Screening instruments for depression and anxiety following stroke: experience in the Perth community stroke study

Evaluation of the relative efficacy of three screening instruments for depression and anxiety in a group of stroke patients was undertaken as part of the Perth community stroke study. Data are presented on the sensitivity and specificity of the Hospital Anxiety and Depression Scale (HAPS), the Geriatric Depression Scale and the General Health Questionnaire (GHQ) (28-item version) in screening patients 4 months after stroke for depressive and anxiety disorders diagnosed according to DSM-III criteria. The GHQ-28 and GDS but not the HADS depression, were shown to be satisfactory screening instruments for depression, with the GHQ-28 having an overall superiority. The performance of all 3 scales for screening post-stroke anxiety disorders was less satisfactory. The HADS anxiety had the best level of sensitivity, but the specificity and positive predictive values were low and the misclassification rate high.     

A27L protein mediates vaccinia virus interaction with cell surface heparan sulfate

Vaccinia virus has a wide host range and infects mammalian cells of many different species. This suggests that the cell surface receptors for vaccinia virus are ubiquitously expressed and highly conserved. Alternatively, different receptors are used for vaccinia virus infection of different cell types. Here we report that vaccinia virus binds to heparan sulfate, a glycosaminoglycan (GAG) side chain of cell surface proteoglycans, during virus infection. Soluble heparin specifically inhibits vaccinia virus binding to cells, whereas other GAGs such as condroitin sulfate or dermantan sulfate have no effect. Heparin also blocks infections by cowpox virus, rabbitpox virus, myxoma virus, and Shope fibroma virus, suggesting that cell surface heparan sulfate could be a general mediator of the entry of poxviruses. The biochemical nature of the heparin-blocking effect was investigated. Heparin analogs that have acetyl groups instead of sulfate groups also abolish the inhibitory effect, suggesting that the negative charges on GAGs are important for virus infection. Furthermore, BSC40 cells treated with sodium chlorate to produce undersulfated GAGs are more refractory to vaccinia virus infection. Taken together, the data support the notion that cell surface heparan sulfate is important for vaccinia virus infection. Using heparin-Sepharose beads, we showed that vaccinia virus virions bind to heparin in vitro. In addition, we demonstrated that the recombinant A27L gene product binds to the heparin beads in vitro. This recombinant protein was further shown to bind to cells, and such interaction could be specifically inhibited by soluble heparin. All the data together indicated that A27L protein could be an attachment protein that mediates vaccinia virus binding to cell surface heparan sulfate during viral infection.     

Multiple symmetric lipomatosis in the Chinese: ultrasound, CT and MR imaging

We report four cases of multiple symmetric lipomatosis in the Chinese population. We believe that multiple symmetric lipomatosis in the Chinese is not uncommon and may be related to the increasing incidence of alcoholism. The ultrasound appearances of these lipomatous masses are presented for the first time. Heterogeneous echogenic masses with fine fibrous strands that insinuate around fascial planes, lymph nodes and vascular tissues are typical findings. Unlike diseases affecting the Western population, multiple symmetric lipomatosis in the Chinese appears to be limited to the head and neck.     

Effects of ibuprofen on airway vascular response to cotton smoke injury

We studied the effects of ibuprofen on bronchial blood flow and myocardial function after inhalation injury. Sheep (n = 12) were chronically instrumented with cardiovascular and pulmonary catheters. After 5 days of recovery period, baseline data were collected and the sheep were divided into two groups. Group S (n = 6) were insufflated with 48 breaths of cotton smoke; while group I (n = 6) were pretreated with ibuprofen (12mg/kg bolus followed by 3 mg/kg/h continuous infusion for 24 h) and challenged with the same dose of smoke. All the animals were studied for 24h. Bronchial blood flow increased significantly in both groups throughout the experimental period; while stroke volume as well as right and left ventricular stroke work indices of both groups were significantly decreased (group I worse than group S) in the second half of the experimental period. These data suggest that vasodilatory prostaglandins do not play a major role in the bronchial vascular response to smoke inhalation injury and myocardial depression seen post injury is worse in animals treated with ibuprofen.     

The unique endometrial expression and genomic organization of the porcine IGFBP-2 gene

Nisin was first introduced commercially as a food preservative in the UK approximately 30 years ago. First established use was as a preservative in processed cheese products and since then numerous other applications in foods and beverages have been identified. It is currently recognised as a safe food preservative in approximately 50 countries. The established uses of nisin as a preservative in processed cheese, various pasteurised dairy products, and canned vegetables will be briefly reviewed. More recent applications of nisin include its use as a preservative in high moisture, hot baked flour products (crumpets) and pasteurised liquid egg. Renewed interest is evident in the use of nisin in natural cheese production. Considerable research has been carried out on the antilisterial properties of nisin in foods and a number of applications have been proposed. Uses of nisin to control spoilage lactic acid bacteria have been identified in beer, wine, alcohol production and low pH foods such as salad dressings. Further developments of nisin are likely to include synergistic action of nisin with chelators and other bacteriocins, and its use as an adjunct in novel food processing technology such as higher pressure sterilisation and electroporation. Production of highly purified nisin preparations and enhancement by chelators has led to interest in the use of nisin for human ulcer therapy, and mastitis control in cattle.     

Developmental expression and location of IGF-I and IGF-II mRNA and protein in skeletal muscle

To investigate the role of IGF in muscle development in vivo, developmental expression and location of IGF-I and -II protein and mRNA were examined in fetal, postnatal, and adult skeletal muscle. Muscle tissue was collected from 30-, 44-, 59-, 68-, 75-, 89-, and 109-d porcine fetuses, 21-d neonatal pigs, and 6-mo-old (adult) pigs. Relative amounts of IGF-II mRNA peaked (P < .05) in 59-d fetal muscle and decreased thereafter. Inversely, muscle IGF-I expression increased (P < .05) to maximal levels around birth. For in situ hybridization, frozen muscle tissue sections (10 microm) were hybridized with a hydrolyzed form of the same riboprobes or incubated with polyclonal or monoclonal antibodies to IGF-I or -II, respectively. The majority of IGF-I and IGF-II mRNA was localized to developing muscle fibers, whereas little signal was found in the surrounding connective tissues. Immunofluorescent localization of IGF-I and -II confirmed that muscle IGF are present in developing muscle fibers. Collectively, these data show that IGF-I and -II are expressed and produced primarily in muscle cells within developing muscle tissue and support the hypothesis that IGF-I and -II modulate fetal muscle development.     

2-Ketocyclohexanecarboxyl coenzyme A hydrolase, the ring cleavage enzyme required for anaerobic benzoate degradation by Rhodopseudomonas palustris

2-Ketocyclohexanecarboxyl coenzyme A (2-ketochc-CoA) hydrolase has been proposed to catalyze an unusual hydrolytic ring cleavage reaction as the last unique step in the pathway of anaerobic benzoate degradation by bacteria. This enzyme was purified from the phototrophic bacterium Rhodopseudomonas palustris by sequential Q-Sepharose, phenyl-Sepharose, gel filtration, and hydroxyapatite chromatography. The sequence of the 25 N-terminal amino acids of the purified hydrolase was identical to the deduced amino acid sequence of the badI gene, which is located in a cluster of genes involved in anaerobic degradation of aromatic acids. The deduced amino acid sequence of badI indicates that 2-ketochc-CoA hydrolase is a member of the crotonase superfamily of proteins. Purified BadI had a molecular mass of 35 kDa as determined by sodium dodecyl sulfate-polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis and a native molecular mass of 134 kDa as determined by gel filtration. This indicates that the native form of the enzyme is a homotetramer. The purified enzyme was insensitive to oxygen and catalyzed the hydration of 2-ketochc-CoA to yield pimelyl-CoA with a specific activity of 9.7 micromol min(-1) mg of protein(-1). Immunoblot analysis using polyclonal antiserum raised against the purified hydrolase showed that the synthesis of BadI is induced by growth on benzoate and other proposed benzoate pathway intermediates but not by growth on pimelate or succinate. An R. palustris mutant, carrying a chromosomal disruption of badI, did not grow with benzoate and other proposed benzoate pathway intermediates but had wild-type doubling times on pimelate and succinate. These data demonstrate that BadI, the 2-ketochc-CoA hydrolase, is essential for anaerobic benzoate metabolism by R. palustris.     

Characterization of microdialysis acidification for capillary isoelectric focusing-microelectrospray ionization mass spectrometry

A microdialysis junction, based on a microdialysis membrane connecting a separation capillary and a short, sharply tapered microelectrospray emitter capillary, is demonstrated for on-line combination of capillary isoelectric focusing (CIEF) with electrospray ionization mass spectrometry (ESI-MS). The microdialysis junction provides the necessary electrical connection across the dialysis membrane for defining the electric fields needed for the CIEF separation and the electrospray process. Additionally, postseparation acidification of focused protein zones eluted from the CIEF capillary is achieved using the microdialysis junction while separation efficiency and resolution is maintained. A microelectrospray emitter produces a stable electrospray of protein analytes without the need for a makeup liquid flow and eliminates any subsequent sample dilution and reduction in MS sensitivity. The microdialysis junction is advantageous over the coaxial liquid sheath interface as evidenced by the simplicity in operation procedures, the enhancement in detection sensitivity, and the linear correlation between protein migration time and isoelectric point in CIEF-ESI-MS.     

Involvement of interleukin-3 in delayed-type hypersensitivity

The in vivo functions of interleukin-3 (IL-3) were investigated by generating IL-3-deficient mice. Although hematopoiesis was unimpaired in homozygous mutant animals, contact hypersensitivity reactions were compromised. IL-3 was required for efficient priming of hapten-specific contact hypersensitivity responses, but was dispensable for T-cell-dependent sensitization to tumor cells. These findings reveal a critical role for IL-3 in some forms of delayed-type hypersensitivity.     

Protein-RNA interactions in the U5 snRNP of Saccharomyces cerevisiae

We present here the first insights into the organization of proteins on the RNA in the U5 snRNP of Saccharomyces cerevisiae. Photo-crosslinking with uniformly labeled U5 RNA in snRNPs reconstituted in vitro revealed five contacting proteins, Prp8p, Snu114p, p30, p16, and p10, contact by the three smaller proteins requiring an intact Sm site. Site-specific crosslinking showed that Snu114p contacts the 5' side of internal loop 1, whereas Prp8p interacts with five different regions of the 5' stem-loop, but not with the Sm site or 3' stem-loop. Both internal loops in the 5' domain are essential for Prp8p to associate with the snRNP, but the conserved loop 1 is not, although this is the region to which Prp8p crosslinks most strongly. The extensive contacts between Prp8p and the 5' stem-loop of U5 RNA support the hypothesis that, in spliceosomes, Prp8p stabilizes loop 1-exon interactions. Moreover, data showing that Prp8p contacts the exons even in the absence of loop 1 indicate that Prp8p may be the principal anchoring factor for exons in the spliceosome. This and the close proximity of the spliceosomal translocase, Snu114p, to U5 loop 1 and Prp8p support and extend the proposal that Snu114p mimics U5 loop 1 during a translocation event in the spliceosome.