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Biomedical subjects

J Hall

Publications and source records attributed to J Hall.

At least 253 records · Page 14Linked to original sources
PubMed1995

Validity of clinical measures of shoulder subluxation in adults with poststroke hemiplegia.

OBJECTIVES: Shoulder subluxation after cerebrovascular accident has been associated with chronic pain, orthopedic complications, peripheral nerve damage, and autonomic dysfunction. Clinical diagnosis and gradation of subluxation is problematic due to the lack of precision in frequently used measures. The objective of this study was to assess the validity of clinical techniques used to assess inferior subluxation of the hemiplegic shoulder by comparing these techniques with radiographic measurement. METHOD: In 20 male subjects with hemiplegia, the presence, type, and degree of subluxation was assessed with three clinical measures: palpation, arm length discrepancy, and thermoplastic jig measurement. Anterior-posterior X rays of the hemiplegic shoulder were taken after clinical examination. RESULTS: Spearman rank correlation coefficients between the X rays and the three clinical measures were relatively low. Palpation had the highest correlation (rs = .76), followed by arm length discrepancy (rs = .46), and thermoplastic jig measurement (rs = .42). CONCLUSION: These findings provide cautious optimism about using these clinical measures to identify subluxation. Although detection was best with palpation, the likely inability to determine clinical overcorrecting of subluxation makes use of palpation alone suspect. Improved techniques of arm length measurement may provide a solution to this problem. These findings further necessitate that improved procedures for clinical assessment of subluxation be developed.

Adult↗
PubMed1995

The value of abdominal exploration during cholecystectomy.

With the advent of 'minimal access' cholecystectomy patients no longer have an exploratory laparotomy at the time of the operation and it is possible that relevant pathology may be missed as a result. This study analyses the findings at exploratory laparotomy in 223 patients undergoing open cholecystectomy. Forty-two patients (19%) were found to have incidental pathology but in only three (1.3%) did this lead to additional operative procedures. We therefore conclude that the loss of exploratory laparotomy at cholecystectomy does not have a significant detrimental effect on patient care.

Adenocarcinoma↗
PubMed1994

Molecular cloning of a mammalian hyaluronidase reveals identity with hemopexin, a serum heme-binding protein.

Hyaluronan is the most abundant glycosaminoglycan of the extracellular matrix and is a critical substrate for cellular attachment and locomotion. Little is known about the class of enzymes, termed hyaluronidases, that are responsible for hyaluronan catabolism in mammals. We have determined a partial amino acid sequence from a purified preparation of porcine liver hyaluronidase and have used this information as the basis for cloning complementary DNA that encodes the corresponding protein. When expressed in a recombinant baculovirus system, the protein exhibited hyaluronidase activity in a substrate-gel assay. The deduced sequence of this mammalian hyaluronidase is that of a 459-amino-acid polypeptide bearing four potential N-glycosylation sites as well as a copy of a proposed hyaluronan binding motif. Remarkably, amino acid sequence comparisons and immunologic cross-reactivities strongly suggest that the cloned protein is identical to hemopexin, an abundant, heme-binding serum protein. Although hemopexin has not previously been reported to possess any enzymatic activity, it includes a conserved domain found in collagenases, stromelysins, and other enzymes that metabolize the extracellular matrix. We conclude that hemopexin is the predominant hyaluronidase expressed in mammalian liver.

Amino Acid Sequence↗
PubMed1994

DNA repair capacity as a risk factor for non-melanocytic skin cancer--a molecular epidemiological study.

Capacity to repair UV-induced DNA damage was studied by use of host cell reactivation assay in T lymphocytes isolated from 86 cases and 87 controls (aged 44-68 years) who were participants in a population-based case-control study of basal cell (BCC) or squamous cell (SCC) carcinoma of the skin in Geraldton, Western Australia. Lymphocytes were cultured and transfected with either control or UV-irradiated plasmids (254 nm, 350 J/m2) containing a reporter gene [the chloramphenicol-acetyltransferase (CAT) gene], and the repair capacity was determined by measuring CAT gene expression in protein extracts prepared from the transfected cells. DNA repair activity was 1.07 (95% confidence interval 0.94-1.26) times greater in BCC cases than in controls for each 350 J/m2 increment in UV dose to the plasmids, and 1.04 (95% confidence interval 0.85-1.26) times greater in SCC cases than in controls, though the differences were not statistically significant. DNA repair activity showed little association with age, sex and viability of the lymphocytes, though it was positively associated with their blastogenic rate (p = 0.055).

Adult↗
PubMed1994

Abnormal hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal axis function in rheumatoid arthritis. Effects of nonsteroidal antiinflammatory drugs and water immersion.

OBJECTIVE: To investigate the effects of nonsteroidal antiinflammatory drug (NSAID) therapy and water immersion on hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal (HPA) axis function in rheumatoid arthritis (RA). METHODS: Plasma levels of adrenocorticotropic hormone (ACTH) and serum and urine levels of cortisol were compared in untreated RA patients, NSAID-treated RA patients, and healthy control subjects. RESULTS: ACTH levels were significantly higher in untreated RA patients (mean +/- SEM integrated area 11,377 +/- 5,246 hours ng/liter) than in NSAID-treated RA patients (2,285 +/- 388 hours ng/liter) or healthy controls (1,845 +/- 35.5 hours ng/liter) (P < 0.001). Serum and urine cortisol levels were not significantly different between groups. Two-hour head-out water immersion had no effect. CONCLUSION: Elevated ACTH levels without hypercortisolemia occur in untreated RA. NSAID therapy alters HPA axis response, but immersion has no effect.

Adrenocorticotropic Hormone↗
PubMed1994

Development of methods for registration of the force exerted by hand-fingers in industrial work.

In a manufacturing industry producing ground hard metal inserts, a small strain-gauge pressure transducer was built into the work prefix to measure the force exerted by the fingers. The procedure did not interfere with the work. The variation of force and of the time sequences between each force measurement were measured. The coefficient of variation (CV) was used as a measure of precision of the work.

Journal Article↗
PubMed1994

Efficient sequence-specific cleavage of RNA using novel europium complexes conjugated to oligonucleotides.

BACKGROUND: A general method allowing the selective destruction of targeted mRNA molecules in vivo would have broad application in biology and medicine. Metal complexes are among the best synthetic catalysts for the cleavage of RNA, and covalent attachment of suitable metal complexes to oligonucleotides allows the cleavage of complementary single-stranded RNAs in a sequence-specific manner. RESULTS: Using novel europium complexes covalently linked to an oligodeoxyribonucleotide, we have achieved the sequence-specific cleavage of a complementary synthetic RNA. The complexes are completely resistant to chemical degradation under the experimental conditions. The cleavage efficiency of the conjugate strongly depends on the nature of the linker between the oligonucleotide and the complex. Almost complete cleavage of the RNA target has been achieved within 16 h at 37 degrees C. CONCLUSIONS: The results will be important for improving the efficacy of antisense oligonucleotides and will provide a basis for the design of synthetic RNA restriction enzymes. Conjugates of the kind described here may also find application as chemical probes for structural and functional studies of RNA.

Europium↗
PubMed1994

Sperm function and its manipulation for microassisted fertilization.

Comprehension of the intricate complexities of sperm function is clearly crucial to the success of attempts to manipulate it for the purposes of assisted conception. This is particularly important when considering various procedures for microassisted fertilization since these bypass critical physiological events that are mandatory for normal fertilization, to varying degrees. Methylxanthine derivatives such as pentoxifylline are useful agents for the management of oligoasthenozoospermic patients. This is particularly so for procedures such as SUZI where adequate motility of spermatozoa injected into the perivitelline space is crucial for fusion with the vitelline membrane to achieve fertilization. The generation of minute concentrations of reactive oxygen species in vitro may prove to be a valuable technique in this respect, in the light of recent evidence for their involvement in capacitation and hyperactivation. Induction of the acrosome reaction by non-invasive, non-toxic agents should markedly improve success rates for microassisted fertilization. Acrosin appears to play a central role in this and, therefore, it would seem prudent to monitor levels of acrosin activity in samples of spermatozoa used in assisted conception procedures. With respect to microassisted fertilization, the potential to select recently acrosome-reacted spermatozoa coated by activated acrosin promises to be a major improvement. Current methods employed for determination of the fertilization potential of spermatozoa are clearly inadequate (Polansky and Lamb, 1988; Aitken, 1990). In fact, the prevailing evidence suggests that no single parameter of sperm function reflects this potential (Zaneveld and Jeyendran, 1988). Therefore, we have both a scientific and a moral responsibility to investigate these processes further. Subsequently, we should be in a position to identify individual gametes with the potential for fertilization and so utilize procedures that result in maximal fertilization rates with minimal risk of polyploidy or abnormality.

Autoantibodies↗
PubMed1994

Low level laser therapy is ineffective in the management of rheumatoid arthritic finger joints.

Low level laser therapy (LLLT) is a relatively new and increasingly popular form of electrotherapy. It is used by physiotherapists in the treatment of a wide variety of conditions including RA despite the lack of scientific evidence to support its efficacy. A randomized, double-blind and placebo-controlled study was conducted to evaluate the efficacy of LLLT. The patient sample consisted of chronic RA patients with active finger joint synovitis. Forty RA patients with involvement of some or all of MCP or PIP joints were recruited. Following random allocation they received either active or placebo laser three times a week for 4 weeks. Measurements were taken prior to entry, after the treatment, 1 month and 3 months at follow-up. The groups were well matched in terms of age, sex, disease duration and severity. Few significant differences were noted in grip strength, duration of morning stiffness, joint tenderness, temperature of inflamed joints, range of movement or pain either within or between groups. Using these irradiation parameters the efficacy of LLLT is ineffective.

Adult↗