Search PubMed⌕ Search

Biomedical subjects

J K Thompson

Publications and source records attributed to J K Thompson.

At least 55 records · Page 3Linked to original sources
PubMed1995

Prognostic indicators for neuroblastoma: stage, grade, DNA ploidy, MIB-1-proliferation index, p53, HER-2/neu and EGFr--a survival study.

Neuroblastoma, a tumor of the sympathetic nervous system, is one of the most common solid malignancies in infants and represents 7% of all cases of childhood cancer outside of the central nervous system. Thirty-five samples of neuroblastoma from 31 patients were obtained from Duke University Medical Center between 1979 and 1991 and studied to determine the relative prognostic value of a number of clinical, histologic, nuclear, and oncogenic features. The features studied were: stage, Shimada classification, DNA ploidy, MIB-1-proliferation index and status for HER-2/neu, p53 and epidermal growth factor receptor (EGFr). Only age (P = .03), HER-2/neu (P = .01), and p53 (P = .02) reached statistical significance as prognostic indicators. The median survival for patients with HER-2/neu expression was 12 months; median survival for patients with no HER-2/neu expression was 138 months. Similarly, the median survival for patients with p53 expression was 12 months; patients with no p53 expression had a median survival was 144 months. The combination of either HER-2/neu or p53 positivity was especially strong as a prognostic indicator (P = .002).

Antibodies, Monoclonal↗
PubMed1995

The Perception of Teasing Scale (POTS): a revision and extension of the Physical Appearance Related Teasing Scale (PARTS).

This article describes the development and validation of a revised measure for the assessment of history of being teased about physical appearance. Study 1 involved the preliminary psychometric evaluation of the questionnaire on a sample of 227 college women, Two factors emerged: Weight-Related Teasing (WT) and Teasing About Abilities/Competencies (Competency Teasing; CT). The integrity of the factor structure of these two scales was established in Study 2 with a sample of 87 college women. Internal consistency ratios in this sample were also found to be acceptable. In Study 3, 92 college women were administered measures of body image, eating disturbance, and self-esteem to test for convergence with the Perception of Teasing Scale. Subjects also rated teasing items for frequency and effect (e.g., how upset they were by the teasing). Two-week test-retest reliabilities for these measures were acceptable. Weight-Related Teasing correlated to a greater degree with other measures than Competency Teasing. Regression analyses revealed the importance of a frequency versus effect dimension. Findings are discussed in light of recent research on developmental factors in body image and eating disturbance.

Journal Article↗
PubMed1994

Selection for mefloquine resistance in Plasmodium falciparum is linked to amplification of the pfmdr1 gene and cross-resistance to halofantrine and quinine.

Two chloroquine-resistant cloned isolates of Plasmodium falciparum were subjected to mefloquine selection to test if this resulted in alterations in chloroquine sensitivity and amplification of the pfmdr1 gene. The mefloquine-resistant lines derived by this selection were shown to have amplified and overexpressed the pfmdr1 gene and its protein product (Pgh1). Macrorestriction maps of chromosome 5, where pfmdr1 is encoded, showed that this chromosome has increased in size in response to mefloquine selection, indicating the presence of a gene(s) in this area of the genome that confers a selective advantage in the presence of mefloquine. Concomitant with the increase in mefloquine resistance was a corresponding increase in the level of resistance to halofantrine and quinine, suggesting a true multidrug-resistance phenotype. The mefloquine-selected parasite lines also showed an inverse relationship between the level of chloroquine resistance and increased pfmdr1 gene copy number. These results have important implications for the derivation of amplified copies of the pfmdr1 gene in field isolates, as they suggest that quinine pressure may be involved.

Animals↗
PubMed1994

Factor analysis of multiple measures of body image disturbance: are we all measuring the same construct?

Two studies were conducted to determine the overlap among multiple measures of subjective body image disturbance. Study 1 was conducted on 219 adolescent females (ages 14-18 years) who completed seven widely used indices of self-reported body image disturbance. Study 2 involved 162 college females (ages 17-35 years) and six measures of disturbance, five of which were identical with those instruments used in Study 1. Factor analyses indicated the existence of two factors in the adolescent sample, however, one factor was quite strong and accounted for most of the variance. Analyses on the adult subjects revealed the existence of a single body image factor. It was concluded that the measures under investigation largely reflect an underlying single factor of body image, despite their common usage in the literature as indicators of multiple aspects of body image disturbance.

Adolescent↗
PubMed1994

Molecular variation in a novel polymorphic antigen associated with Plasmodium falciparum merozoites.

A cDNA clone encoding part of a novel polymorphic merozoite antigen from Plasmodium falciparum was isolated by screening a cDNA library with human immune serum from Papua New Guinea. Immunofluorescence microscopy and immunoblotting with affinity-purified antibodies recognized a highly polymorphic antigen, Ag956, present in schizonts and merozoites. Biosynthetic labeling and immunoprecipitation experiments demonstrated that Ag956 is proteolytically cleaved during merozoite maturation. The complete genomic sequence of Ag956 from the D10 clone of P. falciparum isolate FC27 encodes a secreted protein of calculated molecular mass 43,243 that is very hydrophilic and contains a region of unusual heptad repeats of the general structure AXXAXXX. This antigen has been named the secreted polymorphic antigen associated with merozoites (SPAM). The sequence of a second SPAM allele from the 3D7 clone of isolate NF54 reveals that the alanine heptad repeats and the hydrophilic C-terminal half of the protein are conserved. Variation among SPAM alleles is the result of deletions and amino acid substitutions in non-repetitive sequences within and flanking the alanine heptad-repeat domain. Heptad repeats in which the a and d position contain hydrophobic residues generate amphipathic alpha-helices which give rise to helical bundles or coiled-coil structures in proteins. Thus, SPAM is the first example of a P. falciparum antigen in which a repetitive sequence has features characteristic of a well-defined structural element.

Amino Acid Sequence↗
PubMed1994

A comparative evaluation of cognitive-behavioral therapy (CBT) versus exercise therapy (ET) for the treatment of body image disturbance. Preliminary findings.

Cognitive-behavioral therapy (CBT) was compared to a combination of aerobic/anaerobic exercise therapy (ET) for the treatment of elevated levels of body image disturbance in college females. CBT consisted of a modification of the 1987 Butters and Cash procedure that was tailored for group intervention; ET consisted of weightlifting and aerobic dancing. Using a counterbalancing procedure, the same therapists conducted both 6-week interventions, which were compared to a nontreated control group. Results revealed equivalent reductions for both treatment groups when compared to controls on measures of body image disturbance reflective of trait and state body weight anxiety, cognitive-behavioral aspects of appearance, and overall body dissatisfaction. Unfortunately, few subjects were available for follow-up analyses, preventing an evaluation of the stability of changes. The findings are discussed with regard to the potential role of fitness training as an adjunct to cognitive-behavioral interventions for body image disturbance.

Adult↗
PubMed1994

Detection of gastroesophageal reflux: value of barium studies compared with 24-hr pH monitoring.

OBJECTIVE: Monitoring of esophageal pH is widely held to be the most sensitive test for gastroesophageal reflux, but it is expensive and is not available in all centers. Controversy surrounds the role of barium studies in the detection of reflux despite years of experience with their use. We studied the efficacy of fluoroscopic detection of spontaneous and provoked gastroesophageal reflux compared with 24-hr monitoring of esophageal pH. SUBJECTS AND METHODS: In 117 subjects with clinical findings suggestive of gastroesophageal reflux, we recorded fluoroscopic observations of spontaneous reflux and of reflux elicited by coughing, the Valsalva maneuver, rolling from supine to the right lateral position, and the water-siphon test. Subjects were considered to have reflux if 24-hr monitoring of esophageal pH within 14 days of the barium examination showed esophageal pH to be less than 4 for intervals exceeding the 95th percentile values previously reported for a control group. RESULTS: Barium studies showed unprovoked, spontaneous reflux in 26% of subjects proved by pH measurements to have gastroesophageal reflux. When the water-siphon test was used, the sensitivity of fluoroscopic detection rose to 70%, with a specificity of 74% and positive predictive value of 80%. Clinically significant reflux was detected radiographically in five patients in whom it was not detected by pH monitoring. CONCLUSION: These data are contrary to prior reports and indicate that barium studies are useful for screening patients with clinical findings suggestive of gastroesophageal reflux. The sensitivity of barium studies is highest when maneuvers are used to elicit reflux.

Adolescent↗
PubMed1993

Projections from the auditory cortex to the pontine nuclei in the rabbit.

The pontine projection from the auditory cortex was studied in 24 New Zealand albino rabbits using the method of anterograde transport of HRP-WGA. Microinjections of HRP-WGA (0.03-0.1 microliter) were made in the auditory cortex, which was located by electrophysiological criteria. The auditory cortex was shown to project ipsilaterally to ventral and lateral regions in the caudal pontine nuclei, and to the dorsolateral pontine nuclei in more rostral sections. Labeled terminals were also occasionally seen in the caudal medial pontine nuclei. These results suggest that the auditory cortex can modulate cerebellar input from caudal regions of the pontine nuclei, which project to cerebellar regions shown to be important for classical conditioning.

Animals↗
PubMed1993

Localization of a memory trace in the mammalian brain.

The localization of sites of memory formation within the brain has proven to be a formidable task even for simple forms of learning and memory. In order to localize a particular site of memory formation within the brain, the rabbit eyeblink response was classically conditioned while regions of the cerebellum or red nucleus were temporarily inactivated by microinfusions of the gamma-aminobutyric acid agonist muscimol. Cerebellar inactivation completely blocked learning but had no effect on subsequent learning after inactivation, whereas red nucleus inactivation did not prevent learning but did block the expression of conditioned responses. The site of memory formation for this learned response thus appears to be localized within the cerebellum.

Animals↗
PubMed1993

Preliminary test of two hypotheses of body image disturbance.

The present study compared the ability of two hypotheses of body image disturbance, social comparison and negative verbal commentary (teasing), to explain variance associated with body dissatisfaction and eating disturbance. Female undergraduates (n = 146) completed measures of eating disturbance, body dissatisfaction, self-esteem, depression, history of being teased about physical appearance, frequency of appearance comparison, and importance of various individuals as appearance comparison targets. Utilizing multiple regression analyses, levels of self-esteem and depression were first entered to remove a general distress/negative affectivity variable from the analyses. The results indicated that specific teasing about weight/size, but not general appearance, was a significant and consistent predictor of body dissatisfaction and eating disturbance. In addition, the importance of others as comparison targets, but not general comparison frequency, also predicted unique variance after the removal of the general distress factor. The findings are discussed with regard to the need for longitudinal analyses of predictors of body image and eating disturbance, particularly the possible importance of negative verbal commentary as a developmental precursor to adult levels of dysfunction.

Adolescent↗
PubMed1993

Body image and food consumption: three laboratory studies of perceived calorie content.

Three studies are reported that measured body image and mood changes consequent to the consumption of a milkshake that differed in perceived number of calories (high vs. low). The pilot investigation on normal-weight college females produced an interaction between perceived calorie content (PCC) and time of testing--subjects who received the high-calorie shake overestimated body size and were more dysphoric at posttest than subjects who received the low calorie shake. Study 2 provided a credibility check that the pilot investigation failed to include and replicated the interaction between PCC and time of testing for size estimation accuracy. The effect was also found for an attitudinal measure of body satisfaction, but only a main effect of time eventuated for the mood measure. Study 3 compared subjects who differed on exercise status (runners vs. sedentary controls). In general, runners were less negatively affected by the high-calorie shake than controls, however, none of the hypothesized three-way interactions among group, PCC, and time of testing were significant. The findings are discussed in terms of the need to further experimentally investigate factors that affect different aspects of body image.

Adolescent↗
PubMed1993

Lidocaine infusion in a critical region of cerebellum completely prevents learning of the conditioned eyeblink response.

New Zealand white rabbits were implanted with cannulas in the dorsal or ventral aspect of the anterior interpositus nucleus. Three days (and 6 days for some dorsal-infusion animals) of standard tone-airpuff training was given with continuous infusion (constant rate of 0.2 microL/min) of lidocaine or saline. All animals were then given 3 days of training with no infusion. All lidocaine-infused animals exhibited no conditioned responses in the 3 or 6 days of infusion training. Dorsal-infusion animals learned in the subsequent 3 days of no infusion training as if naive, that is, they exhibited no savings. Animals with ventral cannula locations learned during infusion training, as shown in postinfusion training. These results strongly support the hypothesis that the essential memory trace for eyeblink conditioning is formed and stored in the cerebellum.

Animals↗
PubMed1993

Sequence and immunological characterization of a serine-rich antigen from Mycobacterium leprae.

Sera from lepromatous leprosy patients were used to screen a Mycobacterium leprae lambda gt11 library. Three positive plaques were picked, and lysogens were constructed. Immunoblot analysis showed that all of the lysogens expressed an apparently identical beta-galactosidase fusion protein which reacted strongly with the sera. The 1.7-kbp insert from one clone was subcloned into the lacZ gene in pUR290; sequence analysis of the end fused to lacZ revealed an open reading frame with no significant homology to previously published sequences. The insert was used to screen an M. leprae cosmid library, and five clones were isolated. The insert was also found to hybridize to clones expressing the M. leprae antigen which had previously been designated class III and 25L. A 1.8-kbp HindIII fragment was subcloned from one of the cosmids and sequenced. The sequence revealed a 1,227-bp open reading frame, encoding a 408-amino-acid protein with a predicted molecular mass of 42,466 Da. The protein contains amino- and carboxy-terminal hydrophobic domains and a hydrophilic central domain; the amino-terminal domain shows some homology to a 51-kDa hypothetical antigen of Mycobacterium tuberculosis, while the hydrophilic region contains a high proportion of serine residues, and we have therefore designated the protein serine-rich antigen (Sra). Some repeated motifs are present in the protein, but their significance is unknown. Seventy-eight percent of serum samples from multibacillary leprosy patients and 68% of serum samples from paucibacillary leprosy patients recognized the fusion protein, showing that this is a major M. leprae antigen. In contrast, all serum samples from endemic controls were negative, while 26% of serum samples from tuberculosis patients were weakly positive.

Amino Acid Sequence↗
PubMed1993

Biology and behavior. A set-point hypothesis of psychological functioning.

This article provides a broad overview of an exploratory thesis designed to enhance an understanding of perturbations and rigidities of psychological functioning--a set-point hypothesis of psychological functioning. Historical precedents and parallels with Keesey's set-point theory of obesity are offered. Basic tenets of the hypothesis are detailed, and relevance to clinical behavioral theory is outlined. It is concluded that the set-point hypothesis may provide a framework for conceptualizing clinical cases and optimizing interventions. The thesis appears to be testable; however, the articulation of specific methodologies and research designs must be undertaken before the ultimate usefulness of the set-point hypothesis can be determined.

Adaptation, Psychological↗
PubMed1993

The integration of empirically derived personality assessment data into a behavioral conceptualization and treatment plan. Rationale, guidelines, and caveats.

This article suggests that the appropriate integration of personality (trait) data with information gleaned from a traditional behavioral interview will enhance client-treatment matching. The achievement of this goal is predicated on the ability of behaviorists to challenge tightly held (mis)conceptions of the process of "personality" assessment and to apply empirical criteria when engaged in this integrative endeavor. To facilitate such integration, a rationale for the use of dispositionally based assessment data within a behavioral framework is presented. Guidelines are provided for the accurate measurement and integration of such data in addition to a review of caveats that should be considered if such an enterprise is ultimately to reach fruition.

Adaptation, Psychological↗