognostic biomarkers in adult and pediatric Laboratory Medicine. For example, measurements of troponin are nowadays the ‘gold standard’ in the diagnosis of patients with acute coronary syndrome. Parvalbumins were identified as major fish allergens and blocking antibodies, induced by immunization with a hypoallergenic parvalbumin mutant, were shown to reduce allergic symptoms. Mutations in calmodulin are linked to inherited ventricular tachycardia, and cardiac arrhythmias. S100 proteins, the largest sub-group within the EF-hand protein family, are closely associated with cardiovascular diseases, various types of cancer, inflammation and autoimmune pathologies and brain diseases. The intention of this review is to focus on the clinical use of S100 proteins as biomarkers and potential drug targets helping to improve the diagnosis of these human diseases in children and adults leading to more selective therapeutic interventions.     

Formins: intermediates in signal-transduction cascades that affect cytoskeletal reorganization

The control of cell growth and polarity depends on a dynamic actin cytoskeleton that has the ability to reorganize in response to developmental and environmental stimuli. In animals and fungi, formins are just one of the four major classes of poly-L-proline-containing (PLP) proteins that form part of the signal-transduction cascade that leads to rearrangement of the actin cytoskeleton. Analysis of the Arabidopsis genome sequence indicates that, unlike animals and fungi, formins are the only class of conserved profilin-binding PLP proteins in plants. Moreover, plant formins show significant structural differences compared with their animal and fungal counterparts, raising the possibility that plant formins are subject to novel mechanisms of control or perform unique roles in plants.