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Biomedical subjects

D Wood

Publications and source records attributed to D Wood.

At least 199 records · Page 11Linked to original sources
PubMed1986

The effects of interleukins and other soluble factors on T-lymphocyte colony formation.

When plated in semi-solid media, PHA-stimulated human peripheral blood mononuclear cells (PBMC) form discrete T-cell colonies. By contrast, Sephadex G-10 non-adherent (NA) cells (greater than 96% T lymphocytes) show virtually no clonal growth unless cocultured with soluble factors derived from either normal adherent cells or tumour cell lines. Purified IL-1 was able to initiate colony growth of mitogen-stimulated NA cells; cultures containing 20 U of human IL-1 yielded colony counts that were only slightly less than those with PBMC. In addition, recombinant IL-2, free of measurable IL-1, was able to provide the initiating signal required for clonal expansion. Both recombinant and lymphocyte-derived IL-2 were able to enhance the clonal growth of PBMC. Colony growth could be initiated by supernatants derived from short-term cultures of either monocytic (U937, HL60) or B-cell (Raji, Daudi) tumour cell lines. The abilities of these tumour cell lines to promote clonal responses did not correlate with their contents of either IL-1 or IL-2. By contrast, supernatants derived from either K562 (an erythroleukaemic line) or MOLT 4 (a T-cell lymphoma) cells did not provide the initiating signal.

Antibodies, Monoclonal↗
PubMed1985

Rapid plasma digoxin assay in outpatients--a useful routine technique?

In 25 outpatients taking digoxin for chronic atrial fibrillation (established for at least six months) a prospective study identified only one case in which rapid availability of the results of a plasma digoxin assay altered the dose which had already been selected on the basis of simple clinical assessment. No patient received more than 375 micrograms digoxin per day and none showed clinical evidence of toxicity even though seven had renal impairment. Six other patients had poorly controlled ventricular rates requiring larger doses of digoxin, but even in these patients the dose could be selected on clinical grounds alone. Despite the availability of a very rapid fluorescence polarisation immunoassay for digoxin, simple but careful clinical monitoring is an adequate basis for the selection of a suitable dose in most patients taking digoxin for atrial fibrillation.

Aged↗
PubMed1985

A controlled study of methylphenidate in the treatment of attention deficit disorder, residual type, in adults.

Thirty-seven adult patients meeting the Utah criteria for attention deficit disorder, residual type, were entered into a double-blind crossover trial of methylphenidate and placebo. A moderate-to-marked therapeutic response occurred in 21 (57%) of the patients while receiving methylphenidate and in four (11%) while receiving placebo, a highly significant difference statistically and clinically. The responding patients showed significant improvement in the following areas: attentional difficulty, motor overactivity, affective lability, and impulsivity. The diagnosis of attention deficit disorder, residual type, should be considered in patients with prominent complaints of impulsivity, restlessness, emotional lability, and hot temper who do not suffer from schizophrenia or major mood disorder and do not have symptoms of schizotypal or borderline personality disorders.

Adult↗
PubMed1985

The 1981 census project: an outline and some findings.

The authors describe the 1981 census project in Australia, a study that was designed to provide "government agencies and departments with information concerning recent demographic changes as rapidly as possible so that the policy implications could be elaborated and used by decision makers in the private and public sectors....[This article] is a brief summary of some of the major findings of the project, specifically relating to the demographic components, population composition and characteristics of groups in the population." Sections are included on mortality, fertility, and migration, as well as on specific population groups in Australia, such as the family, ethnic groups, the labor force, and the aged.

Adult↗
PubMed1984

Nucleotide sequence encoding the flavoprotein and hydrophobic subunits of the succinate dehydrogenase of Escherichia coli.

The nucleotide sequence of a 3614 base-pair segment of DNA containing the sdhA gene, encoding the flavoprotein subunit of succinate dehydrogenase of Escherichia coli, and two genes sdhC and sdhD, encoding small hydrophobic subunits, has been determined. Together with the iron-sulphur protein gene (sdhB) these genes form an operon (sdhCDAB) situated between the citrate synthase gene (gltA) and the 2-oxoglutarate dehydrogenase complex genes (sucAB): gltA-sdhCDAB-sucAB. Transcription of the gltA and sdhCDAB gene appears to diverge from a single intergenic region that contains two pairs of potential promoter sequences and two putative CRP (cyclic AMP receptor protein)-binding sites. The sdhA structural gene comprises 1761 base-pairs (587 codons, excluding the initiation codon, AUG) and it encodes a polypeptide of Mr 64268 that is strikingly homologous with the flavoprotein subunit of fumarate reductase (frdA gene product). The FAD-binding region, including the histidine residue at the FAD-attachment site, has been identified by its homology with other flavoproteins and with the flavopeptide of the bovine heart mitochondrial succinate dehydrogenase. Potential active-site cysteine and histidine residues have also been indicated by the comparisons. The sdhC (384 base-pairs) and sdhD (342 base-pairs) structural genes encode two strongly hydrophobic proteins of Mr 14167 and 12792 respectively. These proteins resemble in size and composition, but not sequence, the membrane anchor proteins of fumarate reductase (the frdC and frdD gene products).

Amino Acid Sequence↗
PubMed1984

Azapropazone-associated antibodies.

2 patients on the drug azapropazone developed positive antiglobulin tests. Their sera were each found to contain two distinct antibodies. One was an IgG antibody, probably a drug-dependent autoantibody of the alpha-methyldopa type, but could have been related to the disease. The other was certainly a drug-dependent antibody of the penicillin type.

Aged↗
PubMed1984

Evaluation of PPLO, A7B, E, and NYC agar media for the isolation of Ureaplasma urealyticum and Mycoplasma species from the genital tract.

Four agar media (PPLO, NYC, A7B, and E) which are commonly used for the isolation of urogenital tract Mycoplasma species and Ureaplasma urealyticum were compared by culturing swabs of the endocervix of 334 pregnant women on all four media. To permit growth of both Mycoplasma and U. urealyticum, selective ingredients were omitted from the media tested. A7B and E agar were both satisfactory for the isolation of Mycoplasma species, recovering 92 and 82%, respectively, of all Mycoplasma species isolated. Only A7B agar was satisfactory for U. urealyticum isolation, recovering 96% of all isolates. Several modifications of PPLO, NYC, and E agar failed to significantly improve recovery of U. urealyticum on these media. A7B agar was clearly superior to all other media tested in terms of recovery rate, typical appearance of colonies, and ease of reading. A7B can be used for the isolation of both U. urealyticum and Mycoplasma species from urogenital sites.

Agar↗
PubMed1984

Introns excised from immunoglobulin pre-mRNAs exist as discrete species.

We have discovered a new class of transcripts of immunoglobulin kappa genes in RNA from B-lineage cells. These transcripts have the properties predicted of free introns excised from kappa mRNA precursors. RNA extracted from populations of normal mouse spleen cells polyclonally activated with B-cell mitogens contains four such transcripts; their electrophoretic mobilities correspond to the distances between the intron-exon boundary of the C kappa region and the four useable J kappa elements, and their relative abundance reflects the relative usage of those J segments. Analysis of RNA from monoclonal kappa-expressing cell lines reveals that one active locus produces one free intron, its size determined by which J element is used in that locus. Apart from their distinctive size, free introns are identified by their lack of polyadenylic acid and their ability to hybridize to cloned probes containing intron sequences, but not to the adjacent V or C exonic sequences. They have a characteristic subcellular distribution, being extractable from nuclei by treatment with nonionic detergent; nuclei thus treated retain most of the primary mRNA precursors, but few of the free introns. A high level of kappa gene expression is not a prerequisite of a cell containing detectable free kappa introns; the lymphoma 38c has only 5% or less of the amount of kappa mRNA that the plasmacytoma MCP-11 contains, yet the ratio of free intron to mRNA precursor is about the same in both cell lines. When analyzed by electrophoretic separation of sufficient resolving power, the free introns due to a single kappa locus resolve into two discrete species. We consider that this most likely reflects the existence of two conformers of the intron, one presumably a covalently intact circle and the other linear molecule.

Animals↗
PubMed1984

Aspects of the linguistic competence of deaf children.

In this paper the following three issues are considered in the light of recent research: Do severely/profoundly deaf children develop a grammar for English? Evidence is presented which suggests that they do and that this grammar displays a number of general characteristics some of which parallel the language of younger hearing children, others that do not. The limitations of this grammar will be discussed and hypotheses about the nature, origins and inevitability of such limitations explored. In what ways do the linguistic experiences of deaf children differ from that of hearing children? Some aspects of the deaf child's experience of language will be explored and their linguistic and psychological implications discussed. The relationships between current research findings on the linguistic development of the deaf and the possibility of improved educational methods will also be explored to consider the various different philosophies currently being debated in this field.

Association↗
PubMed1984

Primary and secondary affective disorder: Part III. Longitudinal differences in depression symptoms.

Depressed inpatients (29 primary and 31 secondary) were blindly rated at several time points on 137 depressive symptoms. Of the 7 high-frequency symptoms or symptom clusters analyzed, significantly greater symptom persistence was seen for secondary depressives on low mood, pessimism, change in usual interests, and suicidal ideation. Day-to-day variability in symptoms did not differ between groups. Scalability of symptoms (Guttman scales) was acceptable for primary but not secondary depressives. Suicidal ideation tended to be the first symptom to remit in primary depression but persisted in the secondary group, even after remission of the most severe symptom. Implications for treatment are discussed.

Depressive Disorder↗
PubMed1983

Nucleotide sequence of the promoter region of the citrate synthase gene (gltA) of Escherichia coli.

The gltA gene, specifying the citrate synthase (EC 4.1.3.7) of Escherichia coli, has been isolated and the nucleotide sequence of a 752 basepair segment containing the gltA promoter and encoding 96 aminoterminal residues of the protein has been defined using the dideoxy/M13 method. The results confirm the location and transcriptional polarity of the gltA gene and indicate that the gltA transcript may contain a long leader sequence of 302-306 nucleotides upstream from the coding region.

Base Sequence↗
PubMed1983

The seal myoglobin gene: an unusually long globin gene.

The tetrameric haemoglobins of vertebrates are encoded by alpha- and beta-globin gene families which arose during evolution by a succession of gene duplications, commencing with an alpha beta globin gene duplication which occurred about 500 Myr ago, early in the evolution of the vertebrates. All functional alpha- and beta- globin genes analysed so far share common features, including coding sequence homologies and the presence of two introns within the coding sequence at locations which correlate with interdomain boundaries within globin polypeptides. Here we describe the isolation and characterization of an additional diverged member of the globin gene family, the seal myoglobin gene. We show that monomeric myoglobin, which diverged from haemoglobin about 600-800 Myr ago before the appearance of tetrameric haemoglobins, is also specified by a gene containing two introns at positions precisely homologous to haemoglobin introns. Unlike vertebrate haemoglobin genes, however, the noncoding regions of the seal myoglobin gene are remarkably long.

Amino Acid Sequence↗
PubMed1983

Metastatic cancer from an undetermined primary site.

The charts of 285 patients diagnosed as metastatic cancer from an undetermined primary site were reviewed. An attempt was made to characterize this disease entity more specifically, and to evaluate the various modes of therapy utilized in such patients. Adenocarcinoma is the most common histologic type overall; squamous cell carcinoma is most common in 5-year survivors. Lymph nodes are the most common metastatic site overall and in 5-year survivors. The mean overall survival is 8.69 months with 8.7% 2-year survivors and 2.8% 5-year survivors. Surgery alone, radiation alone or in combination, and chemotherapy alone or in combination were utilized in these patients with 5-year survivals of 11, 3.7, and 1.1%, respectively. The 5-year survivors all had therapy initiated immediately after histologic diagnosis and medical workup, and all of their tumors were less than 8 cm in diameter. In view of this data, patients with metastatic cancer from an undetermined primary site should always be considered for early, aggressive therapy.

Adenocarcinoma↗