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Research attempting to link psychiatric disorders with ulcerative colitis (UC), a chronic disease of unknown origin characterized by ulceration and inflammation of the colon and rectum, has provided inconsistent findings. To evaluate the prevalence of psychiatric disturbances in patients with UC, 50 patients with UC (27 males and 23 females with an average age of 36 years), who were consecutively admitted to a gastroenterology clinic, were studied. This group was then compared with 50 subjects (controls), matched for sex, age and marital status, who were hospitalized for urinary tract calcifications (stones). UC patients and controls were administered a test that assessed lifetime history of mood and schizophrenia-related disorders, and also completed a 90-item self-rating scale of psychological symptoms and distress. No significant differences were found between the patient groups in psychiatric disturbances preceding the onset of their medical disorders. However, during hospitalization for their illness, 31 patients with UC and 4 control subjects demonstrated psychiatric disturbance. The most prevalent diagnoses in the UC group were depressive and anxiety disorders. A few UC patients were diagnosed with either obsessive-compulsive disorder or labile personality disorder. The diagnoses in the control group were depression, anxiety disorder, and phobic disorder. Scores on the 90-item scale were significantly higher for UC patients than for controls. These findings suggest that psychiatric problems may be a result, rather than a precipitating factor, of UC. (Consumer Summary produced by Reliance Medical Information, Inc.)

Dwarf planet Ceres is characterized by several sites hosting (or have hosted) ice‐rich patches as revealed by the Dawn's Visible and InfraRed spectrometer. The study of the illumination conditions including the effects of the local topography become critical in the estimation of the ice lifetime as well as the water vapor production rate. In this work we applied a 3‐D thermophysical model in order to study the illumination conditions on the shape model, derived on the basis of the images acquired by the Dawn's Framing Camera during the Survey mission phase, and to calculate the surface temperatures and water sublimation rates. We are interested in a crater in the northern hemisphere (42°), Oxo, which hosts water ice in its southern wall. A comparison with the surface temperatures and water sublimation rates of another Ceres' crater, Juling, is carried out. Water ice sublimation rate of its ice‐rich patch suggests that the Oxo crater probably is not the source of the emission detected by Herschel, a source that could be represented instead by the Juling crater. There are several reasons to support the idea that the dwarf planet Ceres is a world with a huge presence of water. First of all, spectral evidence of water ice has been revealed by the Dawn's Visible and InfraRed spectrometer on the wall of some craters. Furthermore, both geomorphological evidence like surface flows and the presence of minerals, whose origin is correlated to the aqueous alteration, support this idea. Numerical simulations could contribute to understand how long the ice is stable on the surface, by studying the illumination conditions, and quantifies the eventual sublimation rate. In this work we concern about a particular crater, Oxo, in the northern hemisphere at latitude 42°, which hosts an ice‐rich patch in the southern wall. We calculated the surface temperature and sublimation rates of Oxo crater by applying a 3‐D thermophysical model on real topographyWe compared the simulated temperatures with the VIR measurementsWater emission rate suggests that Oxo is not the source of the emission detected by Herschel, while Juling probably is the best candidate

Ice thermal stability on the surface of the dwarf planet Ceres is an important issue linked to the Herschel observations of water vapor around Ceres. One of these surficial ice deposits is located within the 20‐km crater Juling (35°S, 168°E). The study of water ice exposure in this specific crater is particularly interesting because it has been observed that the water ice abundance changes on a time scale of a few months. To understand the ice behavior, we applied a 3‐D finite element method thermophysical model to the study of Juling crater in order to determine the water ice sublimation rate. We use a detailed shape model of Ceres derived from optical imagery returned by the Framing Camera on board Dawn. We explore the effects of different heliocentric distances and different thermal inertia values, comparing our numerical predictions with the observational evidences returned by VIR and by the Herschel Space Observatory. Ceres is a dwarf planet of the solar system with a significant amount of water both in its interior and in the surface layers. A crater in the southern hemisphere, Juling, is characterized by the presence on its surface of a mixture of ice and rocks as revealed by recent VIR data from the Dawn spacecraft. This crater is a good place to preserve ice since it is poorly illuminated, particularly in the northern wall. Most important is the detection of ice variations on its wall during the Dawn visible and infrared mapping spectrometer observations. In this work we performed numerical simulations in order to evaluate temperatures and water ice sublimation rate, assuming reasonable values for the physical parameters, and to estimate the longevity of ice on the surface of Ceres. Ice stability on the surface of the crater Juling is an issue closely related to the Herschel observations of water vapor around Ceres.We apply a 3-D thermophysical model with real topography in order to evaluate the surface temperatures and the ice sublimation ratesJuling northern wall, due to its faint solar illumination, results to be a good place to host water ice

High-resolution near-infrared observations of the Occator bright areas on the dwarf planet Ceres suggest that the bright material is mostly made up of endogenous sodium carbonate.

Although water vapour is the main species observed in the coma of comet 67P/Churyumov–Gerasimenko and water is the major constituent of cometary nuclei, limited evidence for exposed water-ice regions on the surface of the nucleus has been found so far. The absence of large regions of exposed water ice seems a common finding on the surfaces of many of the comets observed so far. The nucleus of 67P/Churyumov–Gerasimenko appears to be fairly uniformly coated with dark, dehydrated, refractory and organic-rich material. Here we report the identification at infrared wavelengths of water ice on two debris falls in the Imhotep region of the nucleus. The ice has been exposed on the walls of elevated structures and at the base of the walls. A quantitative derivation of the abundance of ice in these regions indicates the presence of millimetre-sized pure water-ice grains, considerably larger than in all previous observations. Although micrometre-sized water-ice grains are the usual result of vapour recondensation in ice-free layers, the occurrence of millimetre-sized grains of pure ice as observed in the Imhotep debris falls is best explained by grain growth by vapour diffusion in ice-rich layers, or by sintering. As a consequence of these processes, the nucleus can develop an extended and complex coating in which the outer dehydrated crust is superimposed on layers enriched in water ice. The stratigraphy observed on 67P/Churyumov–Gerasimenko is therefore the result of evolutionary processes affecting the uppermost metres of the nucleus and does not necessarily require a global layering to have occurred at the time of the comet’s formation.

Studies of the dwarf planet (1) Ceres using ground-based and orbiting telescopes have concluded that its closest meteoritic analogues are the volatile-rich CI and CM carbonaceous chondrites. Water in clay minerals, ammoniated phyllosilicates, or a mixture of Mg(OH)2(brucite), Mg2CO3and iron-rich serpentine have all been proposed to exist on the surface. In particular, brucite has been suggested from analysis of the mid-infrared spectrum of Ceres. But the lack of spectral data across telluric absorption bands in the wavelength region 2.5 to 2.9 micrometres—where the OH stretching vibration and the H2O bending overtone are found—has precluded definitive identifications. In addition, water vapour around Ceres has recently been reported, possibly originating from localized sources. Here we report spectra of Ceres from 0.4 to 5 micrometres acquired at distances from ~82,000 to 4,300 kilometres from the surface. Our measurements indicate widespread ammoniated phyllosilicates across the surface, but no detectable water ice. Ammonia, accreted either as organic matter or as ice, may have reacted with phyllosilicates on Ceres during differentiation. This suggests that material from the outer Solar System was incorporated into Ceres, either during its formation at great heliocentric distance or by incorporation of material transported into the main asteroid belt.

NAD(P) biosynthetic pathways can be considered a generous source of enzymatic targets for drug development. Key reactions for NAD(P) biosynthesis in all organisms, common to both de novo and salvage routes, are catalyzed by NMN/NaMN adenylyltransferase (NMNAT), NAD synthetase (NADS), and NAD kinase (NADK). These reactions represent a three-step pathway, present in the vast majority of living organisms, which is responsible for the generation of both NAD and NADP cellular pools. The validation of these enzymes as drug targets is based on their essentiality and conservation among a large variety of pathogenic microorganisms, as well as on their differential structural features or their differential metabolic contribution to NAD(P) homeostasis between microbial and human cell types. This review describes the structural and functional properties of eubacterial and human enzymes endowed with NMNAT, NADS, and NADK activities, as well as with nicotinamide phosphoribosyltransferase (NamPRT) and nicotinamide riboside kinase (NRK) activities, highlighting the species-related differences, with emphasis on their relevance for drug design. In addition, since the overall NMNAT activity in humans is accounted by multiple isozymes differentially involved in the metabolic activation of antineoplastic compounds, their individual diagnostic value for early therapy optimization is outlined. The involvement of human NMNAT in neurodegenerative disorders and its role in neuroprotection is also discussed.

Na maior parte dos países ocidentais morre anualmente cerca de 1% da população. Apesar dos avanços tecnológicos da medicina actual no tratamento dos doentes muito graves e no prolongamento da vida, é hoje reconhecido que este prolongamento pode não ser um objectivo apropriado. A 5.ª Conferência Internacional de Consenso em Cuidados Intensivos, sobre as questões ligadas ao tratamento nas unidades de cuidados intensivos, identificou vários problemas:1.A variabilidade da prática clínica2.Modelos inadequados de previsão da morte3.Desconhecimento das preferências dos doentes4.Má comunicação entre os profissionais de saúde e os doentes ou seus representantes5.Treino insuficiente dos prestadores de cuidados de saúde6.Uso de terminologia imprecisa e insensível7.Documentação incompleta nos registos médicos

Balanced anesthesia with sevoflurane-fentanyl has been widely accepted as anesthetic management for neurosurgery. Propofol-remifentanil regimen has been successfully used in various surgical settings, but a comprehensive comparison of sevoflurane-fentanyl and propofol-remifentanil anesthesia in patients undergoing craniotomy for supratentorial intracranial surgery has not yet been done. The aim of this prospective, randomized, open-label clinical trial was to compare clinical properties of sevoflurane-fentanyl with propofol-remifentanil anesthesia in patients undergoing supratentorial intracranial surgery. The primary endpoint was to compare early postoperative recovery and cognitive functions within the two groups; we also evaluated hemodynamic events, vomiting, shivering, and pain. One hundred twenty patients (64 males; age 15-75 years) were randomized to either total intravenous anesthesia (group T) or sevoflurane anesthesia (group S). Emergence and extubation times and cognitive function (Short Orientation Memory Concentration Test [SOMCT]) were compared in the two groups. Brain swelling, incidence of hypotensive and hypertensive episodes, postoperative vomiting, shivering, and pain were also analyzed. The mean emergence time (12.2 ± 4.9 minutes for group S versus 12.3 ± 6.1 minutes for group T; P= 0.92) and extubation time (18.2 ± 2.3 minutes for group S versus 18.3 ± 2.1 minutes for group T; P= 0.80) were similar in the two groups. Average SOMCT scores, both 15 minutes after extubation (25.6 ± 4.9 in group S versus 23.9 ± 7.5 in group T; P= 0.14) and 45 minutes after extubation (27.3 ± 2.2 in group S versus 26.0 ± 5.1 in group T; P= 0.07) were also comparable. Brain swelling was present in seven and five patients in groups S and T, respectively (P= 0.76). Hypotension was present in 12% (group S) and 28% (group T) of patients (P= 0.02). Hypertension was present in 17% of patients in group S and 40% of patients in group T (P= 0.0046). Shivering was present in 18% and 25% of patients in groups T and S (P= 0.37). Our study demonstrates that there is no patient benefit of using total intravenous anesthesia with an ultra-short-acting opioid over the conventional balanced volatile technique in terms of recovery and cognitive functions.

The enzyme nicotinamide mononucleotide adenylyltransferase (NMNAT), a member of the nucleotidyltransferase / phosphodiesterase superfamily, catalyzes the reaction NMN ATP NAD PPi, representing the final step in the biosynthesis of NAD, a molecule playing a fundamental role as a cofactor in cellular redox reactions. NAD also serves as the substrate for reactions involved in important regulatory roles, such as protein covalent modifications, like ADP-ribosylation reactions, as well as Sir2 histone deacetylase, a recently discovered class of enzymes involved in the regulation of gene silencing. This overview describes the most recent findings on NMNATs from bacteria, archaea, yeast, animal and human sources, with detailed consideration of their major kinetic, molecular and structural features. On this regard, the different characteristics exhibited by the enzyme from the various species are highlighted. The possibility that NMNAT may represent an interesting candidate as a target for the rational design of selective chemotherapic agents has been suggested.

IPSE is a micro-laboratory for Mars soil and environment analysis. It provides the capability to serve and handle scientific miniaturised instruments accommodated inside its envelope. The instruments have the goal to perform in situ study of the collected martian samples, thus quantitatively characterizing the mineralogy, the composition, the microphysical structure of the materials of the Martian soils down to the depth available to the sampling mechanism. Given the complex structure of the surface material it will be essential to perform in-situ science, both at the surface and at different depths. This is done in order to validate remote sensing observations through specific measurements, identify local characteristics of the selected landing areas, document sample collection both for in situ and sample return. IPSE is an example of a small and flexible lab, that can be integrated on different Landers and Megarovers. IPSE contains: •Scientific instruments•A small robotic arm - with five degrees of freedom - to provide samples to the IPSE instruments.•Power conditioning.•Electronics for system and thermal control, communications and instrument data handling.

Background To evaluate the role of the endogenous opioid system (EOS) in abnormal pain perception in patients with syndrome X, we used a neuroendocrine approach, evaluating plasmatic luteinizing hormone (LH) changes after naloxone, a competitive antagonist of opioid receptors able to unblock tonic EOS inhibition on gonadotropin release. Thus LH response to naloxone test indicates the central EOS activity on hypothalamic luteinizing hormone-releasing hormone (LH-RH) inhibitory opioid receptors. Methods Ten patients with syndrome X, 10 age-matched male patients with coronary artery disease (CAD), and 10 normal subjects were analyzed. Naloxone tests were performed between 8 and 9 am . Basal @b-endorphin and LH levels were determined on 4 blood samples at 20-minute intervals; after naloxone (0.1 mg/kg intravenously in 4 minutes), LH was measured on 8 samples at 15-minute intervals. In all patients the test was also performed after LH-RH administration. Anginal pain on exercise testing was subjectively scored on a 1 to 10 analogic scale and wall motion abnormalities were quantified by a wall motion score index. Results Significant differences were found in LH release after naloxone (CAD 260.3 +/- 42.6 vs syndrome X 151.6 +/- 48.5 mIU/mL, P < .05), angina score (CAD 5.5 +/- 1.3 vs syndrome X 7.2 +/- 1.7, P < .05), and wall motion abnormalities (CAD 3.6 +/- 1.2 vs syndrome X 2.8 +/- 1.9, P < .05). Conclusions The reduced LH release after naloxone in syndrome X, with a normal LH-RH response, suggests a lower central EOS activity, which may be related to the higher anginal pain perception. (Am Heart J 1998;136:1003-9.)

RecA protein was found to catalyze the dissociation of the strands of a DNA substrate consisting of a 20‐nucleotide primer annealed to circular single‐stranded M13mp DNA. The strand separation reaction requires ATP hydrolysis and the presence of single‐stranded DNA flanking the duplex DNA region to be unwound. RecA‐catalyzed strand separation is effective only for very short duplexes, not exceeding 30 bp, and is not stimulated by single‐stranded DNA‐binding protein. These results are consistent with the ability of recA protein to disrupt regions of secondary structure in single‐stranded DNA and to incorporate large non‐homologies into heteroduplex DNA.

Yeast DNA primase and DNA polymerase I can be purified by immunoaffinity chromatography as a multipeptide complex which can then be resolved into its functional components and further reassembled in vitro. Isolated DNA primase synthesizes oligonucleotides of a preferred length of 9‐10 nucleotides and multiples thereof on a poly(dT) template. In vitro reconstitution of the DNA primase:DNA polymerase complex allows the synthesis of long DNA chains covalently linked to RNA initiators shorter than those synthesized by DNA primase alone. The SS (single‐stranded) circular DNA of phage M13mp9 can also be replicated by the DNA primase:DNA polymerase complex. Priming by DNA primase occurs at multiple sites and the initiators are utilized by the DNA polymerase moiety of the complex, so that almost all the SS template is converted into duplex form. The rate of DNA synthesis catalyzed by isolated yeast DNA polymerase I on the M13mp9 template is not constant and is characterized by distinct pausing sites, which partly correlate with secondary structures on the template DNA. Thus, replication of M13mp9 SS DNA with the native primase:polymerase complex gives rise to a series of DNA chains with significantly uniform termini specified by the primase start sites and the polymerase stop sites.

The relationship between life events and some obstetrical complications was studied in a consecutive unselected series of 103 pregnant women. The Paykel interview for Recent Life Events was used. Only complications which occurred after the interview were considered to permit a prospective study. 36 women were disqualified from the study because they presented clear organic disorders or suffered from disorders in the period preceding the interview or during previous pregnancies. Women with complications reported significantly more life events than women without complications and had significantly more uncontrolled events and events occurring in the last trimester preceding the interview. These findings are consistent with the view that certain recent life events play an important role in the onset of some complications of pregnancy and delivery.

We examined 60 patients affected by idiopathic recurrent anterior uveitis and studied the relevance of stressful life events and psychological distress in relation to relapses of the disease. The results were statistically insignificant when compared to the control groups. We found that neither life events nor psychological distress played a contributory role in this disease.

In a previous work the authors estimated cross-sections for constructive and destructive collisions (‘constructive’ and ‘destructive’ cross-sections) related to silica grains embedded in a protoplanetary nebula.

The dexamethasone suppression test (DST) was performed on 13 patients with multi-infarct dementia (MID), 5 patients with primary degenerative dementia (PDD) and 18 elderly controls. Abnormal lack of suppression was found in 7 demented patients (3 with PDD, 1 mild and 2 severe, and 4 with MID, 1 mild and 3 severe), and in 2 of the controls. Only one demented patient was depressed.

Gastric emptying half-time was measured in 10 healthy volunteers on two different occasions over a one-week interval, with an identical test meal. The first was the control evaluation, and at the second assessment, psychological stress was induced by the technique of dichotomous listening. Psychological and physiological parameters were assessed before and during the test period. No significant or consistent modifications of gastric-emptying time were induced by the stress procedure. Looking at individual subjects instead of mean values, gastric emptying was unchanged in 5 subjects, slower in 3, and faster in the remaining 2. These 3 groups had different mean values on two subscales of the Sixteen Personality Factor Questionnaire.

Summary Using the Middlesex Hospital Questionnaire (MHQ) and the Zung Self-Rating Depression Scale (SDS) psychological distress was measured in 30 women who underwent laparoscopy for chronic pelvic pain and in 30 matched controls. Both organic pelvic pain patients (OPPs) and idiopathic pelvic pain patients (IPPs) reported higher scores for somatisation than controls. IPPs scored higher than OPPs and controls on the Zung SDS, while no difference emerged in this scale between OPPs and controls. No correlations were found between age or duration of symptoms and somatisation and depression scores. On the basis of the above reported results the authors suggest that some forms of idiopathic chronic pelvic pain might represent an expression of a depressive disorder.

Abstract: Some mechanisms which are expected to produce the growth of dust grains in the protosolar nebula are studied during the isothermal and the adiabatic phase of the gravitational collapse. Owing to the low sticking efficiency in the grain-grain collisions and also to the impossibility of gas capture by solid particles in the physical environment considered, the main result is the production in about 106 yr of a set of particles similar in mass. The obtained mass limit (10−8–10−9 g) depends on the physical properties of the grains, and seems to be independent of the turbulence model used for the gas motion.

A scale transformation is obtained which allows the Hertel and Thirring gravitational phase transition theory to be extended to more generalized astrophysical conditions. It is shown that by means of this transformation the formation of core-halo structures in late type stars can be explained. The effect of the physical conditions peculiar to this type of star are discussed.

MMN adenylyltransferase (NMNAT) reversibly catalyzes the synthesis of NAD+or NaAD+from ATP and NMN or NaMN. In this work, we describe a continuous coupled spectrophotometric assay that can be rapidly and routinely used in place of the previous cumbersome two-step assay. The reaction rates measured with the coupled assay display a linear dependence with respect to enzyme concentration over the range investigated. The method yields accurate and reliable estimates of the enzyme activity in the direction of NAD+synthesis. Furthermore, we developed an HPLC-based method suitable for the assay of activity both in the forward and reverse directions of the enzymatic reaction. The method appears particularly useful for measuring the NMNAT activity when the product is not NAD+(e.g., in studies using alternative substrates), and offers the possibility of monitoring simultaneously both the NMNAT-catalyzed reaction and interfering side reactions. This is achieved through the HPLC identification and quantitation of metabolites and derivatives produced in the reaction mixture during the assay. The two methods described here should cover most needs for the assay of NMNAT activity.

The purification procedure of NMN adenylyltransferase from bull testis presented here consists of a heat step and an acidic precipitation followed by four chromatographic steps, including dye ligand, adsorption and hydrophobic chromatography. The final enzyme preparation subjected to non-denaturing and denaturating PAGE with silver nitrate staining exhibited a single band. At this step the enzyme appeared to be homogeneous. The M(r) value of the native enzyme calculated by gel filtration was about 133,000. The protein appeared to possess a quaternary structure with four subunits of apparent M(r) 33,000 without disulphide interchain bonds. Isoelectric experiments gave a pI of 6.2, and pH studies showed the possible presence of an acidic group in the active site having a pKa of 4.9. Analysis of the amino acid composition showed the presence of more acidic residues than basic ones, according to the pI value calculated by Mono P FPLC. The Ea calculated by Arrhenius plot gave an apparent value of 55.7 kJ/mol. The Km values for NMN, ATP, NAD+ and PPi were 0.11, 0.023, 0.37 and 0.16 nM respectively. The polyclonal antiserum produced against the NMN adenylyltransferase reacted with the purified enzyme at different dilutions and recognized the enzyme in the homogenate as well.

A pyrimidine nucleotidase with unique specificity has been obtained for the first time as an homogeneous protein from the cytosolic fraction of human erythrocytes. Both conventional chromatography and f.p.l.c. techniques have been used in the purification procedure. The final enzyme preparation gave a single protein band of M(r) = 23,500 on SDS/PAGE under both reducing and non-reducing conditions. The native enzyme was eluted at M(r) = 45,000 in gel filtration chromatography on Superose 12, suggesting a dimeric structure. Amino acid analysis was consistent with an acidic isoelectric point and revealed the presence of six half-cystine and two methionine residues per subunit. The enzyme was active on a variety of pyrimidine nucleoside monophosphates, being most active on the 3′-monophosphates. Km values for 3′dUMP, 3′UMP, 5′dUMP, 5′UMP, 5-fluoro-2′dUMP, ranged from 192 microM to 1.15 mM. The enzyme activity was inhibited by both reaction products, orthophosphate, and the nucleoside formed. Product inhibition studies suggested an Ordered Uni-Bi mechanism for the reaction. The enzyme required Mg2+ for its activity, while heavy metals cations were strongly inhibitory. The enzyme activity was inhibited by metal chelating agents and it was sensitive to thioreactive reagents. The isoelectric point was 5.4 and the optimum activity pH was 6.5.

The presence of personality disorders has been assessed in 20 inpatients suffering from peptic ulcer disease and 20 matched control inpatients afflicted with diabetes or urolithiasis. Using the Structured Interview for DSM-III Personality Disorders, 11 ulcer patients and 1 control patient reported at least one personality disorder (p >.001). The most frequent personality disorders were histrionic and mixed; patients with multiple personality disorders were relatively frequent. Only one diagnosis of dependent personality disorder was found in the ulcer group.

A general procedure is described for developing HPLC-based assays for nucleotidases by using a 20-mm C-18 reversed-phase column. The method is applied on the determination of pyrimidine 5′-nucleotidase activity in human erythrocytes lysate and plasma. The activity is detected using isocratic conditions which separate the product (nucleoside) from the substrate (nucleotide) in less than 1 min with 100 mM potassium phosphate, pH 6.0, at a 2 ml/min flow rate. Nucleoside products of the enzymatic reactions are directly quantitated from their ultraviolet absorbances. The activity value closely agreed with that determined by measuring the production of inorganic phosphate. The method does not require prior dialysis of the sample and is 50-fold more sensitive than that based on colorimetric measurements of inorganic phosphate. Furthermore, avoiding the use of radioactive materials offers significant advantages with respect to commonly adopted assays and can be conveniently used for the determination of nucleotidase activity from different sources.

We undertook this study to determine the use of transthoracic and transesophageal echocardiography in detecting valvular perforation and the clinical impact of the latter on the outcome of left-sided infective endocarditis. Transthoracic echocardiography was performed in 58 consecutive patients with infective endocarditis. According to the study protocol, a subgroup of 42 patients also underwent transesophageal echocardiography. At referral, 20 (34%) of 58 patients had echocardiographic evidence of valvular perforation (group A). No valvular perforations were found in the remaining 38 patients (group B). During a follow-up period of 27 +/- 16 months, a major complication occurred in 18 of 20 patients in group A and in 11 of 38 patients in group B (p < 0.0001). Univariate analysis indicated previous infective endocarditis, aortic involvement, and New York Heart Association functional class had a predictive value for valvular perforation (p < 0.001). Stepwise regression analysis confirmed aortic valve perforation as the only independent predictive variable for surgery and death. Valvular perforation is a common complication of infective endocarditis and is associated with an adverse outcome. Transthoracic echocardiography can detect or suggest valvular perforation in infective endocarditis, but transesophageal echocardiography better defines this complication and predicts severe heart failure or the need for early surgical management. (Am Heart J 1997;134:656-64.)

The problem of the motion of grains in the protosolar nebula is discussed. Time scales of the vertical and radial displacement are computed. The structure of the dust disk that can be formed is discussed in the framework of different protosolar nebula models.

The temporal behaviour of the mass distribution function of iron solid and/or liquid grains is studied in the inner regions of the solar nebula during its gravitational collapse. At distances from the centre of the nebula equal to 0.2 AU, 0.5 AU and 0.7 AU a mass limit for the accretionary process equal, respectively, to 17.6 g, 5.2 g and 3×10-3g is obtained in a reasonable time interval. The importance of a ‘drop phase’ during the growth of the particles and of the ‘sedimentation’ of the grains during the ‘disk phase’ is underlined.

Fifty out-patients with an active, endoscopically proven duodenal ulcer were entered a double-blind trial of ranitidine + prazepam or ranitidine + placebo. Two drop-outs occurred in the prazepam group and 1 in the placebo group. After 28 days of treatment, the ulcer had healed in 95.6% of the patients on ranitidine + prazepam and 75% of the patients on ranitidine + placebo (p=0.03). Sleepiness was the most frequent side effect, reported by 8 subjects in the prazepam group and by 1 subject in the placebo group. It is concluded that prazepam can be usefully combined with ranitidine in the short-term treatment of duodenal ulcer.

Several mutants resistant to Mn2+ have been isolated and characterized in Saccharomyces cerevisiae. All the mutations are semidominant and allelic to a single nuclear gene (MNRI). Mg2+ in the growth medium reverses the inhibitory effect of Mn2+ in a competitive way. This appears to be due to the inhibition of the uptake of Mn2+ by the cells, not to an increase of the amount of Mg2+ inside the cells.

Axenomycin inhibits protein synthesis in vivo and in vitro in Saccharomyces cerevisiae. The antibiotic acts by binding to ribosomes, most probably to the large ribosomal subunit. Mutant strains resistant to axenomycin appear to contain ribosomes that are not inhibited by the antibiotic. The responsible gene has been mapped on the VII chromosome between the centromere and the leu1 gene.

This study considers various factors, such as personality, psychological distress, emotional problems, emotional support, clinical and sociodemographic characteristics, of women who asked for an abortion and compares them with psychological distress 3 months after the abortion. Using factorial analysis of a personality test (Eysenk Personality Inventory) and a clustering method that utilized the factorial scores, it was possible to identify three groups which had different personality characteristics, namely: neurotic, extravert and extravert - neurotic. The three groups proved to be significantly different in certain sociodemographic and social support characteristics and also in the degree of psychological distress (symptom checklist; SCL 90) before and after abortion. Following the abortion, estimation of psychological distress showed that the extravert group, with low distress initially, exhibited an improvement in global severity index (GSI), anxiety, somatization and depression. The neurotic group, who had a higher degree of distress initially, tended to get worse, while the extravert - neurotic group obtained better scores for somatization but worse scores for hostility and paranoia. Estimation of the prevalence of women with a higher degree of distress (a GSI score ≥ 1) before and after the abortion, on the contrary, did not show significant variations. Certain social and emotional support variables correlate with postabortion emotional variations, but these variations seem to be closely related to personality. The data thus support the hypothesis that the emotional state of a woman after an abortion is closely related to her emotional state before the abortion and with her personality characteristics. These data may suggest the need of specific forms of psychological support for women with high neuroticism and lack of support and/or with previous psychological disturbances, in order to improve their emotional state before and after an abortion.ZusammenfassungIn dieser Studie werden verschiedene Faktoren untersucht, so zum Beispiel: Persönlichkeit, psychologische Beschwerden, emotionale Probleme, emotionale Unterstützung, klinische und soziodemographische Merkmale von Frauen, die einen Schwangerschaftsabbruch vornehmen lassen wollten. Diese Faktoren werden mit den psychologischen Beschwerden drei Monate nach dem Abbruch verglichen. Mit Hilfe der Faktoranalyse eines Persönlichkeitstests (EPI) und eines die Faktorenwerte nutzenden Clusterverfahrens konnten drei Gruppen mit unterschiedlichen Persönlichkeitsmerkmalen defmiert werden, und zwar: neurotisch, extrovertiert und extrovertiert - neurotisch. Für die drei Gruppen ergaben sich signifikante Unterschiede im Hinblick auf bestimmte soziodemographische Merkmale und Merkmale der sozialen Unterstützung sowie bezüglich des Grades der psychologischen Beschwerden (SCL 90) vor und nach dem Schwangerschaftsabbruch. Nach dem Abbruch ergab eine Bewertung psychologischer Beschwerden bei der extrovertierten Gruppe mit geringen Anfangsbeschwerden eine Besserung im Hinblick auf GSI, Angst, Somatisierung und Depression. Bei der neurotischen Gruppe, bei der ein höheres Anfangsniveau in bezug auf Beschwerden vorhanden war, trat im allgemeinen eine Verschlechterung ein, wohingegen sich für die extrovertiert - neurotische Gruppe bessere Werte in bezug auf die Somatisierung und schlechtere Werte im Hinblick auf Feindseligkeit und Paranoia ergaben. Für die Schätzwerte bezüglich der Häufigkeit von Frauen mit einem höheren Grad an Beschwerden (GSI-Wert ≥ 1) vor und nach einem Abbruch wurden dagegen keine signifikanten Abweichungen beobachtet. Bestimmte Parameter der sozialen und emotionalen Unterstützung weisen eine Korrelation zu emotionalen Abweichungen nach dem Abbruch auf, die jedoch in engem Zusammenhang mit der Persönlichkeit zu stehen scheinen. Die Daten stützen also die Hypothese, daβ ein enger Zusammenhang zwischen emotionaler Verfassung von Frauen nach einem Schwangerschaftsabbruch und ihrem/ihrer emotionalen (Rest fehlt - Anm. d. Ü.). Die praktischen Auswirkungen dieser Feststellungen betreffen die Möglichkeit, aus der Gesamtheit aller Frauen, die einen Abbruch vornehmen lassen wollen, eine Untergruppe von hochgradig neurotischen Frauen, die keine Unterstützung erfahren und/oder bereits früher unter seelischen Störungen litten, zu ermitteln, für die eine Art spezieller psychologischer Betreuung aufgebaut werden könnte, deren Ziel eine Besserung ihrer emotionalen Verfassung vor und nach einem Abbruch ist.RésuméCette étude examine différents facteurs: la personnalité, la souffrance psychologique, les problèmes èmotionnels, le soutien émotionnel, les caractéristiques cliniques et sociodémographiques des femmes désireuses d'avorter et les compare avec la souffrance psychologique trois mois après l'avortement. L'analyse factorielle d'un test de personnalité (EPI) et une méthode typologique utilisant les scores factoriels a permis d'identifier trois groupes dont la personnalité était différente, à savoir: une personnalité névrosée, extravertie et extravertie - névrosée. Les trios groupes se sont avérés nettement différents en ce qui concerne certaines caractéristiques sociodémographiques et de support social ainsi que le degré de souffrance psychologique (SCL 90) avant et après l'avortement. Après l'avortement, l'évaluation de la souffrance psychologique indiquait que le groupe extraverti dont le taux de souffrance était initialement faible, manifestait une amélioration du GSI, une baisse de l'anxiété, de la somatisation et de la dépression. L'état du groupe, névrosé dont le taux de souffrance initiale était plus élevé, avait tendance à s'aggraver tandis que le groupe extraverti - névrosé obtenait des meilleures scores en matière de somatisation mais des scores inférieurs en matière d'hostilité et de paranoïa. Par contre, l'estimation du nombre de femmes dont le degré de souffrance (un score GSI ≥ 1) était plus élevé avant et après l'avortement, n'indiquait pas des variations appréciables. Il existait une corrélation entre certaines variables relatives au support social et émotionnel et les changements d'émotivité après l'avortement mais ceux-ci semblent dépendre surtout de la personnalité. Done, les données corroborent l'hypothèse que l'état émotionnel d'une femme après un avortement est fortement influencé par son état émotif avant l'avortement et dépend de sa personnalité. Ces données pourraient indiquer la nécessité d'un support psychologique spécifique pour les femmes fortement névrosées et sans soutien et/ou souffrant précédemment de troubles psychologiques afin d'améliorer leurs état émotionnel avant et après l'avortement.

Mutations in ARO1 and ARO2 genes coding for enzymes involved in the common part of the aromatic amino acid pathway completely block the sporulation of Saccharomyces cerevisiae when in a homozygous state, whereas mutations in all the other genes of the same pathway do not. This effect is not due to the lack of any intermediate metabolite but rather to the accumulation of a metabolite preceding chorismic acid. Shikimic acid or one of its precursors was identified as the possible inhibitor. The presence of the three aromatic amino acids in the sporulation medium restores the ability to undergo meiosis. This seems not to be due to a feedback inhibition of the first enzymes of the pathway but rather to a competition between aromatic amino acids and the inhibitor on a site specific for the meiotic process. The inhibition of sporulation seems to occur at a very early step in meiosis, as indicated by the lack of premeiotic DNA synthesis in aro1 and aro2 mutants.

Summary By means of a quantitative investigation of mycelium formation in an asporogenous yeast the author reached the conclusion that pseudomycelium-production facilitates the absorption of nutrients when these are highly diluted in the culture medium. The reciprocical inhibition of mycelia by parallel growing colonies does not depend upon an inhibitory substance diffusing into the medium, but on the exhaustion of the culture medium.

A new method of integration has been performed and applied to the computation of the cooling sequence of a 0.15M? white dwarf consisting of helium. The results are discussed and compared with the previous ones obtained by other authors.

AbstractTwo cytoplasmic pyrimidine 5′-nucleotidase have been purified from human erythrocytes to homogeneity and partially characterized. The two enzymes, indicated as PN-I and PN-II, preferentially hydrolyse pyrimidine 5′-monophosphates and 3′-monophosphates, respectively. The kinetic analysis demonstrate that pyrimidine 5′-nucleotidases, in the presence of suitable nucleoside substrates, can operate as phosphotransferases by transferring phosphate to various nucleoside acceptors, including nucleoside analogues known as important drugs widely used in chemotherapy.

A long-term follow-up study (minimum of 10 years) of 16 children admitted for recurrent abdominal pain revealed that in 50% of the sample the disturbance disappeared completely, persisted in 25% and in the remaining 25% other painful symptoms developed. The variables that characterized the poor outcome group were: belonging to a “painful family”, many surgical procedures, low educational level and social class and a low score in the Q3 factor of the Sixteen Personality Factor Questionnaire (spare capacity to control emotions).

NAD pyrophosphorylase (ATP:NMN adenylyltransferase) activity has been measured in the skeletal muscle of dystrophic mice. The amount of this enzyme in the dystrophic mice, as determined by three different methods, was about one half of that in the controls. In addition, the concentration of ATP was too low to be detected in crude extracts of dystrophic mouse skeletal muscle, which were prepared using Tris buffer alone or Tris buffer containing either 3 M KCl, or 1 mM PMSF.

Uridine 5′-monophosphate pyrophosphorylase was found to be present in baker's yeast. The enzyme preparation, purified about 30-fold, shows a strict specificity toward uracil and requires Mg++for its activity.

It has been previously demonstrated in our laboratory that uridine nucleosidase (EC 3.2.2.3) is subjected in yeast to inactivation. An inactivating fraction has been isolated and purified to homogeneity with a procedure which includes gel filtration, adsorption chromatography, and electrofocusing techniques. The molecular weight of the enzyme, estimated either by sodium dodecyl sulfate disc gel electrophoresis or by gel filtration is approximately 44,000. No quaternary structure was evidenced. The inactivating activity possesses proteolytic activity against casein and hemoglobin with pH optima of 2.5 and 3.2, respectively. The optimal pH for uridine nucleosidase inactivation is around 4.7. The inactivating activity as well as the proteolytic activity of the preparation can be inhibited by IA but not by IB2 and IC, yeast macromolecular inhibitors for proteinase A (EC 3.4.23.8), B (EC 3.4.22.9), and C (EC 3.4.12.8), respectively. The apparent isoelectric point is pH 4.03. The carbohydrate content is 8.5%. A comparison of the properties of the inactivating protein with those of known yeast proteinases leads to the conclusion that it is identical with the enzyme previously designated as proteinase A, which for the first time has been obtained homogeneous and characterized. It has been shown that proteinase A could play a physiological role in the uridine nucleosidase inactivation process when it is associated, as a complex, with proteinase B.