Osteopetrosis (OP) is a rare heterogeneous group of inherited skeletal dysplasias characterised by osteoclast dysfunction, impaired bone resorption and poor bone remodelling. Three groups can be categorised on the basis of clinical findings. These include neurological symptoms, haematological abnormalities and renal tubular acidosis in the first group. Increased bone density, ...

Fewer than 20 patients born with situs inversus and duodenal atresia have been reported in the literature. We present a patient with this condition. A newborn baby presented shortly after birth with persistent bilious vomiting. An abdominal radiograph showed a right-sided stomach bubble and a second bubble on the left--typical ...

Access to care by a dedicated neurosurgical unit is limited in the developing world, and the vast majority of patients who sustain a head injury are managed by general surgeons. Prevention of secondary brain injury is paramount. While the principles of management are relatively straightforward, delivering this care may be ...

Introduction. The aim of this study was to determine the prevalence of tuberculosis (TB) in anal fistulas at a referral hospital in Cape Town, and to document the clinical features and course of patients with tuberculous anal fistulas.

Aim. To compare surgical and chemical sphincterotomy for treatment of chronic anal fissure.

Background. Fibrolamellar carcinoma (FLC) is an uncommon malignant tumour of hepatocyte origin that differs from hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) in aetiology, demographics, condition of the affected liver, and tumour markers. Controversy exists whether FLC demonstrates a more favourable prognosis than typical HCC. A review of existing literature reveals a dearth of ...

Salt stress is one of the major constraints hampering agricultural production owing to its impact on ethylene production and nutritional imbalance. A check on the accelerated ethylene production in plants could be helpful in minimizing the negative effect of salt stress on plant growth and development. Four Pseudomonas, 1 Flavobacterium, ...

The peptide antibiotic mutacin 1140 belongs to the group of antibiotics called lantibiotics. They are ribosomally synthesized and undergo extensive enzymatic modifications before being excreted into the culture medium. By using reverse-phase - high-performance liquid chromatography (RP-HPLC) and a semiquantitative bacteriocin bioassay to track mutacin 1140, an efficient ammonium sulfate ...

The yiaK-S operon is required for aerobic growth on L-ascorbate in several Enterobacteriaceae. Here we present evidence that the yiaX2 gene belonging to the yiaK-S operon of Klebsiella pneumoniae 13882, which encodes a protein similar to the putative transporters classified as the major facilitator superfamily, is involved in the uptake ...

A novel psychro-tolerant bacterium Stenotrophomonas maltophilia (MTCC 7528) with an ability to produce extracellular, cold-active, alkaline, and detergent-stable protease was isolated from soil samples obtained from Gangotri glacier, Western Himalaya, India. The culture conditions for higher protease production were optimized with respect to incubation time, agitation, substrate, pH, and temperature. ...

Mitochondrial porins (also known as voltage-dependent anion-selective channels (VDACs)) regulate and contribute to cellular metabolism. These proteins copurify with sterols, and some purified forms of the protein require sterol for insertion into planar artificial membranes. Recently, interactions between detergent-solubilized mitochondrial porins and sterols have been detected by NMR and spectroscopic ...

This work was designed to assess regulation of the [aTf1.sup.+] gene in the fission yeast Schizosaccharomyces pombe under nitrosative and nutritional stresses, using the [aTf1.sup.+]-lacZ fusion gene and RT-PCR. Nitric oxide (NO)-generating sodium nitroprusside (SNP; 10 [micro]mol/L) and nitrogen depletion significantly enhanced synthesis of [beta]-galactosidase from the [aTf1.sup.+]-lacZ fusion gene ...

A transcriptional fusion (opgG1::MudJ) to the opgGH operon of Salmonella enterica serovar Typhimurium (S. Typhimurium) LT2, isolated by resistance to mecillinam, was used to study the influence of global regulators RpoS, ppGpp, and CAMP/CAMP-receptor protein (CRP) on expression of the opgGH operon and osmoregulated periplasmic glucan (OPG) content. Neither high ...

Intracellular bacterial symbionts are known from various insect groups, particularly from those feeding on unbalanced diets, where the bacteria provide essential nutrients to the host. In the case of reed beetles (Coleoptera: Chrysomelidae, Donaciinae), however, the endosymbionts appear to be associated with specialized "glands" that secrete a material used for ...

For several years in the Quebec fisheries' industry, landings of pelagic fish have been calculated at over 4000 tons. These under-exploited species, rich in lipids and proteins, could be used in valuable new products. In the present study, hydrolysates of mackerel and herring were produced and utilized as sources of ...

This study reports that Escherichia coli phosphatidylcholine-positive ([PC.sup.+]) strain Top10/ptac66 ([PC.sup.+] [PE.sup.+]), in which borrelial PC synthase (PCS) directly condenses exogenous choline with CDP-diacylglycerol (CDP-DAG) to form PC, displayed not only stronger resistance to antimicrobial peptides cecropin P1 and indolicidin, but also decreased ability to attract macrophages to the abdominal ...

Two uncharacterized small cryptic plasmids (SCPs) were isolated from enteropathogenic Escherichia coli strain E2348/69. Genomic DNA sequence analysis of both SCPs indicated that the smaller plasmid, p5217, encoded several mobilization genes, whereas the larger plasmid, p6148, encoded several putative antibiotic resistance determinants. Complementation analysis showed that p6148 encodes functional streptomycin ...

Cell-wall chitin biosynthesis in the phytopathogenic fungus Botrytis cinerea involves 7 classes of chitin syntheses. In this study, we disrupted a gene encoding a chitin synthase with a myosin-like motor domain (BcchsV) through Agrobacterium tumefaciens mediated transformation. The resulting mutant was not significantly affected in either growth characteristics or pathogenicity ...

Termination of breastfeeding in the first six months after childbirth is frequently caused by breastfeeding-related diseases and problems of the breast such as pain, milk stasis or mastitis. The aim of this study was to evaluate the relationship between psychological stress and the occurrence of breastfeeding associated disorders. In a ...

Whilst breastfeeding is undoubtedly best for both mother and baby, many factors influence a woman's decision about whether to start and when to cease feeding. This study sought to determine which variables, influenced by midwifery practice, may influence the length of breastfeeding. Mothers who had given birth to a live ...

This paper makes use of data collected in a randomised controlled trial that was designed to test the efficacy of postpartum breastfeeding counselling to increase exclusive breastfeeding among term low birth weight infants in Manila during the first six months. Mothers were randomised to a control group or one of ...