Sudanese refugees in Koboko: environmental health interventions.
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Africa↗
Biomedical subjects
J Morgan
Publications and source records attributed to J Morgan.
Chocolate: a flavor and texture unlike any other.
Cocoa butter is unique. The tree and flower from which it grows, the pod and its seed, as well as its postharvest handling are all different from those for any other food ingredient. Cocoa butter is the most critical raw material for chocolate, a foodstuff recognized long ago as having exceptional value. The triglyceride structure of cocoa butter gives cocoa butter unique solidification and liquefying properties, which give the chocolate manufacturer the opportunity to work with chocolate in ways that no other foods permit.
Cacao↗
Shape of tree stems-a re-examination of the uniform stress hypothesis.
The transfer matrix method of structural analysis was used to examine the hypothesis that tree stems grow to a shape that tends to equalize the average bending plus axial stresses to which they are subjected along their length. The method and computational procedures were checked by comparing computed height-diameter profiles with those calculated using elementary stress theory for trees with simple force distributions in the crown. Measured height-diameter profiles for trees were then taken from the literature and shown to be well-fitted by profiles calculated to give uniform stress along the stems, using the most realistic average forces and force distributions within the crowns. At high wind speeds, the height-diameter profile giving uniform stress was more tapered than the profile giving uniform stress at low wind speeds. The profile giving uniform stress was similar over the normal range of average wind speeds of 2.5 to 10.0 m s(-1) (at the top of the canopy). But a tree that had grown to give uniform stress along its stem in an average wind of 5 m s(-1) showed markedly decreased stress with height at wind speeds of about 15 m s(-1) or more, and increased stress with height (to the crown base) at wind speeds of about 1.25 m s(-1) or less. The fact that tree stems develop shapes in response to average conditions, but show varying stress distribution in extreme conditions, may help to explain some of the apparent evidence for non-uniform stress distribution in the literature. In general, our analysis supports the above hypothesis for the stem region above the butt swell.
Journal Article↗
A comparison of direct and liposomal antibody conjugates of sulfonated aluminum phthalocyanines for selective photoimmunotherapy of human bladder carcinoma.
There is a need to improve the selectivity of photodynamic therapy and for better targeting of tumor cells within specific tumor compartments. Selective in vitro phototoxicity of a human bladder carcinoma cell line 647V has been achieved by targeting sulfonated aluminum phthalocyanines (AlSPc) with monoclonal antibodies. Aluminum tetra-3 sulfonyl chloride phthalocyanine (PC) or rhodamine sulfonyl chloride were directly coupled to antibodies by a sulfonamide linkage and AlSPc or carboxyfluorescein were encapsulated in liposomes of the small unilamellar vesicle type (SUV) bearing antibody. Antibody E7 (IgM subclass), which recognized an antigenic determinant expressed on 647V but was absent on T24 a control human bladder carcinoma cell line, and a control IgM antibody were used. The effects of the two types of conjugate were compared. Immunofluorescence studies on living cells demonstrated specific cell surface localization of conjugates at 4 degrees C and internalization at 37 degrees C. Phototoxicity was measured by 3-(4,5-dimethylthiazol-2-5-diphenyltetrazolium) bromide assay after exposing AlSPc-sensitized cells to red light. Significant AlSPc dose-dependent phototoxicity of the order 4 degrees C < 4 degrees C plus 37 degrees C < 37 degrees C was observed with E7-SUV and E7-PC in the range 1-8 microM AlSPc. At equimolar AlSPc doses absolute toxicity was similar for the two conjugate types, but at equimolar antibody doses, the liposomal conjugate was more effective by up to 13-fold. Addition of urine during illumination decreased toxicity, which was attributed to the presence of protective elements. The results suggest that photosensitizers such as AlSPc could be used for antibody-directed therapy and in particular for selectively damaging tumor cells of the epithelial cell compartment in bladder carcinoma by intrabladder administration. The therapeutic ratio, which takes into account both specific and nonspecific toxicity, was greater for the liposome conjugate than for the direct conjugate indicating their greater suitability for in vivo instillation.
Aluminum↗
Effects of culture media on detection of methicillin resistance in coagulase negative staphylococci.
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Culture Media↗
University-hospital research collaboration provides meaningful experience for student learning.
Having the faculty and clinicians work together to formulate a problem for study or to take some portion of an existing study is very useful. Students see that research has practical value and that practice can be affected by systematic investigation of existing nursing practice. Possibly the greatest benefit of students' involvement in this joint project was students' and staffs' realizations that nursing research planned and implemented jointly can benefit both the nurses in practice and the baccalaureate students. Involving students in active participation in joint projects developed and executed in collaboration between clinicians and faculty seems a feasible and worthwhile undertaking. Yet, these projects need to be carefully selected, taking into account the needs of the agency and the students as well as faculty's ability to cope with undergraduate students' inexperience.
Attitude↗
Effects of a new fish oil concentrate on plasma lipids and lipoproteins in patients with hypertriglyceridaemia.
OBJECTIVES: The effect of a fish oil preparation, K-85, in which the omega-3 fatty acid content was concentrated to 92% of total fat, on serum lipid and lipoprotein concentrations was investigated in patients with primary hypertriglyceridaemia. DESIGN: The study was a randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled study. SETTING: Seven centres participated in the study, five secondary referral centres and two general practices. SUBJECTS: Men and women aged 18-70 years with fasting serum triglyceride concentrations between 2 and 10 mmol/l and fasting serum cholesterol concentrations > 5.2 mmol/l were studied. Patients with diabetes mellitus, hypothyroidism, serious illness in the previous 3 months or severe concurrent illness were excluded from the study, as were drug or alcohol abusers and pregnant and lactating women. Ninety-five subjects entered the study, 79 completed the study. INTERVENTIONS: Patients were randomized to receive K-85 2 g twice daily or corn oil 2 g twice daily for 14 weeks. MAIN OUTCOME MEASUREMENTS: The serum concentrations of triglycerides and cholesterol, very low-density lipoprotein (VLDL), low-density lipoprotein (LDL), high-density lipoprotein (HDL) and lipoprotein (a). Fasting blood glucose and blood pressure. RESULTS: Serum triglycerides and VLDL-cholesterol were significantly lower in the group treated with K-85 than in the placebo group after 6, 10 and 14 weeks (all P < 0.01) and there was a decrease in the serum triglyceride concentration from 3.99 (2.94-9.47) to 2.87 (1.2-9.93) mmol/l (P < 0.001) and in VLDL-cholesterol from 1.47 (0.77-3.63) to 1.12 (0.21-3.67) mmol/l (P < 0.01) in patients receiving K-85. Serum HDL-cholesterol increased from 0.98 (0.95-1.01) to 1.11 (1.07-1.15) mmol/l (P < 0.01) in the patients with type IV hyperlipoproteinaemia but did not change in those with type IIb. Serum LDL-cholesterol, lipoprotein (a) and fasting blood glucose were unaffected by K-85. Diastolic blood pressure decreased from 86 +/- 11 to 80 +/- 12 mmHg (P < 0.02) and was also lower than in the placebo group (P < 0.05). The corn oil placebo did not affect any of the parameters. CONCLUSION: K-85 is effective in lowering serum triglycerides and VLDL in patients with primary hypertriglyceridaemia and may have utility as a triglyceride-lowering agent.
Adult↗
Ultrastructural features of composite skin cultures grafted onto athymic mice.
Skin substitutes composed of cultured keratinocytes with or without a dermal substrate are now being used in the treatment of burns and other cutaneous wounds. Composite skin cultures (Graftskin, LSE), consisting of epidermal keratinocytes seeded on a fibroblast-containing collagen matrix and maintained at the air-liquid interface, develop a well differentiated epidermis in vitro with many of the morphological and biochemical features of intact skin. Basement membrane-associated antigens, developing hemidesmosomes and short segments of lamina densa are present at the dermal-epidermal junction in vitro, although the LSE lacks a continuous basement membrane. As epidermal differentiation proceeds, the culture develops a stratum corneum composed of electron-dense corneocytes surrounded by extracellular lipid. However, the intercorneocyte lipid lamellae do not exhibit the repeating pattern of broad and narrow electron lucent bands observed in electron micrographs of the stratum corneum of intact skin. In this study, LSE were grafted onto full thickness wounds in athymic mice. Animals were killed 6, 15, 30 and 60 d after surgery for examination by light and electron microscopy to identify any ultrastructural changes which occurred in the culture in response to the host environment. The grafted LSE integrated well into the host tissue and remained intact throughout the 60 d study period. At the dermal-epidermal junction, a continuous basement membrane with a well defined lamina densa was established by 15 d after surgery. An extensive network of anchoring fibrils was present by 30 d after surgery. Collagen fibrils within the dermal matrix condensed by 6 d after surgery and began organising into loosely packed bundles by 15 d after surgery.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)
Animals↗
Development of a temporary living skin replacement composed of human neonatal fibroblasts cultured in Biobrane, a synthetic dressing material.
BACKGROUND: Preferred coverings for excised burn wounds when sufficient autograft skin is not available are fresh or cryopreserved cadaveric skin. Problems with supply, preservation, immune rejection, and potential infection transmission accompanying the use of allograft skin underscore the need for effective alternative temporary skin replacements. METHODS: We cultured human neonatal fibroblasts (HF) for 4 to 6 weeks in nylon mesh of Biobrane, a synthetic dressing consisting of a thin layer of silicone bonded to nylon mesh. Secreted matrix proteins were identified by immunostaining and quantitated, and growth factor-specific messenger RNAs were identified by reverse transcription-polymerase chain reaction. Living grafts (Biobrane/HF) were sutured to full-thickness, excised wounds on athymic mice; control animals received Biobrane alone. Wounds were observed and biopsy specimens were obtained at intervals during the subsequent 40 days. RESULTS: After 3 to 6 weeks of culture in Biobrane the HF proliferated and secreted matrix proteins including type I collagen, fibronectin, and decorin, as well as messenger RNA for several growth factors (acidic fibroblast growth factor, basic fibroblast growth factor, and keratinocyte growth factor). Biobrane/HF grafts were transferred to full-thickness wounds, resulting in rapid fibrovascular ingrowth from the wound and effective wound closure for up to 40 days with minimal inflammatory responses. Biobrane control grafts adhered initially to wounds, but within several days many grafts developed subgraft exudates; histologic sections revealed marked inflammatory responses in these wounds. By 20 days, most BB grafts were separating from the underlying wounds that were closing by epithelialization and contraction. CONCLUSIONS: The Biobrane/HF living skin replacement provides long-term biologic coverage of full-thickness wound defects in mice with rapid incorporation of a living tissue matrix into the wound bed. Because HF have been found to be relatively nonantigenic when transferred to allogeneic hosts, Biobrane/HF grafts could replace the use of cadaveric allograft skin for achieving temporary wound closure after burn wound excision. Biobrane/HF grafts may persist on human wounds for weeks or months, with long-term persistence perhaps primarily dependent on durability of the silicone rubber layer.
Animals↗
Acidic pH increases the oxidation of LDL by macrophages.
We have investigated the effect of pH on LDL oxidation by macrophages (in the presence of iron ions), using a modification of Hanks' balanced salt solution. Increasing the acidity of the medium greatly increased the oxidation of the LDL by the macrophages as measured by thiobarbituric acid-reactive substances or increased uptake and degradation by a second set of macrophages. The rate of oxidation of LDL by iron ions alone, measured in terms of conjugated dienes, was also increased greatly even at mildly acidic pH. It is quite possible that atherosclerotic lesions have an acidic extracellular pH, particularly in the vicinity of macrophages, and the observation that LDL oxidation by macrophages is increased at acidic pH may therefore help to explain why atherosclerotic lesions are apparently one of the very few sites in the body where LDL oxidation occurs.
Animals↗
Role for membrane and secreted insulin-like growth factor-binding protein-2 in the regulation of insulin-like growth factor action in lung tumors.
The insulin-like growth factors (IGFs) have been implicated in the autocrine and/or paracrine growth of a number of tumor types, including lung tumors. Importantly, insulin-like growth factor-binding proteins (IGFBPs), which both enhance and inhibit the physiological and biological actions of the IGFs, have been shown to be secreted in vitro by a wide range of tumors. In particular, IGFBP-2 is frequently produced by human tumor cells, suggesting that this protein may be an important determinant of IGF action in tumors. In the present study, we investigated IGFBP-2 effects in lung tumor cells by examining the influence of IGFBP-2 on IGF-receptor interaction and the biological actions of IGF-I and IGF-II. Affinity cross-linking studies demonstrated expression of type-I and type-II IGF receptors on small cell lung cancer (SCLC) and non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) cells and the presence of abundant membrane-associated IGFBP in SCLC cells but not in NSCLC cells. An antiserum specific for IGFBP-2 was used in immunoprecipitation and immunoblotting studies which demonstrated that the membrane-associated IGFBP identified by affinity cross-linking in SCLC cells is IGFBP-2. In NSCLC cells, both IGF-I and IGF-II bound predominantly to IGF-I receptors, whereas in SCLC cells binding was principally to surface-associated IGFBP-2. SCLC cells failed to respond to IGF-I and -II stimulation in a DNA synthesis assay. For NSCLC cells, IGF-II was a more potent stimulator of DNA synthesis than IGF-I. Soluble IGFBP-2 inhibited the binding of radiolabeled IGF-I and -II to both SCLC and NSCLC cells in a concentration-dependent manner and inhibited IGF-stimulated DNA synthesis in NSCLC cells. These observations indicate that both soluble and membrane-associated IGFBP-2 compete with IGF receptors for ligand binding and, thus, are likely to be important determinants of IGF responsiveness. The findings of the present study also indicate that the type-I receptor on NSCLC cells contains a high-affinity binding site for IGF-II which presumably mediates the biological effects of IGF-II in these cells, thereby implicating IGF-II in the autocrine/paracrine growth of NSCLC.
Carcinoma, Small Cell↗
Structure, sequence and expression of the mouse Cx43 gene encoding connexin 43.
Gap junctions, membrane channels that mediate the diffusion of ions and small molecules between cells, are hypothesized to play a role in development and growth regulation. The Cx43 gene (encoding connexin 43) is one member of the gap junction gene family whose transcripts are expressed in a highly regionalized manner during mouse development. We cloned and sequenced Cx43 cDNAs from a 7.5-day mouse embryo cDNA library. These cDNA clones encode the authentic 43-kDa connexin. Analysis of RNA isolated from different regions of the 7.5-day mouse embryo revealed that Cx43 transcripts are differentially expressed, with expression detected in the embryo proper, but not in the extraembryonic region containing the ectoplacental cone. Using one of the newly isolated mouse Cx43 cDNA probes, we screened a mouse genomic DNA library and cloned the Cx43 gene. Restriction mapping and sequencing of the cloned genomic inserts revealed that Cx43 contains two exons and a 10.5-kb intron located in the 5' untranslated region (5'-UTR). We mapped the Cx43 transcription start point (tsp) by RNase protection and primer extension analyses and showed that transcripts expressed in the 7.5-day mouse embryo and in adult tissues are initiated from the same tsp. The DNA sequence immediately upstream from the tsp contains a putative AP1-binding site and a degenerate TATA consensus sequence. A comparison of mouse, rat, human and bovine Cx43s showed that the 3'-UTR has an unexpectedly high degree of sequence homology. This includes conservation of four AUUUA motifs, a sequence associated with transcript instability in immediate early genes.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)
3T3 Cells↗
Oxidation of low density lipoprotein by bovine and porcine aortic endothelial cells and porcine endocardial cells in culture.
Oxidation of low density lipoprotein (LDL) in atherosclerotic lesions may be involved in converting macrophages into cholesterol-laden foam cells, a major characteristic of atherosclerotic lesions. It has been reported, and is widely believed, that endothelial cells derived from rabbit, pig and human aortas, but not those derived from bovine aortas, are capable of oxidising LDL in vitro. We have re-investigated this subject and found that during a 48-h incubation period bovine aortic endothelial cells (both in primary culture and in subcultures) were capable of consistently modifying LDL, increasing its uptake and degradation by macrophages by more than 4-fold. Incubation of LDL with bovine aortic endothelial cells for only 24 h, however, produced inconsistent modification of the LDL, whereas mouse peritoneal macrophages consistently modified LDL in 24 h. The modification of LDL by bovine aortic endothelial cells was an oxidative process, as the chain-breaking antioxidants, alpha-tocopherol and probucol, completely or greatly inhibited it. Thus, bovine aortic endothelial cells are capable of oxidising LDL but they are slower at doing so than are certain other types of cells. Nitric oxide generated by activated macrophages has very recently been shown to inhibit their oxidation of LDL. We have therefore investigated whether or not the inhibition of the constitutive nitric oxide synthase of bovine or porcine aortic endothelial cells would increase their rate of oxidation of LDL.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)
Animals↗
Glomerular perfusion in renal allograft biopsies.
In the commonest causes of impaired renal transplant function there is reduced renal and glomerular perfusion. We investigated the possibility of identifying this phenomenon in renal transplant biopsies, by the crude but simple method of counting the mean numbers of glomerular capillary loops which contained erythrocytes. In cyclosporin toxicity, acute tubular necrosis and in acute cellular rejection there was a considerable reduction in the numbers of erythrocyte-containing glomerular capillaries. The separation of the acute tubular necrosis group from normal was almost complete. This feature is therefore not specific but appears to correlate well with states of impaired glomerular perfusion. We suggest that a simple assessment of glomerular erythrocyte 'load' forms a useful part of the histological examination of renal transplant biopsies.
Biopsy↗
An intralenticular foreign body and a clear lens.
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Adult↗
Laparoscopic cholecystectomy in a tertiary referral center.
Analysis of the first year's experience of 94 patients in a tertiary referral center showed that 21% had had previous surgery. Fifty-seven percent had medical problems: 17.8% hypertension, 16% cardiac problems, 8.9% diabetes mellitus, and 6.2% chronic renal insufficiency. Four patients had hypercarbia and were acidotic. The conversion rate to open cholecystectomy was 8.7%. Only one patient required reoperation for a bile leak. Fifty-five percent of our procedures took < or = 2 h, but 45% took > or = 3 h. Just over 50% of our patients stayed 48 h postoperatively. In this complex group of patients, it appears possible to achieve results similar to those previously published, but more time was required for surgery, and length of stay was increased.
Adult↗
Renal transplantation: nifedipine for the nonstarters? A prospective randomised study.
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Adult↗
The transcription factor E2F interacts with the retinoblastoma product and a p107-cyclin A complex in a cell cycle-regulated manner.
E2F is a transcription factor believed to play a role in the activation of genes required for cellular proliferation. Its regulation is likely important for maintenance of G0 and for the initiation of cell growth. The retinoblastoma product (RB) forms a complex with E2F in G1 in primary and established human cells. As these cells enter S, a second E2F-containing complex appears. It contains p107, a nuclear "pocket" protein with similarities in structure and protein-binding properties to RB, and cyclin A, a cyclin believed to play a role in facilitating DNA replication. Hence, the regulation of E2F is carried out differently in G1 or S. The presence of cyclin A and a pocket protein, a possible cell growth regulator, in the same S phase-associated complex suggests a link between the function of E2F and the regulation of the DNA replication process.
Antibodies, Monoclonal↗