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Biomedical subjects

M Sage

Publications and source records attributed to M Sage.

At least 19 recordsLinked to original sources
PubMed2006

Denitrification potential and rates of complex carbon source from dairy effluents in activated sludge system.

A predictive model for the denitrification performance of complex carbon sources was proposed based on compositional data. Potential and rates of denitrification of single dairy components (lactose, lactate, proteins, fat), as well as binary and complex (modelled "process water") mixtures were assessed using test for nitrogen uptake rate (NUR). In all experiments, denitrification potential of mixtures was found to be significantly higher than the sum of individual potentials and denitrification rate with the readily biodegradable moiety of the mixtures was similar to the highest rate obtained with individual components (lactose or lactate). This work shows that activated sludge acclimated to dairy components can be modelled as a single biomass where the maximal anoxic growth rate of the biomass limits the denitrification rate with dairy components. As a consequence, lactose or lactate determine the maximal denitrification rate possible using dairy effluents.

Carbon↗
PubMed2006

Utilising handheld computers to monitor and support patients receiving chemotherapy: results of a UK-based feasibility study.

GOALS OF WORK: Recent changes in cancer service provision mean that many patients spend a limited time in hospital and therefore experience and must cope with and manage treatment-related side effects at home. Information technology can provide innovative solutions in promoting patient care through information provision, enhancing communication, monitoring treatment-related side effects and promoting self-care. PATIENTS AND METHODS: The aim of this feasibility study was to evaluate the acceptability of using handheld computers as a symptom assessment and management tool for patients receiving chemotherapy for cancer. A convenience sample of patients (n = 18) and health professionals (n = 9) at one Scottish cancer centre was recruited. Patients used the handheld computer to record and send daily symptom reports to the cancer centre and receive instant, tailored symptom management advice during two treatment cycles. Both patients' and health professionals' perceptions of the handheld computer system were evaluated at baseline and at the end of the project. MAIN RESULTS: Patients believed the handheld computer had improved their symptom management and felt comfortable in using it. The health professionals also found the handheld computer to be helpful in assessing and managing patients' symptoms. CONCLUSIONS: This project suggests that a handheld-computer-based symptom management tool is feasible and acceptable to both patients and health professionals in complementing the care of patients receiving chemotherapy.

Adult↗
PubMed2005

Cerebral melioidosis.

Two cases of cerebral melioidosis are presented to illustrate the clinical presentation and progress and to highlight the radiological features.

Adult↗
PubMed2003

Isolated spinal cord lipoma.

A case of isolated intradural spinal cord lipoma is presented. Most isolated spinal cord lipomas are intradural extramedullary, and the most common location is subpial. True intramedullary lipomas are very rare. Patient history is usually of months to years of local back pain, with recent escalation of pain and development of neurological symptoms. MRI examination shows a well circumscribed lesion of high signal on both T1 and T2 weighted images, and suppression on fat saturation sequence. Subtotal resection is the surgical aim. This improves pain but neurological symptoms rarely improve, usually are unchanged, and occasionally are worse.

Adult↗
PubMed2001

Nonredundant roles of the mPer1 and mPer2 genes in the mammalian circadian clock.

Mice carrying a null mutation in the Period 1 (mPer1) gene were generated using embryonic stem cell technology. Homozygous mPer1 mutants display a shorter circadian period with reduced precision and stability. Mice deficient in both mPer1 and mPer2 do not express circadian rhythms. While mPER2 regulates clock gene expression at the transcriptional level, mPER1 is dispensable for the rhythmic RNA expression of mPer1 and mPer2 and may instead regulate mPER2 at a posttranscriptional level. Studies of clock-controlled genes (CCGs) reveal a complex pattern of regulation by mPER1 and mPER2, suggesting independent controls by the two proteins over some output pathways. Genes encoding key enzymes in heme biosynthesis are under circadian control and are regulated by mPER1 and mPER2. Together, our studies show that mPER1 and mPER2 have distinct and complementary roles in the mouse clock mechanism.

Animals↗
PubMed2001

[Symptoms reported by mobile cellular telephone users].

A survey study, using questionnaire, was conducted in 161 students and workers in a French engineering school on symptoms experienced during use of digital cellular phones. A significant increase in concentration difficulty (p < 0.05) was reported by users of 1800-MHz (DCS) cellular phones compared to 900-MHz (GSM) phone users. In users of cellular phones, women significantly (p < 0.05) complained more often of sleep disturbance than men. This sex difference for sleep complaint is not observed between women and men non-users of cellular phone. The use of both cellular phones and VDT significantly (p < 0.05) increased concentration difficulty. Digital cellular phone users also significantly (p < 0.05) more often complained of discomfort, warmth, and picking on the ear during phone conversation in relation with calling duration per day and number of calls per day. The complaint of warmth on the ear might be a signal to users for stopping the call.

Academies and Institutes↗
PubMed2001

The inter-sonographer reliability of carotid duplex ultrasound.

Carotid duplex ultrasound (CDUS) is a non-invasive technique used to assess the severity of carotid artery stenosis. It has been shown to have good correlation with digital subtraction angiography (DSA) but has been criticised for its variability. One source of this is the variation in results between studies responsible for re-validating velocity criteria to match the established treatment thresholds of internal carotid artery (ICA) stenosis. The aim of this study was to develop velocity criteria and determine the presence of inter-sonographer variation of CDUS when grading ICA stenosis in our department. Five sonographers measured the degree of ICA stenosis with CDUS in 33 patients who also underwent DSA. Receiver operator characteristic curve analysis was used to develop optimal velocity criteria for the 50%, 70% and 90% ICA stenosis thresholds as a group and for each individual sonographer. A peak systolic velocity ratio of > or = 3.25 was shown to have the highest accuracy (91.5%) for predicting a 70% stenosis. A moderate value of kappa (0.53 +/- 0.027) was calculated if the optimum velocity criterion was employed for each sonographer. There was no significant variation between the ability of sonographers to grade ICA stenosis (P > 0.05) and an excellent ICC of 0.911 was calculated. This study provides evidence to suggest that CDUS in our department is not an operator-dependant test for the investigation of ICA stenosis.

Aged↗
PubMed2000

Rhombencephalosynapsis.

A case report of rhombencephalosynapsis in a 34-year-old female is presented and the clinical features and possible pathogenesis of this disorder are reviewed.

Adult↗
PubMed2000

Engineering mouse chromosomes with Cre-loxP: range, efficiency, and somatic applications.

Chromosomal rearrangements are important resources for genetic studies. Recently, a Cre-loxP-based method to introduce defined chromosomal rearrangements (deletions, duplications, and inversions) into the mouse genome (chromosome engineering) has been established. To explore the limits of this technology systematically, we have evaluated this strategy on mouse chromosome 11. Although the efficiency of Cre-loxP-mediated recombination decreases with increasing genetic distance when the two endpoints are on the same chromosome, the efficiency is not limiting even when the genetic distance is maximized. Rearrangements encompassing up to three quarters of chromosome 11 have been constructed in mouse embryonic stem (ES) cells. While larger deletions may lead to ES cell lethality, smaller deletions can be produced very efficiently both in ES cells and in vivo in a tissue- or cell-type-specific manner. We conclude that any chromosomal rearrangement can be made in ES cells with the Cre-loxP strategy provided that it does not affect cell viability. In vivo chromosome engineering can be potentially used to achieve somatic losses of heterozygosity in creating mouse models of human cancers.

Amino Acid Sequence↗
PubMed1999

The mPer2 gene encodes a functional component of the mammalian circadian clock.

Circadian rhythms are driven by endogenous biological clocks that regulate many biochemical, physiological and behavioural processes in a wide range of life forms. In mammals, there is a master circadian clock in the suprachiasmatic nucleus of the anterior hypothalamus. Three putative mammalian homologues (mPer1, mPer2 and mPer3) of the Drosophila circadian clock gene period (per) have been identified. The mPer genes share a conserved PAS domain (a dimerization domain found in Per, Arnt and Sim) and show a circadian expression pattern in the suprachiasmatic nucleus. To assess the in vivo function of mPer2, we generated and characterized a deletion mutation in the PAS domain of the mouse mPer2 gene. Here we show that mice homozygous for this mutation display a shorter circadian period followed by a loss of circadian rhythmicity in constant darkness. The mutation also diminishes the oscillating expression of both mPer1 and mPer2 in the suprachiasmatic nucleus, indicating that mPer2 may regulate mPer1 in vivo. These data provide evidence that an mPer gene functions in the circadian clock, and define mPer2 as a component of the mammalian circadian oscillator.

Animals↗
PubMed1999

Engineering a mouse balancer chromosome.

Balancer chromosomes are genetic reagents that are used in Drosophila melanogaster for stock maintenance and mutagenesis screens. Despite their utility, balancer chromosomes are rarely used in mice because they are difficult to generate using conventional methods. Here we describe the engineering of a mouse balancer chromosome with the Cre-loxP recombination system. The chromosome features a 24-centiMorgan (cM) inversion between Trp53 (also known as p53) and Wnt3 on mouse chromosome 11 that is recessive lethal and dominantly marked with a K14-Agouti transgene. When allelic to a wild-type chromosome, the inversion suppresses crossing over in the inversion interval, accompanied by elevated recombination in the flanking regions. The inversion functions as a balancer chromosome because it can be used to maintain a lethal mutation in the inversion interval as a self-sustaining trans-heterozygous stock. This strategy can be used to generate similar genetic reagents throughout the mouse genome. Engineering of visibly marked inversions and deficiencies is an important step toward functional analyses of the mouse genome and will facilitate large-scale mutagenesis programs.

Animals↗
PubMed1999

Telomerase expression in human somatic cells does not induce changes associated with a transformed phenotype.

Expression of the human telomerase catalytic component, hTERT, in normal human somatic cells can reconstitute telomerase activity and extend their replicative lifespan. We report here that at twice the normal number of population doublings, telomerase-expressing human skin fibroblasts (BJ-hTERT) and retinal pigment epithelial cells (RPE-hTERT) retain normal growth control in response to serum deprivation, high cell density, G1 or G2 phase blockers and spindle inhibitors. In addition, we observed no cell growth in soft agar and detected no tumour formation in vivo. Thus, we find that telomerase expression in normal cells does not appear to induce changes associated with a malignant phenotype.

Aspartic Acid↗
PubMed1998

Improving staffing with a resource management plan.

To change from a crisis to a proactive mode for staffing, scheduling, resource pool utilization, information management, and unit workload, nursing leaders developed a resource management plan. Changes that assisted in achieving that goal included: revision of department scheduling guidelines, elimination of day shift central supervisor, responsibility for daily staffing moved to unit-based managers, creation of a staffing model for the nursing resource pool staff, establishment of ideal complement of positions for every unit, expectation for unit to meet its staffing model every shift, reinforced department efforts to fill vacant positions, participation in computerized databases to study the use of resources, and identified critical staffing indicators for each unit.

Appointments and Schedules↗
PubMed1996

Flashlamp pulsed dye laser (585 nm). Treatment of resistant verrucae.

The treatment of recalcitrant plantar verrucae has represented challenging clinical problems for podiatric physicians. A procedure described by Borovoy et al studying 46 patients initially indicated a success rate of 76.1%. A review of 200 patients who have been treated with refined treatment protocols and modalities is presented, with an overall success rate of 79.9%. The Candella SPTL 1 and 1B have been used in the study. These lasers produce a full 450-microsecond pulse at 585 nm wave length. Hand pieces ranging from 2 mm to 7 mm were used. The energy density (fluence) used ranged from 6 to 9 J/cm2. Discussion will be presented including treatment protocol, modalities, comparisons with other forms of treatment, and overall success rates.

Adolescent↗