Structures of sialylated oligosaccharides of human erythropoietin expressed in recombinant BHK-21 cells

The native structures of the Asn-linked oligosaccharides and the O-glycans at Ser126 of human erythropoietin expressed from recombinant BHK cells have been elucidated. Enzymatically released N-glycans were studied by methylation analyses, fast-atom-bombardment mass spectrometry as well as one- and two-dimensional 1H-NMR spectrometry at 600 MHz. Many (82.7%) were found to be tetraantennary N-acetyllactosamine-type (22.8% with one, 3.6% with two and 0.4% with three N-acetyllactosamine repeats) being tetrasialylated (41%), trisialylated (29.6%) and disialylated (12.2%). A few (9.7%; 4.1% 2,4-branched, 5.6%, 2,6-branched) of the chains were triantennary (5.4% trisialyl, 4.3% disialyl) and 4.6% were of the disialyl diantennary type. Almost all of the innermost GlcNAc residues were alpha 1-6 fucosylated and NeuAc was exclusively alpha 2-3 linked to Gal beta 1-4GlcNAc-R; 60% of the protein was found to be O-glycosylated at Ser126; structures were monosialylated (70%) or disialylated (30%) forms of the Gal beta 1-3GalNAc core type. Glycosylation patterns at individual Asn-Xaa-Thr/Ser sites were determined by analytical high-pH anion-exchange chromatography with pulsed amperometric detection. Only tetraantennary chains with 0-3 N-acetyllactosamine repeats were detected at Asn38 and Asn83, while almost all of the di- and triantennary oligosaccharides were attached to Asn24. Batch analysis of different preparations of recombinant erythropoietin revealed the high reproducibility of the production procedure. Structures containing terminal GalNAc-GlcNAc were detected in small amounts in a few batches.     

Juror competence in civil trials: Effects of preinstruction and evidence technicality.

48 jury-eligible adults heard 1 of 4 versions of a tort trial. The design combined high and moderate levels of evidence technicality and the placement of substantive judicial instructions either before or after evidence presentation. Jurors given instructions before hearing the evidence for liability and before the evidence for compensation made clear distinctions among 4 differentially worthy plaintiffs, whereas jurors instructed after evidence presentation were not able to distinguish among the plaintiffs. Preinstructions enabled jurors to devise a causal model, as measured by both verbal representation of the evidence and recognition tests, that contained more probative evidence and less nonprobative and evaluative information than the models constructed by jurors who were postinstructed. Preinstructed jurors were better able than postinstructed jurors to correctly reject recognition items not part of the trial text and to correctly identify items from the trial. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

A simple approach to intracytoplasmic sperm injection

OBJECTIVE: To describe a simple injection apparatus and method for performing intracytoplasmic sperm injection in a clinical IVF program. DESIGN: A prospective clinical trial of intracytoplasmic sperm injection. SETTING: A private office-based fertility program. PATIENTS: Five couples undergoing IVF-ET with intracytoplasmic sperm injection as a treatment for male factor infertility. INTERVENTIONS: Intracytoplasmic sperm injection was performed at room temperature (23.5 to 24.5 degrees C) in a simple zwitterion-buffered medium. MAIN OUTCOME MEASURES: Fertilization rates, cleavage rates, clinical pregnancy rates, implantation rates. RESULTS: Intracytoplasmic sperm injection was performed on 44 fresh oocytes from five patients. Twenty-three oocytes fertilized (52.3%) and 22 zygotes cleaved (95.7%). Three of five patients became pregnant (60%), resulting in the live birth of one normal male infant, one continuing singleton pregnancy, and one continuing twin gestation (46XX, 46XY). The implantation rate was 23.5%. CONCLUSION: Intracytoplasmic sperm injection can be performed successfully in a simple medium at room temperature using commercially available microtools.     

Antral gastritis in chronic alcoholism. Role of cirrhosis and Helicobacter pylori

OBJECTIVES: Antral gastritis is frequent in alcoholics. The role of H. pylori in the pathogenesis of gastritis in these patients is not well known. The aim of our study was to study the role of H. pylori and cirrhosis in the pathogenesis of antral gastritis in alcoholic patients. METHODS: Seventy-nine patients were included in the study. All underwent upper gastrointestinal tract endoscopy with antral biopsies, independently of the presence of abdominal pain, and had serological examination for H. pylori antibodies. RESULTS: Cirrhosis and gastritis were present in 50 and 40 patients respectively, H. pylori serological assay and histological identification of the bacterium were positive in 35 (44%) and 19 (24%) patients respectively. Discrepancy between the 2 tests were observed more frequently in cirrhotic patients. A positive serology with a negative histologic examination for H. pylori was present for 18 cirrhotic and 4 noncirrhotic patients (p < 0.05). A gastritis without evidence of H. pylori was more frequent in cirrhotic than in noncirrhotic patients. H. pylori was histologically present in 11 of 29 cirrhotic patients and in 8 of the 11 noncirrhotic patients with a gastritis (p < 0.05). CONCLUSIONS: Discrepancies between histological examination and H. pylori serology in patients with cirrhosis might be due to the inhospitable environment for H. pylori in case of portal hypertension; the positive serology could be in relation with a past infection.     

Predicting patient change from therapist competence and patient-therapist complementarity in short-term anxiety-provoking psychotherapy: A pilot study.

Examined therapist competence and patient–therapist complementarity, measured by the Structural Analysis of Social Behavior system (L. S. Benjamin, 1974), as to their interrelation and their unique, collective, and interactive contributions to patient change in 20 sessions of short-term anxiety-provoking psychotherapy (STAPP; P. E. Sifneos, 1979). Patients were 15 highly educated outpatients (mean age 30 yrs) with mainly anxiety diagnoses. Therapists were in postgraduate manual-guided STAPP training. Results show that competence in an early session did not relate to patient change. In contrast, patient–therapist complementarity ratings predicted patient change both alone and over and above competence. Predictions were strongest for changes in general distress and dysfunctional attitudes and for shorter term change rather than for longer term change. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Richard Lester Solomon (1918–1995): Obituary.

Memorializes Richard Solomon, one of the major learning theorists of the 2nd half of the 20th century. Solomon was named the 1st James M. Skinner University Professor of Science in 1975, was elected to the National Academy of Sciences, and was awarded, among other honors, the Warren Medal for research by the Society of Experimental Psychologists, the American Psychological Association Distinguished Scientific Contribution Award, and the American Psychological Foundation's Award for Distinguished Teaching in Experimental Psychology. He conducted research on a broad array of topics such as word frequency and perceptual defense, children's estimation of the size of tokens, hoarding behaviors in rats, and personality ratings and sociometric patterns. His work made a major contribution to the exploration of Pavlovian conditioning. Other topics of research focused on in Solomon's laboratories included avoidance learning, learned helplessness, punishment, and the opponent-process theory of acquired motivation. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)