Effects of multiple viewings of an ultraviolet photo on sun protection behaviors.

OBJECTIVES: To determine whether multiple viewings of one's ultraviolet (UV) facial photo differentially affects subsequent sun protection behaviors relative to a single viewing. STUDY DESIGN: Pretest-posttest control group. METHODS: Southern California college students (N = 151) were randomly assigned to be shown their UV facial photo one time, multiple times over the course of 2 weeks, or not at all. Emotional reactions, perceived susceptibility to skin damage, and sun protection intentions were assessed immediately, and sun protection behaviors were assessed during a surprise telephonic follow-up 1 month later. RESULTS: Immediately after viewing a UV photo of their face, participants reported significantly greater perceived susceptibility to skin damage, greater intentions to engage in future sun protection, and more negative emotions than those who had not seen a UV photo. Moreover, 1 month later, those who had viewed their UV photo were less likely to report having sunbathed and reported significantly greater sun protection than did controls. There were no differences in sun protection behaviors between those who had been shown their UV photo only once during the initial intervention session and those who had been sent their UV photo several times thereafter. However, among those who had been sent their UV photo several times, those who reported having viewed their photo on additional occasions reported significantly greater sun protection behaviors than those who had not. CONCLUSIONS: Being randomly assigned to view a UV facial photo multiple times generally neither strengthened nor weakened effects on subsequent sun protection behaviors relative to being shown the photo just once. However, among those who were sent their photo and thus had the option of viewing it more often than they had been assigned to, those who chose to view their photo more frequently also engaged in more sun protection behaviors.

Using Thorax Expansion to Detect a Ventilatory Inflection Point in the Field.

Assessing an individual's physical fitness can usually be achieved through evaluating lactate or ventilatory thresholds. Unfortunately, the detection of ventilatory thresholds still requires uncomfortable mass flow sensors and a laboratory setting. Therefore, this study aimed to evaluate a ventilatory inflection point (VIP) derived from thorax expansion as a useful surrogate to assess an individual's physical fitness under field conditions. 348 and 107 ramp tests have been selected respectively to examine validity and retest variability of VIP. The individual anaerobic threshold (IAT) determined by means of blood lactate sampling was used as reliable rationale for evaluation. Calibrated respiratory inductance plethysmography (RIP) was utilized to derive ventilation from thorax expansion during the ramp test. An automated software routine was applied to detect the VIP. Speed, heart rate and ventilation at the VIP correlated significantly to corresponding values at IAT (r=0.840, 0.876, 0.933). Non-systematic differences between repeated testing ranged within ±1.15 km·h(-1), ±8.74 b·min(-1) and ±12.69 l·min(-1) (±1.96 SD). The timing of VIP is not solely dependent on the aerobic capacity and might instead quantify an individual's physical fitness in terms of the efficiency of the compensative and supportive ventilatory response during increased exercise intensities.

Interactions Between Peptide and Preservatives: Effects on Peptide Self-Interactions and Antimicrobial Efficiency In Aqueous Multi-Dose Formulations.

PURPOSE: Antimicrobial preservatives are known to interact with proteins and potentially affect their stability in aqueous solutions. In this systematic study, the interactions of a model peptide with three commonly used preservatives, benzyl alcohol, phenol and m-cresol, were evaluated. METHODS: The impact on peptide oligomerization was studied using GC-MALS, SEC-MALS and DLS, antimicrobial efficiency of different formulations were studied using the Ph. Eur. antimicrobial efficacy test, and the molecular adsorption of preservative molecules on reversible peptide oligomers was monitored using NMR. RESULTS: The hydrodynamic radius and molar mass of the peptide oligomers was shown to clearly increase in the presence of m-cresol but less significantly with phenol and benzyl alcohol. The increase in size was most likely caused by peptide self-interactions becoming more attractive, leading to reversible oligomerization. On the other hand, increasing the concentration of peptide in multi-dose formulations led to reduced molecular mobility and decreased antimicrobial efficacy of all preservatives. CONCLUSIONS: Peptide-preservative interactions not only affect peptide self-interactions, but also antimicrobial efficiency of the preservatives and are thus of significant relevance. Adsorption of preservatives on oligomeric states of peptides is proposed as a mechanism to explain this reduced antimicrobial efficacy.

A wearable respiratory monitoring device--the between-days variability of calibration.

The between-days variability in ascertained gain factors for calibration of a wearable respiratory inductance plethysmograph (RIP) and validity thereof for the repeated use during exercise were examined. Consecutive 5-min periods of standing still, slow running at 8 km·h(-1), fast running at 14 km·h(-1) (male) or 12 km·h(-1) (female) and recovery were repeated by 10 healthy subjects on 5 days. Breath-by-breath data were recorded simultaneously by flow meter and RIP. Gain factors were determined individually for each trial (CALIND) via least square regression. Reliability and variability in gain factors were quantified respectively by intraclass correlation coefficients (ICC) and limits of agreement. Within a predefined error range of ±20% the amount of RIP-derived tidal volumes after CALIND was compared to corresponding amounts when gain factors of the first trial were applied on the following 4 trials (CALFIRST). ICC ranged within 0.96 and 0.98. The variability in gain factors (up to ± 24.06%) was reduced compensatively by their sum. Amounts of breaths within the predefined error range did not differ between CALIND and (CALFIRST) (P>0.32). The between-days variability of gain factors for a wearable RIP-device does not show impaired reliability in further derived tidal volumes.

[Synthetic cannabinoids: spread, addiction biology & current perspective of personal health hazard]. / Synthetische Cannabinoide: Verbreitung, Suchtbiologie & aktuelle Perspektive der persönlichen Gesundheitsgefährdung.

Among the new psychoactive substances (NPS), most frequently synthetic cannabinoids (SCBs) have been found in Europe. These are sold as active compounds in e. g. so-called "herbal blends". When inhaled or ingested, besides intoxication symptoms, as they occur with heavy cannabis use (e. g., tachycardia, myocardial infarction, confusion, hallucinations, panic attacks, and paranoia), harmful effects (severe agitation, coma, catatonic stupor, hypertension, cardiac arrhythmia, dyspnoea, seizures, myoclonus, rhabdomyolysis, hyperthermia, diaphoresis, acute kidney injury, vomiting, headache, and hypokalemia) arise, which are mostly unusual about cannabis use. In addition, the first cases of addiction and death related to SCBs have been reported. Taking into account the newest literature and using an algorithm with two main criteria (addiction potential, toxicity), the authors made a first attempt to rank the personal health hazard of SCBs in comparison to that of other psychoactive drugs. Accordingly, the relative health hazard of SCBs is found to be somewhat higher than that of cannabis and lower than that of synthetic cathinones ("bath salts"). However, the toxicity of SCBs, is significantly greater than the toxicity of cannabis, thus being similar to that of synthetic cathinones and benzodiazepines. The addiction potential appears to be lower than that of synthetic cathinones, benzodiazepines, or cannabis. Due to the fluctuation of substances and the availability in internet resources, legislation is facing a serious "hare-hedgehog" problem to control the manufacture, trade and possession of SCBs.

Topography of the synaptosomal membrane.

The composition and disposition of the constituent polypeptides of rat cerebral cortical synaptosomal membranes were analyzed on SDS acrylamide gels. Of 20 bands readily detected, 11 account for greater than 93% of the total protein analyzed. These are: (molecu25); 3 (175); 4 (doublet, 137); 5 (doublet, 97); 6 (68); 7 (61); 8 (54); 9 (44); 10 (37); and 11 (33). Bands 5 and 8-10 are the most prominent and account for greater than 60% of the protein mass or 0.67 of its molecular fraction. By lactoperoxidase iodination, the bulk of the proteins in bands 3, 5, 6, and 8 and a portion of band 11 appear to be located on the external (junctional) face of the membrane of intact synaptosomes; proteins in bands 1, 2, 7, 9, and 10 appear to be localized on the internal (synaptoplasmic) face and become labeled only when synaptosomes are lysed. Further confirmation of the topographical distribution is provided by evidence that bands 3-6, 8, and 11 contain glycoproteins susceptible to labeling in intact synaptosomes by oxidation with galactose oxidase or periodate followed by reduction with NaB3H4. Evidence is provided for significant contributions by tubulin- and actin-like molecules to bands 8 and 9, respectively, suggesting that a substantial fraction of the tubulin in the synaptosomal membrane is disposed externally (accessible to iodination) whereas most, if not all, of the actin appears to exhibit the opposite topography. Similar though weaker inferences can also be drawn with regard to the location of tropomyosin and troponin. Preliminary evidence is provided that postsynaptic densities exhibit a protein and iodination profile distinct from that of the synpatosomal membrane.

Nuclear gene dosage effects on mitochondrial mass and DNA.

In order to assess the effect of nuclear gene dosage on the regulation of mitochondria we have studied serial sections of a set of isogenic haploid and diploid cells of Saccharomyces cerevisiae, growing exponentially in the absence of catabolite repression, and determined the amount of mitochondrial DNA per cell. Mitochondria accounted for 14% of the cytoplasmic and 12% of the total cellular volume in all cells examined regardless of their ploidy or their apparent stage in the cell cycle. The mean number of mitochondria per cell was 22 in the diploid and 10 in the haploids. The volume distribution appeared unimodal and identical in haploids and diploids. The mitochondrial DNA accounted for 12.6 +/- 1.2% and 13.5 +/- 1.3% of the total cellular DNA in the diploid and haploid populations, respectively. These values correspond to 3.6 x 10(-15) g, 2.2 x 10(9) daltons, or 44 genomes (50 x 10(6) daltons each) per haploid and twice that per diploid cell. On this basis, the average mitochondrion in these cells contains four mitochondrial genomes in both the haploid and the diploid.

Deuterium effects on binding of reduced coenzyme alcohol dehydrogenase isoenzyme EE.

Determination of dissociation constants by two different methods yield the following mean values in 20 millimolar phosphate, pH 7.0, 25 degrees C: 0.27 micromolar for reduced nicotinamide adenine dinucleotide (NADH); 0.29 micromolar for NADH with deuterium in the nicotinamide 4-B position (B-NADD); and 0.46 micromolar for NADH with deuterium in the nicotinamide 4-A position (A-NADD). These results indicate that dehydrogenases are capable of recognizing and distinguishing the appropriate hydrogen in the coenzyme already in the initial binding reaction.

Properties and possible functions of the adenylate cyclase in plasma membranes of Saccharomyces cerevisiae.

We have examined the possible role of adenosine 3',5'-phosphate (cAMP) in functions associated with the plasma membranes of Saccharomyces cerevisiae. Purified membranes from this source contained an adenylate cyclase which was insensitive to activation by fluoride or guanine nucleotides, only weakly responsive to changes of carbon source in the growth medium, and strongly stimulated by vanadate. They also contained at least two classes of receptor proteins for guanine nucleotides (as measured by binding of labeled 5'-guanylyl methylene diphosphate) with apparent dissociation constants equal to 1.0 x 10(-7) and 3 x 10(-6) M, a protein kinase capable of phosphorylating added histones, the activity of which was stimulated by cAMP, and cAMP receptors that may function as regulatory subunits for this kinase. Membrane proteins were also susceptible to phosphorylation by endogenous kinase(s), with polypeptides of apparent molecular weights equal to 160 x 10(3), 135 x 10(3), 114 x 10(3), and 58 x 10(3) as the major targets. Of these, the 114,000-molecular-weight polypeptide was probably identical to the proton-translocating ATPase of the membranes. However, the cAMP-dependent protein kinase did not appear to be involved in these reactions. Intact (rho+ or rho0) cells responded to dissipation of the proton electrochemical gradient across their plasma membranes by rapid and transient changes in their intracellular level of cAMP, as suggested earlier (J. M. Trevillyan and M. L. Pall, J. Bacteriol., 138:397-403, 1979). Thus, although yeast plasma membranes contain all the essential components of a stimulus-responsive adenylate cyclase system, the precise nature of the coupling device and the targets involved remain to be established.

New Processes for Freeze-Drying in Dual-Chamber Systems.

Dual-chamber systems can offer self-administration and home care use for lyophilized biologics. Only a few products have been launched in dual-chamber systems so far-presumably due to dual-chamber systems' complex and costly drug product manufacturing process. Within this paper, two improved processes (both based on tray filling technology) for freeze-drying pharmaceuticals in dual-chamber systems are described. Challenges with regards to heat transfer were tackled by (1) performing the freeze-drying step in a needle-down orientation in combination with an aluminum block, or (2) freeze-drying the drug product "externally" in a metal cartridge with subsequent filling of the lyophilized cake into the dual-chamber system. Metal-mediated heat transfer was shown to be efficient in both cases and batch (unit-to-unit) homogeneity with regards to sublimation rate was increased. It was difficult to influence ice crystal size using different methods when in use with an aluminum block due to its heat capacity. Using such a metal carrier implies a large heat capacity leading to relatively small ice crystals. Compared to the established process, drying times were reduced by half using the new processes. The drying time was, however, longer for syringes compared to vials due to the syringe design (long and slim). The differences in drying times were less pronounced for aggressive drying cycles. The proposed processes may help to considerably decrease investment costs into dual-chamber system fill-finish equipment. LAY ABSTRACT: Dual-chamber syringes offer self-administration and home care use for freeze-dried pharmaceuticals. Only a few products have been launched in dual-chamber syringes so far-presumably due to their complex and costly drug product manufacturing process. In this paper two improved processes for freeze-drying pharmaceuticals in dual-chamber syringes are described. The major challenge of freeze-drying is to transfer heat through a vacuum. The proposed processes cope with this challenge by (1) freeze-drying the drug product in the syringe in an orientation in which the product is closest to the heat source, or (2) freeze-drying the drug product outside the syringe in a metal tube. The latter requires filling the freeze-dried product subsequently into the dual-chamber syringe. Both processes were very efficient and promised to achieve similar freeze-drying conditions for all dual-chamber syringes within one production run. The proposed processes may help to considerably decrease investment costs into dual-chamber syringe fill-finish equipment.

Tridimensional Personality Questionnaire scores of sons of alcoholic and nonalcoholic fathers.

The authors studied 33 men whose fathers had severe alcohol-related problems and 33 subjects with no family history of alcoholism. The former supplied information about the course of their fathers' alcohol problems; all 66 men answered questions about their own drinking and drug use and completed the Tridimensional Personality Questionnaire. There were no significant relationships between any of the 18 questionnaire scores and a subject's quantity/frequency of drinking or his family history of alcoholism. There was only one significant correlation between the alcoholic fathers' type 2 characteristics, according to the type 1/type 2 theory, and the sons' questionnaire scores. The relevance of these findings to the theory is discussed.

Reserpine labels the catecholamine transporter in synaptic vesicles from bovine caudate nucleus.

Tritiated reserpine binds to synaptic vesicles from bovine caudate with high affinity (Kappd = 1.25 nM, Bmax = 3.3 pmol/mg protein). This interaction is both ATP-dependent and sensitive to the protonophores CCCP and nigericin, suggesting that a proton electrochemical gradient is required for binding. Dopamine, epinephrine, norepinephrine and serotonin all inhibit reserpine binding at concentrations similar to those required for inhibition of dopamine uptake. Treatment with saponin to release vesicle contents results in complete loss of accumulated dopamine but retention of bound reserpine. These results indicate that reserpine binds to the catecholamine transport system of synaptic vesicles with high affinity and specificity.

The health status of adult survivors of cancer in childhood.

The success of treatment for children with cancer has resulted in a growing population of adult survivors, yet these individuals may be at risk of serious long-term health problems as a result of the treatment they have received. This study explores the pattern of morbidity within a population of 290 adult survivors of cancer in childhood assessed at a median of over 15 years from diagnosis. Acute lymphoblastic leukaemia (33%) and Hodgkin's disease (15%) were the most common primary diagnoses represented. 85% of the whole group had received treatment with chemotherapy, 81% with radiotherapy, 48% with significant surgery and 28% with all three modalities. Overall, 58% of the survivors had at least one 'chronic medical problem' and 32%, two or more. Infertility (14%), nephrectomy (11%), thyroid hormone deficiency (9%), visual handicap (9%), sex hormone (7%) and growth hormone (7%) replacement therapy were the most common problems. Compliance with long term follow-up was good and an audit of an unselected sub group of all the survivors in the study showed that 84% had attended for surveillance over a period of 1 year, accounting for 222 visits of follow up clinics: 15% were also attending other specialist follow-up including psychiatry, orthopaedic, endocrine, dental and cardiac clinics. In conclusion, survivors of cancer in childhood experience actual or potential threats to future health. More than half have at least one chronic medical problem and demonstrate a significant use of medical resources. These data support the need for the continuing follow-up of survivors of cancer in childhood into adult life and the provision of the resources to do so. Optimal patterns of care and future approaches to the reduction of sequelae in future generations of survivors are discussed.

Genetics and biogenesis of cytochrome b.

We have reviewed here the genetic methods used for isolating and manipulating nuclear and mitochondrial mutants of bakers' yeast that affect the function and biogenesis of complex III of the mitochondrial respiratory chain. All the methods have been used with success in the past, and it is hoped that this compilation will aid biochemists in using these techniques to study electron transfer.

Isolation of postsynaptic densities retaining their membrane attachment.

A method is described for the preparation of a subcellular fraction, 30-50% pure, of intact postsynaptic units from rat cerebral cortex. The isolation procedure is based on chemical dissociation of the synaptic cleft as described by Crawford, Osborne & Potter followed by sonication of the extracted membranes and separation of the postsynaptic units on a discontinuous sucrose gradient. This preparation provides the first practical procedure for the isolation of postsynaptic densities, prominent organelles of unknown function, without the use of detergents, enabling retention of the postsynaptic membrane in association with the postsynaptic density. The preparation shows enhanced binding of spiroperidol, a dopamine agonist, which, in conjunction with morphological evidence, indicates that the preparation is sufficiently intact to enable study of the interaction of the postsynaptic membrane with the postsynaptic density. Actin, alpha- and beta-tubulin and postsynaptic density protein constitute the major proteins in the preparation; they are present in amounts of 41, 54, 57 and 74 micrograms per mg protein, respectively; as compared to 54, 59, 55 and 9 micrograms per mg protein of the synaptic junctional membrane used as starting material. The utility of the preparation for a number of localization studies, including ion translocating adenosine 5'-triphosphatases, protein kinases and their substrates is discussed.

Studies on the reproductive capacity of Echinostoma caproni (Trematoda) in hamsters and jirds.

Total egg output per infective stage inoculated was used as a measurement of the reproductive capacity in Echinostoma caproni infections in hamsters and jirds. Egg production per adult E. caproni recovered was comparable in the hamster and in the jird, but the reproductive capacity of E. caproni in infections with 6 metacercariae in the hamster markedly exceeded that in the jird. This was due mainly to the expulsion of worms from the jird. Eggs per gram faeces produced was shown to be an invalid parameter in comparing the reproductive capacity in E. caproni infections in jirds and hamsters due to differences in amounts of faeces produced, and evidence was obtained that uterine egg counts may not be a useful parameter in assessment of overall reproductive potentials. In the hamster, the reproductive capacity of infections with 25 or 6 metacercariae of E. caproni was comparable. This reflected a density independent recovery and egg production of the adult worms. The reproductive capacity, being an expression of the importance of a particular host species for the reproduction of a parasite population, is suggested as a convenient and useful quantitative parameter in the establishment of standardized criteria for evaluating host-parasite relationships in definitive host models.

DNA oxidation products determined with repair endonucleases in mammalian cells: types, basal levels and influence of cell proliferation.

Purified repair endonucleases such as Fpg protein, endonuclease III and IV allow a very sensitive quantification of various types of oxidative DNA modifications in mammalian cells. By means of these assays, the numbers of base modifications sensitive to Fpg protein, which include 8-hydroxyguanine (8-oxoG), were determined to be less than 0.3 per 10(6) bp in several types of untreated cultured mammalian cells and human lymphocytes and less than 10 per 10(6) bp in mitochondrial DNA from rat and porcine liver. Oxidative 5,6-dihydropyrimidine derivatives sensitive to endonuclease III and sites of base loss sensitive to endonuclease IV or exonuclease III were much less frequent than Fpg-sensitive modifications. Here, we summarize our indications that all Fpg-sensitive modifications are recognized under the assay conditions and that on the other hand there is no artifactual generation of oxidative damage during the analysis. In addition, we show that the steady-state levels of Fpg-sensitive modifications in human lymphocytes and in two mammalian cell lines were higher in proliferating than in resting (confluent) cells. Only some of the Fpg-sensitive base modifications induced by various oxidants are 8-oxoG residues, as demonstrated for the damage under cell-free conditions. The percentage was dependent on the species ultimately responsible for the DNA damage and was approx. 40% in the case of hydroxyl radicals and peroxynitrite, 75% for type II photosensitizers (reacting via singlet oxygen) and only 20-30% in the case of type I photosensitizers such as riboflavin and acridine orange, which are assumed to react directly with the DNA.

Health status, perceptions of risk, and prevention interest for health and nonhealth problems.

Healthy and acutely ill college students indicated their risk compared to their peers for 10 health and nonhealth problems. Participants as a whole showed clear evidence of optimistic bias. However, whereas healthy participants showed an equal tendency to be biased optimistically for health and nonhealth problems, ill participants felt significantly more vulnerable to future health relative to nonhealth problems. This was the case even though the future health problems were objectively unrelated to their current illnesses. Perceptions of the preventability of the health and nonhealth problems paralleled the comparative risk judgments. Finally, those who were ill expressed relatively little interest in receiving prevention information. Possible mechanisms and implications are discussed.