In Vitro Proliferation and Osteoblastic Phenotype Expression of Cells Derived From Human Vertebral Lamina and Iliac Crest

Study Design. Osteoblastic cells derived from vertebral lamina and iliac crest were isolated and cultured under the same conditions (osteogenic medium, pH, temperature, and CO(2) levels). Objective. To compare proliferation and expression of osteoblastic phenotype of cells derived from vertebral lamina and iliac grafting. Summary of Background Data. Many factors play a role in the success of bone graft in spinal fusion including osteoblastic cell population. Two common sources of graft are vertebral lamina and iliac crest, however, differences in proliferation and osteoblastic phenotype expression between cells from these sites have not been investigated. Methods. Cells obtained from cancellous bone of both vertebral lamina and iliac crest were cultured and proliferation was evaluated by direct cell counting and viability detected by Trypan blue. Alkaline phosphatase (ALP) activity was evaluated by thymolphthalein release from thymolphthalein monophosphate and matrix mineralization by staining with alizarin red S. Gene expression of ALP, osteocalcin, runt-related transcription factor 2, Msh homeobox 2, bone morphogenetic protein 7, intercellular adhesion molecule 1 precursor, osteoprotegerin, and receptor activator of NF-kB ligand was analyzed by real-time PCR. All comparisons were donor-matched. Results. Proliferation was greater at days 7 and 10 in cells from vertebral lamina compared with ones from iliac crest without difference in cell viability. ALP activity was higher in cells from vertebral lamina compared with cells from iliac crest at days 7 and 10. At 21 days, mineralized matrix was higher in cells derived from vertebral lamina than from iliac crest. At day 7, gene expression of ALP, osteocalcin, runt-related transcription factor 2, Msh homeobox 2, bone morphogenetic protein 7, intercellular adhesion molecule 1 precursor, receptor activator of NF-kB ligand, and osteoprotegerin was higher in cells derived from vertebral lamina compared with iliac crest. Conclusion. Cell proliferation and osteoblastic phenotype development in cells derived from cancellous bone were more exuberant in cultures of vertebral lamina than of iliac crest.

Neonatal handling reduces the number of cells in the medial preoptic area of female rats

Early-life events may induce alterations in neuronal function in adulthood. A crucial aspect in studying long-lasting effects induced by environmental interventions imposed to the animal several weeks before is finding a stable change that could be causally related to the phenotype observed in adulthood. In order to explain an adult trait, it seems necessary to look back to early life and establish a temporal line between events. The neonatal handling procedure is an experimental tool to analyze the long-lasting impact of early-life events. Aside from the neuroendocrine response to stress, neonatal handling also alters the functionality of the hypothalamus-pituitary-gonad (HPG) axis. Reductions in ovulation and surge of the luteinizing hormone (LH) on the proestrous day were shown in female rats. Considering the importance of the medial preoptic area (MPA) for the control of ovulation, the present study aimed to verify the effects of neonatal handling on the numerical density and cell size in the MPA in 11-day-old and 90-day-old female rats. Cellular proliferation was also assessed using BrdU (5-bromo-2`-deoxyuridine) in 11-day-old pups. Results showed that neonatal handling induces a stable reduction in the number of cells and in the size of the cell soma, which were lower in handled females than in nonhandled ones at both ages. Cellular proliferation in the MPA was also reduced 24 h after the last manipulation. The repeated mother-infant disruption imposed by the handling procedure ""lesioned"" the MPA. The dysfunction in the ovulation mechanisms induced by the handling procedure could be related to that neuronal loss. The study also illustrates the impact of an environmental intervention on the development of the brain. (C) 2008 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved

It's the first bites that count: Survival of first-instar monarchs on milkweeds

Mortality of first instars is generally very high, but variable, and is caused by many factors, including physical and chemical plant characters, weather and natural enemies. Here, a summary of detailed field-based studies of the early-stage survival of a specialist lepidopteran herbivore is presented. First-instar larvae of the monarch butterfly, Danaus plexippus, a milkweed specialist, generally grew faster and survived better on leaves when latex flow was reduced by partial severance of the leaf petiole. The outcome depended on milkweed species, and was related to the amount of latex produced, as well as other plant characters, such as leaf hairs, microclimate and concentration of secondary metabolites. Even for a so-called 'milkweed specialist', larval performance and survival appears to be related to the concentration of cardenolides produced by the plants (a potential chemical defence against herbivory). This case study of monarchs and milkweeds highlights the need for field-based experiments to assess the effect of plant characters on the usually poor survival of early instar phytophagous insects. Few similar studies concerning the performance and survival of first-instar, eucalypt-specific herbivores have been conducted, but this type of study is considered essential based on the findings obtained using D. plexippus.

Ecotourism for the survival of sea turtles and other wildlife

This paper discusses generally why humans should bother to conserve sea turtles. In doing so, it considers both economic and non-economic reasons and outlines threats to the existence of sea turtles and ways in which tourism may either contribute to the conservation or decline of their populations. Turtle-based ecotourism at Mon Repos in southern Queensland is described. As a result of a survey conducted by the authors, it is shown that turtle-based ecotourism at Mon Repos has positive social (indirect) consequences for the conservation of sea turtles. Furthermore, it is argued that ecotourism operations at Mon Repos have positive direct impacts on the sustainability of populations of sea turtles. However, using a simple model, it is emphasised that this impact is limited because turtles are migratory. A model is also developed to capture the possible relationship between turtle populations and the sustainability of ecotourism dependent on turtle populations, and is extended to other wildlife species. Significant interdependence exists between the sustainability of these two variables. The theory is related to Ciriacy-Wantrup's social safe minimum conservation standard for species' survival.

Development and survival of the diamondback moth (Lepidoptera : Plutellidae) at constant and alternating temperatures

Survival and development time from egg to adult emergence of the diamondback moth, Plutella xylostella (L.), were determined at 19 constant and 14 alternating temperature regimes from 4 to 40degreesC. Plutella xylostella developed successfully front egg to adult emergence at constant temperatures from 8 to 32degreesC. At temperatures from 4 to 6degreesC or from 34 to 40degreesC, partial or complete development of individual stages or instars was possible, with third and fourth instars having the widest temperature limits. The insect developed successfully from egg to adult emergence under alternating regimes including temperatures as low as 4degreesC or as high as 38degreesC. The degree-day model, the logistic equation, and the Wang model were used to describe the relationships between temperature and development rate at both constant and alternating temperatures. The degree-day model described the relationships well from 10 to 30degreesC. The logistic equation and the Wang model fit the data well at temperatures 32degreesC. Under alternating regimes, all three models gave good simulations of development in the mid-temperature range, but only the logistic equation gave close simulations in the low temperature range, and none gave close or consistent simulations in the high temperature range. The distribution of development time was described satisfactorily by a Weibull function. These rate and time distribution functions provide tools for simulating population development of P. xylostella over a wide range of temperature conditions.

Survival of conidia of sorghum ergot (caused by Claviceps africana) on panicles, seed and soil in Australia

Macroconidia of the sorghum ergot pathogen, Claviceps africana Frederickson, Mantle & de Milliano, survived in dried honeydew on soil for 13-14 weeks in a glasshouse at ambient temperatures, but for less than half that time on seed stored in a shadehouse over summer. Those on seeds stored at 4degreesC, however, survived for over a year (58-62 weeks). During summer, conidia on ergot-infected panicles buried in soil, or on the soil surface, survived for 7.5-12 weeks, whereas over winter the survival times were 4 weeks and 19-27 weeks, respectively. Macroconidia on infected panicles held above the soil surface survived for >38 weeks (8 calendar months) over winter, suggesting that they may play a role in the perennation of C. africana in Australia.

Survival of adult AIDS patients in a reference hospital of a metropolitan area in Brazil

OBJECTIVE: To evaluate the influence of sociodemographic, clinical, and epidemiological factors in AIDS patients survival in a reference hospital. METHODS: A sample of 502 adult AIDS patients out of 1,494 AIDS cases registered in a hospital in Fortaleza, Brazil, was investigated between 1986 and 1998. Sixteen cases were excluded due to death at the moment of the AIDS diagnosis and 486 were analyzed in the study. Socioeconomic and clinical epidemiological were the variables studied. Statistical analysis was conducted using the Kaplan-Meier survival analysis and the Cox proportional hazards model. RESULTS: Three hundred and sixty two out of the 486 patients studied took at least one antiretroviral drug and their survival was ten times longer than those who did not take any drug (746 and 79 days, respectively, p <0.001). Patients who took two nucleoside reverse transcriptase inhibitors (NRTI) plus protease inhibitor were found to have higher survival rates (p <0.001). The risk of dying in the first year was significantly lower for patients who took NRTI and a protease inhibitor compared to those who took only NRTI. In addition, this risk was much lower from the second year on (0.10; 95%CI: 0.42-0.23). The risk of dying in the first year was significantly higher for less educated patients (15.58; 95%CI: 6.64-36.58) and those who had two or more systemic diseases (3.03; 95%CI: 1.74-5.25). After the first year post-diagnosis, there was no risk difference for these factors. CONCLUSIONS: Higher education revealed to exert a significant influence in the first-year survival. Antiretroviral drugs had a greater impact in the survival from the second year on. A more aggressive antiretroviral therapy started earlier could benefit those patients.

Survival of a cohort of women with cervical cancer diagnosed in a Brazilian cancer center

OBJECTIVE: To assess overall survival of women with cervical cancer and describe prognostic factors associated. METHODS: A total of 3,341 cases of invasive cervical cancer diagnosed at the Brazilian Cancer Institute, Rio de Janeiro, southeastern Brazil, between 1999 and 2004 were selected. Clinical and pathological characteristics and follow-up data were collected. There were performed a survival analysis using Kaplan-Meier curves and a multivariate analysis through Cox model. RESULTS: Of all cases analyzed, 68.3% had locally advanced disease at the time of diagnosis. The 5-year overall survival was 48%. After multivariate analysis, tumor staging at diagnosis was the single variable significantly associated with prognosis (p<0.001). There was seen a dose-response relationship between mortality and clinical staging, ranging from 27.8 to 749.6 per 1,000 cases-year in women stage I and IV, respectively. CONCLUSIONS: The study showed that early detection through prevention programs is crucial to increase cervical cancer survival.

Survival of Trypanosoma cruzi in sugar cane used to prepare juice

Chagas disease can be transmitted to man by many different means, including contact with infected triatomine feces, blood transfusion, laboratory accidents, organ transplants, and congenital or oral routes. The latter mode has received considerable attention recently. In this assay, we evaluate the survival of Trypanosoma cruzi contaminating sugar cane used to prepare juice, as well as the viability and capacity for infection by the parasite after recovery. Thirty triatomines were contaminated with T. cruzi Y strain and 45 days later pieces of sugar cane were contaminated with the intestinal contents of the insects. The pieces were ground at different intervals after contamination (time = 0, 1, 4, 6, 12 and 24 hours) and the juice extracted and analyzed. Different methods were used to show T. cruzi in the juice: direct analysis, hematocrit tube centrifugation and QBC, and experimental inoculation in 47 female BALB/c mice (five control mice and seven mice for each interval examined (five inoculated orally and two intraperitoneally). Positive results were found using the direct analysis and QBC methods for juice prepared up to 12 hours after initial contamination. However, by the centrifugation technique, positivity was found only up to four hours after contamination of the sugar cane. Inoculated animals showed parasitemia during a 14 day observation period, demonstrating the high survival rate of T. cruzi in sugar cane.

EFFECTS OF SINGLE, BINARY AND TERTIARY COMBINATIONS WITH Jatropha gossypifolia AND OTHER PLANT-DERIVED MOLLUSCICIDES ON REPRODUCTION AND SURVIVAL OF THE SNAIL Lymnaea acuminata

The effect of sub-lethal doses (40% and 80% of LC50/24h) of plant derived molluscicides of singly, binary (1:1) and tertiary (1:1:1) combinations of the Rutin, Ellagic acid, Betulin and taraxerol with J. gossypifolia latex, leaf and stem bark powder extracts and their active component on the reproduction of freshwater snail Lymnaea acuminata have been studied. It was observed that the J. gossypifolia latex, stem bark, individual leaf and their combinations with other plant derived active molluscicidal components caused a significant reduction in fecundity, hatchability and survival of young snails. It is believed that sub-lethal exposure of these molluscicides on snail reproduction is a complex process involving more than one factor in reducing the reproductive capacity.

Demographic determinants of survival of people living with HIV attending an outpatient reference unit in the city of Três Lagoas, state of Mato Grosso do Sul, Brazil, in the period 1984-2009

INTRODUCTION: While the incidence of HIV infection and AIDS is increasing in small Brazilian cities, epidemiological studies are often conducted in large urban centers. METHODS: Our group conducted a retrospective analysis of survival determinants among 358 patients who attended a reference unit in a small city. RESULTS: Death risk was lower among men that had sex with men, patients with an HIV-seropositive partner, and those admitted after highly active antiretroviral therapy (HAART) was available. CONCLUSIONS: The study documents the striking beneficial effect of HAART. The finding of other groups with improved survival may aid in the development of programmatic strategies.

Preliminary observations on the effect of sudden changes of temperature on survival of young Matrinxã (Brycon cephalus) under laboratory conditions

Matrinxã is a very promising amazonian fish for fish culture in Brazil. This study is aimed at determining the approximate tolerated temperature range in this species. Groups of ten young matrinxã specimens (15.1±0.8 cm average length and 58.3±10.3 g average weight) were subjected to 9 different temperatures for 24 hours without previous acclimation. Fish were transferred from an initial temperature of 27ºC to those ranging from 12 to 39ºC at 3ºC intervals. Both 12ºC and 39ºC temperatures were lethal for this species with 100% mortality rate. Following 2 minutes of exposure to 39ºC fish changed behavior, showing an increase in opercular movements and erratic swimming; mortality reached 100% after 18 minutes. At 12ºC, fish lost equilibrium immediately after exposure and started swimming erratically; after only 4 minutes fish became lethargic and remained immobile on the bottom of the tank. Total mortality was only evident following 24 hours. At 15ºC matrinxã lost equilibrium after 5 to 6 minutes of exposure but mortality was only 20% after 24 hours. Fish tolerated well temperatures ranging from 18 to 36ºC with 100% survival after 24 hours. This preliminary study suggests that temperatures between 18 and 36ºC are the approximate range normally tolerated by this species, although survival at other temperatures may be increased by gradually acclimating fish to the more severe increases or decreases in temperature. In addition, it indicates that matrinxã may be cultivated over a wide geographical area.

The impact of depression on survival of Parkinson's disease patients: a five-year study

OBJECTIVE: The aim of this study is to evaluate the survival rate in a cohort of Parkinson's disease patients with and without depression. METHODS: A total of 53 Parkinson's disease subjects were followed up from 2003-2008 and 21 were diagnosed as depressed. Mean time of follow up was 3.8 (SD 95% = 1.5) years for all the sample and there was no significant difference in mean time of follow up between depressed and nondepressed Parkinson's disease patients. Survival curves rates were fitted using the Kaplan-Meier method. In order to compare survival probabilities according to the selected covariables the Log-Rank test was used. Multivariate analysis with Cox regression was performed aiming at estimating the effect of predictive covariables on the survival. RESULTS: The cumulative global survival of this sample was 83% with nine deaths at the end of the study - five in the depressed and four in the nondepressed group, and 55.6% died in the first year of observation, and none died at the fourth and fifth year of follow up. CONCLUSION: Our finding point toward incremental death risk in depressed Parkinson's disease patients.