No description available.

The majority of corticospinal projections in primates and all corticospinal projections in other mammals exert their influence by integrating into spinal interneuronal circuits. Interneurons therefore represent an evolutionarily conserved target through which the corticospinal tract achieves motor and sensory control. Here I describe the postnatal maturation of the corticospinal tract. I show work aimed at fractionating cortical projections by combining recently developed retrograde viral tracing strategies with genetic access to distinct spinal interneuron populations. Using a 3-D reconstruction pipeline, I discuss the cortical origins of the corticospinal pathway in mice. I then demonstrate the differential distribution of corticospinal inputs to three interneuron populations with divergent functional roles. These studies suggest that primary motor cortex contacts functionally diverse spinal interneurons whilst premotor and somatosensory cortical regions are more restricted in their postsynaptic targeting.

A research report submitted to the Faculty of Health Sciences, University of the Witwatersrand, Johannesburg, in partial fulfilment of the requirements for the degree of Master of Medicine in the branch of Radiology Johannesburg, 2011 / Management guidelines for urinary tract infections (UTI) invariably include renal ultrasound (RUS). Adequacy of RUS requests and reports is important for clinical practice. Aim To assess the adequacy of paediatric RUS requests and reports, the effects of the former on the latter, the effect of reporter`s rank, determine the yield and correlate adequacy with regard to the frequency of pathology. Materials and Methods Retrospective review of RUS reports of children was performed. A “Request Adequacy Score” (total 3) and a “Report Adequacy Score” (total 21) based on the RSNA reporting template was developed. A UTI subgroup was created. Results Mean “Report Adequacy Score” was 6.67. Residents performed better than consultants. There was no significant factor correlating with report adequacy. Hydronephrosis was the commonest pathology. Conclusion RUS requests and reports are inadequate. To improve reporting a renal ultrasound reporting template was developed.

Research report submitted in partial fulfilment of the requirements for the degree of Master of Medicine in Paediatrics. Johannesburg, 2015. / Urinary tract infections (UTIs) are an important cause of morbidity in children in developing countries and increasing antimicrobial resistance is reported in many countries. This retrospective study describes the performance of urine dipsticks, the aetiology and the antimicrobial susceptibility of paediatric UTIs at Rahima Moosa Mother and Child Hospital, Johannesburg. METHODS: We conducted a retrospective study of results from patients investigated for UTI over a four year period between January 2009 and December 2012 in the Department of Paediatrics & Child Health at Rahima Moosa Mother and Child Hospital. RESULTS: Escherichia coli was the commonest isolated uropathogen. Dipsticks sensitivity to identify UTI was 40% for leucocyte esterase and 34% for nitrites. The specificity was 94.6% for leucocyte esterase and 96% for nitrites. Malnutrition was associated with greater risk of having a UTI, with odds ratio of 2.06 (95% Confidence interval 1.4-2.9). In addition malnourished children tended to present with more resistant uropathogens. Resistance to sulphamethoxasole/trimethoprim and cephalexin has been progressively increasing between 2009 and 2012. From 64% to 79% for sulphamethoxasole/trimethoprim and from 24% to 63% for cephalexin. CONCLUSION: Positive urine dipsticks results allow immediate patient treatment but negative results need to be interpreted within the clinical context due to a high rate of false negatives. Malnourished children are significantly predisposed to urinary tract infections and tend to have more resistant uropathogens. Resistance to cephalexin is rising and studies to assess patient outcomes are needed to determine whether cephalexin still has a role in the treatment of paediatric UTI.

Thesis (M. Nurs.)--University of Hong Kong, 2009. / Includes bibliographical references (p. 61-65).

Malignant obstructive jaundice is always encountered in advanced stage. Malignancies include Distal Bile duct Carcinoma, Ampulla of Vater Carcinoma, and Pancreas Carcinoma are sometimes impossible to cure and resect. Therefore, palliative treatments are the only way to relieve the disease for the patients to have a better quality of life in their remaining life- span. Available palliative treatments include stenting and surgical bypass. In our analysis, metallic stenting and double bypass composing hepaticojejunostomy and gastrojejunostomy are studied as they can be considered as the two most efficient palliative methods so far that are widely used in Hong Kong in the management of malignant biliary obstruction. The treatment options depends on both the physicians and the patient. However, patients are often on the horns of a dilemma when they are allowed to choose these palliative treatments. This study hence aim to compare the cost-effectiveness of metallic stenting and surgical double bypass palliative treatment among five factors: 1) Number of hospital stay, 2) Re-admission rate, 3) Overall complication, 4) Change of bilirubin level and 5) Survival rate. A total of 40 patients data are being retrieved from the Queen Mary Hospital as 20 data are form the metallic stenting group, while the other 20 data are from surgical bypass. After collecting the data and finishing the study, it was found that apart from a longer hospital stay, the surgical bypass patient group would generally have a lower re-admission and complication rate. While the parameters include bilirubin change before and after the treatment and the survival rate are not significantly different, which indicated these two parameters may not be the determining factors when deciding the treatment choice. Based on the research outcome, surgical bypass may be a better choice of palliative treatment in the management of Malignant Biliary Obstruction that allows patients to obtain a better quality of life. / published_or_final_version / Medicine / Master / Master of Medical Sciences

No description available.

The aims of this study were to screen an array of plant families for novel lectins, to isolate candidate lectins whose reactivity suggested may be functionally useful and to assess the reactivity and modulatory effects of the novel lectins on the cells of the gastrointestinal tract (including the immune regions) and lymphocytes. Few of the seed and bulb samples screened had significant levels of lectin. However, the seeds, roots, stem and bark of <I>Morus nigra</I>, the black mulberry tree from the Moraceae plant family, were found to contain particularly high lectin activity. Two new lectins <I>Morus nigra</I> agglutinin-I (MNAI) and <I>Morus nigra</I> agglutinin-II (MNAII) were isolated. They were found to differ significantly from each other in their sugar specificity, subunit structure, amino acid sequence identity, glycosylation and haemagglutinating activity. MNAI has similarities in sugar inhibition characteristics (GalNAc) and amino acid identity to both MPA and jacalin, which also belong to the Moraceae family. MNAI recognises the similar intestinal glycan structures as jacalin and recognises T/Tn blood group antigen, both with and without sialylation. However, it differs significantly from MPA and jacalin in its lymphocyte stimulatory properties. MNAII appears to be novel and did not show amino acid sequence identity with any known proteins contained in the deltamass database. It is inhibitable by α-D-methyl mannoside. It may have an affinity for structures such as some form of N-linked glycans and appears to have low affinity for α2,6 sialylated structures. It labelled glycan structures present on the villus brush border, dome FAE and most M cells of many of the species tested <I>in vitro</I>.

No description available.

Inauguraldissertation zur Erlangung der Würde einer Doktorin der Philosophie, vorgelegt der Philosophie-Naturwissenschaftlichen Fakultät der Universität Basel. / Literaturverz.