Higher incidence of Gastrospirillum sp. in swine with gastric ulcer of the pars oesophagea

Gastric ulcer in swine is characterized by an area of acid-peptic digestion, occurs usually in the pars oesophagea of the stomach, and has unknown etiopathogenesis. The present work was carried out to investigate the prevalence of the newly described spiral-shaped microorganism Gastrospirillum sp. ("Gastrospirillum suis") in stomachs of abattoir pigs with and without gastric ulcer. Stomachs were removed from 32 consecutive pigs presenting apparently normal mucosa and from 32 additional consecutive pigs presenting frank, chronic gastric ulcer of the pars oesophagea. Fragments of antral, oxyntic, cardiac and pars oesophagea regions were taken from each stomach and processed for histology and for identification of Gastrospirillum sp. in tissue sections. The microorganisms were identified mainly in the mucous layer and in gastric foveolas of the antral and oxyntic mucosa. Forty pigs (62.5%) were positive for Gastrospirillum sp.; among them, 27 (67.5%) had gastric ulcer, and 13 (32.5%) had no ulcer. Twenty-four pigs (37.5%) were negative for Gastrospirillum sp.; among them, five (20.8%) presented with gastric ulcer, and 19 (79.2%) had no ulcer. There was a significant difference between pigs with and without gastric ulcer in regard to the presence of Gastrospirillum sp. (P < 0.01). The spiral-shaped microorganism Gastrospirillum sp. that inhabits the stomach of pigs should be considered a possible factor connected with the etiopathogenesis of swine gastric ulcer.     

Provision of mental health services in women's health centers

Women's health centers are often associated with a comprehensive model of health care that treats the "whole woman." Using data from a nationwide study of 467 women's health centers, we explored how the ideal of comprehensive care was implemented with respect to mental health services. Specifically, we examined the rates of screening and treatment for a subset of mental health and behavioral and social problems in women's health centers and the structural, staffing, philosophical, and patient factors associated with the provision of services. Across 12 services, the overall rates of provision ranged from 7.7% for screening for dementing disorders to 27.6% for smoking cessation counseling and treatment. In a series of logistic regressions, center type (primary care) and having a mental health staff person were consistently associated with service provision; other important variables were having a high percentage of women using the center as their usual source of care and having a belief in women-centered care. Findings indicate that the majority of women using women's health centers do not receive services in a comprehensive care environment that includes key mental health services.     

Comparison of the frequency and enjoyability of pleasant events in cocaine abusers vs. non-abusers using a standardized behavioral inventory

AIMS: To examine whether cocaine abusers differ from non-abusers in their frequency and enjoyability of engaging in various "pleasant events", in order to approximate the density of positive reinforcement experienced in their natural environment. DESIGN: Comparisons of cocaine abusers to normative data and matched controls. SETTING: An outpatient substance abuse treatment center in Burlington, Vermont, USA. PARTICIPANTS: Subjects included 100 individuals enrolled in outpatient treatment for cocaine abuse or dependence and 50 community volunteers without histories of drug abuse or other major psychiatric illness and matched to cocaine-dependent patients on age, sex and SES. MEASUREMENTS: Diagnostic assessments were based upon clinical interviews using the DSM-III-R checklist. The primary focus of this study was the Pleasant Events Schedule (PES), a self-rated behavioral inventory of the frequency and enjoyability of engaging in "pleasant" activities. Cocaine use history, treatment outcome and other relevant variables were also assessed. FINDINGS: Cocaine abusers reliably reported lower frequency of non-social, introverted, passive outdoor and mood-related activities than controls. These differences remained after controlling for demographic and life-style differences between groups, with the exception of mood-related activities. Perceived enjoyability of the activities did not differ across groups. Intravenous cocaine use and prior treatment for cocaine abuse predicted particularly low frequency of pleasant activities. Greater frequency of non-social activities predicted better treatment outcome. CONCLUSIONS: Drug abuse is associated with low density of certain types of non-drug reinforcement. Systematic increases in these activities may improve treatment outcome.     

Solution structure of glutathione bound to human glutathione transferase P1-1: comparison of NMR measurements with the crystal structure

The conformation of the bound glutathione (GSH) in the active site of the human glutathione transferase P1-1 (EC 2.5.1.18) has been studied by transferred NOE measurements and compared with those obtained by X-ray diffraction data. Two-dimensional TRNOESY and TRROESY experiments have been performed under fast-exchange conditions. The family of GSH conformers, compatible with TRNOE distance constraints, shows a backbone structure very similar to the crystal model. Interesting differences have been found in the side chain regions. After restrained energy minimization of a representative NMR conformer in the active site, the sulfur atom is not found in hydrogen-bonding distance of the hydroxyl group of Tyr 7. This situation is similar to the one observed in an "atypical" crystal complex grown at low pH and low temperature. The NMR conformers display also a poorly defined structure of the glutamyl moiety, and the presence of an unexpected intermolecular NOE could indicate a different interaction of this substrate portion with the G-site. The NMR data seem to provide a snapshot of GSH in a precomplex where the GSH glutamyl end is bound in a different fashion. The existence of this precomplex is supported by pre-steady-state kinetic experiments [Caccuri, A. M., Lo Bello, M., Nuccetelli, M., Nicotra, M., Rossi, P., Antonini, G., Federici, G., and Ricci, G. (1998) Biochemistry 37, 3028-3034] and preliminary time-resolved fluorescence data.     

Speech perception performance in experienced cochlear-implant patients receiving the SPEAK processing strategy in the Nucleus Spectra-22 cochlear implant

Sixteen experienced cochlear implant patients with a wide range of speech-perception abilities received the SPEAK processing strategy in the Nucleus Spectra-22 cochlear implant. Speech perception was assessed in quiet and in noise with SPEAK and with the patients' previous strategies (for most, Multipeak) at the study onset, as well as after using SPEAK for 6 months. Comparisons were made within and across the two test sessions to elucidate possible learning effects. Patients were also asked to rate the strategies on seven speech recognition and sound quality scales. After 6 months' experience with SPEAK, patients showed significantly improved mean performance on a range of speech recognition measures in quiet and noise. When mean subjective ratings were compared over time there were no significant differences noted between strategies. However, many individuals rated the SPEAK strategy better for two or more of the seven subjective measures. Ratings for "appreciation of music" and "quality of my own voice" in particular were generally higher for SPEAK. Improvements were realized by patients with a wide range of speech perception abilities, including those with little or no open-set speech recognition.     

Homology and functional similarity of an hrp-linked pathogenicity locus, dspEF, of Erwinia amylovora and the avirulence locus avrE of Pseudomonas syringae pathovar tomato

The "disease-specific" (dsp) region next to the hrp gene cluster of Erwinia amylovora is required for pathogenicity but not for elicitation of the hypersensitive reaction. A 6.6-kb apparent operon, dspEF, was found responsible for this phenotype. The operon contains genes dspE and dspF and is positively regulated by hrpL. A BLAST search revealed similarity in the dspE gene to a partial sequence of the avrE locus of Pseudomonas syringae pathovar tomato. The entire avrE locus was sequenced. Homologs of dspE and dspF were found in juxtaposed operons and were designated avrE and avrF. Introduced on a plasmid, the dspEF locus rendered P. syringae pv. glycinea race 4 avirulent on soybean. An E. amylovora dspE mutant, however, elicited a hypersensitive reaction in soybean. The avrE locus in trans restored pathogenicity to dspE strains of E. amylovora, although restored strains were low in virulence. DspE and AvrE are large (198 kDa and 195 kDa) and hydrophilic. DspF and AvrF are small (16 kDa and 14 kDa) and acidic with predicted amphipathic alpha helices in their C termini; they resemble chaperones for virulence factors secreted by type III secretion systems of animal pathogens.     

Modal approximation for the electromagnetic field of a near-field optical probe

A formalism is given in which the optical field generated by a near-field optical aperture is described as an analytic expansion over a complete set of optical modes. This vectoral solution preserves the divergent behavior of the near field and the dipolar nature of the far field. Numerical calculation of the fields requires only evaluation of a well behaved, one-dimensional integral. The formalism is directly applicable to experiments in near-field scanning optical microscopy when relatively flat samples are evaluated.     

Loss of heterozygosity in tuberous sclerosis hamartomas

We have previously described in tuberous sclerosis (TSC) hamartomas the phenomenon of loss of heterozygosity (LOH) for DNA markers in the region of both the TSC2 gene on chromosome 16p13.3 and the TSC1 gene on 9q34. We now describe the spectrum of LOH in 51 TSC hamartomas from 34 cases of TSC. DNA was extracted from leucocytes or normal paraffin embedded tissue, and from frozen paraffin embedded hamartoma tissue from the same patient. The samples were analysed for 11 markers spanning the TSC1 locus and nine markers spanning the TSC2 locus. Twenty-one of 51 hamartomas showed LOH (41%). There was significantly more LOH on 16p13.3, with 16 hamartomas showing LOH around TSC2, and five in the vicinity of TSC1. No hamartoma showed LOH for markers around both loci. All the areas of LOH on chromosome 9 were large, but the smallest region of overlap lay between the markers D9S149 and D9S114, providing independent evidence for the localisation of the TSC1 gene. These data show that LOH is a common finding in a wide range of hamartomas, affecting the same TSC locus in different lesions from the same patient but not affecting both loci. These data support the hypothesis that both the TSC genes act as tumour suppressors and that the manifestations of TSC in patients with germline TSC mutations rise from "second hit" somatic mutations inactivating the remaining normal copy of the TSC gene.     

Non-insulin-dependent diabetes: from physiopathology to treatment

Non-insulin-dependent (or type 2) diabetes mellitus is a common, underdiagnosed and growing disease in our society. It is responsible for increased morbidity and mortality and represents an important public health problem. This polygenic disease is often expressed late in life and its evolution is accelerated by environmental factors leading to obesity. It combines defects in both insulin secretion and insulin action, and such defects are present in various proportions according to the type of patient and the stage of the disease. Diet and physical activity recommendations are the basis of the treatment. Current pharmacological approaches aim at improving insulin secretion and/or insulin cellular action. After secondary failure to oral drugs, insulin therapy should be initiated, the patient becoming "insulin-requiring". A synergy should be searched in the combination of various therapeutic modalities in order to improve the glycaemic control.     

Abrogation of p53 function affects gadd gene responses to DNA base-damaging agents and starvation

The tumor suppressor p53 is required for induction of its downstream effector genes such as GADD45 and CIP1/WAF1 by ionizing radiation (IR). This response is probably mediated through defined p53 binding sites located in the promoter of CIP1/WAF1 and in the third intron of GADD45. In contrast, the gadd gene stress response to base-damaging agents, such as methylmethane sulfonate (MMS) or UV radiation, or medium depletion (starvation) occurs in all mammalian cells examined to date regardless of p53 status for both GADD45 and also GADD153, which is not IR-responsive in many lines with functional p53. These agents strongly induce the p53 protein and raise the possibility that, although p53 is not required for the typical "gadd" response to these agents, p53 may contribute to these non-IR stress responses. This possibility was confirmed by the finding that disruption of p53 function by transfection with dominant-negative vectors expressing HPV E6, mutant p53, or SV40 T Ag reduced the induction of GADD45 and GADD153 as measured by increases in mRNA and protein levels in human lines with wild-type p53. Similarly, induction of these genes by MMS or UV radiation was consistently stronger in the parental mouse embryo fibroblasts compared to cells derived from mice where both p53 alleles had been deleted. Similar qualitative responses were also seen for CIP1/WAF1. In agreement with reduced induction of p53-regulated genes, the G1 checkpoint activated by MMS or UV radiation was markedly abrogated in p53-wt human MCF-7 breast carcinoma cells by E6 expression. Interestingly, induction of reporter constructs driven by the GADD45 or GADD153 promoters was substantially reduced in human cells transfected with mutant p53 or E6 expression vectors or in cells lacking p53 following treatment with MMS, UV radiation, or starvation. Because neither promoter is inducible by IR, and neither contains a strong p53 binding site, these results indicate that p53 has a synergistic or cooperative role in these non-IR stress responses for both GADD45 and GADD153, and that this role is not mediated through identifiable p53-binding sites.