The diagnostic accuracy of a shock advisory algorithm in automated external defibrillators in the presence of real-world artifacts.

BACKGROUND: The current standards for shock advisory algorithms in AEDs require performance testing on artifact-free ECGs. However, AED analysis in the real world is more challenging due to potential artifacts from various sources (e.g., patient handling, and electromagnetic interference). This retrospective data analysis reports the real-world performance and behavior of a shock advisory algorithm used in three AED models with the presence of artifacts. METHODS: ECG rhythm analyses recorded during the use of three AED models (HS1, FRx and FR3) were reviewed. The shock recommendations made in the AEDs were compared to the expert annotations of reviewers. The effects of real-world artifacts and the handling by the algorithm were analyzed. RESULTS: Among the 3,941 analyses, 619 were annotated as shockable rhythms, and 2,912 were non-shockable. The overall sensitivity and specificity were 97.1% (601/619), and 99.9% (2,908/2,912), respectively. Artifacts were detected by the algorithm in 23.3% (918/3,941) of the analysis periods. The algorithm performance for the analysis periods with artifacts detected was 95.2% (80/84) for sensitivity and 100.0% (687/687) for specificity. In the remaining analysis periods with no artifacts detected, the sensitivity was 97.4% (521/535), and specificity was 99.8% (2,221/2,225). CONCLUSIONS: The performance of this shock advisory algorithm during real-world resuscitations with or without artifacts, exceeded AHA recommendations and the requirements in international standards. The high sensitivity and specificity demonstrate the effectiveness and safety of this algorithm in all three AED models.

Factors influencing the implementation of anterior cruciate ligament injury prevention strategies by girls soccer coaches.

Women are 3 times more likely to injure their anterior cruciate ligament (ACL) while playing soccer than men. ACL injury prevention programs (IPPs) involving stretching and strengthening drills can reduce the incidence of ACL injury when incorporated into routine training. The rate of implementation among coaches is largely unknown. The purpose of this study was to determine the rate of implementation of ACL IPP, to identify factors that influence implementation, and to acquire information to assist in design dissemination and implementation strategies. Study subjects were coaches of woman soccer players aged 11-22 years in Utah (n = 756). Data were gathered using a Web-based survey followed by a qualitative study in which "best practice coaches"-coaches who met criteria for successful implementation of ACL IPP-were interviewed via telephone. A minority of survey respondents, 19.8% (27/136), have implemented ACL IPP. Factors associated with successful implementation include length of coaching experience and presence of additional support staff such as a strength and conditioning coach or athletic trainer. Best practice coaches (14/136) unanimously agreed on the following: (a) there are performance-enhancing benefits of ACL IPP, (b) education on ACL injury prevention should be required for licensure, and (c) dissemination and implementation will require soccer associations to enact policies that require IPPs. In conclusion, a minority of girls soccer coaches have implemented ACL IPP and those that have do so because they believe that prevention improves performance and that soccer organizations should enact policies requiring ACL injury prevention education and implementation. Efforts to implement ACL IPP should be driven by soccer organizations, emphasize performance-enhancing benefits, and engage additional coaching staff.

In situ assay of fatty acid ß-oxidation by metabolite profiling following permeabilization of cell membranes.

Quantitative analysis of mitochondrial FA ß-oxidation (FAO) has drawn increasing interest for defining lipid-induced metabolic dysfunctions, such as in obesity-induced insulin resistance, and evaluating pharmacologic strategies to improve ß-oxidation function. The aim was to develop a new assay to quantify ß-oxidation function in intact mitochondria and with a low amount of cell material. Cell membranes of primary human fibroblasts were permeabilized with digitonin prior to a load with FFA substrate. Following 120 min of incubation, the various generated acylcarnitines were extracted from both cells and incubation medium by protein precipitation/desalting and subjected to solid-phase extraction. A panel of 30 acylcarnitines per well was quantified by MS/MS and normalized to citrate synthase activity to analyze mitochondrial metabolite flux. Pretreatment with bezafibrate and etomoxir revealed stimulating and inhibiting regulatory effects on ß-oxidation function, respectively. In addition to the advantage of a much shorter assay time due to in situ permeabilization compared with whole-cell incubation systems, the method allows the detection of multiple acylcarnitines from an only limited amount of intact cells, particularly relevant to the use of primary cells. This novel approach facilitates highly sensitive, simple, and fast monitoring of pharmacological effects on FAO.

Central corneal thickness measurements: using an ultrasonic instrument and 4 optical instruments.

PURPOSE: Both between-session and within-session repeatability were determined for measurement of corneal thickness with the following techniques: ultrasound pachymetry (UP), confocal microscopy (CS), Orbscan pachymetry (ORB), spectral oscillation interferometry (SOI), and optical coherence tomography (OCT). METHODS: The right eyes of 20 normal subjects were tested on 2 different days. For each session, 2 central corneal thickness measurements were determined using the ConfoScan 3 microscope, the Orbscan system, and the Stratus OCT system; 5 measurements were found with the Sonogage ultrasound pachymeter; and between 2 and 10 measurements were found with the SOI system. RESULTS: This study showed that SOI had the best repeatability, whereas CS had the worst repeatability for both within-session and between-session repeatability. Based on 95% limits of agreement (LoA), the within-session repeatability can be ranked as: (1) SOI; (2) UP; (3) OCT; (4) Orbscan pachymetry; and (5) CS. SOI had a bias of 0.13 and 95% LoA of -1.07 to 1.33, whereas UP had a bias of -0.98 and 95% LoA of -7.35 to 5.40. The between-session repeatability of the instruments can be ranked as: (1) SOI; (2) OCT; (3) UP; (4) Orbscan pachymetry; and (5) CS. Of the optical methods, SOI had the best repeatability with a bias of 1.26 and 95% LoA of -6.14 to 8.66, followed by OCT with a bias of 0.75 and 95% LoA of -16.22 to 17.27. CONCLUSIONS: Of the 4 instruments that are commercially available, the UP was the most repeatable for within sessions, and the OCT was the most repeatable for between sessions.

Substrate promiscuity of a rosmarinic acid synthase from lavender (Lavandula angustifolia L.).

One of the most common types of modification of secondary metabolites is the acylation of oxygen- and nitrogen-containing substrates to produce esters and amides, respectively. Among the known acyltransferases, the members of the plant BAHD family are capable of acylating a wide variety of substrates. Two full-length acyltransferase cDNAs (LaAT1 and 2) were isolated from lavender flowers (Lavandula angustifolia L.) by reverse transcriptase-PCR using degenerate primers based on BAHD sequences. Recombinant LaAT1 exhibited a broad substrate tolerance accepting (hydroxy)cinnamoyl-CoAs as acyl donors and not only tyramine, tryptamine, phenylethylamine and anthranilic acid but also shikimic acid and 4-hydroxyphenyllactic acid as acceptors. Thus, LaLT1 forms esters and amides like its phylogenetic neighbors. In planta LaAT1 might be involved in the biosynthesis of rosmarinic acid, the ester of caffeic acid and 3,4-dihydroxyphenyllactic acid, a major constituent of lavender flowers. LaAT2 is one of three members of clade VI with unknown function.

The influence of gender and hormone status on the severity and progression of keratoconus.

PURPOSE: To assess the effects of gender and hormone status on the severity and progression of keratoconus in patients enrolled in the Collaborative Longitudinal Evaluation of Keratoconus Study. METHODS: The severity and progression of keratoconus in both men (M) and women were evaluated over a 4-year period that encompassed menopausal transition for hormone-active women (HA) and hormone-inactive women (HI). Four outcome measures were selected as indicators of the severity of keratoconus: high-contrast best-corrected visual acuity, low-contrast best-corrected visual acuity, the steep keratometric measurement, and corneal scarring (yes/no). RESULTS: There were no statistically significant differences among the 3 groups (M, HA, and HI) in race, history of atopic disease, family history of keratoconus, or rigid contact lens wear in the right and left eyes. At baseline, there were no significant differences among the 3 groups in high-contrast best-corrected visual acuity, low-contrast best-corrected visual acuity, or steep keratometric reading. Progression of keratoconus, as assessed by changes in these 3 continuous variables, was equal for the 3 groups. M had more corneal scarring than did HA or HI; however, there was no progression of scarring for any of the groups. CONCLUSION: Keratoconus progressed in both men and women, aged 48-59 years; however, there were no differences among the groups in progression.

A prospective randomized clinical trial comparing arthroscopic single- and double-row rotator cuff repair: magnetic resonance imaging and early clinical evaluation.

BACKGROUND: Double-row arthroscopic rotator cuff repair has become more popular, and some studies have shown better footprint coverage and improved biomechanics of the repair. HYPOTHESIS: Double-row rotator cuff repair leads to superior cuff integrity and early clinical results compared with single-row repair. STUDY DESIGN: Randomized controlled trial; Level of evidence, 1. METHODS: Forty patients were randomized to either single-row or double-row rotator cuff repair at the time of surgical intervention. Patients were followed with clinical measures (UCLA, Constant, WORC, SANE, ASES, as well as range of motion, internal rotation strength, and external rotation strength). Magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) studies were performed on each shoulder preoperatively, 6 weeks, 3 months, and 1 year after repair. RESULTS: Mean anteroposterior tear size by MRI was 1.8 cm. A mean of 2.25 anchors for single row (SR) and 3.2 for double row (DR) were used. There were 2 retears at 1 year in each group. There were 2 additional cases that had severe thinning in the DR repair group at 1 year. The MRI measurements of footprint coverage, tendon thickness, and tendon signal showed no significant differences between the 2 repair groups. At 1 year, there were no differences in any of the postoperative measures of motion or strength. At 1 year, mean WORC (SR, 84.8; DR, 87.9), Constant (SR, 77.8; DR, 74.4), ASES (SR, 85.9; DR, 85.5), UCLA (SR, 28.6; DR, 29.5), and SANE (SR, 90.9; DR, 89.9) scores showed no significant differences between groups. CONCLUSIONS: No clinical or MRI differences were seen between patients repaired with a SR or DR technique.

The contribution of lipid layer movement to tear film thinning and breakup.

PURPOSE: To investigate whether the tear film thinning between blinks is caused by evaporation or by tangential flow of the tear film along the surface of the cornea. Tangential flow was studied by measuring the movement of the lipid layer. METHODS: Four video recordings of the lipid layer of the tear film were made from 16 normal subjects, with the subjects keeping their eyes open for up to 30 seconds after a blink. To assess vertical and horizontal stretching of the lipid layer and underlying aqueous layer, lipid movement was analyzed at five positions, a middle position 1 mm below the corneal center, and four positions respectively 1 mm above, below, nasal, and temporal to this middle position. In addition, in 13 subjects, the thinning of the tear film after a blink was measured. RESULTS: The total upward movement could be fitted by the sum of an exponential decay plus a slow steady drift; this drift was upward in 14 of 16 subjects (P = 0.002). Areas of thick lipid were seen to expand causing upward or downward drift or horizontal movement. The velocity of the initial rapid upward movement and the time constant of upward movement were found to correlate significantly with tear film thickness but not with tear-thinning rate. CONCLUSIONS: Analysis indicated that the observed movement of the lipid layer was too slow to explain the observed thinning rate of the tear film. In the Appendix, it is shown that flow under a stationary lipid layer cannot explain the observed thinning rate. It is concluded that most of the observed tear thinning between blinks is due to evaporation.

Fluorescein pattern interpretation in keratoconus.

PURPOSE: The purpose of this study is to assess the effect of disease severity on how accurately contact lens fluorescein patterns can be interpreted in keratoconus by clinician assessment. METHODS: Two clinicians evaluated fluorescein patterns on 111 eyes of 60 patients with mild (<45 D, 14 eyes), moderate (45 D to 52 D, 61 eyes,) and severe (>52 D, 36 eyes) keratoconus. The masked clinicians were given six contact lenses in random order, the lens that just cleared the corneal apex (the first definite apical clearance lens), three lenses flatter (in 0.1 mm increments), and two lenses steeper (in 0.1 mm increments) than the first definite apical clearance lens. They ranked the lenses from flattest to steepest, based on the fluorescein patterns. The percentage of lenses correctly ranked was determined using (1) exact match with actual; (2) within 0.1 mm of actual; and (3) within 0.2 mm of actual. Accuracy was assessed as the sum of the squared differences between the actual base curve value and each clinician's ranking. Comparison of the mean percentage correctly ranked and accuracy for each keratoconus severity groups was performed using a mixed linear model. RESULTS: Neither percentage correctly ranked (using any of the three protocols) nor accuracy was found to be related to severity of keratoconus (p > 0.15 for all comparisons). CONCLUSIONS: Accuracy of ranking contact lenses in order of base curve radius based on fluorescein pattern assessment by clinicians does not seem to be related to severity of keratoconus. Many factors influence interpretation of fluorescein patterns including all components of the system, fluorescein, tears, cornea, contact lens, external forces, and technique.

Contributions of evaporation and other mechanisms to tear film thinning and break-up.

PURPOSE: To evaluate the contribution of three mechanisms-evaporation of the tear film, inward flow of water into the corneal epithelium or contact lens, and "tangential flow" along the surface of epithelium or contact lens-to the thinning of the tear film between blinks and to tear film break-up. In addition to a discussion of relevant studies, some previously unpublished images are presented illustrating aspects of tear film break-up. CONTRIBUTIONS OF THREE MECHANISMS TO TEAR FILM BREAK-UP: Inward flow of water into the epithelium or contact lens is probably unimportant, and a small flow in the opposite direction may actually occur. Tangential flow is probably important in certain special cases of tear film break-up-at the black line near the tear meniscus, over surface elevations, after partial blinks, and from small thick lipid spots in the tear film. In all these special cases it is argued that tangential flow is important initially, but evaporation may be needed for final thinning to break-up. It is argued that most of the observed tear film thinning between blinks is due to evaporation, rather than tangential flow, and that large "pool" break-up regions are the result of evaporation over an extended area. CONCLUSION: Evaporation in our "free-air" conditions may be four to five times faster than the average of the values reported in the literature when air currents are prevented by preocular chambers. However, recent evaporation measurements using "ventilated chambers" give higher values, which may correspond better to free-air conditions. Thus evaporation may be fast enough to explain many cases of tear film break-up, and to give rise to considerable increases in the local osmolarity of the tear film between blinks.

Multi-substrate flavonol O-glucosyltransferases from strawberry (Fragaria x ananassa) achene and receptacle.

In an effort to characterize fruit ripening-related genes functionally, two glucosyltransferases, FaGT6 and FaGT7, were cloned from a strawberry (Fragaria x ananassa) cDNA library and the full-length open reading frames were amplified by rapid amplification of cDNA ends. FaGT6 and FaGT7 were expressed heterologously as fusion proteins in Escherichia coli and target protein was purified using affinity chromatography. Both recombinant enzymes exhibited a broad substrate tolerance in vitro, accepting numerous flavonoids, hydroxycoumarins, and naphthols. FaGT6 formed 3-O-glucosides and minor amounts of 7-O-, 4'-O-, and 3'-O-monoglucosides and one diglucoside from flavonols such as quercetin. FaGT7 converted quercetin to the 3-O-glucoside and 4'-O-glucoside and minor levels of the 7- and 3'-isomers but formed no diglucoside. Gene expression studies showed that both genes are strongly expressed in achenes of small-sized green fruits, while the expression levels were generally lower in the receptacle. Significant levels of quercetin 3-O-, 7-O-, and 4'-O-glucosides, kaempferol 3-O- and 7-O-glucosides, as well as isorhamnetin 7-O-glucoside, were identified in achenes and the receptacle. In the receptacle, the expression of both genes is negatively controlled by auxin which correlates with the ripening-related gene expression in this tissue. Salicylic acid, a known signal molecule in plant defence, induces the expression of both genes. Thus, it appears that FaGT6 and FaGT7 are involved in the glucosylation of flavonols and may also participate in xenobiotic metabolism. The latter function is supported by the proven ability of strawberries to glucosylate selected unnatural substrates injected in ripe fruits. This report presents the first biochemical characterization of enzymes mainly expressed in strawberry achenes and provides the foundation of flavonoid metabolism in the seeds.

Patients' and psychiatrists' perceptions of clinical decisions during schizophrenia treatment.

Shared decision making is advocated for patients with schizophrenia. However, there is limited knowledge as to which events are actually considered to be decisions by psychiatrists and patients. Semistructured interviews with regard to clinical decisions of the preceding week were performed with psychiatrists and inpatients with schizophrenia. There was good correspondence between patients and psychiatrists regarding decisional topics but poor correspondence regarding individual decisions. Medication issues were the most prominent, but other topics were also frequently cited. Not being included in decisions was associated with patients' desire to make the decisions differently. Patients treated involuntarily felt more often that they were not included in decisions and wanted to make different decisions. Thus, many patients do not feel involved in treatment decisions and are at the risk of noncompliance since they state that they would have made decisions differently from their psychiatrists. This is especially true of those being treated involuntarily.

Redirection of flavonoid biosynthesis through the down-regulation of an anthocyanidin glucosyltransferase in ripening strawberry fruit.

Strawberry (Fragaria x ananassa) fruit contains several anthocyanins that give the ripe fruits their attractive red color. The enzyme that catalyzes the formation of the first stable intermediate in the anthocyanin pathway is anthocyanidin-3-O-glucosyltransferase. A putative glycosyltransferase sequence (FaGT1) was cloned from a strawberry fruit cDNA library and the recombinant FaGT1 transferred UDP-glucose to anthocyanidins and, to a lesser extent, flavonols, generating the respective 3-O-glucosides. Quantitative polymerase chain reaction revealed that transcripts of FaGT1 were almost undetectable in green fruits, but gene expression increased dramatically in both turning and ripe red fruit, corresponding closely to the accumulation of anthocyanins during fruit ripening. The expression of FaGT1 is fruit associated and negatively regulated by auxin. To elucidate the in planta function of FaGT1, Agrobacterium tumefaciens cells harboring an intron-hairpin construct of a partial FaGT1 sequence were injected into midsized ripening fruits. In about one-third of the injected fruits, this led to significant down-regulation of FaGT1 transcript levels that corresponded to reduced concentrations of anthocyanin pigments in ripe strawberry fruits. In contrast, significant levels of epiafzelechin--formed by anthocyanidin reductase (ANR) from pelargonidin--were identified in FaGT1-silenced fruits, indicating competition of FaGT1 and FaANR for the common anthocyanidin substrate. Thus, FaGT1 represents an important branching-point enzyme because it is channeling the flavonoid pathway to anthocyanins. These results demonstrate a method to redirect the anthocyanin biosynthesis into flavan-3-ol production to increase the levels of bioactive natural products or modify pigments in plant tissues.

Sex- and gender-based differences in healthy and diseased eyes.

PURPOSE: The aim of this study was to identify sex- and gender-based differences in ocular anatomy, physiology, and disease susceptibility or manifestation. METHODS: Review of current indexed literature was conducted. RESULTS: Sex and sex hormones influence the lacrimal system, eyelids and blinking, corneal anatomy and disease, aqueous humor dynamics and glaucoma, crystalline lens and cataract, uveitis and retinal disease, ocular circulation, and optic nerve anatomy and disease. Systemic conditions, particularly autoimmune disease, and conditions that are unique to women, such as pregnancy and menopause, further illustrate the effects of sex hormones on the eye. Gender-based differences in ocular conditions and disease should be considered within the context of the underlying physical and social environment. CONCLUSIONS: Many sex- and gender-based differences exist in healthy and diseased eyes.

Functional characterization of enone oxidoreductases from strawberry and tomato fruit.

Fragaria x ananassa enone oxidoreductase (FaEO), earlier putatively assigned as quinone oxidoreductase, is a ripening-induced, negatively auxin-regulated enzyme that catalyzes the formation of 4-hydroxy-2,5-dimethyl-3(2H)-furanone (HDMF), the key flavor compound in strawberry fruit by the reduction of the alpha,beta-unsaturated bond of the highly reactive precursor 4-hydroxy-5-methyl-2-methylene-3(2H)-furanone (HMMF). Here we show that recombinant FaEO does not reduce the double bond of straight-chain 2-alkenals or 2-alkenones but rather hydrogenates previously unknown HMMF derivatives substituted at the methylene functional group. The furanones were prepared from 4-hydroxy-5-methyl-3(2H)-furanone with a number of aldehydes and a ketone. The kinetic data for the newly synthesized aroma-active substrates and products are similar to the values obtained for an enone oxidoreductase from Arabidopsis thaliana catalyzing the alpha,beta-hydrogenation of 2-alkenals. HMMF, the substrate of FaEO that is formed during strawberry fruit ripening, was also detected in tomato and pineapple fruit by HPLC-ESI-MSn and became 13C-labeled when d-[6-13C]-glucose was applied to the fruits, which suggested that a similar HDMF biosynthetic pathway occurs in the different plant species. With a database search (http://ted.bti.cornell.edu/ and http://genet.imb.uq.edu.au/Pineapple/), we identified a tomato and pineapple expressed sequence tag that shows significant homology to FaEO. Solanum lycopersicon EO (SlEO) was cloned from cDNA, and the protein was expressed in Escherichia coli and purified. Biochemical studies confirmed the involvement of SlEO in the biosynthesis of HDMF in tomato fruit.

Cloning and functional characterization of three terpene synthases from lavender (Lavandula angustifolia).

The essential oil of lavender (Lavandula angustifolia) is mainly composed of mono- and sesquiterpenes. Using a homology-based PCR strategy, two monoterpene synthases (LaLIMS and LaLINS) and one sesquiterpene synthase (LaBERS) were cloned from lavender leaves and flowers. LaLIMS catalyzed the formation of (R)-(+)-limonene, terpinolene, (1R,5S)-(+)-camphene, (1R,5R)-(+)-alpha-pinene, beta-myrcene and traces of alpha-phellandrene. The proportions of these products changed significantly when Mn(2+) was supplied as the cofactor instead of Mg(2+). The second enzyme LaLINS produced exclusively (R)-(-)-linalool, the main component of lavender essential oil. LaBERS transformed farnesyl diphosphate and represents the first reported trans-alpha-bergamotene synthase. It accepted geranyl diphosphate with higher affinity than farnesyl diphosphate and also produced monoterpenes, albeit at low rates. LaBERS is probably derived from a parental monoterpene synthase by the loss of the plastidial signal peptide and by broadening its substrate acceptance spectrum. The identification and description of the first terpene synthases from L. angustifolia forms the basis for the biotechnological modification of essential oil composition in lavender.

Oxygen demands with hybrid contact lenses.

PURPOSE: The purpose of this study was to assess the corneal response, as measured by corneal oxygen uptake, of keratoconic corneas to SoftPerm and SynergEyes hybrid contact lenses at the central cornea, 2.0 and 4.5 mm temporal to the central cornea, and 1 mm temporal to the limbus. METHODS: Corneal oxygen uptake rates were measured with a Clark-type polarographic electrode on the right eyes of 14 subjects and the left eye of 1 subject, all with keratoconus. Measurements were made at the central cornea, 2.0 and 4.5 mm temporal to the central cornea, and 1 mm temporal to the limbus. They were made for the open eye condition, as well as following 300 s of SoftPerm and SynergEyes hybrid contact lens wear. A one-way analysis of variance (ANOVA) was used to determine the effect of measurement location on oxygen uptake rates under uncovered eye conditions. To determine the difference among oxygen uptake rates relative to those of the uncovered eye at each measurement location for each hybrid lens, a two-way repeated measures ANOVA was used. Multiple comparisons with Tukey-Kramer adjustment were used post hoc to determine which locations were significantly different. RESULTS: For the uncovered keratoconic cornea, there was no significant difference among the oxygen uptake rates associated with the three corneal locations; however, the oxygen uptake rates measured 1 mm temporal to the limbus were significantly higher than those measured at the three corneal locations. Comparison of oxygen uptake rates measured with the SoftPerm and SynergEyes lenses relative to those of the uncovered eye at each location revealed significantly higher rates at the peripheral cornea than at the central cornea. At all locations, the relative oxygen uptake rates obtained with the SynergEyes lenses were lower than those obtained with the SoftPerm lenses. CONCLUSIONS: The SynergEyes lens allows significantly more oxygen to reach the cornea during wear than the SoftPerm lens at the central cornea, as well as 2.0 mm and 4.5 mm temporal to the central cornea.

Corneal oxygen uptake associated with piggyback contact lens systems.

PURPOSE: The purpose of this study was to determine the effects of static (without blinking) and dynamic (with blinking once every 5 seconds) wear of piggyback contact lens systems on corneal oxygen uptake. METHODS: Corneal oxygen uptake rates were measured on the right eyes of 11 human subjects by using a polarographic electrode. Measurements were made for the normal open eye and after 5 minutes of wear of 4 rigid lens materials (Dk/t 0-82.5), 4 soft lens materials (Dk/t 13-122), and 16 combinations of rigid and soft lens materials. The piggyback systems were worn under both static and dynamic conditions. Repeated-measures analysis of variance was used to compare oxygen uptake rates associated with the wear of the rigid lens components, soft lens components, piggyback systems, and static versus dynamic wearing conditions. Spearman correlation coefficients and regression analyses were used to examine relationships between corneal oxygen uptake rates. RESULTS: Measurable differences were found among oxygen uptake rates associated with the rigid lens components, soft lens components, and piggyback systems. Blinking resulted in no reduction in corneal oxygen uptake with the piggyback systems. Corneal oxygen uptake associated with the wear of the piggyback systems could not be predicted from those associated with the rigid and soft lens components of the systems. CONCLUSIONS: Piggyback combinations of rigid and soft lens components with the highest transmissibilities resulted in the least increase in corneal oxygen uptake beyond that of the normal open eye.

FaGT2: a multifunctional enzyme from strawberry (Fragaria x ananassa) fruits involved in the metabolism of natural and xenobiotic compounds.

Fragaria x ananassa UDP-glucose:cinnamate glucosyltransferase (FaGT2) catalyzes the formation of cinnamic acid and p-coumaric acid glucose esters during strawberry fruit ripening. Here, the ripening and oxidative stress induced enzyme was further characterized by testing a range of structurally different substrates of natural and unnatural origin in vitro and comparing their kinetic parameters to elucidate its additional biological functions. The accepted substrates ranged from derivatives of cinnamic acid and benzoic acid to heterocyclic and aliphatic compounds resulting in the formation of O- and S-glucose esters, as well as O-glucosides. In planta assays confirmed the formation of glucose derivatives after injection of the substrates into strawberry fruits. Common chemical and structural features required for activity were the easy subtraction of a proton from the glucosylation site and the conjugation of the formed anion with pi-electrons as best realized in the simplest substrate sorbic acid. In addition to cinnamic acid, the natural compounds anthranilic acid, trans-2-hexenoic acid, nicotinic acid and 2,5-dimethyl-4-hydroxy-3[2H]-furanone were glucosylated in vitro. But FaGT2 was also capable of efficiently converting xenobiotic substances like the herbicide 2,4,5-trichlorophenol and the herbicide analogue 3,5-dichloro-4-hydroxybenzoic acid. The results suggest that FaGT2 is involved in the detoxification of xenobiotics in accordance to its induction by oxidative stress.