Soil Erosion Control for Secondary Roads, HR-155

Research project HR-155 was initiated to study soil erosion problems along the secondary road system in Iowa and to find a substitute for straw for the control of soil erosion during the period of seed establishment. Accordingly, six field research sites were established to test the ability of commercial soil conditioners to control soil erosion. The six field research sites were selected on the basis of terrain and type of soil material exposed on the cut-slope areas.

Axial spondylometaphyseal dysplasia: Additional reports.

Axial spondylometaphyseal dysplasia (SMD) (OMIM 602271) is an uncommon skeletal dysplasia characterized by metaphyseal changes of truncal-juxtatruncal bones, including the proximal femora, and retinal abnormalities. The disorder has not attracted much attention since initially reported; however, it has been included in the nosology of genetic skeletal disorders [Warman et al. (2011); Am J Med Genet Part A 155A:943-968] in part because of a recent publication of two additional cases [Isidor et al. (2010); Am J Med Genet Part A 152A:1550-1554]. We report here on the clinical and radiological manifestations in seven affected individuals from five families (three sporadic cases and two familial cases). Based on our observations and Isidor's report, the clinical and radiological hallmarks of axial SMD can be defined: The main clinical findings are postnatal growth failure, rhizomelic short stature in early childhood evolving into short trunk in late childhood, and thoracic hypoplasia that may cause mild to moderate respiratory problems in the neonatal period and later susceptibility to airway infection. Impaired visual acuity comes to medical attention in early life and function rapidly deteriorates. Retinal changes are diagnosed as retinitis pigmentosa or pigmentary retinal degeneration on fundoscopic examination and cone-rod dystrophy on electroretinogram. The radiological hallmarks include short ribs with flared, cupped anterior ends, mild spondylar dysplasia, lacy iliac crests, and metaphyseal irregularities essentially confined to the proximal femora. Equally affected sibling pairs of opposite gender and parental consanguinity are strongly suggestive of autosomal recessive inheritance. © 2011 Wiley-Liss, Inc.

Arkistoluettelo 155: Suomalaisen musiikin tiedotuskeskus

Luettelo Kansalliskirjastossa olevan Suomalaisen musiikin tiedotuskeskuksen käsikirjoituskokoelman sisällöstä

Circulating levels of inflammation-associated miR-155 and endothelial-enriched miR-126 in patients with end-stage renal disease

Circulating microRNAs (miRNAs) may represent a potential noninvasive molecular biomarker for various pathological conditions. Moreover, the detection of circulating miRNAs can provide important novel disease-related information. In particular, inflammation-associated miR-155 and endothelial-enriched miR-126 are reported to be associated with vascular homeostasis. Vascular damage is a common event described in end-stage renal disease (ESRD). We hypothesized that miR-155 and miR-126 may be detectable in the circulation and serve as potential biomarkers for risk stratification. In this study, we assessed miR-155 and miR-126 in the plasma of 30 ESRD patients and 20 healthy controls using real-time quantification RT-PCR. The circulating levels of miR-155 and miR-126 were significantly reduced in patients with ESRD compared to healthy controls. However, there was no significant difference of circulating miR-155 and miR-126 levels between prehemodialysis and posthemodialysis patients. Furthermore, both circulating miR-126 and miR-155 correlated positively with estimated glomerular filtration rate (miR-126: r = 0.383, P = 0.037; miR-155: r = 0.494, P = 0.006) and hemoglobin (miR-126: r = 0.515, P = 0.004; miR-155: r = 0.598, P < 0.001) and correlated inversely with phosphate level (miR-126: r = -0.675, P < 0.001; miR-155: r = -0.399, P = 0.029). Pearson’s correlation was used to compare circulating levels of miRNAs with clinical parameters. These results suggested that circulating miR-155 and miR-126 might be involved in the development of ESRD. Further studies are needed to demonstrate the role of circulating miR-155 and miR-126 as candidate biomarkers for risk estimation.