Modulation of the allosteric and vasoregulatory arms of erythrocytic oxygen transport.

Efficient distribution of oxygen (O) to the tissues in mammals depends on the evolved ability of red blood cell (RBC) hemoglobin (Hb) to sense not only O levels, but metabolic cues such as pH, PCO, and organic phosphates, and then dispense or take up oxygen accordingly. O delivery is the product of not only oxygen release from RBCs, but also blood flow, which itself is also governed by vasoactive molecular mediators exported by RBCs. These vascular signals, including ATP and S-nitrosothiols (SNOs) are produced and exported as a function of the oxygen and metabolic milieu, and then fine-tune peripheral metabolism through context-sensitive vasoregulation.

Stability of nucleic acid bases in concentrated sulfuric acid: Implications for the habitability of Venus' clouds.

What constitutes a habitable planet is a frontier to be explored and requires pushing the boundaries of our terracentric viewpoint for what we deem to be a habitable environment. Despite Venus' 700 K surface temperature being too hot for any plausible solvent and most organic covalent chemistry, Venus' cloud-filled atmosphere layers at 48 to 60 km above the surface hold the main requirements for life: suitable temperatures for covalent bonds; an energy source (sunlight); and a liquid solvent. Yet, the Venus clouds are widely thought to be incapable of supporting life because the droplets are composed of concentrated liquid sulfuric acid-an aggressive solvent that is assumed to rapidly destroy most biochemicals of life on Earth.

Generation and Export of Red Blood Cell ATP in Health and Disease.

Metabolic homeostasis in animals depends critically on evolved mechanisms by which red blood cell (RBC) hemoglobin (Hb) senses oxygen (O) need and responds accordingly. The entwined regulation of ATP production and antioxidant systems within the RBC also exploits Hb-based O-sensitivity to respond to various physiologic and pathophysiologic stresses. O offloading, for example, promotes glycolysis in order to generate both 2,3-DPG (a negative allosteric effector of Hb O binding) and ATP.

An occurrence of sepsis during inpatient fecal disimpaction.

Functional constipation is a common pediatric problem that is often treated through well-established algorithms. Fecal disimpaction is the initial therapeutic step, and severe cases require hospitalization for intensive therapies. We describe a significant unexpected complication of this common clinical situation.

A procedure for assessing intervention fidelity in experiments testing educational and behavioral interventions.

An intervention's effectiveness is judged by whether it produces positive outcomes for participants, with the randomized experiment being the gold standard for determining intervention effects. However, the intervention-as-implemented in an experiment frequently differs from the intervention-as-designed, making it unclear whether unfavorable results are due to an ineffective intervention model or the failure to implement the model fully. It is therefore vital to accurately and systematically assess intervention fidelity and, where possible, incorporate fidelity data in the analysis of outcomes.

Written content indicators of problematic approach behavior toward political officials.

Those charged with assessing and managing threatening communications must utilize risk factors that are behavioral, operational, and reasonably attainable during investigations. This project examined 326 written correspondence cases of an inappropriate, disruptive, or threatening nature that targeted political officials, with the specific goal of identifying written content indicators of problematic approach behavior. Results revealed that subjects who engaged in problematic approach activity toward their targets had more criminal history, past threat assessment activity, familiarity with firearms, past substance use, and indicators of serious mental illness.

Epidemiology of severe injuries among United States high school athletes: 2005-2007.

Background: Over 7 million students participate in high school athletics annually. Despite numerous health benefits, high school athletes are at risk for injury.

Hypothesis: Severe injury rates and patterns differ by gender and type of exposure.

Assay of the activity of malonyl-coenzyme A decarboxylase by gas chromatography-mass spectrometry.

We developed a gas chromatography-mass spectrometry (GC-MS) assay to measure the activity of malonyl-coenzyme A (CoA) decarboxylase (MCD) in crude tissue homogenates. Liver extracts are incubated with [U-(13)C(3)]malonyl-CoA to form [U-(13)C(2)]acetyl-CoA by the action of MCD. The reaction mixture contains 2 mM ADP to prevent the hydrolysis of [1,2-(13)C(2)]acetyl-CoA by acetyl-CoA hydrolase present in the extracts.

Rhenium bipyridine complexes for the recognition of glucose.

Bipyridine ligands containing pendant methyl, amino, and amino-boronic acid groups were synthesized. Coordination complexes of these ligands with rhenium were prepared straightforwardly and in good yield. The fluorescence behavior of the Re complexes was studied as a function of pH and exposure to various concentrations of glucose.

Mammaglobin expression in primary, metastatic, and occult breast cancer.

The mammaglobin gene encodes a novel, breast cancer-associated glycoprotein. In this study, we have evaluated the frequency with which mammaglobin expression can be detected in primary and metastatic breast tumors and in breast tumor cells present in the peripheral circulation. Of 100 primary human breast tumors examined, 81 were strongly immunopositive for mammaglobin protein.

Identification of mammaglobin B, a novel member of the uteroglobin gene family.

In this report, we have identified, sequenced, and characterized the expression pattern of a novel human gene, mammaglobin B. Mammaglobin B (MGB2) is highly homologous to mammaglobin (MGB1), a previously characterized human gene whose expression is limited to the mammary epithelium and frequently up-regulated in human breast cancer cells. Based upon amino acid sequence similarities, both mammaglobin and mammaglobin B may be considered members of a larger, mammalian multigene family that includes rabbit uteroglobin, human Clara Cell 10-kDa protein (CC10), and the multimeric rat prostatein protein.

Structure and transcriptional regulation of the human mammaglobin gene, a breast cancer associated member of the uteroglobin gene family localized to chromosome 11q13.

The mammaglobin gene encodes a novel secreted protein whose corresponding mRNA is frequently up-regulated in human breast cancer. In non-malignant tissues, expression is also strictly limited to the mammary epithelium. To better understand the mechanisms controlling these patterns of expression, we have isolated the human mammaglobin gene and performed an initial assessment of its promoter activity.

Tissue repair using lasers: a review.

Numerous attempts have been made to use heating of tissue to effect an anastomotic union of severed tissue edges. Improvements in electrocautery and lasers have made experimental tissue anastomosis feasible; but clinical application of tissue welding has involved only limited clinical trials. Using heat to anastomose tissue is fraught with complications.

Measurement of the local electron density by means of stimulated Raman scattering in a laser-produced gas jet plasma.

By measuring the spectrum of the backscattered light from a short-pulse laser-produced plasma in a gas jet, a direct and highly accurate measurement of the local electron density can be obtained. The measurement is based on the density-dependent spectral shift of the backscattered Raman wave.

Platelet membrane vesicles reduced microvascular bleeding times in thrombocytopenic rabbits.

We investigated the possible role of platelet membrane vesicles on hemostatic function in vivo. Platelet membrane vesicles were prepared from rabbit platelets stored for up to 6 months at -65 degrees C and transfused into thrombocytopenic rabbits. Significant reductions in microvascular bleeding times were observed up to 24 hours after transfusion, with the greatest corrections at 4 hours.

Novel small-angle collective Thomson scattering system.

A Thomson scattering opticals system is described with the following characteristics: (1) it allows scattering angles down to 1 mrad before collection optics interfere with beam dumping; (2) it gives excellent k resolution for angles of > or approximately 1.5 mrad; (3) it collects light from a scattering volume which can be variably positioned without optical realignment; and (4) it is compact in size. The design, test data, and an application to ruby-laser scattering from 100-microm wavelength plasma waves are presented.

Pathology of modified graft-versus-host disease in bone marrow allografted monkeys treated with antilymphocyte serum.

Lethally irradiated rhesus monkeys were used for bone marrow allografting and autografting. Monkeys receiving allogeneic bone marrow developed acute graft-versus-host reaction (GVHR) and had a mean survival time of 9.1 days as compared to autografted monkeys which survived above 500 days.