Biomedical subjects
Publications and source records attributed to C Dean.
Two patients with long-standing, poorly controlled seizures presented to a university hospital emergency department. Both patients had myoclonic jerks on waking and evidence of absence seizures as well as generalized tonic-clonic seizures. A diagnosis of benign juvenile myoclonic epilepsy was made, and the seizures were controlled with valproic acid.
The cardiac, respiratory, and renal responses of electrical stimulation and microinjection of excitatory amino acids into the external cuneate nucleus were investigated in 57 cats anesthetized with pentobarbital sodium, paralyzed, and artificially ventilated. Trains of rectangular cathodal pulses of 40-100 microA at 50 Hz and 0.1 ms duration were delivered through monopolar glass microelectrodes with a tip diameter of 10-20 micron, filled with indium-Woods metal alloy. Electrical stimulation at 232 histologically identified sites within the external cuneate nucleus could evoke changes in arterial blood pressure, heart rate, and efferent renal sympathetic nerve activity. In a further set of experiments, a change in respiration was observed at 74 identified sites. An increase or decrease in all parameters measured could be elicited at different stimulus sites within the external cuneate nucleus. Repositioning of the electrode (0.2-0.4 mm) in depth or laterally could result in a different response with stimulation. Microinjections of D,L-homocysteic acid or glutamate could mimic the evoked changes in blood pressure, heart rate, efferent renal sympathetic nerve activity, and respiration. This suggests that the external cuneate nucleus contains cell bodies that may modulate components of various cardiac, respiratory and renal reflexes. It is proposed that the external cuneate nucleus may be involved in the integration of somato-autonomic reflex responses.
Electrical stimulation of hypothalamic and midbrain defence area sites eliciting a cholinergic vasodilatation in the hindlimb activates vasodilator fibres supplying skeletal muscle. Simultaneous baroreceptor mediated suppression of sympathetic vasoconstrictor activity to the muscle and postfiring depression of vasoconstrictor activity contribute to the development of the vasodilatation during and after the stimulus. The observation of a differential pattern of activation of muscle and renal vasoconstrictor fibres implies a reciprocal influence exerted on these sympathetic outflows by neurones in the defence areas of the brain.
Bilateral application of glycine to the ventral surface of the medulla produces a profound hypotension during which sympathetic vasoconstrictor activity to splanchnic, renal and skeletal muscle vascular beds is reduced. The pattern of activation of sympathetic vasoconstrictor fibres to kidney and skeletal muscle, during carotid chemoreceptor activation and hypothalamic stimulation, is attenuated as tonic sympathetic activity diminishes. Functioning ventromedullary neurones are thus necessary for maintaining tonic sympathetic nerve activity, and for reflex and brain evoked patterns of sympathetic nerve activity, in the anaesthetized cat.
We have analyzed the polyadenylation sites for the small subunit of ribulose bisphosphate carboxylase and chlorophyll a/b binding protein genes of Petunia (Mitchell) and the bronze gene of Zea mays. Sequence analysis of multiple cDNA clones revealed that polyadenylation of the transcripts occurred at either 2 or 3 sites for all three groups of genes. In the examples where 3 polyadenylation sites were detected, the middle site was the one predominantly used. Putative polyadenylation signals preceding the poly A tails diverged significantly from the animal consensus sequence AATAAA. In all the genes examined the first A residue in the poly A tail of the cDNA clones corresponded to an A residue in the homologous genomic sequence.
One hundred and thirty two women with normal breast screening results were interviewed six months after their attendance at the Edinburgh Breast Screening Clinic. Eight percent of women said screening had made them more anxious about developing breast cancer. Thirty eight percent said they were more aware of the disease since screening but they regarded this as advantageous. Seventy percent of the women were still practising breast self-examination. There was no difference in the psychiatric morbidity of the screened sample when compared with a matched random sample community control group. Neither was there any difference in the General Health Questionnaire case rates before and after screening. Screening does not appear to increase the prevalence of psychiatric morbidity. Twenty nine percent of the interview sample were examining their breasts more than once a month--21% once a week or more. However, these frequent self-examiners did not have a greater prevalence of psychiatric morbidity than their matched controls.
This paper reports upon a longitudinal general population survey of psychiatric disorder among a sample of women in Edinburgh. The course and outcome of the identified disorders, defined according to the RDC, are described. In addition the report documents the consequence, for the description of episodes, of adopting a diagnostic scheme which embodies hierarchical and inter-episode interval rules. Estimates of disease rates per year revealed a period prevalence of RDC disorder of 25.2% (17.6% depressive and 7.6% anxiety disorder) and an RDC new episode inception rate of 12.6%. In spite of the evident nontrivial nature of these conditions, and of the extent to which they were found to endure, contact with the psychiatric services was found to be minimal.
A total of 576 women aged 18-65, drawn from an area in Edinburgh, were interviewed. Data on life events and long-term difficulties over a six-month period prior to interview were gathered and classified according to area of life, the Bedford system, the Edinburgh system, and the independence of the event or difficulty from the subject's own actions. The highest rates of Bedford system 'provoking' situations were found in the working class, among those not employed, among women with three or more children under 14, and in the separated, divorced, widowed or cohabitating group. Similar findings emerged for hopeless situations involving choice or loss. Dependent situations were four times more common in the youngest group than the oldest, and showed a high rate among those divorced, separated, widowed, or cohabiting. It is suggested that both dependent and independent life situations should be studied.
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Of the eight nuclear genes in the plant multi-gene family which encodes the small subunit (rbcS) of Petunia (Mitchell) ribulose bisphosphate carboxylase, one rbcS gene accounts for 47% of the total rbcS gene expression in petunia leaf tissue. Expression of each of five other rbcS genes is detected at levels between 2 and 23% of the total rbcS expression in leaf tissue, while expression of the remaining two rbcS genes is not detected. There is considerable variation (500-fold) in the levels of total rbcS mRNA in six organs of petunia (leaves, sepals, petals, stems, roots and stigmas/anthers). One gene, SSU301, showed the highest levels of steady-state mRNA in each of the organs examined. We discuss the differences in the steady-state mRNA levels of the individual rbcS genes in relation to their gene structure, nucleotide sequence and genomic linkage.
Human IgG and its Fab fragments were chosen as a model system for studying the desferoxamine (DF) coupling reaction using glutaraldehyde or carbodiimide at various concentrations. The labelling of the IgG-DF conjugates with 67Ga proved to be highly efficient and reproducible. The labelling efficiency in relation to storage time of the conjugate was analysed over a 1-month period by Sephadex-G-50 chromatography. Gel-filtration analysis on Sephacryl S-300 showed that, following the coupling procedure, a high proportion (more than 80%) of the conjugate remained monomeric. Immunoelectrophoresis on agar plates demonstrated that the antibody immunoreactivity was preserved. The biodistribution in mice of the 67Ga-DF-IgG conjugates was comparable to that of the conventional radiopharmaceutical, 125I-HSA. Conditions were established for the coupling of DF to two rat IgG2b monoclonal antibodies M10/76 and 11/160, that are specific for the Hooded rat sarcomata MC 24 and HSN respectively; the immunoreactivity of these conjugates was tested by a cell-binding assay. The data indicate that monoclonal-antibody/DF conjugates prepared with the bifunctional reagent glutaraldehyde maintain their capacity for binding to their tumour-associated antigens.
Twenty-six lambda phage clones with homology to coding sequences of the small subunit (SSU) of ribulose 1,5-bisphosphate carboxylase have been isolated from an EMBL3 lambda phage bank of Petunia (Mitchell) DNA. Restriction mapping of the phage inserts shows that the clones were obtained from five nonoverlapping regions of petunia DNA that carry seven SSU genes. Comparison of the HindIII genomic fragments of petunia DNA with the HindIII restriction fragments of the isolated phage indicates that petunia nuclear DNA encodes eight SSU genes, seven of which are present in the phage clones. Two incomplete genes, which contain only the 3' end of an SSU gene, were also found in the phage clones. We demonstrate that the eight SSU genes of petunia can be divided into three gene families based on homology to three petunia cDNA clones. Two gene families contain single SSU genes and the third contains six genes, four of which are closely linked within petunia nuclear DNA.
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64 women with operable breast cancer were randomly allocated at the time of mastectomy to a group receiving immediate breast reconstruction or to a control group to whom breast reconstruction was offered 12 months later. The objective of the trial was to determine whether immediate breast reconstruction affected the psychosocial morbidity of mastectomy. Immediate reconstruction reduced the psychiatric morbidity assessed 3 months after operation, predominantly in women with unsatisfactory marriages. Women who underwent reconstruction had more freedom of dress and were less likely to be repulsed by their own naked appearance than women who did not undergo reconstruction. Sexual and social morbidity were not affected.
The prevalence of psychiatric disorder was determined according to alternative diagnostic criteria in a random sample of 576 women from an Edinburgh community. Whichever diagnostic system was applied, significantly higher rates of disorder were found among the working class, the unemployed and women who were divorced, widowed, separated or cohabiting; in the subgroup of women who met all these conditions, up to half were found to satisfy the diagnostic criteria. The observed prevalence estimates can be explained as the effects of each demographic factor acting independently, no interaction effects being needed. Our results are discussed in relation to the findings of others, and in terms of the statistical issues involved.
Four research diagnostic schemes are compared in one community sample. The prevalence of psychiatric disorder ranged from 8.7 per cent (ID-Catego, threshold and definite) through 13.7 per cent (RDC, probable and definite) to 20.3 per cent (Bedford, borderline and definite). The main comparison made is between the PSE/ID/Catego and SADS/RDC systems. Sixty-one per cent of cases are identified as such by both these schemes. There is poor agreement about labelling; only 56 per cent of cases of depression and 16.7 per cent of cases of anxiety are so diagnosed by both systems. A post hoc check list was used to identify Bedford cases; all bar one were found to fulfil RDC and PSE case criteria. The results are compared with those from other centres which have used the same diagnostic criteria in community studies.