Compensatory substitutions and the evolution of the mitochondrial 12S rRNA gene in mammals

12S ribosomal RNA (rRNA) gene sequences from a suite of mammalian taxa (13 placentals, 4 marsupials, 1 monotreme), for which phylogenetic relationships are well established based on independent criteria, were employed to study the evolution of this gene. Phylogenetic analysis of 12S sequences produces a phylogeny that agrees with expectations. Base composition provides evidence for directional symmetrical substitution pressure in loops; in stems, base composition is much more even. Rates of nucleotide substitution are lower in stems than loops. Patterns of nucleotide substitution show an overall preference for transitions over transversions, with this difference more profound in stems than loops. Among different transversion pathways, there is a wide range of transformation frequencies. An analysis of compensatory substitutions shows that there is strong evidence for their occurrence and that a weighting factor of 0.61 should be applied in phylogenetic analyses to account for the dependence of mutations at stem positions relative to positions where changes are independent. Among stem variables (i.e., stem length, interaction distance, substitution rates, G+C content, and the percentage of bases that are paired), several significant correlations were discovered, but stem length and interaction distance are uncorrelated with other variables.      

Phenotypic variability and therapeutic implications of Candida species in patients with oral lichen planus

We investigated the prevalence and phenotypic variation of Candida species in oral lichen planus (OLP) and the therapeutic implications of our findings. Eighty patients with clinically and histopathologically confirmed cases of OLP (64 non-erosive, 16 erosive) and a control group of 80 healthy individuals with no predisposing factors for oral candidiasis were examined for evidence of Candida infection. Oral swabs and smears were obtained for cytology and culture. Identification, speciation and antifungal susceptibility tests of Candida isolates were performed using an automated microbial identification system. Fifty percent of erosive OLP cases, 28% of non-erosive cases and none of the controls showed evidence of Candida. Candida albicans was found predominantly in non-erosive OLP, while other Candida species were predominate in erosive OLP. Non-Candida albicans isolates (C. glabrata, C. krusei) were resistant to the commonly used antifungals, clotrimazole and fluconazole. Candida infection is common in cases of OLP. We recommend antifungal sensitivity testing prior to antifungal therapy for the erosive form of OLP.     

The use of zootherapeutics in folk veterinary medicine in the district of Cubati, Paraíba State, Brazil

Background

Viewed through the micro focus of an interpretive lens, medical anthropology remains mystified because interpretivist explanations seriously downplay the given context in which individual health seeking-behaviours occur. This paper draws upon both the interpretivist and political economy perspectives to reflect on the ethno medical practices within the Korean-Australian community in Sydney.

Methods

We draw on research data collected between 1995 and 1997 for an earlier study of the use of biomedical and traditional medicine by Korean-Australians in Sydney. A total of 120 interviews were conducted with a range of participants, including biomedical doctors, traditional health professionals, Korean community leaders and Korean migrants representing a range of socio-economic backgrounds and migration patterns.

Results and Discussion

First, the paper highlights the extent to which the social location of migrants in a host society alters or restructures their initial cultural practices they bring with them. Second, taking hanbang medicine in the Korean-Australian community as an illustrative case, the paper explores the transformation of the dominant biomedicine in Australia as a result of the influx of ethnomedicine in the era of global capitalism and global movement.

Conclusion

In seeking to explain the popularity and supply of alternative health care, it is important to go beyond the culture of each kind of health care itself and to take into consideration the changes occurring at societal, national and global levels as well as consequential individual response to the changes. New social conditions influence the choice of health care methods, including herbal/alternative medicine, health foods and what are often called New Age therapies.     

Evaluation of the prevalence and economic burden of adverse drug reactions presenting to the medical emergency department of a tertiary referral centre: a prospective study

Background  

Adverse drug reactions (ADRs) are now recognized as an important cause of hospital admissions, with a proportion ranging from 0.9–7.9%. They also constitute a significant economic burden. We thus aimed at determining the prevalence and the economic burden of ADRs presenting to Medical Emergency Department (ED) of a tertiary referral center in India     

Hypothalamic response to leptin changes during a hormonally induced estrous cycle in rats

The leptin system regulates body fat mass through a feedback loop between adipose tissue and the hypothalamus. To test if leptin responsiveness may be regulated we assayed hypothalamic response to leptin during the estrous cycle; when changes in food intake are known to occur. Immature rats were treated with pregnant mare’s serum gonadotropin (PMSG) to induce synchronized follicular development, ovulation and corpus luteum formation. Leptin response was estimated by measuring the in vitro induction of tis11, a primary response gene activated by STAT3-dependent cytokines in hypothalamic explants after leptin stimulation. In addition, mRNA levels of the suppressor cytokine signaling-3 (SOCS-3), a possible mediator of leptin resistance, were analyzed. Serum leptin levels did not change between days 2 and day 3 (corresponding to proestrus and estrus, respectively) but the response to leptin was higher on day 2 than on day 3 (p=0.05). Food intake displayed a tendency towards downregulation between day 1 and day 2 (p=0.057), and a tendency towards upregulation between day 2 and day 3 (p=0.072), although the body weight increased on day of the study (p<0.0001). There was no significant difference in hypothalamic expression of SOCS-3 between day 2 and day 3. In conclusion, we have shown that leptin responsiveness changes during a hormonally induced estrous cycle in rats. Our data suggest that a change in the hypothalamic response to leptin may cause the cyclic feeding behavior seen in rats.     

The Cutting Balloon--a new technology?

The Cutting Balloon consists of a standard balloon dilatation catheter with four microtome-sharp blades that incise the plaque and minimize arterial wall trauma. It was used in 31 patients; nine had calcified arteries, ten had non-compliant lesions, three had in-stent restenosis and nine had aorto-ostial lesions. Seventeen lesions were predilated, 28 were post-dilated and 18 required stent implantation. The procedure was very effective in aorto-ostial lesions, non-compliant lesions that were not responsive to high-pressure balloon dilatation, and was partially successful in calcified arteries. It has a very specific niche in selected lesions.     

Confirmation of a gene for multiple sclerosis (MS) to chromosome region 19q13.3

To identify the chromosomal localizations of the multiple sclerosis (MS) genes, we conducted a genomewide linkage analysis using eighteen affected families. A MS gene is linked to markers located in the 19q13.3 region (multipoint lod-score = 2.1). Apolipoprotein E (ApoE) gene, located in this region, is an excellent candidate gene for MS because the ApoEe4 allele is acting as a severity allele in the disease.