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Biomedical subjects

J E Collins

Publications and source records attributed to J E Collins.

At least 91 records · Page 5Linked to original sources

A theory of humor elicitation.

This article presents a general theory of humor elicitation that specifies the conditions in which humor is experienced in both social and nonsocial situations. The theory takes into account the interpretation of a stimulus event that is necessary to elicit humor, the difficulty of identifying the humor-eliciting features of this interpretation, and the cognitive elaboration of implications of the event. The influence of these factors is postulated to depend on subjects' information-processing objectives at the time a stimulus event occurs. The theory is used to conceptualize the humor elicited by jokes, witticisms, and social events that are neither intended nor expected to be humorous. Particular attention is given to the cognitive underpinnings of responses to ethnic humor and to the humor that is elicited by one's own behavior in social situations.

Adult↗

Isolation of swine infertility and respiratory syndrome virus (isolate ATCC VR-2332) in North America and experimental reproduction of the disease in gnotobiotic pigs.

A recent epizootic of swine infertility and respiratory syndrome (SIRS) in a Minnesota swine herd was investigated. Examination of a sow, neonatal piglets, and stillborn fetuses obtained during the epizootic from the affected herd revealed interstitial pneumonitis, lymphomononuclear encephalitis, and lymphomononuclear myocarditis in the piglets and focal vasculitis in the brain of the sow. Fetuses did not have microscopic lesions. No cause for the infertility and respiratory syndrome was determined. Therefore, attempts were made to experimentally reproduce the disease. Eleven 3-day-old gnotobiotic piglets exposed intranasally to tissue homogenates of piglets from the epizootic became inappetent and febrile by 2-4 days postexposure and had interstitial pneumonitis and encephalitis similar to that seen in the field outbreak. After 2 blind passages in gnotobiotic piglets, tissue homogenates were cultured on continuous cell line CL2621, and a cytopathic virus (ATCC VR-2332), provisionally named SIRS virus, was isolated. Gnotobiotic piglets exposed intranasally to the SIRS virus developed clinical signs and microscopic lesions that were the same as those in piglets exposed to the tissue homogenates, and the virus was reisolated from their lungs. This is the first isolate of SIRS virus in the United States that fulfills Koch's postulates in producing the respiratory form of the disease in gnotobiotic piglets and the first report of isolation and propagation of the virus on a continuous cell line (CL2621). The virus is designated as American Type Culture Collection VR-2332.

Animals↗

Characterization of swine infertility and respiratory syndrome (SIRS) virus (isolate ATCC VR-2332).

The characterization of an isolate of swine infertility and respiratory syndrome (SIRS) virus (ATCC VR-2332) is reported. A commercial cell line (CL2621) was used for the propagation of the virus for all assays. Laboratory studies indicate that this isolate is a fastidious, nonhemagglutinating, enveloped RNA virus. Cesium chloride-purified virions visualized by electron microscopy were spherical particles with an average diameter of 62 nm (range: 48-83 nm) and a 25-30 nm core surrounded by an envelope. Virus replication was restricted to the cytoplasm, as demonstrated by immunofluorescence. The virus did not react serologically with antisera to several common porcine viruses or with antisera to known viruses in the alphavirus, rubivirus, pestivirus, and ungrouped lactic dehydrogenase virus genera of the Togaviridae. However, convalescent sow sera and rabbit hyperimmune sera neutralized the SIRS virus at titers of 1:256 and 1:512, respectively. The virus was stable at 4 and -70 C, but was labile at 37 and 56 C. The properties of this isolate of SIRS virus resemble those of the family Togaviridae but do not match the described genera.

Animals↗

Antigenic comparison of Lelystad virus and swine infertility and respiratory syndrome (SIRS) virus.

This study reports the antigenic relatedness of isolates of Lelystad virus collected in the Netherlands, Germany, and the United States. The binding of antibodies directed against these isolates was tested in a set of field sera collected during outbreaks of porcine epidemic abortion and respiratory syndrome in Europe and outbreaks of swine infertility and respiratory syndrome (SIRS) in North America. Two sets of sera from pigs experimentally infected with Lelystad virus or SIRS virus were also tested. Although all 7 isolates reacted with anti-Lelystad virus sera, antigenic variation was considerable. The 4 European isolates resembled each other closely, but differed from the American isolates, and the 3 American isolates differed antigenically from each other. To reliably diagnose Lelystad virus infection, a common antigen must first be identified.

Animals↗

Isolation of a cytopathic virus from weak pigs on farms with a history of swine infertility and respiratory syndrome.

Severe clinical signs of swine infertility and respiratory syndrome (SIRS) of unknown cause were observed in several Minnesota swine farms between November 1990 and March 1991. Forty-five lung samples of weak pigs were collected from 13 swine farms, and virus isolation was attempted using swine alveolar macrophage (SAM) cultures. A cytopathic virus was isolated from 19 lung samples collected from 6 different farms. Four pregnant sows were infected intranasally with a tissue suspension from which virus was isolated, and 4 6-week-old pigs and 2 contact pigs were infected intranasally with 1 of the isolates. The 4 sows farrowed 12 stillborn and 32 normal pigs. Virus was recovered from 10 of 19 pigs examined. Infected 6-week-old pigs were clinically normal except for slightly elevated rectal temperatures and mild respiratory signs. No or mild interstitial pneumonic lesions were observed in inoculated pigs, but the lesion was obvious in the 2 contact pigs. Seroconversion was observed in sows and pigs as measured by indirect fluorescent antibody (IFA). Serologic identification of the isolates was carried out by IFA using reference serum prepared from an experimentally infected sow. A cytoplasmic fluorescence was observed on the SAM monolayers infected with each of the 19 different isolates. Fluorescence was also observed when the monolayers were tested with SIRS virus ATCC VR-2332-infected sow sera. Replication of the isolates was not affected in the medium containing 5-iodo-2'-deoxyuridine but was inhibited by treatment with ether. The isolates were relatively stable at 56 C and did not agglutinate with various erythrocytes tested.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)

Animals↗

An indirect fluorescent antibody test for the detection of antibody to swine infertility and respiratory syndrome virus in swine sera.

An indirect fluorescent antibody (IFA) test was developed and standardized to detect and quantitate antibody for swine infertility and respiratory syndrome (SIRS) virus in swine sera. Test results were evaluated using sera of pigs infected both experimentally and naturally with SIRS virus. The IFA test used swine alveolar macrophage (SAM) monolayers prepared in 96-well microplates and infected with SIRS virus. The monolayers were incubated with test sera, washed, and stained with fluorescein isothiocyanate-labeled rabbit anti-swine IgG. After another wash step, the monolayers were examined under a fluorescent microscope. A noninfected SAM control well was included for each sample. The antibody titers for each serum sample were recorded as the highest serum dilutions with specific cytoplasmic fluorescence but no fluorescence in the control wells. To evaluate the test, sera of 4 6-week-old pigs that had been infected with SIRS virus, 2 contact pigs, and 13 experimentally infected sows were used. In the experimentally infected pigs, antibody was first detected at 7 days postexposure (PE) and peaked (1:256-1,024) between 11 and 21 days PE. All 13 sow sera were negative at time of infection but were positive (1:64- greater than or equal to 1:1,024) at 14-26 days PE. Seven hundred twenty sera collected from 25 different swine farms with or without a history of SIRS were also tested. Of 344 sera from 15 swine farms with a clinical history of SIRS, 257 (74.7%) sera had IFA titers greater than or equal to 1:4, whereas 371 (98.7%) of 376 sera from herds with no history of SIRS were negative.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)

Animals↗

A study of galactose intolerance in human and rat liver in vivo by 31P magnetic resonance spectroscopy.

An oral load of 20 mg/kg galactose produces significant changes in the 31P magnetic resonance spectrum of the liver of a galactosemic patient. The peak at 5.2 ppm (which includes inorganic phosphate and galactose-1-phosphate) increased on two occasions to about twice its original size 60 min after galactose administration. An oral load of 10 mg/kg galactose given to a second patient produced no discernible changes at 30 min. We have also used an animal model of galactose intolerance, in which galactose metabolism in rats was blocked by the acute administration of ethanol. Studies in vivo and in vitro showed that the increase in the peak at 5.2 ppm was largely due to galactose-1-phosphate. We have shown in this preliminary study that small amounts of galactose can produce significant elevation of hepatic galactose-1-phosphate, which can be detected by 31P magnetic resonance spectroscopy.

Adenosine Triphosphate↗

Experimental reproduction of swine infertility and respiratory syndrome in pregnant sows.

The purpose of this study was to experimentally reproduce swine infertility and respiratory syndrome (SIRS). Six multiparous sows were intranasally inoculated at 93 days of gestation with lung homogenates from clinically affected pigs, and 3 additional sows were similarly inoculated with a virus isolated in cell culture from the lung homogenate (SIRS virus, isolate ATCC VR-2332). Inoculated sows developed transient anorexia, farrowed up to 7 days prematurely, and delivered a mean of 5.8 live pigs and 6.0 dead fetuses/litter. Clinical signs of disease were not observed in 3 sham-inoculated control sows that delivered a mean of 12.7 live pigs and 0.3 stillborn fetuses/litter. The SIRS virus was isolated from 50 of 76 live-born and stillborn fetuses from the 9 infected litters. Virus was not isolated from 26 autolyzed fetuses or 15 control pigs. Six of 9 inoculated sows developed neutralizing antibodies to SIRS virus. The reproductive effects found in these experiments were identical to those found in field cases. On the basis of our findings, virus isolate ATCC VR-2332 causes the reproductive failure associated with SIRS.

Animals↗

Cloning and sequence analysis of desmosomal glycoproteins 2 and 3 (desmocollins): cadherin-like desmosomal adhesion molecules with heterogeneous cytoplasmic domains.

Desmosomal glycoproteins 2 and 3 (dg2 and 3) or desmocollins have been implicated in desmosome adhesion. We have obtained a 5.0-kb-long clone for dg3 from a bovine nasal epidermal lambda gt11 cDNA library. Sequence analysis of this clone reveals an open reading frame of 2,517 bases encoding a polypeptide of 839 amino acids. The sequence consists of a signal peptide of 28 amino acids, a precursor sequence of 104 amino acids, and a mature protein of 707 amino acids. The latter has the characteristics of a transmembrane glycoprotein with an extracellular domain of 550 amino acids and a cytoplasmic domain of 122 amino acids. The sequence of a partial clone from the same library shows that dg2 has an alternative COOH terminus that is extended by 54 amino acids. Genomic DNA sequence data show that this arises by splicing out of a 46-bp exon that encodes the COOH-terminal 11 amino acids of dg3 and contains an in-frame stop codon. The extracellular domain of dg3 shows 39.4% protein sequence identity with bovine N-cadherin and 28.4% identity with the other major desmosomal glycoprotein, dg1, or desmoglein. The cytoplasmic domain of dg3 and the partial cytoplasmic domain of dg2 show 23 and 24% identity with bovine N-cadherin, respectively. The results support our previous model for the transmembrane organization of dg2 and 3 (Parrish, E.P., J.E. Marston, D.L. Mattey, H.R. Measures, R. Venning, and D.R. Garrod. 1990. J. Cell Sci. 96:239-248; Holton, J.L., T.P. Kenny, P.K. Legan, J.E. Collins, J.N. Keen, R. Sharma, and D.R. Garrod. 1990. J. Cell Sci. 97:239-246). They suggest that these glycoproteins are specialized for calcium-dependent adhesion in their extracellular domains and, cytoplasmically, for the molecular interactions involved in desmosome plaque formation. Moreover this represents the first example of alternative splicing within the cadherin family of cell adhesion molecules.

Amino Acid Sequence↗

Identification of epidemic strains of Streptococcus suis by genomic fingerprinting.

A natural outbreak of Streptococcus suis meningitis in two closed swine herds was studied. DNA fingerprinting, serotyping, and biochemical profiles were assessed. Multiple serotypes were recovered from these herds. In farm A, 50 S. suis strains were isolated from 330 swabs collected. Eighteen strains belonged to serotype 2, and 32 strains belonged to serotypes 3, 5, 6, 8, 9, and 11. In farm B, 16 S. suis strains were recovered from a total of 70 samples. Eight strains belonged to serotype 7 and eight belonged to serotypes 2, 3, 5, and 8. In each epidemiological situation, a single strain characterized by a distinctive restriction fragment pattern predominated among affected penmates. The epidemic serotype 2 strain was detected in farm A in weaned pigs between the ages of 5 and 7 weeks. In contrast, the pathogenic strain in farm B belonged to serotype 7 and was isolated from pigs up to 3 weeks of age. The results from both farms strongly suggest a lateral spread of these organisms. No vertical transmission could be shown in either herd. It was concluded that genomic fingerprinting is an appropriate method to distinguish outbreak isolates of S. suis from nonoutbreak strains, within the same serotype or from epidemiologically unrelated clusters of strains.

Animals↗

Enterovirulence of enterotoxigenic Bacteroides fragilis in gnotobiotic pigs.

A porcine isolate of enterotoxigenic Bacteroides fragilis colonized the intestinal tract and caused watery, nonhemorrhagic diarrhea when given orally to 12, 1- to 2-day-old gnotobiotic pigs. Diarrhea occurred 2 to 3 days post-inoculation and continued throughout the 4 to 6 day post-inoculation period. Diarrheic pigs became mildly anorexic and dehydrated. They developed intestinal lesions characterized by swelling, vacuolation, and exfoliation of enterocytes, and crypt hyperplasia throughout the large intestine and, to a lesser extent, in the distal small intestine. Bacterial adherence to, or invasion of, the intestinal mucosa was not detected. A porcine isolate of nonenterotoxigenic B. fragilis was administered orally to six control pigs. The isolate colonized the intestinal tract, but the pigs did not develop clinical disease or intestinal lesions. The pathogenetic mechanism of the disease may involve mediation by a soluble enterotoxin (or toxins) elaborated by B. fragilis.

Animals↗

The influence on recognition of spoken words that are misperceived.

Two experiments were performed that involved an initial word-identification task in which the acoustic signal was degraded by either 50% or 60% compression of the recorded words. A control group was tested at the original recording rate (0% compression). The compression manipulation was successful in increasing the number of identification errors. During the second stage of the experiments, words were read at a normal rate. In Experiment 1, the subjects indicated whether each word had appeared on the prior list, and in Experiment 2, the subjects estimated the number of times each word had been read on the prior list. The false-negative rate decreased and frequency ratings increased as a function of the number of prior presentations (one, two, or three) of the target words. The most interesting result was that the effect of repetitions was present even for words that had been misperceived.

Adult↗

Attaching and effacing Escherichia coli infection as a cause of diarrhea in young calves.

A form of enteric Escherichia coli infection was identified in 60 calves from 59 farming operations. The E coli responsible for these infections principally colonized the colon, inducing a distinctive lesion described as attaching and effacing. Hemorrhagic enterocolitis or blood in the feces was observed on 40% of the farms. Of affected calves, 86.6% were dairy calves (average age, 11.8 days). Forty-four calves were infected concurrently with other enteropathogens (cryptosporidia, rotavirus, coronavirus, enterotoxigenic E coli, bovine viral diarrhea virus, coccidia). Verotoxin-producing E coli was recovered from 31 calves; 8 were serotype O111:NM isolates, 3 were serotype O5:NM, and 1 was serotype O26:NM.

Animals↗

Glucose production rates in type 1 glycogen storage disease.

Glucose production rates were measured in six patients with glycogen storage disease type 1 (five type 1A, one type 1B) using a primed continuous infusion of either [3-3H]glucose or [6,6-2H2]glucose. In four patients exogenous glucose was needed to maintain normoglycaemia. At blood glucose concentrations of 2.3-4.7 mmol/L, the endogenous glucose production rates were between 34 and 100% of that predicted for healthy subjects. No relationship was found between the blood glucose concentration and glucose production rates but there was a positive correlation between that of blood lactate and glucose production rate. The initial steady state was perturbed either by reducing the exogenous glucose infusion rate or by giving intravenous glucagon (20 micrograms/kg) or alanine (0.1-0.2 g/kg). Reducing the exogenous glucose infusion rate had little short term effect on glucose production rate. Intravenous glucagon increased the glucose production rate as well as blood glucose and lactate concentrations. A bolus of alanine (0.2 g/kg) given intravenously increased the glucose production rate and blood glucose concentrations but blood lactate concentrations fell. In four of the patients the studies were repeated under similar conditions and the glucose production rate was higher in all patients. We conclude that the glucose production rate is not fixed but varies with the prevailing metabolic status, a finding that has implications for the treatment of type 1 glycogen storage disease.

Adolescent↗