Dwarfism, impaired skin development, skeletal muscle atrophy, delayed bone development, and impeded adipogenesis in mice lacking Akt1 and Akt2.

To elucidate the functions of the serine/threonine kinase Akt/PKB in vivo, we generated mice lacking both akt1 and akt2 genes. Akt1/Akt2 double-knockout (DKO) mice exhibit severe growth deficiency and die shortly after birth. These mice display impaired skin development because of a proliferation defect, severe skeletal muscle atrophy because of a marked decrease in individual muscle cell size, and impaired bone development.

Development and testing of the pain opioid analgesics beliefs scale in Taiwanese cancer patients.

The purpose of the study was to develop and preliminarily test the feasibility, validity, reliability, and factor structures of the Pain Opioid Analgesics Beliefs Scale-Cancer (POABS-CA) in hospitalized adults diagnosed with cancer in Taiwan. This scale was developed in three phases. In Phase I, item development was based on qualitative analysis as well as a review of the literature.

Acute pancreatitis complicated with periappendicitis.

Colonic complications of severe acute pancreatitis are quite uncommon and always occur in the transverse colon and splenic flexure. Here we report the case of a 47-year-old male with mild acute pancreatitis (Ranson's score 1) who suffered from acute right lower quadrant pain during hospitalization. After conservative treatment failed, he underwent open appendectomy under the impression of acute appendicitis.

Pain and hope in patients with cancer: a role for cognition.

The importance of hope in determining the adjustment of patients with cancer to their illness has been recognized. Stressful events such as pain and disease metastasis may have an impact on patients' hope levels. This study had three purposes: 1) to examine the effect of disease status on hope levels among patients with cancer who have pain; (2) to compare the level of hope between patients with cancer who have pain and those do not; and (3) to determine which dimensions of pain are associated with hope.

Assuring quality and performance of sustained and controlled release parenterals: AAPS workshop report, co-sponsored by FDA and USP.

This is a summary report of the American Association of Pharmaceutical Scientists, the Food and Drug Administration, and the United States Pharmacopoeia cosponsored workshop on "Assuring Quality and Performance of Sustained and Controlled Release Parenterals." Experts from the pharmaceutical industry, the regulatory authorities, and academia participated in this workshop to review, discuss, and debate formulation, processing, and manufacture of sustained and controlled release parenterals and identify critical process parameters and their control. Areas were identified where research is needed to understand the performance of these drug delivery systems and to assist in the development of appropriate testing procedures.

Bacterial redox protein azurin, tumor suppressor protein p53, and regression of cancer.

The use of live bacteria in the treatment of cancer has a long and interesting history. We report the use of a purified bacterial redox protein, azurin, that enters human cancer (melanoma UISO-Mel-2) cells and induces apoptosis. The induction of apoptosis occurs readily in melanoma cells harboring a functional tumor suppressor protein p53, but much less efficiently in p53-null mutant melanoma (UISO-Mel-6) cells.

[Food-grade gene expression systems for lactic acid bacteria].

Lactic acid bacteria (LAB) are important industrial microorganism used in the production and preservation of food-stuffs. Recently, considerable advances have been made in the genetics and molecular biology of LAB. These have resulted in the construction of food-grade gene expression systems for these bacteria.

The generalizability of Caregiver Strain Index in family caregivers of cancer patients.

The purpose of this study was to estimate the variance components associated with individual differences and various sources of measurement error of Caregiver Strain Index (CSI). A two-facet (item and occasion) crossed design generalizability study (G study) was conducted using a sample of 14 caregivers of cancer patients. Based on the findings of the G study, alternative decision studies were then designed to search for optimal generalizability of CSI.

Biopharmaceutics classification system: the scientific basis for biowaiver extensions.

The current BSC guidance issued by the FDA allows for biowaivers based on conservative criteria. Possible new criteria and class boundaries are proposed for additional biowaivers based on the underlying physiology of the gastrointestinal tract. The proposed changes in new class boundaries for solubility and permeability are as follows: 1.

Assuring quality and performance of sustained and controlled release parenterals: workshop report.

This is a summary report of the American Association of Pharmaceutical Scientists, the Food and Drug Administration and the United States Pharmacopoeia co-sponsored workshop on "Assuring Quality and Performance of Sustained and Controlled Release Parenterals." Experts from the pharmaceutical industry, the regulatory authorities and academia participated in this workshop to review, discuss and debate formulation, processing and manufacture of sustained and controlled release parenterals and identify critical process parameters and their control. Areas were identified where research is needed in order to understand the performance of these drug delivery systems and to assist in the development of appropriate testing procedures.

Antimicrobial drug resistance in pathogens causing nosocomial infections at a university hospital in Taiwan, 1981-1999.

To determine the distribution and antimicrobial drug resistance in bacterial pathogens causing nosocomial infections, surveillance data on nosocomial infections documented from 1981 to 1999 at National Taiwan University Hospital were analyzed. During this period, 35,580 bacterial pathogens causing nosocomial infections were identified. Candida species increased considerably, ranking first by 1999 in the incidence of pathogens causing all nosocomial infections, followed by Staphylococcus aureus and Pseudomonas aeruginosa.

Secreted products of a nonmucoid Pseudomonas aeruginosa strain induce two modes of macrophage killing: external-ATP-dependent, P2Z-receptor-mediated necrosis and ATP-independent, caspase-mediated apoptosis.

A nonmucoid clinical isolate of Pseudomonas aeruginosa, strain 808, elaborated ATP-dependent and ATP-independent types of cytotoxic factors in the growth medium. These cytotoxic factors, active against macrophages, were secreted during the exponential phase of growth in a complex medium. Commensurate with the appearance of the cytotoxic activities in the cell-free growth medium, several ATP-utilizing enzymic activities, such as adenylate kinase, nucleoside diphosphate kinase and 5'-nucleotidase (ATPase and/or phosphatase), were detected in the medium.

EVOLUTION OF GYNODIOECY AND MAINTENANCE OF FEMALES: THE ROLE OF INBREEDING DEPRESSION, OUTCROSSING RATES, AND RESOURCE ALLOCATION IN SCHIEDEA ADAMANTIS (CARYOPHYLLACEAE).

Levels of inbreeding depression, outcrossing rates, and phenotypic patterns of resource allocation were studied to examine their relative importance in the maintenance of high numbers of females in gynodioecious Schiedea adamantis (Caryophyllaceae), an endemic Hawaiian shrub found in a single population on Diamond Head Crater, Oahu. In studies of inbreeding depression in two greenhouse environments, families of hermaphrodites exhibited significant inbreeding depression (δ = 0.60), based on a multiplicative fitness function using seeds per capsule, germination, survival, and the inflorescence biomass of progeny.