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Biomedical subjects

D G Kern

Publications and source records attributed to D G Kern.

29 records · Page 2Linked to original sources
PubMed1990

Treating asthma.

Explore the source record for details and available documents.

Asthma↗
PubMed1989

Asthma in respiratory therapists.

STUDY OBJECTIVE: To test the hypothesis that work as a respiratory therapist is associated with an increased risk of developing asthma. DESIGN: Cross-sectional questionnaire study comparing respiratory therapists with controls (physical therapists and radiologic technologists). Subsequent validation of reported asthma with methacholine challenge studies. SUBJECTS: All respiratory therapists and physical therapists and a random 50% sample of radiologic technologists working in the state of Rhode Island as of June 1986. METHODS: All subjects received a mail questionnaire with questions about the presence or absence of asthma, time of onset, and important covariates. Responses were analyzed for all subjects, and again after excluding those subjects with pre-existing asthma. Subjects who reported physician-diagnosed asthma were asked to have methacholine challenge testing. RESULTS: Respondents included 194 respiratory therapists (response rate, 69.5%) and 517 controls (response rate, 75.3%). After excluding respiratory therapists from the hospital at which the hypothesis was generated, there were 34 respiratory therapists (18.7%) and 30 controls (5.8%) reporting physician-diagnosed asthma. After controlling for age, smoking status, family history, atopic history, and other covariates using logistic regression, respiratory therapy carried an odds ratio of 3.2 (95% CI, 1.9 to 5.5). With analysis restricted to those who developed asthma after entering their profession, the odds ratio for respiratory therapy was 4.6 (95% CI, 2.0 to 10.4). In the validation study, 10 of 14 respiratory therapists (71%) and 6 of 10 controls (60%) had evidence of bronchial hyperreactivity. CONCLUSIONS: These results suggest a previously unrecognized excess of asthma in respiratory therapists. The excess develops after entry into the profession, and does not appear to be explained by confounding, information bias, or selection bias.

Adult↗
PubMed1988

Identification of a galactose-binding lectin on Fusobacterium nucleatum FN-2.

A previous study has suggested that Fusobacterium nucleatum FN-2 contains a galactose-binding protein (lectin) on the cell surface (P. A. Murray, V. Matarese, C. I. Hoover, and J. R. Winkler, FEMS Microbiol. Lett. 40:123-127, 1987). In the present study, the molecular specificity and size of this lectin were investigated by several techniques. Whole-cell affinity chromatography with asialofetuin covalently coupled to Sepharose 6MB demonstrated that 81% of 3H-labeled F. nucleatum were specifically eluted by 0.5 M galactose. Specific binding was calcium dependent and did not occur in the presence of calcium chelators. Binding was inhibited by preincubation with galactose. Agglutination of human parotid saliva by F. nucleatum was also inhibited by galactose and its structural analogs. Inhibition by lactose was 2 times that of galactose, inhibition by p-aminophenyl galactosides was 4 times that of galactose, and inhibition by asialoglycopeptides was 100 times that of galactose. Similar inhibition results were obtained for hemagglutination of neuraminidase-treated erythrocytes. These findings suggest that the binding specificity of F. nucleatum FN-2 is more complex than simply the recognition of the monosaccharide galactose. This is consistent with the concept that lectins considered identical in terms of monosaccharide specificity can recognize fine differences in more complex structures. To identify the specific bacterial component(s) involved in galactose recognition, proteins of F. nucleatum FN-2 were separated on a 4 to 11% gradient sodium dodecyl sulfate slab gel, transferred to nitrocellulose paper to renature bacterial binding sites, and then incubated with 125I-labeled asialofetuin. Autoradiographs of the nitrocellulose revealed a band at a range of Mr 300,000 to 330,000 which was not present when the blots were preincubated with galactose. These data support the concept that F. nucleatum FN-2 possesses a lectin that recognizes galactose and galactose-containing substrates.

Asialoglycoproteins↗
PubMed1982

Isolation of xanthophores from the goldfish (Carassius auratus L.).

A method is described for the isolation of milligram quantities of viable, hormone-responsive xanthophores from goldfish scales. The preparations are typically 70 to 90% pure and are useful for biochemical analyses or for establishing primary cultures.

8-Bromo Cyclic Adenosine Monophosphate↗
PubMedDate not supplied

The unexpected result of an investigation of an outbreak of occupational lung disease.

The author describes the discovery of a cluster of cases of interstitial lung disease among employees of a textile manufacturing plant and the difficulties he and his university-hospital occupational medicine team encountered in attempting to identify the cause of the disease. At first accepted in a consultant capacity by the plant's management, the team met increasing resistance to its efforts as it uncovered evidence of a work-related cause of the disease and attempted ientists to communicate findings important to the health of the public, and the physician's overarching professional responsibility to his or her patients.

Adult↗
PubMedDate not supplied

Developing a competency-based preventive medicine curriculum for medical schools.

Trends in patient morbidity and mortality, cost-effectiveness, and national recommendations mandate that we practice more preventive medicine. To address this need, we set out to develop a comprehensive curriculum in preventive medicine for medical schools. We constructed a competency-based (i.e., performance-based) curriculum with specific educational objectives defined by outcomes. Subject areas were subdivided by life stages, and learning objectives were created separately for epidemiology, assessment, and intervention. We hope that adoption of such an educational blueprint by medical schools will measurably enhance the attitudes, knowledge, and skills necessary for the incorporation of preventive principles into all aspects of clinical medicine.

Clinical Competence↗