Seasonal distribution of enteroviruses and adenoviruses in domestic sewage

A seasonal distribution of enteroviruses and adenoviruses in raw sewage effluents of Athens, Greece, was observed over a 15-month surveillance period. All 36 samples tested were positive for both virus groups. Adenovirus concentration levels ranged from 70 to 3200 cytopathic units per litre of sample, whereas the corresponding values for enteroviruses were 90-900 cytopathic units per litre. Peak values for adenoviruses were recorded during the months of April and June 1983, whereas for enteroviruses the peak was recorded in September 1983. All three types of poliovirus were present. Coxsackievirus types B-1, B-2, B-4, and B-5 and echovirus type 7 were also isolated. Adenovirus types 1, 2, 3, 5, 7, and 15 were detected as well.     

Elemental composition of head hair and fingernails of some Nigerian subjects

Biological Trace Element Research - In this article, we present the elemental concentrations determined by INAA for 30 elements measured in some or all head hair samples of 100 Nigerian subjects...     

Elemental concentrations in Nigerians with affective disorders using proton-induced X-ray emission

The concentrations of a number of elements are determined in the plasma and erythrocytes of 21 Nigerians (11 females, 10 males) with symptomatic affective disorders (11 depressives, 10 manics) and in 40 normal controls using proton-induced X-ray emission (PIXE) analysis. The study shows that there is significant elevation of plasma K and Zn, as well as the erythrocyte S in the patients relative to the controls. The plasma and erythrocyte Cu, and the erythrocyte P, Ca, Fe, and Zn are significantly lower in the patients compared to the controls. However, the plasma levels of Ca, S, Fe, and Br are similar in both the patients and the controls. Similarly, the concentrations of K, Br, and Rb show no significant difference in the erythrocytes of patients and controls.     

Study of trace elements in blood of cancer patients by proton-induced X-ray emission (PIXE) analysis

Proton-induced X-ray emission (PIXE) analysis was employed to determine the concentrations of six elements in the plasma and erythrocytes of 18 cancer subjects (15 males and 3 females) with neoplastic disorders and in 70 controls (35 males and 35 females). It was found that the concentrations of Br, K, and Zn were significantly elevated in the erythrocytes of the cancer subjects compared to the controls, whereas the concentration of Fe was significantly depressed, but with no difference observed in the concentration of Ca. In the plasma, the concentrations of Br, Cu, Ca, and K were significantly elevated, whereas the concentrations of Fe and Zn were found to be significantly depressed compared to the controls.     

Developments in tomographic methods for biological trace element research

Neutron-induced γ-ray emission tomography for quantitative determination of the concentration and distribution of elements in a selected plane through a biological specimen is briefly explained and applied by way of illustration to the analysis of gallstones. A system capable of carrying out studies of the binding site of⁷⁵Se in different matrices using time differential perturbed angular correlation spectroscopy is also briefly described. Developments in the detector technology of positron emission tomography have allowed small-diameter imaging devices to be built for in vivo preclinical evaluation of new tracers in small animals and are discussed in the context of a proposed experiment combining the techniques mentioned above.     

Photographing the “Other”: Immigration and New Images of the Greek Ethnic “Self”

ABSTRACT

Significant transformations in the ways the ethnic “self” and its relationship to the “other” are perceived have led to the transgression of the two traditional poles (East and West) that were prevalent in the definition of Greekness since the creation of the Greek nation-state. By placing the photographs of immigrants published in the most popular local newspaper in Central Greece within their wider social and historical context, we can “see” that immigrants (a group that is perceived to be homogeneous and transcendental) constitute a new axis around which the negotiation of ethnic identity and otherness in Greece is now conducted.     

Thioredoxin 1 and thioredoxin 2 have opposed regulatory functions on hypoxia-inducible factor-1alpha

Hypoxia inducible factor 1 (HIF-1), a key regulator for adaptation to hypoxia, is composed of HIF-1alpha and HIF-1beta. In this study, we present evidence that overexpression of mitochondria-located thioredoxin 2 (Trx2) attenuated hypoxia-evoked HIF-1alpha accumulation, whereas cytosolic thioredoxin 1 (Trx1) enhanced HIF-1alpha protein amount. Transactivation of HIF-1 is decreased by overexpression of Trx2 but stimulated by Trx1. Inhibition of proteasomal degradation of HIF-1alpha in Trx2-overexpressing cells did not fully restore HIF-1alpha protein levels, while HIF-1alpha accumulation was enhanced in Trx1-overexpressing cells. Reporter assays showed that cap-dependent translation is increased by Trx1 and decreased by Trx2, whereas HIF-1alpha mRNA levels remained unaltered. These data suggest that thioredoxins affect the synthesis of HIF-1alpha. Trx1 facilitated synthesis of HIF-1alpha by activating Akt, p70S6K, and eIF-4E, known to control cap-dependent translation. In contrast, Trx2 attenuated activities of Akt, p70S6K, and eIF-4E and provoked an increase in mitochondrial reactive oxygen species production. MitoQ, a mitochondria specific antioxidant, reversed HIF-1alpha accumulation as well as Akt activation under hypoxia in Trx2 cells, supporting the notion of translation control mechanisms in affecting HIF-1alpha protein accumulation.