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Biomedical subjects

A Eng

Publications and source records attributed to A Eng.

At least 19 recordsLinked to original sources

The effects of fear and hunger on food neophobia in humans.

We examined the effects of hunger and fear on food neophobia in humans. Subjects came to the experiment five or more hours food-deprived (high hunger) or two or less hours food-deprived (low hunger) and were assigned either to give a speech (high fear) or to listen to a speech (low fear). All subjects were then given the task of selecting for tasting one member of each of ten pairs of foods, each pair consisting of one novel and one familiar food. The number of novel foods chosen was the measure of food neophobia (with fewer choices indicative of greater neophobia). The results indicated that subjects were least neophobic in the low fear-low hunger condition and were tentatively interpreted in terms of Hull's (1943) theory of behavior. That is, it was assumed that fear and hunger summated to produce different levels of drive in the various conditions, which combined with responses of different habit strength (the tendency to approach novel stimuli and the tendency to approach familiar stimuli) to produce the results obtained.

Adult

Molecular cloning and characterization of the promoter region of the mouse regulatory subunit RII beta of type II cAMP-dependent protein kinase.

The promoter and exon 1 of the regulatory subunit (RII beta) of type II cAMP-dependent protein kinase were isolated from a mouse genomic library. The 5'-flanking DNA lacked TATA and CAAT sites but contained GC rich regions typically found in constitutively expressed house keeping genes. Fusion gene constructs, containing RII beta 5'-flanking sequences and the bacterial CAT structural gene, were transfected into NB2a neuroblastoma cells and CHO cells. The NB2a cells expressed high levels of CAT activity. CHO cells expressed CAT activity at 5% of the level seen in the NB2a cells. Transfection of deletion constructs into both cell lines was used to define the core promoter and enhancer elements. The core promoter was situated between bp -291/-121. An enhancer element was located between bp -1426/-1018.

Amino Acid Sequence

Unusual presentation of cutaneous metastatic malignant melanoma.

This report describes an unusual presentation of cutaneous metastases suspected to have occurred through lymphatic spread in a patient with malignant melanoma. Punctate papular skin lesions correlated histologically with small tumor foci in the papillary dermis.

Adult

Peutz-Jeghers-like melanotic macules associated with esophageal adenocarcinoma.

A 67-year-old white man with esophageal adenocarcinoma presented with Peutz-Jeghers-like macules on the lips, face, nipples, and rectal mucosa. Pathological examination of the macules showed atypical melanocytes in the epidermis. The pleomorphic large melanocytes resembled the neoplastic cells seen in melanoma in situ. This is the first report of proliferation of atypical melanocytes in Peutz-Jeghers-like melanosis associated with a primary esophageal adenocarcinoma.

Adenocarcinoma

Elastic globes: electron microscopic and immunohistochemical observations.

Specimens from a patient with epidermolysis bullosa contained many elastic globes in the dermis. Ultrastructurally they were composed of (i) medium electron-dense amorphous substances, (ii) electron-dense round structures, and (iii) fine filaments. These various elements were seldom organized into typical normal elastic fiber and, therefore, it was difficult ultrastructurally to recognize them as such or components thereof. Immunohistochemically, elastic globes were strongly reactive with NKH-1, which stains elastic microfibrils, and antibody to serum amyloid P component (anti-SAP), which binds to elastic fiber microfibrils. However, elastic globes were negative with EKH-4 which recognizes 50 kd keratin of amyloid keratin and cytoid bodies. These findings suggested that elastic globes have a close immunologic profile to elastic fiber microfibrils, but not that of epidermal or epithelial keratin.

Adult

Association between acrochordons and colonic polyps.

Fifty-four male and female patients with suspected colonic disease were examined for the presence of acrochordons prior to colonoscopy. Thirty-five of these patients (65%) had skin tags and twenty-six (48%) were found to have colonic polyps. In this study patients with acrochordons were significantly (p less than 0.005) more likely to have adenomatous polyps; thus, skin tags may be good markers for the presence of polyps in patients with suspected colonic disease. However, any association between colonic polyps and acrochordons in the general population requires further examination.

Adult

Angiographic evolution of coronary artery morphology in unstable angina.

As previously reported in acute presentations of unstable angina, an identifiable characteristic coronary artery lesion has been found in about 70% of cases at coronary arteriography. This takes the form of an eccentrically placed convex stenosis with a narrow neck due to one or more overhanging edges or irregular, scalloped borders, or both. To study the evolution of lesions responsible for unstable angina, coronary artery anatomy and morphology on angiography were evaluated in patients with stable angina progressing to unstable angina. Group I comprised 25 patients with a history of stable angina who were restudied after an acute episode of unstable angina and Group II comprised 21 patients with little or no change in symptoms between catheterizations. Progression of coronary disease occurred in 19 (76%) of 25 patients in Group I compared with 7 (33%) of 21 in Group II (p less than 0.001). Of the 25 lesions with progression in Group I, 17 progressed to less than 100% and 8 to 100% occlusion. Eighteen of these 25 lesions in Group I were previously insignificant (less than 50% occlusion on the first catheterization). In contrast, of the eight lesions with disease progression in Group II, only two were previously insignificant while six showed at least 50% occlusion on the initial study. The eccentric lesion was seen in 71% of all lesions with progression to less than 100% occlusion in Group I, but it was not seen in any Group II vessel with progression.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)

Aged

Angiographic morphology and the pathogenesis of unstable angina pectoris.

In 110 patients with either stable or unstable angina, the morphology of coronary artery lesions was qualitatively assessed at angiography. Each obstruction reducing the luminal diameter of the vessel by 50% or greater was categorized into one of the following morphologic groups: concentric (symmetric narrowing); type I eccentric (asymmetric narrowing with smooth borders and a broad neck); type II eccentric (asymmetric with a narrow neck or irregular borders, or both); and multiple irregular coronary narrowings in series. For the entire group, type II eccentric lesions were significantly more frequent in the 63 patients with unstable angina (p less than 0.001), whereas concentric and type I eccentric lesions were seen more frequently in the 47 patients with stable angina (p less than 0.05). Type II eccentric lesions were also present in 29 of 41 arteries in patients with unstable angina compared with 4 of 25 arteries in those with stable angina (p less than 0.0001) in whom an "angina-producing" artery could be identified. Therefore, type II eccentric lesions are frequent in patients with unstable angina and probably represent ruptured atherosclerotic plaques or partially occlusive thrombi, or both. A temporary decrease in coronary perfusion secondary to these plaques with or without superimposed transient platelet thrombi or altered vasomotor tone may be responsible for chest pain in some of these patients with unstable angina.

Angina Pectoris

Multicentric reticulohistiocytosis with salivary gland involvement and pericardial effusion.

A 60-year-old Palestinian woman developed extensive cutaneous lesions of multicentric reticulohistiocytosis. She also developed a pericardial effusion and involvement of the submandibular salivary glands. Soft tissue gallium images demonstrated this systemic involvement, and this procedure is proposed as a screening method to assess the extent of the disease. The patient showed partial remission after being treated with prednisone, vincristine sulfate, and cyclophosphamide.

Female

Histochemical characterization of the cutaneous involvement of acromegaly.

We evaluated the pathogenesis of skin thickening in three patients with acromegaly. Growth hormone levels were normal in one patient and were elevated in two patients. Skin biopsy specimens were obtained from the forearm. Hematoxylineosin staining showed slight epidermal thinning and, in two of the patients, a small increase in the number of fibroblasts. Selective stains for collagen, elastic, and reticular fibers disclosed normal connective tissue. The most striking abnormality was increased glycosaminoglycan deposition on the slides stained with colloidal iron. Glycosaminoglycan infiltration occurred mostly in the papillary and upper reticular dermis and was not directly related to the simultaneous growth hormone levels. Tissue digestion with specific enzymes identified hyaluronic acid, chondroitin-4- and 6-sulfate, and dermatan sulfate as the most prominent glycosaminoglycans in the dermis. The skin ultrastructure appeared to be preserved on electron microscopy. We conclude that cutaneous mucinoses is the main cause for the thickening of the skin in acromegaly.

Acromegaly