2-(Aminomethyl)-benzamide-based glycine transporter type-2 inhibitors

Structure-activity studies on benzamide 1 obtained from library screening led to the discovery of a novel series of potent and selective glycine transporter type-2 inhibitors.     

Natural variation in linalool metabolites: One genetic locus,many functions?

The ubiquitous volatile linalool is metabolized in plants to nonvolatile derivatives. We studied Nicotiana attenuata plants which naturally vary in (S)-(+)-linalool contents, and lines engineered to produce either (R)-(-)- or (S)-(+)-linalool. Only (S)-(+)-linalool production was associated with slower growth of a generalist herbivore, and a large fraction was present as nonvolatile derivatives. We found that variation in volatile linalool and its nonvolatile glycosides mapped to the same genetic locus which harbored the biosynthetic gene, NaLIS, but that free linalool varied more in environmental responses. This study reveals how (S)-(+)-linalool and conjugates differ in their regulation and possible functions in resistance.     

An R1ρ expression for a spin in chemical exchange between two sites with unequal transverse relaxation rates

An analytical expression is derived for the rotating frame relaxation rate, R _1ρ , of a spin exchanging between two sites with different transverse relaxation times. A number of limiting cases are examined, with the equation reducing to formulae derived previously under the assumption of equivalent relaxation rates at each site. The measurement of a pair off-resonance R _1ρ values, with the carrier displaced equally on either side of the observed correlation, forms the basis of one of the approaches for obtaining signs of chemical shift differences, Δω, of exchanging nuclei. The results presented here establish that this method is relatively insensitive to differential transverse relaxation rates between the exchaning states, greatly simplifying the calculation of optimal parameters in R _1ρ based experiments that are used for measurement of signs of Δω.     

Outcomes of Regionalized Perinatal Care in Washington State

We evaluated the extent to which the regionalization of perinatal care in Washington State has succeeded in concentrating high-risk pregnancies in technologically appropriate referral centers and in reducing differences in neonatal outcome among hospitals. Of all infants weighing less than 1,500 grams born between 1980 and 1983, nearly 68% were delivered in level III hospitals, although only 24% of all babies are born in these hospitals, indicating that the state is highly regionalized. Neonatal outcomes—as measured by standardized mortality ratios—are similar in level I, II and III hospitals and are not greatly influenced by the rural or urban location of the hospital. The most promising strategy for further reducing neonatal mortality is to decrease the number and proportion of very-low-birth-weight births.