Autonomic Adaption to Clinical Simulation in Psychology Students: Teaching Applications

Simulation is used to facilitate new learning in a variety of situations. One application of simulation could be to help therapists gain therapeutic skills prior to seeing clients. This particular study was interested in measuring changes in stress response by looking at subjective and objective measures of distress (as measured by SUDS, HR, and HRV) over three sessions of simulated therapy. 16 second year psychology students participated in three sessions, and had their HR and HRV measured by Polar watches. Over the three sessions, there was a decrease in perceived distress, as measured by SUDS ratings. During and between sessions, there was inconclusive change in physiological parameters.     

The detection of two antigenic groups among Renibacterium salmoninarum isolates

The analysis of the membrane proteins and their antigenic properties in a group of 14 geographically diverse strains of Renibacterium salmoninarum revealed the existence of antigenic diversity within this species. Eleven isolates, including the type strain ATCC 33209, shared a similar protein profile with a major component of 57 kDa whereas three strains showed a common pattern with a major protein of 30 kDa. The quantitative agglutination tests and Western blotting assays seem to indicate the existence of serological heterogeneity, with two distinct groups being detected.     

Polymorphisms at 13 expressed human sequences containing CAG/CTG repeats and analysis in autosomal dominant cerebellar ataxia (ADCA) patients

Genetic anticipation – increasing severity and a decrease in the age of onset with successive generations of a pedigree – is clearly present in autosomal dominant cerebellar ataxia (ADCA). Anticipation is correlated with expansion of the CAG/CTG repeat sequence to sizes above those in the normal range through the generations of a pedigree. Genetic heterogeneity has been demonstrated for ADCA, with four cloned genes (SCA1, SCA2, SCA3/MJD, and SCA6) and three mapped loci (SCA4, SCA5 and SCA7). Another related dominant ataxia, dentatorubral-pallidoluysian atrophy (DRPLA), presents anticipation with CAG/CTG repeat expansions. We had previously analysed ADCA patients who had not shown repeat expansions in cloned genes for CAG/CTG repeat expansions by the repeat expansion detection method (RED) and had detected expansions of between 48 and 88 units in 17 unrelated familial cases. We present here an analysis of 13 genes and expressed sequence tags (ESTs) containing 10 or more CAG/ CTG repeat sequences selected from public databases in the 17 unrelated ADCA patients. Of the 13 selected genes and ESTs, 9 were found to be polymorphic with heterozygosities ranging between 0.09 and 0.80 and 2 to 17 alleles. In ADCA patients none of the loci showed expansions above the normal range of the CAG/CTG repeat sequences, excluding them as the mutation causing ADCA. Received: 28 May 1997 / Accepted: 30 June 1997     

Actualización en el manejo de la degeneración macular asociada a la edad

Age-related macular degeneration is the leading cause of legal blindness in people over 50 in developed countries. It is a multifactorial disease resulting from the interaction of genetic and environmental factors, and the age is the only worldwide admitted risk factor. The socioeconomic impact of the disease reaches enormous proportions, if we take into account the high cost of the available antiangiogenic therapy, the strict schedule of medical visits that it requires, and the impairment that it gives rise to. The response to treatment and the visual outcomes improve with early management of the retinal lesions, thus the early diagnosis of the disease in its initial phases, based on self-control with an Amsler grid and with regular ophthalmologic assessments, is essential.     

Serum deprivation increases ceramide levels and induces apoptosis in undifferentiated HN9.10e cells.

Sphingolipid metabolites have been involved in the regulation of proliferation, differentiation and apoptosis. While cellular mechanisms of these processes have been extensively analysed in the post-mitotic neurons, little is known about proliferating neuronal precursors. We have taken as a model of neuroblasts the embryonic hippocampal cell line HN9.10e. Apoptosis was induced by serum deprivation and by treatment with N-acetylsphingosine (C2-Cer), a membrane-permeant analogue of the second messenger ceramide. Following C2-Cer addition, cytochrome c was released from mitochondria, [Ca(2+)](i) and caspase-3-like activity increased. Both cytochrome c release and rise of [Ca(2+)](i) occurred before caspase-3 activation and nuclear condensation. The intracellular levels of ceramide peaked at 1h following the serum deprivation. These results indicate that the serum deprivation induces a rise in the intracellular ceramide level, and that increased ceramide concentration leads to calcium dysregulation and release of cytochrome c followed by caspase-3 activation. We show that cytochrome c is released without a loss of mitochondrial transmembrane potential.     

Unusual D:B-friedobaccharane and oxygenated friedelane-type triterpenoids from Salvadorean Celastraceae species

Three new triterpenoids, including two rare D:B-friedobaccharanes (leonatriol, 1 and leonatriolone, 2) and a 2,3-seco-2,24-epoxy-3,24-olide-D:A-friedooleanane (cassinolide, 3) were isolated from the root bark of Cassine xylocarpa and Celastrus vulcanicola, collected in El Salvador. Their stereostructures were elucidated on the basis of spectroscopic analyses, mainly ¹D and ²D NMR techniques, spectrometric analyses, and comparison with data reported in the literature. The absolute configuration of 1 and 2 were determined by the application of the Riguera ester procedure and biogenetic considerations. The possible biogenetic pathway for cassinolide (3) is also discussed.     

Enzymatic removal of plant residues from wool: Application of experimental design techniques for optimization parameters

This study was undertaken to find the optimum conditions of a new enzymatic process to remove plant residues from wool. Commercial enzymatic preparations of Celluclast 1.5 L and Pectinex Ultra SP-L were selected in order to hydrolyze the polysaccharides in primary plant cell walls and middle lamella, resulting into more fragile residues easier to be removed. Since it was intended to define the optimal conditions for enzyme application, a four-factor central composite design was selected to study the effects of pH, temperature, enzyme concentration and wetting agent concentration, on the two selected responses, i.e., soluble reducing sugars (RS) and alkali solubility (AS) of wool to detect plant degradation and to evaluate wool quality, respectively. Results demonstrated that enzyme concentration was the most significant effect in plant residues degradation. A total enzyme concentration loading of 20 mL of both diluted enzymatic preparations in equal parts per 1 L of incubation solution (42.970 U/L of Celluclast preparation and PG 29.3 nkat/L + PME 2.537 nkat/L of Pectinex preparation), yielded an equivalent amount of 240.127 mg of glucose per 1.0 g of plant residue, at the optimal conditions: 40.56 °C, pH 4.0 and 1 mL Plurafac/L. SEM analysis has indicated an identical and important degradation of the plant residues, when compared to the conventional carbonization process, and wool quality has been preserved.     

Genetic analysis of preharvest sprouting in a six-row barley cross

Preharvest sprouting (PHS) can be a problem in barley (Hordeum vulgare L.) especially malting barley, since rapid, uniform, and complete germination are critical. Information has been gained by studying the genetics of dormancy (measured as germination percentage, GP). The objective of this study was to determine if the quantitative trait loci (QTLs) discovered in previous research on dormancy are related to PHS. PHS was measured as sprout score (SSc) based on visual sprouting in mist chamber-treated spikes and as alpha-amylase activity (AA) in kernels taken from mist chamber-treated spikes that showed little or no visible sprouting. GP was also measured. All traits were measured at 0 and 14 days after physiological maturity. Evaluation of the spring six-row cross, Steptoe (dormant)/Morex (non-dormant) doubled haploid mapping population grown in greenhouse and field environments revealed QTL regions for SSc, AA, and GP on five, four, and six of the seven barley chromosomes, respectively. In total, seven and eight regions on five and six chromosomes had effects ranging from 4 to 31% and 3 to 39% on PHS and dormancy, respectively. One chromosome 3H and three chromosome 5H QTLs had the greatest effects. All PHS QTLs coincide with known dormancy QTLs, but some QTLs appear to be more important for PHS than for dormancy. Key QTLs identified should benefit breeding of barley for a suitable balance between PHS and dormancy.