Short treatment with antalarmin alters adrenal gland receptors in the rat model of endometriosis

Endometriosis is a chronic inflammatory disorder in which endometrial tissue is found outside the uterine cavity. Previous reports suggest that there is a dysregulation of the hypothalamic pituitary adrenal axis during the progression of endometriosis. Our previous report showed that a short-term treatment with antalarmin, a corticotrophin releasing hormone receptor type 1 (CRHR1) antagonist decreases the number and size of endometriotic vesicles in the auto-transplantation rat model of endometriosis. Our current goal was to examine the mRNA expression of intra-adrenal receptors to better understand the mechanisms of the hypothalamic pituitary adrenal (HPA) axis involvement in endometriosis. We used two groups of female rats. The first received sham surgery or endometriosis surgery before collecting the adrenals after 7 days of the disease progression. The second group of animals received endometriosis surgery and a treatment of either vehicle or antalarmin (20 mg/kg, i. p.) during the first 7 days after endometriosis induction and then the disease was allowed to progress until day 60. Rats with sham surgery served as controls. Results showed that the mRNA expression of the mineralocorticoid (MRC2) receptor was lower in the rats after 7 days of endometriosis surgery and in rats with endometriosis that received antalarmin. In addition, the CRHR1 was significantly elevated in animals that received antalarmin and this was counteracted by a non-significant elevation in CRHR2 mRNA. The glucocorticoid receptor mRNA within the adrenals was not affected by endometriosis or antalarmin treatment. This report is one of the first to explore intra-adrenal mRNA for receptors involved in the HPA axis signaling as well as in the sympatho-adrenal signaling, calling for additional research towards understanding the role of the adrenal glands in chronic inflammatory diseases such as endometriosis

Attitudes to and experiences with body weight control and changes in body weight in relation to all-cause mortality in the general population

Background and aimsIncreased body mass index (BMI = weight/height2; kg/m2) and weight gain is associated with increased mortality, wherefore weight loss and avoided weight gain should be followed by lower mortality. This is achieved in clinical settings, but in the general population weight loss appears associated with increased mortality, possibly related to the struggles with body weight control (BWC). We investigated whether attitudes to and experiences with BWC in combination with recent changes in body weight influenced long-term mortality among normal weight and overweight individuals.Population and methodsThe study population included 6,740 individuals attending the 3rd cycle in 1991-94 of the Copenhagen City Heart Study, providing information on BMI, educational level, health behaviours, well-being, weight half-a-year earlier, and answers to four BWC questions about caring for body weight, assumed benefit of weight loss, current and past slimming experiences. Participants reporting previous unintended weight loss (> 4 kg during one year) were excluded. Cox regression models estimated the associations of prior changes in BMI and responses to the BWC questions with approximately 22 years all-cause mortality with age as 'time scale'. Participants with normal weight (BMI ResultsCompared with stable weight, weight loss was associated with significantly increased mortality in the normal weight group, but not in the overweight group, and weight gain was not significantly associated with mortality in either group. Participants with normal weight who claimed that it would be good for their health to lose weight or that they were currently trying to lose weight had significantly higher mortality than those denying it. There were no other significant associations with the responses to the BWC questions in either the normal weight or the overweight group. When combining the responses to the BWC questions with the weight changes, using the weight change as either a continuous or categorical variable, there were no significant interaction in their relation to mortality in either the normal weight or the overweight group.ConclusionAttitudes to and experiences with BWC did not notably modify the association of changes in body weight with mortality in either people with normal weight or people with overweight

Elasmobranch bycatch in the demersal prawn trawl fishery in the Gulf of Papua, Papua New Guinea

The elasmobranch bycatch of the Gulf of Papua Prawn Fishery is investigated in detail for the first time. Fisheries observers collected data on the elasmobranch bycatch from a total of 403 trawl sets (1,273 hrs) in the Gulf of Papua. A total of 40 species of elasmobranchs were recorded ranging in size from a 12 cm disc width stingray to a 350 cm total length sawfish. High mortality rates were recorded (>80%), attributed to the long trawl durations (up to 4 hours). The future inclusion of bycatch reduction devices would likely reduce the number of larger elasmobranchs being caught, based on evidence from the prawn trawl fisheries of northern Australia, and is being investigated by the PNG National Fisheries Authority. Differences in catch compositions were detected across the management zones as well as between the two monsoonal seasons (SE Monsoon and NW Monsoon). Increased monitoring and additional research is required and management plans should address the elasmobranch bycatch and in particular their high mortality rate

Elasmobranch bycatch in the demersal prawn trawl fishery in the Gulf of Papua, Papua New Guinea

The elasmobranch bycatch of the Gulf of Papua Prawn Fishery is investigated in detail for the first time. Fisheries observers collected data on the elasmobranch bycatch from a total of 403 trawl sets (1,273 hrs) in the Gulf of Papua. A total of 40 species of elasmobranchs were recorded ranging in size from a 12 cm disc width stingray to a 350 cm total length sawfish. High mortality rates were recorded (>80%), attributed to the long trawl durations (up to 4 hours). The future inclusion of bycatch reduction devices would likely reduce the number of larger elasmobranchs being caught, based on evidence from the prawn trawl fisheries of northern Australia, and is being investigated by the PNG National Fisheries Authority. Differences in catch compositions were detected across the management zones as well as between the two monsoonal seasons (SE Monsoon and NW Monsoon). Increased monitoring and additional research is required and management plans should address the elasmobranch bycatch and in particular their high mortality rate

Spin-dependent thermoelectric transport coefficients in near-perfect quantum wires

Thermoelectric transport coefficients are determined for semiconductor quantum wires with weak thickness fluctuations. Such systems exhibit anomalies in conductance near 1/4 and 3/4 of 2e^2/h on the rising edge to the first conductance plateau, explained by singlet and triplet resonances of conducting electrons with a single weakly bound electron in the wire [T. Rejec, A. Ramsak, and J.H. Jefferson, Phys. Rev. B 62, 12985 (2000)]. We extend this work to study the Seebeck thermopower coefficient and linear thermal conductance within the framework of the Landauer-Buettiker formalism, which also exhibit anomalous structures. These features are generic and robust, surviving to temperatures of a few degrees. It is shown quantitatively how at elevated temperatures thermal conductance progressively deviates from the Wiedemann-Franz law.Comment: To appear in Phys. Rev. B 2002; 3 figure

Insights Into Insular Isolation of the Bull Shark, Carcharhinus leucas (Müller and Henle, 1839), in Fijian Waters

The bull shark (Carcharhinus leucas) is a large, mobile, circumglobally distributed high trophic level predator that inhabits a variety of remote islands and continental coastal habitats, including freshwater environments. Here, we hypothesize that the barriers to dispersal created by large oceanic expanses and deep-water trenches result in a heterogeneous distribution of the neutral genetic diversity between island bull shark populations compared to populations sampled in continental locations connected through continuous coastlines of continental shelves. We analyzed 1,494 high-quality neutral single nucleotide polymorphism (SNP) markers in 215 individual bull sharks from widespread locations across the Indian and Pacific Oceans (South Africa, Indonesia, Western Australia, Papua New Guinea, eastern Australia, New Caledonia, and Fiji). Genomic analyses revealed partitioning between remote insular and continental populations, with the Fiji population being genetically different from all other locations sampled (FST = 0.034–0.044, P \u3c 0.001), and New Caledonia showing marginal isolation (FST = 0.016–0.024, P \u3c 0.001; albeit based on a small sample size) from most sampled sites. Discriminant analysis of principal components (DAPC) identified samples from Fiji as a distinct cluster with all other sites clustering together. Genetic structure analyses (Admixture, fastStructure and AssignPOP) further supported the genetic isolation of bull sharks from Fiji, with the analyses in agreement. The observed differentiation in bull sharks from Fiji makes this site of special interest, as it indicates a lack of migration through dispersal across deep-water trenches and large ocean expanses

Sequence Variability of P2-Like Prophage Genomes Carrying the Cytolethal Distending Toxin V Operon in Escherichia coli O157

Cytolethal distending toxins (CDT) are potent cytotoxins of several Gram-negative pathogenic bacteria, including Escherichia coli, in which five types (CDT-I to CDT-V) have been identified so far. CDT-V is frequently associated with Shiga-toxigenic E. coli (STEC), enterohemorrhagic E. coli (EHEC) O157 strains, and strains not fitting any established pathotypes. In this study, we were the first to sequence and annotate a 31.2-kb-long, noninducible P2-like prophage carrying the cdt-V operon from an stx- and eae-negative E. coli O157:H43 strain of bovine origin. The cdt-V operon is integrated in the place of the tin and old phage immunity genes (termed the TO region) of the prophage, and the prophage itself is integrated into the bacterial chromosome between the housekeeping genes cpxP and fieF. The presence of P2-like genes (n = 20) was investigated in a further five CDT-V-positive bovine E. coli O157 strains of various serotypes, three EHEC O157:NM strains, four strains expressing other variants of CDT, and eight CDT-negative strains. All but one CDT-V-positive atypical O157 strain uniformly carried all the investigated genomic regions of P2-like phages, while the EHEC O157 strains missed three regions and the CDT-V-negative strains carried only a few P2-like sequences. Our results suggest that P2-like phages play a role in the dissemination of cdt-V between E. coli O157 strains and that after integration into the bacterial chromosome, they adapted to the respective hosts and became temperate

Groundwater contamination by trichloroethene (TCE) in a residential area of Perth: Distribution, mobility, and implications for management

Substantial TCE and ammonia contamination was detected in groundwater beneath a residential area in Perth. Investigation has successfully determined broad aspects of the extent of the TCE plume and its impact. The plume extends approximately 900 m in groundwater downgradient of an industrial area. The contamination is about 300 m wide and 6 - 8 m thick. A peak concentration of 2000 ugL{-1} TCE was measured. The mobility of the plume and the residence time for the contamination in the sand aquifer are estimated based on the groundwater velocities and retardation factors. Biological or chemical transformation of TCE cannot be excluded, although no transformation products have been found in a small portion of the plume. Currently no remediation of the contaminated site is planned. An approach for managing the contamination is presented and important issues for future remediation options for TCE contaminated sites in Perth are discussed