C-terminal amino acid residues of the trimeric autotransporter adhesin YadA of Yersinia enterocolitica are decisive for its recognition and assembly by BamA.

The Bam complex is a highly conserved multiprotein machine essential for the assembly of β-barrel outer membrane proteins. It is composed of the essential outer membrane protein BamA and four outer membrane associated lipoproteins BamB-E. The Yersinia enterocolitica Adhesin A (YadA) is the prototype of trimeric auotransporter adhesins (TAAs), consisting of a head, stalk and a β-barrel membrane anchor.

A molecular view of coping behavior in older adults.

Objectives: The purpose of this study was to assess age, gender, ethnicity, and education differences in specific ("molecular") coping behaviors for three older adult age groups.

Methods: Thirty-five specific coping reactions were assessed on the item level for 74 sexagenarians, 70 octogenarians, and 116 centenarians of the Georgia Centenarian Study.

Results: A multivariate analysis of covariance revealed significant age group, gender, and education differences for 14 coping reactions.

Anticipation of and adjustment to retirement.

The role of anticipation of retirement was studied by comparing two samples under different conditions: in the West German sample, retirement could be anticipated as "normal" with regard to the economic changes in most industrial societies between 1992 and 1994, whereas the members of the East German sample were faced with mandatory retirement, with few changes in the anticipation of this event. Findings confirm the hypotheses regarding a more negative view of retirement, different ways of coping with retirement, and equal status of cognitive functioning and health. They did not confirm the hypothesis of a lower degree of well-being in the East.

[Mild cognitive deficit in the elderly. Results of a gerontologic study].

The term "mild cognitive impairment" refers to cognitive deficits which exceed normal physiological aging processes, but do not fulfill the criteria for dementia. The prevalence rates of four current concepts were compared in a sample of 202 healthy 60-64 year-old participants recruited from the interdisciplinary longitudinal study on adult development and aging (ILSE). Furthermore, the relationships between cognitive deficits and psychological and sociodemographic variables were examined.

Prevalence of mild cognitive impairment in an elderly community sample.

The term "mild cognitive impairment" refers to cognitive deficits which exceed normal physiological aging processes, but do not fulfill the criteria for dementia. While recent studies indicate that the respective deficits can be reliably assessed, different diagnostic criteria have prevented a wide application of this diagnosis in clinical practice. The aims of the present study were (1) to assess the prevalence rates of four current diagnostic concepts and (2) to investigate mild cognitive impairment with respect to psychological and sociodemographic variables.