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Biomedical subjects

S Su

Publications and source records attributed to S Su.

87 records · Page 5Linked to original sources
PubMed1981

Prick testing for allergens standardized by using a precision needle.

A new standardized precision needle which virtually removes operator variation from skin prick testing with allergens is described. The instrument is simple and robust, and the results of its use are demonstrated. The most important finding was that the use of strong pollen extracts produced very inconsistent and irregular weals, but when suitably diluted, or used on mildly sensitive skins, reproducibility of the response was excellent and it is therefore ideal for titration of skin sensitivity and biological assessment of the potency of allergens. The standard needle was also compared with two other methods of skin prick testing. Results were similar but the standard needle showed the least variation.

Humans↗
PubMed1976

Abductor digiti quinti shuffleboard: a study in motor learning.

The purposes of this study were as follows: (1) to refine prior studies by investigating one muscle which provided all the agonistic motion involved in a novel motor task, (2) the pinpoint the exact time during which motor activity contributed to the final task, (3) to study the electrical changes that occurred in that one muscle as it developed skill, and (4) to compare the results of this study with the previous studies in this series. The muscle chosen for this study was the abductor digiti quinti of the nondominant hand and the novel task involved propelling a small plastic disk into a specific target area. Electromyography and cinematography were used in data collection. No statistically significant differences were found in prelearning and postlearning data with regard to electrical activity, movement time or range of movement. These results support a hypothesis earlier proposed by Payton to the effect that all the the agonists which contribute to a skilled performance begin as a relatively undifferentiated mass of muscle; as learning takes place the various elements of this muscle mass are differentiated into prime movers and auxiliaries. The electrical activity remains essentially the same in the prime movers while a marked reduction is seen in the auxiliary muscles. A reinterpretation of several earlier studies is suggested.

Adult↗
PubMedDate not supplied

Evaluation of a national Quit and Win contest: determinants for successful quitting.

BACKGROUND: Within the CINDI framework, a European "Quit and Win" contest was organized in 1994. In Finland the number of participants was 5,879 (0.6% of smokers). In the CINDI demonstration area, North Karelia (NK), the participants numbered 618 (2.0% of smokers). This study compared abstinence maintenance among the participants in NK with the rates found elsewhere in Finland and analyzed determinants for successful quitting. METHODS: A follow-up study was conducted 12 months after the quit date with a sample of 2,114 participants. Response rates of 67-68% were achieved (n = 1,419). The abstinence was assessed at 1, 6, and 12 months. Two estimates are presented: (1) the proportion of abstainers among the respondents and (2) the proportion of abstainers among the sample, considering all nonrespondents smokers. The determinants for maintenance of smoking cessation were analyzed with logistic regression. RESULTS: Using the first estimate, the rates at 1/6/12 months were 75/36/28% in NK and 70/28/21% elsewhere (P < 0.01). Using the second estimate, the corresponding rates were 50/24/19% in NK and 46/19/14% elsewhere. The most significant determinants for successful quitting were sex, age, marital status, level of withdrawal symptoms, previous quitting attempts, and support received. CONCLUSIONS: The recruitment of smokers and the maintained cessation were more successful in the demonstration area. The difference between areas was explained by differences in the combined professional and lay support and by the sex and age distributions.

Adult↗
PubMedDate not supplied

Molecular cloning of G1 phase mRNAs from a subtractive G1 phase cDNA library.

Many G1-phase-specific mRNAs have been identified from various normal or transformed cells based on serum induction and re-entry into the cell cycle from quiescence. However, these mRNAs may not represent some important genes expressed during G1 phase in continuously cycling cells. The eukaryotic cell cycle possesses two cdk (cyclin-dependent kinase) dependent regulatory gates through which cells pass during late G1 phase and G2 phase of each cycle. Subtractive hybridization was employed to synthesize a high R0t fraction cDNA library enriched in sequences expressed during G1 phase prior to passage through the G1-phase gate. To prepare G1-phase cells from continuously cycling cell populations, G1-phase HeLa cells were collected by centrifugal elutriation and highly synchronous S phase cells were obtained by double thymidine block followed by centrifugal elutriation. A G1-phase subtractive cDNA library was prepared by subtracting G1-phase cDNA with a 10-fold excess of S-phase mRNA. Single-stranded, G1-phase cDNAs were isolated by oligo(dA) chromatography. The library was screened with a high R0t fraction subtractive probe population. Following two rounds of screening, 20 positive clones were obtained. Northern blot analysis indicated that six of these clones were enhanced in expression level during G1 phase when compared with S phase. Nucleotide sequence comparison of each clone with the GenBank data base revealed that hG1.11 was highly homologous (99%) to the apoferritin light chain gene and clones hG1.6, hG1.10, hG1.17, and hG1.18 represented new G1-phase-enriched members of four human ribosomal protein gene families (71-95% homology). The last clone, hG1.1, encoded a highly charged polypeptide not previously identified. Additional study of these G1-phase-enriched mRNAs will be required to determine their role in cell cycle progression and the G1-phase gateway through which cells transit as they proceed through the cell cycle.

Actins↗
PubMedDate not supplied

An analysis of risk factor and survival in childhood acute lymphoblastic leukemia.

To study the survival and prognostic factor of childhood acute lymphoblastic leukemia, 78 newly-diagnosed cases between January 1982 and June 1987 in National Taiwan University Hospital were reviewed and analyzed. They were stratified into two groups, i.e. standard-risk (SR) and high-risk (HR), according to their pre-treatment leukocyte count and age. Following induction therapy, 97% of the SR patients and 80% of the HR patients attained complete remission. In the SR group, the 2- and 3-year failure-free survival rates were 37% and 24%, with a median survival of 16 months. In the HR group, failure-free survival at the second and third year were 11% and 4%, respectively, with a median survival of 5.3 months. Three factors are strongly related to induction failure, i.e. high leukocyte counts (greater than 50*10(9)/1), massive hepatomegaly and large lymph nodes. Univariate analysis of failure-free survival showed six variables with significant detrimental effects on eventual outcomes, i.e. high leukocyte counts (greater than 50*10(9)/1), meningeal leukemia, marked lymphadenopathy, age younger than 2 years and older than 10 years, massive hepatomegaly (greater than 6 cm), and high LDH level (greater than 800 u/1). However, statistical survival models should also determine the joint effects of the prognostic factors so that the relative importance of each factor can be assessed. High initial leukocyte count, disclosed by multivariate analysis, was the single most important factor detrimental to the continuance of complete remission (P = 0.0004). Preliminary results also revealed poor compliance and early relapse in this study. Possible causes of early failure are discussed. Conceptual education for family members, as well as management with effective cytoreductive therapies are urgently needed.

Analysis of Variance↗