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Biomedical subjects

J Sims

Publications and source records attributed to J Sims.

At least 37 records · Page 2Linked to original sources

Gastric lesions in portal hypertension: inflammatory gastritis or congestive gastropathy?

This paper reports the incidence and natural history of macroscopic gastritis in a series of 127 consecutive patients with portal hypertension of various aetiologies. Gastritis was observed endoscopically in 65 patients (51%) and was of two main types. Twenty eight patients had severe or persistent gastritis which caused clinically significant bleeding on 80 occasions and accounted for 25% of the bleeds from all sources. The remainder had mild gastritis. The presence of gastritis seemed to be independent of the severity of liver disease or the degree of rise of wedged hepatic venous pressure and there was no difference in age, sex, or drugs prescribed in patients with or without gastritis. The mean follow up period and the mean number of sclerotherapy treatments was significantly greater (p less than 0.005) in patients with gastritis. Full thickness gastric biopsies in seven surgical patients and 11 autopsy specimens showed dilated and tortuous submucosal veins. Endoscopic biopsies in 14 patients showed vascular ectasia in the mucosal layer which was in excess of the degree of inflammatory infiltrate. Gastritis occurred in patients with portal hypertension of all common aetiologies and the clinical and pathological evidence supports the contention that it reflects a congested gastric mucosa and should be renamed congestive gastropathy. As injection sclerotherapy improves survival from variceal bleeding congestive gastropathy may become more common. The response to conventional ('anti-erosive') therapy is poor and measures aimed at reducing the gastric portal pressure may be the only effective means of treating this condition.

Adult

dnaG (primase)-dependent origins of DNA replication. Nucleotide sequences of the negative strand initiation sites of bacteriophages St-1, phi K, and alpha 3.

The simplest known origins of DNA replication occur in the single-stranded bacteriophages. In one set of phages, negative strand synthesis is initiated by a single protein, the product of the Escherichia coli replication gene dnaG. Evidently, in these phages--G4, St-1, phi K, and alpha 3--the origin for negative strand synthesis consists of a nucleic acid element capable of direct recognition by the dnaG priming protein. We have located and sequenced the origins of negative strand synthesis in St-1, phi K, and alpha 3, and compared them with the origin sequence previously determined for G4. In each case, the point at which the negative strand is initiated can be identified at the nucleotide level. The data lead to the following conclusions: 1. In all four phages, the negative strand initiation site occurs within an intercistronic region of approximately 135 bases. While in G4, the origin lies between genes specifying the viral coat proteins F and G, the origin is shifted in St-1, phi K, and alpha 3 to a position between coat protein genes G and H. 2. Extensive nucleotide conservation exists at the negative strand origin, but does not extend into the adjacent coding regions. The conserved origin DNA occurs in two regions, 42 and 45 bases long, which are separated by 13 bases of divergent sequence. 3. Correlated with the two stretches of conserved nucleotide sequence are two regions of potential secondary structure. The start point of negative strand synthesis lies just prior to one of these hairpins. Similarities in both primary sequence and secondary structure can be found between the negative strand origins of G4, St-1, phi K, and alpha 3 and the general origin regions of bacteriophage lambda and of E. coli.

Base Sequence

Site-specific initiation of a DNA fragment: nucleotide sequence of the bacteriophage G4 negative-strand initiation site.

The synthesis of the bacteriophage G4 negative strand is an example of the de novo initiation of a polynucleotide chain. This initiation is performed by the Escherichia coli replication protein dna G which selects a unique site on 5400-base positive-strand template. In this paper we present the nucleotide sequence of the G4 negative-strand initiation site. This is the template element recognized by the dna G priming protein. In conjunction with the sequence of the nascent negative strand, obtained by Bouché, Rowen, and Kornberg [Bouché, J.-P., Rowen, L. & Kornberg, A. (1978) J. Biol. Chem. 253, 765-769], the present data provide a description of a dna G-dependent origin of replication in which one knows the place at which polymerization starts at the nucleotide level.

Base Sequence

Cross contamination of cytological smears, with automated staining machines and bulk manual staining procedures. With a specific study of the problems of the Cytotek and the Shandon Elliott staining machines.

Further development of an individual staining machine is to be strongly encouraged but meanwhile, using bulk stainers, frequent changing of wash fluids and staining solutions, particularly leading up to and following the haematoxylin pot, is essential to reduce the risk of cross contamination. Certain smears, such as from semen or from serous fluids where malignancy is suspected or known, must be stained on separate racks. In some laboratories it is the rule not to stain semen or serous fluids in bulk staining machines at all and this may have to become the rule everywhere until we are provided with safe individual slide stainers.

Adenocarcinoma

Levels of immunoglobulin E (IgE) in paired examinations of serum and synovial fluid in rheumatoid arthritis and reactive synovitis of local origin.

Levels of IgE were examined in pairs of serum and synovial fluid of the knee joint in a series of 78 patients with rheumatoid arthritis (RA), reactive synovitis during osteoarthrosis, and after injury. The IgE levels in synovial fluid were significantly lower (p less than 0.05) in all groups; in RA, they were in significant correlation (r=0.6208, p less than 0.0001) and in direct linear regression to the levels in serum. In 5 patients of the whole series, however, the IgE levels in serum were lower by one order of magnitude as compared with synovial fluid. Serum levels of IgE in RA were in significant correlation and in direct linear regression to the titres of rheumatoid factors according to the latex-fixation test (r=0.3688, p=0.0249) and the haemagglutination test with sheep red cells (r=0.3721, p=0.0235).

Adult

Prehospital cardiac care: illusion of consensus.

To judge standard practice for managing arrhythmias, what an EMT should be able to do in the field, drugs of choice, the success of EMT training, and the quality of EMT performance, clinical algorithms were developed. Branching logic, forcing yes/no decisions and delineating actions for all contingencies helped formalize and systematize EMT management of urgent and emergency cases. The algorithm set was sent to 19 consultants for review of content, sequence, drug dosage, and drug usage. The results indicated lack of consensus on appropriate prehospital cardiac care, but the approval of the algorithm approach.

Allied Health Personnel

The reflex sympathetic dystrophy syndrome. I. Clinical and histologic studies: evidence for bilaterality, response to corticosteroids and articular involvement.

Eleven consecutive patients fulfulling criteria for the reflex sympathetic dystrophy syndrome (RSDS) were studied by quantitative clinical methods, providing measurements of swelling (ring size), tenderness (dolorimeter) and functional capacity (grip strength). The predominantly affected extremity was clearly identified by these technics and its serial progress determined in six patients. Corticosteroid therapy predictably resulted in improvement of all treated patients. Greater tenderness was found in the joints than in the interjoint areas, indicating a possible accentuation of the disease process in juxta-articular tissues. Synovial biopsy specimens in four patients were abnormal, and the histology was presented in detail for the first time. All patients showed bilateral involvement during the study, providing evidence for a central neural mechanism in the RSDS.

Adult

The reflex sympathetic dystrophy syndrome. A comprehensive analysis using fine-detail radiography, photon absorptiometry, and bone and joint scintigraphy.

Nine patients with reflex sympathetic dystrophy were examined. Clinical manifestations suggesting arthropathy were supported by radiographic demonstration of juxta-articular and subchondral bone erosions and by radionuclide demonstration of increased activity localized in the joint regions. Aggressive demineralization was demonstrated by fine-detail radiography and consisted of endosteal and intracortical excavation and subperiosteal and trabecular bone resorption. A one-third reduction in bone mineral was confirmed by quantitative analyses. Newer modalities of study have aided in the documentation of arthropathy in reflex sympathetic dystrophy and have helped in defining the patterns of aggressive bone resorption.

Adult

The microbial metabolism of tryptophan in rats fed a diet containing 7.5% saccharin in a two-generation protocol.

Sodium saccharin was fed at 7.5% in the diet to rats in a two-generation protocol. Saccharin-treated animals in both generations showed increased urinary excretion of indican. During lactation, the pups of saccharin-fed dams were exposed to elevated levels of indican via the milk. Establishment of the gut flora in pups at weaning in the presence of saccharin was associated with increased caecal size and caecal protein, decreased caecal tryptophanase activity, and increased urine volume and urinary indican excretion. Pups from dams fed saccharin from birth only, showed more-variable responses during the first weeks of life than pups from dams fed saccharin from before conception, due to variations in tryptophanase activity. The various biochemical and physiological changes were detected soon after the pups were weaned, and were found equally in both males and females. After adjustment for body weight, the changes detected were greatest during the first month after weaning.

Animals

The urinary excretion of bacterial amino-acid metabolites by rats fed saccharin in the diet.

Administration of a diet containing 7.5% saccharin to adult male rats for 40 days caused a three- to four-fold increase in the daily excretion of indican and rho-cresol. Indican is formed from indole which is a microbial metabolite of tryptophan, whilst rho-cresol is formed by the gut flora from tyrosine. The excretion of phenol, which is also a microbial metabolite of tyrosine, was abolished by saccharin administration for 40 days. Analysis of urines collected at 13, 18 and 24 months during a two-generation cancer bioassay showed that these changes occur throughout the life of saccharin-treated rats. These data indicate that saccharin changes the metabolism of amino acids by the gut flora, leading to an increased formation of products known to have promoting or co-carcinogenic properties.

Amino Acids

Human T-cell receptor beta-chain genes.

cDNA clones encoding the beta chain of the T-cell antigen receptor from the human leukaemic cell line JM (which extend through the constant region and into the variable region of the receptor) show hybridization only to RNA from JM cells, and not in five other T-cell leukaemias. Multiple hybridizing bands were detected in genomic DNA digests by a V beta probe, suggesting that inherited V beta gene diversity will be significant. Two beta-chain constant region genes (designated C beta 1 and C beta 2) occur in human genomic DNA, and both of these genes are capable of rearrangement in T-cell DNA. When the downstream C beta 2 gene is rearranged, deletion of the C beta 1 gene can occur. These characteristics of rearrangement and deletion of beta-chain genes show analogies to the immunoglobulin gene loci.

Base Sequence

Pediatric psychopharmacologic uses of propranolol. Review and case illustrations.

This article introduces child and adolescent psychiatric nurses to the use of propranolol for aggression in children and adolescents. The use of propranolol is relatively new in the area of psychiatry. A retrospective chart review of patients who had received propranolol was conducted in an intermediate care hospital. Case illustrations are presented.

Adolescent

The blame game.

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Humans

Ring of confidence.

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Humans