Membership robustness but structural change of the native gut microbiota of bumble bees upon systemic immune induction.

Unlabelled: Understanding factors influencing the composition and maintenance of beneficial host-associated microbial communities is central to understanding their ecological, evolutionary, and health consequences for hosts. Host immunity is often implicated as a regulator of these microbiota, but immunity may also play a disruptive role, with responses to infection perturbing beneficial communities. Such effects may be more prominent from innate immune responses, with more rapid-acting and often non-specific components, compared to adaptive responses.

Mutant NPM1 Hijacks Transcriptional Hubs to Maintain Pathogenic Gene Programs in Acute Myeloid Leukemia.

Unlabelled: Nucleophosmin (NPM1) is a ubiquitously expressed nucleolar protein with a wide range of biological functions. In 30% of acute myeloid leukemia (AML), the terminal exon of NPM1 is often found mutated, resulting in the addition of a nuclear export signal and a shift of the protein to the cytoplasm (NPM1c). AMLs carrying this mutation have aberrant expression of the HOXA/B genes, whose overexpression leads to leukemogenic transformation.

3'HS1 CTCF binding site in human β-globin locus regulates fetal hemoglobin expression.

Mutations in the adult β-globin gene can lead to a variety of hemoglobinopathies, including sickle cell disease and β-thalassemia. An increase in fetal hemoglobin expression throughout adulthood, a condition named hereditary persistence of fetal hemoglobin (HPFH), has been found to ameliorate hemoglobinopathies. Deletional HPFH occurs through the excision of a significant portion of the 3' end of the β-globin locus, including a CTCF binding site termed 3'HS1.

Short-term testosterone manipulations do not affect cognition or motor function but differentially modulate emotions in young and older male rhesus monkeys.

Human aging is characterized by declines in cognition and fine motor function as well as improved emotional regulation. In men, declining levels of testosterone (T) with age have been implicated in the development of these age-related changes. However, studies examining the effects of T replacement on cognition, emotion and fine motor function in older men have not provided consistent results.

Testosterone modulation of anxiety in gonadally-suppressed male rhesus monkeys: a role for gonadotropins?

Testosterone (T) has repeatedly been shown to have anxiolytic properties in rodents, but findings in primates are more mixed. To examine the effects of exogenous T on anxiety, we tested pharmacologically-castrated adult male rhesus monkeys in a modified version of the Human Intruder Paradigm, which measured defensive responses to an unfamiliar human staring directly at them for 2 min. Monkeys were tested at 2 week intervals during 4 experimental conditions lasting 4 weeks each: at baseline, during treatment with the gonadotropin releasing hormone (GnRH) agonist leuprolide acetate (200 μg/kg; Lupron phase), during treatment with Lupron+T enanthate (TE, 5 mg/kg; TE phase) and during treatment with Lupron+oil vehicle (oil phase).

Short-term testosterone manipulations modulate visual recognition memory and some aspects of emotional reactivity in male rhesus monkeys.

The role of testosterone (T) in modulating cognitive function and emotion in men remains unclear. The paucity of animal studies has likely contributed to the slow progress in this area. In particular, studies in nonhuman primates have been lacking.

The relationship between excessive Internet use and depression: a questionnaire-based study of 1,319 young people and adults.

Background: There is a growing awareness of a psychiatric construct that needs to be better defined and understood: Internet addiction (IA). Recently there has been much public concern over the relationship between Internet use and negative affect. This study explored the concept of IA and examined the relationship between addictive symptoms and depression.

Clinical and molecular findings in a family with the carbonic anhydrase II deficiency syndrome.

Carbonic anhydrase II (CA2) deficiency syndrome is an autosomal recessive disorder leading to osteopetrosis, renal tubular acidosis, and cerebral calcifications. Affected members of an Arab family with the CA2 deficiency syndrome carried the "Egyptian mutation" in CA2, i.e.

Real-time molecular beacon NASBA reveals hblC expression from Bacillus spp. in milk.

Nucleic acid sequence-based amplification (NASBA) was applied in combination with a fluorescein-conjugated molecular beacon specific for a sequence flanked by transcript-specific primers in order to monitor hblC enterotoxin gene expression in real-time from milk separately contaminated with Bacillus amyloliquefaciens, Bacillus cereus, and Bacillus circulans. Maximal enterotoxin expression was noted following 16, 15, and 16 h, respectively, when grown in artificially contaminated nonfat dried milk incubated aerobically at 32 degrees C, corresponding to 1.6 x 10(5), 5 x 10(7), and 9.

Complications of common selective spinal injections: prevention and management.

Selective spinal injections are being performed with increasing frequency in the management of acute and chronic pain syndromes. Because these procedures require a needle to be placed in or around the spine, there is always a risk of complications. For this reason, prevention, early recognition, and management of complications are paramount to patient care.

Patient cost-benefit analysis of teledermatology measured in a randomized control trial.

A randomized controlled trial of the costs and benefits of teledermatology consultations compared with traditional hospital consultations was carried out. Over a nine-month period, 197 patients were referred from general practice for a dermatological opinion, 98 for a teledermatology consultation and 99 for a hospital consultation. Eighty patients required an additional subsequent hospital appointment.

Comparison of teleconsultations and face-to-face consultations: preliminary results of a United Kingdom multicentre teledermatology study.

The objective of this multicentre study was to undertake a systematic comparison of face-to-face consultations and teleconsultations performed using low-cost videoconferencing equipment. One hundred and twenty-six patients were enrolled by their general practitioners across three sites. Each patient underwent a teleconsultation with a distant dermatologist followed by a traditional face-to-face consultation with a dermatologist.

Diagnostic accuracy and clinical management by realtime teledermatology. Results from the Northern Ireland arms of the UK Multicentre Teledermatology Trial.

Diagnostic accuracy and management recommendations of realtime teledermatology consultations using low-cost telemedicine equipment were evaluated. Patients were seen by a dermatologist over a video-link and a diagnosis and treatment plan were recorded. This was followed by a face-to-face consultation on the same day to confirm the earlier diagnosis and management plan.

Preliminary results from the Northern Ireland arms of the UK Multicentre Teledermatology Trial: is clinical management by realtime teledermatology possible?

Results from phase 1 of the UK Multicentre Teledermatology Trial demonstrated the diagnostic accuracy of realtime teledermatology using low-cost equipment. Phase 2 of the trial aimed to assess its effectiveness as a management tool for dermatological disease. Teledermatology consultations were organized between two health centres and two hospitals in Northern Ireland using low-cost videoconferencing equipment.

Patient satisfaction with realtime teledermatology in Northern Ireland.

Teledermatology consultations were organized between two health centers and two hospitals in Northern Ireland using low-cost videoconferencing equipment. A prospective study of patient satisfaction was carried out. Following each teleconsultation, patients were asked to complete a questionnaire assessing their satisfaction with the service.

Preliminary results from the Northern Ireland arms of the UK Multicentre Teledermatology Trial: effect of camera performance on diagnostic accuracy.

The diagnostic accuracy of realtime teledermatology was measured using two different video cameras. One camera was a relatively low-cost, single-chip device (camera 1), while the other was a more expensive three-chip camera (camera 2). The diagnosis obtained via the videolink was compared with the diagnosis made in person.

Effect of camera performance on diagnostic accuracy: preliminary results from the Northern Ireland arms of the UK Multicentre Teledermatology Trial.

The diagnostic accuracy of realtime teledermatology was measured using two different video cameras. One camera was a relatively low-cost, single-chip device (camera 1), while the other was a more expensive, three-chip camera (camera 2). The diagnosis obtained via the videolink was compared with the diagnosis made in person.

Immunoglobulin-containing plasma cells recruited to cervical neoplasia.

Objective: To determine the number and isotype of immunoglobulin (Ig)-containing cells that infiltrate various stages of cervical neoplasia from no lesion to invasive cancer.

Methods: By three-color immunofluorescent microscopy, the number and isotype of stromal plasma cells were determined for 91 specimens representing a spectrum of cervical epithelial neoplasia as follows: no lesion (n = 12), koilocytic atypia (n = 13), mild dysplasia (n = 21), high-grade squamous intraepithelial lesions (SIL; n = 22), and invasive carcinoma (n = 23).

Results: The Ig-positive cell counts were markedly increased under the low-grade SIL.

Normal uterine cervix: characterization of isolated lymphocyte phenotypes and immunoglobulin secretion.

Problem: Isolation of viable cervical lymphocyte populations and characterization of their function in healthy tissue is necessary to understand immunity in the genital tract.

Methods: Normal, cervical tissue was digested using a multi-enzymatic digestion procedure. Lymphocytes were characterized using FACS analysis and ELISPOT analysis for immunoglobulin secreting cells.

CD8+ T lymphocytes are recruited to neoplastic cervix.

ToliicIV distinguish normal cervical lymphocyte populations from phenotypes recruited to the cervix in response to cervical neoplasia, lymphocytes were isolated from normal and neoplastic cervix. A portion of the cervical transformation zone was obtained from 19 patients with pathologically confirmed cervical intraepithelial neoplasia and from 20 patients with normal cervices undergoing hysterectomy for benign indications. Mononuclear cells were harvested from cervical tissue using a serial, multienzymatic digestion procedure and enriched by density gradient centrifugation.

Histopathology of ovarian cancer.

Ovarian tumors which form a complex group due to the variety of tissues composing the ovary are classified according to World Health Organization criteria with minor variations. The histopathology of the most common ovarian carcinomas, common epithelial tumors and germ cell tumors is discussed in detail.

A matched study of surgically treated stage IB adenosquamous carcinoma and adenocarcinoma of the uterine cervix.

Thirty-eight patients with surgically treated stage IB adenosquamous carcinoma of the uterine cervix (AS) have been matched with patients with other histologic subtypes of adenocarcinoma (A) for stage, lesion size, node status, grade of adenocarcinoma and age at diagnosis. An additional six patients with AS were unable to be matched. Overall 5-year survival and disease-free survival for the matched AS and A were not significantly different, 83 vs.