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Biomedical subjects

R E Moore

Publications and source records attributed to R E Moore.

At least 73 records · Page 4Linked to original sources
PubMed1993

SPOT: an improved differential screening protocol that allows the detection of marginally induced mRNAs.

We have developed a differential screening technique, single plate one transfer (SPOT), that allows the easy detection of mRNAs induced only 2-fold to 3-fold or less above background. As a model system, we looked at the induction of mRNA by parathyroid hormone (PTH) in ROS 17/2.8 rat osteosarcoma cells. The basis for this technique is to symmetrically spot in quadruplicate, on a single plate, a large number of potentially positive plaques obtained from a primary, conventional screen. We then do only one transfer from this plate in order that there will be minimal variability in DNA transfer. This filter is cut into symmetrical strips so that all clones are multiply represented on each strip. These strips are then hybridized with different probes. Since each strip contains an approximately identical amount of DNA per plaque, it is possible to accurately detect mRNAs that are induced only slightly above background. Additionally, the large sizes of the DNA plaques, as well as spotting each clone serially, contribute to the sensitivity of the technique.

Animals↗
PubMed1992

Monoclonal antibody-based enzyme-linked immunoassays for the measurement of palytoxin in biological samples.

Mouse monoclonal and rabbit polyclonal antibodies were produced against conjugates of keyhole limpet hemocyanin and chemically defined palytoxin haptens. Palytoxin haptens were produced by derivatization of the primary amino group with sulfosuccinimidyl 4-(N-maleimidomethyl)cyclohexane-1-carboxylate or succinimidyl 3-(2-pyridyldithio)propionate. Selected antibodies were used to develop five palytoxin-specific enzyme-linked immunoassay formats for the quantitation of palytoxin in biological matrices, including crude extracts of Palythoa tuberculosa. The formats developed include an indirect competitive inhibition enzyme-linked immunoassay, two types of direct competitive inhibition enzyme-linked immunoassays, and both indirect and direct sandwich enzyme-linked immunosorbent assays. The sandwich enzyme-linked immunosorbent assays are capable of detecting as little as 10 pg palytoxin per test, but may be subject to matrix interference. The direct competitive inhibition enzyme-linked immunoassays detect as little as 30 pg palytoxin per test with a total assay time of only 4 hr. The enzyme-linked immunoassays do not cross-react with the other marine toxins tested, but do cross-react with certain non-toxic, treated preparations of palytoxin. The enzyme-linked immunoassays were used to quantitate palytoxin in P. tuberculosa extracts and to monitor toxin isolation. These enzyme-linked immunoassay systems can substitute for the mouse bioassay of palytoxin, providing a rapid, sensitive, and accurate means of toxin detection.

Acrylamides↗
PubMed1992

Antifungal cyclic peptides from the terrestrial blue-green alga Anabaena laxa. I. Isolation and biological properties.

Laxaphycins are responsible for the antifungal and cytotoxic activity of crude ethanolic extracts from the cultured blue-green alga Anabaena laxa. These cyclic peptides exhibit an unusual biological synergism when tested for antifungal or cytotoxic effects. The isolation procedure for the peptides, their characterization and biological activities are described here along with experiments demonstrating synergism between the two major laxaphycins.

Antifungal Agents↗
PubMed1992

Antifungal cyclic peptides from the terrestrial blue-green alga Anabaena laxa. II. Structures of laxaphycins A, B, D and E.

Laxaphycins A and B are the major components in an antifungal mixture of cyclic peptides from the terrestrial blue-green alga Anabaena laxa FK-1-2. NMR and MS spectral studies coupled with amino acid analysis indicate that the gross structures of laxaphycins A and B are cyclic (Aoc-Hse-E-Dhb-Hyp-Hse-Phe-Leu-Ile-Ile-Leu-Gly) where Aoc is a 3-aminooctanoic acid residue and cyclic (Ala-Hleu-Gln-N-MeIle-Hasn-Thr-Pro-Leu-Thr-Ade-Val- Hleu) where Ade is a 3-aminodecanoyl unit, respectively. Laxaphycin E, a minor cyclic undecapeptide, differs in gross structure from laxaphycin A in possessing a 3-aminodecanoic acid unit (Ade) in lieu of Aoc, whereas laxaphycin D, a minor cyclic dodecapeptide, differs from laxaphycin B in possessing a 3-aminooctanoyl unit (Aoc) instead of an Ade unit.

Amino Acid Sequence↗
PubMed1992

Integrated business office can boost cash flow.

Management of patient accounts traditionally has treated billing and collections as separate functions, with staff members working accounts alphabetically by patient. In an integrated business office, however, staff members are trained in both billing and collections and are specialized according to payers. The advantages of a payer-specific design include more efficient contact with major payer groups and a better trained, more flexible staff.

Accounts Payable and Receivable↗
PubMed1991

Comparison of collagen propeptides as growth markers in children with inflammatory bowel disease.

The serum concentrations of the carboxy-terminal propeptide of type I procollagen and the amino-terminal propeptide of type III procollagen as biochemical markers of growth activity were compared in 46 children and adolescents with inflammatory bowel disease. Significant correlations were noted between growth velocity and type I procollagen (r = 0.65; P less than 0.001) and type III procollagen concentrations (r = 0.64; P less than 0.001). Although the serum concentration of type I procollagen was generally about 15 times greater than that of type III, the respective serum concentrations were highly correlated (r = 0.66; P less than 0.001) at all growth velocities. The use of daily corticosteroid therapy was associated with significantly lower concentrations of both propeptides (P less than 0.01) than was alternate-day or no corticosteroid therapy, respectively. Children with growth arrest (0.0 cm/mo) had type I and type III procollagen concentrations similar to those found in adults. These observations indicate that the serum concentrations of both collagen propeptides reflect growth activity in children with inflammatory bowel disease and suggest that routine measurement of collagen propeptides may have clinical value in monitoring normal and abnormal growth. The data suggest that the measurement of one propeptide does not offer an advantage over the other.

Adolescent↗
PubMed1991

Tumor necrosis factor-alpha is not elevated in children with inflammatory bowel disease.

Chronic undernutrition and high-dose daily corticosteroid therapy are well-accepted causes of growth failure in children with inflammatory bowel disease. Occasionally, children are seen with minimal gastrointestinal symptoms but in whom severe anorexia and profound growth impairment are evident. Recent observations that elevated serum levels of tumor necrosis factor-alpha (TNF) in cachexia associated with a number of disease states have suggested a similar possible role in inflammatory bowel disease. Accordingly, we determined TNF levels in 45 children and adolescents with inflammatory bowel disease (18 ulcerative colitis, 27 Crohn's disease) at varying times during their clinical course and compared them to values obtained from a group of 25 children with functional bowel disease. No differences were noted in serum TNF levels between the children with inflammatory bowel disease and the control population. Values were generally within the range of the lower limit of detection of the assay. In the children with inflammatory bowel disease, there was no significant correlation between TNF levels and disease activity or growth parameters. Our observations suggest that elevated TNF levels are not associated with inflammatory bowel disease in children.

Adolescent↗
PubMed1991

Precautions minimize payment risks with foreign patients.

International patients offer another source of revenue for hospitals and a potential source of headaches for hospitals' patient accounts departments. Having a plan in place when dealing with foreign customers can help hospitals reduce risk and ensure complete payment.

Financial Management, Hospital↗
PubMed1991

Cyanobacterial nodularin is a potent inhibitor of type 1 and type 2A protein phosphatases.

The present study characterizes the inhibitory effects of nodularin, a recently isolated hepatotoxic compound from the cyanobacterium Nodularia spumigena, on type 1 (PP1), type 2A, (PP2A), type 2B (PP2B), and type 2C (PP2C) protein phosphatases. Both PP2A and PP1 were potently inhibited (IC50 = 0.026 and 1.8 nM, respectively) by nodularin, whereas PP2B was inhibited to a lesser extent (IC50 = 8.7 microM). Nodularin had no apparent effect on PP2C, alkaline phosphatase, acid phosphatase, insulin receptor tyrosine kinase, protein kinase A, phosphorylase kinase, or protein kinase C. In a whole-cell extract of T51B liver cells, nodularin inhibited PP1 and PP2A activity with a potency similar to that seen with their purified catalytic subunits. Thus, due to the high specificity of nodularin for PP2A and PP1, this hepatotoxin may prove to be useful as a probe for distinguishing the activity of these protein phosphatases in cell extracts.

Animals↗
PubMed1990

Characterization of microcystin-LR, a potent inhibitor of type 1 and type 2A protein phosphatases.

The level of protein phosphorylation is dependent on the relative activities of both protein kinases and protein phosphatases. By comparison with protein kinases, however, there have been considerably fewer studies on the functions of serine/threonine protein phosphatases. This is partly due to a lack of specific protein phosphatase inhibitors that can be used as probes. In the present study we characterize the inhibitory effects of microcystin-LR, a hepatotoxic cyclic peptide associated with most strains of the blue-green algae Microcystis aeruginosa found in the Northern hemisphere, that proves to be a potent inhibitor of type 1 (IC50 = 1.7 nM) and type 2A (IC50 = 0.04 nM) protein phosphatases. Microcystin-LR inhibited the activity of both type 1 and type 2A phosphatases greater than 10-fold more potently than okadaic acid under the same conditions. Type 2A protein phosphatases in dilute mammalian cell extracts were found to be completely inhibited by 0.5 nM microcystin-LR while type 1 protein phosphatases were only slightly affected at this concentration. Thus, microcystin-LR may prove to be a useful probe for the study and identification cellular processes which are mediated by protein phosphatases.

Animals↗
PubMed1990

Stable expression of a secretable deletion mutant of recombinant human thrombomodulin in mammalian cells.

Thrombomodulin is an endothelial cell membrane protein which plays a central regulatory role in the protein C anticoagulant pathway. The human thrombomodulin intronless gene was isolated from a genomic DNA library and used to isolate the coding region. A mammalian expression vector, phd-TMD1, encoding all the extracellular domains of human thrombomodulin but lacking the transmembrane and cytoplasmic domains was constructed. Stable phd-TMD 1 transformants, in both hamster AV12-644 and human 293 cells, expressed functionally active recombinant thrombomodulin as a secreted, soluble product. Soluble thrombomodulin was secreted as two major proteins of 105 kDa and 75 kDa, both of which were purified to homogeneity. The kinetic properties for protein C activation of the two proteins were very different: the Kd for thrombin, Km for protein C, and Ca2+ optima were 3.0 nM, 1.5 microM, and 1-3 mM for the 105-kDa protein and 16 nM, 2.3 microM, and 0.2-0.5 mM for the 75-kDa protein. In clotting and platelet activation assays, the 105-kDa protein was a much more potent anticoagulant than the 75-kDa protein. Both forms of the protein had the amino-terminal sequence Ala19-Pro-Ala-Glu-Pro-Gln. Amino acid composition analysis indicated that both forms of the protein had the same amino acid content which was consistent with the predicted protein comprising residues Ala19 to Ser515. The difference in size appeared to be due to glycosylation as both forms were of similar size following chemical deglycosylation. These studies suggest that (1) secretable thrombomodulin derivatives can be used to study structure-function relationships of the extracellular domains of this important regulatory protein, (2) the extent of glycosylation has profound effects on the kinetic and anticoagulant properties of human thrombomodulin, and (3) soluble recombinant human thrombomodulins may be developed as clinically significant therapeutic anticoagulants.

Amino Acids↗
PubMed1990

Cytotoxic, antiviral indolocarbazoles from a blue-green alga belonging to the Nostocaceae.

6-Cyano-5-methoxy-12-methylindolo[2,3-alpha]carbazole and 6-cyano-5-methoxyindolo[2,3-alpha]carbazole are responsible for most of the cytotoxicity and antiviral activity associated with the blue-green alga Nostoc sphaericum EX-5-1. The compounds are active against HSV II and show weak cytotoxicity against KB and LoVo human carcinoma cell lines.

Antiviral Agents↗
PubMed1990

Tracking in-house accounts receivable can identify potential problems.

Developing a program to track in-house accounts receivables can help hospitals identify cases that may result in bad debt or charity care write-offs. A case management approach that includes analysis of patients' financial, social, and clinical information will allow hospitals to work ahead of problems rather than behind them.

Accounts Payable and Receivable↗
PubMed1990

Quality improvement programs can boost a hospital's image, bottom line.

To ensure customer satisfaction, hospitals must maintain the quality of services provided. This is especially true in a patient accounts department, which can have the greatest effect on a patient's perception of a hospital. A quality improvement program can identify problem areas and offer solutions meant to increase customer satisfaction and a hospital's bottom line.

Consumer Behavior↗