A copper protein and a cytochrome bind at the same site on bacterial cytochrome c peroxidase

Biochemistry, 2004, 43 (46), pp 14566–14576 DOI: 10.1021/bi0485833

Inventario taxonómico de drosophilidae (Diptera) en el Parque Nacional Yasuni, Amazonia Ecuatoriana

En el Parque Nacional Yasuní, reconocido como un sector de alto endemismo y biodiversidad, ubicado al noroeste de la Amazonía Ecuatoriana se realizó el inventario taxonómico de la familia Drosophilidae. Para la captura de los individuos se utilizaron trampas con atrayente de banano y solución de levadura de cerveza. La identificación taxonómica se realizó usando caracteres morfológicos y la terminalia de los machos. En total se colectaron 7425 individuos clasificados en 34 especies de los géneros: Drosophila Fallén, 1823, Scaptodrosophila Duda, 1923, Neotanygastrella Duda, 1923 y Zaprionus Coquillett, 1901. Seis de estas especies son nuevos registros para el Ecuador: D. araicas Pavan & Nacrur, 1950, D. equinoxialis Dobzhansky, 1946, D. kikkawai Burla, 1954, D. subsaltans Magalhães, 1956, D. neocordata Magalhães, 1956 y D. peninsularis Patterson & Wheeler, 1942. Estos datos incrementan el número de especies registrados para el país y para la región amazónica.

Chemosensory ecology: deceiving Drosophila.

The Solomon's lily arum mimics the odours of yeast to attract drosophilid flies as unrewarded pollinators.

Five-Year Denosumab Treatment of Postmenopausal Women with Osteoporosis: Results from the first two Years of the Freedom Trial Extension

Objectives : The FREEDOM trial1 open-label extension is designed to evaluate the long-term efficacy and safety of denosumab for up to 10 years. We report the results from the first 2 years of the extension, representing up to 5 years of denosumab exposure.Materials/Methods : Postmenopausal women enrolled in the extension previously completed FREEDOM. During the extension, all women receive denosumab (60 mg) every 6 months and calcium and vitamin D daily. For the FREEDOM denosumab group, the data reflect 5 years of denosumab treatment (long-term group). For the FREEDOM placebo group, the data reflect 2 years of denosumab treatment (de novo group). P-values are descriptive.Results : There were 4550 (70.2%) FREEDOM women enrolled in the extension (2343 long-term; 2207 de novo). During the 4th and 5th years of denosumab treatment, the long-term group had further 1.9% and 1.7% increases in lumbar spine BMD and further 0.7% and 0.6% increases in total hip BMD (all P<0.0001 compared with extension baseline). Total BMD increases with 5-year denosumab treatment were 13.7% (lumbar spine) and 7.0% (total hip). In the de novo group, BMD increased during the first 2 years of denosumab treatment by 7.9% (lumbar spine) and 4.1% (total hip) (all P<0.0001 compared with extension baseline). After denosumab administration, serum CTX was rapidly and maximally reduced in both groups with the characteristic attenuation observed at the end of the dosing interval, as previously reported.2 Incidences of new vertebral and nonvertebral fractures were low and below rates observed in the FREEDOM placebo group. Adverse event reports were similar for both groups: in the long-term group, 83.4% reported AEs and 18.9% were serious. In the de novo group, the percentages were 82.8% and 19.4%, respectively. In FREEDOM, the respective percentages were 92.8% and 25.8% in the denosumab group and 93.1% and 25.1% in the placebo group. Two subjects in the de novo group had AEs adjudicated to ONJ which healed without further complications ; one resolved within the 6-month dosing interval and denosumab was continued. There were no atypical femoral fractures.Conclusions : Denosumab treatment for 5 years was well-tolerated and continued to significantly reduce CTX and significantly increase BMD. Reference: 1)Cummings;NEJM;2009;361:756, 2)Eastell;JBMR;2010; doi-10.1002/jbmr.251 Disclosure of Interest: This study was funded by Amgen; S Papapoulos: Consulting fees from Amgen, Merck, Novartis, Procter & Gamble, GSK, and Wyeth; R Chapurlat: Research grants and/or consulting fees from Amgen, Merck, Novartis, sanofi-aventis, Roche, Servier, and Warner Chilcott;ML Brandi: Research grants and/or consulting fees from Amgen, Eli Lily, GSK, MSD, NPS, Nycomed, Roche, Servier, and Stroder; JP Brown: Research grants and/or consulting or speaking fees from Abott, Amgen, Bristol Myers Squibb, Eli Lilly, Pfizer, Roche, Novartis, Merck, and Warner Chilcott; E Czerwinski: Research grants from Amgen, Astrazeneca, Danone Research, Eli Lilly, Merck Sharp & Dohme, Merck Serono, Novartis, Pfizer, Roche, SantoSolve AS, and Servier; N Daizadeh, A Grauer, C Libanati: Employed by Amgen and own Amgen stocks or stock options; M-A Krieg, D Mellstrom, H Resch: None; S Radominski: Research grants from Amgen, Pfizer, Novartis, Bristol-Myers Squibb, Roche, and Aventis; Z Man: Lecture fees and/or consulting fees from Merck, Novartis, Roche, and sanofi-aventis. Novartis steering committee member; JA Roman: Research grants from Roche; J-Y Reginster: Research grants, consulting fees, and/or lecture fees from Amgen, Analis, Bristol Myers Squibb, Ebewee Pharma, Genevrier, GSK, IBSA, Lilly, Merck Sharp & Dhome, Negma, Novartis, Novo-Nordisk, Nycomed, NPS, Roche, Rottapharm, Servier, Teijin, Teva, Theramex, UCB, Wyeth, and Zodiac; C Roux: Research grants and/or consulting fees from Amgen, MSD, Novartis, Servier, and Roche; SR Cummings: Research grants and/or consulting fees from Amgen, Eli Lilly, Novartis, and Merck; HG Bone: Research grants and/or consulting or speaking fees from Amgen, Eli Lilly, Merck, Nordic Bioscience, Novartis, Takeda, and Zelos

An international validation study of the EORTC brain cancer module (EORTC QLQ-BN20) for assessing health-related quality of life and symptoms in brain cancer patients.

Aims: The psychometric properties of the EORTC QLQ-BN20, a brain cancer-specific HRQOL questionnaire, have been previously determined in an English-speaking sample of patients. This study examined the validity and reliability of the questionnaire in a multi-national, multi-lingual study. Methods: QLQ-BN20 data were selected from two completed phase III EORTC/NCIC clinical trials in brain cancer (N=891), including 12 languages. Experimental treatments were surgery followed by radiotherapy (RT) and adjuvant PCV chemotherapy or surgery followed by concomitant RT plus temozolomide (TMZ) chemotherapy and adjuvant TMZ chemotherapy. Standard treatment consisted of surgery and postoperative RT alone. The psychometrics of the QLQ-BN20 were examined by means of multi-trait scaling analyses, reliability estimation, known groups validity testing, and responsiveness analysis. Results: All QLQ-BN20 items correlated more strongly with their own scale (r>0.70) than with other QLQ-BN20 scales. Internal consistency reliability coefficients were high (all alpha0.70). Known-groups comparisons yielded positive results, with the QLQ-BN20 distinguishing between patients with differing levels of performance status and mental functioning. Responsiveness of the questionnaire to changes over time was acceptable. Conclusion: The QLQ-BN20 demonstrates adequate psychometric properties and can be recommended for use in conjunction with the QLQ-C30 in assessing the HRQOL of brain cancer patients in international studies.

Acute schistosomiasis: a risk underestimated by travelers and a diagnosis frequently missed by general practitioners-a cluster analysis of 42 travelers.

BACKGROUND: In 2011, a patient was admitted to our hospital with acute schistosomiasis after having returned from Madagascar and having bathed at the Lily waterfalls. On the basis of this patient's indication, infection was suspected in 41 other subjects. This study investigated (1) the knowledge of the travelers about the risks of schistosomiasis and their related behavior to evaluate the appropriateness of prevention messages and (2) the diagnostic workup of symptomatic travelers by general practitioners to evaluate medical care of travelers with a history of freshwater exposure in tropical areas. METHODS: A questionnaire was sent to the 42 travelers with potential exposure to schistosomiasis. It focused on pre-travel knowledge of the disease, bathing conditions, clinical presentation, first suspected diagnosis, and treatment. RESULTS: Of the 42 questionnaires, 40 (95%) were returned, among which 37 travelers (92%) reported an exposure to freshwater, and 18 (45%) were aware of the risk of schistosomiasis. Among these latter subjects, 16 (89%) still reported an exposure to freshwater. Serology was positive in 28 (78%) of 36 exposed subjects at least 3 months after exposure. Of the 28 infected travelers, 23 (82%) exhibited symptoms and 16 (70%) consulted their general practitioner before the information about the outbreak had spread, but none of these patients had a serology for schistosomiasis done during the first consultation. CONCLUSIONS: The usual prevention message of avoiding freshwater contact when traveling in tropical regions had no impact on the behavior of these travelers, who still went swimming at the Lily waterfalls. This prevention message should, therefore, be either modified or abandoned. The clinical presentation of acute schistosomiasis is often misleading. General practitioners should at least request an eosinophil count, when confronted with a returning traveler with fever. If eosinophilia is detected, it should prompt the search for a parasitic disease.

Schistosomiase aiguë au retour de voyage : enseignements tirés d'une cohorte de 42 voyageurs exposés

La schistosomiase aiguë est une pathologie régulièrement rencontrée chez les voyageurs. En raison de sa longue période d'incubation, de ses manifestations aspécifiques et de la résolution spontanée des symptômes qu'elle génère, elle peut facilement ne pas être reconnue par un médecin peu coutumier des pathologies tropicales. En décembre 2011, une voyageuse de retour de Madagascar a été hospitalisée au CHUV en raison d'une schistosomiase aiguë. Cette personne avait accompagné un groupe aux chutes de la Lily dans le centre de l'île où la plupart des participants s'étaient baignés. Elle avait déjà fait, deux ans plus tôt, un voyage similaire comme accompagnante au même endroit. Parallèlement, 4 voyageurs parmi 3 couples qui avaient visité indépendamment le site ont consulté la Policlinique Médicale Universitaire en raison de symptômes à leur retour. Nous avons ainsi recensé un total de 42 voyageurs susceptibles d'avoir été en contact avec l'eau des chutes de la Lily. Dans cette cohorte de voyageurs, nous avons investigué : 1) le comportement des voyageurs en fonction de leur connaissance du risque afin d'évaluer la pertinence des mesures préventives actuellement transmises lors de la consultation pré-voyage 2) les diagnostics de première intention retenus par les médecins de premier recours chez certains voyageurs symptomatiques en vue d'améliorer la prise en charge des voyageurs ayant eu un contact avec de l'eau douce au cours de leur voyage. A cette intention, nous avons envoyé un questionnaire aux 42 voyageurs de cette cohorte. Quarante questionnaires sur quarante-deux (95%) ont été retournés. Trente-sept voyageurs sur 40 (92%) ont rapporté un contact avec de l'eau douce au cours de leur voyage. Parmi les 18/40 (45%) voyageurs connaissant les mesures de prévention à l'encontre de la schistosomiase, 16/18 (89%) se sont néanmoins baignés aux chutes de la Lily contre 20/22 (91%) parmi ceux ignorant ces mesures. Tous les voyageurs exposés ont bénéficié d'un dépistage au moyen d'une sérologie, à l'exception d'un participant traité de manière empirique. La sérologie s'est révélée positive chez 28/36 (78%) des participants plus de trois mois après la dernière exposition. Vingt-trois voyageurs sur 28 (82%) ont relaté des symptômes. Seize sur 23 (70%) ont consulté leurs médecins, qui ont alors posé les diagnostics suivants: origine indéterminée (4 cas), infection virale (3 cas), gastro-entérite invasive (2 cas), pneumonie (1 cas), amibiase (1 cas), fièvre typhoïde (1 cas), malaria (1 cas), eczéma (1 cas), réaction allergique (1 cas) et affection rhumatologique (1 cas). Au vu de ce qui précède, les informations données sur la schistosomiase pendant la consultation pré-voyage doivent être modifiées, particulièrement en ce qui concerne les mesures de prévention. Parallèlement à la recommandation de ne pas s'exposer à de l'eau potentiellement infectée dans les régions endémiques, des informations sur les formes sévères de l'infection pourraient avoir un impact plus important sur le comportement. La mesure la plus efficace pour éviter des complications consisterait néanmoins à proposer une serologie à plus de trois mois de la dernière exposition, même en l'absence de symptômes. Finalement, compte tenu de l'augmentation des voyages transcontinentaux et du développement des activités de loisir dans les pays tropicaux, une formation en médecine tropicale et en santé des voyageurs devrait constituer une part plus importante dans le cursus de formation pré- et post-gradué des médecins de premier recours. Une fièvre au retour de voyage devrait toujours être investiguée par une formule sanguine complète à a recherche d'une éosinophilie, justifiant la recherche d'une parasitose tissulaire par des sérologies spécifiques.

Lucia di Lammermoor

Pons, Lily (Lucia) ; Votipka, Thelma (Alisa) ; Tucker, Richard (Edgardo) ; Hayward, Thomas (Arturo) ; McCracken, James (Normanno) ; Guarrera, Frank (Enrico) ; Scott, Norman (Raimondo) ; Chorus and Orchestra of the Metropolitan Opera Association, Cleva, Fausto, joht.