Biomedical subjects
Publications and source records attributed to H A Smith.
Hereditary angioneurotic edema (HANE) is a rare familial disease of C1 esterase inhibitor deficiency that produces recurring attacks of acute, circumscribed, noninflammatory edema. The technique of partial uvulectomy to treat HANE can reduce the mortality from this condition due to asphyxiation. Three cases in which partial uvulectomy was the successful mode of treatment are described.
Sensorimotor rhythm (SMR) biofeedback training was attempted in a 13-year-old male with frequent epileptic seizures. Prior to training the subject was averaging almost eight clinical seizures an hour. The SMR filter was tuned sharply to 12 plus or minus 1 Hz. Feedback was conducted over approximately six months and continues to the present. In that time the subject's percentage of SMR increased from about 10%, prior to training, to 65% after the 34th training session. Correspondingly, his rate of clinical seizures decreased by a factor of 10 and a significant reduction in percentage of epileptiform discharges was noted. Beginning with trial 35, the subject was provided feedback of epileptiform activity in combination with 12 Hz activity. The combined effect of these two treatment variables was to reduce the trial-to-trial variance in the dependent variables of interest.
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In vitro antiviral activities of two potentially clinically useful antiviral compounds, adenine arabinoside and iododeoxyuridine, were examined in human fetal intestinal and tracheal organ cultures infected with Herpesvirus hominis (types 1 and 2) or vaccinia virus. The two compounds were similarly active against the viruses in organ culture, and minimal inhibitory concentrations could be determined by titration of organ culture fluid harvests into tissue culture or directly in the organ cultures themselves. Minimal inhibitory concentrations were consistently lower in tracheal than in intestinal organ cultures and were consistently higher for H. hominis type 2 than for H. hominis type 1. Thus the organ cultures are promising systems in which to evaluate antiviral activity against those agents that replicate in vitro only in organ culture, and they may have particular application to the study of herpetic tracheitis and esophagitis.
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Explore the source record for details and available documents.
Explore the source record for details and available documents.
Explore the source record for details and available documents.
Explore the source record for details and available documents.
Explore the source record for details and available documents.
Two isolated dolphins (Tursiops truncatus) were provided with an electronic acoustic link during alternate periods of approximately 2 minutes. The dolphins repeatedly communicated in a tight sequence when the acoustic link was connected. Their responses varied as the experiment progressed. Some information regarding possible meaning of the whistles was obtained.
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To study the degradation of neurotensin in plasma in vitro, fresh human plasma was incubated with neurotensin in the presence and absence of the peptidase inhibitors pepstatin A, EDTA, PMSF and aprotinin. The half-time of disappearance of neurotensin at 37 degrees C was calculated to be 226 min in vitro as opposed to 1.4 min in vivo when measured by radioimmunoassay with a C-terminally directed neurotensin antiserum. Both gel filtration and reversed phase high-pressure liquid chromatography (HPLC) showed that the main degradation product of neurotensin in human plasma in vitro was chromatographically and immunologically identical to neurotensin 1-8 and HPLC also demonstrated the formation of neurotensin 1-11. The loss of neurotensin incubated in human plasma in vitro was greatly reduced by EDTA but not by the other peptidase inhibitors tested. In this respect peptidase(s) responsible for the degradation of neurotensin in plasma differ from those present in brain homogenates. EDTA may be of importance in the preservation of neurotensin in plasma samples.
This tool, consisting of software with a compact detector, an M3CA, and an Intermec datalogger: 1. acquires and manages several hundred spectra in an hour; 2. produces prompt and reliable quantitative analyses; 3. is self-powered, easily carried and operated by a single user; 4. accomodates varying degrees of user expertise; 5. corrects for the effects of equipment geometry; 6. corrects for the effects of equipment attenuation; 7. tolerates facility variables such as temperature fluctuations and equipment accessibility; 8. has been subjected to quality testing under field conditions; and 9. does not require extensive specialized training for the operators.
Twenty-six men and women with recurrent genital herpes maintained diaries of their symptoms and signs of infection and submitted 6,515 self-collected cultures during a one-year study of acyclovir therapy. As compared with periods before or after treatment, the mean rates of experiencing symptoms or lesions, and of shedding virus were significantly lower during treatment. Acyclovir treatment reduced the rate of symptomatic shedding from 95 positive cultures to six per 1,000 cultures, but the rate of asymptomatic shedding remained relatively constant, averaging eight per 1,000 cultures. Among the isolates of herpes simplex virus studied, there was no differences in sensitivity to acyclovir between strains recovered on or off therapy or during symptomatic or asymptomatic recurrences. The endonuclease cleavage profiles of asymptomatically shed viruses were essentially the same as those of the symptomatically shed viruses from the same individual. Chronic acyclovir therapy significantly reduced the symptoms and signs of recurrent genital herpes but did not eliminate virus shedding, nor, therefore, the possibility of disease transmission.
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Transgenic Nicotiana tabacum cv. Burley 49 plants were generated that express the 5' untranslated region of the tobacco etch potyvirus (TEV) genome ligated to a mutated version of the TEV coat protein gene sequence that rendered it untranslatable. Eight different transgenic plant lines were analyzed for transgene expression and for resistance to TEV. Three different responses were noted when the transgenic plant lines were inoculated with TEV: 1) some were highly resistant, and no virus replication occurred; 2) some were susceptible but able to recover from systemic TEV infection; and 3) some were susceptible to TEV infection. Plant tissue displaying the recovery phenotype was analyzed for virus replication and transgene expression. Recovered tissue could not be infected with TEV and had steady-state transgene RNA levels which were five- to eightfold lower than those of unchallenged transgenic plant tissue. Nuclear runoff assays suggested a post-transcriptional reduction in specific RNA levels. The highly resistant and recovery phenotypes associated with TEV challenge inoculation and the reduction of steady-state RNA levels in recovered transgenic leaf tissue may be manifestations of a common mechanism.
Mailed questionnaires were used to examine the success of PKU (phenylketonuria) screening programs that were operated by departments of health and to examine differences between these programs. Of 55 departments, 44 were returned and 42 departments reported they had a PKU detection program. Thirty-eight respondents considered the PKU detection program to be effective, and 31 respondents indicated that the entire program cost $60,000 or less per year. The answers and comments on the questionnaires showed a generally positive view of the effectiveness about the value of the treatment program in general were also positive. However, a few departments indicated that more clinical evidence and experience were needed to fully evaluate the overall merits of PKU detection and screening programs.