Online Social Breast-Working: Representations of Breast Milk Sharing in the 21st Century

This thesis explores the controversial subject of online breast milk sharing through the lens of Social Positioning Theory and interpretative repertoire analysis. I examine medical statements, Facebook wall posts on the Human Milk 4 Human Babies Global group and selected Canadian provincial groups, as well as a selection of Canadian print news media coverage pertaining to milk sharing to discover how this practice is discussed. I argue that the medical literature discusses milk sharing as unsafe, informal, and a generally unacceptable means of obtaining breast milk, whereas the HM4HB group members discuss it as a safe, intimate experience between donor and recipient, and more meaningful and accessible than obtaining milk from anonymous donors at a milk bank. I also argue that in a selection of news stories and columns, Canadian print journalists privilege the maternal discourse and offer a sympathetic outlook on milk sharing to their audience

The chloride channel blocker 5-nitro-2-(3-phenylpropyl-amino) benzoic acid (NPPB) uncouples mitochondria and increases the proton permeability of the plasma membrane in phagocytic cells

AbstractWe present evidence that the potent chloride channel blocker NPPB has protonophoric activity in the mitochondria and across the plasma membrane of phagocytic cells. The resting O2 consumption of murine peritoneal macrophages was stimulated up to 2.5-fold in the presence of NPPB, with a K0.5 of 15 μM. The stimulatory effect of NPPB also O2 consumption, like that of the classical protonophore CCCP, was prevented by the mitochondrial respiratory chain inhibitors antimycin A, rotenone or cyanide. NPPB also mediated rheogenic proton transport across the plasma membrane of human neutrophils and macrophages in the direction dictated by the electrochemical proton gradient. As a consequence of its protonophoric activity, NPPB uncoupled mitochondrial ATP synthesis, resulting in partial depletion of cellular ATP. These observations indicate that, at the concentrations frequently used for blockade of anion channels, NPPB acts as an effective protonophore, potentially disturbing cytosolic pH and mitochondrial ATP synthesis

Coral Disease and Health Workshop: Coral Histopathology II

The health and continued existence of coral reef ecosystems are threatened by an increasing array of environmental and anthropogenic impacts. Coral disease is one of the prominent causes of increased mortality among reefs globally, particularly in the Caribbean. Although over 40 different coral diseases and syndromes have been reported worldwide, only a few etiological agents have been confirmed; most pathogens remain unknown and the dynamics of disease transmission, pathogenicity and mortality are not understood. Causal relationships have been documented for only a few of the coral diseases, while new syndromes continue to emerge. Extensive field observations by coral biologists have provided substantial documentation of a plethora of new pathologies, but our understanding, however, has been limited to descriptions of gross lesions with names reflecting these observations (e.g., black band, white band, dark spot). To determine etiology, we must equip coral diseases scientists with basic biomedical knowledge and specialized training in areas such as histology, cell biology and pathology. Only through combining descriptive science with mechanistic science and employing the synthesis epizootiology provides will we be able to gain insight into causation and become equipped to handle the pending crisis. One of the critical challenges faced by coral disease researchers is to establish a framework to systematically study coral pathologies drawing from the field of diagnostic medicine and pathology and using generally accepted nomenclature. This process began in April 2004, with a workshop titled Coral Disease and Health Workshop: Developing Diagnostic Criteria co-convened by the Coral Disease and Health Consortium (CDHC), a working group organized under the auspices of the U.S. Coral Reef Task Force, and the International Registry for Coral Pathology (IRCP). The workshop was hosted by the U.S. Geological Survey, National Wildlife Health Center (NWHC) in Madison, Wisconsin and was focused on gross morphology and disease signs observed in the field. A resounding recommendation from the histopathologists participating in the workshop was the urgent need to develop diagnostic criteria that are suitable to move from gross observations to morphological diagnoses based on evaluation of microscopic anatomy. (PDF contains 92 pages

11CO2 Fixation: A Renaissance in PET Radiochemistry

Carbon-11 labelled carbon dioxide is the cyclotron-generated feedstock reagent for most positron emission tomography (PET) tracers using this radionuclide. Most carbon-11 labels, however, are installed using derivative reagents generated from [11C]CO2. In recent years, [11C]CO2 has seen a revival in applications for the direct incorporation of carbon-11 into functional groups such as ureas, carbamates, oxazolidinones, carboxylic acids, esters, and amides. This review summarizes classical [11C]CO2 fixation strategies using organometallic reagents and then focuses on newly developed methods that employ strong organic bases to reversibly capture [11C]CO2 into solution, thereby enabling highly functionalized labelled compounds to be prepared. Labelled compounds and radiopharmaceuticals that have been translated to the clinic are highlighted.Chemistry and Chemical Biolog

Anidulafungin compared with fluconazole for treatment of candidemia and other forms of invasive candidiasis caused by Candida albicans: a multivariate analysis of factors associated with improved outcome

<p>Abstract</p> <p>Background</p> <p><it>Candida albicans </it>is the most common cause of candidemia and other forms of invasive candidiasis. Systemic infections due to <it>C. albicans </it>exhibit good susceptibility to fluconazole and echinocandins. However, the echinocandin anidulafungin was recently demonstrated to be more effective than fluconazole for systemic <it>Candida </it>infections in a randomized, double-blind trial among 245 patients. In that trial, most infections were caused by <it>C. albicans</it>, and all respective isolates were susceptible to randomized study drug. We sought to better understand the factors associated with the enhanced efficacy of anidulafungin and hypothesized that intrinsic properties of the antifungal agents contributed to the treatment differences.</p> <p>Methods</p> <p>Global responses at end of intravenous study treatment in patients with <it>C. albicans </it>infection were compared post-hoc. Multivariate logistic regression analyses were performed to predict response and to adjust for differences in independent baseline characteristics. Analyses focused on time to negative blood cultures, persistent infection at end of intravenous study treatment, and 6-week survival.</p> <p>Results</p> <p>In total, 135 patients with <it>C. albicans </it>infections were identified. Among these, baseline APACHE II scores were similar between treatment arms. In these patients, global response was significantly better for anidulafungin than fluconazole (81.1% vs 62.3%; 95% confidence interval [CI] for difference, 3.7-33.9). After adjusting for baseline characteristics, the odds ratio for global response was 2.36 (95% CI, 1.06-5.25). Study treatment and APACHE II score were significant predictors of outcome. The most predictive logistic regression model found that the odds ratio for study treatment was 2.60 (95% CI, 1.14-5.91) in favor of anidulafungin, and the odds ratio for APACHE II score was 0.935 (95% CI, 0.885-0.987), with poorer responses associated with higher baseline APACHE II scores. Anidulafungin was associated with significantly faster clearance of blood cultures (log-rank <it>p </it>< 0.05) and significantly fewer persistent infections (2.7% vs 13.1%; <it>p </it>< 0.05). Survival through 6 weeks did not differ between treatment groups.</p> <p>Conclusions</p> <p>In patients with <it>C. albicans </it>infection, anidulafungin was more effective than fluconazole, with more rapid clearance of positive blood cultures. This suggests that the fungicidal activity of echinocandins may have important clinical implications.</p> <p>Trial registration</p> <p>ClinicalTrials.gov: <a href="http://www.clinicaltrials.gov/ct2/show/NCT00058682">NCT00058682</a></p

Fatally entangled right whales can die extremely slowly

Author Posting. © IEEE, 2006. This article is posted here by permission of IEEE for personal use, not for redistribution. The definitive version was published in Proceedings Oceans 2006, Boston, MA, USA, 3 pp, doi:10.1109/OCEANS.2006.306792.Unlike smaller marine mammals that lack the mass and power to break free from serious entanglements in fixed fishing gear, right whales can do so, but they are not always rope free. The remaining rope can gradually constrict one or more body parts and the resulting debilitation and ultimate death can take many months. Thus the practices that lead to these mortalities need to be viewed not only as a conflict between the cultural and socioeconomic value of a fishery versus a potential species extinction process, but also in terms of an extreme animal welfare issue.Supported by NOAA NA04NMF4720392, Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution Ocean Life Institute, and the North Pond Foundation

Pattern of Disease after Murine Hepatitis Virus Strain 3 Infection Correlates with Macrophage Activation and Not Viral Replication

Murine hepatitis virus strain (MHV-3) produces a strain-dependent pattern of disease which has been used as a model for fulminant viral hepatitis. This study was undertaken to examine whether there was a correlation between macrophage activation and susceptibility or resistance to MHV-3 infection. Peritoneal macrophages were isolated from resistant A/J and susceptible BALB/cJ mice and, following stimulation with MHV-3 or lipopolysaccharide (LPS), analyzed for transcription of mRNA and production of interleukin-1 (IL-1), tumor necrosis factor alpha (TNF-alpha), transforming growth factor beta (TGF-beta), mouse fibrinogen-like protein (musfiblp), tissue factor (TF), leukotriene B4, and prostaglandin E2 (PGE2). Macrophages from BALB/cJ mice produced greater amounts of IL-1, TNF-alpha, TGF-beta, leukotriene B4, and musfiblp following MHV-3 infection than macrophages from resistant A/J mice, whereas in response to LPS, equivalent amounts of IL-1, TNF-alpha, TGF-beta, and TF were produced by macrophages from both strains of mice. Levels of mRNA of IL-1, TNF-alpha, and musfiblp were greater and more persistent in BALB/cJ than in A/J macrophages, whereas the levels and kinetics of IL-1, TNF-alpha, and TF mRNA following LPS stimulation were identical in macrophages from both strains of mice. Levels of production of PGE2 by MHV-3-stimulated macrophages from resistant and susceptible mice were equivalent; however, the time course for induction of PGE2, differed, but the total quantity of PGE2 produced was insufficient to inhibit induction of musfiblp, a procoagulant known to correlate with development of fulminant hepatic necrosis in susceptible mice. These results demonstrate marked differences in production of inflammatory mediators to MHV-3 infection in macrophages from resistant A/J and susceptible BALB/cJ mice, which may explain the marked hepatic necrosis and fibrin deposition and account for the lethality of MHV-3 in susceptible mice

Discrimination between bycatch and other causes of cetacean and pinniped stranding

© The Author(s), 2018. This article is distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution License. The definitive version was published in Diseases of Aquatic Organisms 127 (2018): 83-95, doi:10.3354/dao03189.The challenge of identifying cause of death in discarded bycaught marine mammals stems from a combination of the non-specific nature of the lesions of drowning, the complex physiologic adaptations unique to breath-holding marine mammals, lack of case histories, and the diverse nature of fishing gear. While no pathognomonic lesions are recognized, signs of acute external entanglement, bulging or reddened eyes, recently ingested gastric contents, pulmonary changes, and decompression-associated gas bubbles have been identified in the condition of peracute underwater entrapment (PUE) syndrome in previous studies of marine mammals. We reviewed the gross necropsy and histopathology reports of 36 cetaceans and pinnipeds including 20 directly observed bycaught and 16 live stranded animals that were euthanized between 2005 and 2011 for lesions consistent with PUE. We identified 5 criteria which present at significantly higher rates in bycaught marine mammals: external signs of acute entanglement, red or bulging eyes, recently ingested gastric contents, multi-organ congestion, and disseminated gas bubbles detected grossly during the necropsy and histologically. In contrast, froth in the trachea or primary bronchi, and lung changes (i.e. wet, heavy, froth, edema, congestion, and hemorrhage) were poor indicators of PUE. This is the first study that provides insight into the different published parameters for PUE in bycatch. For regions frequently confronted by stranded marine mammals with non-specific lesions, this could potentially aid in the investigation and quantification of marine fisheries interactions.This work was supported by the Nat - ional Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) John H. Prescott Program NA12NMF4390144. The WHOI Marine Mammal Center, Wick and Sloan Simmons, and the University of Las Palmas de Gran Canaria provided postdoctoral funding for Y.B.Q