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PubMed2002

Personal narratives as maps of the social ecosystem.

Research and theory on the development and function of autobiographical narratives are reviewed and synthesized in this discussion article. In our synthesis, these stories are viewed as summaries of long-term and recent historical experiences describing patterns of social contingencies in the narrator's relationships with a variety of people. The pattern, extending from past to present, is assumed to serve a map function for the narrator, guiding this observer's deliberate study of personal social interactions in the here and now. Clarity of the pattern is thought to depend on how well the narrative is structured along dimensions of coherence and richness, characteristics amenable to change through the constructive feedback of listeners. Ways in which clarity is enhanced through natural changes in narrative structure are highlighted as relevant processes for clinical work with adults, adolescents, and children.

Adult↗
PubMed2003

Preserved ability to recognize keywords related to remote events in the absence of retrieval of relevant knowledge: a case of postencephalitic amnesia.

We describe a case of severe anterograde and retrograde amnesia resulting from herpes simplex encephalitis. Magnetic resonance imaging revealed pathological changes in the bilateral hippocampi, parahippocampal gyri, fusiform gyri, medial temporal poles, posterior part of the cingulate gyri, and insula. The patient showed severe amnesia for autobiographical episodic memory in relation to events that had occurred throughout her life, but temporally graded amnesia for autobiographical semantic memory, and severe amnesia without a temporal gradient for public events and famous people. However, using a multiple-choice method, she showed a high level of accuracy when choosing keywords related to public or personal events, although this did not prompt her recollection of the events. An important indication of these results is that, even with severe retrograde amnesia, memories of past events are not completely lost. We propose that an event may be stored in a fragmented form, consisting of many components, and that normal recall of an event may require recombination or reconstruction of these components.

Amnesia↗
PubMed2003

Preservation of autobiographical memory in a case of pure progressive amnesia.

G.D., a 79 year-old female, presents with a severe and slowly progressive amnesia although she remains entirely independent in daily life and is perfectly well spatially oriented. Her amnesia is relatively isolated and her deficit does not embrace other cognitive domains. G.D. underwent extensive neuropsychological evaluation including language, executive functions, perceptual, and memory tests. Based on clinical observation, the purpose of this study was to determine whether there was a dissociation between her autobiographical and semantic memory. Results point out a severely degraded semantic knowledge of famous public events and persons while autobiographical memory of personally experienced and relevant information remains intact. Results from this study and from previous studies seem to suggest that relative sparing of hippocampal structures may be related to the preservation of autobiographical memory.

Aged↗
PubMed2000

The unfolding of our understanding of RNA structure: a personal reflection.

In this article, I review how our research on RNA began, how it led us to demonstrate the single-stranded nature of RNA, and the ways in which it differs from double-stranded DNA. It was based on the development of a method for the isolation of undegraded rRNA and the observation that in rRNA preparations due to their viscosity behavior resemble a flexible, contractile coil. In support of this assumption, birefringence of flow measurements showed that rRNA solutions gave moderate positive values, which disappeared upon addition of salt. This is in contrast with DNA solutions where considerable negative birefringence persists even in the presence of salt. Further studies on RNA showed a close correlation of the ionic strength dependencies of optical rotation, optical density and hydrodynamic properties. These early results indicated that rRNA and tRNA possess a significant secondary structure. I then review the basis of the hairpin model for the secondary structure of RNA and finally, summarize current understanding of the tertiary structure of RNA.

History, 20th Century↗
PubMed2003

Dielectric behavior and atomic structure of serum albumin.

After 1946, serum albumin was available for studies. Its residue sequence and internal disulfide bonding was developed by 1976. We began to make dielectric dispersion studies and apply Perrin's equations for rotational relaxation times around the two axes of revolution in 1938. These data indicated that albumin should have an elongated shape. In 1992 atomic structure data indicated the molecule was heart-shaped. A similar 1998 study of albumin complexed with fatty acid showed that the molecule was substantially rearranged. We found that the dielectric constant of albumin solutions was sensitive to fatty acid content, making this property an attractive probe in stop-flow kinetic studies. Such studies show that the fatty acid reaction is a two-step process. The fatty acid first binds to exterior sites in a diffusion-limited second order reaction complete in 1 ms. Then a first order rearrangement reaction with approximately 400 ms half-life follows. Thus the highly specialized serum albumin sequence of amino acid residues determines not only the structure of the unligated molecule, but also the distinctive structures of the numerous multiligated molecules.

Animals↗
PubMed2000

Biological effects of ultrasound: development of safety guidelines. Part I: personal histories.

After the end of World War II, advances in ultrasound (US) technology brought improved possibilities for medical applications. The first major efforts in this direction were in the use of US to treat diseases. Medical studies were accompanied by experiments with laboratory animals and other model systems to investigate basic biological questions and to obtain better understanding of mechanisms. Also, improvements were made in methods for measuring and controlling acoustical quantities such as power, intensity and pressure. When diagnostic US became widely used, the scope of biological and physical studies was expanded to include conditions for addressing relevant safety matters. In this historical review, a major part of the story is told by 21 investigators who took part in it. Each was invited to prepare a brief personal account of his/her area(s) of research, emphasizing the "early days," but including later work, showing how late and early work are related, if possible, and including anecdotal material about mentors, colleagues, etc.

History, 20th Century↗
PubMedDate not supplied

The physics of symbols: bridging the epistemic cut.

Evolution requires the genotype-phenotype distinction, a primeval epistemic cut that separates energy-degenerate, rate-independent genetic symbols from the rate-dependent dynamics of construction that they control. This symbol-matter or subject-object distinction occurs at all higher levels where symbols are related to a referent by an arbitrary code. The converse of control is measurement in which a rate-dependent dynamical state is coded into quiescent symbols. Non-integrable constraints are one necessary condition for bridging the epistemic cut by measurement, control, and coding. Additional properties of heteropolymer constraints are necessary for biological evolution.

Biological Evolution↗
PubMed1999

The parasites, predators, places and people I have known: a great adventure.

I am extremely proud to receive the WAAVP/Pfizer Animal Health award, and particularly so in Africa, the continent where I have spent a large part of my professional life. In the nearly 40 years in research I have had the privilege and excitement of being involved with many great parasites, predators, places and people. In my early days in Kenya I saw all the great wild animal predators, but soon came to appreciate that the greatest predator of all was disease, particularly parasitic disease, with the devastating effects of tsetse and ticks and the infections they transmitted, and of the all-prevailing roundworms. I learned several key lessons while working with research teams to develop better diagnostics, to improve epidemiological understanding as a basis for rational treatment and control, and to extend the understanding of disease processes with the view to developing novel methods of treatment or prevention. The Power of Pathology in diagnosing diseases, identifying new diseases and as a major tool for pathogenic diseases. The Power of Pathogenesis in identifying key mechanisms that led to new diagnostic techniques, improved methods of treatment, and possibly to future vaccines. The Power of Application of what we already know; while recognising that molecular biology will make a massive contribution to improving animal and human health, it is important to appreciate that we already have a very powerful armamentaria to diagnose, treat, control or prevent disease, and when used properly they have been successful and cost-effective. The Power of Genetic Resistance: the recognition that certain species, certain breeds, and certain individuals within breeds possess remarkable resistance to certain parasitic diseases such as trypanosomosis and helminthosis, and that this trait is genetically correlated with production, opens up a very powerful additional approach to improving animal health. The Importance of Measurement: I completely endorse the sentiments of Lord Kelvin, Professor of Natural Philosophy at Glasgow University who stated in 1846: "When you can measure what you are speaking about, and express it in numbers, you know something about it: but when you cannot measure it, your knowledge is of a meagre and unsatisfactory kind." This applies very much to Parasitology. The future is bright. The combination and integration of the new technologies of Biotechnology, Mathematical Methods and Bioinformatics coupled with advances in Computer Power will produce new standards in animal and human health in the 21st century. New methods of predicting, diagnosis, treating, controlling, prognosing and preventing disease will become available. WAAVP has a major role to play by ensuring that veterinary parasitologists are provided with the proper training, infrastructure and forum to advance new technologies and that the veterinary profession plays a leading role in the future direction they take.

Africa↗
PubMed2000

Narrative approach to ethics education for students without clinical experience.

Niigata University School of Medicine has provided three courses in which medical ethics (ME) is taught to students who have little or no clinical experience. To evoke student's imagination, we have developed a "narrative approach" to learn ME using cases. Prior to a case analysis, students are required to exchange their own life history regarding the core issues in the case. A case is presented not only in the traditional form of vignette, but also in the form of narrative. In the narrative, the case is a story composed of personal narratives, collected and edited from diaries, letters, interviews of persons involved. Our experience suggests that the principle-based reasoning using simple vignettes is often hardly accomplished by students. However, the narrative approach was found to be useful since students can: (1) gain more accurate and wide comprehension of medical and psycho-social aspects of the case; (2) grasp the nature and the history of the conflicting views among persons in the case; (3) find more easily any method for dealing with and settling problems; and (4) exchange viewpoints with patients and their family.

Autobiographies as Topic↗
PubMed2001

A new era in science at Washington University, St. Louis: Viktor Hamburger's zoology department in the 1940's.

In the early 1940s, the administration of the College of Arts and Sciences at Washington University, St. Louis was firmly in the hands of classical scholars who were not inclined to promote the development of modern research on scientific subjects. Funds supporting research in biology favored the School of Medicine and the Missouri Botanical Garden. Viktor Hamburger arrived at Washington University in 1935. At about the time he became the Acting Chairman of Zoology in 1942, research work in the biological departments began a dramatic surge that has continued to this day. For 65 years under his counsel and leadership, basic biology has thrived at this fine institution. As an early faculty recruit, I recount here a few personal recollections from those formative years.

Embryology↗
PubMed2001

The Zoology Department at Washington University (1944-1954): from undergraduate to graduate studies with Viktor Hamburger.

Beginning from an undergraduate's perspective and continuing through graduate school, this student's experiences in the Department of Zoology at Washington University in St. Louis, Missouri was a time of many rewarding experiences. Now, on this occasion of his 100th birthday, I wish to express my appreciation to the Chairman, Dr. Viktor Hamburger, for his teachings, his encouragement, and his friendship that has lasted over the past 56 years.

Animals↗