Effects of meteorological variation on mortality in populations of the spittlebug Deois flavopicta (Homoptera : Cercopidae)

We found that variation in temperature and humidity significantly affected mortality rates and population dynamics of the spittlebug Deois flavopicta Stal by monitoring cohorts of diapausing eggs and nymphs for three generations. Cohorts of quiescent eggs, when exposed to increasing periods of high moisture (free water), produced higher proportions of eggs resuming embryonic development in laboratory experiments. The accumulated number of eggs resuming development as a function of (lays of exposure to moist conditions was modeled using a 0 distribution. Periods of drought and high temperatures after the beginning of postdiapause development increased embryonic and nymphal mortality. Mortality was modeled with a linear function, and in combination with the development model allowed the simulation of varying mortality rates in the newly emerged nymphal population. Comparisons with field data demonstrated a close fit to the observed and expected proportion of nymphs hatching daily. By accurately simulating natural mortality, hatching distribution and population dynamics, the model promises to be useful for managing the spittlebug in the field.31229930

Nuclear magnetic resonance in conjunction with functional genomics suggests mitochondrial dysfunction in a murine model of cancer cachexia

Cancer patients commonly suffer from cachexia, a syndrome in which tumors induce metabolic changes in the host that lead to massive loss in skeletal muscle mass. Using a preclinical mouse model of cancer cachexia, we tested the hypothesis that tumor inoculation causes a reduction in ATP synthesis and genome-wide aberrant expression in skeletal muscle. Mice implanted with Lewis lung carcinomas were examined by in vivo 31P nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR). We examined ATP synthesis rate and the expression of genes that play key-regulatory roles in skeletal muscle metabolism. Our in vivo NMR results showed reduced ATP synthesis rate in tumor-bearing (TB) mice relative to control (C) mice, and were cross-validated with whole genome transcriptome data showing atypical expression levels of skeletal muscle regulatory genes such as peroxisomal proliferator activator receptor γ coactivator 1 ß (PGC-1ß), a major regulator of mitochondrial biogenesis and, mitochondrial uncoupling protein 3 (UCP3). Aberrant pattern of gene expression was also associated with genes involved in inflammation and immune response, protein and lipid catabolism, mitochondrial biogenesis and uncoupling, and inadequate oxidative stress defenses, and these effects led to cachexia. Our findings suggest that reduced ATP synthesis is linked to mitochondrial dysfunction, ultimately leading to skeletal muscle wasting and thus advance our understanding of skeletal muscle dysfunction suffered by cancer patients. This study represents a new line of research that can support the development of novel therapeutics in the molecular medicine of skeletal muscle wasting. Such therapeutics would have wide-spread applications not only for cancer patients, but also for many individuals suffering from other chronic or endstage diseases that exhibit muscle wasting, a condition for which only marginally effective treatments are currently available

Cross‐formational flow and salinity sources inferred from a combined study of helium concentrations, isotopic ratios, and major elements in the Marshall aquifer, southern Michigan

Peer Reviewedhttp://deepblue.lib.umich.edu/bitstream/2027.42/95014/1/ggge741.pd

Recurrent Hepatitis C in Liver Allografts: Prospective Assessment of Diagnostic Accuracy, Identification of Pitfalls, and Observations about Pathogenesis

Rationale and Design: The accuracy of a prospective histopathologic diagnosis of rejection and recurrent hepatitis C (HCV) was determined in 48 HCV RNA-positive liver allograft recipients enrolled in an "immunosuppression minimization protocol" between July 29, 2001 and January 24, 2003. Prospective entry of all pertinent treatment, laboratory, and histopathology results into an electronic data-base enabled a retrospective analysis of the accuracy of histopathologic diagnoses and the pathophysiologic relationship between recurrent HCV and rejection. Results: Time to first onset of acute rejection (AR) (mean, 107 days; median, 83 days; range, 7-329 days) overlapped with the time to first onset of recurrent HCV (mean, 115 days; median, 123 days; range, 22-315 days), making distinction between the two difficult. AR and chronic rejection (CR) with and without co-existent HCV showed overlapping but significantly different liver injury test profiles. One major and two minor errors occurred (positive predictive values for AR = 91%; recurrent HCV = 100%) ; all involved an overdiagnosis of AR in the context of recurrent HCV. Retrospective analysis of the mistakes showed that major errors can be avoided altogether and the impact of unavoidable minor errors can be minimized by strict adherence to specific histopathologic criteria, close clinicopathologic correlation including examination of HCV RNA levels, and a conservative approach to the use of additional immunosuppression. In addition, histopathologic diagnoses of moderate and severe AR and CR were associated with relatively low HCV RNA levels, whereas relatively high HCV RNA levels were associated with a histopathologic diagnosis of hepatitis alone, particularly the cholestatic variant of HCV. Conclusions: Liver allograft biopsy interpretation can rapidly and accurately distinguish between recurrent HCV and AR/CR. In addition, the histopathologic observations suggest that the immune mechanism responsible for HCV clearance overlap with those leading to significant rejection

A late Pleistocene–Holocene noble gas paleotemperature record in southern Michigan

Peer Reviewedhttp://deepblue.lib.umich.edu/bitstream/2027.42/95678/1/grl19236.pd

Análise bibliográfica dos principais aspectos da criptococose / Bibliographical analysis of main aspects of cryptococosis

Fungos do complexo Cryptococcus neoformans são cosmopolitas capsulados causadores da criptococose. Essa doença está relacionada principalmente com duas espécies patogênicas: Cryptococcus neoformans e Cryptococcus gattii. A infecção ocorre com a inalação de propágulos e o desenvolvimento da doença está relacionado a diferentes fatores relacionados ao hospedeiro. Este estudo objetiva descrever a fisiopatologia da doença, abordar os fatores de virulência, citar os métodos diagnósticos além de relatar a terapia para a criptococose. Esta doença é relevante, tornando-se necessárias novas descobertas no âmbito farmacológico a fim de melhorar o prognóstico da doença.  

Serum lipids in Brazilian children and adolescents: determining their reference intervals

Abstract\ud \ud Background\ud Demographic, geographic, environmental and genetic factors influence lipids. In many countries, the normal lipid ranges for laboratory tests are based on references from American children and adolescents. In this work, we determined the reference intervals (RIs) for total cholesterol (TC), high-density lipoprotein cholesterol (HDL-c), non-high-density lipoprotein cholesterol (nHDL-c), low-density lipoprotein cholesterol (LDL-c) and triglycerides (TG) in Brazilian healthy children and adolescents.\ud \ud \ud Methods\ud A cross-sectional study was conducted of 1,866 randomly sampled healthy children and adolescents from kindergartens and schools. Blood samples were collected after a variable period of fasting based on the age of the participant. The upper cut-off points were the 75th and 95th percentiles for TC, nHDL-c, LDL-c and TG. The 10th percentile (low) was used as the bottom level for HDL-c. Non-parametric tests were used for statistical analyses.\ud \ud \ud Results\ud The following RI and 75th and 95th percentiles were observed for each age interval. The 95th percentile values obtained for TC were: 1 to 2 years, 189 mg/dL, 3 to 8 years, 199 mg/dL; 9 to 12 years, 205 mg/dL. For the nHDL c, the only age group 1 to 12 years, this percentile value was 150 mg/dL. For the LDL-cholesterol, the values corresponding to the percentiles above, aged 1 to 8 years and 9 to 12 years, were 132 mg/dL 139 mg/dL, respectively. For the triglycerides, the values corresponding to 95th percentile were: 1 year, 189 mg/dL; 2 to 5 years, 139 mg/dL; 6 to 12 years, 139 mg/dL . The 10th percentiles for HDL-c were 24 mg/dL, 28 mg/dL, 32 mg/dL and 36 mg/dL for children 1, 2, 3 and 4-12 years old, respectively.\ud \ud \ud Conclusions\ud The lipid reference intervals defined in the studied Brazilian children and adolescents differ from those recommended by the international literature and should be used for clinical decisions contributing to improve the diagnosis in this particular group in our country.Coordenação de Aperfeiçoamento de Pessoal de Nível Superior (CAPES)Conselho Nacional de Desenvolvimento Científico e Tecnológico (CNPq) - PQ2-308105/2012-5Nucleo de Apoio à Pesquisa-USP (NAP-CriAd USP