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Do low dose-rate bystander effects influence domestic radon risks?

PURPOSE: Radon risks derive from exposure of bronchio-epithelial cells to high-linear energy transfer (LET) alpha-particles. alpha-particle exposure can result in bystander effects, where irradiated cells emit signals resulting in damage to nearby unirradiated bystander cells. This can result in non-linear dose-response relations, and inverse dose-rate effects. Domestic radon risk estimates are currently extrapolated from miner data, which are at both higher doses and higher dose-rates, so bystander effects on unhit cells could play a large role in the extrapolation of risks from mines to homes. Therefore, we extend an earlier quantitative mechanistic model of bystander effects to include protracted exposure, with the aim of quantifying the significance of the bystander effect for very prolonged exposures. MATERIALS AND METHODS: A model of high-LET bystander effects, originally developed to analyse oncogenic transformation in vitro, is extended to low dose-rates. The model considers radiation response as a superposition of bystander and linear direct e It attributes bystander effects to a small subpopulation of hypersensitive cells, with the bystander contribution dominating the direct contribution at very low acute doses but saturating as the dose increases. Inverse dose-rate effects are attributed to the replenishment of the hypersensitive subpopulation during prolonged irradiation. RESULTS: The model was fitted to dose- and dose-rate-dependent radon-exposed miner data, suggesting that one directly hit target bronchio-epithelial cell can send bystander signals to about 50 neighbouring target cells. The model suggests that a naïve linear extrapolation of radon miner data to low doses, without accounting for dose-rate, would result in an underestimation of domestic radon risks by about a factor of 4, a value comparable with the empirical estimate applied in the recent BEIR-VI report on radon risk estimation. CONCLUSIONS: Bystander effects represent a plausible quantitative and mechanistic explanation of inverse dose-rate effects by high-LET radiation, resulting in non-linear dose-response relations and a complex interplay between the effects of dose and exposure time. The model presented provides a potential mechanistic underpinning for the empirical exposure-time correction factors applied in the recent BEIR-VI for domestic radon risk estimation.

Air Pollution, Indoor↗

A comparative study on the anaerobic membrane bioreactor performance during the treatment of domestic wastewaters of various origins.

This study examined the practical performance of a cross-flow ultrafiltration membrane coupled to an anaerobic bioreactor, for treatment of raw domestic wastewater (RDW), at a pilot-scale plant. Wastewaters used in this study originated from two different domestic wastewater treatment plans (DWTPs) (Sfax and Ksour Essef). During the treatment in the membrane bioreactor (MBR) of the RDW originating from Sfax DWTP, the bioreactor did not reach its stationary phase because the anaerobic biomass was unable to adapt to the wastewater. This was explained by the considerable fluctuations in the domestic wastewater composition and a possible contamination of Sfax wastewater by industrial discharges. However, the treatment of RDW originating from Ksour Essef (DWTP) was successful. In both cases, the treatment led to a total removal of all tested pathogens. The quality of treated wastewater fits largely with WHO guidelines for unrestricted irrigation. The phytotoxicity and the microtoxicity tests, using Lepidium sativum and Vibrio fischeri respectively, demonstrated that wastewater from Sfax exhibited higher toxicity than that from Ksour Sssef.

Aliivibrio fischeri↗

Squalene in oils and fats from domestic and commercial fryings of potatoes.

Squalene was determined in commercial frying oils and fats (sunflower oil, cottonseed oil, corn oil, soybean oil, palm kernel oil, palm oil, vegetable shortening oil, and cooking fats) sampled during deep-frying of potatoes from 21 restaurants in Athens, Greece, and in domestic frying oils [virgin olive oil (VOO), vegetable shortening and sunflower oil] used during the domestic pan-frying and deep-frying of potatoes. The analyses were carried out after cold saponification of the oils followed by gas chromatography-mass spectrometry of the hexane extract. Quantification was carried out by reference curve, using standard squalene solutions. Fresh vegetable oils and fats were found to contain small amounts of squalene (10.2-49.3 mg/100 g oil or fat), with the exception of fresh VOO, which contained 454 mg/100 g. The squalene content of the frying oils was reduced during frying, its lower concentration found in cooked fats (5.9 mg/100 g fat) and its higher in fried VOO (428 mg/100 g oil) after the first frying session. Squalene appeared to be rather stable during frying. Its retention in used restaurant seed oils and fats remained over 50% even after 30 h of frying while a high recovery of 84-96% was observed during the domestic deep-frying of potatoes in VOO. It seems that by using VOO as frying medium a considerable amount of squalene is absorbed by the fried potatoes, thus becoming part of our diet.

Gas Chromatography-Mass Spectrometry↗

Use of the domestic Swine as an alternative animal model for conducting dermal irritation/corrosion studies on fatty amine ethoxylates.

The dermal irritation/corrosion potential of four fatty amine ethoxylates was evaluated using domestic swine as an alternative animal model. The weanling pig was chosen for this study due to the similarity of its skin to human skin with respect to structure and physiology. The four products, Armostat 310 (tallow bis (2-hydroxyethyl) amine), Armostat 410 (coco bis (2-hydroxyethyl) amine), Armostat 710 (oleyl bis (2-hydroxyethyl) amine), and Armostat 1800 (stearyl bis (2-hydroxyethyl) amine) were applied to the skin of three domestic swine for 4 hours in accordance with internationally accepted guidelines. Dermal reactions were scored up to 168 hours post application. Armostat 310, Armostat 410, and Armostat 710 were all classified as moderately irritating, whereas Armostat 1800 was nonirritating. None of the additives were corrosive to the skin of domestic swine. These products had been previously classified as corrosive based on studies conducted with rabbits using Armostat 310. This study demonstrates that the use of a more appropriate animal model will generate data that are relevant to humans for the classification of the potential dermal irritation and/or corrosive properties of chemicals.

Administration, Cutaneous↗

The social construction and context of domestic violence in Wakiso district, Uganda.

This study explored community perceptions of factors associated with domestic violence, with an emphasis on events occurring during pregnancy. Ten focus group discussions, 14 key-informant interviews and four case vignettes were conducted in Wakiso district, Uganda between August and December 2003. Data were analysed using thematic content analysis. Perceived motives and meanings, triggering as well as associated factors, perceived coping mechanisms and community support available for reducing domestic violence, especially that occurring during pregnancy, were identified. Urban migration, changing cultural values and men's unemployment shift the balance of power in gender relations. Resultant male uncertainty and gender antagonism is associated with domestic violence. Family institutions such as extended family structure, relatives and in-laws were perceived as offering little protection. Factors triggering violence included failed negotiation of sexual relations, disagreement concerning the division of labour within the household and misconceptions about the physical and physiological changes, both dietary and behavioural, which occur in pregnancy.

Adult↗

Social isolation and domestic violence among female drug users.

The objective of this study was to examine the association between social isolation, domestic violence, and substance dependence among street-recruited female drug users. Hierarchical logistic regression was used to assess the independent contribution of social isolation and substance dependence to the likelihood that women will experience physical abuse. One hundred women (38.2%. N = 262) reported at least one incident of physical violence perpetrated by her most-recent sexual partner. Controlling for substance dependence and relationship status (the only significantly associated demographic variable), women reporting indicators of social isolation were more likely to have been physically abused by their most-recent sexual partners than nonisolated women. Substance dependence was not related significantly to domestic violence. Providers who have contact with female drug users should be aware of the high domestic violence rates and work to counterbalance the isolation these women may experience.

Adult↗

Fluorescent antibody detection of the antigens of the Shope papilloma virus in papillomas of the wild and domestic rabbit.

The results obtained by a fluorescent antibody study of the Shope papilloma virus in papillomas of the wild and domestic rabbit are presented. In the wild rabbit papillomas the viral antigens occurred exclusively in the nucleus and were present in the differentiating cells of the keratohyaline layers and in the keratinized layers. The antigens were not present in the deeper proliferating epithelial cells of the papillomas. The Shope viral antigens were present in very minute amounts in papillomas of the domestic rabbit, as compared with papillomas of the wild rabbit, and were only detected in the superficial keratinized layers. It is postulated that virus is present in the nuclei of the proliferating cells of the papillomas of the wild and domestic rabbit but exists there in an early stage of development, consisting mainly of nucleic acid and deficient in protein, therefore non-antigenic and not demonstrable by fluorescent antibody. The nucleic acid moiety of the virus may be infective, and the protein component may provide immunologic specificity and serve to preserve transmissibility. The protein-deficient virus can be referred to as masked virus.

Animals↗

So long as they both shall live: marital dissolution and the decline of domestic homicide in France, 1852-1909.

This article suggests that the growth of European states, the decline of familism, and the rise of individualism generated the institutionalization of judicial separation and divorce. Time-series analyses of France (1852-1908) reveal a persistent negative association between separation/divorce and domestic homicide, especially among males. Neither indicators of economic change nor trends in the wider pattern of violent crime account for the relationship. Although marital dissolution is a negative correlate of premeditated domestic homicide, the rate of separation/divorce is directly associated with spontaneous domestic homicide, for both females and males and may indicate that abandoned spouses can become homicidal.

Divorce↗

Speciation and domestication in maize and its wild relatives: evidence from the globulin-1 gene.

The grass genus Zea contains the domesticate maize and several wild taxa indigenous to Central and South America. Here we study the genetic consequences of speciation and domestication in this group by sampling DNA sequences from four taxa-maize (Zea mays ssp. mays), its wild progenitor (Z. mays ssp. parviglumis), a more distant species within the genus (Z. luxurians), and a representative of the sister genus (Tripsacum dactyloides). We sampled a total of 26 sequences from the glb1 locus, which encodes a nonessential seed storage protein. Within the Zea taxa sampled, the progenitor to maize contains the most sequence diversity. Maize contains 60% of the level of genetic diversity of its progenitor, and Z. luxurians contains even less diversity (32% of the level of diversity of Z. mays ssp. parviglumis). Sequence variation within the glb1 locus is consistent with neutral evolution in all four taxa. The glb1 data were combined with adh1 data from a previous study to make inferences about the population genetic histories of these taxa. Comparisons of sequence data between the two morphologically similar wild Zea taxa indicate that the species diverged approximately 700, 000 years ago from a common ancestor of intermediate size to their present populations. Conversely, the domestication of maize was a recent event that could have been based on a very small number of founding individuals. Maize retained a substantial proportion of the genetic variation of its progenitor through this founder event, but diverged rapidly in morphology.

Alcohol Dehydrogenase↗

Conservation of gene function in the solanaceae as revealed by comparative mapping of domestication traits in eggplant.

Quantitative trait loci (QTL) for domestication-related traits were identified in an interspecific F(2) population of eggplant (Solanum linnaeanum x S. melongena). Although 62 quantitative trait loci (QTL) were identified in two locations, most of the dramatic phenotypic differences in fruit weight, shape, color, and plant prickliness that distinguish cultivated eggplant from its wild relative could be attributed to six loci with major effects. Comparison of the genomic locations of the eggplant fruit weight, fruit shape, and color QTL with the positions of similar loci in tomato, potato, and pepper revealed that 40% of the different loci have putative orthologous counterparts in at least one of these other crop species. Overall, the results suggest that domestication of the Solanaceae has been driven by mutations in a very limited number of target loci with major phenotypic effects, that selection pressures were exerted on the same loci despite the crops' independent domestications on different continents, and that the morphological diversity of these four crops can be explained by divergent mutations at these loci.

Chromosome Mapping↗

Mothers' personal and domestic hygiene and diarrhoea incidence in young children in rural Bangladesh.

This study examines the effect of maternal personal and domestic hygiene on the incidence of diarrhoea in children aged 6-23 months from rural areas around Teknaf, Bangladesh. The intervention area received augmented water supply through handpumps and health education while the control area received no project inputs. From July 1980 to June 1983, diarrhoea incidence was recorded weekly while mothers' personal and domestic hygiene was observed yearly. Annual incidence of diarrhoea in 314 children from the intervention area and 309 children from the control area was analysed in relation to maternal personal and domestic hygiene, controlling for education and occupation of household head and household size. Results show that, in both areas, use of handpump water for drinking and washing, removal of child's faeces from the yard, and maternal handwashing before handling food and after defaecation of self and child, observed together, decreased yearly diarrhoea incidence in children by more than 40% compared to children living in households where none or only one of these practices was observed.

Bangladesh↗

Estimates of the severity of illnesses associated with bathing in marine recreational waters contaminated with domestic sewage.

BACKGROUND: During the summers of 1989-1992 we conducted four randomized intervention trials at four separate UK bathing locations judged of acceptable quality under current USEPA and EU criteria. The results showed bathers to be at increased risk of gastroenteritis, acute febrile respiratory illness (ICD-9 461-466, 480), ear and eye infections relative to non-bathers. The public health significance of these findings has been questioned based upon the unproven assumption that these illnesses are minor in nature and thus of questionable public health significance. METHODS: The severity of these illnesses or ailments in terms of duration of illness, percentage of participants seeking medical treatment, and number of days of lost normal daily activity among study participants reporting specific illnesses or ailments were assessed. In addition the attributable proportion of illness among the exposed (bathers) was calculated for each illness or ailment. RESULTS: Average duration of illness ranged from approximately 4 days to approximately 8 days depending on the specific illness reported. The percentage of study participants seeking medical treatment ranged from 4.2% to 22.2% while the percentage reporting the loss of at least one day of normal daily activity ranged from 7.0% to 25.9% depending on the illness reported. The overall percentage of each illness that can be directly attributable to exposure to marine waters contaminated with domestic sewage ranged from a low of 34.5% for gastroenteritis to a high of 65.8% for ear infections. CONCLUSIONS: To our knowledge, this is the first study to assess and report the severity of illnesses associated with bathing in recreational waters contaminated with domestic sewage. Illness associated with bathing in marine waters contaminated with domestic sewage can no longer be viewed as minor, and indeed can have a substantial impact on the public health.

Adult↗

Second-generation integrated genetic linkage/radiation hybrid maps of the domestic cat (Felis catus).

We report construction of second-generation integrated genetic linkage and radiation hybrid (RH) maps in the domestic cat (Felis catus) that exhibit a high level of marker concordance and provide near-full genome coverage. A total of 864 markers, including 585 coding loci (type I markers) and 279 polymorphic microsatellite loci (type II markers), are now mapped in the cat genome. We generated the genetic linkage map utilizing a multigeneration interspecies backcross pedigree between the domestic cat and the Asian leopard cat (Prionailurus bengalensis). Eighty-one type I markers were integrated with 247 type II markers from a first-generation map to generate a map of 328 loci (320 autosomal and 8 X-linked) distributed in 47 linkage groups, with an average intermarker spacing of 8 cM. Genome coverage spans approximately 2,650 cM, allowing an estimate for the genetic length of the sex-averaged map as 3,300 cM. The 834-locus second-generation domestic cat RH map was generated from the incorporation of 579 type I and 255 type II loci. Type I markers were added using targeted selection to cover either genomic regions underrepresented in the first-generation map or to refine breakpoints in human/feline synteny. The integrated linkage and RH maps reveal approximately 110 conserved segments ordered between the human and feline genomes, and provide extensive anchored reference marker homologues that connect to the more gene dense human and mouse sequence maps, suitable for positional cloning applications.

Animals↗

Tyrosinase and tyrosinase related protein 1 alleles specify domestic cat coat color phenotypes of the albino and brown loci.

The genes encoding enzymes of the tyrosinase family are strong candidates for coat color variation in mammals. To investigate their influence in domestic cat coat color, we determined the complete nucleotide coding sequence of the domestic cat genes tyrosinase (TYR)--a plausible candidate gene for the albino (C) locus, and tyrosinase related protein 1 (TYRP1)--a candidate gene for the brown (B) locus. Sequence variants between individuals exhibiting variation in pigmentation were submitted to association studies. In TYR, two nonsynonymous substitutions encoding TYR-G301R and TYR-G227W were associated with the siamese and burmese phenotypes of the albino locus, respectively. TYRP1 was mapped on chromosome D4 within 5 cM of a highly polymorphic microsatellite, previously found to be fixed in a cat breed selected for the chocolate (b) allele of the B locus, which reinforced TYRP1 as a candidate gene for the B locus in the domestic cat. Two DNA polymorphisms, one leading to a TYRP1-A3G substitution in the signal peptide and another to an in-frame insertion TYRP1-421ins17/18 caused by a donor splice site mutation in intron 6, were associated with the chocolate (b) allele. A premature UAG stop codon at position 100 of TYRP1 was associated with a second allele of the B locus, cinnamon (b(l)). The results provide very strong evidence that the specific nucleotide variants of feline TYR (chromosome D1) are causative of the siamese (c(s)) and burmese (c(b)) alleles of the albino locus, as well as nucleotide variants of TYRP1 (chromosome D4) as specifying the chocolate (b) and cinnamon (b(l)) alleles of the B locus.

Albinism↗

Sylvatic triatomines (Hemiptera: Reduviidae) in Bolivia: trends toward domesticity and possible infection with Trypanosoma cruzi (Kinetoplastida: Trypanosomatidae).

The risk of domestic transmission of Trypanosoma cruzi (Chagas) by sylvatic triatomines was assessed in an isolated area of the subandean region of Bolivia. None of the 390 residents examined had serological evidence of infection. Two sylvatic triatomine species, Eratyrus mucronatus (Stål) and Triatoma sordida (Stål), were found in houses and in peridomestic structures. The collection of nymphal instars of both species from some houses indicated possible domesticity. Microscopic examination of feces from 92 insects showed no parasites, and cultures from the guts of 30 insects were negative. Nevertheless, a polymerase chain reaction (PCR) test performed on the same fecal samples showed the presence of T. cruzi DNA in 19.1 and 12.5% of E. mucronatus and T. sordida, respectively. These 16 PCR-positive samples were hybridized with 2 T. cruzi-specific probes known from the domestic cycle in Bolivia (clones 20 and 39). At least 1 of these clones was identified in 7 bugs (5 E. mucronatus and 2 T. sordida). Moreover, no hybridization was observed with these probes in S E. mucronatus and 1 T. sordida samples that showed an amplified band by PCR. These data indicated that T. cruzi clones, genetically unrelated to clones 20 and 39, also were circulating in this area. Based on these results, the 2 sylvatic triatomine species encountered in Apolo should not be overlooked as possible local vectors of T. cruzi.

Animals↗

Degeneration and domestication of a selfish gene in yeast: molecular evolution versus site-directed mutagenesis.

VDE is a homing endonuclease gene in yeasts with an unusual evolutionary history including horizontal transmission, degeneration, and domestication into the mating-type switching locus HO. We investigate here the effects of these features on its molecular evolution. In addition, we correlate rates of evolution with results from site-directed mutagenesis studies. Functional elements have lower rates of evolution than degenerate ones and higher conservation at functionally important sites. However, functionally important and unimportant sites are equally likely to have been involved in the evolution of new function during the domestication of VDE into HO. The domestication event also indicates that VDE has been lost in some species and that VDE has been present in yeasts for more than 50 Myr.

Evolution, Molecular↗

Molecular characterization of a diagnostic DNA marker for domesticated tetraploid wheat provides evidence for gene flow from wild tetraploid wheat to hexaploid wheat.

All forms of domesticated tetraploid wheat (Triticum turgidum, genomes AABB) are nearly monomorphic for restriction fragment length polymorphism (RFLP) haplotype a at the Xpsr920 locus on chromosome 4A (Xpsr920-A1a), and wild tetraploid wheat is monomorphic for haplotype b. The Xpsr920-A1a/b dimorphism provides a molecular marker for domesticated and wild tetraploid wheat, respectively. Hexaploid wheat (Triticum aestivum, genomes AABBDD) is polymorphic for the 2 haplotypes. Bacterial artificial chromosome (BAC) clones hybridizing with PSR920 were isolated from Triticum urartu (genomes AA), Triticum monococcum (genomes AmAm), and T. turgidum ssp. durum (genomes AABB) and sequenced. PSR920 is a fragment of a putative ATP binding cassette (ABC) transporter gene (designated ABCT-1). The wheat ABCT-1 gene is more similar to the T. urartu gene than to the T. monococcum gene and diverged from the T. urartu gene about 0.7 MYA. The comparison of the sequence of the wheat A genome BAC clone with that of the T. urartu BAC clone provides the first insight into the microsynteny of the wheat A genome with that of T. urartu. Within 103 kb of orthologous intergenic space, 37 kb of new DNA has been inserted and 36 kb deleted leaving 49.7% of the region syntenic between the clones. The nucleotide substitution rate in the syntenic intergenic space has been 1.6 x 10(-8) nt(-1) year(-1), which is, respectively, 4 and 3 times as great as nucleotide substitution rates in the introns and the third codon positions of the juxtaposed gene. The RFLP is caused by a miniature inverted transposable element (MITE) insertion into intron 18 of the ABCT-A1 gene. Polymerase chain reaction primers were developed for the amplification of the MITE insertion site and its sequencing. The T. aestivum ABCT-A1a haplotype is identical to the haplotype of domesticated tetraploid wheat, and the ABCT-A1b haplotype is identical to that of wild tetraploid wheat. This finding shows for the first time that wild tetraploid wheat participated in the evolution of hexaploid wheat. A cline of the 2 haplotype frequencies exists across Euro-Asia in T. aestivum. It is suggested that T. aestivum in eastern Asia conserved the gene pool of the original T. aestivum more than wheat elsewhere.

Chromosomes, Plant↗

Origin and domestication of the fungal wheat pathogen Mycosphaerella graminicola via sympatric speciation.

The Fertile Crescent represents the center of origin and earliest known place of domestication for many cereal crops. During the transition from wild grasses to domesticated cereals, many host-specialized pathogen species are thought to have emerged. A sister population of the wheat-adapted pathogen Mycosphaerella graminicola was identified on wild grasses collected in northwest Iran. Isolates of this wild grass pathogen from 5 locations in Iran were compared with 123 M. graminicola isolates from the Middle East, Europe, and North America. DNA sequencing revealed a close phylogenetic relationship between the pathogen populations. To reconstruct the evolutionary history of M. graminicola, we sequenced 6 nuclear loci encompassing 464 polymorphic sites. Coalescence analyses indicated a relatively recent origin of M. graminicola, coinciding with the known domestication of wheat in the Fertile Crescent around 8,000-9,000 BC. The sympatric divergence of populations was accompanied by strong genetic differentiation. At the present time, no genetic exchange occurs between pathogen populations on wheat and wild grasses although we found evidence that gene flow may have occurred since genetic differentiation of the populations.

Ascomycota↗