Cognitive Remediation in Bipolar (CRiB2): study protocol for a randomised controlled trial assessing efficacy and mechanisms of cognitive remediation therapy compared to treatment as usual.

Background: A substantial proportion of people with bipolar disorder (BD) experience persistent cognitive difficulties associated with impairments in psychosocial functioning and a poorer disorder course. Emerging evidence suggests that cognitive remediation (CR), a psychological intervention with established efficacy in people with schizophrenia, can also benefit people with BD. Following a proof-of-concept trial showing that CR is feasible and potentially beneficial for people with BD, we are conducting an adequately powered trial in euthymic people with BD to 1) determine whether an individual, therapist-supported, computerised CR can reduce cognitive difficulties and improve functional outcomes; and 2) explore how CR exerts its effects.

The Mid-Pleistocene Transition: a delayed response to an increasing positive feedback?

Glacial-interglacial cycles constitute large natural variations in Earth's climate. The Mid-Pleistocene Transition (MPT) marks a shift of the dominant periodicity of these climate cycles from to  kyr. Recently, it has been suggested that this shift resulted from a gradual increase in the internal period (or equivalently, a decrease in the natural frequency) of the system.

Associations of sperm telomere length with semen parameters, clinical outcomes and lifestyle factors in human normozoospermic samples.

Background: Many studies have demonstrated that lifestyle factors can affect sperm quality and fertility. Sperm telomere length (STL) has been reported as potential biomarker or sperm quality. However, no studies have investigated how lifestyle factors can affect STL and associated clinical outcomes.

ATLAS: An advanced PCR-method for routine visualization of telomere length in Saccharomyces cerevisiae.

Measuring telomere length is essential in telomere biology. Southern blot hybridization is the predominant method for measuring telomere length in the genetic model Saccharomyces cerevisiae. We have further developed and refined a telomere PCR approach, which was rarely used previously (mainly in specific telomeric projects), into a robust method allowing direct visualisation of telomere length differences in routine experiments with S.

First hospital outbreak of the globally emerging in a European hospital.

Background: is a globally emerging multidrug resistant fungal pathogen causing nosocomial transmission. We report an ongoing outbreak of in a London cardio-thoracic center between April 2015 and July 2016. This is the first report of in Europe and the largest outbreak so far.

Calibration of the Hg chalcogenide glass membrane ion-selective electrode in seawater media.

It is shown that a chalcogenide glass mercury(II) ion-selective electrode (ISE) can be calibrated in chloride-free unbuffered and saline buffered standards, displaying near-Nernstian response over 19 orders of magnitude (i.e. 10(-20) to 10(-1) M Hg(2+)).

Antifungal effect of mouth rinses on oral Candida counts and salivary flow in treatment-naïve HIV-infected patients.

Oral candidiasis is a major problem in developing countries where antiretroviral therapy is available to a small percentage of the infected population. HIV patients are prone to xerostomia and predisposed to Candida infection. Preventing oral candidiasis is better than the frequent use of antifungals that may lead to the development of drug resistance.

Effect of antifungal treatment on the prevalence of yeasts in HIV-infected subjects.

Oral candidiasis, the most common opportunistic infection in patients with HIV infection, is usually associated with Candida albicans. Several factors may influence the carriage of Candida, including immunocompromised conditions and HIV infection, colonization by yeasts from different geographical areas and antimycotic treatment. This study investigated the Candida carrier rate, level and types of yeast in HIV-positive and -negative subjects, and the effect of previous exposure to antifungal drugs on the level of yeasts in HIV-positive patients in Gauteng, South Africa.

Experience with the Brånemark implant system: 1985-1995.

The osseo-integrated dental implant programme started at the University of the Witwatersrand, Johannesburg in 1985. This retrospective study describes the experience gained in the Division of Maxillofacial and Oral Surgery and the Department of Prosthetic Dentistry with the Brånemark implant system. The numbers of fixtures placed, the types of prostheses prescribed and the surgical and prosthodontic successes and problems are described.

Comparison between an ophthalmic optician and an ophthalmologist in screening for diabetic retinopathy.

The best method of screening for diabetic retinopathy is still debated: fundus photography, general practitioners, hospital physicians and ophthalmic opticians have been advocated. This study compared the performance of an ophthalmic optician with an ophthalmologist, both using mydriatic and slit lamp biomicroscopy and direct ophthalmoscopy. A total of 474 eyes of diabetics in a single group practice were examined by both practitioners at their annual check.

The effect of titanium on the growth of plaque micro-organisms in vitro.

The effect of titanium on the growth of plaque organisms was studied in vitro. Thioglycollate broth containing either titanium or glass cylinders was inoculated with plaque micro-organisms and incubated aerobically and anaerobically at 37 degrees C for 6 hours. Growth was measured by observing an increase in turbidity of the broth.

Targeting of proteins to the thylakoids by bipartite presequences: CFoII is imported by a novel, third pathway.

The CFoII subunit of the ATP synthase is an integral component of the thylakoid membrane which is synthesized in the cytosol with a bipartite, lumen-targeting presequence similar in structural terms to those of imported lumenal proteins such as plastocyanin. This presequence is shown to possess a terminal cleavage site for the thylakoidal processing peptidase, but no intermediate site for the stromal processing peptidase. The integration of CFoII into the thylakoid membrane of Pisum sativum has been analysed using in vitro assays for the import of proteins into intact chloroplasts or isolated thylakoids.

Survival of fixed implant-supported prostheses related to cantilever lengths.

Various lengths of cantilevers for fixed implant-supported prostheses have been recommended in the literature. No scientific data are available for selecting specific lengths, and different views are reported. Authors contend that longer cantilevers lead to increased risk of failure.

Protein translocation across the thylakoid membrane--a tale of two mechanisms.

In vitro reconstitution assays have been used in recent years to probe the mechanisms by which a variety of cytosolically synthesised proteins are transported across the thylakoid membrane within higher plant chloroplasts. The emerging data suggest that two distinct mechanisms operate. Translocation of a subset of lumenal proteins, namely the 23 kDa and 16 kDa proteins of the oxygen-evolving complex, and of the CFo2 protein (an integral membrane protein), requires only the presence of the thylakoidal delta pH.

Protein targeting across the three membranes of the Euglena chloroplast envelope.

A system has been developed for the import in vitro of precursor proteins into Euglena chloroplasts, which have three envelope membranes. Preparation of functional chloroplasts with intact envelope membranes has been optimized. Import of the precursor (50 kDa) for the tetrapyrrole biosynthesis enzyme porphobilinogen deaminase (PBGD), and processing to the mature size (40 kDa), occurred at 25 degrees C in the light and the presence of ATP, with an estimated efficiency of 62%.

Transport of proteins into chloroplasts. Requirements for the efficient import of two lumenal oxygen-evolving complex proteins into isolated thylakoids.

The 33- and 23-kDa proteins of the photosynthetic oxygen-evolving complex are synthesized in the cytosol and targeted into the thylakoid lumen by bipartite presequences. In this report, we describe conditions for the efficient import of each of these proteins by isolated pea thylakoids. Import of the 33-kDa protein requires both light and stromal extract.

Transport of proteins into chloroplasts. The thylakoidal processing peptidase is a signal-type peptidase with stringent substrate requirements at the -3 and -1 positions.

The transport of proteins across the thylakoid membrane in higher plant chloroplasts is usually mediated by an amino-terminal peptide extension which is subsequently removed by a specific thylakoidal processing peptidase. We have previously shown that the reaction specificity of this enzyme is very similar to those of signal peptidases located in the endoplasmic reticulum and bacterial plasma membrane. In the present report, the reaction mechanism of the thylakoidal peptidase has been investigated by substituting a variety of amino acids for the alanine residues at the -3 and -1 positions of a thylakoid lumen protein precursor.

Height and glucose tolerance in adult subjects.

In a prospective study concerning the pathogenesis of impaired glucose tolerance and Type 2 (non-insulin-dependent) diabetes mellitus, 346 subjects with no clinical history of diabetes were given a standard 75 g oral glucose tolerance test. The expected positive associations between 120-min plasma glucose concentration and age and body mass index were observed in both sexes and between 120-min plasma glucose and waist/hip ratio in male subjects. An unexpected negative correlation was found between 120-min plasma glucose and height in both sexes (r = -0.

Synthesis and evaluation of some novel phosphate and phosphinate derivatives of araA. Studies on the mechanism of action of phosphate triesters.

A number of novel phosphinate and phosphate triester derivatives of the anti-viral nucleoside analogue araA have been prepared. Spectroscopic and analytical data have been collected on both the reagents and the nucleotides. An in vitro assay indicated inhibition of DNA synthesis by mammalian cells, by each of the nucleotide derivatives, in the range 3-30 microM.

ATP-dependent import of a lumenal protein by isolated thylakoid vesicles.

The 33 kd protein of the photosynthetic oxygen-evolving complex is synthesized in the cytoplasm as a larger precursor and transported into the thylakoid lumen via a stromal intermediate form. In this report we describe a reconstituted system in which the later stages of this import pathway can be studied in isolation. We demonstrate import of the 33 kd protein, probably as the intermediate form, into isolated pea thylakoids by a mechanism which is stimulated by the addition of ATP.

Quantitative aspects of the formation and loss of DNA interstrand crosslinks in Chinese hamster cells following treatment with cis-diamminedichloroplatinum(II) (cisplatin). II. Comparison of results from alkaline elution, DNA renaturation and DNA sedimentation studies.

The formation of interstrand crosslinks in the DNA of cis-diamminedichloroplatinum(II) (cisplatin)-treated Chinese hamster cells has been demonstrated by three independent, highly sensitive techniques: namely those of alkaline elution, renaturation of crosslinked DNA and alkaline sucrose gradient velocity sedimentation. Simultaneous measurement of DNA break frequency by the first two methods and a computer model combined with the third enabled the calculation of crosslink frequency after application of low doses of cisplatin. Good agreement was found between the values obtained by the three methods used here, and also with those obtained by direct measurement of the amount of crosslinked hybrid DNA in density-labelled cells treated with higher doses of cis-platin (Roberts, J.