Dichotomy between Regulation of Coral Bacterial Communities and Calcification Physiology under Ocean Acidification Conditions.

Ocean acidification (OA) threatens the growth and function of coral reef ecosystems. A key component to coral health is the microbiome, but little is known about the impact of OA on coral microbiomes. A submarine CO2 vent at Maug Island in the Northern Mariana Islands provides a natural pH gradient to investigate coral responses to long-term OA conditions. Three coral species (Pocillopora eydouxi, Porites lobata, and Porites rus) were sampled from three sites where the mean seawater pH is 8.04, 7.98, and 7.94. We characterized coral bacterial communities (using 16S rRNA gene sequencing) and determined pH of the extracellular calcifying fluid (ECF) (using skeletal boron isotopes) across the seawater pH gradient. Bacterial communities of both Porites species stabilized (decreases in community dispersion) with decreased seawater pH, coupled with large increases in the abundance of Endozoicomonas, an endosymbiont. P. lobata experienced a significant decrease in ECF pH near the vent, whereas P. rus experienced a trending decrease in ECF pH near the vent. In contrast, Pocillopora exhibited bacterial community destabilization (increases in community dispersion), with significant decreases in Endozoicomonas abundance, while its ECF pH remained unchanged across the pH gradient. Our study shows that OA has multiple consequences on Endozoicomonas abundance and suggests that Endozoicomonas abundance may be an indicator of coral response to OA. We reveal an interesting dichotomy between two facets of coral physiology (regulation of bacterial communities and regulation of calcification), highlighting the importance of multidisciplinary approaches to understanding coral health and function in a changing ocean.IMPORTANCE Ocean acidification (OA) is a consequence of anthropogenic CO2 emissions that is negatively impacting marine ecosystems such as coral reefs. OA affects many aspects of coral physiology, including growth (i.e., calcification) and disrupting associated bacterial communities. Coral-associated bacteria are important for host health, but it remains unclear how coral-associated bacterial communities will respond to future OA conditions. We document changes in coral-associated bacterial communities and changes to calcification physiology with long-term exposure to decreases in seawater pH that are environmentally relevant under midrange IPCC emission scenarios (0.1 pH units). We also find species-specific responses that may reflect different responses to long-term OA. In Pocillopora, calcification physiology was highly regulated despite changing seawater conditions. In Porites spp., changes in bacterial communities do not reflect a breakdown of coral-bacterial symbiosis. Insights into calcification and host-microbe interactions are critical to predicting the health and function of different coral taxa to future OA conditions.

Ballistic Beloniformes attacking through Snell's Window.

Needlefishes (Beloniformes) were observed employing a range of stalking and attacking behaviours to attack schools of bait fishes ranging from the use of tactics common to predatory fishes to a novel behaviour: the use of leaping, aerial attacks. These aerial attacks are suggested to serve two purposes: to extend the attack range of the needlefishes and to reduce their prey's potential for evasion. Furthermore, a third purpose is hypothesized that the needlefishes are taking advantage of Snell's Window, an optical effect which may mask their approach to their prey.

Direct and indirect tasks on assessment of dose and time distributions and thresholds of acute radiation exposure.

Mathematical methods were developed to construct dose and time distributions and their associated risks and threshold values for lethal and non-lethal effects of acute radiation exposure to include mortality and incidence, prodromal vomiting, and agranulocytosis. A new distribution (T-model) was obtained to describe time parameters of acute radiation syndrome such as the latency period, time to onset of vomiting, and time to initiation of agranulocytosis. Based on the dose and time distributions, the parameter translation method was defined using an orthogonal regression, which allows one to solve for these distributions in the case of acute radiation exposure. The assessment of threshold doses was performed for some effects of acute radiation syndrome: for the latency period, ∼6-8 Gy absorbed dose and ∼0.7-0.9 h time to onset of vomiting; and for incidence (agranulocytosis), ∼2-3 Gy absorbed dose and ∼2-3 h time to onset of vomiting. The obtained new formula for assessment of radiation risk is applicable to the time parameters of acute radiation syndrome.

Development and certification of green tea-containing standard reference materials.

A suite of three green tea-containing Standard Reference Materials (SRMs) has been issued by the National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST): SRM 3254 Camellia sinensis (Green Tea) Leaves, SRM 3255 Camellia sinensis (Green Tea) Extract, and SRM 3256 Green Tea-Containing Solid Oral Dosage Form. The materials are characterized for catechins, xanthine alkaloids, theanine, and toxic elements. As many as five methods were used in assigning certified and reference values to the constituents, with measurements carried out at NIST and at collaborating laboratories. The materials are intended for use in the development and validation of new analytical methods, and for use as control materials as a component in the support of claims of metrological traceability.

Primary human herpesvirus 8 infection generates a broadly specific CD8(+) T-cell response to viral lytic cycle proteins.

Human herpesvirus 8 (HHV-8) is a recently discovered gammaherpesvirus that is the etiologic agent of Kaposi sarcoma (KS). The natural history of primary HHV-8 infection, including clinical outcome and host immune responses that may be important in preventing disease related to HHV-8, has not been elucidated. The present study characterized the clinical, immunologic, and virologic parameters of primary HHV-8 infection in 5 cases detected during a 15-year longitudinal study of 108 human immunodeficiency virus type 1 seronegative men in the Multicenter AIDS Cohort Study. Primary HHV-8 infection was associated with mild, nonspecific signs and symptoms of diarrhea, fatigue, localized rash, and lymphadenopathy. There were no alterations in numbers of CD4(+) or CD8(+) T cells or CD8(+) T-cell interferon gamma (IFN-gamma) production to mitogen or nominal antigen. CD8(+) cytotoxic T-lymphocyte precursor (CTLp) and IFN-gamma reactivity were detected during primary HHV-8 infection, with broad specificity to 5 lytic cycle proteins of HHV-8 encoded by open reading frame 8 (ORF 8; glycoprotein B homolog of Epstein-Barr virus), ORF 22 (gH homolog), ORF 25 (major capsid protein homolog), ORF 26 (a minor capsid protein homolog), or ORF 57 (an early protein homolog), in association with increases in serum antibody titers and appearance of HHV-8 DNA in blood mononuclear cells. CD8(+) T-cell responses to HHV-8 decreased by 2 to 3 years after primary infection. This antiviral T-cell response may control initial HHV-8 infection and prevent development of disease.

Prolonged suppression of human immunodeficiency virus type 1 (HIV-1) viremia in persons with advanced disease results in enhancement of CD4 T cell reactivity to microbial antigens but not to HIV-1 antigens.

CD4 T cell responses were studied for >2 years in 27 zidovudine-experienced patients with advanced human immunodeficiency virus type 1 (HIV-1) infection who received triple combination drug therapy with indinavir, zidovudine and lamivudine or zidovudine plus lamivudine or zidovudine alone for 24-42 weeks before switching to the three-drug therapy. Subjects initially given the three drugs had viremia suppressed to undetectable levels and increases in T cell proliferative and cytokine responses to microbial antigens through 2 years of follow-up. Patients receiving the triple-drug therapy after either indinavir or zidovudine-lamivudine treatment had similar increases in T cell responses only if they also had suppression of virus load. CD4 T cell reactivity to HIV-1 antigens was not restored. Prolonged indinavir-zidovudine-lamivudine treatment has significant but incomplete enhancing effects on CD4 T cell reactivity, which could be important in host control of microbial and persistent HIV-1 infections.

Impact of maternal lifestyle factors on newborn HPRT mutant frequencies and molecular spectrum--initial results from the Prenatal Exposures and Preeclampsia Prevention (PEPP) Study.

Epidemiological studies have demonstrated associations between maternal tobacco smoke exposure and consumption of alcohol during pregnancy and increased risk of pediatric malignancies, particularly infant leukemias. Molecular evidence also suggests that somatic mutational events occurring during fetal hematopoiesis in utero can contribute to this process. As part of an ongoing multi-endpoint biomarker study of 2000 mothers and newborns, the HPRT T-lymphocyte cloning assay was used to determine mutant frequencies (Mf) in umbilical cord blood samples from an initial group of 60 neonates born to a sociodemographically diverse cohort of mothers characterized with respect to age, ethnicity, socioeconomic status, and cigarette smoke and alcohol exposure. Non-zero Mf (N = 47) ranged from 0.19 to 5.62 x 10(-6), median 0.70 x 10(-6), mean +/- SD 0.98 +/- 0.95 x 10(-6). No significant difference in Mf was observed between female and male newborns. Multivariable Poisson regression analysis revealed that increased HPRT Mf were significantly associated with maternal consumption of alcohol at the beginning [Relative Rate (RR) = 1.84, 95% CI = 0.99-3.40, P = 0.052) and during pregnancy (RR = 2.99, 95% CI = 1.14-7.84, P = 0.026). No independent effect of self-reported active maternal cigarette smoking, either at the beginning or throughout pregnancy, nor maternal passive exposure to cigarette smoke was observed. Although based on limited initial data, this is the first report of a positive association between maternal alcohol consumption during pregnancy and HPRT Mf in human newborns. In addition, the spectrum of mutations at the HPRT locus was determined in 33 mutant clones derived from 19 newborns of mothers with no self-reported exposure to tobacco smoke and 14 newborns of mothers exposed passively or actively to cigarette smoke. In the unexposed group, alterations leading to specific exon 2-3 deletions, presumably as a result of illegitimate V(D)J recombinase activity, were found in five of the 19 mutants (26.3%); in the passively exposed group, two exon 2-3 deletions were present among the seven mutants (28.6%); and in the actively exposed group, six of the seven mutants (85.7%) were exon 2-3 deletions. Although no overall increase in HPRT Mf was observed and the number of mutant clones examined was small, these initial results point to an increase in V(D)J recombinase-associated HPRT gene exon 2-3 deletions in cord blood T-lymphocytes in newborns of actively smoking mothers relative to unexposed mothers (P = 0.011). Together, these results add to growing molecular evidence that in utero exposures to genotoxicants result in detectable transplacental mutagenic effects in human newborns.

A randomized walking trial in postmenopausal women: effects on physical activity and health 10 years later.

BACKGROUND: It is important to determine if permanent lifestyle changes may result from physical activity interventions and whether health may be affected by these changes. OBJECTIVE: To conduct a 10-year follow-up of physical activity and self-reported health status in participants of a randomized clinical trial of walking intervention. METHODS: Of the original 229 volunteer postmenopausal women who participated in the original clinical trial, 196 (N = 96 intervention and 100 controls) completed the 10-year follow-up telephone interview. The interview protocol included questions on self-reported walking for exercise and purposes other than exercise, the Paffenbarger sport and exercise index, functional status, and various chronic diseases and conditions. RESULTS: The median values for both usual walking for exercise and total walking were significantly higher for walkers compared with controls (for both, P = .01), with median differences of 706 and 420 kcal/wk, respectively. After excluding women who reported heart disease during the original trial, 2 women in the walking group (2%) and 11 women in the control group (12%) reported physician-diagnosed heart disease over the last 10 years (P = .07). There were also fewer hospitalizations, surgeries, and falls among women in the walking group, although these differences were not statistically significant (P>.05). CONCLUSIONS: Although limited by self-report, this study may be the first to demonstrate long-term exercise compliance to a randomized control trial in older women and to suggest that health benefits may have ensued as a result of these increased activity levels.

The use and abuse of wound care materials in the treatment of diabetic ulcerations.

With the ever-increasing availability of wound care materials for use in diabetic foot ulcerations, a thorough understanding of the indications and applications of these materials is important for wound-management success. The coupling of a lack of understanding of the interaction of wound care materials and the dynamic nature of wound-healing physiology may lead to a protracted healing course that may constitute an abuse of an otherwise useful adjunct to wound healing protocols. This article provides an overview of wound care products, their indications, and possible complications of inappropriate use.

A case-control study of hematopoietic and lymphoid neoplasms: the role of work in the chemical industry.

The present case-control study was conducted in an effort to determine if work in the chemical industry is related to excesses of certain hematopoietic and lymphoid neoplasms. Cases who died from non-Hodgkin's lymphoma, multiple myeloma, and leukemia were matched by race, gender, age, year of death, and county of residence to controls who died from cardiovascular disease. A total of 618 (309 matched pairs) white male residents of Kanawha County, WV, aged 23-96, who had died between 1965 and 1990 were identified. Conditional logistic regression was conducted and yielded an association between chemical industry work and death due to non-Hodgkin's lymphoma, multiple myeloma, and lymphoid leukemia among subjects who died at age < 65. These results are consistent with the findings of previous studies linking work in chemical manufacturing to hematopoietic and lymphoid neoplasms, and indicate that the excesses may be related to the occupational exposures in men who died at younger ages.

Cellulitis secondary to web space dermatophytosis.

Cellulitis occurring in the lower extremity is encountered frequently and results from a breach of the skin and inoculation of opportunistic bacteria. It has been shown that when web space dermatophytosis is present, changes may occur in normal skin morphology and bacterial flora that can result in severe infection. Knowledge of the pathophysiology of interdigital dermatophytosis allows the clinician to choose the most appropriate empiric antibiotic therapy when treating a secondarily caused cellulitis of the lower extremity.

Evaluation and management of the interdigital corn: a literature review.

Interdigital corns or soft corns are the accumulation of spongy, hyperkeratotic, circumscribed tissue between opposing surfaces of adjacent digits of the foot. The authors discuss the incidence, causes, locations, and treatment of these interdigital corns.

Trends in cancer mortality in Kanawha County, West Virginia, 1950-1984.

There has been much concern recently about possible adverse health effects related to exposure to toxic chemicals among residents of Kanawha County in southern West Virginia. An epidemiological study of trends in cancer mortality from 1950-1984 among the general population of Kanawha County in southern West Virginia was mounted. Cabell County, West Virginia was chosen to be a comparison county for Kanawha in addition to West Virginia and the total United States. The cancer mortality rates for white males and females were calculated using NCHS mortality data and Census Bureau population data available on the Mortality and Population Data System (MPDS) at the University of Pittsburgh. Mortality rates for cancer in Kanawha and Cabell Counties were evaluated over the time period 1950-1984 with an age-period-cohort (APC) analysis. In this analysis, poisson regression models were fit using the statistical program GLIM (Generalized Linear Models) to determine the separate effects of age, period of death, and birth cohort on the specific cancers of interest (lung, liver, bladder, CNS, leukemia, lympho-reticulosarcoma, all cancers). There were no significant county differences for cancer death rates between Kanawha and Cabell Counties except for leukemia among white males [O.R. = 1.27, 95% (C.I. = 1.03-1.6)], and for lympho-reticulosarcoma [O.R. = 1.66(1.24-2.07)], suggesting a possible occupational exposure. For leukemia, aleukemia, the effect observed seems to have declined. In contrast, the elevation of lympho-reticulosarcoma rates has remained in recent years (1970-1984).

Noise-induced hearing loss: a possible marker for high blood pressure in older noise-exposed populations.

The present study assessed the relationships among occupational noise exposure, noise-induced hearing loss, and high blood pressure. The study population consisted of 245 retired metal assembly workers from Pittsburgh aged 56 to 68 with chronic noise exposure of 30 or more years at greater than or equal to 89 dBA. Results of the audiometric testing indicated 52% of the younger workers (ages 56 to 63) have severe noise-induced hearing loss (greater than or equal to 65 dBA loss at 3, 4, or 6 kHz) and 67% of older workers (ages 64 to 68). Body mass index and alcohol intake were significantly related to systolic and diastolic blood pressure. Among older men, there was a marginally significant increased prevalence of high blood pressure (greater than or equal to 90 mm diastolic or taking blood pressure medicine) among those with severe noise-induced hearing loss (P = .05). Moreover, another measure of hearing loss at high frequencies, speech discrimination score in noise (measured in the better ear), referred to as the W-22 MAX score, was also found to be related to the prevalence of high blood pressure in the older (64 to 68) age group (P less than .05). Multiple regression analysis revealed W-22 MAX and severe noise-induced hearing loss were independent predictors of hypertension in the older, but not in the younger group of retired workers.

Interferometric characterization of full spheres: data reduction techniques.

This paper describes numerical procedures for data reduction of full spheres from interferometric data taken at various positions around the surface of the sphere. The technique allows the use of practical f/No. optics, incomplete coverage or overlap of the interferograms, and differences in optical alignment of each interferogram.