Protective effects of hyperbaric oxygen therapy (HBO2) in cardiac care--A proposal to conduct a study into the effects of hyperbaric pre-conditioning in elective coronary artery bypass graft surgery (CABG).

We review and report on accumulated data showing the benefits offered by hyperbaric oxygen (HBO2) therapy as an adjunct in the treatment of coronary artery bypass graft (CABG) patients. It has been shown that ischemia-reperfusion injury is deleterious to the myocardium, causing left ventricular dysfunction, structural damage to the myocytes and endothelial cells, myocardial stunning, reperfusion arrhythmias and potentially irreversible injury. There is a substantial body of evidence pointing to the role of HBO2 in mitigating the harmful effects of ischemia-reperfusion injury.

Hyperbaric oxygen therapy (HBO2) as an adjunct in the treatment of idiopathic sudden sensorineural hearing loss (ISSHL)--a case report on two patients.

We report on two cases of idiopathic sensorineural sudden hearing loss (ISSHL) successfully treated at our center. The patients were referred to us by a neurotologist for adjunctive hyperbaric oxygen therapy and were treated using a standard 2.4 atmospheres absolute (atm abs) 90-minute protocol with two five- minute air breaks.

Metallo-phthalocyanine near-IR fluorophores: oligonucleotide conjugates and their applications in PCR assays.

Water soluble, metallo-pthalocyanine (MPc) near-IR fluorophores were designed, synthesized, and evaluated as highly stable and sensitive reporters for fluorescence assays. Their conjugation to oligonucleotides was achieved via succinimidyl ester-amino coupling chemistry with the conditions for conjugation extensively examined and optimized. In addition, various conjugate purification and isolation techniques were evaluated as well.

Water soluble metallo-phthalocyanines: the role of the functional groups on the spectral and photophysical properties.

Strategies are reported that produce symmetrical metal-free and metallo-phthalocyanine dyes, Pc and MPc, respectively, containing various numbers of water solubilizing carboxylic acid groups on their periphery that provide a dual role by also serving as functional groups to covalently link primary amine-containing targets to these dyes. In order to induce water compatibility and to minimize the degree of aggregation, the periphery of the macrocycle was decorated with various numbers of water-solubilizing groups and/or altering the identity of the metal center. The influence of the number of solubilizing groups and metal center on the spectral and photophysical properties were evaluated.

Hyperbaric oxygen in the treatment of patients with cerebral stroke, brain trauma, and neurologic disease.

Hyperbaric oxygen (HBO) therapy has been used to treat patients with numerous disorders, including stroke. This treatment has been shown to decrease cerebral edema, normalize water content in the brain, decrease the severity of brain infarction, and maintain blood-brain barrier integrity. In addition, HBO therapy attenuates motor deficits, decreases the risks of sequelae, and prevents recurrent cerebral circulatory disorders, thereby leading to improved outcomes and survival.

Conformational substates of calmodulin revealed by single-pair fluorescence resonance energy transfer: influence of solution conditions and oxidative modification.

A calmodulin (CaM) mutant (T34,110C-CaM) doubly labeled with fluorescence probes AlexaFluor 488 and Texas Red in opposing domains (CaM-DA) has been used to examine conformational heterogeneity in CaM by single-pair fluorescence resonance energy transfer (spFRET). Burst-integrated FRET efficiencies of freely diffusing CaM-DA single molecules yielded distributions of distance between domains of CaM-DA. We recently reported distinct conformational substates of Ca(2+)-CaM-DA and apoCaM-DA, with peaks in the distance distributions centered at approximately 28 A, 34-38 A, and 55 A [Slaughter et al.

Single-molecule fluorescence spectroscopy: new probes of protein function and dynamics.

Single-molecule fluorescence methods provide new tools for the study of biological systems. Single-pair fluorescence resonance energy transfer has provided detailed information about dynamics and structure of the Ca2+-signaling protein calmodulin. Single-molecule polarization modulation spectroscopy has probed the mechanism by which calmodulin activates the plasma membrane Ca2+ pump.

Changes in psychosocial well-being during stages of gay identity development.

The current study evaluated the stage theory of Homosexual Identity Formation (HIF) developed by Cass (1979), in terms of the relationship between stage of gay identity development and psychosocial well-being. Four hundred twenty-five males (12 to 64 years, M = 29.2) reporting sexual attraction to other men provided demographic information and completed psychosocial measures: the Happiness-Sadness Scale (McGreal & Joseph, 1993), the Satisfaction with Life Scale (Diener, Emmons, Larsen & Griffin, 1985), the UCLA Loneliness Scale (Russell, Peplau & Ferguson, 1978), the Index of Self-Esteem (Hudson, 1982), and the Gay Identity Questionnaire (Brady & Busse, 1994).

Single-molecule assays of calmodulin target binding detected with a calmodulin energy-transfer construct.

We have detected single-molecule binding interactions of a target peptide with the calcium-signaling protein calmodulin (CaM) immobilized in an agarose gel, and we have demonstrated the application of a single-molecule binding assay to measure the binding strength of CaM with the CaM-binding domain of calmodulin-dependent protein kinase II (CaMKII). The results demonstrate the potential for ultrasensitive assays of CaM-target interactions and the measurement of a picomolar dissociation constant. To detect single-molecule protein interactions, single-molecule assays require that the analyte molecule be confined to the focal spot of the objective for the time scale of the measurement.

Fluorescence labeling, purification, and immobilization of a double cysteine mutant calmodulin fusion protein for single-molecule experiments.

We present a method of labeling and immobilizing a low-molecular-weight protein, calmodulin (CaM), by fusion to a larger protein, maltose binding protein (MBP), for single-molecule fluorescence experiments. Immobilization in an agarose gel matrix eliminates potential interactions of the protein and the fluorophore(s) with a glass surface and allows prolonged monitoring of protein dynamics. The small size of CaM hinders its immobilization in low-weight-percentage agarose gels; however, fusion of CaM to MBP via a flexible linker provides sufficient restriction of translational mobility in 1% agarose gels.

Manipulating the symbolic meaning of meat to encourage greater acceptance of fruits and vegetables and less proclivity for red and white meat.

The present study tested the extent to which dietary preferences are altered by making aspects of the symbolic meaning of meat salient to participants. Individuals in the treatment group were informed of a previous scientific study which found that people who endorse social hierarchy and human dominance over nature consume more red and white meat, and that people who reject hierarchy and dominance eat more fruits and vegetables. The results showed that, compared to a control group, individuals in the treatment group who reject hierarchy and dominance (most participants) perceived red and white meat less favourably, decreased their liking of red and white meat, decreased their object identification with red and white meat, anticipated that they would eat more fruits and vegetables in the subsequent three days, and indeed consumed more fruits and vegetables in a follow-up study three weeks later.