Maternal serum alpha-fetoprotein screening activities of state health agencies: a survey.

Maternal serum alpha-fetoprotein (MSAFP) screening has been demonstrated to be cost-effective on a population basis and is becoming standard practice. The American Society of Human Genetics has twice published policy statements to define the essential elements of a quality screening program. The present study reviewed the impact of these policy statements on state public-health agencies with respect to regulation or provision of MSAFP screening in their jurisdictions. With a few exceptions, states have not elected to play a major role in provision or regulation of this test. There is need to address issues of funding, standards, and data collection in a collaborative effort, if policy statements on genetic services are to be translated into effective state population screening.     

Experimental evaluation of environmental enrichment of sea turtles

Although behavioral studies have been conducted at zoos and aquaria for years, documentation concerning the effectiveness of environmental enrichment has dealt primarily with terrestrial animals and marine mammals. Few enrichment studies have been conducted on reptiles. For this study, behavioral observations were made on four captive sea turtles (three loggerhead, Caretta caretta, and one blind green, Chelonia mydas) with enrichment present and absent. Enrichment devices were modified for the special needs of the blind turtle. Behaviors were classified as Resting, Pattern Swimming, Random Swimming, Focused Behavior, Aggression, Hiding, Orientation, and Noncategorized Behavior. It was hypothesized that, when enrichment was present, a decrease in Resting and stereotypic Pattern Swimming would be seen along with an increase in Random Swimming and Focused Behavior. It was found that, when no enrichment devices were present, 77% of the turtles' time was spent in Resting and Pattern Swimming. When enrichment devices were provided, 88% of their time was spent in Random Swimming and Focused Behavior with only 8% spent in Pattern Swimming and Resting. Statistically, there were significant increases in Random Swimming (three of the four turtles) and Focused Behavior (4/4) and significant decreases in Resting (3/4) and Pattern Swimming (3/4) when enrichment devices were present. These results suggest that environmental enrichment is as effective with marine reptiles as has been found with other animals and should be encouraged for all captive sea turtles. Zoo Biol 26:407–416, 2007. © 2007 Wiley‐Liss, Inc.     

Some causes of blindness seen at Noor Eye Institute, Afghanistan

This is a survey of the causes of blindness recorded by three students of The City University during a six-week stay at NOOR Eye Institute in Kabul, Afghanistan. The nature of the sample used makes it unsuitable for direct comparison with surveys from other countries. Nevertheless, broad conclusions can be drawn. Severe eye disease is a considerable problem in Afghanistan, in common with other developing countries. The survey included all new patients seen in the outpatient clinic, blind to the extent of being unable to count fingers at more than three metres, in one eye or both. The sample of patients was examined by an ophthalmologist working with our team. A diagnosis was made and various social and demographic questions were asked with the help of an interpreter. In all, 473 patients were examined and included in our survey sample, a very high proportion of the new patients attending the clinic (40.46 per cent). The main causes of blindness were found to be cataract (31.12 per cent), corneal scarring (19.8 per cent), chorioretinal degenerations (6.79 per cent), glaucoma (6.65 per cent) and aphakia (5.52 per cent). Of the major causes of blindness, about forty per cent of the cases were considered remediable, and about thirty per cent could have been prevented. An outstanding difference between the causes of blindness in developed nations and those seen in Afghanistan was the amount of blindness caused by infection, especially in the younger age groups (up to 30 years). Cataract is a major cause of blindness in the older age groups of both societies. People suffering from ocular disease in Afghanistan wait until their sight is badly impaired or lost completely before seeking treatment. This results from a lack of knowledge of what could be done to conserve sight, the irreversible nature of many eye diseases, the distances involved in travelling to the clinic, and even a lack of knowledge of its existence.     

Functional expression of mung bean Ca2+/H+ antiporter in yeast and its intracellular localization in the hypocotyl and tobacco cells.

The Ca2+-transport activity and intracellular localization of the translation product of cDNA for mung bean Ca2+/H+ antiporter (VCAX1) were examined. When the cDNA was expressed in Saccharomyces cerevisiae that lacked its own genes for vacuolar Ca2+-ATPase and the antiporter, VCAX1 complemented the active Ca2+ transporters, and the microsomal membranes from the transformant showed high activity of the Ca2+/H+ antiporter. Treatment of the vacuolar membranes with a cross-linking reagent resulted in a clear band of the dimer detected with antibody specific for VCAX1p. The antibody was also used for immunolocalization of the antiporter in fractions obtained by sucrose-density-gradient centrifugation of the microsomal fraction from mung bean. The immunostained band was detected in the vacuolar membrane fraction and the slightly heavy fractions that exhibited activity of the Golgi marker enzyme. A fusion protein of VCAX1p and green fluorescent protein was expressed in tobacco cells. The green fluorescence was clearly observed on the vacuolar membrane and, in some cases, in the small vesicles. The subcellular fractionation of transformed tobacco cells confirmed the vacuolar membrane localization of the fusion protein. These results confirm that VCAX1p functions in the vacuolar membrane as a Ca2+/H+ antiporter and also suggest that VCAX1p may exist in the Golgi apparatus.