Molecular typing of clinical and environmental Cryptococcus neoformans isolates in the Brazilian state Rio Grande do Sul

In Brazil, 4.5% of the AIDS-related opportunistic infections are caused by Cryptococcus neoformans. This pathogen is a ubiquitous environmental basidiomycetous encapsulated yeast, commonly found in soil and avian excreta. The present study investigates further the population structure of clinical and environmental C. neoformans isolates from south Brazil. One hundred five clinical and 19 environmental (pigeon excreta and Eucalyptus spp.) isolates from the Brazilian state Rio Grande do Sul were characterized based on morphological, biochemical, molecular and serological data. The majority of the clinical and environmental isolates analyzed belonged to C. neoformans var. grubii serotype A (89.5 and 52.6%, respectively), were mating type alpha (98.1 and 94.7%, respectively) and were phospholipase-positive (94.3 and 73.7%, respectively). PCR-fingerprinting with the microsatellite-specific primer M13 and the minisatellite-specific primer (GACA)(4) grouped the majority of the isolates into the molecular type VNI (89.5 of the clinical and 52.6% of the environmental isolates). Our results add considerable new information to the few available data on ecology, molecular biology and epidemiology of C. neoformans in the southern region of Brazil.     

The application of peptide nucleic acid probes for rapid detection and enumeration of eubacteria, Staphylococcus aureus and Pseudomonas aeruginosa in recreational beaches of S. Florida

A novel chemiluminescent in situ hybridization technique using peptide nucleic acids (PNA) was adapted for the detection of bacteria in beach sand and recreational waters in South Florida. The simultaneous detection and enumeration of eubacteria and the novel indicators, Staphylococcus aureus and Pseudomonas aeruginosa, was achieved within 6-8 h of processing. Following 5 h of incubation on TSA, soybean peroxidase-labeled peptide nucleic acid probes (Boston Probes, Boston, MA) targeting species-specific 16S rRNA sequences of P. aeruginosa and S. aureus were used to hybridize microcolonies of the target species in-situ. In addition, a universal probe for 16S rRNA sequences was used to target the eubacteria. Probes were detected after a light generating reaction with a chemiluminescent substrate and their presence recorded on Polaroid film. The probes showed limited cross-reactivity with mixed indigenous bacteria extracted from seawater and sand by shaking with phosphate-buffered saline (PBS). Specificity and cross-reactivity was tested on the reference bacterial genera Pseudomonas, Staphylococcus, Vibrio, Shigella, Salmonella, Acinetobacter, Enterobacter, Escherichia and Citrobacter. These tests confirmed that the probes were specific for the microorganisms of interest and were unaffected by high salt levels. The results of the PNA chemiluminescent in situ hybridization were compared with traditional plate count methods (PCM) for total 'freshwater' eubacteria, S. aureus and P. aeruginosa. Counts of eubacteria and S. aureus were comparable with numbers obtained from traditional plate counts but levels of P. aeruginosa were higher with PNA than with PCM. It is possible that PNA is more sensitive than PCM because it can detect microcolonies on the agar surface that never fully develop with the plate count method. We conclude that the in situ hybridization technique used here represents an important potential tool for the rapid monitoring of novel indicator organisms in beaches and recreational waters.     

NS 1231, a novel compound with neurotrophic-like effects in vitro and in vivo

NS 1231 [5-(4-chlorophenyl)-6,7,8,9-tetrahydro-1H-pyrrolo-[3.2-h]naphthalene-2,3-dione-3-oxime] belongs to a chemical series of compounds, which exhibit neurotrophic-like activities. In vitro, NS 1231 rescued nerve growth factor (NGF)-differentiated PC12 cells from death induced by withdrawal of trophic factors. In addition, NS 1231 stimulated NGF-induced neurite outgrowth of undifferentiated PC12 cells. At the molecular level, NS 1231 enhanced NGF-induced signalling events, such as TrkA phosphorylation at the Shc-binding site Tyr490 as well as ERK activation in PC12 cells. Moreover, NS 1231 reduced NMDA-induced excitotoxicity in organotypic hippocampal slice cultures. In a gerbil model of transient global ischaemia, treatment with NS 1231 reduced the delayed loss of neurons in the hippocampal CA1 layer. Furthermore, NS 1231 treatment resulted in a 43% reduction in total infarct volume in the mouse middle cerebral artery occlusion (MCAO) model. The present data thus implicate a therapeutic potential of NS 1231 or structural analogues in treatment of cerebral ischaemia.     

栲树种群的年龄结构及其生长特征

为了了解栲树的更新方式和更新动态,研究了栲树的生长特征和种群年龄结构.结果表明：栲树种群的年龄结构呈“间歇型”,经历了两个死亡高峰,并存在一个长达30年的断层;栲树的生长受光照的影响,具有很强的可塑性;由于林下光照弱且在垂直空间上不存在差异,栲树生长5～8年后进入生长的第1个抑制期,其年高生长速度可小于0.1 m,并可维持10年;栲树生长的第1个抑制期的起始时间对应着种群第1个死亡高峰期的结束时间,而其结束时间对应着种群第2个死亡高峰期的起始时间,表明栲树生长特征是影响其种群年龄结构的关键因素.     

Aspects of statin prescribing in Norwegian counties with high,average and low statin consumption – an individual-level prescription database study

Background  

A previous study has shown that variations in threshold and intensity (lipid goal attainment) of statins for primary prevention contribute to regional differences in overall consumption of statins in Norway. Our objective was to explore how differences in prevalences of use, dosing characteristics, choice of statin and continuity of therapy in individual patients adds new information to previous results.