Suction lipoplasty: biohazardous aerosols and exhaust mist--the clouded issue

With the increased popularity of suction lipoplasty procedures, attention has been focused on their safety. One significant concern involves the rotary vane aspirators used to provide the suction required for the procedure. A series of experiments was carried out to determine whether aerosols are produced during the use of a rotary vane aspirator, since aerosols are known to be hazardous under appropriate conditions. Using a viable strain of Pseudomonas aeruginosa, we challenged the system through the suction port, and the exhaust from the aspirator was then cultured in a particle sampler. Results indicate that viable pathogens are released from the exhaust in physiologically significant particles capable of penetrating to the level of the alveolus in the normal human lung. These infectious particles were produced for 3 hours after the initial challenge. When an appropriate filtration device was attached to the aspirator outflow, the aspirator pump and environment were protected. In the absence of an appropriate filtration device, the aerosolized particles may constitute a hazard to patients or medical workers in the vicinity of the aspirator.     

Distributional patterns and an additional species of thePassiflora vitifolia complex: Amazonian species diversity due to edaphically differentiated communities

Field studies in Amazonian Peru show that thePassiflora vitifolia complex, a microcosm of many larger taxa, is concentrated in Amazonia with 4 ecologically separated species. One species is restricted to seasonally inundated forests, a second to non-inundated white sand soils, a third to non-inundated lateritic soils, and the fourth mostly to non-inundated alluvial soils. A new combination is formally proposed to recognize the white sand taxon, previously regarded as a variety, as a distinct species:P. involucrata. The importance of -diversity in maintaining high Amazonian species diversity is emphasized.     

Body fat,rank, and nutritional status in a captive group of Rhesus Macaques

Using weight and skinfold thickness to calculate relative body fat, the fat content of 21 captive female rhesus macaques was estimated. Although age and. pregnancy had no effect on fat, rank was significant, especially during winter, with high-rank females having the highest fat scores. Rank therefore has a significant effect on the health of captive animals and may also affect the health of individuals in feral groups.     

Biological actions of synthetic locust ion transport peptide (ITP)

Locust Ion Transport Peptide (ITP) a member of the arthropod neuropeptide family which includes hyperglycemic, vitellogenesis-inhibiting, and moult-inhibiting hormones (CHH, VIH, MIH, respectively) was synthesized as proposed by Meredith et al. (1996) with terminal amidation of amino acid residue 72 and with 3 disulphide bridges. This is the first member of this family to be synthesized. Biological activities of synthetic ITP (synITP) were very similar to those previously reported for ITP purified from Schistocerca corpora cardiaca (ScgITP) and partially sequenced by Audsley et al. (1992a, b). Dose-response curves for both synITP and ScgITP on ileal transport of Cl- (measured as increased short-circuit current, delta Isc), were similar with a EC50 of 1-2 nM. The Isc time course and maximum delta Isc across ileal epithelia at different dosages of synITP and ScgITP had similar patterns as did changes in transepithelial open-circuit potential (Vt) and resistance (Rt), reflecting changes in salt transport which drives fluid absorption. Disulphide bridges were shown to be required for biological activity of synITP, which caused the same 4-fold increase in ileal fluid transport rate (Jv) as previously reported for ScgITP. Both synITP and ScgITP caused only partial stimulation of rectal Isc and had no significant effect on rectal Jv. These results indicate that the structure of ITP predicted earlier from cDNA is correct.     

Conversion of AFLP markers to high-throughput markers in a complex polyploid,sugarcane

The application of DNA markers linked to traits of commercial value in sugarcane may increase the efficiency of sugarcane breeding. The majority of markers generated for quantitative trait locus mapping in sugarcane have been single sequence repeats or AFLPs (amplified fragment length polymorphisms). Since AFLP markers are not adapted for large-scale implementation in plant breeding, our objective was to assess the feasibility of converting AFLP markers to fast, cheap and reliable PCR-based assays in a complex polyploid, sugarcane. Three AFLP markers were selected on the basis of an association to resistance to the fungal pathogen Ustilago scitaminea, the causal agent of smut in sugarcane. We developed an approach which enabled the identification of polymorphisms in these AFLP markers. Towards this goal, we employed GenomeWalking and 454 sequencing to isolate sequences adjacent to the linked AFLP markers and identify SNP (single nucleotide polymorphisms) haplotypes present in the homo(eo)logous chromosomes of sugarcane. One AFLP marker was converted to a cleavage amplified polymorphic sequence marker, another to a SCAR (sequence characteristered amplified region) marker and the final AFLP marker to a SNP PCR-based assay. However, validation of each of the markers in 240 genotypes resulted in 99, 90 and 60% correspondence with the original AFLP marker. These experiments indicate that even in a complex polyploid such as sugarcane, polymorphisms identified by AFLP can be converted to high-throughput marker systems, but due to the complexity this would only be carried out for high-value markers. In some cases, the polymorphisms identified are not transferable to more sequence-specific PCR applications.     

Systemic arteriopathy in SIV-infected rhesus macaques (Macaca mulatta)

BACKGROUND: Severe disseminated vasculopathy was observed in two simian immunodeficiency virus (SIV)-infected rhesus macaques (Macaca mulatta). These animals developed clinical signs of AIDS, including lymphadenopathy, weight loss, diarrhea and collapse. RESULTS AND DISCUSSION: Grossly, both animals showed emaciation, lymphadenopathy, vegetations on the mitral valve, renal infarcts and a dilated intestine; one animal had multifocal hemorrhages in multiple organs. Histologically, both cases had disseminated arteriopathy characterized by intimal thickening and fibrosis with varying degrees of vasculitis. The lesion was prominent in the kidney, intestine, pancreas, liver, heart, lymph nodes, spleen and testis. Occasional venules had intimal thickening. Both cases had cytomegalovirus (CMV) infection with intranuclear inclusions, CMV antigen and nucleic acid; some inclusions were observed in endothelial cells within some of the vascular lesions in one of the two. These data suggest that CMV caused the unusual lesions.     

Inhibition of zipper-interacting protein kinase function in smooth muscle by a myosin light chain kinase pseudosubstrate peptide

As a regulator of smooth muscle contractility, zipper-interacting protein kinase (ZIPK) appears to phosphorylate the regulatory myosin light chain (RLC20), directly or indirectly, at Ser19 and Thr18 in a Ca²⁺-independent manner. The calmodulin-binding and autoinhibitory domain of myosin light chain kinase (MLCK) shares similarity to a sequence found in ZIPK. This similarity in sequence prompted an investigation of the SM1 peptide, which is derived from the autoinhibitory region of MLCK, as a potential inhibitor of ZIPK. In vitro studies showed that SM1 is a competitive inhibitor of a constitutively active 32-kDa form of ZIPK with an apparent K_i value of 3.4 µM. Experiments confirmed that the SM1 peptide is also active against full-length ZIPK. In addition, ZIPK autophosphorylation was reduced by SM1. ZIPK activity is independent of calmodulin; however, calmodulin suppressed the in vitro inhibitory potential of SM1, likely as a result of nonspecific binding of the peptide to calmodulin. Treatment of ileal smooth muscle with exogenous ZIPK was accompanied by an increase in RLC20 diphosphorylation, distinguishing between ZIPK [and integrin-linked kinase (ILK)] and MLCK actions. Administration of SM1 suppressed steady-state muscle tension developed by the addition of exogenous ZIPK to Triton-skinned rat ileal muscle strips with or without calmodulin depletion by trifluoperazine. The decrease in contractile force was associated with decreases in both RLC20 mono- and diphosphorylation. In summary, we present the SM1 peptide as a novel inhibitor of ZIPK. We also conclude that the SM1 peptide, which has no effect on ILK, can be used to distinguish between ZIPK and ILK effects in smooth muscle tissues. inhibitory peptide; calcium sensitization     

The historical biogeography of Mammalia

Palaeobiogeographic reconstructions are underpinned by phylogenies, divergence times and ancestral area reconstructions, which together yield ancestral area chronograms that provide a basis for proposing and testing hypotheses of dispersal and vicariance. Methods for area coding include multi-state coding with a single character, binary coding with multiple characters and string coding. Ancestral reconstruction methods are divided into parsimony versus Bayesian/likelihood approaches. We compared nine methods for reconstructing ancestral areas for placental mammals. Ambiguous reconstructions were a problem for all methods. Important differences resulted from coding areas based on the geographical ranges of extant species versus the geographical provenance of the oldest fossil for each lineage. Africa and South America were reconstructed as the ancestral areas for Afrotheria and Xenarthra, respectively. Most methods reconstructed Eurasia as the ancestral area for Boreoeutheria, Euarchontoglires and Laurasiatheria. The coincidence of molecular dates for the separation of Afrotheria and Xenarthra at approximately 100 Ma with the plate tectonic sundering of Africa and South America hints at the importance of vicariance in the early history of Placentalia. Dispersal has also been important including the origins of Madagascar's endemic mammal fauna. Further studies will benefit from increased taxon sampling and the application of new ancestral area reconstruction methods.     

A bioassay for insect deterrent compounds found in plant and animal tissues

A general field bioassay for detecting biologically active compounds in plants and insects has been developed and tested for efficacy and sensitivity. Methanolic extracts, in sucrose solution, of 20 plant and six caterpillar species were offered to the ponerine ant Paraponera clavata and the feeding preferences observed. The bioassay resulted in the detection of nine plant and three caterpillar species with ant-deterrent extracts, and 11 plant and three caterpillar species with neutral or attractant extracts. All of the plants showing ant-deterrent characteristics which had been chemically investigated in our laboratory, or for which chemical literature was available, contained secondary metabolites of known deterrence. Both naturally occurring and artificial differences in chemical concentrations could be detected using the bioassay. The method provides a means of screening plants and insects for compounds that are insect anti-feedants or that can modify insect behaviour.