Chronic patients--persons with diabetes frequent attenders in Croatian family practice

Chronic diseases cause high frequency visits and generate the long-term frequent attenders (FAs). The connection between frequent attendance and specific morbidities in the health care systems in transitional Europe has been underestimated. We investigated whether frequent visits of chronic patients in primary care are related to characteristic of chronic disease (diabetes mellitus) and whether this is influenced by the family practice in the transitional health care. We analyzed the number of visits a day time work for 490 persons with diabetes in the period 1997 to 2000. As the cut-off points between frequent attenders and non frequent attenders (NFAs) we used the value of the third quartile (Q3) of visits determined for the sex and age groups in the parallel study in the whole population. The analysis was performed for 23 variables: demographic characteristics of patients, disease characteristic and variables of physician. Logistic regressions were employed to identify the predictors of FAs/NFAs. 56.9% (in 1997) to 62.4% (in 2000) persons with diabetes were FAs, compared to 22.4% to 24.3% FAs patients in the whole population. Logistic regression analysis significantly differentiated the two group of visits with 68% accuracy. 4 variables are significant predictors for FAs/NFAs: diabetes as the main disease (p = 0.0005), diet-only-treatment (p = 0.0062), treatment by secondary care (p = 0.0116), and if glycated hemoglobin test (HbA1c) is determined (p = 0.0272). Understanding the similarities and differences of FAs/NFAs persons with diabetes may be important in improving the care and management of chronic diseases in family medicine in transitional health care systems.     

Sunshine on holidays--eye risks

Ultraviolet (UV) light is the most common cause of radiation injury to the eye which in acute exposure causes photokeratitis and photoconjunctivitis. After a whole day exposure to the sun on the Mediteranian coast patient presented with mixed conjunctival injection, chemosis, edematous corneal epithelium with superficially present fluoresceine positive small pinpoint defects. Epithelial bullous changes, circular stromal infiltration in the middle stromal perifery and reduction of corneal transparency were more pronounced on the left eye. After treatment moderate conjunctival injection remained together with circular stromal infiltration in the middle perifery, corneas were transparent, epithelialised and fluorescein negative. Anterior chambers and lenses were clear. One month after patient regained bilateral visual acuity of 1.0. To our kownledge, this case shows for the first time connection between acute ultraviolet radiation exposure and persistent circular stromal infiltration in the middle corneal perifery in humans.     

The effects of the level of physical activity on calcaneal ultrasound measurements: bone properties of medical and physical education students

The aim of the study was to compare bone properties of two groups of students which strongly differ in the level of their everyday physical activity; the School of Medicine (SM) students and the Faculty of Physical Education (FPE) students, University of Zagreb. Quantitative ultrasound parameters--broadband ultrasound attenuation (BUA) and speed of sound (SOS) were measured. Quantitative ultrasound index (QUI) and estimated bone mineral density (BMD) were calculated by the device software. The final study sample consisted of 165 students from SM (94 males and 71 females) and 215 students from the FPE (164 males, 51 females). Sixty eight percent of FPE students and 21% of SM students reported a high level of everyday physical activity (P < 0.001). All ultrasound parameters were significantly higher in FPE students than in SM students (at the P < 0.001 level). The multiple regression model of the QUI confirmed that the school students attended was the single significant predictor variable for both genders. Our data indirectly showed the beneficial role of physical activity on bone properties.     

Safety issues of Lactobacillus bulgaricus with respect to human gelatinases in vitro

In oral medicine and dentistry probiotics have shown promising results in controlling dental diseases and yeast infections. This study was made to investigate the effect of eight strains of Lactobacillus bulgaricus and their effects on human matrix metalloproteinase-9 (MMP-9). The hypothesis was that these bacteria used in yoghurt production for centuries are not proteolytic and thus can be safely used in the development of probiotic preparations. Bacterial cell fractions and supernatant specimens were prepared and studied with gelatinase zymography and MMP-9 activation was assessed by immunoblotting. The effect of synthetic MMP inhibitors and a serine protease inhibitor (Pefabloc) on bacterial proteinases was studied with zymography. The results showed very low gelatinolytic activity. There was a slight difference between the supernatant and cell fractions so that the supernatant specimens produced weak gelatinolytic bands in zymography while hardly anything was seen in the cell fraction series. The tested synthetic MMP inhibitors and Pefabloc did not affect the proteolytic activity of the lactobacilli strains. The lactobacilli did not seem to induce the conversion of proMMP-9 to its active form. Consequently, our study hypothesis was confirmed and the studied Lactobacillus strains are not likely to degrade host tissue components.     

SEL-2, the C. elegans neurobeachin/LRBA homolog, is a negative regulator of lin-12/Notch activity and affects endosomal traffic in polarized epithelial cells

The vulval precursor cells (VPCs) of Caenorhabditis elegans are polarized epithelial cells that adopt a precise pattern of fates through regulated activity of basolateral LET-23/EGF receptor and apical LIN-12/Notch. During VPC patterning, there is reciprocal modulation of endocytosis and trafficking of both LET-23 and LIN-12. We identified sel-2 as a negative regulator of lin-12/Notch activity in the VPCs, and found that SEL-2 is the homolog of two closely related human proteins, neurobeachin (also known as BCL8B) and LPS-responsive, beige-like anchor protein (LRBA). SEL-2, neurobeachin and LRBA belong to a distinct subfamily of BEACH-WD40 domain-containing proteins. Loss of sel-2 activity leads to basolateral mislocalization and increased accumulation of LIN-12 in VPCs in which LET-23 is not active, and to impaired downregulation of basolateral LET-23 in VPCs in which LIN-12 is active. Downregulation of apical LIN-12 in the VPC in which LET-23 is active is not affected. In addition, in sel-2 mutants, the polarized cells of the intestinal epithelium display an aberrant accumulation of the lipophilic dye FM4-64 when the dye is presented to the basolateral surface. Our observations indicate that SEL-2/neurobeachin/LRBA is involved in endosomal traffic and may be involved in efficient delivery of cell surface proteins to the lysosome. Our results also suggest that sel-2 activity may contribute to the appropriate steady-state level of LIN-12 or to trafficking events that affect receptor activation.     

DNA bending versus DNA end joining activity of HMGB1 protein is modulated in vitro by acetylation

The ability of HMGB1 protein to recognize bent DNA and to induce bending in linear duplex DNA defines HMGB1 as an architectural factor. It has already been demonstrated that the binding affinity of the protein for various bent DNA structures is enhanced upon in vivo acetylation at Lys2. Here we investigate how this modification of HMGB1 affects its ability to bend DNA. We report that the modified protein cannot bend short DNA fragments but, instead, stimulates joining of the same fragments via their ends. The same properties are exhibited in vivo by acetylated HMGB1 lacking its acidic tail. Further, in vitro acetylation of the truncated protein at Lys81 (possible upon tail removal only) restores the protein's bending ability, while the level of stimulation of DNA end joining is strongly reduced. We conclude, therefore, that the ability of HMGB1 to bend DNA or to stimulate end joining is modulated in vitro by acetylation. In an attempt to explain the properties of in vivo-acetylated HMGB1, its complexes with DNA have been analyzed by both protein-DNA cross-linking and atomic force microscopy. Unlike the parental protein, bound mainly within the internal sequences, acetylated HMGB1 binds preferentially to DNA ends. We propose that the loading of acetylated protein on DNA ends accounts for both the failure to bend DNA and the stimulation of DNA end joining.     

Intramolecular and intermolecular guanine quadruplexes of DNA in aqueous salt and ethanol solutions

DNA guanine quadruplexes are all based on stacks of guanine tetrads, but they can be of many types differing by mutual strand orientation, topology, position and structure of loops, and the number of DNA molecules constituting their structure. Here we have studied a series of nine DNA fragments (G(3)Xn)(3)G(3), where X = A, C or T, and n = 1, 2 or 3, to find how the particular bases and their numbers enable folding of the molecule into quadruplex and what type of quadruplex is formed. We show that any single base between G(3) blocks gives rise to only four-molecular parallel-stranded quadruplexes in water solutions. In contrast to previous models, even two Ts in potential loops lead to tetramolecular parallel quadruplexes and only three consecutive Ts lead to an intramolecular quadruplex, which is antiparallel. Adenines make the DNA less prone to quadruplex formation. (G(3)A(2))(3)G(3) folds into an intramolecular antiparallel quadruplex. The same is true with (G(3)A(3))(3)G(3) but only in KCl. In NaCl or LiCl, (G(3)A(3))(3)G(3) prefers to generate homoduplexes. Cytosine still more interferes with the quadruplex, which only is generated by (G(3)C)(3)G(3), whereas (G(3)C(2))(3)G(3) and (G(3)C(3))(3)G(3) generate hairpins and/or homoduplexes. Ethanol is a more potent DNA guanine quadruplex inducer than are ions in water solutions. It promotes intramolecular folding and parallel orientation of quadruplex strands, which rather corresponds to quadruplex structures observed in crystals.     

Conformations of DNA strands containing GAGT, GACA, or GAGC tetranucleotide repeats

The (GA)(n) microsatellite has been known from previous studies to adopt unusual, ordered, cooperatively melting secondary structures in neutral aqueous solutions containing physiological concentrations of salts, at acid pH values or in aqueous ethanol solutions. To find more about the primary structure specificity of these structures, we performed parallel comparative studies of related tetranucleotide repeats (GAGC)(5), (GAGT)(5), and (GACA)(5). The general conclusion following from these comparative studies is that the primary structure specificity is fairly high, indicating that not only guanines but also adenines play a significant role in the stabilization of these unusual structures. (GAGC)(5) is a hairpin or a duplex depending on DNA concentration. Neither acid pH nor ionic strength or the presence of ethanol changed the secondary structure of (GAGC)(5) in a significant way. (GACA)(5) forms a weakly stable hairpin in neutral aqueous solutions but forms a duplex at acid pH where cytosine is protonated. (GAGT)(5) behaves most similar to (GAGA)(5). Salt induces its hairpin to duplex transition at neutral pH and an isomerization into another, probably parallel stranded, duplex takes place at acid pH. (GAGT)(5) is the only of the three present 20-mers that responds to ethanol like (GAGA)(5).     

The effects of novel synthetic cytokinin derivatives and endogenous cytokinins on the in vitro growth responses of hemp (Cannabis sativa L.) explants

Plant Cell, Tissue and Organ Culture (PCTOC) - The biotechnological utilization (genetic transformation, gene editing) of industrial hemp (Cannabis sativa L.) has been hampered by a lack of robust...     

Phenological studies of selected leaf and plant traits of Didymochlaena truncatula (Dryopteridaceae) in a Brazilian submontane tropical rainforest

The phenology of the herbaceous fern Didymochlaena truncatula in a Brazilian submontane tropical rainforest is described. A total of 23 individuals were observed over 18 months (May 2012 to October 2013). The number of live leaves, leaf production, leaf mortality, leaf growth, and fertility were recorded monthly and correlated with local rainfall and temperature. The D. truncatula plants remained evergreen with a monthly mean of 6.49 ± 0.75 leaves that were produced almost continuously at a rate of 6.13 ± 1.46 leaves plant^?1 year^?1. This rate was higher than the leaf mortality rate, which was 4.61 ± 1.27 leaves plant^?1 year^?1. Monthly leaf growth of the population was correlated with rainfall. Leaf expansion was fastest in the first month after emergence (1.31 ± 1.03 cm day^?1). Fertility and leaf production intensity were not correlated with climate factors or seasonal variations. However, leaf mortality was negatively correlated with rainfall, causing variations in the number of leaves throughout the year. These results show that the phenological rhythms of D. truncatula were not equally influenced by climate variations. The phenology of D. truncatula corresponds to the phenology of a small number of aseasonal tropical ferns.