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Biomedical subjects

A Bardsley

Publications and source records attributed to A Bardsley.

14 recordsLinked to original sources
PubMed2001

In situ hybridization screen in zebrafish for the selection of genes encoding secreted proteins.

An in situ hybridization expression screen using a signal sequence trap system has been conducted in zebrafish to isolate cDNAs that encode secreted proteins. Random clones (secreted expressed sequence tags; sESTs) were sequenced from zebrafish embryonic (18-24 hr postfertilization) and adult kidney libraries. From the two RNA sources, 627 random sEST cDNAs were identified as being homologous or identical to known genes and 166 clones encode currently unidentified genes. The sESTs represent a broad range of enzymes and other regulatory molecules. Whole-mount in situ hybridization analysis was carried out by using antisense probes generated from 244 selected sESTs, and a range of expression patterns was obtained. Genetic mapping undertaken with sEST sequences demonstrated that assignment of map position was attainable by using 5' primers. The signal sequence trap system used in this work has yielded a range of cDNAs that encode secreted proteins and, together with analysis of patterns of expression and genetic mapping, has the potential to facilitate analysis of signaling pathways central to development and physiology.

Animals↗
PubMed2001

Surgical technique for the conservative management of distal urethral melanoma.

Urethral melanoma is very rare and pathological diagnosis is important. The prognosis remains poor irrespective of the treatment modality. Rare cases of long-term survival have been reported, one of them following conservative management. An initial attempt at conservative resection is worth considering to offer a better quality of life to the patient for as long as possible. We describe a technique of organ-sparing resection in the management of urethral melanoma along with the follow-up protocol that we adapted.

Disease-Free Survival↗
PubMed1998

Conservation of BF-1 expression in amphioxus and zebrafish suggests evolutionary ancestry of anterior cell types that contribute to the vertebrate telencephalon.

The forkhead domain containing transcription factor BF-1 has been shown to play a major role in the correct development of the cerebral hemispheres in the mouse. BF-1 orthologs have been isolated from zebrafish and the cephalocordate amphioxus. In both species, BF-1 is expressed in the anterior neural tube. In zebrafish zBF-1 expression is restricted to anterior portions of the otic vesicle and to the presumptive telencephalon. In amphioxus AmphiBF-1 is transiently seen in the frontal part of the first somite and, at 3 days of development, in a small number of cells in the cerebral vesicle (cv). The anterior expression of BF-1 in chordates and vertebrates and of slp-1/2 in Drosophila suggests that BF-1 is crucial for an evolutionarily conserved specification of anterior neuronal cell types.

Amino Acid Sequence↗
PubMed1998

Zebrafish contains two pax6 genes involved in eye development.

The Pax6 genes of both vertebrates and invertebrates are expressed in the developing eye and in the central nervous system. These genes encode transcription factors with two DNA-binding domains, an N-terminal paired domain and a homeodomain separated by a flexible linker region. Ectopic eye structures are obtained upon targeted expression of Drosophila, squid, ascidian or mouse Pax6 genes in various imaginal disc primordia of Drosophila. We have previously cloned a Pax6 cDNA from zebrafish. Here we report the cloning of a novel Pax6 homolog from zebrafish denoted Pax6.2. The coding sequences of the two genes show 82% identity whereas the deduced amino acid sequences are 95% identical with complete conservation of the paired- and homeodomains. The embryonic expression patterns of Pax6.1 and Pax6.2 reveal both overlapping and discrete expression domains suggesting a division of labor between these two very similar gene products during development of brain and eye structures. Both Pax6.1 and Pax6.2 can act as transcriptional activators with Pax6.2 being more efficient than Pax6.1. Both Pax6.1 and Pax6.2 are able to induce ectopic eyes in Drosophila, while Pax2 is not, suggesting that eye induction is not a general feature of Pax family genes but a distinct characteristic of Pax6 and its direct homologs. Attempts to detect Pax6. 2 homologs in chick, mice or humans proved unsuccessful suggesting that this gene either was lost during evolution of higher vertebrates or, more likely, arose as part of a larger scale duplication of chromosome segments occurring in the zebrafish lineage.

Amino Acid Sequence↗
PubMed1997

Identifying home advantage in international tennis and golf tournaments.

A regression analysis of competitors' tournament results in relation to their world rankings was proposed to identify the effect of home advantage in international 'grand-slam' tennis and 'major' golf tournaments. The results provided little evidence of home advantage in either the grand-slam tennis or the golf tournaments held in 1993. The only possible evidence of home advantage was found in the Wimbledon tennis and the US Open golf championships. Even these findings can be explained, at least partially, by (1) the availability of information concerning the low world rankings of the British tennis players competing at Wimbledon, and (2) selective entry, allowing only the world's top-ranked foreign golfers into the US open golf tournament. In both cases, the lower ranking home competitors have a greater opportunity to perform above their anticipated world rankings. Therefore, provided entry into tennis and golf tournaments is truly 'open' to both the host nation's representatives and foreign competitors alike, home advantage does not appear to be a major factor influencing the competitors' performance in such competitions. These findings may be explained by the relatively objective nature of the scoring systems used in tennis and golf, unlike the subjective influence of refereeing decisions on the results of team-games such as soccer.

Analysis of Variance↗
PubMed1993

Distribution of tudor protein in the Drosophila embryo suggests separation of functions based on site of localization.

Mutations in the tudor locus of Drosophila affect two distinct determinative processes in embryogenesis; segmentation of the abdomen and determination of the primordial germ cells. The distribution of tudor protein during embryogenesis, and the effect of various mutations on its distribution, suggest that tudor protein may carry out these functions separately, based on its location in the embryo. The protein is concentrated in the posterior pole cytoplasm (germ plasm), where it is found in polar granules and mitochondria. Throughout the rest of the embryo, tudor protein is associated with the cleavage nuclei. Mutations in all maternal genes known to be required for the normal functioning of the germ plasm eliminate the posterior localization of tudor protein, whereas mutations in genes required for the functioning of the abdominal determinant disrupt the localization around nuclei. Analysis of embryos of different maternal genotypes indicates that the average number of pole cells formed is correlated with the amount of tudor protein that accumulates in the germ plasm. Our results suggest that tudor protein localized in the germ plasm is instrumental in germ cell determination, whereas nuclear-associated tudor protein is involved in determination of segmental pattern in the abdomen.

Animals↗
PubMed1991

tudor, a posterior-group gene of Drosophila melanogaster, encodes a novel protein and an mRNA localized during mid-oogenesis.

The tudor (tud) locus of Drosophila melanogaster is required during oogenesis for the formation of primordial germ cells and for normal abdominal segmentation. The tud locus was cloned, and its product was identified by Northern analysis of wild-type and tud mutant RNAs. The locus encodes a single mRNA of approximately 8.0 kb that is expressed throughout the life cycle, beginning in the early stages of germ-line development in the female. During oogenesis, tud mRNA appears to be present in the oocyte precursor within the germarial cysts, and in stages 1-3 it accumulates within the developing oocyte. The transcript is localized to the posterior half of the oocyte during oogenetic stages 4-7 but is not detectable within the ooplasm by egg deposition and throughout early embryogenesis. The tud protein has a predicted molecular mass of 285,000 daltons and has no distinctive sequence similarity to known proteins or protein structural motifs. Taken together, these results indicate that the tud product is a novel protein required during oogenesis for establishment of a functional center of morphogenetic activity in the posterior tip of the Drosophila embryo.

Amino Acid Sequence↗
PubMed1985

Serum steroid binding proteins and the bioavailability of estradiol in relation to breast diseases.

Serum concentrations of sex hormone binding globulin (SHBG), corticosteroid binding globulin (CBG), and albumin were found to be normal in women with breast cancer (Ca), with benign breast disease (BBD), or with a family history of breast cancer (FHCa). Comparisons between serum steroid binding capacities and immunoassayable SHBG and CBG concentrations did not reveal abnormal forms of either protein. The serum distribution of estradiol (E2) was also determined, and women with Ca were found to have a significantly (P less than .025) higher mean percentage of non-protein-bound E2 than matched controls, but the difference was very small. In general, women with Ca also had proportionately more (P less than .05) albumin-bound E2 and less (P less than .05) SHBG-bound E2 in their sera than the controls, but the serum distributions of E2 in the BBD and FHCa subjects were the same as in controls. The dissociation rates of 5 alpha-dihydrotestosterone and E2 from SHBG in serum appear to increase with time in frozen serum samples, and this factor may effect measurements of the distribution of these steroids in serum.

Aged↗
PubMedDate not supplied

The neurogenic bladder.

Many people with incontinence and bladder problems have an underlying neurogenic cause, with damage to the neurological pathways which regulate the function of the bladder. This article demonstrates how an understanding of the neurological control of the bladder can lead to more effective assessment and treatment of incontinence.

Activities of Daily Living↗
PubMedDate not supplied

Use of lubricant gels in urinary catheterisation.

Nurses with a prescribing qualification are now able to prescribe catheters and catheter management products. However, they must use research and best evidence to inform their prescribing decisions. This article reviews the catheterisation process and the use of lubricant gels in both transurethral (particularly in females) and suprapubic catheterisation. It also considers the benefits of lubricating gels.

Catheters, Indwelling↗