Improving the quality of self-collected swab specimens for the detection of Chlamydia trachomatis and Neisseria gonorrhoeae in a clinical setting.

Background: The practice of patient self-collected swab specimens for Neisseria gonorrhoeae and Chlamydia trachomatis is supported in the literature.

Local Problem: Health care providers observed that patients sometimes performed their self-swabs incorrectly resulting in cancelled or invalid specimens.

Methods: The clinic's outdated visual aids were replaced with new visual aids.

Inflammatory Myofibroblastic Tumor Presenting as a Partial Bowel Obstruction: A Case Report.

Intussusception, or telescoping of the bowel, is a rare condition in the adult population that can lead to serious complications, such as obstruction or ischemia. Most cases of intussusception are idiopathic and present with a pathognomonic "target sign" on imaging. Rarely, in adults, intussusceptions can be found with lead points, some of which may be neoplastic.

Methanol-free biosynthesis of fatty acid methyl ester (FAME) in Synechocystis sp. PCC 6803.

To meet the increasing global demand of biodiesel over the next decades, alternative methods for producing one of the key constituents of biodiesel (e.g. fatty acid methyl esters (FAMEs)) are needed.

Protein engineers turned evolutionists-the quest for the optimal starting point.

The advent of laboratory directed evolution yielded a fruitful crosstalk between the disciplines of molecular evolution and bio-engineering. Here, we outline recent developments in both disciplines with respect to how one can identify the best starting points for directed evolution, such that highly efficient and robust tailor-made enzymes can be obtained with minimal optimization. Directed evolution studies have highlighted essential features of engineer-able enzymes: highly stable, mutationally robust enzymes with the capacity to accept a broad range of substrates.

Design and in vitro realization of carbon-conserving photorespiration.

Photorespiration recycles ribulose-1,5-bisphosphate carboxylase/oxygenase (Rubisco) oxygenation product, 2-phosphoglycolate, back into the Calvin Cycle. Natural photorespiration, however, limits agricultural productivity by dissipating energy and releasing CO Several photorespiration bypasses have been previously suggested but were limited to existing enzymes and pathways that release CO Here, we harness the power of enzyme and metabolic engineering to establish synthetic routes that bypass photorespiration without CO release. By defining specific reaction rules, we systematically identified promising routes that assimilate 2-phosphoglycolate into the Calvin Cycle without carbon loss.

Automated Design of Efficient and Functionally Diverse Enzyme Repertoires.

Substantial improvements in enzyme activity demand multiple mutations at spatially proximal positions in the active site. Such mutations, however, often exhibit unpredictable epistatic (non-additive) effects on activity. Here we describe FuncLib, an automated method for designing multipoint mutations at enzyme active sites using phylogenetic analysis and Rosetta design calculations.

How the introduction of a human resources information system helped the Democratic Republic of Congo to mobilise domestic resources for an improved health workforce.

The Democratic Republic of Congo has flagged health workforce management and compensation as issues requiring attention, including the problem of ghost workers (individuals on payroll who do not exist and/or show up at work). Recognising the need for reliable health workforce information, the government has worked to implement iHRIS, an open source human resources information system that facilitates health workforce management. In Kasaï Central and Kasaï Provinces, health workers brought relevant documentation to data collection points, where trained teams interviewed them and entered contact information, identification, photo, current job, and employment and education history into iHRIS on laptops.

Native Mass Spectrometry of Recombinant Proteins from Crude Cell Lysates.

Determining the properties of proteins prior to purification saves time and labor. Here, we demonstrate a native mass spectrometry approach for rapid characterization of overexpressed proteins directly in crude cell lysates. The method provides immediate information on the identity, solubility, oligomeric state, overall structure, and stability, as well as ligand binding, without the need for purification.

On the Potential Origins of the High Stability of Reconstructed Ancestral Proteins.

Ancestral reconstruction provides instrumental insights regarding the biochemical and biophysical characteristics of past proteins. A striking observation relates to the remarkably high thermostability of reconstructed ancestors. The latter has been linked to high environmental temperatures in the Precambrian era, the era relating to most reconstructed proteins.

Exploring the Mechanism Responsible for Cellulase Thermostability by Structure-Guided Recombination.

Cellulases from Bacillus and Geobacillus bacteria are potentially useful in the biofuel and animal feed industries. One of the unique characteristics of these enzymes is that they are usually quite thermostable. We previously identified a cellulase, GsCelA, from thermophilic Geobacillus sp.

VEGF can protect against blood brain barrier dysfunction, dendritic spine loss and spatial memory impairment in an experimental model of diabetes.

Clinical and experimental studies have shown a clear link between diabetes, vascular dysfunction and cognitive impairment. However, the molecular underpinnings of this association remain unclear. Since vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF) signaling is important for maintaining vascular integrity and function, we hypothesized that vascular and cognitive impairment in the diabetic brain could be related to a deficiency in VEGF signaling.

Engineered thermostable fungal cellulases exhibit efficient synergistic cellulose hydrolysis at elevated temperatures.

A major obstacle to using widely available and low-cost lignocellulosic feedstocks to produce renewable fuels and chemicals is the high cost and low efficiency of the enzyme mixtures used to hydrolyze cellulose to fermentable sugars. One possible solution entails engineering current cellulases to function efficiently at elevated temperatures in order to boost reaction rates and exploit several other advantages of a higher temperature process. Here, we describe the creation of the most stable reported fungal endoglucanase, a derivative of Hypocrea jecorina (anamorph Trichoderma reesei) Cel5A, by combining stabilizing mutations identified using consensus design, chimera studies, and structure-based computational methods.

Induction of ischemic stroke in awake freely moving mice reveals that isoflurane anesthesia can mask the benefits of a neuroprotection therapy.

Anesthetics such as isoflurane are commonly used to sedate experimental animals during the induction of stroke. Since these agents are known to modulate synaptic excitability, inflammation and blood flow, they could hinder the development and discovery of new neuroprotection therapies. To address this issue, we developed a protocol for inducing photothrombotic occlusion of cerebral vessels in fully conscious mice and tested two potential neuroprotectant drugs (a GluN2B or α4β2 nicotinic receptor antagonist).

Innovation by homologous recombination.

Swapping fragments among protein homologs can produce chimeric proteins with a wide range of properties, including properties not exhibited by the parents. Computational methods that use information from structures and sequence alignments have been used to design highly functional chimeras and chimera libraries. Recombination has generated proteins with diverse thermostability and mechanical stability, enzyme substrate specificity, and optogenetic properties.

Comparison of family 9 cellulases from mesophilic and thermophilic bacteria.

Cellulases containing a family 9 catalytic domain and a family 3c cellulose binding module (CBM3c) are important components of bacterial cellulolytic systems. We measured the temperature dependence of the activities of three homologs: Clostridium cellulolyticum Cel9G, Thermobifida fusca Cel9A, and C. thermocellum Cel9I.

[Home care in a culturally sensitive environment: perspectives of caregivers of Haitian elderly patients and relatives].

In Canada, the care provided by families occurs in an increasingly multiethnic context. Against this backdrop, the present qualitative study aims to explore the needs/expectations and solutions not only of (female) natural caregivers of an elderly relative hailing from Haiti (presented in terms of tracking cases) but also of remunerated home care providers - all with a view to developing a culturally sensitive service offering. As such, this study works from a conceptual framework centring on the negotiation of a common area of agreement between the stakeholders involved (i.

EEG biofeedback as a treatment for substance use disorders: review, rating of efficacy, and recommendations for further research.

Electroencephalographic (EEG) biofeedback has been employed in substance use disorder (SUD) over the last three decades. The SUD is a complex series of disorders with frequent comorbidities and EEG abnormalities of several types. EEG biofeedback has been employed in conjunction with other therapies and may be useful in enhancing certain outcomes of therapy.

Implementation and effects of an individual stress management intervention for family caregivers of an elderly relative living at home: a mixed research design.

The purpose of this project was to evaluate the implementation and effects of a stress management intervention for family caregivers of elderly persons. The intervention was implemented through an action research design with the collaboration of case managers working in community health centers. A total of 81 caregivers participated in the study.

Applicability of brain wave biofeedback to substance use disorder in adolescents.

Neurofeedback treatment for addictions in adults is probably efficacious, and several reported approaches are described with their indications. Neurofeedback is promising as a treatment modality for adolescents, especially those with stimulant abuse and attention and conduct problems. It is attractive as a medication-free, neurophysiologic, and self-actualizing treatment for a substance-based, brain-impaired and self-defeating disorder.

[Ambulatory turning point and family home care: a gamble in public health].

Context: Family caregivers are now considered an at-risk population in Canada. As hospital stays have been gradually reduced, family caregivers of the elderly are burdened with complex responsibilities. This change in care delivery was implemented with little consideration for services offered to this specific population.

A limited role in parasitism for Microplitis demolitor polydnavirus.

Spodoptera frugiperda larvae stung by Microplitis demolitor undergo physiological alterations characteristic of parasitism. However, despite these physiological modifications, parasitized S. frugiperda larvae never yield adult wasps.

Early pathogenesis of Autographa californica multiple nucleopolyhedrovirus and Helicoverpa zea single nucleopolyhedrovirus in Heliothis virescens: a comparison of the 'M' and 'S' strategies for establishing fatal infection.

Nucleopolyhedroviruses (NPVs) (Baculoviridae) produce fatal infections in larval lepidopteran insects. NPVs are designated SNPVs or MNPVs based on whether the occlusion-derived virus (ODV) that initiates primary midgut infections contains single (S) or multiple (M) nucleocapsids. The principal consequence of this ODV packaging is that primary target cells infected with the M phenotype receive multiple nucleocapsids, whereas those infected by the S phenotype receive only one.

Qualitative evaluation of a stress management intervention for elderly caregivers at home: a constructivist approach.

The purpose of this project was to evaluate, using a constructivist qualitative design, an individual stress management intervention based on a stress-coping model and intended for family caregivers of elderly persons within the current context of the shift to ambulatory care. This nursing intervention comprised seven weekly encounters with caregivers following their elderly family member's discharge from hospital and a follow-up visit one month after. The aim of the qualitative evaluation was to document the feasibility and acceptability of the content of the intervention, its relevance in terms of process and structure, and the benefits to the principal stakeholders.

[Perceptions, adaptation and health care strategies of the elderly family caregivers from the standpoint of the shift to ambulatory care].

This article presents the results of an exploratory study funded by the Social Sciences and Humanities Research Council of Canada. The objectives of this research were to explore (a) the perception by elderly women caregivers of the shift to ambulatory care; (b) their use of coping behaviours in the face of this major change within the health care system; and (c) their perceptions of health care services. In a theoretical framework of stress and coping, and using standardized questionnaires and open-ended questions, 40 home interviews were initially conducted with elderly women, each of whom was caring for her spouse after his discharge from hospital.

Autographa californica M nucleopolyhedrovirus ProV-CATH is activated during infected cell death.

V-CATH, a cathepsin L-like cysteine protease encoded by the baculovirus Autographa californica M nucleopolyhedrovirus, has been shown to play an essential role in host liquefaction. Similar to cellular cathepsin L, V-CATH is synthesized as an inactive proenzyme and is activated by cleavage of the propeptide. Previous studies indicated that removal of the propeptide was rapid, occurring as soon as the protein could be detected by Western blot, 22 h postinfection.