Physical Activity, but Not Glycaemic Load, Is Associated with Lower Real-Time Glycaemic Control in Free-Living Women with Gestational Diabetes Mellitus.

Maintaining blood glucose within the target range is the primary treatment goal for women with gestational diabetes mellitus (GDM). Foods with low glycaemic loads are recommended in clinical practice; however, the relative importance of other key lifestyle variables is unexplored. This pilot study explored the associations of glycaemic load, carbohydrates and physical activity parameters on blood glucose concentrations in free-living women with GDM.

Three short postmeal walks as an alternate therapy to continuous walking for women with gestational diabetes.

The purpose of this study was to determine whether postmeal walking (PMW, breaking up exercise into short bouts after meals) is an effective and feasible alternative to continuous walking for the management of gestational diabetes. Forty-one women with gestational diabetes were randomised between weeks 28-30 gestation to either standard care (30 minutes continuous exercise) or standard care with PMW (10 minutes of walking after breakfast, lunch, and dinner). Continuous glucose and activity monitors were worn to measure glycaemic control and adherence during 3 days of standard care (baseline) followed by 3 days of postmeal or continuous walking.

A new and sensitive on-line liquid chromatography/mass spectrometric approach for top-down protein analysis: the comprehensive analysis of human growth hormone in an E. coli lysate using a hybrid linear ion trap/Fourier transform ion cyclotron resonance mass spectrometer.

A sensitive, integrated top-down liquid chromatography/mass spectrometry (LC/MS) approach, suitable for the near complete characterization of specific proteins in complex protein mixtures, such as inclusion bodies of an E. coli lysate, has been successfully developed using a hybrid linear ion trap/Fourier transform ion cyclotron resonance (FTICR) mass spectrometer. In particular, human growth hormone (hGH) (200 fmol) was analyzed with high sequence coverage (>95%), including the sites of disulfide linkages.

The potential for telemedicine to improve coronary heart disease services.

The potential of telemedicine to improve services for patients suffering from coronary heart disease (CHD) was explored. Key issues surrounding the delivery of CHD services in London were identified, such as a shortage of skilled staff, the need for appropriate patient information and problems with waiting times, particularly for diagnostic test results. Telemedicine has the potential to improve service delivery in each of these areas.

Telemedicine options appraisal for a health district--a strategic clinical and business case.

A clinical and business plan examined five areas in which telemedicine could be introduced to support the strategic objectives of a large health authority: coronary heart disease; links between community hospitals and local care centres and acute hospitals; store-and-forward consultations; care in the community; and mental health. The plan identified substantial clinical, organizational and economic potential benefits, which were greatest when a radical re-engineering of the service was envisaged. Similar studies in other health districts would help to test these conclusions and inform future health service planning.

Erythrocyte spectrin is an E2 ubiquitin conjugating enzyme.

The involvement of red blood cell spectrin in the ubiquitination process was studied. Spectrin was found to form two ubiquitin-associated derivatives, a DTT-sensitive ubiquitin adduct and a DTT-insensitive conjugate, characteristic intermediate and final products of the ubiquitination reaction cascade. In addition to spectrin and ubiquitin, ubiquitin-activating enzyme (E1) and ATP were necessary and sufficient to form both the spectrin-ubiquitin adduct and conjugate.

The potential for telemedicine and telecare in Deptford.

We carried out a study to explore the potential of telemedicine and telecare to improve health-care for the population served by a health centre based in Deptford in south-east London. A wide range of potentially useful telemedicine and telecare applications was identified, nine of which could provide some immediate benefit. Other requiring new approaches to the delivery of care involved some reengineering of services.

Application of liquid chromatography-mass spectrometry(n) analyses to the characterization of novel glyburide metabolites formed in vitro.

The application of bench-top ion-trap atmospheric pressure ionization mass spectrometry in the characterization of in vitro metabolites of glyburide is discussed. The metabolites formed in vitro by rat, dog, monkey and human liver microsomes were separated by reversed-phase high-performance liquid chromatography (HPLC) and characterized by mass spectrometry (MS)n experiments. The utility of data dependent MS1-MS2-MS3 analyses, where the mass spectrometer makes "real-time" decisions about the experiment to be performed, are described using the characterization of two novel metabolites of glyburide as an example.

Drug quantitation on a benchtop liquid chromatography-tandem mass spectrometry system.

The specificity and selectivity of LC-MS-MS is illustrated to explain why LC-MS-MS has become the method of choice for quantitation within the pharmaceutical industry. Two assays are described that demonstrate the facility with which new ion trap technology can utilize the selectivity and sensitivity of LC-MS-MS to quantitate trace level components within complex matrices, in particular human plasma. One assay undergoes a validation procedure and demonstrates the utility of this new technology for drug quantitation within a regulated environment.

Quadrupole ion trap mass spectrometry.

A number of other features of ITMS systems that will enhance their ability to analyze biological macromolecules are worth mentioning. As has already been demonstrated for ESI/quadrupole, ESI/magnetic sector, and ESI/FTICR systems, the capability of inducing fragmentation of the ESI-generated multiply charged ions of biological macromolecules in the capillary/skimmer region of the ESI source and subsequently selectively analyzing fragments can also be carried out with the QITMS, as we have demonstrated using bovine serum albumin (data not shown). The ability to carry out chemical reactions on biological macromolecules inside the QITMS has been demonstrated by McCluckey et al.

Rapid high-sensitivity peptide mapping by liquid chromatography-mass spectrometry.

Toward a complete LC-MS mapping system for peptides and proteins, we have coupled a precision-flow microbore HPLC system to an electrospray single quadrupole mass spectrometer. The HPLC system allows fast separation of protein digests with UV detection at the low pmol level. A 2 microliters/min portion (1:25) of the effluent is passed into a high-sensitivity electrospray MS system.

Mass spectrometry software for biochemical analysis in electrospray and fast atom bombardment modes.

New mass spectrometry techniques, such as electrospray ionization (ESI), allow the study of large biomolecules and peptide mixtures. The data produced are complex and interpretation can be a long and tedious process. A new suite of data-processing software is described which allows many of these operations to be carried out in a rapid, automated way.

High resolution on a quadrupole ion trap mass spectrometer.

By using a modified ion trap mass spectrometer, resolution in excess of 30,000 (FWHM) at m I z 502 is demonstrated. The method of increasing resolution in the ion trap mass spectrometer operated in the mass-selective instability mode depends on decreasing the rate of scanning the primary radio frequency amplitude as well as using resonance ejection at the appropriate frequency and amplitude. A theoretical basis for the method is introduced.

A new peptide in the FMRFamide family isolated from the CNS of the hawkmoth, Manduca sexta.

We have purified a FMRFamide-like peptide from extracts of brain-subesophageal ganglion of the moth, Manduca sexta. The purification was monitored with a new, competitive ELISA, and accomplished with ion exchange and reverse-phase HPLC. The peptide structure was determined by a combination of tandem mass spectrometry and automated Edman degradation.

Rapid identification of calbindin-D28k cyanogen bromide peptide fragments by plasma desorption mass spectrometry.

Chicken intestinal calbindin-D28k is an intracellular protein which is believed to have a fundamental role in vitamin D-mediated transport of calcium. A mapping approach based on 252Cf plasma desorption mass spectrometry (PD mapping) was used to screen the DNA-deduced sequence of calbindin-D28k for sequence changes and post-translational modifications. In the PD mapping experiment, purified calbindin-D28k was cleaved with cyanogen bromide and the resulting peptides were subjected to PD mass spectrometric analysis either as a mixture or as high-performance liquid chromatography isolated fractions.

Isolation of 10 cyclosporine metabolites from human bile.

Ten metabolites of cyclosporine were isolate from the ethyl ether extract of bile from four liver transplant patients receiving cyclosporine. Two of the metabolites were unique and previously unidentified. Liquid-liquid partitioning into diethyl ether with subsequent defatting with n-hexane was used for the initial extraction from bile.

Plasma desorption mass spectrometric analysis of mycobacterial glycolipids.

Mycobacteria are characterized by species- or type-specific glycolipid antigens. These are generally of the following three types: the trehalose-containing, acylated lipooligosaccharides (LOS), the C-mycoside glycopeptidolipids (GPL), and the phenolic glycolipids (PGL). To date, convenient mass spectrometric analysis of the intact form of these complex glycolipids has proved to be difficult.

Identification of the convulsant opiate thebaine in mammalian brain.

The convulsant opiate thebaine, an intermediate of morphine biosynthesis, was purified from bovine brain to homogeneity by gel filtration and high-performance liquid chromatography (HPLC) monitored by a radioimmunoassay. The immunoreactive material behaved identically to standard thebaine in two HPLC systems and was confirmed to be thebaine by combined gas chromatography/mass spectrometry. To our knowledge, the presence of thebaine in mammalian tissue has not been demonstrated previously.

Structure and function of mycobacterial glycolipids and glycopeptidolipids.

Earlier work from this and other laboratories has revealed the presence within Mycobacterium spp. of three classes of glycolipid antigens which we have called the glycopeptidolipids, the lipooligosaccharides and the phenolic glycolipids. Representative structures of each from different species and sub-species have been proposed.

Further novel amido sugars within the glycopeptidolipid antigens of Mycobacterium avium.

The individual serovars of the Mycobacterium avium complex, a source of serious and persistent infections in individuals with underlying immune deficiencies, also present an extraordinary set of novel sugar epitopes as part of their type-specific glycopeptidolipid surface antigens. Californium desorption-mass spectrometry has been successfully applied to the holistic glycopeptidolipid antigen of M. avium serovar 12 and its per-O-acetyl derivative, to arrive at the following structure, of molecular mass 1876: (Sequence: see text).