Experiment K-6-01. Distribution and biochemistry of mineral and matrix in the femurs of rats

Previous analyses of the composition of mineral and matrix in the bone of young rats following space flight has revealed deficits in calcium, phosphorus, and osteocalcin, a non-collagenous protein, without an associated decrease in collagen. To characterize the location and nature of this mineralization defect in a weight bearing long bone, the femur, researchers attempted to relate the spatial distribution of mineral in situ in the proximal, central and distal thirds of the femoral diaphysis to the biochemical composition of bone from the same area. Biochemical analyses revealed lower concentrations of calcium, phosphorus and osteocalcin but not collagen only in the central third of the diaphysis of the flight animals (F) compared to synchronous controls (S). Collagen concentration was reduced only in the proximal third of the diaphysis, where all 3 crosslinks, expressed as nM/mol collagen were higher in F than S. A new technique, x ray microtomography, with a resolution of 26 microns, was used to obtain semi-quantitative data on mineral distribution in reconstructed sections of wet whole bone. To improve the resolution of the mineral density distribution, images of the surfaces of cut sections were analyzed by backscattered electrons in a scanning electron microscope (BSE). There was good agreement between the results of the two stereochemical techniques which revealed distinct patterns of mineralization in transverse and longitudinal directions of the diaphysis. The novel methodology developed for this flight experiment shows considerable promise in elucidating the biochemical nature of what appear to be regional alterations in the mineralization of long bones of animals exposed to spaceflight

Light-weight wolf trap study Final report

Light scattering cells to measure particles in liquid solution

Control of Tungiasis through Intermittent Application of a Plant-Based Repellent: An Intervention Study in a Resource-Poor Community in Brazil

Tungiasis is a parasitic skin disease caused by the female sand flea Tunga penetrans. The disease is frequent in resource-poor communities in South America and sub-Saharan Africa and affects the poorest of the poor. Sand flea disease is associated with a considerable morbidity and may lead to tetanus in non-vaccinated individuals. The degree of morbidity depends on the intensity of infestation, i.e., the number of embedded sand fleas a person has. Since tungiasis is a zoonosis involving a host of animal reservoirs, and because an effective treatment is not at hand, in resource-poor settings elimination is not feasible. Preventing morbidity to develop is therefore the only means to protect exposed individuals from sand flea disease. Similar to other arthropods, sand fleas can be repelled before they penetrate into the skin. In this study we show that the intermittent application of a plant-based repellent, of which the major component is coconut oil, reduces the intensity of infestation dramatically during the whole transmission season and prevents tungiasis-associated morbidity from developing. The prevention can be performed at the household level by the affected individuals themselves with minimal input from the health sector

Depression induces bone loss through stimulation of the sympathetic nervous system

Major depression is associated with low bone mass and increased incidence of osteoporotic fractures. However, causality between depression and bone loss has not been established. Here, we show that mice subjected to chronic mild stress (CMS), an established model of depression in rodents, display behavioral depression accompanied by impaired bone mass and structure, as portrayed by decreases in trabecular bone volume density, trabecular number, and trabecular connectivity density assessed in the distal femoral metaphysis and L3 vertebral body. Bone remodeling analysis revealed that the CMS-induced skeletal deficiency is accompanied by restrained bone formation resulting from reduced osteoblast number. Antidepressant therapy, which prevents the behavioral responses to CMS, completely inhibits the decrease in bone formation and markedly attenuates the CMS-induced bone loss. The depression-triggered bone loss is associated with a substantial increase in bone norepinephrine levels and can be blocked by the β-adrenergic antagonist propranolol, suggesting that the sympathetic nervous system mediates the skeletal effects of stress-induced depression. These results define a linkage among depression, excessive adrenergic activity, and reduced bone formation, thus demonstrating an interaction among behavioral responses, the brain, and the skeleton, which leads to impaired bone structure. Together with the common occurrence of depression and bone loss in the aging population, the present data implicate depression as a potential major risk factor for osteoporosis and the associated increase in fracture incidence

Supplementary Material for: Predictive Parameters Identifying Men Eligible for a Sole MRI/Ultrasound Fusion-Guided Targeted Biopsy without an Additional Systematic Biopsy

<br><strong><em>Objective:</em></strong> Evaluating the predictive factors that enable identifying men in which a sole MRI/ultrasound (MRI/US) fusion-guided targeted biopsy (TB) detects the maximal prostate cancer (PCa) risk group. <b><i>Patients and Methods:</i></b> Retrospective analysis of 251 consecutive patients who received a sensor-based, real-time MRI/US TB in combination with a 10-core systematic biopsy (SB) between August 2013 and July 2015. Univariate and multivariate binary regression analyses were performed to evaluate the predictors for equal/superior detection of the PCa risk group by TB compared to SB. <b><i>Results:</i></b> TB detected PCa in 63% (157/251); SB detected PCa in 70% (176/251); a combination of TB and SB detected PCa in 77% (193/251) of cancer patients. Fifty percent (291/584) of TB cores and 22% (539/2,486) of SB cores showed PCa. Predictors for equal/superior performance of a sole TB were lesion size (maximal diameter; OR 1.050, 95% CI 1.002-1.101, p = 0.043), suspicious digital rectal examination (DRE; OR 2.448, 95% CI 1.062-5.645, p = 0.036) and free/total prostate-specific antigen (PSA) ratio (f/t PSA ratio) ≤0.15 (OR 0.916, 95% CI 0.867-0.967, p = 0.002) on univariate regression analysis and f/t PSA ratio ≤0.15 (OR 0.916, 95% CI 0.867-0.967, p = 0.002) on multivariate regression analysis. <b><i>Conclusion:</i></b> The maximal axial diameter of the Prostate Imaging Reporting and Data System-lesion and f/t PSA ratio and a suspicious DRE are possible selection criteria for men eligible for a sole MRI/US fusion-guided targeted prostate biopsy