Ozone production and trace gas correlations during the June 2000 MINATROC intensive measurement campaign at Mt. Cimone

An intensive measurement campaign was performed in June 2000 at the Mt. Cimone station (44°11' N-10°42' E, 2165 m asl, the highest mountain in the northern Italian Apennines) to study photochemical ozone production in the lower free troposphere. In general, average mixing ratios of important trace gases were not very high (121 ± 20 ppbv CO, 0.284 ± 0.220 ppbv NOx, 1.15 ± 0.8 ppbv NOy, 58 ± 9 ppbv O₃), which indicates a small contribution by local pollution. Those trace gas levels are representative of continental background air, which is further supported by the analysis of VOCs (e.g.: C₂H₆ = (905 ± 200) pptv, C₃H₈ = (268 ±110) pptv, C₂H₂ = (201 ± 102) pptv, C₅H₈ = (111 ± 124) pptv, benzene = (65 ± 33) pptv). Furthermore, significant diurnal variations for a number of trace gases (O₃, CO, NOx, NOy, HCHO) indicate the presence of free tropospheric airmasses at nighttime as a consequence of local catabatic winds. Average mid-day peroxy radical concentrations at Mt. Cimone are of the order of 30 pptv. At mean NO concentrations of the order of 40 pptv this gives rise to significant in situ net O₃ production of 0.1-0.3 ppbv/hr. The importance of O₃production is supported by correlations between O₃, CO, NOz, and HCHO, and between HCHO, CO and NOy

Potential conservation of circadian clock proteins in the phylum Nematoda as revealed by bioinformatic searches

Although several circadian rhythms have been described in C. elegans, its molecular clock remains elusive. In this work we employed a novel bioinformatic approach, applying probabilistic methodologies, to search for circadian clock proteins of several of the best studied circadian model organisms of different taxa (Mus musculus, Drosophila melanogaster, Neurospora crassa, Arabidopsis thaliana and Synechoccocus elongatus) in the proteomes of C. elegans and other members of the phylum Nematoda. With this approach we found that the Nematoda contain proteins most related to the core and accessory proteins of the insect and mammalian clocks, which provide new insights into the nematode clock and the evolution of the circadian system.Fil: Romanowski, Andrés. Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas. Oficina de Coordinación Administrativa Parque Centenario. Instituto de Investigaciones Bioquímicas de Buenos Aires. Fundación Instituto Leloir. Instituto de Investigaciones Bioquímicas de Buenos Aires; Argentina. Universidad Nacional de Quilmes. Departamento de Ciencia y Tecnología. Laboratorio de Cronobiología; ArgentinaFil: Garavaglia, Matías Javier. Universidad Nacional de Quilmes. Departamento de Ciencia y Tecnología. Laboratorio de Ing.genética y Biolog.molecular y Celular. Area Virus de Insectos; Argentina. Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas; ArgentinaFil: Goya, María Eugenia. Universidad Nacional de Quilmes. Departamento de Ciencia y Tecnología. Laboratorio de Cronobiología; Argentina. Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas; ArgentinaFil: Ghiringhelli, Pablo Daniel. Universidad Nacional de Quilmes. Departamento de Ciencia y Tecnología. Laboratorio de Ing.genética y Biolog.molecular y Celular. Area Virus de Insectos; Argentina. Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas; ArgentinaFil: Golombek, Diego Andres. Universidad Nacional de Quilmes. Departamento de Ciencia y Tecnología. Laboratorio de Cronobiología; Argentina. Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas; Argentin

Detection of virulence genes in Malaysian Shigella species by multiplex PCR assay

BACKGROUND: In Malaysia, Shigella spp. was reported to be the third commonest bacterial agent responsible for childhood diarrhoea. Currently, isolation of the bacterium and confirmation of the disease by microbiological and biochemical methods remain as the "gold standard". This study aimed to detect the prevalence of four Shigella virulence genes present concurrently, in randomly selected Malaysian strains via a rapid multiplex PCR (mPCR) assay. METHODS: A mPCR assay was designed for the simultaneous detection of chromosomal- and plasmid-encoded virulence genes (set1A, set1B, ial and ipaH) in Shigella spp. One hundred and ten Malaysian strains (1997–2000) isolated from patients from various government hospitals were used. Reproducibility and sensitivity of the assay were also evaluated. Applicability of the mPCR in clinical settings was tested with spiked faeces following preincubation in brain heart infusion (BHI) broth. RESULTS: The ipaH sequence was present in all the strains, while each of the set1A, set1B and ial gene was present in 40% of the strains tested. Reproducibility of the mPCR assay was 100% and none of the non-Shigella pathogens tested in this study were amplified. The mPCR could detect 100 colony-forming units (cfu) of shigellae per reaction mixture in spiked faeces following preincubation. CONCLUSIONS: The mPCR system is reproducible, sensitive and is able to identify pathogenic strains of shigellae irrespective of the locality of the virulence genes. It can be easily performed with a high throughput to give a presumptive identification of the causal pathogen

A questionnaire for determining prevalence of diabetes related foot disease (Q-DFD): construction and validation

<p>Abstract</p> <p>Background</p> <p>Community based prevalence for diabetes related foot disease (DRFD) has been poorly quantified in Australian populations. The aim of this study was to develop and validate a survey tool to facilitate collection of community based prevalence data for individuals with DRFD via telephone interview.</p> <p>Methods</p> <p>Agreed components of DRFD were identified through an electronic literature search. Expert feedback and feedback from a population based construction sample were sought on the initial draft. Survey reliability was tested using a cohort recruited through a general practice, a hospital outpatient clinic and an outpatient podiatry clinic. Level of agreement between survey findings and either medical record or clinical assessment was evaluated.</p> <p>Results</p> <p>The Questionnaire for Diabetes Related Foot Disease (Q-DFD) comprised 12 questions aimed at determining presence of peripheral sensory neuropathy (PN) and peripheral vascular disease (PVD), based on self report of symptoms and/or clinical history, and self report of foot ulceration, amputation and foot deformity. Survey results for 38 from 46 participants demonstrated agreement with either clinical assessment or medical record (kappa 0.65, sensitivity 89.0%, and specificity 77.8%). Correlation for individual survey components was moderate to excellent. Inter and intrarater reliability and test re-test reliability was moderate to high for all survey domains.</p> <p>Conclusion</p> <p>The development of the Q-DFD provides an opportunity for ongoing collection of prevalence estimates for DRFD across Australia.</p

Maternal feeding practices and fussy eating in toddlerhood: A discordant twin analysis

Background: Parental feeding practices are thought to play a causal role in shaping a child's fussiness; however, a child-responsive model suggests that feeding practices may develop in response to a child's emerging appetitive characteristics. We used a novel twin study design to test the hypothesis that mothers vary their feeding practices for twin children who differ in their 'food fussiness', in support of a child-responsive model. Methods: Participants were mothers and their 16 month old twin children (n=2026) from Gemini, a British twin birth cohort of children born in 2007. Standardized psychometric measures of maternal 'pressure to eat', 'restriction' and 'instrumental feeding', as well as child 'food fussiness', were completed by mothers. Within-family analyses examined if twin-pair differences in 'food fussiness' were associated with differences in feeding practices using linear regression models. In a subset of twins (n=247 pairs) who were the most discordant (highest quartile) on 'food fussiness' (difference score≥.50), Paired Samples T-test were used to explore the magnitude of differences in feeding practices between twins. Between-family analyses used Complex Samples General Linear Models to examine associations between feeding practices and 'food fussiness'. Results: Within-pair differences in 'food fussiness' were associated with differential 'pressure to eat' and 'instrumental feeding' (ps<.001), but not with 'restriction'. In the subset of twins most discordant on 'food fussiness', mothers used more pressure (p<.001) and food rewards (p<.05) with the fussier twin. Between-family analyses indicated that 'pressure to eat' and 'instrumental feeding' were positively associated with 'food fussiness', while 'restriction' was negatively associated with 'food fussiness' (ps<.001). Conclusions: Mothers appear to subtly adjust their feeding practices according to their perceptions of their toddler's emerging fussy eating behavior. Specifically, the fussier toddler is pressured more than their less fussy co-twin, and is more likely to be offered food rewards. Guiding parents on how to respond to fussy eating may be an important aspect of promoting feeding practices that encourage food acceptance

Resistance to TGFβ suppression and improved anti-tumor responses in CD8⁺ T cells lacking PTPN22

Transforming growth factor β (TGFβ) is important in maintaining self-tolerance and inhibits T cell reactivity. We show that CD8⁺ T cells that lack the tyrosine phosphatase Ptpn22, a major predisposing gene for autoimmune disease, are resistant to the suppressive effects of TGFβ. Resistance to TGFβ suppression, while disadvantageous in autoimmunity, helps Ptpn22‾/‾ T cells to be intrinsically superior at clearing established tumors that secrete TGFβ. Mechanistically, loss of Ptpn22 increases the capacity of T cells to produce IL-2, which overcomes TGFβ-mediated suppression. These data suggest that a viable strategy to improve anti-tumor adoptive cell therapy may be to engineer tumor-restricted T cells with mutations identified as risk factors for autoimmunity

Depression, Anxiety and Glucose Metabolism in the General Dutch Population: The New Hoorn Study

BACKGROUND: There is a well recognized association between depression and diabetes. However, there is little empirical data about the prevalence of depressive symptoms and anxiety among different groups of glucose metabolism in population based samples. The aim of this study was to determine whether the prevalence of increased levels of depression and anxiety is different between patients with type 2 diabetes and subjects with impaired glucose metabolism (IGM) and normal glucose metabolism (NGM). METHODOLOGY/PRINCIPAL FINDINGS: Cross-sectional data from a population-based cohort study of 2667 residents, 1261 men and 1406 women aged 40-65 years from the Hoorn region, the Netherlands. Depressive symptoms and anxiety were measured using the Centre for Epidemiologic Studies Depression Scale (CES-D, score >or=16) and the Hospital Anxiety and Depression Scale--Anxiety Subscale (HADS-A, score >or=8), respectively. Glucose metabolism status was determined by oral glucose tolerance test. In the total study population the prevalence of depressive symptoms and anxiety for the NGM, IGM and type 2 diabetes were 12.5, 12.2 and 21.0% (P = 0.004) and 15.0, 15.3 and 19.9% (p = 0.216), respectively. In men, the prevalence of depressive symptoms was 7.7, 9.5 and 19.6% (p<0.001), and in women 16.4, 15.8 and 22.6 (p = 0.318), for participants with NGM, IGM and type 2 diabetes, respectively. Anxiety was not associated with glucose metabolism when stratified for sex. Intergroup differences (NGM vs. IGM and IGM vs. type 2 diabetes) revealed that higher prevalences of depressive symptoms are mainly manifested in participants with type 2 diabetes, and not in participants with IGM. CONCLUSIONS: Depressive symptoms, but not anxiety are associated with glucose metabolism. This association is mainly determined by a higher prevalence of depressive symptoms in participants with type 2 diabetes and not in participants with IGM