The effect of gadodiamide on cancer cell lines

Aim: Recent literature suggests that some human cancer cell lines possess a calcium cation receptor. Human myeloma cell lines have demonstrated stimulated cell proliferation by the gadolinium cation through this receptor, and osteosarcoma cell lines possess the same cation receptor. Although enhanced MRI is a very useful diagnostic tool for the treatment of sarcoma in the orthopedic area, incorporating the use of MRI contrast agents based on gadolinium raises the possibility of the stimulation of cancer cell growth. Methods: Human myeloma (RPMI 8226), osteosarcoma (Saos-2) and rat osteosarcoma (UMR-106) cell lines were exposed to various concentrations of common MRI contrast agent gadodiamide (Omniscan®) (5 μM, 50 μM, 500 μM, 5 mM, 50 mM) in a culture medium. The response of the cells was then assessed by measuring cell proliferation and DNA synthesis. Results: Treatment with 5 μM to 5 mM gadodiamide did not stimulate cell proliferation; only cells exposed to 50 mM gadodiamide showed suppressed proliferation rates. Conclusions: Since intravenously injected gadodiamide is diluted from 500 μM to 1 mM by patient blood flow at enhanced MRI examinations, the results of the present study suggest that gadodiamide has not effect on these types of cancer cells

Stepping up on savings

The UK government remains committed to the Climate Change Act 2008, which mandates an 80% reduction in CO2 from 1990 levels by 2050. As part of the strategy of achieving this reduction, all new homes from 2016 will be required to be zero carbon. The 2008 definition required all CO2 emissions to be reduced to zero through on-site means, covering both regulated emissions from heating, cooling, ventilation and lighting and unregulated emissions from household appliances. Embodied carbon from the construction of the building was excluded. In 2009 the concept of Allowable Solutions was introduced, which permits developers to pay for carbon saving achieved elsewhere. For example a developer may offset CO2 emissions against an approved ‘on, near or offsite’ scheme, such as a local energy storage solution or an investment into low carbon electricity generation. In 2011, a further major change removed unregulated emissions from the definition

The short-term effects of management changes on watertable position and nutrients in shallow groundwater in a harvested peatland forest

This work was funded by the Department of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food and the Environmental Protection Agency under the STRIVE program 2007 – 2013.peer-reviewedManagement changes such as drainage, fertilisation, afforestation and harvesting (clearfelling) of forested peatlands influence watertable (WT) position and groundwater concentrations of nutrients. This study investigated the impact of clearfelling of a peatland forest on WT and nutrient concentrations. Three areas were examined: (1) a regenerated riparian peatland buffer (RB) clearfelled four years prior to the present study (2) a recently clearfelled coniferous forest (CF) and (3) a standing, mature coniferous forest (SF), on which no harvesting took place. The WT remained consistently below 0.3 m during the pre-clearfelling period. Results showed there was an almost immediate rise in the WT after clearfelling and a rise to 0.15 m below ground level (bgl) within 10 months of clearfelling. Clearfelling of the forest increased dissolved reactive phosphorus concentrations (from an average of 28–230 μg L−1) in the shallow groundwater, likely caused by leaching from degrading brash mats.Environmental Protection AgencyDepartment of Agriculture, Food and the Marin

Topographic Constraints on Magma Accumulations Below the Actively Uuplifting Uturuncu and Lazufre Volcanic Centers in the Central Andes

Geodetic surveys of Volcán Uturuncu and the Lazufre volcanic complex in the Central Andes of South America reveal sustained surface uplift from magmatic intrusion at depth. However, the decadal timescales of geodetic surveys are short relative to the timescales of magma chamber growth. Thus, from geodesy alone, it is difficult to infer the deformation and hence magma accumulation history of these volcanoes. Here we combine data from InSAR, long-wavelength topography, GPS and high-resolution topographic surveys of lake shorelines and rivers, and lava flow morphology to constrain the spatial and temporal evolution of magmatism at Uturuncu and Lazufre. Near Uturuncu, dated lake shorelines show no evidence of tilting since ca. 16 ka, and we find no evidence of deformation in the long-wavelength topography. A lack of net surface displacement suggests that uplift related to a rising diapir must be less than a century old, or, more likely, magmatic inflation at Uturuncu is transient over millennial timescales and is therefore not recorded in the topography. At Lazufre, we also find no evidence for sustained uplift recorded in Late Pleistocene lake shorelines. However, the orientations of multiple dated lava flows suggest that the long-wavelength dome at the center of Lazufre’s uplift has persisted since at least 400 ka. Additionally, we find that the radial distribution of volcanic vents at Lazufre, coupled with the presence of an apical graben, is consistent with experimental and theoretical predictions of magmatic doming. The dome’s longevity indicates significant magma storage at depth, and therefore Lazufre is likely a highly evolved pre-caldera magmatic system. These two case studies demonstrate that combining geomorphic and geophysical data sets to extend the geodetic record back in time can help determine the style and magnitude of magma transport in volcanic systems

Collagen-induced arthritis is exacerbated in IL-10-deficient mice

IL-10 is a potent immunoregulatory cytokine attenuating a wide range of immune effector and inflammatory responses. In the present study, we assess whether endogenous levels of IL-10 function to regulate the incidence and severity of collagen-induced arthritis. DBA/1 wildtype (WT), heterozygous (IL-10(+/-)) and homozygous (IL-10(-/-)) IL-10-deficient mice were immunized with type II collagen. Development of arthritis was monitored over time, and collagen-specific cytokine production and anticollagen antibodies were assessed. Arthritis developed progressively in mice immunized with collagen, and 100% of the WT, IL-10(+/-), and IL-10(-/-) mice were arthritic at 35 days. However, the severity of arthritis in the IL-10(-/-) mice was significantly greater than that in WT or IL-1(+/-) animals. Disease severity was associated with reduced IFN-γ levels and a dramatic increase in CD11b-positive macrophages. Paradoxically, both the IgG(1) and IgG(2a) anticollagen antibody responses were also significantly reduced. These data demonstrate that IL-10 is capable of controlling disease severity through a mechanism that involves IFN-γ. Since IL-10 levels are elevated in rheumatoid arthritis synovial fluid, these findings may have relevance to rheumatoid arthritis