Relationships between the bivalve Macoma balthica and bacteria in intertidal sediments: Minas Basin, Bay of Fundy

The extensive intertidal flats of the Minas Basin, Bay of Fundy, support some of the highest population densities of Macoma balthica ever recorded. Densities of Macoma are positively correlated with density of bacteria in the sediment; correlations with tidal elevation and organic carbon content of the sediment are not significant. Macoma density appears to be related to the amount of fine material present in the sediment. Although Macoma feeds on the bacteria within the sediment, it must supplement its diet by suspension-feeding during high tide in order to acquire sufficient protein

Extended versus standard lymph node dissection for urothelial carcinoma of the bladder in patients undergoing radical cystectomy

We acknowledge the support received from the author of the in-cluded study, Jürgen E. Gschwend who provided information onthe method of blinding. We are very grateful to Annemarie Uhlig, Guillaume Ploussard,Wassim Kassouf, Caroline Raw and Martin Burton for havingserved as peer reviewers. We thank Cochrane Urology, ManagingEditor Robert Lane and Cochrane Fast-Track Service, ManagingEditor Helen Wakeford, for the support we received.Peer reviewedPublisher PD

The influence of rear turn signal characteristics on crash risk

The relationship between the relative risk of a rear-end collision involving a turn, merge, or lane change maneuver and the characteristics of the rear turn-signal configuration was examined using rear-end collision crash data pooled from seven States. To perform the analysis, a detailed database of rear signal characteristics was developed for the vehicles most frequently involved in crashes among five of the States. The signal lamp characteristics were combined with other factors contained in the crash record in a stepwise logistic regression that modeled the odds of a rear-end collision while performing a turn- signal-related maneuver as a function of all of these factors. Two contrast groups were used as the denominator of the odds ratio in separate analyses. The first contrast group was comprised of the striking vehicles involved in turn-signal-related rear-end collisions. The second contrast group was comprised of rear-struck vehicles not engaged in turn-signal relevant maneuvers. The first analysis suggests that there is an association between amber turn signals and a reduction of between 3 and 28 percent in the odds of being the struck (versus striking) vehicle in a turn-signal- relevant maneuver. The second analysis found no association between turn signal color and the odds of being struck in a turn-signal-relevant maneuver. The differences in the two analyses are discussed in terms of how well the respective contrast groups are insulated from potential effects of turn signal configurations. Additional analyses substituted vehicle series name with body style as a predictor in the model, and examined turn signal characteristics in vehicles that have been produced with both amber and red turn signals at different times. Although the analysis suggests that there may be a safety benefit associated with amber turn signals, it is unclear that turn signal color itself is completely responsible for the benefit. Further investigation of factors confounded with lamp color seems warranted before drawing a strong conclusion that turn signal color, by itself, is responsible for the observed differences.National Highway Transportation Safety Administrationhttp://deepblue.lib.umich.edu/bitstream/2027.42/64479/1/102444.pd

Correlation of mRNA and protein levels: Cell type-specific gene expression of cluster designation antigens in the prostate

Background: Expression levels of mRNA and protein by cell types exhibit a range of correlations for different genes. In this study, we compared levels of mRNA abundance for several cluster designation (CD) genes determined by gene arrays using magnetic sorted and laser-capture microdissected human prostate cells with levels of expression of the respective CD proteins determined by immunohistochemical staining in the major cell types of the prostate - basal epithelial, luminal epithelial, stromal fibromuscular, and endothelial - and for prostate precursor/stem cells and prostate carcinoma cells. Immunohistochemical stains of prostate tissues from more than 50 patients were scored for informative CD antigen expression and compared with cell-type specific transcriptomes. Results: Concordance between gene and protein expression findings based on 'present' vs. 'absent' calls ranged from 46 to 68%. Correlation of expression levels was poor to moderate (Pearson correlations ranged from 0 to 0.63). Divergence between the two data types was most frequently seen for genes whose array signals exceeded background (> 50) but lacked immunoreactivity by immunostaining. This could be due to multiple factors, e.g. low levels of protein expression, technological sensitivities, sample processing, probe set definition or anatomical origin of tissue and actual biological differences between transcript and protein abundance. Conclusion: Agreement between these two very different methodologies has great implications for their respective use in both molecular studies and clinical trials employing molecular biomarkers.This work was supported by grant DK63630 and DK069690 from NIDDK. Additional funding came from grants CA85859, CA98699 and CA111244 from NCI, and PM50 GMO76547/Center for Systems Biology

Perinatal Exposure to Environmentally Relevant Levels of Bisphenol A Decreases Fertility and Fecundity in CD-1 Mice

Bac k g r o u n d: Perinatal exposure to low-doses of bisphenol A (BPA) results in alterations in the ovary, uterus, and mammary glands and in a sexually dimorphic region of the brain known to be important for estrous cyclicity. Objectives: We aimed to determine whether perinatal exposure to environmentally relevant doses of BPA alters reproductive capacity. Met h o d s: Female CD-1 mice that were exposed to BPA at 0, 25 ng, 250 ng, or 25 µg/kg body weight (BW)/day or diethylstilbestrol (DES) at 10 ng/kg BW/day (positive control) from gestational day 8 through day 16 of lactation were continuously housed with proven breeder males for 32 weeks starting at 2 months of age. At each delivery, pups born to these mating pairs were removed. The cumulative number of pups, number of deliveries, and litter size were recorded. The purity of the BPA used in this and our previous studies was assessed using HPLC, mass spectrometry, and nuclear magnetic resonance. Res u l t s: The forced breeding experiment revealed a decrease in the cumulative number of pups, observed as a nonmonotonic dose–response effect, and a decline in fertility and fecundity over time in female mice exposed perinatally to BPA. The BPA was 97 % pure, with no evidence of contaminatio

Familial aggregation and heritability of schizophrenia and co-aggregation of psychiatric illnesses in affected families

Strong familial aggregation of schizophrenia has been reported but there is uncertainty concerning the degree of genetic contribution to the phenotypic variance of the disease. This study aimed to examine the familial aggregation and heritability of schizophrenia, and the relative risks (RRs) of other psychiatric diseases, in relatives of people with schizophrenia using the Taiwan National Health Insurance Database. The study population included individuals with affected first-degree or second-degree relatives identified from all beneficiaries (n = 23 422 955) registered in 2013. Diagnoses of schizophrenia made by psychiatrists were ascertained between January 1, 1996 and December 31, 2013. Having an affected co-twin, first-degree relative, second-degree relative, or spouse was associated with an adjusted RR (95% CI) of 37.86 (30.55-46.92), 6.30 (6.09-6.53), 2.44 (1.91-3.12), and 1.88 (1.64-2.15), respectively. Compared with the general population, individuals with one affected first-degree relative had a RR (95% CI) of 6.00 (5.79-6.22) and those with 2 or more had a RR (95% CI) of 14.66 (13.00-16.53) for schizophrenia. The accountability for the phenotypic variance of schizophrenia was 47.3% for genetic factors, 15.5% for shared environmental factors, and 37.2% for non-shared environmental factors. The RR (95% CI) in individuals with a first-degree relative with schizophrenia was 3.49 (3.34-3.64) for mood disorders and 3.91 (3.35-4.57) for delusional disorders. A family history of schizophrenia is therefore associated with a higher risk of developing schizophrenia, mood disorders, and delusional disorders. Heritability and environmental factors each account for half of the phenotypic variance of schizophrenia