Spectroscopic characterization of a masterpiece: the Manueline foral charter of Sintra

The foral charter attributed by D. Manuel I of Portugal, in 1514, to the village of Sintra was studied using Energy Dispersive X-ray Fluorescence spectrometry, Raman and Infrared micro-spectroscopies. A complete characterization of the pictorial materials used in the production of this masterpiece allowed the identification of iron gall inks used in the written text; pigments such as malachite, azurite, lead white, cinnabar, yellow ochre, gold, silver and carbon black in the illuminations and letterings; filler and binder used in the production of coloring materials and inks. Gum and calcium carbonate were the most recurrent binder and filler identified in this study. Silvering and gilding were mostly obtained by applying ground silver and gold on parchment.

107 DETECTION OF BIOTINYLATED-OVULATION-INDUCING FACTOR (OIF) IN CEREBROSPINAL FLUID AND ITS ABILITY TO INDUCE OVULATION

Ovulation-inducing factor (OIF) is a protein in the seminal plasma of llamas that induces a preovulatory LH surge by acting directly or indirectly on the hypothalamic GnRH neurons (Silva et al. 2011 Reprod. Biol. Endocr. 9, 74). We hypothesize that OIF crosses the blood–brain barrier and reaches the hypothalamus via secretion into the cerebro-spinal fluid (CSF) through the choroid plexus. Two experiments were designed to determine whether biotinylation of OIF (as a tracer) alters its bioactivity in a llama model (Experiment 1) and whether it crosses the blood–brain barrier in a rabbit model (Experiment 2). In Experiment 1, llamas with a follicle ≥8 mm in diameter that had grown for 3 consecutive days were assigned randomly to 5 groups (n = 2/group) and given an IV dose of 1) 800 µg of OIF, 2) 800 µg of OIF biotinylated at the amino end; 3) 1600 µg of OIF biotinylated at the amino end, 4) 800 µg of OIF biotinylated at the carboxyl end, or 5) phosphate buffered saline (control). The ovaries were examined daily by transrectal ultrasonography on Day 3 and 8 after treatment (Day 0 = treatment) to detect ovulation and corpus luteum formation. In Experiment 2, adult female rabbits were assigned randomly to 3 groups and given an IV dose of (1) 250 µg of OIF, (2) 250 µg of OIF biotinylated at the amino end, or (3) 250 µg of OIF biotinylated at the carboxyl end. A 50-µL sample of CSF was collected from the cisterna magna under general anesthesia before (0 min) and 10, 20, 30, and 45 min after treatment. The presence of biotinylated OIF in CSF samples was determined by dot blot, using streptavidin-peroxidase and diaminobenzidine. In Experiment 1, the diameter of the follicle at the time of the treatment did not differ among groups (9.7 ± 0.2, 9.4 ± 0.0, 10.5 ± 1.0, 10.1 ± 0.2, 10.3 ± 0.4). Ovulation was detected in all llamas except one llama treated with 800 µg OIF biotinylated at the carboxyl end and both llamas given PBS. The diameter of the corpus luteum did not differ among OIF-treated groups. In Experiment 2, OIF biotinylated at both amino and carboxyl ends was detected in CSF samples at 10, 20, 30, and 45 min after IV administration. No signal was recorded before IV administration (0 min) or in samples from rabbits that were given nonbiotinylated OIF. We conclude that the biotinylation process did not affect OIF bioactivity, and OIF crosses the blood–brain barrier and reaches the CSF in rabbits. Research supported by FONDECYT 1120518, the Natural Sciences and Engineering Research Council of Canada, and the Alpaca Research Foundation.

Absolute measurement of the relativistic magnetic dipole transition energy in heliumlike argon

The 1s2s (3)S(1)→1s(2) (1)S(0) relativistic magnetic dipole transition in heliumlike argon, emitted by the plasma of an electron-cyclotron resonance ion source, has been measured using a double-flat crystal x-ray spectrometer. Such a spectrometer, used for the first time on a highly charged ion transition, provides absolute (reference-free) measurements in the x-ray domain. We find a transition energy of 3104.1605(77) eV (2.5 ppm accuracy). This value is the most accurate, reference-free measurement done for such a transition and is in good agreement with recent QED predictions.

Histological Evaluation of Peri-Implant Soft Tissues in Immediately Loaded Implants Featuring Different Implant-Abutment Connections: A Preliminary Study

The aim of the present study is to evaluate the peri-implant soft tissues and the amount of inflammatory cells around two different implant-abutment connections (self-locking conical connection with platform switching and screwed connection with standard abutment and internal anti-rotational system). Histological analysis was made of 14 implants, 7 with self-locking Morse tapered connection (experimental group A) and 7 with screw-retained anti-rotational connection (control group B). Sixty days after non-functional immediate loading, peri-implant tissue biopsies were performed. In the samples taken from the experimental group the peri-implant connective tissue consisted of a greater density of collagen and fibroblasts compared to the connective tissue of the control group. The experimental group specimens showed less inflammatory infiltrate close to the self-locking tapered connection compared to the tissues around the screw-retained connection. The SEM observations showed less microgap in the self-locking conical connection than in the screw connections with standard abutment and internal anti-rotational system. The presence of connective tissue with few inflammatory cells and the absence of inflammatory infiltrate, in self-locking conical connection implants is due to the minimal size of the implant-abutment microgap that does not allow the passage of fluids and bacteria from the oral cavity to the implant thus preventing tissue inflammation.

Natural vertical transmission of dengue viruses by Aedes aegypti in Bolivia

The natural transmission of dengue virus from an infected female mosquito to its progeny, namely the vertical transmission, was researched in wild caught Aedes aegypti during an important outbreak in the town of Santa Cruz de la Sierra, Bolivia. Mosquitoes were collected at the preimaginal stages (eggs, larvae and pupae) then reared up to adult stage for viral detection using molecular methods. Dengue virus serotypes 1 and 3 were found to be co-circulating with significant higher prevalence in male than in female mosquitoes. Of the 97 pools of Ae. aegypti (n = 635 male and 748 female specimens) screened, 14 pools, collected in February-May in 2007, were found positive for dengue virus infection: five DEN-1 and nine DEN-3. The average true infection rate (TIR) and minimum infection rate (MIR) were respectively 1.08% and 1.01%. These observations suggest that vertical transmission of dengue virus may be detected in vectors at the peak of an outbreak as well as several months before an epidemic occurs in human population.

Co-occurrence of anxiety and depression amongst older adults in low- and middle-income countries: findings from the 10/66 study

BACKGROUND

There is relative little information about the prevalence and risk factors of co-morbid anxiety and depression in later life. These disorders are often associated with worse response to treatment than either condition alone, and researching their epidemiology in diverse settings is vital to policy makers. We therefore investigated the co-occurrence of anxiety and depressive syndromes amongst older adults living in developing countries and measured the separate and joint effect of these two disorders on levels of associated disability.

METHOD

The 10/66 study carried out cross-cultural surveys of all residents aged 65 years or over (n=15021) in 11 sites in seven countries (People's Republic of China, India, Cuba, Dominican Republic, Venezuela, Mexico and Peru). Anxiety was measured by using the Geriatric Mental State Examination and the Automated Geriatric Examination for Computer Assisted Taxonomy diagnostic system. Depression was assessed according to International Classification of Diseases 10th revision (ICD-10) and EURO-D criteria. Disability was measured by using the World Health Organization's Disablement Assessment Scale Version II. Zero-inflated negative binomial regression models were used to investigate the association of common mental disorders and disability.

RESULTS

The prevalence of co-occurring anxiety and depression (with the exclusion of subthreshold disorders) ranged between 0.9% and 4.2% across sites. Gender, socio-economic status, urbanicity and physical co-morbidities were associated with the different co-morbid states. Having both disorders was linked to higher disability scores than having anxiety or depression alone.

CONCLUSIONS

Given the close association of co-morbid anxiety and depression with disability, new policies to improve prevention, recognition and treatment will be needed to adapt to ageing populations and their mental health needs.

A brief dementia screener suitable for use by non-specialists in resource poor settings--the cross-cultural derivation and validation of the brief Community Screening Instrument for Dementia

OBJECTIVE

Brief screening tools for dementia for use by non-specialists in primary care have yet to be validated in non-western settings where cultural factors and limited education may complicate the task. We aimed to derive a brief version of cognitive and informant scales from the Community Screening Instrument for Dementia (CSI-D) and to carry out initial assessments of their likely validity.

METHODS

We applied Mokken analysis to CSI-D cognitive and informant scale data from 15 022 participants in representative population-based surveys in Latin America, India and China, to identify a subset of items from each that conformed optimally to item response theory scaling principles. The validity coefficients of the resulting brief scales (area under ROC curve, optimal cutpoint, sensitivity, specificity and Youden's index) were estimated from data collected in a previous cross-cultural validation of the full CSI-D.

RESULTS

Seven cognitive items (Loevinger H coefficient 0.64) and six informant items (Loevinger H coefficient 0.69) were selected with excellent hierarchical scaling properties. For the brief cognitive scale, AUROC varied between 0.88 and 0.97, for the brief informant scale between 0.92 and 1.00, and for the combined algorithm between 0.94 and 1.00. Optimal cutpoints did not vary between regions. Youden's index for the combined algorithm varied between 0.78 and 1.00 by region.

CONCLUSION

A brief version of the full CSI-D appears to share the favourable culture- and education-fair screening properties of the full assessment, despite considerable abbreviation. The feasibility and validity of the brief version still needs to be established in routine primary care.

Phosphorylation of histone H3S10 in animal chromosomes: is there a uniform pattern?

Phosphorylation of serine 10 in histone H3 (H3S10ph) has been extensively analyzed and appears to be a conserved chromatin change associated with chromosome condensation in different eukaryotic organisms. In this work, we report the distribution of H3S10ph during meiosis in monocentric and holokinetic chromosomes of 6 insect species and in mitotic chromosomes of 7 mammalian species, aiming to investigate the labeling patterns in phylogenetically distant groups. The results indicated a very similar phosphorylation timing and distribution pattern among insects. The sex chromosomes of insects analyzed were always undercondensed and hypophosphorylated. Similarly, the micro chromosomes of the bug Pachylis aff pharaonis were also undercondensed and hypophosphorylated. Holokinetic chromosomes of bugs and monocentric chromosomes of grasshoppers and beetles displayed identical phosphorylation pattern in spite of the difference in the centromere type. Among mammals, a uniform chromosome phosphorylation was observed in marsupials, whereas bat chromosomes displayed a longitudinal banding pattern. These data indicate that, in general, the intensity of H3S10 phosphorylation in animal chromosomes is variable among the distinct chromosome types and associated with the degree of chromatin condensation at metaphase, but it may vary between different groups of animals.

Distribution of 5S and 45S rDNA sites in plants with holokinetic chromosomes and the "chromosome field" hypothesis

Secondary constrictions or 45S rDNA sites are commonly reported to be located mainly in the terminal regions of the chromosomes. This distribution has been assumed to be related to the existence of a "chromosome field" lying between the centromere and the telomere, an area in which certain cytogenetic events may predominantly occur. If this hypothesis is true this distribution should not be observed in holokinetic chromosomes, as they do not have a localized centromere. In order to evaluate this hypothesis, a comparative study was made of the distributions of 5S and 45S rDNA sites using fluorescence in situ hybridization in representatives of the genera Eleocharis, Diplacrum, Fimbristylis, Kyllinga and Rhynchospora, all of which belong to the family Cyperaceae. The numbers of sites per diploid chromosome complement varied from 2 to ∼10 for 5S rDNA, and from 2 to ∼45 for 45S rDNA. All of the 11 species analyzed had terminally located 45S rDNA sites on the chromosomes whereas the 5S rDNA sites also generally had terminal distributions, except for the Rhynchospora species, where their position was almost always interstitial. These results, together with other previously published data, suggest that the variation in the number and position of the rDNA sites in species with holokinetic chromosomes is non-random and similar to that reported for species with monocentric chromosomes. Therefore, the predominant terminal position of the 45S rDNA sites does not appear to be influenced by the centromere-telomere polarization as suggested by the "chromosome field" hypothesis. Additionally, the hybridization of 5S and 45S rDNA sites provides interesting markers to distinguish several chromosomes on the rather symmetrical karyotypes of Cyperaceae.

Selective lymphadenectomy for penile cancer

INTRODUCTION

Lymph node treatment in patients with penile cancer has been longly debated in the last 15 years, with surgeons advocating therapeutic lymphadenectomy and others advocating selective lymphadenectomy (SLND).

MATERIALS AND METHODS

We evaluated the outcome of clinically node negative penile cancer patients treated with SLND. Since March 2000, 35 node negative penile cancer patients were operated on mainly at the Division of Plastic Surgery, San Gallicano Institute, Rome (Italy), with SLND.

RESULTS

A sentinel node was detected in 34 out of 35 patients (42 groins). With a minimum of five years follow up, metastases were noted in 5 out of 35 patients. Out of the remaining 30 patients, 2 developed node metastases in the operated inguinal region (6.6%).

DISCUSSION

SLND for penile cancer compared to surveillance only greatly improves survival rate and disease-free rate (91% vs 79% after 3 years follow-up). Identification of more specific markers for SCC lymph node metastases will make the false negative-rate drop further.

Cagliari University Hospital (CUH) protocol for immediate alloplastic breast reconstruction and unplanned radiotherapy. A preliminary report

INTRODUCTION

Alloplastic breast reconstruction necessitating postmastectomy radiotherapy (PMRT) is at increased risk for complications such as capsular contracture, infection, extrusion, and poor cosmetic results. However, often the indication for PMRT is not decided until a permanent histological examination with review of the permanent sections is carried out, and the expander has already been inserted. Techniques described to face this issue (delayed-immediate reconstruction and Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center protocol) both have disadvantages.

MATERIALS AND METHODS

The protocol we suggest is based on (1) reconstruction with tissue expander placement at the time of mastectomy; (2) complete tissue expansion during postoperative chemotherapy; (3) radiotherapy, as suggested by oncologists; (4) two or three fat grafting session, according to Coleman's technique, 4-6 months after RT; (5) exchange of the tissue expander for a permanent implant approximately 3 months after the completion of fat grafting. Ten patients were treated according to these guidelines.

RESULTS

Results at 15 months have been encouraging, with no grade 3-4 Baker's capsular contracture.

DISCUSSION

Although the group of patients treated according to our CUH Protocol for immediate implant-based breast reconstruction and radiotherapy is small, and follow-up is short; nevertheless, results are encouraging.

Characterization of Eu- and heterochromatin of citrus with a focus on the condensation behavior of 45S rDNA chromatin

To characterize the properties of eu- and heterochromatic regions in Citrus species, the chromosomal distribution of different histone H3 marks, DNA methylation sites (5mC) and 45S ribosomal DNA sites were determined for C. clementina, C. paradisi, C. sinensis, and for the hybrid Ortanique C. reticulata × C. sinensis. Our data show that in the relatively small genomes of investigated Citrus species (genome size ranges from 378-400 Mbp) the euchromatin is characterized by histone H3 lysine 4 mono-, di- and trimethylation (H3K4me1/ 2/3) and histone H3 lysine 9 trimethylation (H3K9me3). In contrast, histone H3 lysine 9 mono- and dimethylation (H3K9me1/2), histone H3 lysine 27 mono-, di- and trimethylation (H3K27me1/2/3) as well as 5-methylcytosine (5mC) were enriched at certain heterochromatin fractions. Whereas H3K9me1/2 and H3K27me1 were preferentially enriched at the chromomycin A(3)-bright (CMA(+)) heterochromatin, H3K27me2/3 showed a higher accumulation at the DAPI brightly-stained heterochromatin. 5mC signals were associated with most of the CMA(+) areas as well as with the DAPI strongly-stained heterochromatin fraction. Therefore, extensive methylation of DNA as well as of H3K9me1/2 and H3K27me1/2/3, and depletion of H3K4me1/2/3 and H3K9me3 appear to be specific features of heterochromatin in Citrus. Transcriptionally active decondensed 45S rDNA sites were found DNA hypomethylated, while the silenced condensed sites were strongly 5mC methylated. Although the number of chromosomal 45S rDNA sites differed between the species, the number of transcriptionally active rDNA sites remains constant.