Development of methods for the detection of trace amounts of selected carcinogenic and mutagenic amines in water

A great deal of concern exists over the presence of potentially carcinogenic and/or mutagenic substances in drinking water supplies. The general analytical schemes currently applied to water are less suited than specific methods for the detection of certain classes of organic contaminants such as aromatic amines because of their reactivity. We have concentrated our efforts at developing analytical schemes by which we are able to reliably detect, separate, and quantitate trace levels of a number of aromatic and heterocyclic amines. Both liquid and gas chromatographic methods have been developed. The relative strengths and limitations of the methods are discussed. Field evaluations of the final methods were carried out and reported.U.S. Department of the InteriorU.S. Geological SurveyOpe

Divergent compensatory responses to high-fat diet between C57BL6/J and C57BLKS/J inbred mouse strains

Impaired glucose tolerance (IGT) and type 2 diabetes (T2DM) are polygenic disorders with complex pathophysiologies; recapitulating them with mouse models is challenging. Despite 70% genetic homology, C57BL/6J (BL6) and C57BLKS/J (BLKS) inbred mouse strains differ in response to diet- and genetic-induced obesity. We hypothesized these differences would yield insight into IGT and T2DM susceptibility and response to pharmacological therapies. To this end, male 8-wk-old BL6 and BLKS mice were fed normal chow (18% kcal from fat), high-fat diet (HFD; 42% kcal from fat), or HFD supplemented with the PPARγ agonist pioglitazone (PIO; 140 mg PIO/kg diet) for 16 wk. Assessments of body composition, glucose homeostasis, insulin production, and energy metabolism, as well as histological analyses of pancreata were undertaken. BL6 mice gained weight and adiposity in response to HFD, leading to peripheral insulin resistance that was met with increased β-cell proliferation and insulin production. By contrast, BLKS mice responded to HFD by restricting food intake and increasing activity. These behavioral responses limited weight gain and protected against HFD-induced glucose intolerance, which in this strain was primarily due to β-cell dysfunction. PIO treatment did not affect HFD-induced weight gain in BL6 mice, and decreased visceral fat mass, whereas in BLKS mice PIO increased total fat mass without improving visceral fat mass. Differences in these responses to HFD and effects of PIO reflect divergent human responses to a Western lifestyle and underscore the careful consideration needed when choosing mouse models of diet-induced obesity and diabetes treatment

Politicians must heed health effects of climate change.

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Hybrid management of a spontaneous ilio-iliac arteriovenous fistula: a case report

<p>Abstract</p> <p>Introduction</p> <p>Spontaneous iliac arteriovenous fistulae are a rare clinical entity. Such localized fistulation is usually a result of penetrating traumatic or iatrogenic injury. Clinical presentation can vary greatly but commonly includes back pain, high-output congestive cardiac failure and the presence of an abdominal bruit. Diagnosis, therefore, is often incidental or delayed.</p> <p>Case presentation</p> <p>We report a case of a spontaneous ilio-iliac arteriovenous fistula in a 68-year-old Caucasian man detected following presentation with unilateral claudication and congestive cardiac failure. Following computed tomography evaluation, the fistula was successfully treated with a combined endovascular (aorto-uni-iliac device) and open (femoro-femoral crossover) approach.</p> <p>Conclusion</p> <p>Endovascular surgery has revolutionized the management of such fistulae and we report an interesting case of a high-output iliac arteriovenous fistulae successfully treated with a hybrid vascular approach.</p

Correlations Between Life-Detection Techniques and Implications for Sampling Site Selection in Planetary Analog Missions

We conducted an analog sampling expedition under simulated mission constraints to areas dominated by basaltic tephra of the Eldfell and Fimmvorouhals lava fields (Iceland). Sites were selected to be homogeneous at a coarse remote sensing resolution (10-100m) in apparent color, morphology, moisture, and grain size, with best-effort realism in numbers of locations and replicates. Three different biomarker assays (counting of nucleic-acid-stained cells via fluorescent microscopy, a luciferin/luciferase assay for adenosine triphosphate, and quantitative polymerase chain reaction (qPCR) to detect DNA associated with bacteria, archaea, and fungi) were characterized at four nested spatial scales (1m, 10m, 100m, and >1km) by using five common metrics for sample site representativeness (sample mean variance, group F tests, pairwise t tests, and the distribution-free rank sum H and u tests). Correlations between all assays were characterized with Spearman's rank test. The bioluminescence assay showed the most variance across the sites, followed by qPCR for bacterial and archaeal DNA; these results could not be considered representative at the finest resolution tested (1m). Cell concentration and fungal DNA also had significant local variation, but they were homogeneous over scales of >1km. These results show that the selection of life detection assays and the number, distribution, and location of sampling sites in a low biomass environment with limited a priori characterization can yield both contrasting and complementary results, and that their interdependence must be given due consideration to maximize science return in future biomarker sampling expeditions. Key Words: AstrobiologyBiodiversityMicrobiologyIcelandPlanetary explorationMars mission simulationBiomarker. Astrobiology 17, 1009-1021

A genome-wide expression analysis identifies a network of EpCAM-induced cell cycle regulators

Expression of the epithelial cell adhesion molecule EpCAM is upregulated in a variety of carcinomas. This antigen is therefore explored in tumour diagnosis, and clinical trials have been initiated to examine EpCAM-based therapies. Notably, the possible intracellular effects and signalling pathways triggered by EpCAM-specific antibodies are unknown. Here, we show treatment of the mouse lung carcinoma cell line A2C12, of the human lung carcinoma cell line A549 and the human colorectal cell line Caco-2 with the monoclonal EpCAM antibody G8.8 to cause dose dependently an increase in cell proliferation, as determined by the MTS and the 5′-bromo-2′-deoxyuridine (BrdU) labelling assay. Furthermore, a genome-wide approach identified networks of regulated genes, most notably cell cycle regulators, upon treatment with an EpCAM-specific antibody. Indeed, changes in the expression of cell cycle regulators agreed well with the BrdU labelling data, and an analysis of differentially expressed genes revealed the processes with the strongest over-representation of modulated genes, for example, cell cycle, cell death, cellular growth and proliferation, and cancer. These data suggest that EpCAM is involved in signal transduction triggering several intracellular signalling pathways. Knowing EpCAM signalling pathways might lead to a reassessment of EpCAM-based therapies