Emerging tropical diseases in Australia. Part 5. Hendra virus

Hendra virus (HeV) was first isolated in 1994, from a disease outbreak involving at least 21 horses and two humans in the Brisbane suburb of Hendra, Australia. The affected horses and humans all developed a severe but unidentified respiratory disease that resulted in the deaths of one of the human cases and the deaths or putting down of 14 of the horses. The virus, isolated by culture from a horse and the kidney of the fatal human case, was initially characterised as a new member of the genus Morbillivirus in the family Paramyxoviridae. Comparative sequence analysis of part of the matrix protein gene of the virus and the discovery that the virus had an exceptionally large genome subsequently led to HeV being assigned to a new genus, Henipavirus, along with Nipah virus (a newly emergent virus in pigs). The regular outbreaks of HeV-related disease that have occurred in Australia since 1994 have all been characterised by acute respiratory and neurological manifestations, with high levels of morbidity and mortality in the affected horses and humans. The modes of transmission of HeV remain largely unknown. Although fruit bats have been identified as natural hosts of the virus, direct bat-horse, bat-human or human-human transmission has not been reported. Human infection can occur via exposure to infectious urine, saliva or nasopharyngeal fluid from horses. The treatment options and efficacy are very limited and no vaccine exists. Reports on the outbreaks of HeV in Australia are collated in this review and the available data on the biology, transmission and detection of the pathogen are summarized and discussed.

Emerging tropical diseases in Australia. Part 3. Australian bat lyssavirus

Since its discovery in a juvenile black flying fox (Pteropus alecto) in 1996, Australian bat lyssavirus (ABLV) has become the cause of a potentially important emerging disease for health authorities in Australia, with two human deaths (one in 1996 and one in 1998) attributed to the virus in the north-eastern state of Queensland. In Australia, the virus has been isolated from all four species of flying fox found on the mainland (i.e. P. alecto, P. scapulatus, P. poliocephalus and P. conspicillatus) as well as a single species of insectivorous bat (Saccolaimus flaviventris). Australian bat lyssavirus belongs to the Lyssavirus genus and is closely related, genetically, to the type strain of Rabies virus (RABV). Clinically, patients infected with ABLV have displayed the 'classical' symptoms of rabies and a similar disease course. This similarity has led to the belief that the infection and dissemination of ABLV in the body follows the same pathways as those followed by RABV. Following the two ABLV-related deaths in Queensland, protocols based on the World Health Organization's guidelines for RABV prophylaxis were implemented and, presumably in consequence, no human infection with ABLV has been recorded since 1998. ABLV will, however, probably always have an important part to play in the health of Australians as the density of the human population in Australia and, consequently, the level of interaction between humans and flying foxes increase.

Acute heart failure and cardiogenic shock

Acute heart failure and cardiogenic shock are medical emergencies requiring urgent medical intervention. This article defines each syndrome and reviews the latest evidence regarding their clinical presentation, management and prognosis.

Computer Controlled Pneumatic Servo Drives

This paper describes how microprocessor-based controls can be used to produce low cost pneumatic servo drives which could find wide application in manufacturing industries. The approach incorporates digital compensation for system non-linearities so that, when positioning loads in a ‘point to point’ mode, it is possible to achieve a significant improvement in both the static and dynamic performance of the drive.

For the compensation algorithms implemented a theoretical foundation is presented based on a linearized model of pneumatic drives. The paper also describes how microprocessor-based hardware and software have been constructed to evaluate performance criteria. This test facility has allowed the software implementation of the compensation algorithms to be refined so that satisfactory performance can be achieved with both translational and rotational drives utilizing various forms of transmission. The test facility has also allowed various control system elements to be evaluated so that pneumatic drives suitable for industrial application, can be specified.

Down-regulation of human osteoblast PTH/PTHrP receptor mRNA in end-stage renal failure

BACKGROUND

Resistance to the action of parathyroid hormone (PTH) has been demonstrated in end-stage renal failure and is considered to be important in the pathogenesis of secondary hyperparathyroidism. The mechanism of resistance is unknown. However, altered regulation of cellular PTH/PTH-related protein (PTH/PTHrP) receptor (PTH1R) has been assumed to be important.

METHODS

We have used in situ hybridization to examine PTH1R mRNA expression by osteoblasts in human bone and have compared the expression in high- and low-turnover renal bone disease, high-turnover nonrenal bone disease (healing fracture callus and Pagetic bone), and normal bone. Bone biopsies were formalin fixed, ethylenediaminetetraacetic acid decalcified, and paraffin wax embedded. A 1.8 kb PTH1R cDNA probe, labeled with 35S, was used, and the hybridization signal was revealed by autoradiography. The density of signal over osteoblasts was quantitated using a semiautomated Leica image analysis software package.

RESULTS

The mean density of PTH1R mRNA signal over osteoblasts in renal high-turnover bone was only 36% of that found in nonrenal high-turnover bone (P < 0.05) and 51% of that found in normal bone (P < 0.05). Osteoblast PTH1R mRNA signal in adynamic bone from individuals with diabetes mellitus was 28% of normal bone (P < 0.05) and 54% of that found in renal high-turnover bone (P < 0.05).

CONCLUSIONS

These results demonstrate a down-regulation of osteoblast PTH1R mRNA in end-stage renal failure in comparison to normal and high-turnover bone from otherwise healthy individuals, and provide an insight into the mechanisms of "skeletal resistance" to the actions of PTH.

Facilities for solution scattering and fibre diffraction at the Daresbury SRS

The small-angle scattering facility at Daresbury has been constructed for diffraction studies of a wide range of naturally occurring and synthetic materials. The high brightness of the SRS is combined with focusing optics, resulting in exposure times that can be two or three orders of magnitude less than those required on a conventional source. Spacings of 2000 Å in the vertical direction and 300 Å in the horizontal direction can be observed, while the resolution between diffraction orders is 5000 and 600 Å. In addition, preliminary results have been obtained on a double-crystal diffractometer that has a resolution, in one dimension, of better than 26 000 Å. For high-angle fibre diffraction studies, a camera with pinhole collimation has been constructed. Examples from solution scattering and fibre diffraction are used to illustrate the performance of these facilities.

The Activity of Synthetic Folic Acid in Purified Rations for the Chick

The addition of 25gamma of synthetic folic acid per 100 grams of our basal ration prevents the reduced growth, poor feathering condition, and low hemoglobin and hematocrit values consistently obtained when the basal ration is fed to chicks. More than 25gamma are needed when the diet contains sulfasuxidine. Evidence for the possible indirect action of folic acid is summarized. Vitamin C or whole liver powder gives a slight response in the presence of adequate amounts of synthetic folic acid.