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Varroa destructor is a honey bee (Apis mellifera) parasite identified as one of the leading causes of overwintering colony loss in New Zealand. It has been shown that a naturally occurring heritable trait, “Varroa Sensitive Hygiene” (VSH), confers an advantage to colonies by increasing behaviours that limit the survival and reproduction of Varroa mites. The SNP 9–9224292 is an adenine/guanine (A/G) polymorphism on chromosome 9 of Apis mellifera where the G allele was observed to be associated with VSH behaviour in North American honey bees. In this study, we sought to determine if selection for the G allele of SNP 9–9224292 could decrease Varroa mite infestation of New Zealand honey bee (Apis mellifera ligustica) colonies. We genotyped queens and tracked their colonies over summer before measuring Varroa levels at the point of autumn Varroa treatment. The mean Varroa population level in colonies headed by queens that carry two copies of VSH associated G allele of SNP 9–9224292 was 28.5% (PVarroa treatment was still required for adequate Varroa control. Considering the open mating of queens used and a lack of drift control in this study, this VSH SNP shows promise for marker assisted selection of New Zealand honey bees when aiming for innate Varroa control traits.

Background: Intra-tumor RNA expression of hepcidin has been linked to adverse metastasis-free survival in women with early BC, but the prognostic implications of this inflammatory marker and iron-regulating peptide are unknown. Methods: Using an ELISA assay, we measured plasma hepcidin in the banked blood of 518 women who were recruited from 1989-1996 for a prospective cohort study regarding diet and lifestyle factors in BC. Blood had been obtained 4-12 weeks post-operatively and prior to treatment with radiation, chemotherapy or hormonal therapy. Women ages 18 to 75 with T1-3, N0-1, M0 BC who underwent surgery and axillary dissection were included; those with metabolic disorders were excluded. Tumor size, grade and ER/PR expression were abstracted from pathology reports; HER2 status was unknown. Median follow-up was 12.1 years (range, 0.2 to 17 years). Univariable Cox regression models were used to determine the association between hepcidin and i) time to distant BC recurrence (primary outcome), and ii) time to death due to any cause. Multivariable Cox proportional hazards models were adjusted for age (continuous), T stage (T2, T3, Tx vs T1), tumor grade (3 vs 2 or 1), N stage (node positive vs negative), ER/PR expression (both ER and PR negative vs either positive) a-priori. Associations between hepcidin and CRP, IL6, insulin, cholesterol, glucose, vitamin D, total iron, transferrin, and soluble transferrin receptor; sTfR were explored (Pearson's coefficients). Results: Hepcidin ranged from 4.70-190.70 ng/L (median 16.25; IQR 16.40 ng/L). To ensure normal distribution, a transformed [-1/sqrt (x)] hepcidin variable was used for prognostic analyses. Average age was 50.3±9.7 years. 16% were obese [body mass index (BMI) >30kg/m2], 30% (n=156) were node positive, 35% (n=181) had grade 3 tumors and 71% (n=370) had ER and/or PR positive tumors. 77% underwent a lumpectomy, 73% (n=380) received adjuvant radiotherapy and 39% (n=203) received adjuvant chemotherapy. Plasma hepcidin was not univariably associated with either time to distant BC recurrence (HR for 75th percentile versus 25th 1.20; 95%CI 0.79-1.32) or time to death due to any cause (HR 1.23; 95%CI 0.95-1.59) in the overall cohort; multivariable results were similar. In pre-planned analyses, the prognostic association of hepcidin differed by BMI (≤30 vs >30 kg/m2; interaction p-values Conclusion: Higher plasma hepcidin was independently associated with a shorter time to distant BC recurrence in obese women but not in the overall cohort. Further investigation of hepcidin and mechanisms linking it to adverse BC outcomes is warranted. Citation Format: Jerzak KJ, Lohmann AE, Ennis M, Nemeth E, Ganz T, Goodwin PJ. Prognostic associations of plasma hepcidin in early breast cancer (BC) [abstract]. In: Proceedings of the 2017 San Antonio Breast Cancer Symposium; 2017 Dec 5-9; San Antonio, TX. Philadelphia (PA): AACR; Cancer Res 2018;78(4 Suppl):Abstract nr P3-08-08.

Rationale & Objective Clinical practice guidelines for dietary intake in hemodialysis focus on individual nutrients. Little is known about associations of dietary patterns with survival. We evaluated the associations of dietary patterns with cardiovascular and all-cause mortality among adults treated by hemodialysis. Study Design Prospective cohort study. Setting & Participants 8,110 of 9,757 consecutive adults on hemodialysis (January 2014 to June 2017) treated in a multinational private dialysis network and with analyzable dietary data. Exposures Data-driven dietary patterns based on the GA2LEN food frequency questionnaire. Participants received a score for each identified pattern, with higher scores indicating closer resemblance of their diet to the identified pattern. Quartiles of standardized pattern scores were used as primary exposures. Outcomes Cardiovascular and all-cause mortality. Analytical Approach Principal components analysis with varimax rotation to identify common dietary patterns. Adjusted proportional hazards regression analyses with country as a random effect to estimate the associations between dietary pattern scores and mortality. Associations were expressed as adjusted HRs with 95% CIs, using the lowest quartile score as reference. Results During a median follow-up of 2.7 years (18,666 person-years), there were 2,087 deaths (958 cardiovascular). 2 dietary patterns, “fruit and vegetable” and “Western,” were identified. For the fruit and vegetable dietary pattern score, adjusted HRs, in ascending quartiles, were 0.94 (95% CI, 0.76-1.15), 0.83 (95% CI, 0.66-1.06), and 0.91 (95% CI, 0.69-1.21) for cardiovascular mortality and 0.95 (95% CI, 0.83-1.09), 0.84 (95% CI, 0.71-0.99), and 0.87 (95% CI, 0.72-1.05) for all-cause mortality. For the Western dietary pattern score, the corresponding estimates were 1.10 (95% CI, 0.90-1.35), 1.11 (95% CI, 0.87-1.41), and 1.09 (95% CI, 0.80-1.49) for cardiovascular mortality and 1.01 (95% CI, 0.88-1.16), 1.00 (95% CI, 0.85-1.18), and 1.14 (95% CI, 0.93-1.41) for all-cause mortality. Limitations Self-reported food frequency questionnaire, data-driven approach. Conclusions These findings did not confirm an association between mortality among patients receiving long-term hemodialysis and the extent to which dietary patterns were either high in fruit and vegetables or consistent with a Western diet.

Different sour cherry cultivars (cv. 'Erdi botermo', 'Kantorjanosi' and 'Pandy 279') were harvested than stored for 30 days at 4-6°C, 89-90% RH. The absorbance pattern of juice was different between fresh and stored fruits, especially in case of cv. 'Kantorjanosi'. No remarkable differences was found in cv. 'Erdi botermo' fresh and stored. Slight difference was found in cv. 'Pandy 279' fresh and stored fruit, but its total absorbance was the highest among the investigated cultivars. The pH changed between 3.33 and 3.89 as function of cultivar and/or storage. No differences were found in total soluble solids content which varied between 13.56 and 13.62%. The activity of β-galactosidase of cv. 'Pandy 279' was smaller than the one of cv. 'Erdi botermo' and cv. 'Kantorjanos', but the activity of β-galactosidase increased during storage in all cultivars, especially in 'Erdi botermo'. After the SDS-PAGE of crude enzyme solution of fresh fruit the main polypeptide bands were found at 30 kDa and 43-67 kDa. During storage the bands in the range 43-67 kDa became more intense. The total peak area was higher in the stored samples. IEF of 'Kantorjanosi' and 'Pandy 279' showed differences between cultivar and storage. In neutral range of polypeptide bands increased on the effect of storage. Polypeptide bands decreased in the range of 3- pI and new polypeptides can be seen in weekacid range of IEF in stored fruits.

Background Dental disease is more extensive in adults with chronic kidney disease, but whether dental health and behaviors are associated with survival in the setting of hemodialysis is unknown. Study Design Prospective multinational cohort. Setting & Participants 4,205 adults treated with long-term hemodialysis, 2010 to 2012 (Oral Diseases in Hemodialysis [ORAL-D] Study). Predictors Dental health as assessed by a standardized dental examination using World Health Organization guidelines and personal oral care, including edentulousness; decayed, missing, and filled teeth index; teeth brushing and flossing; and dental health consultation. Outcomes All-cause and cardiovascular mortality at 12 months after dental assessment. Measurements Multivariable-adjusted Cox proportional hazards regression models fitted with shared frailty to account for clustering of mortality risk within countries. Results During a mean follow-up of 22.1 months, 942 deaths occurred, including 477 cardiovascular deaths. Edentulousness (adjusted HR, 1.29; 95% CI, 1.10-1.51) and decayed, missing, or filled teeth score ≥ 14 (adjusted HR, 1.70; 95% CI, 1.33-2.17) were associated with early all-cause mortality, while dental flossing, using mouthwash, brushing teeth daily, spending at least 2 minutes on oral hygiene daily, changing a toothbrush at least every 3 months, and visiting a dentist within the past 6 months (adjusted HRs of 0.52 [95% CI, 0.32-0.85], 0.79 [95% CI, 0.64-0.97], 0.76 [95% CI, 0.58-0.99], 0.84 [95% CI, 0.71-0.99], 0.79 [95% CI, 0.65-0.95], and 0.79 [95% CI, 0.65-0.96], respectively) were associated with better survival. Results for cardiovascular mortality were similar. Limitations Convenience sample of clinics. Conclusions In adults treated with hemodialysis, poorer dental health was associated with early death, whereas preventive dental health practices were associated with longer survival.

Hintergrund und Fragestellung. Tubuslose Jet-Ventilationsverfahren bieten ein uneingeschranktes Operationsfeld ohne Gefahren bei der Laserchirurgie und haben sich bei endolaryngealen Eingriffen bewahrt. Zur Ermoglichung endotrachealer Eingriffe mit der mikroendoskopischen Technik haben wir Jet-Tracheoskopierohre entwickelt und seit 5 Jahren in Verwendung. In der vorliegenden Studie werden die Erfahrungen mit der superponierten Hochfrequenz-Jet-Ventilation (SHFJV) in totaler intravenoser Anasthesie (TIVA) in der endolaryngealen und v. a. in der endotrachealen Chirurgie mit den Jet-Tracheoskopierohren vorgestellt.

At our center, a skin care program in the managed care arena was developed to fit the needs of the spinalcord-injured (SCI) patient across the continuum of care. The aim of the program was to prevent and treat skin complications through an interdisciplinary, interdepartmental, and multifocused approach. Using a continuous quality improvement (CQI) method for program development, under the MAXIM (monitor, analyze, experiment, implement, monitor) performance improvement process, a center-wide skin team was developed to evaluate and improve the management of SCI patients as they progress along the continuum. The team is comprised of the inpatient SCI rehabilitation skin team, the outpatient wound clinic, the inpatient medical-surgical skin team, and research/telemedicine. This holistic approach toward the SCI patient across the continuum has provided for better outcomes, better utilization of resources, and a more unified approach to care, despite the complications resulting from decreased length of stays, i...

The performances of adaptive array algorithms are known to suffer from a strong degradation in scenarios with moving interfering sources. In this article, basic adaptive beamforming techniques are compared using shallow sea sonar data recorded in a towed horizontal array environment with moving interfering sources originated from shipping noise. Our experimental results show the relationship between the practical performances of adaptive and conventional beamforming techniques compared in terms of output SINR or a related measure given by the noncompensated postbeamforming interference power. These results demonstrate noticeable performance improvements that can be achieved using several robust algorithms relative to traditional adaptive beamforming schemes.

In insulation materials several chemical and physical deterioration processes arise, such as thermal and electrical ageing, and moistening, due to operational and environmental stresses. As well as electrical strength, these deterioration processes influence the dielectric processes, the conduction and the polarisation of the insulation. The dielectric strength of insulation cannot be determined without destroying it, but the intensities of dielectric processes can be investigated by non-destructive diagnostic test methods. Consequently, by diagnostic tests the ageing state of the insulation, i.e. the probable decrease in its electrical strength, can be detected without damaging it. By using the voltage response method for diagnostic testing of electrical insulation its condition can be easily determined, i.e. the probable decrease of the dielectric strength and the reliability of the insulation can be indirectly inferred. By testing cables with impregnated paper insulation the two main deterioration processes, i.e. thermal ageing and moistening, can also be distinguished.

The reverse osmosis (RO) water treatment industry has been revolutionized in the past several years by the introduction of a new generation of ultra-low pressure RO membrane elements. These new membranes have helped the technology become much more affordable and cost effective by reducing the energy consumption required to operate the RO system. The energy required to pressurize the RO feedwater has always been the largest component of the operating cost of a RO plant. The operating and capital cost savings provided by the new membranes combine to bring the expense for RO water treatment plants in line with the costs for conventional water treatment plants. Although several technical papers have been written over the past few years evaluating the performance of the specific ultra-low pressure membranes, very little information has been shared throughout the industry on observations of the operation of these membrane in conventional RO system design. Although the ultra-low pressure membranes have salinity rejection characteristics comparable to conventional RO membranes, their hydraulic characteristics can be significantly different. Information indicates that the ultra-low pressure membranes have an almost 30% higher design permeate productivity than conventional membranes. This significantly affects the hydraulic behavior of the full-scale membrane water treatment system. Additionally, in multi-stage systems, the lower required feed pressure translates into even lower second pass feed pressure (and third pass, if used). These two factors combine to cause potential hydraulic balance problems in conventionally designed membrane water treatment systems. Modifications to conventional membrane system design practices must be considered to optimize the use of ultra-low pressure membranes. This paper will focus on the behavior of the ultra-low pressure RO membranes in the full-scale system. Several design options will be evaluated for their effectiveness in improving system designs incorporating ultra-low pressure membranes. The design modifications will be evaluated for function, effectiveness and cost impacts. Finally, recommendations will be presented on how to assess which design might be the most applicable for a particular application.

For almost 20 years, the City of Cape Coral has operated a large municipal RO plant. That plant has grown from a blended water output of 15,200 m 3 /d (4 mgd) to its present capacity of 57,000 m 3 /d (15 mgd). It provides all of the potable water for the City of Cape Coral, and the City's future supply will also be desalted water.

Hepcidin is a regulatory hormone that plays a major role in controlling body iron homeostasis. Circulating factors (holotransferrin, cytokines, erythroid regulators) might variably contribute to hepcidin modulation in different pathological conditions. There are few studies analysing the relationship between hepcidin transcript and related protein expression profiles in humans. Our aims were: a. to measure hepcidin expression at either hepatic, serum and urinary level in three paradigmatic iron overload conditions (hemochromatosis, thalassemia and dysmetabolic iron overload syndrome) and in controls; b. to measure mRNA hepcidin expression in two different hepatic cell lines (HepG2 and Huh-7) exposed to patients and controls sera to assess whether circulating factors could influence hepcidin transcription in different pathological conditions. Our findings suggest that hepcidin assays reflect hepatic hepcidin production, but also indicate that correlation is not ideal, likely due to methodological limits and to several post-trascriptional events. In vitro study showed that THAL sera down-regulated, HFE-HH and C-NAFLD sera up-regulated hepcidin synthesis. HAMP mRNA expression in Huh-7 cells exposed to sera form C-Donors, HFE-HH and THAL reproduced, at lower level, the results observed in HepG2, suggesting the important but not critical role of HFE in hepcidin regulation.

A variety of wound measurement techniques are available to clinicians. Options range from relatively simple and inexpensive to complex, expensive devices. An iterative design approach was used to evaluate and improve performance and clinical utility of a new wound measurement device (WMD). The design was based upon a commercially available Smartphone. Accuracy was assessed using bench testing and reliability of area measurements was determined using multiple evaluators. Clinical utility was investigated by deploying the WMD during wound rounds in a rehabilitation hospital. Accuracy testing revealed an average error

We have studied the relationship between perturbations of fibroblast turnover in inflamed gingiva of different severities. To perform detailed spatial analyses of gingival fibroblast progenitor cells, inflammatory cell infiltrates and blood vessels, 3 Cynomolgus monkeys with healthy periodontium and 2 with naturally occurring gingivitis and ligature-induced periodontitis were pulse-labeled with 3H-thymidine. Morphometric analyses of radioautographs from mid-sagittal supra-alveolar gingival connective tissues of incisors were performed in sites subjacent to junctional sulcular and oral epithelium, in the body of the lamina propria and just superior to the alveolar crest. The percentage of fibroblasts incorporating 3H-thymidine label, expressed as the labeling index (LI), was higher subjacent to the sulcular epithelium in periodontitis (1.73 +/- 0.37) than in healthy sites (1.06 +/- 0.22). This was not statistically significant (0.05 < p < 0.1) due to the small number of animals used. The sites subjacent to the sulcular epithelium also exhibited the largest increase in lymphocyte density from health to gingivitis (p < 0.01). In contrast, the LI of fibroblasts subjacent to the oral epithelium was 5-fold higher in healthy (0.82 +/- 0.17) compared to periodontitis sites (0.13 +/- 0.09; p < 0.05). Labeled fibroblasts were found close to blood vessels in all compartments and in all disease states; distance to blood vessels was reduced in inflamed sites (p < 0.10). There were increased numbers of blood vessels per unit area in the lamina propria of gingivitis compared to healthy sites. However, there were no regional differences with respect to blood vessel numbers or area in sites subjacent to junctional epithelium with different disease states. The results indicate that: 1) experimentally-induced inflammation in the gingiva of Cynomolgus monkeys is associated with site-specific perturbations of cell turnover; 2) fibroblast progenitors are preferentially situated adjacent to blood vessels as in the periodontal ligament; 3) the vascular response to inflammation is a generalized increase in blood vessel numbers, but not their size; 4) reactive proliferation of fibroblasts may compensate for cell death in the lamina propria but is not detectable at the site of connective tissue attachment loss subjacent to the junctional epithelium. Failure to maintain the fibroblast progenitor population may be an important component of attachment loss in progressive periodontitis lesions.

Hepcidin is a peptide produced by hepatocytes and detectable in blood and urine. Urinary hepcidin excretion appeared to be significantly increasing in humans with acute and chronic infections or inflammatory diseases. However, the effects of common tropical parasitic infections on hepcidin have not been sufficiently examined. We carried out a study in school children from Mali living in a neighborhood where Plasmodium falciparum malaria and Schistosoma haematobium infections are prevalent. Anemia (hemoglobin120 g/l) prevalence was very high among these children (68%); 24% had iron deficiency anemia. The prevalence of infections was also high (65% had at least one infection and 41% had C-reactive protein (CRP) levels10 mg/L). S. haematobium was diagnosed in 64%. We assessed first morning urine hepcidin excretion in a sub-sample of 15 children with either S. haematobium, P. falciparum malaria or none; 14 of these 15 children were included in the analyses. Children with P. falciparum malaria excreted significantly higher levels of hepcidin than those with S. haematobium (chi2 = 3.86; p = 0.05) or without any infection (chi2 = 5.95; p = 0.01). Urinary hepcidin correlated significantly with CRP (Spearman's r = 0.59; p = 0.001) and serum ferritin (Spearman's r = 0.73; p = 0.003). Our study confirms the still limited evidence of an association between human malaria and increased urinary hepcidin and points out the need for further studies to define the contribution of hepcidin to anemia associated with this disease.

Oral administration of Lactobacillus spp. as probiotics is gaining importance in the treatment of intestinal inflammations. However, their mechanism of action is unknown. We investigated whether nonspecific binding Lactobacillus casei Shirota (LcS) and mannose-specific Lactobacillus plantarum 299v (Lp) and their spent culture supernatant (SCS) affect Salmonella enteritidis 857 (Se) growth, IL-8 and Hsp70 syntheses. In one set of experiments human enterocyte-like Caco-2 cells were infected with LcS, Lp or Se at 1-500 bacteria per cell for 1 h. In another set, cells were exposed to Se (0-200 per cell, 1 h) after exposure to lactobacilli (LB) (500 per cell, 30 min) or by co-incubation of Se and LB (1 h). The third set of experiments involved exposure of cells for 1 h to SCS or Se (100 per cell) pretreated (1 h) in SCS. The effect of LB SCS on Se growth was evaluated by agar plate diffusion test. IL-8 and Hsp70 were assessed over 2-24 h using ELISA and Western blotting, respectively. Neither LcS nor Lp affected the Se growth and IL-8 production. In addition, they did not induce Hsp70 expression by Caco-2 cells. Instead, their SCS inhibited the Se growth and IL-8 production and induced the expression of Hsp70 by both crypt- and villus-like cells. The beneficial effect of Lactobacillus spp. to the intestinal inflammations might be associated with a decrease in IL-8 levels. This effect could be mediated, at least in part, via a secreted antimicrobial product(s) either directly against the pathogens or indirectly through the synthesis of Hsp70.

Data from two projects carried out within the extensive (180 km2) reed belt of Lake Neusiedl, Austria – one about the fish community and the other about the colonial breeding piscivorous birds, great white egret, Casmerodius albus L., purple heron, Ardea purpurea L., grey heron, Ardea cinerea L., and spoonbill, Platalea leucorodia L. – were used to assess the impact of fish-eating birds on the fish population. Piscivorous birds ate about 12% of total fish standing stock within the reed belt. Their food intake was estimated to account for 21% of fish production within a size range of 3–25 cm total length (potential prey size). Competition between fish-eating birds and commercial fisheries was considered to be negligible.

Blood. 2005 Oct 15;106(8):2922-3. A Portuguese patient homozygous for the -25G>A mutation of the HAMP promoter shows evidence of steady-state transcription but fails to up-regulate hepcidin levels by iron. Porto G, Roetto A, Daraio F, Pinto JP, Almeida S, Bacelar C, Nemeth E, Ganz T, Camaschella C. PMID: 16204153 [PubMed - indexed for MEDLINE]Free Article Publication Types, MeSH Terms, SubstancesPublication Types: Letter Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't MeSH Terms: Antimicrobial Cationic Peptides/genetics* Antimicrobial Cationic Peptides/urine Glycine/genetics* Hemochromatosis/genetics Homozygote* Humans Iron/pharmacology* Mutation/genetics Portugal Promoter Regions, Genetic/genetics* Transcription, Genetic/genetics* Up-Regulation/drug effects* Substances: Antimicrobial Cationic Peptides hepcidin Glycine Iron LinkOut - more resourcesFull Text Sources: HighWire Press EBSCO Other Literature Sources: COS Scholar Universe Medical: Genetics Home Reference - HAMP Gene - Genetics Home Reference Molecular Biology Databases: IRON - HSDB GLYCINE - HSDB

Tubeless jet-ventilation offers the surgeon an unimpaired surgical field and is therefore widely used in endolaryngeal surgery. In order to permit endotracheal surgery using the same devices and instruments as those used for the larynx, we have developed special jet-tracheoscopes. Here, we report on our experience with superimposed high-frequency jet-ventilation (SHFJV) together with total intravenous anaesthesia (TIVA) in endolaryngeal and especially endotracheal surgery.The medical reports of 172 patients (91 females, 81 males) who had undergone endolaryngeal or endotracheal surgery in SHFJV were analysed retrospectively.Sufficient ventilation was possible in all cases and no vitally critical situation occurred. The main indication was laryngotracheal stenosis of different origins. No significant advantages could be observed in phonosurgery. There was no difficulty in exposing the endolarynx and subglottis with the currently available laryngoscopes (five sizes). The newly developed jet-tracheoscopes (two sizes) allowed a quick and safe extension of the operating field onto the tracheal bifurcation.SHFJV together with TIVA enlarges the diagnostic and therapeutic options in endoscopic surgery of the respiratory tract and is in many cases the precondition for endoscopic treatment without tracheotomy. In particular, the newly developed jet-tracheoscopes widen the spectrum of endoscopic surgery and allow the use of the micromanipulator guided CO2-laser in the trachea.

There is a clear association between germ-line BRCA1 mutations and inherited ovarian cancer; however, the association between BRCA1 mutations and sporadic ovarian cancer remains ambiguous. The frequency of BRCA1 promoter hypermethylation as an epigenetic means of BRCA1 inactivation was determined for a large, population-based cohort of ovarian cancer patients. BRCA1 promoter hypermethylation was determined by methylation-specific restriction digestion of tumor DNA, followed by Southern blot analysis and confirmed by methylation-specific PCR. BRCA1 promoter hypermethylation was observed in 12 of 98 ovarian tumors. BRCA1 methylation status of the primary tumor was conserved in six recurrent tumors after interim chemotherapy. None of the 12 tumors with BRCA1 promoter hypermethylation demonstrated BRCA1 protein expression by immunohistochemistry. BRCA1 methylation was only seen in ovarian cancer patients without a family history suggestive of a breast/ ovarian cancer syndrome. Therefore, the 12 BRCA1 methylated tumors represented 15% (12 of 81) of the sporadic cancers analyzed in this study. Although the clinical significance of BRCA1 promoter hypermethylation is yet to be determined, promoter hypermethylation may be an alternative to mutation in causing the inactivation of the BRCA1 tumor suppressor gene in sporadic ovarian cancer.

This study was undertaken to identify genes with expression up-regulated by acute distention in the human fetal membranes.Fetal membrane explants were distended reproducibly in a novel device in vitro for 4 hours, and suppression subtractive hybridization was used to identify the candidate genes for up-regulation of expression in response to this stimulus. The up-regulation in response to distention was confirmed by quantitative Northern blot analysis both after a 4-hour in vitro distention and after labor in vivo.Suppression subtractive hybridization identified 3 genes with expression up-regulated by acute distention: an interferon-stimulated gene encoding a 54-kd protein, the gene for huntingtin-interacting protein 2 (a ubiquitin-conjugating enzyme), and a novel transcript. Expression of each of the distention-responsive genes found to be up-regulated in vitro was also up-regulated in fetal membranes in association with labor.Suppression subtractive hybridization was successfully applied to a complex tissue, the human fetal membranes, and 3 novel distention-responsive genes were identified. Both acute in vitro distention and labor in vivo up-regulate expression of at least 3 genes in the human fetal membranes.

This study was undertaken to determine which genes were up-regulated by acute distention in an amniotic epithelial cell line and in human fetal membranes.WISH cells, a human amniotic epithelial cell line, were grown on silicone elastomer sheets coated with extracellular matrix and reproducibly distended by 40% in a novel device for 4 hours. Differential gene expression was analyzed by means of suppression subtractive hybridization. Expression of the identified genes was then quantitated by Northern blot analysis in fetal membrane explants after distention in the same device for 4 hours. The effect of distention on apoptosis of the cells and tissue samples was concomitantly studied by means of the terminal deoxynucleotidyl transferase-mediated deoxyuridine triphosphate nick end labeling method.The genes for interleukin 8 and pre-B-cell colony-enhancing factor were found to be up-regulated in both the WISH cells and the distended fetal membranes. The apoptotic index values in both the cells and the tissue samples were unaffected by distention.Acute distention induces the up-regulation of interleukin 8 and pre-B-cell colony-enhancing factor in both WISH cells and human fetal membranes and does not cause apoptosis.

Background. Inadequate hepcidin production leads to iron overload in nearly all types of haemochromatosis. We explored the acute response of hepcidin to iron challenge in 25 patients with HFE-haemochromatosis, in 2 with TfR2-haemochromatosis and in 13 controls. Sixteen patients (10 C282Y/C282Y, 6 C282Y/H63D compound heterozygotes) had increased iron stores, while 9 (6 C282Y/C282Y, 3 C282Y/H63D) were studied after phlebotomy-induced normalization of iron stores. Design and Methods. We analyzed serum iron, transferrin saturation, and serum hepcidin by both ELISA and mass-spectrometry at baseline, 4, 8, 12 and 24 hours after a single 65-mg dose of oral iron. Results. Serum iron and transferrin saturation significantly increased at 4 and returned to baseline at 8-12 hours in all groups, except in the iron-normalised patients who showed the highest and longest increase of both parameters. Hepcidin increased significantly at 4 and returned to baseline at 24 hours in controls and in C282Y/H63D compound heterozygotes at diagnosis. Hepcidin response was smaller in C282Y-homozygotes than in controls, barely detectable in iron-depleted HFE- and absent in TfR2-patients. Conclusions. Our results are consistent with a scenario in which TfR2 plays a prominent and HFE a contributory role in hepcidin response to a dose of oral iron. In iron-normalised HFE-patients, both the low hepcidin baseline and the weak response to iron contribute to hyperabsorption of iron.

15581 Background: We studied the acute ototoxic effect of cisplatin in testicular cancer patients with two highly sensitive new methods for detecting high frequency hearing loss: distorsion product otoacoustic emissions (DPOAE), and spontaneous otoacoustic emissions (SOAE). Methods: Checking the acute effect, 32 (63 ears) testicular cancer patients (median age: 33 years, range: 16–59 years) were measured on the first day of their first cycle and after one week of their last cycle of cisplatin treatment. 20 mg/m2 cisplatin was administered for five days, in BEP chemotherapy regimen. The patients got on the average 2.19 cycles (2–3 cycles). We also measured the SOAE of ten healthy control persons (without chemotherapy) matching sex and age distribution of this group. A detailed medical history evaluated audiological risk factors and hearing problems. Tympanometry, DPOAE and SOAE were measured, to detect the acute changes in the inner ear after low cumulative dose of cisplatin treatment. Paired t-test, and sign test was used for statistical analysis. Results: The DPOAE did not show any changes close after cisplatin treatment (average: 2.19 cycles, 2–3 cycles), similarly to our earlier results with pure tone audiometry (PTA) and transiently evoked otoacoustic emission (TOAE). But the SOAE showed significant, early changes in incidence, shape and amplitude, in the treated group. 66% of the SOAE changed after treatment (p=0,006). In the control group (20 ears) the SOAE never changed in a three months period. (It behaves as a fingerprint) Conclusions: DPOAE did not change significantly after 2 or 3 cycles of cisplatin treatment, similarly to our earlier results with PTA, and TOAE, but the change of the SOAE-incidence, shape and amplitude close after cisplatin treatment shows acute changes in the inner ear function (first described in the literature) after administration of low cumulative dose of cisplatin. This case is the first indication of the possible clinical relevance of SOAE. Our observation has to be confirmed in further studies, with larger number of patients. No significant financial relationships to disclose.

An immunofluorescent method has been developed for localizing estrogen receptors (ER) in frozen sections of human breast cancer biopsies which utilizes the biochemically well-characterized antibodies to the cytoplasmic ER of human breast cancer produced in rabbits. Frozen sections of sixteen breast cancer biopsies, in which the receptor content has been quantified using dextran-coated charcoal assay (DCC technique), were used to study the localization of ER. Two aspects of ER detection, namely “estrogen-binding” and ability to react with the homologous antibodies, have been analyzed and the results compared with those of DCC technique. Fluorescent labelled estrogen method (F.E 2 ) of Pertschuk was utilized to detect the distribution of estrogen binding proteins and the indirect immunofluorescent (IM-AR) method using anti-receptor antibodies to assess the antigenic sites of the receptor protein. In addition to the comparison of the results of three techniques, DCC, IM-AR and F.E 2 , for ER detection, a procedure for processing the frozen sections, which enables the study of estrogen binding characteristic as well as the antigenic reactivity of the receptor molecules, is described.

Electromyography data were collected on three muscle groups of the arm while subjects performed a task with two-hand control buttons mounted at eye level and at waist level. It was found that EMG energy, an indicator of muscular effort expended, was 4.7 times higher with the eye-level buttons for all three muscle groups.

This decoder accepts eight tone frequencies, from which it will produce twenty-one separate outputs. It meets all NASA requirements for address-execute command equipment.' The design and construction of the decoder will be discussed. Several circuit innovations will be described, including a solid state address switch with a slow release feature, a noise immune tone filter, and a novel d-c actuated memory element. Construction features include shock and vibration isolation for sustained operation in a highly adverse environment. Finally, the decoder is light and compact. Together with its companion receiver, the total weight is 2-1/ 2 pounds and the overall size is 43 cubic inches.