Sexual dimorphism in foot length proportionate to stature

BACKGROUND: The preponderance of existing results suggests that, relative to stature, women have smaller feet than men. However, several investigations indicate that the relationship between foot length and stature may be curvilinear, a pattern that, due to the dimorphic nature of stature, would mask the true direction of pedal sexual dimorphism in published results. AIM: The study aimed to determine whether proportionate foot length is sexually dimorphic and, if so, the nature of that dimorphism. MATERIALS AND METHODS: Surveying genetically disparate populations (USA, Turkey, and Native North and Central American), we examined data from three previous anthropometric studies (Davis 1990, Parham et al. 1992, Ozaslan et al. 2003) and foot tracings from the Steggerda Collection at the US National Museum of Health and Medicine. Analyses explored sex differences in the ratio between foot length and stature, and tested for nonlinearity. RESULTS: Although varying in degree across populations, proportionate to stature, female foot length is consistently smaller than male foot length. CONCLUSION: Given the biomechanical challenges posed by pregnancy, smaller female proportionate foot length is somewhat surprising, as foot length affects dorsoventral stability. It is possible that the observed pattern reflects intersexual selection for small female foot size, a cue of youth and nulliparity.     

From genes to integrative physiology: ion channel and transporter biology in Caenorhabditis elegans

The stunning progress in molecular biology that has occurred over the last 50 years drove a powerful reductionist approach to the study of physiology. That same progress now forms the foundation for the next revolution in physiological research. This revolution will be focused on integrative physiology, which seeks to understand multicomponent processes and the underlying pathways of information flow from an organism's "parts" to increasingly complex levels of organization. Genetically tractable and genomically defined nonmammalian model organisms such as the nematode Caenorhabditis elegans provide powerful experimental advantages for elucidating gene function and the molecular workings of complex systems. This review has two main goals. The first goal is to describe the experimental utility of C. elegans for investigating basic physiological problems. A detailed overview of C. elegans biology and the experimental tools, resources, and strategies available for its study is provided. The second goal of this review is to describe how forward and reverse genetic approaches and direct behavioral and physiological measurements in C. elegans have generated novel insights into the integrative physiology of ion channels and transporters. Where appropriate, I describe how insights from C. elegans have provided new understanding of the physiology of membrane transport processes in mammals.     

Purification of P-selectin (CD62P) from human platelets

Summary A method is described for immunoaffinity purification of P-selectin from outdated human platelets.     

Mechanisms of trafficking in axons and dendrites: implications for development and neurodegeneration

In the area of routing and sorting of dendritic traffic, the current phenomenological data beg questions about the cellular mechanisms utilized not only to transport material but also to modulate activity in a process, even apoptosis. To aid in formulating testable hypotheses, many plausible models are developed here and linked with some of the preliminary data that supports them. We first assume that in long dendrites the sorting of membranous proteins into transport vesicles also involves the linkage of motor proteins to the vesicles. Second, we assume that the cytoskeleton in dendrites is altered from the cytoskeleton in axons and the cell body. Viral glycoproteins, MAP2 and specific mRNA sorting into dendrites provide the simplest models for analyzing vesicular, cytoskeletal and RNA sorting. In the case of viral glycoproteins, initial sorting appears to occur at the Golgi but additional routing steps involve further complexities that could best be served by an additional sorting step at the junction of the cell body and the process. Transport of the specialized cytoskeletal proteins and specific mRNAs as well as vesicular material could be controlled by a similar gatekeeper at the mouth of a process. Studies of the microtubule-organelle motor complex, regulation of microtubule-based motility by microtubule-associated proteins, and slow axonal transport all provide insights into important aspects of the routing and sorting. These processes are in turn controlled by extracellular signals such as those generated by matrix molecules or their hydrolysis products in the case of amyloid precursor protein (APP). Routing and sorting mechanisms may be central to the development of Alzheimer's disease in view of evidence that APP processing is affected, transport is disturbed, and intracellular vesicles (early endosomes) hypertrophied. Further it is possible that routing mechanisms play a role in cell–cell interactions as, for example, the possibility that pathogenic/cellular stress signals may be passed along circuits transsynaptically.     

Metalloproteases from Pseudomonas aeruginosa degrade human RANTES, MCP-1, and ENA-78.

The gram-negative bacterium Pseudomonas aeruginosa is an opportunistic human pathogen associated with both an acute lung disease in patients with hospital-acquired pneumonia and a chronic, progressive lung disease in individuals with cystic fibrosis. A unique characteristic of this bacterium in its natural environment is the secretion of a wide variety of factors designed to ensure its growth and survival. Evidence suggests, however, that when present in the human host, these same factors may contribute to disease. In the course of studying the effect of P. aeruginosa secretory factors on airway epithelial cells, we observed that metalloproteases in bacterial-conditioned medium, as well as purified alkaline protease and elastase, degraded human RANTES, monocyte chemotactic protein-1 (MCP-1), and epithelial neutrophil-activating protein-78 (ENA-78). Under identical conditions, interleukin-8 (IL-8) was significantly more resistant to proteolysis. Degradation was accompanied by a loss of chemotactic activity. These data suggest that metalloproteases from P. aeruginosa could alter the relative amounts of critical immunomodulatory cytokines in the airway and, thus, could contribute to the pathophysiology observed in P. aeruginosa-associated lung disease.     

Kv11.1 channel subunit composition includes MinK and varies developmentally in mouse cardiac muscle

The Kv11.1 (also ERG1) K(+) channel underlies cardiac I(Kr), a current that contributes to repolarization in mammalian heart. In mice, I(Kr) current density decreases with development and studies suggest that changes in the structure and/or properties of the heteromultimeric I(Kr)/Kv11.1 channel are responsible. Here, using immunohistochemistry, we report that total Kv11.1 alpha subunit protein is more abundant in neonatal heart and is distributed throughout both adult and neonatal ventricles with greater abundance in epicardia. Immunoblots reveal that the alpha subunit alternative splice variant, Kv11.1a, is more abundant in adult heart while the Kv11.1b variant is more abundant in neonatal heart. Additionally, MinK channel subunit protein is shown to co-assemble with Kv11.1 protein and is more abundant in neonatal heart. In summary, Kv11.1/I(Kr) channel composition varies developmentally and the higher I(Kr) current density in neonatal heart is likely attributable to higher abundance of Kv11.1/I(Kr) channels, more specifically, the Kv11.1b splice variant.     

Innovations in curriculum design: A multi-disciplinary approach to teaching statistics to undergraduate medical students

Background  

Statistics is relevant to students and practitioners in medicine and health sciences and is increasingly taught as part of the medical curriculum. However, it is common for students to dislike and under-perform in statistics. We sought to address these issues by redesigning the way that statistics is taught.     

Dissolution rates of carbonated hydroxyapatite in hydrochloric acid.

Osteoclasts have been shown to dissolve efficiently and effectively the mineral phase of bone by locally controlling the environment surrounding the cell. Although this mineral phase has been identified and well characterized as carbonated hydroxyapatite, there is little understanding of the factors that affect the dissolution properties of this mineral phase. Mimicking the mechanism by which osteoclasts dissolve the mineral phase of bone may provide insight into methods for the decalcification of atherosclerotic mineral deposits in the vascular system. Accordingly, a detailed characterization of the effects of various chemical and mechanical parameters on the dissolution of carbonated hydroxyapatite mineral was investigated in this study. Increases in the mineral dissolution rate (2-10 times) were associated with increases in dissolving solution [H+], osmolality, temperature, and flow rate. Mineral dissolution rate increases (5-8 times) were associated with greater surface area of the mineral and mechanical agitation of the dissolving solution.     

Internal medicine and general surgery residents' attitudes about the ACGME duty hours regulations: a multicenter study.

PURPOSE: To assess internal medicine and general surgery residents' attitudes about the effects of the Accreditation Council for Graduate Medical Education duty hours regulations on medical errors, quality of patient care, and residency experiences. METHOD: In 2005, the authors surveyed 200 residents who trained both before and after duty hours reform at six residency programs (three internal medicine, three general surgery) at five academic medical centers in the United States. Residents' attitudes about the effects of the duty hours regulations on the quality of patient care, residency education, and quality of life were measured using a survey instrument containing 19 Likert scale questions on a scale of 1 to 5. Survey responses were compared using the Student's t-test. RESULTS: The response rate was 80% (159 residents). Residents reported that whereas fatigue-related errors decreased slightly, errors related to reduced continuity of care significantly increased. Additionally, duty hours regulations somewhat decreased opportunities for formal education, bedside learning, and procedures, but there was no consensus that graduates would be less well trained after duty hours reform. Residents, particularly surgical trainees, reported improvements in quality of life and reduced burnout. CONCLUSIONS: Residents in medicine and surgery had similar opinions about the effects of duty hours reform, including improved quality of life. However, resident opinions suggest that reduced fatigue-related errors have been offset by errors related to decreased continuity of care and that the quality of the educational experience may have declined. Quantifying the degree to which regulating duty hours affected errors related to discontinuity of care should be a focus of future research.