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Biomedical subjects

M L Martin

Publications and source records attributed to M L Martin.

At least 37 records · Page 2Linked to original sources
PubMed1999

Quality of life and Parkinson's disease: translation and validation of the US Parkinson's Disease Questionnaire (PDQ-39).

Parkinson's disease is a common progressive neurodegenerative disorder affecting an estimated 4 million people worldwide. A number of general health status measures exist but few fully capture the subjective evaluation of life quality associated with Parkinson's disease. We report here the results of: (1) translating the British PDQ-39 into a US version, (2) validity and reliability of the new US PDQ-39 questionnaire, and (3) parallel validation analyses following the method published in the development of the British version of the PDQ-39. Data were collected by postal survey on 150 patients recruited from neurology clinics in the Seattle area. A short, generic health status measure (SF-36) was used to test convergent validity, and a three-day test-retest assessed the reliability of the PDQ-39. The US version of the PDQ-39 demonstrated acceptable internal consistency (alpha = 0.51 to 0.96) and proved to be reproducible (0.86 to 0.96). Subscales of the PDQ-39 showed convergence with like scales of the SF-36 and was able to discriminate between levels of symptom severity.

Adult↗
PubMed1999

Clinical virology of Ebola hemorrhagic fever (EHF): virus, virus antigen, and IgG and IgM antibody findings among EHF patients in Kikwit, Democratic Republic of the Congo, 1995.

Ebola hemorrhagic fever (EHF) patients treated at Kikwit General Hospital during the 1995 outbreak were tested for viral antigen, IgG and IgM antibody, and infectious virus. Viral antigen could be detected in virtually all patients during the acute phase of illness, while antibody was not always detectable before death. Virus was also isolated from patients during the course of their febrile illness, but attempts to quantify virus in Vero E6 cells by standard plaque assay were often unsuccessful. IgG and IgM antibody appeared at approximately the same time after disease onset (8-10 days), but IgM persisted for a much shorter period among the surviving convalescent patients. IgG antibody was detectable in surviving patients through about 2 years after onset, the latest time that samples were obtained. Detection of Ebola virus antigens or virus isolation appears to be the most reliable means of diagnosis for patients with suspected acute EHF, since patients with this often-fatal disease (80% mortality) may not develop detectable antibodies before death.

Animals↗
PubMed1999

Cultural adaptation of a quality-of-life measure for urinary incontinence.

OBJECTIVES: To translate and validate a urinary incontinence-specific measure of quality of life (I-QOL) in French, Spanish, Swedish, and German and provide translations only into seven other languages and variants of these languages. METHODS: Quality of life and linguistic experts prepared two forward translations from American English to their native languages and helped to harmonize these translations at a meeting. In the four European countries, the adapted versions of the I-QOL were administered to 259 women with stress, urge, and mixed incontinence. Principal component analyses were used to confirm the proposed measurement model suggested by patient interviews. Psychometric testing was conducted using standardized procedures. RESULTS: Translation procedures resulted in a change in the original instrument's Likert response scale from 4 to 5 points. Principal component analyses confirmed three patient-derived subscales and higher-order factor analysis confirmed a total summary score. In all countries, the internal consistency (alpha) and reproducibility (ICC) were high (alpha ranged between 0.87 and 0.93); (ICC ranged between 0.92 and 0.95). In all countries, I-QOL scores were significantly worse (p < 0.001) as perceived severity of incontinence, use of services, and number of incontinent episodes increased. CONCLUSIONS: The I-QOL has been adapted successfully into eleven languages and six variants of these languages. The cross-sectional psychometric properties of the US version were confirmed in four European countries. The I-QOL fills the need for a valid, international quality-of-life instrument for incorporation in clinical trials covering patients with varying types and severity of urinary incontinence.

Adaptation, Psychological↗
PubMed1999

Expired nitric oxide and airway obstruction in asthma patients with an acute exacerbation.

Expired nitric oxide (eNO) is a marker of airway inflammation that is increased in asthma. The present study was undertaken to examine the clinical utility of eNO as an aid in the assessment of asthma in the emergency department (ED). Fifty-two adult patients with acute asthma, 53 age- and sex-matched controls, and eight patients with stable asthma were enrolled. Subjects performed spirometry, their eosinophil counts and serum total IgE were measured, and a sample of mixed VC expirate was collected for measurement of NO. Mixed expired NO was 8.2 +/- 0.5 ppb in controls, 8.8 +/- 1.5 ppb in patients with stable asthma, and 15.0 +/- 1.0 ppb in patients with acute asthma. A significant difference in eNO was observed in patients with acute asthma and controls (p < 0.001). Twenty-three of the 52 patients with acute asthma versus two of 53 controls had an eNO >/= 15 ppb (p < 0.001). Expired NO concentration correlated with FEV1% (r = -0.42, p < 0.001) and with the peripheral blood eosinophil count (r = 0.34, p < 0.001) in the group of 60 patients with acute and stable asthma. The sensitivity of eNO > 10 ppb and eosinophilia (> 200 cells/microliter) was 90% in predicting airway obstruction (FEV1/FVC < 0. 8). No relationship of eNO was found to serum IgE, self- reported smoking, or glucocorticoid use. Measurement of eNO is a promising clinical tool for assessing acute asthma.

Acute Disease↗
PubMed1998

Activation of the ras-mitogen-activated protein kinase pathway and phosphorylation of ets-2 at position threonine 72 in human ovarian cancer cell lines.

The activation status of the ras pathway was studied in eight ovarian tumor cell lines. Three biochemical parameters indicative of ras activation were tested: (a) the ratio of the ras-GTP:ras-GDP complex; (b) the activity of mitogen-activated protein kinases p42/p44; and (c) ets-2 phosphorylation at position threonine 72, a mitogen-activated protein kinase phosphorylation site in vivo. Four of the ovarian tumor cell lines had an activated ras pathway by these three parameters, whereas only one of these contained a mutated ras gene. In addition, ras/ets-2 responsive genes such as the urokinase plasminogen activator (uPA) were activated in these four cell lines. Transient transfection assays indicated that the compound ets-AP1 oncogene responsive enhancer present in the uPA gene was the target of ras signaling in ovarian tumor cells and that the combination of activated ras and ets-2 could superactivate the uPA enhancer element. Coexpression of the dominant-negative ras-Asn17 cDNA gene abrogated activity of this uPA element in ovarian tumor cells. These data indicate that ets-2 is a nuclear target of ras action in ovarian tumor cell lines and that ras signaling pathways may be activated in ovarian cancer by mechanisms independent of direct genetic damage to ras genes.

Antineoplastic Agents↗
PubMed1998

Persistent activation of mitogen-activated protein kinases p42 and p44 and ets-2 phosphorylation in response to colony-stimulating factor 1/c-fms signaling.

An antibody that specifically recognized phosphothreonine 72 in ets-2 was used to determine the phosphorylation status of endogenous ets-2 in response to colony-stimulating factor 1 (CSF-1)/c-fms signaling. Phosphorylation of ets-2 was detected in primary macrophages, cells that normally express c-fms, and in fibroblasts engineered to express human c-fms. In the former cells, ets-2 was a CSF-1 immediate-early response gene, and phosphorylated ets-2 was detected after 2 to 4 h, coincident with expression of ets-2 protein. In fibroblasts, ets-2 was constitutively expressed and rapidly became phosphorylated in response to CSF-1. In both cell systems, ets-2 phosphorylation was persistent, with maximal phosphorylation detected 8 to 24 h after CSF-1 stimulation, and was correlated with activation of the CSF-1 target urokinase plasminogen activator (uPA) gene. Kinase assays that used recombinant ets-2 protein as a substrate demonstrated that mitogen-activated protein (MAP) kinases p42 and p44 were constitutively activated in both cell types in response to CSF-1. Immune depletion experiments and the use of the MAP kinase kinase inhibitor PD98059 indicate that these two MAP kinases are the major ets-2 kinases activated in response to CSF-1/c-fms signaling. In the macrophage cell line RAW264, conditional expression of raf kinase induced ets-2 expression and phosphorylation, as well as uPA mRNA expression. Transient assays mapped ets/AP-1 response elements as critical for basal and CSF-1-stimulated uPA reporter gene activity. These results indicate that persistent activation of the raf/MAP kinase pathway by CSF-1 is necessary for both ets-2 expression and posttranslational activation in macrophages.

3T3 Cells↗
PubMed1998

Bridging the discharge process.

Current mental health initiatives are decreasing the number of psychiatric beds and thus increasing the number of clients with serious mental illness who are being served in the community. Such changes have implications for clients' quality of life and health care economics. To implement the changes while addressing the unique needs of psychiatric clients, appropriate models of discharge planning and community integration are critical.

Adult↗
PubMed1998

Mastoid pneumocele causing atlantooccipital pneumatization.

A 49-year-old woman had a palpable mass in her occipital region. Plain radiographs and CT examination revealed extensive atlantooccipital pneumatization with findings consistent with the diagnosis of mastoid pneumocele. Decompression was achieved with placement of a myringotomy tube, resulting in prompt symptomatic relief. On a follow-up CT examination, the pneumatized areas had become opacified and new bone formation was present.

Air↗
PubMed1997

Characterization of human telomerase complex.

Telomerase, a ribonucleoprotein complex, adds hexameric repeats called "telomeres" to the growing ends of chromosomal DNA. Characterization of mammalian telomerase has been elusive because of its low level of expression. We describe a bioinformatics approach to enrich and characterize the human telomerase complex. Using local sequence homology search methods, we detected similarity of the Tetrahymena p80 subunit of telomerase with the autoantigen Ro60. Antibodies to Ro60 immunoprecipitated the telomerase activity. Ro60 and p80 proteins were cross-recognizable by antibodies to either protein. Telomerase activity and the RNA component of telomerase complex were localized to a doublet in a native gel from the Ro60 antibody-precipitated material. The enriched material showed specific binding to a TTA GGG probe in vitro in an RNA template-dependent manner. Polyclonal antibodies to the doublet also immunoprecipitated the telomerase activity. These results suggest an evolutionary conservation of the telomerase proteins.

Amino Acid Sequence↗
PubMed1997

The experience of thought-disordered individuals preceding an aggressive incident.

The purpose of this qualitative study was to increase the understanding of the experiences of individuals with thought disorders, which precede incidents of aggression. Twelve individuals, from two hospitals, who had a nursing diagnosis of thought disorder and a history of aggression were interviewed, between one and four times, to collect baseline information and information about particular aggressive incidents. The participants described in their own words their thoughts, feelings and experiences preceding the aggressive incidents. Three themes emerged. First, participants perceived themselves to be strongly affected by the external environment; their responses to aspects of the environment were influential in precipitating the aggressive incident. Second, participants perceived themselves, paradoxically, to be both powerful and powerless; the act of aggression becomes an incident of brief self-empowerment. Third, the aggressive incident occurred in spite of the participants' acknowledgement and previous use of anger-controlling strategies; the participants' perceptions of themselves as powerless in an oppressive environment may have mitigated against the success of these strategies. Nurses need to know what triggers aggressiveness in psychiatric patients, in order to intervene effectively. Mental health professionals must also reexamine the psychiatric hospital environment, to make sure they are not needlessly exacerbating their patients' powerlessness with policies that are unjustifiably controlling.

Adult↗
PubMed1997

Smoking and schizophrenia.

Individuals with schizophrenia have a high prevalence of smoking compared with the general population and little is known about why so many people with schizophrenia smoke. This paper reviews suggestions of differences in motivation for smoking. Possible explanations for smoking include psychological reasons, together with possible effects on positive and negative symptoms of schizophrenia and reduced side-effects of neuroleptics. Understanding complex issues related to smoking and schizophrenia is important prior to developing health promotion strategies.

Humans↗
PubMed1997

Isolation, genetic diversity, and geographic distribution of Bayou virus (Bunyaviridae: hantavirus).

Bayou hantavirus, previously implicated in human hantavirus pulmonary syndrome in Louisiana, was isolated from a rice rat (Oryzomys palustris) captured in Georgia. The presence of antibody among rice rats captured throughout the southeastern United States and the extent of diversity among the genetic variants of Bayou viruses suggest that the rice rat is the most likely natural reservoir of the virus and that both virus and host have probably co-evolved for some years.

Animals↗
PubMed1996

Quality of life of persons with urinary incontinence: development of a new measure.

OBJECTIVES: Our objective was to develop a self-report quality of life measure specific to urinary incontinence (I-QOL) that could be used as an outcome measure in clinical trials and in patient care centers. METHODS: The I-QOL was developed from interviews of 20 individuals with urinary incontinence. Refining the questionnaire was accomplished by structured interviews of 17 individuals with urinary incontinence. Testing the I-QOL's psychometric properties involved two administrations (n = 62) along with measures of psychologic well-being and functional status. RESULTS: The rigorous development process ensured that the measure was complete and understandable. The I-QOL proved to be internally consistent (alpha 0.95) and highly reproducible (r = 0.93; 18 days; SD 4). For discriminant validity, severity of incontinence (P < 0.0001) and number of medical appointments in the past year to treat incontinence (P < 0.0001) significantly predicted I-QOL scores. Convergent validity analyses confirmed our predictions that the I-QOL scores were more closely related to overall well-being than bodily pain. CONCLUSIONS: The I-QOL proved to be valid and reproducible as a self-administered measure for assessing quality of life of patients with urinary incontinence.

Female↗
PubMed1996

Fos-Jun dimerization promotes interaction of the basic region with TFIIE-34 and TFIIF.

The regulation of RNA polymerase II-mediated transcription involves both direct and indirect interactions among regulatory proteins and the general transcription factors (GTFs) that assemble at TATA-containing promoters. Here we show that the oncogenic transcription factors Fos and Jun make direct physical contacts with three proteins of the basal transcription apparatus, TFIIE-34 (TFIIE-beta), TFIIF-30 (RAP30), and TFIIF-74 (RAP74). The interactions among the activator proteins and these three GTFs were not detected with other transcription factors, including some bZIP protein family members. Both coimmunoprecipitation and protein blotting experiments demonstrated that the interactions were strongly favored by dimerization of Fos and Jun and that they involved the basic region and basic region-proximal domain of both proteins. Mutations within the DNA-binding domains of Fos and Jun abolished binding to GTFs, although the presence of DNA was not required for the association. Surprisingly, only a single basic region in the context of a protein dimer was sufficient for the interaction. Squelching of AP-1-dependent transcription in vitro by an excess of Fos-Jun dimers was relieved by the addition of TFIIE, indicating that it is a direct functional target of Fos and Jun. These results suggest that dimerization induces a conformational alteration in the basic region of Fos and Jun that promotes an association with TFIIE-34 and TFIIF, thus contributing to transcription initiation.

Animals↗