Search PubMed⌕ Search

Biomedical subjects

J F Brewer

Publications and source records attributed to J F Brewer.

3 recordsLinked to original sources

Graphology.

This paper outlines the history and highlights the uses of graphology in the health and educational setting. Graphology can be a useful tool in spotting health problems before they become too severe, and is excellent at identifying stress in the individual. Valuable insights into people's characters can be gained allowing a better understanding of ourselves and others. Examples are given in the paper of what to look for generally in assessing health, vitality, energy, willpower and originality. Other examples demonstrating specific deficiencies, such as physical weakness, poor memory, anxiety, stress, depression and lack of confidence are identified. There is growing evidence to suggest that graphology can help therapists identify hidden problems, also enabling accurate assessment of a person's response to therapy. As the clues pile up, the complexities of the writer's character, health and emotional status emerge, rather as if you were pulling together a giant jigsaw. Therapy can then be tailor-made to the individual.

Complementary Therapies↗

Healing sounds.

This article explores Guzzetta's (1988) notion that musical vibrations that are in tune with our human vibratory pattern could have a profound healing effect on the entire body. The question of why music therapy works for some and not others is addressed in the paper and solutions are offered. Central to utilizing therapeutic music and healing sounds with positive effects is an understanding of the principles and theories of sound and harmonics, in order to comprehend its capacity to achieve therapeutic, psychological and physical change. Some of these principles and theories are explored in this article. There is a focus on strategies for the holistic nurse who wishes to use this knowledge to facilitate communication and balance between the mind and body of the patient.

Aged↗

Molecular characterization of aflR, a regulatory locus for aflatoxin biosynthesis.

Aflatoxins belong to a family of decaketides that are produced as secondary metabolites by Aspergillus flavus and A. parasiticus. The aflatoxin biosynthetic pathway involves several enzymatic steps that appear to be regulated by the afl2 gene in A. flavus and the apa2 gene in A. parasiticus. Several lines of evidence indicate that these two genes are homologous. The DNA sequences of the two genes are highly similar, they both are involved in the regulation of aflatoxin biosynthesis, and apa2 can complement the afl2 mutation in A. flavus. Because of these similarities, we propose that these two genes are homologs, and because of the ability of these genes to regulate aflatoxin biosynthesis, we suggest that they be designated aflR. We report here the further characterization of aflR from A. flavus and show that aflR codes for a 2,078-bp transcript with an open reading frame of 1,311 nucleotides that codes for 437 amino acids and a putative protein of 46,679 daltons. Analysis of the predicted amino acid sequence indicated that the polypeptide contains a zinc cluster motif between amino acid positions 29 and 56. This region contains the consensus sequence Cys-Xaa2-Cys-Xaa6-Cys-Xaa6-Cys-Xaa2-Cys-Xaa6+ ++-Cys. This motif has been found in several fungal transcriptional regulatory proteins. DNA hybridization of the aflR gene with genomic digests of seven polyketide-producing fungi revealed similar sequences in three other species related to A. flavus: A. parasiticus, A. oryzae, and A. sojae. Finally, we present evidence for an antisense transcript (aflRas) derived from the opposite strand of aflR, suggesting that the aflR locus involves some form of antisense regulation.

Aflatoxins↗