Double-blind comparison of absorbable colloidal bismuth subcitrate and nonabsorbable bismuth subnitrate in the eradication of Helicobacter pylori and the relief of nonulcer dyspepsia

Background. Bismuth is widely used for the eradication of H. pylori , especially in developing countries, although there are concerns over its neurotoxicity. Whether bismuth has to be absorbed in humans to act against H. pylori is not known. In this study, we compared "absorbable" (colloidal bismuth subcitrate) and "nonabsorbable" (bismuth subnitrate) bismuth as part of triple therapy in the eradication of H. pylori.
Materials and Methods. A double-blind, randomized, placebo-controlled trial was carried out with 120 H. pylori –positive patients with nonulcer dyspepsia. Group CBS + Ab (n = 35) received colloidal bismuth subcitrate (one tablet qds), amoxicillin (500 mg qds), and metronidazole (400 mg tds). Group BSN + Ab (n = 35) received bismuth subnitrate (two tablets tds) and the same antibiotics. Group Ab (n = 35) received placebo bismuth (two tablets tds) and the antibiotics. Group BSN (n = 15) received bismuth subnitrate (two tablets tds) and placebo antibiotics. Bismuth was taken for 4 weeks and the antibiotics for the first 2 weeks. H. pylori eradication, side effects, compliance, pre- and post-treatment symptom scores, and bismuth absorption were assessed.
Results. H. pylori eradication was 69%, 83%, 31%, and 0% in CBS + Ab, BSN + Ab, Ab, and BSN, respectively. Side effects, compliance, and symptom relief were similar in all groups, but blood bismuth levels were significantly greater in CBS + Ab than the other three groups.
Conclusion. The efficacy of bismuth-based therapies as part of triple therapy in the eradication of H. pylori is unrelated to absorption. Hence, the use of effective but poorly absorbed bismuth preparations should be encouraged for bismuth-based eradication therapies.     

Development of molecular methods for identification of Streptococcus bovis from human and ruminal origins

Streptococcus bovis has been identified as a causative agent in humans for a variety of diseases, including endocarditis, meningitis, and septicemia. Identification of S. bovis strains of human origin in clinical settings has been problematic due to variations in biochemical tests as compared to ruminal strains of S. bovis, and other streptococcal species. DNA-DNA hybridization with chromosomal DNA from various S. bovis strains indicates that strains of human origin are different from those of ruminal origin. Specific probes have been designed from S. bovis 16S rDNA gene sequences that differentiate strains of human and ruminal origin by direct hybridization and PCR analyses. These techniques now allow for rapid identification of S. bovis strains for clinical and other scientific investigations.     

Non-geographically based population structure of South Pacific sperm whales: dialects, fluke-markings and genetics

1. This study addresses the issue of structure in sperm whale ( Physeter macrocephalus Linnaeus) populations and whether it is geographically based.
2. During a survey around the South Pacific Ocean, we collected sloughed skin for genetic analyses, recorded coda vocalizations, and photographed fluke markings.
3. Groups of female and immature sperm whales had characteristic mitochondrial haplotypes, coda repertoires, and fluke-mark patterns, but there was no clear geographical structure in any of these attributes.
4. However, similarities of coda repertoire and mitochondrial haplotype distribution were significantly correlated among pairs of groups in a manner that was not geographically based. There was also a significant canonical correlation coefficient between coda repertoire and fluke-mark patterns.
5. These results suggest that attributes (such as vocal repertoire and techniques of predator defence) which are acquired matrilineally, and probably culturally, are conserved during the fission and dispersal of groups.     

Regulation of RasGRP via a Phorbol Ester-Responsive C1 Domain

As part of a cDNA library screen for clones that induce transformation of NIH 3T3 fibroblasts, we have isolated a cDNA encoding the murine homolog of the guanine nucleotide exchange factor RasGRP. A point mutation predicted to prevent interaction with Ras abolished the ability of murine RasGRP (mRasGRP) to transform fibroblasts and to activate mitogen-activated protein kinases (MAP kinases). MAP kinase activation via mRasGRP was enhanced by coexpression of H-, K-, and N-Ras and was partially suppressed by coexpression of dominant negative forms of H- and K-Ras. The C terminus of mRasGRP contains a pair of EF hands and a C1 domain which is very similar to the phorbol ester- and diacylglycerol-binding C1 domains of protein kinase Cs. The EF hands could be deleted without affecting the ability of mRasGRP to transform NIH 3T3 cells. In contrast, deletion of the C1 domain or an adjacent cluster of basic amino acids eliminated the transforming activity of mRasGRP. Transformation and MAP kinase activation via mRasGRP were restored if the deleted C1 domain was replaced either by a membrane-localizing prenylation signal or by a diacylglycerol- and phorbol ester-binding C1 domain of protein kinase C. The transforming activity of mRasGRP could be regulated by phorbol ester when serum concentrations were low, and this effect of phorbol ester was dependent on the C1 domain of mRasGRP. The C1 domain could also confer phorbol myristate acetate-regulated transforming activity on a prenylation-defective mutant of K-Ras. The C1 domain mediated the translocation of mRasGRP to cell membranes in response to either phorbol ester or serum stimulation. These results suggest that the primary mechanism of activation of mRasGRP in fibroblasts is through its recruitment to diacylglycerol-enriched membranes. mRasGRP is expressed in lymphoid tissues and the brain, as well as in some lymphoid cell lines. In these cells, RasGRP has the potential to serve as a direct link between receptors which stimulate diacylglycerol-generating phospholipase Cs and the activation of Ras.     

Demographic Clusters Identified within the Northern Gulf of Mexico Common Bottlenose Dolphin (Tursiops truncates) Unusual Mortality Event: January 2010 - June 2013

A multi-year unusual mortality event (UME) involving primarily common bottlenose dolphins (Tursiops truncates) was declared in the northern Gulf of Mexico (GoM) with an initial start date of February 2010 and remains ongoing as of August 2014. To examine potential changing characteristics of the UME over time, we compared the number and demographics of dolphin strandings from January 2010 through June 2013 across the entire GoM as well as against baseline (1990-2009) GoM stranding patterns. Years 2010 and 2011 had the highest annual number of stranded dolphins since Louisiana’s record began, and 2011 was one of the years with the highest strandings for both Mississippi and Alabama. Statewide, annual numbers of stranded dolphins were not elevated for GoM coasts of Florida or Texas during the UME period. Demographic, spatial, and temporal clusters identified within this UME included increased strandings in northern coastal Louisiana and Mississippi (March-May 2010); Barataria Bay, Louisiana (August 2010-December 2011); Mississippi and Alabama (2011, including a high prevalence and number of stranded perinates); and multiple GoM states during early 2013. While the causes of the GoM UME have not been determined, the location and magnitude of dolphin strandings during and the year following the 2010 Deepwater Horizon oil spill, including the Barataria Bay cluster from August 2010 to December 2011, overlap in time and space with locations that received heavy and prolonged oiling. There are, however, multiple known causes of previous GoM dolphin UMEs, including brevetoxicosis and dolphin morbillivirus. Additionally, increased dolphin strandings occurred in northern Louisiana and Mississippi before the Deepwater Horizon oil spill. Identification of spatial, temporal, and demographic clusters within the UME suggest that this mortality event may involve different contributing factors varying by location, time, and bottlenose dolphin populations that will be better discerned by incorporating diagnostic information, including histopathology.     

Adrenal Gland and Lung Lesions in Gulf of Mexico Common Bottlenose Dolphins (Tursiops truncatus) Found Dead following the Deepwater Horizon Oil Spill

A northern Gulf of Mexico (GoM) cetacean unusual mortality event (UME) involving primarily bottlenose dolphins (Tursiops truncatus) in Louisiana, Mississippi, and Alabama began in February 2010 and continued into 2014. Overlapping in time and space with this UME was the Deepwater Horizon (DWH) oil spill, which was proposed as a contributing cause of adrenal disease, lung disease, and poor health in live dolphins examined during 2011 in Barataria Bay, Louisiana. To assess potential contributing factors and causes of deaths for stranded UME dolphins from June 2010 through December 2012, lung and adrenal gland tissues were histologically evaluated from 46 fresh dead non-perinatal carcasses that stranded in Louisiana (including 22 from Barataria Bay), Mississippi, and Alabama. UME dolphins were tested for evidence of biotoxicosis, morbillivirus infection, and brucellosis. Results were compared to up to 106 fresh dead stranded dolphins from outside the UME area or prior to the DWH spill. UME dolphins were more likely to have primary bacterial pneumonia (22% compared to 2% in non-UME dolphins, P = .003) and thin adrenal cortices (33% compared to 7% in non-UME dolphins, P = .003). In 70% of UME dolphins with primary bacterial pneumonia, the condition either caused or contributed significantly to death. Brucellosis and morbillivirus infections were detected in 7% and 11% of UME dolphins, respectively, and biotoxin levels were low or below the detection limit, indicating that these were not primary causes of the current UME. The rare, life-threatening, and chronic adrenal gland and lung diseases identified in stranded UME dolphins are consistent with exposure to petroleum compounds as seen in other mammals. Exposure of dolphins to elevated petroleum compounds present in coastal GoM waters during and after the DWH oil spill is proposed as a cause of adrenal and lung disease and as a contributor to increased dolphin deaths.     

Dementia Revealed: Novel Chromosome 6 Locus for Late-Onset Alzheimer Disease Provides Genetic Evidence for Folate-Pathway Abnormalities

Genome-wide association studies (GWAS) of late-onset Alzheimer disease (LOAD) have consistently observed strong evidence of association with polymorphisms in APOE. However, until recently, variants at few other loci with statistically significant associations have replicated across studies. The present study combines data on 483,399 single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) from a previously reported GWAS of 492 LOAD cases and 496 controls and from an independent set of 439 LOAD cases and 608 controls to strengthen power to identify novel genetic association signals. Associations exceeding the experiment-wide significance threshold () were replicated in an additional 1,338 cases and 2,003 controls. As expected, these analyses unequivocally confirmed APOE''s risk effect (rs2075650, ). Additionally, the SNP rs11754661 at 151.2 Mb of chromosome 6q25.1 in the gene MTHFD1L (which encodes the methylenetetrahydrofolate dehydrogenase (NADP+ dependent) 1-like protein) was significantly associated with LOAD (; Bonferroni-corrected P = 0.022). Subsequent genotyping of SNPs in high linkage disequilibrium () with rs11754661 identified statistically significant associations in multiple SNPs (rs803424, P = 0.016; rs2073067, P = 0.03; rs2072064, P = 0.035), reducing the likelihood of association due to genotyping error. In the replication case-control set, we observed an association of rs11754661 in the same direction as the previous association at P = 0.002 ( in combined analysis of discovery and replication sets), with associations of similar statistical significance at several adjacent SNPs (rs17349743, P = 0.005; rs803422, P = 0.004). In summary, we observed and replicated a novel statistically significant association in MTHFD1L, a gene involved in the tetrahydrofolate synthesis pathway. This finding is noteworthy, as MTHFD1L may play a role in the generation of methionine from homocysteine and influence homocysteine-related pathways and as levels of homocysteine are a significant risk factor for LOAD development.     

An antiboy antibody? Re-examination of the maternal immune hypothesis

The maternal immune hypothesis (MIH) argues same sex attraction (SSA) results from maternal immune attack on fetal male-specific brain structures and involves the previous biological influence of elder brothers. One of the surveys supporting this is shown to be based on an unsuitable sample and to contain some strong contrary evidence. The hypothesis relies on at least four speculative ideas and there is evidence against each. (1) Likely immune response prevalence is too low compared with calculated SSA prevalence resulting from the fraternal birth order effect. (2) Testis immune attack would be more likely than brain attack but is not known. (3) Fetal brain structures are practically indistinguishable at birth and subsequent brain anatomical gender differentiation only occurs after birth when no attack is occurring. (4) The hypothesis also predicts unfavourable biology for late birth-order males but in fact the reverse is generally true, and neurological effects are very minor. Studies show aborted fetuses caused by likely maternal immune attack are predominantly girls rather than boys, which also argues against the theory. Studies on identical twins show that common factors such as uterine environment are only a small influence on SSA and post-natal idiosyncratic reactions and non-shared environmental factors are much larger influences.     

A QTL for osteoporosis detected in an F2 population derived from White Leghorn chicken lines divergently selected for bone index

Osteoporosis, resulting from progressive loss of structural bone during the period of egg-laying in hens, is associated with an increased susceptibility to bone breakage. To study the genetic basis of bone strength, an F(2) cross was produced from lines of hens that had been divergently selected for bone index from a commercial pedigreed White Leghorn population. Quantitative trait loci (QTL) affecting the bone index and component traits of the index (tibiotarsal and humeral strength and keel radiographic density) were mapped using phenotypic data from 372 F(2) individuals in 32 F(1) families. Genotypes for 136 microsatellite markers in 27 linkage groups covering approximately 80% of the genome were analysed for association with phenotypes using within-family regression analyses. There was one significant QTL on chromosome 1 for bone index and the component traits of tibiotarsal and humeral breaking strength. Additive effects for tibiotarsal breaking strength represented 34% of the trait standard deviation and 7.6% of the phenotypic variance of the trait. These QTL for bone quality in poultry are directly relevant to commercial populations.