Modulation of lysyl oxidase-like 2 enzymatic activity by an allosteric antibody inhibitor.

In this report, we assessed the steady-state enzymatic activity of lysyl oxidase-like 2 (LOXL2) against the substrates 1,5-diaminopentane (DAP), spermine, and fibrillar type I collagen. We find that both DAP and spermine are capable of activating LOXL2 to the same extent and have similar Michaelis constants (K(m) approximately 1 mm) and catalytic rates (k(cat) approximately 0.02 s(-1)).

Early phenotypical diagnoses in Trembler-J mice model.

Pmp-22 mutant mice (Trembler-J: B6.D2-Pmp22/J), are used as a model to study Charcot-Marie-Tooth type 1A (CMT1A). The identification of individual genotypes is a routine in the management of the Tr(J) colony.

Case-mix adjustment and the comparison of community health center performance on patient experience measures.

Objective: To assess the effect of case-mix adjustment on community health center (CHC) performance on patient experience measures.

Data Sources: A Medicaid-managed care plan in Washington State collected patient survey data from 33 CHCs over three fiscal quarters during 2007-2008. The survey included three composite patient experience measures (6-month reports) and two overall ratings of care.

Gene cloning, expression, and characterization of phenolic acid decarboxylase from Lactobacillus brevis RM84.

Phenolic acid decarboxylase (PAD) catalyzes the synthesis of vinyl phenols from hydroxycinnamic acids. The gene encoding PAD from Lactobacillus brevis was cloned and expressed as a fusion protein in Escherichia coli. The recombinant PAD enzyme is a heat-labile enzyme that functions optimally at 22 degrees C and pH 6.

Racial and ethnic disparities in pediatric experiences of family-centered care.

Background: Previous studies have examined racial and ethnic disparities in the receipt of family-centered care among children with special health care needs and health plan enrollees, but the extent of disparities in the general pediatric population remains unclear.

Objective: To examine racial and ethnic disparities in the receipt of family-centered care among a general population of US children.

Methods: Linked data from the Medical Expenditure Panel Survey and the National Health Interview Survey (2003-2006) were used to study 4 family-centered care items and an overall composite measure of family-centered care.

p-Coumaric acid decarboxylase from Lactobacillus plantarum: structural insights into the active site and decarboxylation catalytic mechanism.

p-Coumaric acid decarboxylases (PDCs) catalyze the nonoxidative decarboxylation of hydroxycinnamic acids to generate the corresponding vinyl derivatives. Despite the biotechnological relevance of PDCs in food industry, their catalytic mechanism remains largely unknown. Here, we report insights into the structural basis of catalysis for the homodimeric PDC from Lactobacillus plantarum (LpPDC).

[Pericardial effusion and pleural serositis in patients with severe preeclampsia and HELLP syndrome].

The syndrome pre-eclampsia/eclampsia is a frequent entity in the obstetrical pathology and acquires interest to take to the patients to a critical state. It has repercussion in all the organism by his complications. The definitive treatment of pre-eclampsia/eclampsia is the interruption of the pregnancy.

Poor reading skills may involve a failure to focus attention.

A source localization analysis was carried out to provide brain functional and structural assessments of individuals with poor reading skills. Standardized low-resolution brain electromagnetic tomography was used to locate sources of P2 and P3 event-related potential components in normal readers and in poor reader children performing a cued continuous performance task. Cue-elicited P2 sources in the right superior parietal gyrus were smaller in 37 poor readers than in 40 normal readers.

Biphasic liquid mixtures of ionic liquids and polyethylene glycols.

We have found that 1-alkyl-3-methylimidazolium chloride ionic liquids (ILs) can form immiscible liquid mixtures with some polyethylene glycols (PEGs). Binary mixtures of 1-ethyl-3-methylimidazolium chloride with PEG of molecular weight 1500, 2000, or 3400 g mol(-1), or of 1-butyl-3-methylimidazolium chloride with PEG of molecular weight 2000 or 3400 g mol(-1), have been found to give rise to entirely liquid, stable biphasic systems over a significant temperature range (from 333.15 K to 413.

The effect of performance-based financial incentives on improving patient care experiences: a statewide evaluation.

Background: Patient experience measures are central to many pay-for-performance (P4P) programs nationally, but the effect of performance-based financial incentives on improving patient care experiences has not been assessed.

Methods: The study uses Clinician & Group CAHPS data from commercially insured adult patients (n = 124,021) who had visits with 1,444 primary care physicians from 25 California medical groups between 2003 and 2006. Medical directors were interviewed to assess the magnitude and nature of financial incentives directed at individual physicians and the patient experience improvement activities adopted by groups.

Evaluation of sublingual and gut mucosal microcirculation in sepsis: a quantitative analysis.

Objective: To determine the relationship between sublingual and intestinal mucosal microcirculatory perfusion.

Design: Observational, experimental study.

Setting: University-affiliated large animal laboratory.

Organizational and market influences on physician performance on patient experience measures.

Objective: To examine the extent to which medical group and market factors are related to individual primary care physician (PCP) performance on patient experience measures.

Data Sources: This study employs Clinician and Group CAHPS survey data (n=105,663) from 2,099 adult PCPs belonging to 34 diverse medical groups across California. Medical group directors were interviewed to assess the magnitude and nature of financial incentives directed at individual physicians and the adoption of patient experience improvement strategies.

Crystal structure of the hexameric catabolic ornithine transcarbamylase from Lactobacillus hilgardii: Structural insights into the oligomeric assembly and metal binding.

Catabolic ornithine transcarbamylase (cOTC; EC 2.1.3.

Production and physicochemical properties of recombinant Lactobacillus plantarum tannase.

Tannase is an enzyme with important biotechnological applications in the food industry. Previous studies have identified the tannase encoding gene in Lactobacillus plantarum and also have reported the description of the purification of recombinant L. plantarum tannase through a protocol involving several chromatographic steps.

Attributing sources of variation in patients' experiences of ambulatory care.

Background: Public reporting and pay-for-performance programs increasingly rely on patient experience data to evaluate individual physicians and guide quality improvement efforts. The extent to which performance variation is attributable to physicians versus other system-level units, however, remains unclear.

Methods: Using ambulatory care experience survey data from 61,839 patients of 1729 primary care physicians in California (response rate = 39.

The effect of item screeners on the quality of patient survey data: a randomized experiment of ambulatory care experience measures.

Background: The use of item screeners is viewed as an essential feature of quality survey design because only respondents who are 'qualified' to answer questions that apply to a subset of the sample are directed to answer. However, empirical evidence supporting this view is scant.

Objective: This study compares data quality resulting from the administration of ambulatory care experience measures that use item screeners versus tailored 'not applicable' options in response scales.

Paying for enhanced service: comparing patients' experiences in a concierge and general medicine practice.

Background: Concierge medical practice is a relatively new and somewhat controversial development in primary-care practice. These practices promise patients more personalized care and dedicated service, in exchange for an annual membership fee paid by patients. The experiences of patients using these practices remain largely undocumented.

Food phenolics and lactic acid bacteria.

Phenolic compounds are important constituents of food products of plant origin. These compounds are directly related to sensory characteristics of foods such as flavour, astringency, and colour. In addition, the presence of phenolic compounds on the diet is beneficial to health due to their chemopreventive activities against carcinogenesis and mutagenesis, mainly due to their antioxidant activities.

Measuring patients' experiences with individual specialist physicians and their practices.

This study assesses the reliability of patient-reported information about care received by individual specialist physicians. A patient questionnaire that included core composites from the Consumer Assessment of Healthcare Providers and Systems Clinician & Group survey was administered to random samples of patients visiting 1315 physicians from 14 specialties in California during 2005-2006 (n = 68 406 respondents). The quality of specialist-patient interaction and organizational access composites achieved adequate physician-level reliability (alpha(MD) = 0.

Molecular screening of wine lactic acid bacteria degrading hydroxycinnamic acids.

The potential to produce volatile phenols from hydroxycinnamic acids was investigated for lactic acid bacteria (LAB) isolated from Spanish grape must and wine. A PCR assay was developed for the detection of LAB that potentially produce volatile phenols. Synthetic degenerate oligonucleotides for the specific detection of the pdc gene encoding a phenolic acid decarboxylase were designed.

Alzheimer's disease and HIV associated dementia related genes: I. location and function.

Alzheimer's disease (AD), the most common cause of dementia, has few clinical similarities to HIV-1-associated dementia (HAD). However, genes were identified related among these dementias. Discovering correlations between gene function, expression, and structure in the human genome continues to aid in understanding the similarities between pathogenesis of these two dementing disorders.

Physician effects on racial and ethnic disparities in patients' experiences of primary care.

Background: Few studies have clarified the mechanisms that contribute to racial and ethnic disparities in primary care quality among comparably-insured patients.

Objective: To examine relative contribution of "between-" and "within-" physician effects on disparities in patients' experiences of primary care.

Design: Regression models using physician fixed effects to account for patient clustering were specified to assess "between-" and "within-"physician effects on observed racial and ethnic disparities in patients' experiences of primary care.

Primary care physician visit continuity: a comparison of patient-reported and administratively derived measures.

Background: Studies find that primary care physician (PCP) visit continuity is positively associated with care quality. Some of the evidence base, however, relies on patient-reported continuity measures, which may be subject to response bias.

Objective: To assess the concordance of patient-reported and administratively derived visit continuity measures.

Characterization of a benzyl alcohol dehydrogenase from Lactobacillus plantarum WCFS1.

Aroma is an important sensory parameter of food products. Lactic acid bacteria have enzymatic activities that could be important in the modification of food aroma. The complete genome sequence from Lactobacillus plantarum WCFS1 shows a gene (lp_3054) putatively encoding a protein with benzyl alcohol dehydrogenase activity.

Application of mutually immiscible ionic liquids to the separation of aromatic and aliphatic hydrocarbons by liquid extraction: a preliminary approach.

The recently discovered class of ionic liquids--mutually immiscible ionic liquids--are explored in this work for their first practical application: the separation of aromatic and aliphatic hydrocarbons by solvent extraction. For this preliminary approach, benzene and hexane were chosen as representatives of each group of hydrocarbons; the ionic liquids 1-ethyl-3-methylimidazolium bis( (trifluoromethyl)sulfonyl)amide and trihexyl(tetradecyl)phosphonium bis( (trifluoromethyl)sulfonyl)amide, which are both liquid at room temperature and hydrophobic, were selected as potential solvents. Liquid-liquid equilibrium experiments were carried out at 25 degrees C for the quaternary system formed by the two hydrocarbons and the two ionic liquids.