Cognitive Impairment,Depression, Comorbidity of the Two and Associated Factors among the Early Sixties in a Rural Korean Community

This study was conducted to investigate the prevalence of cognitive impairment, depression, and comorbidity of the two conditions and related factors in subjects aged in early 60s. This cross-sectional study included 3,174 inhabitants aged 60–64 years old in a rural area of Korea. Cognitive function was evaluated by the Korean version of the Mini-Mental State Examination (MMSE-K), and depression was measured using the short form of the Geriatric Depression Scale (GDS-15). The overall prevalence of cognitive impairment (MMSE-K≤24) was 17.4%, that of depression was 26.0% (GDS-15≥8), and the co-morbidity was 7.1%. Female gender, living with one housemate, and high GDS-15 score were significantly associated with increased cognitive impairment. Employment status and more years of schooling were associated with a decreased probability of cognitive impairment. Increased depression was significantly associated with bereavement and receiving benefits from the Medical Aid Program. Employed status, more years of schooling, and higher MMSE-K scores were significantly associated with decreased depression. The risk of comorbidity was associated with bereavement and receipt of Medical Aid benefits (odds ratio[OR], 1.85; 95% confidence interval[CI], 1.26–2.71; OR, 5.02; 95% CI, 2.37–10.63; respectively). Employment and more years of schooling were associated with a lower risk of comorbidity (OR, 0.46; 95% CI, 0.34–0.62, P-trend <0.01). The correlated factors for cognitive impairment, depression, and comorbidity of the two conditions were similar, and employment status and years of schooling were associated with all three conditions.     

Synthesis and secretion of mucous glycoprotein by the gill of Mytilus edulis. I. Histochemical and chromatographic analysis of [14C]glucosamine bioincorporation

The ability of the isolated gill epithelium of Mytilus edulis to incorporate [14C]glucosamine as a precursor in the biosynthesis and secretion of mucous glycoproteins was investigated. Localization of mucous cells in the gill filament was achieved using histochemical staining techniques. Mucus cells containing neutral and acidic mucins were found in the lateral region, whereas mucus cells containing primarily neutral or sulfated mucins were found in the abfrontal region. Autoradiographic results showed that in both regions, the mucous cells were rich in content of the incorporated radiolabel. The secreted glycoproteins containing the incorporated radiolabel were analyzed by column chromatography using Bio-Gel P-2 and P-6. Two populations of the glycoproteins differing in molecular size were isolated. Upon alkaline reductive borohydride cleavage of the O-glycosidic linkages of the high molecular weight protein, about 70% of the radiolabel and 85% of the carbohydrate content were removed from the protein. The alkaline borohydride cleavage resulted in the formation of at least six oligosaccharide chains of various lengths of sugar units. Gas chromatographic analysis of the carbohydrate composition shows that the glycoproteins contain N-acetylglucosamine, N-acetylgalactosamine, and galactose, fucose, and mannose as the neutral monosaccharides. The above results indicate that the isolated gill epithelium of M. edulis is capable of incorporating [14C]glucosamine in the synthesis of secretable mucin-type glycoproteins.     

Recycling of membrane proteins during endo- and exocytosis in amoebae

The fate of a membrane protein of the amoeba plasmalemma was studied by means of 125I iodination by lactoperoxidase, gel electrophoresis, radioautography and gamma counting. There was only one iodinatable polypeptide group with a molecular weight (MW) of 175 000 on the external surface of the plasmalemma. Two hours or more after induced phagocytosis, isolated phagolysosomal membranes contained two other smaller polypeptides with MWs of 70 000 and 35 000, respectively, suggesting that the 175 000 polypeptide was broken down to these smaller components during endocytosis. After 22 h of induced phagocytosis, isolated plasmalemma contained a 35 000 polypeptide group in addition to the 175 000 polypeptide species. The results suggested that some of the iodinatable membrane proteins were altered and recycled during endo- and exocytosis in amoebae, while others were recycled intact.     

Detection of IgG and IgM antibodies with ELISA technique in human trichomoniasis

The direct wet mount examination of vaginal secretion, widely applied for the diagnosis of Trichomonas vaginalis infection in woman patients, is rapid and economical, however, the sensitivity of this technique is not so high. In this study enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA) was employed for the detection of serum anti-T. vaginalis IgG and IgM antibodies from 30 vaginal trichomoniasis patients and 30 non-infected healthy persons. The results were as follows: 1. Serum ELISA-IgG value was 0.37 +/- 0.134 (Mean +/- S.D.) in vaginal trichomoniasis patients and 0.21 +/- 0.054 in healthy controls (p less than 0.005), and the sensitivity and specificity of ELISA for serum IgG antibody were 70.0% and 96.7%, respectively. 2. Serum ELISA-IgM value was 0.33 +/- 0.177 (Mean +/- S.D.) in vaginal trichomoniasis patients and 0.11 +/- 0.051 in healthy controls (p less than 0.005), and the sensitivity and specificity of ELISA for serum IgM antibody were 70.0% and 96.7%, respectively. 3. The ELISA-IgG values showed a significant correlation with ELISA-IgM values (r = 0.77, p less than 0.005). With above results, it is assumed that ELISA is a reliable method for the diagnosis of T. vaginalis infection and simultaneous measurement of serum IgG and IgM with this technique is recommended.     

Maturation-associated loss and incomplete de novo synthesis of the transferrin receptor in peripheral sheep reticulocytes: response to heme and iron

Hemin, but not iron, in the culture medium stimulates the maturation-associated loss of the transferrin receptor from sheep reticulocytes (t1/2 for loss approximately 6 hr) and its appearance in a population of externalized vesicles. A similar pattern is seen with nucleoside binding (a measure of the nucleoside transporter), where hemin increases the loss of binding activity from the cells during culture, concomitant with an increase in nucleoside binding in the externalized vesicles. Sheep reticulocytes retain the ability to synthesize the transferrin receptor, but the 35S-labeled receptors are not detected in released vesicles. Whereas hemin stimulates the loss of 35S-labeled transferrin receptors from the cell (t1/2 for loss approximately 20 hr), nonheme iron is more effective than heme. This difference in response of native and 35S-labeled receptor to hemin and iron supplements appears to be related to the differences in the two classes of receptors. Although the 35S-labeled receptor binds transferrin and both native and 35S-labeled peptides comigrate after chemical deglycosylation, the 35S-receptor is approximately 2 kD smaller than the native receptor and fails to acquire its complete size even when chased for up to 24 hr. Moreover, the 35S-labeled receptor is not expressed at the cell surface, but is retained in a nonrecycling compartment, where it is insensitive to digestion by trypsin at both 0 degrees C and 37 degrees C.     

Kinetics of producing pro-urokinase in perfusion cultivations

Summary Better production of pro-urokinase from human cell line was observed with 5% serum containing medium than 10% or serum free medium on Cytodex II under perfusion chemostat operations, showing 0.8×10^–5 (IU/daycell) of maximum productivity at 0.020 (l/h) of dilution rate in 5% serum medium, which corresponds to 800 IU/mL at this dilution rate. Conversion of pro-urokinase was reduced in the serum-containing media.     

Molecular Cloning and Characterization of Transferrin from Wax Moth, Galleria mellonella

Complete mRNA sequence of transferrin from Galleria mellonella was obtained, and compared with those of other species. Until now, two types of insect transferrin were reported. Transferrins in cockroach and termite have two iron binding sites while those in most other insect groups, studied for the protein, have only one. It was suggested that the presence of two types of transferrin was related with transferrin evolution, because vertebrate transferrins have two iron binding sites, called N and C terminal lobe. It was shown that G. mellonella transferrin also has only one iron binding site (N terminal lobe), and the deduced amino acid sequence was most similar to those of Manduca sexta and Bombyx mori.     

The Best Gastric Site for Obtaining a Positive Rapid Urease Test

Background Rapid urease tests (RUTs) provide a simple, sensitive method of detecting Helicobacter pylori infection.
Objectives. Our aim, therefore, was to determine whether the yield of detecting H. pylori infection by RUT varied depending on the site of gastric biopsy.
Materials and Methods. Gastric biopsies were obtained from 50 patients for RUT by use of hp fast (GI Supply, Camp Hill, PA). Biopsies were taken from the prepyloric greater curve antrum, from the gastric angle, and from the greater curve in mid-corpus. One biopsy specimen was placed in the RUT gel, and the biopsy from the adjacent mucosa was placed in formalin for subsequent histological evaluation by using the Genta stain. RUTs were examined and scored at intervals of 5, 10, 15, 30, and 45 minutes and after 1, 2, 4, and 24 hours.
Results. Fifty patients were entered in the test (150 RUTs), 32 having H. pylori infection. There were no false-positive RUTs (specificity, 100%). The gastric angle site was positive in 100%. The prepyloric site was positive in 87%, and the corpus site was positive in 84.4% ( p < .052 for angle or prepyloric antrum versus corpus). The most common pattern was for all to be positive (74%). The median time to positivity was similar with angle and prepyloric sites (37.5 and 60 minutes, respectively, p = not significant) and shorter than the corpus biopsy (180 minutes); ( p < .05 for angle or prepyloric antrum versus corpus).
Conclusion. The maximum probability for detecting H. pylori infection using a RUT is to obtain a biopsy from the gastric angle. To prevent missing a positive result when intestinal metaplasia is present, we recommend that (at a minimum) biopsies be taken from both the angle and the corpus.