Implementing maternal and newborn health quality of care standards in healthcare facilities to improve the adoption of respectful maternity care in Bangladesh, Ghana and Tanzania: a controlled before and after study.

Introduction: Many women worldwide cannot access respectful maternity care (RMC). We assessed the effect of implementing maternal and newborn health (MNH) quality of care standards on RMC measures.

Methods: We used a facility-based controlled before and after design in 43 healthcare facilities in Bangladesh, Ghana and Tanzania.

The crystal structure of the reduced, Zn2+-bound form of the B. subtilis Hsp33 chaperone and its implications for the activation mechanism.

The bacterial heat shock protein Hsp33 is a redox-regulated chaperone activated by oxidative stress. In response to oxidation, four cysteines within a Zn2+ binding C-terminal domain form two disulfide bonds with concomitant release of the metal. This leads to the formation of the biologically active Hsp33 dimer.

Harvesting the high-hanging fruit: the structure of the YdeN gene product from Bacillus subtilis at 1.8 angstroms resolution.

High-throughput (HT) protein crystallography is severely impeded by the relatively low success rate of protein crystallization. Proteins whose structures are not solved in the HT pipeline owing to attrition in any phase of the project are referred to as the high-hanging fruit, in contrast to those proteins that yielded good-quality crystals and crystal structures, which are referred to as low-hanging fruit. It has previously been shown that proteins that do not crystallize in the wild-type form can have their surfaces engineered by site-directed mutagenesis in order to create patches of low conformational entropy that are conducive to forming intermolecular interactions.

Proteome of Caulobacter crescentus cell cycle publicly accessible on SWICZ server.

Here we present the Swiss-Czech Proteomics Server (SWICZ), which hosts the proteomic database summarizing information about the cell cycle of the aquatic bacterium Caulobacter crescentus. The database provides a searchable tool for easy access of global protein synthesis and protein stability data as examined during the C. crescentus cell cycle.

Determination of ethyl glucuronide in human hair by SPE and LC-MS/MS.

A method for the sensitive and selective determination of ethyl glucuronide (EtG) in hair has been developed using solid-phase extraction (SPE) and liquid chromatography-tandem mass spectrometry (LC-MS/MS). Washed and cut hair segments were extracted by ultrasonication (3h, 50 degrees C) and the extracts were cleaned-up with aminopropyl SPE columns. LC-MS/MS analysis was performed using a polar-endcapped phenyl-hexyl-RP-phase with negative mode electrospray ionisation (ESI) using a triple quadrupole mass spectrometer (Sciex API 365) with a turboionspray source and post-column addition of acetonitrile for enhanced sensitivity.

Improvement of ethyl glucuronide determination in human urine and serum samples by solid-phase extraction.

An improved method for the determination of ethyl glucuronide (EtG) in human serum and urine was developed using solid-phase extraction (SPE) and gas chromatography (GC) with mass spectrometric detection (MS). EtG was isolated from serum and urine using aminopropyl SPE columns after deproteination with perchloric acid and hydrochloric acid, respectively. The chromatographic separation was performed on a DB 1701 fused-silica column.

Cerebral microembolism, a disease marker for ischemic cerebrovascular events in the antiphospholipid syndrome of systemic lupus erythematosus?

Objectives: We investigated whether the detectability of microembolic Doppler signals (MES) in the intracranial circulation may help to define the individual cerebrovascular risk in systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE) with antiphospholipid syndrome (APS).

Material And Methods: Retrospective cross-sectional study of 70 patients with SLE with or without APS, and 30 controls with a history of cerebral ischemia of unknown cause. Of all patients, 38 had a clinical history of APS and 32 did not.

[Thallium perfusion scintigraphy and bicycle ergometry in the diagnosis of ischemic heart disease. Comparison with coronarography findings].

In 76 patients (66 men and 10 women, age 20-71 years) with stable angina pectoris planar thallium myocardial perfusion scintigraphy, bicycle ergometry and coronary angiography were performed. Thallium scintigraphy was highly sensitive (97%) for detection of ischaemic heart disease, the sensitivity of ergometry was 75%. When comparing patients with affected 1, 2 and 3 coronary arteries perfusion scintigraphy had a sensitivity of 100%, 90% and 100% resp.

Protein kinase associated with ribosomes phosphorylates ribosomal proteins of Streptomyces collinus.

Protein kinase activity associated with ribosomes of a kirromycin-producing strain of Streptomyces collinus was detected. The enzyme utilizes [gamma-32P]ATP to phosphorylate proteins, yielding acid-stable phosphoamino acids. Two-dimensional electrophoresis of proteins from a crude ribosomal fraction revealed 17 phosphoproteins.

Cerebral microemboli in patients with antiphospholipid syndrome.

CNS involvement is one of the hallmarks underlying poor prognosis in SLE and for therapeutic strategies it is difficult to assess which patients are at risk. As detectability of cerebral microembolic signals (MES) using long-term transcranial Doppler ultrasonography (TCD) proved to be predictive of past and future thromboembolic events in patients with carotid artery stenosis, we investigated whether MES might be similarly useful in patients with antiphospholipid syndrome (APS). Our study population consisted of 46 SLE patients and five with primary APS (pAPS).

Cerebral microembolism in patients with Sneddon's syndrome.

Background: The pathogenesis of Sneddon's syndrome is unclear. This study addresses the question whether cerebral thromboembolism may be involved in the pathogenesis of the neurologic complications of the disorder. The study consisted of 13 patients with Sneddon's syndrome defined by both generalized livedo reticularis and a history of one or more cerebrovascular ischemic events; none had clinical or Doppler ultrasonographic evidence of atherosclerosis.

[Immunosuppressive therapy of myocarditis?].

Clinical and experimental data suggest that autoimmunological mechanisms may play an important role in the pathogenesis of postmyocardial cardiomyopathy. This may be due to the viral infection itself, or may be induced by persistence of the virus. On this basis immunosuppressive therapy aimed at preventing the progression of myocarditis to dilated cardiomyopathy is discussed.

A comparison of four immunometric assays for myeloperoxidase using luminescent and colorimetric signal detection.

This communication presents four different assay systems for the determination of myeloperoxidase in body fluids. One is based on conventional chemiluminescence, two on luminescence-amplified enzyme measurement using either spiroadamantane-1,2-dioxetanes with alkaline phosphatase or luminol/peroxidase/4-iodophenol coupled with a peroxidase label. The assays covered the range 0-600 micrograms/l peroxidase.

Long-term preservation of active luminous bacteria by lyophilization.

A simple method for long-term preservation of luminous bacteria is described. Cells of Vibrio fischeri, Photobacterium leiognathi and four strains of P. phosphoreum were suspended in a protective medium of low ionic strength (1% NaCl) supplemented with 15% lactose and 2% soluble starch, and lyophilized.

Antibody-mediated enhancement of calcium permeability in cardiac myocytes.

Our study shows that antibodies, specific to the ADP/ATP carrier of the inner mitochondrial membrane, crossreact with the cell surface of cardiac myocytes, where the calcium channel seems to be the antigenic determinant. The antibodies enhanced the calcium current and suppressed its inactivation. Affinity-purified antibodies (IgG) exhibit an acute cytotoxic effect, which required extracellular calcium and was prevented by calcium channel blockers.

An antibiotic-overproducing mutant of Streptomyces granaticolor with impaired differentiation.

A thy- tetracycline-resistant mutant of Streptomyces granaticolor was prepared by mutagenesis of the parental strain ETH 7437. The mutant exhibits a different morphology and an overproduction of granaticins. The ability to form an aerial mycelium and spores has been lost.

Preparation and sequencing of the cloacin fragment of Streptomyces aureofaciens 16S RNA.

A fast method for isolation of a 3'-terminal fragment of Streptomyces aureofaciens 16S RNA was developed. The procedure involves reaction of 70S ribosomes with cloacin DF13 and subsequent fractionation of the reaction mixture by polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis. The cloacin fragment was eluted from the gel and used directly for 3'-end labeling with cytidine-3',5'-[5'-32P]bisphosphate.

Gene rpmF for ribosomal protein L32 and gene rimJ for a ribosomal protein acetylating enzyme are located near pyrC (23.4 min) in Escherichia coli.

An Escherichia coli mutant harbouring altered ribosomal protein L32 has been isolated and genetically characterized. The mutation leading to this alteration (rpmF) and the temperature-sensitive mutation (ts-1517) present in the same strain were found to map near pyrC (23.4 min), being cotransducible not only with pyrC but also with fabD, flaT and purB in P1 phage mediated transductions.

RNA and ribosomal protein patterns during aerial spore germination in Streptomyces granaticolor.

Disruption of the external sheath of Streptomyces granaticolor aerial spores and subsequent cultivation in a rich medium result in a synchronous germination. This method was used to analyze RNA and protein patterns during the germination. The germination process took place through a sequence of time-ordered events.

Susceptibility of ribosomes of the tetracycline-producing strain of Streptomyces aureofaciens to tetracyclines.

Ribosomes from cells of Streptomyces aureofaciens producing tetracycline antibiotics (Tc-ribosomes) differ in electrophoretic mobility of ribosomal proteins S2, S10 and L19 from those of the same strain, where the production of tetracyclines was suppressed by changed cultivation conditions (C-ribosomes). Purified tight vacant couples C- and Tc-ribosomes are equally active in the translation of poly(U). Both types of S.

Ribosomal proteins of Streptomyces aureofaciens producing tetracycline.

Three different two-dimensional polyacrylamide gel electrophoretic systems were employed for identification of individual ribosomal proteins of Streptomyces aureofaciens. Proteins of small subunits were resolved into 21 spots. Larger ribosomal subunits contained 35 proteins.

Isolation and characterization of Streptomyces aureofaciens protein-synthesis elongation factor Tu in an aggregated state.

The ability of EF-Tu to aggregate spontaneously was employed for the purification of homogeneous EF-Tu . GDP from Streptomyces aureofaciens. The formation of filamentous structures in the aggregated EF-Tu was demonstrated in a light microscope.

Macromolecular synthesis accompanying the transition from spores to vegetative forms of Streptomyces granaticolor.

The rates of RNA, protein and DNA synthesis were estimated in synchronously germinating spores of Streptomyces granaticolor. Rapid uptake of labelled precursors of RNA and proteins was observed after 20 s. The germination process took place through a sequence of time-ordered events.