Quantifying Appetite and Satiety

The scientific study of human appetite and eating behavior has become increasingly important in recent years due to the rise of body fat dysregulation and the conditions of obesity, diabetes and eating disorders. In addition, changes in appetite occur in several other disease states and physical conditions affecting general health. For these reasons a strong methodology is required to ensure objective and quantifiable measures of appetite behavior and associated psychological sensations. The use of a multi-level research platform can help the alignment of psychological, behavioral and physiological variables. The Satiety Cascade provides a graphic formulation for clarifying distinct measurable variables such as hunger, satiation and satiety. An agreed methodology allows outcomes from different studies to be compared. Specific experimental designs, measurement instruments, and standard operating procedures have been developed to ensure good conduct. Several study designs are widely used and can be deployed to answer specific research questions. Specific procedures have been developed for the measurement of homeostatic and hedonic processes involved in appetite. A case study of the comprehensive assessment of a potential anti-obesity drug is described as a model procedure. Good Laboratory Practice applies in this field as in other areas of biomedical research

The complete genome sequence of the Gram-positive bacterium Bacillus subtilis

Bacillus subtilis is the best-characterized member of the Gram-positive bacteria. Its genome of 4,214,810 base pairs comprises 4,100 protein-coding genes. Of these protein-coding genes, 53% are represented once, while a quarter of the genome corresponds to several gene families that have been greatly expanded by gene duplication, the largest family containing 77 putative ATP-binding transport proteins. In addition, a large proportion of the genetic capacity is devoted to the utilization of a variety of carbon sources, including many plant-derived molecules. The identification of five signal peptidase genes, as well as several genes for components of the secretion apparatus, is important given the capacity of Bacillus strains to secrete large amounts of industrially important enzymes. Many of the genes are involved in the synthesis of secondary metabolites, including antibiotics, that are more typically associated with Streptomyces species. The genome contains at least ten prophages or remnants of prophages, indicating that bacteriophage infection has played an important evolutionary role in horizontal gene transfer, in particular in the propagation of bacterial pathogenesis.