The diatom Chaetoceros in ships’ ballast waters – survivorship of stowaways

Ship ballast water discharged by vessels into the receiving port is recognised today as an important vector for the spread of non-indigenous species and facilitates the introduction of potential invasive species. Here, we report on 18 species (of about 30 identified), both vegetative cells and spores, of the diatom genus Chaetoceros Ehrenberg found in ballast water collected from ships arriving at Canadian ports on theWest Coast (WC), East Coast (EC) and the Great Lakes (GL). We found live, vegetative Chaetoceros cells (one of the most abundant taxa) in 49% of the 57 ballast water samples. The highest density of viable spores enumerated in our counts was 414 cells L–1. In 62% of 52 samples examined using scanning electron microscopy (SEM), Chaetoceros spores were found, though fewer live, identifiable spores were found using light microscopy. Three reportedly harmful species, C. convolutus, C. danicus, C. debilis were encountered in WC samples, and additionally, C. cf. hispidus, a species not yet reported from Canada. C. ceratosporus and C. cf. subsecundus, to date reported only from the EC of the USA, now have been transported to the port of Vancouver, British Columbia. Our findings contribute to the assessment of the effectiveness of ballast water treatment via water exchange, and serve to evaluate the diversity of diatom vegetative cells and spores transported in ballast water tanks

Thermal analysis of organically modified siloxane melting gels

Hybrid melting gels were prepared by a sol–gel process, starting with a mono-substituted siloxane and a disubstituted siloxane, methyltrimethoxysilane (MTES) together with dimethyldimethoxysilane (DMDES). Five gel compositions were prepared with concentrations between 50% MTES–50% DMDES and 75% MTES–25% DMDES (in mol.%)

Urinary peptidomics analysis reveals proteases involved in diabetic nephropathy

Mechanisms underlying the onset and progression of nephropathy in diabetic patients are not fully elucidated. Deregulation of proteolytic systems is a known path leading to disease manifestation, therefore we hypothesized that proteases aberrantly expressed in diabetic nephropathy (DN) may be involved in the generation of DN-associated peptides in urine. We compared urinary peptide profiles of DN patients (macroalbuminuric, n = 121) to diabetic patients with no evidence of DN (normoalbuminuric, n = 118). 302 sequenced, differentially expressed peptides (adjusted p-value < 0.05) were analysed with the Proteasix tool predicting proteases potentially involved in their generation. Activity change was estimated based on the change in abundance of the investigated peptides. Predictions were correlated with transcriptomics (Nephroseq) and relevant protein expression data from the literature. This analysis yielded seventeen proteases, including multiple forms of MMPs, cathepsin D and K, kallikrein 4 and proprotein convertases. The activity of MMP-2 and MMP-9, predicted to be decreased in DN, was investigated using zymography in a DN mouse model confirming the predictions. Collectively, this proof-of-concept study links urine peptidomics to molecular changes at the tissue level, building hypotheses for further investigation in DN and providing a workflow with potential applications to other diseases

Moderate hyperhomocysteinemia provokes dysfunction of cardiovascular autonomic system and liver oxidative stress in rats

Hyperhomocysteinemia (HHcy) is associated with cardiovascular disease, atherosclerosis and reactive oxygen species generation. Thus, our aim was to investigate whether there was an association between HHcy, blood pressure, autonomic control and liver oxidative stress. Male Wistar rats were divided into 2 groups and treated for 8 weeks: one group (control, CO) received tap water, while the other group (methionine, ME) was given a 100 mg/kg of methionine in water by gavage. Two catheters were implanted into the femoral artery and vein to record arterial pressure (AP) and heart rate (HR) and drug administration. Signals were recorded by a data acquisition system. Baroreflex sensitivity was evaluated by HR responses to AP changes induced by vasoactive drugs. HR variability and AP variability were performed by spectral analysis in time and frequency domains to evaluate the contribution of the sympathetic and parasympathetic modulation. Lipid peroxidation and antioxidant enzyme activities were evaluated by measuring superoxide dismutase, catalase and glutathione peroxidase in liver homogenates. the ME group presented a significant increase in systolic arterial pressure (118 +/- 9 vs 135 +/- 6 mm Hg), diastolic arterial pressure (81 +/- 6 vs. 92 +/- 4) and mean arterial pressure (95 +/- 7 vs. 106 +/- 6). in addition, pulse interval variability presented a significant decrease (41%), while the low frequency component of AP was significantly increased (delta P = 6.24 mmHg(2)) in the ME group. We also found a positive association between lipid peroxidation and cardiac sympathetic modulation, sympathetic and vagal modulation ratio and systolic pressure variability. Collectively, these findings showed that HHcy induced dysfunction of cardiovascular autonomic system and liver oxidative stress. (C) 2013 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.Conselho Nacional de Desenvolvimento Científico e Tecnológico (CNPq)Coordenação de Aperfeiçoamento de Pessoal de Nível Superior (CAPES)FAPERGSUniv Fed Rio Grande do Sul, Inst Ciencias Basicas Saude, Dept Fisiol, Lab Fisiol Cardiovasc, BR-90046900 Porto Alegre, RS, BrazilUniv São Paulo, Inst Coracao, Unidade Hipertensao, BR-05508 São Paulo, BrazilUniv Fed Ciencias Saude Porto Alegre, BR-90050170 Porto Alegre, RS, BrazilUniversidade Federal de São Paulo, Dept Biociencias, São Paulo, BrazilUniv Fed Rio de Janeiro, Inst Nutr Josue Castro, BR-21941 Rio de Janeiro, BrazilUniv Santo Amaro, Programa Posgrad Ciencias Saude, São Paulo, BrazilUniversidade Federal de São Paulo, Dept Biociencias, São Paulo, BrazilWeb of Scienc

Work/ family demands and cardiometabolic risk and sleep duration in extended care employees: multilevel findings from the Work, family and Health Network

The study investigates the associations of work-family conflict and other work and family conditions with objectively-measured outcomes cardiometabolic risk and sleep duration in a study of employees in nursing homes. Multilevel analyses are used to assess cross-sectional associations between employee and job characteristics and health in analyses of 1,524 employees in 30 extended care facilities in a single company. We examine work and family conditions in relation to two major study health outcomes: 1) a validated, Framingham cardiometabolic risk score based on measured blood pressure, cholesterol, glycosylated hemoglobin (HbA1c), body mass index (BMI), and self-reported tobacco consumption, and 2) wrist actigraphy-based measures of sleep duration. In fully-adjusted multi-level models, Work-To-Family conflict, but not Family-to-Work conflict was positively associated with cardiometabolic risk. Having a lower-level occupation (nursing assistants vs. nurses) was also associated with increased cardiometabolic risk, while being married and having younger children at home was protective. A significant age by Work-To-Family conflict interaction revealed that higher Work-To-Family conflict was more strongly associated with increased cardiometabolic risk in younger employees. With regard to sleep duration, high Family-To-Work Conflict was significantly associated with shorter sleep duration. In addition, working long hours and having younger children at home were both independently associated with shorter sleep duration. High Work-To-Family Conflict was associated with longer sleep duration. These results indicate that different dimensions of work-family conflict (i.e., Work-To-Family Conflict and Family-To-Work Conflict) may both pose threats to cardiometabolic risk and sleep duration for employees. This study contributes to the research on work- family conflict suggesting that Work-To-Family and Family-To-Work conflict are associated with specific outcomes. Translating theory and our findings to preventive interventions entails recognition of the dimensionality of work and family dynamics and the need to target specific work and family conditions

Genetically Determined Plasma Lipid Levels and Risk of Diabetic Retinopathy: A Mendelian Randomization Study.

Results from observational studies examining dyslipidemia as a risk factor for diabetic retinopathy (DR) have been inconsistent. We evaluated the causal relationship between plasma lipids and DR using a Mendelian randomization approach. We pooled genome-wide association studies summary statistics from 18 studies for two DR phenotypes: any DR (N = 2,969 case and 4,096 control subjects) and severe DR (N = 1,277 case and 3,980 control subjects). Previously identified lipid-associated single nucleotide polymorphisms served as instrumental variables. Meta-analysis to combine the Mendelian randomization estimates from different cohorts was conducted. There was no statistically significant change in odds ratios of having any DR or severe DR for any of the lipid fractions in the primary analysis that used single nucleotide polymorphisms that did not have a pleiotropic effect on another lipid fraction. Similarly, there was no significant association in the Caucasian and Chinese subgroup analyses. This study did not show evidence of a causal role of the four lipid fractions on DR. However, the study had limited power to detect odds ratios less than 1.23 per SD in genetically induced increase in plasma lipid levels, thus we cannot exclude that causal relationships with more modest effect sizes exist

Intralipotherapy, the State of the Art

Reconstruction intralipotherapy is a term commonly used in the field of aesthetic medicine, above all in Europe, which defines a specific injection technique developed for the treatment of localized fat with substances that provoke the lysis of adipocytes by means of an injection directly into the adipose tissue with a long needle. The aim of this study is to define the technique in detail and everything that is associated with it, on the basis of years of multicenter experience by doctors who perform it

Protocol for derivation of organoids and patient-derived orthotopic xenografts from glioma patient tumors

Tumor organoids and patient-derived orthotopic xenografts (PDOXs) are some of the most valuable pre-clinical tools in cancer research. In this protocol, we describe efficient derivation of organoids and PDOX models from glioma patient tumors. We provide detailed steps for organoid culture, intracranial implantation, and detection of tumors in the brain. We further present technical adjustments for standardized functional assays and drug testing.publishedVersio

A BAC pooling strategy combined with PCR-based screenings in a large, highly repetitive genome enables integration of the maize genetic and physical maps

BACKGROUND: Molecular markers serve three important functions in physical map assembly. First, they provide anchor points to genetic maps facilitating functional genomic studies. Second, they reduce the overlap required for BAC contig assembly from 80 to 50 percent. Finally, they validate assemblies based solely on BAC fingerprints. We employed a six-dimensional BAC pooling strategy in combination with a high-throughput PCR-based screening method to anchor the maize genetic and physical maps. RESULTS: A total of 110,592 maize BAC clones (~ 6x haploid genome equivalents) were pooled into six different matrices, each containing 48 pools of BAC DNA. The quality of the BAC DNA pools and their utility for identifying BACs containing target genomic sequences was tested using 254 PCR-based STS markers. Five types of PCR-based STS markers were screened to assess potential uses for the BAC pools. An average of 4.68 BAC clones were identified per marker analyzed. These results were integrated with BAC fingerprint data generated by the Arizona Genomics Institute (AGI) and the Arizona Genomics Computational Laboratory (AGCoL) to assemble the BAC contigs using the FingerPrinted Contigs (FPC) software and contribute to the construction and anchoring of the physical map. A total of 234 markers (92.5%) anchored BAC contigs to their genetic map positions. The results can be viewed on the integrated map of maize [1,2]. CONCLUSION: This BAC pooling strategy is a rapid, cost effective method for genome assembly and anchoring. The requirement for six replicate positive amplifications makes this a robust method for use in large genomes with high amounts of repetitive DNA such as maize. This strategy can be used to physically map duplicate loci, provide order information for loci in a small genetic interval or with no genetic recombination, and loci with conflicting hybridization-based information

Independence and effectiveness: Messages from the role of Independent Reviewing Officers in England

This paper draws on research into the role of Independent Reviewing Officers (IROs) in England, exploring the dimensions and challenges of their ‘independence’. IROs are specialist social workers whose function is to review the cases of children in public care and ensure that they have appropriate plans and that these plans are being implemented in a timely manner. IROs are ‘independent’ in the sense that they are not the social worker to whom a child’s case is allocated, and do not have line management responsibility for the case, however they are employed by the same local authority. There are detailed regulations and government guidelines on their role, and high expectations, but what does independence mean in this context? The paper draws on a mixed methods study conducted by the authors in 2012-14, which included a survey of 122 files of children in care from four local authorities; interviews with 54 social workers, 54 IROs, 15 parents, and 15 young people; six focus groups; and nationally-distributed questionnaires for IROs (65), social work managers (46) and children’s guardians (39). The study found five dimensions of independence: professional, operational, perceived, institutional and effective. The IROs and social workers generally took more nuanced and pragmatic approaches to their inter-professional working than prescribed in the policy guidance or the pronouncements of politicians and judges, seeing this as more likely to be effective. IROs are not, and cannot be, the solution to all the problems that exist in services for children in care, and the other professionals involved should not be seen as necessarily any less capable or committed to the best interests of the children. Rather, the IRO is part of an interactive system of checks and balances which, together, may increase the likelihood that professional judgement will be exercised effectively on the child’s behalf