Worldwide, Salmonella spp. is a significant cause of disease for both humans and wildlife, with wild birds adapted to urban environments having different opportunities for pathogen exposure, infection, and transmission compared to their natural conspecifics. Food provisioning by people may influence these factors, especially when high-density mixed species flocks aggregate. White Ibises (Eudocimus albus), an iconic Everglades species in decline in Florida, are becoming increasingly common in urbanized areas of south Florida where most are hand-fed. We examined the prevalence of Salmonella shedding by ibises to determine the role of landscape characteristics where ibis forage and their behavior, on shedding rates. We also compared Salmonella isolated from ibises to human isolates to better understand non-foodborne human salmonellosis. From 2010–2013, 13% (n = 261) adult/subadult ibises and 35% (n = 72) nestlings sampled were shedding Salmonella. The prevalence of Salmonella shedding by ibises significantly decreased as the percent of Palustrine emergent wetlands and herbaceous grasslands increased, and increased as the proportion of open-developed land types (e.g. parks, lawns, golf courses) increased, suggesting that natural ecosystem land cover types supported birds with a lower prevalence of infection. A high diversity of Salmonella serotypes (n = 24) and strain types (43 PFGE types) were shed by ibises, of which 33% of the serotypes ranked in the top 20 of high significance for people in the years of the study. Importantly, 44% of the Salmonella Pulsed-Field Gel Electrophoresis patterns for ibis isolates (n = 43) matched profiles in the CDC PulseNet USA database. Of these, 20% came from Florida in the same three years we sampled ibis. Importantly, there was a negative relationship between the amount of Palustrine emergent wetland and the number of Salmonella isolates from ibises that matched human cases in the PulseNet database (p = 0.056). Together, our results indicate that ibises are good indicators of salmonellae strains circulating in their environment and they have both the potential and opportunity to transmit salmonellae to people. Finally, they may act as salmonellae carriers to natural environments where other more highly-susceptible groups (nestlings) may be detrimentally affected.

We evaluated a 6-week community-based cooking programme, “Eat Better Feel Better”, aimed at tackling barriers to cooking and healthy eating using a single-group repeated measures design. 117 participants enrolled, 62 completed baseline and post-intervention questionnaires, and 17 completed these and a 3–4 months follow-up questionnaire. Most participants were female, >45 years, and socioeconomically deprived. Confidence constructs changed positively from baseline to post-intervention (medians, scale 1 “not confident” to 7 “very confident”): “cooking using raw ingredients” (4, 6 p < 0.003), “following simple recipe” (5, 6 p = 0.003), “planning meals before shopping” (4, 5 p = <0.001), “shopping on a budget (4, 5 p = 0.044), “shopping healthier food” (4, 5 p = 0.007), “cooking new foods” (3, 5 p < 0.001), “cooking healthier foods” (4, 5 p = 0.001), “storing foods safely” (5, 6 p = 0.002); “using leftovers” (4, 5 p = 0.002), “cooking raw chicken” (5, 6 p = 0.021), and “reading food labels” (4, 5 p < 0.001). “Microwaving ready-meals” decreased 46% to 39% (p = 0.132). “Preparing meals from scratch” increased 48% to 59% (p = 0.071). Knowledge about correct portion sizes increased 47% to 74% (p = 0.002). Spending on ready-meals/week decreased. Follow-up telephone interviewees (n = 42) reported developing healthier eating patterns, spending less money/wasting less food, and preparing more meals/snacks from raw ingredients. The programme had positive effects on participants’ cooking skills confidence, helped manage time, and reduced barriers of cost, waste, and knowledge.

Inflammatory processes may be important in the initiation and propagation of uterine contractions and preterm labor in human pregnancies. Recently, a murine model of preterm labor has been described. The purpose of our study was to determine whether murine decidua responds to inflammatory mediators, such as lipopolysaccharide (LPS) and the inflammatory cytokines interleukin (IL)-1 beta and tumor necrosis factor (TNF). Allogeneic pregnant mice (C3H/Hen females mated with C57/B6 males) were killed at 12-14 days of pregnancy, decidual tissue was isolated, and explants were placed on the polycarbonate membrane of Costar Transwell inserts. Initial validation studies of this explant system, including biochemical and histologic evaluations, indicated that the decidual tissue remained intact, viable, and responsive to IL-1 beta for at least 5 days in explant culture. Treatment of murine decidual explants with LPS, IL-1 beta, and TNF resulted in significant increases in the production of prostaglandin E2 (PGE2) and IL-6. Thus the regulation of PGE2 and IL-6 production from murine decidua by LPS and inflammatory cytokines is similar to findings previously reported for human decidua. Our findings are consistent with the view that the pathophysiology of infection-induced preterm labor in the mouse may be similar to that in human pregnancy and supports the continued development of murine models of preterm labor.

PURPOSE Epidermal growth factor receptor (EGFR) overexpression has been consistently found to be an independent predictor of local-regional relapse (LRR) after radiotherapy. We assessed the extent by which it can refine risk classification for overall survival (OS) and LRR in patients with head and neck squamous cell carcinoma (HNSCC). METHODS AND MATERIALS EGFR expression in locally advanced HNSCC was measured by immunohistochemistry (IHC) in a series of patients randomized to receive accelerated or conventional radiation regimens in a phase III trial. Subsequently, data of the two series were pooled (N=533) for conducting a recursive partitioning analysis that incorporated clinical parameters (performance status, primary site, T- and N-categories, etc.) and four molecular markers (EGFR, p53, Ki-67, and microvessel density). RESULTS This study confirmed that patients with higher than median levels of tumor EGFR expression had a lower OS (RR: 1.90, P=0.0010) and a higher LRR (RR: 1.91, P=0.0163). Of the four markers analyzed, only EGFR was found to contribute to refining classification of patients into three risk classes with distinct OS and LRR outcomes. The addition of EGFR to three clinical parameters could identify patients having up to a 5-fold difference in the risk of LRR. CONCLUSIONS Adding pretreatment EGFR expression data to known robust clinical prognostic variables improved the estimation of the probability for OS and LRR after radiotherapy. Its use for stratifying or selecting patients with defined tumor feature and pattern of relapse for enrollment into clinical trials testing specific therapeutic strategy warrants further investigation.

Grant's zebra (Equus burchelli) are commonly kept in zoos and are subject to routine health monitoring and research studies. Recently, assays for acute phase proteins (APP) have been described in many wildlife species, and specific assays for serum amyloid A (SAA) have been well validated and studied in horses (Equus ferus caballus), in which it serves as a major APP. In the present study, serum samples from 26 Grant's zebra were subject to analysis by using assays for SAA, haptoglobin (HP), and protein electrophoresis. Reference intervals were calculated by using the robust method: SAA 1.8-31.4 mg/L and HP 0.37-1.58 mg/ml. Significant differences in SAA and HP were observed in clinically abnormal zebra; in some cases, these differences were marked and were noted in the absence of abnormal values for protein electrophoretic fractions. These data indicate that APP may be a valuable and sensitive tool in monitoring inflammation in this species.

The ability of heparan sulfate, an endogenous component of the glomerulus, to regulate the growth of cultured rat mesangial cells was investigated. Heparan sulfate caused a dose-dependent inhibition of rat mesangial cell growth, 85% inhibition compared with controls at the highest dose (1,000 micrograms/ml). Chondroitin sulfate produced no inhibition. The low-sulfated fraction of heparan sulfate (9%) produced more inhibition than the high-sulfated fraction (13%), 90 +/- 1 vs. 71 +/- 2% (P = 0.002). The effects of the heparan sulfate were completely reversible. Treatment of heparan sulfate with heparitinase increased the degree of inhibition, 71 +/- 1 vs. 84 +/- 1% (P less than 0.001). Four different oligosaccharides derived from heparan sulfate and heparin were tested for their ability to inhibit growth. One of the oligosaccharides, low-sulfated (10%), caused significant inhibition, 76 +/- 2%. Heparan sulfate was also able to inhibit the growth of Swiss 3T3 fibroblasts (63 +/- 5%). This inhibition was less marked than that seen with mesangial cells. Thus heparan sulfate was able to significantly inhibit rat mesangial cell growth in culture. Alterations in glomerular heparan sulfate may play an important role in alterations in mesangial cell growth.

Meningiomas are one of the most frequent central nervous system tumors, with an annual incidence in the United States of approximately 2.5 per 100,000 people. An intense interest exists in evaluating new molecular markers that may serve as potential therapeutic targets. Cyclooxygenase-2 (COX-2) is upregulated in a number of epithelial tumors, but to date, there are no published reports about the expression of COX-2 in meningioma. This study evaluated a possible relationship between COX-2 expression and malignant progression of meningioma. Eighty-three specimens of meningioma from the surgical pathology database of Thomas Jefferson University Hospital were evaluated. The hematoxylin and eosin (H&E)-stained slides were reviewed, and representative paraffin-embedded tissue sections containing the index cases were chosen and immunohistochemically stained for COX-2 expression. The H&E-stained sections of the individual tumors were classified according to the 1993 and 2000 World Health Organization (WHO) criteria for grading of meningiomas. The COX-2-stained slides were then reviewed and an immunohistochemical score was calculated and analyzed for statistical significance. The association between tumor grade and COX-2 expression is highly significant using the WHO-1993 grading criteria, (p = 0.012). Tumors with a more aggressive phenotype (benign --> atypical --> malignant) are associated with increasingly higher levels of COX-2. Using the 2000 WHO classification system, however, the association between tumor classification and COX-2 expression was not significant (p = 0.17), although the overwhelming percentage of tumors expressed COX-2. The association of COX-2 and meningioma is unique and represents a potential area for therapeutic intervention with selective COX-2 inhibitors, either as adjunct or in combination with radiation therapy.

A simple evocative test has been used to study pancreatic function. Serial estimations of amylase and lipase in blood serum are made at intervals up to six hours and again at 24 hours after injecting intravenously standard doses of secretin and pancreozymin. The results of 213 tests on a normal group, in pancreatic disease, in biliary and hepatic diseases have been analysed and compared with the results of duodenal intubation and an oral glucose tolerance test. A combined evocative test and oral glucose tolerance test provide evidence of pancreatic dysfunction in the majority of cases of cancer of the pancreas and chronic pancreatitis. The conditions of the test are described and the pathological lesions in which false positive evocative tests may be found are indicated.The simple evocative test provides the earliest biochemical evidence of pancreatic disease in some patients with cancer of the pancreas and chronic pancreatitis.