Plos One
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In Germany, family physicians (FPs) are increasingly needed to participate in undergraduate medical education. Knowledge of FPs' motivation to teach medical students in their practices is lacking. ⋯ German FPs involved in medical education have altruistic attitudes towards teaching medical students in their practices. Motivational features give an important insight for the recruitment of FP preceptors as well as for their training in instructional methods.
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While diabetes mellitus (DM) is a known risk factor for tuberculosis, the prevalence among TB patients in India is unknown. Routine screening of TB patients for DM may be an opportunity for its early diagnosis and improved management and might improve TB treatment outcomes. We conducted a cross-sectional survey of TB patients registered from June-July 2011 in the state of Kerala, India, to determine the prevalence of DM. ⋯ Nearly half of TB patients in Kerala have DM, and approximately half of these patients were newly-diagnosed during this survey. Routine screening of TB patients for DM using HbA1c yielded a large number of DM cases and offered earlier management opportunities which may improve TB and DM outcomes. However, the most cost-effective ways of DM screening need to be established by futher operational research.
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This investigation evaluated the distributions of airborne adenovirus and Mycoplasma pneumoniae in public areas in the pediatric department of Children's Hospital in northern Taiwan. The airborne viral and bacterial concentrations were evaluated twice a week for a year using filter sampling with an airflow rate of 12 liters per minute for eight hours in the pediatric outpatient department and 24 hours in the pediatric emergency room. Real-time polymerase chain reaction assays were conducted for analysis. ⋯ Airborne Mycoplasma pneumoniae was detected only in July in the pediatric emergency room and the peak levels were found from August to January in the pediatric outpatient department. Airborne particles that contained adenovirus and Mycoplasma pneumoniae were the most prevalent in the pediatric public areas. The potential relationship between these airborne viral/bacterial particles and human infection should be examined further.
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Granulocyte-colony stimulating factor (G-CSF) improves outcome after experimental SCI by counteracting apoptosis, and enhancing connectivity in the injured spinal cord. Previously we have employed the mouse hemisection SCI model and studied motor function after subcutaneous or transgenic delivery of the protein. ⋯ Here we investigated the effects of G-CSF in Wistar rats using the New York University Impactor. In this model, corroborating our previous data, rats treated subcutaneously with G-CSF over 2 weeks show significant improvement of motor function.
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Pseudomonas aeruginosa is a leading pathogen that has become increasingly resistant to the fluoroquinolone antibiotics due to widespread prescribing. Adverse outcomes have been shown for patients infected with fluoroquinolone-resistant strains. The type III secretion system (TTSS) is a major virulence determinant during acute infections through the injection of effector toxins into host cells. ⋯ Results from sequencing the quinolone resistance determining regions (QRDRs) of the 4 target genes (gyrA, gyrB, parC, parE) indicated that strains containing the exoU gene were more likely to acquire ≥ 2 mutations than exoS+ strains at MICs ≤ 8 µg/ml (13% vs none) and twice as likely to have mutations in both gyrA and parC than exoS+ strains (48% vs 24% p = 0.0439). Our findings indicate that P. aeruginosa strains differentially develop resistance-conferring mutations that correlate with TTSS effector genotype and the more virulent exoU+ subpopulation. Differences in mutational processes by virulence genotype that were observed suggest co-evolution of resistance and virulence traits favoring a more virulent genotype in the quinolone-rich clinical environment.