Solid phase microextraction as a short-term sampling technique for BTEX occupational exposure

Solid phase microextraction (SPME) has been widely used for many years in various applications, such as environmental and water samples, food and fragrance analysis, or biological fluids. The aim of this study was to suggest the SPME method as an alternative to conventional techniques used in the evaluation of worker exposure to benzene, toluene, ethylbenzene, and xylene (BTEX). Polymethylsiloxane-carboxen (PDMS/CAR) showed as the most effective stationary phase material for sorbing BTEX among other materials (polyacrylate, PDMS, PDMS/divinylbenzene, Carbowax/divinylbenzene). Various experimental conditions were studied to apply SPME to BTEX quantitation in field situations. The uptake rate of the selected fiber (75 microm PDMS/CAR) was determined for each analyte at various concentrations, relative humidities, and airflow velocities from static (calm air) to dynamic (> 200 cm/s) conditions. The SPME method also was compared with the National Institute of Occupational Safety and Health method 1501. Unlike the latter, the SPME approach fulfills the new requirement for the threshold limit value-short term exposure limit (TLV-STEL) of 2.5 ppm for benzene (8 mg/m(3))

The peroxisomal Acyl-CoA thioesterase Pte1p from Saccharomyces cerevisiae is required for efficient degradation of short straight chain and branched chain fatty acids.

The role of the Saccharomyces cerevisae peroxisomal acyl-coenzyme A (acyl-CoA) thioesterase (Pte1p) in fatty acid beta-oxidation was studied by analyzing the in vitro kinetic activity of the purified protein as well as by measuring the carbon flux through the beta-oxidation cycle in vivo using the synthesis of peroxisomal polyhydroxyalkanoate (PHA) from the polymerization of the 3-hydroxyacyl-CoAs as a marker. The amount of PHA synthesized from the degradation of 10-cis-heptadecenoic, tridecanoic, undecanoic, or nonanoic acids was equivalent or slightly reduced in the pte1Delta strain compared with wild type. In contrast, a strong reduction in PHA synthesized from heptanoic acid and 8-methyl-nonanoic acid was observed for the pte1Delta strain compared with wild type. The poor catabolism of 8-methyl-nonanoic acid via beta-oxidation in pte1Delta negatively impacted the degradation of 10-cis-heptadecenoic acid and reduced the ability of the cells to efficiently grow in medium containing such fatty acids. An increase in the proportion of the short chain 3-hydroxyacid monomers was observed in PHA synthesized in pte1Delta cells grown on a variety of fatty acids, indicating a reduction in the metabolism of short chain acyl-CoAs in these cells. A purified histidine-tagged Pte1p showed high activity toward short and medium chain length acyl-CoAs, including butyryl-CoA, decanoyl-CoA and 8-methyl-nonanoyl-CoA. The kinetic parameters measured for the purified Pte1p fit well with the implication of this enzyme in the efficient metabolism of short straight and branched chain fatty acyl-CoAs by the beta-oxidation cycle.

"Echoing approval": a new speech disorder.

We report the cases of two patients presenting a peculiar speech disorder, which we have named "echoing approval", in which the patients echo, in replying to questions in a dialogue with short phrases, the positive or negative syntactical construction of a question, or its positive or negative intonation, but without any repetition of whole or part of sentences. When asked about their symptoms, the patients replied 80% of the time with "yes, yes", "that's right", or "exactly" to positive questions and "no, no" or "absolutely not" to negative questions, regardless of their actual symptoms and oblivious to self-contradiction. In addition, when the examining doctor was speaking to a medical colleague in the patient's presence and using medical terminology that the patient did not understand, he/she agreed or disagreed with any sentence and technical word uttered in a way entirely dependent on the syntax or intonation used. To distinguish this speech disorder from echolalia or verbal perseverations, with which it may be superficially confused, we suggest that it be called "echoing approval", as it may be part one of the manifestations of the environment-dependency syndrome. This clinical picture was found to be associated with features of transcortical motor aphasia and frontal lobe signs. One patient had a bilateral callosofrontal malignant glioma and the other a probable multiple system atrophy with global deterioration, pre-eminent frontal release signs, diffuse leukoencephalopathy and multiple lacunes. On the basis of these clinical deficits and neuroimaging features, we are unable to delineate the common, or minimal, lesioned network required for this symptomatology to occur, especially in the absence of a series of patients, and with such a difference in both the location and causes of the lesions. However, bilateral frontosubcortical dysfunction was pre-eminent in the clinical picture in both patients, even though more diffuse brain pathology was seen in one, and it might be speculated that dysfunction of the bilateral orbitofrontal and frontomesial motor frontosubcortical circuits might be involved in the aetiology of this peculiar speech disorder.

Search for Borrelia sp. in ticks collected from potential reservoirs in an urban forest reserve in the State of Mato Grosso do Sul, Brazil: a short report

A total of 128 ticks of the genus Amblyomma were recovered from 5 marsupials (Didelphis albiventris) - with 4 recaptures - and 17 rodents (16 Bolomys lasiurus and 1 Rattus norvegicus) captured in an urban forest reserve in Campo Grande, State of Mato Grosso do Sul, Brazil. Of the ticks collected, 95 (78.9%) were in larval form and 22 (21.1%) were nymphs; the only adult (0.8%) was identified as A. cajennense. Viewed under dark-field microscopy in the fourth month after seeding, 9 cultures prepared from spleens and livers of the rodents, blood of the marsupials, and macerates of Amblyomma sp. nymphs revealed spiral-shaped, spirochete-like structures resembling those of Borrelia sp. Some of them showed little motility, while others were non-motile. No such structures could be found either in positive Giemsa-stained culture smears or under electron microscopy. No PCR amplification of DNA from those cultures could be obtained by employing Leptospira sp., B. burgdorferi, and Borrelia sp. primers. These aspects suggest that the spirochete-like structures found in this study do not fit into the genera Borrelia or Leptospira, requiring instead to be isolated for proper identification.

Fathers and Families: research and reflection on key questions

This is the third report to be published by the Department of Health and Children under the Springboard Initiative. It is written to promote understanding and appreciation of the role of a fathers in family life. Download the Report here

Mesurer la stigmatisaion perçue chez les personnes souffrant de troubles psychiques : traduction française, validation et adaptation de la Stigma Scale

L'objectif de l'étude présentée est d'adapter et de valider une version française de la Stigma Scale (King, 2007) auprès d'une population de personnes souffrant de troubles psychiques. Dans une première phase, la stabilité temporelle (fidélité test-retest), la cohérence interne et la validité convergente de l'instrument original à 28 items traduit en français ont été évaluées auprès d'un échantillon de 183 patients. Les résultats d'analyses factorielles confirmatoires ne nous ont pas permis de confirmer la structure originale de l'instrument. Nous avons donc proposé, sur la base des résultats d'une analyse factorielle exploratoire, une version courte de l'échelle de stigmatisation (9 items) qui conserve la structure en trois facteurs du modèle original. Dans une deuxième phase, nous avons examiné les qualités psychométriques et validé cette version abrégée de l'échelle de stigmatisation auprès d'un second échantillon de 234 patients. Les indices d'ajustements de notre analyse factorielle confirmatoire confirme la structure en trois facteurs de la version abrégée de la Stigma Scale. Les résultats suggèrent que la version française abrégée de l'échelle de stigmatisation constitue un instrument utile, fiable et valide dans l'autoévaluation de la stigmatisation perçue par des personnes souffrant de troubles psychiques. - Aim People suffering from mental illness are exposed to stigma. However, only few tools are available to assess stigmatization as perceived from the patient's perspective. The aim of this study is to adapt and validate a French version of the Stigma Scale (King, 2007). This self-report questionnaire has a three-factor structure: discrimination, disclosure and positive aspects of mental illness. Discrimination subscale refers to perceived negative reactions by others. Disclosure subscale refers mainly to managing disclosure to avoid discrimination and finally positive aspects subscale taps into how patients are becoming more accepting, more understanding toward their illness. Method In the first step, internal consistency, convergent validity and test-retest reliability of the French adaptation of the 28-item scale have been assessed on a sample of 183 patients. Results of confirmatory factor analyses (CFA) did not confirm the hypothesized structure. In light of the failed attempts to validate the original version, an alternative 9-item short-form version of the Stigma Scale, maintaining the integrity of the original model, was developed based on results of exploratory factor analyses in the first sample and cross- validated in a new sample of 234 patients. Results Results of CFA did not confirm that the data fitted well to the three-factor model of the 28-item Stigma Scale (χ2/άί=2.02, GFI=0.77, AGFI=0.73, RMSEA=0.07, CFI=0.77 et NNFI=0.75). Cronbach's α are excellent for discrimination (0.84) and disclosure (0.83) subscales but poor for potential positive aspects (0.46). External validity is satisfactory. Overall Stigma Scale total score is negatively correlated with score on Rosenberg's Self-Esteem Scale (r = -0.49), and each sub-scale is significantly correlated with a visual analogue scale that refers to the specific aspect of stigma (0.43 < |r| < 0.60). Intraclass correlation coefficients between 0.68 and 0.89 indicate good test- retest reliability. Results of CFA demonstrate that the items chosen for the short version of the Stigma Scale have the expected fit properties fa2/df=1.02, GFI=0.98, AGFI=0.98, RMSEA=0.01, CFI=1.0 et NNFI=1.0). Considering the small number (3 items) of items in each subscales of the short version of the Stigma Scale, a coefficients for the discrimination (0.57), disclosure (0.80) and potential positive aspects subscales (0.62) are considered as good. Conclusion Our results suggest that the 9-item French short-version of the Stigma Scale is a useful, reliable and valid self-report questionnaire to assess perceived stigmatization in people suffering from mental illness. The time of completion is really short and questions are well understood and accepted by the patients.

Leukemic cluster growth in culture is an independent risk factor for acute myeloid leukemia and short survival in patients with myelodysplastic syndrome

In patients with myelodysplastic syndrome (MDS) precursor cell cultures (colony-forming unit cells, CFU-C) can provide an insight into the growth potential of malignant myeloid cells. In a retrospective single-center study of 73 untreated MDS patients we assessed whether CFU-C growth patterns were of prognostic value in addition to established criteria. Abnormalities were classified as qualitative (i.e. leukemic cluster growth) or quantitative (i.e. strongly reduced/absent growth). Thirty-nine patients (53%) showed leukemic growth, 26 patients (36%) had strongly reduced/absent colony growth, and 12 patients showed both. In a univariate analysis the presence of leukemic growth was associated with strongly reduced survival (at 10 years 4 vs. 34%, p = 0.004), and a high incidence of transformation to AML (76 vs. 32%, p = 0.01). Multivariate analysis identified leukemic growth as a strong and independent predictor of early death (relative risk 2.12, p = 0.03) and transformation to AML (relative risk 2.63, p = 0.04). Quantitative abnormalities had no significant impact on the disease course. CFU- C assays have significant predictive value in addition to established prognostic factors in MDS. Leukemic growth identifies a subpopulation of MDS patients with poor prognosis.

Quantification of in vivo short echo-time proton magnetic resonance spectra at 14.1 T using two different approaches of modelling the macromolecule spectrum

Reliable quantification of the macromolecule signals in short echo-time H-1 MRS spectra is particularly important at high magnetic fields for an accurate quantification of metabolite concentrations (the neurochemical profile) due to effectively increased spectral resolution of the macromolecule components. The purpose of the present study was to assess two approaches of quantification, which take the contribution of macromolecules into account in the quantification step. H-1 spectra were acquired on a 14.1 T/26 cm horizontal scanner on five rats using the ultra-short echo-time SPECIAL (spin echo full intensity acquired localization) spectroscopy sequence. Metabolite concentrations were estimated using LCModel, combined with a simulated basis set of metabolites using published spectral parameters and either the spectrum of macromolecules measured in vivo, using an inversion recovery technique, or baseline simulated by the built-in spline function. The fitted spline function resulted in a smooth approximation of the in vivo macromolecules, but in accordance with previous studies using Subtract-QUEST could not reproduce completely all features of the in vivo spectrum of macromolecules at 14.1 T. As a consequence, the measured macromolecular 'baseline' led to a more accurate and reliable quantification at higher field strengths.

Beating cervical cancer. The HPV vaccine - questions and answers for parents of girls in Year 9 (English and eight translations)

This leaflet provides more detailed information in a question and answer format about the HPV vaccine offered to girls in Year 9 which can help protect against cervical cancer.

Effects of tetrodotoxin and ion replacements on the short-circuit current induced by Escherichiacoli heat stable enterotoxin across small intestine of the gerbil (Gerbillus cheesmani)

The effects of mucosally added Escherichia coli heat stable enterotoxin (STa 30 ng ml-1) on the basal short-circuit current (Isc in µA cm-2) across stripped and unstripped sheets of jejuna and ilea taken from fed, starved (4 days, water ad lib) and undernourished (50% control food intake for 21 days) gerbil (Gerbillus cheesmani) were investigated. The effect of neurotoxin tetrodotoxin (TTX 10 µM) and the effects of replacing chloride by gluconate or the effects of removing bicarbonate from bathing buffers on the maximum increase in Isc induced by STa were also investigated. The maximum increase in Isc which resulted from the addition of STa were significantly higher in jejuna and ilea taken from starved and undernourished gerbils when compared with the fed control both using stripped and unstripped sheets. In the two regions of the small intestine taken from fed and starved animals TTX reduced the maximum increase in Isc induced by STa across unstripped sheets only. Moreover in jejuna and ilea taken from undernourished gerbils TTX reduced significantly the maximum increase in Isc induced by STa across stripped and unstripped sheets. Replacing chloride by gluconate decreased the maximum increase in Isc induced by STa across jejuna and ilea taken from undernourished gerbils only. Removing bicarbonates from bathing buffer decreased the maximum increase in Isc across the jejuna and ilea taken from starved and undernourished gerbils.

The effect of thrombolysis on short-term improvement depends on initial stroke severity.

A large number of parameters have been identified as predictors of early outcome in patients with acute ischemic stroke. In the present work we analyzed a wide range of demographic, metabolic, physiological, clinical, laboratory and neuroimaging parameters in a large population of consecutive patients with acute ischemic stroke with the aim of identifying independent predictors of the early clinical course. We used prospectively collected data from the Acute Stroke Registry and Analysis of Lausanne. All consecutive patients with ischemic stroke admitted to our stroke unit and/or intensive care unit between 1 January 2003 and 12 December 2008 within 24 h after last-well time were analyzed. Univariate and multivariate analyses were performed to identify significant associations with the National Institute of Health Stroke Scale (NIHSS) score at admission and 24 h later. We also sought any interactions between the identified predictors. Of the 1,730 consecutive patients with acute ischemic stroke who were included in the analysis, 260 (15.0%) were thrombolyzed (mostly intravenously) within the recommended time window. In multivariate analysis, the NIHSS score at 24 h after admission was associated with the NIHSS score at admission (β = 1, p < 0.001), initial glucose level (β = 0.05, p < 0.002) and thrombolytic intervention (β = -2.91, p < 0.001). There was a significant interaction between thrombolysis and the NIHSS score at admission (p < 0.001), indicating that the short-term effect of thrombolysis decreases with increasing initial stroke severity. Thrombolytic treatment, lower initial glucose level and lower initial stroke severity predict a favorable early clinical course. The short-term effect of thrombolysis appears mainly in minor and moderate strokes, and decreases with increasing initial stroke severity.

DIP-STR: Highly Sensitive Markers for the Analysis of Unbalanced Genomic Mixtures.

Samples containing highly unbalanced DNA mixtures from two individuals commonly occur both in forensic mixed stains and in peripheral blood DNA microchimerism induced by pregnancy or following organ transplant. Because of PCR amplification bias, the genetic identification of a DNA that contributes trace amounts to a mixed sample represents a tremendous challenge. This means that standard genetic markers, namely microsatellites, also referred as short tandem repeats (STR), and single-nucleotide polymorphism (SNP) have limited power in addressing common questions of forensic and medical genetics. To address this issue, we developed a molecular marker, named DIP-STR that relies on pairing deletion-insertion polymorphisms (DIP) with STR. This novel analytical approach allows for the unambiguous genotyping of a minor component in the presence of a major component, where DIP-STR genotypes of the minor were successfully procured at ratios up to 1:1,000. The compound nature of this marker generates a high level of polymorphism that is suitable for identity testing. Here, we demonstrate the power of the DIP-STR approach on an initial set of nine markers surveyed in a Swiss population. Finally, we discuss the limitations and potential applications of our new system including preliminary tests on clinical samples and estimates of their performance on simulated DNA mixtures.