Salvia divinorum is widely cultivated in the US, Mexico, Central and South America and Europe and is consumed for its ability to produce hallucinogenic effects similar to those of other scheduled hallucinogenic drugs, such as LSD. Salvinorin A (SA), a kappa opiod receptor agonist and psychoactive constituent, is found primarily in the leaves and to a lesser extent in the stems of the plant. Herein, the analysis of intact S. divinorum leaves for SA and of acetone extracts separated using thin layer chromatography (TLC) is demonstrated using desorption electrospray ionization (DESI) mass spectrometry. The detection of SA using DESI in the positive ion mode is characterized by several ions associated with the compound - [M+H](+), [M+NH(4)](+), [M+Na](+), [2M+NH(4)](+), and [2M+Na](+). Confirmation of the identity of these ions is provided through exact mass measurements using a time-of-flight (ToF) mass spectrometer. The presence of SA in the leaves was confirmed by multi-stage tandem mass spectrometry (MS(n)) of the [M+H](+) ion using a linear ion trap mass spectrometer. Direct analysis of the leaves revealed several species of salvinorin in addition to SA as confirmed by MS(n), including salvinorin B, C, D/E, and divinatorin B. Further, the results from DESI imaging of a TLC separation of a commercial leaf extract and an acetone extract of S. divinorum leaves were in concordance with the TLC/DESI-MS results of an authentic salvinorin A standard. The present study provides an example of both the direct analysis of intact plant materials for screening illicit substances and the coupling of TLC and DESI-MS as a simple method for the examination of natural products.

The susceptibility of the host to influenza virus is determined by the distribution of the sialic acid (SA) receptors on host cell membrane. Avian influenza virus (AIV) preferentially binds to SA α-2,3-galactose (SA ααSA αSA patterns and distributions in the reproductive tract of hens by employing two specific lectins, Maackia amurensis agglutinin (MAA) for SA αSA α 2,6-gal receptors. Our results revealed that both SA αSA αSAα-2,3-gal receptor was more abundantly in the columnar epithelium cells of magnum, isthmus and uterus. Only minimal positive results for SA α-2,6-gal receptors were detected in the columnar epithelium cells of magnum, isthmus, uterus and vagina. Furthermore, AIV in tissues of the reproductive tract tissues of laying hens were detected by SYBR green-based reverse transcription and polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR). Results showed that both viral loads and pathological changes in different parts of the reproductive tract were positively correlated with the expression of both receptors. Our results revealed that the reproductive tract of hens may provide an environment for the replication of both avian and human influenza viruses.

Salicylic acid (SA) is known to play an important role in the interaction between plant and micro-organisms, both symbiotic and pathogen. In particular, high levels of SA block nodule formation and mycorrhizal colonization in plants. A mutant of Lotus japonicus, named Ljsym4-2, was characterized as unable to establish positive interactions with Rhizobium and fungi (NOD(-), MYC(-)); in particular, it does not recognize signal molecules released by symbiotic micro-organisms so that eventually, epidermal cells undergo PCD at the contact area. We performed a detailed characterization of wild-type and Ljsym4-2 cultured cells by taking into account several parameters characterizing cell responses to SA, a molecule strongly involved in defense signaling pathways. In the presence of 0.5 mM SA, Ljsym4-2 suspension-cultured cells reduce their growth and eventually die, whereas in order to induce the same effects in wt suspension cells, SA concentration must be raised to 1.5 mM. An early and short production of nitric oxide (NO) and reactive oxygen species (ROS) was detected in wt-treated cells. In contrast, a continuous production of NO and a double-peak ROS response, similar to that reported after a pathogenic attack, was observed in the mutant Ljsym4-2 cells. At the molecular level, a constitutive higher level of a SA-inducible pathogenesis related gene was observed. The analysis in planta revealed a strong induction of the LjPR1 gene in the Ljsym4-2 mutant inoculated with Mesorhizobium loti.

A new antibiotic termed mutactimycin PR (1) was isolated along with the known mutactimycin C (2) from the fermentation broth of Saccharothrix sp. SA 103. The two compounds belong to the anthracycline group. The structure of these antibiotics was elucidated with the aid of NMR and mass spectrometric investigations. The novel compound mutactimycin PR was characterized as 5,12 Naphtacenedione, 7-[(6-deoxy-3-O-methyl-alpha-L-mannopyranosyl)oxy]-4-[(6-deoxy-alpha-L-mannopyranosyl)oxy]-7,8,9,10-tetrahydro-6,9,11-trihydroxy-9 methyl.

OBJECTIVE

This case report describes the use of gait re-education based on the Bobath concept to measure the changes that occurred in the gait of 2 patients with hemiplegia who were undergoing outpatient physical therapy.

METHODS

One patient ("NM"), a 65-year-old woman, was referred for physical therapy 6 weeks following a right cerebrovascular accident. She attended 30 therapy sessions over a 15-week period. The other patient ("SA"), a 71-year-old woman, was referred for physical therapy 7 weeks following a left cerebrovascular accident. She attended 28 therapy sessions over a 19-week period. Clinical indexes of impairment and disability and 3-dimensional gait data were obtained at the start of treatment and at discharge. Therapy was based on the Bobath concept.

RESULTS

At discharge, NM demonstrated improvements in her hip and knee movements, reduced tone, and improved mobility. At discharge, SA demonstrated improved mobility. During gait, both patients demonstrated more normal movement patterns at the level of the pelvis, the knee, and the ankle in the sagittal plane. SA also demonstrated an improvement in hip extension.

CONCLUSIONS

These cases demonstrate that recovery of more normal movement patterns and functional ability can be achieved following a cardiovascular accident and provide insight into the clinical decision making of experienced practitioners using Bobath's concept.

Salicylic acid (SA) is a biological substance that acts as a phytohormone and plays an important role in signal transduction in plants. It is important to accurately and sensitively detect SA levels. A gold electrode modified with copper nanoparticles was used to assay the electrocatalytic oxidation of salicylic acid. It was found that the electrochemical behavior of salicylic acid was greatly improved at copper nanoparticles, indicating that anodic oxidation could be catalyzed at copper nanoparticles. And the pH had remarkable effect on the electrochemical process, a very well-defined oxidation peak appeared at pH 13.3 (0.2M NaOH). The kinetics parameters of this process were calculated and the heterogeneous electron transfer rate constant (k) was determined to be 1.34x10(-3)cms(-1), and (1-alpha)n(alpha) was 1.22. The gold electrode modified with copper nanoparticles could detect SA at a higher sensitivity than common electrodes. The electrode was used to detect the SA levels in oilseed rape infected with the fungal pathogen Sclerotinia sclerotiorum. The results showed that the SA concentration reached a maximum during the 10th-25th hours after infection. This result was very similar to that determined by HPLC, indicating that the gold electrodes modified with copper nanoparticles could be used as salicylic acid sensors.

The usefulness of iontophoresis is restricted to highly water-soluble compounds, since drugs are generally applied as an aqueous solution in a drug electrode. In the present study, salicylic acid (SA) dissolved in ethanol-water mixture was loaded in a drug electrode, and the effect of ethanol on the iontophoretic transdermal delivery of SA was evaluated. Ethanol at a concentration of 10 or 30% showed no significant effect on the iontophoretic transdermal delivery of SA compared to that in the absence of ethanol, but 40 or 70% ethanol increased it significantly. The current density passing through in vivo during iontophoretic treatment decreased with increase in ethanol concentrations. These results suggested that the enhanced transdermal absorption of SA iontophoretically by the presence of ethanol in a drug solution is not due to the increased current density in vivo, but probably due to the direct action of ethanol on the stratum corneum. In conclusion, addition of ethanol to a drug solution at an appropriate concentration was proved to enhance the iontophoretic transdermal delivery of SA. A mixture of ethanol and water can dissolve many poorly water-soluble drugs, and therefore it would be able to expand the application of iontophoresis to include many drugs that are poorly soluble in water.

Signal peptide/membrane anchor (SA) domains of type II membrane proteins initiate the translocation of downstream polypeptides across the endoplasmic reticulum (ER) membrane. In contrast with signal peptides, however, SA domains are not cleaved by signal peptidase and thus anchor the protein in the membrane. In the present study we have introduced mutations in the SA domain of neprilysin (neutral endopeptidase-24.11; NEP) to identify structural elements that would favour the processing of SA domains by signal peptidase. Mutants of full-length and truncated (without cytoplasmic domain) protein were constructed by substitution of the sequences SQNS, QQTT or YPGY for VTMI starting at position 15 of the NEP SA domain. In addition, a Pro residue was substituted for Thr at position 16 of the SA domain. The rationale for the use of these sequences was decided from our previous observation that substitution in the NEP SA domain of the sequence SQNS, which is polar and has alpha-helix-breaking potential, could promote SA domain processing under certain conditions (Roy, Chatellard, Lemay, Crine and Boileau (1993) J. Biol. Chem. 268. 2699-2704; Yang. Chatellard, Lazure, Crine and Boileau (1994) Arch. Biochem. Biophys. 315, 382-386). The QQTT sequence is polar but, according to secondary structure predictions, is compatible with the alpha-helix structure of the NEP SA domain. The YPGY sequence and single Pro residue are less polar and have alpha-helix-breaking potential. The predicted effects of these mutations on the structure of the NEP SA domain were confirmed by CD analysis of 42-residue peptides encompassing the hydrophobic segment and flanking regions. Wild-type and mutated proteins were expressed in COS-I cells and their fate (membrane-bound or secreted) was determined by immunoblotting and by endoglycosidase digestions. Our biochemical and structural data indicate that: (I) the cytosolic domain of NEP restricts the conformation of the SA domain because mutants not secreted in their full-length form are secreted in their truncated form; (2) alpha-helix-breaking residues are not a prerequisite for cleavage; (3) the presence, in close proximity to a putative signal peptidase cleavage site, of a polar sequence that maintains the alpha-helical structure of the SA domain is sufficient to promote cleavage. Furthermore pulse chase studies suggest that cleavage is performed in the ER by signal peptidase and indicate that cleavage is not a limiting step in the biosynthesis of the soluble form of the protein.

By using the intra-I-region recombinant mouse strain, B10.BASR1 (H-2as4), the immune response (Ir) genes for LDH-B and MOPC-173 were genetically and serologically separated, as assayed by T cell proliferation. Previous work demonstrated that the H-2s and H-2b strains respond to LDH-B and MOPC-173, whereas the H-2a and H-2k strains failed to respond due to haplotype-specific suppression of I-Ak-activated T helper cells by I-Ek-activated T suppressor cells. In the experiments reported here, B10.BASR1 mice, which lack I-Ek expression, mounted a significant T cell proliferative response to MOPC-173 but not to LDH-B. Separation of the Ia determinants used in restricting these two antigen responses was further confirmed when pretreatment of B10.S(9R) (A alpha sA beta sE beta sJk) macrophages with A.TL anti-B10.HTT (anti-A beta sE beta sJs) serum absorbed with B10.BASR1 spleen cells blocked the LDH-B response but not the MOPC-173 response. Unabsorbed serum blocked both antigen responses. The primary immunogenic determinant recognized by LDH-B or MOPC-173 immune T cells was not present on both antigens, as MOPC-173-primed T cells and LDH-B-primed T cells responded only to the priming antigen. Lastly, by using the A beta mutant strain, B6CH-2bm12, it was shown that the Ir gene and Ia determinants affected by this mutation had no effect on the LDH-B and MOPC-173 proliferative responses. These results suggest the possibility of an intragenic recombinatorial event in either the A alpha or A beta chain resulting in the separation of these two immune response gene functions.

The production of chemicals alongside fuels will be essential to enhance the feasibility of lignocellulosic biorefineries. Succinic acid (SA), a naturally occurring C4-diacid, is a primary intermediate of the tricarboxylic acid cycle and a promising building block chemical that has received significant industrial attention. Basfia succiniciproducens is a relatively unexplored SA-producing bacterium with advantageous features such as broad substrate utilization, genetic tractability, and facultative anaerobic metabolism. Here B. succiniciproducens is evaluated in high xylose-content hydrolysates from corn stover and different synthetic media in batch fermentation. SA titers in hydrolysate at an initial sugar concentration of 60g/L reached up to 30g/L, with metabolic yields of 0.69g/g, and an overall productivity of 0.43g/L/h. These results demonstrate that B. succiniciproducens may be an attractive platform organism for bio-SA production from biomass hydrolysates.

A new two-step process of production of succinic acid (SA) has been developed, which includes the microbial synthesis of alpha-ketoglutaric acid by the yeast Yarrowia lipolytica (step 1) and subsequent oxidation of the acid by hydrogen peroxide to SA (step 2). The maximum concentration of SA and its yield were found to be 63.4 g l(-1) and 58% of the ethanol consumed, respectively. The purity of the SA isolated from the culture liquid filtrate reached 100%. The yield of SA was as high as 82% of its amount in the culture liquid filtrate. The quality of the SA produced by the invented method meets the biochemical grade definitions, as is evident from the respiratory and other relevant parameters of rat liver mitochondria upon the oxidation of this SA.

Cytochrome P450 (CYP) is known to turn over rapidly both in vivo in the liver, and in vitro in cultured hepatoma cells expressing CYP. We examined changes in heme metabolism by analyzing gene expression of the non-specific delta-aminolevulinate synthase (ALAS-N), and heme oxygenase-1 (HO-1), the rate limiting enzyme in heme synthesis and catabolism, respectively, in the human hepatoma cell line HLE/2E1, in which CYP2E1 was overexpressed by transfection of its expression vector. Both ALAS-N mRNA and HO-1 mRNA levels were found to be markedly up-regulated in HLE/2E1 cells as compared with those in non-transfected cells (HLE), or in mock-transfected cells (HLE/MOCK). Treatment of HLE/2E1 cells with succinylacetone (SA), a potent inhibitor of delta-aminolevulinate dehydratase and thereby heme synthesis, resulted in a further increase in ALAS-N mRNA but a decrease in HO-1 mRNA levels. In contrast, treatment of cells with heme, as heme arginate, to SA-pretreated HLE/2E1 cells restored both mRNA levels to the untreated control level. These findings suggest that the overexpression of CYP2E1 results in the up-regulation of ALAS-N in order to meet with an increased demand for heme synthesis for CYP2E1 formation, while it also results in the up-regulation of HO-1 presumably by enzyme induction by free heme released from CYP2E1, which then results in the elimination of toxic excess free heme and ultimately restores the physiologic milieu.

A method was developed for collection and analysis of bioaerosols by matrix-assisted laser desorption/ionization (MALDI) time-of-flight mass spectrometry using a modified Andersen N6 bioaerosol collector. The overall goal of the study was to develop methods for obtaining mass spectra with minimal reagents and treatment steps for potential use in remote collection and analysis systems. Test bioaerosol particles were generated from a nebulized E. coli bacterial suspension and collected on MALDI targets placed in an Andersen N6 single-stage aerosol impactor. The bioaerosols were mixed with matrix either by deposition on a bare target with the matrix solution added later, or by deposition on a target pre-coated with matrix. The matrix compounds alpha-cyano-4-hydroxycinnamic acid (CHCA) and sinapic acid (SA) were tested and the SA matrix was found to give the best results in number of peaks, resolution, and signal-to-noise ratio. Deposition of bioaerosol particles onto the matrix pre-coated target did not produce signal in the m/z region above 1000, but the signal could be recovered with the addition of a 1:1 (v/v) acetonitrile/water solvent. Addition of solvent by pipette to the pre-coated targets after particle deposition recovered signal comparable to the dried-droplet sample preparations, whereas solvent sprayed into the impactor recovered fewer peaks. Deposition on pre-coated targets with post-collection solvent addition was superior to deposition on bare target followed by post-collection addition of matrix solution.

Influence of labetalol and 5-(1-hydroxy-2-aminoethyl)salicylamide (SA), a part of the chemical structure of labetalol, on the fluorimetric assay of catecholamine (CA) was studied. Both labetalol and SA have a weak but significant fluorescence which is indistinguishable from that of CA with peaks of excitation/emission wavelengths at 410/490. It is thus concluded that an apparent increase in urinary CA observed in patients receiving labetalol is caused by the contamination of labetalol and/or its metabolite, and that the evaluation of urinary CA in hypertensive patients must be done prior to the use of labetalol to avoid any confusion in diagnosis of pheochromocytoma.

This study was undertaken to evaluate the variable clinical expression of hemoglobin (Hb) H disease in India. For the study, alpha genotyping was done in 8 patients with Hb H disease using multiplex polymerase chain reaction and DNA sequencing. The study revealed that 4 genotypes (- -(SEA)/ -alpha(3.7), - -(SA)/-alpha(3.7), - -(SEA)/-alpha(3.7 Sallanches), - -alpha(3.7)/-alpha(3.7 Sallanches)) were responsible for Hb H disease, the alpha+ thalassemia mutation (-alpha(3.7) deletion) being the most common defect. The nondeletional mutation Hb Sallanches (alpha 2 codon 104 G ->> A) was seen in 3 cases. Two unique and novel genotypes leading to Hb H disease were characterized (- -(SEA)/-alpha(3.7 Sallanches) and -alpha(3.7)/-alpha(3.7 Sallanches)). Because a majority of patients with Hb H disease do not have severe manifestations, prenatal diagnosis is usually unwarranted in India.

Agrobacterium tumefaciens-mediated transformation (AtMT) has become a common technique for DNA transformation of yeast and filamentous fungi. In this study, we first established a protocol of AtMT for the phytopathogenic fungus Colletotrichum sansevieriae. Binary T-DNA vector containing the hygromycin B phosphotransferase gene controlled by the Aspergillus nidulans gpdA promoter and the trpC terminator was constructed with pCAMBIA0380 and used with three different strains LBA4404, GV3101, and GV2260 of A. tumefaciens. Transformants were most effectively obtained when GV2260 and C. sansevieriae Sa-1-2 were co-cultivated; there were about 320 transformants per 10(6) spores. When 1,048 transformants were inoculated on Sansevieria trifasciata, three transformants were found to have completely lost their pathogenicity and two transformants displayed reduced pathogenicity. All of the five transformants had a single copy of T-DNA in their genomes. The three pathogenicity-deficient transformants were subjected to thermal asymmetric interlaced polymerase chain reaction and the reaction allowed us to amplify the sequences flanking the left and/or right borders. The flanking sequences of the two transformants, M154 and M875, showed no homology to any sequences in databases, but the sequences of M678 contained motifs of alpha-1,3-glucan synthase, suggesting that the gene might contribute to the pathogenicity of C. sansevieriae. This study describes a useful method for investigating pathogenicity genes in C. sansevieriae.

BACKGROUND

Recent studies indicate that adult separation anxiety disorder is a discrete diagnostic entity and worthy of attention. Previously, we found a significant association between platelet expression of the 18-kDa translocator protein (TSPO) and adult separation anxiety in patients with panic disorder or major depression. The aim of this study was to explore whether adult separation anxiety might be a factor differentiating TSPO expression in a sample of patients with bipolar disorder.

METHODS

The equilibrium binding parameters of the specific TSPO ligand [(3)H]PK 11195 were estimated on the platelet membranes of 24 adult outpatients with a DSM-IV diagnosis of bipolar disorder (with or without separation anxiety disorder) and 14 healthy controls. Patients were assessed by SCID-I, HAM-D, YMRS, the Structured Clinical Interview for Separation Anxiety Symptoms (SCI-SAS-A) and the Adult Separation Anxiety Self-Report Checklist (ASA-27).

RESULTS

A significant reduction in mean platelet TSPO density was found in bipolar patients with respect to controls. However, the lower density was only evident in the subgroup of bipolar patients who also fulfilled DSM-IV criteria for adult separation anxiety disorder. Individual TSPO density values correlated significantly and negatively with both SCI-SAS-A and ASA-27 total scores.

CONCLUSIONS

TSPO expression may be a useful biological marker of adult separation anxiety co-occurring with other anxiety and mood disorders, including bipolar disorder.

Pathogenesis-related proteins (PR), including beta-1,3-glucanases may provide the first line of defense against fungal pathogens. Many PR proteins are activated by salicylic acid (SA), which acts as an endogenous signal. We have previously isolated seven members of the beta-1,3-glucanase gene family in barley (Hordeum vulgare). In this paper, we characterized the beta-1,3-glucanase isoenzyme GIII for SA-responsive elements in the GIII gene promoter. A series of deletion mutations of the promoter were fused to the reporter gene beta-glucuronidase (gus). The GUS activity was analyzed in rice calli (Oryza sativa L.) in response to SA. A deletion fragment between -362 and +106 bp showed the highest level of GUS activity in these assays. This promoter fused with gus was further introduced into rice plants for stable transformation. Histochemical staining and fluorometric quantitation of GUS activity in leaves of transgenic plants revealed prominent GUS expression after SA induction. RNA analysis by Northern blotting confirmed the importance of this region, indicating that cis-acting elements required for SA-inducible expression exist within 362 bp upstream from the transcriptional start site.

OBJECTIVE

Multimorbidity research typically focuses on chronic and common diseases in patient and/or older populations. We propose a multidimensional multimorbidity score (MDMS) which incorporates chronic conditions, symptoms, and health behaviors for use in younger, presumably healthier, working populations.

METHODS

Cross-sectional study of 372,370 Spanish workers who underwent a standardized medical evaluation in 2006. We computed a MDMS (range 0-100) based on the sex-specific results of a multicorrespondence analysis (MCA). We then used Cox regression models to assess the predictive validity of this MDMS on incident sickness absence (SA) episodes.

RESULTS

Two dimensions in the MCA explained about 80% of the variability in both sexes: (1) chronic cardiovascular conditions and health behaviors, and (2) pain symptoms, in addition to sleep disturbances in women. More men than women had at least one condition (40 vs 15%) and two or more (i.e., multimorbidity) (12 vs 2%). The MDMS among those with multimorbidity ranged from 16.8 (SD 2.4) to 51.7 (SD 9.9) in men and 18.5 (SD 5.8) to 43.8 (SD 7.8) in women. We found that the greater the number of health conditions, the higher the risk of SA. A higher MDMS was also a risk factor for incident SA, even after adjusting for prior SA and other covariates. In women, this trend was less evident.

CONCLUSIONS

A score incorporating chronic health conditions, behaviors, and symptoms provides a more holistic approach to multimorbidity and may be useful for defining health status in working populations and for predicting key occupational outcomes.

The neuroprotective activity of the non-competitive alpha-amino-3-hydroxy-5-methyl-4-isoxazolepropionic acid (AMPA) antagonist GYKI-52466 (1-[4-aminophenyl]-4-methyl-7,8-methylene-dioxy-5H-2,3-benzodia zep ine HCI; EGIS-8159) was studied in the gerbil bilateral carotid occlusion (BCO) model of global ischemia. Drug effect on hippocampal CA1 neuronal loss, hypermotility, and cognitive deficit (decrease in spontaneous alternation (SA) behaviour in the Y-maze) induced by 5-min or 3-min BCO were measured. GYKI-52466 was administered at 4 x 15 mg/kg intraperitoneal (i.p.) doses 30, 45, 60, and 75 min following surgery. The competitive AMPA antagonist NBQX (2,3-dihydroxy-6-nitro-7-sulfamoyl-benzo(F)-quinoxaline) applied at 3 x 30 mg/kg i.p. doses 60, 70, and 85 min after reperfusion was also tested for comparison. Both compounds showed weak and non-significant effects on 5-min BCO-induced changes in all the three variables. However, following 3-min ischemia GYKI-52466 and NBQX produced significant inhibition (49% and 48%, respectively) on CA1 cell loss. Moreover, GYKI-52466, but not NBQX, significantly inhibited the 3-min ischemia induced hypermotility and decrease in SA. At their neuroprotective doses, both compounds caused long-lasting (min. 8 h) hypothermia in gerbils. GYKI-52466 induced much higher decrease in body temperature (6 degrees C at peak level) than NBQX did (2 degrees C at peak level). Administration of 4 x 10 mg/kg i.p. chlorpromazine to gerbils 15 min before and 0, 15, and 30 min after 3-min BCO resulted in considerable hypothermia (5.5 degrees C peak effect, 8 h duration), but no protective action of the compound on CA1 cell loss and hypermotility was observed. However, chlorpromazine inhibited the ischemia-induced cognitive impairment. The results suggest that drug-induced hypothermia may differentially influence the histological and the behavioural outcomes of ischemic intervention.

Prostate cancer is increasingly treated with high-dose-rate (HDR) brachytherapy, a type of radiotherapy in which a radioactive source is guided through catheters temporarily implanted in the prostate. Clinicians must set dwell times for the source inside the catheters so the resulting dose distribution minimizes deviation from dose prescriptions that conform to patient-specific anatomy. The primary contribution of this paper is to take the well-established dwell times optimization problem defined by Inverse Planning by Simulated Annealing (IPSA) developed at UCSF and exactly formulate it as a linear programming (LP) problem. Because LP problems can be solved exactly and deterministically, this formulation provides strong performance guarantees: one can rapidly find the dwell times solution that globally minimizes IPSA's objective function for any patient case and clinical criteria parameters. For a sample of 20 prostates with volume ranging from 23 to 103 cc, the new LP method optimized dwell times in less than 15 s per case on a standard PC. The dwell times solutions currently being obtained clinically using simulated annealing (SA), a probabilistic method, were quantitatively compared to the mathematically optimal solutions obtained using the LP method. The LP method resulted in significantly improved objective function values compared to SA (P = 1.54 x 10(-7)), but none of the dosimetric indices indicated a statistically significant difference (P < 0.01). The results indicate that solutions generated by the current version of IPSA are clinically equivalent to the mathematically optimal solutions.

Different applications of spent Agaricus bisporus substrate (SAS), a widespread agro-industrial waste, were investigated with respect to the remediation of a historically polluted soil with Polycyclic Aromatic Hydrocarbons (PAH). In one treatment, the waste was sterilized (SSAS) prior to its application in order to assess its ability to biostimulate, as an organic amendment, the resident soil microbiota and ensuing contaminant degradation. For the other treatments, two bioaugmentation approaches were investigated; the first involved the use of the waste itself and thus implied the application of A. bisporus and the inherent microbiota of the waste. In the second treatment, SAS was sterilized and inoculated again with the fungus to assess its ability to act as a fungal carrier. All these treatments were compared with natural attenuation in terms of their impact on soil heterotrophic and PAH-degrading bacteria, fungal growth, biodiversity of soil microbiota and ability to affect PAH bioavailability and ensuing degradation and detoxification. Results clearly showed that historically PAH contaminated soil was not amenable to natural attenuation. Conversely, the addition of sterilized spent A. bisporus substrate to the soil stimulated resident soil bacteria with ensuing high removals of 3-ring PAH. Both augmentation treatments were more effective in removing highly condensed PAH, some of which known to possess a significant carcinogenic activity. Regardless of the mode of application, the present results strongly support the adequacy of SAS for environmental remediation purposes and open the way to an attractive recycling option of this waste.

Site-specific recombination is thought to play an important role in the evolution of multi-resistant plasmids in bacteria, including the human pathogen Staphylococcus aureus (Sa). A mechanism for site- and orientation-specific recombination between large Sa plasmids was identified in Sa strain 1054. A replication-thermosensitive derivative of plasmid pI9789::Tn552 (called pS1) was found to form stable co-integrates with the large plasmid pOX1054 in the Sa strain 1054. Two closely related recombination sites were identified on these plasmids at which recombination occurred to form co-integrates. The sites (rs9789 from plasmid pI9789::Tn552 and rs1054 from pOX1054) were cloned and studies with them showed that the recombination at these sites occurs by a new method. The site rs1054 (27 bp) is deleted and rs9789 (26 bp) is duplicated during recombination. The data show that plasmid pS1 contributes the site for recombination and that the gene(s) encoding the protein(s) involved in recombination are encoded on either pOX1054 or the 1054 chromosome.

BACKGROUND

The Surgical Apgar Score (SAS, a 10-point score calculated using limited intraoperative data) can correlate with postoperative morbidity and mortality after general surgery. We evaluated reliability of SAS in a veteran population.

METHODS

We prospectively collected demographics, medical history, type of surgery, and postoperative outcomes for any veteran undergoing general surgery at our institution (2006-2011). We categorized patients in 4 SAS groups and compared differences in morbidity and mortality.

RESULTS

Our study population included 2,125 patients (SAS ≤4: n = 29; SAS 5-6: n = 227; SAS 7-8: n = 797; SAS 9-10: n = 1,072). Low-SAS patients were likely to have significant preoperative comorbidities and to undergo major surgery, and had increased postoperative morbidity and 30-day mortality.

CONCLUSIONS

The SAS is easily calculated from 3 routinely available intraoperative measurements, correlates with fixed preoperative risk (acute conditions, pre-existing comorbidities, operative complexity), and effectively identifies veterans at high risk for postoperative complications.