A shared accretion instability for black holes and neutron stars.

Accretion disks around compact objects are expected to enter an unstable phase at high luminosity1. One instability may occur when the radiation pressure generated by accretion modifies the disk viscosity, resulting in the cyclic depletion and refilling of the inner disk on short timescales2. Such a scenario, however, has only been quantitatively verified for a single stellar-mass black hole3-5. Although there are hints of these cycles in a few isolated cases6-10, their apparent absence in the variable emission of most bright accreting neutron stars and black holes has been a continuing puzzle11. Here we report the presence of the same multiwavelength instability around an accreting neutron star. Moreover, we show that the variability across the electromagnetic spectrum-from radio to X-ray-of both black holes and neutron stars at high accretion rates can be explained consistently if the accretion disks are unstable, producing relativistic ejections during transitions that deplete or refill the inner disk. Such a new association allows us to identify the main physical components responsible for the fast multiwavelength variability of highly accreting compact objects.

A persistent ultraviolet outflow from an accreting neutron star binary transient.

All disc-accreting astrophysical objects produce powerful disc winds. In compact binaries containing neutron stars or black holes, accretion often takes place during violent outbursts. The main disc wind signatures during these eruptions are blue-shifted X-ray absorption lines, which are preferentially seen in disc-dominated 'soft states'1,2. By contrast, optical wind-formed lines have recently been detected in 'hard states', when a hot corona dominates the luminosity3. The relationship between these signatures is unknown, and no erupting system has as yet revealed wind-formed lines between the X-ray and optical bands, despite the many strong resonance transitions in this ultraviolet (UV) region4. Here we report that the transient neutron star binary Swift J1858.6-0814 exhibits wind-formed, blue-shifted absorption lines associated with C IV, N V and He II in time-resolved UV spectroscopy during a luminous hard state, which we interpret as a warm, moderately ionized outflow component in this state. Simultaneously observed optical lines also display transient blue-shifted absorption. Decomposing the UV data into constant and variable components, the blue-shifted absorption is associated with the former. This implies that the outflow is not associated with the luminous flares in the data. The joint presence of UV and optical wind features reveals a multi-phase and/or spatially stratified evaporative outflow from the outer disc5. This type of persistent mass loss across all accretion states has been predicted by radiation-hydrodynamic simulations6 and helps to explain the shorter-than-expected duration of outbursts7.

Super-Eddington mechanical power of an accreting black hole in M83.

Mass accretion onto black holes releases energy in the form of radiation and outflows. Although the radiative flux cannot substantially exceed the Eddington limit, at which the outgoing radiation pressure impedes the inflow of matter, it remains unclear whether the kinetic energy flux is bounded by this same limit. Here, we present the detection of a radio-optical structure, powered by outflows from a non-nuclear black hole. Its accretion disk properties indicate that this black hole is less than 100 solar masses. The optical-infrared line emission implies an average kinetic power of 3 × 10(40) erg second(-1), higher than the Eddington luminosity of the black hole. These results demonstrate kinetic power exceeding the Eddington limit over a sustained period, which implies greater ability to influence the evolution of the black hole's environment.

Herschel detects a massive dust reservoir in supernova 1987A.

We report far-infrared and submillimeter observations of supernova 1987A, the star whose explosion was observed on 23 February 1987 in the Large Magellanic Cloud, a galaxy located 160,000 light years away. The observations reveal the presence of a population of cold dust grains radiating with a temperature of about 17 to 23 kelvin at a rate of about 220 times the luminosity of the Sun. The intensity and spectral energy distribution of the emission suggest a dust mass of about 0.4 to 0.7 times the mass of the Sun. The radiation must originate from the supernova ejecta and requires the efficient precipitation of all refractory material into dust. Our observations imply that supernovae can produce the large dust masses detected in young galaxies at very high redshifts.

Phosphorylation of the Saccharomyces cerevisiae La protein does not appear to be required for its functions in tRNA maturation and nascent RNA stabilization.

An abundant nuclear phosphoprotein, the La autoantigen, is the first protein to bind all newly synthesized RNA polymerase III transcripts. Binding by the La protein to the 3' ends of these RNAs stabilizes the nascent transcripts from exonucleolytic degradation. In the yeasts Saccharomyces cerevisiae and Schizosaccharomyces pombe, the La protein is required for the normal pathway of tRNA maturation. Experiments in which the human protein was expressed in S. pombe have suggested that phosphorylation of the La protein regulates tRNA maturation. To dissect the role of phosphorylation in La protein function, we used mass spectrometry to identify three sites of serine phosphorylation in the S. cerevisiae La protein Lhp1p. Mutant versions of Lhp1p, in which each of the serines was mutated to alanine, were expressed in yeast cells lacking Lhp1p. Using two-dimensional gel electrophoresis, we determined that we had identified and mutated all major sites of phosphorylation in Lhp1p. Lhp1p lacking all three phosphorylation sites was functional in several yeast strains that require Lhp1p for growth. Northern blotting revealed no effects of Lhp1p phosphorylation status on either pre-tRNA maturation or stabilization of nascent RNAs. Both wild-type and mutant Lhp1 proteins localized to both nucleoplasm and nucleoli, demonstrating that phosphorylation does not affect subcellular location. Thus, although La proteins from yeast to humans are phosphoproteins, phosphorylation does not appear to be required for any of the identified functions of the S. cerevisiae protein.

Puromycin-rRNA interaction sites at the peptidyl transferase center.

The binding site of puromycin was probed chemically in the peptidyl-transferase center of ribosomes from Escherichia coli and of puromycin-hypersensitive ribosomes from the archaeon Haloferax gibbonsii. Several nucleotides of the 23S rRNAs showed altered chemical reactivities in the presence of puromycin. They include A2439, G2505, and G2553 for E. coli, and G2058, A2503, G2505, and G2553 for Hf. gibbonsii (using the E. coli numbering system). Reproducible enhanced reactivities were also observed at A508 and A1579 within domains I and III, respectively, of E. coli 23S rRNA. In further experiments, puromycin was shown to produce a major reduction in the UV-induced crosslinking of deacylated-(2N3A76)tRNA to U2506 within the P' site of E. coli ribosomes. Moreover, it strongly stimulated the putative UV-induced crosslink between a streptogramin B drug and m2A2503/psi2504 at an adjacent site in E. coli 23S rRNA. These data strongly support the concept that puromycin, along with other peptidyl-transferase antibiotics, in particular the streptogramin B drugs, bind to an RNA structural motif that contains several conserved and accessible base moieties of the peptidyl transferase loop region. This streptogramin motif is also likely to provide binding sites for the 3' termini of the acceptor and donor tRNAs. In contrast, the effects at A508 and A1579, which are located at the exit site of the peptide channel, are likely to be caused by a structural effect transmitted along the peptide channel.

Characterization of the solution conformations of unbound and Tat peptide-bound forms of HIV-1 TAR RNA.

Basic peptides from the carboxy terminus of the HIV-1 Tat protein bind to the apical stem-loop region of TAR RNA with high affinity and moderate specificity. The conformations of the unbound and 24 residue Tat peptide (Tfr24)-bound forms of TAR RNA have been characterized by NMR spectroscopy. The unbound form of TAR exists in major and minor forms having different trinucleotide bulge conformations. A specific TAR RNA conformational change is observed upon complex formation with Tfr24, consisting of coaxial stacking of helical stems and base triple formation. A U23-A27-U38 base triple is proposed based on exchangeable proton NMR data, where U23 forms a base pair with A27 in the major groove. No evidence for base triple formation was found for Tat peptides in which lysine residues are extensively substituted for arginine.

Comparison of PCR, culture, and direct fluorescent-antibody testing for detection of Bordetella pertussis.

We prospectively compared the performance of culture, direct fluorescent-antibody testing (DFA), and an in-house-developed PCR test targeting the repeated insertion sequence IS481 for the detection of Bordetella pertussis in nasopharyngeal swab specimens. We tested 319 consecutive paired specimens on which all three tests were performed. A total of 59 specimens were positive by one or more tests. Of these, 5 were positive by all three tests, 2 were positive by culture and PCR, 16 were positive by PCR and DFA, 28 were positive by PCR only, and 8 were positive by DFA only. Any specimen positive by culture was considered to be a true positive, as were specimens positive by both PCR and DFA. Specimens positive only by PCR or DFA were considered discrepant, and their status was resolved by review of patient histories. Patients with symptoms meeting the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention clinical case definition for pertussis and who had a specimen positive by PCR or DFA were considered to have true B. pertussis infections. Of the 28 patients positive by PCR only, 20 met the clinical case definition for pertussis, while 3 of the 8 patients positive by DFA only met the clinical case definition. After resolution of the status of discrepant specimens, the sensitivity, specificity, positive predictive value, and negative predictive value were 15.2, 100, 100, and 87.5%, respectively, for culture; 93.5, 97.1, 84.3, and 98.9%, respectively, for PCR; and 52.2, 98.2, 82.8, and 92.4%, respectively, for DFA. The actual positive predictive value of PCR was probably greater, as several PCR-positive patients who did not meet the clinical case definition had symptoms consistent with typical or atypical pertussis. PCR is a sensitive and specific method for the detection of B. pertussis.

Binding of the 60-kDa Ro autoantigen to Y RNAs: evidence for recognition in the major groove of a conserved helix.

The 60-kDa Ro autoantigen is normally complexed with small cytoplasmic RNAs known as Y RNAs. In Xenopus oocytes, the Ro protein is also complexed with a large class of variant 5S rRNA precursors that are folded incorrectly. Using purified baculovirus-expressed protein, we show that the 60-kDa Ro protein binds directly to both Y RNAs and misfolded 5S rRNA precursors. To understand how the protein recognizes these two distinct classes of RNAs, we investigated the features of Y RNA sequence and structure that are necessary for protein recognition. We identified a truncated Y RNA that is stably bound by the 60-kDa Ro protein. Within this 39-nt RNA is a conserved helix that is proposed to be the binding site for the Ro protein. Mutagenesis of this minimal Y RNA revealed that binding by the 60-kDa Ro protein requires specific base pairs within the conserved helix, a singly bulged nucleotide that disrupts the helix, and a three-nucleotide bulge on the opposing strand. Chemical probing experiments using diethyl pyrocarbonate demonstrated that, in the presence of the two bulges, the major groove of the conserved helix is accessible to protein side chains. These data are consistent with a model in which the Ro protein recognizes specific base pairs in the conserved helix by binding in the major groove of the RNA. Furthermore, experiments in which dimethyl sulfate was used to probe a naked and protein-bound Y RNA revealed that a structural alteration occurs in the RNA upon Ro protein binding.

Interaction of human immunodeficiency virus type 1 Tat-derived peptides with TAR RNA.

Basic peptides from the carboxy terminus of the human immunodeficiency virus type 1 (HIV-1) Tat protein bind to the stem-loop region of TAR RNA, spanning a trinucleotide bulge, with high affinity and moderate specificity. Previous studies have demonstrated that TAR RNA contains a specific arginine binding pocket. A series of 24 amino acid Tat-derived peptides with one or two arginines has been evaluated as possible structural models of the wild-type peptide in its interaction with TAR RNA, using gel electrophoretic methods and circular dichroism (CD) spectroscopy. Dissociation rate measurements indicate that these peptides form complexes with TAR RNA that are significantly less stable kinetically than the wild-type complex. Through a combination of dissociation and association rate measurements, we estimate that wild-type Tat peptide and TAR RNA interact with a Kd of about 16 pM. Together with competition experiments, these results confirm that band shift gel titration methods significantly underestimate absolute peptide-RNA binding affinities in the subnanomolar range. Through competition experiments with bulge mutants of TAR RNA, we demonstrate that peptides that form longer lived complexes with wild-type TAR RNA also show greater discrimination over TAR RNA bulge mutants. Difference CD spectra show that the Tat-derived peptides do not induce the same changes in TAR RNA as the wild-type peptide. The difference CD spectrum of argininamide bound to TAR RNA is most similar to that of the wild-type peptide-TAR RNA complex, implying that the differences in CD spectra upon complex formation are mostly due to changes in TAR RNA conformation.

Multicenter evaluation of ondansetron use in hospitalized oncology patients.

An evaluation of ondansetron use in oncology patients in three hospitals is described. Criteria for the use of ondansetron were developed and approved by each hospital's pharmacy and therapeutics committee or medical staff executive committee. Ondansetron use was concurrently monitored in adult inpatients for four months. Nursing and physician notes were reviewed, and the patients were interviewed. Data were collected on patient demographics, medical history, dosage of ondansetron, outcome, adverse effects, and concurrent medications. The approved criteria were used to evaluate the appropriateness, effectiveness, and safety of ondansetron therapy. A total of 262 oncology patients were evaluated. Of these, 223 (85%) received ondansetron appropriately based on the emetic potential of their antineoplastic drug regimen. Ondansetron was correctly prescribed for acute-phase prophylaxis of nausea and vomiting in 252 patients (96%). Only 117 (45%) of the patients met the criterion for appropriate dosage. The mean +/- S.D. dose of ondansetron was 11.7 +/- 3.22 mg, and the mean +/- S.D. number of doses received per patient was 4.4 +/- 3.23. Of the 135 patients who received an inappropriate dosage, 106 (79%) were given a dose larger than currently recommended by the manufacturer. Positive outcomes, defined as no more than two episodes of vomiting, no more than two episodes of retching, and no more than two p.r.n. doses of antiemetics, were observed in 97%, 99.6%, and 94% of the 248 patients included in the outcome analysis, respectively. Chemotherapy was completed on schedule in all the patients, and there were no complications due to excessive vomiting or retching. Adverse reactions were reported by 21 patients (8%).(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)

Methotrexate and nonsteroidal antiinflammatory drug interactions.

OBJECTIVE: To determine if the coadministration of methotrexate (MTX) and nonsteroidal antiinflammatory drugs (NSAIDs) results in a clinically significant drug interaction. DATA SOURCES: A case report of hematologic toxicity following the administration of MTX and flurbiprofen at our institution is presented. Six previously published case reports and five pharmacokinetic studies regarding MTX and NSAID interactions are available to assist in the evaluation of this potential interaction. DATA SYNTHESIS: Cases of various clinical manifestations during concomitant MTX and NSAID administration, including acute renal failure and pancytopenia, have been reported. The exact mechanism of the interaction has not been fully elucidated. Suggested theories to explain the mechanism of MTX toxicity include reduction in MTX clearance secondary to renal capillary constriction induced by NSAIDs, displacement of MTX or its metabolite from plasma proteins, competition between MTX and NSAIDs for renal tubular excretion, or impairment of hepatic metabolism of MTX by NSAIDs. Studies comparing MTX pharmacokinetics with or without concurrent NSAID therapy have not shown statistical differences in the parameters evaluated. However, one study did demonstrate differences in the pharmacokinetics of 7-hydroxy-methotrexate, the active metabolite of MTX, when MTX was administered with aspirin. CONCLUSIONS: Although a clinically significant interaction does not occur in all patients, numerous case reports are available that demonstrate possible problems following the coadministration of MTX and NSAIDs. To date, the specific circumstances during which the reaction may occur have not been well defined.