Genomic characterization of Puccinia triticina using molecular marker technology / Caracterização genômica de Puccinia triticina usando tecnologia de marcadores moleculares

Leaf rust, caused by Puccinia triticina, is the most common rust disease of wheat. The fungus is an obligate parasite capable of producing infectious urediniospores. To study the genetic structure of the leaf rust population 20 RAPD primers were evaluated on 15 isolates samples collected in Pakistan. A total of 105 RAPD fragments were amplified with an average of 7 fragments per primer. The number of amplified fragments varied from 1 to 12. GL Decamer L-07 and GL Decamer L-01 amplified the highest number of bands (twelve) and primer GL Decamer A-03 amplified the lowest number of bands i.e one. Results showed that almost all investigated isolates were genetically different that confirms high genetic diversity within the leaf rust population. Rust spores can follow the migration pattern in short and long distances to neighbor areas. Results indicated that the greatest variability was revealed by 74.9% of genetic differentiation within leaf rust populations. These results suggested that each population was not completely identical and high gene flow has occurred among the leaf rust population of different areas. The highest differentiation and genetic distance among the Pakistani leaf rust populations were detected between the leaf rust population in NARC isolate (NARC-4) and AARI-11and the highest similarity was observed between NARC isolates (NARC-4) and (NARC-5). The present study showed the leaf rust population in Pakistan is highly dynamic and variable.

A ferrugem da folha, causada por Puccinia triticina, é a ferrugem mais comum do trigo. O fungo é um parasita obrigatório, capaz de produzir urediniósporos infecciosos. Para estudar a estrutura genética da população de ferrugem da folha, 20 primers RAPD foram avaliados em 15 amostras de isolados coletadas no Paquistão. Um total de 105 fragmentos RAPD foram amplificados com uma média de 7 fragmentos por primer. O número de fragmentos amplificados variou de 1 a 12. GL Decamer L-07 e GL Decamer L-01 amplificaram o maior número de bandas (doze), e o primer GL Decamer A-03 amplificou o menor número de bandas, ou seja, um. Os resultados mostraram que quase todos os isolados investigados eram geneticamente diferentes, o que confirma a alta diversidade genética na população de ferrugem da folha. Os esporos de ferrugem podem seguir o padrão de migração em distâncias curtas e longas para áreas vizinhas. Os resultados indicaram que a maior variabilidade foi revelada por 74,9% da diferenciação genética nas populações de ferrugem. Esses resultados sugeriram que cada população não era completamente idêntica e um alto fluxo gênico ocorreu entre a população de ferrugem da folha de diferentes áreas. A maior diferenciação e distância genética entre as populações de ferrugem da folha do Paquistão foram detectadas entre a população de ferrugem da folha no isolado NARC (NARC-4) e AARI-11 e a maior similaridade foi observada entre os isolados NARC (NARC-4) e (NARC-5). O presente estudo mostrou que a população de ferrugem da folha no Paquistão é altamente dinâmica e variável.

Perception Towards Health Promotion Activities: Findings From A Community Survey In The State Of Penang, Malaysia

The study aimed to explore the perceptions towards health promotion activities among population of Penang Island, Malaysia. The study was designed as a questionnaire based cross sectional analysis. General public from the district of Jelutong, located in the state of Penang, Malaysia was conveniently approached for the study. Descriptive statistics were used to ascertain demographic characteristics where as inferential statistics were employed to measure the extent of association among study variables. Out of 480 respondents, a response rate of 82.7% was achieved. The study cohort was dominated by females (63.0%) and majority of the participants belonged to Malay ethnicity (88.1%). One hundred and seventy two (43.3%) never attended a health promotional campaign and mentioned lack of time and transport as potential barriers. Among those who attended such activities, one third was satisfied with the benefits of health campaigns. Approximately 90% of the participants demanded accessible locations, common language as mode of communication and complete medical checkups with professional advice at health promotional campaigns. General public can encouraged to participate in the health promotion activities by considering their priorities before designing a health promotion program. This will help in targeting and achieving the goal “health for all”.

Tracing disease gene(s) in non-syndromic clefts of orofacial region: HLA haplotypic linkage by analyzing the microsatellite markers: MIB, C1_2_5, C1_4_1, and C1_2_A.

BACKGROUND: Cleft lip with or without cleft palate (CL/P) is the most frequent craniofacial malformation seen in man. The etiology of CL/P is complex involving both genetic and epigenetic (environmental) factors, and the genes play an almost deterministic role in the normal development of craniofacial structures. This study was aimed at ascertaining the association of HLA microsatellites in CL/P patients. MATERIALS AND METHODS: Case DNA was obtained from 76 patients (40M and 36 F, average age 7.8 years, range 1-16 years). Unaffected individuals from the same geographical area without population mixing included as controls (n=154, 76 M and 78 F, average age 8.2 years, range 2-17 years). All DNA samples were purified from peripheral blood by standard techniques. RESULTS: Four microsatellites were compared in this case-control study. C1_2_5 locus was the most polymorphic marker with 15 observed alleles while C1_4_1 had the least number of alleles. Three of the four markers viz MIB,C1_4_1 and C1_2_5 showed a significant association of microsatellite alleles with CL/P. Five alleles (MIB_326,332,350; C1_4_1 – 213 and C1_2_5-204) were seen with an increased frequency among the test samples, whereas two alleles (C1-4_1_217, and C1_2_5_196) had an increased frequency among the control samples. One allele (C1-4-1-209) had an increased frequency in patient group but was not observed in the controls. CONCLUSION: The role of HLA complex in the pathogenesis of CL/P is speculative and has not been established so far. The result of this study shows that a few alleles have an increased frequency of expression in the diseased group which suggests that these alleles may predispose the individuals to clefting. This finding may be beneficial to aid in early diagnosis and plan intervention strategies.

Pharmacokinetic concerns in the management of drug induced vomiting in co-morbid tuberculosis patient: A case report from Malaysia.

A 46 years old patient with history of type II diabetes mellitus (DM) approached chest clinic with complaints of productive cough, low grade fever and night sweating. Positive sputum smear and cavities in upper lobe of left lung confirmed him as a pulmonary tuberculosis patient (PTB). He was prescribed World Health Organization recommended six months therapy for tuberculosis (TB). During treatment, patient suffered from persistent vomiting for which he was prescribed metoclopramide tablet (10mg). Total duration of TB treatment was prolonged up to 10 months which was attributed to frequent vomiting and uncontrolled blood sugar level throughout therapy. Appropriate glycaemic control is cornerstone in management of PTB patients with type II DM. According to United State Pharmacopoeia, dissolution time specification for rifampicin in fixed dose combination (FDC) is 45 minutes. This indicates that anti TB drugs must remain in gastrointestinal tract for at least 45 minutes. Administration of metoclopramide at least one hour before taking anti TB drugs can trim down episodes of vomiting.

Distribution and seasonal activity of mosquitoes in Al Madinah Al Munwwrah, Saudi Arabia

In this study, 2654 adults and mosquito larvae, which belong to 18 species and 4 genera, were collected: Aedes [2 spp.], Anopheles [7 spp.], Culex [8 spp.] and Culiseta [1sp.]. They were Aedes caspius, Ae. aegypti, Anopheies azaniae, An. d'thali, An. multicolor, An. rhodesienss, An. stephensi, An. Sub-pictus, An. turkhudi, Cuiex laticinctus, Cx. perexiguus, Cx. pipiens, Cx. quin-quefasciatus, Cx. simpsoni, Cx. theileri, Cx. tritaeniorhynchus, Cx. univittatus and Culiseta ion giareolata. A total of 2270 mosquito larvae were collected, and Culex spp. were the most abundant, where 1629 [71.76%] larvae were collected, followed by 499 [21.98%] Anopheles spp., 94 [4.14%] Aedes spp. and 48 [2.12%] Culiseta longiareolata. Of, 384 adult mosquitoes collected Culex spp. were the most abundant and 328 [85.42%] were collected, followed by 22 [5.73%] Aedes spp., 19 [4.94%] Anopheles spp. and 15 [3.91%] Culiseta longiareolata. The physical properties of the water in the breeding sites of mosquito larvae showed that pH of water varied between 6.9 and 9.9, the total dissolved salts [TDS] varied between 378-9504 ppm and water temperature varied between 8.7°C in winter to 29.9°C in summer. There was no correlation between pH and TDS of water in breeding site and distribution of larvae. The population density started to increase in March, with a peak in August when temperature was 36°C. The activity started to decrease in October, and minimum activity was in January, when temperature was below 5°C. The seasonal abundance of adult mosquitoes was not affected by rainfall. A. aegypti, vector of Dengue fever virus, Cx. tritaeniorhynchus, vector of Rift Valley fever and Cx. univittatus, vector of sindbis virus were reported for the first time in Al Madinah Al Munawwrah Region. These vectors constituted a major health problem, and every effort should be made for feasible control

study on culex species and culex transmitted diseases in Al-Madinah Al-Munawarah, Saudi Arabia

Culex mosquitoes transmit bancroftian filariasis and arboviruses as West Nile Virus in the Middle East including Saudi Arabia. However, the prevalent Culex species in Al-Madinah region have not been reported and their role in disease transmission remains to be clarified. This work aimed to investigate the role of Culex in transmission of Wuchereria bancrofti, West Nile virus, Saint Louis encephalitis and Eastern Equine encephalitis in Al-Madinah, Saudi Arabia. Also, it was done to document the prevalent Culex species and to shed light on their bionomics and habits. Culex mosquitoes were collected using spray sheets and CDC light traps with CO2 release from July 2007 till June 2008. Also, Culex larvae were collected for 8 months during that period. Culex seasonal distribution and bionomics were documented and taxonomical identification was done. Females were dissected and microscopically examined for filarial stages. In addition, they were screened by the Vec-Test for West Nile virus, Saint Louis encephalitis and Eastern Equine encephalitis. A total of 3.6% human rooms and 4.7% of animal sheds were positive for Culex; more in the period of January-June 2008, compared to July-December 2007. Seven Culex species were found, two of which were recorded for the first time in the region; C. duttoni and C. decens. C. pipiens and C. quinquefasciatus were the most abundant; 59.3% of collected adults were C. pipiens, while C. quinquefasciatus constituted 22.1%. As for collected larvae, C. pipiens constituted 60% of them, whereas C. quinquefasciatus totalled 20%. Only C. pipie/Is was found to harbor West Nile Virus. In contrast, no other viruses or W bancrfoti stages were detected in the examined mosquitoes. There is a potential danger of the transmission of West Nile Virus in Al-Madinah especially by C. pipiens. Also, the possibility of future transmission of W. bancrofti, and the establishment of new endemic foci of bancroftian filariasis in the region, couldn't be overruled