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Biomedical subjects

J Caruso

Publications and source records attributed to J Caruso.

At least 19 recordsLinked to original sources
PubMed1997

Distribution of HLA-DQ alpha and polymarker (LDLR, GC, GYPA, HBGG, and D7S8) alleles in Arab and Pakistani populations living in Abu Dhabi, United Arab Emirates.

Randomly collected blood samples from 100 Arabs and 100 Pakistanis residing in Abu Dhabi were analyzed using the HLA-DQ alpha and polymarker (LDLR, GC, GYPA, HBGG, D7S8) PCR based reverse dot blot systems. Allelic frequencies for each allele and observed heterozygosity for each locus were calculated. Departures from Hardy-Weinberg expectations (HWE) were determined using the unbiased estimate of the expected homozygote/ heterozygote frequencies, the likelihood ratio test and the exact test. No significant departures from HWE expectations were detected.

Blood Proteins↗
PubMed1995

Arsenic speciation using capillary zone electrophoresis with indirect ultraviolet detection.

The toxicological or biological importance of many trace elements in biological and environmental samples depends to a great extent on their quantities as well as their oxidation states and chemical forms. In this work, arsenic species (arsenate, arsenite, dimethylarsinate [DMA], and monomethylarsonate [MMA]) are determined using capillary zone electrophoresis (CZE) with indirect ultraviolet absorption detection. Sodium chromate is used as an electrolyte solution and to provide the chromophore. The effect of the pH of the solution on the separation of species of interest is discussed. The absolute detection limits are 5.2, 3.5, 15.6, and 15.6 pg for arsenate, arsenite, monomethylarsonate, and dimethylarsinate, respectively. A solution extracted from coal fly ash is analyzed using this method. The arsenate concentration is determined to be 5 micrograms/g. Arsenite, monomethylarsonate, and dimethylarsinate are not found. The advantages of using CZE as an efficient and sensitive separation method are discussed.

Arsenicals↗
PubMed1995

The effect of knee and foot position on the electromyographical activity of the superficial quadriceps.

Isometric quadriceps exercises are used early in knee rehabilitation. Varying knee or foot position is hypothesized to selectively activate specific quadriceps muscles. This study examined the activities of the vastus medialis oblique, vastus lateralis, and rectus femoris during isometric contractions at 90 degrees, 150 degrees, and 175 degrees knee angles with internally rotated, neutral, and externally rotated foot positions. Subjects performed three perceived maximal isometric contractions at each knee angle/foot position while electromyographic activity (EMG) was collected. Statistical analysis consisted of a three-way repeated measures multiple analysis of variance, with post hoc analysis as was appropriate. Although no significant differences were detected among foot positions for the rectus femoris at 90 degrees, this knee angle produced significantly greater EMG activity for the neutral position compared with 150 degrees or 175 degrees. The 90 degrees angle was also superior to 175 degrees for the externally rotated position. The results for both the vastus medialis and vastus lateralis were similar, with the 90 degrees angle producing greater EMG activity than 175 degrees in the externally rotated position. In addition, the neutral position produced significantly more activity than the internally rotated position at 90 degrees. At 150 degrees, the neutral position was superior to the externally rotated position. Finally, at the 175 degrees knee angle, the highest level of EMG activity was with the foot internally rotated. Considering the combination of effects for EMG activity across all muscles tested, the 90 degrees knee angle with a neutral foot position may provide the most effective condition for rehabilitation of all muscles tested.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)

Adolescent↗
PubMed1994

Developing innovative programs for unique student populations.

BACKGROUND: Optometric education has been faced with ever-increasing expectations. These include the ability to educate students and practitioners to care for new patient populations, deal with more diverse and complex clinical problems, to be significant participants in the research community and to fulfill leadership positions within the profession. To fulfill this expectation, schools and colleges need to diversify their program offerings to attract and educate unique student populations who come from diverse backgrounds and bring a range of pre-existing knowledge and skills. RESULTS: This paper provides an overview of The New England College of Optometry's efforts in this area and two programs, the "Advanced Standing International Program" and the "Accelerated Doctor of Optometry Degree Program," are examined in detail. An emphasis is placed on outcomes assessment to ensure the programs are fulfilling their purpose and the results of a retrospective analysis of the two programs is provided.

Curriculum↗
PubMed1993

Combined hamartoma of the retina and retinal pigment epithelium.

Combined hamartoma of the retina and retinal pigment epithelium is a rare, congenital fundus lesion which typically presents with a history of reduced acuity and/or the onset of strabismus. Clinically, the lesion is elevated, with a variably pigmented outer portion and a lighter central core of dilated tortuous vessels and gliosis. This benign lesion may be confused with more threatening conditions such as malignant melanoma or retinoblastoma. An appropriate diagnosis through clinical appearance and fluorescein angiography is imperative to prevent unnecessary enucleation. The authors report one case of combined hamartoma of the retina and retinal pigment epithelium in a patient presenting with a complaint of decreased vision.

Adult↗
PubMed1990

Serotonergic agents restore appropriate decision-making in neonatal rats displaying dopamine D1 receptor-mediated vacillatory behavior.

A number of studies in the past have indicated that certain types of dopamine receptor-mediated behaviours can be reversed by serotonin agonists. We have recently described a behavior in neonatal rats induced by the selective D1 receptor agonist SKF 38393, which we termed vacillatory behavior. The current study was aimed at determining the effectiveness of several serotonin-specific agents at reversing this behavior. Behaviors measured on day 15 revealed that SKF 38393-mediated behavior was effectively blocked by SCH 23390 (a selective D1 antagonist), serotonin receptor agonists specific for the 5-HT1A receptor (buspirone and ipsapirone), and the serotonin uptake inhibitor clomipramine. However, the behavior was not reversed by diazepam. These data suggest that the serotonergic and dopaminergic neurotransmitter systems must be in a proper balance for appropriate decision-making behaviors to occur.

2,3,4,5-Tetrahydro-7,8-dihydroxy-1-phenyl-1H-3-ben↗
PubMed1990

Oligodendroglioma--a case presentation.

Cerebral oligodendroglioma is a rare form of malignant tumor. Oligodendroglioma represents 5% of all gliomas. Our patient is a 12 1/2-year-old white female who presented with suddent onset of disc edema, esotropia, and field loss, who 2 weeks before had a normal fundus. The diagnosis is right occipital oligodendroglioma.

Adolescent↗
PubMed1989

Influence of the carcinogenic pollutant benzo[a]pyrene on plant development: fern gametophytes.

Polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs), ubiquitous environmental pollutants, are known to be biologically active in mammalian systems and are accumulated by plants. A few reports suggest that PAHs stimulate growth in plants and induce morphogenesis in plant tissue in culture. To investigate the growth altering abilities of PAHs in plants, polypodiaceous fern gametophytes were grown under sterile conditions on media containing a biologically active PAH, benzo[a]pyrene (BaP), at doses ranging from 0.1 to 10.0 micrograms/ml. The growth pattern of polypodiaceous fern gametophytes enables alterations in growth and morphogenesis to be observed at the cellular level in an intact plant. Doses of BaP in the range 0.1--3.2 micrograms/ml enhanced the onset of the morphological transitions from 1-dimensional (1D) to 2-dimensional (2D) growth. This transition for BaP treated plants occurred after fewer cell divisions than the corresponding solvent and untreated controls. The low (0.1 and 0.32 micrograms) and high (1.0 and 3.2 micrograms) doses of BaP were found to accelerate and inhibit cell proliferation, respectively. The 10.0 microgram dose was toxic and resulted in decreased germination of spores and reduced survival of plants. A slight but significant decrease in survival was also observed in ferns treated with 3.2 micrograms. This is the first example of PAH influencing cell differentiation in a whole plant system.

Benzo(a)pyrene↗
PubMed1989

Inductively coupled plasma mass spectrometry and atomic emission spectrometry coupled to high-performance liquid chromatography for speciation and detection of organotin compounds.

Inductively coupled plasma mass spectrometry (ICP/MS) is utilized as a detector for several organotin species separated by high-performance liquid chromatography. Detection limits obtained by ICP/MS are 3 orders of magnitude lower than those obtained with inductively coupled plasma atomic emission spectrometry (ICP/AES) detection under the same chromatographic conditions. Chromatographic detection limits are higher than conventional solution nebulization for the same compound by a factor of 20. Ion-exchange chromatography yields linear response over 3 orders of magnitude, while ion pair chromatography gives a linear response of only 2 orders of magnitude as a result of poor resolution. The relative standard deviation for the injection of 20 ng of tin compounds is less than 10%.

Chromatography, High Pressure Liquid↗
PubMed1985

Microcolumn high pressure liquid chromatography with a glass-frit nebulizer interface for plasma emission detection.

Microcolumn high pressure liquid chromatography (micro-HPLC) is rapidly gaining recognition as a practical separation tool for organometallic compounds. The use of the inductively coupled plasma (ICP) as a detector for micro-HPLC is studied. Several miniaturized glass-frit nebulizers are investigated as interfaces between the output of the microbore column and the ICP torch. Their performance with aqueous and methanolic solutions is evaluated by direct nebulization and flow injection analysis. The most efficient of these nebulizers is used in the micro-HPLC/ICP study of some Cd, Pb, and Zn organometallic compounds. Detection limits of 1.92 ng of Pb for tetramethyllead and 5.01 ng of Pb for tetraethyllead are obtained and compared with regular HPLC/ICP of these same compounds. Approximately equivalent detection limits were obtained when using a microwave induced plasma as an alternate plasma source.

Chromatography, High Pressure Liquid↗
PubMed1981

The absence of cryptic insulin receptors on resting lymphocytes.

Previous experiments have demonstrated that insulin receptors emerge upon stimulated lymphocytes while resting lymphocytes lack insulin receptors. The appearance of insulin receptors is totally dependent on RNA and protein synthesis. The results suggest that insulin receptors are synthesized de novo or that new protein is synthesized that is responsible for activation of the receptor. In this study, we investigated the possibility that cryptic membrane receptors are present before lymphocyte activation. As a precedent, hypertonic salt solutions or enzymatic digestion have been reported to uncover cryptic insulin receptors in liver and fat cell membranes. Similar treatment of lymphocytes failed to reveal cryptic, stereospecific receptor sites, although nonspecific insulin binding did increase.

Animals↗
PubMed1981

Experimental infection of Sigmodon hispidus with third-stage larvae of Angiostrongylus costaricensis.

Adult Sigmodon hispidus, were given 50 third-stage larvae of Angiostrongylus costaricensis orally, intraperitoneally, subcutaneously, and on abraded and unabraded skin. Larvae could not penetrate unbroken skin but established normal infections in the cecal vasculature by all other routes. Significantly more adults were recovered after oral and intraperitoneal inoculation than subcutaneously or through abraded skin. In a single animal given larvae subcutaneously, adult worms were recovered from the pulmonary arteries, an abnormal location for this species of metastrongylid nematode, which usually occurs in the ileocolic mesenteric arteries.

Angiostrongylus↗