Urban green waste bulking agent is the major source of antimicrobial resistance genes persisted in home compost, not animal manure.

Urban green waste and food waste are often used as bulking agents to prepare home compost in combination with animal manure in urban horticulture and community gardening. Although it is known that antimicrobial resistance genes (ARGs) persist in home compost, their origins have not been determined. In addition, the factors contributing to ARGs persistence remain unclear. In this study, we aim to (i) characterize the changes in the microbiome and antimicrobial resistome during the composting process of home compost using metagenomics shotgun sequencing, (ii) identify the source of the ARGs persisted in home compost using SourceTracker, and (iii) elucidate the collective effect of compost microbiome and environmental factors, including the physicochemical properties and antibiotics concentration of home compost, in contributing to ARG persistence using Procrustes analysis, co-occurrence network analysis, variation partitioning analysis, and structural equation modeling. SourceTracker analysis indicated that urban green waste bulking agent was the major source of the persisting ARGs in home compost instead of animal manure. Procrustes analysis and co-occurrence network analysis revealed a strong association between microbiome and antimicrobial resistome. Variation partitioning analysis and structural equation modeling suggested that physicochemical properties shaped the antimicrobial resistome directly and indirectly by influencing the microbiome. Our results indicated that the persistence of ARGs in home compost might be due to the succession of microbial species from the urban green waste bulking agent, and the physicochemical properties might have defined the compost environment to shape the microbiome in the compost, thus, in turn, the persisting antimicrobial resistome.

Genetic dissection of memory for associative and non-associative learning in Caenorhabditis elegans.

The distinction between non-associative and associative forms of learning has historically been based on the behavioral training paradigm. Through discovering the molecular mechanisms that mediate learning, we can develop a deeper understanding of the relationships between different forms of learning. Here, we genetically dissect short- and long-term memory for a non-associative form of learning, habituation and an associative form of learning, context conditioning for habituation, in the nematode Caenorhabditis elegans. In short-term chemosensory context conditioning for habituation, worms trained and tested in the presence of either a taste (sodium acetate) or smell (diacetyl) context cue show greater retention of habituation to tap stimuli when compared with animals trained and tested without a salient cue. Long-term memory for olfactory context conditioning was observed 24 h after a training procedure that does not normally induce 24 h memory. Like long-term habituation, this long-term memory was dependent on the transcription factor cyclic AMP-response element-binding protein. Worms with mutations in glr-1 [a non-N-methyl-d-aspartate (NMDA)-type glutamate receptor subunit] showed short-term but not long-term habituation or short- or long-term context conditioning. Worms with mutations in nmr-1 (an NMDA-receptor subunit) showed normal short- and long-term memory for habituation but did not show either short- or long-term context conditioning. Rescue of nmr-1 in the RIM interneurons rescued short- and long-term olfactory context conditioning leading to the hypothesis that these interneurons function to integrate information from chemosensory and mechanosensory systems for associative learning.

Detection of mRNA expression of gonadotropin-releasing hormone and its receptor in normal and neoplastic rat prostates.

Hypothalamic gonadotropin-releasing hormone (GnRH) plays a central role in the regulation of the mammalian reproductive systems as a releasing hormone of pituitary gonadotropins. However, a number of studies have shown that GnRH or its receptor are also expressed in some reproductive organs including prostate gland, mammary gland, ovary and placenta, tumors and tumor cell lines derived from these organs, suggesting that this peptide hormone may have other extrapituitary functions in addition to its role as a gonadotropin-releasing hormone. Moreover, it has been demonstrated that GnRH analogs exert some direct inhibitory effects on the proliferation of human and rat prostate cancer cells, probably mediated by its own specific receptors expressed in these tumor cells. In the present study, we investigated the mRNA expression of GnRH and its receptor in normal Noble rat prostate gland, and in three rat models of prostate cancer including the sex hormone-induced Noble rat model, an androgen-independent Noble rat prostatic tumor (AIT) and Dunning rat prostatic adenocarcinomas by RT-PCR and Southern blot analyses. The results showed that GnRH mRNA was expressed in the normal, hormone-treated and neoplastic rat prostates, in addition to its positive control expression in the hypothalamus, whereas its receptor was only detected in the androgen-dependent Dunning R3327H tumor. The detection of both GnRH and its receptor in the androgen-dependent Dunning R3327H tumor tissue suggests that this peptide hormone may have some autocrine and paracrine regulatory functions in this tumor. However, the gene expression of GnRH receptor was not detected in two androgen-independent Dunning tumor sublines and the Noble rat prostatic tumor, AIT, suggesting that the expression of GnRH receptor is lost or down-regulated in the prostatic tumors during the progression to a hormone-independent phenotype.

Sex hormone levels in serum in relation to the development of breast cancer.

In 1974, approximately 13,000 female residents of Washington County, Maryland, donated 15 ml of blood as part of a project to determine if certain serologic factors were related to the development of site-specific cancer. Sera were stored at -73 C. The present study reports the associations of serum levels of estrone, estradiol, estriol, androstenedione, progesterone, and testosterone with breast cancer among 17 premenopausal cases diagnosed 8-132 months after blood was drawn, and 39 postmenopausal cases diagnosed 6-72 months after blood was drawn. Each case was matched to four controls selected from the other serum bank donors. Matching factors were age, race, and time since last menstrual period. Cases and controls who were taking estrogen-containing preparations were excluded from this analysis. Sera were analyzed without knowledge of case-control status. Differences in levels of serum hormones between cases and controls were slight and not statistically significant.

Statistical methods for fetal monitoring with alpha-fetoprotein in maternal serum.

Methods are presented for dealing with screening or diagnostic variables which exhibit trends over time. The number and spacing of observations is assumed to vary among patients. Criteria for establishing 'normal' trends, and for detecting extremes and pattern deviations, are developed. The methods are applied to a pregnancy study in which longitudinal data on alpha-fetoprotein in material were obtained in 1501 patients.

Point estimates of concentrations by simple immunoassays.

Point estimates can be generated by simple immunoassays when combined with a sequential statistical procedure. The method is called an extended simple immunoassay. A simple immunoassay for alpha-fetoprotein (counterimmunoelectrophoresis) was used to test the hypothesis that simple immunoassays are not restricted to qualitative "yet" or "no" results, but can provide quantitative results similar to radioimmunoassay. Potential benefits of this finding are discussed.

Detection of low levels of HCG by simple immunoassays, and clinical implications.

Traditional, less sensitive simple immunoassays ('Placentex' and 'Pregnosis') were performed concurrently with newer, more sensitive, but simple immunoassays ('Sensitex' and a capillary tube pregnancy test) and radioimmunoassays for beta-HCG from two commercial sources (Roche Diagnostics and Monitor Science Corporation). Generally these various assays agreed, but of particular importance for the early screening of urinary HCG (prior to the first missed but expected period) was that the commercial half-unit tube test ('Sensi-tex') gave early positive results comparable to the half-unit research capillary tube test previously reported. These sensitive simple immunoassays (SSIA) may improve the management of patients very early in pregnancy and following termination of pregnancy.

Early detection of human chorionic gonadotropin in urine by simple immunoassays.

Data are presented to show that human chorionic gonadotropin (hCG) in urine can be detected early in pregnancy by simple immunoassays performed prior to or around the time of the expected but missed menstrual period. Differences between the use of simple immunoassays with urine and radioimmunoassays and radioreceptor assays with serum are discussed.

Further experience with a capillary tube pregnancy test.

Further evaluation of the nonrefrigerated capillary tube pregnancy test is presented. A 127-mm by 2-mm glass capillary tube containing lyophilized antibody to human chorionic gonadotropin and latex indicator particles is used. Urine is drawn into the tube by capillary action; then, the tube is tilted to allow the urine to dissolve the antibody and to suspend the latex particles. The test results are read after a one-hour incubation period. Test results were evaluated against histopathologic and clinical data. Special efforts were made to stress the false-positive rate of the test by tripling the number of negative cases and doubling the sample size. A 99.82% agreement, a 0.18% false-negative rate and a 0% false-positive rate were obtained. In 52 confirmed pregnancies, the more sensitive capillary test detected human chorionic gonadotropin, whereas the commercial tests did not. Human chorionic gonadotropin was also detected one week earlier than reported in the first series.

Pitfalls and problems in the interpretation of AFP data--myths and misuse of the "normal range".

Drawing a line more intelligently for AFP data means using as a denominator two fairly well-defined populations (abnormal and normal), instead of one ill-defined normal population. The line is drawn at the intersect between two curves to minimize the error of misclassification; this replaces an arbitrarily defined cutoff level (multiples of the standard deviation unit). Moving the line to the right reduces the false positive error when screening for NTD, whereas moving the line to the left provides a sensitive alert signal for routine screening of maternal sera by AFP determinations for fetal distress. Adjustment of the line for cost and benefit factors and the use of probability statements that include the prevalence of specific conditions all help sharpen medical classification and decisions. Cross-sectional analysis is separated from longitudinal analysis. A benefit from this discussion may be the replacement of the normal range with a simple plot of AFP results or a percentile distribution, which would be more meaningful and more easily understood by all.

Changes in alpha-fetoprotein levels in a case with multiple congenital anomalies.

PIP: A chromosomally normal women, who previously lost an infant with meningomyelocele and hydrocephalus, with a chromosomally normal husband, had normal alpha fetoprotein (AFP) levels in both amniotic fluid and maternal serum at about 19 weeks gestation. At 34 weeks, suspected hydramnios was confirmed clinically and radiographically; the latter showed no evidence of hydrocephalus. AFP levels at 36 weeks showed 224 ng/ml in maternal serum and 1249 ng/ml in amniotic fluid. Maternal serum rose from the 25th-19th percentile, and amniotic level was 5-fold greater than normal (200 ng/ml). At 39 weeks, abnormal AFP values of 258 and 1500 ng/ml for maternal serum and amniotic fluid, respectively, were measured. Though AFP patterns did not suggest an open neural tube defect (higher 19-week values were expected), spontaneous labor at 39 weeks resulted in a 1930-gm female with multiple congenital abnormalities. These AFP assays suggest: 1) that signaling of abnormalites other than neural tube defects is a valid use of AFP assays; 2) that the slope rather than single point values should be used in interpreting AFP results; 3) that assays in both amniotic fluid and maternal serum should be obtained and interpreted simultaneously in screening for birth defects; and 4) that sequential assays should be performed even in the presence of initially normal findings.^ieng

A capillary tube pregnancy test.

The experience with a new, simple, and sensitive capillary tube pregnancy test requiring no refrigeration is described. The results of this test and other tests are compared against histologic results. The 1/2 unit capillary test, defined as having a sensitivity of 0.5 I.U. of HCG per milliliter, had a higher percentage of agreement with histopathologic results (99.65 per cent) than all other tests studied. The false-positive rate was 0.07 per cent and the false-negative rate was 0.28 per cent. In this series of 1,486 tests, 21 cases of pregnancy, identified by a 1/2 unit test, were missed by one or two unit tests. The earliest detection of pregnancy by the 1/2 unit capillary test confirmed by histology was 3 weeks from the last menstrual period (four cases).

Alpha-fetoprotein.

Despite all the information about AFP presented, a great deal still needs to be discovered especially in pregnancy. Geographical and racial differences remain to be elucidated. Similarly, differences in obstetric population in Helsinki and Baltimore, for example, are only now being studied. Sex differences may exist; Lardinois and associates195 cited a higher level of AFP in male than female fetuses. The important questions that need to be answered are whether AFP assays can help improve the other half of prenatal care- that directed to the fetus- and whether the AFP model can help enhance our understanding of the similarities and differences of fetal and cancer cells.

Menstrual extraction.

This report documents the clinical outcome of 137 consecutive menstrual extractions. The pre- and postprocedural pregnancy testing is correlated with histologic examination of tissue obtained. This report reviews the management of the unsuccessful cases.