Conditional deletion of the Lkb1 gene in the mouse mammary gland induces tumour formation.

Heterozygous germline mutations in the LKB1 (STK11) gene cause Peutz-Jeghers syndrome (PJS), an autosomal dominant disorder characterized by hamartomatous polyposis of the gastrointestinal tract and an increased risk of colorectal, breast, and other cancers. To model the role of LKB1 mutation in mammary tumourigenesis, we have used a conditional gene targeting strategy to generate a mouse in which exons encoding the kinase domain of Lkb1 were deleted specifically in the mammary gland. Mammary gland tumours developed in these mice with a latency of 46-85 weeks and occurred in the thoracic or inguinal glands.

Pale poultry muscle syndrome.

Muscle that exhibits a pale color, soft texture, and exudative nature (PSE) was first described by the swine industry. Some turkey breast muscle has been found to be lighter or paler than what is considered normal. A comparable phenomenon has also been observed in broiler chicken breast muscle.

Identification of candidate structured RNAs in the marine organism 'Candidatus Pelagibacter ubique'.

Background: Metagenomic sequence data are proving to be a vast resource for the discovery of biological components. Yet analysis of this data to identify functional RNAs lags behind efforts to characterize protein diversity. The genome of 'Candidatus Pelagibacter ubique' HTCC 1062 is the closest match for approximately 20% of marine metagenomic sequence reads.

Cancer screening among migrants in an Australian cohort; cross-sectional analyses from the 45 and Up Study.

Background: Limited evidence suggests that people from non-English speaking backgrounds in Australia have lower than average rates of participation in cancer screening programs. The objective of this study was to examine the distribution of bowel, breast and prostate cancer test use by place of birth and years since migration in a large population-based cohort study in Australia.

Methods: In 2006, screening status, country of birth and other demographic and health related factors were ascertained by self-completed questionnaire among 31,401 (16,126 women and 15,275 men) participants aged 50 or over from the 45 and Up Study in New South Wales.

Effect of dry-air chilling on sensory descriptive profiles of cooked broiler breast meat deboned four hours after the initiation of chilling.

The objective of this study was to evaluate the effect of a dry air-chilling (AC) method on sensory texture and flavor descriptive profiles of broiler pectoralis major (fillet) and pectoralis minor (tender). The profiles of the muscles immersion-chilled and deboned at the same postmortem time and the profiles of the muscles hot-boned (or no chill) were used for the comparison. A total of 108 eviscerated carcasses (6-wk-old broilers) were obtained from a commercial processing line before the chillers.

Deciphering drift time measurements from travelling wave ion mobility spectrometry-mass spectrometry studies.

Detailed knowledge of the tertiary and quaternary structure of proteins and protein complexes is of immense importance in understanding their functionality. Similarly, variations in the conformational states of proteins form the underlying mechanisms behind many biomolecular processes, numerous of which are disease-related. Thus, the availability of reliable and accurate biophysical techniques that can provide detailed information concerning these issues is of paramount importance.

Trifluoromethyldiazirine: an effective photo-induced cross-linking probe for exploring amyloid formation.

The separative and analytical power of ion mobility spectrometry-mass spectrometry combined with photo-induced cross-linking of site-specifically incorporated trifluoromethyldiazirine provides a powerful approach towards structural characterisation of amyloid fibrils.

Patterns of surgical care for prostate cancer in NSW, 1993-2002: rural/urban and socio-economic variation.

Objectives: Prostate cancer is the most commonly registered cancer in Australian men, yet there is a lack of information about its management. We described the patterns and trends in the surgical treatment of men with prostate cancer in New South Wales (NSW).

Method: We used probabilistic record linkage to link cancer registry data with hospital admissions.

Prostate cancer and prostate-specific antigen testing in New South Wales.

Objective: To describe trends in prostate-specific antigen (PSA) testing, prostate cancer incidence and mortality in New South Wales.

Design And Setting: Descriptive analysis using routinely collected data of observed trends in PSA testing from 1989 to 2006, and prostate cancer cases and deaths from 1972 to 2005 in NSW.

Main Outcome Measures: Age-standardised and age-specific rates and joinpoint regression to identify changes in trends; projected trends observed before the introduction of PSA testing to quantify its impact on incidence and mortality rates.

Analysis of Abeta interactions using ProteinChip technology.

Abeta peptides are now acknowledged to play a central role in the pathogenesis of Alzheimer's disease. Their generation results from the sequential cleavage of amyloid precursor protein by beta and gamma secretases. The resulting peptide fragments impart toxicity via their ability to form soluble oligomers and bind to cell membranes.

SNMP is a signaling component required for pheromone sensitivity in Drosophila.

The only known volatile pheromone in Drosophila, 11-cis-vaccenyl acetate (cVA), mediates a variety of behaviors including aggregation, mate recognition, and sexual behavior. cVA is detected by a small set of olfactory neurons located in T1 trichoid sensilla on the antennae of males and females. Two components known to be required for cVA reception are the odorant receptor Or67d and the extracellular pheromone-binding protein LUSH.

Effect of blood spots in table egg albumen on Salmonella growth.

Presence of blood spots in eggs has been correlated with a greater rate of Salmonella Enteritidis contamination. Therefore, this study was conducted to determine whether Salmonella inoculated into egg albumen with naturally occurring blood spots would survive or grow. In each of 3 trials, white shell table eggs with blood spots were collected from a commercial egg-processing plant after candling.

A long-term prospective analysis of pediatric unilateral inguinal hernias: should laparoscopy or anything else influence the management of the contralateral side?

Purpose: To prospectively determine if children who present with a unilateral inguinal hernia can be identified as at risk for developing a metachronous inguinal hernia (MIH) based on risk factors and laparoscopic findings of the contralateral internal ring.

Materials And Methods: Between April 2000 and October 2004, 299 patients with a unilateral inguinal hernia were followed prospectively. Laparoscopy was attempted in each child.

Activation of pheromone-sensitive neurons is mediated by conformational activation of pheromone-binding protein.

Detection of volatile odorants by olfactory neurons is thought to result from direct activation of seven-transmembrane odorant receptors by odor molecules. Here, we show that detection of the Drosophila pheromone, 11-cis vaccenyl acetate (cVA), is instead mediated by pheromone-induced conformational shifts in the extracellular pheromone-binding protein, LUSH. We show that LUSH undergoes a pheromone-specific conformational change that triggers the firing of pheromone-sensitive neurons.

Insect odorant receptors: channeling scent.

Odorant detection in insects involves heterodimers between an odorant receptor (OR) and a conserved seven-transmembrane protein called Or83b, but the exact mechanism of OR signal transduction is unclear. Two recent studies in Nature (Sato et al., 2008; Wicher et al.

Platinum-based inhibitors of amyloid-beta as therapeutic agents for Alzheimer's disease.

Amelyoid-beta peptide (Abeta) is a major causative agent responsible for Alzheimer's disease (AD). Abeta contains a high affinity metal binding site that modulates peptide aggregation and toxicity. Therefore, identifying molecules targeting this site represents a valid therapeutic strategy.

The effect of chilling in cold air or ice water on the microbiological quality of broiler carcasses and the population of Campylobacter.

Cold air or ice water can be used to chill poultry carcasses after slaughter. The objective of this study was to compare the effect of 2 chill methods on broiler carcass bacteria. Broiler carcasses were cut in half along the dorsal-ventral midline; one half was subjected to an ice-water immersion chill in an agitated bath for 50 min, whereas the reciprocal half was subjected to an air chill in a 1 degrees C cold room for 150 min.

Balancing accountability and improvement: a case study from Massachusetts.

Background: The Massachusetts Health Quality Partnership (MHQP), a coalition of health care providers and insurers, and business and government organizations, conducted a voluntary statewide survey about patients' experiences with inpatient care at Massachusetts hospitals in 1998, and made the results public.

Methods: MHQP contracted with The Picker Institute (Boston) to conduct the statewide survey about seven dimensions of care for adult medical, surgical, and maternity patients at 58 hospitals across Massachusetts. The communications strategy for public report release was designed to promote fair reporting by the news media and emphasize the improvement goals of performance measurement above evaluation.

Drosophila R2D2 mediates follicle formation in somatic tissues through interactions with Dicer-1.

The miRNA pathway has been shown to regulate developmentally important genes. Dicer-1 is required to cleave endogenously encoded microRNA (miRNA) precursors into mature miRNAs that regulate endogenous gene expression. RNA interference (RNAi) is a gene silencing mechanism triggered by double-stranded RNA (dsRNA) that protects organisms from parasitic nucleic acids.

Piloting nursing-sensitive hospital care measures in Massachusetts.

Under the umbrella of the Massachusetts Hospital Association and Massachusetts Organization of Nurse Executives Patients First Initiative, Massachusetts hospitals tested a subset of NQF-endorsed nursing-sensitive care measures in 2006. In this report, we describe the pilot test, report on pilot test measure data, summarize participant feedback on the tested measures, and offer observations on lessons learned from the pilot test.

Recovery of bacteria from broiler carcasses after immersion chilling in different volumes of water, part 2.

Experiments were conducted to determine the relationship between poultry chilling water volume and carcass microbiology. In the first study, the volume of water used during immersion chilling was found to have a significant effect on the counts of bacteria recovered from broiler carcass halves; however, these volumes (2.1 and 16.

Dimeric structures of alpha-synuclein bind preferentially to lipid membranes.

There is substantial evidence which implicates alpha-synuclein and its ability to aggregate and bind vesicle membranes as critical factors in the development of Parkinson's disease. In order to investigate the interaction between alpha-synuclein wild type (Wt) and its familial mutants, A53T and A30P with lipid membranes, we developed a novel lipid binding assay using surface enhanced laser desorption/ionisation-time of flight-mass spectrometry (SELDI-TOF MS). Wt and A53T exhibited similar lipid binding profiles; monomeric species and dimers bound with high relative affinity to the lipid surface, the latter of which exhibited preferential binding.

Formation of a high affinity lipid-binding intermediate during the early aggregation phase of alpha-synuclein.

The alpha-synuclein (alpha-syn) protein is clearly implicated in Parkinson's disease (PD). Mutations or triplication of the alpha-syn gene leads to early onset PD, possibly by accelerating alpha-syn oligomerization. alpha-syn interacts with lipids, and this membrane binding activity may relate to its toxic activity.

Stabilization of neurotoxic soluble beta-sheet-rich conformations of the Alzheimer's disease amyloid-beta peptide.

An emerging paradigm for degenerative diseases associated with protein misfolding, such as Alzheimer's disease, is the formation of a toxic species due to structural transitions accompanied by oligomerization. Increasingly, the focus in Alzheimer's disease is on soluble oligomeric forms of the amyloid-beta peptide (Abeta) as the potential toxic species. Using a variety of methods, we have analyzed how sodium dodecyl sulphate (SDS) modulates the folding of Abeta40 and 42 and found that submicellar concentrations of SDS solubilize Abeta and induce structural transitions.

Marination pressure and phosphate effects on broiler breast fillet yield, tenderness, and color.

In the United States a large percentage of raw poultry meat is marinated prior to cooking. Many products are marinated by vacuum tumbling meat with a mixture of water, salt, and phosphates to increase cook yield and perceived tenderness. This study was designed to determine the effect of 3 pressure treatments (ambient, vacuum, or positive) and phosphate on yield, tenderness, and color on broiler breast meat.