Time of day effect on balance performance,functional capacities and risk of fall in women with rheumatoid arthritis

ABSTRACT

Objective: This study explored the time of day effect of balance performance, functional capacities and risk of fall in three different times in patients with rheumatoid arthritis (RA) and the association between these variations and those of RA symptoms.

Methods: A “discontinual” protocol, composed of three test sessions, carried out at 6 am, 2 pm and 10 pm was set up, in order to investigate the time of day effect of balance performance, functional capacities, risk of fall, stiffness, range of motion, swollen and painful joints in women with RA.

Results: Time Up and Go Test (TUGT), Functional Reach Test (FRT) and tinetti test scores were significantly higher (p < .01) at 6 am and at 10 pm compared to 2 pm. Stiffness, range of motion, swollen and painful joints values were significantly higher (p < .01) at 6 am and at 10 pm compared to 2 pm. A significant difference was observed on the stiffness, range of motion and swollen joints values between 6 am and 10 pm that were higher at 6 am (p < .05).

Using Pearson’s coefficient, correlations were found between RA symptom values; and TUGT, FRT and Tinetti test scores.

Conclusion: Results showed a time of day effect of balance performance, functional capacities and risk of falls in women with RA. This variation indicates an alteration of performance at 6 am and 10 pm. Fluctuations of stiffness, limited range of motion, swollen and painful joints noted are concomitant to those of balance performance, functional capacities, and risk of fall.

Abbreviations: RA: rheumatoid arthritis; H&O questionnaire: Horne and Ostberg questionnaire; PSQI: Pittsburgh sleep quality index; HAQ: health assessment questionnaire; SF-36: the short form-36; WOMAC: Western Ontario and McMaster Universities Osteoarthritis Index; TUGT: Time Up and Go Test; FRT: Functional Reach Test     

Structure of the gene of tum- transplantation antigen P91A: the mutated exon encodes a peptide recognized with Ld by cytolytic T cells

Mutagen treatment of mouse P815 tumor cells produces immunogenic mutants that express new transplantation antigens (tum- antigens) recognized by cytolytic T cells. We found that the gene conferring expression of tum- antigen P91A contains 12 exons, encoding a 60 kd protein lacking a typical N-terminal signal sequence. The sequence shows no significant similarity with sequences in current data bases. A mutation that causes expression of the antigen is located in exon 4; it is the only apparent difference between the normal and the antigenic alleles. A short synthetic peptide corresponding to a region of exon 4 located around this mutation makes P815 cells sensitive to lysis by anti-P91A cytolytic T cells. The mutation creates a strong aggretope enabling the peptide to bind the H-2 Ld molecule. Several secondary tumor cell variants that no longer express tum- antigen P91A were found to carry deletions in the gene.     

Nutritional status and age at secondary sterility in rural Bangladesh

In a prospective study of 2324 women in Matlab, Bangladesh, the occurrence of primary and 2ndary sterility by age groups was examined. The results were related to the nutritional status of the women, as assessed by measurements of height, weight, arm circumference and ponderal index. Approximately 98% of the women who were in the age group 15-19 were found to be fertile. This proportion decreases gradually up to the age group 30-34 years and thereafter declines sharply, reaching only 31% in the age group 45-49. The height data suggest no significant difference in the age pattern of sterility among the 3 groups of women, although there is a slight tendency that women who were less tall reached menopause earlier than the other 2 groups. Variations in weight are more conspicuous than in height. There is the suggestion that thinner women may experience an earlier menopause. Women having an arm circumference less than 21 cm, between 21-22 cm, and 23 cm and above, and currently aged 17 years, have an expected fertile life estimated at 25.0, 25.8, and 26.6 years respectively. The median ages at sterility were 42.8, 44.0, and 44.3 years respectively with a difference of about 1 year between the 1st 2 groups. This suggests that sterility occurs earlier among the thinner women. Since detailed investigation of nutritional status was not possible, it was assessed by anthropometry. There was strong evidence that nutritional status is an important factor in the estimated age at sterility, with thinner women experiencing an earlier menopause. Although it is impossible to measure the onset of sterility, one can obtain a minimum estimate of it from the age-specific distribution of the proportion of women who have not produced a child for 5 years of being at risk.     

The synthesis of some fluoro derivatives of sucrose

2,3,1',3'4',6'-Hexa-O-benzylsucrose was obtained by mild acid-catalysed hydrolysis of the 4,6-O-isopropylidene derivative and then converted into its 4,6-di-O-mesyl derivative. Selective displacement of this disulphonate with fluoride anion (from tetrabutylammonium fluoride) then afforded the 6-fluoro-4-mesylate. Removal of the protecting groups yielded 6-deoxy-6-fluorosucrose, which was characterised as its crystalline hepta-acetate. A derivative of 6-deoxy-6-fluoro-galacto-sucrose was formed when the above 6-fluoro-4-mesylate was subjected to nucleophilic displacement with benzoate anion.     

Interspecific hybridization of cultivated rice, Oryza sativa L. with the wild rice, O. minuta Presl.

Crosses were made between four varieties (Mahsuri, Setanjung, MR84 and MR103) of Oryza sativa L. (2n=24, AA) and one accession of O. minuta (2n= 8, BBCC). The seed set obtained ranged between 9.5% and 25.1% depending on the rice variety used. By rescuing 14-day-old embryos and culturing them on 25%-strength MS medium we obtained a total of 414 F₁ hybrids. The F₁s were vigorous, tillered profusely, were perennial and male-sterile. The hybrids were triploid (ABC) with 36 chromosomes and showed irregular meiosis. The average frequency and range of chromosome associations at metaphase I or early anaphase I pollen mother cells of F₁ plants were 29.31(16–36) Is +3.32(0–10) IIs+0.016(0–1) IIIs+0.002(0–1) IVs. Upon backcrossing the original triploid hybrids and colchicine-treated hybrids to their respective recurrent parents, and further embryo rescue, 17 backcross-1 (BC₁) plants were obtained. Of all the crosses using MR84, no BC₁ plant was obtained even after pollinating 13 894 spikelets of the triploid hybrid. The BC₁s were similar in appearence to the F₁s and were male-sterile, their chromosome number ranged from 44 to 48. By backcrossing these BC₁s and nurturing them through embryo rescue, we obtained 32 BC₂ plants. Of these, however, only 18 plants grew vigorously. One of these plants has 24 chromosomes and the other 17 have chromosome numbers ranging between 30 and 37. The 24-chromosome plant was morphologically similar to the O. sativa parent and was partially fertile with a pollen and spikelet fertility of 58.8% and 12.5% respectively. All of the F₁ and BC₁ plants were found to be resistant to five Malaysian isolates (XO66, XO99, XO100, XO257 and XO319) of Xanthomonas campestris pv oryzae. Amongst the BC₂s, the reaction varied from resistant to moderately susceptible. The 24-chromosome BC₂ plant was resistant to the four isolates and moderately resistant to isolate XO100 to which the O. sativa parent was susceptible.Part of PhD thesis submitted by first author to Universiti Kebangsaan Malaysia, Bangi     

Purification of amoebolytic substances from Bacillus licheniformis M-4

Three antibiotic peptides with amoebolytic activity have been purified from culture supernatants of Bacillus licheniformis M-4 (amoebicins m4-A, m4-B, and m4-C). They were hydrophilic peptides consisting of six different amino acids (Asp, Glu, Ser, Thr, Pro, Tyr). Their molecular weights ranged from 3,000 to 3,200. Purified amoebicins were active against human pathogenic and non-pathogenic strains of Naegleria. They also showed a broad antifungal spectrum, but a narrow antibacterial activity.Abbreviations (TFA) Trifluoroacetic acid     

Phytoplankton primary production in a mesotrophic pond in sub-tropical Bangladesh

Annual gross primary productivity in mesotrophic Shahidullah Hall pond (Dhaka, Bangladesh) was 1383.35 g C m⁻² y⁻¹ (arithmetic mean). Daily primary productivity (between 1.6 and 6.8 g C m⁻² d⁻¹ was correlated with chlorophylla, day length and dissolved silica. Chlorophylla related significantly withk, incident light, SRP, alkalinity and conductivity. A negative correlation existed between biomass and rainfall. Productivity, biomass, conductivity, alkalinity, and SRP increased after mid-winter.k, I _k andZ _eu varied according seasonally.P _max related directly with temperature. Seasonal variation of ∝ ^B was 0.0049–0.0258 mg C (mg chla mmol PAR)⁻¹ m⁻². Q₁₀ was 2.12, community respiration 1334.99 g C m⁻² y⁻¹, and the underwater light climate 186.43μE m⁻² s⁻¹.     

Direct and efficient plant regeneration from leaf explants of Solanum tuberosum l. cv. Bintje

Summary A two-step procedure was used for plant regeneration from in vitro grown leaf strips (2–3 mm wide) of cv. Bintje. Step I medium was designed with 2,4-dichlorophenoxycetic acid (2,4-D) at 0.0 or 9.0 M, in combination with 2.28 M kinetin (K), benzyl adenine (BA), zeatin (Z) or zeatin riboside (ZR). Step II media were 2,4-D-free media containing 5.78 M gibberellic acid (GA3) and growth regulators similar to those of step I media. Leaf explants cultured in medium I containing zeatin riboside or zeatin for 6 days and then subcultured in medium II containing zeatin riboside produced numerous shoots without callus formation. Zeatin riboside containing step I and II media caused shoot regeneration in a high number (97.5±2.2) of explants. Approximately, 33.7±8.4 shoots were regenerated from each leaf explant.Abbreviations BA benzyladenine - Z zeatin - ZR zeatin riboside (trans isomer) - 2,4-D 2,4-dichlorophenoxyacetic acid     

Immunochemical analysis of the membrane proteins of rat liver and Zajdela hepatoma mitochondria

The contents of mitochondrial inner membrane protein complexes were compared in normal liver and in Zajdela hepatoma mitochondria by the immunotransfer technique. Antibodies against core proteins 1 and 2, cytochrome c1, the iron-sulfur protein of Complex III, subunits I and II of cytochrome oxidase, and the alpha and beta subunits of the F1-ATPase were used. In addition, antibodies against a primary dehydrogenase, beta-hydroxybutyrate dehydrogenase, as well as the outer membrane pore protein were used. The results indicate that the components of the cytochrome chain and porin are greatly enriched in hepatoma mitochondria compared to normal rat liver mitochondria. This enrichment was also reflected in the rates of respiration in tumor mitochondria using a variety of substrates. Enrichment of porin may partially account for increased hexokinase binding to tumor mitochondria. In contrast to the respiratory chain components, the F1-ATPase and F0 (measured by DCCD binding) were not increased in tumor mitochondria. Thus, Zajdela hepatoma mitochondria components are nonstoichiometric, being enriched in oxidative capacity but relatively deficient in ATP synthesizing capacity. Finally, beta-hydroxybutyrate dehydrogenase, which is often decreased in hepatoma mitochondria, was shown here by immunological methods to be decreased by only 40%, whereas enzyme activity was less than 5% of that in normal rat liver.