Response of end bud cells from immature rat mammary gland to hormones when cultured in collagen gel

End buds from 4- to 5-week-old rat mammary glands were isolated and cultured within a rat tail tendon collagen gel matrix. Media containing equine serum or porcine serum and cholera toxin promoted growth, but not the production of casein or thioesterase II, nor did they induce a state of differentiation as assessed by cell ultrastructure. Medium supplemented with only 5% porcine serum, insulin and cholera toxin did not support growth or differentiation. However, when prolactin, estradiol, progesterone and hydrocortisone were added to this medium, growth was stimulated greatly and a differentiated state was induced as assessed by the production of casein and thioesterase and by the appearance of a highly secretory ultrastructure.     

The use of thioesterase II as a rat mammary epithelial cell-specific marker

The avidin-biotin-peroxidase complex immunoperoxidase technique was employed to determine the intercellular distribution of thioesterase II in rat mammary glands. This enzyme is responsible for shifting the product specificity of the fatty-acid synthetase enzyme complex from long to medium chain fatty acids. Thioesterase II was found exclusively in the cells lining the lumen of the ductal and alveolar structures in glands from mature virgin (150 days old) and pregnant rats. The ductal cell staining intensity was considerably less than that of the alveolar cells in the mature virgin rat glands. No immunoreactive thioesterase II was found in the stromal, adipose, vascular, or myoepithelial components of the gland in the developmental stages examined. In the glands from immature virgin rats (40-45 days old) thioesterase II was again found only in the epithelial cells lining the lumen of the ductal and end-bud structures although this layer was usually more than one cell thick. Quantitative determination of thioesterase II activity in cytosol preparations revealed similar levels in mammary fragments from enzymatically-dissociated glands obtained from mature virgins and in end buds derived from immature virgins, but somewhat higher levels in mammary structures derived from late-pregnant animals. These immunohistological and biochemical results demonstrate thioesterase II's usefulness as a mammary epithelial cell-specific marker.     

大鼠脑缺血/再灌注过程中血流量和脑组织含水量的变化趋势*

目的:研究大鼠脑缺血/再灌注过程中血流量及与脑组织水含量变化的趋势。方法:选取5只成年SD雄性大鼠(n=5),参照改良Zea-Longa线栓法制备大鼠大脑中动脉缺血/再灌注模型,2 h后拔出线栓。利用PeriCam PSI血流灌注成像系统实时监测大鼠在缺血前及缺血5 min、30 min、1 h、2 h、再灌注5 min、30 min、1 h、2 h、4 h、6 h及24 h的血流灌注量,记录在ROI(感兴趣区)测量的数值。再选取15只成年SD雄性大鼠,分为Control组、缺血2 h、再灌注30 min、4 h及24 h组(n=3)。正常组不做任何处理,实验组按上述线栓法制备MCAO模型。取新鲜脑组织用干湿重法测定其左、右半球的水含量。结果:栓塞时缺血侧血流量逐渐下降,缺血2 h下降最低(P＜0.05);再灌注早期血流量恢复较大(P＜0.05),30 min时显著下降(P＜0.05),4 h明显上升(P＜0.05),24 h再次上升(P＜0.05)但低于缺血前血流量(P＞0.05)。脑组织水含量测量,缺血2 h组和再灌注30 min组与正常组无明显差异(P＞0.05);再灌4 h组和再灌24 h组明显增高(P＜0.05),且再灌24 h组明显高于再灌4 h组(P＜0.05)。结论:大鼠脑缺血/再灌注过程中血流量和脑组织中水含量的变化存在一定的规律,且脑组织中水含量与再灌注过程中血流量的变化有一定关系。     

Impacts of cage culture on physico-chemical and bacteriological water quality in Lake Volta,Ghana

The effects of cage fish farming on physico-chemical and bacteriological water quality in Lake Volta, Ghana, were investigated in 2013–2014. Farmed and unfarmed (control) areas of the lake were selected for monitoring. Nutrients, temperature, dissolved oxygen, conductivity, turbidity, pH, total coliforms, Pseudomonas and Vibrio spp. in the water were monitored monthly. Analyses of the water samples were carried out according to standard procedures. Physico-chemical quality of the water in both farm and control sites were within ranges typical of minimally impacted water and did not vary significantly between the two contrasting sites. The bacteriological analysis, however, revealed contamination of the lake water by fish farming. The bacterial counts at the farmed sites were significantly higher (p < 0.05) than those of the control sites, with figures at the farmed sites ranging from 132 to 1 708 cfu 100 ml?1 for total coliforms, 514 to 5 170 cfu 100 ml?1 Pseudomonas spp. and 14 to 516 cfu 100 ml?1 for Vibrio spp. The results suggested that cage fish farming has increased bacterial loads in the lake water, but has had minimal impact on its physico-chemical quality.     

Fusing Data Mining,Machine Learning and Traditional Statistics to Detect Biomarkers Associated with Depression

Background

Atheoretical large-scale data mining techniques using machine learning algorithms have promise in the analysis of large epidemiological datasets. This study illustrates the use of a hybrid methodology for variable selection that took account of missing data and complex survey design to identify key biomarkers associated with depression from a large epidemiological study.

Methods

The study used a three-step methodology amalgamating multiple imputation, a machine learning boosted regression algorithm and logistic regression, to identify key biomarkers associated with depression in the National Health and Nutrition Examination Study (2009–2010). Depression was measured using the Patient Health Questionnaire-9 and 67 biomarkers were analysed. Covariates in this study included gender, age, race, smoking, food security, Poverty Income Ratio, Body Mass Index, physical activity, alcohol use, medical conditions and medications. The final imputed weighted multiple logistic regression model included possible confounders and moderators.

Results

After the creation of 20 imputation data sets from multiple chained regression sequences, machine learning boosted regression initially identified 21 biomarkers associated with depression. Using traditional logistic regression methods, including controlling for possible confounders and moderators, a final set of three biomarkers were selected. The final three biomarkers from the novel hybrid variable selection methodology were red cell distribution width (OR 1.15; 95% CI 1.01, 1.30), serum glucose (OR 1.01; 95% CI 1.00, 1.01) and total bilirubin (OR 0.12; 95% CI 0.05, 0.28). Significant interactions were found between total bilirubin with Mexican American/Hispanic group (p = 0.016), and current smokers (p<0.001).

Conclusion

The systematic use of a hybrid methodology for variable selection, fusing data mining techniques using a machine learning algorithm with traditional statistical modelling, accounted for missing data and complex survey sampling methodology and was demonstrated to be a useful tool for detecting three biomarkers associated with depression for future hypothesis generation: red cell distribution width, serum glucose and total bilirubin.     

Clustering of halophytic species from Cyprus based on ionic contents

This paper presents the work conducted on the chemical constituents of some common and widely distributed halophyte taxa from Cyprus with the aim that these studies will help in the evaluation of halophytes for different economical purposes. The plant species of Crithmum maritimum L., Limbarda crithmoides (L.) Dumort, Atriplex portulacoides L., Salsola kali L., Atriplex halimus L., Limonium oleifolium Mill., L. meyeri (Boiss.) Kuntze; and Tetraena alba (L.f.) Beier & Thulin were collected in the middle of July. The shoot tissue and leaf samples were collected from the natural habitats and left for drying under air circulation followed by placing them in oven at 60 °C for 96 hours. The material was crushed using mortar and pestle and subjected to an analysis of macro- and micro-nutrients and biochemical compounds. K⁺/Na⁺ in the leaf tissues of the dicot species showed relatively high values depicting their behavior as Na+ includes but very low Cl- levels were recorded. Out of the species investigated here in 4 TFAA content was rather high. Values ranging from 0.5% to 1% dry weight were exhibited in one species. However, only 3 species showed very low TFAA values. Later may be due to low nitrogen availability in their environment. The phenetic analyses of eight halophyte species performed on the data matrix using Ntsys-pc program version 2.1 revealed that, cluster analysis of the overall results obtained here leads to 2 clusters. This discrimination appears to be as a result of their different abilities to accumulate either proline or glycine betaine.     

Redescription of a rare deep-sea batfish, <Emphasis Type="Italic">Halieutopsis bathyoreos</Emphasis> (Lophiiformes: Ogcocephalidae)

Halieutopsis bathyoreos Bradbury, 1988 (Lophiiformes: Ogcocephalidae), previously described only on the basis of the holotype (62.6mm in standard length) from the central North Pacific, is redescribed on the basis of the holotype and six additional specimens (41.2–68.7mm in standard length) collected from the western South Pacific, off Papua New Guinea, and the western North Pacific, including the Japanese Archipelago. Halieutopsis bathyoreos is distinguished from its congeners by having a shelflike rostrum extending anteriorly well beyond the mouth, a dorsal escal lobe slightly bisected ventrally, an illicial cavity square in outline and completely visible in ventral view, and lacking tubercles on the ventral surface of the disk. The following characters are newly added to the diagnoses of this species: rostrum width 21–29% of head length, tubercles on the dorsal surface of the disk about half the diameter of those on the lateral margin, and 13–15 large lateral-line scales on the tail.     

A behavioral comparison of male and female adults with high functioning autism spectrum conditions

Autism spectrum conditions (ASC) affect more males than females in the general population. However, within ASC it is unclear if there are phenotypic sex differences. Testing for similarities and differences between the sexes is important not only for clinical assessment but also has implications for theories of typical sex differences and of autism. Using cognitive and behavioral measures, we investigated similarities and differences between the sexes in age- and IQ-matched adults with ASC (high-functioning autism or Asperger syndrome). Of the 83 (45 males and 38 females) participants, 62 (33 males and 29 females) met Autism Diagnostic Interview-Revised (ADI-R) cut-off criteria for autism in childhood and were included in all subsequent analyses. The severity of childhood core autism symptoms did not differ between the sexes. Males and females also did not differ in self-reported empathy, systemizing, anxiety, depression, and obsessive-compulsive traits/symptoms or mentalizing performance. However, adult females with ASC showed more lifetime sensory symptoms (p = 0.036), fewer current socio-communication difficulties (p = 0.001), and more self-reported autistic traits (p = 0.012) than males. In addition, females with ASC who also had developmental language delay had lower current performance IQ than those without developmental language delay (p<0.001), a pattern not seen in males. The absence of typical sex differences in empathizing-systemizing profiles within the autism spectrum confirms a prediction from the extreme male brain theory. Behavioral sex differences within ASC may also reflect different developmental mechanisms between males and females with ASC. We discuss the importance of the superficially better socio-communication ability in adult females with ASC in terms of why females with ASC may more often go under-recognized, and receive their diagnosis later, than males.     

Methodological reflections on using pilot data from fracture patients to develop a qualitative study

Background

Qualitative studies are particularly valued for their exploratory nature but, like other research methods, they do require careful planning to ensure rigorous study design. Our objective was to undertake a pilot study to inform the development of a larger qualitative study.

Results

We conducted a series of brief interviews with out-patients in a hospital setting. The interviews were designed to elicit superficial information about whether (and how) post-fracture osteoporosis investigation and/or treatment were being initiated among patients receiving treatment or follow-up for a current or recent fracture. We used thematic analysis to identify key themes in the data that related to the broader research questions.We analysed data obtained from 11 out of a total of 12 interviews conducted. Participants were male and female, aged 19-83 years of age (median age 57 years). Participants attended 2-8 medical appointments to seek treatment and follow up for a current or recent fracture. The following four overarching themes emerged from thematic analysis of the data: fracture event, referral pathway, osteoporosis investigation and/or treatment, and communication by health practitioners and staff.

Conclusions

This pilot study was necessarily tentative and exploratory in nature, but provided a helpful snapshot of some typical experiences in the public health system following fracture. Several themes emerged for consideration in the design of the main study.Despite its critics, theoretical sampling and saturation continue to provide sustainable methods for ensuring that relevant themes and categories are covered in sufficient depth and breadth, appropriate to the needs of the study.