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PubMed2004

Topological analysis of glucosyltransferase GtrV of Shigella flexneri by a dual reporter system and identification of a unique reentrant loop.

Lipopolysaccharide, particularly the O-antigen component, is one of many virulence determinants necessary for Shigella flexneri pathogenesis. O-Antigen modification is mediated by glucosyltransferase genes (gtr) encoded by temperate serotype-converting bacteriophages. The gtrV gene encodes the GtrV glucosyltransferase, an integral membrane protein that catalyzes the transfer of a glucosyl residue via an alpha1,3 linkage to rhamnose II of the O-antigen unit. This mediates conversion of S. flexneri serotype Y to serotype 5a. Analysis of the GtrV amino acid sequence using computer prediction programs indicated that GtrV had 9-11 transmembrane segments. The computer prediction models were tested by genetically fusing C-terminal deletions of GtrV to a dual reporter system composed of alkaline phosphatase and beta-galactosidase. Sandwiched GtrV-PhoA/LacZ fusions were also constructed at predetermined positions. The enzyme activities of cells with the GtrV-PhoA/LacZ fusions and the particular location of the fusions in the gtrV indicated that GtrV has nine transmembrane segments and one large N-terminal periplasmic loop with the N and C termini located on the cytoplasmic and periplasmic sides of the membrane, respectively. The existence of a unique reentrant loop was discovered after transmembrane segment IV, a feature not documented in other bacterial glycosyltransferases. Its potential role in mediating serotype conversion in S. flexneri is discussed.

Alkaline Phosphatase↗
PubMed2005

Development of highly reactive mono-(meth)acrylates as reactive diluents for dimethacrylate-based dental resin systems.

Reactive diluents such as triethyleneglycol-dimethacrylate (TEGDMA) have been widely used with bisphenol-A-glycidyl-dimethacrylate (Bis-GMA) to achieve restorative resins with appropriate viscosity and higher conversion. However, additional water sorption and polymerization shrinkage were also introduced. The aim of this work is to investigate whether the cure and material properties can be improved in dental resins containing novel mono-(meth)acrylates as reactive diluents so that these Bis-GMA-based copolymers have reduced polymerization shrinkage but higher overall double bond conversion. Several ultra-high-reactivity mono-(meth)acrylates that contain secondary functionalities have been synthesized and investigated. The polymerization rate and double bond conversion were monitored using photo-FTIR. Polymerization shrinkage, dynamic mechanical analysis, and flexural strength were characterized. Compared with the Bis-GMA/TEGDMA control, the Bis-GMA/mono-methacrylate systems studied showed higher final conversions, faster curing rates, and decreased polymerization shrinkage. Our optimum system Bis-GMA/morpholine carbamate methacrylate achieved 86% final conversion (vs. 65%), a polymerization rate 3.5 times faster, and a 30% reduction in polymerization volumetric shrinkage. These results indicate that certain highly reactive, novel mono-(meth)acrylates possess very promising potential to replace TEGDMA as reactive diluents and can readily be applied to develop superior dental resins.

Bisphenol A-Glycidyl Methacrylate↗
PubMed1981

Interaction of phosphorylase kinase with the 2',3'-dialdehyde derivative of adenosine triphosphate. 2. Differential inactivation measured with various protein substrates.

The 2',3'-dialdehyde derivative of ATP was used as an affinity label to inactivate phsosphorylase kinase in either the presence or absence of Ca2+ and Mg2+ ions. Following inactivation, the residual activity of phorphorylase kinase toward various protein substrates was measured and compared with that retained for conversion of phosphorylase b. Three different classes of substrates were distinguished by this analysis. For the first class (glycogen synthase), inactivation proceeded at the same rate as that measured with phosphorylase conversion, regardless of whether the inactivation was carried out in the presence or absence of the metal ions. For the second class of substrates (troponin I and troponin T), inactivation of the kinase in either the presence or absence of the metals was much more rapid with phosphorylase as substrate. Phosphorylation of the third class of substrates (phosphorylase kinase itself and a synthetic tetradecapeptide) was inactivated in parallel with phosphorylase b when modification was performed in the absence of metals; however, inclusion of Ca2+ and Mg2+ ions in the inactivation mixture caused activity toward phosphorylase b to be lost more rapidly than that toward the alternative substrates. Our results are consistent with a model in which glycogen synthase and phosphorylase b are preferentially phosphorylated at one type of catalytic site in phosphorylase kinase and troponin I and troponin T at another.

Adenosine Triphosphate↗
PubMed2002

Carbon and hydrogen isotopic fractionation during biodegradation of methyl tert-butyl ether.

Carbon and hydrogen isotopic fractionation during aerobic biodegradation of MTBE by a bacterial pure culture (PM1) and a mixed consortia from Vandenberg Air Force Base (VAFB) were studied in order to assess the relative merits of stable carbon versus hydrogen isotopic analysis as an indicator of biodegradation. Carbon isotopic enrichment in residual MTBE of up to 8.1/1000 was observed at 99.7% biodegradation. Carbon fractionation was reproducible in the PM1 and VAFB experiments, yielding similar enrichment factors (epsilon) of -2.0/1000 +/- 0.1/1000 to -2.4/1000 +/- 0.3/1000 for replicates in the PM1 experiment and -1.5/1000 +/- 0.1/1000 to -1.8/1000 +/- 0.1/1000 for replicates in the VAFB experiment. Hydrogen isotopic fractionation was highly reproducible for the PM1 pure cultures, with epsilon values of -33/1000 +/- 5/1000 to -37/1000 +/- 4/1000 for replicate samples. In the VAFB microcosms, there was considerably more variability in epsilon values, with values of -29/1000 +/- 4/1000 and -66/1000 +/- 3/1000 measured for duplicate sample bottles. Despite this variability, hydrogen isotopic fractionation always resulted in 2H enrichment of the residual MTBE of >80/1000 at 90% biodegradation. The reproducible carbon fractionation suggests that compound-specific carbon isotope analysis may be used to estimate the extent of biodegradation at contaminated sites. Conversely, the large hydrogen isotopic fractionation documented during biodegradation of MTBE suggests that compound-specific hydrogen isotope analysis offers the most conclusive means of identifying in-situ biodegradation at contaminated sites.

Bacteria↗
PubMed2002

The benefits of switching smoking cessation drugs to over-the-counter status.

This paper provides an analysis of the benefits to society from the conversion of nicotine replacement drugs (nicotine patches and gum) in 1996 from sale by prescription only in the United States to over-the-counter (OTC) sales. To estimate these benefits, we first estimate statistical demand functions for nicotine patches and gum. Second, we calculate the effects of OTC conversion on sales of each type of nicotine replacement drug. Third, we survey the literature on the effects of nicotine replacement drugs on total quits of cigarette smoking. Fourth, we survey the literature on the effects of quits achieved on expected lifespan, and on the estimated monetary value of longer lives from smoking cessation. Finally, we use all this evidence to calculate the value of the social benefits of the OTC conversion to the US. As a result of the OTC conversion, consumption of nicotine replacement drugs has increased substantially, by 78-92% for nicotine patches and 180% for nicotine gum. We estimate that the resulting increase in smoking cessation generated annual net social benefits of the order of magnitude of 1.8-2 billion dollars, based on conservative estimates both of the number of quits achieved and the value of added quality-adjusted life years from the reduced smoking.

Administration, Cutaneous↗
PubMed1992

Tandemly duplicated alpha globin genes of gibbon.

The alpha globin gene locus of the common gibbon (Hylobates lar) was isolated, and it contains two closely linked alpha globin genes that share the same arrangement as that found for the homologous genes of other catarrhine primates. The nucleotide sequences of the gibbon alpha globin genes were determined and compared with the alpha globin gene sequences from other primate species (human, chimpanzee, orangutan, baboon, and rhesus); the prosimian primate, galago, alpha A and alpha B globin genes provided the out-group for this analysis. The degree of divergence for both synonymous and nonsynonymous substitutions among the alpha globin genes are generally smaller for intraspecies than interspecies comparisons, which is indicative of concerted evolution between the paired alpha globin genes of each catarrhine species. The pattern of differences is suggestive of gene conversions. This possibility is supported by both site-by-site and branch-swapping parsimony analyses. The site-by-site parsimony analysis was also used to determine the 3' boundary of each catarrhine species-specific conversion. These alpha globin gene conversion events encompass most of the transcriptional region, including the promoter, exons, introns, and about one-half of the 3'-untranslated region. However, the paired gibbon alpha globin genes show the highest degree of divergence, differing by five nucleotides in their coding regions, three of which encode amino acid replacement substitutions. It appears that the last convergence event between the paired gibbon alpha globin genes is relatively ancient, having occurred approximately 11 million years ago. The remaining 3'-untranslated region and flanking DNAs show no evidence of involvement in any recent conversion event as the parsimony analysis of these sequences group all the alpha 1 globin genes of the different catarrhine species into one clade and all the alpha 2 globin gene of these species into a separate clade. The sequence comparison among the alpha globin genes of different primate species also provides interesting implications regarding the evolution and functional domains of the 3'-untranslated regions.

Amino Acid Sequence↗
PubMed1997

Risk of tuberculin conversion according to occupation among health care workers at a New York City hospital.

Concern about the risk to health care workers of occupationally acquired tuberculosis has resulted in extensive and frequently revised guidelines from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC). Most recent studies, however, have determined that community, rather than occupational, exposure is the more significant risk for tuberculin conversion. To assess the relative contribution of community versus occupational risk, we reviewed the health records of 1,303 persons employed from 1991 to 1994 at St. Clare's Hospital in New York City, a hospital with a high tuberculosis case-rate. Demographic information included age, gender, postal zone of residence, country of birth, and BCG vaccination status, while occupations were placed into one of five groups. In multivariate analysis, occupation was significantly associated with risk of tuberculin conversion, while postal zone of residence was not. The group that included housekeeping, laundry, and security personnel and the physician-nurse group had the highest conversion rates. After implementation of CDC guidelines, there was a significant improvement in the employee tuberculin conversion rate. At our hospital, occupation was strongly associated with risk of tuberculin conversion.

Female↗
PubMed2006

Eliminating non-renewable CO2 emissions from sewage treatment: an anaerobic migrating bed reactor pilot plant study.

The aim of this work was to demonstrate at pilot scale a high level of energy recovery from sewage utilising a primary Anaerobic Migrating Bed Reactor (AMBR) operating at ambient temperature to convert COD to methane. The focus is the reduction in non-renewable CO(2) emissions resulting from reduced energy requirements for sewage treatment. A pilot AMBR was operated on screened sewage over the period June 2003 to September 2004. The study was divided into two experimental phases. In Phase 1 the process operated at a feed rate of 10 L/h (HRT 50 h), SRT 63 days, average temperature 28 degrees C and mixing time fraction 0.05. In Phase 2 the operating parameters were 20 L/h, 26 days, 16 degrees C and 0.025. Methane production was 66% of total sewage COD in Phase 1 and 23% in Phase 2. Gas mixing of the reactor provided micro-aeration which suppressed sulphide production. Intermittent gas mixing at a useful power input of 6 W/m(3) provided satisfactory process performance in both phases. Energy consumption for mixing was about 1.5% of the energy conversion to methane in both operating phases. Comparative analysis with previously published data confirmed that methane supersaturation resulted in significant losses of methane in the effluent of anaerobic treatment systems. No cases have been reported where methane was considered to be supersaturated in the effluent. We have shown that methane supersaturation is likely to be significant and that methane losses in the effluent are likely to have been greater than previously predicted. Dissolved methane concentrations were measured at up to 2.2 times the saturation concentration relative to the mixing gas composition. However, this study has also demonstrated that despite methane supersaturation occurring, micro-aeration can result in significantly lower losses of methane in the effluent (<11% in this study), and has demonstrated that anaerobic sewage treatment can genuinely provide energy recovery. The goal of demonstrating a high level of energy recovery in an ambient anaerobic bioreactor was achieved. An AMBR operating at ambient temperature can achieve up to 70% conversion of sewage COD to methane, depending on SRT and temperature.

Anaerobiosis↗
PubMed2026

Pleomorphic Liposarcoma: Comprehensive Genomic Analysis of 39 Cases With Comparison to Other Genomically Complex Sarcomas.

Pleomorphic liposarcoma (PLPS) is an aggressive high-grade sarcoma that often shows diverse morphological features and can mimic high-grade undifferentiated pleomorphic sarcoma (UPS)/spindle cell sarcoma or myxofibrosarcoma (MFS), especially when pleomorphic lipoblasts are sparse. The molecular profile of PLPS is distinct from well differentiated/dedifferentiated liposarcoma and myxoid liposarcoma. In this study, we investigate 39 cases of PLPS by comprehensive genomic profiling, occurring in 32 patients with available molecular data. Cases were reviewed and morphologic parameters-lipoblastic component, UPS-like, and MFS-like areas were estimated. The genomic findings were collected and compared to UPS and MFS groups studied using the same platform. The cohort included 15 females and 17 males, with a median age of 56.5 (range, 34-78). The lower extremity (n&#x2009;=&#x2009;17) was the most common site involved, followed by upper extremity (n&#x2009;=&#x2009;5) and pelvis (n&#x2009;=&#x2009;5). UPS-like and MFS-like patterns were the most common morphologic variants, ranging from 15% to 95% and 20% to 90%, respectively. TP53 (87%) and RB1 (51%) mutations and copy number alterations were the most common alterations seen, followed by ATRX (36%). Compared to UPS and MFS, TP53 and RB1 gene alterations were significantly more common in PLPS. Conversely, CDKN2A/B deletions were infrequent in PLPS. Survival analysis showed that MYC amplification was associated with significantly shorter overall survival in PLPS. Among histologic variants, CYSLTR2 alterations were found to be highest in cases with predominantly pleomorphic lipoblasts; additionally, strong correlations were found between gene alteration frequencies of MFS and MFS-like PLPS, and between UPS and UPS-like PLPS. RB1 allele-specific copy number analysis showed loss of heterozygosity in 82% of cases. Our cohort of PLPS showed a complex molecular landscape with distinct genetic alterations, histologic correlations, and clinical outcomes, highlighting its unique position among genomically complex sarcomas and providing insights that may inform future diagnostic and therapeutic approaches.

Humans↗
PubMed2006

Analysis of blink rate in patients with blepharospasm.

The blink rate (BR) during rest, conversation, and reading was assessed in 50 patients with blepharospasm (BS) and in 150 healthy subjects. BR at rest and during conversation was higher in patients with BS. Moreover, 76% of patients had BR higher at rest than during conversation, whereas in 74% of controls, BR was higher during conversation than at rest. The sensitivity and specificity of two parameters (value of BR at rest and pattern rest-BR higher than conversation-BR) in discriminating patients and controls were computed. The best fit was obtained with a rest-BR above 27 blinks per minute. When the two parameters were combined (rest-BR above 27 blinks per minute together with the pattern rest-BR higher than conversation-BR), we obtained a 92.3% sensitivity and a 82.0% specificity in discriminating between BS patients and controls. These findings indicate that specific features of BR can be associated with BS, suggesting that the analysis of BR might be helpful for the diagnosis of BS in early stages.

Blepharospasm↗
PubMed1995

Plasma processing of interstellar PAHs into solar system kerogen.

Processes resulting in the formation of hydrocarbons of carbonaceous chondrites and the identity of the interstellar molecular precursors involved are an objective of investigations into the origin of the solar system and perhaps even life on earth. We have combined the resources and experience of an astronomer and physicists doing laboratory simulations with those of a chemical expert in the analysis of meteoritic hydrocarbons, in a project that investigated the conversion of polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) formed in stellar atmospheres into alkanes found in meteorites. Plasma hydrogenation has been found in the University of Alabama at Birmingham Astrophysics Laboratory to produce from the precursor PAH naphthalene, a new material having an IR absorption spectrum (Lee, W. and Wdowiak, T.J., Astrophys. J. 417, L49-L51, 1993) remarkably similar to that obtained at Arizona State University of the benzene-methanol extract of the Murchison meteorite (Cronin, J.R. and Pizzarello, S., Geochim. Cosmochim. Acta 54, 2859-2868, 1990). There are astrophysical and meteoritic arguments for PAH species from extra-solar sources being incorporated into the solar nebula, where plasma hydrogenation is highly plausible. Conversion of PAHs into alkanes could also have occurred in the interstellar medium. The synthesis of laboratory analogs of meteoritic hydrocarbons through plasma hydrogenation of PAH species is underway, as is chemical analysis of those analogs. The objective is to clarify this heretofore uninvestigated process and to understand its role during the origin of the solar system as a mechanism of production of hydrocarbon species now found in meteorites. Results have been obtained in the form of time-of-flight spectroscopy and chemical analysis of the lab analog prepared from naphthalene.

Alkanes↗
PubMed1979

Hypoxanthine uptake in isolated rat renal cortical tubule fragments.

Isolated renal tubule fragments prepared from adult Sprague-Dawley rats were used to study the cellular uptake of hypoxanthine. This uptake was rapid, reaching a steady state after 30 min of incubation. Analysis of the intracellular pool during the initial uptake and at the steady state revealed a concentration gradient of hypoxanthine consistent with active transport, although only one-third of the transported hypoxanthine remained unmetabolized. The remainder of the transported hypoxanthine was converted to inosine and inosinic acid, but detectable conversion to uric acid was not noted. A kinetic analysis of uptake revealed that two systems for cellular entry of hypoxanthine existed with K(m1) = 0.005 and K(m2) = 0.80 mM. Hypoxanthine uptake at physiologic concentrations was oxygen, sodium, and temperature dependent, but the addition of metabolic fuels and alteration of the medium pH over the range of from 6.1 to 7.4 had no effect. Adenine, guanine, and inosine inhibited the uptake of hypoxanthine via the low-K(m) system which mediates the majority of uptake at physiologic levels. Xanthine, uric acid, and probenecid inhibited uptake via the high-K(m) system, but did not affect uptake via the low-K(m) system. The data indicate that hypoxanthine at physiologic levels is transported into the renal tubule cell via a system different from that for other oxypurines.

Adenine↗
PubMed2000

In vitro and ex vivo anti- and prooxidant components of Cichorium intybus.

The water soluble antioxidant properties of Cichorium intybus var. Silvestre, whose production zone is around Chioggia, Italy, were investigated. Vegetable juices were obtained by centrifugation, and (1) filtration at 2 degrees C; (2) filtration at 25 degrees C, and stored for 3 h; (3) boiled for 30 min at 102 degrees C, and then analysed. The antioxidant properties were evaluated in vitro as antioxidant activity (AA) (model system beta-carotene-linoleic acid) and ex vivo as protective activity (PA) against rat liver cell microsome lipid peroxidation measured as 2-thiobarbituric acid-reactive substances (TBA-RS) generated by peroxide degradation. All the vegetable juices showed high but very variable AA (> 83%) and PA (> 64%). After dialysis and analysis of fractions it was shown that the vegetable contained both biological antioxidant and prooxidant compounds. The prooxidants had MW < 3000, conversely the very active antioxidants (PA = 100%) had MW > 15,000. Electrophoretic analysis revealed that the most active fraction was a complex mixture of brown components at MW > 300,000.

Animals↗
PubMed1993

The 28-kDa protein whose phosphorylation is induced by protein kinase C activators in MCF-7 cells belongs to the family of low molecular mass heat shock proteins and is the estrogen-regulated 24-kDa protein.

We have previously reported the presence of a 28-kDa protein in human mammary adenocarcinoma MCF-7 cells, whose phosphorylation by phorbol ester 12-O-tetradecanoylphorbol-13-acetate (TPA) and permeant diacylglycerol 1,2-dioctanoyl-sn-glycerol was correlated to growth arrest induced by the protein kinase C (PKC) activators. We now investigate the possible identity of this protein with the estrogen-regulated "24-kDa" protein shown as related to the mammalian heat shock protein 27 (Fuqua, S. A. W., Blum-Salingaros, M., and McGuire, W. L. (1989) Cancer Res 49, 4126-4129). 32P-Labeled 28-kDa protein from TPA-treated MCF-7 cells was immunoprecipitated with a 24-kDa-specific monoclonal antibody. Immunoblots from cell extracts fractionated by two-dimensional isoelectric focusing/SDS-polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis demonstrated that TPA induced the conversion of a 28-kDa isoform "a" (pI 6.7) to a more acidic isoform "b" (pI 6.2). Two-dimensional gel analysis of [3H]leucine-labeled MCF-7 cell extracts demonstrated that conversely to TPA, which induced only phosphorylation of 28-kDa protein, heat shock induced both synthesis (increase of isoform a) and phosphorylation (conversion of isoforms a to b) of the protein. 32P labeling of MCF-7 cells allowed demonstration of the presence of an extra phosphoisoform "c" (pI 5.9) upon TPA as well as heat shock treatment. When cells were pretreated with the bisindolylmaleimide GF109203X, a selective inhibitor of PKC, the heat shock-induced phosphorylation was unchanged, while the TPA effect was almost abolished, suggesting that the heat shock-activated protein kinase was very likely different from PKC. However, peptide mapping of the 28-kDa phosphoprotein suggested identical sites of phosphorylation upon TPA and heat shock stimulation. Partial amino acid sequencing of the 28-kDa protein revealed identity with both the 24-kDa protein and the mammalian HSP27. The fact that estrogens and PKC, respectively, regulate expression and phosphorylation of this 24/28-kDa protein strongly argues for its key role in MCF-7 cell proliferation and differentiation.

Amino Acid Sequence↗
PubMed2006

Metabolic syndrome does not increase the risk of conversion of impaired glucose tolerance to diabetes in Asian Indians--Result of Indian diabetes prevention programme.

AIMS: In this study, we assessed for the prevalence of metabolic syndrome (MetS) in the cohort of subjects with impaired glucose tolerance (IGT) in the Indian Diabetes Prevention Programme and studied whether the syndrome enhanced the conversion to diabetes. METHODS: Effectiveness of lifestyle modification (LSM), metformin (Met) and LSM plus Met was tested in a randomised, controlled primary prevention study in subjects with IGT n=502 (M:W 397:105) at a median follow up of 30 months. Baseline prevalence of MetS was calculated using the WHO criteria. Insulin resistance (IR) was calculated using homeostasis model assessment (HOMA) method. RESULTS: MetS was present in 233 subjects (46.4%; 95% CI 41.9-50.9) in the total group, in men (n=168; 42.3%; 95% CI 37.4-47.3) and in women (n=65; 61.9%; 95% CI 51.9-71.2) (men versus women chi(2)=12.8, p=0.0005). Insulin resistance (HOMA-IR>or=4.1) was present in 69.1% with no gender difference. IR increased proportionately with increasing number of abnormalities, in IGT (39.8%), IGT plus one abnormality (56.5%) and IGT plus any two or more abnormalities (69.1%) (Mantel Haenszel chi(2)=22.8, p<0.0001). Incidence of diabetes was similar in subjects with (40.3%) (n=94/233) or without (40.1%) (n=108/269) MetS (p=0.97). Cox's regression analysis confirmed that MetS did not enhance the conversion rate of IGT to diabetes both in the control (HR=0.88, 95% CI 0.53-1.47, p=0.63) and in the total group (HR=1.02, 95% CI 0.78-1.35, p=0.88), after correcting for effects of intervention. CONCLUSION: Prevalence of MetS is high in Asian Indian IGT subjects, especially in women. However, it did not influence the rate of conversion of IGT to diabetes.

Adult↗
PubMed2004

Genome wide analysis of common and specific stress responses in adult drosophila melanogaster.

BACKGROUND: During their life, multicellular organisms are challenged with oxidative stress. It is generated by several reactive oxygen species (ROS), may limit lifespan and has been related to several human diseases. ROS can generate a wide variety of defects in many cellular components and thus the response of the organism challenged with oxidative stress may share some features with other stress responses. Conversely, in spite of recent progress, a complete functional analysis of the transcriptional responses to different oxidative stresses in model organisms is still missing. In addition, the functional significance of observed transcriptional changes is still elusive. RESULTS: We used oligonucleotide microarrays to address the specificities of transcriptional responses of adult Drosophila to different stresses induced by paraquat and H2O2, two oxidative stressors, and by tunicamycin which induces an endoplasmic reticulum (ER) stress. Both specific and common responses to the three stressors were observed and whole genome functional analysis identified several important classes of stress responsive genes. Within some functional classes, we observed that isozymes do not all behave similarly, which may reflect unsuspected functional specificities. Moreover, genetic experiments performed on a subset of lines bearing mutations in genes identified in microarray experiments showed that a significant number of these mutations may affect resistance of adult Drosophila to oxidative stress. CONCLUSIONS: A long term common stress response to paraquat- or H2O2-induced oxidative stresses and ER stress is observed for a significant number of genes. Besides this common response, the unexpected complexity of the stress responses to oxidative and ER stresses in Drosophila, suggest significant specificities in protective properties between genes associated to the same functional classes. According to our functional analysis, a large part of the genome may play a role in protective mechanisms against oxidative stress in Drosophila.

Animals↗
PubMed2005

Audio recordings of consultations with doctors for parents of critically sick babies.

BACKGROUND: Family centred care is an important part of neonatal intensive care. Ensuring effective communication in the neonatal intensive care unit (NICU) is a challenge but is crucial to the implementation of family centred care. Providing parents in NICU with audiotape recordings of their conversations with neonatologists could promote effective communication. OBJECTIVES: The objective of this review was to assess the usefulness of providing parents of sick babies with audiotape recordings of their consultations with neonatologists. SEARCH STRATEGY: The standard search strategy of the Cochrane Neonatal Review Group was used. This included searches of electronic databases: Oxford Database of Perinatal Trials, Cochrane Central Register of Controlled Trials (CENTRAL, The Cochrane Library Issue 3, 2004), and MEDLINE (1966 - February 2004); and previous reviews including cross references and expert informants. There were no language restrictions applied to the electronic searches. Hand searching of conference and symposia proceedings was restricted to the English language. SELECTION CRITERIA: Randomised or quasi-randomised trials of any form of providing parents of babies in NICU with audiotape recordings of their conversation with doctors in the NICU. DATA COLLECTION AND ANALYSIS: Four reviewers independently assessed the eligibility of the trials. MAIN RESULTS: Our searches did not identify any trials which met the eligibility criteria. AUTHORS' CONCLUSIONS: There is no information available from randomised or quasi-randomised trials to demonstrate any benefits from providing parents in NICU with audiotape recordings of their conversations with neonatologists.

Critical Care↗
PubMed1973

Triiodothyronine and thyroxine in the serum and thyroid glands of iodine-deficient rats.

Triiodothyronine (T(3)) and thyroxine (T(4)) were measured by immunoassay in the serum and thyroid hydrolysates of control (group A), mildly iodine-deficient (group B), and severely iodine-deficient rats (group C). These results were correlated with changes in thyroidal weight, (131)I uptake and (127)I content as well as with the distribution of (131)I in Pronase digests of the thyroid. There was a progressive increase in thyroid weight and (131)I uptake at 24 h with decrease in iodine intake. The (127)I content of the thyroids of the group B animals was 44% and that of the group C animals 2% of that in group A. The mean labeled monoiodotyrosine/diiodotyrosine (MIT/DIT) and T(3)/T(4) ratios in group A were 0.42+/-0.07 (SD) and 0.12+/-0.01, 0.59+/-0.06 and 0.11+/-0.03 in group B, and 2.0+/-0.3 and 1.8+/-0.9 in the group thyroid digests.Mean serum T(4) concentration in the control rats was 4.2+/-0.6 (SD) mug T(4)/100 ml, 4.5+/-0.3 mug/100 ml in group B animals, and undectectable (<0.5 mu(4)/100 ml) in group C animals. There was no effect of iodine deficiency on serum T(3) concentrations, which were 44+/-9 (Mean+/-SD) ng/100 ml in A animals, 48+/-6 ng/100 ml n B animals, and 43+/-6 ng/100 ml in the C group. Thyroidal digest T(3) and T(4) concentrations were 39 and 400 ng/mg in group A animals and were reduced to 5 and 1% of this, respectively, in group C. The molar ratio of T(3)/T(4) in the thyroid digests of the groups A and B animals was identical to the ratio of labeled T(3)/T(4) and was slightly less (1.0+/-0.9) than the labeled T(3)/T(4) ratio in the group C animals. The mean ratio of labeled T(4) to labeled T(3) in the serum of the severely iodine-deficient animals 24 h after isotope injection was 11+/-1 (SEM). With previously published values, it was possible to correlate the ratio of labeled T(4)/T(3) in the thyroid digest with the labeled T(4)/T(3) ratio in the serum of each iodine-deficient animal. This analysis suggested that the labeled thyroid hormones in the severely iodine-deficient rat were secreted in the ratio in which they are present in the gland. Kinetic analysis of total iodothyronine turnover indicated that two-thirds of the T(3) utilized per day by the iodine-sufficient rat arises from T(4). If the T(4)-T(3) conversion ratio remains the same in iodine deficiency, then the analysis suggests that about 90% of the T(3) arises directly from the thyroid. Therefore, it would appear that absolute T(3) secretion by the thyroid increases severalfold during iodine deficiency. The fact that serum T(3) remains constant and T(4) decreases to extremely low levels, combined with previous observations that iodine-deficient animals appear to be euthyroid, is compatible with the hypothesis that T(4) in the normal rat serves primarily as a precursor of T(3).

Animals↗