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Biomedical subjects

M Miller

Publications and source records attributed to M Miller.

At least 1,027 records · Page 57Linked to original sources
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Effects of protein malnutrition during development on protein synthesis in brain and peripheral tissues.

Rats born of mothers fed a low protein diet (8% casein versus a normal 25% casein diet) starting 5 weeks prior to mating showed a 50-100% increase in protein synthesis in the brain and kidney on the day of birth. This effect was due to a 50-100% increase in the uptake of IP injected 14C-leucine in the malnourished rats. The proportion of total tissue radioactivity in the trichloroacetic acid-protein precipitates was the same in the 8% and 25% casein groups. For the most part, there were no significant diet related changes in uptake or incorporation of 14C-leucine in the brain, liver or kidney in the 8% and 25% casein groups on Days 5, 10-11 and 21. While the physiological basis of the diet related changes seen on the day of birth is unknown, the present data represent a previously undescribed effect of prenatal protein malnutrition.

Animals↗
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Phenylalanine utilization in brain and peripheral tissues during development in normal and protein malnourished rats.

Rats born of mothers fed a low protein diet (8% casein) compared to control rats on a normal diet (25% casein) started 5 weeks prior to mating showed significant increases in uptake, incorporation and percent incorporation into protein of 14C-phynylalanine into brain and peripheral tissues. These effects were most pronounced on the day of birth. Also, different patterns of uptake of radioactive phenylalanine were observed between the two diet groups at birth. At ages 5, 11 and 21 days the 8% casein rats showed significant increases only in uptake and incorporation of 14C-phenylalanine into brain tissues as compared to the 25% casein animals with the percent incorporation of total radioactivity into brain protein being the same for both diet groups. For the most part, there were no significant changes in uptake and incorporation of radioactivity in peripheral tissues for the two diet groups on these post-birth days. Overall, the data indicate the possible presence of a brain specific effect whereby preferential utilization of an essential amino acid (phenylalanine) by the central nervous system occurs when rats are fed a low protein diet.

Age Factors↗
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Utilization of 14C-tyrosine in brain and peripheral tissues of developmentally protein malnourished rats.

Prior studies of developmentally protein malnourished rats have reported substantial changes in brain and peripheral utilization of 14C-leucine, 14C-phenylalanine, and 14C-tryptophan. In the present study rats born to dams fed a low protein diet (8% casein) compared to the offspring of control rats fed a normal diet (25% casein) showed few significant differences in the uptake and incorporation of 14C-tyrosine into brain and peripheral tissues from birth to age 21 days. At birth, the 8% casein pups exhibited significant decreases in brain and peripheral tissue incorporation of tracer only at short post-injection times (10 and 20 min), but not at longer intervals (90 and 180 min). During ontogenetic development (Days 5-21), the 8% casein rats showed significant increases in uptake of 14C-tyrosine into the brain and peripheral tissues on Day 11 and a significantly higher percent incorporation of tracer into brain protein on Day 21 as compared to the 25% casein rats. For the most part, there were no significant changes in incorporation of radioactivity in peripheral tissues for the 2 diet groups on these post-birth days. Overall, the data indicates that developmental protein malnutrition causes relatively fewer changes in brain and peripheral utilization of the semi-essential amino acid tyrosine than those observed in previous studies with essential amino acids.

Animals↗
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Adrenalectomy: its effects on systemic tryptophan metabolism in normal and protein malnourished rats.

Rats born to dams fed either a low protein diet (8% casein) or a normal diet (25% casein) started 5 weeks prior to conception and continued through lactation were bilaterally adrenalectomized or received a sham-operation at 30 days of age. At 60 days of age, the systemic tryptophan metabolism of th 8% and 25% adrenalectomized rats was compared to the sham-operated controls of each diet group. While adrenal ablation produced significant decreases in the brain serotonin and metabolite concentrations and marked increases in brain tryptophan concentrations for both diet groups compared to their respective controls, these substances remained significant higher in all malnourished rats than in the well-nourished groups. Also, the major modulator of the peripheral metabolic pathways which regulates the availability of free plasma tryptophan (total tryptophan, albumin, and nonesterified fatty acid concentrations) was the nutritional status of the rats rather than their treatment condition. Only plasma corticosterone concentrations showed changes (significantly decreases) as a consequence of adrenal ablation for either diet group. Overall, the data indicated that under physiological conditions the adrenal cortex has an important function in determining brain tryptophan utilization, whereas its role in regulating peripheral tryptophan metabolism is minimal.

Adrenal Cortex↗
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Technique for selecting capsular tightness in repair of anterior-inferior shoulder instability.

Part I of our study consisted of sending a survey questionnaire to all members of the American Shoulder and Elbow Surgeons in which specific questions were asked about their technique of surgical repair in patients with anterior instability who had capsular laxity or injury in conjunction with marked inferior laxity. Part II is a description of the technique and preliminary results in 18 patients of a modified anterior-inferior capsular shift technique that tightens the inferior capsule with the shoulder positioned in abduction and external rotation and the superior capsule with the shoulder in adduction and external rotation. Of the members of the Society of the American Shoulder and Elbow Surgeons who responded to the survey, 80% agreed that preservation of external rotation was important and that shoulder position at the time of capsular repair might influence the ultimate range of motion obtained. However, no more than 50% of the respondents agreed on any one position for the arm when repairing the capsule. The most common responses for each position were flexion 0 degrees (49%) (range, 0 degrees to 40 degrees), abduction 30 degrees (24%) (range, 0 degrees to 80 degrees), and external rotation 30 degrees (37%) (range, 0 degrees to 70 degrees). The average postoperative follow-up period for the 18 patients was 27 months (range, 24 to 39 months). Of the 18 patients, 11 (61%) maintained symmetric motion; the others had minimal loss of external rotation compared with that of the contralateral shoulder. Six of eight patients with repair on the dominant side were able to return to full premorbid recreational throwing or racquet sports, and seven with repair on the nondominant side returned to full participation in overhead sports such as basketball and swimming. We conclude that this method of "selective" capsular repair may be a useful guideline to gauge the degree of capsular tightening in patients who have capsular injury or laxity.

Adult↗
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Towards improved information retrieval from medical sources.

We review a HEALNet health informatics project directed at information extraction from medical text resources in support of evidence based practice (EBP). The motivation for the approach is summarized. A brief review of pertinent methodology is given and the rationale for exploring approaches to statistical concept representation (SCR) derived. Data on the qualitative comparison of five related systems are presented. Installation and tests of three of these systems revealed that systems designed to deal with literature are not able to handle medical record text adequately because of various idiosyncrasies of the latter. To overcome these, it is necessary to control the system's text manipulation algorithms. This prompted us to build our own system. The principles of this development and its results are summarized. They include the construction of a core information retrieval (IR) system, which is now operational, initiation of work on the collection of test data bases and development of a conceptual framework for comprehensive system evaluation. A brief outline of further steps concludes the presentation.

Databases as Topic↗
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A partnership model of distance education: students' perceptions of connectedness and professionalization.

This article describes a partnership model of distance education for a master's nursing program in a midwestern state and an evaluation that assessed students' perceptions of professionalization and connectedness in the program. Students at the originating and distance sites were asked to complete evaluations at the end of each course. Connectedness and professionalization were measured using rated satisfaction with three modes of contact for each item. Results indicated that students at the distance site had a significantly higher overall level of satisfaction with interactive television (ITV) and experienced high levels of connectedness and professionalization through the ITV courses. However, among the three modes of connectedness, students at the distance site rated satisfaction with contact with same-site students as the highest, followed by contact with the instructor. Students also perceived that their professional identity increased through the three modes, particularly for contact with same-site peers at the distance site and for contact with instructors at both sites. Recommendations for faculty and student responsibilities are provided to ensure a positive learning environment.

Adult↗
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Expression and characterization of bryodin 1 and a bryodin 1-based single-chain immunotoxin from tobacco cell culture.

Bryodin 1 (BD1) is a potent ribosome-inactivating protein (RIP) isolated from the plant Bryonia dioica. It is relatively nontoxic in rodents (LD50 > 40 mg/kg) and represents a potential improvement over other RIPs and bacterial toxins that have been used in immunotoxins. Recombinant BD1, expressed in Escherichia coli, localizes to insoluble inclusion bodies necessitating denaturation and refolding steps to generate active protein. In this report, BD1 was expressed as a soluble recombinant protein in tobacco cell culture (ntBD1) and purified to near homogeneity with yields of up to 30 mg/(L of culture). The protein synthesis inhibition activity of ntBD1 was identical to that of both native BD1 isolated from the roots of B. dioica and recombinant BD1 expressed in E. coli. Toxicology analysis showed that ntBD1 was well tolerated in rats at doses that cannot be achieved with most other toxin components of immunotoxins. Additionally, a single-chain immunotoxin composed of BD1 fused to the single-chain Fv region of the anti-CD40 antibody G28-5 (ntBD1-G28-5 sFv) was expressed in tobacco tissue culture as a soluble protein and was specifically cytotoxic toward CD40 expressing non-Hodgkin's lymphoma cells in vitro. These data indicate that tobacco tissue culture is a viable system for soluble expression of BD1 and BD1-containing immunotoxins.

Animals↗
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Sensitive topics and adolescents: making research about risk behaviors happen.

This article discusses conducting research with adolescents as a positive experience, both from a clinical and scholarly perspective. However, topics involving risk-taking behaviors may be especially difficult for adolescents to discuss openly. To implement research protocols with the adolescent population, particularly when dealing with risk-taking behaviors, investigators need to be aware of developmental challenges that warrant specific methodological choices. In a pilot study that involved adolescents who had been hospitalized for traumatic injury, the researchers gained valuable experience in conducting a study on substance use. Experiences with the study provide direction for future research about investigating sensitive topics with adolescents.

Adolescent↗
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Implementation of a family-centered treatment program for substance-abusing women and their children: barriers and resolutions.

Recent federal health financing and health care delivery programs have increased access to alcohol and other drug abuse treatment programs for low-income women, and have provided intervention and prevention services for their children and families. The Village South Families in Transition (FIT) in Miami, Florida, implemented a residential treatment program for women and their children that aims to decrease alcohol and other drug use, reduce reliance on social and health welfare systems, improve functioning in specific life-skill and vocational areas, improve parenting techniques and maternal/child relations, and provide intervention and prevention services for the clients' children in a safe and supportive environment. Program implementation required resolutions to numerous barriers, including securing a facility for women and children; recruiting, hiring and training of staff; establishing and maintaining community linkages; treatment considerations; balancing treatment versus evaluation/research; and critical decisions faced by treatment staff as they modify client-centered programs to incorporate gender-specific and family-centered programs.

Adult↗
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Cooled-tip diode laser catheter for improved catheter ablation of ventricular tachycardia.

Catheter ablation for the treatment of arrhythmias has evolved dramatically over the past two decades. Researchers have investigated alternative energy sources and catheter constructs to improve the efficacy and safety of catheter ablation. This study tested the hypothesis that a new prototype cooled-tip laser catheter used with a low-power diode laser would improve catheter ablation of ventricular tachycardias. Four mongrel dogs underwent a median sternotomy. The cooled-tip laser catheter was advanced into the left ventricle via the left carotid artery and positioned adjacent to the endocardium. Laser powers of 3 and 4 W were delivered at four exposure times to select areas of the endocardium. During application of laser energy, room-temperature saline was circulated through the catheter. At necropsy the hearts were examined and fixed in formalin for histologic examination. Gross examination of the endocardial surfaces showed no indication of crater or thrombus formation. Cross-section of the lesions revealed sharply demarcated, circular-shaped areas of coagulative necrosis extending into the mid-myocardium. Areas of coagulative necrosis were identified within the myocardium extending into the mid-myocardium and occasionally the subepicardium. A sharp line of demarcation was observed between the lesions and the surrounding normal myocardium. The results of this study showed that we could use surface cooling during slow laser heating to create large subsurface lesions with characteristics appropriate for treatment of ventricular tachycardia and little to no surface damage. We believe our catheter system addresses many of the previous issues with laser-based approaches.

Animals↗
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Transcatheter electrocoagulation: experimental evaluation of the anode.

Transcatheter electrocoagulation using direct current has been shown to be an effective method for vessel occlusion. To date, the stainless steel anode has not been entirely satisfactory. Thus, an evaluation of bipolar platinum electrodes and a comparison of monopolar platinum and stainless steel electrodes have been performed. Experimental results have shown that both monopolar and bipolar platinum electrodes caused perforation in most cases. At the present time, we have not found a satisfactory replacement for the unipolar stainless steel anode.

Animals↗
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Progress in the moral reasoning of baccalaureate nursing students between program entry and exit.

Changes in moral reasoning between entry into and exit from a baccalaureate nursing program and the relationship between student characteristics and moral reasoning at entry and exit were explored in this descriptive study. The moral reasoning of four cohorts of students was measured using the Defining Issues Test (DIT). Admission grade point average, prior college credits, and gender accounted for 10% of the variance in DIT P% scores at entry and 14% of the variance at exit from the program. Female students had significantly higher moral reasoning scores than men. Age did not contribute significantly to explaining DIT score variance. DIT P% scores at entry for all four cohorts were within the range of reported norms for college students. Exit scores for all four cohorts were between the normative means for undergraduate students and graduate students. DIT P% score gains between entry and exit were significant for all four cohorts. Students whose entry scores were in the lowest categories had the greatest mean gains.

Adult↗
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Chemical impairment of nursing students: a comprehensive policy and procedure.

Faculty and students in nursing education programs need to have a clear understanding of what constitutes chemical impairment and the academic consequences that will result when nursing students are identified as impaired due to substance abuse. The authors present the process used to develop a comprehensive policy, procedures, and contractual agreement for addressing the problem of chemical impairment of nursing students.

Humans↗
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Comparison of cefpimizole with cefotaxime and penicillin G for treatment of uncomplicated gonorrhea.

One hundred sixteen patients (92 men and 24 women) with suspected uncomplicated gonorrhea were randomized in a double-blind manner to receive intramuscular treatment with 1.0 g of cefpimizole, 1.0 g of cefotaxime, or 4.8 x 10(6) units of aqueous procaine penicillin G (APPG) with 1 g of oral probenecid. Seventeen percent were nonassessable (cultures negative, co-existing syphilis, etc.). Infection sites in 96 assessable patients were urethra (78), cervix (17), pharynx (two), and rectum (two). Of 52 patients treated with cefpimizole, 46 (88%) were bacteriologically cured, as compared with 100% (24 of 24) treated with APPG (P = 0.18) and 90% (18 of 20) treated with cefotaxime (P greater than 0.20). On a weight basis the in-vitro activity of cefpimizole against Neisseria gonorrhoeae was similar to that of APPG. Pain at the injection site was reported by 52% of patients treated with cefpimizole as compared with 27% of those given cefotaxime (P = 0.008) and 17% of those given APPG (P = 0.002). No major organ toxicity was found with cefpimizole, cefotaxime, or APPG. Thus, for acute uncomplicated gonorrhea cefpimizole is similar in efficacy to cefotaxime and APPG but has a higher frequency of pain at the injection site.

Adult↗