Improved estimates of discordance ratios in twin studies

In the study of monozygotic twins relative to disease and risk factors, particular interest focuses on the subset who are discordant for some suspected risk factor (for example, smoking), since such twins constitute a natural case-control pair. In such studies, questionnaires designed to identify the status of all twin pairs are sometimes error prone and can yield misleading estimates of the concordance-discordance ratios. Greater efforts to verify the characteristics of apparently discordant pairs than to verify those of apparently concordant pairs can result in the 'unequal ascertainment' fallacy. Using the results of a questionnaire with known error rates and the 'apparent' frequencies yielded, we present unbiased, maximum likelihood estimates of the 'true' proportions of concordant and discordant pairs. concordant and discordant pairs. We also present approximate covariances among these estimates.     

Comparative studies on intestine ultrastructure of third-stage larvae and adults of Cystidicoloides ephemeridarum (Nematoda, Cystidicolidae)

The intestinal epithelium of third-stage larvae and adults of Cystidicoloides ephemeridarum from haemocoel of mayflies and stomach of brown trout was studied by electron microscopy and cytochemistry. In section, the intestine of both stages is composed of a single layer of about ten undifferentiated intestinal cells in a ring. A labyrinth of deep invaginations is present in the basal region of each cell. The apical surface is modified into well developed, regularly arranged microvilli. These, together with numerous organelles engaged in metabolism and a well defined gut lumen filled with unidentifiable material suggest that the intestine may function in digestion and absorption during both stages. The adults seem to feed upon the semifluid content of the stomach of brown trout. Fortuitous oral infection with undetermined bacteria in vitro led to degenerative changes in the intestinal tissue and probably caused death of the infected specimens. Up to 75% of the cell volume in the L₃ is occupied by glycogen deposits. In the adults, a minor portion of glycogen, together with lipid droplets, has been observed. The adults are considered to rely more on aerobic metabolism, whereas anaerobic metabolism (glycolysis) may prevail in L₃.     

Telomeric and interstitial telomeric sequences in holokinetic chromosomes of Lepidoptera: Telomeric DNA mediates association between postpachytene bivalents in achiasmatic meiosis of females

Telomeres, besides their main role in the protection and maintenance of chromosome ends, have several other vital functions in the cell cycle. We studied their role in the achiasmatic meiosis of female Lepidoptera, insects with holokinetic chromosomes. By fluorescence in-situ hybridization (FISH) with the insect telomeric probe, (TTAGG) _n , we mapped the distribution of telomeric and interstitial telomeric sequences (ITS) in female meiotic chromosomes of two species, Orgyia antiqua with a reduced chromosome number (2n=28) and Ephestia kuehniella mutants, possessing a radiation-induced chromosome fusion in the genome (2n=59). In addition to the strong typical telomeric signals, O. antiqua displayed weaker hybridization signals in interstitial sites of pachytene bivalents. The observed ITS most probably reflect remnants of chromosomal rearrangements and support the hypothesis that the Orgyia karyotype had arisen by multiple fusions of ancestral chromosomes. On the other hand, the absence of ITS in the chromosome fusion of Ephestia indicated the loss of telomeres before the two original chromosomes fused. When the telomeric probe was amplified by enzymatic reaction with tyramid, the number of ITS observed increased in Orgyia, and a few ITS were also observed in several chromosomes of Ephestia but not in the fused chromosome. This suggests that the genomes of both species also contain ITS other than those originating from chromosome fusions. The analysis of female meiotic prophase I revealed non-homologous associations of postpachytene bivalents mediated by telomeric DNA, which were not observed in the pachytene stage. Surprisingly, in early postpachytene nuclei the telomeric associations also involved ITS, whereas later postpachytene nuclei displayed chains of bivalents interconnected only by true telomeres. This finding favours a hypothesis that telomeric associations between bivalents play a role in chromosome segregation in the achiasmatic meiosis of female Lepidoptera. This revised version was published online in July 2006 with corrections to the Cover Date.     

Monoclonal antibodies against transferrin. Precipitating mixtures and lack of inter-species cross-reactivity

Five stable hybridoma lines were prepared using the myeloma cell line P3-X63-Ag.653 and spleen cells of mice hyperimmunized by pig transferrin. All hybridomas grew well in mouse peritoneal cavity and produced antibodies of the IgG₁ subclass. Antibody preparations obtained from ascitic fluids tested for their capacity of antigen precipitation. No precipitation was obtained with single antibodies and with pairs of antibodies. Three out of 10 possible triads gave clear and sharp precipitation zones and rings in immunodiffusion tests performed in agar gel. All 5 antibodies were shown by quantitative enzyme-immunoassay to be specific for pig transferrin: no cross-reaction was obtained with mouse, human, horse and sheep transferrins.     

Hydrogels in endovascular embolization. II. Clinical use of spherical particles

In this study we report the results of clinical experiments, obtained with spherical particles made from poly(2-hydroxyethyl methacrylate) used in the embolization of arteriovenous anastomoses, in the suppression of pulmonary haemorrhage and haemoptysis and in the occlusion of some other arteries. So far we have used these particles in the treatment of 187 patients. It must be stressed that the advantage of spherical particles consists in the simplicity of their introduction into the blood vessel through a catheter, while in the blood vessel itself the particle swells in blood still more, when compared with the particle size in saline. This results in an immediate and permanent haemostatic effect. No revascularization occurs.     

Three species of Philometra (Nematoda, Philometridae) from marine fishes off Corsica, France

Gravid or subgravid females of the following three species belonging to the nematode genus Philometra were collected from marine perciform fishes of the Bonifacio Strait Marine Reserve, Corsica, France: Philometra justinei sp. nov. (prevalence 1.5%, intensity 11) and Philometra sp. (prevalence 3%, intensity 2) from the abdominal cavity and gonads, respectively, of the striped red mullet Mullus surmuletus (Mullidae), and Philometra serranellicabrillae Janiszewska, 1949 (prevalence 27%, intensity 2–6) from the gonads of the comber Serranus cabrilla (Serranidae). The newly described species, P. justinei, is mainly characterized by the absence of an anterior bulbous inflation of the oesophagus, body length of the gravid female (196 mm), conspicuously large amphids, number and distribution of cephalic papillae, and the morphology of larvae. It is the second known species of Philometra parasitizing fishes of the family Mullidae and the ninth species of this genus reported from marine fishes of the Mediterranean region. P. serranellicabrillae, studied for the first time by SEM, is redescribed.     

Properties of visual evoked potentials to onset of movement on a television screen

In 80 subjects the dependence of movement-onset visual evoked potentials on some measures of stimulation was examined, and these responses were compared with pattern-reversal visual evoked potentials to verify the effectiveness of pattern movement application for visual evoked potential acquisition. Horizontally moving vertical gratings were generated on a television screen. The typical movement-onset reactions were characterized by one marked negative peak only, with a peak time between 140 and 200ms. In all subjects the sufficient stimulus duration for acquisition of movement-onset-related visual evoked potentials was 100ms; in some cases it was only 20ms. Higher velocity (5.6°/s) produced higher amplitudes of movement-onset visual evoked potentials than did the lower velocity (2.8°/s). In 80% of subjects, the more distinct reactions were found in the leads from lateral occipital areas (in 60% from the right hemisphere), with no correlation to handedness of subjects. Unlike pattern-reversal visual evoked potentials, the movement-onset responses tended to be larger to extramacular stimulation (annular target of 5°–9°) than to macular stimulation (circular target of 5° diameter).Abbreviation PREP pattern-reversal visual evoked potentials     

TTAGG Telomeric Repeats in Chromosomes of Some Insects and Other Arthropods

We studied the occurrence of the TTAGG telomere repeats by fluorescence in-situ hybridization (FISH) and Southern hybridization in ten insect species and two other arthropods. (TTAGG)_n-containing telomeres were found in three Lepidoptera species, the silkworm Bombyx mori (in which the telomeric sequence was recently discovered), the flour moth Ephestia kuehniella, and the wax moth Galleria mellonella, in one species of Hymenoptera, the honey bee Apis mellifera, in one species of Coleoptera, the bark beetle Ips typographus, in one species of Orthoptera, the locust Locusta migratoria, and in a crustacean, the amphipod Gammarus pulex. They were absent in another species of Coleoptera, the mealworm Tenebrio molitor, two representatives of Diptera, Drosophila melanogaster and Megaselia scalaris, a species of Heteroptera, the bug Pyrrhocoris apterus and a spider, Tegenaria ferruginea. Our results, which confirm and extend earlier observations, suggest that (TTAGG)_n was a phylogenetically ancestral telomere motif in the insect lineage but was lost independently in different groups, being replaced probably by other telomere motifs. In the Coleoptera this must have happened rather recently as even members of the same family, Curculionidae, differ with respect to the telomeric DNA.     

Comparative study of diets and disease prevalence in Greek Chians part II Chian immigrants to Athens and to the United States

The study examined differences in Greek and Greek‐American diets and disease patterns related to migration within the Mediterranean and from the Mediterranean to the United States. Data reported here discuss changes in food patterns and health‐related characteristics of two populations, both originating from the Greek island of Chios, residing either in Athens, Greece, or urban centers in the United States. Food consumption and medical history questionnaires were mailed to 2652 Chians residing in Athens, New York, and the San Francisco Bay region of California. A total of 381 usable responses were obtained; 79% of both the Chian Greek and the Chian Greek American sample were first generation emigrants. Food consumption data were analyzed as monthly frequencies of 49 food items and categories using factor analysis and discriminate analysis. Associations between location of residence and disease prevalence were examined using maximum‐likelihood logit analysis; results were controlled for age, Body Mass Index, physical activity, smoking habit, and socio‐economic status. After controlling for these potential confounders, as well as for presence of the conditions of elevated serum cholesterol, hypertension, and diabetes, Chian American men were identified at higher risk for cardiovascular disease (CVD) than their Athenian counterparts (p < 0.06). This difference in risk for CVD may be related to more frequent use of oils and fats other than olive oil, and less frequent use of olive oil. Among women, diabetes exhibited a positive association with Chian women residing in Athens (p < 0.09), which may be explained by a less frequent use of foods rich in complex carbohydrates by Athenian women than by their American counterparts.