A Comparison of Techniques Measuring Stress in Birds

Free-living birds are subjected to both external and internal stresses which can affect their health, activity, and reproductive success. To study stress in free living birds, they must be captured in nets and handled by the researcher to take blood samples for commonly used measures of stress, an activity which itself can induce stress and confound results. This study compares the effects of handling time on three different measures of stress: levels of the stress hormone corticosterone (CORT), levels of Heat Shock Protein 60 (HSP 60) and the ratio of heterophils to lymphocytes (H/L ratio) in tufted titmouse (Baeolophus bicolor) captured at feeders between December and January (2011-2013) in Fredericksburg, VA. Blood samples collected between two and 15 minutes from 12 birds were assayed for levels of CORT and HSP and from 24 birds for H/L ratios. Relationships were examined between these stress indicators and handling time, body mass and body condition. CORT was significantly correlated with handling time (p\u3c0.01), which reinforces existing evidence of CORT’s sensitivity to the way subjects are handled immediately prior to blood collection. HSP or H/L ratios were not affected by handling time, suggesting that they may be preferable indicators of stress in free living birds under some circumstances

The Incidence of Molluscum contagiosum among American Indians and Alaska Natives

The epidemiology of Molluscum contagiosum (MC) in the United States is largely unknown, despite the fact that the virus is directly communicable and large outbreaks occur. This study provides population-based estimates to describe the epidemiology of MC in the United States among American Indian and Alaska Native (AI/AN) persons. This population was selected because of the comprehensiveness and quality of available data describing utilization of out-patient services.Outpatient visits listing MC as a diagnosis in the Indian Health Service National Patient Information Reporting System during 2001-2005 were analyzed to assess patient characteristics, visit frequency and concurrent skin conditions. Outpatient visit rates and incidence rates were calculated based on known population denominators (retrospective cohort). Overall outpatient visit rates were also calculated for the general US population using national data. The average annual rate of MC-associated outpatient visits was 20.15/10,000 AI/AN persons for 2001-2005 (13,711 total visits), which was similar to the rate for the general US population (22.0/10,000 [95% CI: 16.9-27.1]). The incidence of MC-associated visits was 15.34/10,000. AI/AN children 1-4 years old had the highest incidence (77.12), more than twice that for children 5-14 years old (30.79); the incidence for infants (<1 year) was higher than that for adults. AI/AN persons living in the West region had the highest incidence, followed by those in the East and Alaska regions (26.96, 22.88 and 21.38, respectively). There were age-specific associations between MC and concurrent skin conditions (e.g., atopic dermatitis, eczema).This study highlights the need for periodic population-based measurements to assess trends in incidence and healthcare utilization for MC in the United States. High rates of MC were found among AI/AN persons, especially among children <15 years old. The AI/AN population would benefit from greater availability of effective strategies for prevention and treatment of MCV infection

Vehicles for atopic dermatitis therapies: more than just a placebo

A topical vehicle is a ‘carrier system’ for an active pharmaceutical (or cosmetic) substance, referred to hereafter as the drug, but a vehicle may also be used on its own as an emollient to ameliorate dry skin. It is well established that the vehicle plays an important role in determining the bioavailability of a given drug at its ultimate target within the skin. Yet in the treatment of atopic eczema/dermatitis (AD), wherein the structure and function of the skin's outer barrier play a pivotal role in the development and course of the condition, the interaction of the vehicle with this barrier carries a particular importance. It is now clear that the often-considered inert excipients of a vehicle bring about changes within the skin at the molecular level that promote barrier restoration and enhance innate immune defenses with therapeutic value to AD patients. Moreover, the vehicle control in randomized controlled trials (RCTs) increasingly displays significant efficacy. In light of this, we consider the implications of vehicle design in relation to AD pathophysiology and the role vehicles play as controls in RCTs of new drug treatments for this condition

Application of In Vivo Induced Antigen Technology (IVIAT) to Bacillus anthracis

In vivo induced antigen technology (IVIAT) is an immuno-screening technique that identifies bacterial antigens expressed during infection and not during standard in vitro culturing conditions. We applied IVIAT to Bacillus anthracis and identified PagA, seven members of a N-acetylmuramoyl-L-alanine amidase autolysin family, three P60 family lipoproteins, two transporters, spore cortex lytic protein SleB, a penicillin binding protein, a putative prophage holin, respiratory nitrate reductase NarG, and three proteins of unknown function. Using quantitative real-time PCR comparing RNA isolated from in vitro cultured B. anthracis to RNA isolated from BALB/c mice infected with virulent Ames strain B. anthracis, we confirmed induced expression in vivo for a subset of B. anthracis genes identified by IVIAT, including L-alanine amidases BA3767, BA4073, and amiA (pXO2-42); the bacteriophage holin gene BA4074; and pagA (pXO1-110). The exogenous addition of two purified putative autolysins identified by IVIAT, N-acetylmuramoyl-L-alanine amidases BA0485 and BA2446, to vegetative B. anthracis cell suspensions induced a species-specific change in bacterial morphology and reduction in viable bacterial cells. Many of the proteins identified in our screen are predicted to affect peptidoglycan re-modeling, and our results support significant cell wall structural remodeling activity during B. anthracis infection. Identification of L-alanine amidases with B. anthracis specificity may suggest new potential therapeutic targets

Characterising the biophysical properties of normal and hyperkeratotic foot skin

BACKGROUND: Plantar foot skin exhibits unique biophysical properties that are distinct from skin on other areas of the body. This paper characterises, using non-invasive methods, the biophysical properties of foot skin in healthy and pathological states including xerosis, heel fissures, calluses and corns. METHODS: Ninety three people participated. Skin hydration, elasticity, collagen and elastin fibre organisation and surface texture was measured from plantar calluses, corns, fissured heel skin and xerotic heel skin. Previously published criteria were applied to classify the severity of each skin lesion and differences in the biophysical properties compared between each classification. RESULTS: Calluses, corns, xerotic heel skin and heel fissures had significantly lower levels of hydration; less elasticity and greater surface texture than unaffected skin sites (p &lt; 0.01). Some evidence was found for a positive correlation between hydration and elasticity data (r ≤ 0.65) at hyperkeratotic sites. Significant differences in skin properties (with the exception of texture) were noted between different classifications of skin lesion. CONCLUSIONS: This study provides benchmark data for healthy and different severities of pathological foot skin. These data have applications ranging from monitoring the quality of foot skin, to measuring the efficacy of therapeutic interventions. KEYWORDS: Biophysical parameters; Callus; Corns; Dry skin; Heel fissures; Plantar foot skin hyperkeratosis; Quantification; Skin classification (SELs); Xerosi

Analytical model of electron transport in polycrystalline, degenerately doped ZnO films

An analytical description of the charge carrier transport, valid for non degenerated and degenerated semiconductors, was developed, critically reviewed, and fitted to the temperature dependent Hall mobility data of magnetron sputtered, degenerately doped ZnO Al films. Our extended model for grain boundary scattering in semiconductors of arbitrary degeneracy is based on previous models from literature and suitable to describe the Hall mobility of the carriers as a function of the free carrier concentration and the temperature at the same time. It is mathematically simple enough for a fast fit procedure, which is not possible with most of the previous models. Applying a combined transport model consisting of ionized impurity scattering, phonon scattering, and grain boundary scattering in degenerate semiconductors, we were able to determine the trap density at the grain boundaries Nt approx. 3 1013 to 5 1013 cm 2 and the deformation potential Eac in the range of 5 eV to 9 eV depending on the details of the transport mode