The Autographa californica multiple capsid nucleopolyhedrovirus (AcMNPV) was the first baculovirus for which the complete nucleotide sequence became known. Since then 15 years lapsed and much research has been performed to elucidate putative functions of the annotated open reading frames of this virus and this endeavour is still ongoing. AcMNPV is the most well-known and well-studied baculovirus species, not in the least for its application as a vector for the high-level expression of foreign genes in insect cells. This article is the first monograph of a single baculovirus and gives a current overview of what is known about the 151 AcMNPV ORFs, including (putative) function and temporal and spatial presence of transcripts and protein. To date 60 ORFs have a proven function, another 19 ORFs have homologs for which functions are known in other baculoviruses and 72 ORFs are still enigmatic. This paper should assist the reader in quickly finding the essentials of AcMNPV.

PURPOSE: The pattern of symptoms of knee osteoarthritis has been thought to be indicative of specific compartment involvement. This study investigated whether there was a true correlation between patellofemoral joint (PFJ) symptoms and unicompartmental patellofemoral arthritis. MATERIALS AND METHODS: A prospective analysis of 34 patients rendered to be suffering from PFJ osteoarthritis and subsequently undergoing unicompartmental patellofemoral arthroplasty (PFA) was performed. A control cohort of 32 patients suffering from medial tibiofemoral joint (MTFJ) osteoarthritis was included in the analysis. Four questions derived from the Oxford knee score questionnaire, traditionally deemed to be indicative of PFJ osteoarthritis, were combined to create a PFJ subscore and statistically analyzed for their potential relationship with PFJ osteoarthritis and outcomes following PFA. RESULTS: The PFJ subscore indicated slightly worse pathology in patients undergoing PFA compared to MTFJ replacement, but the difference was not significant (9.7 and 9.6, respectively; p=0.851). The improvement in PFJ symptoms was higher in those undergoing PFA compared to MTFJ surgery; however, the difference was not statistically significant (3.7 and 2.2 respectively, p=0.074). CONCLUSIONS: We were unable to prove that these symptoms were predictive of PFJ pathology in the preoperative setting, nor were they useful in interpreting which symptoms would likely improve following PFA.
Arthritis ; Arthroplasty ; Cohort Studies ; Humans ; Joints ; Knee ; Osteoarthritis ; Osteoarthritis, Knee ; Patellofemoral Joint ; Pathology ; Prospective Studies

Objective: To isolate and screen Actinomycetes from Lagos Lagoon soil sediments for production of bioactive metabolites. Methods: Sediment samples were collected from four different locations of Lagos Lagoon and were dried for 2 weeks after which the Actinomycetes were isolated by serial dilution using the spread plate method on starch casein and Kuster's agar supplemented with 80 μg/ mL cycloheximide to prevent fungal growth. The plates were incubated at 28 °C for 1-2 weeks. Isolates were selected based on their colonial characteristics as well as their Gram's reaction and subcultured using the same media for isolation until pure cultures were obtained and incubated at 28 °C for 3 d. Thereafter, they were inoculated into starch casein and Kuster's broth media and incubated for 8 d. The secondary metabolites were screened for antimicrobial activity against the following microorganisms: methicillin resistant Staphylococcus aureus, Staphylococcus aureus ATCC 29213, Escherichia coli ATCC 29522, Pseudomonas aeruginosa ATCC 27853, Candida albicans and Enterococcus faecalis ATCC 29212. Coagulasenegative staphylococci isolated from HIV patients were also used (Staphylococcus warneri, Staphylococcus xylosus and Staphylococcus epidermidis). The antimicrobial metabolites of the Actinomycetes isolates were identified using gas chromatography (GC). Results: Crude extracts of isolates showed antimicrobial activity against some of the test organisms. The GC data analysis showed the antibiotic profile of these isolates. Conclusions: Analysis of the crude extracts of the isolates using GC method, revealed the presence of antibiotics including an anticholinergic hyoscyamine among other conclusions.

Purpose: Treatment-resistant cluster headache can be successfully alleviated with deep brain stimulation (DBS) of the posterior hypothalamus [1]. Magnetoencephalography (MEG) is a non-invasive functional imaging technique with both high temporal and high spatial resolution. However, it is not known whether the inherent electromagnetic (EM) noise produced by high frequency DBS is compatible with MEG. Materials and methods: We used MEG to record brain activity in an asymptomatic cluster headache patient with a DBS implanted in the right posterior hypothalamus while he made small movements during periods of no stimulation, 7 Hz stimulation and 180 Hz stimulation. Results: We were able to measure brain activity successfully both during low and high frequency stimulation. Analysis of the MEG recordings showed similar activation in motor areas in during the patient’s movements as expected. We also observed similar activations in cortical and subcortical areas that have previously been reported to be associated with pain when the patient’s stimulator was turned on or off [2,3]. Conclusion: These results show that MEG can be used to measure brain activity regardless of the presence of high frequency deep brain stimulation.

<p>INTRODUCTIONPatients who have an adverse drug reaction are frequently labelled drug allergic without undergoing proper evaluation and confirmatory testing. These drug allergy labels may be inaccurate, leading to unnecessary lifelong avoidance. The aim of this study was to review the patients that underwent drug provocation tests (DPTs) in our centre and examine the usefulness of DPTs in confirming or rejecting a diagnosis of drug hypersensitivity.p><p>MATERIALS AND METHODSThe study design was a retrospective chart review of all adult patients who underwent drug provocation in the allergy unit at the National University Hospital, Singapore, for single or multiple suspected drug allergies from the period January 2009 to June 2011.p><p>RESULTSEighty-seven patients underwent 123 DPTs (median age 41; interquartile range 28 to 50). Twenty-one patients underwent multiple DPTs. The most common culprit drugs reported were antibiotics (43.9%) of which beta-lactams were implicated in 75.9% of the cases. This was followed by non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDS) in 15.4%, paracetamol in 7.3% and both NSAIDs and paracetamol in 3.3%. Rash was the most commonly reported symptom (41.5%), followed by angioedema (32.5%), anaphylaxis (9.8%), and other symptoms including respiratory (2.4%), gastrointestinal (0.8%) and others (13.0%). The majority of DPTs were performed to antibiotics (43.9%), NSAIDs (19.5%) and paracetamol (6.5%). DPTs were negative in 93.5% of subjects and positive in 6.5%. Of the 8 positive DPTs, none had a serious reaction, with 5 patients requiring rescue therapy, which comprised solely of oral antihistamines.p><p>CONCLUSIONSuspected drug hypersensitivity is common but true drug allergy is rare. DPTs remain the gold standard and should be included as part of an investigative protocol. DPTs are a safe and valuable diagnostic tool in the hands of the experienced clinician.p>
Adult ; Anti-Bacterial Agents ; adverse effects ; Drug Hypersensitivity ; diagnosis ; Female ; Follow-Up Studies ; Humans ; Male ; Middle Aged ; Reproducibility of Results ; Retrospective Studies ; Singapore ; Skin Tests ; methods

No abstract available.
Humans ; Immunosuppression ; *Kidney Transplantation/methods ; *Pancreas Transplantation/methods ; Patient Selection ; Treatment Outcome

The optimal management of patients with asymptomatic carotid stenosis (ACS) is the subject of extensive debate. According to the 2017 European Society for Vascular Surgery guidelines, carotid endarterectomy should (Class IIa; Level of Evidence: B) or carotid artery stenting may be considered (Class IIb; Level of Evidence: B) in the presence of one or more clinical/imaging characteristics that may be associated with an increased risk of late ipsilateral stroke (e.g., silent embolic infarcts on brain computed tomography/magnetic resonance imaging, progression in the severity of ACS, a history of contralateral transient ischemic attack/stroke, microemboli detection on transcranial Doppler, etc.), provided documented perioperative stroke/death rates are <3% and the patient’s life expectancy is >5 years. Besides these clinical/imaging characteristics, there are additional individual, ethnic/racial or social factors that should probably be evaluated in the decision process regarding the optimal management of these patients, such as individual patient needs/patient choice, patient compliance with best medical treatment, patient sex, culture, race/ethnicity, age and comorbidities, as well as improvements in imaging/operative techniques/outcomes. The present multispecialty position paper will present the rationale why the management of patients with ACS may need to be individualized.

The optimal management of patients with asymptomatic carotid stenosis (ACS) is the subject of extensive debate. According to the 2017 European Society for Vascular Surgery guidelines, carotid endarterectomy should (Class IIa; Level of Evidence: B) or carotid artery stenting may be considered (Class IIb; Level of Evidence: B) in the presence of one or more clinical/imaging characteristics that may be associated with an increased risk of late ipsilateral stroke (e.g., silent embolic infarcts on brain computed tomography/magnetic resonance imaging, progression in the severity of ACS, a history of contralateral transient ischemic attack/stroke, microemboli detection on transcranial Doppler, etc.), provided documented perioperative stroke/death rates are <3% and the patient’s life expectancy is >5 years. Besides these clinical/imaging characteristics, there are additional individual, ethnic/racial or social factors that should probably be evaluated in the decision process regarding the optimal management of these patients, such as individual patient needs/patient choice, patient compliance with best medical treatment, patient sex, culture, race/ethnicity, age and comorbidities, as well as improvements in imaging/operative techniques/outcomes. The present multispecialty position paper will present the rationale why the management of patients with ACS may need to be individualized.