Community-based follow-up for late patients enrolled in a district-wide programme for antiretroviral therapy in Lusaka, Zambia.

Timely adherence to clinical and pharmacy appointments is well correlated with favourable patient outcomes among HIV-infected individuals on antiretroviral therapy. To date, however, there is little work exploring reasons behind missed visits or evaluating programmatic strategies to recall patients. For this study we implemented community-based follow-up of late patients as part of a large-scale programme for HIV care and treatment in Lusaka, Zambia. Through a network of local home-based care organizations, we attempted home visits to recall patients using locator information provided at time of enrolment. Between May and September 2005, home-based caregivers were dispatched to trace 1,343 patients with missed appointments. Of these, 554 (41%) were untraceable because the provided address was invalid, the patient had moved or no one was at the home. Of the remaining 789, 359 (46%) were reported to have died. Only 430 (54% of those traced, 32% overall) were contacted directly and encouraged to return for care. The likelihood of patient return was higher among traced patients in crude analysis (relative risk [RR] = 2.5; 95%CI = 1.9-3.2) and in multivariable analysis controlling for baseline body mass index, sex and CD4 + count < or = 50/microL (adjusted RR = 2.3; 95%CI = 1.7-3.2). However, the process was inefficient: one late patient returned for every 18 home visits that were made. Reasons for missed visits were provided in 271 of 430 (63%) of the patients who were successfully traced. Common reasons included feeling too sick to come to the clinic, travelling away from home and being too busy. Despite the availability of free ART in Lusaka, patients face significant barriers to attending scheduled clinical visits. Cost-effective and feasible strategies are urgently needed to improve timely patient follow-up.

Differences in membrane properties between unfertilised and fertilised single rabbit oocytes demonstrated by electro-rotation. Comparison with cells from early embryos.

The apparent membrane capacity of tubular rabbit oocytes increases from 1.7-2.0 microF/cm2 before fertilisation to 3.7-4.0 microF/cm2 after fertilisation. The membrane conductivity measured on single cells was also increased by fertilisation from less than 1 mS/cm2 to 14 mS/cm2. Cells obtained from 2-, 4- or 8-cell embryos exhibited intermediate values of membrane capacity (2.3-2.8 microF/cm2) and conductivity (5-22 mS/cm2). The values quoted are those effective between 1 and 10 kHz, the frequency of the rotating field used. The large apparent capacities are probably due to the presence of structures such as microvilli which cause the actual membrane area to exceed the smooth sphere area. It must be assumed that these structures change in form or number on fertilisation, and that they persist in embryos, at least up to the 8-cell stage. No difference was apparent between cells fertilised in vitro or in vivo. Comparison of the above zona-free data with measurements on zona-complete oocytes indicate how fertilised and unfertilised rabbit eggs may be distinguished from one another, even in the presence of the zona pellucida.

Electro-rotation of mouse oocytes: single-cell measurements of zona-intact and zona-free cells and of the isolated zona pellucida.

Passive electrical properties of oocytes and of zonae pellucidae, and the mechanical coupling between them, can be elucidated by means of rotating-field-induced rotation. In low-conductivity media (25-100 microS/cm) rotation of mouse oocytes (with or without their zonae) requires fields in the 1-100 kHz frequency range. However, an isolated zona shows weak rotation in the opposite direction to that of a cell, and in response to much higher field frequencies (approx. 1 MHz). In zona-intact mouse oocytes, the rotation of cell and zona are not rigidly coupled: thus rotation of the cell can still be induced when the zona is held stationary. However, rotation of freely suspended zona-intact cells is much slower than that of zona-free cells and requires an optimum field frequency that is approximately 1.5 kHz higher. These observations show that the electrical properties of the oocyte that are measured by rotation are altered by the presence of the zona pellucida, even though no such influence has been detected using micro-electrodes. The data are consistent with the zona acting as a porous shell with a conductivity of 40 microS/cm (preliminary estimate made at a single medium conductivity of 26 microS/cm). Measurements on cells from which the zonae had been removed gave values for the membrane capacity and resistivity of 1.2-1.3 microF/cm2 and 400 omega.cm2, respectively. These values may reflect the presence of plasmalemma microvilli. The results strongly suggest that the technique may be useful for studies of cell maturation and for in vitro fertilization, because the cells may be further cultured after measurement.

Immunological consolidation of ovarian carcinoma recurrences with monoclonal anti-idiotype antibody ACA125: immune responses and survival in palliative treatment. See The biology behind: K. A. Foon and M. Bhattacharya-Chatterjee, Are solid tumor anti-idiotype vaccines ready for prime time? Clin. Cancer Res., 7:1112-1115, 2001.

The aim of the present study was to assess whether the induction of specific immune responses by vaccination with the murine monoclonal anti-idiotypic antibody ACA125, which imitates the tumor-associated antigen CA125, has a positive influence on the survival of patients with recurrent ovarian carcinoma. Forty-two patients with platinum-pretreated recurrences were included in a clinical Phase I/II trial of consolidation in third-line therapy. Patients initially received four immunizations with 2 mg of alum-precipitated anti-idiotype ACA125 every 2 weeks and then monthly applications. No serious allergic reactions could be detected within a maximal control period of 56 months. Hyperimmune sera of 27 of 42 patients (64.2%) showed increased concentrations of human antimouse antibodies. Specific anti-anti-idiotypic antibodies as a marker for induced immunity were detected in 28 of 42 patients (66.7%). The survival of the whole ACA125-treated collective of patients after a mean of 12.6 antibody applications was 14.9 +/- 12.9 months. The survival of patients with a positive immune response was 19.9 +/- 13.1 months in contrast with 5.3 +/- 4.3 months in those patients without detectable anti-CA125 immunity (P < 0.0001). According to these results, vaccination with a suitable anti-idiotypic antibody offers an effective way to induce specific immunity against a primarily nonimmunogenic tumor antigen such as CA125 and is associated with a positive impact on the survival of patients with recurrent ovarian cancer with few side effects, which warrants a Phase III trial for ovarian cancer patients after primary therapy.

Technetium-99m-MIBI scintimammography for suspicious breast lesions.

UNLABELLED: The aim of this study was to evaluate the diagnostic accuracy of scintimammography with 99mTc-MIBI in patients with suspected primary breast cancer as monitored by SPECT or planar imaging. METHODS: Patients with a suspect lesion detected by palpation or mammography were entered in the study. Excisional biopsy was performed on all patients and a mammography was performed within three weeks prior to scintigraphy. All patients received intravenously 740 MBq 99mTc-MIBI in the arm, contralateral to the suspicious breast, and were subsequently examined in a prone position. At 5-10 min postinjection, planar images were obtained in both the lateral and anterior views with an acquisition time of 10 min. After planar imaging, SPECT imaging was performed using a two-head high-resolution gamma camera. RESULTS: In the total patient group of 54 patients, 40 lesions were palpable and 14 were nonpalpable but were detected by mammography. Breast cancer was confirmed in 24 of the patients and 20 of the palpable masses were found to be carcinomas. The tumor size ranged from 6 to 90 mm in diameter. In scintigraphic studies, the overall sensitivity was 88% for planar imaging and 83% for SPECT. Specificity was 83% and 80%, respectively. Sensitivity for palpable lesions was 100%. The smallest detectable tumor measured was 9 mm in diameter and could only be visualized in the planar scintigram. CONCLUSION: Scintigraphy with 99mTc-MIBI is extremely sensitive for the detection of primary breast cancer in patients with a palpable mass. SPECT, however, did not improve the diagnostic accuracy over planar scintimammography.

HLA-G polymorphisms and allele frequencies in Caucasians.

HLA-G, a nonclassical class I MHC molecule, is uniquely expressed on extravillous cytotrophoblasts of the maternal-fetal interface and is suggested to be essential for establishment of maternal-fetal immune tolerance. Although the level of polymorphism in HLA-G has originally been considered low, number, nature and site of polymorphisms seem to vary between different ethnic populations. We investigated HLA-G polymorphisms in a population of German and Croatian origin by SSCP-analysis and direct sequencing as well as RFLP analysis for presence of the 1597delC mutation. HLA-A alleles associated with the different HLA-G alleles were determined by SSP PCR-typing. In Caucasians, HLA-G exhibits a low degree of polymorphism on the amino-acid level and only slightly higher variability on the nucleotide level. In 264 independent chromosomes, 4 HLA-G alleles on the level of amino acid polymorphisms and an additional 6 variations of nucleotide sequences could be identified. The null-allele G*0105N was present at an allele frequency of 2.3%, which is higher than initially suggested for Caucasians but lower than in Hispanics and African-Americans. Furthermore, some HLA-G alleles exhibit strong linkage disequilibrium with HLA-A.

Soluble HLA levels in early pregnancy after in vitro fertilization.

Intact pregnancy can be interpreted as a state of maternal immunotolerance toward an haploidentical fetus. Soluble HLA (sHLA) molecules increase during episodes of allograft rejection and are discussed as candidates to modulate immune responses. We questioned whether after in vitro fertilization (IVF) the subsequent intact pregnancy, early abortion, or tubal pregnancy influence the courses sHLA serum levels. Therefore, serum samples of 65 IVF patients were assayed by ELISA for sHLA-I, sHLA-G, and sHLA-DR concentrations preovulatorily and after a positive HCG test weekly until the 9th gestational week (GW). In 20 patients experiencing an early abortion the preovulatory sHLA-G mean level of 25.9 +/- 3.9 SEM ng/ml and the share of 4.2 +/- 0.8 SEM % on total sHLA-I were significantly (p < 0.05) reduced compared to women with intact pregnancy. The same differences (p < 0.0001) were seen during the monitoring of sHLA-G and sHLA-I levels in intact pregnancy versus early abortion until 9th GW. Twin pregnancy revealed a drastically increase of sHLA-G levels from the 8th GW compared to singleton pregnancies. Further, individual sHLA-DR levels increased during intact pregnancy but decreased in the group of early abortion. With regard to sensitivity and specificity for pregnancy outcome sHLA quantitation reached similar weight as routine HCG determinations at GW 5. Especially women with preovulatory low sHLA-G levels appear to be on risk for early abortion after IVF.

Ascorbic acid (vitamin C) improves the antineoplastic activity of doxorubicin, cisplatin, and paclitaxel in human breast carcinoma cells in vitro.

Utilizing a microplate ATP bioluminescence assay, two human breast carcinoma cell lines, MCF-7 and MDA-MB-231, were tested against doxorubicin (DOX), cisplatin (DDP), and paclitaxel (Tx) alone and in combination with ascorbic acid (Vit C). In both cell lines, Vit C exhibited cytotoxic activity at high concentrations (i.e. 10(2)-10(3) microM). Both cell lines also were resistant to DOX. MCF-7 was found to be DDP-resistant, MDA-MB-231 was moderately sensitive to DDP. Both cell lines were strongly sensitive to Tx. Vit C both at non-cytotoxic (1 microM) and moderately cytotoxic concentrations (10(2) microM) improved the cytotoxicity of DOX, DDP, and Tx significantly. Combination effects between Vit C and DDP or Tx were partly synergistic and partly additive or subadditive whereas a consistent synergism was found between Vit C and DOX. The mechanisms by which Vit C potentiates the cytostatics studied are yet unclear and should be evaluated further.

The prognostic value of age for patients with common epithelial ovarian cancer.

For 230 patients with common epithelial ovarian cancer, the prognostic impact of age was examined. Statistical analysis was done using proportional hazard models, 3- and 5-year survival rates and median survival of stratified groups, and the Kaplan-Meier mean. Taking the age-adjusted mortality into account, the prognosis of the older patients was significantly worse. This effect depended primarily on early mortality (survival time less than 2 months). A comparative analysis was made of the prognostic factors age, grade, and stage, taking into account the correlation between factors. This analysis showed that, for our series, age was of lesser prognostic significance than grading, and both of these were of much less prognostic importance than staging.

The evolution of moral dispositions in the human species.

Kohlberg's model of moral development is viewed from the perspective of evolutionary biology. Moral judgments defining Kohlberg's stages of moral development are seen as manifestations of structures evolved to uphold systems of cooperation. Game theory research on adaptive strategies of cooperation supports the conclusion that humans inherit dispositions to uphold the systems of cooperation implicit in the first three stages in Kohlberg's sequence, but not the systems of cooperation implicit in the highest stages. The empirical evidence on real-life morality is more consistent with a biological model of ontogenesis than is the model espoused by Kohlbergians. Although people occasionally make moral judgments in their everyday lives to reveal their solutions to moral dilemmas, as Kohlberg's model assumes, they more often make moral decisions that advance their adaptive interests.

Polyspermy in in vitro fertilization of human oocytes: frequency and possible causes.

In an IVF program a total of 585 oocytes (180 patients) were examined for the presence of pronuclei 16 to 20 hours after the addition of spermatozoa. The overall fertilization rate was 71%, and in 58 (10%) of the fertilized oocytes, three or more pronuclei, indicating a failure of the block to polyspermy, could be observed. The frequency of polyspermy was related to the maturity of the oocyte, determined according to morphologic criteria. Immature oocytes showed a higher percentage of polyspermic fertilization (32%) compared to that of mature oocytes (6%). Preincubation of oocytes (for 0.5-1.5, 2-4, and 5-8 hours) prior to the addition of spermatozoa increased the fertilization rate (to 67%, 70%, and 83%, respectively). The polyspermy rate, however, was not significantly different between the various preincubation intervals (13%, 14%, and 19%, respectively). The polyspermy rate was affected by the number of spermatozoa used for in vitro fertilization. Insemination with 0.5-0.8, 1.0, or 1.5-2.0 X 10(6) spermatozoa/oocyte resulted in a polyspermy rate of 6%, 20%, and 32%, respectively. The appearance of polyspermic fertilization was not related to the age of the patient (which ranged from 20 to 45 years) nor to the method of ovarian stimulation (clomiphene, hMG, or clomiphene/hMG). Because of the high incidence of polyspermy under in vitro conditions it seems to be important to routinely examine the oocytes in the pronuclear stage. Reduction of the number of spermatozoa used for in vitro fertilization and the exact timing of insemination according to the maturity of the oocyte might reduce the occurrence of polyspermic fertilization.

Dynamic stability in elders: momentum control in locomotor ADL.

BACKGROUND: Momentum must be controlled in stable locomotor activities, including sit-to-stand and gait. The relationship of momentum control and balance maintenance in elders or in a balance-impaired population has not been studied. Although decreased locomotor speed has long been reported among elders, the literature is lacunar concerning the mechanical mechanisms underlying this slowing. The purpose of this study was to describe the whole body and upper body linear and angular momentum for healthy elders during sit-to-stand and gait and compare them to a group of balance-impaired elders who have bilateral vestibular hypofunction (BVH). METHODS: Ten elders with BVH were matched to 10 healthy elders aged 67-90. Linear and angular momentum were calculated for sit-to-stand and for free speed and paced gait. Means and 95% confidence intervals were used to compare groups. RESULTS: Elders with BVH used significantly less linear and angular momentum to rise from a chair than healthy elders and showed excessive lateral momentum during gait, despite walking at a slower velocity. CONCLUSIONS: Healthy elders limit momentum generation by decreasing gait velocity, apparently because they lack sufficient strength or balance control to safely dissipate the momentum that a faster, less controlled gait engenders. Elders with BVH further limit momentum in locomotor activities to decrease their risk of falling, but are apparently unable to control lateral momentum during gait. Excessive lateral momentum in gait among balance-impaired elders leads to loss of balance, a frequent occurrence in this patient population.

Kalman filter detection of blinks in video-oculography: applications for VVOR measurement during locomotion.

A Kalman filter algorithm was implemented for automatic detection of blink artifacts in video-oculography (VOG) data, and a cubic spline used to patch the eliminated data. The algorithm was tested by randomly introducing artificial blinks into eye movement data and computing the errors introduced by the patches. We also computed visual vestibulo-ocular reflex (VVOR) gain and phase in healthy and vestibulopathic subjects during a locomotor task, before and after blink removal, to demonstrate the interpretive importance of eliminating blink artifacts. The error introduced by the patched data was small (0.50+/-0.32 degrees ) and within the resolution of head angle measurements. Comparison of gain and phase shift before and after removing blinks revealed that even when calculated values are within expected limits, coherence of the VVOR signal was significantly (p=0.003) lower prior to blink removal (0.51+/-0.37) compared to that after blink removal (0.92+/-0.08). Comparison of VVOR calculations between healthy and vestibulopathic subjects (after removal of blinks) revealed that vestibulopathic subjects had significantly decreased gains (p=0.018) and increased phase shifts (p=0.009): these results agree with data reported in literature. We conclude that the Kalman filter detection and cubic spline patching algorithms are useful tools for VOG and should enable reliable VVOR measurements during unconstrained, ecologically meaningful locomotor activities.

Influence of salmeterol and benzalkonium chloride on G-protein-mediated exocytotic responses of rat peritoneal mast cells.

The long-acting beta(2)-adrenoceptor agonist salmeterol and the invert soap benzalkonium chloride share physicochemically important structures, namely a polar head group and a long aliphatic chain. Low concentrations of benzalkonium chloride have been shown to inhibit exocytotic responses in rat peritoneal mast cells by selectively interacting with heterotrimeric G-proteins of the G(i)-type. The present study investigates whether salmeterol inhibits, independently of beta-adrenoceptors, exocytotic responses of rat peritoneal mast cells induced by the direct agonists at G-proteins mastoparan or guanosine 5'-O-(3-thiotriphosphate) (++GTP gamma S++). Exocytosis was studied by secretion assays ([3H]5-hydroxytryptamine ([3H]5-HT)-release) using intact, streptolysin O-permeabilised or metabolically inhibited (antimycin, deoxyglucose) rat peritoneal mast cells. Both amphiphilics, salmeterol, and benzalkonium chloride, dose-dependently exerted biphasic effects on mastoparan-induced [3H]5-HT release in intact mast cells. In contrast to benzalkonium chloride, the dose-response curves for secretostatic and celltoxic effects of salmeterol markedly overlapped. Similar to benzalkonium chloride, salmeterol in non-cytotoxic concentrations (1-25 microg/ml) dose-dependently inhibited exocytosis induced by mastoparan (intact cells) or ++GTP gamma S (permeabilised cells). These findings indicate a direct, adrenoceptor-independent affection of G proteins by salmeterol in mast cells.

In vivo hip pressures during cane and load-carrying gait.

OBJECTIVE: To test the hypotheses that carrying a load reduces hip contact pressure ipsilateral to the load and that using a cane when carrying a load further reduces hip contact pressure. METHODS: A Moore-type endoprosthesis with 13 femoral-head pressure transducers was implanted in a human subject following a Garden III fracture. Hip contact pressures were measured during unaided, cane-aided, and load-carrying gait over two years. RESULTS: Relative to unloaded gait, contact pressures increased significantly when ipsilateral to the carried load. Using a contralateral cane when carrying the load reduced ipsilateral posterior-superior contact pressure; however, the hip contralateral to the load experienced significantly higher than normal pressures. CONCLUSIONS: Ipsilaterally carried loads may not always provide stress protection of the arthritic hip. Using a cane opposite to the load may aid in restoring normal pressures to the ipsilateral hip, but may expose the contralateral hip to a significant stress burden.

Acetabular pressures during hip arthritis exercises.

OBJECTIVE: To examine in vivo maximum acetabular contact pressures during gait and hip arthritis exercises recommended by clinicians and the Arthritis Foundation. METHODS: Acetabular contact pressure data were collected for 2.5 years, at 3-4-month intervals, from an instrumented endoprosthesis implanted in an 84-year-old male who had sustained a left hip fracture. Maximum pressure data were compared for each activity. RESULTS: Mean pressures ranged from 9.0 +/- 2.3 megapascals (MPa) during maximum isometric hip abduction, 9.0 +/- 0.8 MPa during standing right hip abduction, and 8.9 +/- 2.8 MPa during standing left hip abduction to 1.2 +/- 0.3 MPa during quiet standing. Free-speed gait pressure averaged 5.6 +/- 0.9 MPa. The maximum mean pressure during side-lying hip abduction and straight leg raise at 30 degrees/second were less than the same activities at 60 degrees/second. CONCLUSIONS: These in vivo hip pressure measurements challenge traditional protocols for patients with hip osteoarthritis and provide quantitative data as a framework for designing exercise programs. Maximum isometric hip exercise and standing exercise generated much higher hip pressures, and are therefore probably more stressful to acetabular cartilage, than gait or stationary cycling. Clinicians must consider exercise velocity because of its direct correlation with hip contact pressure. Walking generated lower pressure than most activities studied and, given its other benefits, is therefore probably beneficial for patients with hip osteoarthritis.

Vestibular rehabilitation outcomes: velocity trajectory analysis of repeated bench stepping.

OBJECTIVES: To quantify vestibular rehabilitation (VR) outcomes in patients with vestibulospinal reflex pathology (VSP) using a new technique, high curvature analysis (HCA), that measures space trajectory stability. METHODS: Twelve patients with VSP and 10 healthy controls performed a repeated stepping task in a motion analysis laboratory. Patients with VSP were tested before and after a 12 week VR program. Three dimensional whole body center of gravity (CG) was captured during repeated bench stepping trials (step up forward/step down backward), and the resulting horizontal plane CG velocity trajectories were analyzed using HCA. RESULTS: VSP patients were significantly less stable than healthy subjects prior to VR (P=0.022), but these differences disappeared following VR (P=0.148). The stability of the VSP patients during the stepping task at 3 months increased significantly from baseline values (P=0.013). CONCLUSIONS: Evaluating the efficacy of VR requires analysis techniques that are sensitive to changes in stability. We conclude that HCA can be used for assessing improvements in CG stability of VSP patients while performing a repeated bench stepping activity.

Coping, defending, and the relations between moral judgment and moral behavior in prostitutes and other female juvenile delinquents.

Twenty female juvenile delinquents who acknowledged engaging in prostitution, 20 juvenile delinquents who denied doing so, and 20 same-age control subjects responded to Colby and Kohlberg's (1987) Moral Judgment Interview (MJI), a moral dilemma about prostitution, and Joffe and Naditch's (1977) test of coping and defending. Delinquents scored lower on moral maturity and coping and higher on defensiveness than nondelinquents. Post hoc analyses revealed that low-coping delinquents (but not high-coping delinquents or control subjects) made significantly lower level moral judgments on the prostitution dilemma than on the less personally relevant MJI dilemmas. Groups did not differ in their prescriptive judgments on the MJI, but prostitutes made weaker judgments against prostitution than the other delinquents. Prescriptive judgments were not related to moral maturity. The results elucidate the relation between moral judgment and moral behavior.

Analysis of postural perturbation responses.

People with cerebellar ataxia lack lower limb coordination and dissipate sway motion slowly and inefficiently after a posture perturbation. We report a practical and low-cost "human resonance frequency test" for both laboratory and clinical use to quantify progress in balance and cerebellar rehabilitation. We assumed that the center-of-pressure (COP) oscillation rate of decay following a standing posture perturbation is directly related to resonance frequency; a more rapidly dissipating COP oscillation about the position of equilibrium indicates, by definition, more efficient postural control. We hypothesized that following successful physical rehabilitation, people with cerebellar degeneration will have a faster rate of decay of the COP response to an external perturbation. Because the COP is modulated by a synergy of trunk and lower limb motion strategies, COP decay rate may be a useful measure of lower limb coordination in people with cerebellar ataxia. The method was applied to three subjects with cerebellar ataxia before and after rehabilitation; there was good agreement between the calculated COP decay rate and conventionally used gait stability parameters providing pilot data for this simple approach.

Synthesis and FTIR conformational studies of peptides from the basic region of c-Jun: a critical analysis on the basis of CD and NMR data.

The peptide (35 residues) corresponding to the basic subdomain (bSD) of c-Jun (residues 252-281) and its fragments NP (N-terminal peptide, 1-19) and CP (C-terminal peptide, 16-35) were synthesized in stepwise solid-phase using the tert-butyloxycarbonyl/benzyl strategy. In a previous paper, we have shown that during its binding to the DNA site CRE (cAMP-responsive element) the bSD structure was converted into alpha-helix from an initial random coil conformation [Krebs, D., Dahmani, B., El Antri, S., Monnot, M., Convert, O., Mauffret, O., Troalen, F. & Fermandjian, S. Eur. J. Biochem. 231, 370-380 (1995)]. Our results suggested both a high flexibility and a helical potential in bSD, these two properties seeming crucial for the accommodation of the basic subdomain of c-Jun to its specific DNA targets. In this work, we assessed the conformational variability of bSD through the study of the secondary structures of its NP and CP fragments in trifluoroethanol (TFE)/2H2O mixtures, using Fourier transform infrared (FTIR) spectroscopy. The IR results were critically analyzed in light of our previously reported circular dichroism (CD) and NMR data [Krebs, D., Dahmani, B., Monnot, M., Mauffret, O., Troalen, F. & Fermandjian, S. Eur. J. Biochem, 235, 699-712 (1996)]. Upon addition of TFE, the relative areas of the seven components of the amide I. band (1700-1620 cm-1) reflected the conversion of a large amount of random coil conformation into alpha-helix for the two fragments and bSD. This effect was accompanied by more subtle variations of the less populated structures, in agreement with the results of CD and NMR experiments. The IR results stipulated the conservation of the parent bSD secondary structures in both fragments; however, NP and CP peptides did not display similar random-to-alpha-helix stabilization pattern upon additions of TFE to aqueous solutions. The profile from CD signal at 222 nm was found sigmoidal for NP and almost linear for CP, while that corresponding to the parent peptide bSD was just in between those of its fragments. Thus, the present study confirms the high flexibility and helix propensity of the c-Jun basic subdomain and suggests that the N- and C-terminal parts of the peptide do not follow the same random-to-helix conversion profile during their complexation with DNA.