Skeletal Evidence for Leprosy in India by the Second Millenium B.C.

Leprosy is a chronic infectious disease caused by _Mycobacterium leprae_ that affects almost 500,000 people worldwide^1^. The timing of first infection, geographic origin, and pattern of transmission of the disease are unknown^1-3^. Comparative genomics research has recently suggested _M. leprae_ evolved in East Africa or South Asia before spreading to Europe and the rest of the World^4-5^. The earliest accepted textual evidence indicates that leprosy existed in India by at least 600 B.C. and was known in Europe by 400 B.C.^6-7^. The earliest skeletal evidence was dated 300-200 B.C. in Egypt^8^ and Thailand^9^. Here, we report the presence of lepromatous leprosy in skeletal remains from Balathal, a Chalcolithic site (2300-1550 B.C.) in India^10-11^. A middle aged adult male skeleton demonstrates manifestations of facies leprosa and rhinomaxillary syndrome, degenerative joint disease, infectious involvement of the tibia (periostitis), and injury to the peripheral skeleton, often the result of skin anaesthesia. Paleopathological analysis indicates that lepromatous leprosy was present in India by 1800 B.C., a result which supports some translations of the Atharva Veda that reference leprosy and its treatment in hymns composed before the first millennium B.C.^12^. The presence of leprosy in Chalcolithic India suggests _M. leprae_ may have been transmitted during the second or third millennium B.C., at a time when there was substantial interaction between South Asia, West Asia, and Northeastern Africa^13^. This evidence should be impetus to look for additional skeletal and molecular evidence of leprosy in human remains from this time period in India and Africa to confirm the origin of the disease

Evolutionary Reduction of the First Thoracic Limb in Butterflies

Members of the diverse butterfly families Nymphalidae (brush-footed butterflies) and Riodinidae (metalmarks) have reduced first thoracic limbs and only use two pairs of legs for walking. In order to address questions about the detailed morphology and evolutionary origins of these reduced limbs, the three thoracic limbs of 13 species of butterflies representing all six butterfly families were examined and measured, and ancestral limb sizes were reconstructed for males and females separately. Differences in limb size across butterflies involve changes in limb segment size rather than number of limb segments. Reduction of the first limb in both nymphalids and riodinids appears particularly extensive in the femur, but the evolution of these reduced limbs is suggested to be a convergent evolutionary event. Possible developmental differences as well as ecological factors driving the evolution of reduced limbs are discussed

Removal of yield-stress fluids from pipework using water

The emptying of product from process plant is a significant multiphase flow problem in food and personal care industries, controlling both product recovery, and cleaning time. Product and operational losses can be significant, especially with viscous products. It is necessary to maximize product recovery while minimizing cleaning time and effluent volume. The removal of a range of products from fully filled pipework using water has been characterized and monitored by weighing pipes at intervals and by inline turbidity probe. Data is presented for a range of products (toothpaste, hand cream, apple sauce, yoghurt, and shower gel) that have been cleaned from two pipe systems. The data can be fitted by a linear relationship between a dimensionless cleaning time, and the ratio of the product yield stress to the surface shear stress. The effect of pipe fittings is to reduce cleaning times, reflecting increased shear/energy dissipation in the pipe. (C) 2018 The Authors AIChE Journal published by Wiley Periodicals, Inc. on behalf of American Institute of Chemical EngineersTurkish Ministry of EducationTurkiye Bilimsel ve Teknolojik Arastirma Kurumu (TUBITAK); ZEAL project [TP//ZEE/6/1/21191]; RCUK National Centre for Sustainable Energy Use in Food Chains [EP/K011820/1]IP acknowledges financial support from the Turkish Ministry of Education. This paper reports results from the ZEAL project (grant no. TP//ZEE/6/1/21191). The authors would also like to acknowledge the funding received from the RCUK National Centre for Sustainable Energy Use in Food Chains (grant no. EP/K011820/1)

Serial bone marrow transplantation reveals in vivo expression of the pCLPG retroviral vector

<p>Abstract</p> <p>Background</p> <p>Gene therapy in the hematopoietic system remains promising, though certain aspects of vector design, such as transcriptional control elements, continue to be studied. Our group has developed a retroviral vector where transgene expression is controlled by p53 with the intention of harnessing the dynamic and inducible nature of this tumor suppressor and transcription factor. We present here a test of <it>in vivo </it>expression provided by the p53-responsive vector, pCLPG. For this, we used a model of serial transplantation of transduced bone marrow cells.</p> <p>Results</p> <p>We observed, by flow cytometry, that the eGFP transgene was expressed at higher levels when the pCLPG vector was used as compared to the parental pCL retrovirus, where expression is directed by the native MoMLV LTR. Expression from the pCLPG vector was longer lasting, but did decay along with each sequential transplant. The detection of eGFP-positive cells containing either vector was successful only in the bone marrow compartment and was not observed in peripheral blood, spleen or thymus.</p> <p>Conclusions</p> <p>These findings indicate that the p53-responsive pCLPG retrovirus did offer expression <it>in vivo </it>and at a level that surpassed the non-modified, parental pCL vector. Our results indicate that the pCLPG platform may provide some advantages when applied in the hematopoietic system.</p

Hsp21potentiates antifungal drug tolerance in Candida albicans

Peer reviewedPublisher PD

Placental syncytiotrophoblast constitutes a major barrier to vertical transmission of Listeria monocytogenes.

Listeria monocytogenes is an important cause of maternal-fetal infections and serves as a model organism to study these important but poorly understood events. L. monocytogenes can infect non-phagocytic cells by two means: direct invasion and cell-to-cell spread. The relative contribution of each method to placental infection is controversial, as is the anatomical site of invasion. Here, we report for the first time the use of first trimester placental organ cultures to quantitatively analyze L. monocytogenes infection of the human placenta. Contrary to previous reports, we found that the syncytiotrophoblast, which constitutes most of the placental surface and is bathed in maternal blood, was highly resistant to L. monocytogenes infection by either internalin-mediated invasion or cell-to-cell spread. Instead, extravillous cytotrophoblasts-which anchor the placenta in the decidua (uterine lining) and abundantly express E-cadherin-served as the primary portal of entry for L. monocytogenes from both extracellular and intracellular compartments. Subsequent bacterial dissemination to the villous stroma, where fetal capillaries are found, was hampered by further cellular and histological barriers. Our study suggests the placenta has evolved multiple mechanisms to resist pathogen infection, especially from maternal blood. These findings provide a novel explanation why almost all placental pathogens have intracellular life cycles: they may need maternal cells to reach the decidua and infect the placenta

Extreme Conservation Leads to Recovery of the Virunga Mountain Gorillas

As wildlife populations are declining, conservationists are under increasing pressure to measure the effectiveness of different management strategies. Conventional conservation measures such as law enforcement and community development projects are typically designed to minimize negative human influences upon a species and its ecosystem. In contrast, we define “extreme” conservation as efforts targeted to deliberately increase positive human influences, including veterinary care and close monitoring of individual animals. Here we compare the impact of both conservation approaches upon the population growth rate of the critically endangered Virunga mountain gorillas (Gorilla beringei beringei), which increased by 50% since their nadir in 1981, from approximately 250 to nearly 400 gorillas. Using demographic data from 1967–2008, we show an annual decline of 0.7%±0.059% for unhabituated gorillas that received intensive levels of conventional conservation approaches, versus an increase 4.1%±0.088% for habituated gorillas that also received extreme conservation measures. Each group of habituated gorillas is now continuously guarded by a separate team of field staff during daylight hours and receives veterinary treatment for snares, respiratory disease, and other life-threatening conditions. These results suggest that conventional conservation efforts prevented a severe decline of the overall population, but additional extreme measures were needed to achieve positive growth. Demographic stochasticity and socioecological factors had minimal impact on variability in the growth rates. Veterinary interventions could account for up to 40% of the difference in growth rates between habituated versus unhabituated gorillas, with the remaining difference likely arising from greater protection against poachers. Thus, by increasing protection and facilitating veterinary treatment, the daily monitoring of each habituated group contributed to most of the difference in growth rates. Our results argue for wider consideration of extreme measures and offer a startling view of the enormous resources that may be needed to conserve some endangered species

Decline in breast cancer incidence due to removal of promoter: combination estrogen plus progestin

Combination estrogen plus progestin causes breast cancer. In light of this causal relation, the rapid decline in breast cancer incidence noted in 2003, following an earlier and slower reduction in incidence from 1999, raises important issues regarding the proportion of this decline that may be due to a reduction in the use of combination therapy by postmenopausal women. The context of these national trends is reviewed and the strong link to the use of hormone therapy is discussed, after noting that screening cannot explain any substantial component of these trends. The rapid decrease in incidence, most evident among women aged 50 to 69 years and in estrogen receptor positive tumors, that parallels the decline in combination hormone use is consistent with a promoter effect for estrogen plus progestins

Subclinical Hypothyroidism after Radioiodine Exposure: Ukrainian–American Cohort Study of Thyroid Cancer and Other Thyroid Diseases after the Chornobyl Accident (1998–2000)

BackgroundHypothyroidism is the most common thyroid abnormality in patients treated with high doses of iodine-131 (131I). Data on risk of hypothyroidism from low to moderate 131I thyroid doses are limited and inconsistent.ObjectiveThis study was conducted to quantify the risk of hypothyroidism prevalence in relation to 131I doses received because of the Chornobyl accident.MethodsThis is a cross-sectional (1998-2000) screening study of thyroid diseases in a cohort of 11,853 individuals &lt; 18 years of age at the time of the accident, with individual thyroid radioactivity measurements taken within 2 months of the accident. We measured thyroid-stimulating hormone (TSH), free thyroxine, and antibodies to thyroid peroxidase (ATPO) in serum.ResultsMean age at examination of the analysis cohort was 21.6 years (range, 12.2-32.5 years), with 49% females. Mean 131I thyroid dose was 0.79 Gy (range, 0-40.7 Gy). There were 719 cases with hypothyroidism (TSH &gt; 4 mIU/L), including 14 with overt hypothyroidism. We found a significant, small association between (131)I thyroid doses and prevalent hypothyroidism, with the excess odds ratio (EOR) per gray of 0.10 (95% confidence interval, 0.03-0.21). EOR per gray was higher in individuals with ATPO &lt; or = 60 U/mL compared with individuals with ATPO &gt; 60 U/mL (p &lt; 0.001).ConclusionsThis is the first study to find a significant relationship between prevalence of hypothyroidism and individual (131)I thyroid doses due to environmental exposure. The radiation increase in hypothyroidism was small (10% per Gy) and limited largely to subclinical hypothyroidism. Prospective data are needed to evaluate the dynamics of radiation-related hypothyroidism and clarify the role of antithyroid antibodies