The crystal structure of lysin, a fertilization protein.

Lysin, a protein from abalone sperm, creates a hole in the envelope of the egg, permitting the sperm to pass through the envelope and fuse with the egg. The structure of lysin, refined at 1.9 angstroms resolution, reveals an alpha-helical, amphipathic molecule.

Azotobacter vinelandii ferredoxin I. Aspartate 15 facilitates proton transfer to the reduced [3Fe-4S] cluster.

The [3Fe-4S]+/0 cluster of Azotobacter vinelandii ferredoxin I (AvFdI) has an unusually low and strongly pH-dependent reduction potential (E'0). The reduced cluster exists in two forms, depending upon pH, that exhibit substantially different magnetic circular dichroism (MCD) spectra. Recent studies have established that the MCD changes observed on decreasing the pH from 8.

Crystal structures of oxidized and reduced Azotobacter vinelandii ferredoxin at pH 8 and 6.

Crystal structures of Azotobacter vinelandii ferredoxin I (FdI) have been solved and refined at 2.2 to 1.9-A resolution at pH 8 and 6 for both the oxidized and dithionite-reduced proteins.

The Knowledge, Attitude, and Self-Efficacy Asthma Questionnaire.

The Knowledge, Attitude, and Self-Efficacy Asthma Questionnaire (KASE-AQ) is a paper-and-pencil instrument that was developed to allow physicians, behavioral scientists, and other health care personnel to assess asthma patients' knowledge regarding asthma, their attitudes about their asthma (including their willingness to cooperate with the physician in managing asthma), and their self-efficacy regarding their perceived ability to control the disorder. The KASE-AQ assesses changes in these patient variables following a particular intervention. The KASE-AQ proved to be reliable and internally consistent, and a factor analysis revealed presence of three subscales in the questionnaire (knowledge, attitude, and self-efficacy about asthma).

Automated docking in crystallography: analysis of the substrates of aconitase.

Automated docking of substrates to proteins of known structure aids the process of crystallographic analysis in two ways. First, automated docking can be used to generate a small number of starting models for substrates using only protein coordinates from an early stage of refinement. Second, automated docking provides a method for exploring aspects of catalysis that are inaccessible to crystallography by postulating binding modes of catalytic intermediates.

Improving recognition of respiratory sensations in healthy adults.

In two discrimination training studies, we noted improvements in the ability of healthy individuals to discriminate between respiratory sensations. We trained individuals to discriminate between respiratory sensations elicited during inspiration in Experiment 1 and during expiration in Experiment 2. We elicited respiratory sensations by having participants breathe through circuits that differed in their resistance to air flow.

Use of a verbal fluency measure in understanding and evaluating ADHD as an executive function disorder.

A primary characteristic of Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD) is an inability to establish and maintain sustained attention, which is speculated to reflect frontal lobe involvement. The Knight Verbal Fluency measure was administered to 19 ADHD inpatient boys and to a cohort group of 7 children who were matched for mean age, psychiatric diagnosis (depression), treatment facility, and examiner but were without the diagnosis of ADHD. Analysis indicated that ADHD children performed significantly lower than expected and lower than the similar non-ADHD children.

Comparison of the NMR solution structure and the x-ray crystal structure of rat metallothionein-2.

Metallothioneins are small cysteine-rich proteins capable of binding heavy metal ions such as Zn2+ and Cd2+. They are ubiquitous tissue components in higher organisms, which tentatively have been attributed both unspecific protective functions against toxic metal ions and highly specific roles in fundamental zinc-regulated cellular processes. In this paper a detailed comparison of the NMR solution structure [Schultze, P.

Crystal structures of aconitase with isocitrate and nitroisocitrate bound.

The crystal structures of mitochondrial aconitase with isocitrate and nitroisocitrate bound have been solved and refined to R factors of 0.179 and 0.161, respectively, for all observed data in the range 8.

The high-risk patient: a profile of acute care psychiatric patients who leave without discharge.

An acute care psychiatric hospital faces the dilemma of maintaining a safe and secure environment for its patients while gradually providing them with enough independence to assume responsibility for the management of their own behaviors. When patients leave the hospital building, grounds, or an off-ground activity without prior authorization from the attending physician or if they do not adhere to restrictions during a medical/therapeutic pass, they are placing themselves, the hospital, and others in a high-risk situation. An analysis and review of the closed medical records of patients who had eloped were conducted to determine if a pattern existed among them.

Crystallographic analysis of two site-directed mutants of Azotobacter vinelandii ferredoxin.

The crystal structure of the C24A mutant of Azotobacter vinelandii 7Fe ferredoxin (FdI) has been solved and refined at 2.0-A resolution. The structure is isomorphous to native FdI except at the site of mutation where A24 moves toward the [4Fe-4S] cluster.

Refined crystal structure of Cd, Zn metallothionein at 2.0 A resolution.

The crystal structure of Cd5,Zn2-metallothionein from rat liver has been refined at 2.0 A resolution of a R-value of 0.176 for all observed data.

Psychopharmacological intervention. II: Teacher perceptions of psychotropic medication for students with learning disabilities.

The perceptions, knowledge, and opinions of 104 teachers of students with learning disabilities regarding medication used with their students were investigated. The students' doctors were perceived as the professionals primarily responsible for making the decision to have the student either placed on or taken off medication. The teachers indicated that global impressions and direct behavioral observations were used to assess the effects of medication but that they would prefer to use behavioral observations and rating scales.

Circular dichroism and magnetic circular dichroism of Azotobacter vinelandii ferredoxin I.

Room temperature circular dichroism (CD) and low temperature magnetic circular dichroism (MCD) spectra of air-oxidized and dithionite-reduced Azotobacter vinelandii ferredoxin I (FdI), a [( 4Fe-4S]2+/1+, [3Fe-4S]1+/0) protein, are reported. Unlike the CD of oxidized FdI, the CD of dithionite-reduced FdI exhibits significant pH dependence, consistent with protonation-deprotonation at or near the cluster reduced: the [3Fe-4S] cluster. The MCD of reduced FdI, which originates in the paramagnetic reduced [3Fe-4S]0 cluster, is also pH-dependent.

Impact of a natural disaster on a psychiatric inpatient population: clinical observations.

Natural disasters do not always lead to post-traumatic stress disorders (PTSD) for their victims, although stress-related symptoms are commonly reported as results of such disasters. The impact of a natural disaster on the treatment of a hospitalized psychiatric population has never been systematically evaluated. In the fall of 1986, severe river flooding caused evacuation of a 160-bed psychiatric facility.

Predicting asthma in individual patients.

The degree to which asthma attacks were related to seven environmental variables was determined for each of 17 individuals. Using stepwise regression procedures, cladosporium mold, ragweed pollen, and a change in temperature were significant predictors of asthma attacks in 5 of 17 individuals. The information provided by these analyses could prove useful in helping some individuals manage their asthma.

Species-specific sequences of abalone lysin, the sperm protein that creates a hole in the egg envelope.

Abalone eggs are contained within a rigid, elevated vitelline envelope through which the sperm must pass before reaching the egg cell membrane. Abalone spermatozoa possess an acrosomal protein called lysin that creates a hole in the egg vitelline envelope by a nonenzymatic mechanism. Lysins from two species of abalone, termed pink and red, which share the same habitat, exhibit species specificity in the dissolution of isolated egg envelopes.

Diffraction quality crystals of lysin from spermatozoa of the red abalone (Haliotis rufescens).

Single crystals of the protein lysin (Mr = 16,070) from the spermatozoa of the red abalone (Haliotis rufescens) have been obtained by the vapor diffusion technique, using as precipitants a 32.5% saturated solution of (NH4)2SO4 (incubation at 18 degrees C) or a 5% w/v polyethyleneglycol 8000 solution (incubation at 29 degrees C), both in Bis-Tris-iminodiacetic acid buffers of pH 7.0.

Site-directed mutagenesis of Azotobacter vinelandii ferredoxin I: [Fe-S] cluster-driven protein rearrangement.

Azotobacter vinelandii ferredoxin I is a small protein that contains one [4Fe-4S] cluster and one [3Fe-4S] cluster. Recently the x-ray crystal structure has been redetermined and the fdxA gene, which encodes the protein, has been cloned and sequenced. Here we report the site-directed mutation of Cys-20, which is a ligand of the [4Fe-4S] cluster in the native protein, to alanine and the characterization of the protein product by x-ray crystallographic and spectroscopic methods.

Redox protein electron-transfer mechanisms: electrostatic interactions as a determinant of reaction site in c-type cytochromes.

The effect of ionic strength on the rate constant for electron transfer has been used to determine the magnitude and charge sign of the net electrostatic potential which exists in close proximity to the sites of electron transfer on various c-type cytochromes. The negatively charged ferricyanide ion preferentially reacts at the positively charged exposed heme edge region on the front side of horse cytochrome c and Paracoccus cytochrome c2. In contrast, at low ionic strength, the positively charged cobalt phenanthroline ion interacts with the negatively charged back side of cytochrome c2, and at high ionic strength at a positively charged site on the front side of the cytochrome.

Structure of activated aconitase: formation of the [4Fe-4S] cluster in the crystal.

The structure of activated pig heart aconitase [citrate(isocitrate) hydro-lyase, EC 4.2.1.

Evaluation of a monoclonal antibody pool for rapid diagnosis of respiratory viral infections.

A pool of monoclonal antibodies (MAbP) was evaluated both as a method of cell culture confirmation and as a rapid diagnostic screen for viral infection in respiratory secretions. The MAbP was used in a two-step fluorescent staining procedure on cells harvested from cultures (phase 1) and on exfoliated nasopharyngeal or tracheal cells (phase 2). Antibodies in the MAbP were directed against respiratory syncytial virus, adenoviruses, parainfluenza virus types 1, 2, and 3, and influenza viruses A and B.