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Biomedical subjects

G Stewart

Publications and source records attributed to G Stewart.

At least 109 records · Page 6Linked to original sources
PubMed1990

The genetics of six neurotic disorders: a twin study.

Persons who had met criteria for specific anxiety or depressive neuroses during their lifetime were identified from a sample of 446 pairs of adult twins. Although there was a genetic contribution to neuroticism and to symptoms, there was no inheritance of specific disorders. This concurs with previous work in a sample from the same Australian Twin Registry and with those from a Norwegian sample. It is concluded that while there is a genetic contribution to the predisposing trait, and therefore to the intermittent appearance of symptoms, this contribution is obscured by the grouping of symptoms into diagnoses and by the help seeking which is a prerequisite to clinical diagnosis.

Adolescent↗
PubMed1990

Sturge-Weber and Klippel-Trenaunay syndromes with absence of inferior vena cava.

A baby girl born at 33 weeks' gestation weighing 2250 g presented with Sturge-Weber syndrome, features of the Klippel-Trenaunay syndrome, and absence of the inferior vena cava. We suggest that aplasia of the vena cava may be a feature of Klippel-Trenaunay syndrome when the capillary malformation affects the trunk.

Angiomatosis↗
PubMed1990

Follow-up of community placement of the chronic mentally ill in New South Wales.

A total of 208 long-stay hospital patients in New South Wales, Australia, who were discharged to supported community accommodations were studied to determine their adjustment in the community. For 172 patients, measurements were obtained of the patients' satisfaction with their accommodations, the caretakers' perceptions of the patients' impairment and management difficulty, and the restrictiveness of practices in the various accommodations. Most patients were considered to be functioning well, although 22 of the more impaired and difficult patients were rehospitalized at the time of the study. Seventy-eight percent of the patients preferred living in the community, and only 7 percent preferred a hospital. The patients benefited from the supported, subsidized, permanent housing available in the community and required low levels of mental health care.

Adult↗
PubMed1990

Diagnosis, personality and the long-term outcome of depression.

Patients diagnosed in the late 1960s as suffering from either endogenous or neurotic depression, or as presenting with depression but discharged with another neurotic diagnosis, were followed for 15 years. Diagnosis at index admission did not predict overall outcome, but patients with endogenous depression, an apparently stable diagnosis, had longer index admissions, were readmitted sooner, but spent less time ill than patients in either of the neurosis groups. Personality abnormality accounted for 20% of the variance in outcome in the neurotic groups and only 2% of the variance in the endogenous group. Thus there is evidence that endogenous and neurotic depression are two illnesses and that, in the neuroses particularly, prognosis will depend on the extent to which these personality abnormalities are modified by treatment.

Depressive Disorder↗
PubMed1990

Evidence for a general neurotic syndrome.

Neurotic syndromes are defined by characteristic patterns of symptoms, but the validity of the distinction between one syndrome and another depends on associations between the syndromes and clinical history, or treatment response factors that are independent of the defining phenomena. In both a group of twin volunteers and a group of patients with panic disorder/agoraphobia, the lifetime experience of more than one diagnosis of a neurotic syndrome was common but there was no evidence of patterns of co-occurrence of diagnoses being associated with particular syndromes. Receiving a diagnosis was associated with abnormal scores on measures of neuroticism and locus of control, the extent of the abnormality increasing with the number of different diagnoses satisfied. It is argued that the concept of a general neurotic syndrome depends in part on the presence of such predisposing personality factors, and that reduction in this predisposition to neurosis should be the focus of treatment.

Adolescent↗
PubMed1990

Serotonergic changes following proestrous treatment with p,p'-DDT.

The effects of 25 and 75 mg/kg p,p'-DDT on the CNS serotonergic system were examined in proestrous female rats. Females were treated with p,p'-DDT on the morning of proestrus and were sacrificed that evening. Levels of serotonin (5-HT) and its major metabolite, 5-hydroxyindoleacetic acid (5-HIAA), were examined in cortex, hippocampus, hypothalamus and preoptic areas. The binding of 3'-8-OH-DPAT [2-hydroxy-2-N, N-(di-propylamino)-tetralin], an agonist for 5-HT1A receptors, was examined in hippocampus and frontal cortex. P,p'-DDT decreased the level of 5-HT in frontal cortex and hippocampus. Elevations in 5-HIAA were present in the hypothalamus but only at the higher dose of p,p'-DDT. The dose of 25 mg/kg p,p'-DDT produced an increase in the Bmax for 3H-8-OH-DPAT binding to frontal cortical and hippocampal membranes. Membrane preparations from females given 75 mg/kg p,p'-DDT fell into two categories. Some were similar to the control but with a slightly higher Kd; others could not be analyzed by traditional linear or nonlinear regression procedures because they showed a constant proportion of bound label, independent of the concentration of 3H-ligand in the reaction. In vitro, p,p'-DDT did not compete with 3H-8-OH-DPAT for binding to cortical membranes so it is unlikely that residual pesticide in the membrane preparation accounted for the binding results. These binding results are particularly interesting because, in previous studies, the dose of 25 mg/kg p,p'-DDT was shown to be more potent than 75 mg/kg p,p'-DDT in reducing female rodent lordosis behavior.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)

8-Hydroxy-2-(di-n-propylamino)tetralin↗
PubMed1989

Intestinal mucins from normal subjects and patients with cystic fibrosis. Variable contents of the disulphide-bound 118 kDa glycoprotein and different reactivities with an anti-(118 kDa glycoprotein) antibody.

1. A specific antibody was developed against the disulphide-bound 118 kDa glycoprotein of human intestinal mucin and used to establish an e.l.i.s.a. Fourteen purified mucins [eight normal (N) and six cystic fibrosis (CF)] had the same affinity for the antibody in the e.l.i.s.a., but their relative immunoreactivities varied widely (approx. 100,000-fold). In general, CF mucins were more antigenic than N mucins. 2. Variations (approx. 10-fold) were detected in the 118 kDa glycoprotein content of both N and CF mucins (assessed from Coomassie Blue-stained polyacrylamide gels), but these did not appear to be responsible for the differences in mucin immunoreactivity. 3. Variations (approx. 6-fold) were also observed in the size of the 118 kDa peak produced by N and CF mucins on Western blots. These were mostly due to differences in the 118 kDa glycoprotein content of mucins, although a small proportion resulted from changes in the number of antigenic determinants within individual 118 kDa glycoproteins. 4. After concanavalin A affinity chromatography of four reduced mucins (two N and two CF), purified 118 kDa glycoprotein was recovered in the bound fractions from the column, specifically eluted by methyl alpha-mannoside. 5. The amounts of 118 kDa glycoprotein isolated from the four mucins varied as predicted from the size of their 118 kDa bands on Coomassie Blue-stained gels. 6. Three 118 kDa glycoproteins (one N and two CF) showed almost identical reactivity in the e.l.i.s.a.; the fourth had fewer antigenic determinants. 7. Since differences in 118 kDa glycoprotein content and in the number of antigenic determinants within the 118 kDa glycoprotein did not account for variations in the reactivity of native mucins in the e.l.i.s.a., it appeared that accessibility of the 118 kDa glycoprotein to antibody binding may be critical in determining mucin immunoreactivity. This suggests that the three-dimensional conformation of CF mucins may differ from that of N mucins, leading to increased antigenicity.

Antibodies↗
PubMed1989

The determination of defense style by questionnaire.

The Defense Style Questionnaire was relabeled in terms of DSM-III-R defenses and administered to three groups: a normal population, family practice patients, and patients with anxiety disorders. The preferred factor structure identified mature defenses (sublimation, humor, anticipation, and suppression), neurotic defenses (undoing, altruism, idealization, and reaction formation), and immature defenses (projection, passive aggression, acting out, etc). Factor scores varied systematically with group membership and with measures of total symptoms. In this cross-sectional study, the vulnerability factors of neuroticism, locus of control, and defense style were all correlated with neurotic symptoms, but defense style added little to the variance explained by the other two. Within the patient group, however, neuroticism and locus of control did not distinguish among panic disorder, agoraphobia, social phobia, and obsessive-compulsive disorder, while defense style showed patterns characteristic of each disorder.

Adolescent↗
PubMed1989

Double blind study on the efficacy and safety of tetrabamate and chlordiazepoxide in the treatment of the acute alcohol withdrawal syndrome.

1. Efficacy and safety of tetrabamate and chlordiazepoxide in the treatment of the acute or Primary Alcohol Withdrawal Syndrome (PAWS) were assessed during a randomized double blind clinical trial, carried out on sixty male alcoholic in-patients. 2. The two drugs were administered four times a day in double dummy conditions, according to a fixed-flexible decreasing dosage schedule (six days basic regimen). 3. Drug efficacy was measured daily throughout the study period using a battery of standard instruments for collecting quantitative clinical, behavioral, psychopathological and laboratory data. Side effects were daily recorded. 4. Tetrabamate was found to be as efficient as chlordiazepoxide in reducing the intensity of the PAWS, improving sleep and vital signs rapidly and alleviating anxiety progressively. 5. Tetrabamate was found particularly beneficial for severe tremor. Psychomotor and mood scores consistently favored tetrabamate, suggesting psychoanaleptic properties of this compound (increased diurnal vigilance). 6. Side effects were minimal with tetrabamate and generally of weak intensity with chlordiazepoxide. 7. The results of this study indicate that tetrabamate may represent a new alternative drug of choice for the therapy of the acute alcohol withdrawal syndrome.

Adult↗
PubMed1989

Neutron radiation therapy for unresectable non-small-cell carcinoma of the lung. A review.

Over 200 patients have been entered in five studies investigating the use of fast neutron radiation therapy in the treatment of non-small-cell carcinomas of the lung since 1983. The results of these studies have been inconsistent. Most studies did not show survival rates or local control advantages over standard photon radiation therapy. Side effects from studies employing mixed photon-neutron treatment plans or clinically oriented, high-energy cyclotrons were seen to be comparable to those of standard courses of radiation therapy, representing a considerable improvement over those studies utilizing low-energy cyclotrons for a full course of radiation therapy, which resulted in unacceptably high complication rates. A new phase III study utilizing high-energy isocentric neutron beams has been designed and implemented, and over 100 patients have been entered to date. The current status of fast neutron radiation therapy in the treatment of non-small-cell lung cancer is reviewed.

Carcinoma, Non-Small-Cell Lung↗
PubMed1989

Survey of attitudes to testing for human immunodeficiency virus infection in antenatal clinics in West Glamorgan.

A total of 1023 women attending hospital antenatal clinics in West Glamorgan was surveyed by means of a self-administered questionnaire, to determine their attitudes to HIV testing in pregnancy. The response rate was 98%. Of the responders, 94% had no objection to their antenatal blood specimen being tested for HIV infection. Of the non-objectors, 55% wished their permission to be asked first, and 92% wished to be informed of the result, i.e. they wished for named testing. With regard to knowledge of other tests for infectious diseases performed on antenatal blood specimens, only 1.5% had totally correct knowledge, and only one in three knew that their blood was tested for syphilis. The implications of anonymous and named HIV testing are discussed, together with estimates of prevalence of HIV infection in women attending antenatal clinics, the rate of vertical transmission, and the prognosis for an infected baby.

AIDS Serodiagnosis↗
PubMed1989

Disulphide bonds and the 118,000 Mr glycoprotein of human intestinal mucin.

Purified intestinal mucins from eight normal subjects (N) and six patients with cystic fibrosis (CF) were compared for: (1) their content of free thiol groups (-SH) and disulphide bonds (S-S), (2) their immunoreactivity in a specific enzyme-linked immunoassay (ELISA) for the disulphide-bound 118,000 Mr glycoprotein and (3) their content of 118 kDa glycoprotein. Results showed considerable variability in the S-S/-SH content of individual mucin preparations but no differences were observed between N and CF samples. In the ELISA, all mucins were found to have identical antigenic determinants with the same affinity for the anti-118 kDa glycoprotein antibody but marked differences (ranging from 0.2 to 120,000 ng mucin) were observed in their relative immunoreactivities, indicating variable numbers of antigenic determinants. In general, CF mucins appeared to react more strongly in the immunoassay than N mucins. By SDS/polyacrylamide-gel electrophoresis under reducing conditions and densitometric analysis of Coomassie blue-stained gels, differences (up to six-fold) were also detected in the amount of 118 kDa glycoprotein in individual mucin preparations. However, this did not appear to be the cause of the variations in mucin immunoreactivity because not all strongly antigenic mucins contained large amounts of 118 kDa glycoprotein. Thus, accessibility of the 118 kDa glycoprotein to the antibody or the number of functional antigenic determinants within the 118 kDa glycoprotein may vary among different mucin preparations. The greater antigenicity of CF mucins may therefore reflect changes in their macromolecular conformation or in their 118 kDa glycoprotein.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)

Cystic Fibrosis↗
PubMed1988

The arginine repressor is essential for plasmid-stabilizing site-specific recombination at the ColE1 cer locus.

The heritable stability in Escherichia coli of the multicopy plasmid ColE1 and its natural relatives requires that the plasmids be maintained in the monomeric state. Plasmid multimers, that arise through recA-dependent homologous recombination, are normally converted to monomers by a site-specific recombination system that acts at a specific plasmid site (cer in ColE1). No plasmid functions that act at this site have been identified. In contrast, two unlinked E.coli genes that encode functions required for cer-mediated site-specific recombination have been identified. Here we describe the isolation and characterization of one such gene (xerA) and show it to be identical to the gene encoding the repressor of the arginine biosynthetic genes (argR). The argR protein binds to cer DNA both in vivo and in vitro in the presence of arginine. We believe this binding is required to generate a higher order protein-DNA complex within the recombinational synapse. The argR gene of Bacillus subtilis complements an E.coli argR deficiency for cer-mediated recombination despite the two proteins having only 27% amino acid identity.

Amino Acid Sequence↗
PubMed1988

Multicopy plasmid stability in Escherichia coli requires host-encoded functions that lead to plasmid site-specific recombination.

The heritable stability of the multicopy plasmid ColE1 and its natural relatives, requires the presence in the plasmid of a site (cer in ColE1) that acts as a substrate for site-specific recombination, thereby maintaining plasmids in the monomeric state. Multimerization, promoted by homologous recombination, leads to plasmid loss. Here we show that the Escherichia coli chromosome encodes at least two unlinked functions that act on cer and its analogous sites, to promote stabilizing site-specific recombination. One of these functions is encoded by a gene residing on a cosmid that also contains the argI and pyrB genes, mapping it to the 96-97 min region of the E. coli map.

Bacterial Proteins↗