A scripted control system for autonomous hardware-timed experiments.

We present the labscript suite, an open-source experiment control system for automating shot-based experiments and their analysis. Experiments are composed as Python code, which is used to produce low-level hardware instructions. They are queued up and executed on the hardware in real time, synchronized by a pseudoclock. Experiment parameters are manipulated graphically, and analysis routines are run as new data are acquired. With this system, we can easily automate exploration of parameter spaces, including closed-loop optimization.

A versatile high resolution objective for imaging quantum gases.

We present a high resolution objective lens made entirely from catalog singlets that has a numerical aperture of 0.36. It corrects for aberrations introduced by a glass window and has a long working distance of 35 mm, making it suitable for imaging objects within a vacuum system. This offers simple high resolution imaging for many in the quantum gas community. The objective achieves a resolution of 1.3 µm at the design wavelength of 780 nm, and a diffraction-limited field of view of 360 µm when imaging through a 5 mm thick window. Images of a resolution target and a pinhole show quantitative agreement with the simulated lens performance. The objective is suitable for diffraction-limited monochromatic imaging on the D2 line of all the alkalis by changing only the aperture diameter, retaining numerical apertures above 0.32. The design corrects for window thicknesses of up to 15 mm if the singlet spacings are modified.

The feckless mother: women, poverty and social workers in wartime and post-war England.

This article considers the stigmatisation of poor mothers during and after the Second World War and highlights the promotion of the image of the feckless mother, together with explanations for her plight, which hinged on personal rather than environmental factors. Eugenic ideas informing the construct of the "problem mother" determined the ways in which the phenomenon was understood and treatment designed, and contributed to the failure to develop a critique of the poverty and deprivation which afflicted families. As material conditions improved after the War, so the incidence of the "problem family" declined, although changing fashions in childcare continued to hold mothers responsible for ills affecting their families.

Calcium carbonate and the premenstrual syndrome: effects on premenstrual and menstrual symptoms. Premenstrual Syndrome Study Group.

OBJECTIVE: Previous reports have suggested that disturbances in calcium regulation may underlie the pathophysiologic characteristics of premenstrual syndrome and that calcium supplementation may be an effective therapeutic approach. To evaluate the effect of calcium carbonate on the luteal and menstrual phases of the menstrual cycle in premenstrual syndrome, a prospective, randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled, parallel-group, multicenter clinical trial was conducted. STUDY DESIGN: Healthy, premenopausal women between the ages of 18 and 45 years were recruited nationally across the United States at 12 outpatient centers and screened for moderate-to-severe, cyclically recurring premenstrual symptoms. Symptoms were prospectively documented over 2 menstrual cycles with a daily rating scale that had 17 core symptoms and 4 symptom factors (negative affect, water retention, food cravings, and pain). Participants were randomly assigned to receive 1200 mg of elemental calcium per day in the form of calcium carbonate or placebo for 3 menstrual cycles. Routine chemistry, complete blood cell count, and urinalysis were obtained on all participants. Daily documentation of symptoms, adverse effects, and compliance with medications were monitored. The primary outcome measure was the 17-parameter symptom complex score. RESULTS: Seven hundred twenty women were screened for this trial; 497 women were enrolled; 466 were valid for the efficacy analysis. There was no difference in age, weight, height, use of oral contraceptives, or menstrual cycle length between treatment groups. There were no differences between groups in the mean screening symptom complex score of the luteal (P = .659), menstrual (P = .818), or intermenstrual phase (P = .726) of the menstrual cycle. During the luteal phase of the treatment cycle, a significantly lower mean symptom complex score was observed in the calcium-treated group for both the second (P = .007) and third (P < .001) treatment cycles. By the third treatment cycle calcium effectively resulted in an overall 48% reduction in total symptom scores from baseline compared with a 30% reduction in placebo. All 4 symptom factors were significantly reduced by the third treatment cycle. CONCLUSIONS: Calcium supplementation is a simple and effective treatment in premenstrual syndrome, resulting in a major reduction in overall luteal phase symptoms.

The medical officer of health, the social worker, and the problem family, 1943 to 1968: the case of family service units.

It has sometimes been assumed that the Report of the Seebohm Committee on the Local Authority and Allied Personal Social Services of 1968 and subsequent Local Authority (Social Services) Reorganization signalled a reduction in the influence of Medical Officers of Health in the care of poor and disorganized families and an increase in that of social workers. This article considers the role of Medical Officers of Health in the care of such families in the period after the Second World War, and their relationship with one of the key voluntary social work agencies in the field, Pacifist Service Units/Family Service Units. By examining the shift in responsibility from public health doctors to social workers and using the Bristol Family Service Unit as a case study, it argues that in many areas the Children and Young Persons Act of 1963 was used formally to transfer responsibility for such families to the Children's Departments and that the process was complete before the Seebohm Committee reported in 1968. It also suggests that those families in difficulty who remained the responsibility of the Public Health Department, and who were thought to have increased in number during the course of the 1960s, presented health visitors and public health doctors with a different range of problems, although they continued to be labelled problem families.

Uncommon entrance? The recruitment of probationers to Merseyside hospitals 1919-1938.

That voluntary and municipal hospitals in inter-war Britain enjoyed different levels of prestige is well known. This article explores ways in which the status of hospitals was reflected in the recruitment of probationer nurses on Merseyside and argues that there were overlapping hierarchies between and within the two sectors.

In vitro culture of endometrial stromal and gland cells as a model for endometriosis: the effect of peritoneal fluid on proliferation.

OBJECTIVE: To test the hypothesis that the cell-free fraction of PF from women with endometriosis affects the proliferation of endometrial epithelial and stromal cells in vitro. DESIGN: A cell biologic and immunohistochemical study. SETTING: University teaching hospital. PATIENT(S): Premenopausal women undergoing laparoscopy and women with histologically normal endometrium undergoing hysterectomy were selected. INTERVENTION(S): Peritoneal fluid (PF) and serum were collected at laparoscopy. Endometrial epithelial and stromal cells were obtained by enzymic dissociation of tissue, and epithelium was separated from stromal cells by sieving. Epithelial and stromal cell populations were purified by removal of contaminating cells using Thy-1-and CD-45-labeled immunomagnetic beads. Isolated endometrial gland and stromal cells were cultured in the presence of PF or serum from women with and without endometriosis. MAIN OUTCOME MEASURE(S): Cell proliferation was assessed by measurement of incorporation of 3[H]thymidine after 48 hours in culture. RESULT(S): Isolated endometrial gland and stromal cells were able to proliferate in vitro. The proliferative effect of PF or sera from women with endometriosis did not differ significantly from normal controls. CONCLUSION(S): We conclude that PF from women with endometriosis does not have an additional mitogenic effect compared with women without endometriosis. It may be postulated that the endometrium from women with endometriosis responds differently to the effects of PF.

Effects of topical erythromycin on ecology of aerobic cutaneous bacterial flora.

We have demonstrated previously that application of topical erythromycin, an antibiotic commonly used for the treatment of acne, results in an increased density of cutaneous erythromycin-resistant (Emr) coagulase-negative staphylococci; however, it is unknown if this increase results in an overall higher density of total cutaneous staphylococci or if upon cessation of erythromycin use, Emr coagulase-negative staphylococci remain at an increased density compared with the pretreatment density. To investigate this, 2% erythromycin or vehicle was applied to each subject's forehead (n = 225) twice a day by laboratory personnel for a period of 6 weeks. Samples were obtained for culture from the forehead, anterior nares, and back of the subjects at baseline and at weeks 6, 9, and 12 of the study. Cultures were performed on differential media. Plates into which erythromycin was incorporated (8 micrograms/ml) were used to identify Emr coagulase-negative staphylococci. The species of all Emr coagulase-negative staphylococci were determined, and an antibiogram for 16 antibiotics was obtained. The baseline prevalence of Emr coagulase-negative staphylococci on the forehead and nose was about 80% at the two study sites, whereas that on the back was 50%. The baseline density of Emr coagulase-negative staphylococci on the forehead, nose, and back was approximately 20% of the total flora. Following 6 weeks of erythromycin treatment, the prevalence of Emr coagulase-negative staphylococci on the forehead and nose was nearly 100% and the densities were 73 and 62%, respectively; the prevalence and density for the back were 78 and 42%, respectively. The most prevalent erythromycin resistance gene expressed by the Emr coagulase-negative staphylococci was ermC. There was no increase in the numbers of Staphylococcus aureus, gram-negative rods, or yeasts, nor was there increased resistance to any other antibiotic except clindamycin. The density of total aerobic organisms also remained static. There were no changes in the prevalence or density of Emr coagulase-negative staphylococci in the vehicle group. A statistically significant decrease in the prevalence and density of Emr coagulase-negative staphylococci in the erythromycin group was observed within 3 weeks posttreatment and by 6 weeks posttreatment, the prevalence and density returned to baseline values. These data demonstrate that the increased prevalence and density of Emr coagulase-negative staphylococci as a result of topical 2% erythromycin use are transient on both population and individual levels.

Anti-endometrial antibodies in women measured by an enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay.

An enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA) was developed to measure anti-endometrial antibody concentrations in the serum of women with endometriosis. Pooled cytosolic protein extracts from the endometrial gland cells of 10 women were used as an antigen source. Serum samples were obtained from women with endometriosis before (n = 51) and after 6 months treatment with danazol or nafarelin (n = 30). Control sera came from women with a normal pelvis at laparoscopy, performed for sterilization (n = 23) or the investigation of pain and/or infertility (n = 22), 13 women with Rokitansky syndrome, and 10 umbilical cord bloods and adult males. There were no significant differences in serum anti-endometrial antibody concentrations before and after treatment, or between women with endometriosis and without endometriosis. Concentrations were lower in male and cord blood serum than in female's serum (P < 0.0001). We conclude that the ELISA is not a useful diagnostic tool for endometriosis unless more specific antigens can be isolated.

Prostaglandin production by human peripheral blood monocytes changes with in vitro differentiation.

To investigate the influence of in vitro culture on prostaglandin (PG) production, human monocyte enriched peripheral blood mononuclear cells were isolated and incubated on gelatin-coated plates. On days zero, five and eleven of culture, the cells were examined microscopically and the production of PGF1 alpha, PGE2, PGD2, F metabolite (PGFM) and E metabolite (PGEM) were measured by radioimmunoassay. Differences in PG output were analyzed using the Wilcoxon and Friedman tests. Freshly isolated human peripheral blood monocytes produced mainly PGE2. In vitro, however, PGE2 production decreased from 196 (48-288) fmol/10(6) cells per 3h on day zero of culture to 28 (6-51) on day eleven (p = 0.04); median (range), n = 7. Prostaglandin D2 and PGEM output decreased similarly, but these differences failed to reach significance. Prostaglandin F2 alpha and PGFM output, on the other hand, increased from 32 and 19 fmol/10(6) cells per 3h, respectively, on day zero of culture to 127 (p < 0.05) and 58 (p = 0.01) on day eleven. Changes in PG output were associated with in vitro differentiation as evidenced by changes in cellular morphology. These result suggest that differentiation of human peripheral blood monocytes in vitro is accompanied by a shift in PG output from PGE2 and PGD2, towards PGF2 alpha.

Expression of granulocyte-colony stimulating factor and its receptor is regulated during the development of the human placenta.

The development of the placenta is dependent upon the regulated proliferation, invasion and differentiation of trophoblast. Expression of cytokines at the feto-maternal interface suggests that these molecules may participate in placentation. The expression of granulocyte-colony stimulating factor (G-CSF) and G-CSF receptor (G-CSFR) during the development of the human placenta was studied by immunohistochemistry using an anti-G-CSF monoclonal antibody (mAb) and two novel anti-G-CSFR mAbs. G-CSF was present in the stroma of fetal chorionic villi and maternal decidual tissues throughout pregnancy. G-CSFR was detected at high levels in fetal first and third, but not second trimester placental tissues. Staining for G-CSFR was undetectable in maternal decidual tissue from all gestational stages. In first trimester tissues, staining for placental G-CSFR was strongest in differentiated syncytiotrophoblast and invasive, extravillous cytotrophoblast, and weak staining was evident in undifferentiated cytotrophoblast. Immunohistochemical data suggesting temporal regulation of G-CSFR were corroborated by Western blotting and amplification by reverse transcription and PCR of G-CSFR mRNA. These data suggested that expression of G-CSFR in the human placenta is regulated both temporally and spatially, and that placental G-CSF is involved in paracrine regulation, and indicate a role for G-CSF and G-CSFR in trophoblast growth or function during placentation.

Peritoneal fluid cytokines and the relationship with endometriosis and pain.

It is generally accepted that the current scoring system for endometriosis has little correlation with clinical symptoms such as pain, and therefore we may deduce that either endometriosis does not cause pain, or that the current scoring system does not indicate the biological activity of the disease. Pain may occur because the presence of endometriosis produces an intraperitoneal inflammatory response, and several studies have shown that the cytokine content of peritoneal fluid differs between women with and without endometriosis. We studied the relationship between tumour necrosis factor alpha (TNF alpha), platelet-derived growth factor (PDGF), interleukin (IL)-6, IL-4 and TNF (alpha and beta) activity in peritoneal fluid and the clinical history of pain and infertility. TNF alpha concentrations were increased in peritoneal fluid of women with endometriosis and of infertile women; PDGF concentrations were increased in peritoneal fluid of parous women; IL-6 was increased in peritoneal fluid of women with adhesions; IL-4 was absent from peritoneal fluid. PDGF and IL-6 concentrations were cycle related, with the highest amounts in the menstrual and proliferative phases respectively. We failed to demonstrate any association between concentrations of cytokines in vitro and pain symptoms or severity of endometriosis.

Bone marrow-derived cell populations in uterine and ectopic endometrium.

Uterine endometrium contains numerous bone marrow-derived cells. The spectrum of cell types is different from that of any other tissue, and the differences in endometrium from women with endometriosis may reflect a different endometrial phenotype in these women. The cell types of bone marrow origin found in ectopic endometrium may indicate the degree of differentiation of the tissue. It was found that, in normal endometrium, the CD45+ cell population comprised T cells, macrophages, CD56+ large granular lymphocytes, some CD16+ cells and a few B cells. Changes in these cell populations during the menstrual cycle were similar in endometrium from both controls and patients with endometriosis, and resembled that reported previously by others. In ectopic endometrium, the frequency of CD45+ cells remained within the same range as that of uterine endometrium but without any obvious pattern of change during the menstrual cycle. CD56+ large granular lymphocytes, an immune cell type characteristic of uterine endometrium, were also found in ectopic endometrium. Our results indicate that ectopic endometrium, as well as comprising both glandular and stromal cells, contains bone marrow-derived cell populations similar to those of uterine endometrium. This suggests that the same processes of cell migration and/or differentiation occur in ectopic and uterine endometrium.

Interleukin-6, tumour necrosis factor and soluble tumour necrosis factor receptors in women with pre-eclampsia.

OBJECTIVES: Generalised maternal endothelial cell dysfunction appears to be an underlying problem in pre-eclampsia presumed to be caused, directly or indirectly, by one or more circulating factors derived from the placenta. Recently it has been suggested that tumour necrosis factor (TNF) may play an important role in pre-eclampsia and contribute to endothelial activation. This study was designed to investigate this proposal. DESIGN: Plasma TNF-alpha, IL-6 and both forms of soluble TNF receptors (p55 and p75 TNF-R) have been measured by ELISA in 31 pre-eclamptic patients and 31 pregnant controls matched for age, parity and gestational age. RESULTS: Levels of IL-6, TNF-alpha and soluble TNF-R (p55 and p75) were significantly higher in pre-eclamptic patients, compared with age and gestation matched controls with a wide variation in levels between pre-eclamptic individuals. There was a correlation between levels of IL-6 and TNF or TNF-R and between TNF and TNF-R levels. However, when the pre-eclamptic patients were subdivided on the basis of the severity of their disease, the median values of plasma concentrations of IL-6, TNF-alpha and TNF-R were all higher in the group with lower platelet counts. CONCLUSIONS: These new findings are consistent with the concept that the maternal syndrome of pre-eclampsia is associated with endothelial dysfunction and provide evidence that at least part of this dysfunction could arise from excessive release of TNF-alpha into the circulation.

Plasminogen activators in ectopic and uterine endometrium.

OBJECTIVE: To investigate the expression of the plasminogen activator (PA)-plasmin system components in ectopic endometrium and in uterine endometrium from women with and without endometriosis. DESIGN: Plasminogen, PAs (urokinase and tissue plasminogen activator), and PA inhibitors (1 and 2) were detected by immunohistochemistry using a alkaline phosphatase staining method. RESULTS: No differences in staining were found between uterine endometrium of women with endometriosis and women without endometriosis with any of the antibodies used. However, we did find differences between uterine and ectopic endometrium. Although the expression of the components of the PA-plasmin system reflected the cyclic changes in the hormonal levels in uterine endometrium, ectopic endometrium maintained a very high level of plasminogen and urokinase in every sample. We were unable to detect the presence of PA inhibitors in either uterine or ectopic endometrium. CONCLUSIONS: There is no evidence that uterine endometrium from women with endometriosis is originally more able to implant than that of women without the disease because of an increase in their PA expression. The high levels of urokinase and plasminogen in ectopic endometrium may reflect a more invasive nature of the endometriotic implants in the peritoneal cavity.

CD56+ lymphoid cells in human first trimester pregnancy decidua as a source of novel transforming growth factor-beta 2-related immunosuppressive factors.

The lymphomyeloid cells isolated from normal first trimester pregnancy decidua may be separated into a CD56+ population of natural killer (NK)-lineage cells with the morphology of granulated lymphocytes, and a CD56- population which includes other cell types. Unlike CD56+ NK cells in peripheral blood, decidual CD56+ cells lack type III Fc receptors (CD16) and did not express significant levels of either type I FcR (CD64) or type II FcR (CDw32). By contrast to the decidual CD56- cells, CD56+ cells could release biologically active transforming growth factor (TGF)-beta in vitro, detectable using an normal rat kidney fibroblast colony-forming assay. The CD56+ cells could be stained using an antibody specific for TGF-beta 2, and similarly staining cells could be detected in intact biopsies of normal pregnancy decidua. Bioactive TGF-beta is known to suppress the generation of cytotoxic cells in vitro, and high performance liquid chromatography fractionation of supernatants conditioned by CD56+ but not CD56- cells contained reproducible peaks of immunosuppressive activity at 40-45 and 15-20 kDa, similar to the TGF-beta 2 immunosuppressive activity in supernatants conditioned by unfractionated decidua.

Animal traction in South Africa: research priorities in veterinary science.

During June 1994, members of numerous organisations with a vested interest in animal traction in South Africa met for a one-day workshop, the initial activity of a Forum on Working Animals. The workshop was sponsored by the Foundation for Research Development in South Africa. The individuals who attended were representatives of academic and government institutions, farmer and civic organisations, and included veterinarians and veterinary scientists, administrators, traction experts from the region and from abroad, agricultural engineers, sociologist, anthropologists and animal welfare experts. The objectives of the workshop were twofold: to address research priorities in veterinary science for traction animals and to identify future actions. Since it was a one-day workshop only, there was insufficient time to address issues in depth. However, problems were identified and appropriate actions were suggested. These actions were then delegated to a number of participants, to be refined and reported on at a subsequent workshop. Two key questions were considered and discussed by the participants, and a consensus reached for each. The first was to consider which species of traction animals are best suited to South African conditions. It was agreed that, in order of suitability, these are donkeys, cattle, mules and horses. The second question concerned the criteria which determine the usefulness of traction animals to South African communities. Two recommendations were made by the participants. The first recommendation was to design a questionnaire which would address the role of traction animals in the South African community and to identify communities in which the questionnaire would be implemented. At present, no information exists on the demographics of traction animals and their users. A list of questions was suggested and a working group from 6 institutions was identified to address this action. The second recommendation was to develop a research programme to study the 4 species which are most suitable for animal traction in South Africa.

Comment: effect of cytokines on prolactin production by human decidual stromal cells in culture: studies using cells freed of bone marrow-derived contaminants.

Human decidua contains resident decidual cells alongside a population of bone marrow-derived cells, among which macrophages and large granular lymphocytes are most abundant. We hypothesized that soluble effectors produced by bone marrow-derived cells may modulate the function of the decidual cells. To investigate this, a cell purification protocol was devised that involved digestion of first-trimester decidua with collagenase and hyaluronidase to produce a mixed stromal cell suspension from which the bone marrow-derived cells were removed using immunomagnetic beads coated with anti-CD45. The resulting stromal cells were maintained in culture in the presence of progesterone and were found to produce PRL. The effect of a panel of cytokines on PRL production was examined. Tumor necrosis factors-alpha and -beta had a dose-dependent inhibitory effect, and tumor necrosis factor receptors were identified on the cells. Interleukin 1 alpha and 1 beta, platelet-derived growth factor, and transforming growth factor-beta 1 were also found to inhibit PRL production, and platelet-derived growth factor and transforming growth factor-beta 1 stimulated cell proliferation. These findings suggest an interaction between the immune and endocrine systems in regulating the maternal environment of early pregnancy.

Expression of tumour necrosis factor alpha and its receptors in carcinoma of the breast.

The expression of tumour necrosis factor alpha (TNF-alpha) and its two distinct receptors, TNF-R p55 and TNF-R p75, was assessed by immunocytochemistry in 28 primary breast cancer and three reduction mammoplasty specimens ('normal' breast tissue). Expression of TNF-alpha or TNF-R p75 was not detectable in normal breast tissue or in non-malignant breast tissue adjacent to the tumours. By contrast, TNF-R p55 was expressed by occasional stromal cells in normal tissue. TNF-alpha was expressed focally in 50% of the tumours studied, being largely localised to macrophage-like cells in the stroma. TNF-R p55 was expressed by a population of stromal cells in all the tumours examined, and a varying proportion of neoplastic cells in 75% of these tissues. TNF-R p75 was detected in about 70% of the tumours, immunoreactivity being confined mainly to cells in the stroma. In this preliminary study there was no association between the above cytokine parameters and such measures of tumour biology as lymph node status, tumour grade, proliferative activity or degree of angiogenesis. However, there was a correlation between the expression of TNF-R p55 by blood vessels and the number of leucocytes present.

The effect of placental syncytiotrophoblast microvillous membranes from normal and pre-eclamptic women on the growth of endothelial cells in vitro.

OBJECTIVES: To determine if placental syncytiotrophoblast microvillous (STBM) membranes contain factors which could cause the maternal endothelial cell disturbance thought to be central to the pathophysiology of the maternal syndrome of pre-eclampsia. DESIGN: STMB membranes isolated from pre-eclamptic or normal placentae were added to cultures of endothelial cells and their effect on the proliferation (measured by 3H-thymidine incorporation), viability (measured by 51Cr release) and growth as a monolayer of these cells was determined. Membranes prepared from red blood cells, and non-endothelial adherent and nonadherent cell lines were used as specificity controls. SUBJECTS: STBM membranes were isolated from the placentae of primigravid women, 10 having caesarean sections for breech presentations and 10 for pre-eclampsia. RESULTS: STBM membranes from the placentae of normal and pre-eclamptic women suppressed endothelial cell proliferation to a similar extent and disrupted the cell monolayer to form a honeycomb-like pattern. This change in morphology was seen before significant endothelial cell death occurred. Red blood cell membranes had no effect on either endothelial cell proliferation, viability or monolayer integrity. Endothelial cells from human umbilical arteries and bovine adrenal capillaries were similarly suppressed, but comparable concentrations of STBM membranes had no effect on non-endothelial cell lines. CONCLUSIONS: Syncytiotrophoblast microvillous membranes specifically interfered with endothelial cell growth in vitro. Our results demonstrate that there are trophoblast products which could cause the maternal syndrome of pre-eclampsia through endothelial cell damage.