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Biomedical subjects

R Harris

Publications and source records attributed to R Harris.

At least 343 records · Page 19Linked to original sources
PubMed1986

Clinical studies of a new, low-dose formulation of metolazone for the treatment of hypertension.

Two multicenter, double-blind, randomized studies were performed to determine the antihypertensive efficacy and effects on laboratory values of a new, shorter-acting formulation of metolazone in patients with mild to moderate hypertension. After baseline placebo-control periods, 105 patients were randomly assigned to receive single daily doses of either placebo or 0.5, 1.0, or 2.0 mg of the new formulation of metolazone for six weeks in one study, and 164 patients were randomized to receive 0.5, 1.0, or 2.0 mg of the new formulation of metolazone or 2.5 mg of the older, long-acting metolazone in the other. Mean blood pressure reductions in all three metolazone groups were statistically and clinically significant. Blood pressures of 51% to 58% of patients in the 0.5-mg metolazone group were controlled (diastolic blood pressure less than 90 or a fall of greater than or equal to 10 mmHg from baseline). Reductions in mean serum potassium levels were dose-related. We conclude that 0.5 mg of metolazone is safe and effective therapy for hypertension; it will significantly reduce systolic and diastolic blood pressure and minimizes changes in laboratory test values.

Adult↗
PubMed1986

Late terminations of pregnancy following second trimester amniocentesis.

We sought information from 34 chromosome laboratories in Britain about the frequency during 1982 of late amniocentesis, late reports of prenatal diagnosis results and late resultant terminations of pregnancy. Thirty-one laboratories provided data on a total of 20 840 pregnancies. Gestational age at report was recorded in 14 795 and 510 subsequent terminations of pregnancy were recorded. The data were subdivided into three categories according to the primary indication for amniocentesis: (i) the detection of chromosomal abnormalities, (ii) risk of neural-tube defect, (iii) 'other' reasons. Overall 4.0% of diagnostic amniocenteses were performed at greater than or equal to 21 weeks, 12.7% of reports were made at greater than or equal to 22 weeks gestation, and 13.1% of terminations were performed at greater than or equal to 22 weeks. Late amniocentesis (greater than or equal to 21 weeks) occurred nearly five times more often when the primary indication was the detection of neural tube defects than when it was the detection of chromosomal abnormalities. Approximately two-thirds of 'late' terminations were performed after amniocentesis at greater than or equal to 19 weeks gestation. A total of 3896 (26.3%) of women undergoing prenatal diagnosis had to wait until greater than or equal to 21 weeks gestation before a report was available.

Abortion, Therapeutic↗
PubMed1985

High-performance liquid chromatographic investigations on some enzymes of papaya latex.

Papaya latex and commercial chymopapain have been examined by cation-exchange chromatography on a TSK SP 5PW column. Multiple components are observed and the resolution is superior to that obtained by low-pressure ion exchange. Most components display amidase activity. Fractions obtained from chymopapain by preliminary chromatography on SP-Sephadex have also been examined by the same procedure and by N-terminal and amino acid analysis. The results are consistent with the existence of chymopapain in multiple forms, the proportions of which alter. The chromatographic profile of chymopapain is influenced by the presence of cysteine in the sample.

Amino Acids↗
PubMed1985

The structural basis for C-banding. A scanning electron microscopy study.

The same C-banded human polymorphic chromosomes were observed in the light microscope (LM) and then in the scanning electron microscope (SEM) to investigate the structural changes produced by the C-banding technique. C-banded regions, which stained positively in LM, were highly condensed with tightly packed chromatin fibres, resembling non-banded chromosomes. In striking contrast, adjacent non-C-banded regions were represented by loosely arranged fibres, resembling G-banded chromosomes. The significance of these observations in relation to current theories on the effects of C-banding on chromosome structure is discussed.

Azure Stains↗
PubMed1985

Three-dimensional reconstruction from serial sections III. AUTOSCAN, a software package in FORTRAN for semiautomated photomicrography.

A FORTRAN program, called AUTOSCAN, is described. This program permits the collection of photomicrographic data from serial sections to be semiautomated. In essence the user defines a box around a microscopic field of interest. Then the program drives the stage incrementally in the x and y directions, taking photographs of contiguous subfields. The box is defined by the use of a joystick and the "return" key. That is, movements of a joystick cause the stage to translate in the x and y directions. When a corner of the object is reached, as defined by cross-hairs in the microscope eyepiece, the user hits the return key. Repetition of this process at each corner defines a "box" within which photographs are to be taken. AUTOSCAN then calculates the step size and the number of frames to be taken from the user-defined values for the magnification. The actual movements of the stage in the x and y directions and the photography are fully automated. Each frame of film has the x and y coordinates of the center of the subfield being photographed imprinted in one corner, along with other relevant data. The x and y coordinates permit the resultant information to be assembled correctly into a two-dimensional montage.

Computers↗
PubMed1985

Murder under hypnosis.

This article discusses the trial of a woman accused of murder in 1890 whose defence rested on the claim that she acted unconsciously under the hypnotic influence of her older lover. This relatively banal case brought together two rival schools of French psychiatry - that of J.-M. Charcot in Paris and that of Hippolyte Bernheim in Nancy - and provided a wide-ranging examination of views on the nature of unconscious mental activity as well as the social, political and professional implications that their theories on hypnotism and hysteria contained. Discussions on women's sexuality, family relations, crowd behaviour and political radicalism all played a part in the debate and are examined through the case study that the trial of Gabrielle Bompard permits. Moreover, the trial shed incidental light on the campaign by physicians against amateur healers and hypnotists whom they blamed for unleashing a wave of mass hysteria through their theatrical representations. The episode was one important element in the struggle for the passage of the law of 30 November 1892, which outlawed amateur practitioners and established the medical monopoly over healing in France.

Forensic Psychiatry↗
PubMed1985

Health beliefs, compliance, and control of diabetes mellitus.

The problem of compliance and control in the treatment of diabetic patients is widely recognized. However, compliance research is contradictory and impractical as a basis for intervention to improve the patient's adherence to his medical regimen. Health beliefs may provide an opportunity to intervene to improve compliance and control of the disease. In this study we examined the health beliefs of 93 male diabetic patients and correlated their beliefs with behavioral and physiologic measures of compliance gathered at a follow-up interview. The belief in severity of illness related to compliance. Health beliefs were better predictors of metabolic control than compliance itself. The study suggests that improving attitudes about care may be a means of directly influencing control of the disease.

Attitude to Health↗
PubMed1985

Successful renal transplantation of patients sensitized following deliberate unrelated blood transfusions.

One of the most powerful influences on cadaveric renal graft survival is the enhancing effect of blood transfusions from unrelated individuals (1, 2). However, the optimum number of transfusions required to achieve this effect remains controversial. Enhanced graft survival following only one or two transfusions has been observed (3), although graft survival has also been found to be better for multitransfused recipients (4). Extrapolating from their studies on mice, Wood et al. (5) suggested that only a very small volume of blood may induce the transfusion effect in humans. As the number of transfusions increases so does the risk of sensitizing the patient to produce lymphocytotoxic antibodies that may impair the chances of the patient receiving a crossmatch-negative kidney graft (6, 7). Thus the problem is to minimize the chance of sensitization while still maintaining the beneficial effect of blood transfusion.

Adolescent↗
PubMed1985

Expression of HLA class I alpha chain determinants by human X mouse hybrid T cells is correlated with HLA-beta 2m but not with H-2.

The expression of HLA class I alpha chains by clones derived from a human X mouse T-cell line containing human chromosomes 6 and 15 was analysed by immunofluorescence. Evidence is presented showing that the expression of HLA class I alpha chains is associated with HLA-beta 2m. This is based on the phenotypic and quantitative fluorescence flow cytometric analysis of a series of cloned hybrids. In contrast, HLA and H-2 class I determinants show no evidence of such correlation. Results of cell-sorting indicate that the loss of HLA class I alpha chain expression is due to phenotypic modulation, in addition to gene segregation.

Animals↗
PubMed1985

Arachidonic acid facilitates experimental chronic osteomyelitis in rats.

Arachidonic acid was used as a facilitating agent in experimental rat Staphylococcus aureus osteomyelitis and compared with the more commonly used agent, sodium morrhuate. The injection of arachidonic acid or sodium morrhuate and S. aureus into rat tibiae caused increased quantitative bacterial bone counts, gross bone pathology, roentgenographic changes, and weight loss. The doses required to produce these changes appeared to be lower for arachidonic acid.

Animals↗
PubMed1985

Investigation of human chromosome polymorphisms by scanning electron microscopy.

Human chromosome polymorphisms were investigated by scanning electron microscopy (SEM). Centromeric heterochromatin was of a constricted morphology. The extent of the C banded region was demarcated by a prominent circumferential groove in G banded chromosomes. Circumferential grooves were observed within the heterochromatin of chromosome 9, and the number of grooves present reflected the size of the region. Three dimensional viewing of satellites and short arms of acrocentric chromosomes, from different angles in the SEM, provided the opportunity for accurate assessment of the size of satellites to be made. Also, small morphological variations were defined in the SEM when definition was uncertain in the light microscope (LM).

Centromere↗
PubMed1985

Genetics and biochemical variability of variants of 21 hydroxylase deficiency.

In a population and family study we have examined the relationship between HLA types, classical congenital adrenal hyperplasia (CAH), and variants of 21 hydroxylase (21 OH) deficiency detected by increased blood levels of 17 hydroxyprogesterone (17 PO) in response to ACTH after overnight suppression with dexamethasone ('short Synacthen test'). In a non-CAH population, 7.7% of subjects were found to have raised 17 PO response suggesting reduced activity of 21 OH. Such subjects with raised 17 PO levels were designated simply as type 2 responders because the relationship with genotype was unknown. Post-ACTH levels of 17 PO were significantly greater in type 2 responders than in obligate carriers of CAH. A total of 2.5% of the population studied also had raised progesterone (PO) levels in the Synacthen test. HLA-A28 and B14 (in linkage disequilibrium) were significantly increased in frequency and HLA-B12 decreased in the type 2 responders. HLA-Bw47, which is known to be associated with CAH, was found only among obligate carriers of classical CAH. Because type 2 response and classical CAH are linked to HLA but are associated with different antigens, it is likely that they are determined by two (or more) alleles.

17-alpha-Hydroxyprogesterone↗
PubMed1985

Immunogenetic studies in families with rheumatoid arthritis and autoimmune thyroid disease.

HLA and Gm typing were carried out in 16 families. Seven families included 10 sib pairs with rheumatoid arthritis (RA) and autoimmune thyroid disease (ATD) respectively, and nine families included 16 sib pairs with RA and circulating thyroid autoantibodies respectively. Eight, 11, and seven sib pairs with either RA or clinical or immunological evidence of ATD shared none, one, and two HLA haplotypes respectively, and two, seven, and two informative sib pairs shared none, one, and two Gm haplotypes respectively. This random haplotype sharing of HLA and Gm haplotypes suggests that non-HLA, non-Gm linked genes are likely to be involved in any genetic predisposition common to RA and ATD.

Arthritis, Rheumatoid↗