PubMed Health⌕ Search

Biomedical subjects

B Harrison

Publications and source records attributed to B Harrison.

At least 55 records · Page 3Linked to original sources
PubMed1998

Cyclic polyketide peroxides and acyclic diol analogues from the sponge Plakortis lita.

The sponge Plakortis lita from Papua New Guinea is a source of three cyclic peroxides-ethyl plakortide Z (3), ethyl didehydroplakortide Z (4), and methyl didehydroplakortide Z (5)-and three acyclic diol analogues-ethyl seco-plakortide Z (6), epi-ethyl seco-plakortide Z (7), and ethyl didehydro-seco-plakortide Z (8). The absolute stereochemistry at the three chiral sites of 3 was assigned by preparing 6, which was investigated using the refined Mosher's method. Compounds 4, 5, and 6 were also concluded to have the same absolute stereochemistry as 3. The cyclic peroxides were generally cytotoxic, while the acyclic analogues were devoid of activity. Compound 3 was equally active in vitro against solid tumor and L-1210 leukemia cell lines. Alternatively, 4 was observed in vitro to be moderately solid-tumor selective but did not exhibit in vivo activity against solid tumors in mice.

Animals↗
PubMed1998

Low frequency of recent parvovirus infection in a population-based cohort of patients with early inflammatory polyarthritis.

OBJECTIVE: To determine the contribution of human parvovirus B19 infection in explaining the incidence of early inflammatory polyarthritis (IP) in a population. SETTING: The Norfolk Arthritis Register (NOAR) is a community-based programme aiming to ascertain all new cases of IP arising in a population that lead to attendance at primary care. SUBJECTS: 147 newly ascertained subjects with IP with a disease duration of less than 16 weeks. METHODS: Full clinical appraisal of all subjects who were followed up for three years. B19 IgM assayed with a third generation antibody capture enzyme immunoassay. RESULTS: Only four (2.7%) patients had evidence of recent B19 infection, only one of whom did not satisfy criteria for rheumatoid arthritis (RA). CONCLUSION: B19 infection does not explain more than a small proportion of either RA or undifferentiated IP cases occurring in the population.

Adolescent↗
PubMed1997

Classification of the southern African sanga and east African shorthorned zebu.

Humped African cattle, which are differentiated into zebu and sanga types, have traditionally been classified as Bos indicus. This paper discusses existing evidence and presents new evidence supporting the classification of southern African sangas as Bos taurus and East African zebus as 'taurindicus'. Classification is based on karyotype, frequencies of DNA markers and protein polymorphisms. The Boran, an East African zebu, has an acrocentric Y chromosome typical of Bos indicus. The southern African sanga breeds have a submetacentric Y chromosome typical of Bos taurus. Frequencies of four DNA markers support the hypothesis that the Tuli, a southern African sanga, had taurine ancestors and the Boran had both taurine and indicine ancestors. Frequencies for several protein polymorphisms strongly suggest that southern African sangas have more in common with taurine than with indicine breeds, while East African zebus are an admixture of African taurine and Asian indicine breeds.

Africa, Eastern↗
PubMed1997

Coronary artery bypass after single lung transplant: a case report.

Chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) is the most common indication for adult single lung transplantation. These patients commonly have one or more risk factors for coronary artery disease. Traditionally previous lung transplantation has been considered a contraindication to coronary artery bypass grafting (CABG). This report describes a case of CABG 3 yr after single lung transplantation and briefly discusses the risks of cardiac surgery in lung transplant patients.

Contraindications↗
PubMed1996

A simple algorithm to predict the development of radiological erosions in patients with early rheumatoid arthritis: prospective cohort study.

OBJECTIVE: To produce a practical algorithm to predict which patients with early rheumatoid arthritis will develop radiological erosions. DESIGN: Primary care based prospective cohort study. SETTING: All general practices in the Norwich Health Authority, Norfolk. SUBJECTS: 175 patients notified to the Norfolk Arthritis Register were visited by a metrologist soon after they had presented to their general practitioners with inflammatory polyarthritis, and again after a further 12 months. All the patients satisfied the American Rheumatism Association's 1987 criteria for rheumatoid arthritis and were seen by a metrologist within six months of the onset of symptoms. The study population was randomly split into a prediction sample (n = 105) for generating the algorithm and a validation sample (n = 70) for testing it. MAIN OUTCOME MEASURES: Predictor variables measured at baseline included rheumatoid factor status, swelling of specific joint areas, duration of morning stiffness, nodules, disability score, age, sex, and disease duration when the patient first presented. The outcome variable was the presence of radiological erosions in the hands or feet, or both, after 12 months. RESULTS: A simple algorithm based on a combination of three variables--a positive rheumatoid factor test, swelling of at least two large joints, and a disease duration of more than three months--was best able to predict erosions. When the accuracy of this algorithm was tested with the validation sample, the erosion status of 79% of patients was predicted correctly. CONCLUSIONS: A simple algorithm based on three easily measured items of information can predict which patients are at high risk and which are at low risk of developing radiological erosions.

Adult↗
PubMed1996

A comparison of statistical techniques to evaluate the performance of the Glucometer Elite blood glucose meter.

OBJECTIVES: The objective of the study was to measure the performance of the Glucometer Elite, a technique-independent device for self-monitoring of capillary blood glucose. Several potential sources of error were incorporated into the study, including variability between lots, the age of a lot, variability between subjects, and variability between strips. DESIGN AND METHODS: The Glucometer Elite was tested using capillary samples from 86 individuals. Duplicate readings with each of 8 sensor lots were done for each participant. Glucometer Elite readings were compared to YSI capillary plasma equivalent values, and the data was evaluated using a variety of both technical and clinical analysis methods. RESULTS: All evaluation methods showed excellent agreement between the Glucometer Elite and the YSI plasma equivalent values. CONCLUSION: The Glucometer Elite system provides accurate and clinically valuable information to the diabetic home tester.

Adult↗
PubMed1996

Denaturing gradient gel electrophoresis detection of polymorphism in a PCR fragment of sheep epidermal growth factor gene.

The ovine map is not yet well-developed, which represents a problem when looking for markers of a region of interest in sheep. A means of circumventing this is to use comparative mapping. In this study primers were determined using consensus sequences for the epidermal growth factor gene of humans, rats and mice, and an ovine epidermal growth factor gene fragment was amplified by polymerase chain reaction (PCR). A new set of specific ovine primers was chosen to study the polymorphism of this DNA fragment by denaturing gradient gel electrophoresis. Eighty-four individuals belonging to seven sheep breeds were studied with this technique and four alleles were detected. The heterozygosity rate was 0.57. Family analysis showed mendelian inheritance of the alleles. Usually, genetic analysis of type-I loci used in the comparative mapping is based on the detection of restriction fragment length polymorphisms in sheep DNA using cDNA probes from other species. Our work shows that another method, based on PCR and denaturing gradient gel electrophoresis techniques, can be efficiently used.

Animals↗
PubMed1996

Therapeutic interventions associated with seclusion of acutely disturbed individuals.

The use of seclusion--i.e. placing an individual in a specially designed room with a locked door--continues to be an option in the management of mentally ill individuals whose behaviour is acutely disturbed, and who pose a personal and/or environmental threat. In a grounded theory study of psychiatric nurses' use of seclusion in two closed wards in a metropolitan teaching hospital in Australia, 'intervening' and 'mainstreaming' are the categories that describe nursing interventions developed from constant comparison of the data collected. Details of these interventions are presented, with reference to the skills that participants describe as necessary in the care of a mentally ill patient being secluded and then being re-integrated into ward life. Considerations for further study on the topic of seclusion are presented.

Dangerous Behavior↗
PubMed1994

Isolation and mapping of a single-locus minisatellite sequence marker to 1q36-qter and synteny group 10 in cattle and to 1q36-qter in sheep.

A minisatellite sequence (RD1613) was isolated from a bovine cosmid genomic library and its chromosomal location determined in cattle and sheep. In cattle, somatic cell hybrid panel analysis assigned RD1613 to the syntenic group U10 with a concordancy of 100%. In situ hybridization placed RD1613 onto bovine chromosome 1 in the region of bands q36-qter. This is the first in situ localization to chromosome 1 in cattle and allows the provisional assignment of syntenic group U10 to this chromosome. It was also found that RD1613 hybridized strongly to sheep genomic DNA. In situ hybridization localized RD1613 to sheep chromosome 1q36-qter, which is consistent with homology between cattle chromosome 1 and sheep chromosome 1q. The RD1613 probe detects a polymorphic single locus marker (designated D1S1) in both cattle and sheep and will be very useful in linkage studies.

Animals↗
PubMed1994

Genetic markers for the Booroola fecundity (Fec) gene in sheep.

Animals from the Booroola line of Australian Merino sheep are characterized by a high ovulation rate that can be attributed to the presence of a codominant allele (FecB). The specific function of the gene has not been identified. Effective use of the trait within the sheep breeding industry requires one or more genetic markers that can distinguish between alternative alleles at the locus Fec. With a combination of DNA minisatellite markers and polymorphic protein markers, a cluster of seven minisatellite fragments has been identified as being linked to the Fec gene and to the ovine A blood group locus. The minisatellite fragments have been derived from multilocus probes and hence cannot be used to define the chromosomal location of the Fec gene or to serve as diagnostic markers for Fec. The derivation of cloned single locus markers from the minisatellite fragments will enable finer scale mapping of the Fec and the A blood group locus in sheep.

Animals↗
PubMed1994

Is there a role for physicians in health and medical resource allocation?

Resource allocation decisions affecting health and medical care must be based on sound ethical and economic analysis. Should physicians be involved in these discussions? Some posit that physicians must be patient-advocates, and thus, cannot participate. Others argue that physicians have an integral role to play in shaping the health care system. This article proposes a role for physicians at all levels of resource allocation discussions.

Canada↗
PubMed1993

Biochemical genetics of glycogenosis type II in Brahman cattle.

Glycogenosis type II is an inherited lysosomal storage disorder caused by acid alpha-glucosidase deficiency. The disorder is inbred in Brahman cattle, and the incidence of carriers in Australian herds averages 15%. Affected animals are lethargic and die typically in the eighth or ninth month after birth. A complete lack of acid alpha-glucosidase synthesis was demonstrated in cultured fibroblasts and muscle tissue of affected animals. Moreover, the tissue was found to be devoid of acid alpha-glucosidase mRNA. Gross abnormalities of the acid alpha-glucosidase gene itself were not detected by Southern blot analysis. These results suggest Brahman glycogenosis type II to be caused by a point mutation or a micro deletion/insertion in the acid alpha-glucosidase gene.

Animals↗