Dissolved organic matter processing and photoreactivity in a wastewater treatment constructed wetland.

Constructed wetlands have the capacity to degrade a host of contaminants of emerging concern through photodegradation via sunlight produced reactive oxygen species. Dissolved organic matter (DOM) is a critical intermediary in photodegradation as it influences the production of reactive oxygen species. In this study, the photochemical behavior of DOM of wastewater treated in constructed wetlands was characterized.

Correlating the chemical and spectroscopic characteristics of natural organic matter with the photodegradation of sulfamerazine.

The role of aquatic natural organic matter (NOM) in the removal of contaminants of emerging concern has been widely studied. Sulfamerazine (SMR), a sulfonamide antibiotic detected in aquatic environments, is implicated in environmental toxicity and may contribute to the resistance of bacteria to antibiotics. In aquatic systems sulfonamides may undergo direct photodegradation, and, indirect photodegradation through the generation of reactive species.

A review of opioid-induced itching after cesarean birth.

Currently, about one-third of all women giving birth have a cesarean surgical birth, and the majority are given an epidural or spinal anesthetic containing an opioid for surgery. An unpleasant side effect experienced by many of these women is itching. This article reviews the literature on itching after spinal and epidural administration of opioids and how nurses can best manage this side effect.

Breastfeeding concerns and experiences of African American mothers.

Objective: To explore the perinatal experiences of African American women in Florida for obtaining information about breastfeeding and also their breastfeeding experiences.

Methods: This qualitative study utilized convenience sampling of 253 African American women 18 to 35 years old in three Florida counties. Data were derived from the Healthy Futures Perinatal Research and System Design study.

Photochemistry of excited-state species in natural waters: a role for particulate organic matter.

Laser flash photolysis (LFP) was used to characterize a triplet excited state species isolated from Black River and San Joaquin wetlands particulate organic matter (POM). The solubilized organic matter, isolated from POM by pH-independent diffusion in distilled water, was named PdOM. UV-visible absorption spectroscopy, excitation-emission matrix spectroscopy (EEMs), and (1)H NMR were used to characterize the PdOM.

An enhanced capillary electrophoresis method for characterizing natural organic matter.

Natural organic matter (NOM) is ubiquitous and is one of the most complex naturally occurring mixtures. NOM plays an essential role in the global carbon cycle; atmospheric and natural water photochemistry; and the long-range transport of trace compounds and contaminants. There is a dearth of separation techniques capable of resolving this highly complex mixture.

Recent advances in structure and reactivity of dissolved organic matter: radiation chemistry of non-isolated natural organic matter and selected model compounds.

The importance of natural organic matter (NOM) as a source of carbon in natural waters, as the source of reactive oxygen species, or for the complications its presence causes in treatment of natural waters, is undeniable. Recent studies have also pointed to the major photochemical role of triplet excited state of natural organic matter in the environmental fate of pharmaceutical and personal care products (PPCPs) in waters. However, the characterization of NOM is problematic due to its complex molecular structure.

Antioxidants for Alzheimer disease: a randomized clinical trial with cerebrospinal fluid biomarker measures.

Objective: To evaluate whether antioxidant supplements presumed to target specific cellular compartments affected cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) biomarkers.

Design: Double-blind, placebo-controlled clinical trial.

Setting: Academic medical centers.

Lysine 624 of the amyloid precursor protein (APP) is a critical determinant of amyloid β peptide length: support for a sequential model of γ-secretase intramembrane proteolysis and regulation by the amyloid β precursor protein (APP) juxtamembrane region.

γ-Secretase is a multiprotein intramembrane cleaving aspartyl protease (I-CLiP) that catalyzes the final cleavage of the amyloid β precursor protein (APP) to release the amyloid β peptide (Aβ). Aβ is the primary component of senile plaques in Alzheimer's disease (AD), and its mechanism of production has been studied intensely. γ-Secretase executes multiple cleavages within the transmembrane domain of APP, with cleavages producing Aβ and the APP intracellular domain (AICD), referred to as γ and ε, respectively.

Exploring dental care misconceptions and barriers in pregnancy.

Background: Poor oral health is increasingly linked to adverse pregnancy outcomes, including preterm birth and low-birthweight infants. Little is known about childbearing women's experiences in obtaining dental care. The objective of this study was to explore Florida women's experience of barriers in obtaining dental care before and during their pregnancies.

An updated review of of evidence to discourage douching.

Purpose: To review current studies on vaginal douching.

Data Sources: MEDLINE PubMed, CINAHL, and Cochrane databases from 2002 to 2008 using MeSh terms "vaginal AND irrigation or vaginal and douching" from 2002 to 2003 and "vaginal douching" and "vaginal douching and adverse effects" from 2004 to 2008.

Study Selection: MEDLINE PubMed included 156 records, CINAHL 15, and Cochrane 10.

Induced dimerization of the amyloid precursor protein leads to decreased amyloid-beta protein production.

The amyloid precursor protein (APP) plays a central role in Alzheimer disease (AD) pathogenesis because sequential cleavages by beta- and gamma-secretase lead to the generation of the amyloid-beta (Abeta) peptide, a key constituent in the amyloid plaques present in brains of AD individuals. In several studies APP has recently been shown to form homodimers, and this event appears to influence Abeta generation. However, these studies have relied on APP mutations within the Abeta sequence itself that may affect APP processing by interfering with secretase cleavages independent of dimerization.

Substrate-targeting gamma-secretase modulators.

Selective lowering of Abeta42 levels (the 42-residue isoform of the amyloid-beta peptide) with small-molecule gamma-secretase modulators (GSMs), such as some non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs, is a promising therapeutic approach for Alzheimer's disease. To identify the target of these agents we developed biotinylated photoactivatable GSMs. GSM photoprobes did not label the core proteins of the gamma-secretase complex, but instead labelled the beta-amyloid precursor protein (APP), APP carboxy-terminal fragments and amyloid-beta peptide in human neuroglioma H4 cells.

Independent generation of Abeta42 and Abeta38 peptide species by gamma-secretase.

Proteolytic processing of the amyloid precursor protein by beta- and gamma-secretase generates the amyloid-beta (Abeta) peptides, which are principal drug targets in Alzheimer disease therapeutics. gamma-Secretase has imprecise cleavage specificity and generates the most abundant Abeta40 and Abeta42 species together with longer and shorter peptides such as Abeta38. Several mechanisms could explain the production of multiple Abeta peptides by gamma-secretase, including sequential processing of longer into shorter Abeta peptides.

Vaginal douching among university women in the southeastern United States.

Objective: The authors assessed the knowledge, beliefs about, and practices of vaginal douching among women attending 2 universities in the southeastern United States.

Participants: There were 416 participants in this study; 46.9% were black and 44.

Safety, tolerability, pharmacokinetics, and Abeta levels after short-term administration of R-flurbiprofen in healthy elderly individuals.

To evaluate the safety and tolerability and pharmacokinetic properties of R-flurbiprofen (Tarenflurbil) in normal elderly individuals and to determine the effect of the drug on amyloid beta 42 (Abeta42) levels, we conducted a double-blind, placebo-controlled study of 48 healthy subjects aged 55 to 80. Three successive cohorts were randomized to doses of 400, 800, or 1600 mg/d, or placebo, given as 2 divided doses for 21 days. Blood and cerebrospinal fluid were collected for pharmacokinetic studies and measurement of Abeta levels at baseline and on day 21.

Vaginal douching practices of women in eight Florida panhandle counties.

Objective: To document knowledge, beliefs, douching practices, prevalence of bacterial vaginosis, and preterm births in women who douche.

Design: Descriptive, cross-sectional nonexperimental design.

Setting: Six private midwifery/nurse practitioner offices and eight county health departments in the Florida panhandle.

A pilot proteomic study of amyloid precursor interactors in Alzheimer's disease.

Several approaches have been used in an effort to identify proteins that interact with beta-amyloid precursor protein (APP). However, few studies have addressed the identification of proteins associated with APP in brain tissue from patients with Alzheimer's disease. We report the results of a pilot proteomic study performed on complexes immunoprecipitated with APP in brain samples of patients with Alzheimer's disease and normal control subjects.

Self-perception in children with attention deficit/hyperactivity disorder.

The purpose of this study was to compare self-perceptions of children diagnosed with attention deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) with those of children not diagnosed with ADHD. Seventy-seven children aged 8-12 years composed the two groups-38 participants with ADHD and 39 control participants without ADHD. The children completed the Self-Perception Profile for Children Questionnaire designed to measure self-perceptions in school-aged children.

Maternal bacterial vaginosis and fetal/infant mortality in eight Florida counties, 1999 to 2000.

This study determined the prevalence of maternal bacterial vaginosis (BV) in fetal/infant mortality cases and factors associated with BV. A retrospective descriptive study was utilized. Data were obtained from review of vital statistics and medical records of 176 women experiencing fetal/infant deaths in eight Florida counties, 1999 to 2000.

Proteomic and immunochemical characterization of a role for stathmin in adult neurogenesis.

Stathmin is a developmentally regulated cytosolic protein expressed at high levels in the brain. Two-dimensional differential in-gel electrophoresis and mass spectroscopy of proteins expressed in immature and mature cultures from embryonic rat cerebral cortex identified stathmin among several differentially expressed proteins, consistent with a possible role in neurogenesis. Stathmin immunohistochemistry in adult rodent brain revealed prominent expression in neuroproliferative zones and neuronal migration pathways, a pattern that resembles the expression of doublecortin, which is implicated in neuronal migration.

Increased hippocampal neurogenesis in Alzheimer's disease.

Neurogenesis, which persists in the adult mammalian brain, may provide a basis for neuronal replacement therapy in neurodegenerative diseases like Alzheimer's disease (AD). Neurogenesis is increased in certain acute neurological disorders, such as ischemia and epilepsy, but the effect of more chronic neurodegenerations is uncertain, and some animal models of AD show impaired neurogenesis. To determine how neurogenesis is affected in the brains of patients with AD, we investigated the expression of immature neuronal marker proteins that signal the birth of new neurons in the hippocampus of AD patients.