A novel approach to biological control with entomopathogenic nematodes: Prophylactic control of the peachtree borer, Synanthedon exitiosa

Generally, microbial control agents such as entomopathogenic nematodes are applied in a curative manner for achieving pest suppression; prophylactic applications are rare. In this study, we determined the ability of two Steinernema carpocapsae strains (All and Hybrid) to prophylactically protect peach trees from damage caused by the peachtree borer, Synanthedon exitiosa, which is a major pest of stone fruit trees in North America. In prior studies, the entomopathogenic nematodes S. carpocapsae and Heterorhabditis bacteriophora caused field suppression when applied in a curative manner to established S. exitiosa populations. In our current study, nematodes were applied three times (at 150,000–300,000 infective juveniles/tree) during September and October of 2005, 2006, and 2007. A control (water only) and a single application of chlorpyrifos (at the labeled rate) were also made each year. The presence of S. exitiosa damage was assessed each year in the spring following the treatment applications. Following applications in 2006, we did not detect any differences among treatments or the control (possibly due to a low and variable S. exitiosa infestation of that orchard). Following applications in 2005 and 2007, however, the nematode and chemical treatments caused significant damage suppression. The percentage of trees with S. exitiosa damage in treated plots ranged from 0% damage in 2005 to 16% in plots treated with S. carpocapsae (Hybrid) in 2007. In control plots damage ranged from 25% (2005) to 41% (2007). Our results indicate that nematodes applied in a preventative manner during S. exitios’s oviposition period can reduce insect damage to levels similar to what is achieved with recommended chemical insecticide treatments.     

Leishmania donovani: Therapeutic and prophylactic action of antimony dextran glycoside (RL-712) in the golden hamster

Antimony dextran glycoside (RL-712, manufactured by Rosco A/S Pharmaceutical Taastrup, Denmark) produced a remarkable decrease in Leishmania donovani densities in hamster spleen and liver when administered in a single intraperitoneal (ip) dose of 500 mg Sb/kg body weight or in 600 mg Sb/kg body weight divided into two or three equal parts injected at weekly intervals beginning 15 days after intracardial inoculation of 10 million amastigotes, and also in a single ip dose of 300 mg Sb/kg body weight 14, 7, and 0 days before intracardial inoculation of 10 million amastigotes. No parasites were detected on using a single dose of 500 mg Sb/kg body weight followed by 100 mg Sb/kg body weight one week later.When the drug was administered in a dose of 500 mg Sb/kg body weight either 10 days before subcutaneous inoculation of 60 million promastigotes or eight days before intracardial inoculation of five million promastigotes, no parasites were recovered by smear or culture from the spleen and liver.Results show the prophylactic and therapeutic actions of this drug against L. donovani in the hamster.     

肾病综合征合并肺栓塞的临床研究进展

肾病综合征是一种临床常见疾病,其患者体内常呈高凝状态,极易发生血栓栓塞事件,而其中以肾静脉血栓、肺动脉栓塞和 下肢深静脉血栓最为常见。由于肺动脉栓塞早期缺乏特征性的临床表现,病情隐匿,所以极易误诊或漏诊,发现时患者病情往往 已十分严重,致死率极高。目前,对于肾病综合征合并肺栓塞的发生率国内外报道不一,尚无准确的流行病学资料,而对于其发病 原因、危险因素、早期诊断及是否需要预防性抗凝治疗等均存在争议,本文主要结合文献对肾病综合征合并肺栓塞的流行病学、 病因及发病机制、诊断、高危因素和治疗进行了综述,尤其是对目前争议较大的肾病综合征合并肺栓塞患者是否需要早期抗凝治 疗。     

Phosphorylated-Akt overexpression is associated with a higher risk of brain metastasis in patients with non-small cell lung cancer

Brain metastasis (BM) of non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) is relatively common and has a poor prognosis. Moreover, identifying which patients are more likely to develop BM is challenging. Akt, a serine/threonine-specific protein kinase, can be activated in various tumors, including lung cancer, and may be associated with poor prognosis. Here, we used immunohistochemistry to evaluate phosphorylated-Akt (p-Akt) expression in tumor tissues of 99 NSCLC patients. We also analyzed the genotype of the patients for two single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) of the AKT1 gene, rs2498804 and rs2494732. We found that p-Akt expression differs between NSCLC patients and correlates with the risk of BM. Indeed, patients exhibiting medium to high p-Akt expression had a higher incidence of BM than those exhibiting low to no p-Akt expression (39% vs 16%). Our data also show that patients with the rs2498804 GT/GG and rs2494732 CT/TT variant genotypes were more likely to exhibit higher levels of p-Akt expression than those with the rs2498804 TT and rs2494732 CC variant genotypes (35% vs. 24% and 37% vs. 25%, respectively). Our results suggest that the level of expression of p-Akt, which may be affected by the AKT1 genotype, is correlated with the risk of BM. However, further studies are needed to establish p-Akt as a predictive marker for BM in NSCLC patients.     

腹主动脉球囊预置术治疗凶险型前置胎盘疗效评价

目的:探讨腹主动脉球囊预置术治疗凶险型前置胎盘的疗效及安全性。方法:收取2014年3月至2016年3月我院收治的凶险型前置胎盘患者71例临床资料进行回顾性分析,观察组患者35例,行剖宫产前进行腹主动脉球囊预置术;对照组患者36例,直接进行剖宫产。对两组患者手术情况、术后情况以及新生儿情况进行观察比较。结果:两组患者手术时间及胎盘植入情况无显著差异,观察组术中出血量及输血量明显低于对照组,医疗费用明显高于对照组,产后出血及并发症发生率明显低于对照组,差异均有统计学意义(P0.05)。两组患者子宫切除率无显著差异(P0.05)。两组新生儿体质量及窒息情况无显著差异(P0.05)。结论:剖宫产前行腹主动脉球囊预置术可有效控制术中出血,是治疗凶险型前置胎盘安全有效的方法。     

Radiotherapy applications of patients with malignant mesothelioma: A single center experience

Background

In the management of malignant pleural mesothelioma, radiotherapy has been used for the purpose of prophylaxis to reduce the incidence of recurrence at surgical insertion sites or palliate the symptoms.

Aim

The purpose of the study was to evaluate the techniques and effectiveness of radiotherapy in malignant pleural mesothelioma.

Materials and methods

Forty-four (18 female, 26 male) patients diagnosed with malignant pleural mesothelioma were retrospectively evaluated. All patients had surgery or thoracoscopic biopsy for diagnosis, staging or treatment and all received palliative or prophylactic radiotherapy. Fifty-seven percent of the patients received chemotherapy.

Results

Prophylactic radiation was applied to 27 patients with 4–15 MeV electron energies. The median radiotherapy dose was 30 Gy with 3 Gy daily fraction dose. During treatment, 12 patients had grade 1 erythema according to the RTOG scale. In 3 (12%) patients, a local failure at treatment field was observed. Palliative radiotherapy was applied to 17 patients for pain palliation. The median radiation dose was 40 Gy with 2 Gy daily fraction dose by using 6–18 MV photon and/or 4–12 MeV electron energies. Two patients had grade 1 erythema and one patient had grade 2 odynophagy according to the RTOG scale. For 10 (59%) patients, palliation of chest pain was delivered. No late toxicity was observed for all cases.

Conclusion

Our experience showed that prophylactic and palliative radiotherapy are effective and safe therapy modalities in malignant pleural mesothelioma in preventing seeding metastasis at intervention sites or relieving pain. Prospective randomized studies are still needed to determine the benefits of radiotherapy application and to indicate optimum dose schemes.     

丙型肝炎病毒疫苗的研究进展

丙型肝炎是由丙型肝炎病毒(HCV)感染引起的重要传染病,有效的治疗性和预防性疫苗目前均尚未研制成功.HCV的高变异性及多种免疫逃避途径是疫苗研制的主要障碍.目前,已有多种类型的HCV候选疫苗进入临床试验或临床前期试验阶段,但其有效性、安全性等还不能令人满意.随着对HCV相关免疫应答机制的深入了解,有望研制出相应的治疗性和预防性疫苗.     

人乳头瘤病毒16型L1和L2基因表达产物的鉴定

目的:构建人乳头瘤病毒(human papillomavirus,HPV)16型晚期基因L1及L2的原核表达质粒,并验证目的蛋白的表达.方法:用限制性酶切及连接的方法构建原核表达质粒pET3a-16 L1和pET3a-16 L2,通过SDS-PAGE及Westen blot检测目的融合蛋白的表达.结果:在大肠菌中诱导表达的L1蛋白分子量约为57 KD,L2蛋白分子量约为90 KD.结论:该实验结果为HPV16型预防性基因工程亚单位疫苗的研制和诊断试剂的研究开发奠定了基础.     

婴幼儿抗生素相关性腹泻的影响因素及其防治

目的分析婴幼儿抗生素相关性腹泻的影响因素,观察地衣芽孢杆菌活菌制剂在预防抗生素相关性腹泻中的疗效。方法选择大连医科大学附属二院2016年11月至2017年2月因支气管肺炎应用广谱抗生素治疗的265例婴幼儿患者,随机分成实验组(140例)和对照组(125例)。实验组患儿从应用抗生素治疗第1天开始预防性口服地衣芽孢杆菌(0.25g/次,3次/d)直至停用抗生素;对照组患儿出现腹泻后加用地衣芽孢杆菌治疗,用药至腹泻缓解,剂量和用法与实验组一致。观察两组患儿抗生素相关性腹泻出现的例数,腹泻出现时间,持续时间,大便次数及性状。分析年龄、抗生素应用时间、是否联合应用抗生素与抗生素相关性腹泻之间的关系。结果 (1)年龄小于1岁、应用抗生素时间大于7d和联合应用抗生素均是婴幼儿发生抗生素相关性腹泻的高危因素。(2)预防性使用地衣芽孢杆菌后,实验组患儿腹泻发生率明显低于对照组,腹泻出现时间晚于对照组,腹泻持续时间短于对照组,平均大便次数少于对照组,差异均有统计学意义(P0.05)。结论 (1)婴幼儿长时间应用抗生素和联合应用抗生素易导致抗生素相关性腹泻的发生。(2)预防性应用地衣芽孢杆菌活菌制剂可以有效减轻抗生素相关性腹泻的发生及其严重程度。