Search for Dark Photon Dark Matter in the Mass Range 74-110 µeV with a Cryogenic Millimeter-Wave Receiver.

We search for the dark photon dark matter (DPDM) using a cryogenic millimeter-wave receiver. DPDM has a kinetic coupling with electromagnetic fields with a coupling constant of χ and is converted into ordinary photons at the surface of a metal plate. We search for signal of this conversion in the frequency range 18-26.5 GHz, which corresponds to the mass range 74-110 µeV/c^{2}. We observed no significant signal excess, allowing us to set an upper bound of χ<(0.3-2.0)×10^{-10} at 95% confidence level. This is the most stringent constraint to date and tighter than cosmological constraints. Improvements from previous studies are obtained by employing a cryogenic optical path and a fast spectrometer.

Effects of three interventions and determinants of full vaccination among children aged 12-59 months in Nyanza province, Kenya.

OBJECTIVES: The purpose of this study is to describe the effects of the three main interventions and identify the individual and community determinants of full vaccination coverage among children aged 12-59 months in Nyanza province, Kenya. STUDY DESIGN: Cross-sectional study. METHODS: We utilized three datasets. One is the Nyanza Province County-based Multiple Indicator Cluster Survey 2011. The other two datasets are the lists of community units and health facilities in Nyanza Province, Kenya. A three-level multilevel logistic regression analysis was performed. RESULTS: In the final model, the highest wealth quintile (AOR: 2.49; 95% CI: 1.333-4.642; P = 0.004), the community with high coverage of media devices (AOR: 1.50; 95% CI: 1.029-2.198; P = 0.035), the participation of mass immunization campaigns (AOR: 1.63; 95% CI: 1.153-2.303; P = 0.006) were the significant determinants of complete child vaccination. CONCLUSIONS: In conclusion, further implementation of mass immunization campaigns is the recommended intervention to increase the uptake of required vaccinations among children. In addition, further attention to the poor and the low coverage of media devices is necessary, since they are the most vulnerable population in terms of accessibility of vaccination services. Implementation community based activity, such as community health workers, would have a positive impact on vaccination coverage, if their performance is continuously high.

Associations of vertebral deformities and osteoarthritis with back pain among Japanese women: the Hizen-Oshima study.

UNLABELLED: We examined the spinal distribution of the types of vertebral deformities and the associations of vertebral deformities and osteoarthritis with back pain in Japanese women. Midthoracic and upper lumbar vertebrae were more susceptible to deformity. Vertebral deformity and osteoarthritis were frequent and were associated with back pain. INTRODUCTION: Vertebral fractures due to osteoporosis and osteoarthritis are both common and significant health problems in aged people. However, little is known about the descriptive epidemiology of the individual deformity types and the relative clinical impact in women in Japan. METHODS: Lateral radiographs were obtained from 584 Japanese women ages 40 to 89 years old. Deformities were defined as vertebral heights of more than 3 standard deviations (SDs) below the normal mean. Osteoarthritis was defined as Kellgren-Lawrence (KL) grade 2 or higher. Information on upper or low back pain during the previous month was collected by questionnaire. We compared the spinal distribution of the three types of vertebral deformities (wedge, endplate, and crush) typical of fractures and examined the associations of number and type of vertebral deformities and osteoarthritis with back pain. RESULTS: Fifteen percent of women had at least one vertebral deformity and 74% had vertebral osteoarthritis. The prevalence of upper or low back pain was 30.1%. Deformities were most common in the midthoracic and upper lumbar regions and wedge was the frequent type, followed by endplate and crush. Multiple logistic regression analysis showed that the odds of back pain was 3.0 (95% CI 1.5-6.3) times higher for women with a single wedge deformity and 3.2 (95% CI 1.0--0.6) times higher for women with two or more wedge deformities, compared to women with no wedge deformity. Vertebral osteoarthritis was associated with back pain (OR 1.8, 95% CI 1.1-2.9), independent of other covariates including age and deformities. CONCLUSION: Our results in this group of Japanese women are similar to and consistent with results reported previously in other populations of Japanese and Caucasians.

Validation of a suite of ERP and QEEG biomarkers in a pre-competitive, industry-led study in subjects with schizophrenia and healthy volunteers.

OBJECTIVE: Complexity and lack of standardization have mostly limited the use of event-related potentials (ERPs) and quantitative EEG (QEEG) biomarkers in drug development to small early phase trials. We present results from a clinical study on healthy volunteers (HV) and patients with schizophrenia (SZ) that assessed test-retest, group differences, variance, and correlation with functional assessments for ERP and QEEG measures collected at clinical and commercial trial sites with standardized instrumentation and methods, and analyzed through an automated data analysis pipeline. METHODS: 81 HV and 80 SZ were tested at one of four study sites. Subjects were administered two ERP/EEG testing sessions on separate visits. Sessions included a mismatch negativity paradigm, a 40 Hz auditory steady-state response paradigm, an eyes-closed resting state EEG, and an active auditory oddball paradigm. SZ subjects were also tested on the Brief Assessment of Cognition (BAC), Positive and Negative Syndrome Scale (PANSS), and Virtual Reality Functional Capacity Assessment Tool (VRFCAT). RESULTS: Standardized ERP/EEG instrumentation and methods ensured few test failures. The automated data analysis pipeline allowed for near real-time analysis with no human intervention. Test-retest reliability was fair-to-excellent for most of the outcome measures. SZ subjects showed significant deficits in ERP and QEEG measures consistent with published academic literature. A subset of ERP and QEEG measures correlated with functional assessments administered to the SZ subjects. CONCLUSIONS: With standardized instrumentation and methods, complex ERP/EEG testing sessions can be reliably performed at clinical and commercial trial sites to produce high-quality data in near real-time.

Quantitative ultrasound and radiographic absorptiometry are associated with vertebral deformity in Japanese Women: the Hizen-Oshima study.

UNLABELLED: We evaluated the ability of heel quantitative ultrasound (QUS) and metacarpal radiographic absorptiometry (RA) to identify subjects with vertebral deformities in Japanese women aged ≥40. Both QUS and RA were associated with vertebral deformities, and the estimated prevalence at each T-score widely varied with age. INTRODUCTION: Heel QUS and metacarpal RA have been used for screening patients to evaluate risk of osteoporotic fractures. The aim of this study was to evaluate the ability of QUS and RA to identify women with vertebral deformities in 570 Japanese women aged ≥40, and to estimate the prevalence of vertebral deformity at each T-score. METHODS: Calcaneal QUS and metacarpal RA were performed. Radiographic vertebral deformities were assessed by quantitative morphometry, defined as vertebral heights more than 3 SD below the normal mean. RESULTS: The receiver operating characteristic analysis showed that both calcaneal stiffness index (SI) and metacarpal bone mineral density (BMD) were associated with vertebral deformities. Using the T-score of -2.5 as a cutoff value, the specificity and sensitivity for identifying individuals with vertebral deformities was 65% and 83% for calcaneal SI, and 40% and 88% for metacarpal BMD, respectively. The prevalence of vertebral deformity was estimated using age-adjusted logistic regression models. Women with calcaneal SI T-score of -2.5 had a 2% estimated probability of vertebral deformity at age 40, and 22% at age 80. For metacarpal BMD T-score of -2.5, estimated probability was less than 1% at age 40, and 27% at age 80. CONCLUSION: Both calcaneal SI and metacarpal BMD were associated with prevalence of vertebral deformity. Furthermore, the prevalence widely varied with age at any given bone value.

Hydrogen sensing properties of protective-layer-coated single-walled carbon nanotubes with palladium nanoparticle decoration.

Protective-layer-coated single-walled carbon nanotubes (SWNTs) with palladium nanoparticle decoration (Pd-SiO(2)-SWNTs) were fabricated and their sensing properties for hydrogen (H(2)) were investigated. SWNTs were coated with a 3-4 nm thick SiO(2) layer by pulsed laser deposition and subsequently decorated with Pd nanoparticles by electron beam evaporation. Even though the SWNTs were completely surrounded by a protective layer, Pd-SiO(2)-SWNTs responded to H(2) down to a concentration of 1 part per million. Compared with the Pd nanoparticle-decorated SWNTs without a protective layer (Pd-SWNTs), Pd-SiO(2)-SWNTs exhibited highly stable sensor responses with variations of less than 20%; Pd-SWNTs showed a variation of 80%. The density of the Pd-SWNTs significantly decreased after the sensing test, while that of the Pd-SiO(2)-SWNTs with the netlike structure remained unchanged. The hydrogen sensing mechanism of the Pd-SiO(2)-SWNTs was attributed to the chemical gating effect on the SWNTs due to dipole layer formation by hydrogen atoms trapped at the Pd-SiO(2) interface. Moreover, the relationship between H(2) concentration and sensor response can be described by the Langmuir isotherm for dissociative adsorption.

Strongyloides ratti: transplantation of adults recovered from the small intestine at different days after infection into the colon of naive and infection-primed Wistar rats, and the effect of antioxidant treatment on large intestinal parasitism.

Strongyloides ratti (Nagoya strain) is unique in that a portion of adults parasitizing the small intestine withstands 'worm expulsion', which starts at around day 8 post-infection (p.i.) by host immunity, and establishes in the large intestine after day 19 p.i. To investigate the mechanism, adults obtained from the small intestine at day 7 or 19 p.i. were transplanted into the colon of infection-primed immune rats. Adults obtained at day 7 p.i. were rejected quickly, whereas those obtained at day 19 p.i. could establish infection. Moreover, the body length and the number of intrauterine eggs increased in the large intestine. In a separate experiment, large intestinal parasitism was abolished by the treatment of host rats with an anti-oxidant, butylated hydroxyanisole. These results indicate that small intestinal adults between days 7 and 19 p.i. acquired the ability to parasitize the large intestine of immune rats, and that free radicals produced by the host may have played a significant role in the process.

Dynamics of a paired optical vortex generated by second-harmonic generation.

We study the dynamics of a paired optical vortex (OV) generated by second-harmonic generation (SHG) using sub-picosecond pulses. By changing the position of a thin nonlinear crystal along the propagation direction, we observe a rotation of two vortices with changing separation distance. The dynamics is well explained by SHG with a beam walk-off, which introduces a contamination of zero-order Laguerre-Gaussian beam (LG(0)) together with topological charge doubling. The quantitative analysis indicates that the rotation angle of the OVs manifests the Gouy phase while the splitting provides the walk-off angle of the crystal. We also show that the subtraction of LG(0) is realized by the superposition of LG(0) with an anti-balanced phase in the pump.

Utility of the Eating Assessment Tool-10 (EAT-10) in Evaluating Self-Reported Dysphagia Associated with Oral Frailty in Japanese Community-Dwelling Older People.

OBJECTIVES: The aim of the present study was to verify the associations between dysphagia as screened by the Eating Assessment Tool-10 (EAT-10) and indicators in the 100-mL water swallowing test (WST) or medical history among community-dwelling older people. STUDY DESIGN: A cross-sectional study. SETTING AND PARTICIPANTS: The study participants were 202 community-dwelling older Japanese adults aged ≥65 years. MEASUREMENTS: We investigated the participants' basic attributes, including age, sex, body mass index, medical history (cerebrovascular disease, respiratory disease: chronic obstructive pulmonary disease [COPD], and history of pneumonia within the previous year), and number of prescribed medications. Dysphagia assessment was performed using the EAT-10 and the 100-mL WST as subjective and objective examinations, respectively. The 100-mL WST used four indicators (SC: swallowing capacity, VS: volume per swallow, TS: time per swallow, and choking signs). Patients with and without dysphagia according to the EAT-10 were divided into two groups according to a cutoff score of 3, and the two groups were then compared in terms of their characteristics including medical history and 100-mL WST indicators. A multiple logistic regression model was used to determine whether the indicators of the 100-mL WST or medical history were independently associated with dysphagia in the EAT-10. RESULTS: The multiple logistic regression analysis revealed that dysphagia in the EAT-10 was independently associated with male sex (odds ratio [OR] = 2.78; 95% confidence interval [CI] = 0.98-7.90), COPD (OR = 14.68; 95% CI = 3.14-68.85), and VS and TS in the 100-mL WST (OR = 0.85; 95% CI = 0.80-0.90 and OR = 3.03; 95% CI = 1.78-5.16, respectively). CONCLUSIONS: Our results revealed that the EAT-10 was independently associated with the 100-mL WST and respiratory disease. We propose that swallowing rehabilitation incorporating respiratory training could be effective for older people screened using the EAT-10.

Three-dimensional instabilities of mantle convection with multiple phase transitions.

The effects of multiple phase transitions on mantle convection are investigated by numerical simulations that are based on three-dimensional models. These simulations show that cold sheets of mantle material collide at junctions, merge, and form a strong downflow that is stopped temporarily by the transition zone. The accumulated cold material gives rise to a strong gravitational instability that causes the cold mass to sink rapidly into the lower mantle. This process promotes a massive exchange between the lower and upper mantles and triggers a global instability in the adjacent plume system. This mechanism may be cyclic in nature and may be linked to the generation of superplumes.

Development of diapiric structures in the upper mantle due to phase transitions.

Solid-state phase transitions in time-dependent mantle convection can induce diapiric flows in the upper mantle. When a deep mantle plume rises toward phase boundaries in the upper mantle, the changes in the local thermal buoyancy, local heat capacity, and latent heat associated with the phase change at a depth of 670 kilometers tend to pinch off the plume head from the feeding stem and form a diapir. This mechanism may explain episodic hot spot volcanism. The nature of the multiple phase boundaries at the boundary between the upper and lower mantle may control the fate of deep mantle plumes, allowing hot plumes to go through and retarding the tepid ones.

The spin temperature of NH3 in Comet C/1999S4 (LINEAR).

A high-dispersion spectrum of Comet C/1999S4 (LINEAR) was obtained in the optical region with the high-dispersion spectrograph on the Subaru telescope when the comet was 0.863 astronomical units from the Sun before its disintegration. We obtained high signal-to-noise ratio emission lines of the cometary NH2 bands from which an ortho-to-para ratio (OPR) of 3.33 +/- 0.07 was derived on the basis of a fluorescence excitation model. Assuming that cometary NH2 mainly originates from ammonia through photodissociation, the derived OPR of NH2 molecules should reflect that of ammonia, which provides information on the environment of molecular formation or condensation and of the thermal history of cometary ices. Assuming that the OPR of ammonia in comets was unchanged in the nucleus, the derived spin temperature of ammonia (28 +/- 2 kelvin) suggests that a formation region of the cometary ammonia ice was between the orbit of Saturn and that of Uranus in the solar nebula.

Winter lipid depletion of juvenile walleye pollock Theragra chalcogramma in the Doto area, northern Japan.

Seasonal variation in body size and nutritional condition of juvenile walleye pollock Theragra chalcogramma was examined to elucidate the mechanism underlying their first-winter survival on the continental shelf of the Doto area, northern Japan, based on monthly samples collected over 2 years. Stored lipid mass was highest during autumn, but 93% (2004) and 80% (2005) of lipids were exhausted by the onset of winter. Lipid levels in the winter of 2004 remained low (7-14% of the autumnal maximum), and there was reduced growth rate until the spring, whereas in 2005 lipid levels were higher and more variable (10-46% of the maximum) and some growth occurred. An analysis of the allometric relationships between body size and stored energy showed that larger individuals accumulated disproportionately more energy in the autumn, but the advantage disappeared prior to the winter. In January 2004, stored lipid energy was low throughout the Doto continental shelf relative to the continental slope area. These results suggest that winter feeding opportunities on the shelf are severely limited but not completely absent. Previous studies have shown that winter temperatures on the shelf are lower than those in the slope area. It is possible that juvenile T. chalcogramma survive winter on the shelf without a high level of pre-winter lipid storage because the occasional feeding in the cold shelf water benefits energy conservation.

Loss of aromatase cytochrome P450 function as a risk factor for Parkinson's disease?

The final step in the physiological synthesis of 17beta estradiol (E(2)) is aromatization of precursor testosterone by a CYP19 gene product, cytochrome P450 estrogen aromatase in the C19 steroid metabolic pathway. Within the central nervous system (CNS) the presence, distribution, and activity of aromatase have been well characterized. Developmental stage and injury are known modulators of brain enzyme activity, where both neurons and glial cells reportedly have the capability to synthesize this key estrogenic enzyme. The gonadal steroid E(2) is a critical survival, neurotrophic and neuroprotective factor for dopaminergic neurons of the substantia nigra pars compacta (SNpc), the cells that degenerate in Parkinson's disease (PD). In previous studies we underlined a crucial role for the estrogenic status at the time of injury in dictating vulnerability to the parkinsonian neurotoxin 1-methyl-4-phenyl-1,2,3,6-tetrahydropyridine (MPTP). Our ongoing studies address the contribution of brain aromatase and extragonadal E(2) as vulnerability factors for PD pathology in female brain, by exposing aromatase knockout (ArKO, -/-) female mice which are unable to synthesize estrogens to MPTP. Our initial results indicate that aromatase deficiency from early embryonic life significantly impairs the functional integrity of SNpc tyrosine hydroxylase-positive neurons and dopamine transporter innervation of the caudate-putamen in adulthood. In addition, ArKO females exhibited a far greater vulnerability to MPTP-induced nigrostriatal damage as compared to their Wt type gonadally intact and gonadectomized counterparts. Characterization of this novel implication of P450 aromatase as determining factor for PD vulnerability may unravel new avenues for the understanding and development of novel therapeutic approaches for Parkinson's disease.

A unique phenotype of acquired Glanzmann thrombasthenia due to non-function-blocking anti-αIIbß3 autoantibodies.

Essentials Acquired Glanzmann thrombasthenia (aGT) is generally caused by function-blocking antibodies (Abs). We demonstrated a unique aGT case due to marked reduction of αIIbß3 with anti-αIIbß3 Abs. The anti-αIIbß3 Abs of the patient did not inhibit platelet function but reduced surface αIIbß3. Internalization of αIIbß3 induced by the Abs binding may be responsible for the phenotype. SUMMARY: Background Acquired Glanzmann thrombasthenia (aGT) is a bleeding disorder generally caused by function-blocking anti-αIIbß3 autoantibodies. Aim We characterize an unusual case of aGT caused by marked reduction of surface αIIbß3 with non-function-blocking anti-αIIbß3 antibodies (Abs). Methods A 72-year-old male suffering from immune thrombocytopenia since his 50s showed exacerbation of bleeding symptom despite mild thrombocytopenia. Platelet aggregation was absent with all agonists but ristocetin. Analysis of αIIbß3 expression and genetic analysis were performed. We also analyzed effects of anti-αIIbß3 Abs of the patient on platelet function and αIIbß3 expression. Results Surface αIIbß3 expression was markedly reduced to around 5% of normal, whereas his platelets contained αIIbß3 to the amount of 40-50% of normal. A substantial amount of fibrinogen was also detected in his platelets. There were no abnormalities in ITGA2B and ITGB3 cDNA. These results indicated that reduced surface αIIbß3 expression caused a GT phenotype, and active internalization of αIIbß3 was suggested. Anti-αIIbß3 IgG Abs were detected in platelet eluate and plasma. These Abs did not inhibit PAC-1 binding, indicating that the Abs were non-function-blocking. Surface αIIbß3 expression of a megakaryocytic cell line and cultured megakaryocytes tended to be impaired by incubation with the patient's Abs. After 2 years of aGT diagnosis, his bleeding symptom improved and surface αIIbß3 expression was recovered to 20% of normal with reduction of anti-αIIbß3 Abs. Conclusion We demonstrated a unique aGT phenotype due to marked reduction of surface αIIbß3. Internalization induced by anti-αIIbß3 Abs may be responsible in part for the phenotype.

Plants utilized as medicines by residents of Quilombo da Fazenda, Núcleo Picinguaba, Ubatuba, São Paulo, Brazil: A participatory survey.

ETHNOPHARMACOLOGICAL RELEVANCE: Participatory research can help to broaden the understanding of medical systems and beliefs of traditional communities. An ethnopharmacological survey in collaboration with local people focused on plants used in quilombos located in Southeast Region in Brazil identified cultural factors that influence plant and recipe choice. AIM OF THE STUDY: To investigate the factors related to the therapeutic efficiency of medicinal plants from the perspective of Quilombo da Fazenda residents. MATERIALS AND METHODS: University researchers collaborated with community residents for both aims and methods of the study. The local partners were trained in the gathering of ethnopharmacological data and then selected and interviewed the residents considered experts on the use of medicinal plants. Data on the use of each species were supported by voucher specimens collected by the local partners and university researchers. Participant observations and field diaries by the university researchers supplemented the data. RESULTS: Eight interviewees mentioned 92 medicinal species with 60 therapeutic uses, applied in 208 recipes or remedies. Asteraceae (13 species), Lamiaceae (5) and Urticaceae (5) contributed most medicinal plant species. Of the 12 etic categories of use, the circulatory system category had the highest number of plants mentioned. Decoction was the most commonly used preparation method (66.8%), and most remedies were administered orally (76.4%). Eighty-six recipes included more than one plant species and/or the addition of other components, such as sugar, salt or animal products. Several cultural factors influence medicinal plant use. Popular beliefs on the quality of blood or the humoral properties of plants and illnesses, characteristics of the plants and other factors determine which plant is used and why. CONCLUSIONS: The participatory method identified a large number of factors that influence medicinal plant use: the patient's blood type; the condition of the plant and the disease (hot-cold system); the route of administration and dosage; the preventive uses of the plants; and the influence of other factors, such as the sun, the moon and dew. The participatory approach is useful for gaining insight on the decision processes of medicinal plant use in traditional societies, and also for those communities wanting to document their knowledge with or without the participation of the academy.

Loss of imprinting of IGF2 correlates with hypermethylation of the H19 differentially methylated region in hepatoblastoma.

IGF2, a maternally imprinted foetal growth factor gene, is implicated in many childhood tumours including hepatoblastoma (HB); however, the genetic and epigenetic alterations have not comprehensively been studied. We analysed the methylation status of the H19 differentially methylated region (DMR), loss of heterozygosity (LOH) and allelic expression of IGF2 in 54 HB tumours, and found that 12 tumours (22%) with LOH, 9 (17%) with loss of imprinting (LOI) and 33 (61%) with retention of imprinting (ROI). Biallelic and monoallelic IGF2 expressions correlated with hypermethylation and normal methylation of H19 DMR, respectively, in two tumours with LOI and seven tumours with ROI. Quantitative RT-PCR analysis showed minimal expression of H19 mRNA and substantial expression of IGF2 mRNA in tumours with LOH or LOI, and substantial expression of both H19 and IGF2 mRNAs in tumours with ROI. Increased IGF2 expression with predominant embryonic P3 transcript was found in the majority of HBs with ROI and foetal livers. In contrast to the earlier reports, our findings suggest that the disruption of the enhancer competition model reported in Wilms' tumour may also occur in HB. Both frequencies of LOH and LOI seem to be lower in HB than in Wilms' tumour, reflecting the different tissue origins.

Small number of HTLV-1-positive cells frequently remains during complete remission after allogeneic hematopoietic stem cell transplantation that are heterogeneous in origin among cases with adult T-cell leukemia/lymphoma.

Allogeneic hematopoietic stem cell transplantation (allo-HSCT) can provide long-term remission for patients with adult T-cell leukemia/lymphoma (ATLL) caused by human retrovirus, human T-lymphocyte virus (HTLV-1). To understand how HTLV-1-positive cells including ATLL cells were suppressed by allo-HSCT, we examined HTLV-1 provirus load and residual ATLL cells in peripheral blood of transplant recipients using PCR-based tests. We found that the copy number of HTLV-1 genome, called provirus, became very small in number after allo-HSCT; however, in most cases, provirus did not disappear even among long-term survivors. Tumor-specific PCR tests demonstrated that most of HTLV-1-positive cells that remained long after transplantation were not primary ATLL cells but donor-derived HTLV-1-positive cells. We also found a case having very low amount of residual disease in peripheral blood even long after transplantation. There was only one recipient in whom we failed to show the presence of HTLV-1 genome and antibody against HTLV-1 even with an extensive search, which strongly suggested the elimination of HTLV-1 after allo-HSCT. These results demonstrated that after allo-HSCT the small amount of residual HTLV-1-positive cells were heterogeneous in origin and that long-term disease control for ATLL could be obtained without the complete elimination of HTLV-1.

A pilot study of evaluation of the antioxidative activity of resveratrol and its analogue in a 6-month feeding test in young adult mice.

Resveratrol, a polyphenolic phytoalexin, has free-radical scavenging activity and we found that it induces chromosomal aberrations, micronuclei, and sister chromatid exchanges in vitro. We synthesized its analogue 4-hydroxy-trans-stilbene (4-OH) and found that it has the same in vitro clastogenic activities as resveratrol, suggesting that the 4' hydroxy group of resveratrol is responsible for the effect. We fed resveratrol and 4-OH to young adult ICR mice at 0, 0.2, 2, or 20 ppm in their standard powder diet for 6 months and investigated the antioxidative effects. Half of each group was given 3000 ppm potassium bromate (KBrO(3)) in water for the last week to cause oxidative damage. Body weight gain tended to increase in males at 0.2 ppm resveratrol or 4-OH, and in females at 2 ppm 4-OH. Micronucleus (MN) analysis in bone marrow erythrocytes showed that the KBrO(3) tendency to induce MN was not prevented by the dietary resveratrol or 4-OH, which themselves did not induce MN under the present conditions. In this pilot study, resveratrol and 4-OH showed no obvious effect, either beneficial or adverse, at doses that are feasible in daily life for humans.

Description of International Caenorhabditis elegans Experiment first flight (ICE-FIRST).

Traveling, living and working in space is now a reality. The number of people and length of time in space is increasing. With new horizons for exploration it becomes more important to fully understand and provide countermeasures to the effects of the space environment on the human body. In addition, space provides a unique laboratory to study how life and physiologic functions adapt from the cellular level to that of the entire organism. Caenorhabditis elegans is a genetic model organism used to study physiology on Earth. Here we provide a description of the rationale, design, methods, and space culture validation of the ICE-FIRST payload, which engaged C. elegans researchers from four nations. Here we also show C. elegans growth and development proceeds essentially normally in a chemically defined liquid medium on board the International Space Station (10.9 day round trip). By setting flight constraints first and bringing together established C. elegans researchers second, we were able to use minimal stowage space to successfully return a total of 53 independent samples, each containing more than a hundred individual animals, to investigators within one year of experiment concept. We believe that in the future, bringing together individuals with knowledge of flight experiment operations, flight hardware, space biology, and genetic model organisms should yield similarly successful payloads.