Geometry and adhesion of extracellular domains of DC-SIGNR neck length variants analyzed by force-distance measurements.

Force-distance measurements have been used to examine differences in the interaction of the dendritic cell glycan-binding receptor DC-SIGN and the closely related endothelial cell receptor DC-SIGNR (L-SIGN) with membranes bearing glycan ligands. The results demonstrate that upon binding to membrane-anchored ligand, DC-SIGNR undergoes a conformational change similar to that previously observed for DC-SIGN. The results also validate a model for the extracellular domain of DC-SIGNR derived from crystallographic studies.

Racial/ethnic disparities in gestational diabetes mellitus: findings from a population-based survey.

Purpose: We sought to explore racial/ethnic disparities in the prevalence of gestational diabetes mellitus (GDM) in a population-based sample.

Methods: Data from the Oregon Pregnancy Risk Assessment Monitoring System (PRAMS), a stratified, random sample of postpartum women who delivered in Oregon in 2004 and 2005 (n = 3,883; weighted response rate, 75.2%) and linked birth certificates were analyzed.

Prediction of neurological deficits and recovery after surgery in the supplementary motor area: a prospective study in 26 patients.

Object: Resection of lesions involving the supplementary motor area (SMA) may result in immediate postoperative motor and speech deficits that are reversible in most cases. In the present study the authors aimed to determine the critical involvement of SMA in the lesioned and healthy hemispheres in this functional recovery. They hypothesized that compensatory mechanisms take place following surgery in the SMA, and that these mechanisms can involve either the lesioned or the non-lesioned hemisphere.

The impact of citizenship documentation requirements on access to medicaid for pregnant women in Oregon.

The federal Deficit Reduction Act of 2005 mandated citizenship documentation from all Medicaid applicants as a condition of eligibility and was implemented in Oregon on September 1, 2006. We assessed whether new citizenship documentation requirements were associated with delays in Medicaid authorization for newly pregnant eligible applicants during the first nine months of DRA implementation in Oregon. We conducted a pre-post analysis of administrative records to compare the length of time between Medicaid application and authorization for all newly pregnant, Medicaid-eligible applicants in Oregon (n = 29,284), nine months before and after September 1, 2006.

High abundance and diversity of Bacillus anthracis plasmid pXO1-like replicons in municipal wastewater.

Water from the influent of a municipal wastewater treatment plant as well as soil samples collected from the shoreline of 10 lakes were screened for the presence of the Bacillus anthracis pXO1-like plasmid replicon repX using a PCR assay. Specific PCR products were retrieved from all samples, indicating a widespread presence of pXO1-like plasmid replicons in various environmental settings. Initial screening by restriction enzyme analysis revealed at least two forms of the repX gene in the wastewater sample, which was consequently subjected to further investigation.

Referral for fetal echocardiography is associated with increased maternal anxiety.

Background: Referral for fetal echocardiography (fECHO) is an acute stressor that may induce significant maternal anxiety. To promote good clinical management of expectant mothers in this situation, including adequate screening for possible psychiatric interventions, data are needed regarding the psychosocial functioning of women scheduled for fECHO procedures.

Objective: To investigate the association between fECHO and maternal anxiety.

New options for child health surveillance by state health departments.

Until recently there were no child health surveillance instruments available to state health departments for children 1-14 years old. In recent years, several states have developed new surveillance instruments. This article includes information about examples of four types of child health surveys: (1) Behavioral Risk Factor Surveillance System (BRFSS) follow-back survey [phone-based in Colorado]; (2) Pregnancy Risk Assessment Monitoring System (PRAMS) re-interviews [PRAMS-based in Rhode Island]; (3) elementary school child health survey combined with dental screening and physical measurements of height and weight [school-based in Maine]; and (4) freestanding elementary school survey [school-based in Oregon].

Global versus local conservation focus of U.S. state agency endangered bird species lists.

The development of species priorities for conservation at local or regional scales (for example, within a state or province) poses an interesting paradox. One the one hand, locally or regionally-derived species priorities may lead to greater interest in and resources directed to biodiversity conservation by local or regional institutions. On the other hand, locally or regionally-derived species priorities could overlook national or global priorities.

Racial/ethnic disparities in the receipt of smoking cessation interventions during prenatal care.

To explore racial/ethnic disparities in the receipt of optimal smoking cessation counseling during prenatal care. We used data from Oregon's perinatal surveillance system, the Oregon Pregnancy Risk Assessment Monitoring System (PRAMS) from 2000 to 2001. A stratified random sample of postpartum women were asked questions about events before, during and after pregnancy, including smoking and provision of smoking cessation counseling.

Human vulnerability to stress depends on amygdala's predisposition and hippocampal plasticity.

Variations in people's vulnerability to stressful life events may rise from a predated neural sensitivity as well as from differential neural modifications in response to the event. Because the occurrence of a stressful life event cannot be foreseen, characterizing the temporal trajectory of its neural manifestations in humans has been a real challenge. The current prospective study examined the emotional experience and brain responses of 50 a priori healthy new recruits to the Israeli Defense Forces at 2 time points: before they entered their mandatory military service and after their subsequent exposure to stressful events while deployed in combat units.

Binding-site geometry and flexibility in DC-SIGN demonstrated with surface force measurements.

The dendritic cell receptor DC-SIGN mediates pathogen recognition by binding to glycans characteristic of pathogen surfaces, including those found on HIV. Clustering of carbohydrate-binding sites in the receptor tetramer is believed to be critical for targeting of pathogen glycans, but the arrangement of these sites remains poorly understood. Surface force measurements between apposed lipid bilayers displaying the extracellular domain of DC-SIGN and a neoglycolipid bearing an oligosaccharide ligand provide evidence that the receptor is in an extended conformation and that glycan docking is associated with a conformational change that repositions the carbohydrate-recognition domains during ligand binding.

Soil amoebae rapidly change bacterial community composition in the rhizosphere of Arabidopsis thaliana.

We constructed an experimental model system to study the effects of grazing by a common soil amoeba, Acanthamoeba castellanii, on the composition of bacterial communities in the rhizosphere of Arabidopsis thaliana. Amoebae showed distinct grazing preferences for specific bacterial taxa, which were rapidly replaced by grazing tolerant taxa in a highly reproducible way. The relative proportion of active bacteria increased although bacterial abundance was strongly decreased by amoebae.

The role of advanced MR methods in the diagnosis of cerebral amyloidoma.

Amyloidoma is a term referring to a tumor-like deposition of extracellular insoluble fibrillar protein. Tumor-like amyloid formation in the brain had been described in isolated cases. However no advanced radiological studies to characterize these lesions have been reported.

Language related reorganization in adult brain with slow growing glioma: fMRI prospective case-study.

One possible mechanism for language plasticity in cases of lesions in left dominant hemisphere is the recruitment of homologous region in the unaffected non-dominant hemisphere. The potential of the right hemisphere to carry out such plasticity is expressed by the functional outcome of patients with lesions in the left hemisphere acquired at childhood prior to language acquisition. Whether lesions in the dominant hemisphere acquired in adulthood can result in functional recovery of language by means of recruitment of the non-dominant hemisphere is undetermined.

Cortical involvement in anticipatory postural reactions in man.

All movements are accompanied by postural reactions which ensure that the balance of the body is maintained. It has not been resolved that to what extent the primary motor cortex and corticospinal tract are involved in the control of these reactions. Here, we investigated the contribution of the corticospinal tract to the activation of the soleus (SOL) muscle in standing human subjects (n=10) in relation to voluntary heel raise, anticipatory postural activation of the soleus muscle when the subject pulled a handle and to reflex activation of the soleus muscle when the subject was suddenly pulled forward by an external perturbation.

Impact of hospital policies on breastfeeding outcomes.

Objective: The objective of this study was to explore the association between the Ten Steps of the Baby Friendly Hospital Initiative (BFHI) of the World Health Organization (Geneva, Switzerland) and breastfeeding at 2 days and 2 weeks.

Methods: A 65-question institutional survey assessing compliance with the Ten Steps was used to determine an overall breastfeeding Support Score for each of Oregon's 57 birthing hospitals. Hospital breastfeeding outcomes were obtained from the newborn metabolic screening forms.

Complementary dimerization of microtubule-associated tau protein: Implications for microtubule bundling and tau-mediated pathogenesis.

Tau is an intrinsically unstructured microtubule (MT)-associated protein capable of binding to and organizing MTs into evenly spaced parallel assemblies known as "MT bundles." How tau achieves MT bundling is enigmatic because each tau molecule possesses only one MT-binding region. To dissect this complex behavior, we have used a surface forces apparatus to measure the interaction forces of the six CNS tau isoforms when bound to mica substrates in vitro.

The canonical Wnt signaling antagonist DKK2 is an essential effector of PITX2 function during normal eye development.

Local control of cell signaling activity and integration of inputs from multiple signaling pathways are central for normal development but the underlying mechanisms remain poorly understood. Here we show that Dkk2, encoding an antagonist of canonical Wnt signaling, is an essential downstream target of the PITX2 homeodomain transcription factor in neural crest during eye development. Canonical Wnt signaling is ectopically activated in central ocular surface ectoderm and underlying mesenchyme in Pitx2- and Dkk2-deficient mice.

Marketing infant formula through hospitals: the impact of commercial hospital discharge packs on breastfeeding.

Objectives: Commercial hospital discharge packs are commonly given to new mothers at the time of newborn hospital discharge. We evaluated the relationship between exclusive breastfeeding and the receipt of commercial hospital discharge packs in a population-based sample of Oregon women who initiated breastfeeding before newborn hospital discharge.

Methods: We analyzed data from the 2000 and 2001 Oregon Pregnancy Risk Assessment Monitoring System (PRAMS), a population-based survey of postpartum women (n=3895; unweighted response rate=71.

Osteopenia: a common aspect of Fabry disease. Predictors of bone mineral density.

Purpose: We investigated the bone mineral status in patients with untreated Fabry disease (FD).

Methods: Descriptive, cross-sectional study in 53 patients with FD investigating bone mineral density (BMD)/content (dual energy x-ray absorptiometry scan), bone metabolism (parathyroid hormone, osteocalcin, and insulin-like growth factor I), and renal function (ethylene diamine tetraacetic acid clearance).

Results: Mean BMD z score at the lumbar spine and femoral neck were -0.

Adhesion and friction force coupling of gecko setal arrays: implications for structured adhesive surfaces.

The extraordinary climbing ability of geckos is partially attributed to the fine structure of their toe pads, which contain arrays consisting of thousands of micrometer-sized stalks (setae) that are in turn terminated by millions of fingerlike pads (spatulae) having nanoscale dimensions. Using a surface forces apparatus (SFA), we have investigated the dynamic sliding characteristics of setal arrays subjected to various loading, unloading, and shearing conditions at different angles. Setal arrays were glued onto silica substrates and, once installed into the SFA, brought toward a polymeric substrate surface and then sheared.

Genetic markers and biomarkers for age-related macular degeneration.

Age-related macular degeneration (AMD) is the leading cause of visual impairment and blindness in the USA. Although the treatment of AMD has evolved to include laser photocoagulation, photodynamic therapy, surgical macular translocation and antiangiogenesis agents, treatment options for advanced AMD are limited. Furthermore, the dry form of AMD, albeit less devastating than the wet form, has even fewer viable treatment options.

Phylogenetic conservatism and antiquity of a tropical specialization: army-ant-following in the typical antbirds (Thamnophilidae).

One of the most novel foraging strategies in Neotropical birds is army-ant-following, in which birds prey upon arthropods and small vertebrates flushed from the forest floor by swarm raids of the army-ant Eciton burchellii. This specialization is most developed in the typical antbirds (Thamnophilidae) which are divisible into three specialization categories: (1) those that forage at swarms opportunistically as army-ants move through their territories (occasional followers), (2) those that follow swarms beyond their territories but also forage independently of swarms (regular followers), and (3) those that appear incapable of foraging independently of swarms (obligate followers). Although army-ant-following is one of the great spectacles of tropical forests, basic questions about its evolution remain unaddressed.