Preliminary feasibility study using a solution of synthetic enzymes to replace the natural enzymes in polyhemoglobin-catalase-superoxide dismutase-carbonic anhydrase: effect on warm ischemic hepatocyte cell culture.

This is a study on a simple solution of chemically prepared small chemical molecules of synthetic enzymes: catalase, superoxide dismutase, and carbonic anhydrase (CAT, SOD, and CA). We carried out a study to see if these synthetic enzymes can replace the natural enzymes (CAT, SOD, and CA) and avoid the need for the complicated cross-linking of natural enzymes to PolyHb to form PolyHb-CAT-SOD-CA. We compared the effect a solution of these three synthetic enzymes has on the viability of warm-ischemic hepatocytes that were exposed to nitrogen for 1 h at 37°C. PolyHb significantly increased the viability. The three synthetic enzymes themselves also significantly increased the viability. The use of both PolyHb and the three synthetic enzymes resulted in an additive effect in the recovery of viability. Increasing the concentration of the synthetic enzymes resulted in further increase in the effect due to the synthetic enzymes. Implications: In addition to PolyHb, there are a number of other HBOC oxygen carriers. However, only Biopure's HBOC product has received regulatory approval, but only in Russia and South Africa. None of the HBOCs has received regulatory approval by other countries. If regulatory agencies require HBOCs to have antioxidant or CO2 transport properties, all that is needed is to add or inject the solution of synthetic enzymes as a separate component.

A tailored COVID-19 vaccination pathway for children 5-11 years in Victoria, Australia.

BACKGROUND: Procedural anxiety was anticipated in children 5-11 years during the COVID-19 vaccine rollout in Victoria, Australia, as children in this age group receive few routine vaccines. Therefore, the Victorian state government designed a tailored, child-friendly vaccine program. This study aimed to assess parental satisfaction with elements of the bespoke vaccination pathway. METHODS: The Victorian government and state-run vaccination hubs in Victoria facilitated an online immunisation plan to help parents identify their child's support needs, and utilised experienced paediatric staff and additional supports for children with severe needle distress and/or disability. All parents/guardians of children 5-11 years who received a COVID-19 vaccine in a vaccination hub were sent a 16-item feedback survey via text message. RESULTS: Between 9 February and 31 May 2022 there were 9203 responses; 865 children (9.4%) had a first language other than English, 499 (5.4%) had a disability or special needs, and 142 (1.5%) were Aboriginal or Torres Strait Islander. Most parents (94.4%; 8687/9203) rated their satisfaction with the program as very good or excellent. The immunisation plan was used by 13.5% (1244/9203) of respondents, with usage more common for Aboriginal or Torres Strait Islander children (26.1%; 23/88) or families with a first language other than English (23.5%; 42/179). The child-friendly staff (88.5%, 255/288) and themed environment (66.3%, 191/288) were the most valued measures for vaccination. Additional support measures were required by 1.6% (150/9203) of children in the general population and 7.9%, (17/261) of children with a disability and/or special needs. CONCLUSION: A tailored COVID-19 vaccination program for children 5-11 years, with additional support for children with severe needle distress and/or disability, had high parental satisfaction. This model could be utilised for COVID-19 vaccination in pre-school children and for routine childhood vaccination programs to provide optimal support to children and their families.

Genome Sequence of a SARS-CoV-2 Strain from a COVID-19 Clinical Sample from the Khagrachari District of Bangladesh.

This study describes the genome sequence of a severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) strain detected in the nasopharyngeal swab sample of a coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) patient from the southeastern Khagrachari District of Bangladesh.

Complete Genome Sequence of Bacillus subtilis Strain MH1, Which Has a High Level of Bacteriocin-Like Activity, Isolated from Soil in Bangladesh.

Bacillus subtilis MH1 demonstrates a high level of bacteriocin activity against several pathogenic bacteria. We announce here the full-genome sequence of strain MH1, isolated from soil in Bangladesh. This genome length is 4,094,053 bp, with 43.5% GC content, 4,217 coding sequences (CDS), 10 rRNA, 84 tRNA, and 1 transfer-messenger RNA (tmRNA).

Lateral condylar fractures of the humerus in children: does the type of fixation matter?

Aims: Displaced fractures of the lateral condyle of the humerus are frequently managed surgically with the aim of avoiding nonunion, malunion, disturbances of growth and later arthritis. The ideal method of fixation is however not known, and treatment varies between surgeons and hospitals. The aim of this study was to compare the outcome of two well-established forms of surgical treatment, Kirschner wire (K-wire) and screw fixation. Patients and Methods: A retrospective cohort study of children who underwent surgical treatment for a fracture of the lateral condyle of the humerus between January 2005 and December 2014 at two centres was undertaken. Pre, intraoperative and postoperative characteristics were evaluated. A total of 336 children were included in the study. Their mean age at the time of injury was 5.8 years (0 to 15) with a male:female patient ratio of 3:2. A total of 243 (72%) had a Milch II fracture and the fracture was displaced by > 2 mm in 228 (68%). In all, 235 patients underwent K-wire fixation and 101 had screw fixation. Results: There was a higher rate of nonunion with K-wire fixation (p = 0.02). There was no difference in Baumann's angle, carrying angle or the rate of major complications between the two groups. No benefit was obtained by immobilizing the elbow for more than four weeks in either group. No short-term complications were seen when fixation crossed the lateral ossific nucleus. Conclusion: Fixation of lateral condylar humeral fractures in children using either K-wires or screws gives satisfactory results. Proponents of both techniques may find justification of their methods in our data, but prospective, randomized trials with long-term follow-up are required to confirm the findings, which suggest a higher rate of nonunion with K-wire fixation. Cite this article: Bone Joint J 2018;100-B:387-95.

Vaccine decision-making begins in pregnancy: Correlation between vaccine concerns, intentions and maternal vaccination with subsequent childhood vaccine uptake.

INTRODUCTION: Maternal and childhood vaccine decision-making begins prenatally. Amongst pregnant Australian women we aimed to ascertain vaccine information received, maternal immunisation uptake and attitudes and concerns regarding childhood vaccination. We also aimed to determine any correlation between a) intentions and concerns regarding childhood vaccination, (b) concerns about pregnancy vaccination, (c) socioeconomic status (SES) and (d) uptake of influenza and pertussis vaccines during pregnancy and routine vaccines during childhood. METHODS: Women attending public antenatal clinics were recruited in three Australian states. Surveys were completed on iPads. Follow-up phone surveys were done three to six months post delivery, and infant vaccination status obtained via the Australian Childhood Immunisation Register (ACIR). RESULTS: Between October 2015 and March 2016, 975 (82%) of 1184 mothers consented and 406 (42%) agreed to a follow up survey, post delivery. First-time mothers (445; 49%) had significantly more vaccine concerns in pregnancy and only 73% had made a decision about childhood vaccination compared to 89% of mothers with existing children (p-value<0.001). 66% of mothers reported receiving enough information during pregnancy on childhood vaccination. In the post delivery survey, 46% and 82% of mothers reported receiving pregnancy influenza and pertussis vaccines respectively. The mother's degree of vaccine hesitancy and two attitudinal factors were correlated with vaccine uptake post delivery. There was no association between reported maternal vaccine uptake or SES and childhood vaccine uptake. CONCLUSION: First time mothers are more vaccine hesitant and undecided about childhood vaccination, and only two thirds of all mothers believed they received enough information during pregnancy. New interventions to improve both education and communication on childhood and maternal vaccines, delivered by midwives and obstetricians in the Australian public hospital system, may reduce vaccine hesitancy for all mothers in pregnancy and post delivery, particularly first-time mothers.

Experimental study of radiation dose rate at different strategic points of the BAEC TRIGA Research Reactor.

The 3MW TRIGA Mark-II Research Reactor of Bangladesh Atomic Energy Commission (BAEC) has been under operation for about thirty years since its commissioning at 1986. In accordance with the demand of fundamental nuclear research works, the reactor has to operate at different power levels by utilizing a number of experimental facilities. Regarding the enquiry for safety of reactor operating personnel and radiation workers, it is necessary to know the radiation level at different strategic points of the reactor where they are often worked. In the present study, neutron, beta and gamma radiation dose rate at different strategic points of the reactor facility with reactor power level of 2.4MW was measured to estimate the rising level of radiation due to its operational activities. From the obtained results high radiation dose is observed at the measurement position of the piercing beam port which is caused by neutron leakage and accordingly, dose rate at the stated position with different reactor power levels was measured. This study also deals with the gamma dose rate measurements at a fixed position of the reactor pool top surface for different reactor power levels under both Natural Convection Cooling Mode (NCCM) and Forced Convection Cooling Mode (FCCM). Results show that, radiation dose rate is higher for NCCM in compared with FCCM and increasing with the increase of reactor power. Thus, concerning the radiological safety issues for working personnel and the general public, the radiation dose level monitoring and the experimental analysis performed within this paper is so much effective and the result of this work can be utilized for base line data and code verification of the nuclear reactor.

Estimation of (41)Ar activity concentration and release rate from the TRIGA Mark-II research reactor.

The BAEC TRIGA research reactor (BTRR) is the only nuclear reactor in Bangladesh. Bangladesh Atomic Energy Regulatory Authority (BAERA) regulations require that nuclear reactor licensees undertake all reasonable precautions to protect the environment and the health and safety of persons, including identifying, controlling and monitoring the release of nuclear substances to the environment. The primary activation product of interest in terms of airborne release from the reactor is (41)Ar. (41)Ar is a noble gas readily released from the reactor stacks and most has not decayed by the time it moves offsite with normal wind speed. Initially (41)Ar is produced from irradiation of dissolved air in the primary water which eventually transfers into the air in the reactor bay. In this study, the airborne radioisotope (41)Ar generation concentration, ground level concentration and release rate from the BTRR bay region are evaluated theoretically during the normal reactor operation condition by several governing equations. This theoretical calculation eventually minimizes the doubt about radiological safety to determine the radiation level for (41)Ar activity whether it is below the permissible limit or not. Results show that the estimated activity for (41)Ar is well below the maximum permissible concentration limit set by the regulatory body, which is an assurance for the reactor operating personnel and general public. Thus the analysis performed within this paper is so much effective in the sense of ensuring radiological safety for working personnel and the environment.

Novel toxicity of Bacillus thuringiensis strains against the melon fruit fly, Bactrocera cucurbitae (Diptera: Tephritidae).

Bactrocera cucurbitae (melon fruit fly) is one of the most detrimental vegetable-damaging pests in Bangladesh. The toxicity of Bacillus thuringiensis (Bt) has been reported against a few genera of Bactrocera in addition to numerous other insect species. Bt strains, harbouring cry1A-type genes were, therefore, assayed in vivo against the 3(rd) instar larvae of B. cucurbitae in this study. The biotype-based prevalence of cry1 and cry1A genes was calculated to be 30.8% and 11.16%, respectively, of the test strains (n=224) while their prevalence was greatest in biotype kurstaki. Though three indigenous Bt strains from biotype kurstaki with close genetic relationship exhibited higher toxicity, maximum mortalities were recorded for Btk HD-73 (96%) and the indigenous Bt JSc1 (93%). LC50 and LC99 values were determined to be 6.81 and 8.32 for Bt JSc1, 7.30 and 7.92 for Bt SSc2, and 6.99 and 7.67 for Btk HD-73, respectively. The cause of toxicity and its variation among the strains was found to be correlated with the synergistic toxic effects of cry1, cry2, cry3 and cry9 gene products, i.e. relevant Cry proteins. The novel toxicity of the B. thuringiensis strains against B. cucurbitae revealed in the present study thus will help in developing efficient and eco-friendly control measures such as Bt biopesticides and transgenic Bt cucurbits.

Pregnancy with myasthenia gravis.

Myasthenia gravis (MG) is an autoimmune disorder of the neuromuscular transmission, caused by auto antibodies against the nicotinic acetylcholine receptor. These antibodies of the IgG isotype are detected in 80-90% of generalized MG and in 50-70% of ocular MG. Seronegative MG is caused by humoral factors. Prevalence of MG lies between 1 in 10.000 and 1 in 50.000, with 2/3 of affected individuals being female. In the case of maternal myasthenia gravis, both the mother and the child may develop myasthenia symptoms with varying degrees of weakness and progressive fatigability of the skeletal muscles. Data for the case report were generated by reviewing labour, delivery, and postpartal records. We present a 26 years old lady who suffered from a generalized form of myasthenia gravis since the age of 15. She got herself admitted to a neurologic clinic for a myasthenic crisis when she was two and half months pregnant. The patient was treated with anticholinesterase medication, corticosteroids and intravenous immunoglobulin. Clinically, the patient's condition improved significantly during pregnancy. Delivery and the post delivery period were also normal for the patient. Myasthenia gravis especially when associated with pregnancy is a high-risk disease. As this disease predominantly occurs in women of reproductive age, it is important to be aware of this condition in obstetrics and its interdisciplinary diagnostic and therapeutic management is required.

Regional metastasis in supraglottic and glottic carcinoma of larynx.

This cross sectional study was conducted in Sir Salimullah Medical College Hospital, Mitford and Dhaka Medical College Hospital, Dhaka, Bangladesh from January 2009 to December 2009 by purposive sampling method. Among the 50 cases, involvement of supraglottic (72%) region is significantly higher than glottic (28%) region. Affected peoples are mainly male and mean age was 58.1±10.4 years. Frequency of regional metastasis of supraglottic carcinoma (47.22%) was higher than glottic carcinoma (7.14%). Most of the lymphnode involvement was at level-II to IV. Most of the patients presented at stage-I & stage-II.

Genomic diversity of 2010 Haitian cholera outbreak strains.

The millions of deaths from cholera during the past 200 y, coupled with the morbidity and mortality of cholera in Haiti since October 2010, are grim reminders that Vibrio cholerae, the etiologic agent of cholera, remains a scourge. We report the isolation of both V. cholerae O1 and non-O1/O139 early in the Haiti cholera epidemic from samples collected from victims in 18 towns across eight Arrondissements of Haiti. The results showed two distinct populations of V. cholerae coexisted in Haiti early in the epidemic. As non-O1/O139 V. cholerae was the sole pathogen isolated from 21% of the clinical specimens, its role in this epidemic, either alone or in concert with V. cholerae O1, cannot be dismissed. A genomic approach was used to examine similarities and differences among the Haitian V. cholerae O1 and V. cholerae non-O1/O139 strains. A total of 47 V. cholerae O1 and 29 V. cholerae non-O1/O139 isolates from patients and the environment were sequenced. Comparative genome analyses of the 76 genomes and eight reference strains of V. cholerae isolated in concurrent epidemics outside Haiti and 27 V. cholerae genomes available in the public database demonstrated substantial diversity of V. cholerae and ongoing flux within its genome.

Vecuronium and fentanyl requirement in abdominal surgery under combined epidural-general anaesthesia and general anaesthesia alone.

Individual effect of epidural block and general anaesthesia is well established in the field of anaesthesiology. But adequate literature is yet not available to give decisive answer regarding the requirement of muscle relaxants and opioid analgesic when the two methods are combined together. In the present study, sixty patients, aged 18-50 years of both sexes with ASA (American Society of Anesthesiologists) grading I and II scheduled to undergo for major abdominal surgery were assigned randomly into two groups (30 in each group), where Group A received general anesthesia and Group B received combined epidural-general anesthesia. The patients with combined technique, epidural catheter tip were placed between T9-10. Ten ml of 0.125% bupivacaine was administered through the epidural catheter. Peripheral nerve stimulator was used to monitor neuromuscular transmission and subsequently to administer incremental dose of neuromuscular blocking drugs. All the patients were pre-medicated with fentanyl (2µg/kg) to reduce intubation reflex. Then the patients of both groups were pre-oxygenated for 3 minute and anaesthesia was induced with thiopental sodium 3-5 mg/kg body weight. Endotrachial intubation was facilitated by vecuronium 0.1mg/kg body weight. Anaesthesia was maintained with 60% N2O in O2 and halothane (0.4 to 0.8%). Fentanyl was given in incremental dose of 0.5 µg/kg to maintain an adequate analgesia. The vecuronium was given at the dose of 0.02 mg/kg, when TOF return to 25% of the base line. The mean±SD requirement of vecuronium in general anaesthesia group was 0.0016±0.00013 mg/kg/min and whereas in combined epidural-general anaesthesia, it was 0.0011±0.00014 mg/kg/min. The requirement of fentanyl was 0.71µg/kg/hr in general anaesthetic group whereas in combined group it was 0.31µg/kg/hr. These findings prompt us to place optimal dosing guidelines so as to avoid overdosing and thus delay recovery and help to get the excellent outcome of the surgery.

Colles' fracture - is it a signal of osteoporosis?

Asymptomatic post-menopausal osteoporosis is common but some-times associated with pain and deformity. Symptomatic osteoporosis is usually associated with fracture. A 59 years old post-menopausal woman presented with a history of acute low-back-pain. She had menopause for 12 years. She gave history of colles' fracture at about two years back. Her mother died as consequences of femoral neck fracture. MRI of vertebral spine showed demineralization with partial collapse of D6,7,12 and L1 vertebra. Dual energy X-ray absorptiometry of vertebra showed BMD T-score of -4.5. Patient was managed with IV infusion of zoledronic acid, oral intake of vitamin D and calcium supplements and with regular non-weight-bearing exercises. Her condition improved gradually. During post-menopausal period, every women must be aware of osteoporosis and any fracture in that time must be evaluated to rule out osteoporosis.

Physicochemical properties of a novel alpha-L-arabinofuranosidase from Rhizomucor pusillus HHT-1.

The zygomycete fungus Rhizomucor pusillus HHT-1, cultured on L(+)arabinose as a sole carbon source, produced extracellular alpha-L-arabinofuranosidase. The enzyme was purified by (NH4)2SO4 fractionation, gel filtration, and ion exchange chromatography. The molecular mass of this monomeric enzyme was 88 kDa. The native enzyme had a pI of 4.2 and displayed a pH optimum and stability of 4.0 and 7.0-10.0, respectively. The temperature optimum was 65 degrees C, and it was stable up to 70 degrees C. The Km and Vmax for p-nitrophenyl alpha-L-arabinofuranoside were 0.59 mM and 387 micromol x min(-1) x mg(-1) protein, respectively. Activity was not stimulated by metal cofactors. The N-terminal amino acid sequence did not show any similarity to other arabinofuranosidases. Higher hydrolytic activity was recorded with pnitrophenyl alpha-L-arabinofuranoside, arabinotriose, and sugar beet arabinan; lower hydrolytic activity was recorded with oat-spelt xylan and arabinogalactan, indicating specificity for the low molecular mass L(+)-arabinose containing oligosaccharides with furanoside configuration.

Clinicopathological correlation of acute appendicitis.

Acute appendicitis is the most common acute surgical condition of the abdomen and appendicectomy is the most frequently performed urgent abdominal operation. Delay in treatment of acute appendicitis causes lot of complications. On the other hand, to reduce complications prompt diagnosis and treatment results lot of negative laparotomy (as high as 25%). The prime aim of this study was to reduce the incidence of negative laparotomy.

Insufficient resistance of trehalose-6,6-dimycolate-treated T-cell receptor delta gene mutant (TCR delta-/-) mice against influenza virus infection.

Normal mice inoculated intravenously with 50 microg trehalose-6,6'-dimycolate, a glycolipid component of the cell wall of Mycobacterium, in an oil-in-water emulsion (TDM emulsion) acquired a high resistance to intranasal lethal infection of an influenza virus. In contrast, TDM emulsion-treated T-cell receptor delta gene mutant (TCR delta-/-) mice acquired insufficient resistance against the lethal influenza virus infection. The patterns of insufficient resistance were identical to the results obtained previously with mice which were depleted of T-lymphocytes bearing gammadelta T-cell receptors (gammadelta T-cells) by in vivo administration of anti-gammadelta T-cell receptor monoclonal antibody (Hoq et al, J. Gen. Virol. 78: 1597-1603, 1997). These results strongly suggest that the gammadelta T-cells play an important non-specific role in resistance against influenza virus infection.