Purification and cloning of amyloid precursor protein beta-secretase from human brain

Proteolytic processing of the amyloid precursor protein (APP) generates amyloid beta (Abeta) peptide, which is thought to be causal for the pathology and subsequent cognitive decline in Alzheimer's disease. Cleavage by beta-secretase at the amino terminus of the Abeta peptide sequence, between residues 671 and 672 of APP, leads to the generation and extracellular release of beta-cleaved soluble APP, and a corresponding cell-associated carboxy-terminal fragment. Cleavage of the C-terminal fragment by gamma-secretase(s) leads to the formation of Abeta. The pathogenic mutation K670M671-->N670L671 at the beta-secretase cleavage site in APP, which was discovered in a Swedish family with familial Alzheimer's disease, leads to increased beta-secretase cleavage of the mutant substrate. Here we describe a membrane-bound enzyme activity that cleaves full-length APP at the beta-secretase cleavage site, and find it to be the predominant beta-cleavage activity in human brain. We have purified this enzyme activity to homogeneity from human brain using a new substrate analogue inhibitor of the enzyme activity, and show that the purified enzyme has all the properties predicted for beta-secretase. Cloning and expression of the enzyme reveals that human brain beta-secretase is a new membrane-bound aspartic proteinase.

Partially Molten Middle Crust Beneath Southern Tibet: Synthesis of Project INDEPTH Results

INDEPTH geophysical and geological observations imply that a partially molten midcrustal layer exists beneath southern Tibet. This partially molten layer has been produced by crustal thickening and behaves as a fluid on the time scale of Himalayan deformation. It is confined on the south by the structurally imbricated Indian crust underlying the Tethyan and High Himalaya and is underlain, apparently, by a stiff Indian mantle lid. The results suggest that during Neogene time the underthrusting Indian crust has acted as a plunger, displacing the molten middle crust to the north while at the same time contributing to this layer by melting and ductile flow. Viewed broadly, the Neogene evolution of the Himalaya is essentially a record of the southward extrusion of the partially molten middle crust underlying southern Tibet.

Amyloid precursor protein processing and A beta42 deposition in a transgenic mouse model of Alzheimer disease

The PDAPP transgenic mouse, which overexpresses human amyloid precursor protein (APP717V-->F), has been shown to develop much of the pathology associated with Alzheimer disease. In this report, levels of APP and its amyloidogenic metabolites were measured in brain regions of transgenic mice between 4 and 18 months of age. While absolute levels of APP expression likely contribute to the rate of amyloid beta-peptide (Abeta) deposition, regionally specific factors also seem important, as homozygotic mice express APP levels in pathologically unaffected regions in excess of that measured in certain amyloid plaque-prone regions of heterozygotic mice. Regional levels of APP and APP-beta were nearly constant at all ages, while A beta levels dramatically and predictably increased in brain regions undergoing histochemically confirmed amyloidosis, most notably in the cortex and hippocampus. In hippocampus, A beta concentrations increase 17-fold between the ages of 4 and 8 months, and by 18 months of age are over 500-fold that at 4 months, reaching an average level in excess of 20 nmol of A beta per g of tissue. A beta1-42 constitutes the vast majority of the depositing A beta species. The similarities observed between the PDAPP mouse and human Alzheimer disease with regard to A beta42 deposition occurring in a temporally and regionally specific fashion further validate the use of the model in understanding processes related to the disease.

Detection of widespread fluids in the Tibetan crust by magnetotelluric studies

Magnetotelluric exploration has shown that the middle and lower crust is anomalously conductive across most of the north-to-south width of the Tibetan plateau. The integrated conductivity (conductance) of the Tibetan crust ranges from 3000 to greater than 20,000 siemens. In contrast, stable continental regions typically exhibit conductances from 20 to 1000 siemens, averaging 100 siemens. Such pervasively high conductance suggests that partial melt and/or aqueous fluids are widespread within the Tibetan crust. In southern Tibet, the high-conductivity layer is at a depth of 15 to 20 kilometers and is probably due to partial melt and aqueous fluids in the crust. In northern Tibet, the conductive layer is at 30 to 40 kilometers and is due to partial melting. Zones of fluid may represent weaker areas that could accommodate deformation and lower crustal flow.

Efficacy and safety of tofacitinib, an oral Janus kinase inhibitor, in the treatment of psoriasis: a Phase 2b randomized placebo-controlled dose-ranging study

BACKGROUND

Tofacitinib is a novel, oral Janus kinase inhibitor under investigation as a potential treatment for plaque psoriasis.

OBJECTIVES

This Phase 2b, 12-week, dose-ranging study (A3921047, NCT00678210) aimed to characterize the exposure-response, efficacy and safety of tofacitinib vs. placebo in patients with moderate-to-severe chronic plaque psoriasis.

METHODS

One hundred and ninety-seven patients were randomized. The primary endpoint was the proportion of patients achieving a ≥ 75% reduction in the Psoriasis Area and Severity Index (PASI 75) score at week 12.

RESULTS

At week 12, PASI 75 response rates were significantly higher for all tofacitinib twice-daily groups: 25·0% (2 mg; P < 0·001), 40·8% (5 mg; P < 0·0001) and 66·7% (15 mg; P < 0·0001), compared with placebo (2·0%). Significant increases in the proportion of PASI 75 responses were seen by week 4 and were maintained at week 12. Exposure-response over the 0-15 mg tofacitinib twice-daily dose range was successfully characterized. PASI 50, PASI 90 and Physician's Global Assessment response rates were also higher for tofacitinib vs. placebo. The most frequently reported adverse events (AEs) were infections and infestations: 22·4% (2 mg twice daily), 20·4% (5 mg twice daily), 36·7% (15 mg twice daily) and 32·0% (placebo). Discontinuations due to AEs were 6·0%, 2·0%, 4·1% and 6·1% of patients in the placebo, and 2, 5 and 15 mg twice-daily tofacitinib groups, respectively. Dose-dependent increases from baseline in mean serum high-density lipoprotein, low-density lipoprotein and total cholesterol, and decreases in haemoglobin and neutrophils were observed.

CONCLUSION

Short-term treatment with oral tofacitinib results in significant clinical improvement in patients with moderate-to-severe plaque psoriasis and is generally well tolerated.

Arterial spin-labeling in routine clinical practice, part 1: technique and artifacts

The routine use of arterial spin-labeling (ASL) in a clinical population has led to the depiction of diverse brain pathologic features. Unique challenges in the acquisition, postprocessing, and analysis of cerebral blood flow (CBF) maps are encountered in such a population, and high-quality ASL CBF maps can be generated consistently with attention to quality control and with the use of a dedicated postprocessing pipeline. Familiarity with commonly encountered artifacts can help avoid pitfalls in the interpretation of CBF maps. The purpose of this review was to describe our experience with a heterogeneous collection of ASL perfusion cases with an emphasis on methodology and common artifacts encountered with the technique. In a period of 1 year, more than 3000 pulsed ASL cases were performed as a component of routine clinical brain MR evaluation at both 1.5 and 3T. These ASL studies were analyzed with respect to overall image quality and patterns of perfusion on final gray-scale DICOM images and color Joint Photographic Experts Group (JPEG) CBF maps, and common artifacts and their impact on final image quality were categorized.

Levels and alternative splicing of amyloid beta protein precursor (APP) transcripts in brains of APP transgenic mice and humans with Alzheimer's disease

Abnormal expression of human amyloid precursor protein (hAPP) gene products may play a critical role in Alzheimer's disease (AD). Recently, a transgenic model was established in which platelet-derived growth factor (PDGF) promoter-driven neuronal expression of an alternatively spliced hAPP minigene resulted in prominent AD-type neuropathology (Games, D., Adams, D., Alessandrini, R., Barbour, R., Berthelette, P., Blackwell, C., Carr, T., Clemens, J., Donaldson, T., Gillespie, F., Guido, T., Hagopian, S., Johnson-Wood, K., Khan, K., Lee, M., Leibowitz, P., Lieberburg, I., Little, S., Masliah, E., McConlogue, L., Montoya-Zavala, M., Mucke, L., Paganini, L., and Penniman, E. (1995) Nature 373, 523-527). Here we compared the levels and alternative splicing of APP transcripts in brain tissue of hAPP transgenic and nontransgenic mice and of humans with and without AD. PDGF-hAPP mice showed severalfold higher levels of total APP mRNA than did nontransgenic mice or humans, whereas their endogenous mouse APP mRNA levels were decreased. This resulted in a high ratio of mRNAs encoding mutated hAPP versus wild-type mouse APP. Modifications of hAPP introns 6, 7, and 8 in the PDGF-hAPP construct resulted in a prominent change in alternative splice site selection with transcripts encoding hAPP770 or hAPP751 being expressed at substantially higher levels than hAPP695 mRNA. Frontal cortex of humans with AD showed a subtle increase in the relative abundance of hAPP751 mRNA compared with normal controls. These data identify specific intron sequences that may contribute to the normal neuronspecific alternative splicing of APP pre-mRNA in vivo and support a causal role of hAPP gene products in the development of AD-type brain alterations.

Electrically Conductive Crust in Southern Tibet from INDEPTH Magnetotelluric Surveying

The crust north of the Himalaya is generally electrically conductive below depths of 10 to 20 km. This conductive zone approaches the surface beneath the Kangmar dome (dipping north) and extends beneath the Zangbo suture. A profile crossing the northern Yadong-Gulu rift shows that the high conductivity region extends outside the rift, and its top within the rift coincides with a bright spot horizon imaged on the INDEPTH CMP (common midpoint) profiles. The high conductivity of the middle crust is atypical of stable continental regions and suggests that there is a regionally interconnected fluid phase in the crust of the region.

Genome-wide association study of bipolar I disorder in the Han Chinese population

We report the first genome-wide association study in 1000 bipolar I patients and 1000 controls, with a replication of the top hits in another 409 cases and 1000 controls in the Han Chinese population. Four regions with most strongly associated single-nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) were detected, of which three were not found in previous GWA studies in the Caucasian populations. Among them, SNPs close to specificity protein 8 (SP8) and ST8 α-N-acetyl- neuraminide α-2,8-sialyltransferase (ST8SIA2) are associated with Bipolar I, with P-values of 4.87 × 10(-7) (rs2709736) and 6.05 × 10(-6) (rs8040009), respectively. We have also identified SNPs in potassium channel tetramerization domain containing 12 gene (KCTD12) (rs2073831, P=9.74 × 10(-6)) and in CACNB2 (Calcium channel, voltage-dependent, β-2 subunit) gene (rs11013860, P=5.15 × 10(-5)), One SNP nearby the rs1938526 SNP of ANK3 gene and another SNP nearby the SNP rs11720452 in chromosome 3 reported in previous GWA studies also showed suggestive association in this study (P=6.55 × 10(-5) and P=1.48 × 10(-5), respectively). This may suggest that there are common and population-specific susceptibility genes for bipolar I disorder.

Anaesthetic technique may affect prognosis for ovarian serous adenocarcinoma: a retrospective analysis

BACKGROUND

Animal studies have shown that regional anaesthesia and analgesia may prevent or attenuate the surgical stress response by preserving immune function and result in better long-term outcome. We have tested the hypothesis that patients with ovarian serous adenocarcinoma who had surgery with epidural anaesthesia and analgesia would have better long-term outcome than those who were given general anaesthesia (GA) and i.v. opioid analgesia.

METHODS

A retrospective review of medical records identified 143 patients with ovarian serous adenocarcinoma who underwent surgery between January 1994 and October 2006 at the Sun Yat-sen University Cancer Center. Data in the analysis included age, anaesthesia-analgesia technique, ASA status, blood loss, transfusion, duration of surgery, status of preoperative cancer antigen 125, tumour size, International Federation of Gynecology and Obstetrics stage, histological grade, lymph node status, residual macroscopic tumour, and chemotherapy. Survival analysis was made with the main outcome measure of death.

RESULTS

The 3- and 5-yr overall survival rates were 78% and 61% in the patient group who received epidural anaesthesia and analgesia (Group E, n=106), and 58% and 49% in the patient group who received GA and i.v. opioid analgesia (Group G, n=37), respectively. After adjusting for the other variables, Group G had a hazard ratio of 1.214 (P=0.043) in a multivariable Cox regression model compared with Group E.

CONCLUSIONS

This retrospective analysis suggests that epidural anaesthesia and analgesia for ovarian serous adenocarcinoma surgery may reduce mortality during the initial years of follow-up.

Acute disseminated encephalomyelitis in children: outcome and prognosis

BACKGROUND

Acute disseminated encephalomyelitis (ADEM) is the most common demyelinating disorder of childhood. Its clinical features, prognosis and treatment vary in different reports.

OBJECTIVES

To examine a series of children with ADEM for clinical findings, course, recurrences, and possible variables affecting outcome.

METHODS

Multicentric data collected from 7 tertiary referral centers were registered and evaluated in a central database in 1990 - 2001 for clinical, laboratory, and MRI features. Course and prognosis were assessed in patients with at least 12 months' follow-up.

RESULTS

Forty-six patients were evaluated. Median age at onset was 8 years, M/F ratio, 1.7/1. Most common symptoms and signs pertained to the motor system and consciousness. Of 39 children with 12 months' follow-up, 71 % recovered completely. Thirteen (33 %) children had relapses. Patients who had more than one relapse (n = 4) presented with new symptoms at each attack. Treatment with high-dose methylprednisolone was associated with complete recovery, and tapering over more than 3 weeks, with a lower rate of relapses. MRI lesions could persist even in asymptomatic patients; in particular, periventricular lesions tended to disappear later than others.

CONCLUSIONS

Complete clinical recovery is common and serious complications are rare in childhood ADEM, but the rate of relapses is considerable. Clinical picture at first relapse may help to identify patients likely to experience multiple relapses. The timing and duration of steroid treatment affects outcome.

Tofacitinib withdrawal and retreatment in moderate-to-severe chronic plaque psoriasis: a randomized controlled trial

BACKGROUND

Tofacitinib is an oral Janus kinase inhibitor being investigated for the treatment of moderate-to-severe plaque psoriasis.

OBJECTIVES

To compare outcomes following tofacitinib withdrawal with outcomes of continuation.

METHODS

In this phase 3 study (NCT01186744), patients received tofacitinib 5 mg (n = 331) or 10 mg (n = 335) twice daily for 24 weeks. The patients who achieved both ≥ 75% reduction in Psoriasis Area and Severity Index (PASI 75) score from baseline and Physician's Global Assessment (PGA) of 'clear' or 'almost clear' (PGA response) received a placebo (withdrawal) or the previous dose. At relapse (> 50% reduction in the PASI improvement during initial treatment) or week 40, the patients received the initial dose.

RESULTS

Initial treatment: 33·5% and 55·2% achieved both PASI 75 and PGA responses with tofacitinib 5 and 10 mg twice daily, respectively, making them eligible for the treatment-withdrawal period. Withdrawal: 56·2%, 62·3%, 23·3% and 26·1% maintained PASI 75 responses with tofacitinib 5, 10 mg, placebo (5 mg) and placebo (10 mg) twice daily, respectively; 49·9%, 63·9%, 22·9% and 18·0% maintained PGA responses; and 92·3%, 93·0%, 32·8% and 42·9% did not relapse. Elevations in low-density lipoprotein-cholesterol levels following initial treatment (mean increase: 8·71 mg dL(-1) with 5 mg twice daily, 10·26 mg dL(-1) with 10 mg twice daily) were reversed upon withdrawal. Retreatment: 36·8% and 61·0% of patients who relapsed achieved PASI 75 responses with tofacitinib 5 or 10 mg after 16 weeks; 44·8% and 57·1% regained PGA responses.

CONCLUSIONS

Patients who received continuous treatment maintained a response more effectively when compared with placebo recipients. Safety profiles were comparable in both the continuous treatment group and retreatment group. Of those patients who relapsed, up to 60% recaptured a response with tofacitinib.

Variant GADL1 and response to lithium therapy in bipolar I disorder

BACKGROUND

Lithium has been a first-line choice for maintenance treatment of bipolar disorders to prevent relapse of mania and depression, but many patients do not have a response to lithium treatment.

METHODS

We selected subgroups from a sample of 1761 patients of Han Chinese descent with bipolar I disorder who were recruited by the Taiwan Bipolar Consortium. We assessed their response to lithium treatment using the Alda scale and performed a genomewide association study on samples from one subgroup of 294 patients with bipolar I disorder who were receiving lithium treatment. We then tested the single-nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) that showed the strongest association with a response to lithium for association in a replication sample of 100 patients and tested them further in a follow-up sample of 24 patients. We sequenced the exons, exon-intron boundaries, and part of the promoter of the gene encoding glutamate decarboxylase-like protein 1 (GADL1) in 94 patients who had a response to lithium and in 94 patients who did not have a response in the genomewide association sample.

RESULTS

Two SNPs in high linkage disequilibrium, rs17026688 and rs17026651, that are located in the introns of GADL1 showed the strongest associations in the genomewide association study (P=5.50×10(-37) and P=2.52×10(-37), respectively) and in the replication sample of 100 patients (P=9.19×10(-15) for each SNP). These two SNPs had a sensitivity of 93% for predicting a response to lithium and differentiated between patients with a good response and those with a poor response in the follow-up cohort. Resequencing of GADL1 revealed a novel variant, IVS8+48delG, which lies in intron 8 of the gene, is in complete linkage disequilibrium with rs17026688 and is predicted to affect splicing.

CONCLUSIONS

Genetic variations in GADL1 are associated with the response to lithium maintenance treatment for bipolar I disorder in patients of Han Chinese descent. (Funded by Academia Sinica and others.).

Isolation and characterization of endophytic Streptomyces strains from surface-sterilized tomato (Lycopersicon esculentum) roots

AIMS

To isolate endophytic Streptomyces strains from tomato and examine their antimicrobial activity.

METHODS

Endophytic Streptomyces strains were isolated using surface-sterilization methods and identified by morphological characteristics. Antimicrobial activities were measured by the agar plate sensitivity method. Antifungal activity in vivo was measured by seedling mortality in infested soils.

RESULTS

Twenty-one per cent of endophytic streptomycete isolates produced antibacterial metabolites and 41% produced antifungal metabolites in S medium. Sixty-five per cent of the most frequently isolated strains inhibited the growth of Rhizoctonia solani by the antibiosis assay but only 32% produced metabolites active against R. solani in S medium. Growth promotion and enhanced disease resistance of seedlings inoculated with Streptomyces sp. strain S30 were observed in tomato but not in cucumber seedlings.

CONCLUSIONS

Endophytic Streptomyces spp. strains were successfully isolated using stringent methods and strain S30 promoted growth and enhanced resistance to R. solani in tomato seedlings.

SIGNIFICANCE AND IMPACT OF THE STUDY

Endophytic streptomycetes showing antifungal activity in vitro and in vivo may indicate the potential for their use as biocontrol agents particularly of R. solani disease of tomato seedlings.

Arterial spin-labeling in routine clinical practice, part 3: hyperperfusion patterns

Arterial spin-labeled (ASL) perfusion imaging can be implemented successfully into a routine clinical neuroimaging protocol and can accurately demonstrate alterations in brain perfusion. We have observed patterns of focal, regional, and global hyperperfusion in a wide variety of disease processes. The causes of hyperperfusion at clinical ASL have not been previously characterized. Focal lesions such as brain tumors and vascular malformations with increased perfusion can be well depicted by ASL. More global causes of hyperperfusion, including postanoxia vasodilation and hypercapnia, may go undetected on conventional MR images, whereas the regional hyperperfusion, which may occur in reversible encephalopathies and luxury perfusion, has been consistently illustrated on ASL cerebral blood flow maps at our institution.

Phase I clinical and pharmacologic study of chronic oral administration of the farnesyl protein transferase inhibitor R115777 in advanced cancer

PURPOSE

To determine the maximum-tolerated dose, toxicities, and pharmacokinetics of R115777, a farnesyl transferase inhibitor, when administered continuously via the oral route.

PATIENTS AND METHODS

Patients with advanced solid malignancies were treated with R115777 using an interpatient dose escalation scheme starting at 50 mg bid. Pharmacokinetics were assessed on days 1, 28, and 56.

RESULTS

Twenty-eight patients were entered onto the study and the median duration of treatment was 55 days. The dose-limiting toxicities were myelosuppression and neurotoxicity. At a dose of 400 mg bid, grade 4 leukocytopenia and neutropenia were seen in two of four patients. Neurotoxicity grade 3 developed in one of five patients at 500 mg bid and in one of 13 at 300 mg bid after 8 weeks of treatment. Common nonhematologic toxicities were nausea, vomiting, and fatigue. The recommended dose for phase II/III testing in this scheme is 300 mg bid. The pharmacokinetic studies indicated dose proportionality. Little accumulation occurred and steady-state levels were reached within 2 to 3 days. Analyses of historic tumor material showed that five of 15 of patients had a K-ras mutation in codon 12. Three patients with pancreatic, colon, and cervix carcinomas had stable disease and one patient with a colon carcinoma had a minor response accompanied by a more than 50% decrease in carcinoembryonic antigen tumor marker. A fifth patient, with platinum-refractory non-small-cell lung cancer, showed a partial response that lasted for 5 months.

CONCLUSION

Continuous dosing of R115777 is feasible with an acceptable toxicity profile at a dose of 300 mg bid.

Postoperative morbidity, mortality, costs, and long-term survival in severely obese patients undergoing orthotopic liver transplantation

OBJECTIVE

Severely obese patients who undergo orthotopic liver transplantation are likely to have higher morbidity, mortality, costs, and a lower long-term survival.

METHODS

This case-control study was done at a university hospital. One hundred twenty-one consecutive patients who underwent liver transplantation between 1994 and 1996 were studied. Severe obesity was defined as body mass index (BMI) more than 95th percentile (>32.3 for women and >31.1 for men), and moderate obesity was defined as BMI between 27.3 and 32.3 for women and 27.8 and 31.1 for men. The outcome measures were intraoperative complications, postoperative complications (wound infections, bile leak, vascular complications), length of hospital stay, costs of transplantation, and long-term survival

RESULTS

The baseline characteristics, UNOS status, and cause of liver disease at the time of transplantation were similar in severely obese (n = 21, BMI = 37.4+/-4.8 kg/m2), obese (n = 36, BMI 28.7+/-0.9 kg/m2), and nonobese patients (n = 64, BMI 23.8+/-2.5 kg/m2). The intraoperative complications and transfusion requirements were similar in all three groups. The postoperative complications such as respiratory failure (p = 0.009) and systemic vascular complications (p = 0.04) were significantly higher in severely obese patients. The overall perioperative complication rate was 0.61 (39 of 64 patients) in nonobese patients, 0.77 (28 of 36 patients) in obese patients, and 1.43 (30 of 21 patients) in severely obese patients (p = 0.01). Infections were the leading cause of death in all groups accounting for 57-66% of deaths. The length of hospital stay was significantly higher in obese patients. The hospital costs of transplantation were higher ($30,000-$40,000) in severely obese patients than in nonobese patients. The long-term patient survival was similar between the groups (Kaplan-Meier analysis).

CONCLUSIONS

Despite higher postoperative complications, severely obese patients have an acceptable long-term survival, which is comparable to nonobese patients. The cost of transplantation is higher among severely obese patients. There was no increased incidence of cardiovascular mortality among severely obese patients during the follow-up period.

Arterial spin-labeling in routine clinical practice, part 2: hypoperfusion patterns

Arterial spin-labeling (ASL) is a powerful perfusion imaging technique capable of quickly demonstrating both hypo- and hyperperfusion on a global or localized scale in a wide range of disease states. Knowledge of pathophysiologic changes in blood flow and common artifacts inherent to the sequence allows accurate interpretation of ASL when performed as part of a routine clinical imaging protocol. Patterns of hypoperfusion encountered during routine application of ASL perfusion imaging in a large clinical population have not been described. The objective of this review article is to illustrate our experience with a heterogeneous collection of ASL perfusion cases and describe patterns of hypoperfusion. During a period of 1 year, more than 3000 pulsed ASL procedures were performed as a component of routine clinical brain MR imaging evaluation at both 1.5 and 3T. These images were reviewed with respect to image quality and patterns of hypoperfusion in various normal and disease states.

Deep Profiling of Proteome and Phosphoproteome by Isobaric Labeling, Extensive Liquid Chromatography, and Mass Spectrometry

Mass spectrometry-based proteomics has experienced an unprecedented advance in comprehensive analysis of proteins and posttranslational modifications, with particular technical progress in liquid chromatography coupled to tandem mass spectrometry (LC-MS/MS) and isobaric labeling multiplexing capacity. Here, we introduce a deep proteomics profiling protocol that combines 10-plex tandem mass tag (TMT) labeling with an optimized LC-MS/MS platform to quantitate whole proteome and phosphoproteome. The major steps include protein extraction and digestion, TMT labeling, two-dimensional liquid chromatography, TiO₂-mediated phosphopeptide enrichment, high-resolution mass spectrometry, and computational data processing. This protocol routinely leads to confident quantification of more than 10,000 proteins and approximately 30,000 phosphosites in mammalian samples. Quality control steps are implemented for troubleshooting and evaluating experimental variation. Such a multiplexed robust method provides a powerful tool for dissecting proteomic signatures at the systems level in a variety of complex samples, ranging from cell culture, animal tissues to human clinical specimens.

Long-term psychological outcome of 1999 Taiwan earthquake survivors: a survey of a high-risk sample with property damage

OBJECTIVE

Severe natural disasters can cause long-term psychological impact on the survivors. This study aimed to examine the prevalence and risk factors of posttraumatic stress symptoms and psychiatric morbidity among survivors of the severe earthquake that occurred in Chi-Chi, Taiwan, in September 21, 1999.

METHODS

A total of 6412 earthquake survivors whose houses were destroyed by earthquake were recruited about 2 years after the disaster. They completed a self-report questionnaire assessing posttraumatic stress symptoms, psychiatric morbidity, and information of demographics, trauma exposure, and current living status.

RESULTS

The estimated rates of posttraumatic stress disorder caseness and psychiatric morbidity were 20.9% and 39.8%, respectively. Psychiatric morbidity occurred mainly in survivors who were female, older, with low education level, and currently living in a prefabricated house. The risk factors for posttraumatic stress disorder caseness were female sex, currently living in a prefabricated house, low education level, and experienced complete destruction of property.

CONCLUSION

These results showed that severe earthquake can cause long-term psychological impact in the survivors. The findings of risk factors suggest avenues for targeting postdisaster interventions.

Iontophoretic application of calcitonin gene-related peptide produces a slow and prolonged excitation of neurons in the cat lumbar dorsal horn

Calcitonin gene-related peptide (CGRP) was applied by iontophoresis onto physiologically characterized neurons. CGRP (20-100 nA) activated both wide-dynamic-range (5/8) and low-threshold mechanoreceptive units (3/12), but had no effect on nociceptive-specific neurons (0/4). The excitation was of slow onset (30 s to 3 min) and prolonged duration (up to 10 min). In none of the tested units did CGRP cause inhibition. The slow and prolonged action suggests a neuromodulatory role for CGRP in spinal cord sensory processes.

Posttraumatic stress disorder among professional and non-professional rescuers involved in an earthquake in Taiwan

This study investigated the prevalence of posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD) among professional and non-professional rescue workers involved in the 1999 Chi-Chi Earthquake in Taiwan. One month following the disaster, 252 rescue workers (167 professional rescue workers, 85 non-professional volunteers) were surveyed with the Chinese version of the Davidson Trauma Scale (DTS-C) and the Chinese version of the SPAN (SPAN-C). Non-professional rescuers had significantly higher scores than professional rescuers on both the DTS-C and the SPAN-C. The prevalences of PTSD, as defined by a DTS-C score > or = 44, among professional and non-professional rescuers were 19.8% and 31.8%, respectively. Among the three subscales of the DTS-C, only scores on the numbness/avoidance subscale were significantly higher in the non-professional than in the professional rescue workers. The results of this study suggest that disaster rescue work is associated with a high level of stress even for highly trained professionals and may lead to mental health problems.