The regional effect of serum hormone levels on cerebral blood flow in healthy nonpregnant women

Sex hormones estrogen (EST) and progesterone (PROG) have received increased attention for their important physiological action outside of reproduction. While studies have shown that EST and PROG have significant impacts on brain function, their impact on the cerebrovascular system in humans remains largely unknown. To address this, we used a multi‐modal magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) approach to investigate the link between serum hormones in the follicular phase and luteal phase of the menstrual cycle (MC) with measures of cerebrovascular function (cerebral blood flow [CBF]) and structure (intracranial artery diameter). Fourteen naturally cycling women were recruited and assessed at two‐time points of their MC. CBF was derived from pseudo‐continuous arterial spin labeling while diameters of the internal carotid and basilar artery was assessed using time of flight magnetic resonance angiography, blood samples were performed after the MRI. Results show that PROG and EST had opposing and spatially distinct effects on CBF: PROG correlated negatively with CBF in anterior brain regions (r = −.86, p < .01), while EST correlations were positive, yet weak and most prominent in posterior areas (r = .78, p < .01). No significant correlations between either hormone or intracranial artery diameter were observed. These results show that EST and PROG have opposing and regionally distinct effects on CBF and that this relationship is likely not due to interactions with large intracranial arteries. Considering that CBF in healthy women appears tightly linked to their current hormonal state, future studies should consider assessing MC‐related hormone fluctuations in the design of functional MRI studies in this population.     

Activated Carbon Modification towards Efficient Catalyst for High Value-Added Products Synthesis from Alpha-Pinene

DT0-activated carbons modified with HCl and HNO₃ acids, which were used for the first time in the catalytic process of alpha-pinene isomerization, are presented in this study. The carbon materials DT0, DT0_HCl, DT0_HNO₃, and DT0_HCl_HNO₃ were examined with the following methods: XRF, SEM, EDX, XPS, FT-IR, XRD, and N₂ adsorption at −196 °C. It was shown that DT0_HCl_HNO₃-activated carbon was the most active material in the alpha-pinene isomerization process. Detailed studies of alpha-pinene isomerization were carried out over this carbon by changing the reaction parameters such as time (5–180 min) and temperature (60–175 °C). The 100% conversion of alpha-pinene was achieved at the temperature of 160 °C and catalyst content of 5 wt% after 3 h over the DT0_HCl_HNO₃ catalyst. Camphene and limonene were the main products of the alpha-pinene isomerization reaction.     

Sexual dimorphism in schizophrenia: is there a need for gender-based protocols?

Gender differences have been reported in various aspects of schizophrenia, including its epidemiology, clinical course and the response to antipsychotic medications. Over the past few years the authors have been investigating sex differences in brain function in individuals with schizophrenia and have found an intriguing disturbance of normal sexual dimorphism during emotional and cognitive processing. These results can be partly accounted for by altered levels of sex steroid hormones (i.e., estrogen and testosterone) in patients. A handful of clinical research groups have tried low doses of estrogen, testosterone or their precursors as adjunct therapies to the currently available antipsychotic medications in women and men with schizophrenia. The results have been promising, but further investigation is warranted. In the future, new more specific steroidal compounds will be developed and we will see more studies examining sex differences in the brain, behavior and mental health problems. This research will help to identify individuals who may benefit greatest from adjunct hormonal therapies and will further our understanding of the etiology of schizophrenia and other psychiatric disorders.     

The ribosomal basis of Diamond-Blackfan Anemia: mutation and database update

Diamond-Blackfan Anemia (DBA) is characterized by a defect of erythroid progenitors and, clinically, by anemia and malformations. DBA exhibits an autosomal dominant pattern of inheritance with incomplete penetrance. Currently nine genes, all encoding ribosomal proteins (RP), have been found mutated in approximately 50% of patients. Experimental evidence supports the hypothesis that DBA is primarily the result of defective ribosome synthesis. By means of a large collaboration among six centers, we report here a mutation update that includes nine genes and 220 distinct mutations, 56 of which are new. The DBA Mutation Database now includes data from 355 patients. Of those where inheritance has been examined, 125 patients carry a de novo mutation and 72 an inherited mutation. Mutagenesis may be ascribed to slippage in 65.5% of indels, whereas CpG dinucleotides are involved in 23% of transitions. Using bioinformatic tools we show that gene conversion mechanism is not common in RP genes mutagenesis, notwithstanding the abundance of RP pseudogenes. Genotype-phenotype analysis reveals that malformations are more frequently associated with mutations in RPL5 and RPL11 than in the other genes. All currently reported DBA mutations together with their functional and clinical data are included in the DBA Mutation Database.     

Comparison of rubella seroepidemiology in 17 countries: progress towards international disease control targets

OBJECTIVE: To standardize serological surveillance to compare rubella susceptibility in Australia and 16 European countries, and measure progress towards international disease-control targets. METHODS: Between 1996 and 2004, representative serum banks were established in 17 countries by collecting residual sera or community sampling. Serum banks were tested in each country and assay results were standardized. With a questionnaire, we collected information on current and past rubella vaccination programmes in each country. The percentage of seronegative (< 4 IU/ml) children (2-14 years of age) was used to evaluate rubella susceptibility, and countries were classified by seronegativity as group I (< 5%), group II (5-10%) or group III (> 10%). The proportion of women of childbearing age without rubella protection (< or = 10 IU/ml) was calculated and compared with WHO targets of < 5%. FINDINGS: Only Romania had no rubella immunization programme at the time of the survey; the remaining countries had a two-dose childhood schedule using the measles, mumps and rubella (MMR) vaccine. The percentage of susceptible children defined five countries as group I, seven as group II and four as group III. Women of childbearing age without rubella protection were < 5% in only five countries. CONCLUSION: Despite the low reported incidence in many countries, strengthening the coverage of the routine two-dose of MMR vaccine among children is needed, especially in group III countries. Catch-up campaigns in older age groups and selective targeting of older females are needed in many countries to ensure necessary levels of protective immunity among women of childbearing age.     

IL4R and IL13 polymorphic variants and development of antibodies to surface antigen of hepatitis B virus in hemodialysis patients in response to HBV vaccination or infection

We searched for an association between the interleukin 4 receptor gene (IL4R) rs1805015 and interleukin 13 gene (IL13) rs20541 polymorphisms and the development of antibodies to hepatitis B surface antigen (anti-HBs) in the case of hepatitis B virus (HBV) vaccination or infection in hemodialysis (HD) patients. HD patients who failed to respond to HBV vaccination did not differ in genotype frequencies of IL4R (TT 72.7%, CT 22.6%, CC 4.7%) and IL13 (CC 59.0%, CT 34.2%, TT 6.8%) from vaccine responders (IL4R TT 68.0%, CT 27.3%, CC 4.7%; IL13 CC 55.0%, CT 38.5%, TT 6.5%). HD patients who did not develop anti-HBs despite HBV infection also did not differ in genotype frequencies of IL4R (TT 67.8%, CT 26.8%, CC 5.4%) and IL13 (CC 60.7%, CT 33.9%, TT 5.4%) from HD patients who developed an anti-HBs response (IL4R TT 65.4%, CT 30.8%, CC 3.8%; IL13 CC 60.5%, CT 34.6%, TT 4.9%). In HD patients, neither the IL4R nor IL13 polymorphism is associated with anti-HBs development irrespective of whether an immunization is provoked by HBV vaccination or HBV infection.