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Biomedical subjects

M Sharp

Publications and source records attributed to M Sharp.

50 records · Page 3Linked to original sources

Human cell-mediated immune responses to chlamydial antigens.

A reproducible method was developed to determine the ability of chlamydial antigens to stimulate lymphocytes from volunteers. In tests repeated 4 to 14 times, the cells from a given volunteer gave a relatively narrow range of responses, but there were great differences in the mean response of different volunteers. In the entire group of 52 volunteers, lymphocyte stimulation was significantly associated with the presence of antibody, but in a given individual results of one test did not aid in predicting the results of the other. A majority of persons with either antichlamydial antibody or elevated lymphocyte stimulation, or both, did not have a history of signs or symptoms within a spectrum of chlamydial diseases. This may reflect the great frequency of asymptomatic infection with these organisms. The lymphocytes of some individuals were stimulated to a significantly greater degree by antigens of one chlamydial species (Chlamydia trachomatis or C. psittaci) than by the other. These and other cell-mediated reactions in human chlamydial infections, and their possible medical significance, are under continued study.

Adult↗

Auditory function in sickle cell anemia.

Auditory function was assessed in nine black subjects with sickle cell anemia and compared with a control population. No differences were found for measures of hearing acuity and undistorted speech discrimination. However, some suggestion of reduced neural function was observed in terms of acoustic reflex measures and time-compressed speech discrimination. One subject with sickle cell anemia displayed a distinctive auditory profile that we treat separately.

Adolescent↗

Erythrocyte spectrin. Purification in deoxycholate and preliminary characterization.

Erythrocyte spectrin, isolated by aqueous extraction of erythrocyte ghosts, may be freed from contaminating membrane lipids and small amounts of other proteins by gel chromatography in 5 or 10 mM deoxycholate. The purified protein, in deoxycholate, is a mixture of monomers and dimers, both highly asymmetric molecules. The hydrodynamic properties of the dimer closely resemble those of muscle myosin, and spectrin and myosin also have similar circular dichroism spectra. The proportion of dimer to monomer in the purified protein varies from one preparation to another, an observation for which there is no simple explanation. In the absence of deoxycholate, spectrin associated beyond the dimer stage, possibly by loose end-to-end aggregation involving hydrophobic forces.

Binding Sites↗

Comparative autosomal linkage in mammals: genetics of esterases in Mus musculus and Rattus norvegicus.

Recombination between Esterase-4 and Esterase-2 in the rat was not observed in 278 backcross offspring. Es-4 is thus included within the "esterase cluster" in Linkage group V. A new map of this region was constructed and the relationship of the four esterase loci was found to be: Es-4-(9.6+/-1.6 cM)-Es-2, Es-4-(1.5+/-0.7cM)-Es-3. Homology of this region with a region of Linkage Group XVIII (Chromosome 8) of the mouse was proposed on the basis of tissue distribution, subcellular localization and response of enzymes to inhibiotrs. Specifically, rat Es-1 was suggested as the homolog of mouse Es-6. An autosomal segment comprising at least 15cM of the rat and mouse genomes appears to have remained relatively intact with respect to genetic content during rodent speciation. In addition, a new polymorphism for mouse esterase was described. The locus was designated Esterase-10 (Es-10) and proposed as the mouse homolog of human Esterase D. Linkage of Es-10 with nucleoside phosphorylase-1-(Np-1) on Chromosome 14 was established.

Alleles↗

Analysis of prehospital pediatric and adult intubation.

PURPOSE: Pediatric airway control, including endotracheal intubation (ETI), presents a clinical challenge in the prehospital setting. Endotracheal intubation is recommended for serious head injury (Glasgow Coma Scale score <=8). We evaluated the frequency of ETI in pediatric and adult patients with <=8 in the field, subsequently transported by a hospital-based, helicopter emergency medical service (HHEMS). METHODS: A retrospective, descriptive study of pediatric patients (<=14 years) and adult patients with GCS <=8 transported by HHEMS from January 1988 through March 1994 was conducted. Significance was determined by chi-square analysis. RESULTS: Inclusion criteria were met by 63 (15%) pediatric patients and 353 (85%) adults. Of the pediatric patients, 38 (60%) were intubated endotracheally; mean age was 7; mean injury severity score (ISS) was 28. Of adults, 267 (76%) were intubated endotracheally; mean age was 35; mean ISS was 33. A 16-percentage-point difference in frequency of successful ETI between groups was found to be significant (p <=0.01). Of 25 nonintubated pediatric (PED) patients, unsuccessful attempts were made on 20 (80%); 14 of 25 (56%) had significant head injuries evident on computerized tomography (CT) scan. Of 86 nonintubated adults, unsuccessful attempts were made on 29 (34%); 61 (71%) had significant head injuries. CONCLUSIONS: Pediatric coma patients were not intubated with the same frequency as adults. This discrepancy between groups was secondary to a higher failure rate in the pediatric group. Intubation was attempted in 92% of pediatric patients versus 84% of the adults. Unsuccessful intubation attempts in the pediatric group, 20 of 58 (34%), were compared with 29 of 296 (9.8%) in the adult group. Difficulty in pediatric airway control may require an increased level of training and experience.

Adult↗

Ecological Monitoring and Assessment Network's proposed core monitoring variables: an early warning of environmental change.

This article reports on the evaluation of existing ecological monitoring variables from a variety of sources to select a suite of core variables suitable for monitoring at the Ecological Monitoring and Assessment Network (EMAN) sites located across Canada. The purpose of EMAN is to promote the acquisition of relevant and consistent data that can be used to report on national trends and provide an early warning of ecosystem change. Existing monitoring variables were evaluated in two steps. In the first step, three primary criteria were used to pre-screen preliminary variables. In the second step, a more detailed evaluation considered twenty criteria based on data quality, applicability, data collection methods, data analysis and interpretation, existing data and programs, and cost effectiveness to select a draft set of core monitoring variables (CMV). An ecological framework was developed to organize the CMV in a manner that permitted a gap analysis to confirm the CMV assessed a wide range of relevant environment components. The suite of CMV were then tested to determine their effectiveness in detecting ecosystem change caused by stressors with ecosystem responses that have been well documented in the literature. This project is part of a process lead by Environment Canada to select CMV to detect and track ecosystem change at EMAN sites. It is anticipated that the proposed CMV will undergo future discussion and development leading to the final selection of a suite of CMV for use at EMAN sites.

Biomarkers↗

The Jaipur limb and foot.

In the 12 years which have elapsed since the United Nations declared 1981 to be the Year of the Disabled, the number of amputees world-wide has risen alarmingly, continuing the pattern of the past 40 years, which have seen innumerable conflicts, large and small, with ever-increasing and indiscriminate use of 'improved' antipersonnel mines which have been sown in enormous numbers in rural areas. Even after fighting has ceased--as in Vietnam, which currently has some 200,000 amputees--fresh injuries are caused daily, often to children, by the long-delayed detonation of these weapons. Much of the research and development in prosthetics since World War II has concentrated on producing artificial limbs suitable for an affluent and industrialized society. These, being made from the most modern materials and incorporating the latest technology, are of necessity expensive even for affluent Americans or Europeans and quite out of reach for the 80 per cent of the world's amputees who live in the developing world and for the vast majority of whom these splendid prostheses may be entirely inappropriate. This article describes a foot and leg specifically designed to fit in with the customs and practices of just such people.

Amputation, Traumatic↗