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Biomedical subjects

B L Miller

Publications and source records attributed to B L Miller.

At least 181 records · Page 10Linked to original sources
PubMed1986

Hypersexuality or altered sexual preference following brain injury.

Eight patients are described in whom either hypersexuality (four cases) or change in sexual preference (four cases) occurred following brain injury. In this series disinhibition of sexual activity and hypersexuality followed medial basal-frontal or diencephalic injury. This contrasted with the patients demonstrating altered sexual preference whose injuries involved limbic system structures. In some patients altered sexual behaviour may be the presenting or dominant feature of brain injury.

Adult↗
PubMed1986

Misdiagnosis of hysteria.

The diagnosis of hysteria is often incorrect and must be made with great caution. A retrospective study demonstrates that an erroneous diagnosis of hysteria is most likely to be given to females, the psychiatrically ill, patients who embellish and patients who present plausible psychogenic explanations for their illness. Movement disorders and paralysis are the neurologic disorders most frequently mislabeled as hysteria.

Adult↗
PubMed1986

Late-life paraphrenia: an organic delusional syndrome.

Five patients with late-life onset of schizophrenic symptomatology (late-life paraphrenia) were found to have occult organic disorders. Although it was not possible to prove that the organic disorders were causal in these patients, none had any psychiatric illness until late in life and none had any significant risk factors for developing schizophrenia. This study demonstrates the need to investigate the medical and neurologic condition of any elderly patient presenting with a new onset of delusions. Modern investigative techniques may permit more accurate classification (and therapy) of some patients with late-life paraphrenia.

Age Factors↗
PubMed1985

Intra-blood-brain barrier IgG synthesis in cerebral cysticercosis.

Patients with central nervous system cysticercosis show elevated binding of cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) IgG to homogenized cysticercus. To determine whether any of the CSF IgG was the result of de novo intra-blood-brain barrier (BBB) synthesis, CSF and serum samples from six patients were examined for elevated rate of synthesis and oligoclonal bands. Five of the six patients had increased intra-BBB IgG synthesis rate and four of these patients also had oligoclonal IgG bands present in the CSF that were absent in the serum. These results demonstrate intra-BBB IgG synthesis similar to that observed in other infectious and inflammatory diseases of the central nervous system.

Blood-Brain Barrier↗
PubMed1985

Differential Induction of Endoproteinases during Senescence of Attached and Detached Barley Leaves.

Endoproteinase activities and species were compared during dark-induced senescence of attached and detached primary barley leaves by isoelectric focusing and polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis of cell-free extracts. Neither of the two major endoproteinases (EP1 and EP2) changed in amounts during senescence of attached leaves, nor did new endoproteinases appear. In contrast, during senescence of detached leaves, both EP1 and EP2 activities increased and four new species of endoproteinases appeared. Proteolytic activity was evenly distributed throughout attached leaves, but activity in the detached leaf increased sharply from the tip to the base with the four new higher molecular weight species of proteinases present only in the bottom half of the leaf nearest the cut end. Thus a wound response may be superimposed on the processes of senescence in detached leaves. Cycloheximide and kinetin both inhibited the increase of EP1, EP2, and the induction of the four new endoproteinases; chloramphenicol had no effect. Indications are that both the increases in activity and the induction of new species of proteinases were the result of activity of cytoplasmic ribosomes.Hydrolysis of total protein and ribulose-1,5-bisphosphate carboxylase protein in vivo was somewhat faster in detached than attached leaves. The difference, however, was much less than would be expected from the great increase in proteolytic activity in detached leaves.

Journal Article↗
PubMed1985

Direct and indirect gene replacements in Aspergillus nidulans.

We performed three sets of experiments to determine whether cloned DNA fragments can be substituted for homologous regions of the Aspergillus nidulans genome by DNA-mediated transformation. A linear DNA fragment containing a heteromorphic trpC+ allele was used to transform a trpC- strain to trpC+. Blot analysis of DNA from the transformants showed that the heteromorphic allele had replaced the trpC- allele in a minority of the strains. An A. nidulans trpC+ gene was inserted into the argB+ gene, and a linear DNA fragment containing the resultant null argB allele was used to transform a trpC- argB+ strain to trpC+. Approximately 30% of the transformants were simultaneously argB-. The null argB allele had replaced the wild-type allele in a majority of these strains. The A. nidulans SpoC1 C1-C gene was modified by removal of an internal restriction fragment and introduced into a trpC- strain by transformation with a circular plasmid. A transformant containing a tandem duplication of the C1-C region separated by plasmid DNA was self-fertilized, and trpC- progeny were selected. All of these had lost the introduced plasmid DNA sequences, whereas about half had retained the modified C1-C gene and lost the wild-type copy. Thus, it is possible with A. nidulans to replace chromosomal DNA sequences with DNA fragments that have been cloned and modified in vitro by using either one- or two-step procedures similar to those developed for Saccharomyces cerevisiae.

Aspergillus nidulans↗
PubMed1985

Effect of mixed organic acid administration on blood levels of chlortetracycline in broiler chicks.

Male broiler chicks, when administered mixed organic acids via the drinking water for 3 days prior to water administration of chlortetracycline (CTC), showed no significant increases in the blood levels of the antibiotic. However, if the organic acids were administered simultaneously with the antibiotic, either via drinking water administration or via oral dosing, significant increases in the blood levels of the antibiotic were noted. With simultaneous administration of the antibiotic and mixed organic acids via the drinking water, a significant decrease in water intake was observed; however, in spite of the decrease in water intake and a concomitant decrease in CTC intake, significant increases in the blood levels of the CTC were still present. These data suggest that mixed organic acids, commonly used in the poultry industry, can be utilized to elicit an increase in CTC blood levels to a greater degree than would be anticipated without the use of the organic acids.

Administration, Oral↗
PubMed1985

Effect of dietary aflatoxin on the uptake and elimination of chlortetracycline in broiler chicks.

Day-old broiler chicks were fed 0, 1.25, 2.5, and 5.0 micrograms aflatoxin/g of feed for 3 weeks. Chlortetracycline (CTC) was administered in the drinking water at a concentration of 50 mg/liter for 27 hr starting on Day 21. Three hours after initiation of the CTC treatment, birds receiving 2.5 and 5.0 micrograms/g dietary aflatoxin had significantly lower CTC in blood compared with the controls. At 12 and 27 hr after the initiation of CTC treatment, birds receiving any level of aflatoxin had significantly decreased blood levels of CTC compared with the controls. Intravenous injection of CTC of control birds and birds receiving 2.5 micrograms/g aflatoxin revealed a significant decrease in the elimination half-life of CTC and a significant increase in the total systemic clearance of CTC in the birds receiving dietary aflatoxin. Birds receiving 2.5 micrograms/g dietary aflatoxin also had a significant increase in the volume of gall bladder bile; however, this did not result in a greater amount of CTC being eliminated via bile. Studies on protein binding of CTC in the plasma of control birds and the plasma of birds receiving 2.5 micrograms/g dietary aflatoxin demonstrated that 60% more CTC is "free", or unbound, in the plasma of birds receiving no aflatoxin. These results suggest that aflatoxicosis lowers the plasma concentrations of CTC as a result of a decreased binding of CTC to plasma protein. This allows more unbound CTC to be available for elimination from the plasma by a means other than the liver, most likely via the kidney.

Aflatoxins↗
PubMed1984

Structure and regulated expression of the SpoC1 gene cluster from Aspergillus nidulans.

We have previously described the organization of a 13.3 kb region of the Aspergillus nidulans genome, designated SpoC1, coding for multiple poly(A)+ RNAs that accumulate in asexual spores but not in somatic cells. We have determined the limits of the SpoC1 gene cluster by investigating the transcriptional features of 53 kb of chromosomal DNA. This segment of the genome codes for at least 19 poly(A)+ RNAs, some of which are transcribed from overlapping regions. The area of developmental regulation is approximately 38 kb in length and is delimited by 1.1-kb direct repeats. With one exception, RNAs transcribed from the central part of the cluster appear late during conidiophore development and accumulate specifically in spores. The exceptional transcript appears earlier during development and accumulates specifically in cells of the conidiophore. In contrast, RNAs encoded at the borders of the cluster occur in both somatic cells and spores. The results indicate that if a chromatin-level control mechanism operates to regulate expression of the SpoC1 gene cluster, as previously suggested by us, additional levels of regulation must also exist.

Aspergillus nidulans↗
PubMed1984

Enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay for the diagnosis of cerebral cysticercosis.

Central nervous system cysticercosis is common in countries where Taenia solium occurs in pigs and the level of hygiene and sanitation is low. The clinical presentation may include epileptic seizures, focal neurological deficits, hydrocephalus, or aseptic meningitis. The disease is frequently seen in California residents of Hispanic origin. It sometimes occurs in whites from homes that employ Hispanic cooks. Diagnosis is often difficult. Computerized tomography scan and brain biopsy are the most reliable diagnostic procedures, but each has its limitations. We have found that a radioimmunoassay improves our diagnostic capability, and more recently we have adapted this to an enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay that is equally sensitive and specific and, in addition, obviates the need for radioactive materials. Details of the enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay procedure and its application to the diagnosis of central nervous system cysticercosis form the basis of this report.

Animals↗
PubMed1984

Altered mental status in the elderly.

Misdiagnosis of treatable dementia in the aged is costly to society and the family, and is unmeasurable in personal tragedy. The 4 Ds of the elderly--dementia, depression, delirium, and delusion--are discussed. Family physicians are encouraged to seek out treatable disease.

Aged↗
PubMed1984

Evaluation of the comatose patient.

This article has emphasized a basic approach to coma. First, the patient must have airway, breathing, and circulation protected. If the etiology of coma is in doubt, a broad metabolic screen is necessary. Table 5 demonstrates the major differences between structural and metabolic coma. Usually, history alone is sufficient to make an accurate diagnosis. If history or neurologic examination suggests a structural cause for the coma, then a cranial CT scan is mandatory. An electroencephalogram is often helpful, particularly in metabolic coma, and at times may even show structural abnormalities not demonstrated by CT scan. Rapid assessment and treatment is critical because coma is the clinical manifestation of brain failure, and often irreversible injury will occur if treatment is slow or incorrect.

Adult↗
PubMed1983

Aflatoxicol and aflatoxins B1 and M1 in eggs and tissues of laying hens consuming aflatoxin-contaminated feed.

This study was undertaken to relate quantitatively the aflatoxin residue found in eggs and tissues to the aflatoxin intake via feed. Eighteen hens were fed an aflatoxin B1 (B1)-contaminated feed (8 micrograms/g) for 7 days, after which half the group was sacrificed; the remainder were sacrificed after an additional 7 days on an aflatoxin-free diet. Eggs were collected over the entire 14-day period. Aflatoxicol (R0), B1, or both were found in eggs and tissues (kidneys, liver, muscle, blood, and ova). Aflatoxin M1 (M1) (.04 to .1 ng/g) was found only in the kidneys. Levels of R0 and B1 were approximately the same in eggs, ova, kidneys, and liver. In eggs, the levels of R0 and B1 (.02 to .2 ng/g) increased steadily for 4 or 5 days, after which time the levels plateaued and then decreased after B1 withdrawal at the same rate as they had increased. At 7 days after withdrawal, only trace amounts of R0 (.01 ng/g) remained in eggs. All tissues, except blood, from hens sacrificed immediately before aflatoxin withdrawal contained R0 (.04 to .4 ng/g) or R0 and B1 (.04 to .8 ng/g). The R0 (.03 to .11 ng/g) was the only aflatoxin detected in muscle, and B1 (.05 to .07 ng/g) was the only aflatoxin in blood. Seven days after aflatoxin withdrawal, B1 (.08 ng/g) was found in one of nine livers and R0 (.01 to .04 ng/g) in eight of nine muscles analyzed, but no aflatoxins were found in any other tissues.

Aflatoxin B1↗