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Biomedical subjects

L Jacobs

Publications and source records attributed to L Jacobs.

At least 19 recordsLinked to original sources
PubMed1992

A population-based study of motorcycle injury and costs.

STUDY OBJECTIVE: To provide a population-based injury and cost profile for motorcycle injury in Connecticut. DESIGN: Population-based retrospective epidemiologic review of Connecticut death certificates, hospital discharge data, and police accident reports. RESULTS: Connecticut death certificates identified 112 deaths from motorcycle injuries for an annual death rate of 1.2 per 100,000 persons. Death rates were highest among 20- to 24-year-old men. Nonhelmeted motorcyclists were 3.4-fold more likely to die than were helmeted riders (P less than .05). An estimated 2,361 motorcycle-related hospital discharges resulted in an annual hospitalization rate of 24.7 per 100,000 persons. Head, neck, and spinal injuries accounted for 22% of all injuries. Total costs exceeded $29 million; 29% of hospitalized patients were uninsured, and 42% of the cost was not reimbursed to the hospitals. CONCLUSION: Motorcycle injuries contribute significantly to Connecticut's mortality, morbidity, and medical costs. Our study suggests that a uniform helmet law would save an estimated ten lives and prevent more than 90 nonfatal injuries in Connecticut each year at a cost savings to the state of $5.1 million. These data are crucial in advocating re-enactment of motorcycle helmet laws.

Abbreviated Injury Scale↗
PubMed1992

Immunochemical analysis of human kidney reticulin.

This study characterized the nature of reticulin fibrils from human kidney cortex by immunochemical analysis. Controls consisted of type I collagen fibrils derived from the kidney parietal capsule. Most of the fibrils in the capsule ranged in diameter from 60 to 80 nm whereas reticulin fibrils from the cortex ranged from 30-45 nm. Immunochemistry by light and electron microscopic examinations was carried out with antibodies directed against type I and type III collagens, their corresponding aminopropeptides, and decorin (PG-II). The ratio of type I to type III collagen was determined by cyanogen bromide peptide digests. This study showed that reticulin fibrils are hybrids of type I and type III collagens. Double immunoelectron microscopic examination showed that fibrils 20-25 nm consisted mainly of type I collagen some of which retained their aminopropeptide. Larger fibrils 30-35 nm labeled simultaneously for type I and type III collagens. However, most fibrils with diameters between 40-55 nm labeled for type III collagen and its corresponding aminopropeptide. No decorin was detected at the surface of reticulin fibrils. Purified reticulin consisted of 82% type III and 18% type I collagen whereas collagen derived from the capsule revealed 76% type I and 24% type III. The presence of the aminopropeptide of type III procollagen in reticulin fibrils is a striking feature and may play a role in regulating their diameter.

Collagen↗
PubMed1991

Is the ESR dead?

Explore the source record for details and available documents.

Blood Sedimentation↗
PubMed1991

Quantitative evaluation of the penile vascular status by means of the 99mTc-penogram in conjunction with either papaverine or prostaglandin E1 in the anaesthetised baboon model.

The evaluation of both the arterial blood supply and the venous drainage of the penis is essential in the assessment of the impotent male. The vasoactive drugs papaverine and prostaglandin E1, as intracavernous injections, cause penile erections by influencing arterial blood supply and venous drainage. These drugs were used in a baboon model together with a 99mTc-penogram to provide information on the vascular status of the penis. An increase in penile blood pool was observed, more dramatic and rapid after administration of papaverine. A quantitative assessment of the vascular status seems possible and will next be monitored in a vascular-compromised baboon for purposes of clinical application.

Alprostadil↗
PubMed1991

A randomized trial of replacement antioxidant vitamin therapy for neutrophil locomotory dysfunction in blunt trauma.

Studies in patients with serious trauma indicate that the observed neutrophil (PMN) locomotory dysfunction is partly the result of auto-oxidation as shown by evidence of preactivation, diminished reducing capacity, and low serum and cellular ascorbic acid and alpha-tocopherol. To investigate whether replacement of the antioxidant vitamins ascorbic acid and alpha-tocopherol can improve the PMN locomotory defect, ascorbic acid, alpha-tocopherol, ascorbic acid and alpha-tocopherol, or placebo was administered to a total of 46 victims of blunt trauma. PMN locomotion was quantitated using a micropore filter assay. Locomotion data were analyzed by repeated measures analysis with a split plot design and data for days 2-6 after injury were compared. Compared with placebo, the antioxidants improved PMN locomotion. The mean differences in distance migrated (treated minus placebo) were ascorbic acid and alpha-tocopherol = 11.3 +/- 3.0 microns (one-tailed p = 0.001) (mean +/- SE); ascorbic acid = 4.7 +/- 3.4 microns (p = 0.19); and alpha-tocopherol = 3.3 +/- 2.9 microns (p = 0.27). Although both antioxidants given together produced the best results, a plot of the 95% confidence intervals indicates that ascorbic acid and alpha-tocopherol, either given alone, were also better than placebo. We conclude that antioxidant replacement therapy significantly improves the PMN locomotory abnormality in blunt trauma.

Adult↗
PubMed1990

Epitope analysis of glycoprotein I of pseudorabies virus.

A panel of 11 monoclonal antibodies (MAbs) raised against pseudorabies virus (PRV) was used to map epitopes on the virus glycoprotein I (gI). We employed three approaches to map epitopes on gI. By a competition binding assay, six groups of MAbs were defined as reacting with distinct antigenic domains on gI. To identify regions along the gI polypeptide chain encompassing the domains recognized by these MAbs, DNA fragments derived from the gI-coding region were cloned into pEX expression plasmids. The antigenic reactivity of the fusion proteins expressed in Escherichia coli was analysed by immunoblotting. Five antigenic domains were mapped within the first 238 amino acids of gI: domains A, B and D were mapped between amino acids 52 and 123 and domains C and E between amino acids 78 and 238. One MAb, representing domain F, did not react with the expressed fusion proteins. To assess the precise location and amino acid sequences of the epitopes, overlapping nonapeptides covering the amino acid sequence 52 to 238 were synthesized. The antibody-binding activity of these peptides was tested by an ELISA (Pepscan-method). Three antigenic domains were mapped: domain A was localized to amino acids 64 to 73 and 75 to 84, domain B to amino acids 52 to 67 and domain D to amino acids 68 to 82. Four MAbs representing antigenic domains C, E and F did not react in the Pepscan. Finally, sera from pigs infected experimentally with PRV reacted with the fusion protein of plasmid ps 1 (amino acids 52 to 238).

Amino Acid Sequence↗
PubMed1979

A note on the pathology of anhedonia.

Tested the hypotheses that anhedonia afflicts only a minority of schizophrenics and is bimodally distributed among them by comparing the Anhedonia scale distributions of schizophrenic and psychiatric control samples (N = 90). Only 45% of the schizophrenics produced scores higher than those characteristic of the controls. While the schizophrenics' distribution appeared to be bimodal, its irregularity precluded a definitive assessment of the bimodality hypothesis. The correlation between age and Anehodina was positive for anhedonics but not for non-anhedonic schizpohrenics or controls; these findings suggest that anhedonia is a mildly progressive disorder among those schizophrenics who experience it.

Adult↗
PubMed1979

Correlates of alpha, beta and theta wave production.

Studied the correlations of alpha, beta and theta time densities with psychological and psychophysiological variables in a psychiatric population (N = 76). The correlations of the EEG variables with measures of adjustment were small and barely exceeded chance expectations. Alpha and beta were correlated positively with pain threshold, while beta was related inversely to blood pressure. Theta was correlated positively with blood pressure and negatively with pulse rate. The implications of these findings for EEG biofeedback treatment were discussed.

Adult↗
PubMed1978

An MMPI sign to separate organic from functional psychiatric patients.

Evaluated the utilities of all 90 possible unweighted additive/subtractive two-scale MMPI combinations as indices to separate brain-damaged from functional patient groups in a Veterans Administration psychiatric hospital. One index, Hs-PT, showed more promise than any of the other 89. Hs-PT mean scores were significantly higher among organics than among alcoholics, neurotics, affective psychoses, character disorders, process schizophrenics or reactive schizophrenics. Interpretative information on the Hs-PT index was presented.

Affective Symptoms↗
PubMed1978

Systems releasing action therapy with alcoholics: an experimental evaluation.

Described Systems Releasing Action Therapy (SRAT) and a controlled study that evaluated its effectiveness. The therapy combines physical and fantasy exercises and has its roots in the Bioenergetic and Gestalt traditions. To evaluate its effectiveness, 56 patients who were receiving treatment for alcoholism were assigned randomly to therapy and control groups. On 3-week follow-up, the therapy sample showed significantly more improvement than the controls on measures of blood pressure, physical symptoms, anxiety, hysteroid tendencies, disturbed feelings and self-image. Suggestive differences (interactions significant only at the .20 level) in favor of the therapy group also appeared on measures of vital capacity withdrawal, excessive drinking, anhedonia and four neurosis-oriented MMPI scales. However, 6-month follow-up data were relatively unimpressive. The results suggest this type of therapy is an effective one, at least for the short term.

Adult↗
PubMed1978

The prediction of outcome from anhedonia and process-reactive scales.

Earlier researchers have suggested that the ability of process-reactive measures to predict future adjustment may result from their relationships to the anhedonia dimension. In the present study the abilities of process-reactive and anhedonia measures, independent of one another, to predict rehospitalization data were compared. After anhedonia scores had been partialed out, schizophrenics' process-reactive scores were correlated modestly with length of the patients' next hospitalization and reclassification as nonschizophrenic. No such significant correlations appeared between anhedonia and adjustment measures after process-reactive scores had been partialed out. Among nonschizophrenics, a sizeable correlation between anhedonia and the probability of later diagnosis of schizophrenia appeared, which suggests that anhedonia may be a useful prodromal marker for schizophrenia.

Adult↗
PubMed1978

Quantification of chemical mutagenesis in diploid human fibroblasts: induction of azaguanine-resistant mutants by N-methyl-N'-nitro-N-nitrosoguanidine.

The toxic and mutagenic effects of N-methyl-N'-nitro-N-nitrosoguanidine (MNNG) on cultured diploid human fibroblasts were studied. When 10(5) cells per 60 mm dish were exposed to MNNG for 4 h in Ham's medium F10 containing 0.02 M HEPES buffer at pH 6.8, MNNG concentrations of less than 1 X 10(-6) M resulted in cell survivals near 100%, while the average survival was less than one percent at concentrations greater than 5 X 10(-6) M. After treatment with MNNG, cells were subjected to selection using optimal conditions for the detection of diploid human fibroblasts that are resistant to the guanine-analogs AG and TG because they contain altered or deficient HPRT. The induced mutant frequency was maximized by allowing a 5 to 7 day post-treatment interval for the expression of the mutant phenotype and by replating the cells at the beginning of selection at a population density of less than 450 cells per cm2. Careful attention was given to counting statistically adequate numbers of mutants and to accurately determining cell survival and replating cloning efficiencies. Independent dose-response experiments gave induced mutant frequencies as high as 7.0 X 10(-4) to 8.8 X 10(-4) mutants per viable cell at about 5% survival, compared to a spontaneous mutation rate of 3.7 X 10(-6) to 7.2 X 10(-6) mutants per cell generation. The AGr mutants observed after treatment with MNNG were phenotypically stable and closely resembled prototype AGr cultures derived from humans who have inherited mutant X-chromosomal alleles for HPRT.

Azaguanine↗
PubMed1977

'Silent' brain metastasis from lung carcinoma determined by computerized tomography.

Computerized tomography (CT) was utilized as a preoperative screening procedure in a series of 50 patients with lung carcinoma who were neurologically asymptomatic and whose radionuclide brain scans and skull roentgenograms were normal. Three patients (6%) were discovered to have metastasis (cerebellum, occipital, corpus callosum). The metastatic lesions were only directly visualized after administration of contrast substance. The CT findings greatly influenced the therapeutic planning in these patients, and surgery was avoided in two. When feasible, patients with lung carcinoma should have CT examinations (with contrast administration) prior to thoracic surgery even if they do not have neurologic symtoms.

Adult↗
PubMed1977

Myelopathy due to spinal metastasis from adenocarcinoma of the gallbladder.

The first case of a gallbaldder carcinoma with metastasis to dura and epidural space causing myelopathy is described. The mode of metastasis remains obscure because there was no involvement of liver or retroperitoneal veins. It is possible that the spread was by the vertebral venous plexus, which could account for a spinal metastasis in the absence of liver involvement.

Adenocarcinoma↗