3q26 Amplification is Rarely Present in Women Whose LSIL Cytology does not Represent CIN 2+ Disease

Comparative Medicine - OneHealth and Comparative Medicine Poster SessionObjective: 10-17% of women with LSIL cytology truly have CIN 2+ disease at colposcopically directed biopsy and 20% of the CIN 2+ lesions derive from women with LSIL cytology. No molecular marker has yet been able to triage LSIL cytology effectively. If possible, the triage would spare women the referral to colposcopy. Irreversible chromosomal damage occurs during oncogenesis. Increasing cervical dysplastic severity occurs with increasing amplification of the 3q26 chromosomal region. The purpose of this study is to evaluate the test characteristics of 3q26 amplification in women whose routine cytology is reported as LSIL with emphasis on the negative predictive value for reassurance. Methods: We conducted a retrospective study using the available SurePath™ liquid cytology LSIL archival samples from women 17-59 years old which were linked to colposcopically directed biopsy samples taken on average 36 days after cytology sampling (3-90 day range). Nuclei from the LSIL samples were hybridized with a single-copy probe for the chromosome 3q26 region and a control probe for the centromeric alpha repeat sequence of chromosome 7, using standard FISH methods. Amplification was defined as five or more signals present in at least 2 cells. Results: Of the 68 paired cytology/biopsy samples, 3q26 amplification occurred in 40% of the women with CIN 2+ disease (sensitivity 95% CI: 12, 74). There was no amplification in 91% of women with less than CIN 2 disease (specificity 95% CI: 81, 97); and the negative predictive value was 90% (79, 96). Conclusions: The lack of 3q26 amplification in women with screening cytology LSIL results offers reassurance that CIN 2+ disease has not developed. Future prospective studies are ongoing

Draft Genome Sequence of Frankia sp. Strain BCU110501, a Nitrogen-Fixing Actinobacterium Isolated from Nodules of Discaria trinevis

Frankia forms a nitrogen-fixing symbiosis with actinorhizal plants. We report a draft genome sequence for Frankia sp. strain BCU110501, a nitrogen-fixing actinobacterium isolated from nodules of Discaria trinevis grown in the Patagonia region of Argentina

Does wage rank affect employees' well-being?

How do workers make wage comparisons? Both an experimental study and an analysis of 16,000 British employees are reported. Satisfaction and well-being levels are shown to depend on more than simple relative pay. They depend upon the ordinal rank of an individual's wage within a comparison group. “Rank” itself thus seems to matter to human beings. Moreover, consistent with psychological theory, quits in a workplace are correlated with pay distribution skewness

A phase II trial of bendamustine in combination with rituximab in older patients with previously untreated diffuse large B-cell lymphoma

Bendamustine in combination with rituximab (BR) has been associated with high response rates and acceptable toxicity in older patients with relapsed/refractory diffuse large B-cell lymphoma (DLBCL). Evaluation of BR is warranted in the front-line setting for DLBCL patients not eligible for anthracyclines or for the elderly. In this phase II study, we enrolled DLBCL patients aged ≥65 years who were poor candidates for R-CHOP (rituximab, cyclophosphamide, doxorubicin, vincristine, prednisone) to determine the efficacy and safety of BR in previously untreated stage II–IV DLBCL. Twenty-three patients were enrolled with a median age of 80 years. 52% of patients presented with poor functional status (Eastern Cooperative Oncology Group performance score of ≥2). The overall response rate was 78% with 12 complete responses (52%). At a median follow up of 29 months, the median overall survival was 10.2 months and the median progression-free survival was 5.4 months. The most common grade 3/4 adverse events were haematological. Combination therapy with BR demonstrates high response rates as front-line therapy in frail older patients with DLBCL, but survival rates were low. BR should be used with caution in future clinical trials involving older DLBCL patients with poor functional status

Aerobiology over Antarctica – a new initiative for atmospheric ecology

The role of aerial dispersal in shaping patterns of biodiversity remains poorly understood, mainly due to a lack of coordinated efforts in gathering data at appropriate temporal and spatial scales. It has been long known that the rate of dispersal to an ecosystem can significantly influence ecosystem dynamics, and that aerial transport has been identified as an important source of biological input to remote locations. With the considerable effort devoted in recent decades to understanding atmospheric circulation in the south-polar region, a unique opportunity has emerged to investigate the atmospheric ecology of Antarctica, from regional to continental scales. This concept note identifies key questions in Antarctic microbial biogeography and the need for standardized sampling and analysis protocols to address such questions. A consortium of polar aerobiologists is established to bring together researchers with a common interest in the airborne dispersion of microbes and other propagules in the Antarctic, with opportunities for comparative studies in the Arctic

Teagasc submission made in response to the Consultation Paper on Interim Review of Ireland’s Nitrates Derogation 2019

Teagasc SubmissionSubmission to governmentThis submission was made in response to the consultation process run jointly by the Department of Housing, Planning, Community and Local Government (DHPCLG) and the Department of Agriculture, Food and the Marine (DAFM) inviting views and comments on proposals for the Interim Review of Ireland’s Nitrates Derogation Programme in 2019. It has been prepared by Teagasc’s Water Quality Working Group in consultation with the Gaseous Emissions Working Group. These working groups have members drawn from both the Knowledge Transfer and Research Directorates of Teagasc. It was prepared following consultation with colleagues across Teagasc using their collective knowledge and expertise in agri-environmental science and practice and the implementation of the Good Agricultural Practice (GAP) and Nitrates Derogation Regulations.https://www.teagasc.ie/publications/2019/teagasc-submission-made-in-response-to-the-consultation-paper-on-interim-review-of-irelands-nitrates-derogation-2019.ph

The Dense Gas Mass Fraction and the Relationship to Star Formation in M51

Observations of 12CO J = 1 - 0 and HCN J = 1 - 0 emission from NGC 5194 (M51) made with the 50 m Large Millimeter Telescope and the SEQUOIA focal plane array are presented. Using the HCN-to-CO ratio, we examine the dense gas mass fraction over a range of environmental conditions within the galaxy. Within the disk, the dense gas mass fraction varies along the spiral arms but the average value over all spiral arms is comparable to the mean value of interarm regions. We suggest that the near-constant dense gas mass fraction throughout the disk arises from a population of density-stratified, self-gravitating molecular clouds and the required density threshold to detect each spectral line. The measured dense gas fraction significantly increases in the central bulge in response to the effective pressure, P e , from the weight of the stellar and gas components. This pressure modifies the dynamical state of the molecular cloud population and, possibly, the HCN-emitting regions in the central bulge from self-gravitating to diffuse configurations in which P e is greater than the gravitational energy density of individual clouds. Diffuse molecular clouds comprise a significant fraction of the molecular gas mass in the central bulge, which may account for the measured sublinear relationships between the surface densities of the star formation rate and molecular and dense gas

Anti-cancer effects and mechanism of actions of aspirin analogues in the treatment of glioma cancer

INTRODUCTION: In the past 25 years only modest advancements in glioma treatment have been made, with patient prognosis and median survival time following diagnosis only increasing from 3 to 7 months. A substantial body of clinical and preclinical evidence has suggested a role for aspirin in the treatment of cancer with multiple mechanisms of action proposed including COX 2 inhibition, down regulation of EGFR expression, and NF-κB signaling affecting Bcl-2 expression. However, with serious side effects such as stroke and gastrointestinal bleeding, aspirin analogues with improved potency and side effect profiles are being developed. METHOD: Effects on cell viability following 24 hr incubation of four aspirin derivatives (PN508, 517, 526 and 529) were compared to cisplatin, aspirin and di-aspirin in four glioma cell lines (U87 MG, SVG P12, GOS – 3, and 1321N1), using the PrestoBlue assay, establishing IC50 and examining the time course of drug effects. RESULTS: All compounds were found to decrease cell viability in a concentration and time dependant manner. Significantly, the analogue PN517 (IC50 2mM) showed approximately a twofold increase in potency when compared to aspirin (3.7mM) and cisplatin (4.3mM) in U87 cells, with similar increased potency in SVG P12 cells. Other analogues demonstrated similar potency to aspirin and cisplatin. CONCLUSION: These results support the further development and characterization of novel NSAID derivatives for the treatment of glioma