Improving Effective Surgical Delivery in Humanitarian Disasters: Lessons from Haiti

Kathryn Chu and colleagues describe the experiences of Médecins sans Frontières after the 2010 Haiti earthquake, and discuss how to improve delivery of surgery in humanitarian disasters

Genome-wide oxidative bisulfite sequencing identifies sex-specific methylation differences in the human placenta.

DNA methylation is an important regulator of gene function. Fetal sex is associated with the risk of several specific pregnancy complications related to placental function. However, the association between fetal sex and placental DNA methylation remains poorly understood. We carried out whole-genome oxidative bisulfite sequencing in the placentas of two healthy female and two healthy male pregnancies generating an average genome depth of coverage of 25x. Most highly ranked differentially methylated regions (DMRs) were located on the X chromosome but we identified a 225 kb sex-specific DMR in the body of the CUB and Sushi Multiple Domains 1 (CSMD1) gene on chromosome 8. The sex-specific differential methylation pattern observed in this region was validated in additional placentas using in-solution target capture. In a new RNA-seq data set from 64 female and 67 male placentas, CSMD1 mRNA was 1.8-fold higher in male than in female placentas (P value = 8.5 × 10-7, Mann-Whitney test). Exon-level quantification of CSMD1 mRNA from these 131 placentas suggested a likely placenta-specific CSMD1 isoform not detected in the 21 somatic tissues analyzed. We show that the gene body of an autosomal gene, CSMD1, is differentially methylated in a sex- and placental-specific manner, displaying sex-specific differences in placental transcript abundance

Aluminum Exposure for 60 days at Human Dietary Levels Impairs Spermatogenesis and Sperm Quality in Rats

Abstract Concerns about environmental aluminum (Al) and reproductive health have been raised. We investigated the effects of Al exposure at a human relevant dietary level and a high level exposure to Al. Experiment 1 (Lower level) rats were treated orally for 60 days: a) controls – ultrapure water; b) aluminum at 1.5 mg/kg bw/day and c) aluminum at 8.3 mg/kg bw/day. Experiment 2 (High level) rats were treated for 42 days: a) controls – ultrapure water; b) aluminum at 100 mg/kg bw/day. Al decreased sperm count, daily sperm production, sperm motility, normal morphological sperm, impaired testis histology; increased oxidative stress in reproductive organs and inflammation in testis. Our study shows the specific presence of Al in the germinative cells and, that low concentrations of Al in testes (3.35 μg/g) are sufficient to impair spermatogenesis and sperm quality. Our findings provide a better understanding of the reproductive health risk of Al

Aluminum exposure at human dietary levels promotes vascular dysfunction and increases blood pressure in rats: a concerted action of NAD(P)H oxidase and COX-2

Abstract Aluminum (Al) is a non-essential metal and a significant environmental contaminant and is associated with a number of human diseases including cardiovascular disease. We investigated the effects of Al exposure at doses similar to human dietary levels on the cardiovascular system over a 60 day period. Wistar male rats were divided into two major groups and received orally: 1) Low aluminum level − rats were subdivided and treated for 60 days as follows: a) Untreated − ultrapure water; b) AlCl3 at a dose of 8.3 mg/kg bw for 60 days, representing human Al exposure by diet; and 2) High aluminum level − rats were subdivided and treated for 42 days as follows: C) Untreated − ultrapure water; d) AlCl3 at 100 mg/kg bw for 42 days, representing a high level of human exposure to Al. Effects on systolic blood pressure (SBP) and vascular function of aortic and mesenteric resistance arteries (MRA) were studied. Endothelium and smooth muscle integrity were evaluated by concentration-response curves to acetylcholine (ACh) and sodium nitroprusside. Vasoconstrictor responses to phenylephrine (Phe) in the presence and absence of endothelium and in the presence of the NOS inhibitor L-NAME, the potassium channels blocker TEA, the NAD(P)H oxidase inhibitor apocynin, superoxide dismutase (SOD), the non-selective COX inhibitor indomethacin and the selective COX-2 inhibitor NS 398 were analyzed. Vascular reactive oxygen species (ROS), lipid peroxidation and total antioxidant capacity, were measured. The mRNA expressions of eNOS, NAD(P)H oxidase 1 and 2, SOD1, COX-2 and thromboxane A2 receptor (TXA-2 R) were also investigated. Al exposure at human dietary levels impaired the cardiovascular system and these effects were almost the same as Al exposure at much higher levels. Al increased SBP, decreased ACh-induced relaxation, increased response to Phe, decreased endothelial modulation of vasoconstrictor responses, the bioavailability of nitric oxide (NO), the involvement of potassium channels on vascular responses, as well as increased ROS production from NAD(P)H oxidase and contractile prostanoids mainly from COX-2 in both aorta and mesenteric arteries. Al exposure increased vascular ROS production and lipid peroxidation as well as altered the antioxidant status in aorta and MRA. Al decreased vascular eNOS and SOD1 mRNA levels and increased the NAD(P)H oxidase 1, COX-2 and TXA-2 R mRNA levels. Our results point to an excess of ROS mainly from NAD(P)H oxidase after Al exposure and the increased vascular prostanoids from COX-2 acting in concert to decrease NO bioavailability, thus inducing vascular dysfunction and increasing blood pressure. Therefore, 60-day chronic exposure to Al, which reflects common human dietary Al intake, appears to pose a risk for the cardiovascular system

Vitellogenin Underwent Subfunctionalization to Acquire Caste and Behavioral Specific Expression in the Harvester Ant Pogonomyrmex barbatus

PMCID: PMC3744404This is an open-access article, free of all copyright, and may be freely reproduced, distributed, transmitted, modified, built upon, or otherwise used by anyone for any lawful purpose. The work is made available under the Creative Commons CC0 public domain dedication

Feeding spectra and activity of the freshwater crab Trichodactylus kensleyi (Decapoda: Brachyura: Trichodactylidae) at La Plata basin

Background: In inland water systems, it is important to characterize the trophic links in order to identify the ‘trophic species’ and, from the studies of functional diversity, understand the dynamics of matter and energy in these environments. The aim of this study is to analyze the natural diet of Trichodactylus kensleyi of subtropical rainforest streams and corroborate the temporal variation in the trophic activity during day hours. Results: A total of 15 major taxonomic groups were recognized in gut contents. The index of relative importance identified the following main prey items in decreasing order of importance: vegetal remains, oligochaetes, chironomid larvae, and algae. A significant difference was found in the amount of full stomachs during day hours showing a less trophic activity at midday and afternoon. The index of relative importance values evidenced the consumption of different prey according to day moments. Results of the gut content indicate that T. kensleyi is an omnivorous crab like other trichodactylid species. Opportunistic behavior is revealed by the ingestion of organisms abundant in streams such as oligochaetes and chironomid larvae. The consumption of allochthonous plant debris shows the importance of this crab as shredder in subtropical streams. However, the effective assimilation of plant matter is yet unknown in trichodactylid crabs. Conclusions: This research provides knowledge that complements previous studies about trophic relationships of trichodactylid crabs and supported the importance of T. kensleyi in the transference of energy and matter from benthic community and riparian sources to superior trophic levels using both macro- and microfauna.Fil: Williner, Verónica. Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas. Centro Científico Tecnológico Conicet - Santa Fe. Instituto Nacional de Limnología. Universidad Nacional del Litoral. Instituto Nacional de Limnología; Argentina. Universidad Nacional del Litoral. Facultad de Humanidades y Ciencias; ArgentinaFil: de Azevedo Carvalho, Debora. Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas. Centro Científico Tecnológico Conicet - Santa Fe. Instituto Nacional de Limnología. Universidad Nacional del Litoral. Instituto Nacional de Limnología; ArgentinaFil: Collins, Pablo Agustin. Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas. Centro Científico Tecnológico Conicet - Santa Fe. Instituto Nacional de Limnología. Universidad Nacional del Litoral. Instituto Nacional de Limnología; Argentina. Universidad Nacional del Litoral. Facultad de Bioquímica y Ciencias Biológicas; Argentin

Tear fluid biomarkers in ocular and systemic disease: potential use for predictive, preventive and personalised medicine

In the field of predictive, preventive and personalised medicine, researchers are keen to identify novel and reliable ways to predict and diagnose disease, as well as to monitor patient response to therapeutic agents. In the last decade alone, the sensitivity of profiling technologies has undergone huge improvements in detection sensitivity, thus allowing quantification of minute samples, for example body fluids that were previously difficult to assay. As a consequence, there has been a huge increase in tear fluid investigation, predominantly in the field of ocular surface disease. As tears are a more accessible and less complex body fluid (than serum or plasma) and sampling is much less invasive, research is starting to focus on how disease processes affect the proteomic, lipidomic and metabolomic composition of the tear film. By determining compositional changes to tear profiles, crucial pathways in disease progression may be identified, allowing for more predictive and personalised therapy of the individual. This article will provide an overview of the various putative tear fluid biomarkers that have been identified to date, ranging from ocular surface disease and retinopathies to cancer and multiple sclerosis. Putative tear fluid biomarkers of ocular disorders, as well as the more recent field of systemic disease biomarkers, will be shown

Effect of eplerenone on extracellular cardiac matrix biomarkers in patients with acute ST-elevation myocardial infarction without heart failure: insights from the randomized double-blind REMINDER Study

Objective: Aldosterone stimulates cardiac collagen synthesis. Circulating biomarkers of collagen turnover provide a useful tool for the assessment of cardiac remodeling in patients with an acute myocardial infarction (MI).  Methods: The REMINDER trial assessed the effect of eplerenone in patients with an acute ST-elevation Myocardial Infarction (STEMI) without known heart failure (HF), when initiated within 24 h of symptom onset. The primary outcome was almost totally (>90%) driven by natriuretic peptide (NP) thresholds after 1-month post-MI (it also included a composite of cardiovascular death or re-hospitalization or new onset HF or sustained ventricular tachycardia or fibrillation or LVEF ≤40% after 1-month post-MI). This secondary analysis aims to assess the extracellular matrix marker (ECMM) levels with regards to: (1) patients` characteristics; (2) determinants; (3) and eplerenone effect.  Results: Serum levels of ECMM were measured in 526 (52%) of the 1012 patients enrolled in the REMINDER trial. Patients with procollagen type III N-terminal propeptide (PIIINP) above the median were older and had worse renal function (p < 0.05). Worse renal function was associated with increased levels of PIIINP (standardized β ≈ 0.20, p < 0.05). Eplerenone reduced PIIINP when the levels of this biomarker were above the median of 3.9 ng/mL (0.13 ± 1.48 vs. -0.37 ± 1.56 ng/mL, p = 0.008). Higher levels of PIIINP were independently associated with higher proportion of NP above the prespecified thresholds (HR = 1.95, 95% CI 1.16-3.29, p = 0.012).  Conclusions: Eplerenone effectively reduces PIIINP levels when baseline values were above the median. Eplerenone may limit ECMM formation in post-MI without HF

A review of the distribution of particulate trace elements in urban terrestrial environments and its application to considerations of risk

We review the evolution, state of the art and future lines of research on the sources, transport pathways, and sinks of particulate trace elements in urban terrestrial environments to include the atmosphere, soils, and street and indoor dusts. Such studies reveal reductions in the emissions of some elements of historical concern such as Pb, with interest consequently focusing on other toxic trace elements such as As, Cd, Hg, Zn, and Cu. While establishment of levels of these elements is important in assessing the potential impacts of human society on the urban environment, it is also necessary to apply this knowledge in conjunction with information on the toxicity of those trace elements and the degree of exposure of human receptors to an assessment of whether such contamination represents a real risk to the city’s inhabitants and therefore how this risk can be addressed