Synthesis and acid ionization constants of cyclic cystine peptides

Cyclic peptide disulfides of the general formula were synthesized from the corresponding peptide derivatives [Boc-Cys(Trt)(Gly)-_n-Cys(Trt)-OBu^t] by oxidation with iodine in methanol and by subsequent removal of the terminal groups with trifluoroacetic acid. Acid ionization constants of the obtained peptides were determined by potentiometric titration in aqueous KCl (0.1 mol/L) medium. All compounds have two dissociable hydrogens, corresponding to carboxyl (pK¹= 2.35–2.84) and to terminal amino group (pK₂= 5.61–6.93); pK₁, values show first an upward and then a downward trend with the increase in ring size; the opposite is true for pK₂, values. These trends could be tentatively attributed to the intramolecular salt bridge (-COO——-NH⁺₃-) formation.     

Counseling Fathers (2010) by C.Z. Oren and D.C. Oren

No abstract available for this article.     

Evaluation of 5‐Year Risk of Cardiovascular Events in Patients after Acute Myocardial Infarction Using Synchronization of 0.1‐Hz Rhythms in Cardiovascular System

Background: Synchronization between 0.1‐Hz rhythms in cardiovascular system is deteriorated at acute myocardial infarction (AMI) leading to a disruption of natural functional couplings within the system of autonomic regulation. Objective: This study evaluates the prognostic value of autonomic regulation indices for the 5‐year risk of fatal and nonfatal cardiovascular events in patients after AMI. Methods and Results: We studied 125 patients (53 [42%] female) after AMI aged between 30 and 83 years. The period of observation was 5 years with checkpoints at the first week after AMI and after each year after AMI. We compared the prognostic value of established clinical characteristics and degree S of synchronization between 0.1‐Hz rhythms in heart rate and microcirculation for evaluation of the 5‐year risk of mortality and recurrent myocardial infarction (MI) in patients after AMI. Acute heart failure Killip 2–4 at AMI and S < 20% at the first week after AMI were identified as the most important factors for evaluation of the risk of 5‐year mortality in patients after AMI (χ²= 14.2, P = 0.003). Sensitivity and specificity of low S (<20%) at the first week after AMI were 76% and 43%, respectively. For evaluation of the 5‐year risk of recurrent MI index S had no advantage over established clinical characteristics. Conclusion: The value of S below 20% in patients with AMI is a sensitive marker of high risk of mortality during the subsequent five years. It is characterized by better prognostic value than most of established clinical characteristics.     

A GCH1 haplotype confers sex‐specific susceptibility to pain crises and altered endothelial function in adults with sickle cell anemia

GTP cyclohydrolase (GCH1) is rate limiting for tetrahydrobiopterin (BH4) synthesis, where BH4 is a cofactor for nitric oxide (NO) synthases and aromatic hydroxylases. GCH1 polymorphisms are implicated in the pathophysiology of pain, but have not been investigated in African populations. We examined GCH1 and pain in sickle cell anemia where GCH1 rs8007267 was a risk factor for pain crises in discovery (n = 228; odds ratio [OR] 2.26; P = 0.009) and replication (n = 513; OR 2.23; P = 0.004) cohorts. In vitro, cells from sickle cell anemia subjects homozygous for the risk allele produced higher BH4. In vivo physiological studies of traits likely to be modulated by GCH1 showed rs8007267 is associated with altered endothelial dependent blood flow in females with SCA (8.42% of variation; P = 0.002). The GCH1 pain association is attributable to an African haplotype with where its sickle cell anemia pain association is limited to females (OR 2.69; 95% CI 1.21–5.94; P = 0.01) and has the opposite directional association described in Europeans independent of global admixture. The presence of a GCH1 haplotype with high BH4 in populations of African ancestry could explain the association of rs8007267 with sickle cell anemia pain crises. The vascular effects of GCH1 and BH4 may also have broader implications for cardiovascular disease in populations of African ancestry. Am. J. Hematol. 89:187–193, 2014. © 2013 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.     

提高孕产期保健质量是降低贫困地区壮族妇女孕产妇死亡的有力措施

目的 :提高贫困地区壮族农村住院分娩率 ,加强产时保健 ,提高贫困地区壮族农村产科质量 ,降低产后出血死亡率。在广西 30个老少边山穷地区 ,以项目和“母亲安全工程”为载体 ,在经济条件困难 ,基础设施落后 ,围产保健服务管理滞后的情况下 ,积极贯彻落实《母婴保健法》,依法规范围产保健服务管理 ,多方筹措资金 ,加强产科软、硬件建设 ,以项目工作为龙头 ,以科研为先导 ,积极推广适宜技术。以健康促进为目的 ,大力开展健康教育和生殖保健活动 ,使围产保健工作取得了较好成绩。30个贫困地区壮族农村近半数以上乡卫生院产科建设已达自治区标准 ,基本能满足贫困地区农民住院分娩的需求 ,并带动广西妇幼卫生工作的发展