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Biomedical subjects

A Lee

Publications and source records attributed to A Lee.

At least 649 records · Page 36Linked to original sources

Emotion-related and abstract concepts in autistic people: evidence from the British Picture Vocabulary Scale.

Autistic and nonautistic retarded adolescents and young adults, individually matched for chronological age and performance on the British Picture Vocabulary Scale (BPVS; Dunn, Dunn, & Whetton, 1982), were compared on those items of the BPVS that independent raters judged (a) emotion-related and (b) highly abstract. Compared to control subjects, autistic individuals scored lower on emotion-related vis-à-vis emotion-unrelated items, an effect that could not be attributed to the "social content" of the items. However, autistic and nonautistic subjects achieved similar scores when responding to highly abstract vis-à-vis "concrete" words of the BPVS. The findings suggest that autistic individuals have specific impairments in grasping emotion-related concepts. They also suggest the need for further study of autistic and nonautistic retarded subjects' difficulties in abstracting. The results have a bearing on the interpretation of the BPVS and on the use of this test as a matching procedure.

Adolescent↗

Subcortical arteriosclerotic encephalopathy--a controlled psychometric study.

Eleven patients with subcortical arteriosclerotic encephalopathy (SAE) were assessed psychometrically, and the results compared with control subjects without neurological disorders and patients with a single cerebral vascular lesion (CVL). The groups were matched for sex, age, years of education, and in addition for the CVL group, the nature, site and size of the discrete vascular lesion. The SAE patients had mild to moderate impairment in intellectual, memory, receptive language and constructional functions, but individual performance ranged from near normality to severe impairment. The differences between the performance of SAE patients and the controls were significant in the majority of tests. The SAE patients had lower scores than CVL patients on all tests, but in many of these the difference was not significant.

Aged↗

Antigenic conservation of the ureases of spiral- and helical-shaped bacteria colonising the stomachs of man and animals.

A monoclonal antibody, CP11, has been produced which is directed against the ureas of Campylobacter pylori. This antibody has been used to look for antigenic cross-reactivity, in other ureolytic and non-ureolytic campylobacters, by immunohistological techniques. It has also been used to investigate the helical-shaped organisms found in the stomach of the human, monkey and cat (CS1) and the ileum of the rat (ST1). Interestingly the antibody cross-reacted with the gastric helical organisms from the human, monkey and cat but not with the rat helical organism. No cross-reactivity was observed with C. mustelae or the other ureolytic campylobacters, C. nitrofigilis and the urease positive thermophilic campylobacters. These results are discussed in relation to the phylotaxonomy of these organisms.

Animals↗

Vgr-1, a mammalian gene related to Xenopus Vg-1, is a member of the transforming growth factor beta gene superfamily.

The transforming growth factor beta (TGF-beta)-related products of the Xenopus Vg-1 and Drosophila decapentaplegic (DPP) genes have been implicated in the control of growth and differentiation during embryogenesis. We have isolated a mouse cDNA, Vgr-1, that encodes a polypeptide structurally related to Xenopus Vg-1. Sequence comparisons indicate that the Vgr-1 protein belongs to a family of DPP-like gene products within the TGF-beta superfamily. The levels of Vgr-1 RNA were determined in embryos and tissues isolated at various stages of development. A 3.5-kilobase mRNA increases throughout development and into adulthood in many tissues and in F9 teratocarcinoma cells differentiating into endoderm in response to retinoic acid and cAMP. The amino acid homologies and patterns of expression suggest that, like the DPP gene product, Vgr-1 plays a role at various stages of development.

Aging↗

Effect of time and adrenaline on the feto-maternal distribution of bupivacaine.

Following lumbar extradural analgesia with 0.5% bupivacaine, the placental transfer of bupivacaine was examined in 40 women undergoing elective and 40 women undergoing emergency Caesarean section. Within each group, the patients received randomly either plain bupivacaine or bupivacaine with adrenaline 1 in 200,000. Plasma bupivacaine concentrations were measured in blood samples taken simultaneously at delivery from the umbilical vein (UV), umbilical artery (UA) and maternal vein (MV). Bupivacaine concentrations in MV, UV and UA were not significantly affected by the presence of adrenaline, but were positively correlated with first dose to delivery interval (FDD) while MV and UV were inversely correlated with last dose to delivery interval (LDD). Mean ratio of UV:MV concentrations of bupivacaine was 0.346 and for UA:MV it was 0.305. There was no significant correlation between any fetal:maternal ratio and FDD or LDD. UA:UV ratio appeared to increase towards unity 30-40 min after the last dose. The presence of adrenaline was associated with an increase in UA:UV in the elective group (P less than 0.01). In eight patients who received adrenaline there was reverse placental transfer (UA:UV greater than 1). There was no evidence of progressive fetal accumulation of bupivacaine beyond 30-40 min.

Anesthesia, Epidural↗

Cerebral hypoxic injury detected by Tc-HMPAO SPECT.

Single photon emission computed tomography of the brain with Tc-99m labeled hexamethylpropyleneamine oxime was used to evaluate a patient who suffered hypoxic cerebral injury. Hypoperfusion in the right parieto-occipital and left occipital regions was demonstrated on the SPECT images, while both the cranial CT and EEG failed to document the findings.

Adult↗

Use of the mouse for the isolation and investigation of stomach-associated, spiral-helical shaped bacteria from man and other animals.

Spiral-helical shaped bacteria other than Campylobacter pylori have been shown to infect the human stomach. The characteristic helical morphology of these bacteria appears to be similar to that of bacteria found in the stomachs of many other animal species. Early reports on gastric bacteria suggested that rodents may be useful for investigation and isolation of stomach-associated bacteria. Therefore, anaesthetised mice were given, through a stomach tube, a heavy suspension of a spiral-helical bacterium from a cat, scrapings of gastric mucus from primates, or a homogenised whole-antral biopsy from a human patient. At intervals after inoculation, gastric biopsies were examined by lightmicroscopy and electronmicroscopy for the presence of spiral-helical bacteria. Significant colonisation was observed in 40% of mice 1 week, and in 80% of mice 11 weeks, after inoculation with suspensions of the cat isolate. Mice were also successfully colonised by spiral bacteria present in homogenised human biopsy material and by other spiral bacteria from a monkey. These observations suggest that mice may prove to be useful animals for the study of gastric bacteria that are, as yet, non-cultivable and for analysis of some of the attributes commonly thought to be involved in colonisation.

Animals↗

Non Campylobacter pylori spiral organisms in the gastric antrum.

Colonisation of the human gastric antrum with non Campylobacter pylori spiral organisms is described. A moderately severe histological gastritis was present despite the fact that these organisms, in contrast to C. pylori, were not closely associated with the epithelial cell surface. Although in vitro culture of the organisms was unsuccessful, in vivo culture was achieved in the mouse stomach. Further study of these spiral organisms should provide important clues to the role of bacteria in upper gastrointestinal disease.

Adult↗

Campylobacter pylori, duodenal ulcer, and gastric metaplasia: possible role of functional heterotopic tissue in ulcerogenesis.

Multiple pinch biopsies were taken from the duodenum and antrum of 137 subjects (46 active duodenal ulceration; 44 healed ulcers; 47 'normal'), and examined for the presence and grade of gastritis, gastric metaplasia, and Campylobacter pylori. These factors, as well as age, sex, cigarette, and anti-inflammatory agent intake were evaluated as possible risk factors for duodenal ulceration. Pentagastrin induced Congo Red staining of the duodenal bulb was performed in an additional 43 cases, to determine the presence of functioning parietal cells in the duodenum. Ninety eight per cent of patients with duodenal infection with C pylori had active or healed duodenal ulcers. Bacteria were confined to areas of gastric metaplasia which was always infiltrated with inflammatory cells. The metaplastic tissue was usually superficial in type, although patients had C pylori associated with heterotopic tissue: this has not been previously described. Congo Red staining of the duodenal bulb showed that functioning endogenous acid producing tissue could be found most often at the edges of duodenal ulcers, but also in non-ulcer subjects. Cigarette smoking, age, sex, and ingestion of non-steroidal anti-inflammatory agents were not to be found to be significant risk factors for duodenal ulceration. In contrast, the presence of duodenal infection with C pylori proved to be a strong risk factor for duodenal ulceration (RR = 51), together with gastric metaplasia (RR = 6.2), and antral C pylori infection (RR = 7.6). These data identify duodenal infection with C pylori as the strongest risk factor for development of duodenal ulceration. Our finding of endogenous acid production around the edges of duodenal ulcers suggests an active role for parietal cells in the duodenum. We postulate a synergistic role for duodenal C pylori and endogenous acid production in the development of duodenal ulceration.

Adult↗

The presumptive role of fantasy in serial sexual homicide.

The authors examined the role of fantasy as an internal drive mechanism for repetitive acts of sexual violence. A sample of 25 serial sexual murderers with three or more known victims each was compared with a sample of 17 single sexual murderers, with only one known victim each. The drive mechanism was hypothesized to be an intrusive fantasy life manifested in higher prevalences of paraphilias, documented or self-reported violent fantasies, and organized crime scenes in the serial murderers. All three hypotheses were supported.

Adult↗

Complementary DNA cloning of the murine transforming growth factor-beta 3 (TGF beta 3) precursor and the comparative expression of TGF beta 3 and TGF beta 1 messenger RNA in murine embryos and adult tissues.

Murine transforming growth factor-beta 3 (TGF beta 3) cDNAs were isolated from a TGF beta 2-induced AKR-2B cDNA library. The composite cDNA sequence is 2894 nucleotides long, including 610-nucleotide and 1054-nucleotide 5' and 3' untranslated sequences, respectively. The murine TGF beta 3-coding region is 1230 nucleotides in length and encodes a precursor protein of 410 amino acids, with a 96% peptide sequence identity with the human TGF beta 3 precursor. Examination of TGF beta 1 and TGF beta 3 mRNA levels in adult murine tissues showed that TGF beta 1 mRNA expression is predominant in spleen, lung, and placenta. In contrast, TGF beta 3 RNA was present in substantial amounts in brain, heart, adipose tissue, and testis. TGF beta 3 mRNA is also observed in adult mouse lung and placenta. Both TGF beta 1 and TGF beta 3 RNAs were present in all stages of mouse fetal development studied from 10.5-17.5 days postcoitum, with higher levels observed in the latter stages. The differential expression of these TGF beta genes suggests that the various TGF beta species may have distinct physiological roles in vivo.

Amino Acid Sequence↗

Murine transforming growth factor-beta 2 cDNA sequence and expression in adult tissues and embryos.

Murine transforming growth factor-beta 2 (TGF-beta 2) cDNAs were isolated from cDNA libraries derived from a differentiated murine embryonic carcinoma cell line, PCC3. The composite cDNA sequence is 4267 nucleotides long, including a 1217 nucleotides 5'-untranslated sequence, and encodes a murine TGF-beta 2 precursor of 414 amino acids with 96% identity to its human counterpart. Several consensus polyadenylation sequences are present in the 1807 nucleotides 3'-untranslated sequence. Five TGF-beta 2 mRNA species are observed in the developing mouse fetus and they show different patterns of expression during development. TGF-beta 2 mRNA expression was also examined in adult mouse tissues, in which four of the five RNA species were observed. TGF-beta 2 mRNAs were present in all adult mouse tissues examined, except liver, and was most abundant in placenta, the male submaxillary gland and lung. The patterns of expression suggest a physiological role for TGF-beta 2 both in embryonic development and in the maintenance of adult tissues.

Amino Acid Sequence↗

Increased incidence of Campylobacter pylori infection in gastroenterologists: further evidence to support person-to-person transmission of C. pylori.

The mode transmission of Campylobacter pylori is still unknown, although several studies have suggested person-to-person transmission. In this study the incidence of active C. pylori infection in an endoscopy staff was compared with that in general practitioners and normal blood donors. Since endoscopy workers are in close contact with patients, many of whom would be likely to have active C. pylori infection, it was likely that there would be an increased incidence of active C. pylori infection in endoscopists if the organism can spread from person to person. The incidence of active C. pylori infection in the group of gastroenterologists was 52%, compared with 21% in an age-matched group of blood donors. This finding was statistically significant (p less than 0.01). In comparison, the incidence of active C. pylori infection in the endoscopy nurses and general practitioners was not statistically different from that in the normal population.

Adult↗

Effect of minimal antibiotic treatment on bacterial keratitis.

We studied the effect of minimal antibiotic therapy on pseudomonas keratitis in rabbits. Both corneas of 12 rabbits were infected with Pseudomonas aeruginosa and treated 24 and 48 h later with two drops of tobramycin or placebo. Corneal infections in antibiotic- and placebo-treated groups were comparable in appearance 24 and 48 h after inoculation. However, bacterial recovery was significantly less in eyes treated with minimal antibiotic therapy (p = 0.009). Although negative cultures were obtained from 11 of 12 antibiotic-treated eyes, bacteria could be recovered from eight of these culture negative corneas when corneas were ground and cultured. These studies suggest that minimal antibiotic therapy may impair bacterial recovery without completely eradicating live organisms.

Animals↗

Recognition of emotion by mentally retarded adolescents and young adults.

Mentally retarded adolescents and young adults, together with nonretarded children individually matched for verbal mental age, were given tasks in which they chose photographs of faces to accompany emotionally expressive voices and photographs of nonemotional things or events to accompany recorded sounds. Retarded individuals performed less well than did nonretarded control subjects on the emotion tasks but were not so impaired on the nonemotion tasks. These results suggest that mentally retarded individuals may have specific deficits in recognizing how bodily expressions of emotion are coordinated with each other.

Adolescent↗

Disposition kinetics of ropivacaine in humans.

The pharmacokinetic characteristics of a new local anesthetic drug, ropivacaine, were determined after intravenous infusion of 50 mg of the hydrochloride salt into six healthy male volunteers. Results showed that the disposition of ropivacaine can be described by a biexponential function. Its blood clearance (0.72 +/- 0.16 L/min) is intermediate between that of mepivacaine and bupivacaine. Plasma binding averaged 94% +/- 1% and the volume of distribution at steady state based on blood drug concentration was 59 +/- 7 L. The terminal elimination half-life was 111 +/- 62 min.

Adult↗