Biomedical subjects
R Gallagher
Publications and source records attributed to R Gallagher.
DullRazor: a software approach to hair removal from images.
Recently, there has been a growing number of studies applying image processing techniques to analyze melanocytic lesions for atypia and possible malignancy and for total-body mole mapping. However, such lesions can be partially obscured by body hairs. None of these studies has fully addressed the problem of human hairs occluding the imaged lesions. In our previous study we designed an automatic segmentation program to differentiate skin lesions from the normal healthy skin, and learned that the program performed well with most of the images, the exception being those with hairs, especially dark thick hairs, covering part of the lesions. These thick dark hairs confused the program, resulting in unsatisfactory segmentation results. In this paper, we present a method to remove hairs from an image using a pre-processing program we have called DullRazor. This pre-processing step enables the segmentation program to achieve satisfactory results. DullRazor can be downloaded as shareware from http:/(/)www.derm.ubc.ca.
Use of herbal preparations for intractable cough.
Explore the source record for details and available documents.
Skin cancer epidemiology in 1996: the Third Symposium on the Epidemiology of Melanoma and Non-melanocytic Skin Cancer.
Explore the source record for details and available documents.
A new generation of oral contraceptives. What you need to know.
Explore the source record for details and available documents.
Multiple phenotypes associated with Myc-induced transformation of chick embryo fibroblasts can be dissociated by a basic region mutation.
Chimaeric alleles were constructed to assay the biological functions of an N-terminal deletion and C-terminal mutations which were found in a naturally occurring mutant of feline vMyc, T17. The mutant alleles were assayed for their ability to transform chick embryo fibroblasts in vitro by a number of criteria, namely the ability to induce morphological transformation, an accelerated growth rate and growth in soft agar. Feline cMyc could transform the avian cells, whilst T17 vMyc could not, and the N-terminal deletion was responsible for conferring the primary transformation defect on the mutant protein. The C-terminal mutations which consist of a point mutation adjacent to the nuclear localisation signal and a point mutation/amino acid insertion within the basic region (BR) could, however, dissociate the Myc-induced parameters of transformation. This effect was a specific function of the BR mutation alone, and the mutation could be transferred into avian cMyc with comparable biological consequences. The BR mutation did not disrupt the sequence specific DNA binding activity of the protein in vivo, despite exerting a biological effect. These data suggest a novel phenotype where the mutation may affect a subset of Myc-regulated genes through altered DNA binding specificity or protein-protein interactions.
Soft signs in children of parents with agoraphobia.
OBJECTIVE: To study a proposed relationship between anxiety disorders and neurological soft signs by determining whether children of agoraphobic parents would have an increased prevalence of soft signs compared to children of parents without agoraphobia. METHOD: Family study methodology was used to compare 25 children of agoraphobic adults and 25 age- and sex-matched children of nonagoraphobic adults on a structured soft signs examination and on structured psychiatric interviews. Also, soft signs of 12 agoraphobic adults were compared with soft signs of 16 control adults. RESULTS: Children of agoraphobic adults had significantly more right- and left-side motor slowness on finger tapping and hand patting (p values < .05) than did children of controls. Seventy-six percent of the children of agoraphobic adults had at least one slow motor sign, compared with 28% of the control children (p < .001). There were no significant differences in soft signs between agoraphobic and control adults. CONCLUSIONS: The study provides additional support for a relationship between soft signs and anxiety disorder.
Apparent uncoupling of oncogenicity from fibroblast transformation and apoptosis in a mutant myc gene transduced by feline leukemia virus.
The T17 v-myc oncogene was transduced by feline leukemia virus in a spontaneous feline T-cell lymphosarcoma. Molecular cloning and sequencing of the v-myc gene revealed several unique mutations, including a large deletion affecting amino acids 49 to 124 and a 3-bp insertion within the basic DNA binding domain which converts Leu-362 to Phe-Arg. The T17 lymphoma cell line was found to express a truncated 50-kDa Myc protein at exceptionally high levels, while the endogenous c-myc gene was not detectably expressed. These observations suggest that the mutant Myc product expresses an oncogenic function in T cells. Further evidence that the T17 mutant gene retains oncogenic potential was provided by its detection in clonally integrated proviruses in secondary tumors induced by feline leukemia virus T17, where no reversion mutations were found in any of three tumors examined. However, the mutant T17 v-myc gene did not induce transformation in a chicken embryo fibroblast assay, in contrast to wild-type feline c-myc, which conferred higher growth rates on the chicken fibroblasts, along with altered morphology and the ability to form foci in soft agar. Chicken cells over-expressing feline c-myc died by apoptosis when cultured with low serum concentrations, while the T17 mutant had no discernible effect. These results suggest that the leukemogenic potential of Myc can be uncoupled from its ability to cause transformation in fibroblasts. A possible explanation for this apparent paradox is that developing T cells are acutely sensitive to a subset of Myc functions which are insufficient for fibroblast transformation.
Organ transplantation at the Hartford Transplant Center.
Over 1,243 organ transplants have been performed at the Hartford Transplant Center over the past two decades. Survival in kidney, heart, liver, and pancreas patients is at or above the national average. Hartford was one of the first centers to use triple immunosuppression, which significantly improved survival in kidney transplantation. For recipients of kidneys from living related donors and cadaveric kidneys, two-year actuarial graft survival has been 98% and 83%, respectively, over the last five years. For heart and liver transplants, two-year survival has been 79% and 67%, respectively. Despite high success rates at most transplant centers, donor organs remain scarce. This problem needs to be addressed through increased cooperative efforts in the health-care community and the general public.
Altered retinoid dose-response of retinoic acid-resistant HL-60 cells.
Explore the source record for details and available documents.
The effects of graduate nurse education on clinical practice and career paths: a pilot study.
The recent proliferation of graduate courses in nursing has increased the need for educational administrators to evaluate the impact of such programmes on clinical practice and the career of participants. 40 registered nurses undertaking graduate studies were surveyed as a pilot for an extensive longitudinal study of their perception of the effects of study on work performance and career opportunities. Overall, positive effects were noted by respondents on their job satisfaction, self-esteem, professional thinking and career moves. Increases in professional behaviours such as mentoring, research and writing for publication were noted. Negative consequences were noted by a minority and were related to alterations to health status and increased levels of stress.
Comparison of dietary habits, physical activity and body size among Chinese in North America and China.
BACKGROUND: Chinese in North America have higher rates of many chronic diseases than do Chinese in Asia. However, there is a lack of data among comparisons of the environmental and lifestyle factors for Chinese in China and Chinese residing in North America. METHODS: We examined self-reported dietary nutrient intakes, physical activity patterns and body mass index of 2488 healthy Chinese men and women residing in North America (US and Canada) and in the People's Republic of China. RESULTS: On average, Chinese in China consumed more calories (males 2904 kcal in China, versus 2201 kcal in North America; females 2317 Kcal in China, versus 1795 Kcal in North America and more carbohydrate, but less fat (males 72.2 g in China versus 84.5 g in North America, females 56.6 g in China versus 70.8 g in North America), protein, vitamin A, beta-carotene and vitamin C than did Chinese in North America. Per cent calories from fat was 35% for Chinese in North America and 22% for Chinese in China. In contrast, the per cent of calories from carbohydrates was 62-68% in China and 48% in North America. Chinese in China reported spending more time in vigorous activity, sleeping and walking but less hours in sitting than Chinese in North America. Chinese in China weighted less and were leaner than North American Chinese. CONCLUSIONS: These differences in nutrient intakes, physical activity and body size of Chinese living on two different continents suggest possible explanations for observed differences in chronic disease rates in the two populations.
Significantly lower P-glycoprotein expression in acute promyelocytic leukemia than in other types of acute myeloid leukemia: immunological, molecular and functional analyses.
Expression of P-glycoprotein (Pgp), the product of the multidrug resistance (MDR1) gene, detected by flow cytometric analysis of the binding of antibody 4E3.16, was found on significantly fewer leukemic cells in 35 adult patients with de novo acute promyelocytic leukemia (APL) (mean 14.8%, median 7%) than in 184 patients with non-APL acute myeloid leukemia (AML) at diagnosis (mean 28.3%, median 18%) (p = 0.0038). APL was diagnosed based on morphology, the detection of t(15;17) and of the chimeric fusion transcript PML/RAR alpha by PCR. To further substantiate low MDR1 expression in APL, we studied cells from 11 APL patients at the molecular and functional level in comparison to 48 non-APL cases. The diagnosis of APL was associated with the absence of Pgp function by the rhodamine efflux assay (p = 0.0001). Furthermore, MDR1-specific transcript levels, determined by quantitative PCR with two distinct sets of primers, were significantly lower in mononuclear cells from the APL than the other AML cases (p = 0.013). The frequency of leukemic cells positive for CD34, an antigen presumably associated with Pgp expression in AML, was significantly lower in APL than other AMLs (p = 0.0001). In contrast to non-APL leukemias, those few cases of CD34 strongly positive APL neither expressed Pgp nor contained significant MDR1 transcript levels. Low expression of Pgp by APL cells may provide the biologic basis for the high sensitivity of this leukemia subtype to chemotherapeutic agents in vivo.
The immunophenotype of acute promyelocytic leukemia (APL): an ECOG study.
In 452 adult patients with de novo acute myeloid leukemia (AML), a series of 22 monoclonal antibodies was used to identify immunophenotypic characteristics of acute promyelocytic leukemia (APL) as compared to other AMLs (groups FAB M1/M2 and M4/M5). Only those patients with FAB M3 cytology were included in the analysis for which APL was confirmed by the presence of the t(15;17) cytogenetic aberration and the detection of the PML/RAR alpha gene fusion transcript by PCR amplification (35 cases). Significantly fewer APL blast cells were positive for the stem cell antigen, CD34 (p = 0.0001) as well as for HLA-DR (p < 0.0001). With respect to myeloid antigens, APLs less frequently expressed the myelomonocytic antigens, CD11b (p = 0.0001) and CD14 (p = 0.0013), whereas expression of CD33, a pan-myeloid marker, was more frequent in APL (p = 0.0001). CD15, the X-hapten carbohydrate structure (lacto-N-fucopentaose-III), typically expressed at the maturation stage of normal promyelocytes, was found to be sialylated on APL blasts as recognized by differential binding of the anti-CD15 antibodies, VIM-D5 (non-sialylated CD15) and VEP-9 (sialylated CD15). Expression of the T-cell associated CD7 antigen was rarer on APL than non-APL cells (p = 0.0001), as was that of the multidrug resistance P-glycoprotein (p = 0.0038). Marginal correlations existed between antigen profile (particularly CD2) and the type of PML/RAR alpha transcripts. In addition to its unique genotypic features, these data establish APL as a distinct immunophenotypic entity.
Ventilation-perfusion imaging in sarcoidosis: potential for nonembolic segmental mismatch.
We report a case of a postpartum female on oral contraceptives who presented with chest pain and was initially treated for pulmonary embolism on the basis of a lobar mismatch on ventilation-perfusion imaging. Subsequent angiography revealed that the pulmonary artery was extrinsically compressed. Gallium-67-citrate imaging documented sarcoidosis with uptake in bilateral hilar nodes, both lungs and parotid and salivary glands.
Immune reconstitution in severe combined immunodeficiency disease after lectin-treated, T-cell-depleted haplocompatible bone marrow transplantation.
We describe our 9-year experience with lectin-treated T-cell-depleted haplocompatible parental bone marrow transplantation (BMT) for 24 patients with severe combined immunodeficiency disease (SCID). Nineteen of 21 evaluable patients had T-cell engraftment; 2 of 11 patients tested had B-cell and monocyte engraftment. Fourteen of 24 (58%) patients are alive 7 months to 9.8 years post-BMT. Seventeen of 24 patients received pretransplant conditioning with chemotherapy and/or total body irradiation, and 8 of 24 received more than one transplant. Patients who received conditioning had a survival rate of 61% versus 57% for those who received no conditioning. None received graft-versus-host disease (GVHD) prophylaxis and no patient had acute or chronic GVHD greater than grade I. Kinetics and follow-up of immune recovery were analyzed in 14 patients who are greater than 1 year from transplant. Half of the patients showed evidence of T-cell function by 3 months and normal T-cell function by 4 to 7 months post-BMT. On average, T-cell numbers and subsets became normal 10 to 12 months posttransplant. Recovery of B-cell function was more delayed, although in most patients B-cell numbers and IgM levels were normal by 12 months post-BMT. B-cell function, as determined by isohemagglutinin titers or specific antibodies to pneumococcal polysaccharide, keyhole limpet hemocyanin, or tetanus toxoid, became normal in 10 of 14 patients 2 to 8 years post-BMT. Seven of the 14 are off gammaglobulin therapy. Production of isohemagglutinins tended to predict recovery of antibody response to pneumococcal polysaccharide (P < .064). Based on these results, we believe that haplocompatible BMT is an effective, curative treatment for patients with SCID who lack an HLA-matched related donor.
A comparative study of speech after total laryngectomy and total laryngopharyngectomy.
Quality of voice is an important factor in the consideration of treatment for advanced laryngeal cancer. This prospective study compared the speaking proficiency of patients who used the Blom-Singer valve after total laryngectomy and after total laryngopharyngectomy with jejunal graft reconstruction with that of a group of normal subjects. The total laryngectomy group demonstrated excellent communication ability both face-to-face and on the telephone. They exhibited superior scores for objective intelligibility, subjective intelligibility, acceptability, and intonation when compared with the total laryngopharyngectomy group. Both surgical groups produced similar amplitude and frequency parameters during normal conversation but had limited reserve when these functions were stressed. Despite these quantitative variations, patient acceptance was very high in both surgical groups. These results serve as a foundation for the evaluation and improvement of rehabilitation techniques.
Comparison of morphology and syntax in free narrative and structured tests: fluent vs. nonfluent aphasics.
Seven agrammatic Broca's and seven paragrammatic conduction aphasics were evaluated on a free narrative story elicitation test and on a structured, cross-modal morphology and syntax battery (MSB). The latter permitted comparison of the same set of morphosyntactic forms in both production and comprehension. Results suggests distinctive oral production profiles, with agrammatics inferior to paragrammatics in use of auxiliaries, verb inflection and passive word order. Only agrammatics commonly omitted articles or main verbs. The use of noun plurals and possessives did not discriminate between the groups. The two groups did not differ in level of performance on MSB comprehension subtests, and the order of difficulty among the comprehension subtests was unrelated to their difficulty for production. This suggests that the source of agrammatic production errors is independent of comprehension errors. The production of targeted constructions on the MSB, an easily scored instrument, closely paralleled production in free narrative.