Impedance cardiography used to assess patterns of cardiovascular response to behavioral stressors

This paper presents two examples of how impedance cardiography may be used to interpret the hemodynamic influences on blood pressures measured during behavioral stress. In Study 1, blood pressure changes which were similar during two tasks were shown to have important differences in their cardiac output and vascular resistance components. During work on a reaction time task having aversive incentives compared with a neutral task, the blood pressure changes were seen to be associated with lowered vascular resistance and raised cardiac activity, a "fight-flight" pattern. In Study 2, blood pressure response differences between two subject groups working on an identical task were found to have blood pressure changes differing in their underlying cardiac and vascular components as measured by impedance. Such uses impedance cardiography have widespread potential application in psychophysiological research with humans.     

The current and residual value of superphosphate,Christmas Island C-grade ore,and Calciphos as fertilizers for a subterranean clover pasture

The effectiveness in the year of application of three phosphorus fertilizers, superphosphate, Christmas Island C-grade ore, and 500°C calcined Christmas Island C-grade ore (Calciphos), was measured for 5 consecutive years in a field experiment on a lateritic soil. The residual value of the phosphorus fertilizers was also measured for 6 years. Dry matter production of subterranean clover-based pasture and bicarbonate extractable soil phosphorus were used as indicators of fertilizer effectiveness.Despite the use of very large amounts of C-grade ore and Calciphos, the plateau of the pasture yield versus fertilizer applied curve for these fertilizers did not reach the yield plateau achieved with superphosphate in either the short or long term.C-grade ore and Calciphos were 3% and 8% as effective as superphosphate for dry matter production in the year of application. Relative to superphosphate applied in the current year the effectiveness of superphosphate decreased by about 70% between the first and second year after application and decreased by a further 14% from year 3 to year 6. C-grade ore and Calciphos remained about 2% and 9% as effective as currently applied superphosphate each year.The residual value of superphosphate as measured by bicarbonate-extracted soil phosphorus decreased by about 60% from year 2 to year 7. The residual value of Calciphos was very low for year 2, doubled from year 2–4 and thereafter decreased gradually to its original value by year 7. The residual value of C-grade ore was extremely low throughout the experiment. Thus after year 2, compared to pasture yield, bicarbonate extracted soil phosphorus overestimated the residual value of superphosphate and calciphos.It follows that neither C-grade ore or Calciphos are suitable replacement fertilizers for superphosphate for use on pastures growing on lateritic soils in south-western Australia.     

Application of Proteomics in Pancreatic Ductal Adenocarcinoma Biomarker Investigations: A Review

Pancreatic ductal adenocarcinoma (PDAC), a highly aggressive malignancy with a poor prognosis is usually detected at the advanced stage of the disease. The only US Food and Drug Administration-approved biomarker that is available for PDAC, CA 19-9, is most useful in monitoring treatment response among PDAC patients rather than for early detection. Moreover, when CA 19-9 is solely used for diagnostic purposes, it has only a recorded sensitivity of 79% and specificity of 82% in symptomatic individuals. Therefore, there is an urgent need to identify reliable biomarkers for diagnosis (specifically for the early diagnosis), ascertain prognosis as well as to monitor treatment response and tumour recurrence of PDAC. In recent years, proteomic technologies are growing exponentially at an accelerated rate for a wide range of applications in cancer research. In this review, we discussed the current status of biomarker research for PDAC using various proteomic technologies. This review will explore the potential perspective for understanding and identifying the unique alterations in protein expressions that could prove beneficial in discovering new robust biomarkers to detect PDAC at an early stage, ascertain prognosis of patients with the disease in addition to monitoring treatment response and tumour recurrence of patients.     

Inter-organisational knowledge transfer in social networks: A definition of intermediate ties

A social network perspective helps identify and analyse informal knowledge transfer among people and organisations with the aim to recommend organisational interventions and improvements, for example in the form of Information and Communication Technology (ICT) support. This paper particularly focuses on a key concept of social network analysis (SNA), the concept of tie strength, in an inter-organisational knowledge transfer context. Tie strength describes the strength of a social relationship. In the past, SNA literature with a knowledge management context has often emphasized the importance of strong and/or weak ties rather than of intermediate (medium strong) ties in a social network. Nevertheless, in this study, intermediate ties are identified as the dominant links among key groups of organisation in a social network. Intermediate ties also help connect otherwise weakly linked organisations. Moreover, a definition of intermediate ties in the context of knowledge management is introduced. With the help of cluster analysis and an investigation into the levels of reciprocity, intermediate ties can be clearly defined in a social network. Due to their importance for knowledge transfer in a social network, intermediate ties should be primarily supported, for example by appropriate ICT.     

Membrane topology of the Rickettsia prowazekii ATP/ADP translocase revealed by novel dual pho-lac reporters

Here, we report the construction and characterization of dual reporters, consisting of both an Escherichia coli alkaline phosphatase (AP) gene and an alpha-fragment of the beta-galactosidase (BG) gene, for studying membrane protein topology by the gene fusion approach. Each of the reporters, when fused to periplasmic domains of polytopic proteins, produces fusions with high AP activity and, when fused to cytoplasmic domains, produces fusions with high BG activity in E. coli strains capable of alpha-complementation. The dual nature of these reporters simplifies interpretation of data obtained with poorly expressed fusions and allows one to evaluate the reliability of topological data. Deleterious effects resulting from the cell's attempt to export the full-length BG are eliminated in this approach. We describe dual indicator plates that allow for discrimination between colonies bearing cytoplasmic fusions, periplasmic fusions, and no fusions. We have generated a set of fusions to the topologically well-studied lactose permease of E. coli and demonstrated that topological information generated by these new reporters is in good agreement with the existing model. We used this new methodology for the determination of membrane topology of the Rickettsia prowazekii ATP/ADP translocase (Tlc). Our results were in agreement with the proposed in silico topological model in which Tlc traverses the cytoplasmic membrane of E. coli 12 times with its N and C termini facing the cytoplasm.     

A liposomal model that mimics the cutaneous production of vitamin D3. Studies of the mechanism of the membrane-enhanced thermal isomerization of previtamin D3 to vitamin D3

We reported previously that the rate of previtamin D3 (preD3) <==> vitamin D3 isomerization was enhanced by about 10 times in the skin compared with that in organic solvents. To elucidate the mechanism by which the rate of this reaction is enhanced in the skin, we developed a liposomal model that mimicked the enhanced isomerization of preD3 to vitamin D3 that was described in human skin. Using this model we studied the effect of changing the polarity of preD3 as well as changing the chain length and the degree of saturation of liposomal phospholipids on the kinetics of preD3 <==> vitamin D3 isomerization. We found that a decrease in the hydrophilic interaction of the preD3 with liposomal phospholipids by an esterification of the 3beta-hydroxy of preD3 (previtamin D3-3beta-acetate) reduced the rate of the isomerization by 67%. The addition of a hydroxyl on C-25 of the hydrophobic side chain (25-hydroxyprevitamin D3), which decreased the hydrophobic interaction of preD3 with the phospholipids, reduced the rate by 87%. In contrast, in an isotropic n-hexane solution, there was little difference among the rates of the conversion of preD3, its 3beta-acetate, and 25-hydroxy derivatives to their corresponding vitamin D3 compounds. We also determined rate constants (k) of preD3 <==> vitamin D3 isomerization in liposomes containing phosphatidylcholines with different carbon chain lengths. The rates of the reaction were found to be enhanced as the number of carbons (Cn) in the hydrocarbon chain of the phospholipids increased from 10 to 18. In conclusion, these results support our hypothesis that amphipathic interactions between preD3 and membrane phospholipids stabilize preD3 in its "cholesterol like" cZc-conformer, the only conformer of preD3 that can convert to vitamin D3. The stronger these interactions were, the more preD3 was likely in its cZc conformation at any moment and the faster was the rate of its conversion to vitamin D3.     

Marie-Fran?oise Collière--nurse and ethnohistorian: a conversation about nursing and the invisibility of care. Interview by Jocalyn Lawler

The purpose of this study was to describe an episode of increased mortality, whose cause was initially unknown. This retrospective cohort investigation was conducted on a dementia special care unit of a Department of Veterans Affairs facility, with more than 75% of residents clinically diagnosed with dementia of the Alzheimer type. One hundred five residents residing in the facility during February 1995 were included as subjects. A cluster of deaths occurred, triggering the investigation. Ultimately, 21 deaths (three times greater than any previous month in the past 5 years) occurred during the 1-month period. Measures included the presence of clinical influenza-like illness based on signs, serology, and autopsy results. Of the 105 residents, 45 (42.8%) met the clinical definition for influenza-like illness. Eight autopsies were performed, and the causes of death consisting of bronchopneumonia in seven and aspiration pneumonia in one were compatible with influenza. There were no differences among those who died from those who lived with regards to age, race, gender, clinical influenza-like illness, vaccination status, diagnosis of Alzheimer disease, or duration of dementia (all p > or = 0.2). However, those who died were at a higher risk of dying due to a greater number of coexisting conditions (p < 0.01). Also, overall the groups differed in Mini-Mental State Examination and Bedford Alzheimer Nursing Scale scores with those who died being more impaired (p < 0.01). Thus, the presentation of influenza-like illness can be subtle in onset, underappreciated in this population, and not recognized until excess mortality, which affects the most frail, is noted. Care providers need to be vigilant during the winter months for the presence of influenza.     

Cerebral emboli and serum S100beta during cardiac operations

BACKGROUND: The glial protein S100beta has been used to estimate cerebral damage in a number of clinical settings. The purpose of this investigation was to determine the correlation between cerebral microemboli and S100beta levels during cardiac operations. METHODS: Transcranial Doppler ultrasonography was used to measure emboli in the right middle cerebral artery. Emboli counts (n = 111) were divided into five time periods: (1) incision to aortic cannulation; (2) aortic cannulation to cross-clamp onset; (3) cross-clamp onset to cross-clamp release; (4) cross-clamp release to decannulation; and (5) decannulation to chest closure. The level of S100beta (n = 156) was measured at baseline, at the end of cardiopulmonary bypass, then 150 and 270 minutes after cross-clamp release. RESULTS: The level of S100beta correlated with age, cardiopulmonary bypass time, cross-clamp time, and number of emboli at time period 2. Although cardiopulmonary bypass time was univariately associated with S100beta level, it became nonsignificant in a multivariable model that included age and cross-clamp time. CONCLUSIONS: The correlation of S100beta level with emboli measured during cannulation (time period 2) supports the hypothesis that cannulation is a high-risk time period for cerebral injury.