Mean PBDE concentrations ranged from 6.4 ng/g lipid Selleckchem PHA-739358 weight (1w) in squid to I IS ng/g 1w in flounder. BDE 47 was the dominant congener, followed by BDE 100. Mean levels of MeO-PBDEs (sum of congeners 2′-MeO-BDE 68 and 6-MeO-BDE 47) were as high as 110 ng/g lw in tailor, with a slight dominance of 2′-MeO-BDE 68. Polybrominated hexahydroxanthene derivates (PBHDs), another class of naturally-produced compounds, were found at variable concentrations and ranged from 4.7 ng/g lw in fanbelly and 146 ng/g 1w in tailor. The tribrominated PBHD isomer dominated in the samples, except for luderick and squid. The lower levels of PBDEs found in luderick

from the harbour compared to those obtained from the upper Parramatta River indicated a terrestrial (anthropogenic) origin of PBDEs, while the higher levels of MeO-PBDEs and PBHDs in the samples from the harbour confirmed the PFTα in vivo marine (natural) origin of these compounds. The highest trophic magnification factor (TMF) was found for sum PBDEs (3.9), while TMFs for sum MeO-PBDEs and sum PBHDs were 2.9 and 3.4, respectively. This suggests that biomagnification occurs in the studied aquatic food chain

for anthropogenic brominated compounds, but also for the naturally-produced organobromines. (C) 2009 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.”
“Objective: To investigate the effect of temperature on first trimester free beta-hCG and PAPP-A in serum during transportation. Methods: Maternal blood was collected from 30 East Asian women attending for Down syndrome screening at the

primary obstetrical site. The extracted serum was split into two equal aliquots, placed in identical thermally insulated pouches with a temperature data logger and shipped to the screening laboratory. An 800 g frozen ice pack was placed in one of the pouches. Free beta-hCG and PAPP-A levels were determined in the ‘Cooled’ and ‘Uncooled’ serum samples using a DELFIA (R) Xpress analyzer. Z-IETD-FMK mouse The proportion of ‘Uncooled’ samples not within 5% of the ‘Cooled’ sample marker level was assessed. Results: The median age of subjects was 36 years, half were nulliparous and all were non-smokers. The assay stability ranged from 2.38% to 4.41%. The median total transport time from the obstetrical site to the laboratory was 17.37 h. Median recorded temperatures within the ‘Cooled’ pouch were significantly lower throughout the transportation of the samples (p < 0.0001). The median percentage change of free beta-hCG and PAPP-A concentrations in ‘Uncooled’ samples relative to ‘Cooled’ samples were 2.72% (range 0.27-7.64%) and 1.10% (range 0.03%-4.29%), respectively. Free beta-hCG concentrations differed by greater than 5% in eleven (37%) subjects.