Surveillance of Creutzfeldt-Jakob disease in Australia: 2010 update.

Surveillance of all human prion diseases in Australia has been the responsibility of the Australian National Creutzfeldt-Jakob Disease Registry (ANCJDR) on behalf of the Australian Government Department of Health and Ageing since the Registry's inception in October 1993. The ANCJDR was established in response to the identification of 4 CJD deaths in recipients of human-derived pituitary hormone. The initial brief was to perform focused surveillance for any further iatrogenic cases of CJD; however the scope of surveillance was soon expanded to include all cases of CJD occurring in Australia both prospectively and retrospectively to 1970.

Persistent spontaneous dissection of the left anterior descending coronary artery after emotional pressure.

A 51-year-old woman without cardiovascular risk factors experienced severe chest pain, accompanied by ST-segment elevation in lead II, III, AVF, and V4-V6. An immediately started thrombolytic therapy in a peripheral hospital successfully eliminated the cardiac symptoms and achieved complete ST-segment resolution. Subsequent cardiac angiography revealed a longitudinal spontaneous dissection in the distal part of the left anterior descending artery.

Intracellular and extracellular T1 and T2 relaxivities of magneto-optical nanoparticles at experimental high fields.

This study reports the T(1) and T(2) relaxation rates of rhodamine-labeled anionic magnetic nanoparticles determined at 7, 11.7, and 17.6 T both in solution and after cellular internalization.

In vivo effects on photosynthesis gene expression of base pair exchanges in the gene encoding the light-responsive BLUF domain of AppA in Rhodobacter sphaeroides.

The Rhodobacter sphaeroides protein AppA has the unique quality of sensing and transmitting light and redox signals. By acting as antirepressor to the PpsR protein, it acts as a major regulator in photosynthesis gene expression. In this study, we show that by introducing amino acid exchanges into the AppA protein, the in vivo activity as an antirepressor can be greatly altered.

The evolutionarily conserved subunits Rrp4 and Csl4 confer different substrate specificities to the archaeal exosome.

We studied the substrate specificity of the exosome of Sulfolobus solfataricus using the catalytically active Rrp41-Rrp42-hexamer and complexes containing the RNA-binding subunits Rrp4 or Csl4. The conservation of both Rrp4 and Csl4 in archaeal and eukaryotic exosomes suggests specific functions for each of them. We found that they confer different specificities to the exosome: RNA with an A-poor 3'-end is degraded with higher efficiency by the Csl4-exosome, while the Rrp4-exosome strongly prefers poly(A)-RNA.

The archaeal exosome localizes to the membrane.

We studied the cellular localization of the archaeal exosome, an RNA-processing protein complex containing orthologs of the eukaryotic proteins Rrp41, Rrp42, Rrp4 and Csl4, and an archaea-specific subunit annotated as DnaG. Fractionation of cell-free extracts of Sulfolobus solfataricus in sucrose density gradients revealed that DnaG and the active-site comprising subunit Rrp41 are enriched together with surface layer proteins in a yellow colored ring, implicating that the exosome is membrane-bound. In accordance with this assumption, DnaG and Rrp41 were detected at the periphery of the cell by immunofluorescence microscopy.

Mental health in the aged: prevalence, covariates and related neuroendocrine, cardiovascular and inflammatory factors of successful aging.

Background: Although aging is accompanied by diminished functioning, many elderly individuals preserve a sense of well-being. While the concept of "successful aging" has been popular for many decades, little is known about its psycho-physiologic and endocrine underpinnings. KORA-Age is a population-based, longitudinal study designed to determine the prevalence of successfully aged men and women between 65 and 94 years old in the MONICA/KORA Augsburg cohort of randomly selected inhabitants.

Overlapping alternative sigma factor regulons in the response to singlet oxygen in Rhodobacter sphaeroides.

Organisms performing photosynthesis in the presence of oxygen have to cope with the formation of highly reactive singlet oxygen ((1)O(2)) and need to mount an adaptive response to photooxidative stress. Here we show that the alternative sigma factors RpoH(I) and RpoH(II) are both involved in the (1)O(2) response and in the heat stress response in Rhodobacter sphaeroides. We propose RpoH(II) to be the major player in the (1)O(2) response, whereas RpoH(I) is more important for the heat stress response.

The Nop5-L7A-fibrillarin RNP complex and a novel box C/D containing sRNA of Halobacterium salinarum NRC-1.

RNA 2'O-methylation is a frequent modification of rRNA and tRNA and supposed to influence RNA folding and stability. Ribonucleoprotein (RNP) complexes, containing the proteins Nop5, L7A, fibrillarin, and a box C/D sRNA, are guided for 2'O-methylation by interactions of their RNA component with their target RNA. In vitro complex assembly was analyzed for several thermophilic Archaea but in vivo studies are rare, even unavailable for halophilic Archaea.

No evidence for prion protein gene locus multiplication in Creutzfeldt-Jakob disease.

Precedent of causative multiplication of key gene loci exists in familial forms of both Alzheimer's and Parkinson's diseases. Genetic Creutzfeldt-Jakob disease (CJD) is often clinically indistinguishable from sporadic disease and inexplicably, a negative family history of a similar disorder occurs in around 50-90% of patients harboring the most common, disease-associated, prion protein gene (PRNP) mutations. We undertook semi-quantitative analysis of the PRNP copy number in 112 CJD patients using quantitative polymerase chain reaction.

The influence of Hfq and ribonucleases on the stability of the small non-coding RNA OxyS and its target rpoS in E. coli is growth phase dependent.

OxyS is one of at least three small non-coding RNAs, which affect rpoS expression. It is induced under oxidative stress and reduces the levels of the stationary phase sigma factor RpoS. We analyzed the turn-over of OxyS and rpoS mRNA in early exponential and in stationary growth phase in different E.

Increased proportions of C1 truncated prion protein protect against cellular M1000 prion infection.

Prion disease pathogenesis is linked to the cell-associated propagation of misfolded protease-resistant conformers (PrP) of the normal cellular prion protein (PrP). Ongoing PrP expression is the only known absolute requirement for successful prion disease transmission and PrP propagation. Further typifying prion disease is selective neuronal dysfunction and loss, although the precise mechanisms underlying this are undefined.

Photooxidative stress-induced and abundant small RNAs in Rhodobacter sphaeroides.

Exposure to oxygen and light generates photooxidative stress by the bacteriochlorophyll a mediated formation of singlet oxygen ((1)O(2)) in Rhodobacter sphaeroides. Our study reports the genome-wide search for small RNAs (sRNAs) involved in the regulatory response to (1)O(2). By using 454 pyrosequencing and Northern blot analysis, we identified 20 sRNAs from R.

Predictive value of NT-pro BNP after acute myocardial infarction: relation with acute and chronic infarct size and myocardial function.

Aim Of The Study: We sought to assess the relation of N-terminal brain natriuretic peptide (NT-pro BNP) determined on day 3 after onset of acute myocardial infarction (AMI) symptoms with acute and chronic infarct size and functional parameters assessed by cardiac magnetic resonance (CMR) imaging. Furthermore, we wanted to investigate its predictive value for recovery of myocardial function.

Methods: CMR was performed in 49 consecutive patients within 6 days and in a subgroup 4 (n = 27) and 12 (n = 22) months after first acute ST-elevation AMI and successful primary angioplasty.

A cryptochrome-like protein is involved in the regulation of photosynthesis genes in Rhodobacter sphaeroides.

Blue light receptors belonging to the cryptochrome/photolyase family are found in all kingdoms of life. The functions of photolyases in repair of UV-damaged DNA as well as of cryptochromes in the light-dependent regulation of photomorphogenetic processes and in the circadian clock in plants and animals are well analysed. In prokaryotes, the only role of members of this protein family that could be demonstrated is DNA repair.

Surveillance of Creutzfeldt-Jakob disease in Australia: 2009 update.

In Australia, the occurrence of all human transmissible spongiform encephalopathies (TSEs) is surveyed by the Australian National Creutzfeldt-Jakob Disease Registry (ANCJDR). While prospective surveillance commenced in October 1993, the ANCJDR also retrospectively ascertained cases that occurred between 1970 and 1993. During the surveillance period of 1 April 2008 to 31 March 2009, the ANCJDR received 90 suspect TSE case notifications, which is slightly increased from previous annual surveillance periods.

Sinusoidal smooth pursuit eye tracking at different stimulus frequencies: position error and velocity error before catch-up saccades in schizophrenia and in major depressive disorder.

Objective: The aim of the present study was to ascertain the extent of impairment of position error and velocity error processing in eye tracking dysfunction in schizophrenic and depressive patients.

Method: A total of 21 schizophrenic and 19 unipolar depressive patients and 21 healthy controls were subjected to an eye tracking test with electro-oculography using horizontal sinusoidal stimuli with frequencies of 0.2-0.

Comparison of wall thickening and ejection fraction by cardiovascular magnetic resonance and echocardiography in acute myocardial infarction.

Objectives: The purpose of this study was to compare cardiovascular magnetic resonance (CMR) and echocardiography (echo) in patients treated with primary percutaneous coronary intervention (PCI) for acute myocardial infarction (AMI) with emphasis on the analysis of left ventricular function and left ventricular wall motion characteristics.

Methods: We performed CMR and echo in 52 patients with first AMI shortly after primary angioplasty and four months thereafter. CMR included cine-MR and T1-weighted first-pass and late-gadolinium enhancement (LGE) sequences.

Characterization of an unusual LOV domain protein in the alpha-proteobacterium Rhodobacter sphaeroides.

The facultatively phototrophic purple bacterium Rhodobacter sphaeroides 2.4.1 harbors a LOV (light, oxygen and voltage) domain protein, which shows a particular structure.

[Effectiveness of inpatient psychodynamic psychotherapy: a follow-up study].

Objectives: This study investigates the stability of symptomatic and interpersonal changes after inpatient psychodynamic psychotherapy.

Methods: 437 patients were assessed 3 to 5 years after discharge with the Symptom Checklist (SCL-90-R), the Inventory of Interpersonal Problems (IIP), global assessment of effectiveness and utilization of posttreatment psychotherapy. The therapist's perspective was evaluated by the Impairment Severity Score (BSS), the Global Assessment of Functioning Scale (GAF), and the Clinical Global Impressions (CGI).

In vivo sensitivity of blue-light-dependent signaling mediated by AppA/PpsR or PrrB/PrrA in Rhodobacter sphaeroides.

Formation of photosynthesis complexes in Rhodobacter sphaeroides is regulated in a redox- and light-dependent manner by the AppA/PpsR and PrrB/PrrA systems. While on the one hand, blue light is sensed by the flavin adenine dinucleotide-binding BLUF domain of AppA, on the other, light is absorbed by bacteriochlorophyll signals through PrrB/PrrA. We show that much smaller quantities initiate the AppA-mediated response to blue light than the bacteriochlorophyll-mediated response.

In vivo measurement of local aortic pulse-wave velocity in mice with MR microscopy at 17.6 Tesla.

Transgenic mouse models of human diseases have gained increasing importance in the pathophysiology of cardiovascular diseases (CVD). As an indirect measure of vascular stiffness, aortic pulse-wave velocity (PWV) is an important predictor of cardiovascular risk. This study presents an MRI approach that uses a flow area method to estimate local aortic pulse-wave velocity at different sites in the murine aorta.

11C-PiB PET studies in typical sporadic Creutzfeldt-Jakob disease.

Objective: Brain amyloid imaging using positron emission tomography (PET) is of increasing importance in the premortem evaluation of dementias, particularly in relation to Alzheimer disease (AD). The purpose of this study was to explore the premortem diagnostic utility of (11)C-PiB PET in sporadic Creutzfeldt-Jakob disease (CJD).

Methods: Two patients, 72 and 59 years old, underwent evaluation for rapidly progressive cognitive decline, dying after illness durations of 5 and 7 months, respectively.

Murine atherosclerotic plaque imaging with the USPIO Ferumoxtran-10.

In this study we intended to image plaque inflammation in a murine model of atherosclerosis with MRI and Ferumoxtran-10 (Sinerem, Guerbet, France). 8 apoE-/- mice were injected 500 micromol Fe/kg or 1000 micromol Fe/kg Ferumoxtran-10. 2 apoE-/- mice were injected NaCl.

Psychic structure: exploring an empirically still unknown territory.

The Scales of Psychological Capacities (SPC) were developed to gauge structural change, the mode-specific effect of psychoanalysis and psychoanalytic psychotherapies. In this study, as a first step, basic psychometric properties that assess psychic structure were examined. Construct validity was investigated as predictive validity in a known-groups approach.