Isolation and characterisation of ten microsatellite markers for the tetraploid Stypandra glauca R.Br. (Hemerocallidaceae) identified using next generation sequencing

Ten polymorphic microsatellite loci were developed for the tetraploid plant species Stypandra glauca which is common on granite outcrops in Western Australia. Amplification and genotyping trials were conducted on 48 individuals from two sampling localities. All 10 loci revealed multi-banding patterns with up to 4 bands visible in individuals consistent with tetraploidy. The number of alleles per locus ranged from 6 to 32 (mean = 12.5). The proportion of observed heterozygotes at each locus ranged from 0.32 to 0.98 (mean = 0.73). These polymorphic microsatellite markers will facilitate further analysis of population genetic structure and connectivity in Stypandra glauca.     

The bottom line: Outcomes after conservation treatment in anal cancer

At the Department of Radiation Oncology, Westmead Hospital, between 1980 and 2000, 60 patients with squamous cell carcinoma of anal canal or margin (including 15 with Stage IIIA or IIIB) were treated radically; 55 received chemoradiation (89% were prescribed mitomycin C and 5‐fluorouracil). Five‐year overall survival was 64% (95% confidence interval (CI): 48–79%), with a median survival of 9.75 years (median follow up 5.6 years, range 5 months to 22.5 years). Ten patients have died of disease. At 2 years the local control rate was 86%, and colostomy‐free survival was 83%. Relapse after 2 years was uncommon. Tumour size was the main factor driving outcomes, especially survival. Patients with larger tumours (T > 4 cm) had a hazard ratio for survival of 5.7 (95% CI: 1.8–17). Fourteen (24%) patients experienced treatment interruptions as a result of acute toxicity, including one death from neutropoenic sepsis. Seven (12%) patients, in total, experienced one or more late toxicities, grade 3 or above, including four women (all postmenopausal) who developed a radiation‐induced bone injury. Most patients with anal cancer can expect to retain a functional sphincter after chemoradiation/radiation. Further studies are in progress to determine the optimal chemoradiation protocol.     

Demographic,seasonal, and spatial differences in acute myocardial infarction admissions to hospital in Melbourne Australia

Background  

Seasonal patterns in cardiac disease in the northern hemisphere are well described in the literature. More recently age and gender differences in cardiac mortality and to a lesser extent morbidity have been presented. To date spatial differences between the seasonal patterns of cardiac disease has not been presented. Literature relating to seasonal patterns in cardiac disease in the southern hemisphere and in Australia in particular is scarce. The aim of this paper is to describe the seasonal, age, gender, and spatial patterns of cardiac disease in Melbourne Australia by using acute myocardial infarction admissions to hospital as a marker of cardiac disease.     

The effect of helium-oxygen mixtures on body temperature

When animals breathed a mixture of cold helium-oxygen, while also exposed to it, their rectal temperature fell three times faster than when they were exposed to cold nitrogen-oxygen mixture. In further studies using a special chamber, the addition of helium to the inspired air and to the ambient air, promoted faster cooling than when helium was used in the inspired air alone or in the ambient air alone, demonstrating that helium can be used to regulate body temperature, when the gas temperature is controlled by a heat exchanger.Temperature regulation with helium may be useful for pediatric anesthesia, treatment of malignant hyperthermia, induction of hypothermia in neonatal cardiac surgery, and for resuscitation of hypothermic neonates.     

The stimulation of capillary endothelial cell migration by aqueous humor

We have developed a quantitative in vitro assay of aqueous humor based on capillary endothelial cell migration. Bovine adrenal capillary endothelial cells are plated onto glass coverslips that have previously been coated with colloidal gold and incubated for 18 hr. During this time, cells that migrate sweep up the gold and leave a bare track that serves as a record of their movement. When the coverslips are projected by phase microscopy onto a television screen, the tracks can be traced and their areas are measured by a Zeiss MOP-3 digital image analyzer. V-2 carcinoma was implanted onto the iris of each eye of 15 NZ white rabbits and 200 μl of aqueous humor was aspirated from the anterior chamber. The aqueous humor was added to nonconditioned culture medium (DME with 10% calf serum) in concentrations of 6.25, 25, 50, and 100 μl. The tracks of 100 cells were traced for each concentration. The aqueous humor from these tumor-bearing animals stimulated capillary endothelial cell migration in a statistically significant, dose-dependent fashion. Aqueous humor from the eyes of 10 control rabbits (5 sham operated and 5 with heat killed, washed tumor implants) did not stimulate capillary endothelial cell migration at any concentration. This in vitro quantitative capillary endothelial cell migration assay of aqueous humor might improve the clinical diagnosis of intraocular tumors, guide subsequent treatment regimens, and identify those patients at a high risk of developing malignant eye tumors.     

Simplifying antiretroviral therapy

The substantial benefits conferred by HAART require strict patient adherence. Many of the initial HAART regimens consisted of a number of large pills that needed to be taken several times daily, sometimes with meal restrictions. The development of once-daily antiretroviral agents has eased some of the burden associated with the intense, difficult schedules of early HAART regimens.. The majority of regimens currently used in treatment-naive HIV-positive patients contain a mixture of agents that are taken on a once- and twice-daily basis. Although this is an improvement over past regimens, the asynchronous administration of pills throughout the day still presents a scheduling challenge for most patients. The newest advance in simplifying antiretroviral therapy is the use of regimens in which all pills are taken at the same time once a day. Choosing drugs for a fully once-daily regimen requires awareness of a number of factors, including pharmacokinetics, potency, durability of response, resistance and safety. At this time, there are a limited number of combinations that can be used as a fully once-daily regimen and few clinical trials evaluating such combinations. Results from initial clinical trials using simplified, once-daily regimens in treatment-naive patients have been promising. Additional studies should add to this experience and provide guidance on the role and timing of such regimens in the management of patients with HIV disease.     

Signaling to localized degranulation in neutrophils adherent to immune complexes

The present study demonstrates that the secretion of azurophilic granules occurring during Fc receptor-mediated attachment and spreading of neutrophils is highly localized to the adhering region of the cell. In contrast, the secretion of specific granules occurs in a nonpolarized way. This implies that unique signals are involved in the regulation of azurophilic degranulation. Assembly of actin filaments, as visualized by staining with rhodamine phalloidin, neither hindered nor facilitated degranulation. Further, the azurophilic secretory response remained localized in the presence of cytochalasin B. Release of azurophilic-granule content was inhibited by genistein and erbstatin, inhibitors of tyrosine kinases, and by GF109203X, a protein kinase C (PKC) inhibitor. We could also demonstrate a relative enrichment of syk tyrosine kinase and the PKC isoforms alpha and beta1 in adherent plasma membranes.