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Biomedical subjects

K Jensen

Publications and source records attributed to K Jensen.

At least 127 records · Page 7Linked to original sources

Effect of graduated intravenous and standard rectal doses of indomethacin on cerebral blood flow in healthy volunteers.

Administration of indomethacin may aid treatment of intracranial hypertension, and the present study was conducted to determine the optimal dose. In healthy volunteers, cerebral blood flow (CBF) has been shown to decrease considerably after a bolus dose of indomethacin, 0.4 mg/kg, followed by continuous infusion, 0.4 mg/kg/h. This decrease was sustained for 6 h without any evidence of adaptation. In a randomized study in healthy volunteers, indomethacin, 0.1, 0.2, and 0.3 mg/kg, was given as bolus, followed by continuous infusion of 0.1, 0.2, and 0.3 mg/kg/h. CBF decreased from normal levels (52-74 ml/100 mg/min) to 38-51 ml/100 g/min. There were no differences among the three groups in CBF reduction, and the reduction was sustained during the 6-h infusion period. Rectal application of 100 mg indomethacin was found to reduce CBF from normal levels (54-74 ml/100 mg/min) to 33-48 ml/100 mg/min. These low levels were only sustained for 2 h, and values returned to normal over the next 6 h. We observed no rebound phenomenon 2 h after stopping the infusion and no rebound after 100 mg of rectally applied indomethacin. Since a dose as low as 0.1 mg/kg/h is effective, it is possible to treat most patients in a 24-h schedule without going over maximum recommended doses.

Administration, Rectal↗

Effects of perioperative indomethacin on intracranial pressure, cerebral blood flow, and cerebral metabolism in patients subjected to craniotomy for cerebral tumors.

This study was carried out to evaluate the effects of perioperative indomethacin on intracranial pressure (ICP), cerebral blood flow (CBF), and cerebral metabolism. Twenty patients subjected to craniotomy for supratentorial cerebral tumors were anesthetized with thiopental, fentanyl, nitrous oxide, and isoflurane. A PaCO2 level averaging 4.8 kPa (median) was achieved. The patients were randomized to intravenous indomethacin 50 mg or placebo administrated after exposure of the dura. ICP was measured continuously subdurally with a 22-gauge canula connected to a transducer. CBF and the arteriovenous difference of oxygen (AVDO2) were measured twice, before and after indomethacin/placebo administration. A significant decrease in ICP from 6.5 to 1.5 mm Hg (median) was found after indomethacin administration. This decrease was caused by a significant decrease in CBF associated with a significant increase in AVDO2. Indomethacin did not affect the cerebral metabolic rate of oxygen, the arteriovenous difference of lactate, or the lactate/oxygen index, suggesting that indomethacin did not provoke global cerebral ischemia. In the indomethacin group, dura was sufficiently relaxed in eight of nine patients and dura was opened without the occurrence of cerebral swelling. In one patient, mannitol treatment was necessary to prevent dural tightness. In the placebo group, mannitol supplemented with hypocapnia was applied in five patients. These findings suggest that perioperative treatment with indomethacin is an excellent treatment of intracranial hypertension during normocapnic isoflurane anesthesia for craniotomy.

Adult↗

A Bacillus subtilis secreted phosphodiesterase/alkaline phosphatase is the product of a Pho regulon gene, phoD.

A secreted phosphodiesterase/alkaline phosphatase, APaseD, was purified from a culture of Bacillus subtilis JH646MS. Its phosphodiesterase activity was reminiscent of an APase isolated and characterized previously. Immunoassay and N-terminal sequencing showed the two proteins to be identical. Using the first 20 amino acids of the mature protein, a BLAST search of GenBank was used to find an homologous sequence. An exact match was found but in a putative non-coding region. It was hypothesized that there was a base pair deletion in the phoD gene. A DNA fragment internal to the coding region was generated by PCR using template DNA from a strain which produced APaseD. The PCR fragment was cloned and used to interrupt the gene. Western blot analysis of the parent and the mutated strains showed that APaseD was missing in the mutant. Resequencing of the gene revealed a larger ORF encoding a protein similar in size to the 49 kDa APaseD estimated by SDS-PAGE. The promoter was then cloned, sequenced and used in phoD-lacZ promoter fusions which showed that the gene was phosphate-starvation-induced and dependent on PhoP and PhoR for expression.

Alkaline Phosphatase↗

A highly amplified mouse gene is homologous to the human interferon-responsive Sp100 gene encoding an autoantigen associated with nuclear dots.

In human cells, three proteins are currently known to colocalize in di screte nuclear domains (designated nuclear dots): Sp100, a transcription-activating protein autoantigenic primarily in patients with primary biliary cirrhosis; PML, a tumor suppressor protein involved in development of acute promyelocytic leukemia; and NDP52, a protein of unknown function. Here we report sequence similarities between the Sp100 protein and a putative protein encoded by a highly amplified mouse gene which is visible as an inherited homogeneously staining region (HSR) on chromosome 1 of some mouse populations. By in situ hybridization, the Sp100 gene was mapped to locus 2q37, the syntenic region of the HSR on mouse chromosome 1. Unlike the highly amplified mouse gene, Sp100 was found to be a single-copy gene and showed no restriction fragment length polymorphisms. Sequence similarities in the promoter regions and similar exon-intron organizations of the two genes were revealed. As for Sp100, steady-state levels of the mRNAs of the HSR-encoded genes could be greatly increased by interferon (IFN) treatment. As in human cells, IFN treatment led to an enlargement in both size and number of nuclear dots in mouse cells as visualized by immunofluorescence staining with autoimmune sera from patients with primary biliary cirrhosis. These data indicate that a gene located in the inherited HSR of mice, designated mSp100, is homologous to the human Sp100 gene, has a similar gene organization, and responds similarly to IFN treatment.

3T3 Cells↗

Clinically unexpected multiple sclerosis in patients with mental disorders. A series of 7301 psychiatric autopsies.

Some studies have indicated that silent and perhaps pure mental forms of multiple sclerosis (MS) exist. With the aim of examining that, the records of 9478 autopsies from patients with mental disorders were reviewed. A total of 7252 had both clinical and histological diagnosis, and 7301 had only pathoanatomical diagnosis. Twenty-three patients were suspected of having MS, which were confirmed histologically in 14. None had unsuspected, silent or a pure mental form of MS. It is concluded that the risk of mistaking MS for a psychiatric disorder is small in MS high-risk area.

Brain↗

The effect of tourniquet use on postoperative strength recovery after arthroscopic meniscectomy.

The purpose of this prospective study was to determine the effect of pneumatic tourniquet use during arthroscopic meniscectomy on postoperative recovery of quadriceps and hamstring strength. Thirty-four patients with no ligamentous instability underwent arthroscopic meniscectomy after random assignment to the tourniquet or no tourniquet group. Tourniquet pressure was determined with a nomogram that considered thigh circumference and systolic blood pressure at time of induction. Quadriceps and hamstring strengths were tested preoperatively and at 1 week and 4 weeks postoperatively on a Biodex isokinetic dynamometer and expressed as a percentage of the uninvolved side. No significant differences in quadriceps or hamstring strength were noted between groups at any time periods. The findings of this study indicate that recovery of quadriceps and hamstring strength after arthroscopic meniscectomy is not adversely affected by tourniquet use if tourniquet times and pressures are carefully controlled.

Adolescent↗

Chemical modification of hammerhead ribozymes. Catalytic activity and nuclease resistance.

A systematic study of selectively modified, 36-mer hammerhead ribozymes has resulted in the identification of a generic, catalytically active and nuclease stable ribozyme motif containing 5 ribose residues, 29-30 2'-O-Me nucleotides, 1-2 other 2'-modified nucleotides at positions U4 and U7, and a 3'-3'-linked nucleotide "cap." Eight 2'-modified uridine residues were introduced at positions U4 and U7. From the resulting set of ribozymes, several have almost wild-type catalytic activity and significantly improved stability. Specifically, ribozymes containing 2'-NH2 substitutions at U4 and U7, or 2'-C-allyl substitutions at U4, retain most of their catalytic activity when compared to the all-RNA parent. Their serum half-lives were 5-8 h in a variety of biological fluids, including human serum, while the all-RNA parent ribozyme exhibits a stability half-life of only approximately 0.1 min. The addition of a 3'-3'-linked nucleotide "cap" (inverted T) did not affect catalysis but increased the serum half-lives of these two ribozymes to > 260 h at nanomolar concentrations. This represents an overall increase in stability/activity of 53,000-80,000-fold compared to the all-RNA parent ribozyme.

Animals↗

[Psychosocial aspects of disseminated sclerosis].

Using multiple sclerosis as a model, it is demonstrated how a chronic neurological disorder has psychosocial consequences during the period between onset and diagnosis, at the time of diagnosis, and in the post-diagnostic period. The impact of the disorder on self-esteem, civil status, habitation, economy, social and leisure activities and need for help is described. It is concluded that it will increasingly be expected that the physician has knowledge of these relations.

Denmark↗

Operative confirmation of three-dimensional computed tomographic and magnetic resonance imaging of cerebrovascular pathology.

The conventional neuroradiological evaluation of aneurysms and arteriovenous malformations employs computed tomography (CT), magnetic resonance imaging (MRI), and detailed cerebral angiography. These techniques may be inadequate to define fully the cerebrovascular anatomy in patients with giant aneurysms or with arteriovenous malformations (AVMs) located near so-called eloquent brain structures. Therefore, we examined the usefulness of three-dimensional (3-D) MRI and CT images of the brain and cerebral vessels for predicting operative anatomical findings in selected cases of complex cerebrovascular pathology. In six of nine (67%) patients with giant aneurysms undergoing direct surgical treatment, the 3-D images were confirmed to be accurate, and they furnished information that is not available by conventional imaging. In three of these nine (33%) patients, failure of the 3-D images to predict operative findings accurately could be directly related to inappropriate imaging technique or to anatomical findings below the limit of resolution for CT or MRI. In 13 of 19 (68%) patients with an AVM, the 3-D images were considered helpful for treatment selection or planning, primarily because they enhanced the understanding of the relationship of the AVM nidus to brain structures of known functional significance. The results of our initial experience with 3-D imaging of cerebrovascular pathology are described in this report.

Adolescent↗

From image processing to classification: I. Modeling disturbances of isoelectric focusing patterns.

In order to optimize the conditions for evaluation of isoelectric focusing (IEF) patterns by digital image processing, the sources of error in determination of the pI values were analyzed together with the influence of a varying background. The effects of band distortions, in the spectra of the individual lanes, were examined. In order to minimize the effect of these distortions, optimal conditions for handling IEF patterns by digital image processing were elucidated. The systematic part of the global deformation on the gels was investigated and an algorithm was developed by which it was possible to correct for a part of the individual distortions. The effects of various corrections for lane distortions were illustrated by classification, using different types of discriminant analysis. Finally the background disturbances were examined, and described by a mathematical model.

Algorithms↗

From image processing to classification: II. Classification of electrophoretic patterns using self-organizing feature maps and feed-forward neural networks.

In a recent study, isoelectric focusing patterns were classified with a neural network using the back-propagation algorithm [1]. In order to further study the classification process and to generalize the presentation of electrophoretic patterns, Kohonen's self-organizing feature maps [2] were applied in this study. Although these feature maps are very efficient in many pattern recognition tasks, our data proved to be too complex for classification with an unsupervised system. Therefore, a second supervised network on top of the feature map was necessary. As in [3], a feed-forward network trained by the back-propagation algorithm was used. The final system allows us to correctly classify 90% of all wheat varieties. Moreover, the system proved to be reliable, reasonable in training time and shows the same accuracy in different experimental setups.

Algorithms↗

From image processing to classification: III. Matching patterns by shifting and stretching.

A method for the classification of electrophoretic patterns is described and tested on a data set representing ten wheat varieties. The method attempts to match each electropherogram to each variety by a transformation involving displacement and stretching along the x-axis. This is done essentially by the method of least squares, which uses only the information contained in the electropherogram itself to adjust it to the variety in question. The method is completely automatic and works extremely well by classifying 98% of the spectra correctly, judged by cross validation.

Algorithms↗

Acute and chronic pain syndromes in multiple sclerosis. A 5-year follow-up study.

Forty-nine (22 males, 27 females) patients with definite multiple sclerosis were examined twice with 5 years interval regarding acute (less than 1 month duration) and chronic (more than 1 month duration) pain syndromes. From the first to the second examination a significant increase was found in the number of acute and chronic pain syndromes, including tension and pain in the extremities, spasms, low back pain, Lhermitte's sign and neuralgia. The increase included both men and women. The increase was especially found in patients with deterioration of disability.

Acute Disease↗

The effect of two types of diet on populations of Ascaris suum and Oesophagostomum dentatum in experimentally infected pigs.

This investigation compared the effect of two common types of diet on worm burdens and faecal egg counts of pigs inoculated with Ascaris suum and Oesophagostomum dentatum. The diets were both considered nutritionally sufficient for pigs of this age, and gave high and comparable growth rates. Pigs were inoculated with both worm species at 14 weeks of age and slaughtered 3 or 12 weeks later. At 3 weeks, A. suum larvae were numerous in the small intestine of pigs fed ground barley plus protein supplement, but were not detected from pigs fed a commercial full-constituent pelleted feed. At 12 weeks, however, average adult worm burdens were low and similar in both groups. At both slaughter times, O. dentatum worm burdens were significantly higher in pigs fed barley plus protein than in pigs given commercial feed, particularly for female worms, and the commercial diet led to worms being located further along the large intestine, and to reduced worm fecundity. The chemical composition of large intestinal contents differed significantly between pigs fed the two diets.

Animal Feed↗

Carriage of Staphylococcus aureus among 104 healthy persons during a 19-month period.

The present study was undertaken to investigate the frequency of the nasal carrier rate of Staphylococcus aureus. The investigation was performed on 104 healthy persons. The total number of swabs performed was 1498 and this resulted in isolation of 522 S. aureus strains. All strains have been identified, tested for antibiotic susceptibility, and phage-typed. The carrier-index (number of positive swabs/number of total swabs for each individual person) was compared with different sampling and culturing methods, phage type, age, and resistance to antibiotics. There was statistical difference in carrier rate according to sex (P < 0.05). Among the 104 persons 15 (14.4%) were persistent carriers, 17 (16.3%) intermittent carriers, 55 (52.9%) occasional carriers and 17 (16.3%) non-carriers. Among intermittent and occasional carriers the phage-type distribution was different from the S. aureus strains isolated from Danish hospitalized patients in 1992, while the persistent carriers had similar phage-type distribution.

Adult↗