The Autoimmune Regulator (AIRE), Which Is Defective in Autoimmune Polyendocrinopathy-Candidiasis-Ectodermal Dystrophy Patients, Is Expressed in Human Epidermal and Follicular Keratinocytes and Associates With the Intermediate Filament Protein Cytokeratin 17

Autoimmune polyendocrinopathy-candidiasis-ectodermal dystrophy (APECED) syndrome, which is caused by mutation of the autoimmune regulator (AIRE) gene, is a highly variable disease characterized by multiple endocrine failure, chronic mucocutaneous candidiasis, and various ectodermal defects. AIRE is a transcriptional regulator classically expressed in medullary thymic epithelial cells, monocytes, macrophages, and dendritic cells. Previous studies have suggested that AIRE can shuttle between the nucleus and cytoplasm of cells, although its cytoplasmic functions are poorly characterized. Through mass spectrometry analysis of proteins co-immunoprecipitating with cytoplasmic AIRE, we identified a novel association of AIRE with the intermediate filament protein cytokeratin 17 (K17) in the THP-1 monocyte cell line. We confirmed AIRE expression in HaCaT epidermal keratinocytes, as well as its interaction with K17. Confocal microscopy of human fetal and adult scalp hair follicles demonstrated a cytoplasmic pattern of AIRE staining that moderately colocalized with K17. The cytoplasmic association of AIRE with the intermediate filament network in human epidermal and follicular keratinocytes may provide a new path to understanding the ectodermal abnormalities associated with the APECED syndrome. (Am J Pathol 2011, 178:983-988; DOI: 10.1016/j.ajpath.2010.12.007)

Long-term nutrition education reduces several risk factors for type 2 diabetes mellitus in Brazilians with impaired glucose tolerance

Conselho Nacional de Desenvolvimento Científico e Tecnológico (CNPq)

Review of issues concerning the use of reproductive inhibitors, with particular emphasis on resolving human-wildlife conflicts in North America

This manuscript provides an overview of past wildlife contraception efforts and discusses the current state of research. Two fertility control agents, an avian reproductive inhibitor containing the active ingredient nicarbazin and an immunocontraceptive vaccine, have received regulatory approval with the Environmental Protection Agency and are commercially available in the USA. OvoControl G Contraceptive Bait for Canada Geese and Ovo Control for pigeons are delivered as oral baits. An injectable immunocontraceptive vaccine (GonaCon Immunocontraceptive Vaccine) was registered with the Environmental Protection Agency for use in female white-tailed deer in September 2009. An injectable product (GonaCon Immunocontraceptive Vaccine) is registered for use in female white-tailed deer. Both products are labeled for use in urban/suburban areas where these species are overabundant. Several other compounds are currently being tested for use in wildlife in the USA, Europe, Australia and New Zealand that could have promise in the future. The development and use of reproductive inhibitors for resolving human–wildlife conflicts will depend on a number of factors, including meeting the requirements of regulatory agencies for use in the environment and on the biological and economical feasibility of their use. Use will also be dependent on health and safety issues and on public acceptance of the techniques.

A Silent Enzootic of an Orthopoxvirus in Ghana, West Africa: Evidence for Multi-Species Involvement in the Absence of Widespread Human Disease

Human monkeypox has never been reported in Ghana, but rodents captured in forested areas of southern Ghana were the source of the monkeypox virus introduced into the United States in 2003. Subsequent to the outbreak in the United States, 204 animals were collected from two commercial trapping sites in Ghana. Animal tissues were examined for the presence of orthopoxvirus (OPXV) DNA using a real-time polymerase chain reaction, and sera were assayed for antibodies against OPXV. Animals from five genera (Cricetomys , Graphiurus , Funiscirus, and Heliosciurus ) had antibodies against OPXV, and three genera (Cricetomys , Graphiurus , and Xerus) had evidence of OPXV DNA in tissues. Additionally, 172 persons living near the trapping sites were interviewed regarding risk factors for OPXV exposure, and their sera were analyzed. Fifty-three percent had IgG against OPXV; none had IgM. Our findings suggest that several species of forest-dwelling rodents from Ghana are susceptible to naturally occurring OPXV infection, and that persons living near forests may have low-level or indirect exposure to OPXV-infected animals, possibly resulting in sub-clinical infections.

The participation of the nutritionist in Primary Health Care in a large urban center

Nutritionists are important professionals for ensuring the implementation of health promotion, treatment and rehabilitation. However, their participation in primary healthcare from a quantitative standpoint is limited. The city of Sao Paulo has experienced an uneven urbanization process triggering new problems of insecurity in terms of food and nutrition. This article analyzes the performance of the primary healthcare nutritionist in a large urban center. It is a quantitative study that used data from the Municipal Health Department, population data of Sao Paulo and a semi-structured questionnaire applied in individual interviews. All regions of the city are found to have fewer nutritionists than the recommendation of the Federal Council of Nutritionists. There are 123 nutritionists in the basic healthcare network and 51 in the Family Health Support Nuclei (FHSN) (57.3%). Each nutritionist from the FHSN accompanies 7.1 family health strategy teams on average. The age groups corresponding to children are less frequently seen by nutritionists. Comparing the activities, the transition from a model of primary health care focused on individual care to a model that prioritizes group care was observed.

Early transplantation of human immature dental pulp stem cells from baby teeth to golden retriever muscular dystrophy (GRMD) dogs: Local or systemic?

Background:The golden retriever muscular dystrophy (GRMD) dogs represent the best available animal model for therapeutic trials aiming at the future treatment of human Duchenne muscular dystrophy (DMD). We have obtained a rare litter of six GRMD dogs (3 males and 3 females) born from an affected male and a carrier female which were submitted to a therapeutic trial with adult human stem cells to investigate their capacity to engraft into dogs muscles by local as compared to systemic injection without any immunosuppression. Methods Human Immature Dental Pulp Stem Cells (hIDPSC) were transplanted into 4 littermate dogs aged 28 to 40 days by either arterial or muscular injections. Two non-injected dogs were kept as controls. Clinical translation effects were analyzed since immune reactions by blood exams and physical scores capacity of each dog. Samples from biopsies were checked by immunohistochemistry (dystrophin markers) and FISH for human probes. Results and Discussion We analyzed the cells' ability in respect to migrate, engraftment, and myogenic potential, and the expression of human dystrophin in affected muscles. Additionally, the efficiency of single and consecutive early transplantation was compared. Chimeric muscle fibers were detected by immunofluorescence and fluorescent in situ hybridisation (FISH) using human antibodies and X and Y DNA probes. No signs of immune rejection were observed and these results suggested that hIDPSC cell transplantation may be done without immunosuppression. We showed that hIDPSC presented significant engraftment in GRMD dog muscles, although human dystrophin expression was modest and limited to several muscle fibers. Better clinical condition was also observed in the dog, which received monthly arterial injections and is still clinically stable at 25 months of age. Conclusion Our data suggested that systemic multiple deliveries seemed more effective than local injections. These findings open important avenues for further researches.

Global Change and the World's Mountains-Research Needs and Emerging Themes for Sustainable Development A Synthesis From the 2010 Perth II Conference

The conference on Global Change and the World’s Mountains held in Perth, Scotland, in 2010 offered a unique opportunity to analyze the state and progress of mountain research and its contribution to sustainable mountain development, as well as to reflect on required reorientations of research agendas. In this paper we provide the results of a three-step assessment of the research presented by 450 researchers from around the world. First, we determined the state of the art of mountain research and categorized it based on the analytical structure of the Global Land Project (GLP 2005). Second, we identified emerging themes for future research. Finally, we assessed the contribution of mountain research to sustainable development along the lines of the Grand Challenges in Global Sustainability Research (International Council for Science 2010). Analysis revealed that despite the growing recognition of the importance of more integrative research (inter- and transdisciplinary), the research community gathered in Perth still focuses on environmental drivers of change and on interactions within ecological systems. Only a small percentage of current research seeks to enhance understanding of social systems and of interactions between social and ecological systems. From the ecological systems perspective, a greater effort is needed to disentangle and assess different drivers of change and to investigate impacts on the rendering of ecosystem services. From the social systems perspective, significant shortcomings remain in understanding the characteristics, trends, and impacts of human movements to, within, and out of mountain areas as a form of global change. Likewise, sociocultural drivers affecting collective behavior as well as incentive systems devised by policy and decision makers are little understood and require more in-depth investigation. Both the complexity of coupled social– ecological systems and incomplete data sets hinder integrated systems research. Increased understanding of linkages and feedbacks between social and ecological systems will help to identify nonlinearities and thresholds (tipping points) in both system types. This presupposes effective collaboration between ecological and social sciences. Reflections on the Grand Challenges in Sustainability Research put forth by the International Council for Science (2010) reveal the need to intensify research on effective responses and innovations. This will help to achieve sustainable development in mountain regions while maintaining the core competence of mountain research in forecasting and observation.

Mapping and cloning of genes from portions of the human genome using somatic cell hybrids

Human x rodent somatic cell hybrids have played an important role in human genetics research. They have been especially useful for assigning genes to chromosomes and isolating DNA markers from specific regions of the human genome.^ By employing a combination of somatic cell genetic, recombinant DNA, and cytogenetic techniques, human DNA excision repair gene ERCC4 was mapped regionally to human 16p13.13-13.2, even though the gene has not been cloned. Human x Chinese hamster ovary (CHO) cell hybrids selected for human ERCC4 activity and containing 16p13.1-p13.3 as the only human genetic material were identified. These hybrids were used to order DNA markers located in 16p13.1-p13.3. New DNA markers physically close to ERCC4 were isolated from such hybrids. Using amplified human DNA from the hybrids as probe in fluorescent in situ hybridization, the short arm breakpoint in the chromosome 16 inversion associated with acute myelomonocytic leukemia (AMML) was found to be physically close to the ERCC4 gene. The physical mapping and eventually, the cloning of the ERCC4 gene, will benefit the understanding of the DNA repair system and the study of other important biomedical problems such as tumorigenesis.^ To facilitate the cloning of ERCC4 gene and, in general, the cloning of genes from any defined regions of the human genome, a method was developed for the direct isolation of human transcribed genes ffom somatic cell hybrids. cDNA was prepared from human x rodent hybrid by using consensus 5$\sp\prime$ splice site sequences as primers. These primers were designed to select immature, unspliced messenger RNA (still retaining species specific repeat sequences) as templates. Screening of a derived cDNA library for human repeat sequences resulted in the isolation of human clones at the anticipated frequency with characteristics expected of exons of transcribed human genes. The usefulness of the splice site specific primers was analyzed and the cDNA synthesis conditions with these primers were optimized. The procedure was shown to be sensitive enough to clone weakly expressed genes. Studying the expression of the represented genes with the isolated clones was shown to be feasible. Such regional specific human gene fragments will be very valuable for many human genetic studies such as the search of inherited disease genes and the construction of a cDNA map of the human genome. ^

BioCentury Research Farm Update

The BioCentury Research Farm (BCRF) had a diversity of users in 2011. Iowa State faculty and staff from agricultural and biosystems engineering (ABE), agricultural systems technology (AST), agronomy, chemical and biological engineering (CBE), civil, construction, and environmental engineering (CCEE), food science and human nutrition (FSHN), horticulture, mechanical engineering (ME), and natural resource ecology and management (NREM) conducted research, teaching, and outreach at the BCRF. Private industry users included Avello Bioenergy, DCE, Frontline BioEnergy, and Virent, Inc.

Human spaceflight : activities for the intermediate student.

"10/85."--P. i (1st group)

Report of the administrator of agricultural research,

Includes the reports of the following agencies of the administration: the Bureaus of Agricultural and industrial chemistry; Animal industry; Dairy industry; Entomology and plant quarantine; Human nutrition and home economics; Plant industry, soils, and agricultural engineering; and the Office of experiment stations.

Food and Nutrition Information and Educational Materials Center Catalog.

Includes indexes.

Ultimate disposal of advanced-treatment waste Part 1. Wet oxidation, Part 2. Incineration : for the Advanced Waste Treatment Research Program, Basic and Applied Sciences Branch, Robert A. Taft Sanitary Engineering Center /

Mode of access: Internet.

Human genome report card.

Description based on: March 1993; title from cover.

Research advances in nutrition.

Mode of access: Internet.