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Biomedical subjects

C E Martin

Publications and source records attributed to C E Martin.

At least 37 records · Page 2Linked to original sources

Synovial fluid in the hindfoot and ankle: detection of amount and distribution with US.

PURPOSE: To determine the amount and distribution of synovial fluid detectable with ultrasonography (US) of the hindfoot and ankle in asymptomatic volunteers. MATERIALS AND METHODS: US was performed with a 7.5- or 10-MHz linear transducer of 60 hindfeet and ankles in 30 volunteers. Presence and amount of fluid were assessed in the ankle joint recesses, adjacent bursae, and tendon sheaths. Symmetry of bilateral fluid was evaluated. RESULTS: Fluid was detected in the anterior recess in 20 ankles (bilaterally in eight volunteers), retrocalcaneal bursa in 30 ankles (bilaterally in 12 volunteers), posterior tibial tendon sheath in 46 ankles (bilaterally in 19 volunteers), and common peroneal tendon sheath in seven ankles (bilaterally in three volunteers). No fluid was seen in the posterior recess. On average, symmetry was present for only the retrocalcaneal bursal and peroneal tendon sheath fluid. CONCLUSION: US of the hindfoot and ankle commonly depicts articular, bursal, and tendon sheath fluid in asymptomatic volunteers. The presence of fluid in these locations, even when unilateral or asymmetric, does not necessarily imply underlying abnormality.

Adult↗

Specificity of unsaturated fatty acid-regulated expression of the Saccharomyces cerevisiae OLE1 gene.

The Saccharomyces cerevisiae OLE1 gene encodes the delta-9 fatty acid desaturase, an enzyme which forms the monounsaturated palmitoleic (16:1) and oleic (18:1) fatty acids from palmitoyl (16:0) or stearoyl (18:0) CoA. Previous studies demonstrated that OLE1 mRNA levels and desaturase enzyme activity are repressed when either 16:1 delta-9 and 18:1 delta-9 are added to the growth medium (1). The polyunsaturate, linoleic acid (18:2, delta-9,12), which is not a product of the enzyme, is also a strong repressor. The specificity of the OLE1 transcriptional regulatory sensor was examined by testing the response of OLE1 promoter-lacZ fusion reporter genes to fatty acids that differ in chain length, degree of unsaturation and double bond positions. Monounsaturated and polyunsaturated fatty acids that contain a delta-9 double bond are strong repressors of reporter gene activity and native OLE1 mRNA levels. Monounsaturated fatty acids containing double bonds in the delta-10, delta-11, or delta-5 positions showed no repression of reporter enzyme levels although they were rapidly incorporated into membrane lipids and some supported growth of an OLE1 gene disrupted strain. Although 17:1 delta-10 does not repress OLE1 transcription, lipid analysis showed that it replaces almost all of the endogenous 16:1 delta-9 and 18:1 delta-9 in cellular lipids and OLE1 mRNA levels are strongly repressed. This suggests that additional systems regulate desaturase activity by post-transcriptional mechanisms that differ from the transcriptional sensor in their responses to specific fatty acids.

Fatty Acid Desaturases↗

Expression of the Yeast Delta-9 Fatty Acid Desaturase in Nicotiana tabacum.

To examine the processes of plant cytoplasmic fatty acid desaturation and glycerolipid biosynthesis, the protein coding sequence of the endoplasmic reticulum cytochrome b(5)-dependent, Delta-9 fatty acid desaturase gene from Saccharomyces cerevisiae was introduced into Nicotiana tabacum via Agrobacterium transformation. All transformed plants expressing the yeast gene at the mRNA level exhibited an approximately 10-fold increase in the levels of palmitoleic acid (16:1) in leaf tissue. This fatty acid species is found in very low levels (less than 2%) in wild-type plants. These results indicate that the yeast desaturase can function in plants, presumably by using a leaf microsomal cytochrome b(5)-mediated electron transport system. Lipid analysis demonstrated that the overproduced 16:1 is incorporated into most of the major polar lipid classes, including the cytoplasmically produced "eukaryotic" fraction of the chloroplast galactolipids. 16:1 was not found, however, in phosphatidyl glycerol, which is considered to be produced almost exclusively in the chloroplast. Despite these changes in membrane lipid composition, no obvious phenotypic differences were apparent in the transformed plants. Positional analysis shows that the cytoplasmically produced 16:1 is found primarily in the sn-2 position of phosphatidylcholine, phosphatidylethanolamine, monogalactosyldiacylglycerol, and digalactosyldiacylglycerol. The positional data suggest that the sn-2 acyltransferases responsible for the "eukaryotic" arrangement of 16- and 18- carbon fatty acids in glycerolipids are selective for unsaturated fatty acids rather than chain length.

Journal Article↗

Triazolam fails to induce sleep in suprachiasmatic nucleus-lesioned rats.

Rats with suprachiasmatic nuclei (SCN) lesions did not show increased sleep after triazolam (TRZ) injections at any dose from 0.2 to 1.6 mg/kg, whereas 0.4 mg/kg TRZ given intact rats in the middle of their activity phase significantly increased sleep. Across SCN-lesioned and intact rats, the amount of sleep before and after TRZ 0.4 mg/kg was negatively correlated. SCN-lesioned rats did not have a circadian activity-dominant period and so did not accumulate a biological sleep debt. Their lack of response to TRZ may have resulted from the absence of a sleep debt compared to intact rats injected in the middle of their activity phase. These data support our hypothesis that the homeostatic process controlling sleep gates benzodiazepine hypnotic efficacy.

Animals↗

Influence of running wheel activity on free-running sleep/wake and drinking circadian rhythms in mice.

Previous studies have indicated that manipulation of activity levels can modify characteristics of sleep/wake and activity rhythms. The generality of these observations was evaluated by simultaneously measuring drinking and sleep/wake rhythms while mice had free or no access to a running wheel in constant conditions (DD). Robust circadian rhythms in all parameters were observed in the "wheel free" (unrestricted) condition. When wheels were locked, the peak amplitude of the sleep/wake circadian rhythm decreased by approximately 50% without affecting the amplitude of the drinking rhythm. Total wake time decreased 11% per circadian day when wheels were locked with increases in both NREM and REM sleep. Whereas the amplitude of the drinking waveform was unaffected, wheel restriction caused an equivalent increase in period length (tau) for both rhythms. These results indicate that, unlike the generalized effects of activity on tau, activity restriction influences on rhythm amplitude do not generalize to all behavioral and/or physiological variables. This work also supports the notion that activity influences on sleep/wake rhythm amplitude reflect behavioral "masking" rather than a fundamental change in the direct coupling mechanisms of the biological clock.

Animals↗

Correlation between CAM-Cycling and Photosynthetic Gas Exchange in Five Species of Talinum (Portulacaceae).

Photosynthetic gas exchange and malic acid fluctuations were monitored in 69 well-watered plants from five morphologically similar species of Talinum in an investigation of the ecophysiological significance of the Crassulacean acid metabolism (CAM)-cycling mode of photosynthesis. Unlike CAM, atmospheric CO(2) uptake in CAM-cycling occurs exclusively during the day; at night, the stomata are closed and respiratory CO(2) is recaptured to form malic acid. All species showed similar patterns of day-night gas exchange and overnight malic acid accumulation, confirming the presence of CAM-cycling. Species averages for gas exchange parameters and malic acid fluctuation were significantly different such that the species with the highest daytime gas exchange had the lowest malic acid accumulation and vice versa. Also, daytime CO(2) exchange and transpiration were negatively correlated with overnight malic acid fluctuation for all individuals examined together, as well as within one species. This suggests that malic acid may effect reductions in both atmospheric CO(2) uptake and transpiration during the day. No significant correlation between malic acid fluctuation and water-use efficiency was found, although a nonsignificant trend of increasing water-use efficiency with increasing malic acid fluctuation was observed among species averages. This study provides evidence that CO(2) recycling via malic acid is negatively correlated with daytime transpirational water losses in well-watered plants. Thus, CAM-cycling could be important for survival in the thin, frequently desiccated soils of rock outcrops on which these plants occur.

Journal Article↗

Activity feedback to the mammalian circadian pacemaker: influence on observed measures of rhythm period length.

In the mouse, activity is precisely timed by the circadian clock and is normally most intense in the early subjective night. Since vigorous activity (e.g., wheel running) is thought to induce phase shifts in rodents, the temporal placement of daily exercise/activity could be a determinant of observed circadian rhythm period. The relationship between spontaneous running-wheel activity and the circadian period of free-running rhythms was studied to assess this possibility. With ad libitum access to a running wheel, mice exhibited a free-running period (tau) of 23.43 +/- 0.08 hr (mean +/- SEM). When running wheels were locked, tau increased (23.88 +/- 0.04 hr, p less than 0.03), and restoration of ad libitum wheel running again produced a shorter period (tau = 23.56 +/- 0.06 hr, p less than 0.05). A survey of free-running activity patterns in a population of 100 mice revealed a significant correlation between the observed circadian period and the time of day in which spontaneous wheel running occurred (r = 0.7314, p less than 0.0001). Significantly shorter periods were observed when running was concentrated at the beginning of the subjective night (tau = 23.23 +/- 0.04), and longer periods were observed if mice ran late in the subjective night (tau = 23.89 +/- 0.04), F (1, 99) = 34.96, p less than 0.0001. It was previously believed that the period of the circadian clock was primarily responsive to externally imposed tonic or phasic events. Systematic influences of spontaneous exercise on tau demonstrate that physiological and/or behavioral determinants of circadian timekeeping exist as well.

Animals↗

The OLE1 gene of Saccharomyces cerevisiae encodes the delta 9 fatty acid desaturase and can be functionally replaced by the rat stearoyl-CoA desaturase gene.

Strains of Saccharomyces cerevisiae bearing the ole1 mutation are defective in unsaturated fatty acid (UFA) synthesis and require UFAs for growth. A previously isolated yeast genomic fragment complementing the ole1 mutation has been sequenced and determined to encode the delta 9 fatty acid desaturase enzyme by comparison of primary amino acid sequence to the rat liver stearoyl-CoA desaturase. The OLE1 structural gene encodes a protein of 510 amino acids (251 hydrophobic) having an approximate molecular mass of 57.4 kDa. A 257-amino acid internal region of the yeast open reading frame aligns with and shows 36% identity and 60% similarity to the rat liver stearoyl-CoA desaturase protein. This comparison disclosed three short regions of high consecutive amino acid identity (greater than 70%) including one 11 of 12 perfect residue match. The predicted yeast enzyme contains at least four potential membrane-spanning regions and several shorter hydrophobic regions that align exactly with similar sequences in the rat liver protein. An ole1 gene-disrupted yeast strain was transformed with a yeast-rat chimeric gene consisting of the promoter region and N-terminal 27 codons of OLE1 fused to the rat desaturase coding sequence. Fusion gene transformants displayed near equivalent growth rates and modest lipid composition changes relative to wild type yeast control implying a significant conservation of delta 9 desaturase tertiary structure and efficient interaction between the rat desaturase and yeast cytochrome b5.

Amino Acid Sequence↗

The nursing shortage: dynamics and solutions. A response from an educational perspective.

The dynamics underlying the current shortage of nurses are complex and embedded in a historical heritage of relative deprivation in terms of status, decision making, and resource allocation. Within this context the work of nurses has been largely invisible and lightly regarded. Challenging the status quo and proactively striving to create opportunities that empower nurses for greater risk taking, flexibility, and tolerance for differences will enhance nursing. Nursing education has a unique responsibility to provide socialization experiences that promote collegiality and self-confidence. Educational opportunities need to be planned to attract potential students who are currently underrepresented in nursing. The future of nursing is unlimited in its potential for nurses themselves and the people for whom we care, provided the professional maturity that supports full collegial partnership in the delivery of health care is achieved.

Curriculum↗

Isolation and characterization of OLE1, a gene affecting fatty acid desaturation from Saccharomyces cerevisiae.

The unsaturated fatty acid (ufa) requiring ole1 mutant of Saccharomyces cerevisiae appears to produce a defective delta-9 fatty acid desaturase. This enzyme catalyzes double bond formation between carbons 9 and 10 of palmitoyl and stearoyl coenzyme A. A DNA fragment isolated by complementation of an ole1 strain repairs the ufa requirement in mutant cells. Genetic analysis of the cloned DNA fragment indicates that it is allelic to the OLE1 gene. Disruption of a single copy of the wild type gene in a diploid strain produces both wild type and nonreverting ufa-requiring haploid progeny upon sporulation. Membrane lipids of the disrupted haploid strains contain only ufas supplied in the growth medium. The recovery of activity in both wild type and disrupted segregants was examined after removal of ufas from the growth medium. Following ufa deprivation disruptant cells grew normally for about three generations and then at a slower rate for at least 0.6 generations. During that time cellular ufas dropped from 63 to 7.3 mol % of the total fatty acids. No production of the 16:1 and 18:1 products of the desaturase was observed in disruptant cells, whereas desaturation in wild type control cells was evident 2 h after deprivation. These results indicate that 1) the OLE1 gene is essential for production of monounsaturated fatty acids and is probably the structural gene for the delta-9 desaturase enzyme. 2) A large part of membrane ufas present under normal culture conditions are not essential for growth and cell division.

DNA, Fungal↗

Expression of proteins encoded by foreign genes in Saccharomyces cerevisiae.

The yeast, Saccharomyces cerevisiae is currently used for the production of recombinant DNA-generated proteins derived from a variety of eukaryotic organisms. The applications of a yeast-based technology in the production of proteins for pharmaceutical and industrial purposes is discussed including current methods for introducing recombinant genes into yeast and strategies for maximizing their expression.

Journal Article↗

Nutritional regulation of yeast delta-9 fatty acid desaturase activity.

The addition of unsaturated fatty acids to cultures of Saccharomyces cerevisiae significantly altered the microsomal lipid composition. Supplementation with either of the naturally occurring palmitoleic (16:1) or oleic (18:1) acids caused increased levels in membrane phospholipids and reduced levels of the complementary acid. Growth in the presence of equimolar quantities of 16:1 and 18:1 acids, however, produced a fatty acid composition similar to that found in unsupplemented cell membranes. Linoleic acid (18:2) was not found in S. cerevisiae grown under normal conditions. It was preferentially internalized and incorporated into microsomes, however, at levels exceeding 50% of the total fatty acid species. This resulted in an almost total loss of 16:1 and a reduction of 18:1 to 25% of its normal level. The delta-9 fatty acid desaturase, a microsomal enzyme that forms 16:1 and 18:1 from saturated acyl coenzyme A precursors, was affected by the presence of exogenous fatty acids. Enzyme activity toward the 16:0 coenzyme A substrate was elevated in microsomes from saturated-fatty-acid-supplemented cultures and sharply repressed following the addition of unsaturated fatty acids, including 18:2. Northern (RNA blot) and slot-blot analyses of mRNA encoded by the OLE1 gene, which appears to be the structural gene for the delta-9 desaturase, indicated that it was sharply reduced in unsaturated-fatty-acid-fed cells. These data suggest that a significant part of the regulation involves modulation of available transcripts.

Blotting, Northern↗

Adult support and the exploratory behavior of children with learning disabilities.

Low- and moderate-exploratory children with learning disabilities engaged in exploratory behavior independently and with an adult who communicated support in one of two nonintrusive ways. Consistent with a developmental motivation perspective, low- and moderate-exploratory children showed higher levels of exploration under both kinds of supportive conditions.

Child↗

Alternatives for students with life experiences: reconceptualizing nursing education.

A future that happens for nursing will be created only if visionary nurses provide the necessary leadership. The experienced student is potentially part of the solution to our need for professional nurses, in terms of both quantity and quality. There is an obvious connection between recognizing the needs and potentials of students with life experience and the ideals of the curriculum revolution. In fact, it is possible that the student with life experience could be considered one of the motivating forces that drives the curriculum revolution toward its eventual victory.

Age Factors↗

Ecophysiological Significance of CO(2)-Recycling via Crassulacean Acid Metabolism in Talinum calycinum Engelm. (Portulacaceae).

High levels of variability in gas exchange characteristics and degree of CAM-cycling were found in the same and different individuals of Talinum calycinum Engelm. collected from rock outcrops in Missouri. Differences in CO(2) assimilation were mostly correlated with differences in shoot conductance to CO(2) not shoot internal CO(2) concentration. As found previously, CAM acid fluctuations were evident in well-watered plants exhibiting C(3) gas exchange patterns (CAM-cycling) and also in drought-stressed plants with stomata closed, or nearly so, day and night (CAM-idling). Drought stress also resulted in rapid stomatal closure, conserving water during droughts. Maximal CO(2) uptake rates occurred below 35 degrees C; higher temperatures induced decreases in CO(2) assimilation and conductance while shoot internal CO(2) concentrations remained similar. Plant water-use-efficiency was severely curtailed at temperatures above 30 degrees C. Tissue acid fluctuations were the result of changes in malic acid concentrations. Calculations of the amount of water potentially conserved by CAM-cycling yielded values of approximately 5 to 44% of daytime water loss. Thus, CAM-cycling may be an important adaptation minimizing water loss by perennial succulents growing in shallow soil on rock outcrops.

Journal Article↗