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Biomedical subjects

G Gill

Publications and source records attributed to G Gill.

At least 37 records · Page 2Linked to original sources
PubMed2001

Pulmonary oxygen consumption: a hypothesis to explain the increase in oxygen consumption of low birth weight infants with lung disease.

OBJECTIVE: We determined pulmonary oxygen consumption (VO2lung) in low-birthweight infants with acute lung disease to help explain the greater whole-body oxygen consumption (VO2wb) in these infants with than in those without lung disease. METHODS AND MATERIALS: Eleven infants (birth weight 1,076+/-364 g; gestational age 28+/-3 weeks) undergoing mechanical ventilation for respiratory distress syndrome were studied in their first week of life. We measured VO2wb by indirect calorimetry and simultaneously determined systemic oxygen uptake (VO2Fick) as the product of cardiac output (echocardiography) and the arterial-mixed venous oxygen content difference (cooximetry) assuming that VO2wb-VO2Fick accounts for VO2lung. Right atrial blood samples were used to determine mixed venous oxygenation, and infants were excluded if samples returned saturations greater than 89%. RESULTS: VO2lung was 1.92+/-1.74 ml x kg(-1) x min(-1), representing 25% of their VO2wb (7.58+/-1.48 ml x kg(-1) x min(-1)). VO2lung was not correlated with clinical measures of acute disease severity. However, infants with the most severe changes on follow-up radiography (Edwards score 5 as assessed by radiologist blinded for VO2 data) all had a VO2lung level greater than 2.0 ml x kg(-1) x min(-1). CONCLUSION: VO2lung can account for the elevated metabolic rate in low-birthweight infants with lung injury. We speculate that this reflects in part inflammatory pulmonary processes and may herald chronic lung disease.

Acute Disease↗
PubMed2001

Chronic disease patient education: lessons from meta-analyses.

Twelve meta-analyses were identified concerning education for people with chronic diseases where behaviour modification is a part of the treatment regime. By combining the results of these meta-analyses a second stage descriptive meta-analysis was conducted. The aim of the exercise was to explore the effects of patient education and implications for educational treatment. The results provided evidence of the gaps that exist in current research practice. These gaps include the need to utilise rigorous research designs to explore the quantitative effects of patient education, and the need to qualitatively explore the processes by which these effects have transpired. Where randomised controlled trials had been conducted the effects of patient education were usually small and were only known for 6 months of follow-up. In addition, the educational interventions tested were generally poorly described, and failed to adhere to theoretical models. The results of this review have highlighted the need for practitioners to use theoretically based teaching strategies which include behaviour change tactics that affect feelings and attitudes. In alignment with these conclusions, the review has provided guidelines for future research practice.

Attitude to Health↗
PubMed2001

Death signals changes in TFIID.

In this issue of Molecular Cell, Bell et al. identify an isoform of hTAF(II)80 that is induced in response to several proapoptotic stimuli. The finding that extracellular signals can lead to changes in the subunit composition of TFIID provides an example of how regulated activity of the general transcription factors may contribute to inducible programs of gene expression.

Apoptosis↗
PubMed2001

Regulation of the initiation of eukaryotic transcription.

DNA sequences that determine transcriptional regulation of a typical eukaryotic gene consist of a core promoter, which serves as a binding site for the GTF TFIID, and regulatory promoter or enhancer sequences, which bind transcriptional activators. The RNA polymerase II transcription machinery consists of over 50 proteins which are thought to bind to the core promoter in as few as two steps: binding of TFIIA-TFIID, followed by binding of a large pre-assembled holoenzyme complex consisting of the remaining GTFs, RNA polymerase II and associated regulatory proteins. Activators function to increase binding of the transcription machinery to the promoter in at least two ways: (i) simple protein-protein interactions with activators increases the affinity of the transcription machinery for the promoter, and (ii) some activators stabilize a conformation of the TFIIA-TFIID-DNA complex that enhances binding of the holoenzyme. Recent studies have identified many co-activators that function with activators to increase transcription by the RNA polymerase II transcription machinery. Although some co-activators may serve as bridges to connect activators with the transcription machinery, the mechanism of action of many co-activators has not yet been determined.

Animals↗
PubMed2001

Trends in the smoking habits of young adults with diabetes.

OBJECTIVES: To examine changes in the prevalence of smoking in young adult diabetic patients between 1990 and 1999. SETTING: Walton Diabetes Centre, University Hospital Aintree, Liverpool, UK. DESIGN: Direct questioning as well as the urinary cotinine:creatinine ratio were used to assess the smoking habits of 99 young type 1 diabetic patients in 1991 (mean age 21.5 years, duration of diabetes 7.3 years), and in 112 similar patients in 1999 (mean age 23.4 years, duration of diabetes 9.6 years). RESULTS: The admitted smoking rate was 31/99 (31%) in 1990 compared with 31/112 (28%) in 1999 (not significant). However, in 1990 there were an additional 17 "covert" smokers (patients who denied smoking, but had an unequivocally raised urinary cotinine:creatinine ratio), but only three in 1999 (p<0.05). This gave a corrected validated smoking rate of 48/99 (48%) in 1990 and 34/112 (30%) in 1999, representing a significant fall (p<0.02). CONCLUSION: Smoking rates in young type 1 diabetic patients appear to have fallen during the last decade, and reporting of smoking behaviour is now more honest.

Adolescent↗
PubMed2001

Plexiform neurofibroma of the submandibular salivary gland in a child.

Plexiform neurofibromas in major salivary glands are rarely described. In the literature, most reported tumours have been present in the parotid gland region. A three-year-old boy with a family history of neurofibromatosis presented with a rapidly growing left submandibular mass. The clinical diagnosis was that of a neurofibroma rather than a primary salivary gland tumour. Resection of the lesion revealed a plexiform neurofibroma involving the submandibular gland. Although these tumours have a neurogenic rather than a salivary gland origin, they must be considered in the differential diagnosis of a salivary gland lesion in a patient with a history of neurofibromatosis.

Child, Preschool↗
PubMed2001

Use of heparin in the investigation of obscure gastrointestinal bleeding.

OBJECTIVE: To determine if the administration of heparin improves the predictive value of angiography in the investigation of obscure gastrointestinal (GI) bleeding. METHODS: 18 patients with a history of chronic GI bleeding were investigated with angiography. For 6 patients, the cause of GI bleeding was established with angiography; the 12 patients who had negative results were given heparin for 24 h and were reassessed with angiography. RESULTS: After heparin administration, the source of GI bleeding was determined with angiography for 6 of the remaining 12 patients. Thus, heparinization increased diagnostic yield from 33% (6 of 18) to 67% (12 of 18). No significant complications, such as uncontrolled GI bleeding, occurred. CONCLUSION: Heparinization improves the diagnostic yield of angiography when obscure GI bleeding is being investigated.

Angiography↗
PubMed2000

The secreted glycoprotein CREG enhances differentiation of NTERA-2 human embryonal carcinoma cells.

Differentiation of the human embryonal carcinoma cell line NTERA-2 is characterized by changes in morphology, altered patterns of gene expression, reduced proliferative potential, and a loss of tumorigenicity. The cellular repressor of E1A-stimulated genes, CREG, was previously shown to antagonize transcriptional activation and cellular transformation by the Adenovirus E1A oncoprotein. These properties suggested that CREG may function to inhibit cell growth and/or promote differentiation. Here we show that CREG is a secreted glycoprotein which enhances differentiation of NTERA-2 cells. Northern blot analysis reveals that, although CREG mRNA is widely expressed in adult tissues, CREG mRNA is not significantly expressed in pluripotent mouse embryonic stem cells or NTERA-2 embryonal carcinoma cells. CREG mRNA is rapidly induced upon in vitro differentiation of both mouse embryonic stem cells and human NTERA-2 cells. We show that constitutive expression of CREG in NTERA-2 cells enhances neuronal differentiation upon treatment with retinoic acid. Media enriched in CREG was also found to promote NTERA-2 differentiation in the absence of an inducer such as retinoic acid. These studies suggest that secreted CREG protein participates in a signaling cascade important for differentiation of pluripotent stem cells such as those found in teratocarcinomas.

Animals↗
PubMed2000

General practitioners' attitudes toward complementary therapies.

Attitudes toward complementary therapies were elicited from a postal survey of all identified general practitioners in the state of Tasmania, Australia. Regression analysis of the data indicated that demographic features associated with favourable attitudes were younger age and location in small or single practices. Personal experiences of such therapies or patient endorsement of them were also associated with favourable attitudes. Those who saw the holistic orientation of complementary medicine as an advantage were likely to hold favourable attitudes. Those who saw the cure rate of complementary therapies as problematic and/or had personal knowledge of the harmful effects of such therapies were less likely to have favourable attitudes.

Adult↗
PubMed2000

The hPLIC proteins may provide a link between the ubiquitination machinery and the proteasome.

Although there is a binding site on the proteasome for the polyubiquitin chains attached to degradation substrates by the ubiquitination machinery, it is currently unclear whether in vivo the activities of the ubiquitination machinery and the proteasome are coupled. Here we show that two human homologs of the yeast ubiquitin-like Dsk2 protein, hPLIC-1 and hPLIC-2, physically associate with both proteasomes and ubiquitin ligases in large complexes. Overexpression of hPLIC proteins interferes with the in vivo degradation of two unrelated ubiquitin-dependent proteasome substrates, p53 and IkappaBalpha, but not a ubiquitin-independent substrate. Our findings raise the possibility that the hPLIC proteins, and possibly related ubiquitin-like family members, may functionally link the ubiquitination machinery to the proteasome to affect in vivo protein degradation.

Adaptor Proteins, Signal Transducing↗
PubMed2000

Normal medical practice of referring patients for complementary therapies among Australian general practitioners.

OBJECTIVES: Assessing the extent to which general practitioners (GPs) accept complementary therapies as normal medical practice. DESIGN: An examination of two Australian surveys of GPs undertaken in Tasmania and Victoria in 1997. OUTCOME MEASURES: Type of referral (to doctors or non-medical therapists) and therapy. Levels of acceptance. Basis for judgement of acceptability. RESULTS: In Tasmania 66% of GPs referred patients to doctors - primarily for acupuncture and hypnotherapy. Fifty-five per cent referred patients to non-medical practitioners - primarily for chiropractic, massage and osteopathy. In Victoria the rate of referral was 93%. Most GPs accepted acupuncture as a normal, but not orthodox, therapy. There are varying levels of acceptance of other complementary therapies and GPs judge by assessing safety and therapeutic value. CONCLUSION: Some complementary therapies are clearly part of normal, if not orthodox, practice in Australia. Discussion of complementary therapies in medicine must consider the differential levels of acceptance of different therapies.

Adult↗
PubMed2000

Daily physical activity program increases bone mineralization and growth in preterm very low birth weight infants.

OBJECTIVE: A study of daily physical activity was performed with 32 preterm infants to evaluate changes in body weight and bone mineralization. STUDY DESIGN: Subjects were matched by birth weight and gestational age and randomly assigned to the physical activity (PA; n = 16) or to the control (C; n = 16) program. PA consisted of range of motion against passive resistance to all extremities for 5 to 10 minutes daily. Peripheral dual-energy x-ray of the right forearm (ulna and radius); biomarkers of bone formation (serum type I collagen C-terminal propeptide [PICP]) and resorption (urine pyridinoline cross-links of collagen [Pyd]); serum calcium, phosphate, alkaline phosphatase, parathyroid hormone (PTH), and 1, 25-(OH)(2) vitamin D; and urine levels of calcium, phosphate, and creatinine were obtained. All measurements were made at study entry and at 2.0 kg of body weight. RESULTS: Despite a similar nutrient intake at advised levels for preterm infants, gains in body weight (g) and forearm bone length (cm), bone area (BA; cm(2)), bone mineral content (BMC; mg), and fat-free mass (g) were greater in PA infants. Forearm bone mineral density and fat mass gains did not differ between groups. Serum PICP levels remained constant in PA infants but decreased in C infants suggesting a slower rate of bone formation. Urine Pyd or bone resorption activity was similar between groups. A higher level of serum PTH was observed in PA infants at 2. 0 kg of body weight; however, the change from study entry to completion did not differ between groups. All other serum and urine values were similar and within normal limits. CONCLUSION: A daily PA program promotes greater gains in body weight, forearm length, BA, BMC, and fat-free mass in premature infants.

Adipose Tissue↗