Search PubMed⌕ Search

Biomedical subjects

J Smith

Publications and source records attributed to J Smith.

At least 865 records · Page 48Linked to original sources
PubMed1990

[Diffuse fibrosing alveolitis and primary biliary cirrhosis].

Diffuse fibrosing alveolitis (DFA) is a disease with progressive, diffuse fibrosis in the interstitial tissue of the pulmonary parenchyma. As a rule, diffuse fibrosing alveolitis is limited to the lungs alone but it may occur as a partial manifestation of a systemic disease. A case report is presented here where diffuse fibrosing alveolitis was encountered in a patient with primary biliary cirrhosis. The pulmonary symptoms dominated the clinical picture and investigation revealed the autoimmune condition.

Autoimmune Diseases↗
PubMed1990

What do peer reviewers do?

We conducted a prospective 9-month survey to assess the refereeing work load of British Medical Journal referees, and, in particular, to compare the work loads of pediatricians and psychiatrists. Referees completed a record form for each manuscript reviewed and a questionnaire on demographic characteristics and attitudes toward refereeing. Two hundred eleven referees formed a sample of one sixth of the British Medical Journal's active referees; all remaining pediatricians (n = 67) and psychiatrists (n = 65) formed two further samples. Of the 343 referees selected, 301 returned forms or questionnaires. One hundred forty-six referees were editors or on editorial boards. They reviewed for a mean of five journals. They reviewed 1980 manuscripts (a median of 6 for the main sample, 6.5 for the pediatricians, and 8 for the psychiatrists). Most manuscripts were reviewed for journals in the referee's own specialty; only one third were reviewed for other journals. Psychiatrists did significantly more work for general journals than pediatricians (13% vs 9%). All three groups spent less than 2 hours per manuscript.

Pediatrics↗
PubMed1990

The effect of plasma volume expansion on uteroplacental blood flow in hypertensive pregnancies.

The effect of plasma volume expansion on uteroplacental blood flow was investigated in 20 hypertensive women in the 3rd trimester of pregnancy by measuring the radioactivity in the region of the placenta with a gamma camera after an intravenous injection of indium-113. Despite a significant increase in plasma volume there was no change in maternal blood pressure or in uteroplacental blood flow. This suggests an autoregulation of both blood pressure and uteroplacental blood flow.

Adult↗
PubMed1990

Phase II trials with flavone acetic acid (NCS. 347512, LM975) in patients with advanced carcinoma of the breast, colon, head and neck and melanoma.

Phase II trials of flavone acetic acid have been performed in a total of 87 patients including 17 with advanced breast cancer, 23 with advanced colorectal cancer, 25 with advanced malignant melanoma and 22 with advanced head and neck cancer. Patients with colorectal cancer and melanoma had received no prior chemotherapy; in breast and head and neck cancer patients prior chemotherapy had been given with a median of 5 and 2 drugs respectively. The schedule used was a once-weekly regime, with a dose of 4.8 gms/m2 given as a 1 hour infusion, together with alkalinization (with i.v. sodium bicarbonate) given before and after FAA. Reassessment was performed after 6 weekly doses, although in 23 patients fewer than 6 doses were given, because of early disease progression in 15, and undue toxicity in 5. An additional 3 patients died within 72 hours of having received FAA and, although the precise cause of death in each case was not established, FAA toxicity could not be excluded. Treatment was generally manageable, the major manifestations of toxicity comprising uncomfortable warmth and flushes, nausea, diarrhoea, and visual complaints. Hypotension was also documented in 8 patients. No objective responses were seen in any of the patient sub-groups, although disease-stabilization was seen in 3 patients with breast cancer, 1 patient with advanced colorectal cancer, 2 patients with advanced melanoma and 4 patients with head and neck cancer. Further Phase II studies, using a higher dose of 8.6 gm/m2 over 6 hours once weekly, are currently in progress in Europe.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)

Adult↗
PubMed1990

Computer control of fast protein liquid chromatography (FPLC).

A program has been developed to allow the control, the storage of method files, file text, peak and graphical data generated by a Pharmacia FPLC. The program allows for the remote control of a LCC 500 and the storage of up to 9,999,999 different method files. The program can either be used to start the FPLC and store text and peaks or also store monitor data from two monitors including percentage pump B, graphically. System requirements are an IBM PC or fully compatible microcomputer, mouse, CGA or EGA card and GEM Desktop software.

Chromatography, Liquid↗
PubMed1990

Sequence and developmental expression of the mRNA encoding the seleno-protein of the sperm mitochondrial capsule in the mouse.

We have characterized cDNA clones encoding the selenium-containing polypeptide of the keratinous mitochondrial capsule in mouse sperm. The longest open reading frame encodes a polypeptide 143 amino acids long which contains 21% cysteine and 27% proline and closely resembles the size and amino acid composition of bull mitochondrial capsule seleno-protein (V. Pallini, B. Baccetti, and A. G. Burrini, 1979, in "The Spermatozoon," D. W. Fawcett and J. M. Bedford, Eds., pp. 141-151, Urban & Schwartzenberg, Baltimore/Munich). The reading frame encoding the mitochondrial capsule seleno-protein ends with an amber stop codon suggesting that selenium is not incorporated cotranslationally into the protein by an opal suppressor selenocysteyl-tRNA as has been found for several eukaryotic and bacterial proteins. Northern blots using RNA extracted from purified spermatogenic cells and staged prepuberal mice suggest that the mitochondrial capsule seleno-protein mRNA is first transcribed in late meiotic cells and that the levels of the mRNA increase after meiosis in early haploid cells. Southern blots demonstrate that there is one copy of the gene in the mouse genome. The identification of this cDNA clone, in combination with previous work (K. C. Kleene, 1989, Development 106, 367-373) demonstrates that the mRNA for the mitochondrial capsule seleno-protein is translationally repressed with long homogenous poly(A) tracts in round spermatids and translationally active with shortened heterogenous poly(A) tracts in elongating spermatids.

Amino Acid Sequence↗
PubMed1990

Age-related suppression of murine lymphoid cell blastogenesis by marijuana components.

Marijuana components modulate a variety of immune response parameters. The cannabinoids delta 9-tetrahydrocannabinol (THC) and 11-hydroxy-tetrahydrocannabinol (11 OH-THC) are known to depress the in vitro proliferative response of murine lymphoid cells to the mitogens concanavalin A (Con A) and phytohemagglutinin (PHA). In the present report the effects of THC and 11 OH-THC on adult thymus and spleen cells were compared to effects on lymphoid cells of those organs from juvenile mice at various ages. The results demonstrate differences in susceptibility to cannabinoid-induced suppression by lymphoid cells from different organs and different age mice. In adults, thymus cells were suppressed more readily than spleen cells. Splenocytes from mice under 2 weeks old were suppressed much more readily than those from older mice. Cell populations from organs with higher proportions of L3T4+/Lyt2- cells were more difficult to suppress. The possible mechanisms involved and directions for future work are discussed.

Age Factors↗
PubMed1990

Differential suppression of T-cell subpopulations by thc (delta-9-tetrahydrocannabinol).

THC (delta-9-tetrahydrocannabinol), the major psychoactive component of marijuana, has been shown to suppress various immune functions in vivo and in vitro. THC suppresses murine T-lymphocyte proliferation; however, the effects on T-cell subsets remain unclear. We have stimulated cultured murine splenocytes with the mitogens concanavalin A (Con A) or phytohemagglutinin (PHA) while exposing them to varying concentrations of THC. After three days, the cells were analyzed by the fluorescent activated cell sorter for the following T-cell markers--Thy1, L3T4 and Ly2. The Ly2 cells represent the suppressor/effector T-cells while L3T4 cells represent the helper T-cell subpopulations. The results show that the dose response suppressive effect of THC on T-cell proliferation reflects a preferential inhibition of Ly2 vs L3T4 cells. The effects of THC on other functional parameters are in the process of investigation.

Animals↗
PubMed1990

Decreased adrenergic sensitivity in patients with hypothyroidism.

Cardiovascular sensitivity to catecholamines was assessed in 15 patients with hypothyroidism (mean [+/- SEM] thyroxine [T4] index 2.7 +/- 0.5 micrograms/100 ml, thyroid stimulating hormone [TSH] 136.9 +/- 48.3 microU/ml), aged 45 +/- 4 years and in 8 healthy control subjects. The study was repeated in 10 patients with hypothyroidism 4.0 +/- 0.5 months after thyroid replacement therapy (T4 index 9.9 +/- 2.1 micrograms/100 ml, TSH 3.5 +/- 1.3 microU/ml). In addition, basal, average and maximal heart rates were measured using 24 h ambulatory electrocardiographic (ECG) monitoring, and plasma levels of epinephrine and norepinephrine were determined before and after thyroid replacement. Heart rate increased less after bolus injection of 0.8, 1.6 and 3.2 micrograms of isoproterenol in the hypothyroid (10 +/- 2, 15 +/- 2 and 21 +/- 4 beats/min, respectively) than in the euthyroid (16 +/- 3, 22 +/- 3 and 30 +/- 4 beats/min, respectively) state (p less than 0.05). Control subjects reacted similarly to patients receiving thyroid replacement. Basal heart rate (64 +/- 3 versus 68 +/- 3 beats/min, p less than 0.05) and maximal heart rate (116 +/- 5 versus 133 +/- 5 beats/min, p less than 0.05) were lower on 24 h ambulatory ECG monitoring in the hypothyroid than euthyroid state despite higher basal plasma norepinephrine levels (394 +/- 45 versus 315 +/- 45 pg/ml, p less than 0.05). Thus, patients with hypothyroidism display a decreased cardiac chronotropic response to beta-adrenergic stimulation. This may contribute in part to the decreased basal and maximal daily heart rates seen in patients with hypothyroidism, which occurs despite elevated plasma norepinephrine levels.

Adrenergic beta-Agonists↗
PubMed1990

The water-intoxicated patient.

In a long-term psychiatric setting, self-induced water intoxication may be a life-threatening situation. At first glance, the symptoms or behaviors of self-induced water intoxication are similar to schizophrenia, i.e., inappropriate behavior, delusions, hallucinations, confusion, and disorientation. In some cases, the symptoms of water intoxication mimic schizophrenia and thus, are disguised as a part of the psychoses. Affected individuals develop polydipsia, which is accompanied by overhydration and dilutional hyponatremia. If untreated, the symptoms may progress from mild confusion to acute delirium, seizures, coma, or death (Ripley, Millson, & Koczapski, 1989). Under normal circumstances there is a delicate balance of water requirement and water intake. If the balance of water is altered, electrolyte imbalance can occur. The recognition of water intoxication or self-induced water intoxication and psychosis among chronic, institutionalized patients may prevent their death or the development of neurological damage (Arieff, 1985). Because self-induced water intoxication often goes unrecognized in its early stages and may have irreversible or fatal complications, early detection is crucial. This article will discuss the etiology, nursing assessment, and interventions associated with patients suffering from self-induced water intoxication.

Adult↗