3' Branch ligation: a novel method to ligate non-complementary DNA to recessed or internal 3'OH ends in DNA or RNA.

Nucleic acid ligases are crucial enzymes that repair breaks in DNA or RNA during synthesis, repair and recombination. Various genomic tools have been developed using the diverse activities of DNA/RNA ligases. Herein, we demonstrate a non-conventional ability of T4 DNA ligase to insert 5' phosphorylated blunt-end double-stranded DNA to DNA breaks at 3'-recessive ends, gaps, or nicks to form a Y-shaped 3'-branch structure.

Novel variants in human Aquaporin-4 reduce cellular water permeability.

Cerebral edema contributes significantly to morbidity and mortality after brain injury and stroke. Aquaporin-4 (AQP4), a water channel expressed in astrocytes, plays a key role in brain water homeostasis. Genetic variants in other aquaporin family members have been associated with disease phenotypes.

Virtual Northern analysis of the human genome.

Background: We applied the Virtual Northern technique to human brain mRNA to systematically measure human mRNA transcript lengths on a genome-wide scale.

Methodology/principal Findings: We used separation by gel electrophoresis followed by hybridization to cDNA microarrays to measure 8,774 mRNA transcript lengths representing at least 6,238 genes at high (>90%) confidence. By comparing these transcript lengths to the Refseq and H-Invitational full-length cDNA databases, we found that nearly half of our measurements appeared to represent novel transcript variants.

Outcome analysis of agility total ankle replacement with prior adjunctive procedures: two to six year followup.

Background: A retrospective case review of 65 agility total ankle replacements (64 patients) was done between April, 1998, and March, 2002. The purpose of this study was to more closely identify factors that may be predictive of a favorable outcome, including a comparison of outcome measures between patients who had preoperative corrective procedures and those patients who did not.

Methods: The outcomes of this series of patients were examined with post-operative Short Form (SF)-36 scores as well as chart and radiographic review.

Functional genomics of membrane transporters in human populations.

Although considerable progress has been made toward characterizing human DNA sequence variation, there remains a deficiency in information on human phenotypic variation at the single-gene level. We systematically analyzed the function of all protein-altering variants of eleven membrane transporters in heterologous expression systems. Coding-region variants were identified by screening DNA from a large sample (n = 247-276) of ethnically diverse subjects.

Genome-wide analysis of mRNA lengths in Saccharomyces cerevisiae.

Background: Although the protein-coding sequences in the Saccharomyces cerevisiae genome have been studied and annotated extensively, much less is known about the extent and characteristics of the untranslated regions of yeast mRNAs.

Results: We developed a 'Virtual Northern' method, using DNA microarrays for genome-wide systematic analysis of mRNA lengths. We used this method to measure mRNAs corresponding to 84% of the annotated open reading frames (ORFs) in the S.

Genomic characterization of the human heterotrimeric G protein alpha, beta, and gamma subunit genes.

Heterotrimeric guanine nucleotide binding proteins (G proteins) transduce extracellular signals received by transmembrane receptors to effector proteins. Each subunit of the G protein complex is encoded by a member of one of three corresponding gene families. Currently, 16 different members of the alpha subunit family, 5 different members of the beta subunit family, and 11 different members of the gamma subunit family have been described in mammals.

Regional and temporal changes in the acoustic properties of fracture callus in secondary bone healing.

Controlled fractures were created in the right femora of 17 male Sprague-Dawley rats. The fractured limbs were harvested at 2, 4, 6, and 8 weeks after fracture, fixed, and embedded in polymethylmethacrylate. Midsagittal sections from each animal were evaluated with a scanning acoustic microscope, a device that generates an acoustic impedance map of the scanned material.

Evaluation of the CellTrak computer-assisted sperm analysis system in comparison to the Cellsoft system to measure human sperm hyperactivation.

Objective: To measure and compare sperm hyperactivation (HA) and associated motility parameters using the CellTrak (Motion Analysis Corporation, Santa Rosa, CA) and Cellsoft (Cryo Resources, New York, NY) Computer-Assisted Sperm Analysis (CASA) Systems. The accuracy of the CellTrak system also was assessed by repeated measurements of the same sample.

Setting: A university-affiliated tertiary care center.

Cardiopulmonary resuscitation of the elderly.

Cardiopulmonary resuscitation (CPR) has been practiced since 1960. In mixed-age populations there is about a 10 per cent survival rate. Most CPR studies state that "age alone" is not a critical factor in survival.