The role of public health officers in preparedness planning and management of health crises.

The contribution of public health officers is of crucial importance in both the preparedness planning process and the response to health threats since the implementation of public health measures lies within the competence of the public health system. Thus, public health officers on regional and district level have to be involved in every stage of the planning process for crisis management. Federal structures of health systems as equivalent to the political structure of a country pose specific challenges for both the planning process and the response itself.

Exogenous energy supply to the plasma membrane of dark anaerobic cyanobacterium Anacystis nidulans: thermodynamic and kinetic characterization of the ATP synthesis effected by an artificial proton motive force.

The net synthesis of ATP in dark anaerobic cells of Anacystis nidulans subjected to acid jumps and/or valinomycin pulses was characterized thermodynamically and kinetically. Maximum initial rates of 75 nmol ATP/min per mg dry weight at an applied proton motive force of -350 mV were obtained, the flow-force relationship (rate of ATP synthesis vs applied proton motive force) being linear between -240 and -320 mV irrespective of the source of the proton motive force. The pulse-induced ATP synthesis was inhibited by uncouplers (H+ ionophores) and F0F1-ATPase inhibitors but not by KCN or CO.