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Biomedical subjects

B B Nielsen

Publications and source records attributed to B B Nielsen.

At least 19 recordsLinked to original sources
PubMed2001

[A controlled trial of training in knee arthritis].

INTRODUCTION: The aim was to investigate the effectiveness and safety of a physical training programme in patients with severe osteoarthritis of the knees. MATERIAL AND METHODS: Twenty-five patients participated in this randomised clinical trial with a blind observer. Intervention consisted in training twice a week for three months and focused on general fitness, balance, co-ordination, and muscle strength. Follow-up was performed at 3 and 12 months. The recorded parameters were muscle strength, algofunctional index, pain, walking speed, and clinical findings. RESULTS: At three months follow-up, muscle strength had improved in the intervention group. By one year, pain at night had decreased, but the number of palpable knee joint effusions had increased. CONCLUSION: A general physical training programme appears to be beneficial to patients with osteoarthritis of the knees, but further investigation of the safety of such a programme is called for.

Aged↗
PubMed2001

Characteristics of antenatal care attenders in a rural population in Tamil Nadu, South India: a community-based cross-sectional study.

The objectives of the study were to identify factors associated with utilisation of antenatal care facilities in a rural population in South India. A community-based, cross-sectional questionnaire study of 30 randomly selected areas was used. A total of 1254 women (95%) had at least one antenatal care visit. The median number of visits was four. High utilisation of antenatal care facilities was associated with low parity and adverse obstetrical history, short distance to healthcare facilities and literacy. It was concluded that antenatal care coverage was high. Information about the above few aspects can be used to target women who are at risk of getting inadequate antenatal care.

Adolescent↗
PubMed2000

The Children's Global Assessment Scale (CGAS) and Global Assessment of Psychosocial Disability (GAPD) in clinical practice--substance and reliability as judged by intraclass correlations.

Studies on the inter-rater reliability on the Children's Global Assessment Scale (CGAS) and the Global Assessment of Psychosocial Disability (GAPD) involving different subgroups of 145 outpatients from 4 to 16 years of age showed fair to substantial intraclass correlations of 0.59 to 0.90. Raters of different training levels participated. Interrater reliability was dependent on number of ratings per rater, training, available data sources and experience. A more detailed description of anchor points resulted in higher inter-rater agreement by psychiatrists training in child and adolescent psychiatry, but did not influence the inter-rater reliability among more (widely) experienced raters. Both the CGAS and the GAPD seem to be sufficiently reliable tools in clinical practice. The CGAS seems to be more sensitive to inter-rater variation than the GAPD.

Adolescent↗
PubMed2000

Crystallization and molecular-replacement solution of a truncated form of human recombinant tetranectin.

The two C-terminal domains, TN23 (residues 17-181), of human recombinant tetranectin, a plasminogen kringle 4 binding C-type lectin, have been crystallized in two different space groups. Using PEG 8000 as precipitant and at a pH of 8.5, crystals belonging to the monoclinic space group C2 are obtained, with unit-cell parameters a = 160.4, b = 44.7, c = 107.5 A, beta = 127.6 degrees. Using sodium formate as precipitant and at a pH of 5.0, TN23 crystallizes in a rhombohedral space group, with unit-cell parameters a = b = c = 107.4 A, alpha = beta = gamma = 78.3 degrees. A full data set to 4.5 A has been collected from the monoclinic crystals. Using the structure of full-length tetranectin, a molecular-replacement solution has been obtained. The crystal packing shows that TN23 crystallizes as a trimer, with one trimer in the asymmetric unit.

Blood Proteins↗
PubMed1999

[From valium to the happy pill?].

The National Health Insurance started to refund expenditure on selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors in 1994. Questions have been raised if a significant portion of benzodiazepine users would transfer to these new drugs when they were described in the literature as also being used for light anxiety, but not carrying the addiction risk associated with benzodiazepines. The study looks at changes over a four-year period in the prescription of benzodiazepines and selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors dispensed from two pharmacies in Vest-Agder County with a total customer base of 17,800. For four years we also followed the prescription of drugs in these two groups to 1,125 patients who had been prescribed benzodiazepines in 1994. Our data show that only 5% of those receiving benzodiazepines in 1994, whom we were able to track, changed to a selective serotonin reuptake inhibitor-only therapy. 18% used a combination of the two groups of drugs and 77% continued to use benzodiazepines as before. The increase in the number of patients receiving selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors during the study period is far greater than the increase measured by number of daily doses. Selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors seem to have little influence on the use of benzodiazepines in our pharmacies' area. Our findings indicate that instead of "from Valium to Prozac" the change during the years 1994-97 can be described as "from Valium to Valium and Prozac".

Anti-Anxiety Agents↗
PubMed1998

Structure of the C-type lectin carbohydrate recognition domain of human tetranectin.

Tetranectin (TN) is a C-type lectin involved in fibrinolysis, being the only endogenous ligand known to bind specifically to the kringle 4 domain of plasminogen. TN was originally isolated from plasma, but shows a wide tissue distribution. Furthermore, TN has been found in the extracellular matrix of certain human carcinomas, whereas none or little is present in the corresponding normal tissue. The crystal structure of full-length trimeric TN (2.8 A resolution) has recently been published [Nielsen et al. (1997). FEBS Lett. 412, 388-396]. The crystal structure of the carbohydrate recognition domain (CRD) of human TN (TN3) has been determined separately at 2.0 A resolution in order to obtain detailed information on the two calcium binding sites. This information is essential for the elucidation of the specificity of TN towards oligosaccharides. TN3 crystallizes as a dimer, whereas it appears as a monomer in solution. The overall fold of TN3 is similar to other known CRDs. Each monomer is built of two distinct regions, one region consisting of six beta-strands and two alpha-helices, and the other region is composed of four loops harboring two calcium ions. The calcium ion at site 1 forms an eightfold coordinated complex and has Asp116, Glu120, Gly147, Glu150, Asn151, and one water molecule as ligands. The calcium ion at site 2, which is believed to be involved in recognition and binding of oligosaccharides, is sevenfold coordinated with ligands Gln143, Asp145, Glu150, Asp165, and two water molecules. One sulfate ion has been located at the surface of TN3, forming contacts to Glu120, Lys148, Asn106 of a symmetry-related molecule, and to an ethanol molecule.

Amino Acid Sequence↗
PubMed1997

Crystal structure of tetranectin, a trimeric plasminogen-binding protein with an alpha-helical coiled coil.

Tetranectin is a plasminogen kringle 4-binding protein. The crystal structure has been determined at 2.8 A resolution using molecular replacement. Human tetranectin is a homotrimer forming a triple alpha-helical coiled coil. Each monomer consists of a carbohydrate recognition domain (CRD) connected to a long alpha-helix. Tetranectin has been classified in a distinct group of the C-type lectin superfamily but has structural similarity to the proteins in the group of collectins. Tetranectin has three intramolecular disulfide bridges. Two of these are conserved in the C-type lectin superfamily, whereas the third is present only in long-form CRDs. Tetranectin represents the first structure of a long-form CRD with intact calcium-binding sites. In tetranectin, the third disulfide bridge tethers the CRD to the long helix in the coiled coil. The trimerization of tetranectin as well as the fixation of the CRDs relative to the helices in the coiled coil indicate a demand for high specificity in the recognition and binding of ligands.

Amino Acid Sequence↗
PubMed1997

Reproductive pattern, perinatal mortality, and sex preference in rural Tamil Nadu, south India: community based, cross sectional study.

OBJECTIVES: To study reproductive pattern and perinatal mortality in rural Tamil Nadu, South India. DESIGN: Community based, cross sectional questionnaire study of 30 randomly selected areas served by health subcentres. SETTING: Rural parts of Salem District, Tamil Nadu, South India. SUBJECTS: 1321 women and their offspring delivered in the 6 months before the interview. MAIN OUTCOME MEASURES: Number of pregnancies, pregnancy outcome, spacing of pregnancies, sex of offspring, perinatal and neonatal mortality rates. RESULTS: 41% of the women (535) were primiparous; 7 women (0.5%) were grand multiparous (> 6 births). The women had a mean age of 22 years and a mean of 2.3 pregnancies and 1.8 live children. The sex ratio at birth of the index children was 107 boys per 100 girls. The stillbirth rate was 13.5/1000 births, the neonatal mortality rate was 35.3/1000, and the perinatal mortality rate was 42.0/1000. Girls had an excess neonatal mortality (rate ratio 3.42%; 95% confidence interval 1.68 to 6.98; this was most pronounced among girls born to multiparous women with no living sons (rate ratio 15.48 (2.04 to 177.73) v 1.87 (0.63 to 5.58) in multiparous women with at least one son alive). CONCLUSIONS: In this rural part of Tamil Nadu, women had a controlled reproductive pattern. The excess neonatal mortality among girls constitutes about one third of the perinatal mortality rate. It seems to be linked to a preference for sons and should therefore be addressed through a holistic societal approach rather than through specific healthcare measures.

Abortion, Spontaneous↗
PubMed1997

Human plasminogen binding protein tetranectin: crystallization and preliminary X-ray analysis of the C-type lectin CRD and the full-length protein.

The recombinant human plasminogen binding protein tetranectin (TN) and the C-type lectin CRD of this protein (TN3) have been crystallized. TN3 crystallizes in the tetragonal space group P4(2)2(1)2 with cell dimensions a = b = 64.0, c = 75.7 A and with one molecule per asymmetric unit. The crystals diffract X-rays to at least 2.0 A resolution. A complete diffraction data set has been collected to 2.7 A resolution. The crystals of TN, obtained by the vapour-diffusion reverse salting-in method at 280 K, are rhombohedral, space group R3, with the hexagonal axes a = b = 89.1, c = 75.8 A, and diffract to at least 2.5 A. A full data set has been collected to 3.0 A. The asymmetric unit contains one monomer of TN. Molecular replacement solutions for TN3 and TN have been obtained using the structure of the C-type lectin CRD of rat mannose-binding protein as search model. The rhombohedral space group indicates that trimers of TN are formed in accordance with the observation of trimerization in solution.

Journal Article↗
PubMed1997

Dilution rate increases production of plant cell-wall degrading enzymes by anaerobic fungi in continuous-flow culture.

The gut anaerobic fungi,Neocallimastix hurleyensis and aOrpinomyces sp., were grown in 100 mL batch and continuous-flow cultures on wheat straw at a concentration of 80 g dry matter/L of culture liquid. In batch cultures,N. hurleyensis and Orpinomyces sp. degraded only ca. 9% and 5% of the wheat straw, respectively. In continuous-flow cultures, however, the two fungi degraded 52-56% of the apparent dry matter of wheat straw. Both fungi were able to produce greater quantities (up to x 30) of cell-wall degrading enzymes (CMCase, xylanase, beta-glucosidase and beta-xylosidase) in continuous-flow cultures than in the corresponding batch cultures. Increasing the dilution rate in continuous-flow culture resulted in the production of increased enzyme activity for all the measured cell-wall degrading enzymes, with proportional relationships between dilution rate and the cumulative activities of beta-glucosidase and beta-xylosidase. Dilution rates, however, had no consistent effect on the cumulative production of the fermentation end-products, acetate, formate, D- and L-lactate from both fungi. In addition to acetate and formate,N. hurleyens is produced D- and L-lactate in both batch and continuous-flow cultures, whereas only trace amounts of L-lactate were detected in the Orpinomyces sp. cultures.

Journal Article↗
PubMed1996

The three-dimensional structure of mammalian ribonucleotide reductase protein R2 reveals a more-accessible iron-radical site than Escherichia coli R2.

The three-dimensional structure of mouse ribonucleotide reductase R2 has been determined at 2.3 A resolution using molecular replacement and refined to an R-value of 19.1% (Rfree = 25%) with good stereo-chemistry. The overall tertiary structure architecture of mouse R2 is similar to that from Escherichia coli R2. However, several important structural differences are observed. Unlike the E. coli protein, the mouse dimer is completely devoid of beta-strands. The sequences differ significantly between the mouse and E. coli R2s, but there is high sequence identity among the eukaryotic R2 proteins, and the identities are localized over the whole sequence. Therefore, the three-dimensional structures of other mammalian ribonucleotide reductase R2 proteins are expected to be very similar to that of the mouse enzyme. In mouse R2 a narrow hydrophobic channel leads to the proposed binding site for molecular oxygen near to the iron-radical site in the interior of the protein. In E. coli R2 this channel is blocked by the phenyl ring of a tyrosine residue, which in mouse R2 is a serine. These structural variations may explain the observed differences in sensitivity to radical scavengers. The structure determination is based on diffraction data from crystals grown at pH 4.7. Unexpectedly, the protein is not iron-free, but contains one iron ion bound at one of the dinuclear iron sites. This ferric ion is bound with partial occupancy and is coordinated by three glutamic acids (one bidentate) and one histidine in a bipyramidal coordination that has a free apical coordination position. Soaking of crystals in a solution of ferrous salt at pH 4.7 increased the occupancy on the already occupied site, but without any detectable binding at the second site.

Animals↗
PubMed1995

Crystallization and crystallographic investigations of the small subunit of mouse ribonucleotide reductase.

The R2 protein component of mouse ribonucleotide reductase has been obtained from overproducing Escherichia coli bacteria. It has been crystallized using NaCl as precipitant. The crystals are orthorhombic, space group C222(1), with cell dimensions a = 76.9 A, b = 108.9 A, c = 92.7 A and diffract to at least 2.5 A. The asymmetric unit of the crystals contains one monomer. Rotation and translation function searches using a model based on the weakly homologous E. coli R2 gave one significant peak. Rotation about a crystallographic 2-fold axis parallel to the a-axis produces an R2 dimer with dimer interactions very similar to those found for E. coli R2.

Animals↗
PubMed1995

[Salmonella dublin].

Salmonella dublin's natural host is cattle; it may cause acute disease in calves, while adult animals may be asymptomatic carriers. In humans S. dublin is the most invasive of the zoonotic Salmonella-bacteria found in Denmark. It is much more frequently isolated from the blood than from the faeces and may give rise to serous metastatic infections in practically all organs. The number of registered human infections rose from zero to 46 per year during the period 1980-1988, but has now stabilized at a level of about 20 per year. Outbreaks have been described abroad as being caused by unpasteurised milk and cheese; in Denmark beef and cow's liver must be viewed as the dominant source of infection. The direct routes of infection are, however, unknown. Tightening of regulations for the slaughtering of animals from S. dublin infected herds, optimal hygiene in the slaughterhouses and increased cooperation between the veterinary and medical professions concerning investigation of routes of infection are necessary measures to be taken in order to reduce the number of human S. dublin infections.

Animals↗
PubMed1995

Perceptions of the mammography experience.

The 1993 projections for breast cancer indicate a morbidity of 183,000 women with a mortality rate of 18%. Mammography is one of three approaches available for the early detection of breast cancer. However, underutilization has been reported and attributed to pain associated with the procedure, the expense to the consumer, and lack of referral by physicians. Other reasons for the low utilization rates include fears on the part of the woman of a positive diagnosis, radiation, and a possible mastectomy. This study provides an analysis of the responses of a convenience sample of 272 women, aged 30-90 years, to two open-ended questions about the mammography experience. The words and phrases women used to describe the mammography experience and the sensations experienced in their breasts during mammography were subjected to content analysis. The results of this study suggest that the word descriptors women use to describe their experience during mammography are highly individualistic and may not be totally captured by numeric or descriptive rating scales of pain intensity.

Adult↗
PubMed1994

[Alcohol-induced immunosuppression is reversible].

The aim of the study was to investigate to which degree and how fast cellular immunodepression may be reversed after cessation of alcohol intake. Delayed hypersensitivity was investigated in ten severe alcoholics and in seven moderate consumers. A group of eight previous drinkers was tested for comparison. The skin test responses were modest initially with a median area of response of 12 mm2 in the heavy alcoholics, and three mm2 in the moderate consumers. It improved significantly after two weeks of sobriety. The responses stabilized after eight to nine weeks at 63-74 mm2, corresponding to the response of 70 mm2 in the group of previous drinkers.

Adult↗
PubMed1992

Reversibility of alcohol-induced immune depression.

Alcohol abusers have suppressed cellular immune function. The aim of the study was to investigate the time of sobriety required to normalize immune function. Delayed hypersensitivity was investigated during disulfiram controlled abstinence in ten heavy alcoholics and in seven moderate drinkers without liver diseases. For comparison a control group of eight previous drinkers was tested. The skin test responses were modest initially with a median area of response of 12 mm2 (range 0-31) in the heavy alcoholics and 3 mm2 (0-15) in the moderate drinkers. It improved significantly in both groups after two weeks of sobriety. The responses stabilized after 8 weeks at 74 mm2 (54-102) in the heavy alcoholics and after 9 weeks at 63 mm2 (42-76) in the moderate drinking group. The control group had skin test responses of 70 mm2 (46-87), not different from the responses of the alcohol groups after two months of abstinence. The results suggest that while 2 weeks of abstinence from alcohol will improve the depressed cellular immunity, 2 months of sobriety is necessary to normalize it.

Adult↗