Islet amyloid polypeptide in patients with pancreatic cancer and diabetes

Population-based psychiatric admission rates vary across geographic areas, but reasons for this variation are unknown. Insofar as Community Mental Health Centers (CMHCs) provide outpatient services that may deter the need for hospitalization, the presence and structural characteristics of CMHCs may have an impact on a population's psychiatric admission rates. This study uses small area analysis to examine how general hospital psychiatric admission rates are associated with CMHC characteristics. Based on a survey of all CMHCs in Iowa and corresponding small area variation data, it was found that population admission rates were higher in areas closer to the CMHC and lower in outlying catchment areas, adjusting for age, sex, and urban/rural differences in populations. There was little evidence that differences in staffing and service variables influenced admission rates, although greater CMHC staff coverage by social workers and psychiatric residents was associated with lower admission rates. The results suggest that CMHCs do not lower an area's hospitalization rate, and in fact, the presence of CMHCs may promote a "supplier-induced demand" phenomenon of higher admissions.     

Energy conversion at liquid/liquid interfaces: artificial photosynthetic systems

This chapter focuses on multielectron reactions in organized assemblies of molecules at the liquid/liquid interface. We describe the thermodynamic and kinetic parameters of such reactions, including the structure of the reaction centers, charge movement along the electron transfer pathways, and the role of electric double layers in artificial photosynthesis. Some examples of artificial photosynthesis at the oil/water interface are considered, including water photooxidation to the molecular oxygen, oxygen photoreduction, photosynthesis of amphiphilic compounds and proton evolution by photochemical processes.     

Learning of sequential movements in the monkey: process of learning and retention of memory

1. To characterize procedural learning and memory, we devised a behavioral paradigm that allows us to examine the process of learning of new procedures, repeatedly and without serious difficulties for primate subjects. We trained two monkeys to perform a sequential button press task. Upon pressing of a home key, 2 of 16 (4 x 4 matrix) light-emitting diode (LED) buttons (called "set") were illuminated simultaneously, and the monkey had to press them in a predetermined order that he had to find out by trial-and-error. A total of five sets (called "hyperset") was presented in a fixed order for completion of a trial; an error at any set aborted the trial. A given hyperset was repeated as a block of experiment until 20 successful trials were performed. Monkeys PI and BO experienced 313 and 92 hypersets, respectively. Most of these hypersets were experienced only once (1 block of experiment); the others (28 hypersets for monkey PI and 14 hypersets for monkey BO) were chosen for extensive practice. 2. The learning, indicated as the decrease in the number of trials to criterion and the decrease in the performance time, proceeded at three levels: 1) short-term and sequence-selective learning that occurred by repeating a particular hyperset during a block of experiment; our monkeys learned, to some degree, to perform a new hyperset within a short period (< 5 min); 2) long-term and sequence-selective learning that took place for each hyperset across days; by daily practice, they further improved their skills for performing the particular hyperset; and 3) long-term and sequence-unselective learning that was indicated by the improvement of performance for new hypersets; the monkeys were required to learn many hypersets, each just once (a block of trials), in which they performed gradually better with more experiences in the 2 x 5 task. 3. To examine whether the memory was retained for a long period, we had the monkey learn 12 hypersets sufficiently, then we stopped the training and retested them after 1 or 6 mo. After the 1-mo interruption the performance was significantly better than that for new hypersets. After the 6-mo interruption the performance was not different from new hypersets in terms of the number of trials but was significantly better than new hypersets in terms of the performance time. The results suggest that motor memory (measured by performance time) can be retained longer than procedural memory (measured by the number of trials).     

From research to practice: the effects of the jointly sponsored dissemination of an arthritis self-care nursing intervention

Various educational programs have been developed and found to be effective in the self-management of arthritis. This study reexamined the effectiveness of one such program, "Bone Up On Arthritis" (BUOA), when the program was delivered by a community-based service organization to a sample of persons (N = 154) who differed widely in disease type and demographic characteristics. Arthritis Foundation staff implemented BUOA at four national sites; data were collected and analyzed by University of Michigan nurse researchers. Investigators found improved scores on all outcome measures (self-care behavior, helplessness, pain, dysfunction, and depression). These findings suggest that "Bone Up" is an effective nursing intervention in multiple organizational and community environments and for diverse patient populations.     

Experimental estimation of the influence of the droplet evaporation process on the conditions of movement in an oncoming high-temperature gas flow

By means of high-speed video registration, the cross-correlation system, and panoramic optical methods of trace visualization, experimental estimation of the influence of liquid (water) droplet evaporation on the conditions of droplet movement (acceleration and deceleration) through the high-temperature (about 1100 K) gases was made. The experiments were conducted with droplets about 1–6 mm in diameter at start velocities of 1–5 m/s. We compare the integral characteristics of the droplet movement in the air at a temperature of about 300 K (in the ongoing flow and through the steady gas medium) and in the combustion product flow at a temperature of about 1100 K. The gas and the air flow velocities were about 1.5 m/s. The typical difference in the droplet velocities under essentially different ambient temperatures was discovered. The contribution of water evaporation and the ongoing gas movement into droplet deceleration was discovered.     

Kinetics of Competitive Sorption in Decontamination of Materials from Radionuclides

kinetic model of the mass transfer of a microcomponent in the simplest competitive system from the sorbed state (A) into a solution (B) and then into a sorbent (C) in accordance with the scheme A ? B ? C was formulated within the framework of competitive sorption statics. The kinetic equations were solved numerically. The influence exerted by the weight of competing sorbents А and С and by the degree of reversibility of linear reactions on the nonequilibrium decontamination factor K_dec(t) was determined. The time in which the equilibrium decontamination factor is attained for the model of chemical sorption kinetics was estimated from the experimental data on the rate constants of direct and reverse heterogeneous reactions and on the distribution coefficients of Cs(I) in the SiO₂ (A)–CsCl solution (B)–Prussian Blue (C) system.     

Inhibition of neuronal calcium channels by a novel peptide spider toxin, DW13.3

Peptide toxins have proved to be useful agents, both in discriminating between different components of native calcium channel currents and in the molecular isolation and designation of their cloned channel counterparts. Here, we describe the isolation and characterization of the biochemical and physiological properties of a novel 74-amino acid peptide toxin (DW13.3) extracted from the venom of the spider Filistata hibernalis. The subtype specificity of DW13.3 was investigated using calcium channel currents recorded from two separate expression systems and several different cultured mammalian cell preparations. Overall, DW13.3 potently blocked all native calcium channel currents studied, with the exception of T-type currents recorded from GH3 cells. Examination of transiently expressed calcium channels in oocytes showed that DW13.3 had the highest affinity for alpha1A, followed by alpha1B > alpha1C > alpha1E. The affinity of DW13.3 for alpha1B N-type currents varied by 10-fold between expressed channels and native currents. Although block occurred in a similar 1:1 manner for all subtypes, DW13.3 produced a partial block of both alpha1A currents and P-type currents in cerebellar Purkinje cells. Selective occlusion of the P/Q-type channel ligand omega-conotoxin MVIIC (but not omega-agatoxin IVA) from its binding site in Purkinje neurons suggests that DW13.3 binds to a site close to the pore of the channel. The inhibition of different subtypes of calcium channels by DW13.3 reflects a common "macro" binding site present on all calcium channels except T-type.     

The crystal structure of the immunity protein of colicin E7 suggests a possible colicin-interacting surface

The immunity protein of colicin E7 (ImmE7) can bind specifically to the DNase-type colicin E7 and inhibit its bactericidal activity. Here we report the 1.8-angstrom crystal structure of the ImmE7 protein. This is the first x-ray structure determined in the superfamily of colicin immunity proteins. The ImmE7 protein consists of four antiparallel alpha-helices, folded in a topology similar to the architecture of a four-helix bundle structure. A region rich in acidic residues is identified. This negatively charged area has the greatest variability within the family of DNase-type immunity proteins; thus, it seems likely that this area is involved in specific binding to colicin. Based on structural, genetic, and kinetic data, we suggest that all the DNase-type immunity proteins, as well as colicins, share a "homologous-structural framework" and that specific interaction between a colicin and its cognate immunity protein relies upon how well these two proteins' charged residues match on the interaction surface, thus leading to specific immunity of the colicin.