Straw Itch Mite, \u3ci\u3ePyemotes Tritici\u3c/i\u3e, Infestation in Brome Seed Related to Acute Dermatitis in Michigan Granary Workers

An infestation of Pyemotes tritici, the straw itch mite, apparently caused dermatitis on the arms and trunks of four workers in south-central Michigan who had unloaded a shipment of brome seed bags. Sampling of bag surfaces and contents indicated that mites occurred inside and on the surface of brome seed bags, but not in bags of other seed present at the site. One bag of fescue in contact with brome seed bags had mites on its surface. Pyemotes tritici densities on the brome seed bags ranged from 0.7 -5.6 per cm , while infestations in brome seed ranged from 0.08-0.33 mites per ml of seed. An insect repellent containing DEET was effective in preventing mite bites

An Investigation of the Loss of Planet-Forming Potential in Intermediate Sized Young Embedded Star Clusters

A large fraction of stars forming in our galaxy are born within clusters embedded in giant molecular clouds. In these environments, the background UV radiation fields impinging upon circumstellar disks can often dominate over the radiation fields produced by each disk's central star. As a result, this background radiation can drive the evaporation of circumstellar disks and lead to the loss of planet forming potential within a cluster. This paper presents a detailed analysis of this process for clusters whose stellar membership falls within the range $100 \le N \le 1000$. For these intermediate-sized clusters, the background UV field is often dominated by the most massive stellar member. Due to the steep slope of the initial mass function, the amount of background UV light that bathes clusters of similar size displays significant variance. As a result, we perform a statistical analysis of this problem by calculating distributions of FUV flux values impinging upon star/disk systems for several cluster scenarios. We find that in the absence of dust attenuation, giant planet formation would likely be inhibited in approximately half of systems forming within intermediate-sized clusters regardless of stellar membership. In contrast, the presence of dust can significantly lower this value, with the effect considerably more pronounced in more populated clusters.Comment: Accepted for publication in PAS

Effects of dietary L -arginine on structure and function of flow-restricted vein grafts

AbstractPurpose: Experiments were designed to determine effects of dietary supplementation with L -arginine on structure and function of flow-restricted vein grafts. Methods: Saphenous veins were placed as bilateral interposition grafts in femoral arteries of two groups of adult male mongrel dogs; one group was maintained on a normal diet (control), the other group supplemented with L -arginine (200 mg/kg per day) beginning 1 week before surgery. In each dog, flow was reduced by 50% in one graft by placing an adjustable clamp on the artery distal to the distal anastomosis. Plasma amino acids and oxidized products of nitric oxide (NOx ) were measured before and after L -arginine feeding. At postoperative week 4, grafts were removed and prepared for organ chamber studies to determine functions of the endothelium or smooth muscle and for histology. Results: Plasma L -arginine increased within 3 hours after feeding and increased from 141 ± 8 nmol/mL to 169 ± 11 nmol/mL (n = 6) after 5 weeks of supplementation. Plasma ornithine and citrulline paralleled arginine, whereas circulating NOx was unchanged. Maximal contractions to 60 mmol/L KCl were reduced in grafts from L -arginine–fed dogs. Endothelium-dependent relaxations to the calcium ionophore A23187 and relaxations of the smooth muscle NO were reduced in grafts from L -arginine–fed dogs. Neointimal hyperplasia was increased in grafts with reduced flow and not affected by arginine feeding. Conclusions: Dietary supplementation with L -arginine did not increase plasma NO in dogs with peripheral vein grafts or increase endothelium-dependent relaxations in control or flow-restricted grafts. Therefore, dietary supplementation with L -arginine may not improve long-term functions of flow-restricted peripheral bypass grafts. (J Vasc Surg 2001;33:829-39.

Functional lung avoidance for individualized radiotherapy (FLAIR): Study protocol for a randomized, double-blind clinical trial.

BACKGROUND: Although radiotherapy is a key component of curative-intent treatment for locally advanced, unresectable non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC), it can be associated with substantial pulmonary toxicity in some patients. Current radiotherapy planning techniques aim to minimize the radiation dose to the lungs, without accounting for regional variations in lung function. Many patients, particularly smokers, can have substantial regional differences in pulmonary ventilation patterns, and it has been hypothesized that preferential avoidance of functional lung during radiotherapy may reduce toxicity. Although several investigators have shown that functional lung can be identified using advanced imaging techniques and/or demonstrated the feasibility and theoretical advantages of avoiding functional lung during radiotherapy, to our knowledge this premise has never been tested via a prospective randomized clinical trial. METHODS/DESIGN: Eligible patients will have Stage III NSCLC with intent to receive concurrent chemoradiotherapy (CRT). Every patient will undergo a pre-treatment functional lung imaging study using hyperpolarized 3He MRI in order to identify the spatial distribution of normally-ventilated lung. Before randomization, two clinically-approved radiotherapy plans will be devised for all patients on trial, termed standard and avoidance. The standard plan will be designed without reference to the functional state of the lung, while the avoidance plan will be optimized such that dose to functional lung is as low as reasonably achievable. Patients will then be randomized in a 1:1 ratio to receive either the standard or the avoidance plan, with both the physician and the patient blinded to the randomization results. This study aims to accrue a total of 64 patients within two years. The primary endpoint will be a pulmonary quality of life (QOL) assessment at 3 months post-treatment, measured using the functional assessment of cancer therapy-lung cancer subscale. Secondary endpoints include: pulmonary QOL at other time-points, provider-reported toxicity, overall survival, progression-free survival, and quality-adjusted survival. DISCUSSION: This randomized, double-blind trial will comprehensively assess the impact of functional lung avoidance on pulmonary toxicity and quality of life in patients receiving concurrent CRT for locally advanced NSCLC. TRIAL REGISTRATION: Clinicaltrials.gov identifier: NCT02002052

Parent and child agreement for acute stress disorder, post-traumatic stress disorder and other psychopathology in a prospective study of children and adolescents exposed to single-event trauma

Examining parent-child agreement for Acute Stress Disorder (ASD) and Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD) in children and adolescents is essential for informing the assessment of trauma-exposed children, yet no studies have examined this relationship using appropriate statistical techniques. Parent-child agreement for these disorders was examined by structured interview in a prospective study of assault and motor vehicle accident (MVA) child survivors, assessed at 2-4 weeks and 6 months post-trauma. Children were significantly more likely to meet criteria for ASD, as well as other ASD and PTSD symptom clusters, based on their own report than on their parent's report. Parent-child agreement for ASD was poor (Cohen's κ = -.04), but fair for PTSD (Cohen's κ = .21). Agreement ranged widely for other emotional disorders (Cohen's κ = -.07-.64), with generalised anxiety disorder found to have superior parent-child agreement (when assessed by phi coefficients) relative to ASD and PTSD. The findings support the need to directly interview children and adolescents, particularly for the early screening of posttraumatic stress, and suggest that other anxiety disorders may have a clearer presentation post-trauma

Defining the optimal dose of radiation in leukemic patients with extramedullary lesions

<p>Abstract</p> <p>Background</p> <p>Analysis of the clinical response of extramedullary lesions in leukemic patients treated with radiation therapy (RT) and defining the optimal dose of radiation.</p> <p>Methods</p> <p>Forty-two extramedullary lesions found in 24 leukemic patients treated with RT were reviewed. The radiation was delivered usually 2 Gy/day, up to a median of 20 Gy (range: 18.0-40.8). The clinical response and symptom palliation effect were analyzed. The factors affecting the response were also included in the analysis.</p> <p>Results</p> <p>After a median time of 7.9 weeks, the overall response rate was 76.2%. A complete response (CR) was achieved in 35.7%, a partial response in 40.5%. The symptom was relieved in 85.7% sites. The overall response rate was better in patients whose initial tumor size was smaller than 10 cm²(<it>p = 0.010</it>) or who were treated with more than 25 Gy (<it>p = 0.031</it>). The overall CR rate was also higher in those who had smaller tumors (smaller than 6 cm or 30 cm²) (<it>p = 0.015)</it>, or when the tumor was located in soft tissue (<it>p = 0.029</it>).</p> <p>Conclusions</p> <p>Extramedullary lesions in leukemic patients can be successfully treated with RT. The tumor response rate was excellent and symptom relief was achieved in almost all patients. There was a better response to treatment when the tumor was small or it was located in soft tissue. Although, there was no definite correlation between volume reduction and total dose, it seems that higher total dose more of than 25 Gy is needed for better response.</p

More men than women make mucosal IgA antibodies to Human papillomavirus type 16 (HPV-16) and HPV-18: a study of oral HPV and oral HPV antibodies in a normal healthy population

BACKGROUND: We have previously shown the high prevalence of oral anti-human papillomavirus type 16 (HPV-16) antibodies in women with HPV-associated cervical neoplasia. It was postulated that the HPV antibodies were initiated after HPV antigenic stimulation at the cervix via the common mucosal immune system. The present study aimed to further evaluate the effectiveness of oral fluid testing for detecting the mucosal humoral response to HPV infection and to advance our limited understanding of the immune response to HPV. METHODS: The prevalence of oral HPV infection and oral antibodies to HPV types 16, 18 and 11 was determined in a normal, healthy population of children, adolescents and adults, both male and female, attending a dental clinic. HPV types in buccal cells were determined by DNA sequencing. Oral fluid was collected from the gingival crevice of the mouth by the OraSure method. HPV-16, HPV-18 and HPV-11 antibodies in oral fluid were detected by virus-like particle-based enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay. As a reference group 44 women with cervical neoplasia were included in the study. RESULTS: Oral HPV infection was highest in children (9/114, 7.9%), followed by adolescents (4/78, 5.1%), and lowest in normal adults (4/116, 3.5%). The predominant HPV type found was HPV-13 (7/22, 31.8%) followed by HPV-32 (5/22, 22.7%). The prevalence of oral antibodies to HPV-16, HPV-18 and HPV-11 was low in children and increased substantially in adolescents and normal adults. Oral HPV-16 IgA was significantly more prevalent in women with cervical neoplasia (30/44, 68.2%) than the women from the dental clinic (18/69, 26.1% P = 0.0001). Significantly more adult men than women displayed oral HPV-16 IgA (30/47 compared with 18/69, OR 5.0, 95% CI 2.09–12.1, P < 0.001) and HPV-18 IgA (17/47 compared with 13/69, OR 2.4, 95% CI 0.97–6.2, P = 0.04). CONCLUSION: The increased prevalence of oral HPV antibodies in adolescent individuals compared with children was attributed to the onset of sexual activity. The increased prevalence of oral anti-HPV IgA in men compared with women was noteworthy considering reportedly fewer men than women make serum antibodies, and warrants further investigation

Diagnostic Accuracy of a Prototype Point-of-Care Test for Ocular Chlamydia trachomatis under Field Conditions in The Gambia and Senegal

Trachoma, caused by infection of the eye with the bacterium Chlamydia trachomatis, is the leading infectious cause of blindness and is associated with poverty. Antibiotic treatment of all community members is one of the recommended control strategies for trachoma. However, in places where the prevalence of clinical signs is low, C. trachomatis eye infection is often absent. Laboratory testing for C. trachomatis infection by polymerase chain reaction (PCR) is highly sensitive but expensive and requires well-trained staff. A simple point-of-care (POC) test that can be used in trachoma-affected communities could help trachoma control efforts. We evaluated a POC test for C. trachomatis eye infection. Children under 10 years of age were screened for clinical signs of trachoma and C. trachomatis eye infection. The POC test result was compared with laboratory PCR test results. The POC test detected just over half of PCR test positives correctly. However, the POC test tended to give false-positive results in hot and dry conditions, which is the typical environment of trachoma. The POC test requires high specificity since it would be used to make treatment decisions at the community level. Therefore, its present format requires improvement before it can be utilized in trachoma control

Genome-Wide Patterns of Gene Expression during Aging in the African Malaria Vector Anopheles gambiae

The primary means of reducing malaria transmission is through reduction in longevity in days of the adult female stage of the Anopheles vector. However, assessing chronological age is limited to crude physiologic methods which categorize the females binomially as either very young (nulliparous) or not very young (parous). Yet the epidemiologically relevant reduction in life span falls within the latter category. Age-grading methods that delineate chronological age, using accurate molecular surrogates based upon gene expression profiles, will allow quantification of the longevity-reducing effects of vector control tools aimed at the adult, female mosquito. In this study, microarray analyses of gene expression profiles in the African malaria vector Anopheles gambiae were conducted during natural senescence of females in laboratory conditions. Results showed that detoxification-related and stress-responsive genes were up-regulated as mosquitoes aged. A total of 276 transcripts had age-dependent expression, independently of blood feeding and egg laying events. Expression of 112 (40.6%) of these transcripts increased or decreased monotonically with increasing chronologic age. Seven candidate genes for practical age assessment were tested by quantitative gene amplification in the An. gambiae G3 strain in a laboratory experiment and the Mbita strain in field enclosures set up in western Kenya under conditions closely resembling natural ones. Results were similar between experiments, indicating that senescence is marked by changes in gene expression and that chronological age can be gauged accurately and repeatedly with this method. These results indicate that the method may be suitable for accurate gauging of the age in days of field-caught, female An. gambiae