Stressful life events preceding the acute onset of schizophrenia: A cross-national study from the World Health Organization

This study reports on the findings from a WHO sponsored cross-national investigation of life events and schizophrenia. Data are presented from a series of 386 acutely ill schizophrenic patients selected from nine field research centers located in developing and developed countries (Aarhus, Denmark; Agra, India; Cali, Colombia; Chandigarh, India; Honolulu, USA; Ibadan, Nigeria; Nagasaki, Japan; Prague, Czechoslovakia; Rochester, USA). On a methodological level, the study demonstrates that life event methodologies originating in the developed countries can be adapted for international studies and may be used to collect reasonably reliable and comparable cross-cultural data on psychosocial factors affecting the course of schizophrenic disorders. Substantive findings replicate the results of prior studies which conclude that socioenvironmental stressors may precipitate schizophrenic attacks and such events tend to cluster in the two to three week period immediately preceding illness onset.The paper was prepared by these authors on behalf of the collaborating investigators listed on page 196.     

New RNA-mediated reactions by yeast mitochondrial group I introns.

The group I self-splicing reaction is initiated by attack of a guanosine nucleotide at the 5' splice site of intron-containing precursor RNA. When precursor RNA containing a yeast mitochondrial group I intron is incubated in vitro under conditions of self-splicing, guanosine nucleotide attack can also occur at other positions: (i) the 3' splice site, resulting in formation of a 3' exon carrying an extra added guanosine nucleotide at its 5' end; (ii) the first phosphodiester bond in precursor RNA synthesized from the SP6 bacteriophage promoter, leading to substitution of the first 5'-guanosine by a guanosine nucleotide from the reaction mixture; (iii) the first phosphodiester bond in already excised intron RNA, resulting in exchange of the 5' terminal guanosine nucleotide for a guanosine nucleotide from the reaction mixture. An identical sequence motif (5'-GAA-3') occurs at the 3' splice site, the 5' end of SP6 precursor RNA and at the 5' end of excised intron RNA. We propose that the aberrant reactions can be explained by base-pairing of the GAA sequence to the Internal Guide Sequence. We suggest that these reactions are mediated by the same catalytic centre of the intron RNA that governs the normal splicing reactions.     

Neutrophil association and degradation of normal and acute-phase high-density lipoprotein 3.

The interaction of normal and acute-phase high-density lipoproteins of the subclass 3 (N-HDL3 and AP-HDL3) with human neutrophils and the accompanying degradation of HDL3 apolipoproteins have been studied in vitro. The chemical composition of normal and acute-phase HDL3 was similar except that serum amyloid A protein (apo-SAA) was a major apolipoprotein in AP-HDL3 (approx. 30% of total apolipoproteins). 125I-labelled AP-HDL3 was degraded 5-10 times faster than 125I-labelled N-HDL3 during incubation with neutrophils or neutrophil-conditioned medium. Apo-SAA, like apolipoprotein A-II (apo-A-II), was more susceptible than apolipoprotein A-I (apo-A-I) to the action of proteases released from the cells. The amounts of cell-associated AP-HDL3 apolipoproteins at saturation were up to 2.8 times greater than N-HDL3 apolipoproteins; while apo-A-I was the major cell-associated apolipoprotein when N-HDL3 was bound, apo-SAA constituted 80% of the apolipoproteins bound in the case of AP-HDL3. The associated intact apo-SAA was mostly surface-bound as it was accessible to the action of exogenous trypsin. alpha 1-Antitrypsin-resistant (alpha 1-AT-resistant) cellular degradation of AP-HDL3 apolipoproteins also occurred; experiments in which pulse-chase labelling was performed or lysosomotropic agents were used indicated that insignificant intracellular degradation occurred which points to the involvement of cell-surface proteases in this degradation.     

Influence of N6-methylation of residue A(5) on the conformational behaviour of d(C-C-G-A-A-T-T-C-G-G) in solution studied by 1H-NMR spectroscopy. 2. The hairpin form

The solution conformations of the oligonucleotides d(C-C-G-A-A-T-T-C-G-G) and d(C-C-G-A-m6A-T-T-C-G-G) as a function of temperature and sample concentration were investigated by means of 1H-NMR spectroscopy. The NMR spectra revealed that, at certain combinations of temperature and low sample and salt concentration, both compounds exist as a B-DNA-type duplex slowly (on the 1H-NMR time scale) interconverting with a monomeric species. From chemical shift data and imino-proton spectra, it is concluded that the monomeric species consists of a mixture of a hairpin form in rapid equilibrium with the random-coil form. The double-helical stem of the hairpin is formed by the six terminal cytidine and guanine residues, whereas the four core residues, -A-(m6)A-T-T-, partake in the loop. Thermodynamic analysis of the chemical shift of the resonances of the monomeric species vs temperature profiles of the two decamers and mutual comparison of these profiles indicate the following: the influence of N6-methylation of residue A(5) upon the local structure of the hairpin must be small; methylation decreases the stability of the duplex relative to the monomeric species: the temperature at which the fraction duplex equals 0.5 was found to be 312 K for the parent compound and 305 K for the methylated decamer at 2 mM sample concentration; methylation does not significantly alter the stability of the hairpin form relative to the random coil form: the Tm of the hairp----n equilibrium random-coil equilibrium is 308 K for the parent compound and 306 K for the methylated decamer. A higher fraction hairpin-like structure for the N6-methylated compound is observed under identical conditions of temperature and sample concentration: at 300 K, 2 mM sample concentration, the fraction hairpin form is 0.12 for d(C-C-G-A-A-T-T-C-G-G) and 0.20 for d(C-C-G-A-m6A-T-T-C-G-G). This finding appears to be a consequence of the reduced stability of the methylated dimeric species relative to the monomeric species, and to depend upon the sodium-ion concentration: it becomes more pronounced under low-salt conditions.     

Size selection of latex beads by blackfly larvae (Diptera: Simuliidae) in the laboratory

In laboratory experiments, blackfly larvae collected from a lake outlet, a woodland and a meadow stream were tested for size selection of latex beads of < Ito > 100 μm diameters. 3 suspensions of varying proportions for each size category were supplied to these blackfly larvae in common experiments. Comparisons between the size frequency distributions of particles supplied and the particle compositions in the larval guts showed intra- and interspecific differences and were quantified by calculating Jacobs' electivity index. In all species selection of larger particles increased with the larger larval instars. Although there was a positive selectivity of small particles in some cases, the ingested proportion of large particles increases volumes and biomasses of gut content and may be more important for larval growth than small particles.     

Changes in the population dynamics of Keratella cochlearis (Gosse), Kellicottia longispina (Gosse) and Polyarthra vulgaris Carlin in a fertilized enclosure

The population dynamics of phytoplankton and zooplankton in a fertilized enclosure were studied from April 1977 to June 1978. During the first spring period, the rotifers Keratella cochlearis, Kellicottia longispina, and Polyarthra vulgaris were scarce. During the following spring, all three species were abundant. An attempt is made to explain these differences. Food resource competition from cladocerans, and the low food quality and possible inhibitory effects of Coccomyxa sp. were found to be the most likely factors limiting the growth of these rotifers during the first spring period.     

A note on the hatching and viability ofCeriodaphnia ephippia collected from lake sediment

Ephippia ofCeriodaphnia pulchella Sars were collected at 2 sites from successive sediment layers. Hatching observed in the laboratory gave information about the duration of their viability. Conclusions about the hatching situation in the lake were drawn from the ratio of intact to total ephippia at various lake depths. The results are discussed.