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Biomedical subjects

J Thomas

Publications and source records attributed to J Thomas.

At least 505 records · Page 28Linked to original sources
PubMed1990

Human cDNAs encoding homologs of the small p34Cdc28/Cdc2-associated protein of Saccharomyces cerevisiae and Schizosaccharomyces pombe.

The Cks1 protein is a component of the Cdc28 protein kinase in the budding yeast Saccharomyces cerevisiae. This paper reports the cloning of two homologs of the S. cerevisiae CKS1 gene from human cells. These homologs, CKShs1 and CKShs2, both encode proteins of 79 amino acids that share considerable homology at the amino acid level with the products of CKS1 from S. cerevisiae and suc1+ from the fission yeast Schizosaccharomyces pombe. Both human homologs are capable of rescuing a null mutation of the S. cerevisiae CKS1 gene when expressed from the S. cerevisiae GAL1 promoter. S. pombe suc1+ expressed from the GAL1 promoter is also capable of rescuing a S. cerevisiae cks1 null mutation. Ckshs1 or Ckshs2 protein linked to Sepharose beads can bind the Cdc28/Cdc2 protein kinase from both S. cerevisiae and human cells. The CKShs1 and CKShs2 mRNAs are expressed in different patterns through the cell cycle in HeLa cells, which may reflect specialized roles for the encoded proteins.

Amino Acid Sequence↗
PubMed1990

Measurement of heme efflux and heme content in isolated developing chloroplasts.

Hemes destined for cytosolic hemoproteins must originate in one of the cellular compartments which have the capacity for heme synthesis, namely the chloroplast or the mitochondria. Since developing chloroplasts from greening cucumber (Cucumis sativus, cv. Sumter) cotyledons are known to contain complete heme and chlorophyll biosynthetic pathways, they were tested for their capacity export hemes. Picomole quantities of heme were measured by reconstitution of the heme with apo-peroxidase and subsequent determination of peroxidase activity. The assay method was sensitive (as little as 0.7 picomole of heme could be detected in a volume of 100 microliters) and was linear with heme concentration. When intact plastids were incubated with apo-peroxidase, a steady-state rate of efflux between 0.12 and 0.45 picomole heme/minute/milligram plastid protein was measured. The efflux rate was not due to plastid breakage and could be enhanced by incubating with the heme precursor, delta-aminolevulinic acid. Cold acetone extraction removed 47 +/- 17 picomoles heme/milligram plastid protein from the total b-type heme pool in the chloroplasts (166 +/- 9 picomoles heme/milligram protein, by acid-acetone extraction). The reconstitution technique provided a similar estimate of readily exchangeable heme in the plastid, 37 +/- 8 picomoles heme/milligram protein (or 6 micromolar in the plastids). These values may be indicative of a ;free heme pool' which exists in the chloroplast.

Journal Article↗
PubMed1990

Multiple system degeneration with glutamate dehydrogenase deficiency: pathology and biochemistry.

The neuropathological findings in a patient with antemortem diagnosis of olivopontocerebellar atrophy (OPCA) and reduced leucocytic glutamate dehydrogenase (GDH) activity included cerebellar cortical degeneration, most marked in the superior vermis, mild atrophy of the pons and the inferior olivary nucleus, marked reduction of anterior horn cells at all levels and gliosis in both lateral columns. GDH activities and their thermolability in "soluble" and "particulate" fractions in the cerebral cortex, cerebellar hemisphere and vermis were not significantly different from the values in two control brains. GDH mRNA in the patient's brain was not altered in size or amount.

Aged↗
PubMed1990

Road traffic accidents before and after seatbelt legislation--study in a district general hospital.

Injuries among samples of car accident cases attending the Accident & Emergency (A & E) department of a District General Hospital (DGH) in the year before and after the introduction of seat belt legislation were classified applying the Abbreviated Injury Scale using information recorded in the patient case notes. Those who died or did not attend an A & E department were not included in the sampling frame. The number of those who escaped injury increased by 40% and those with mild and moderate injuries decreased by 35% after seatbelt legislation. There was a significant reduction in soft tissue injuries to the head. Only whiplash injuries to the neck showed a significant increase.

Abbreviated Injury Scale↗
PubMed1990

A mandatory clinical clerkship in child psychiatry: a description and evaluation.

We describe a mandatory clinical clerkship in which students spend one day a week for six weeks assessing and treating a child and family and participate in seminars on common child psychiatric syndromes and their treatments. In two of three settings, two students were assigned to each child and family and in the third setting, one student was assigned. We assessed their satisfaction by a mailed survey and found each student seemed to be satisfied with his/her own experience. The administrative advantages of having two students for each family are outlined. Also a rank order of preference of seminar content was assessed. Seminars on depression, conduct disorders, attention deficit disorders and family assessment were most appreciated.

Attitude of Health Personnel↗
PubMed1990

Consumer perspectives of direct marketing techniques and charitable contributions to healthcare institutions.

This study analyzes consumer sentiment toward the use of direct mail and telemarketing in the solicitation of donations for healthcare organizations. In addition, reasons for giving to healthcare organizations are examined. It was found that consumers have a more positive disposition toward the use of direct mail than in the use of the telephone. This study also provides an indication of healthcare's relative position to other charitable organizations.

Attitude to Health↗
PubMed1990

LL-D49194 antibiotics, a novel family of antitumor agents: taxonomy, fermentation and biological properties.

A novel family of antitumor antibiotics, designated LL-D49194, was isolated from the fermentation broth of an actinomycete strain identified as Streptomyces vinaceus-drappus. LL-D49194 alpha 1 and beta 2 were active against Gram-positive and inactive against Gram-negative bacteria in vitro. The beta 1 component was not active against either Gram-positive or Gram-negative bacteria. These antibiotics exhibited significant in vivo activities against several murine tumors, albeit with differing potencies.

Aminoglycosides↗
PubMed1990

Targeting treatment.

As the gathering crisis in health care--its quality, its distribution, and above all its cost--nears the top of the national agenda, hospitals are developing more sharply focused physical responses to a changing spectrum of social and economic forces.

Economic Competition↗
PubMed1990

The immunosuppressive action of FK506. In vitro induction of allogeneic unresponsiveness in human CTL precursors.

FK506 is an unusually potent new immunosuppressive agent that inhibits T cell-mediated immunity in vivo and in vitro. In these studies we sought to further elucidate the immunosuppressive mechanism of action of FK506 on human allogeneic MLR-induced CTL activation. FK506 induced suppression of cell-mediated lympholysis by PBMC was optimal at 1-2-nM concentrations, if added at the initiation of 6 day CML cultures. The sensitivity to suppression decreased with time, and fully differentiated effectors were resistant to inhibition by FK506. Suppression of CML was not reversed by washing the cultures, adding exogenous IL-2, or restimulating with fresh cells. Pretreatment of unfractionated or adherent allogeneic PBMC with FK506 blocked the stimulating activity of these cells. Furthermore, addition of FK506-treated stimulator cells to cocultures containing untreated responder and stimulator cells resulted in suppression of CML. The inhibition in the cocultures was greatest if the FK506-pretreated cells were autologous to the original stimulator, suggesting a relative specificity in the suppression obtained under these conditions. These studies suggest that, in addition to suppressing the response of alloreactive CTL precursors, FK506 reduces the ability of irradiated allogeneic PBMC to induce CTL generation.

Anti-Bacterial Agents↗
PubMed1990

[The treatment of pelvic ureteral calculi using the Dornier lithotripter. Apropos of 20 cases].

The authors report a series of twenty patients with pelvic ureteric stones treated by the Dornier lithotriptor. Sixteen men and 4 women were treated over a period of 8 months (November 1988 and June 1989). A single treatment session was sufficient to ensure destruction and elimination of the stones. This technique, which does not require anaesthesia, but at most simple neuroleptanalgesia, has a low morbidity (15%). In the series of 20 patients: the stones were completely eliminated in 16 cases, 1 case was a failure at 3 months and 3 patients were not reviewed. These results are assessed with a minimum follow-up of three months and a maximum follow-up of eight months. This simple, rapide, repeatable and effective therapeutic technique appears to constitute an alternative to operative endoscopy (flexible or rigid ureteroscopy) in the treatment of stones of the pelvic ureter.

Adult↗
PubMed1990

[Milk of calcium syndrome: a diagnosis to be made before the scheduling of lithotripsy. Consideration apropos of 6 cases].

The authors report six cases of milk of calcium syndrome. As in previously published cases, the diagnosis was established by the film taken in the standing position: the "lithiasic density" shrinks, densifies and exhibits a horizontal upper edge. Four patients were at first mistakenly diagnosed as having urinary lithiasis for which extracorporeal lithotripsy was scheduled. In one case, the lithotripsy was actually performed and the diagnosis of milk of calcium disease was established only immediately after the procedure. In another patient, lithotripsy was performed because small stones were thought to be present in the milk of calcium. In the two other cases, the diagnosis was made on the day before scheduled lithotripsy and this procedure was therefore cancelled. The purpose of the authors in reporting these cases is above all to point out the diagnostic value of a plain film of the abdomen in the standing position. Diagnosis must be made in time to avoid extracorporeal lithotripsy since, in milk of calcium syndrome, this procedure is illogical, inefficient and probably more hazardous than useful. On the basis of the six cases reported herein and of data from the literature, several characteristics of milk of calcium syndrome can be emphasized. Milk of calcium syndrome predominantly affects individuals with a positive personal or family history for renal lithiasis. It occurs in both sexes and all age groups, including childhood. Milk of calcium syndrome complicates partial or total dilatation of the urinary tract. Crystallization may be of the phosphatic or oxalic type. Concomitant urinary tract infection is common.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)

Adult↗
PubMed1990

Parental hypertension as a predictor of hypertension in black physicians: the Meharry Cohort Study.

Parental histories were obtained for a cohort of black medical students in a longitudinal study of hypertension precursors. At follow-up, 25 to 30 years later, initial and current parental histories for hypertension were compared with other precursor characteristics as well as resulting cohort hypertension. The number of participants having no positive parental history for hypertension as parents aged declined from 55% to 24%. Hypertension among black physicians varied according to parental history: 38.9% for both parents negative, 41.4% for mother only positive, 60.5% for father only positive, and 73.7% for both parents positive. Parental history of hypertension was an independent predictor of subject hypertension. Positive parental history in combination with weight gain and high normal baseline systolic and diastolic blood pressure produced a gradient of risk corresponding to the number of risk factors present. Having all four risk factors increased the hypertension risk by 15 times. Parental history together with weight gain, blood pressure, and smoking provide a strong predictor of hypertension. Weight and blood pressure control, along with cessation of smoking, should be considered important factors in the clinical management of such patients.

Adult↗