Increased Placental Cell Senescence and Oxidative Stress in Women with Pre-Eclampsia and Normotensive Post-Term Pregnancies

Up to 11% of pregnancies extend to post-term with adverse obstetric events linked to pregnancies over 42 weeks. Oxidative stress and senescence (cells stop growing and dividing by irreversibly arresting their cell cycle and gradually ageing) can result in diminished cell function. There are no detailed studies of placental cell senescence markers across a range of gestational ages, although increased levels have been linked to pre-eclampsia before full term. This study aimed to determine placental senescence and oxidative markers across a range of gestational ages in women with uncomplicated pregnancies and those with a diagnosis of pre-eclampsia. Placentae were obtained from 37 women with uncomplicated pregnancies of 37–42 weeks and from 13 cases of pre-eclampsia of 31⁺²–41⁺² weeks. The expression of markers of senescence, oxidative stress, and antioxidant defence (tumour suppressor protein p16^INK4a, kinase inhibitor p21, interleukin-6 (IL-6), NADPH oxidase 4 (NOX4), glutathione peroxidases 1, 3, and 4 (GPx1, GPx3, and GPx4), placental growth factor (PlGF), and soluble fms-like tyrosine kinase-1 (sFlt-1)) genes was measured (quantitative real-time PCR). Protein abundance of p16^INK4a, IL-6, NOX4, 8-hydroxy-2′-deoxy-guanosine (8-OHdG), and PlGF was assessed by immunocytochemistry. Placental NOX4 protein was higher in post-term than term deliveries and further increased by pre-eclampsia (p < 0.05 for all). P21 expression was higher in post-term placentae (p = 0.012) and in pre-eclampsia (p = 0.04), compared to term. Placental P16^INK4a protein expression was increased post-term, compared to term (p = 0.01). In normotensive women, gestational age at delivery was negatively associated with GPx4 and PlGF (mRNA and protein) (p < 0.05 for all), whereas a positive correlation was seen with placental P21, NOX4, and P16^INK4a (p < 0.05 for all) expression. Markers of placental oxidative stress and senescence appear to increase as gestational age increases, with antioxidant defences diminishing concomitantly. These observations increase our understanding of placental health and may contribute to assessment of the optimal gestational age for delivery.     

Effect of the initial dose of foot-and-mouth disease virus on the early viral dynamics within pigs

This paper investigates the early viral dynamics of foot-and-mouth disease (FMD) within infected pigs. Using an existing within-host model, we investigate whether individual variation can be explained by the effect of the initial dose of FMD virus. To do this, we consider the experimental data on the concentration of FMD virus genomes in the blood (viral load). In this experiment, 12 pigs were inoculated with one of three different doses of FMD virus: low; medium; or high. Measurements of the viral load were recorded over a time course of approximately 11 days for every 8 hours. The model is a set of deterministic differential equations with the following variables: viral load; virus in the interstitial space; and the proportion of epithelial cells available for infection, infected and uninfected. The model was fitted to the data for each animal individually and also simultaneously over all animals varying only the initial dose. We show that the general trend in the data can be explained by varying only the initial dose. The higher the initial dose the earlier the development of a detectable viral load.     

Growth and aroma production by Staphylococcus xylosus, S. carnosus and S. equorum--a comparative study in model systems

A laboratory medium inoculated with 20 different Staphylococcus strains was prepared in accordance with a full factorial experimental design investigating the effect of temperature, pH, NaCl and glucose on growth. The 12 strains most suited to growth in a fermented meat environment were inoculated in sausage minces together with Pediococcus pentosaceus, incubated at 25 degrees C for 1 week and the produced aroma compounds collected. The data were analysed by multiple linear regression and partial least squares regression analysis. The results showed that increasing pH and temperature from 4.6 to 6.0 and 10 to 26 degrees C, respectively, increased growth of all strains with strong synergy between temperature and pH. Increasing salt concentration from 5% to 15% w/v decreased growth of most strains, but the effect of pH and temperature was much stronger than the effect of salt. Strains of S. carnosus were more salt tolerant than strains of S. equorum and S. xylosus, especially at high pH and temperature. Addition of glucose up to 0.5% w/v had no significant influence on growth of any of the strains. With regard to aroma production, species characteristics were detected. S. carnosus and S. xylosus were quite different regarding the overall aroma profiles, whereas the profiles of S. equorum lied somewhere in-between. Contrary to S. carnosus, S. xylosus and S. equorum did not produce 2-methyl-1-butanol. On the other hand, in particular, S. xylosus produced more 3-methyl-1-butanol. Except for one of the strains of S. equorum, S. xylosus and S. equorum formed more diacetyl, 2-butanone and acetoin and also more of the methyl-branched ketones arising from degradation of leucine, isoleucine and valine. S. carnosus produced more methyl-branched aldehydes, acids and corresponding esters from leucine, isoleucine and valine compounds that have been correlated with fermented sausage maturity in former studies. S. equorum produced the least of the methyl-branched aldehydes.     

Listening to parents' voices: Participatory action research in the schools.

How can schools and parents work together more effectively? This article describes a participatory action research (PAR) project with a group of parents whose children had been classified as having emotional disabilities. As the parents shared their stories of trying to navigate the special education system, they developed critical consciousness about their experiences of stress, powerlessness, and alienation. They became mobilized and obtained information about testing, diagnostic classification, and educational options for their children. Armed with this information, they developed and implemented an action plan to improve family-school relationships at the local, community, and state levels. The article concludes with an example of how the PAR model can be exported to a variety of mental health settings. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Retracted: Temperature affects flavour intensity and quality of aroma in fresh basil (Ocimum basilicum L.) leaves

Retraction: The following article from the Journal of the Science of Food and Agriculture , ‘Temperature affects flavour intensity and quality of aroma in fresh basil (Ocimum basilicum L.) leaves’ by Xianmin Chang, Peter G Alderson, Tracey A Hollowood, Louise Hewson, and Charles J Wright, published online on 19 October 2005 in Wiley InterScience (www.interscience.wiley.com), has been retracted by agreement between the authors, the journal Editor in Chief, David S. Reid and John Wiley & Sons, Ltd. The retraction has been agreed due to overlap between this article and the following article published in the The Journal of Horticultural Science & Biotechnology ; ‘Effect of temperature integration on the growth and volatile oil content of Basil (Ocimum basilicum L.)’ by Xianmin Chang, Peter G Alderson and Charles J Wright. Volume 80 Issue 5, 2005, pages 593 – 598     

Mesure de Stress Psychologique (MSP): Se sentir stressé-e.

Studied the development and validity of an instrument designed to measure stress by evaluating subjective feelings of stress without referring to "stress" or "stressors." Human subjects: 696 male and female Canadian adults, divided into 6 groups. Group I (15 Ss) were asked to provide a list of stress indicators for themselves, their spouses, and others. These indicators were used to establish the content validity of the Mesure de Stress Psychologique (MSP) ("Psychological State of Stress Measure"). Group II (98 university students) Ss were given a 95-item stress questionnaire; the results were analyzed statistically and used to select 74 items for the MSP. Group III (97 university students) Ss were given the 74-item MSP to determine the internal consistency of the instrument. Group IV (188 married couples with a primary school child) Ss were asked to answer the MSP for themselves and for their spouses. These results were analyzed statistically according to sex, family structure, and socioeconomic variables. Group V (66 adults aged 20–60 yrs) and Group VI (44 dental students) Ss were given a 53-item MSP on 2 to 4 occasions to evaluate test–retest and hypothetical-deductive validity. The results were evaluated using a multivariate analysis of variance (MANOVA). (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

The assessment of menstrual synchrony: Comment on Weller and Weller (1997).

A. Weller and L. Weller (see record 1997-06365-004) claimed to report "the definitive study of menstrual synchrony" (p. 148). To allow for cycle variability, they used the following criterion for synchrony: It occurred in 2 out of 3 months. The underlying assumption of the state of menstrual synchrony is that cycle length variability is minimal. The present article uses a random selection of cycle lengths from a distribution described by R. F. Vollman (1977) to illustrate how variable cycle lengths cause a fluctuation from synchrony to asynchrony. A. Weller and L. Weller's study is not, therefore, conclusive, and future studies of menstrual synchrony should include an assessment of cycle variability as well as onset difference. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

The crystallography of ferrous martensites

The applicability of the phenomenological crystallographic theory to martensitic transformations in ferrous alloys is discussed, and it is concluded that only for the {3, 15, 10} _F and {252} _F transformations are experimental data sufficiently complete for detailed comparisons with predictions of the theory. Since crystallographic measurements have proved more difficult to obtain in the {252}F case a detailed assessment of electron microscopy observations and of reported measurements of the shape strain and orientation relationship is given for this transformation. The basic theory introduced, in the 1950's accounts satisfactorily for the {3, 15, 10} _F transformation but not for the {252} _F , case. Recent modifications of the theory based on multiple lattice invariant shears are also reviewed and are examined in the light of the crystallographic measurements. The use of experimental information to infer possible inhomogeneous deformation modes is emphasized.     

Relations of heart rate to motor activity and arousal in the rat.

Recorded heart rate in 9 male hooded rats and 1 male albino rat under conditions of satiation or food deprivation. Increased heart rate was associated with phasic movement or an erect posture. These 2 factors appeared to combine during face washing or licking of the back, resulting in heart rates up to 500/bpm. Food deprivation up to 47 hr. had no direct effect on heart rate. It is suggested that many of the results of studies relating heart rate in the rat to learning, motivation, arousal, etc. may be secondary effects of changed behavior patterns such as an increase or decrease in grooming. (French summary) (20 ref.) (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)