Peer counselor program increases breastfeeding rates in Utah Native American WIC population.

Lack of breastfeeding promotion and support hinder successful breastfeeding. In this study, a breastfeeding peer counselor program improved both the initiation rate and duration of breastfeeding up to three months postpartum among Native American WIC participants. Trained peer counselors contacted subjects prenatally, and at one, two, and four to six weeks postpartum. Breastfeeding rates for the experimental group were compared to historical controls. Women in the peer counselor group who had complete data for three months (n = 41) had a higher rate of breastfeeding than the control group (n = 67) at initiation (84 percent vs. 70 percent; p = 0.05) and at three months postpartum (49 percent vs. 36 percent; p = 0.08).

Extant diversity of bryophytes emerged from successive post-Mesozoic diversification bursts.

Unraveling the macroevolutionary history of bryophytes, which arose soon after the origin of land plants but exhibit substantially lower species richness than the more recently derived angiosperms, has been challenged by the scarce fossil record. Here we demonstrate that overall estimates of net species diversification are approximately half those reported in ferns and ∼30% those described for angiosperms. Nevertheless, statistical rate analyses on time-calibrated large-scale phylogenies reveal that mosses and liverworts underwent bursts of diversification since the mid-Mesozoic. The diversification rates further increase in specific lineages towards the Cenozoic to reach, in the most recently derived lineages, values that are comparable to those reported in angiosperms. This suggests that low diversification rates do not fully account for current patterns of bryophyte species richness, and we hypothesize that, as in gymnosperms, the low extant bryophyte species richness also results from massive extinctions.

Clinical trials. A family physician's perspective.

Primary care specialists diagnose and manage a wide variety of problems. Cancer is one relatively small part of the practice of these clinicians. Patients with newly diagnosed cancer usually are referred to surgical specialists. Primary care physicians often determine future events after surgical care. Oncologists may or may not be consulted depending on tumor type and past experiences of the physician, patient, and patient's family. Many primary care physicians think that chemotherapy regimens given empirically have little if any scientific evidence to support their use. Side effects of cancer treatment regimens often cause suffering and profoundly effect quality of life. There is a lack of communication between oncologists and primary care physicians. Dialogue between oncologists and primary care doctors may help solve communication problems. Clinical trials help determine which treatments are effective. Many clinical trials are conducted at the community hospital level. Most primary care physicians support clinical trials once they know about them. Education activities should be directed at promoting patient referral for participation in clinical trials.

Oligomerization of the cytoplasmic fragment from the aspartate receptor of Escherichia coli.

We have observed that a 31-kDa cloned fragment from the Escherichia coli aspartate receptor exhibits a reversible monomer-oligomer reaction. The fragment, derived from the cytoplasmic region of the receptor (c-fragment), contains the signaling functions of the receptor. The wild-type and nine missense mutant fragments were analyzed. The latter were selected by the effect of the mutations on the signaling properties of the intact receptor, which induced either persistent smooth swimming or tumbling in bacteria [Mutoh, N., Oosawa, K., & Simon, M. I. (1986) J. Bacteriol. 167, 992-998]. In pH 7.0 buffer, the mutations caused five out of the six smooth mutant c-fragments to form oligomers, while neither the three tumble mutant nor wild-type fragments exhibited significant oligomer formation. At a lower pH (5.5), all of the fragments displayed some tendency to form oligomers. The equilibria between the monomer and the oligomers were monitored by gel permeation chromatography (GPC) which resolved two to three forms with apparent molecular weights between 110,000 and 270,000. The proportions of the different forms depended on concentration, indicating an association-dissociation reaction. Static light scattering (SLS) was used to demonstrate that the solution molecular mass of the wild-type c-fragment was 31 kDa and not 110 kDa as indicated by chromatography. One oligomer-forming c-fragment (S461L) eluted as the monomer and one other form, which was determined to be a dimer by SLS. The weight-average molecular weights, calculated from GPC data as a function of protein concentration, agreed well with the weight-average molecular weights obtained by SLS for this mutant.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)

Reversible dissociation and unfolding of the Escherichia coli aspartate receptor cytoplasmic fragment.

The thermal denaturation of a 31-kDa soluble fragment derived from the Escherichia coli aspartate receptor cytoplasmic region (c-fragment) was found to be reversible. Denaturation monitored by differential scanning calorimetry (DSC) and circular dichroism (CD) was typically over 90% reversible in pH 7.0 buffer. The wild-type c-fragment exhibited one transition (Tm = 51 degrees C), which was taken as the main denaturation transition. c-Fragments derived from signaling mutants, shown to form oligomers by gel filtration chromatography (GFC), displayed a second low-temperature transition that correlated with the disappearance of the oligomeric form in the GFC traces over the same temperature range. The CD and DSC experiments also indicated that oligomers were more folded than monomers, observations that may provide an explanation for the structural basis of the smooth-swimming signaling state of the receptor. Octyl glucoside (OG), phospholipid (PL), and glycerol were added to characterize factors that contribute to c-fragment stability. At 10 mg/mL OG, the van't Hoff enthalpy of unfolding was reduced ca. 10-fold, although at room temperature the CD spectrum indicated little change in the secondary structure. The van't Hoff enthalpy was not affected by 35% (w/v) glycerol, but the Tm increased by ca. 18 degrees C. Cooperative transitions were detected in buffer containing OG, PL, and glycerol (10 mg/mL, 2 mg/mL, 35%, respectively). The correlation between conditions where cooperative transitions are observed, and where aspartate-modulated receptor signaling has been previously observed, provides an explanation for the inhibition of signaling in OG-containing buffers without glycerol and PL.

New intermediate subviral particles in the in vitro uncoating of reovirus virions by chymotrypsin.

Reovirus virions, grown in suspension cultures of L cells and extensively purified by density gradient and velocity gradient centrifugation after their release from cell debris by fluorocarbon extraction, are characterized by a mean particle diameter of 73 nm and a density in CsCl of 1.36 to 1.37 g/cm(3). Treatment of intact virions by chymotrypsin (CHT) digestion in vitro converts them to subviral particles (SVP) having characteristics which are determined by the species of monovalent cation present during the digestion. In the presence of Cs(+) ions, CHT converts the virions to SVP of mean diameter 51 nm and density 1.43 to 1.44 g/cm(3). In the presence of K(+) ions, the conversion is to SVP of diameter 51 nm and density 1.39 to 1.40 g/cm(3). The SVP made in the presence of either Cs(+) or K(+) possess an extremely active RNA polymerase and nucleoside triphosphate phosphohydrolase (NTPase) activity in vitro and are resistant to further digestion by CHT. Treatment of intact virions with CHT in the presence of Na(+) or Li(+) ions results in their conversion to SVP of mean diameter 64 nm and density 1.37 to 1.38 g/cm(3). Such SVP are not active in in vitro RNA synthesis or NTP hydrolysis and are resistant to further digestion by CHT even during prolonged exposure to high concentrations of enzyme. Addition of Cs(+) or K(+) ions to the digestion mixture allows conversion of the 64-nm diameter SVP to 51-nm diameter SVP in which the RNA polymerase and NTPase are active in vitro. Analysis of the proteins present in intact virions and in the different SVP reveals clear differences which indicate that the conversions are accomplished by removal or cleavage of particular species of polypeptides.

Extraordinary effects of specific monovalent cations on activation of reovirus transcriptase by chymotrypsin in vitro.

Activation of reovirus transcriptase activity, latent in intact virions, by digestion of purified virions with chymotrypsin (CHT) in vitro shows a stringent requirement for specific monovalent cations. Cs(+), Rb(+), or K(+) ions are capable of facilitating activation by chymotryptic digestion. Na(+), Li(+), or NH(4) (+) ions are not capable of facilitating the CHT activation of polymerase activity and are antagonistic towards the effects of the facilitating ions. The data indicate that the effect of the cations is exerted on activation of the polymerase activity by CHT as opposed to an effect on polymerization per se. This effect may be important biologically in that it provides a mechanism whereby the virion can sense whether it is in an intracellular or an extracellular environment and thereby can avoid premature uncoating.

Specific monovalent cation effects on modification of reovirus infectivity by chymotrypsin digestion in vitro.

Specific monovalent cations control the modification of reovirus infectivity by chymotrypsin. Digestion in K(+), Rb(+), or Cs(+) reduces infectivity several logs, whereas in Na(+) or Li(+) digestion markedly enhances infectivity.

The receptor binding site for the methyltransferase of bacterial chemotaxis is distinct from the sites of methylation.

The principal locus for binding interactions between the aspartate and serine receptors of escherichia coli and the methyltransferase was found to be in the last five amino acids of the receptor. The thermodynamic parameters of transferase-receptor interactions were determined by isothermal titration calorimetry. the serine receptor and three C-terminal fragments (C-fragments) of the aspartate receptor consisting of ether the last 297, 88, or 38 amino acids gave comparable values for binding (n=1, deltaH approximately 13 kcal/mol, and Ka approximately 4 x 10(5)M-1). Truncating either 16 or 36 amino acids form the C-terminus eliminated observable interactions. Finally the pentapeptide Asn-Trp-Glu-Thr-Phe, which corresponds to the last five amino acids of the receptor and is strictly conserved among E. coli serine amd aspartate receptors and the Salmonella typhimurium aspartate receptor, was found to have all the binding activity of the full-length receptor and the C-fragments. An in vitro methylation assay was used to obtain evidence for the physiological significance of this interaction in which excess peptide was able to completely block receptor methylation. The location of the binding site far from the methylation sites in the primary structure of the receptor suggests that the principle role of this interaction may be to hold the transferase in close proximity to all the methylation sites. Intersubunit methylation implication is proposed as plausible consequence of this "controlled proximity" mechanism since the ribose-galactose and dipeptide receptors lack the transferase binding sequence, and appear unable to bind transferase. Intersubunit methylation implies that transferase bound to eother the serine or aspartate receptor subunit may catalyze methylation of receptor subunits in a neighboring dimer, including those that have ligand specificity.