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Biomedical subjects

C Evans

Publications and source records attributed to C Evans.

At least 289 records · Page 16Linked to original sources
PubMedDate not supplied

The chemical modification of cysteine-69 of rat liver fatty acid-binding protein (FABP): a fluorescence approach to FABP structure and function.

Hepatic-FABP was labelled at cysteine-69 with the fluorescent environmentally sensitive reporter group AEDANS. The labelled protein had an emission maximum at 465 nm indicating that cysteine-69 was buried in a non-polar environment. The modified protein was still able to bind ligands such as oleic acid, oleoyl CoA and haem. The affinity of AEDANS-FABP for haem was unaltered as compared with the native protein indicating that cysteine-69 must be remote from the ligand binding site. The binding of oleic acid did not significantly perturb the fluorescence emission spectrum of the fluorescent reporter group suggesting that there are not large conformational changes in the region of cysteine-69 on fatty acid binding. The binding of stoichiometric amounts of oleoyl CoA was accompanied by a small fluorescence enhancement which suggests that fatty acyl CoAs may interact with other regions of the FABP molecule not involved in fatty acid binding.

Acyl Coenzyme A↗
PubMedDate not supplied

Life history factors associated with neurotic symptomatology in a rural community sample of 40-49-year-old women.

Associations between a range of life history variables and neurotic pathology (measured by the Crown-Crisp Experiential Index) were examined in a rural community sample of 208 women aged 40-49. Significant childhood associations were a poor maternal relationship, parental discord, nervousness and not liking school. Significant later associations were a poor marital relationship and emotional and behavioural problems in children. There were significant intercorrelations between the significant childhood variables and between the later significant variables but not between the early and later variables. The predictor equations derived from multiple regression analysis fitted significantly a small replication patient sample.

Adult↗
PubMedDate not supplied

The Depression Screening Instrument (DSI): a device for the detection of depressive disorders in general practice.

The paper describes the design, application and psychometric properties of a 16-item depression screening questionnaire for use in community surveys carried out in general practice. The instrument was shown to have a satisfactory factorial structure and a high internal reliability. All 16 items showed very significant discrimination between a patient and a population sample and the total score correlated highly with that of two other widely used instruments. When measured against the PSE CATEGO-ID ratings the instrument was shown to have a high degree of validity and the value of the area under the receiver operating characteristic curve was high. Sensitivity and specificity levels were presented for a range of cutting points.

Adult↗
PubMedDate not supplied

The natural history of root entrapment syndrome.

An attempt was made to recognize entrapment of the lumbar root within the root canal using four criteria; (1) severe, constant root pain to the lower leg, (2) pain unrelieved by bed rest, (3) minimal tension signs, and (4) patients over 40 years of age. Two hundred forty-nine patients fulfilled the criteria, representing 11% of patients attending a back pain clinic. Most had restricted spinal extension, but few had abnormal neurologic signs. Degenerative change was common, especially disc space reduction. Central canal size measured by ultrasound was normal, compatible with a variable past history of back pain. Patients with a long history of back pain numbered 80%, and 90.4% were managed by nonoperative means. Although 78% of these still had some root pain between 1 and 4 years after first attendance, most of them were not troubled sufficiently to have sought alternative help.

Adult↗
PubMedDate not supplied

Molecular and physiological effects of alpha-tropomyosin ablation in the mouse.

Tropomyosin (TM) is an integral component of the thin filament in muscle fibers and is involved in regulating actin-myosin interactions. TM is encoded by a family of four alternatively spliced genes that display highly conserved nucleotide and amino acid sequences. To assess the functional and developmental significance of alpha-TM, the murine alpha-TM gene was disrupted by homologous recombination. Homozygous alpha-TM null mice are embryonic lethal, dying between 8 and 11.5 days post coitum. Mice that are heterozygous for alpha-TM are viable and reproduce normally. Heterozygous knockout mouse hearts show a 50% reduction in cardiac muscle alpha-TM mRNA, with no compensatory increase in transcript levels by striated muscle beta-TM or TM-30 isoforms. Surprisingly, this reduction in alpha-TM mRNA levels in heterozygous mice is not reflected at the protein level, where normal amounts of striated muscle alpha-TM protein are produced and integrated in the myofibril. Quantification of alpha-TM mRNA bound in polysomal fractions reveals that both wild-type and heterozygous knockout animals have similar levels. These data suggest that a change in steady-state level of alpha-TM mRNA does not affect the relative amount of mRNA translated and amount of protein synthesized. Physiological analyses of myocardial and myofilament function show no differences between heterozygous alpha-TM mice and control mice. The present study suggests that translational regulation plays a major role in the control of TM expression.

Animals↗
PubMedDate not supplied

The nutritional status of Asian end stage renal failure patients: a cross sectional study.

Nutritional status was assessed in 303 dialysis patients and the results of Asian and non Asian patients was compared. Mid Arm Muscle Circumference (MAMC) was found to be lower [22.7 +/- 2.7 v 24.2 +/- 2.9 (p = 0.008)] and TSF higher [15.9 +/- 7.2 v 13.6 +/- 7.4 (p = 0.078)] in Asians as compared to non Asians. Body Mass Index (BMI), Mid Arm Circumference (MAC) and Serum Albumin were not significantly different in the two groups. Difficulties in assessing and interpreting nutritional status in the Asian dialysis population are discussed and areas for further work are identified.

Body Mass Index↗
PubMedDate not supplied

Urinary type IV collagenase: elevated levels are associated with bladder transitional cell carcinoma.

Accumulating experimental evidence has linked the overproduction of extracellular matrix-degrading metalloproteinases with tumor cell invasion. In the present study one member of the metalloproteinase family, type IV collagenase (M(r) 72,000 gelatinase), is shown to be elevated in the urine of patients with transitional cell carcinoma of the bladder. The form of the enzyme in the urine was studied by three independent methods: enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay, Western immunoblotting; and gelatin zymography. Immunoblotting revealed that the enzyme was present as a series of fragments, each retaining the amino terminus of the mature proenzyme. A prominent M(r) 43,000 fragment was associated with the transitional cell carcinoma cases. Zymography demonstrated that multiple enzyme species with gelatinase activity were present in urine and that high-molecular-weight bands of substrate lysis corresponded to complexes between type IV collagenase and tissue inhibitor of metalloproteinases 2. The total amount of type IV collagenase antigen was significantly elevated in the urine of 37 transitional cell carcinoma patients (range, 0-1081 ng/ml; mean, 318.4 +/- 147.3) compared to 19 normal controls (P < or = 0.004) and 17 inflammatory disease controls (P < or = 0.011). Immunohistochemical staining of bladder tumor biopsies verified that the transitional cell carcinoma cells were producing the M(r) 72,000 enzyme. Thus, M(r) 72,000 type IV collagenase, which is present in the urine in many forms including fragments and complexes with inhibitors, may be a useful marker for bladder cancer diagnosis or prognosis.

Antibodies, Monoclonal↗
PubMedDate not supplied

Unit-based clinical nurse specialist: redesigning nursing services.

At the Johns Hopkins Hospital, the Medical Nursing Services redesigned its delivery of direct patient care to include nurse managers, staff nurses, nursing support technicians, and unit-based clinical nurse specialists (CNSs). The CNS role proved efficacious to both nursing staff and nurse managers.

Baltimore↗
PubMedDate not supplied

Peptide neuroregulators: the opioid system as a model.

Aaron Lerner's work provides a stunning set of examples of substances that help to transmit information in the brain and body. His characterization of alpha-MSH and melatonin and his sparking of interest in the further discovery of previously unknown substances have been of inestimable value for the field of neurobiology. Efforts such as those that Lerner undertook so successfully in the field of investigative dermatology now constitute a major research thrust in the field of behavioral neurochemistry and are directly related to advances in psychiatry and neurology. This review considers aspects of research on the neuropeptides, with particular attention to the endogenous opioid (morphine-like) peptides that are active on neural tissue. Neuropeptide research can be categorized broadly as efforts to discover and characterize new families and classes of active agents, investigations of their genetic and molecular processing, and studies of their relationships to behavior in animals and human beings. This review selectively considers some key research questions and strategies that arise from such research.

Animals↗
PubMedDate not supplied

Iatrogenic posterior tibial neurothlipsis: a tarsal tunnel syndrome.

Posterior tibial neurothlipsis in the retromalleolar space, secondary to internal fixation of a prior ankle fracture, is presented in the following report. The possibility of a tarsal tunnel syndrome cannot be ruled out. No apparent similar reference is made in the medical literature concerning the above etiology of posterior tibial compression/neurothlipsis/tarsal tunnel syndrome. Electrodiagnosis with sensory nerve conduction velocities is reviewed for more accurate diagnosis of tarsal tunnel syndrome.

Adult↗