Meningococcal pericarditis caused by the MenW:cc11 strain in an older adult.

Introduction: Invasive meningococcal disease (IMD) caused by is a disease with a high mortality and morbidity rate. Serogroup W meningococci (MenW) used to be associated with sporadic disease worldwide. In recent years, a surge in MenW incidence is being observed.

Improving the detection limit of conformational analysis by utilizing a dual polarization Vernier cascade.

The dual polarization microring technique enables the simultaneous and accurate detection of thickness and refractive index of a bound molecular layer. By using three microring resonators in a double Vernier cascade configuration, the dual polarization technique is improved on three distinct levels: an increase of the sensitivity, a suppression of common noise due to self-referencing and the ability to migrate from a standard tunable laser to a cheap broadband LED and an on-chip arrayed waveguide grating as read-out system, allowing for a system which is orders of magnitude faster and cheaper. A dual polarization Vernier cascade proof-of-concept is fabricated and characterized, a read-out computational framework is constructed and it is shown on a theoretical basis that the limit of detection is improved.

Effectiveness and tolerability of second-line therapy with vildagliptin versus other oral agents in type 2 diabetes (EDGE): post-hoc subanalysis of the Belgian data.

Aim: To assess the efficacy and safety of vildagliptin versus other oral glucose-lowering drugs added to antidiabetic monotherapy in Belgian patients with type 2 diabetes mellitus, in comparison to the global EDGE study results.

Methods: This is a pre-specified post-hoc subanalysis of the Belgian patient cohort from a worldwide 1-year observational study that compared the effectiveness and tolerability of vildagliptin to other oral antidiabetic agents in type 2 diabetes patients failing monotherapy with oral glucose-lowering agents (EDGE). A total of 1793 Belgian patients were enrolled.

Conformational analysis of proteins with a dual polarisation silicon microring.

Optical microresonator biosensors have proven to be a valid tool to perform affinity analysis of a biological binding event. However, when these microresonators are excited with a single optical mode they can not distinguish between a thin dense layer of biomolecules or a thick sparse layer. This means the sensor is "blind" to changes in shape of bound biomolecules.

Polyelectrolyte capsules-containing HIV-1 p24 and poly I:C modulate dendritic cells to stimulate HIV-1-specific immune responses.

Polyelectrolyte microcapsules (MCs) are potent protein delivery vehicles which can be tailored with ligands to stimulate maturation of dendritic cells (DCs). We investigated the immune stimulatory capacity of monocyte-derived DC (Mo-DC) loaded with these MCs, containing p24 antigen from human immunodeficiency virus type 1 (HIV-1) alone [p24-containing MC (MCp24)] or with the Toll-like receptor ligand 3 (TLR3) ligand poly I:C (MCp24pIC) as a maturation factor. MO-DC, loaded with MCp24pIC, upregulated CCR7, CD80, CD83, and CD86 and produced high amounts of interleukin-12 (IL-12) cytokine, to a similar extent as MCp24 in the presence of an optimized cytokine cocktail.

Residual effect of zolpidem 10 mg and zopiclone 7.5 mg versus flunitrazepam 1 mg and placebo on driving performance and ocular saccades.

Rationale: Studies report contradictory results concerning the residual effects of zolpidem and zopiclone. Moreover, residual effects of these compounds on healthy subjects have not yet been simultaneously assessed.

Objective: The present study with healthy subjects investigated the residual effects of zolpidem 10 mg and zopiclone 7.

Charged-particle activation analysis of biological material.

Charged-particle activation analysis offers a number of interesting possibilities for the determination of trace elements in biological material. It allows the determination of those elements that are difficult or impossible to determine by neutron activation, such as Li, B, Al, Si, V, Cr, Ni, Cd, Sn, Tl, and Pb. Up to now, protons have been successfully applied to samples of both vegetal and human origin.

Biological markers of alcohol intake among 4796 subjects injured in accidents.

An epidemiological survey was carried out in France in 1982-3 to study the proportions of occasional and chronic drinkers among people injured in accidents of all kinds. The characteristics of 4796 victims recruited in the emergency units of 21 hospitals were recorded. Systematic blood sampling was performed to determine the blood alcohol concentration and two markers of chronic alcohol consumption--gamma-glutamyltransferase activity and mean corpuscular volume.

Potential interferences inherent in neutron-activation analysis of trace elements in biological materials.

A comprehensive review is given of how neutron-activation analysis for trace elements in biological matrices can be jeopardized by radiation damage, by the impurities present in the packing material or by nuclear interferences of major elements. Systematic errors during the counting process and the quantitative interpretation of the gamma-ray spectra should not be disregarded.

Sample contamination as a source of error in trace-element analysis of biological samples.

Trace-element levels estimated by different investigators are often disparate. It is becoming increasingly evident that sample contamination may explain some of the discrepancies. A method has been developed for the direct estimation of potential errors.

Serum molybdenum in diseases of the liver and biliary system.

We determined the serum molybdenum concentration by neutron activation analysis in apparently healthy subjects and in patients with diseases of the liver and biliary system. The level was found to be markedly elevated in the initial phase of acute viral hepatitis (mean +/- S.D.

Determination of molybdenum in human serum by neutron activation analysis.

Several investigators have reported serum molybdenum determinations in healthy humans. However, their results diverge quite widely. We determined the element by neutron activation analysis in 30 individuals.

Determination of chromium and cobalt in human serum by neutron activation analysis.

Confusion exists about the chromium and cobalt concentrations in the serum of healthy individuals. We determined these elements by neutron activation analysis. The samples were irradiated during 12 days at a flux of approximately 10(14) neutrons.

Simultaneous determination of iron, zinc, selenium, rubidium, and cesium in serum and packed blood cells by neutron activation analysis.

We determined the iron, zinc, selenium, rubidium, and cesium concentrations in serum and packed blood cells by instrumental neutron activation analysis without chemical separations. Lyophilized samples were irradiated for 12 days at a flux of 10(13) neutrons-cm-2-s-1, mineralized by wet digestion, and measured two times with a high-resolution Ge(Li) detector--for 6 h about a month after the irradiation and for 15 h two or three months after the irradiation, The following values were obtained: 163 +/- 0.43 mg/liter (serum iron), 1025 +/- 136 mg/kg wet wt (packed cells iron), 1¿ +/- 0.

Influence of myocardial infarction on serum manganese, copper, and zinc concentrations.

Reportedly, serum manganese concentrations increase after myocardial infarction, closely correlated with increased serum aspartate aminotransferase activity. However, these conclusions are apparently based on analyses of contaminated samples. Serum manganese concentrations after myocardial infarction have been re-investigated by neutron activation analysis, and no significant increase could be demonstrated.