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The World Health Organization alert for the H1N1 influenza pandemic led to the implementation of certain measures regarding admission of patients with flu-like symptoms. All these instructions were adopted by the Greek National Health System. The aim of this study was to retrospectively examine the characteristics of all subjects admitted to the Unit of Infectious Diseases with symptoms indicating H1N1 infection, and to identify any differences between H1N1 positive or negative patients. Patients from the ED (emergency department) with flu-like symptoms (sore throat, cough, rhinorhea, or nasal congestion) and fever >37.5°C were admitted in the Unit of Infectious diseases and gave pharyngeal or nasopharyngeal swabs. Swabs were tested with real-time reverse-transcriptase-polymerase-chain-reaction (RT-PCR). Patients were divided into two groups. Group A comprised 33 H1N1 positive patients and Group B (control group) comprised of 27 H1N1 negative patients. The two groups did not differ in terms of patient age, co-morbidities, length of hospitalization, temperature elevation, hypoxemia, as well as renal and liver function. There were also no significant differences in severity on admission. C-reactive protein (CRP) (mean 12.8 vs. 5.74) and white blood count (WBC) (mean 10.528 vs. 7.114) were significantly higher in group B than in group A upon admission. Obesity was noted in 8 patients of Group A (mean 31.67) and 14 patients of Group B (mean 37.78). Body mass index (BMI) was lower in H1N1 positive than in H1N1 negative patients (mean 31.67 vs. 37.78, respectively; p = 0.009). The majority of patients in both groups were young male adults. CRP, WBC and BMI were higher among H1N1 negative patients. Finally, clinical course of patients in both groups was mild and uneventful.

There is increasing demand to test hypotheses that contrast the evolution of genes and gene families among genomes, using simulations that work across these levels of organization. The EvolSimulator program was developed recently to provide a highly flexible platform for forward simulations of amino acid evolution in multiple related lineages of haploid genomes, permitting copy number variation and lateral gene transfer. Synonymous nucleotide evolution is not currently supported, however, and would be highly advantageous for comparisons to full genome, transcriptome, and single nucleotide polymorphism (SNP) datasets. In addition, EvolSimulator creates new genomes for each simulation, and does not allow the input of user-specified sequences and gene family information, limiting the incorporation of further biological realism and/or user manipulations of the data. We present modified C++ source code for the EvolSimulator platform, which we provide as the extension module NU-IN. With NU-IN, synonymous and non-synonymous nucleotide evolution is fully implemented, and the user has the ability to use real or previously-simulated sequence data to initiate a simulation of one or more lineages. Gene family membership can be optionally specified, as well as gene retention probabilities that model biased gene retention. We provide PERL scripts to assist the user in deriving this information from previous simulations. We demonstrate the features of NU-IN by simulating genome duplication (polyploidy) in the presence of ongoing copy number variation in an evolving lineage. This example is initiated with real genomic data, and produces output that we analyse directly with existing bioinformatic pipelines. The NU-IN extension module is a publicly available open source software (GNU GPLv3 license) extension to EvolSimulator. With the NU-IN module, users are now able to simulate both drift and selection at the nucleotide, amino acid, copy number, and gene family levels across sets of related genomes, for user-specified starting sequences and associated parameters. These features can be used to generate simulated genomic datasets under an extremely broad array of conditions, and with a high degree of biological realism.

To examine the significant events experienced by initial trainees during community medicine training, evaluate their impact on community medicine practice, and support improvements in rural community medicine training. Three faculty teachers independently evaluated the reports of 25 residents who had completed a four-week community medicine training in a rural area to analyze major events. The reports were analyzed using topics from the Model Core Curriculum for Medical Education that relate to rural medicine. The most frequently reported items were identified as follows: Primary care: 9 (36.0%); integrated community care systems: 8 (32.0%); medical care in the local community: 7 (28.0%); home health care and systems, patient-physician relationship, and end-of-life medical treatment and care: 6 each (24.0%). Reports from residents describing events related to home health care and systems and end-of-life medical treatment and care were related to more than one item.

Placental soluble fms-like tyrosine kinase-1 (sFlt-1) which is an antagonist of vascular endothelial growth factor and placental growth factor (PIGF), is considered as one of etiology factors cause endothelial damage in preeclampsia due to increase of sFlt-1 level that change vascular endothelial integrity. This study aims to analyze the difference of sFlt-1 and PlGF concentration in severe preeclampsia and normal pregnancy, and the correlation between both in occurrence of severe preeclampsia. This is case control study involving 18 subjects with severe preeclampsia and 19 subjects with normal pregnancy as controls who met inclusion and exclusion criteria. Concentration of sFlt-1 and PlGF are measured with ELISA. Statistical analysis is performed with Chi square test, Fisher’s exact test, T test, Mann–Whitney test, and Spearman’s rank correlation test. This study results in no significant difference in characteristics of gestational age, and parity in both study groups. Median concentration of sFlt-1 in severe preeclampsia is higher (20,524.75 pg/mL) compared with normal pregnancy (6820.4 pg/mL). Concentration of PlGF is lower in severe preeclampsia (47 pg/mL) compared with normal pregnancy (337 pg/mL). sFlt-1 concentration is higher in severe preeclampsia compared to normal pregnancy. PlGF concentration is lower in severe preeclampsia compared to normal pregnancy. Ratio of sFlt-1 and PlGF concentration is significantly correlated in both severe preeclampsia and normal pregnancy. There is a significant negative correlation between the concentration of sFLt-1 and PlGF in normal pregnancy.

This study aimed to explore the neuro-cognitive deficits of alcohol-induced psychotic disorder as compared to the cognitive deficits of uncomplicated alcohol dependence. Participants were recruited from the acute psychiatric admission wards of the Department of Psychiatry, University of Stellenbosch and Stikland and Tygerberg Academic Hospitals in the Western-Cape, South Africa. Participants who met DSM IV TR criteria (American Psychiatric Association. Diagnostic and statistical manual of mental disorders. American Psychiatric Association, Washington, DC, 2000) for Alcohol Dependence and for alcohol-induced psychotic disorder, respectively, were included. Participants who met criteria for another current DSM IV TR Axis I disorder were excluded. A structured interview was done prior to neuropsychological assessment to ascertain current mental state and to obtain relevant demographic detail and history. Neuropsychological assessments were performed and supervised by clinical psychologists at either Tygerberg or Stikland Hospital. The groups were matched demographically with similar period of abstinence prior to assessment. The alcohol-induced psychotic disorder group experienced first psychotic symptoms at age 35. The results reflected statistically significant differences on tasks measuring immediate memory; recall upon delay; exaggeration of memory difficulty and abstract thinking. This study concurs with earlier literature that some cognitive deficits are greater in alcohol-induced psychotic disorder compared to uncomplicated alcohol dependence.

MODELLER is a program for automated protein Homology Modeling. It is one of the most widely used tool for homology or comparative modeling of protein three-dimensional structures, but most users find it a bit difficult to start with MODELLER as it is command line based and requires knowledge of basic Python scripting to use it efficiently. The study was designed with an aim to develop of "EasyModeller" tool as a frontend graphical interface to MODELLER using Perl/Tk, which can be used as a standalone tool in windows platform with MODELLER and Python preinstalled. It helps inexperienced users to perform modeling, assessment, visualization, and optimization of protein models in a simple and straightforward way. EasyModeller provides a graphical straight forward interface and functions as a stand-alone tool which can be used in a standard personal computer with Microsoft Windows as the operating system.

Uric acid is the metabolic end product of purine metabolism in humans. Altered serum and urine uric acid level (both above and below the reference ranges) is an indispensable marker in detecting rare inborn errors of metabolism. We describe different case scenarios of 4 Sri Lankan patients related to abnormal uric acid levels in blood and urine. A one-and-half-year-old boy was investigated for haematuria and a calculus in the bladder. Xanthine crystals were seen in microscopic examination of urine sediment. Low uric acid concentrations in serum and low urinary fractional excretion of uric acid associated with high urinary excretion of xanthine and hypoxanthine were compatible with xanthine oxidase deficiency. An 8-month-old boy presented with intractable seizures, feeding difficulties, screaming episodes, microcephaly, facial dysmorphism and severe neuro developmental delay. Low uric acid level in serum, low fractional excretion of uric acid and radiological findings were consistent with possible molybdenum cofactor deficiency. Diagnosis was confirmed by elevated levels of xanthine, hypoxanthine and sulfocysteine levels in urine. A 3-year-10-month-old boy presented with global developmental delay, failure to thrive, dystonia and self-destructive behaviour. High uric acid levels in serum, increased fractional excretion of uric acid and absent hypoxanthine–guanine phosphoribosyltransferase enzyme level confirmed the diagnosis of Lesch–Nyhan syndrome. A 9-year-old boy was investigated for lower abdominal pain, gross haematuria and right renal calculus. Low uric acid level in serum and increased fractional excretion of uric acid pointed towards hereditary renal hypouricaemia which was confirmed by genetic studies. Abnormal uric acid level in blood and urine is a valuable tool in screening for clinical conditions related to derangement of the nucleic acid metabolic pathway.

The purpose of this study was to explore whether plant programmed cell death (PCD) cascade can sense the presence of the animal-only BH3 protein Bid, a BCL-2 family protein known to play a regulatory role in the signaling cascade of animal apoptosis. We have expressed the mouse pro-apoptotic protein Bid in Arabidopsis thaliana and in Nicotiana tabacum. We did not obtain any transformed plant constitutively expressing the truncated protein (tBid—i.e. the caspase-activated form) whereas ectopic expression of the full-length protein (flBid) does not interfere with growth and development of the transformed plants. To verify whether the presence of this animal pro-apoptotic protein modified stress responses and PCD execution, both N. tabacum and A. thaliana plants constitutively expressing flBid have been studied under different stress conditions triggering cell death activation. The results show that the presence of flBid in transgenic plants did not significantly change the responses to abiotic stress (H2O2 or NO) and biotic stress treatments. Moreover, the finding that no Bid active form was present in treated tobacco plants suggests an absence of a proper activation of Bid.