The Supreme Court's 303 Creative Decision and the Threat to LGBTQ+ Health Care

This Viewpoint examines the importance of the Supreme Court decision in 303 Creative and its possible effects on legislation safeguarding nondiscriminatory health care.

Phase transitions, phase coexistence, and piezoelectric switching behavior in highly strained BiFeO(3) films

Highly strained BiFeO3 films transition into a true tetragonal state at 430 °C but remain polar to much higher temperatures (∼800 °C). Piezoelectric switching is only possible up to 300 °C, i.e., at temperatures for which strain stabilizes the stripe-like coexistence of multiple polymorphs.

Follow-up recommendations for patients with stage I malignant melanoma

The objective of follow-up examinations of patients who have had Stage I invasive malignant melanoma is the early detection of local recurrences, metastases, and new primary melanomas. Model schedules for follow-up intervals were developed based on a survey of eight physicians. These melanoma experts agree that regular follow-up examinations are indicated and that the time intervals between examination vary according to the thicknesses of the melanomas. The patient follow-up schedule derived is: for melanomas up to 0.75-mm thick, every 6 months for years 1 and 2, and annually for years 3, 4, and 5; for melanomas 0.76-1.50 mm thick, every 3 months for years 1 and 2, semi-annually for years 3, 4, and 5; and for melanomas > 1.50 mm thick, every 3 months for years 1, 2, and 3, and semi-annually for years 4 and 5. After the fifth year, the recommendation is to examine all patients annually for life because of the continued risk for recurrences and new primary melanomas. For those individuals at especially high risk for developing multiple primary melanomas more frequent examinations may be appropriate.

Alkaline hydrolysis/methylation-acetylation: a new technique for ultrastructural DNA cytochemistry

A new technique for the visualization of DNA-containing structures in electron microscopy is described. Samples of glutaraldehyde-fixed bone marrow from rats were subjected to alkaline hydrolysis to remove RNA and the phosphate of phosphoproteins, followed by a combined blockage of protein carboxyl and amino groups through methylation-acetylation. After uranyl acetate staining of epoxy-embedded ultrathin sections, chromatin from all cell types showed a highly selective and intense electron opacity. Staining methods for DNA were also positive in semithin sections. This simple procedure could be very useful in ultrastructural cytochemistry of DNA and chromatin.

New fluorescence reactions in DNA cytochemistry. 1. Microscopic and spectroscopic studies on nonrigid fluorochromes

Some nonrigid DNA-binding antibiotics and fluorochromes that recognize adenine-thymine (AT) sequences are widely applied in biomedical research, but the microscopic use, spectral characteristics and DNA binding modes of other similar compounds have been overlooked or scarcely explored. After treatment with thioflavine T, auramine O and G, curcumin, bis-aminophenyl-oxadiazol, berenil and distamycin A, a bright DNA-dependent fluorescence reaction was found in the chromatin of interphase nuclei, meiotic and polytene chromosomes, spermatozoa heads and kinetoplasts of Trypanosoma cruzi epimastigotes. Nucleoli and basophilic cytoplasm showed low or no fluorescence; the highest emission occurred in the AT-rich kinetoplast DNA. When bound to DNA or in the presence of alpha-cyclodextrin and viscous solvents or cosolutes, nonrigid compounds revealed a striking enhancement of fluorescence. The results indicate that these new or poorly known fluorochromes bind selectively to DNA-containing structures and that the minor groove from AT-rich DNA regions could represent the specific and highly fluorescent binding site.