Identification of protein-protein contacts between alpha/beta-type small, acid-soluble spore proteins of Bacillus species bound to DNA

Small, acid-soluble spore proteins (SASP) of the alpha/beta-type from several Bacillus species were cross-linked into homodimers, heterodimers and homooligomers with 1-ethyl-3-(3-dimethylaminopropyl)carbodiimide (EDC) in the presence of linear plasmid DNA. Significant protein cross-linking was not detected in the absence of DNA. In all four alpha/beta-type SASP examined, the amino donor in the EDC induced amide cross-links was the alpha-amino group of the protein. However, the carboxylate containing amino acid residues involved in cross-linking varied. In SASP-A and SASP-C of Bacillus megaterium two conserved glutamate residues, which form part of the germination protease recognition sequence, were involved in cross-link formation. In SspC from Bacillus subtilis and Bce1 from Bacillus cereus the acidic residues involved in cross-link formation were not in the protease recognition sequence, but at a site closer to the N terminus of the proteins. These data indicate that, although there are likely to be subtle structural differences between different alpha/beta-type SASP, the N-terminal regions of these proteins are involved in protein-protein interactions while in the DNA bound state.     

Subarachnoid-pleural fistula after resection of a pancoast tumor with hyponatremia

Resection of superior sulcus neoplasms is associated with a number of complications resulting from the extensive nature of the resection and the necessity to sacrifice certain adjacent structures. One of the complications of resection is the development of subarachnoid-pleural fistula, with the subsequent appearance of air in the cerebrospinal fluid circulation. We report a case in which a subarachnoid-pleural fistula led to persistent pneumocephaly in a patient who exhibited postoperative hyponatremia, confusion, and gait disturbance.     

Cognitive complaints in closed-head injury: relationship to memory test performance and emotional disturbance

Self-appraisal of cognitive difficulties by a sample of 63 male patients with closed-head injury (CHI) was examined in relation to their performance on the Wechsler Memory Scale - Revised (WMS-R; Wechsler, 1987), WAIS-R Digit Span (Wechsler, 1981), and to their scores on MMPI-2 (Butcher, Dahlstrom, Graham, Tellegen, & Kaemmer, 1989) measures of anxiety and depression. In an initial step, the Cognitive Difficulties Scale (CDS; McNair & Kahn, 1983), consisting of 39 self-report items, was factor analyzed using a sample of 255 consecutive neuropsychological referrals with documented brain impairment. Seven orthogonal dimensions emerged: Attention and Concentration, Orientation and Memory, Praxis, Domestic Activities, Facial Recognition, Task Efficiency, and Errand and Name Recall. Within a sample subset consisting of 63 patients with CHI, subjective complaints on the CDS were predictive of WMS-R Logical Memory performance (r = -.51, p < .0005). In contrast, CDS scores were generally poor predictors of Digit Span and Visual Reproduction scores (rs < .31). Cognitive complaints were also associated with emotional distress on the MMPI-2. The CDS appears to be a useful measure of self-appraised cognitive difficulties in patients with CHI, and may assist in the assessment of their self-reflective insight.