The symptom phenotype of oncology outpatients remains relatively stable from prior to through 1 week following chemotherapy.

Some oncology outpatients experience a higher number of and more severe symptoms during chemotherapy (CTX). However, little is known about whether this high risk phenotype persists over time. Latent transition analysis (LTA) was used to examine the probability that patients remained in the same symptom class when assessed prior to the administration of and following their next dose of CTX. For the patients whose class membership remained consistent, differences in demographic and clinical characteristics, and quality of life (QOL) were evaluated. The Memorial Symptom Assessment Scale (MSAS) was used to evaluate symptom burden. LTA was used to identify subgroups of patients with distinct symptom experiences based on the occurrence of the MSAS symptoms. Of the 906 patients evaluated, 83.9% were classified in the same symptom occurrence class at both assessments. Of these 760 patients, 25.0% were classified as Low-Low, 44.1% as Moderate-Moderate and 30.9% as High-High. Compared to the Low-Low class, the other two classes were younger, more likely to be women and to report child care responsibilities, and had a lower functional status and a higher comorbidity scores. The two higher classes reported lower QOL scores. The use of LTA could assist clinicians to identify higher risk patients and initiate more aggressive interventions.

Isolectin B4 (IB4)-conjugated streptavidin for the selective knockdown of proteins in IB4-positive (+) nociceptors.

In vivo analysis of protein function in nociceptor subpopulations using antisense oligonucleotides and short interfering RNAs is limited by their non-selective cellular uptake. To address the need for selective transfection methods, we covalently linked isolectin B4 (IB4) to streptavidin and analyzed whether it could be used to study protein function in IB4(+)-nociceptors. Rats treated intrathecally with IB4-conjugated streptavidin complexed with biotinylated antisense oligonucleotides for protein kinase C epsilon (PKCε) mRNA were found to have: a) less PKCε in dorsal root ganglia (DRG), b) reduced PKCε expression in IB4(+) but not IB4(-) DRG neurons, and c) fewer transcripts of the PKCε gene in the DRG. This knockdown in PKCε expression in IB4(+) DRG neurons is sufficient to reverse hyperalgesic priming, a rodent model of chronic pain that is dependent on PKCε in IB4(+)-nociceptors. These results establish that IB4-streptavidin can be used to study protein function in a defined subpopulation of nociceptive C-fiber afferents.

The UCSC Genome Browser Database: 2008 update.

The University of California, Santa Cruz, Genome Browser Database (GBD) provides integrated sequence and annotation data for a large collection of vertebrate and model organism genomes. Seventeen new assemblies have been added to the database in the past year, for a total coverage of 19 vertebrate and 21 invertebrate species as of September 2007. For each assembly, the GBD contains a collection of annotation data aligned to the genomic sequence. Highlights of this year's additions include a 28-species human-based vertebrate conservation annotation, an enhanced UCSC Genes set, and more human variation, MGC, and ENCODE data. The database is optimized for fast interactive performance with a set of web-based tools that may be used to view, manipulate, filter and download the annotation data. New toolset features include the Genome Graphs tool for displaying genome-wide data sets, session saving and sharing, better custom track management, expanded Genome Browser configuration options and a Genome Browser wiki site. The downloadable GBD data, the companion Genome Browser toolset and links to documentation and related information can be found at: http://genome.ucsc.edu/.

Science-policy interfacing in support of the Water Framework Directive implementation.

Many current water-related RTD projects have established operational links with practitioners, which allow the needs of policy makers to be taken into account. However, RTD results are not easily available to water policy implementers and research scientists may lack insight in the needs of policy makers and implementers (i.e. the European Commission and water managers). The SPI-Water project worked out a number of concrete actions to bridge these gaps in communication by developing and implementing a 'science-policy interface', enhancing the use of RTD results in the Water Framework Directive (WFD) implementation. This project is part of a wider EC perspective aiming to bridge the gap between science and policy, specifically with respect to the WFD implementation. As a first action, existing science-policy links are investigated. RTD and LIFE projects that are of direct relevance for the implementation of the WFD are identified and analysed. Secondly, an information system (Harmoni-CA's WISE RTD Web Portal) has been further developed to cater for an efficient and easy to use tool for dissemination as well as retrieval of RTD results. As third action, this science-policy interfacing of WFD related topics are extended to non-EU countries taking into account their specific needs.

Proliferation, macromolecular synthesis and energy metabolism of in vitro grown Ehrlich ascites tumor cells after inhibition of ATP-ADP translocation by atractyloside.

In the presence of 3 mM atractyloside, growth of in vitro cultured Ehrlich ascites tumor cells is inhibited by 70% within 24 h. Viability of the cells is not severely affected (dye exclusion test). Incorporation of 2-[14C]-thymidine and U-[14C]-leucine into acid insoluble precipitate were reduced by 80% or 20% respectively as compared to controls. Flow cytometric analysis of cell cycle progression revealed a retardation rather than an arrest of cell growth by atractyloside. Morphological changes of the cells primarily concern mitochondria which are spherical shaped with translucent matrix rid of cristae. After transfer of atractyloside treated cells to normal medium, proliferation and macromolecular synthesis normalized within 3 to 6 h. At 3 mM of atractyloside, glucose consumption of the cells increased by 25%, lactate production by 30%. Lactate/glucose ratio was 1.9 after 24 h. Oxygen uptake was reduced by 35% after 12 h. The [ATP]/[ADP] ratio of the whole cells runs through a maximum between 12 and 18 h. The ratio never falls below 5.0. The ATP/ADP concentration ratio in the mitochondrial and extramitochondrial compartment were increased as compared to controls. delta G of ATP hydrolysis of the intact cells was in a normal range (-50 kJ), energy charge was 0.86 (controls 0.88). Transport of amino acids, uptake of glucose and activity of Na+, K+-ATPase of the plasma membrane were not impaired by 3 mM atractyloside.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)

Serum concentrations of laminin and aminoterminal propeptide of type III procollagen in relation to the portal venous pressure of fibrotic liver diseases.

In sera of patients with fibrotic liver diseases (n = 33) classified histologically into various degrees of liver fibrosis (n = 21) and cirrhosis (n = 12) the concentrations of the basement membrane protein laminin and of its pepsinresistant fragment P1 and of the N-terminal propeptide of type III procollagen were determined. The concentrations of both proteins were related to the portal venous pressure measured in these patients. Compared with the reference population (n = 146) the concentration of laminin increases from 1.04 U/ml (normal persons) to 1.69 +/- 0.46 U/ml in liver fibrotic and 2.58 +/- 0.87 U/ml in liver cirrhotic patients. Although the concentrations of the propeptide of type III procollagen increase also there exist only weak correlations between both connective tissue proteins in serum. Laminin is correlated highly positive with the portal venous pressure in cirrhotic subjects (r = 0.9206), the extent of laminin elevation reflects closely the degree of portal hypertension. Virtually all of the fibrotic patients having a laminin concentration within the reference range had a normal portal venous pressure. The data suggest laminin as a potentially useful parameter for monitoring the portal venous pressure in cirrhotic and severe fibrotic patients.

An automated method for measurement of circling behavior in the mouse.

Circling behavior in animals lesioned unilaterally in one striatum with 6-hydroxydopamine is widely used to test pharmacological compounds with dopaminergic activity. Although automated techniques employed to record this behavior have previously been reported, most of these methods either limit the movement of the animal or are less reliable for various reasons. This paper describes a new method which allows the free movement of the animal in addition to recording the circling behavior automatically. Furthermore, this device provides new and unique data on the diameter and total area of the circles that are circumscribed by the animal. Consequently, the present device may prove to be a better and more reliable tool to assess the pharmacological effect of drugs on the striatal dopaminergic system.

Fibronectin is synthesized as an acute phase reactant in rat hepatocytes.

Elevated concentrations of fibronectin were found in plasma of rats under different acute phase conditions. Untreated animals showed a plasma fibronectin concentration of 150 +/- 50 mg/l, which increased to 412 +/- 59 mg/l 24 h after subcutaneous injection of turpentine. The time course of the changes in plasma fibronectin concentration showed a peak at 24 h and a decline to normal concentrations 72 h after turpentine treatment. Additional stimulation by dexamethasone resulted in plasma fibronectin concentrations of 661 +/- 49 mg/l. No or only slight elevations of fibronectin concentrations were observed after treatment with adrenaline, thyroxine and triiodothyronine as compared with saline-injected animals. The common identity of plasma fibronectin in controls, turpentine and turpentine-dexamethasone-treated animals was shown by slab gel electrophoresis under nonreducing conditions, followed by western blot and immunofluorescence staining. One dimensional immunoelectrophoresis performed with polyclonal antibodies to human fibronectin cross-reacting with rat fibronectin (shown by Ouchterlony gel diffusion) revealed identical precipitation lines for the plasma of control and acute phase animals. Hepatocytes of turpentine-pretreated rats show a threefold increase of [14C]valine incorporation into total protein and a fourfold increase of immunoreactive radioactively labeled fibronectin in the culture medium, compared with control hepatocyte cultures. These results point to the role of hepatocytes in the synthesis of plasma fibronectin, which behaves in rats as an acute phase reactant.

Perceptions of emergency care by the elderly: results of multicenter focus group interviews.

STUDY OBJECTIVE: To determine the elderly's perception of emergency care and to identify specific problems and solutions. DESIGN: Focus group interviews. SETTING AND TYPE OF PARTICIPANTS: Community senior citizen centers in Boston; Los Angeles; Pittsburgh; Youngstown, Ohio; and Norwalk, Connecticut. Senior citizens who had had emergency care in the past year participated. MEASUREMENT AND RESULTS: Participants were satisfied with their overall medical care. Long waits were a hardship for patients and their families. The elderly are not familiar with the process of emergency care. They were frightened by their injury or illness. Their anxiety was not allayed until they were informed of the nature of their illness and what their treatment and disposition was to be. The emergency department environment frequently made them uncomfortable. There was considerable confusion caused by the billing process. CONCLUSIONS: The elderly would benefit from prior or concurrent education regarding emergency care. Staff should be more sensitive to the anxiety felt by the elderly, should explain the reasons for delays in care, and what to expect. Patients should be informed of the nature and seriousness of their illness as soon as possible. Family and friends may be encouraged to stay with patients. The billing process needs to be clarified and simplified.