Isolation of single circulating trophoblasts from maternal circulation for noninvasive fetal copy number variant profiling

Objective

To develop a multi-step workflow for the isolation of circulating extravillous trophoblasts (cEVTs) by describing the key steps enabling a semi-automated process, including a proprietary algorithm for fetal cell origin genetic confirmation and copy number variant (CNV) detection.

Methods

Determination of the limit of detection (LoD) for submicroscopic CNV was performed by serial experiments with genomic DNA and single cells from Coriell cell line biobank with known imbalances of different sizes. A pregnancy population of 372 women was prospectively enrolled and blindly analyzed to evaluate the current workflow.

Results

An LoD of 800 Kb was demonstrated with Coriell cell lines. This level of resolution was confirmed in the clinical cohort with the identification of a pathogenic CNV of 800 Kb, also detected by chromosomal microarray. The mean number of recovered cEVTs was 3.5 cells per sample with a significant reverse linear trend between gestational age and cEVT recovery rate and number of recovered cEVTs. In twin pregnanices, evaluation of zygosity, fetal sex and copy number profiling was performed in each individual cell.

Conclusion

Our semi-automated methodology for the isolation and single-cell analysis of cEVTS supports the feasibility of a cell-based noninvasive prenatal test for fetal genomic profiling.     

TENORM employed as inert material for house building: a model for evaluating the radon activity enhancement

Environmental Science and Pollution Research - Radon exhalation from soil and ores is among the most dangerous risks for the public health care. The impact becomes even more powerful when...     

Detection of Hepatitis A Virus and Norovirus in Different Food Categories: A 6-Year Survey in Italy

Food and Environmental Virology - To observe the prevalence of contamination by hepatitis A virus (HAV) and norovirus (NoV) in different food types, 9242 samples were analyzed over a 6-year period...     

Intrauterine growth restriction (IUGR): biometric and Doppler assessment

Intrauterine growth restriction (IUGR) is a common complication in pregnancy and influences morbidity and mortality at all stages of life. Historically, the management of IUGR has been dependent on antenatal biophysical testing and umbilical artery Doppler studies. With recent Doppler studies of the fetal central circulation, including intracardiac flows and the ductus venosus, better timing of delivery to minimize morbidity may be possible. This review will provide the reader with tools to diagnose IUGR, more accurately date the IUGR pregnancy with poor dating criteria, and better assess the condition of the IUGR fetus. A brief review of animal models of IUGR is presented to demonstrate research directions for answering human clinical questions and potentially carrying therapeutic intervention from the bench to the bedside. Copyright © 2002 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

A biological and geochemical integrated approach to assess the environmental quality of a coastal lagoon (Ravenna, Italy)

The assessment of the environmental quality of coastal lagoons is rather difficult as their intrinsic high variability limits the power of analytical chemistry and ecotoxicological approaches. Aim of the present work was to integrate geochemical and biological data which were simultaneously collected from the Pialassa Baiona lagoon (Ravenna, Italy), and evaluate the usefulness of a biomonitoring strategy based on sentinel organisms and biomarkers. Geochemical analysis on suspended, surface, and subsurface sediments were performed at five different sites of the lagoon; moreover the heavy metal bioaccumulation and a battery of biomarkers was evaluated in Mytilus galloprovincialis transplanted in the same sites. Heavy metals appeared to be diffused throughout the lagoon reaching higher levels in the southernmost sites, and mainly concentrated in suspended sediments. Lysosome membrane stability, neutral lipid and lipofuscin accumulation, and metallothionein levels in mussels indicated the development of a stress syndrome in animals exposed to the polluted sites.     

Projected Changes in Discharge in an Agricultural Watershed in Iowa

Our improved capability to adapt to the future changes in discharge is linked to our capability to predict the magnitude or at least the direction of these changes. For the agricultural United States Midwest, too much or too little water has severe socioeconomic impacts. Here, we focus on the Raccoon River at Van Meter, Iowa, and use a statistical approach to examine projected changes in discharge. We build on statistical models using rainfall and harvested corn and soybean acreage to explain the observed discharge variability. We then use projections of these two predictors to examine the projected discharge response. Results are based on seven global climate models part of the Coupled Model Intercomparison Project Phase 5 and two representative concentration pathways (RCPs 4.5 and 8.5). There is not a strong signal of change in the discharge projections under the RCP 4.5. However, the results for the RCP 8.5 point to a stronger changing signal related to larger projected increases in rainfall, resulting in increased trends, in particular, in the upper part of the discharge distribution (i.e., 60th percentile and above). Examination of two hypothetical agricultural scenarios indicates that these increasing trends could be alleviated by decreasing the extent of the agricultural production. We also discuss how the methodology presented in this study represents a viable approach to move forward with the concept of return period for engineering design and management in a nonstationary world.     

Vehicle-Induced Lead and Cadmium Contamination of Roadside Soil and Plants in Italy

Lead and cadmium concentrations in spontaneous vegetation and in soil sampled at various distances (0–208 m) from several motorways throughout Italy were measured. Lead and cadmium concentrations appear to be correlated to distance from the motorway and to traffic levels. A comparison with data from a remote and unpolluted site shows that foliar lead concentrations can be up to 40 times higher, and foliar cadmium concentrations up to 3 times higher. Plants behave differently in their accumulation of lead and cadmium; conifers present the highest levels. Also the various receptors and compartments of the roadside ecosystem differ in their accumulation of lead and cadmium; soil and bark have consistently higher concentrations, while the leaves and twigs of trees have consistently lower levels. the data recorded by ad hoc introduced bio-accumulating plants (Lolium multiflorum L.) are consistent with those of the spontaneous vegetation. the concentrations of both lead and cadmium in Lolium vary from June to November, following in part the fluctuation in traffic density.     

Comparative studies on the concentrations of some elements in the urban air particulate matter in Lodz City of Poland and in Milan,Italy

Urban air particulate matter (APM) was collected at two sampling sites in the city of Lodz, Poland in March, May and July 2001. The concentrations of several trace elements (TEs) as well as heavy metals were determined by neutron activation analysis (NAA). It was found that for many elements, the contribution of the blank values arising from the filtering material is very high, especially for glass fiber filters. The results obtained for Lodz were compared to those obtained for Milan, Italy. The data of Lodz are, in general, lower than those found in Milan downtown in the winter season. The influence of three coal-fired power plants located within the city of Lodz on the concentration of trace elements in APM was also considered.     

Floral CO<Subscript>2</Subscript> emission may indicate food abundance to nectar-feeding moths

As part of a study of the roles of the sensory subsystem devoted to CO₂ in the nectar-feeding moth Manduca sexta, we investigated CO₂ release and nectar secretion by flowers of Datura wrightii, a preferred hostplant of Manduca. Datura flowers open at dusk and wilt by the following noon. During the first hours after dusk, when Manduca feeds, the flowers produce considerable amounts of nectar and emit levels of CO₂ that should be detectable by moths nearby. By midnight, however, both nectar secretion and CO₂ release decrease significantly. Because nectar production requires high metabolic activity, high floral CO₂ emission may indicate food abundance to the moths. We suggest that hovering moths could use the florally emitted CO₂ to help them assess the nectar content before attempting to feed in order to improve their foraging efficiency.Electronic Supplementary Material  Supplementary material is available in the online version of this article at