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Biomedical subjects

B Han

Publications and source records attributed to B Han.

At least 19 recordsLinked to original sources
PubMed2002

Early alterations in the collagen meshwork and lesions in the ankles are associated with spontaneous osteoarthritis in guinea-pigs.

OBJECTIVE: The purpose of this study was to evaluate matrix changes in knee cartilage prior to development of surface disruptions and to examine the ankle for evidence of osteoarthritis (OA)-like lesions. DESIGN: Guinea-pig ankles and knees were examined histologically or viewed with polarization microscopy to reveal changes in orientation of the collagen fibers. RESULTS: The medial femoral condyles were virtually free of histologic changes at 3 months of age. Changes were present by 6 months. Medial tibial plateau histologic changes were seen at 3 months which became more pronounced with age. Alterations in the collagen meshwork corresponding to areas of proteoglycan (PG) loss were noted in animals with an intact articular surface as early as 3 months. Histologic changes were noted in the ankles as early as 3 months of age which included surface disruptions, cell loss and loss of PG staining. Only knee joint composite histology scores were significantly elevated at 3 months while both knee and ankle scores were significantly elevated at 6 months. Knee and ankle joint scores were not different from each other at 6 months. CONCLUSIONS: Alterations in the orientation of the collagen network of the cartilage correlated with Safranin-O loss suggesting that alterations in collagen:PG interactions play a role in the early phases of the OA process and precede frank histologic changes in the articular surface. The results in this study report for the first time OA-like lesions occurring spontaneously in articular cartilage of the ankle in the guinea-pig.

Aging↗
PubMed2002

A method for reducing adaptor misalignment when testing gloves using ISO 10819.

OBJECTIVES: International standard ISO 10819 was established in order to quantify the vibration attenuation characteristics of anti-vibration gloves. One problem that exists with the standard is possible misalignment of the palm adaptor that is placed underneath the test glove. If the adaptor becomes misaligned, the measured glove transmissibility will be lower than the actual value. A tri-axial accelerometer was installed in the adaptor and was used as the basis for providing visual feedback of the adaptor alignment to the test subjects. The objective of this study was to test the hypothesis that adaptor misalignment could be reduced by providing feedback to the test subjects. METHODS: Eight male volunteers (mean age 24.8 yr) were used in the study. Each subject performed two sets of tests: the standard ISO 10819 glove test and the modified version. Three different anti-vibration gloves were tested. Glove transmissibility and adaptor misalignment were calculated for each glove. A three-way analysis of variance was used to analyze the results. RESULTS: A comparison of the two testing methods showed that the modified glove testing method did reduce misalignment significantly, which, in turn, resulted in an increase in the measured glove transmissibility. CONCLUSIONS: The proposed method greatly improved the standard deviation of transmissibility and made the test results more consistent.

Adult↗
PubMed2002

A high efficient approach used for BAC-contig extension of Oryza sativa with PCR screening the BAC clone pools.

To extend 8 BAC contigs, which were previously located in the 56.1-68 cM region of the chromosome 4 of the Oryza sativa indica GuangLuAi4, 14 pairs of primers were designed according to the terminal sequences of the existing seed BACs and were deliberately divided into 3 groups. With the 3 groups of primer mixtures, 233 pools of BAC DNA that represent 22 368 BAC clones from O.sativa indica GuangLuAi4 genomic library were screened. 65 positive clones corresponding to the 8 contigs were isolated and 29 clones of them were confirmed to be extended to the seed BACs by end-sequencing and fingerprinting. The protocol greatly enhanced the efficiency of the contig extension and was also superior for its specificity, sensitivity and reusability to the colony in situ hybridization which is a conventional method employed in contig extension and physical map construction.

Chromosomes, Artificial, Bacterial↗
PubMed2001

[Study on the stroma of patients with paroxysmal nocturnal hematoglobinuria].

OBJECTIVE: To investigate the relationship between the stroma of bome marrow and the abnormality of hematopoiesis in patients with paroxysmal nocturnal hematoglobinuria (PNH). METHODS: The bone marrow stromata from PNH patients was compared with those from normal volunteers in aspects of their CFU-F formation and hematopoietic sustentation for normal CD34+ cells. The stromal IL-6 and TNF-alpha mRNA expression in patients and normal volunteers was also measured by RT-PCR(self beta-actin as contrast). RESULTS: (1) The CFU-F formation ability in PNH patients was very similar to that in normal volunteers (P > 0.05). (2) The bone marrow stromata from patients with PNH had the same hematopoietic maintenance compared to those from normal controls (P > 0.05). (3) The stomal IL-6 and TNF-alpha mRNA expression was similar in PNH patients and in normal volunteers (P > 0.05). CONCLUSION: The CFU-F formation capacity of bone marrow fibroblast was normal in PNH patients. The stromata in patients with PNH had normal hematopoietic maintainence to the normal CD34+ cells. The mRNA expression of IL-6 and TNF-alpha in PNH stromata was almost normal.

Adolescent↗
PubMed2001

Argon plasma coagulation for rectal bleeding after prostate brachytherapy.

PURPOSE: To better define the efficacy and safety of argon plasma coagulation (APC), specifically for brachytherapy-related proctitis, we reviewed the clinical course of 7 patients treated for persistent rectal bleeding. Approximately 2-10% of prostate cancer patients treated with 125I or 103Pd brachytherapy will develop radiation proctitis. The optimum treatment for patients with persistent bleeding is unclear from the paucity of available data. Prior reports lack specific dosimetric information, and patients with widely divergent forms of radiation were grouped together in the analyses. METHODS AND MATERIALS: Seven patients were treated with APC at the Veterans Affairs Puget Sound Health Care System and the University of Washington from 1997 to 1999 for persistent rectal bleeding due to prostate brachytherapy-related proctitis. Four patients received supplemental external beam radiation, delivered by a four-field technique. A single gastroenterologist at the Veterans Affairs Puget Sound Health Care System treated 6 of the 7 patients. If the degree of proctitis was limited, all sites of active bleeding were coagulated in symptomatic patients. An argon plasma coagulator electrosurgical system was used to administer treatments every 4-8 weeks as needed. The argon gas flow was set at 1.6 L/min, with an electrical power setting of 40-45 W. RESULTS: The rectal V100 (the total rectal volume, including the lumen, receiving the prescription dose or greater) for the 7 patients ranged from 0.13 to 4.61 cc. Rectal bleeding was first noticed 3-18 months after implantation. APC (range 1-3 sessions) was performed 9-22 months after implantation. Five patients had complete resolution of their bleeding, usually within days of completing APC. Two patients had only partial relief from bleeding, but declined additional APC therapy. No patient developed clinically evident progressive rectal wall abnormalities after APC, (post-APC follow-up range 4-13 months). CONCLUSIONS: Most patients benefited from APC, and no cases of clinically evident progressive tissue destruction were noted. Although APC appears to be efficacious and safe in the setting of the rectal doses described here, caution is in order when contemplating APC for brachytherapy patients.

Argon↗
PubMed2001

Direct measurements of the enthalpy of solution of solid solute in supercritical fluids: study on the CO2-naphthalene system.

A setup for a calorimeter for simultaneously measuring the solubility and the solution enthalpy of solid solutes in supercritical fluids (SCFs) has been established. The enthalpy of solution of naphthalene in supercritical CO2 was measured at 308.15 K in the pressure range from 8.0-11.0 MPa. It was found that the enthalpy of solution (deltaH) was negative in the pressure range from 8.0 to 9.5 MPa, and the absolute value decreased with increasing pressure. In this pressure range, the dissolution of the solute was enthalpy driven. However, the deltaH became positive at pressures higher than 9.5 MPa, and the dissolution was entropy driven. Monte Carlo simulation was performed to analyze the local structural environment of the solvated naphthalene molecules in supercritical CO2 under the experimental conditions for the calorimetric measurements. By combining the enthalpy data and the simulation results, it can be deduced that the energy level of CO2 in the high compressible region is higher than that at higher pressures, which results in the large negative enthalpy of solution and the larger degree of solvent-solute clustering in the high compressible region.

Journal Article↗
PubMed2001

The relationship between age and the fatty acid composition of cerebral cortex and erythrocytes in human subjects.

The important role that neural tissue fatty acid composition plays in neurodevelopment and various pathological states is increasingly recognized. However, there are limited data regarding the fatty acid composition of normal human brain at various ages. The purpose of this study was to describe human cerebral cortex fatty acid composition from ages 2 to 88 years. The relationship between cerebral cortex and erythrocyte fatty acid composition was also investigated. Samples of frontal cerebral cortex and of erythrocytes were obtained from 58 human subjects on whom autopsies were performed. The mean age of subjects was 40 +/- 29 years, with a range of 2 to 88 years. The fatty acid composition of tissues was determined, and linear regression models were used to describe the relationship between age and the fatty acid composition of cerebral cortex and erythrocytes. The data were bilinear, with changes occurring after the approximate age of 18 years. Therefore, the cohort was divided into subjects with ages < or =18 and >18 years. In the younger group, the polyunsaturated fatty acids generally decreased with age, with the exception of 22:6n3, which demonstrated a significant increase. The level of mono-unsaturated fatty acids, in contrast, generally increased to the age of 18 years. Several of the polyunsaturated fatty acids also decreased with age in the older cohort, particularly 20:4n6. The levels of 18:2n6, however, increased significantly with age in the older cohort. Among subjects < or =18 years of age, there was no significant relationship between cerebral cortex and erythrocyte fatty acid levels. In the older cohort, there was a significant relationship between brain and erythrocyte levels for several fatty acids, particularly 16:0. These data demonstrate that levels of cerebral cortex fatty acids change from early childhood through late adulthood, and indicate that the levels of several erythrocyte fatty acids may be useful in predicting brain fatty acid levels in adults.

Adolescent↗
PubMed2001

Synthesis, electrochemistry, and spectroscopic characterization of bis-dirhodium complexes linked by axial ligands.

The synthesis and electrochemical and spectroscopic properties of bis-dirhodium complexes containing ap or dpf bridging ligands, (ap)(4)Rh(2)(C triple bond C)(2)Rh(2)(ap)(4) (2) and (dpf)(4)Rh(2)(CNC(6)H(4)NC)Rh(2)(dpf)(4) (4), were investigated (where ap and dpf are the 2-anilinopyridinate and N,N'-diphenylformamidinate ions, respectively). The related "simple" dirhodium species, (ap)(4)Rh(2)(C triple bond C)(2)Si(CH(3))(3) (1) and (dpf)(4)Rh(2)(CNC(6)H(5)) (3), with the same set of bridging ligands were also synthesized and their properties compared to those of the analogous bis-dirhodium complexes. Compound 1 was obtained by mixing (ap)(4)Rh(2)Cl and Li(C triple bond C)(2)Si(CH(3))(3) in refluxing THF for 16 h under vacuum while compound 2 was prepared by a reaction between (ap)(4)Rh(2)(C triple bond C)(2)Li and (ap)(4)Rh(2)Cl under similar conditions. The reaction between (CF(3)COO)(4)Rh(2) and molten Hdpf under vacuum for 24 h leads to the generation of compound 3 with a yield of 65%. The red-orange compound 4 was obtained upon addition of 0.5 equiv of CNC(6)H(4)NC at room temperature to a CH(2)Cl(2) solution containing (dpf)(4)Rh(2) which was synthesized according to a method described previously in the literature. Compound 1 crystallizes in the triclinic space group P1, with a = 10.164(3) A, b = 13.881(3) A, c = 18.805(4) A, alpha = 73.55(2) degrees, beta = 77.89(2) degrees, gamma = 84.85(2) degrees, and Z = 2. Crystals of 2 were not good enough to collect adequate data for X-ray analysis, but the identity of this compound was confirmed, along with its P1; space group. Crystals of 3 and 4 belong to the monoclinic, P2(1)/c space group and the triclinic, P1; space group, respectively, with a = 13.5254(5) A, b = 13.7387(4) A, c = 27.2011(12) A, beta = 102.637(2) degrees, and Z = 4 for 3 and a = 13.866(8) A, b = 14.756(7) A, c = 15.008(6) A, alpha = 79.91(3) degrees, beta = 87.72(4) degrees, gamma = 89.19(4) degrees, and Z = 1 for 4. Compound 1 exhibits a single reversible oxidation at E(1/2) = 0.66 V and a single reversible reduction at E(1/2) = -0.44 V vs SCE in THF, 0.2 M TBAP. Both processes involve a one-electron transfer. Compound 2 undergoes a reversible oxidation at E(1/2) = 0.60 V and two separate one-electron-transfer reductions at E(1/2) = -0.52 and -0.65 V in THF, 0.2 M TBAP. The oxidation involves two overlapped one-electron-transfer processes. Compounds 3 and 4 undergo two reversible oxidations in CH(2)Cl(2), 0.1 M TBAP located at E(1/2) = 0.23 and 1.22 V (3) or 0.22 and 1.20 V (4). Each redox reaction of 3 involves a one-electron-transfer step while each redox reaction of 4 involves two overlapping one-electron transfers. Compound 2 shows interaction between the two dirhodium cores upon reduction, while 4 gives no evidence of electronic interaction between the two dirhodium units during either reduction or oxidation. An ESR signal with axial symmetry was obtained for the neutral compounds 1 and 2, and a similar spectrum was obtained for the singly oxidized products of compounds 3 and 4, thus suggesting the electronic configuration of (sigma)(2)(pi)(4)(delta)(2)(pi)(4)(delta)(1) for the neutral compounds 1 and 2 as well as for the oxidized compounds 3 and 4. The four compounds were also characterized by FTIR and UV-visible spectroscopy as well as by mass spectrometry.

Journal Article↗
PubMed2001

How does the critical point change during a chemical reaction in supercritical fluids? A study of the hydroformylation of propene in supercritical CO(2).

An understanding of homogeneous catalysis in supercritical fluids requires a knowledge of the phase behavior and the variation in critical point as the reaction proceeds. In this paper, the critical temperatures, T(c) and pressures, P(c), have been measured for a considerable number of mixtures representing the various stages of the hydroformylation reaction of propene in supercritical CO(2) and different reactant concentrations. Critical point data have also been measured for all of the binary mixtures of the components (CO(2), H(2), CO, propene, n- and isobutyraldehyde) which are not available from the literature or can be deduced from published data. We use the stoichiometry of the reacting system to simplify greatly the phase behavior problem by defining a path through the otherwise multidimensional "phase space". Satisfactory modeling of the data (0.3% in T(c) and 3.0% in P(c)) has been achieved using the Peng-Robinson equation of state and ignoring all binary interactions which do not involve CO(2). The model is used to explore the strategies needed to avoid phase separation in continuous and batch reactions. At a given temperature, a batch reactor may need to be run under much higher pressures than a flow reactor if single-phase conditions are to be preserved throughout the course of the reaction. Most of the critical point data were measured acoustically, but a selection of points were validated using more traditional view-cell procedures.

Journal Article↗
PubMed2001

Proliferative capacity of single isolated CD34+ hematopoietic stem/progenitor cells in paroxysmal nocturnal hemoglobinuria.

Paroxysmal nocturnal hemoglobinuria (PNH) results from somatic mutations of the X-linked PIG-A (phosphatidylinositol glycan-class A) gene, which occurs on a hematopoietic stem cell level, leading to a proportion of blood cells being deficient in all glycosylphosphatidylinositol (GPI)-anchored surface proteins. Although these GPI-deficient cells can explain many of the clinical symptoms of PNH, the pathogenesis of PNH is still somewhat obscure and many questions remain. To assess the hematopoietic defect involved in PNH, CD34+ CD59+ (normal phenotype hematopoietic stem/progenitor) and CD34+ CD59- (PNH phenotype) cells from PNH patients (n = 16) and CD34+ CD59+ cells from healthy volunteers (n = 10) were sorted as single cells into 96-well flat-bottom culture plates containing culture medium supplemented with stem cell factor, interleukin (IL)-3, erythropoietin, granulocyte-macrophage-colony-stimulating factor (GM-CSF), G-CSF, IL-6, thrombopoietin, and Flt-3 ligand. We found that the single PNH CD34+ CD59- cells had a growth advantage over the single CD34+ CD59+ cells to some extent, but they both had impaired growth abilities compared with CD34+ cells from healthy volunteers.

Adolescent↗
PubMed2001

Effects of oil sands effluent on cattail and clover: photosynthesis and the level of stress proteins.

The oil sands industry located in northeastern Alberta, Canada, generates large volumes of effluent characterized by a high level of dissolved ions and naphthenic acids. The dikes used to store the effluent seep, creating wetlands which are subsequently invaded by obligate wetland flora such as cattail (Typha latifolia L.). The appearance of these wetlands prompted the oil sands industry to consider wetlands as part of their reclamation strategy. However, to ensure long-term viability of such wetlands, the response of the flora to the industrial effluent needed to be determined. To this end, apparent photosynthesis (APS), the level of ribulose-1,5-bisphosphate carboxylase (RuBisCo) large subunit, dehydrin-related polypeptides, and protein disulphide isomerase (PDI) were evaluated in cattail and alsike clover plants (Trifolium hybridum L.) exposed to the oil sands effluent. APS measured in plants impacted by oil sands effluent was significantly higher than that of plants in the non-impacted off-site location. Among the on-site locations, plants growing in the natural wetlands site had higher APS compared to all other sites. The level of RuBisCo was not increased in cattail or clover growing in effluent-contaminated sites indicating that enhanced photosynthesis was not due to greater levels of this enzyme. Dehydrin-related polypeptides were detected only in the roots of cattail and were absent in clover. The polypeptide profile was altered in cattail exposed to oil sands effluent indicating that they were responding to an osmotic stress. The level of PDI was unaffected in the leaves of cattail regardless of the nature of the effluent to which they were exposed. Overall, the data indicate that cattail and clover are adapted to the oil sands effluent, although further studies are needed to assess their long-term ability to survive in the presence of this anthropogenic stress.

Adaptation, Physiological↗
PubMed2001

Dentinogenesis imperfecta 1 with or without progressive hearing loss is associated with distinct mutations in DSPP.

Dentinogenesis imperfecta 1 (DGI1, MIM 125490) is an autosomal dominant dental disease characterized by abnormal dentin production and mineralization. The DGI1 locus was recently refined to a 2-Mb interval on 4q21 (ref. 1). Here we study three Chinese families carrying DGI1. We find that the affected individuals of two families also presented with progressive sensorineural high-frequency hearing loss (gene DFNA39). We identified three disease-specific mutations within the dentin sialophosphoprotein gene (DSPP) in these three families. We detected a G-->A transition at the donor-splicing site of intron 3 in one family without DFNA39, a mutation predicted to result in the skipping of exon 3. In two other families affected with both DGI1 and DFNA39, however, we identified two independent nucleotide transversions in exons 2 and 3 of DSPP, respectively, that cause missense mutations of two adjacent amino-acid residues in the predicted transmembrane region of the protein. Moreover, transcripts of DSPP previously reported to be expressed specifically in teeth are also detected in the inner ear of mice. We have thus demonstrated for the first time that distinct mutations in DSPP are responsible for the clinical manifestations of DGI1 with or without DFNA39.

Asian People↗
PubMed2001

Family caregiving in hospice: effects on psychological and health functioning among spousal caregivers of hospice patients with lung cancer or dementia.

INTRODUCTION: Caregiving stress has been found to lead to depression and poor health among caregivers compared with age-matched non-caregiving controls. However, most of these studies have focused on dementia caregivers, and have not included hospice caregivers. The aim of this project was to assess the impact of caregiving stress on psychological and health functioning among spousal caregivers of hospice patients, in contrast to demographically matched non-caregiving controls. A secondary aim was to compare the caregiving stressors and psychological and health functioning between spousal caregivers of hospice patients with dementia versus lung cancer. METHODS: Forty spousal caregivers of hospice patients with dementia, and 40 spousal caregivers of hospice patients with lung cancer, were compared on admission to hospice, using measures of caregiving stressors, depression, life satisfaction, and physical health, with a sample of 40 demographically equated control subjects. RESULTS: Both groups of caregivers showed higher depression, lower life satisfaction and poorer physical health (p < .05) compared with non-caregivers. Over half of all caregivers evidenced clinically significant levels of depression, with rates of depression about three times the prevalence found in community samples of older adults. CONCLUSIONS: While family caregivers of hospice patients with dementia and lung cancer face very different objective stressors, the negative psychological and health impacts on the caregiver are marked and comparable across diagnosis. Hospice family caregivers are at high risk for both psychological and physical health disorders, and caregiver depression and health problems should be systematically assessed and treated by the hospice team.

Aged↗
PubMed2001

Phenotypic differentiation of TGF-beta1-responsive pluripotent premesenchymal prehematopoietic progenitor (P4 stem) cells from murine bone marrow.

On the horizon of modern molecular medicine is the requisite technology to capture multipotent human stem cells that are capable of self-renewal and to direct these stem cells along defined lineages for therapeutic purposes. In this article, we describe the hematopoietic and mesenchymal differentiation potential of a unique population of transforming growth factor-beta1 (TGF-beta1)-responsive stem cells derived from murine bone marrow. Stringent selection of the stem cells was accomplished under low serum conditions by virtue of an inherent survival response to a TGF-beta1-vWF fusion protein that was bound to collagen matrices. The TGF-beta1-responsive stem cells initially exhibited a non-adherent and uniformly blastoid morphology, underwent expansion into colonies upon serum reconstitution, and were capable of overt cytodifferentiation along fibrogenic, osteogenic, chondrogenic, or adipogenic lineages upon growth factor stimulation. Remarkably, these stem cells also underwent rapid expansion in the presence of either hematopoietic stem cell factor (SCF) or interleukin3 (IL-3), and differentiated into myeloid and lymphoid phenotypes upon exposure to the latter. Taken together, these results support the hypothesis that pluripotent premesenchymal prehematopoietic progenitor cells, designated P4 stem cells, are present postnatally in murine bone marrow and, thus, may be summarily isolated for various cell-based experimental therapies.

Adipocytes↗
PubMed2001

Jet-impingement heat transfer in gas turbine systems.

A review of jet-impingement heat transfer in gas turbine systems is presented. Characteristics of the different flow regions for submerged jets--free jet, stagnation flow, and wall jet--are reviewed. Heat transfer characteristics of both single and multiple jets are discussed with consideration of the effects of important parameters relevant to gas turbine systems including curvature of surfaces, crossflow, angle of impact, and rotation.

Journal Article↗
PubMed2001

Disruption of gamma-glutamyl leukotrienase results in disruption of leukotriene D(4) synthesis in vivo and attenuation of the acute inflammatory response.

To study the function of gamma-glutamyl leukotrienase (GGL), a newly identified member of the gamma-glutamyl transpeptidase (GGT) family, we generated null mutations in GGL (GGL(tm1)) and in both GGL and GGT (GGL(tm1)-GGT(tm1)) by a serial targeting strategy using embryonic stem cells. Mice homozygous for GGL(tm1) show no obvious phenotypic changes. Mice deficient in both GGT and GGL have a phenotype similar to the GGT-deficient mice, but approximately 70% of these mice die before 4 weeks of age, at least 2 months earlier than mice deficient only in GGT. These double-mutant mice are unable to cleave leukotriene C(4) (LTC(4)) to LTD(4), indicating that this conversion is completely dependent on the two enzymes, and in some organs (spleen and uterus) deletion of GGL alone abolished more than 90% of this activity. In an experimental model of peritonitis, GGL alone is responsible for the generation of peritoneal LTD(4). Further, during the development of peritonitis, GGL-deficient mice show an attenuation in neutrophil recruitment but not of plasma protein influx. These findings demonstrate an important role for GGL in the inflammatory response and suggest that LTC(4) and LTD(4) have distinctly different functions in the inflammatory process.

Animals↗