Major depression is a complex disorder with no single, direct causal mechanism. Morbidity has been linked to genetic processes, developmental history, and unique environmental exposures. Epigenetic mechanisms, especially DNA methylation, are also likely important factors in the pathogenesis of major depressive disorder (MDD). A community-based twin sample has many advantages for epigenetic studies, given the shared genetic and developmental histories of same-sex twin pairs. This article describes the rationale and study design for the Mood and Methylation Study in which 133 twin pairs (101 monozygotic and 32 dizygotic), both discordant and concordant for lifetime history of MDD, were evaluated on a large number of variables related to MDD. The twins also provided blood samples for an epigenome-wide association study of differentially methylated regions (DMR) relevant to MDD. Although MDD is typically considered a disorder of the central nervous system, it is unfeasible to obtain a large sample of brain tissues. However, epigenetic variation is not limited to the affected tissue but can also be detected in peripheral blood leukocytes. Thus, this study focused on monocytes for the major analyses. Additional plans for the study include gene expression analysis from the same set of twins using RNA-seq and validation of significant DMRs in postmortem brain tissues from a separate sample. Moreover, sufficient samples have been collected to perform future ‘multi-omic’ analyses, including metabolome, microbiome, and transcriptome. Our long-term goal is to understand how epigenomic and other ‘omic’ factors can be manipulated for diagnostic, preventive, and therapeutic purposes for MDD and its related conditions.

During the 1st week of life the energy contained in the body of the average piglet increases by a factor between four and five. To achieve this increase the piglet must ingest metabolizable energy (ME) at a rate which is about four times its maintenance requirement. Well over half the ME supplied in the milk of the sow is in the form of emulsified fat. Whilst the piglet is being suckled, its intake is controlled by litter size, availability of teats and productiveness of the mammary gland. At 3 weeks of age the normal piglet requires about 7.8 MJ digestible energy to sustain a live growth rate of 280 g/day. At this stage the growth comprises about 40 g protein and about 68 g fat. This means that the required intake for a newly weaned piglet on a typical starter diet should be about 475 g/day. In practice such intakes are rarely achieved for several days, therefore weaning causes severe disruption of intake and of the growth curve and there are other factors involved including social disturbance and stress. Further problems are caused by the provision of diets which are unsuited to the physiology of the piglet's immature digestive tract. The sudden loss of the IgA component and indeed other protective factors contained in the dam's milk can be extremely serious, and the reduction in food intake is effectively a defence strategy by the piglet to cope with its new circumstances and try to maintain physiological homoeostasis. In some circumstances the use of antibacterial agents, organic acids or probiotics may be beneficial, but the approach is less reliable than careful formulation of the diet to avoid provocative ingredients such as soya-bean and rapeseed meal.

Results of East Antarctic (20−160° E) sea-ice motion derived from drifting buoys (collected in eight selected years between 1985 and 1997) are compared with sea-ice motion derived from sequential images from the 37 and 85.5 GHz channels of the Scanning Multichannel Microwave Radiometer (SMMR, 1979−87) and the Special Sensor Microwave/Imager (SSM/I, 1987−97). For the latitudes of interest, buoys yield velocity fields at 2 hourly resolution/while SMMR and SSM/I provide daily data. The spatial coverage of the drifting buoys is relatively sparse compared to the complete coverage of the southern sea-ice zone by SMMR and SSM/I, but the accuracy of the buoy position is better than ±280 m, while the resolution for the 85.5 GHz channel is only about 12.5 km, and about 25 km for the 37 GHz channel. The buoy measurements represent point motion, equal to the velocity of an individual ice floe, while the satellite data derived via the maximum cross-correlation method represent the motion of surface patterns within a gridcell. Comparison of the mean distributions of daily velocity derived from the datasets shows that while the broad-scale velocity patterns agree, the magnitude of the satellite-derived sea-ice velocities is significantly lower (typically by 40% or less) than the velocities derived from buoy measurements. This is in contrast with previous studies for the Arctic Ocean and the Weddell Sea, Antarctica. To elucidate differences in the velocity magnitude, individual trajectories from a number of drift regimes off East Antarctica are directly compared. Discrepancies between the two datasets are discussed with regard to the difference in spatial resolution of the data, the data-collection and −processing methods and the observed region.

Sea-ice velocities derived from remotely Sensed microwave imagery of the Special Sensor Microwave/Imager (SSM/I) have been analyzed for changes over time in Antarctic Sea-ice velocity, for the period 1988–2004. Year-to-year variability in mean Antarctic annual SSM/I-derived ice Speed is Small (17 year Standard deviation (SD) = 0.008 ms–1), with greater interannual variability in the zonal (eastward positive) velocity components (17 year SD = 0.016ms–1). Seasonally, minimum ice Speed is encountered during Summer, when nearly all Antarctic Sea ice is within the marginal ice zone. Ice motion peaks during winter and Spring, due to high velocities encountered in the outer pack of the Seasonal Sea-ice zone. The correlation (R 2 = 0.47) between winter Southern Annular Mode (SAM) and mean winter ice Speed highlights the importance of atmospheric forcing on Sea-ice dynamics. The Spatial pattern of the correlation of the Standardized SAM index with the June–November ice Speed exhibits a wave-3 pattern, which matches the Sea-level pressure distribution. Sea-ice Speed in the upstream regions of quasi-stationary centres of low Sea-level pressure is likely to increase (decrease) during high (low) SAMyears, and the opposite for Sea-ice Speed in the downstream regions of the centres.

In November 2013, national public health agencies in England and Scotland identified an increase in laboratory-confirmed Salmonella Mikawasima. The role of proton pump inhibitors (PPIs) as a risk factor for salmonellosis is unclear; we therefore captured information on PPI usage as part of our outbreak investigation. We conducted a case-control study, comparing each case with two controls. Adjusted odds ratios (aORs) and 95% confidence intervals (CIs) were estimated using multivariable logistic regression. Thirty-nine of 61 eligible cases were included in the study. The median age of cases was 45 years; 56% were female. Of these, 33% were admitted to hospital and 31% reported taking PPIs. We identified an association between PPIs and non-typhoidal salmonellosis (aOR 8·8, 95% CI 2·0–38·3). There is increasing evidence supporting the existence of an association between salmonellosis and PPIs; however, biological studies are needed to understand the effect of PPIs in the pathogenesis of Salmonella. We recommend future outbreak studies investigate PPI usage to strengthen evidence on the relevance of PPIs in Salmonella infection. These findings should be used to support the development of guidelines for patients and prescribers on the risk of gastrointestinal infection and PPI usage.

The existence in the cosmic rays of ultra-heavy (UH) nuclei with Z ≥ 30 was established by two separate experiments in 1966. Fleischer et al. first demonstrated the fossil tracks of such nuclei in certain meteoritic crystals and shortly afterwards Fowler established their existence in present-day cosmic rays with the detection of their tracks in photographic emulsion which had been exposed during a high altitude balloon flight. The fluxes of such nuclei are very low, only ~ 10−4 of that of iron, and the most suitable method of detection to date has been the analysis of the tracks formed by these particles in very large(several m2) arrays of plastic detector material, notably Lexan polycarbonate. Such exposures on balloons and on Skylab have provided practically all present knowledge of the UH cosmic rays. Unfortunately, the charge resolution obtained was disappointing, even though scrupulous care was taken in the handling and etching of the material, and the charge scale itself of necessity had to be based on a considerable extrapolation from the iron peak and could not be used with great confidence. The situation now, however, is in the process of being transformed. We have two satellite experiments devoted to the study of UH cosmic rays and in operation at the moment. These are the Bristol University experiment on Ariel 6 launched on 3rd June 1979 and the joint group under Israel, Waddington and Stone on HEAO-C launched in September 1979. It is therefore appropriate, I believe, if I devote this review to the new preliminary results and a comparison of this material with the published data.

Background: Research suggests that core schemas are important in both the development and maintenance of psychosis. Aims: The aim of the study was to investigate and compare core schemas in four groups along the continuum of psychosis and examine the relationships between schemas and positive psychotic symptomatology. Method: A measure of core schemas was distributed to 20 individuals experiencing first-episode psychosis (FEP), 113 individuals with “at risk mental states” (ARMS), 28 participants forming a help-seeking clinical group (HSC), and 30 non-help-seeking individuals who endorse some psychotic-like experiences (NH). Results: The clinical groups scored significantly higher than the NH group for negative beliefs about self and about others. No significant effects of group on positive beliefs about others were found. For positive beliefs about the self, the NH group scored significantly higher than the clinical groups. Furthermore, negative beliefs about self and others were related to positive psychotic symptomatology and to distress related to those experiences. Conclusions: Negative evaluations of the self and others appear to be characteristic of the appraisals of people seeking help for psychosis and psychosis-like experiences. The results support the literature that suggests that self-esteem should be a target for intervention. Future research would benefit from including comparison groups of people experiencing chronic psychosis and people who do not have any psychotic-like experiences.

Intrauterine factors important for cognitive development, such as birth weight, chorionicity and umbilical cord characteristics were investigated. A total of 663 twin pairs completed the Wechsler Intelligence Scale for Children-Revised and scores were available for Performance, Verbal and Total Intelligence Quotient (IQ). The intrauterine factors examined were birth weight, placental weight and morphology, cord knots, cord length and cord insertion. IQ scores for the varying levels of the intrauterine markers adjusting for gender and gestational age were calculated. The heritability of IQ and the association between IQ and intrauterine environment were examined. Twins with lower birth weight and cord knots had lower IQ scores. The aetiology of IQ is largely distinct from that of birth weight and cord knots, and non-shared environment may influence the observed relationships.

Extended abstract of a paper presented at Microscopy and Microanalysis 2012 in Phoenix, Arizona, USA, July 29 – August 2, 2012.