Response of selected microorganisms to experimental planetary environments

The anaerobic utilization of phosphite or phosphine and the significance of this conversion to potential contamination of Jupiter were investigated. A sporeforming organism was isolated from Cape Canaveral soil which anaerobically converts hypophosphite to phosphate. This conversion coincides with an increase in turbidity of the culture and with phosphate accumulation in the medium. Investigations of omnitherms (organisms which grow over a broad temperature range, i.e. 3 -55 C were also conducted. The cellular morphology of 28 of these isolates was investigated, and all were demonstrated to be sporeformers. Biochemical characterizations are also presented. Procedures for replicate plating were evaluated, and those results are also presented. The procedures for different replicate-plating techniques are presented, and these are evaluated on the basis of reproducibility, percentage of viable transfer, and ease of use. Standardized procedures for the enumeration of microbial populations from ocean-dredge samples from Cape Canaveral are also presented

Setting a research agenda to inform intensive comprehensive aphasia programs

Research into intensive comprehensive aphasia programs (ICAPs) has yet to show that this service delivery model is efficacious, effective, has cost utility, or can be broadly implemented. This article describes a phased research approach to the study of ICAPs and sets out a research agenda that considers not only the specific issues surrounding ICAPs, but also the phase of the research. Current ICAP research is in the early phases, with dosing and outcome measurement as prime considerations as well as refinement of the best treatment protocol. Later phases of ICAP research are outlined, and the need for larger scale collaborative funded research is recognized. The need for more rapid translation into practice is also acknowledged, and the use of hybrid models of phased research is encouraged within the ICAP research agenda

Case Report: Dabigatran-Associated Gynecologic Bleeding

Purpose The case of a patient who experienced major gynecological bleeding after initiation of dabigatran therapy for atrial fibrillation is reported. Summary A 33-year-old Hispanic female with multiple medical problems presented to the emergency department (ED) with a 5-day history of menorrhagia and a 3-day history of dizziness, fatigue, and weakness. Prior to ED presentation, she had been initiated on dabigatran 150 mg twice daily for atrial fibrillation. Four days later, she began having profuse vaginal bleeding. She discontinued all of her home medications including dabigatran, and her bleeding subsided the next day. Upon presentation to the ED, her hemoglobin was 7.1 g/dL, for which she was transfused 2 units of packed red blood cells, increasing her hemoglobin to 9.6 g/dL. Because the patient was in atrial fibrillation, warfarin was initiated once she was clinically stable and she was never restarted on dabigatran. Her hemoglobin was stable throughout admission with no further bleeding. She was discharged on warfarin and closely followed without incident. Conclusion A 33-year-old Hispanic female with no pre-existing gynecologic abnormalities had a major gynecological bleed shortly after starting dabigatran that resolved after discontinuation. </jats:sec

A pulsation analysis of K2 observations of the subdwarf B star PG 1142-037 during Campaign 1 : A subsynchronously rotating ellipsoidal variable

We report a new subdwarf B pulsator, PG 1142-037, discovered during the first full-length campaign of K2, the two-gyro mission of the Kepler space telescope. 14 periodicities have been detected between 0.9 and 2.5 hr with amplitudes below 0.35 parts-per-thousand. We have been able to associate all of the pulsations with low-degree, 1Peer reviewe

Mating behavior induces selective expression of Fos protein within the chemosensory pathways of the male Syrian hamster brain

The effect of mating behavior on the expression of Fos protein was analyzed within the chemosensory pathways of the male Syrian hamster brain. Following a single mating test, the number of Fos-immunoreactive (Fos-ir) neurons increased within the amygdala, bed nucleus of the stria terminalis and medial preoptic area. The mating-induced pattern of Fos expression within these brain regions shows a strong correlation with the sites of lesions that eliminate or alter mating behavior. In addition, Fos expression was increased within the paraventricular nucleus of the hypothalamus. These results provide the first demonstration of a dynamic and selective pattern of neuronal activity within specific nuclei known to be essential for mating behavior in the male Syrian hamster.Peer Reviewedhttp://deepblue.lib.umich.edu/bitstream/2027.42/29894/1/0000248.pd

Knowing the enemy: ant behavior and control in a pediatric hospital of Buenos Aires

Ant control is difficult in systems even where a variety of control strategies and compounds are allowed; in sensitive places such as hospitals, where there are often restrictions on the methods and toxicants to be applied, the challenge is even greater. Here we report the methods and results of how we faced this challenge of controlling ants in a pediatric hospital using baits. Our strategy was based on identifying the species present and analyzing their behavior. On the one hand, we evaluated outdoors in the green areas of the hospital, the relative abundance of ant genera, their food preferences and the behavioral dominances. On the other hand, control treatments were performed using separately two boron compounds added to sucrose solution which was not highly concentrated to avoid constrains due to the viscosity. Most of the species in the food preference test accepted sugary food; only one species was recorded to visit it less than the protein foods. This result was consistent with the efficacy of control treatments by sugary baits within the rooms. For species that showed good acceptance of sugar solutions in the preference test outdoors, sugar bait control indoors was 100& effective. Conversely, for the only species that foraged significantly less on sugar food, the bait treatment was ineffective. This work reveals the importance of considering the behavior and feeding preferences of the species to be controlled by toxic baits.Fil: Josens, Roxana Beatriz. Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas. Oficina de Coordinación Administrativa Ciudad Universitaria. Instituto de Fisiología, Biología Molecular y Neurociencias. Universidad de Buenos Aires. Facultad de Ciencias Exactas y Naturales. Instituto de Fisiología, Biología Molecular y Neurociencias; ArgentinaFil: Sola, Francisco Javier. Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas. Oficina de Coordinación Administrativa Ciudad Universitaria. Instituto de Fisiología, Biología Molecular y Neurociencias. Universidad de Buenos Aires. Facultad de Ciencias Exactas y Naturales. Instituto de Fisiología, Biología Molecular y Neurociencias; ArgentinaFil: Marchisio, Nahuel Matías. Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas. Oficina de Coordinación Administrativa Ciudad Universitaria. Instituto de Fisiología, Biología Molecular y Neurociencias. Universidad de Buenos Aires. Facultad de Ciencias Exactas y Naturales. Instituto de Fisiología, Biología Molecular y Neurociencias; ArgentinaFil: Di Renzo, María Agostina. Universidad de Buenos Aires. Facultad de Ciencias Exactas y Naturales. Departamento de Biodiversidad y Biología Experimental. Laboratorio del Grupo de Estudio de Insectos Sociales; ArgentinaFil: Giacometti, Alina. Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas. Oficina de Coordinación Administrativa Ciudad Universitaria. Instituto de Fisiología, Biología Molecular y Neurociencias. Universidad de Buenos Aires. Facultad de Ciencias Exactas y Naturales. Instituto de Fisiología, Biología Molecular y Neurociencias; Argentin

Olfactory and vomeronasal system participation in male hamsters' attraction to female vaginal secretions

The effects of olfactory (OLF) vomeronasal (VN), or combined deafferentations of male hamsters on their attraction to female hamster vaginal secretions (FHVS) were determined using 2 different attraction tests. In the first, FHVS was placed on one wall of a plastic test chamber, while in the second test, FHVS was rubbed onto 1 of 2 anesthetized castrate hamsters. OLF deafferentation abolished the males' attraction to FHVS in the first test but had no effect in the second. The persistence of FHVS attraction in the anesthetized castrate test depended on the VN system in that its subsequent deafferentation greatly attenuated the attraction. When the VN system was deafferented alone, FHVS attraction was significantly reduced only in males exhibiting severe mating behavior deficits. These results are interpreted to support the hypothesis that the OLF and VN systems may be preferentially responsive to volatile and non-volatile odorants, respectively. Our findings emphasize that both the OLF and VN systems participate in subserving males' attraction to FHVS and their mating with receptive females. Thus each chemosensory system may influence both sexual arousal and copulatory mechanisms.Peer Reviewedhttp://deepblue.lib.umich.edu/bitstream/2027.42/23669/1/0000637.pd

Plasmalemmal Vesicle Associated Protein-1 (PV-1) is a marker of blood-brain barrier disruption in rodent models

<p>Abstract</p> <p>Background</p> <p><it>Plasmalemmal vesicle associated protein-1 </it>(<it>PV-1</it>) is selectively expressed in human brain microvascular endothelial cells derived from clinical specimens of primary and secondary malignant brain tumors, cerebral ischemia, and other central nervous system (CNS) diseases associated with blood-brain barrier breakdown. In this study, we characterize the murine CNS expression pattern of <it>PV-1 </it>to determine whether localized <it>PV-1 </it>induction is conserved across species and disease state.</p> <p>Results</p> <p>We demonstrate that <it>PV-1 </it>is selectively upregulated in mouse blood vessels recruited by brain tumor xenografts at the RNA and protein levels, but is not detected in non-neoplastic brain. Additionally, <it>PV-1 </it>is induced in a mouse model of acute ischemia. Expression is confined to the cerebovasculature within the region of infarct and is temporally regulated.</p> <p>Conclusion</p> <p>Our results confirm that <it>PV-1 </it>is preferentially induced in the endothelium of mouse brain tumors and acute ischemic brain tissue and corresponds to blood-brain barrier disruption in a fashion analogous to human patients. Characterization of <it>PV-1 </it>expression in mouse brain is the first step towards development of rodent models for testing anti-edema and anti-angiogenesis therapeutic strategies based on this molecule.</p