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Biomedical subjects

S Wilson

Publications and source records attributed to S Wilson.

At least 37 records · Page 2Linked to original sources
PubMed2001

Attitudes toward parenting strategies, potential for child abuse, and parental satisfaction of ethnically diverse low-income U.S. mothers.

Among a sample of 176 low-income mothers from 3 ethnic groups in the United States, the authors investigated ethnic differences in attitudes toward preferred parenting strategies, or styles; ethnic differences in the potential for child abuse; and the relationship between parenting strategies, the potential for child abuse, and parental satisfaction. They distributed the Maternal Reactions to Child's Deviant Behavior subscale (K. M. Rickard, W. Graziano, & R. Forehand, 1984), a shortened version of the Child Abuse Potential Inventory (CAPI; J. S. Milner & R. C. Wimberley, 1979), and a Parental Satisfaction Scale (N. P Medora, S. M. Wilson, & J. Larson, 1996) to the participants. The results indicated no significant ethnic differences in preferred parenting styles. Mothers from all 3 ethnic groups ranked praise and reasoning as the 1st and 2nd preferred parenting strategies. There were no ethnic differences in the perceived potential for child abuse. Parental satisfaction was negatively related to 2 of the CAPI subscales--Loneliness and Problems. The parenting strategy reasoning was positively correlated with parental satisfaction.

Adolescent↗
PubMed2001

Molecular basis of the anaerobic response in plants.

The response of plants to flooding is complex and involves the induction of specific gene sets. A multidisciplinary approach by several research teams has led to a reasonably good understanding of the low oxygen response, and many of the genes and proteins that are involved are known. But the factors that are critical in determining tolerance or intolerance remain unknown. Microarray technology offers renewed hope to unravel the complex changes in gene expression occurring in plants upon low oxygen treatment and what mechanisms are involved in the response.

Adaptation, Physiological↗
PubMed2001

Fertility-sparing surgery, with subsequent pregnancy, in persistent gestational trophoblastic neoplasia: case report.

Gestational trophoblastic neoplasia (GTN) is primarily a disease of women of reproductive age. In most instances, it is cured by surgical evacuation of the uterus, with persistent disease being very sensitive to chemotherapy. Hysterectomy, recommended for persistent chemotherapy-resistant uterine disease, may be unacceptable to the woman who wishes to maintain her fertility. Uterine resection of localized disease, with uterine reconstruction, may be a viable alternative. A case is presented of a woman with persistent uterine GTN, treated with localized uterine resection and reconstruction, followed by two successful pregnancies and deliveries. The literature is reviewed and potential pregnancy complications of this management, particularly uterine rupture, are discussed.

Adult↗
PubMed2001

Trauma case management and clinical pathways: prospective evaluation of their effect on selected patient outcomes in five key trauma conditions.

BACKGROUND: This study evaluated the implementation of clinical pathways and case management between July 1998 and July 1999 in five key trauma conditions: severe head injury, fractured ribs, fractured pelvis, blunt abdominal trauma, and fractured femurs presenting to a single trauma service. METHODS: Thirteen key elements of care with expected outcomes were defined for each key trauma condition. Deviations from expected outcome were defined as variances. Attainment of the expected outcomes was measured before (stage 1) and after introduction (stages 2 and 3) of clinical pathways and case management. Nonattained outcomes were quantified and categorized into time of occurrence, and relationship to staff, patient, or system. RESULTS: Two hundred thirty-five patients were studied, with a mean age of 41.8 (SD, 20.6) years and mean Injury Severity Score (ISS) of 11.7 (SD, 11.0). The mean number of observed variances per patient for stage 1 was 51.7 (SD, 43.5); stage 2, 42.3 (SD, 32.9); and stage 3, 23.2 (SD, 21.7) (p = 0.0001 for both stage 1 and stage 2 compared with stage 3). There was a significant improvement in outcomes achieved from stage 1 (92.7%; 95% confidence interval, 92.5-92.9%), to stage 3 (96.7%; 95% confidence interval, 96.5-96.9%). Of the total number of variances seen, 0.2% related to system errors, 25% related to patient factors, and 75.8% related to staff. The proportion of staff-related variances was significantly reduced in stage 3. CONCLUSION: Clinical pathways and case management identified areas in need of remedial action and improved the delivery of patient care to our trauma population. It has set a template for the future management of our trauma service.

Abdominal Injuries↗
PubMed2001

Analysis of the C-terminal tail of the rat thyrotropin-releasing hormone receptor-1 in interactions and cointernalization with beta-arrestin 1-green fluorescent protein.

Coexpression of the rat thyrotropin releasing hormone receptor-1 with beta-arrestin 1-green fluorescent protein (GFP) in human embryonic kidney 293 cells results in agonist-dependent translocation of the arrestin to the plasma membrane followed by its cointernalization with the receptor. Truncations of the receptor C-terminal tail from 93 to 50 amino acids did not alter this. Truncations to fewer than 47 amino acids prevented such interactions and inhibited but did not fully eliminate agonist-induced internalization of the receptor. Deletion and site-directed mutants of the C-terminal tail indicated that separate elimination of a potential casein kinase II phosphorylation site or clathrin/clathrin adapter motifs was insufficient to prevent either internalization of the receptor or its cointernalization with beta-arrestin 1-GFP. Alteration of sites of acylation reduced internalization and prevented interactions with beta-arrestin 1-GFP. Combinations of these mutants resulted in lack of interaction with beta-arrestin 1-GFP and a 10-fold reduction in internalization of the receptor. Despite this, the receptor construct that lacked the three protein sequence motifs was fully functional. These studies map sites that contribute the interactions of the thyrotropin releasing hormone receptor-1 C-terminal tail required for effective contacts with beta-arrestin 1-GFP and indicate key roles for these interactions in agonist-induced internalization of the receptor.

Amino Acid Motifs↗
PubMed2001

Cloning, expression, and pharmacological characterization of a novel human histamine receptor.

Using a genomics-based reverse pharmacological approach for screening orphan G-protein coupled receptors, we have identified and cloned a novel high-affinity histamine receptor. This receptor, termed AXOR35, is most closely related to the H3 histamine receptor, sharing 37% protein sequence identity. A multiple responsive element/cyclic AMP-responsive element-luciferase reporter assay was used to identify histamine as a ligand for AXOR35. When transfected into human embryonic kidney 293 cells, the AXOR35 receptor showed a strong, dose-dependent calcium mobilization response to histamine and H3 receptor agonists including imetit and immepip. Radioligand binding confirmed that the AXOR35 receptor was a high-affinity histamine receptor. The pharmacology of the AXOR35 receptor was found to closely resemble that of the H3 receptor; the major difference was that (R)-alpha-methylhistamine was a low potency agonist of the AXOR35 receptor. Thioperamide is an antagonist at AXOR 35. Expression of AXOR35 mRNA in human tissues is highest in peripheral blood mononuclear cells and in tissues likely to contain high concentrations of blood cells, such as bone marrow and lung. In situ hybridization analysis of a wide survey of mouse tissues showed that mouse AXOR35 mRNA is selectively expressed in hippocampus. The identification and localization of this new histamine receptor will expand our understanding of the physiological and pathological roles of histamine and may provide additional opportunities for pharmacological modification of these actions.

Amino Acid Sequence↗
PubMed2001

Cluster randomised controlled trial comparing the effectiveness and cost-effectiveness of two primary care interventions aimed at improving attendance for breast screening.

OBJECTIVES: To examine the effectiveness and cost-effectiveness of two interventions based in primary care aimed at increasing uptake of breast screening. SETTING: 24 General practices with low uptake in the second round of screening (below 60%) in north west London and the West Midlands, UK. Participants were all women registered with these practices and eligible for screening in the third round. METHODS: Pragmatic factorial cluster randomised controlled trial, with practices randomised to a systematic intervention (general practitioner letter), an opportunistic intervention (flag in women's notes prompting discussion by health professionals), neither intervention, or both. Outcome measures were attendance for screening 6 months after the practices had been screened and cost-effectiveness of the interventions. RESULTS: 6,133 Women were included: 1,721 control; 1,818 letter; 1,232 flag; 1,362 both interventions. Attendance data were obtained for 5,732 (93%) women. The two interventions independently increased breast screening uptake in a logistic regression model adjusted for clustering, with the flag (odds ratio (OR) 1.43, 95% confidence interval (95% CI) 1.14 to 1.79; p=0.0019) marginally more effective than the letter (OR 1.31, 95% CI 1.05 to 1.64; p=0.015). Health service costs per additional attendance were 26 pounds (letter) and 41 pounds (flag). CONCLUSIONS: Although both interventions increased attendance for breast screening, the letter was the more cost-effective. Any decision to implement both interventions rather than just the letter will depend on whether the additional (41 pounds) costs are judged worthwhile in terms of the gains in breast screening uptake.

Breast Neoplasms↗
PubMed2001

Improving attendance for breast screening among recent non-attenders: a randomised controlled trial of two interventions in primary care.

OBJECTIVES: To examine the effectiveness and cost-effectiveness of two primary care based interventions aimed at increasing breast screening uptake for women who had recently failed to attend. SETTING: 13 General practices with low uptake in the second round of breast screening (below 60%) in north west London and the West Midlands, United Kingdom. Participants were women in these practices who were recent non-attenders for breast screening in the third round. METHODS: Pragmatic factorial randomised controlled trial, with people randomised to a systematic intervention (general practitioner letter), an opportunistic intervention (flag in women's notes prompting discussion by health professionals), neither intervention, or both. Outcome measures were attendance for screening 6 months after randomisation and cost-effectiveness of the interventions. RESULTS: 1,158 Women were individually randomised as follows: 289 control; 291 letter; 290 flag; 288 both interventions. Attendance was ascertained for 1,148 (99%) of the 1,158 women. Logistic regression adjusting for the other intervention and practice produced an odds ratio (OR) for attendance of 1.51 (95% confidence interval (95% CI 1.02 to 2.26; p=0.04) for the letter, and 1.39 (95% CI 0.93 to 2.07; p=0.10) for the flag. Health service costs/ additional attendance were 35 pounds (letter) and 65 pounds (flag). CONCLUSIONS: Among recent non-attenders, the letter was effective in increasing breast screening attendance. The flag was of equivocal effectiveness and was considerably less cost-effective than the letter.

Adult↗
PubMed2001

The "burden of normality": concepts of adjustment after surgery for seizures.

OBJECTIVES: To conceptualise the process of adjustment provoked by the sudden alleviation of chronic epilepsy by temporal lobectomy. On being rendered seizure free, the process of adjustment primarily depends on the patient's capacity to discard roles associated with chronic epilepsy and to learn to become well. This can involve a reconceptualisation of the patient's identity from chronically ill to "cured", and can give rise to a constellation of psychological, affective, behavioural, and sociological features characterised as the "burden of normality". METHODS: This is a theoretical inquiry that documents the clinical phenomenology of the burden of normality by classifying its key psychological and psychosocial features. The model of adjustment is presented in the context of previous outcome research on surgery for seizures, providing a conceptual link between practice based rehabilitation measures of outcome and multidimensional constructs, such as health related quality of life. RESULTS: The model represents a process oriented, theoretical framework for comprehensively measuring outcome after life changing medical interventions. It has implications for clinical practice, including the identification of preoperative predictors of outcome and informing appropriate management and rehabilitation of patients. CONCLUSION: This model of outcome after temporal lobectomy may ultimately be applicable to the treatment of other chronic conditions.

Epilepsy↗
PubMed2001

Changes in regional cerebral blood flow elicited by craving memories in abstinent opiate-dependent subjects.

OBJECTIVE: The brain circuitry of opiate craving was investigated with positron emission tomography (PET) imaging of regional cerebral blood flow (rCBF). METHOD: Twelve abstinent opiate-dependent subjects listened to audiotaped autobiographical scripts of an episode of craving and a neutral episode while undergoing a PET scan with the tracer [(15)O]H(2)O. Statistical parametric mapping was used to analyze the PET images of rCBF changes. RESULTS: Comparison of the drug-related and neutral stimulus conditions revealed activation of rCBF in the left medial prefrontal and left anterior cingulate cortices and deactivation in the occipital cortex in response to the drug-related stimulus. A further statistical parametric mapping analysis with a subjective rating of craving as a covariate showed a positive association of between craving and rCBF in the left orbitofrontal cortex. CONCLUSIONS: The patterns of cerebral activation reflect the different brain regions mediating the salience of opiate-related stimuli and the subjective experience of craving for opiates.

Adult↗
PubMed2001

"War stories": AIDS prevention and the street narratives of drug users.

The day-to-day discourse of illicit drug users is replete with stylized narratives of street experience. These "war stories," as they are popularly known, are shared among drug users as they hustle for money, purchase drugs, get high, and hang out in diverse street locations. Drug-user narratives, which describe complex adventures and grave suffering, are primary ethnographic sources of information about patterns of drug consumption and risk behaviors. Importantly, in the time of AIDS, street narratives provide a much-needed window on the generally hidden lives of socially marginalized street drug users. As part of an effort to put the analysis of drug-user war stories to use in HIV prevention, in this article the authors analyze a corpus of street narratives told to members of an HIV-prevention research team in Hartford, Connecticut.

Adaptation, Psychological↗
PubMed2001

Prevalence of penicillin-resistant Streptococcus pneumoniae in Kuwait.

The worldwide incidence of penicillin-resistant Streptococcus pneumoniae has increased at an alarming rate during the past decade. However, there has been little published data about the extent of this problem in Kuwait. The present study was undertaken to ascertain the preponderance of S. pneumoniae, either resistant or intermediate-resistant to penicillin, other beta-lactams and non-beta-lactam antimicrobials in Kuwait. Two hundred and fifty fresh isolates from as many patients suffering from different clinical conditions were collected from all clinics and hospitals in Kuwait. Optochin sensitivity and bile solubility tests reconfirmed these. Susceptibility testing to penicillin, ampicillin, cefuroxime, ceftriaxone, cefotaxime, imipenem, erythromycin, chloramphenicol, ciprofloxacin and vancomycin was done using E-test strips and to oxacillin, tetracycline, trimethoprim and amoxicillin-clavulanate by disc diffusion technique. Full and intermediate resistance to penicillin was observed in 1.6% and 52.8% of the isolates respectively. Full resistance to third-generation cephalosporins ranged from 0.4% to 3.2%, however, intermediate resistance to these antibiotics varied between 18.8% and 21.2%. Ampicillin resistance was noted in 0.8%, but 40.4% of isolates were intermediately resistant. However, only 0.4% of the isolates showed either intermediate or full resistance to amoxicillin-clavulanate. Resistance to imipenem was observed in 0.4% and intermediate to 13.6% of the organisms. The rates of S. pneumoniae resistant to chloramphenicol, erythromycin, tetracycline and trimethoprim were between 8.4% and 37.6% and intermediate resistance between 1.2% and 17.6% while only 0.4% showed resistance to ciprofloxacin and none to vancomycin. Multiresistance to both beta-lactam and non-beta-lactam antibiotics was observed in 52% of the penicillin-resistant isolates.

Drug Resistance, Multiple↗
PubMed2001

Neuropsychological function in patients with chronic fatigue syndrome, multiple sclerosis, and depression.

Patients with chronic fatigue syndrome (CFS), multiple sclerosis (MS), and major depression were compared with controls and with each other on a neuropsychological battery that included standard neuropsychological tests and a computerized set of tasks that spanned the same areas of ability. A total of 101 participants were examined, including 29 participants with CFS, 24 with MS, 23 with major depressive disorder, and 25 healthy controls. There were significant differences among the groups in 3 out of 5 cognitive domains: memory, language, and spatial ability. Assessment of psychiatric symptoms indicated that all 3 patient groups had a higher prevalence of depression than the controls. A total measure of psychiatric symptomatology also differentiated the patients from the controls. After covarying the cognitive test scores by a measure of depression, the patient groups continued to differ from controls primarily in the area of memory. The findings support the view that the cognitive deficits found in CFS cannot be attributed solely to the presence of depressive symptomatology in the patients.

Adult↗
PubMed2001

Eph signalling functions downstream of Val to regulate cell sorting and boundary formation in the caudal hindbrain.

Rhombomeres are segmental units of the developing vertebrate hindbrain that underlie the reiterated organisation of cranial neural crest migration and neuronal differentiation. valentino (val), a zebrafish homologue of the mouse bzip transcription factor-encoding gene, kreisler, is required for segment boundary formation caudal to rhombomere 4 (r4). val is normally expressed in r5/6 and is required for cells to contribute to this region. In val(-) mutants, rX, a region one rhombomere in length and of mixed identity, lies between r4 and r7. While a number of genes involved in establishing rhombomeric identity are known, it is still largely unclear how segmental integrity is established and boundaries are formed. Members of the Eph family of receptor tyrosine kinases and their ligands, the ephrins, are candidates for functioning in rhombomere boundary formation. Indeed, expression of the receptor ephB4a coincides with val in r5/6, whilst ephrin-B2a, which encodes a ligand for EphB4a, is expressed in r4 and r7, complementary to the domain of val expression. Here we show that in val(-) embryos, ephB4a expression is downregulated and ephrin-B2a expression is upregulated between r4 and r7, indicating that Val is normally required to establish the mutually exclusive expression domains of these two genes. We show that juxtaposition of ephB4a-expressing cells and ephrin-B2a-expressing cells in the hindbrain leads to boundary formation. Loss of the normal spatial regulation of eph/ephrin expression in val mutants correlates not only with absence of boundaries but also with the inability of mutant cells to contribute to wild-type r5/6. Using a genetic mosaic approach, we show that spatially inappropriate Eph signalling underlies the repulsion of val(-) cells from r5/6. We propose that Val controls eph expression and that interactions between EphB4a and Ephrin-B2a mediate cell sorting and boundary formation in the segmenting caudal hindbrain.

Animals↗
PubMed2001

Hypoglycemia activates orexin neurons and selectively increases hypothalamic orexin-B levels: responses inhibited by feeding and possibly mediated by the nucleus of the solitary tract.

Orexins are novel appetite-stimulating peptides expressed in the lateral hypothalamic area (LHA), and their expression is stimulated by hypoglycemia in fasted rats. We investigated activation of orexin and other neurons during insulin-induced hypoglycemia using the immediate early gene product Fos. Insulin (50 U/kg) lowered plasma glucose by >50% after 5 h and stimulated feeding sixfold compared with saline-injected controls. Hypoglycemic rats allowed to feed and normoglycemic controls both showed sparse Fos-positive (Fos+) neurons in the LHA and the paraventricular nucleus (PVN) and arcuate nucleus (ARC) and showed none in the nucleus of the solitary tract (NTS), which relays visceral feeding signals to the LHA. In the LHA, total numbers of Fos+ neurons were comparable in fed hypoglycemic and control groups (60 +/- 6 vs. 52 +/- 4 cells/mm2, P > 0.05), as were Fos+ neurons immunoreactive for orexin (1.4 +/- 0.4 vs. 0.6 +/- 0.4 cells/mm2, P > 0.05). By contrast, hypoglycemic rats that were fasted showed significantly more Fos+ nuclei in the LHA (96 +/- 10 cells/mm2, P < 0.05, vs. both other groups) and Fos+ orexin neurons (8.4 +/- 3.3 cells/mm2, P < 0.001, vs. both other groups). They also showed two- to threefold more Fos+ nuclei (P < 0.001) in the PVN and ARC than both fed hypoglycemic rats and controls and showed strikingly abundant Fos+ neurons in the NTS and dorsal motor nucleus of the vagus. In parallel studies, whole hypothalamic orexin-A levels were not changed in hypoglycemic rats, whether fasted or freely fed, whereas orexin-B levels were 10-fold higher in hypoglycemic fasted rats than in control and hypoglycemic fed groups. These data support our hypothesis that orexin neurons are stimulated by falling glucose levels but are readily inhibited by signals related to nutrient ingestion and suggest that they may functionally link with neuronal activity in the NTS. Orexin-A and -B may play specific roles in behavioral or neuroendocrine responses to hypoglycemia.

Animals↗
PubMed2001

Effects of the angiotensin converting enzyme inhibitor benazepril in cats with induced renal insufficiency.

OBJECTIVE: To determine effects of the angiotensin converting enzyme inhibitor benazepril in cats with induced renal insufficiency. ANIMALS: 32 cats. PROCEDURE: Renal mass was surgically reduced, and cats were assigned to 1 of 4 eight-cat groups. Group 1 received placebo, whereas groups 2, 3, and 4 received benazepril hydrochloride orally once daily for approximately 6.5 months at the following doses: group 2, 0.25 to 0.50 mg/kg of body weight; group 3, 0.50 to 1.00 mg/kg; and group 4, 1.00 to 2.00 mg/kg. Arterial blood pressures, glomerular filtration rate (GFR), and renal plasma flow were determined before treatment and during the treatment period. Other determinants of renal hemodynamics were measured by use of micropuncture techniques. Renal biopsy specimens were examined microscopically. RESULTS: Compared with cats that received placebo, mean systolic arterial blood pressure was significantly less and GFR significantly greater in cats that received benazepril. Glomerular capillary pressure and the ratio of efferent to afferent arteriolar vascular resistance were also significantly less in treated cats. However, histologic differences in renal specimens were not detected. CONCLUSIONS AND CLINICAL RELEVANCE: Treatment with benazepril sustained single nephron GFR in remnant nephrons of cats with induced renal insufficiency. Administration of benazepril was also associated with a small but significant reduction in degree of systemic hypertension and an increase in whole kidney GFR. Benazepril may be an effective treatment to slow the rate of progression of renal failure in cats with renal disease.

Angiotensin-Converting Enzyme Inhibitors↗
PubMed2001

A novel assay for fungal ketol-isomerase activity.

2-Deoxy-D-glucose-6-phosphate ketol-isomerase (EC 2.6.1.16) forms glucosamine-6-phosphate and glutamate from fructose-6-phosphate and glutamine and plays an important role in chitin synthesis in fungi. We have established a new assay for fungal ketol-isomerase activity that is amenable to high throughput screening to identify enzyme inhibitors. Aspergillus fumigatus crude lysate was incubated with substrates and after incubation, reactions were terminated. Glutamate dehydrogenase, nitro blue tetrazolium chloride, phenazine methosulfate and beta-NAD were added and the amount of glutamate formed by ketol-isomerase activity was determined by measuring OD585nm. A feedback inhibitor, UDP-N-acetylglucosamine, of fungal ketol-isomerase was successfully detected by this assay (IC50=0.48 mM). In a pilot scale screening, an active extract from an extremophilic bacterium was found, and the extract showed antifungal activity against A. fumigatus, Candida albicans and C. glabrata.

Antifungal Agents↗