Possibly pathogenic bacteria in aerosols and foams as a result of aeration remediation in a polluted urban waterway.

Newtown Creek is a tributary of the Hudson River Estuary. It has a legacy of both industrial pollution and sewage pollution and has been designated a Superfund site. To ameliorate the chronically low levels of dissolved oxygen detected in the Creek, the New York City Department of Environmental Protection has been installing aerators. The abundance of various bacteria in the aerosols, foams, and water, at two sites in the Creek, was studied before, during, and after the aeration process. Additionally, aerosols and dispersed foams created by the aeration process were sampled and cultured to determine what unique taxa of bacteria could be grown and identified. Taxa including Actinobacteria and Firmicutes were prevalent in cultures taken from aerosols, whereas Gammaproteobacteria were prevalent in cultures taken from foam. Campylobacteria was found to have a significant presence in both samples taken after the aerators were turned off. These taxa include potentially pathogenic bacteria and are therefore of particular concern.

Psychiatric emergency service in Federal District: interdisciplinarity, pioneering spirit and innovation.

OBJECTIVE: This study aims to discuss the care for people in psychic crises conducted by the team of the Mental Health Center of the Mobile Emergency Care Service of the Federal District - Brazil (NUSAM/SAMU/DF/BRAZIL), describing the dynamics of care, since the regulation from cases to follow-up. METHODS: Qualitative, exploratory, descriptive study, with data collected through data collection in the information system of the Health Department of the Federal District (SES/DF), participant observation activities and interviews, over a period of three months, with professionals from NUSAM/SAMU/DF. The qualitative analysis consisted of Bardin's content analysis. RESULTS: NUSAM/SAMU/DF showed its ability to offer care in a humanized and resolving way to urgencies and emergencies of a psychosocial nature, considering the resources it has. FINAL CONSIDERATIONS: The service's pioneering spirit regarding the prehospital approach to people in psychic crises is highlighted, characterized by the singularized, humanized and resolutive service.

Psychiatric emergency service in Federal District: interdisciplinarity, pioneering spirit and innovation / Servicio de emergencia psiquiátrica en Distrito Federal: interdisciplinariedad, espíritu pionero e innovación / Serviço de emergência psiquiátrica no Distrito Federal: interdisciplinaridade, pioneirismo e inovação

ABSTRACT Objective: This study aims to discuss the care for people in psychic crises conducted by the team of the Mental Health Center of the Mobile Emergency Care Service of the Federal District - Brazil (NUSAM/SAMU/DF/BRAZIL), describing the dynamics of care, since the regulation from cases to follow-up. Methods: Qualitative, exploratory, descriptive study, with data collected through data collection in the information system of the Health Department of the Federal District (SES/DF), participant observation activities and interviews, over a period of three months, with professionals from NUSAM/SAMU/DF. The qualitative analysis consisted of Bardin's content analysis. Results: NUSAM/SAMU/DF showed its ability to offer care in a humanized and resolving way to urgencies and emergencies of a psychosocial nature, considering the resources it has. Final considerations: The service's pioneering spirit regarding the prehospital approach to people in psychic crises is highlighted, characterized by the singularized, humanized and resolutive service.

RESUMEN Objetivo: Debatir la atención a personas en crisis psíquicas realizado por equipo del Núcleo de Salud Mental del Servicio de Atención Móvil de Urgencia del Distrito Federal - Brasil (NUSAM/SAMU/DF/BRASIL), describiendo dinámica de atención, desde la regulación de los casos hasta el follow-up. Métodos: Estudio cualitativo exploratorio, descriptivo, con datos recogidos por medio del levantamiento de datos en sistema de informaciones de la Secretaría de Salud del Distrito Federal (SES/DF), actividades de observación participante y entrevistas, en el período de tres meses, con profesionales del NUSAM/SAMU/DF. Análisis cualitativo consistió en el análisis de contenido de Bardin. Resultados: El NUSAM/SAMU/DF evidenció su capacidad de ofertar atención de forma humanizada y resolutiva a las urgencias y emergencias de naturaleza psicosocial, considerando los recursos de que dispone. Consideraciones finales: Destaca el pionerismo del servicio en que se refiere al abordaje prehospitalario a personas en crisis psíquicas, caracterizada por la atención singularizada, humanizada y resolutiva.

RESUMO Objetivo: Este estudo objetiva debater o atendimento a pessoas em crises psíquicas realizado pela equipe do Núcleo de Saúde Mental do Serviço de Atendimento Móvel de Urgência do Distrito Federal - Brasil (NUSAM/SAMU/DF/BRASIL), descrevendo a dinâmica de atendimento, desde a regulação dos casos até o follow-up. Métodos: Estudo qualitativo exploratório, descritivo, com dados coletados por meio do levantamento de dados no sistema de informações da Secretaria de Saúde do Distrito Federal (SES/DF), atividades de observação participante e entrevistas, no período de três meses, com profissionais do NUSAM/SAMU/DF. A análise qualitativa consistiu na análise de conteúdo de Bardin. Resultados: O NUSAM/SAMU/DF evidenciou sua capacidade de ofertar atendimento de forma humanizada e resolutiva às urgências e emergências de natureza psicossocial, considerando os recursos de que dispõe. Considerações finais: Destaca-se o pioneirismo do serviço no que se refere à abordagem pré-hospitalar a pessoas em crises psíquicas, caracterizada pelo atendimento singularizado, humanizado e resolutivo.

Regulation of DNA replication within the immunoglobulin heavy-chain locus during B cell commitment.

The temporal order of replication of mammalian chromosomes appears to be linked to their functional organization, but the process that establishes and modifies this order during cell differentiation remains largely unknown. Here, we studied how the replication of the Igh locus initiates, progresses, and terminates in bone marrow pro-B cells undergoing B cell commitment. We show that many aspects of DNA replication can be quantitatively explained by a mechanism involving the stochastic firing of origins (across the S phase and the Igh locus) and extensive variations in their firing rate (along the locus). The firing rate of origins shows a high degree of coordination across Igh domains that span tens to hundreds of kilobases, a phenomenon not observed in simple eukaryotes. Differences in domain sizes and firing rates determine the temporal order of replication. During B cell commitment, the expression of the B-cell-specific factor Pax5 sharply alters the temporal order of replication by modifying the rate of origin firing within various Igh domains (particularly those containing Pax5 binding sites). We propose that, within the Igh C(H)-3'RR domain, Pax5 is responsible for both establishing and maintaining high rates of origin firing, mostly by controlling events downstream of the assembly of pre-replication complexes.

Inhibition of RNA polymerase III transcription by BRCA1.

RNA polymerase III (RNA pol III) transcribes structural RNAs involved in RNA processing (U6 snRNA) and translation (tRNA), thereby regulating the growth rate of cells. Proper initiation by RNA pol III requires the transcription factor TFIIIB. Gene-external U6 snRNA transcription requires TFIIIB consisting of Bdp1, TBP, and Brf2. Transcription from the gene-internal tRNA promoter requires TFIIIB composed of Bdp1, TBP, and Brf1. TFIIIB is a target of tumor suppressors, including PTEN, ARF, p53, and RB, and RB-related pocket proteins. Breast cancer susceptibility gene 1 (BRCA1) tumor suppressor plays a role in DNA repair, cell cycle regulation, apoptosis, genome integrity, and ubiquitination. BRCA1 has a conserved amino-terminal RING domain, an activation domain 1 (AD1), and an acidic carboxyl-terminal domain (BRCA1 C-terminal region). In Saccharomyces cerevisiae, TFIIB interacts with the BRCA1 C-terminal region domain of Fcp1p, an RNA polymerase II phosphatase. The TFIIIB subunits Brf1 and Brf2 are structurally similar to TFIIB. Hence, we hypothesize that RNA pol III may be regulated by BRCA1 via the TFIIB family members Brf1 and Brf2. Here we report that: (1) BRCA1 inhibits both VAI (tRNA) and U6 snRNA RNA pol III transcription; (2) the AD1 of BRCA1 is responsible for inhibition of U6 snRNA transcription, whereas the RING domain and AD1 of BRCA1 are required for VAI transcription inhibition; and (3) overexpression of Brf1 and Brf2 alleviates inhibition of U6 snRNA and VAI transcription by BRCA1. Taken together, these data suggest that BRCA1 is a general repressor of RNA pol III transcription.

Differential expression of the TFIIIB subunits Brf1 and Brf2 in cancer cells.

BACKGROUND: RNA polymerase (pol) III transcription is specifically elevated in a variety of cancers and is a target of regulation by a variety of tumor suppressors and oncogenes. Accurate initiation by RNA pol III is dependent on TFIIIB. In higher eukaryotes, two forms of TFIIIB have been characterized. TFIIIB required for proper initiation from gene internal RNA pol III promoters is comprised of TBP, Bdp1, and Brf1. Proper initiation from gene external RNA pol III promoters requires TBP, Bdp1, and Brf2. We hypothesized that deregulation of RNA polymerase III transcription in cancer may be a consequence of altered TFIIIB expression RESULTS: Here, we report: (1) the TFIIIB subunits Brf1 and Brf2 are differentially expressed in a variety of cancer cell lines: (2) the Brf1 and Brf2 promoters differ in activity in cancer cell lines, and (3) VAI transcription is universally elevated, as compared to U6, in breast, prostate and cervical cancer cells. CONCLUSION: Deregulation of TFIIIB-mediated transcription may be an important step in tumor development. We demonstrate that Brf1 and Brf2 mRNA are differentially expressed in a variety of cancer cells and that the Brf2 promoter is more active than the Brf1 promoter in all cell lines tested. We also demonstrate, that Brf1-dependent VAI transcription was significantly higher than the Brf2-dependent U6 snRNA transcription in all cancer cell lines tested. The data presented suggest that Brf2 protein expression levels correlate with U6 promoter activity in the breast, cervical and prostate cell lines tested. Interestingly, the Brf1 protein levels did not vary considerably in HeLa, MCF-7 and DU-145 cells, yet Brf1 mRNA expression varied considerably in breast, prostate and cervical cancer cell lines tested. Thus, Brf1 promoter activity and Brf1 protein expression levels did not correlate well with Brf1-dependent transcription levels. Taken together, we reason that deregulation of Brf1 and Brf2 expression could be a key mechanism responsible for the observed deregulation of RNA pol III transcription in cancer cells.

The green tea component EGCG inhibits RNA polymerase III transcription.

RNA polymerase III (RNA pol III) transcribes many small structural RNA molecules involved in RNA processing and translation, and thus regulates the growth rate of a cell. Accurate initiation by RNA pol III requires the initiation factor TFIIIB. TFIIIB has been demonstrated to be regulated by tumor suppressors, including ARF, p53, RB, and the RB-related pocket proteins, and is a target of the oncogene c-myc and the mitogen-activated protein kinase ERK. EGCG has been demonstrated to inhibit the growth of a variety of cancer cells, induce apoptosis and regulate the expression of p53, myc, and ERK. Thus, we hypothesized that EGCG may regulate RNA pol III transcription in cells. Here, we report that EGCG (1) inhibits RNA pol III transcription from gene internal and gene external promoters (2) EGCG inhibits protein expression of the TFIIIB subunits Brf1 and Brf2, and (3) EGCG inhibits Brf2 promoter activity in cervical carcinoma cells.

Human Maf1 negatively regulates RNA polymerase III transcription via the TFIIB family members Brf1 and Brf2.

RNA polymerase III (RNA pol III) transcribes many of the small structural RNA molecules involved in processing and translation, thereby regulating the growth rate of a cell. Initiation of pol III transcription requires the evolutionarily conserved pol III initiation factor TFIIIB. TFIIIB is the molecular target of regulation by tumor suppressors, including p53, RB and the RB-related pocket proteins. However, our understanding of negative regulation of human TFIIIB-mediated transcription by other proteins is limited. In this study we characterize a RNA pol III luciferase assay and further demonstrate in vivo that a human homolog of yeast Maf1 represses RNA pol III transcription. Additionally, we show that Maf1 repression of RNA pol III transcription occurs via TFIIIB, specifically through the TFIIB family members Brf1 and Brf2.

Stimulation of rat liver mitochondrial sn-glycerol-3-phosphate acyltransferase by polymyxin B via enhanced extraction of lysophosphatidic acid.

The purpose of this investigation was to determine how polymyxin B stimulates the activity of mitochondrial glycerophosphate acyltransferase. Polymyxin B did not change the integrity of the mitochondrial outer membrane as judged by testing the latency (>80%) of cytochrome oxidase activity. The stimulation totally disappeared when polymyxin B-treated mitochondria were washed. The FA side chain in polymyxin B was unnecessary for stimulation, as the nonapeptide was as effective as the whole antibiotic. The stimulation by polymyxin B or the nonapeptide was observed only in the presence of BSA. Cytochrome c, when added to the incubation medium instead of albumin, did not stimulate the mitochondrial enzyme, but did produce a stimulatory effect of polymyxin B on the mitochondrial acyltransferase. As reported earlier for the bacterial and microsomal acyltransferase, other polycationic compounds such as spermine and spermidine stimulated mitochondrial glycerophosphate acyltransferase. The stimulation of the mitochondrial acyltransferase by spermine and spermidine also occurred only in the presence of BSA. The analysis of the products of esterification demonstrated the presence of more lysophosphatidic acid (LPA) in the polymyxin B- and polyamine-stimulated assays in comparison to their respective control. Furthermore, in comparison to the albumin-treated control, there was 60% more LPA present in the assay supernatant fractions of polymyxin B-treated samples. Our results suggest that polymyxin B stimulates the mitochondrial glycerophosphate acyltransferase activity by enhancing the extraction of more LPA from the mitochondria to the supernatant fraction.