Mitf dosage as a primary determinant of melanocyte survival after ultraviolet irradiation.

Microphthalmia-associated transcription factor (Mitf) is essential for melanocyte development and function and regulates anti-apoptotic Bcl2 expression. We hypothesized that cellular deficiency of Mitf can influence melanocyte survival in response to ultraviolet (UV) radiation. Primary melanocyte cultures were prepared from neonatal wild-type mice and congenic animals heterozygous for Mitf mutations Mitf (mi-vga9/+) and Mitf(Mi-wh/+) and exposed to UV irradiation.

Use of an impedance threshold device improves short-term outcomes following out-of-hospital cardiac arrest.

Introduction: An impedance threshold device (ITD) has been developed for the treatment of cardiac arrest to augment circulation to the heart and brain during cardiopulmonary resuscitation (CPR). The ITD has ventilation timing lights that flash at 12 min(-1) to discourage excessive ventilation rates.

Hypothesis: Implementation of the ITD during conventional manual CPR in a large emergency medical services (EMS) system (Staffordshire, UK) is safe, feasible and will improve short-term survival.