Prioritizing the Mental Health and Well-Being of Healthcare Workers: An Urgent Global Public Health Priority

The COVID-19 pandemic has had an unprecedented impact on health systems in most countries, and in particular, on the mental health and well-being of health workers on the frontlines of pandemic response efforts. The purpose of this article is to provide an evidence-based overview of the adverse mental health impacts on healthcare workers during times of crisis and other challenging working conditions and to highlight the importance of prioritizing and protecting the mental health and well-being of the healthcare workforce, particularly in the context of the COVID-19 pandemic. First, we provide a broad overview of the elevated risk of stress, burnout, moral injury, depression, trauma, and other mental health challenges among healthcare workers. Second, we consider how public health emergencies exacerbate these concerns, as reflected in emerging research on the negative mental health impacts of the COVID-19 pandemic on healthcare workers. Further, we consider potential approaches for overcoming these threats to mental health by exploring the value of practicing self-care strategies, and implementing evidence based interventions and organizational measures to help protect and support the mental health and well-being of the healthcare workforce. Lastly, we highlight systemic changes to empower healthcare workers and protect their mental health and well-being in the long run, and propose policy recommendations to guide healthcare leaders and health systems in this endeavor. This paper acknowledges the stressors, burdens, and psychological needs of the healthcare workforce across health systems and disciplines, and calls for renewed efforts to mitigate these challenges among those working on the frontlines during public health emergencies such as the COVID-19 pandemic.

Structure of human neutrophil collagenase reveals large S1' specificity pocket

The crystal structure of the catalytic domain of human neutrophil collagenase complexed with a peptide transition state analogue has been determined to a resolution of 2.1 A. The structure of the neutrophil enzyme, when compared with the three dimensional structure of the corresponding human fibroblast collagenase, shows differences in the first, S1', of the three enzyme specificity subsites on the carboxy-terminal side of the substrate scissile bond. The S1' pocket in the neutrophil collagenase is significantly larger than the equivalent site in the fibroblast enzyme, suggesting that the former enzyme has a broader range of possible substrates. Such differences also suggest approaches for the design of selective matrix metalloproteinase inhibitors.

Role of Oxidative Stress and Antioxidants in Autism

Autism spectrum disorder (ASD) is a heterogeneous group of neurodevelopmental disorders with poorly understood etiology that are defined exclusively on the basis of behavioral observations. This disorder has been linked to increased levels of oxidative stress and lower antioxidant capacity. Oxidative stress in autism has been studied at the membrane level and also by measuring products of lipid peroxidation, detoxifying agents (such as glutathione), and antioxidants involved in the defense system against reactive oxygen species (ROS). Several studies have suggested alterations in the activities of antioxidant enzymes such as superoxide dismutase, glutathione peroxidase, and catalase in autism. Additionally, altered glutathione levels and homocysteine/methionine metabolism, increased inflammation, excitotoxicity, as well as mitochondrial and immune dysfunction have been suggested in autism. Moreover, environmental and genetic risk factors may intensify vulnerability to oxidative stress in autism. Collectively, these studies suggest increased oxidative stress in autism that may contribute to the development of this disease both in terms of pathogenesis and clinical symptoms. Antioxidant supplementation, or ways to improve the altered metabolite levels in the interconnected transmethylation and transsulfuration pathways, has been associated with decreased autistic behaviors and severity. This chapter provides a conceptual framework on oxidative stress and antioxidants utility. These types of interventions should be further studied in order to determine their effectiveness at improving metabolic imbalances.

Mechanistic Insights into the Link between Gut Dysbiosis and Major Depression: An Extensive Review

Depression is a highly common mental disorder, which is often multifactorial with sex, genetic, environmental, and/or psychological causes. Recent advancements in biomedical research have demonstrated a clear correlation between gut dysbiosis (GD) or gut microbial dysbiosis and the development of anxiety or depressive behaviors. The gut microbiome communicates with the brain through the neural, immune, and metabolic pathways, either directly (via vagal nerves) or indirectly (via gut- and microbial-derived metabolites as well as gut hormones and endocrine peptides, including peptide YY, pancreatic polypeptide, neuropeptide Y, cholecystokinin, corticotropin-releasing factor, glucagon-like peptide, oxytocin, and ghrelin). Maintaining healthy gut microbiota (GM) is now being recognized as important for brain health through the use of probiotics, prebiotics, synbiotics, fecal microbial transplantation (FMT), etc. A few approaches exert antidepressant effects via restoring GM and hypothalamus–pituitary–adrenal (HPA) axis functions. In this review, we have summarized the etiopathogenic link between gut dysbiosis and depression with preclinical and clinical evidence. In addition, we have collated information on the recent therapies and supplements, such as probiotics, prebiotics, short-chain fatty acids, and vitamin B12, omega-3 fatty acids, etc., which target the gut–brain axis (GBA) for the effective management of depressive behavior and anxiety.

Confronting high-throughput protein refolding using high pressure and solution screens

Over-expression of heterologous proteins in Escherichia coli is commonly hindered by the formation of inclusion bodies. Nevertheless, refolding of proteins in vitro has become an essential requirement in the development of structural genomics (proteomics) and as a means of recovering functional proteins from inclusion bodies. Many distinct methods for protein refolding are now in use. However, regardless of method used, developing a reliable protein refolding protocol still requires significant optimization through trial and error. Many proteins fall into the category of "Challenging" or "Difficult to Express" and are problematic to refold using traditional chaotrope-based refolding techniques. This review discusses new methods for improving protein refolding, such as implementing high hydrostatic pressure, using small molecule additives to enhance traditional protein refolding strategies, as well as developing practical methods for performing refolding studies to maximize their reliability and utility. The strategies examined here focus on high-throughput, automated refolding screens, which can be applied to structural genomic projects.

Effects of growth of methicillin-resistant and -susceptible Staphylococcus aureus in the presence of beta-lactams on peptidoglycan structure and susceptibility to lytic enzymes

Growth of methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus DU4916 in the presence of methicillin yielded crude cell walls that showed an increased rate of autolysis and purified cell walls (PCW) and peptidoglycan (PG) that had increased susceptibilities to autolysin extracted with LiCl and to lysozyme. The PG of cells grown in the presence of methicillin had markedly decreased cross-linking and O acetylation. Growth of the methicillin-susceptible strain H in the presence of subinhibitory concentrations of cefoxitin, a specific inhibitor of penicillin-binding protein (PBP) 4, caused a substantial decrease in PG cross-linking and O acetylation and increased susceptibilities of PCW and PG to LiCl-extracted autolysin and to lysozyme. Strain DU4916 cells grown in the presence of methicillin did not show an increased rate of autolysis or an increased susceptibility to vancomycin- or D-cycloserine-induced lysis, even though their PG was hypo-cross-linked. This implies that the potential for increased autolysis is controlled in intact cells and that this regulation may be involved in the methicillin resistance phenomenon. Growth of the methicillin-susceptible strain DU4916S in the presence of methicillin yielded PCW and PG that showed small increases in susceptibilities to LiCl-extracted autolysin and to lysozyme and a small decrease in PG cross-linking. Comparison of the PBPs of a penicillinase-nonproducing derivative of strain DU4916 (DU4916-K7) with those of strain DU4916S in intact cells and isolated membranes revealed that PBPs 1 to 4 had similar high beta-lactam antibiotic affinities in both strains and identified an additional PBP, PBP2(1), with low beta-lactam affinity in the methicillin-resistant strain DU4916-K7. The low degree of cross-linking of PG in strain DU4916 cells grown with methicillin was probably due mainly to inhibition of the secondary cross-linking function of PBP 4.

Does COVID-19 contribute to development of neurological disease?

BACKGROUND

Although coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) has been associated primarily with pneumonia, recent data show that the causative agent of COVID-19, the coronavirus severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2), can infect a large number of vital organs beyond the lungs, such as the heart, kidneys, and the brain. Thus, there is evidence showing possible retrograde transmission of the virus from the olfactory epithelium to regions of the brain stem.

METHODS

This is a literature review article. The research design method is an evidence-based rapid review. The present discourse aim is first to scrutinize and assess the available literature on COVID-19 repercussion on the central nervous system (CNS). Standard literature and database searches were implemented, gathered relevant material, and extracted information was then assessed.

RESULTS

The angiotensin-converting enzyme 2 (ACE2) receptors being the receptor for the virus, the threat to the central nervous system is expected. Neurons and glial cells express ACE2 receptors in the CNS, and recent studies suggest that activated glial cells contribute to neuroinflammation and the devastating effects of SARS-CoV-2 infection on the CNS. The SARS-CoV-2-induced immune-mediated demyelinating disease, cerebrovascular damage, neurodegeneration, and depression are some of the neurological complications discussed here.

CONCLUSION

This review correlates present clinical manifestations of COVID-19 patients with possible neurological consequences in the future, thus preparing healthcare providers for possible future consequences of COVID-19.

Role of Endogenous Lipopolysaccharides in Neurological Disorders

Lipopolysaccharide (LPS) is a cell-wall immunostimulatory endotoxin component of Gram-negative bacteria. A growing body of evidence reveals that alterations in the bacterial composition of the intestinal microbiota (gut dysbiosis) disrupt host immune homeostasis and the intestinal barrier function. Microbial dysbiosis leads to a proinflammatory milieu and systemic endotoxemia, which contribute to the development of neurodegenerative diseases and metabolic disorders. Two important pathophysiological hallmarks of neurodegenerative diseases (NDDs) are oxidative/nitrative stress and inflammation, which can be initiated by elevated intestinal permeability, with increased abundance of pathobionts. These changes lead to excessive release of LPS and other bacterial products into blood, which in turn induce chronic systemic inflammation, which damages the blood-brain barrier (BBB). An impaired BBB allows the translocation of potentially harmful bacterial products, including LPS, and activated neutrophils/leucocytes into the brain, which results in neuroinflammation and apoptosis. Chronic neuroinflammation causes neuronal damage and synaptic loss, leading to memory impairment. LPS-induced inflammation causes inappropriate activation of microglia, astrocytes, and dendritic cells. Consequently, these alterations negatively affect mitochondrial function and lead to increases in oxidative/nitrative stress and neuronal senescence. These cellular changes in the brain give rise to specific clinical symptoms, such as impairment of locomotor function, muscle weakness, paralysis, learning deficits, and dementia. This review summarizes the contributing role of LPS in the development of neuroinflammation and neuronal cell death in various neurodegenerative diseases.

Selective Enrichment of Membrane Proteins by Partition Phase Separation for Proteomic Studies

The human proteome project will demand faster, easier, and more reliable methods to isolate and purify protein targets. Membrane proteins are the most valuable group of proteins since they are the target for 70-80% of all drugs. Perbio Science has developed a protocol for the quick, easy, and reproducible isolation of integral membrane proteins from eukaryotic cells. This procedure utilizes a proprietary formulation to facilitate cell membrane disruption in a mild, nondenaturing environment and efficiently solubilizes membrane proteins. The technique utilizes a two-phase partitioning system that enables the class separation of hydrophobic and hydrophilic proteins. A variety of protein markers were used to investigate the partitioning efficiency of the membrane protein extraction reagents (Mem-PER) (Mem-PER is a registered trademark of Pierce Biotechnology, Inc) system. These included membrane proteins with one or more transmembrane spanning domains as well as peripheral and cytosolic proteins. Based on densitometry analyses of our Western blots, we obtained excellent solubilization of membrane proteins with less than 10% contamination of the hydrophobic fraction with hydrophilic proteins. Compared to other methodologies for membrane protein solubilization that use time-consuming protocols or expensive and cumbersome instrumentation, the Mem-PER reagents system for eukaryotic membrane protein extraction offers an easy, efficient, and reproducible method to isolate membrane proteins from mammalian and yeast cells.

Identification and characterization of novel low-temperature-inducible promoters of Escherichia coli

Escherichia coli promoters that are more active at low temperature (15 to 20 degrees C) than at 37 degrees C were identified by using the transposon Tn5-lac to generate promoter fusions expressing beta-galactosidase (beta-Gal). Tn5-lac insertions that resulted in low-temperature-regulated beta-Gal expression were isolated by selecting kanamycin-resistant mutants capable of growth on lactose minimal medium at 15 degrees C but which grew poorly at 37 degrees C on this medium. Seven independent mutants were selected for further studies. In one such strain, designated WQ11, a temperature shift from 37 degrees C to either 20 or 15 degrees C resulted in a 15- to 24-fold induction of beta-Gal expression. Extended growth at 20 or 15 degrees C resulted in 36- to 42-fold-higher beta-Gal expression over that of cells grown at 37 degrees C. Treatment of WQ11 with streptomycin, reported to induce a response similar to heat shock, failed to induce beta-Gal expression. In contrast, treatment with either chloramphenicol or tetracycline, which mimics a cold shock response, resulted in a fourfold induction of beta-Gal expression in strain WQ11. Hfr genetic mapping studies complemented by physical mapping indicated that in at least three mutants (WQ3, WQ6, and WQ11), Tn5-lac insertions mapped at unique sites where no known cold shock genes have been reported. The Tn5-lac insertions of these mutants mapped to 81, 12, and 34 min on the E. coli chromosome, respectively. The cold-inducible promoters from two of the mutants (WQ3 and WQ11) were cloned and sequenced, and their temperature regulation was examined. Comparison of the nucleotide sequences of these two promoters with the regulatory elements of other known cold shock genes identified the sequence CCAAT as a putative conserved motif.

Development of a high-throughput plate-based chemiluminescent transcription factor assay

Transcription factors are DNA-binding proteins that regulate the expression of specific genes by controlling transcription initiation. Two families of transcription factors, NFkappaB and AP-1, play pivotal roles in controlling important cellular processes ranging from normal cell growth and differentiation to apoptosis and cancer. Identifying changes in the DNA-binding activity of these factors is essential to understanding the regulation of these processes. We have developed a high-throughput DNA-based ELISA capable of monitoring activated levels of NFkappaB (p50 and p65) and AP-1 (c-Jun and c-Fos). This chemiluminescent assay utilizes a 96-well plate format, eliminating the throughput challenges imposed by traditional gel shift assays and exceeding the sensitivity and dynamic range of standard colorimetric detection systems. The sensitivity of this assay enables distinction between subtle as well as dramatic differences in the DNA-binding activity of these factors that result from the treatment of cells with various inhibitors or activating agents.

Enhanced levels of Staphylococcus aureus stress protein GroEL and DnaK homologs early in infection of human epithelial cells

Antibodies to Staphylococcus aureus heat shock proteins (Hsps) are present in the sera of patients with S. aureus endocarditis (M. W. Qoronfleh, W. Weraarchakul, and B. J. Wilkinson, Infect. Immun. 61:1567-1570, 1993). Although these proteins are immunogenic, their role in infection has not been established. We developed a cell culture system as a model to examine the potential involvement of staphylococcal Hsps in the initial events of infection. This study supports a model in which a clinical endocarditis isolate responds to host cell signals by selectively regulating the synthesis of numerous proteins, including the stress proteins Hsp60 (GroEL homolog) and Hsp70 (DnaK homolog) and a unique 58-kDa protein.

Risk factors, diagnosis, prognosis and treatment of autism

The prevalence rate of Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD) has reached over 1% world-wide prompting governments, health providers and schools to develop programs and policies to address this challenging disorder. Here, we review the cause(s), as well as environmental factors, genetic mutations, and neural pathways that are implicated in ASD. We also discuss the criteria that are commonly used for the diagnosis of ASD and future clinical genetic testing that can aid in the diagnosis of this disorder. Finally, we provide practical steps that can be used to reduce the incidence and severity of ASD, as well as prognosis and treatment of autism.

Antibodies to a range of Staphylococcus aureus and Escherichia coli heat shock proteins in sera from patients with S. aureus endocarditis

Antibodies to a range of Staphylococcus aureus and Escherichia coli heat shock proteins were present in sera from patients with S. aureus endocarditis. This suggests the highly immunoreactive nature of a range of heat shock proteins in addition to the GroEL equivalent (common antigen) protein. In one case, antibodies to three proteins unique to the infecting S. aureus strain, which were more prominent in heat-shocked cells, were also detected.

THE FUTURE OF MEDICINE, healthcare innovation through precision medicine: policy case study of Qatar

In 2016, the World Innovation Summit for Health (WISH) published its Forum Report on precision medicine "PRECISION MEDICINE - A GLOBAL ACTION PLAN FOR IMPACT". Healthcare is undergoing a transformation, and it is imperative to leverage new technologies to generate new data and support the advent of precision medicine (PM). Recent scientific breakthroughs and technological advancements have improved our disease knowledge and altered diagnosis and treatment approaches resulting in a more precise, predictive, preventative and personalized health care that is customized for the individual patient. Consequently, the big data revolution has provided an opportunity to apply artificial intelligence and machine learning algorithms to mine such a vast data set. Additionally, personalized medicine promises to revolutionize healthcare, with its key goal of providing the right treatment to the right patient at the right time and dose, and thus the potential of improving quality of life and helping to bring down healthcare costs.This policy briefing will look in detail at the issues surrounding continued development, sustained investment, risk factors, testing and approval of innovations for better strategy and faster process. The paper will serve as a policy bridge that is required to enhance a conscious decision among the powers-that-be in Qatar in order to find a way to harmonize multiple strands of activity and responsibility in the health arena. The end goal will be for Qatar to enhance public awareness and engagement and to integrate effectively the incredible advances in research into healthcare systems, for the benefit of all patients.The PM policy briefing provides concrete recommendations on moving forward with PM initiatives in Qatar and internationally. Equally important, integration of PM within a primary care setting, building a coalition of community champions through awareness and advocacy, finally, communicating PM value, patient engagement/empowerment and education/continued professional development programs of the healthcare workforce.Key recommendations for implementation of precision medicine inside and outside Qatar: 1. Create Community Awareness and PM Education Programs 2. Engage and Empower Patients 3. Communicate PM Value 4. Develop appropriate Infrastructure and Information Management Systems 5. Integrate PM into standard Healthcare System and Ensure Access to Care PM is no longer futuristic. It is here. Implementing PM in routine clinical care does require some investment and infrastructure development. Invariably, cost and lack of expertise are cited as barriers to PM implementation. Equally consequential, are the curriculum and professional development of medical care experts.Policymakers need to lead and coordinate effort among stakeholders and consider cultural and faith perspectives to ensure success. It is essential that policymakers integrate PM approaches into national strategies to improve health and health care for all, and to drive towards the future of medicine precision health.

Improved immunomatrix methods to detect protein:protein interactions

Immunoprecipitation (IP) and coimmunoprecipitation (co-IP) are key techniques for studying protein-protein interactions. These methods utilize immobilized Protein A or Protein G to isolate antibody-bound target antigens. The main disadvantage of traditional IP and co-IP is that the conditions used to elute the precipitated antigen also release the antibody thus contaminating the antigen and destroying the antibody support. To overcome these problems, we describe two methods to generate a reusable antibody support by cross-linking the antibody to immobilized Protein A or Protein G, or by coupling it directly to the resin (see Scheme 1). Antibody cross-linking can be done in 1 h while antibody coupling requires 4 h. IP or co-IP is accomplished by incubating the antibody resin with the protein sample. Washes and elutions are carried out in a spin column to reduce resin loss and decrease assay time. Target proteins are eluted with 0.1 M glycine (pH 2.8) and the resin-bound antibody is re-equilibrated in phosphate-buffered saline (PBS) for reuse. Our studies have demonstrated that the immobilization efficiency for the antibody coupling method was similar for several species of antibody. Furthermore, we illustrate that using both methods of antibody immobilization yield IP and co-IP results similar to traditional protocols but eliminate the antibody heavy and light chain contamination.

Basic features of the staphylococcal heat shock response

The major heat shock proteins of Staphylococcus aureus had apparent Mrs of 84,000, 76,000, and 60,000, and other prominent proteins of Mrs 66,000, 51,000, 43,000 and 24,000 were also induced. Staphylococcus epidermidis showed a similar response. These proteins were also induced by CdCl2, ethanol and apparently osmotic stress (1.71 M NaCl or 2.25 M sucrose). Most of the proteins sedimented with the membrane fraction, but the Mr 60,000 protein remained in the cytoplasm.

Use of Immunomatrix Methods to Improve Protein-Protein Interaction Detection

Immunoprecipitation (IP) and coimmunoprecipitation (co-IP) are key techniques for studying protein-protein interactions. These methods utilize immobilized protein A or protein G to isolate antibody-bound target antigens. The main disadvantage of traditional immunoprecipitation and coimmunoprecipitation is that the conditions used to elute the precipitated antigen also release the antibody, contaminating the antigen and destroying the antibody support. To overcome these problems, we describe two methods to generate a reusable antibody support by cross-linking the antibody to immobilized protein A or protein G, or by coupling it directly to the resin. Our studies have demonstrated that the immobilization efficiency for the antibody coupling method was similar for several species of antibody. Furthermore, we illustrate that using both methods of antibody immobilization yields IP and co-IP results similar to traditional protocols but eliminates the antibody heavy and light chains contamination.

Conditions that induce Staphylococcus aureus heat shock proteins also inhibit autolysis

When Staphylococcus aureus strain 8325 was grown at 30 degrees C and heat shocked at 40 degrees C the rate of cell autolysis in buffer with or without Triton X-100 was reduced. Treatment of growing cells with other agents (CdCl2, ethanol, NaCl) known to induce heat shock proteins also resulted in cells that showed a decreased rate of autolysis. Heat shocked cells showed lower rates of freeze-thaw autolysin activity on purified cell walls, and isolated crude cell walls from heat shocked cells had lower rates of autolytic activity compared to controls. No differences in the peptidoglycan hydrolase activity profiles of control and heat shocked cells were detected by renaturing sodium dodecyl sulfate polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis. It is proposed that autolysins are damaged by heat shock and their targeting to the cell wall is impaired, possibly by complexing with heat shock proteins, which may also inhibit autolysin activity. Heat shock also inhibited the autolytic activity of methicillin-resistant and related-susceptible strains, and the possible relationship of this to the expression of methicillin resistance is discussed.

Production of selenomethionine-labeled recombinant human neutrophil collagenase in Escherichia coli

Molecular analogs of amino acids can be incorporated into proteins. The amino acid analog selenomethionine (SeMet) has been shown to be efficiently incorporated into the proteins of growing Escherichia coli. SeMet-containing proteins are known to produce sufficiently strong anomalous scatter permitting the solution of the selenomethionyl crystal structure by multiwavelength anomalous diffraction (MAD) techniques. The recombinant protein chosen for these studies is mature, truncated neutrophil collagenase (rmNC-t). The rmNC-t protein is a monomer of 163 amino acid residues featuring one active site and two Met residues. We developed a T7 polymerase expression system allowing incorporation of SeMet into rmNC-t protein produced in E. coli. Substitution of Met with SeMet was accomplished by culturing E. coli DL41(DE3), a SeMet-tolerant strain with metA lesion, in a defined medium containing SeMet as the sole source of Met. The SeMet-labeled rmNC-t was isolated from inclusion bodies by solubilizing in urea, purified by anion column chromatography, and then refolded in the presence of Ca2+ and Zn2+. Analysis of SeMet-labeled rmNC-t demonstrated that Met replacement was 100%. Enzymatic characterization revealed no obvious differences in activity or inhibitor binding between rmNC-t and the SeMet-labeled product. We have produced pure, active SeMet-labeled rmNC-t in sufficient quantities for macromolecular crystallography studies.

Prevalence of eating disorders and disordered eating in Western Asia: a systematic review and meta-Analysis

This study aimed to systematically synthesize and appraise existing literature on the prevalence of eating disorders and disordered eating in Western Asia. A systematic literature search of major English and Arabic databases, i.e., PubMed/Medline, EMBASE, PsychInfo, Web of Science and Scopus (English), Al-Manhal (Arabic) and grey literature was done to obtain the prevalence of disordered eating and eating disorders in Western Asia. The literature search was conducted on June 12^th, 2020, and included papers from 1990-2020. Out of the 249 unduplicated original studies reviewed, 27 were included in the final meta-analysis. Data were then categorized according to the tools used to identify the presence of disordered eating or eating disorders. The pooled prevalence of disordered eating as solicited by both the Eating Attitudes Scale 26 and the Eating Attitudes Scale 40 (N = 11841) was 22.07%, the Sick, Control, One stone, Fat, Food Questionnaire (n = 3160) was 22.28% and the Eating Disorder Examination-Questionnaire (n = 425) was 7.95%. The pooled prevalence obtained from those studies using semi-structured interviews for anorexia nervosa (n = 118190) was 1.59%, bulimia nervosa (n = 118513) was 2.41% and the estimated prevalence of Eating Disorder Not Otherwise Specified (EDNOS) (n = 118087) was 3.51%. Although the prevalence rate of eating disorders solicited using semi-structured interviews appeared to parallel the international range, the overall prevalence rate of disordered eating appeared to be slightly higher than the global rates of prevalence. A significant number of the suspected/detected cases of disordered eating appear to fulfill the criteria for EDNOS. This study is classified as evidence obtained from systematic reviews and meta-analyses (i.e. Level 1).

Differential regulation of cyclooxygenase 2 expression by small GTPases Ras, Rac1, and RhoA

Cyclooxygenase 2 (COX-2) is an immediate early gene induced by a variety of stimuli and its expression is stimulated by individual activation of Ras or Rho GTPases. Here we investigate the role of coordinate activation of Ras and Rho GTPases in the induction of COX-2. Individual expression of constitutively active Ras, RhoA, or Rac1 was capable of stimulating COX-2 expression in NIH3T3 cells, but co-expression of constitutively active RhoA with either constitutively active Ras or Rac1 was required for full stimulation of COX-2 expression. Serum growth factors differentially activated Ras, RhoA, and Rac1, which correlated with the activation of Raf-1, ERK, and c-Jun as well as with induction of COX-2. Inhibition of Ras significantly blocked the activation of Raf-1, ERK, and c-Jun and the stimulation of COX-2 expression in response to serum. In contrast, inhibition of Rho family GTPases partially blocked serum induction of ERK activation but had little effects on COX-2 expression. Both inhibitors of MEK (PD098059) and JNK (SP600125) inhibited serum induction of COX-2. PD98059 only inhibited constitutively active Ras-induced COX-2 expression, while SP600125 significantly inhibited both constitutively active Ras- and RhoA-induced COX-2 expression. Together, our data suggest that constitutively active oncogenic Ras and Rho coordinately stimulate COX-2 expression whereas transient activation of Ras but not RhoA or Rac1 mediates the induction of COX-2 in response to serum. Furthermore, ERK and JNK activation are both required for serum- and oncogenic Ras-mediated COX-2 expression whereas only JNK activation is required for oncogenic RhoA-mediated stimulation of COX-2 expression.

SwellGel: an affinity chromatography technology for high-capacity and high-throughput purification of recombinant-tagged proteins

The revolution in genomics and proteomics is having a profound impact on drug discovery. Today's protein scientist demands a faster, easier, more reliable way to purify proteins. A high capacity, high-throughput new technology has been developed in Perbio Sciences for affinity protein purification. This technology utilizes selected chromatography media that are dehydrated to form uniform aggregates. The SwellGel aggregates will instantly rehydrate upon addition of the protein sample, allowing purification and direct performance of multiple assays in a variety of formats. SwellGel technology has greater stability and is easier to handle than standard wet chromatography resins. The microplate format of this technology provides high-capacity, high-throughput features, recovering milligram quantities of protein suitable for high-throughput screening or biophysical/structural studies. Data will be presented applying SwellGel technology to recombinant 6x His-tagged protein and glutathione-S-transferase (GST) fusion protein purification.

SwellGel: a sample preparation affinity chromatography technology for high throughput proteomic applications

Development of high throughput systems for purification and analysis of proteins is essential for the success of today's proteomic research. We have developed an affinity chromatography technology that allows the customization of high capacity/high throughput chromatographic separation of proteins. This technology utilizes selected chromatography media that are dehydrated to form uniform SwellGel discs. Unlike wet resin slurries, these discs are easily adaptable to a variety of custom formats, eliminating problems associated with resin dispensing, equilibration, or leakage. Discs can be made in assorted sizes (resin volume 15 microl-3 ml) dispensed in various formats (384-, 96-, 48-, and 24-well microplates or columns) and different ligands can be attached to the matrix. SwellGel discs rapidly hydrate upon addition of either water or the protein sample, providing dramatically increased capacity compared to coated plates. At the same time, the discs offer greater stability, reproducibility, and ease of handling than standard wet chromatography resins. We previously reported the development of SwellGel for the purification of 6x His- and glutathione-S-transferase (GST)-tagged fusion proteins [Prot. Exp. Purif. 22 (2001) 359-366]. In this paper, we discuss an expanded list of SwellGel stabilized chromatographic methods that have been adapted to high throughput formats for processing protein samples ranging from 10 microl to 10 ml (1 microg to 50 mg protein). Data are presented applying SwellGel discs to high throughput proteomic applications such as affinity tag purification, protein desalting, the removal of abundant proteins from serum including albumin and immunoglobulin, and the isolation of phosphorylated peptides for mass spectrometry.