Regional Fisheries Advisory Committee 20th February, 1989

This is the report from the Regional Fisheries Advisory Committee meeting, which was held on the 20th February, 1989. The report contains sections on fishing licence duties, Ombudsman’s Report, net licence allocation criteria, renewal of the Lune and Wyre net limitation order and fishery byelaws. The section on Ombudsman’s Report looks at the complaint against the Authority relating to the allocation of haaf net licences for the Solway Firth for 1988. The Fisheries Advisory Committee was part of the Regional Water Authorities, in this case the North West Water Authority. This preceded the Environment Agency which came into existence in 1996.

Efeito do treinamento físico intenso e da dose única de polifenóis sobre indicadores cardiometabólicos em militares fisicamente condicionados

O exercício físico pode promover o desequilíbrio oxidativo e na secreção e ação das adipocinas, leptina e adiponectina, que desempenham papel fundamental no desenvolvimento de doenças cardiometabólicas, incluindo a síndrome metabólica, disfunção endotelial, desordens inflamatórias e vasculares. Militares são submetidos a exercícios físicos intensos e podem apresentar maior risco de doenças cardiovasculares. A identificação de parâmetros capazes de detectar o risco cardiovascular precoce em grupos muito ativos fisicamente é complexa. A razão leptina/adiponectina (L/A) e a concentração de LDL eletronegativa (LDL (-)) vem sendo considerados bons indicadores de risco cardiovascular precoce porém não há estudos que investiguem a utilidade destes marcadores em militares. Os polifenóis, presentes na uva (Vitis vinífera), apresentam efeitos cardioprotetores como inibição da oxidação das lipoproteínas e controle glicêmico. Na presente tese objetivou-se identificar o risco cardiovascular em jovens militares altamente treinados, utilizando diferentes parâmetros, incluindo a razão L/A e investigar a influência do exercício militar e do uso de dose única de Vitis vinifera sobre parâmetros cardiometabólicos de militares fisicamente treinados. O primeiro estudo contou com a participação de 54 militares d gênero masculino, condicionados fisicamente, após descanso de 24h. No segundo estudo, participaram 54 militares do gênero masculino distribuídos aleatoriamente, de forma duplo-cego, para receber única dose contendo 200 mg de extrato seco de Vitis vinifera (GS, n = 27) ou 200 mg de placebo (amido) (GP, n = 27). Considerados em conjunto, os resultados sugerem que militares treinados poderiam ser classificados como limítrofes quanto ao risco cardiovascular, quando somente o perfil lipídico é empregado como marcador. As medidas de CC e CC/E são parâmetros de fácil obtenção e podem ser empregados na identificação do potencial risco cardiovascular, enquanto outros estudos não confirmam a eficácia da razão L/A para este fim. A comparação das concentrações plasmáticas de adiponectina e leptina apresentou diferença significativa apenas intragrupo para ambos os grupos. As concentrações plasmáticas das adipocinas foram influenciadas pelo treinamento. Os indicadores de homeostase glicêmica, glicemia de jejum e insulina plasmática, foram semelhantes entre os grupos, não sendo sendo influenciada pelo treinamento ou suplementação. A suplementação de polifenóis reduziu as concentrações de LDL(-) do GS em relação ao GP em T24h e T48h (p<0,05). Estes achados sugerem que o treinamento físico afeta a secreção das adipocinas independentemente do uso da Vitis vinífera. Entretanto, a dose única de polifenóis pode reduzir o risco cardiometabólico proveniente da oxidação da LDL (-)

Change in Pacific Northwest coastal ecosystems. Proceedings of the Pacific Northwest Coastal Ecosystems Regional Study Workshop, August 73-14, 1996, Troutdale, Oregon

Over the past one hundred and fifty years, the landscape and ecosystems of the Pacific Northwest coastal region, already subject to many variable natural forces, have been profoundly affected by human activities. In virtually every coastal watershed from the Strait of Juan de Fuca to Cape Mendocino, settlement, exploitation and development of resou?-ces have altered natural ecosystems. Vast, complex forests that once covered the region have been largely replaced by tree plantations or converted to non-forest conditions. Narrow coastal valleys, once filled with wetlands and braided streams that tempered storm runoff and provided salmon habitat, were drained, filled, or have otherwise been altered to create land for agriculture and other uses. Tideflats and saltmarshes in both large and small estuaries were filled for industrial, commercial, and other urban uses. Many estuaries, including that of the Columbia River, have been channeled, deepened, and jettied to provide for safe, reliable navigation. The prodigious rainfall in the region, once buffered by dense vegetation and complex river and stream habitat, now surges down sirfiplified stream channels laden with increased burdens of sediment and debris. Although these and many other changes have occurred incrementally over time and in widely separated areas, their sum can now be seen to have significantly affected the natural productivity of the region and, as a consequence, changed the economic structure of its human communities. This activity has taken place in a region already shaped by many interacting and dynamic natural forces. Large-scale ocean circulation patterns, which vary over long time periods, determine the strength and location of currents along the coast, and thus affect conditions in the nearshore ocean and estuaries throughout the region. Periodic seasonal differences in the weather and ocean act on shorter time scales; winters are typically wet with storms from the southwest while summers tend to be dry with winds from the northwest. Some phenomena are episodic, such as El Nifio events, which alter weather, marine habitats, and the distribution and survival of marine organisms. Other oceanic and atmospheric changes operate more slowly; over time scales of decades, centuries, and longer. Episodic geologic events also punctuate the region, such as volcanic eruptions that discharge widespread blankets of ash, frequent minor earthquakes, and major subduction zone earthquakes each 300 to 500 years that release accumulated tectonic strain, dropping stretches of ocean shoreline, inundating estuaries and coastal valleys, and triggering landslides that reshape stream profiles. While these many natural processes have altered, sometimes dramatically, the Pacific Northwest coastal region, these same processes have formed productive marine and coastal ecosystems, and many of the species in these systems have adapted to the variable environmental conditions of the region to ensure their long-term survival.

Land surface hydrology in a general circulation model: global and regional fields needed for validation

For the last two decades most general circulation models (GCMs) have included some kind of surface hydrology submodel. The content of these submodels is becoming increasingly complex and realistic. It is still easy to identify defects in present treatments. Yet, to improve our ability to model the contribution of land hydrology to climate and climate change, we must be concerned not with just the surface hydrology submodel per se, but also with how it works in the overall context of the GCM.

Rapid detection of white spot syndrome virus (WSSV) of Penaeus monodon by latex agglutination test using monoclonal antibodies

Latex beads were sensitized with monoclonal antibodies (MAb) rose against VP28 of WSSV. The optimum concentration of MAb required to sensitize the latex beads was 125 µg/ml. The sensitized latex beads were used to detect WSSV from PCR-positive stomach tissue homogenates obtained from infected shrimp. Stomach tissue homogenates from WSSV-infected shrimp agglutinated the sensitized latex beads within 10 minutes, while uninfected samples did not produce any agglutination, although non-specific agglutinations were observed in some samples. The analytical sensitivity, analytical specificity, diagnostic sensitivity and diagnostic specificity of the (LAT) agglutination test were assessed. The analytical sensitivity of the test was 40 ng of purified WSSV (2 µg/ml). The sensitized latex beads did not agglutinate with normal shrimp tissue or MBV-infected tissue homogenate. The test has a diagnostic sensitivity of 70 and 45%, respectively, compared to single-step and nested PCR. The diagnostic specificity of the test was 82%. This test is a simple and rapid on-farm test which can be used to corroborate clinical signs for the detection of WSSV in grow-out ponds.

Report of the regional workshop in transboundary aquatic animal health issues, Bangkok, Thailand, 12-13 January, 2012

This workshop was implemented as part of the Transboundary Diagnostic Analysis (TDA). The main focus was on the shrimp and fish aquaculture sectors and addressed issues such as aquatic animal health and transfers of aquatic animals and plants.

Primary antibody deficiency and diagnostic delay.

AIMS: To assess the occurrence of diagnostic delay in primary antibody deficiency in the period 1989-2002, since a similar study in 1989, and to assess the impact of UK national guidelines communicated in 1995. METHODS: A retrospective case note review was performed of 89 consecutive patients with antibody deficiency referred to a regional referral centre for clinical immunology in north west England and north Wales. The delay in diagnosis and the estimated resulting morbidity in terms of infections were assessed. RESULTS: Fifty six of the 89 patients experienced delay in diagnosis. The overall median delay was 2 years (mean, 4.4), resulting in substantial morbidity (equivalent to two major infections and one minor infection). This shows a moderate improvement since the previous study in 1989 and since the introduction of UK national guidelines in 1995. Respiratory infections are the most frequent presenting infections, and respiratory physicians the most common source of referral. CONCLUSIONS: There is still considerable delay in the diagnosis of primary antibody deficiency, but the data suggest an improvement in practice since the previous study in 1989 and the distribution of national guidelines in 1995.

Construction and characterization of a novel recombinant single-chain variable fragment antibody against White Spot Syndrome Virus from shrimp

An antibody phage display library against White Spot Syndrome Virus (WSSV) was constructed. After four rounds of panning against WSSV, 192 out of 480 clones displayed WSSV binding activity. One of the positive clones, designated A1, had relatively higher activity specifically binding to WSSV A1-soluble, single-chain fragment variable (scFv) antibody has an affinity constant (K-aff) of 2.02 +/- 0.42 x 10(9) M-1. Dot blot assays showed that A1-soluble scFv could detect WSSV directly from shrimp hemolymph after 24-h feeding infection by WSSV. A1 scFv has potential for the development of a cheap, simple and sensitive diagnostic kit for WSSV in the field. (C) 2003 Elsevier Science B.V. All rights reserved.

Detection and characterization of non-covalent complex between lappaconitine and beta-cyclodextrin by electrospray ionization tandem mass spectrometry

The non-covalent complexes between lappaconitine (LA) and beta-cyclodextrin (beta-CD) have been detected and characterized by electrospray ionization combined with ion trap tandem mass spectrometry (ESI-MSn). The experimental results showed that only 1:1 non-covalent complex can be formed in different starting molar ratios of LA to beta-CD. Furthermore, the diagnostic fragmentation of the beta-CD-LA complex, with a significant contribution of covalent fragmentation of LA leaving the N-acetyl anthranoyl (AN) moiety inserted to beta-CD, provided the convincing evidence for the formation of non-covalent complex between LA and beta-CD and the cite of LA molecule included to cavity of beta-CD assigned to AN residue.

SEARCH FOR THE BASIC REGULARITIES OF THE TRANSITION EMISSION OF EUROPIUM(II) ION IN COMPLEX FLUORIDES USING PATTERN-RECOGNITION

The relationship between structures of complex fluorides and spectral structure of Eu(II) ion in complex fluorides (AB(m)F(n)) is investigated by means of pattern recognition methods, such as KNN, ALKNN, BAYES, LLM, SIMCA and PCA. A learning set consisting of 32 f-f transition emission host compounds and 31 d-f transition emission host compounds and a test set consisting of 27 host compounds were characterized by 12 crystal structural parameters. These parameters, i.e. features, were reduced from 12 to 6 by multiple criteria for the classification of these host compounds as f-f transition emission or d-f transition emission. A recognition rate from 79.4 to 96.8% and prediction capabilities from 85.2 to 92.6% were obtained. According to the above results, the spectral structures of Eu(II) ion in seven unknown host lattices were predicted.

Haematopoietic lineage cell-specific protein 1 (HS1) promotes actin-related protein (Arp) 2/3 complex-mediated actin polymerization

HS1 (haematopoietic lineage cell-specific gene protein 1), a prominent substrate of intracellular protein tyrosine kinases in haematopoietic cells, is implicated in the immune response to extracellular stimuli and in cell differentiation induced by cytokines. Although HS1 contains a 37-amino acid tandem repeat motif and a C-terminal Src homology 3 domain and is closely related to the cortical-actin-associated protein cortactin, it lacks the fourth repeat that has been shown to be essential for cortactin binding to filamentous actin (F-actin). In this study, we examined the possible role of HS1 in the regulation of the actin cytoskeleton. Immunofluorescent staining demonstrated that HS1 co-localizes in the cytoplasm of cells with actin-related protein (Arp) 2/3 complex, the primary component of the cellular machinery responsible for de novo actin assembly. Furthermore, recombinant HS1 binds directly to Arp2/3 complex with an equilibrium dissociation constant (K-d) of 880 nM. Although HS1 is a modest F-actin-binding protein with a Kd of 400 nM, it increases the rate of the actin assembly mediated by Arp2/3 complex, and promotes the formation of branched actin filaments induced by Arp2/3 complex and a constitutively activated peptide of N-WASP (neural Wiskott-Aldrich syndrome protein). Our data suggest that HS1, like cortactin, plays an important role in the modulation of actin assembly.

班公湖带多不杂超大型富金斑岩铜矿床的成岩成矿年代学、岩石学及高氧化岩浆¬流体-成矿作用

Duobuza copper deposit, newly discovered typical gold-rich porphyry copper deposit with superlarge potential, is located in the Tiegelong Mesozoic tectonic -magmatic arc of the southern edge of Qiangtang block and the northern margin of Bangonghu-Nujiang suture. Quartz diorite porphyrite and grandiorite porphyry, occurred in stock, are the main ore-bearing porphyries. As the emplacement of porphyry stock, a wide range of hydrothermal alteration has developed. Within the framework of the ore district, abundant hydrothermal magnetite developed, and the relationship between precipitation of copper and gold and hydrothermal magnetite seems much close. Correspondingly, a series of veinlets and network veinlets occurred in all alteration zones. Therefore, systematic research on such a superlarge high-grade Duobuza gold-rich porphyry copper deposit can fully revealed the metallogenic characteristics of gold-rich porphyry copper deposits in this region, establish metallogenetic model and prospecting criteria, and has important practical significance on the promotion of regional exploration. In addition, this research on it can enrich metallogenic theory of strong oxidation magma-fluid to gold-rich porphyry copper deposit, and will be helpful to understand the metallogenic characteristics in early of subduction of Gangdese arc stages and its entire evolution history of the Qinghai-Tibet Plateau, the temporal and spatial distribution of ore deposits and their geodynamics settings. Northern ore body of Duobuza copper deposit have been controlled with width (north-south) about 100 ~ 400 m, length (east-west) about 1400 m, dip of 200 °, angle of dip 65 °~ 80 °. And controlled resource amount is of 2.7 million tons Cu with grade 0.94% and 13 tons Au with 0.21g/tAu. Overall features of ore body are large scale, higher grade copper, gold-rich. Ore occurred in the body of granodiotite porphyry and quartz diorite porphyrite and its contact zone with wall rock. Through the detailed mapping and field work studies, some typies of alteration are identificated as follows: albitization, biotititation, sericitization, silication, epidotization, chloritization, carbonatization, illitization, kaolinization and so on. The range of alteration is more than 10km2. Wall alteration zone can be divided into potassic alteration, moderate argillization alteration, argillization, illite-hydromuscovite or propylitization from ore-bearing porphyry center outwards, but phyllic alteration has not well developed and only sericite-quartz veins occurred in local area. Moreover, micro-fracture is development in ore district , and correspondingly a series of veinlets are development as follows: biotite vein (EB type), K-feldspar-biotite-chalcopyrite-quartz vein, magnetite-antinolite-K-feldspar vein, quartz-chalcopyrite-magnetite veins (A-type), quartz-magnetite-biotite-K-feldspar vein, chalcopyrite veinlets in potassic alteration zone; (2) chalcopyrite occurring in the center vein–quartz vein (B type), chalcopyrite veinlets, chalcopyrite-gypsum vein in intermediate argillization alteration; (3) chalcopyrite- pyrite-quartz vein, pyrite-quartz vein, chalcopyrite-gypsum veins, quartz-gypsum- molybdenite-chalcopyrite vein in argillization alteration; (4) gypsum veins, quartz-(molybdenite)-chalcopyrite vein, quartz-pyrite vein, gypsum- chalcopyrite vein, potassium feldspar veinlets, Carbonate veins, quartz-magnetite veins in the wall rock. In short, various veins are very abundant within the framework of the ore district. The results of electronic probe microscopy analysis (EMPA) indicate that Albite (Ab 91.5~99.7%) occurred along the rim of plagioclase phenocryst and fracture, and respresents the earliest stages of alteration. K-feldspar (Or 75.1~96.9%) altered plagioclase phenocryst and matrix or formed secondary potassium feldspar veinlets. Secondary biotite occurred mainly in phenocryst, matrix and veinlets, belong to magnesium-rich biotite formed under the conditions of high-oxidation magma- hydrothermal. Chloritization developed in all alteration zones and alterd iron- magnesium minerals such as biotite and hornblende and then formed chlorite veinlets. As the temperature rises, Si in the tetrahedral site of chlorite decreased, and chlorite component evolved from diabantite to ripiolite. The consistent 280℃~360℃ of formation temperature hinted that chlorite formed on the same temperature range in all alteration zones. However, formation temperature range of chlorite from the gypsum-carbonate-chlorite vein was 190℃~220℃, and it may be the product of the latest stage of hydrothermal activity. The closely relationship between biotite and rutile indicate that most of rutiles are precipitated in the process of biotite alteration and recrystallization. In addition, the V2O3 concentration of rutile from ore body in Duobuza gold-rich porphyry copper deposit is >0.4％, indicate that V concentration in rutile has important significance on marking main ore body of porphyry copper deposit. Apatites from Duobuza deposit all are F-rich. And apatite in the wall rock contained low MnO content and relatively high FeO content, which may due to the basaltic composition of the wall rocks. The MnO in apatite from altered porphyry show a strong positive correlation with FeO. In addition, Cl/F ratio of apatite from wall rock was highest, followed by the potassic alteration zone and potassic alteration zone overprinted by moderate argillization alteration was the lowest. SO2 in Apatite are in the scope of 0 to 0.66%, biotite in the apatite has the highest SO2, followed by the potassic alteration zone, potassic alteration zone overprinted by moderate argillization alteration, and the lowest in the surrounding rocks, which may be caused by the decrease of oxygen fugacity of hydrothermal fluid and S exhaust by sulfide precipitation in potassic alteration. Magnetite in the wall rock have higher Cr2O3 and lower Al2O3 features compared with altered porphyry, this may be due to basalt wall rock generally has high Cr content. And magnetites have higher TiO2 content in potassic alteration than moderate argillization alteration overprinted by potassic alteration, argillization and wall rock, suggested that its formation temperature in potassic alteration was the highest among them. The ore minerals mainly are chalcopyrite and bornite, and Au contents of chalcopyrite, bornite, and pyrite are similar with chalcopyrite slightly higher. The Eu* negative anomaly of disseminated chalcopyrite was relatively lower than chalcopyrite in veinlets. Within a drill hole, the Eu* negative anomaly of disseminated chalcopyrite was gradually larger from bottom to top. Magnetite has the same distribution model, with obvious negative Eu* abnormal, and ΣREE in great changes. The gypsum has the highest ΣREE content and the obvious negative anomaly, and biotite obviously has the Eu* abnormal. Based on the petrographic and geochemical characteristics, five series of magmatic rocks can be broadly classified; they are volcanic rocks of the normal island arc, high-Nb basaltic rocks, adakites, altered porphyry and diorite. The Sr, Nd, Hf isotopes and geochemistry of various series of magmatic rock show that they may be the result of mixing between basic magma and various degrees of acid magma coming from lower crust melted by high temperature basic underplating from partial melting of the subduction sediment melt metasomatic mantle wedge. Furthermore S isotope and Pb isotope of the sulfide, ore-bearing porphyries and volcanic rocks indicated ore-forming source is the mantle wedge metasomatied by subduction sediment melt. Oxygen fugacity of magma estimated by Fe2O3/FeO of whole rock and zircon Ce4+/Ce3+ indicated that the oxidation of basalt-andesitic rocks is higher than ore-forming porphyry, and might imply high-oxidation characteristics of underplated basic magma. Its high oxidative mechanism is likely mantle sources metasomatied by subduction sediment magma, including water and Fe3+. And such high oxidation of basaltic magma is conducive to the mantle of sulfides in the effective access to melt. And the An component of dark part within plagioclase phenocryst zoning belong to bytownite (An 74%), and its may be a result of magma composition changes refreshment by basaltic magma injection. SHRIMP zircon U-Pb and LA-ICP-MS zircon U-Pb geochronology study showed that the intrusions and volcanic rocks from Duobuza porphyry copper deposit belong to early Cretaceous magma series (126~105Ma). The magma evolution series are as follows: the earliest diorite and diorite porphyrite → ore-bearing porphyry and barren grandiorite porphyry →basaltic andesite → diorite porphyrite → andesite → basaltic andesite, and magma component shows a evolution trend from intermediate to intermediate-acid to basic. Based on the field evidences, the formation age of high-Nb basalt may be the latest. The Ar-Ar geochronology of altered secondary biotite, K-feldspar and sericite shows that the main mineralization lasting a interval of about 4 Ma, the duration limit of whole magma-hydrothermal evolution of about 6 Ma, and possibly such a long duration limit may result in the formation of Duobuza super-large copper deposit. Moreover, tectonic diagram and trace element geochemistry of volcanic rocks and diorite from Duobuza porphyry copper deposit confirm that it formed in a continental margin arc environment. Zircon U-Pb age of volcanic rocks and porphyry fall in the range of 105~121Ma, and Duobuza porphyry copper deposit locating in the north of the Bangonghu- Nujiang suture zone, suggested that Neo-Tethys ocean still subducted northward at least early Cretaceous, and its closure time should be later than 105 Ma. Three major inclusion types and ten subtypes are distinguished from quartz phenocrysts and various quartz veins. Vapor generally coexisting with brine inclusions, suggest that fluid boiling may be the main ore-forming mechanism. Raman spectrums of fluid inclusions display that the content of vapor and liquid inclusion mainly contain water, and vapor occasionally contain a little CO2. In addition, the component of liquid inclusions mainly include Cl-, SO42-, Na+, K+, a small amount of Ca2+, F-; and Cl- and Na+ show good correlation. Vapor mainly contains water, a small amount of CO2, CH4 and C2H6 and so on. The daughter minerals identified by Laman spectroscopy and SEM include gypsum, chalcopyrite, halite, sylvite, rutile, potassium feldspar, Fe-Mn-chloride and other minerals, and ore-forming fluid belong to a complex hydrothermal system containing H2O-NaCl-KClFeCl2CaCl2. H and O isotopic analysis of quartz phenocryst, vein quartz, magnetite, chlorite and gypsum from all alteration zones show that the ore-forming fluid of Duobuza gold-rich porphyry copper deposit consisted mainly of magmatic water, without addition of meteric water. Duobuza gold-rich porphyry copper deposit formed by the primary magmatic fluid (600-950C), which has high oxidation, ultra-high salinity and metallogenic element-rich, exsolution direct from the magma, and it is representative of the typical orthomagmatic end member of the porphyry continuum. Moreover, the fluid evolution model of Duobuza gold-rich porphyry copper deposit has been established. Furthermore, two key factors for formation of large Au-rich porphyry copper deposit have been summed up, which are ore-forming fluids earlier separated from magma and high oxidation magma-mineralization fluid system.

Pancreatic and adrenal development and function in an ovine model of polycystic ovary syndrome.

Polycystic Ovary Syndrome (PCOS) is a complex disorder encompassing reproductive and metabolic dysfunction. Ovarian hyperandrogenism is an endocrine hallmark of human PCOS. In animal models, PCOS-like abnormalities can be recreated by in utero over-exposure to androgenic steroid hormones. This thesis investigated pancreatic and adrenal development and function in a unique model of PCOS. Fetal sheep were directly exposed (day 62 and day 82 of gestation) to steroidal excesses - androgen excess (testosterone propionate - TP), estrogen excess (diethylstilbestrol - DES) or glucocorticoid excess (dexamethasone - DEX). At d90 gestation there was elevated expression of genes involved in β- cell development and function: PDX-1 (P<0.001), and INS (P<0.05), INSR (P<0.05) driven by androgenic excess only in the female fetal pancreas. β- cell numbers (P<0.001) and in vitro insulin secretion (P<0.05) were also elevated in androgen exposed female fetuses. There was a significant increase in insulin secreting β-cell numbers (P<0.001) and in vivo insulin secretion (glucose stimulated) (P<0.01) in adult female offspring, specifically associated with prenatal androgen excess. At d90 gestation, female fetal adrenal gene expression was perturbed by fetal estrogenic exposure. Male fetal adrenal gene expression was altered more dramatically by fetal glucocorticoid exposure. In female adult offspring from androgen exposed pregnancies there was increased adrenal steroidogenic gene expression and in vivo testosterone secretion (P<0.01). This highlights that the adrenal glands may contribute towards excess androgen secretion in PCOS, but such effects might be secondary to other metabolic alterations driven by prenatal androgen exposure, such as excess insulin secretion Thus there may be dialogue between the pancreas and adrenal gland, programmed during early life, with implications for adult health Given both hyperinsulinaemia and hyperandrogenism are common features in PCOS, we suggest that their origins may be at least partially due to altered fetal steroidal environments, specifically excess androgenic stimulation

Procurement of electronic content across the UK National Health Service and Higher Education sectors. Report to JISC executive and LKDN executive.

Spink, S., Urquhart, C., Cox, A. & Higher Education Academy - Information and Computer Sciences Subject Centre. (2007). Procurement of electronic content across the UK National Health Service and Higher Education sectors. Report to JISC executive and LKDN executive. Sponsorship: JISC/LKDN

Mapping the gene for autosomal dominant restless legs syndrome in an Irish family

Restless Legs Syndrome (RLS) is a common neurological disorder affecting nearly 15% of the general population. Ironically, RLS can be described as the most common condition one has never heard of. It is usually characterised by uncomfortable, unpleasant sensations in the lower limbs inducing an uncontrollable desire to move the legs. RLS exhibits a circadian pattern with symptoms present predominantly in the evening or at night, thus leading to sleep disruption and daytime somnolence. RLS is generally classified into primary (idiopathic) and secondary (symptomatic) forms. Primary RLS includes sporadic and familial cases of which the age of onset is usually less than 45 years and progresses slowly with a female to male ratio of 2:1. Secondary forms often occur as a complication of another health condition, such as iron deficiency or thyroid dysfunction. The age of onset is usually over 45 years, with an equal male to female ratio and more rapid progression. Ekbom described the familial component of the disorder in 1945 and since then many studies have been published on the familial forms of the disorder. Molecular genetic studies have so far identified ten loci (5q, 12q, 14p, 9p, 20p, 16p, 19p, 4q, 17p). No specific gene within these loci has been identified thus far. Association mapping has highlighted a further five areas of interest. RLS6 has been found to be associated with SNPs in the BTBD9 gene. Four other variants were found within intronic and intergenic regions of MEIS1, MAP2K5/LBXCOR1, PTPRD and NOS1. The pathophysiology of RLS is complex and remains to be fully elucidated. Conditions associated with secondary RLS, such as pregnancy or end-stage renal disease, are characterised by iron deficiency, which suggests that disturbed iron homeostasis plays a role. Dopaminergic dysfunction in subcortical systems also appears to play a central role. An ongoing study within the Department of Pathology (University College Cork) is investigating the genetic characteristics of RLS in Irish families. A three generation RLS pedigree RLS3002 consisting of 11 affected and 7 unaffected living family members was recruited. The family had been examined for four of the known loci (5q, 12q, 14p and 9p) (Abdulrahim 2008). The aim of this study was to continue examining this Irish RLS pedigree for possible linkage to the previously described loci and associated regions. Using informative microsatellite markers linkage was excluded to the loci on 5q, 12q, 14p, 9p, 20p, 16p, 19p, 4q, 17p and also within the regions reported to be associated with RLS. This suggested the presence of a new unidentified locus. A genome-wide scan was performed using two microsatellite marker screening sets (Research Genetics Inc. Mapping set and the Applied Biosystems Linkage mapping set version 2.5). Linkage analysis was conducted under an autosomal dominant model with a penetrance of 95% and an allele frequency of 0.01. A maximum LOD score of 3.59 at θ=0.00 for marker D19S878 indicated significant linkage on chromosome 19p. Haplotype analysis defined a genetic region of 6.57 cM on chromosome 19p13.3, corresponding to 2.5 Mb. There are approximately 100 genes annotated within the critical region. Sequencing of two candidate genes, KLF16 and GAMT, selected on the assumed pathophysiology of RLS, did not identify any sequence variant. This study provides evidence of a novel RLS locus in an Irish pedigree, thus supporting the picture of RLS as a genetically heterogeneous trait.