Compliance-Adjusted Estimates of Aspirin Effects Among Older Persons in the ASPREE Randomized Trial

The Aspirin in Reducing Events in the Elderly (ASPREE) Trial recruited 19,114 participants across Australia and the United States during 2010-2014. Participants were randomized to receive either 100 mg of aspirin daily or matching placebo, with disability-free survival as the primary outcome. During a median 4.7 years of follow-up, 37% of participants in the aspirin group permanently ceased taking their study medication and 10% commenced open-label aspirin use. In the placebo group, 35% and 11% ceased using study medication and commenced open-label aspirin use, respectively. In order to estimate compliance-adjusted effects of aspirin, we applied rank-preserving structural failure time models. The results for disability-free survival and most secondary endpoints were similar in intention-to-treat and compliance-adjusted analyses. For major hemorrhage, cancer mortality, and all-cause mortality, compliance-adjusted effects of aspirin indicated greater risks than were seen in intention-to-treat analyses. These findings were robust in a range of sensitivity analyses. In accordance with the original trial analyses, compliance-adjusted results showed an absence of benefit with aspirin for primary prevention in older people, along with an elevated risk of clinically significant bleeding.

Human microglia show unique transcriptional changes in Alzheimer's disease

Microglia, the innate immune cells of the brain, influence Alzheimer's disease (AD) progression and are potential therapeutic targets. However, microglia exhibit diverse functions, the regulation of which is not fully understood, complicating therapeutics development. To better define the transcriptomic phenotypes and gene regulatory networks associated with AD, we enriched for microglia nuclei from 12 AD and 10 control human dorsolateral prefrontal cortices (7 males and 15 females, all aged >60 years) before single-nucleus RNA sequencing. Here we describe both established and previously unrecognized microglial molecular phenotypes, the inferred gene networks driving observed transcriptomic change, and apply trajectory analysis to reveal the putative relationships between microglial phenotypes. We identify microglial phenotypes more prevalent in AD cases compared with controls. Further, we describe the heterogeneity in microglia subclusters expressing homeostatic markers. Our study demonstrates that deep profiling of microglia in human AD brain can provide insight into microglial transcriptional changes associated with AD.

Microglia subtype transcriptomes differ between Alzheimer Disease and control human postmortem brain samples

BACKGROUND

Microglia-mediated neuroinflammation is hypothesized to contribute to disease progression in neurodegenerative diseases such as Alzheimer's Disease (AD). Microglia subtypes are complex, with beneficial and harmful phenotypes. Understanding the gene expression networks which define the spectrum of microglia phenotypes is critical to identifying specific targets for neuroinflammation modulating therapies.

METHOD

Our study utilized post-mortem brain tissue from 22 total (7 male) participants; 12 (3 male) had significant AD neuropathic change. Nuclei isolated from prefrontal cortex were sorted for the myeloid marker PU.1 using fluorescence activated nucleus sorting (FANS). The FANS approach yields larger numbers of nuclei annotated as microglia with high quality sequence from each individual. We performed single-nucleus RNA-seq using the 10X Genomics Chromium platform.

RESULTS

We isolated more than 120,000 microglia nuclei, facilitating group comparisons based on disease state. Unbiased clustering revealed 10 microglia clusters and improved resolution of microglia heterogeneity compared to standard single-cell approaches. We identify clusters of microglia enriched for biological pathways implicating defined myeloid roles including interferon-stimulated, endo/lysosomal, neurodegenerative with a "disease-associated microglia" (DAM) signature, as well as a metabolically active and autophagic cluster. Interestingly, the cluster proportionately enriched for AD individuals' nuclei is not the DAM cluster but instead one of the clusters in which endo/lysosomal genes are highly upregulated. Furthermore, many of the genes in known AD risk loci are strongly differentially regulated in this AD associated cluster. We also identify a cluster of microglia that is proportionately enriched for control samples with upregulated cell cycle and proliferation genes. Trajectory analysis suggests that the paths AD and control nuclei take from unactivated "homeostatic" to various phenotypic states are also distinct.

CONCLUSION

Using human AD tissue collected with uniform protocols we characterize the transcriptomic profiles of microglia subtypes in human brain. By enriching for myeloid cells prior to analysis we can resolve microglia subtypes revealing the diversity of microglia which are "inflammatory" as well as other microglia subtypes responding with induction of metabolic and lysosomal pathways. Our data identifies subtypes of microglia that are unique to AD and control individuals. These results support the possibility of pharmacological targeting of specific subtypes of microglia to alter AD progression.

Early-Onset Familial Alzheimer Disease Variant PSEN2 N141I Heterozygosity is Associated with Altered Microglia Phenotype

BACKGROUND

Early-onset familial Alzheimer disease (EOFAD) is caused by heterozygous variants in the presenilin 1 (PSEN1), presenilin 2 (PSEN2), and APP genes. Decades after their discovery, the mechanisms by which these genes cause Alzheimer's disease (AD) or promote AD progression are not fully understood. While it is established that presenilin (PS) enzymatic activity produces amyloid-β (Aβ), PSs also regulate numerous other cellular functions, some of which intersect with known pathogenic drivers of neurodegeneration. Accumulating evidence suggests that microglia, resident innate immune cells in the central nervous system, play a key role in AD neurodegeneration.

OBJECTIVE

Previous work has identified a regulatory role for PS2 in microglia. We hypothesized that PSEN2 variants lead to dysregulated microglia, which could further contribute to disease acceleration. To mimic the genotype of EOFAD patients, we created a transgenic mouse expressing PSEN2 N141I on a mouse background expressing one wildtype PS2 and two PS1 alleles.

RESULTS

Microglial expression of PSEN2 N141I resulted in impaired γ-secretase activity as well as exaggerated inflammatory cytokine release, NFκB activity, and Aβ internalization. In vivo, PS2 N141I mice showed enhanced IL-6 and TREM2 expression in brain as well as reduced branch number and length, an indication of "activated" morphology, in the absence of inflammatory stimuli. LPS intraperitoneal injection resulted in higher inflammatory gene expression in PS2 N141I mouse brain relative to controls.

CONCLUSION

Our findings demonstrate that PSEN2 N141I heterozygosity is associated with disrupted innate immune homeostasis, suggesting EOFAD variants may promote disease progression through non-neuronal cells beyond canonical dysregulated Aβ production.

Alternative splicing in a presenilin 2 variant associated with Alzheimer disease

OBJECTIVE

Autosomal-dominant familial Alzheimer disease (AD) is caused by by variants in presenilin 1 (PSEN1), presenilin 2 (PSEN2), and amyloid precursor protein (APP). Previously, we reported a rare PSEN2 frameshift variant in an early-onset AD case (PSEN2 p.K115Efs*11). In this study, we characterize a second family with the same variant and analyze cellular transcripts from both patient fibroblasts and brain lysates.

METHODS

We combined genomic, neuropathological, clinical, and molecular techniques to characterize the PSEN2 K115Efs*11 variant in two families.

RESULTS

Neuropathological and clinical evaluation confirmed the AD diagnosis in two individuals carrying the PSEN2 K115Efs*11 variant. A truncated transcript from the variant allele is detectable in patient fibroblasts while levels of wild-type PSEN2 transcript and protein are reduced compared to controls. Functional studies to assess biological consequences of the variant demonstrated that PSEN2 K115Efs*11 fibroblasts secrete less Aβ 1-40 compared to controls, indicating abnormal γ-secretase activity. Analysis of PSEN2 transcript levels in brain tissue revealed alternatively spliced PSEN2 products in patient brain as well as in sporadic AD and age-matched control brain.

INTERPRETATION

These data suggest that PSEN2 K115Efs*11 is a likely pathogenic variant associated with AD. We uncovered novel PSEN2 alternative transcripts in addition to previously reported PSEN2 splice isoforms associated with sporadic AD. In the context of a frameshift, these alternative transcripts return to the canonical reading frame with potential to generate deleterious protein products. Our findings suggest novel potential mechanisms by which PSEN variants may influence AD pathogenesis, highlighting the complexity underlying genetic contribution to disease risk.

Modulation of Hematopoietic Lineage Specification Impacts TREM2 Expression in Microglia-Like Cells Derived From Human Stem Cells

Microglia are the primary innate immune cell type in the brain, and their dysfunction has been linked to a variety of central nervous system disorders. Human microglia are extraordinarily difficult to obtain for experimental investigation, limiting our ability to study the impact of human genetic variants on microglia functions. Previous studies have reported that microglia-like cells can be derived from human monocytes or pluripotent stem cells. Here, we describe a reproducible relatively simple method for generating microglia-like cells by first deriving embryoid body mesoderm followed by exposure to microglia relevant cytokines. Our approach is based on recent studies demonstrating that microglia originate from primitive yolk sac mesoderm distinct from peripheral macrophages that arise during definitive hematopoiesis. We hypothesized that functional microglia could be derived from human stem cells by employing BMP-4 mesodermal specification followed by exposure to microglia-relevant cytokines, M-CSF, GM-CSF, IL-34, and TGF-β. Using immunofluorescence microscopy, flow cytometry, and reverse transcription polymerase chain reaction, we observed cells with microglia morphology expressing a repertoire of markers associated with microglia: Iba1, CX3CR1, CD11b, TREM2, HexB, and P2RY12. These microglia-like cells maintain myeloid functional phenotypes including Aβ peptide phagocytosis and induction of pro-inflammatory gene expression in response to lipopolysaccharide stimulation. Addition of small molecules BIO and SB431542, previously demonstrated to drive definitive hematopoiesis, resulted in decreased surface expression of TREM2. Together, these data suggest that mesodermal lineage specification followed by cytokine exposure produces microglia-like cells in vitro from human pluripotent stem cells and that this phenotype can be modulated by factors influencing hematopoietic lineage in vitro.

The Vertical Dust Profile over Gale Crater, Mars

We create a vertically coarse, but complete, vertical profile of dust mixing ratio from the surface to the upper atmosphere over Gale Crater, Mars, using the frequent joint atmospheric observations of the orbiting Mars Climate Sounder (MCS) and the Mars Science Laboratory (MSL) Curiosity rover. Using these data and an estimate of planetary boundary layer (PBL) depth from the MarsWRF general circulation model, we divide the vertical column into three regions. The first region is the Gale Crater PBL, the second is the MCS-sampled region, and the third is between these first two. We solve for a well-mixed dust mixing ratio within this third (middle) layer of atmosphere to complete the profile. We identify a unique seasonal cycle of dust within each atmospheric layer. Within the Gale PBL, dust mixing ratio maximizes near southern hemisphere summer solstice (L_s = 270°) and minimizes near winter solstice (L_s = 90-100°) with a smooth sinusoidal transition between them. However, the layer above Gale Crater and below the MCS-sampled region more closely follows the global opacity cycle and has a maximum in opacity near L_s = 240° and exhibits a local minimum (associated with the "solsticial pause" in dust storm activity) near L_s = 270°. With knowledge of the complete vertical dust profile, we can also assess the frequency of high-altitude dust layers over Gale. We determine that 36% of MCS profiles near Gale Crater contain an "absolute" high-altitude dust layer wherein the dust mixing ratio is the maximum in the entire vertical column.

Differential Roles for Interleukin-23 and Interleukin-17 in Intestinal Immunoregulation

Interleukin-23 (IL-23) and IL-17 are cytokines currently being targeted in clinical trials. Although inhibition of both of these cytokines is effective for treating psoriasis, IL-12 and IL-23 p40 inhibition attenuates Crohn's disease, whereas IL-17A or IL-17 receptor A (IL-17RA) inhibition exacerbates Crohn's disease. This dichotomy between IL-23 and IL-17 was effectively modeled in the multidrug resistance-1a-ablated (Abcb1a(-/-)) mouse model of colitis. IL-23 inhibition attenuated disease by decreasing colonic inflammation while enhancing regulatory T (Treg) cell accumulation. Exacerbation of colitis by IL-17A or IL-17RA inhibition was associated with severe weakening of the intestinal epithelial barrier, culminating in increased colonic inflammation and accelerated mortality. These data show that IL-17A acts on intestinal epithelium to promote barrier function and provide insight into mechanisms underlying exacerbation of Crohn's disease when IL-17A or IL-17RA is inhibited.

Invariant natural killer T cells in children with eosinophilic esophagitis

BACKGROUND

Eosinophilic esophagitis (EoE) is an atopic disease characterized by eosinophilic inflammation in which dietary antigens (in particular, milk) play a major role. EoE is most likely a mixed IgE and non-IgE food-mediated reaction in which overexpression of Th2 cytokines, particularly IL-13, play a major role; however, the cells responsible for IL-13 overexpression remain elusive. Th2-cytokines are secreted following the ligation of invariant natural killer T cell receptors to sphingolipids (SLs). Sphingolipids (SLs) are presented via the CD1d molecule on the INKTs surface. Cow's milk-derived SL has been shown to activate iNKTs from children with IgE-mediated food allergies to milk (FA-MA) to produce Th2 cytokines. The role of iNKTs and milk-SL in EoE pathogenesis is currently unknown.

OBJECTIVE

The aim of this study was to investigate the role of iNKTs and milk-SL in EoE.

METHODS

Peripheral blood mononuclear cells (PBMCs) from 10 children with active EoE (EoE-A), 10 children with controlled EoE (EoE-C) and 16 healthy controls (non-EoE) were measured ex vivo and then incubated with α-galactosylceramide (αGal) and milk-SL. INKTs from peripheral blood (PB) and oesophageal biopsies were studied.

RESULTS

EoE-A children had significantly fewer peripheral blood iNKTs with a greater Th2-response to αGal and milk-SM compared with iNKTs of EoE-C and non-EoE children. Additionally, EoE-A children had increased iNKT levels in oesophageal biopsies compared with EoE-C children.

CONCLUSION

Milk-SLs are able to activate peripheral blood iNKTs in EoE-A children to produce Th2 cytokines. Additionally, iNKT levels are higher at the site of active oesophageal eosinophilic inflammation.

CLINICAL RELEVANCE

This study suggests that sphingolipids (SLs) contained in milk may drive the development of EoE by promoting an iNKT-cell-mediated Th2-type cytokine response that facilitates eosinophil-mediated allergic inflammation.

Metal and nutrient dynamics on an aged intensive green roof

Runoff and rainfall quality was compared between an aged intensive green roof and an adjacent conventional roof surface. Nutrient concentrations in the runoff were generally below Environmental Quality Standard (EQS) values and the green roof exhibited NO3(-) retention. Cu, Pb and Zn concentrations were in excess of EQS values for the protection of surface water. Green roof runoff was also significantly higher in Fe and Pb than on the bare roof and in rainfall. Input-output fluxes revealed the green roof to be a potential source of Pb. High concentrations of Pb within the green roof soil and bare roof dusts provide a potential source of Pb in runoff. The origin of the Pb is likely from historic urban atmospheric deposition. Aged green roofs may therefore act as a source of legacy metal pollution. This needs to be considered when constructing green roofs with the aim of improving pollution remediation.

Extensive epidermal naevus in a foal

CASE REPORT

A 2-month-old Standardbred filly was presented for examination and treatment of extensive congenital skin lesions that had a linear distribution on the left front leg extending from the dorsal midline to the metacarpal region. The lesions were surgically excised under general anaesthesia. Surgical excision was curative and there were no signs of recurrence 6 weeks after surgery. The number and distribution of lesions were more extensive than in previously reported cases of congenital papillomas, which have also been described as epidermal growth abnormalities (naevi or hamartomas). Early reports of congenital papillomas suggest in-utero infection with papillomavirus may be responsible, despite a lack of histological features associated with papillomavirus infection. Papillomavirus immunohistochemistry has subsequently proven negative in tested cases.

CONCLUSIONS

The presence at birth, their appearance and the extensive distribution of lesions in this case is similar to verrucous epidermal naevus of humans. A name change from congenital papilloma to epidermal naevus is proposed for this condition in horses.

Rainwater runoff retention on an aged intensive green roof

Urban areas are characterised by large proportions of impervious surfaces which increases rainwater runoff and the potential for surface water flooding. Increased precipitation is predicted under current climate change projections, which will put further pressure on urban populations and infrastructure. Roof greening can be used within flood mitigation schemes to restore the urban hydrological balance of cities. Intensive green roofs, with their deeper substrates and higher plant biomass, are able to retain greater quantities of runoff, and there is a need for more studies on this less common type of green roof which also investigate the effect of factors such as age and vegetation composition. Runoff quantities from an aged intensive green roof in Manchester, UK, were analysed for 69 rainfall events, and compared to those on an adjacent paved roof. Average retention was 65.7% on the green roof and 33.6% on the bare roof. A comprehensive soil classification revealed the substrate, a mineral soil, to be in good general condition and also high in organic matter content which can increase the water holding capacity of soils. Large variation in the retention data made the use of predictive regression models unfeasible. This variation arose from complex interactions between Antecedant Dry Weather Period (ADWP), season, monthly weather trends, and rainfall duration, quantity and peak intensity. However, significantly lower retention was seen for high rainfall events, and in autumn, which had above average rainfall. The study period only covers one unusually wet year, so a longer study may uncover relationships to factors which can be applied to intensive roofs elsewhere. Annual rainfall retention for Manchester city centre could be increased by 2.3% by a 10% increase in intensive green roof construction. The results of this study will be of particular interest to practitioners implementing greenspace adaptation in temperate and cool maritime climates.

IL-22 regulates iron availability in vivo through the induction of hepcidin

Iron is a trace element important for the proper folding and function of various proteins. Physiological regulation of iron stores is of critical importance for RBC production and antimicrobial defense. Hepcidin is a key regulator of iron levels within the body. Under conditions of iron deficiency, hepcidin expression is reduced to promote increased iron uptake from the diet and release from cells, whereas during conditions of iron excess, induction of hepcidin restricts iron uptake and movement within the body. The cytokine IL-6 is well established as an important inducer of hepcidin. The presence of this cytokine during inflammatory states can induce hepcidin production, iron deficiency, and anemia. In this study, we show that IL-22 also influences hepcidin production in vivo. Injection of mice with exogenous mouse IgG1 Fc fused to the N terminus of mouse IL-22 (Fc-IL-22), an IL-22R agonist with prolonged and enhanced functional potency, induced hepcidin production, with a subsequent decrease in circulating serum iron and hemoglobin levels and a concomitant increase in iron accumulation within the spleen. This response was independent of IL-6 and was attenuated in the absence of the IL-22R-associated signaling kinase, Tyk2. Ab-mediated blockade of hepcidin partially reversed the effects on iron biology caused by IL-22R stimulation. Taken together, these data suggest that exogenous IL-22 regulates hepcidin production to physiologically influence iron usage.

An investigation of the protective effect of alpha+-thalassaemia against severe Plasmodium falciparum amongst children in Kumasi, Ghana

INTRODUCTION

Several factors influence the severity of Plasmodium falciparum; here, we investigate the impact of alpha+-thalassaemia genotype on P. falciparum parasitemia and prevalence of severe anaemia amongst microcytic children from Kumasi, Ghana.

METHODS

Seven hundred and thirty-two children (≤10 years) with P. falciparum were categorised into normocytic and microcytic (mean cell volume ≤76 fL). Microcytic individuals were genotyped for the -α(3.7) deletional thalassaemia mutation and parasite densities determined.

RESULTS

Amongst microcytic patients both parasite densities and prevalence of severe malaria parasitemia (≥100 000/μL) were significantly lower (P < 0.001) in the presence of an alpha+-thalassaemia genotype compared with non-alpha+-thalassaemia genotype. There was no evidence that alpha+-thalassaemia protected against severe anaemia. The protection conferred by alpha-thalassaemia genotype against severe P. falciparum parasitemia did not change with increasing age.

CONCLUSION

The severity of P. falciparum parasitemia was significantly lower in both the homozygous and heterozygous alpha+-thalassaemia groups compared with microcytic individuals with non-alpha+-thalassaemia genotype. The protective effect, from severe malaria, of the alpha+-thalassaemia allele does not alter with age.

Measurement of quality of recovery using the QoR-40: a quantitative systematic review

BACKGROUND

Several rating scales have been developed to measure quality of recovery after surgery and anaesthesia, but the most extensively used is the QoR-40, a 40-item questionnaire that provides a global score and subscores across five dimensions: patient support, comfort, emotions, physical independence, and pain. It has been evaluated in a variety of settings, but its overall psychometric properties (validity, reliability, ease of use, and interpretation) and clinical utility are uncertain.

METHODS

We undertook a quantitative systematic review of studies evaluating psychometric properties of the QoR-40. Data were combined in meta-analyses using random effects models. This resulted in a total sample of 3459 patients from 17 studies originating in nine countries.

RESULTS

We confirmed content, construct, and convergent [pooled r=0.58, 95% confidence interval (CI): 0.51-0.65] validity. Reliability was confirmed by excellent intraclass correlation (pooled α=0.91, 95% CI: 0.88-0.93), test-retest reliability (pooled r=0.90, 95% CI: 0.86-0.92), and inter-rater reliability (intraclass correlation=0.86). The clinical utility of the QoR-40 instrument was supported by high patient recruitment into evaluation studies (97%), and an excellent completion and return rate (97%). The mean time to complete the QoR-40 was 5.1 (95% CI: 4.4-5.7) min.

CONCLUSIONS

The QoR-40 is a widely used and extensively validated measure of quality of recovery. The QoR-40 is a suitable measure of postoperative quality of recovery in a range of clinical and research situations.

Interleukin-7 receptor blockade suppresses adaptive and innate inflammatory responses in experimental colitis

Background

Interleukin-7 (IL-7) acts primarily on T cells to promote their differentiation, survival, and homeostasis. Under disease conditions, IL-7 mediates inflammation through several mechanisms and cell types. In humans, IL-7 and its receptor (IL-7R) are increased in diseases characterized by inflammation such as atherosclerosis, rheumatoid arthritis, psoriasis, multiple sclerosis, and inflammatory bowel disease. In mice, overexpression of IL-7 results in chronic colitis, and T-cell adoptive transfer studies suggest that memory T cells expressing high amounts of IL-7R drive colitis and are maintained and expanded with IL-7. The studies presented here were undertaken to better understand the contribution of IL-7R in inflammatory bowel disease in which colitis was induced with a bacterial trigger rather than with adoptive transfer.

Methods

We examined the contribution of IL-7R on inflammation and disease development in two models of experimental colitis: Helicobacter bilis (Hb)-induced colitis in immune-sufficient Mdr1a^−/− mice and in T- and B-cell-deficient Rag2^−/− mice. We used pharmacological blockade of IL-7R to understand the mechanisms involved in IL-7R-mediated inflammatory bowel disease by analyzing immune cell profiles, circulating and colon proteins, and colon gene expression.

Results

Treatment of mice with an anti-IL-7R antibody was effective in reducing colitis in Hb-infected Mdr1a^−/− mice by reducing T-cell numbers as well as T-cell function. Down regulation of the innate immune response was also detected in Hb-infected Mdr1a^−/− mice treated with an anti-IL-7R antibody. In Rag2^−/− mice where colitis was triggered by Hb-infection, treatment with an anti-IL-7R antibody controlled innate inflammatory responses by reducing macrophage and dendritic cell numbers and their activity.

Conclusions

Results from our studies showed that inhibition of IL-7R successfully ameliorated inflammation and disease development in Hb-infected mice by controlling the expansion of multiple leukocyte populations, as well as the activity of these immune cells. Our findings demonstrate an important function of IL-7R-driven immunity in experimental colitis and indicate that the therapeutic efficacy of IL-7R blockade involves affecting both adaptive and innate immunity.

High-density, covalent attachment of DNA to silicon wafers for analysis by maldi-tof mass spectrometry

A method is described for the covalent attachment of DNA to a solid surface at high density for hybridization detection by mass spectrometry. A silicon wafer is functionalized to place an amino group on the surface; a heterobifunctional cross-linking agent is then reacted with the primary amine to incorporate an iodoacetamido group. An oligodeoxynucleotide containing a 3'- or a 5'-disulfide is treated with a reducing agent, resulting in a terminal free thiol, which is then coupled to the iodoacetamido surface. Analysis of the surface reveals that the amount of covalently bound oligodeoxynucleotide is 250 fmol of DNA/mm(2) with ∼40% of the immobilized oligodeoxynucleotides available for hybridization. Matrix-assisted laser desorption/ionization time-of-flight mass spectrometric (MALDI-TOF MS) analysis reveals that the covalent linkage to the support remains intact, only the annealed strand is desorbed by the laser, and the amount of DNA hybridized to the array is sufficient for detection.

Effects of stepwise cryodilution prior to freezing and stepwise post-thaw rehydration on viability of ovine embryos

Ovine embryos were exposed to 3 methods of stepwise cryodilution (1, 3 or 5 steps) prior to deep freezing. After 6 to 10 mo of frozen storage, the embryos were thawed and rehydrated using a reversal of each stepwise prefreezing method to remove the oryoprotectant. All embryos were cultured for 48 h, and survival was microscopically evaluated at 0, 14, 24, 38 and 48 h. Survival of embryos in culture was assessed by progressive normal development such as increased cell mass and integrity of morula or blastulation and hatching. There was no significant difference in post-thaw survival and development between 1 and 3-step treatment groups. Embryos frozen and thawed using the 5-step method had lower viability (P < 0.05) at 24 h of culture than either the 1- or 3-step method.

Methods of inducing inflammatory bowel disease in mice

Animal models of experimentally induced inflammatory bowel disease (IBD) are useful for understanding more about the mechanistic basis of disease, identifying new targets for therapeutic intervention, and testing novel therapeutic agents. This unit provides detailed protocols for four of the most commonly used mouse models of experimentally induced intestinal inflammation: chemical induction of colitis by dextran sodium sulfate (DSS), hapten-induced colitis via 2,4,6-trinitrobenzene sulfonic acid (TNBS), Helicobacter-induced colitis in mdr1a(-/-) mice, and the CD4(+) CD45RB(hi) SCID transfer colitis model.

A maize line resistant to herbivory constitutively releases (E) -beta-caryophyllene

Various pests, such as those in the order Lepidoptera, frequently feed on young maize (Zea mays) plants and pose a significant threat to plant development and survival. To manage this problem, maize generates a wide variety of responses to attack by pests, from activation of wound-response pathways to the release of volatile compounds. Mp708, an inbred line resistant to feeding by the larvae of the fall armyworm (Spodoptera frugiperda J.E. Smith Lepidoptera: Noctuidae), has been developed through traditional breeding methods, but its underlying mechanisms of resistance are still not completely understood. Mp708 has been shown to have a moderately high constitutive expression of jasmonic acid (JA) before infestation by fall armyworm. However, Tx601, a genotype susceptible to feeding by fall armyworm, activates JA pathway only in response to feeding, suggesting that Mp708 is "primed" to respond swiftly to an attack. Current research indicates that fall armyworm show a lack of preference to feeding on Mp708, leading to the hypothesis that volatiles constitutively released by the plant may also play an important role in its resistance. Analysis of volatiles released by Mp708 and Tx601 in the presence and absence of fall armyworm larvae identified (E)-beta-caryophyllene, a terpenoid associated with resistance, released constitutively in Mp708. Fall armyworm fed samples of both Mp708 and Tx601 showed high transcript number of tps23, the gene responsible for the synthesis of (E)-beta-caryophyllene. In addition, fall armyworm larvae show a preference for Tx601 whorl tissue over Mp708 tissue, and the dosage of Tx601 whorl with (E)-beta-caryophyllene repels the fall armyworm.

Derivation of the uncontrolled donation after circulatory determination of death protocol for New York city

Evidence from Europe suggests establishing out-of-hospital, uncontrolled donation after circulatory determination of death (UDCDD) protocols has potential to substantially increase organ availability. The study objective was to derive an out-of-hospital UDCDD protocol that would be acceptable to New York City (NYC) residents. Participatory action research and the SEED-SCALE process for social change guided protocol development in NYC from July 2007 to September 2010. A coalition of government officials, subject experts and communities necessary to achieve support was formed. Authorized NY State and NYC government officials and their legal representatives collaboratively investigated how the program could be implemented under current law and regulations. Community stakeholders (secular and religious organizations) were engaged in town hall style meetings. Ethnographic data (meeting minutes, field notes, quantitative surveys) were collected and posted in a collaborative internet environment. Data were analyzed using an iterative coding scheme to discern themes, theoretical constructs and a summary narrative to guide protocol development. A clinically appropriate, ethically sound UDCDD protocol for out-of-hospital settings has been derived. This program is likely to be accepted by NYC residents since the protocol was derived through partnership with government officials, subject experts and community participants.

Intravascular large B cell lymphoma: an elusive cause of pyrexia of unknown origin diagnosed postmortem

Intravascular large B cell lymphoma (IVLBCL) is a rare cause of pyrexia of unknown origin. Because of its protean clinical manifestations, diagnosis is elusive and is often made postmortem. We report here a case of IVLBCL that evaded diagnosis despite multiple investigations in vivo for pyrexia of unknown origin over a 5&#x2010;month period.