Spitzer Secondary Eclipses of WASP-18b

The transiting exoplanet WASP-18b was discovered in 2008 by the Wide Angle Search for Planets project. The Spitzer Exoplanet Target of Opportunity Program observed secondary eclipses of WASP-18b using Spitzer's Infrared Array Camera in the 3.6 µm and 5.8 µm bands on 2008 December 20, and in the 4.5 µm and 8.0 µm bands on 2008 December 24. We report eclipse depths of 0.30% ± 0.02%, 0.39% ± 0.02%, 0.37% ± 0.03%, 0.41% ± 0.02%, and brightness temperatures of 3100 ± 90, 3310 ± 130, 3080 ± 140, and 3120 ± 110 K in order of increasing wavelength. WASP-18b is one of the hottest planets yet discovered—as hot as an M-class star. The planet's pressure-temperature profile most likely features a thermal inversion. The observations also require WASP-18b to have near-zero albedo and almost no redistribution of energy from the day side to the night side of the planet.

EURODIAB childhood type 1 diabetes incidence registers - results from the first 20 years. Oral presentation at the 47th EASD Annual Meeting, Lisbon, Portugal.

Background and aims: In 1989 a number of registers in Europe began recording new cases of type 1 diabetes diagnosed in children aged under 15 years using a common protocol. Trends in incidence rate during the 20 year period 1989-2008 are described.
Materials and methods: All registers operate in geographically defined regions and are based on a clinical diagnosis. When possible, completeness of registration in each register is assessed using capture-recapture methodology by identifying primary and secondary sources of ascertainment. The completeness estimate is obtained by identifying the numbers of cases identified by the primary source only, by the secondary source only and by both the primary and the secondary sources.
Results: Other registers have joined the Group since 1989, and 21 registers in 15 countries continue to submit registration data. In the first five years (1989-93) incidence rates varied from 3.2 per 100,000 in the Former Yugoslav Republic of Macedonia to 25.8 per 100,000 in the Stockholm area of Sweden. In the last five years (2004-2008) these same two registers again had the lowest and highest incidence, but rates had increased to 5.8 per 100,000 and 36.6 per 100,000, respectively. During the 20 year period all but two of the 21 registers showed statistically significant rates of increase (median rate of increase 4% per annum), and similar figures were obtained when this median rate of increase was estimated for the first half of the period (1989-98) and for the second half (1999-2008) . However, rates of increase differed significantly between the first half and the second half of the period for eight of the 17 registers with adequate coverage of both periods; four registers showing significantly higher rates of increase in the first half and four significantly higher rates in the second half.
Conclusion: The childhood type 1 diabetes incidence rate continues to rise across Europe by approximately 4% per annum, but the increase within a register is not necessarily uniform with periods of less rapid and more rapid increase in incidence occurring in some registers. This pattern of change suggests that important risk exposures differ over time in different European countries. Further time trend analysis and comparison of the patterns in defined regions are warranted.

EURODIAB childhood type 1 diabetes incidence registers - results from the first 20 years

Background and aims: In 1989 a number of registers in Europe began recording new cases of type 1 diabetes diagnosed in children aged under 15 years using a common protocol. Trends in incidence rate during the 20 year period 1989-2008 are described.
Materials and methods: All registers operate in geographically defined regions and are based on a clinical diagnosis. When possible, completeness of registration in each register is assessed using capture-recapture methodology by identifying primary and secondary sources of ascertainment. The completeness estimate is obtained by identifying the numbers of cases identified by the primary source only, by the secondary source only and by both the primary and the secondary sources.
Results: Other registers have joined the Group since 1989, and 21 registers in 15 countries continue to submit registration data. In the first five years (1989-93) incidence rates varied from 3.2 per 100,000 in the Former Yugoslav Republic of Macedonia to 25.8 per 100,000 in the Stockholm area of Sweden. In the last five years (2004-2008) these same two registers again had the lowest and highest incidence, but rates had increased to 5.8 per 100,000 and 36.6 per 100,000, respectively. During the 20 year period all but two of the 21 registers showed statistically significant rates of increase (median rate of increase 4% per annum), and similar figures were obtained when this median rate of increase was estimated for the first half of the period (1989-98) and for the second half (1999-2008) . However, rates of increase differed significantly between the first half and the second half of the period for eight of the 17 registers with adequate coverage of both periods; four registers showing significantly higher rates of increase in the first half and four significantly higher rates in the second half.
Conclusion: The childhood type 1 diabetes incidence rate continues to rise across Europe by approximately 4% per annum, but the increase within a register is not necessarily uniform with periods of less rapid and more rapid increase in incidence occurring in some registers. This pattern of change suggests that important risk exposures differ over time in different European countries. Further time trend analysis and comparison of the patterns in defined regions are warranted.

Development of an in vitro model for study of the efficacy of ischemic preconditioning in human skeletal muscle against ischemia-reperfusion injury

Ischemia-reperfusion (I/R) injury causes skeletal muscle infarction and ischemic preconditioning (IPC) augments ischemic tolerance in animal models. To date, this has not been demonstrated in human skeletal muscle. This study aimed to develop an in vitro model to investigate the efficacy of simulated IPC in human skeletal muscle. Human skeletal muscle strips were equilibrated in oxygenated Krebs-Henseleit-HEPES buffer (37 degrees C). Aerobic and reperfusion phases were simulated by normoxic incubation and reoxygenation, respectively. Ischemia was simulated by hypoxic incubation. Energy store, cell viability, and cellular injury were assessed using ATP, 3-(4,5-dimethylthiazol-2-yl)-2,5-diphenyl-2H-tetrazolium bromide (MTT), and lactate dehydrogenase (LDH) assays, respectively. Morphological integrity was assessed using electron microscopy. Studies were designed to test stability of the preparation (n = 5-11) under normoxic incubation over 24 h; the effect of 1, 2, 3, 4, or 6 h hypoxia followed by 2 h of reoxygenation; and the protective effect of hypoxic preconditioning (HPC; 5 min of hypoxia/5 min of reoxygenation) before 3 h of hypoxia/2 h of reoxygenation. Over 24 h of normoxic incubation, muscle strips remained physiologically intact as assessed by MTT, ATP, and LDH assays. After 3 h of hypoxia/2 h of reoxygenation, MTT reduction levels declined to 50.1 +/- 5.5% (P <0.05). MTT reduction levels in HPC (82.3 +/- 10.8%) and normoxic control (81.3 +/- 10.2%) groups were similar and higher (P <0.05) than the 3 h of hypoxia/2 h of reoxygenation group (45.2 +/- 5.8%). Ultrastructural morphology was preserved in normoxic and HPC groups but not in the hypoxia/reoxygenation group. This is the first study to characterize a stable in vitro model of human skeletal muscle and to demonstrate a protective effect of HPC in human skeletal muscle against hypoxia/reoxygenation-induced injury.

Identification of tetramethylarsonium in rice grains with elevated arsenic content

Tetramethylarsonium has for the first time been identified in a commercially grown food product, rice, constituting up to 5.8% of the total arsenic in the rice.