Neuroendocrine regulation of reproduction in Atlantic cod (Gadus morhua): Evidence of Eya3 as an integrator of photoperiodic cues and nutritional regulation to initiate sexual maturation.

Evidence from mammals and aves alludes to a possibly conserved seasonal photoperiod induced neuroendocrine cascade which stimulates subsequent sexual maturation however our understanding of this mechanism in teleosts is lacking. Unlike all teleosts studied to date, the Atlantic cod (Gadus morhua) is a short day breeder with the reduction in day-length from the summer solstice stimulating gametogenesis. Cod specific orthologues of eya3, tshß and dio2 were identified and their expression was monitored in the brain and pituitary of cod held under either stimulated or inhibited photoperiod conditions. While no differential expression was apparent in brain dio2 & tshß and pituitary tshß, there was significant temporal variation in expression of pituitary eya3 under the SNP treatment, with expression level elevating in association with active gametogenesis. Under the LL treatment, sexual maturation was inhibited and there was a corresponding suppression of eya3 expression. In a second study the impact of size/energetic status on the initiation of sexual maturation was investigated. In the feed restricted population maturation was significantly suppressed (5% sexually mature) compared to the ab libitum fed stock (95% sexually mature) with there being a concomitant significant suppression in pituitary eya3 expression. Overall, these results suggest that pituitary eya3 has the potential to act as an integrator of both environmental and energetic regulation of sexual maturation of cod. Being the first account of eya3 induction in a short day breeding teleost, the conserved association with stimulation of reproduction and not seasonal state indicates that the upstream drivers which initiate the pathway differ among vertebrates according to their breeding strategies, but the pathway itself and its role in the reproductive cascade appears to be conserved across the vertebrate clade.

Monitoring outbreaks of methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus: use of a commercial database and personal computer.

A commercial database and personal computer were used to record relevant information on outbreaks of hospital infection associated with methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA). The data were easily stored, amended and retrieved, and there was sufficient flexibility and capacity within the data fields to allow day-to-day monitoring of the outbreak.

Small dishwashers for hospital ward kitchens.

A comparison of the cleaning efficiency and thermal disinfection capabilities of 12 small dishwashers being used in hospital wards was carried out. Machines installed prior to the establishment of a local purchase policy failed to achieve the standards required for hygienic washing up. Machines conforming to the purchasing criteria gave a satisfactory performance.

A comparison of three semi-selective media for the isolation of methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus.

During the 1980s the emergence of multiple antibiotic-resistant strains of Staphylococcus aureus posed new problems for infection control worldwide, many of which still remain. In investigations of outbreaks of infection, the laboratory has a key role in identifying infected or colonised patients and staff. The rapid isolation and accurate identification of the causative organisms are essential for the implementation of appropriate control measures. Speed and accuracy in identification, by colonial morphology, is often difficult to achieve in the presence of a mixed population of commensal bacteria. To this end, the sensitivity of three media for the isolation of methicillin-resistant S. aureus (MRSA) from simulated clinical specimens was compared. Initial colonial recognition of MRSA was enhanced on methicillin-milk agar when compared with that on other media.

Glycoprotein patterns in normal and malignant cervical tissue.

Glycoproteins from normal and malignant human cervix were studied using an organ culture system and compared by gel electrophoresis and autoradiography. Five glycoproteins of 178 kDa, 95 kDa, 93 kDa, 82 kDa and 38 kDa and 1 glycolipid (46 kDa) were detected more frequently in squamous carcinomas. Certain glycoproteins were shown to be oncofoetal and some had affinity for Concanavalin A (Con A). The 82 kDa glycoprotein was present in 16/17 squamous carcinomas but in only 1/13 normal cervices. This band represented a glycoprotein containing glucosamine, mannose, small quantities of methionine and no fucose. These preliminary results suggest that these glycoproteins and in particular the 82-kDa glycoprotein are worthy of further investigation and characterisation.

Cervical carcinoma: an experimental approach.

A mouse model system was used to investigate the preventive efficacy of a subunit herpes simplex virus (HSV) vaccine on the development of HSV induced cervical carcinoma. Ten groups of mice were vaccinated before receiving repeated intravaginal exposure to HSV-type 2 inactivated by ultraviolet irradiation. At 20 months postvaccination, neutralizing antibody activity to herpes simplex viruses was detected in the sera of the mice which had received the highest vaccine dose. Although three experimental mice and one control mouse developed cervical tumours and five mice developed preinvasive malignant changes, 87% of cervices were of normal or koilocytotic appearance on histological examination. There was therefore no evidence from this study that repeated exposure of mouse cervices to inactivated HSV-2 induced a significant incidence of preinvasive or invasive cervical carcinoma.

A comparison between a detergent baby bath additive and baby soap on the skin flora of neonates.

A detergent based baby bath additive as an alternative to soap for bathing neonates was investigated. The yield of Staphylococcus aureus, Staph. epidermidis, Pseudomonas spp., Candida spp. and coliforms from skin swabs was compared in a group of 22 babies bathed in the detergent additive with a similar group of 22 babies bathed in soap. No differences were detected in the isolation rate of these organisms between the two groups.

Identification of postdisaster bereavement risk predictors.

Investigators have focused primarily on the bereavement experiences of widows and parents of deceased infants. In this study, subjects were 69 bereaved close family members and friends of deceased disaster victims and 50 control subjects. Six variables, not examined before, were entered in a series of hierarchical step-wise regression equations to determine their ability to predict health outcomes. The six variables were gender, age, concurrent life stress, perception of the prior relationship between the bereaved and deceased as central or peripheral, perception of catastrophic death as preventable or unpreventable, and perception of social support. The three health outcomes were depression, somatization, and physical health status. Results indicated that the six selected variables accounted for 48% of the variance in predicting depression, 39% in predicting somatization, and 35% in predicting physical health status in the bereaved group. Concurrent negative life stress was the most important single predictor in all three health outcomes in both groups of subjects.

Polypeptide synthesis in columnar and squamous explants of human uterine cervix.

There were quantitative and qualitative differences in the in-vitro synthesis of 3 polypeptides between squamous and columnar epithelial explants of human cervix. One cross-linked keratin-like polypeptide of mol. wt 50,000 was synthesized and phosphorylated by squamous but not by columnar explants; a second cross-linked keratin-like polypeptide of mol. wt 52,000, which was present in larger amounts in squamous than columnar explants, was both glycosylated and phosphorylated during in-vitro explantation of squamous tissue; a third polypeptide of mol. wt 25,200 which was keratin-like but not cross-linked, was synthesized in squamous-tissue explants but in only 4% of columnar-tissue explants.

Synthesis of immunoglobulins by human endocervix in organ culture.

The synthesis of immunoglobulins by the uterine cervix was investigated in an endocervical organ-culture system. Using Ouchterlony immunodiffusion gels immunoglobulin G, immunoglobulin A and secretory piece were detected in washings of endocervical explants and in explant incubation medium. Synthesis of immunoglobulin in the organ-culture system was investigated by polyacrylamide-gel electrophoresis of radiolabelled polypeptides; 2 polypeptides co-migrated with the heavy and light chains of a reference polyclonal immunoglobulin G and were confirmed, by use of anti-human globulin and iodinated staphylococcal protein A, to be the heavy and light chains of immunoglobulin G. This experimental system will provide a useful model in future investigations of the efficacy of a local vaccine in human subjects.

Carboxyhemoglobin concentrations in flash fire victims: report of six simultaneous fire fatalities without elevated carboxyhemoglobin.

Eight people died in a traffic accident involving a tractor-trailer and ten autos. The accident caused a series of flash fires from ruptured gas tanks. Complete autopsies established that six of the victims died exclusively from thermal trauma; none showed an elevated blood carboxyhemoglobin concentration. Flash fire victims are exceptions to the axiom that elevation of blood carboxyhemoglobin is a sine qua non for concluding that a decedent recovered from the scene of a conflagration was alive in the fire.