Search PubMed⌕ Search

Biomedical subjects

S Ross

Publications and source records attributed to S Ross.

At least 181 records · Page 10Linked to original sources
PubMed1990

Effect of autolymphocyte therapy on survival and quality of life in patients with metastatic renal-cell carcinoma.

To assess the value of autolymphocyte therapy (ALT) in the treatment of metastatic renal-cell carcinoma, 90 patients were randomised to receive every month for six months oral cimetidine plus an infusion of autologous peripheral blood lymphocytes activated in vitro by a previously generated autologous lymphokine mixture, or cimetidine alone. The median follow-up was 15 months. Survival time for the autolymphocyte group was approximately 2.5 times that for the cimetidine group (p = 0.008). Patients who had greater than 500 pg interleukin-1 (IL-1) per ml autologous lymphokine mixture had a six-fold survival advantage over those with less than 500 pg/ml (p less than 0.00005). Men treated with ALT had a four-fold survival advantage (p = 0.001) over men who received cimetidine only. Infusion of the cultured autolymphocytes was accompanied by mild, self-limited fever in 11 of the 45 ALT patients, and by only one instance in which fever was accompanied by tachypnoea and hypotension.

Actuarial Analysis↗
PubMed1990

Differentiation of embryonic chick sympathetic neurons in vivo: ultrastructure, and quantitative determinations of catecholamines and somatostatin.

The ultrastructural and transmitter development of lumbar sympathetic ganglia was studied in embryonic day-6 through -18 chick embryos. At embryonic day 6, ganglia are populated by two morphologically distinct types of neuronal cells and Schwann cell precursors. The neuronal populations basically comprise a granule-containing cell and a developing principal neuron. Granule-containing cells have an irregularly shaped or oval nucleus with small clumps of chromatin attached to the inner nuclear membrane and numerous large (up to 300 nm) membrane-limited granules. Developing principal neurons display a more rounded vesicular nucleus with evenly distributed chromatin, prominent nucleoli, more developed areas of Golgi complexes, and rough endoplasmic reticulum and large dense-core vesicles up to 120 nm in diameter. There are granule-containing cells with fewer and smaller granules which still display the nucleus typical for granule-containing cells. These granule-containing cells may develop toward developing principal neurons or the resting state of granule-containing cells found in older ganglia. Both granule-containing cells and developing principal neurons proliferate and can undergo degeneration. At embryonic day 9 there are far more developing principal neurons than granule-containing cells. Most granule-containing cells have very few granules. Mitotic figures and signs of cell degeneration are still apparent. Synapse-like terminals are found on both developing principal neurons and granule-containing cells. Ganglionic development from embryonic day 11 through 18 comprises extensive maturation of developing principal neurons and a numerical decline of granule-containing cells. Some granule-containing cells with very few and small granules still persist at embryonic day 18. The mean catecholamine content per neuron increases from 0.044 femtomol at embryonic day 7 to 0.22 femtomol at embryonic day 15. Concomitantly, there is a more than 6-fold increase in tyrosine hydroxylase activity. Adrenaline has a 14% share in total catecholamines at embryonic day 15. Somatostatin levels are relatively high at embryonic day 7 (1.82 attomol per neuron) and are 10-fold reduced by embryonic day 15. Our results suggest the presence of two morphologically distinct sympathetic neuronal precursors at embryonic day 6: one with a binary choice to become a principal neuron or to die, the other one, a granule-containing cell, which alternatively may develop into a principal neuron, acquire a resting state or die.

Animals↗
PubMed1990

Problems in the investigational study and clinical use of cancer immunotherapy.

The last decade has witnessed a veritable explosion in the investigational study and clinical use of immunotherapy for the treatment of cancer. Although this is an exciting development, the promise of cancer immunotherapy has not yet been fulfilled. Why is there an apparent discrepancy between the theory of cancer immunotherapy and the actual results from clinical studies? Michael Osband and Susan Ross suggest that there are several basic problems with the clinical study and therapeutic use of immunotherapy that must be overcome before it can be considered a viable treatment for a broad range of tumors. The purpose of this article is to describe some of the more important of these problems.

Adjuvants, Immunologic↗
PubMed1990

Denatonium saccharide as an aversive stimulus in a conditioned taste aversion paradigm.

The ability of denatonium saccharide (DS) to function as an aversive stimulus for the rat was studied in a conditioned taste-aversion paradigm in two experiments. Exp. 1 assessed the effects of DS during a 30-min. access period when only a saccharin solution was available. Exp. 2 assessed the effects of DS during both a 10- and a 30-min. access period when a saccharin solution and free water were available. The results showed that DS did not attenuate saccharin consumption reliably over all test days. The effect was most apparent during the 10-min. interval when free water was available. These results, together with previous reports, suggest that DS appears to function as a weak aversive stimulus in the rat.

Animals↗
PubMed1990

Observations on PCBs and mercury in common loons (Gavia immer) collected from southwestern Lake Michigan.

The death of common loons (Gavia immer) was associated with a small spill of bunker-C oil off the Chicago shoreline of Lake Michigan. Petroleum oil was not found on the feathers or in the lungs of the birds. Botulinus toxins C and E were found in heart blood. Because the carcasses were autolysed, botulism toxins could have been produced postmortem. An average of 97 micrograms PCBs (Aroclor 1254 standard) and 2.2 micrograms dieldrin/g of body fat also were found. Concentrations of heavy metals in one bird were 0.25 microgram of total mercury and 0.5 microgram of lead/g of liver, respectively. The loons had abundant body fat suggesting they were not debilitated at the time of death.

Animals↗
PubMed1990

Orthopedic trauma: a family practice perspective.

It is well documented that residency-trained family physicians can effectively manage the majority of nonsurgical acute orthopedic injuries with a relatively small rate of consultation. The frequency of both fracture location and orthopedic review in our series are remarkably similar to the study from NRMC Charleston reported in 1981. Our program, however, is unique because of the comprehensive management, 3-year continuous training, and multidimensional educational experience. A critical element to the program is the excellent working relationship shared by the family practice and orthopedic departments. A clinic similar to the Davis Grant USAF Medical Center cast clinic could be implemented easily and would better train the family practice resident to manage nonsurgical orthopedic trauma.

Bone and Bones↗
PubMed1989

Irrational thinking and negative emotionality in college students and applicants for mental health services.

Although Rational-Emotive Therapy (RET) would posit that greater levels of irrationality and negative emotionality will be found in distressed persons, this basic hypothesis has never been examined. In this study, 60 normal university students and 45 new client applicants for mental health services completed the Survey of Personal Beliefs to assess irrational ideation and the Beck Depression Inventory, the State-Trait Anxiety Inventory, the State-Trait Anger Inventory, the Problematic Situations Questionnaire, and the Profile of Mood States to assess negative emotionality. As predicted, the clinical group was found to be more anxious (p less than .01), more depressed (p less than .01), more confused (p less than .01), less vigorous (p less than .05), and to report lower frustration tolerance (p less than .05) as compared to the normal group. Overall, clinical subjects did not show higher levels of irrational thinking. However, clinical subjects with high depression scores had significantly higher overall irrational ideation in contrast to those in the normal group with low depression scores (p less than .05). Finally, significant correlations were found between overall irrational ideation and Trait Anger (p less than .01) and between overall irrational ideation and Total Guilt (p less than .05). Because the clinical group was significantly older by 10 years, replication with a larger number of subjects of equal ages is recommended.

Adaptation, Psychological↗
PubMed1989

Tissue-specific and differentiation-specific expression of a human K14 keratin gene in transgenic mice.

A construct containing approximately 2500 base pairs (bp) of 5' upstream and approximately 700 bp of 3' downstream sequence was used to drive the expression of an intronless human K14 gene in vitro and in vivo. To track the expression of the gene, a small sequence encoding the antigenic portion of neuropeptide substance P was inserted in frame 5' to the TGA translation stop codon of the gene. Surprisingly, this gene was expressed promiscuously in a wide variety of cultured cells transiently transfected with the construct. In contrast, when introduced into the germ line of transgenic mice, the construct was expressed in a fashion analogous to the endogenous K14 gene--namely, in the basal layer of stratified squamous epithelia. Our results suggest that some regulatory mechanism is overridden as a consequence of transient transfection but that sequences that can control proper K14 expression are present in the construct. The appropriate tissue-specific and differentiation-specific expression of K14.P in transgenic mice is an important first step in characterizing a promoter that could be employed to drive the foreign expression of drug-related genes in the epidermis of skin grafts.

Animals↗
PubMed1989

Monophasic action potentials during reentrant atrial flutter in the dog: effects of clofilium and acetylcholine.

Monophasic action potentials (MAP) were recorded from canine atrium during reentrant flutter resulting from circus movement in atrial tissue above the tricuspid ring. A catheter and plaque contact electrodes were developed to record MAP from the epicardium or endocardium during sinus rhythm, paced rhythms, and flutter. The transmembrane action potential duration of tricuspid ring tissue also was studied in vitro. During flutter at cycle lengths of 140-160 ms, MAP showed incomplete repolarization. Pacing at comparable cycle lengths had a similar effect. Acetylcholine (10 micrograms/kg, i.v.) shortened MAP duration during pacing and, during flutter, decreased cycle length and increased MAP amplitude. Clofilium (500 micrograms/kg, i.v.) prolonged flutter cycle length by 18% and terminated the flutter within 30-120 s. During pacing at a cycle length of 300 ms, clofilium increased MAP duration and effective refractory period (ERP) by 30%. Transmembrane action potentials showed that clofilium (0.2 mg/L) modified only action potential duration. Conduction velocity was significantly decreased by clofilium during flutter but not during pacing at a cycle length of 300 ms. These data support the conclusion that in this model of flutter, the circus movement occurs in partially repolarized tissue. The circus movement can be accelerated by agents (acetylcholine) that reduce ADP, and slowed and terminated by agents (clofilium) that increase it.

Acetylcholine↗
PubMed1989

Note on color preference and color vision test performance.

The incidence of color deficient vision was investigated using the Pseudo-Isochromatic Plates on a relatively large and representative group. In the sample of 112 adults aged 20 to 80 yr. and comprised of 53% women and 12% minorities, 8% of men and 3% of women were color deficient. Over-all performance indicated no effects for sex or race. Nearly half of the plates were nondiscriminating among sex, minority/majority, and "normal" and "defective" color vision groups. Named color preferences within the "normal" group strongly favored blues and reflected no sex differences.

Adult↗
PubMed1989

The effect of dietary protein on the efficacy of L-dopa: a double-blind study.

We randomly placed 10 parkinsonian patients on high- and low-protein diets that tasted and looked alike, each for 1 week. All patients were taking L-dopa and carbidopa with or without other antiparkinson medications; medications remained unchanged. A "blind" physician recorded the modified Columbia scores, objective measurements of rigidity, movement velocity, and pegboard tests three times a day for 5 days during each week. The patients recorded fluctuations hour to hour. We measured serial blood L-dopa levels on day 4 of each week. Performance was significantly better while the patients were on low-protein diets. These results did not correlate with blood L-dopa levels, which had higher peaks in three patients while they were on high-protein diets despite inferior performance and increased number of "off" hours. Thus, high dietary protein probably affects the efficacy of L-dopa at a central level.

Antiparkinson Agents↗
PubMed1989

Quadriceps strength training using two forms of bilateral exercise.

The purpose of this study was to determine the effectiveness of quadriceps strength training in 15 women using bilateral constant resistance computerized exercise equipment that enabled only concentric contractions. To facilitate this investigation, data from an experimental control group (n = 14), using bilateral variable resistance exercise equipment which enables both concentric and eccentric muscle contractions, and a nonexercise control group (n = 17) were incorporated into the study design. Through a random selection process, subjects were assigned to one of three groups that participated in this 10-week study. Analysis, including univariate and multivariate statistical techniques, revealed no significant changes in strength between the two experimental groups. However, compared with the nonexercise group, there were significant increases in strength in the experimental exercise groups; yet, these increases were significant in both groups only on the right legs. In addition, the development of transient knee pain in two subjects engaged in both concentric and eccentric exercise training required their removal from the study. This finding, in concert with previous experimental evidence of an association between eccentric exercise and the development of transient pain, must be integrated into future studies. Results suggest that further investigation is necessary to reveal the neurologic or biomechanical factors which may result in unequal training stimuli to the limbs with bilateral strength training on various types of equipment.

Adult↗
PubMed1988

Thermic effect of food at rest and following swim exercise in trained college men and women.

The calorigenic effect of a liquid meal was studied in 8 (5 male, 3 female) lean, trained swimmers to assess the effect of swim exercise on dietary-induced thermogenesis. Metabolic rate was measured by indirect calorimetry under 3 conditions: (A) 4 h postexercise in the postabsorptive state; (B) 4 h of rest in the postprandial state, and (C) 4 h postexercise in the postprandial state. At 20 min postexercise metabolic rate had increased 22% over RMR; however, by 40 min postexercise it had returned to the preexercise level. Following both conditions B and C oxygen consumption (VO2) remained significantly elevated for 3 h. The mean rise in caloric expenditure was 24.8 kcal/h when exercise preceded the meal, compared to 20.2 kcal/h when exercise was not performed. This difference of approximately 18 kcal/4 h, although of negligible importance in short-term energy balance, could be significant in long-term energy regulation, and thus contribute to body weight control.

Adipose Tissue↗
PubMed1988

Hypermobility in hallux valgus.

Hypermobility has been implicated as one of the etiological components in common foot problems such as hallux valgus but has not been substantiated by experimental data. Twenty patients with symptomatic untreated hallux valgus and 20 controls were evaluated with a simple hypermobility scoring system. A statistically significant correlation was found to reveal that female patients aged 20 to 40 yr with symptomatic hallux valgus have a mild generalized hypermobility when compared to a similar group of control patients. The presence of such ligamentous laxity would seem to support the need for bony correction in such patients as soft tissue procedures would have a greater propensity for malalignment due to the underlying hypermobility in combination with everyday environmental stresses of trauma and overuse.

Adult↗