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Biomedical subjects

C Daly

Publications and source records attributed to C Daly.

At least 109 records · Page 6Linked to original sources
PubMed1989

Ovarian cancer in a county hospital.

Forty two cases of ovarian cancer diagnosed and treated over a ten year period (1975-1985) are reviewed. The mean age at presentation was 59.3 years and mean parity 1.9. Abdominal pain and distension were the commonest clinical symptoms. Twenty three patients had total abdominal hysterectomy and bilateral salpingo-oophorectomy with or without partial omentectomy. All patients had at least diagnostic laparotomy. There were no post-operative deaths. Thirty two patients had adjuvant chemotherapy. Two patients had false negative "Second Look" procedures. Histology in all cases was of epithelial origin. Survival at one year was 52.4% and 35.3% in those patients followed for five years. Good prognosis was related to extent of disease and surgical excision. Cisplatinum post-operative chemotherapy replaced other cytotoxic drugs in the latter years and it's use was associated with less morbidity and longer survival in patients with extensive disease than earlier regimes. We feel that national co-ordination in gynaecological oncology surveillance and treatment would be beneficial.

Adult↗
PubMed1989

Osteomalacia in the elderly: biochemical screening in general practice.

Two hundred and eighty two patients aged sixty-five or over were screened for biochemical evidence of osteomalacia using a modified metabolic bone index. 5.2% showed classical biochemical features of the disorder. As osteomalacia is an important but under-recognised condition in the elderly, this simple biochemical method may be suitable for general identification of patients at risk.

Aged↗
PubMed1988

Translational regulation in growing clonal human astrocytoma cells in culture.

The in vivo and in vitro protein synthesis by polysomes prepared from Cox astrocytoma cells grown in the presence of 100 mM ethanol were examined during transition from exponential to stationary growth phase. A sharp decline of translational activities of Cox poly (A) + messenger RNAs (mRNAs) occurred during this transition. This decline was accentuated when cells were grown in the presence of ethanol. The observed decline in mRNA translational activity was investigated in vitro in a micrococcal nuclease treated, mRNA depleted postmitochondrial supernatant (PMS) fraction containing [35S]methionine. The formation of the 35S-labeled 40S ternary complex in the absence of mRNA and of the 35S-labeled 80S initiation complex in the presence of Cox or brain poly (A) + mRNAs were reduced substantially when the source of PMS was from stationary phase or ethanol exposed cells. The sedimentation of peaks containing 40S ternary and 80S initiation complexes following sucrose density gradient analysis showed marked reductions in [35S]methionine labeling during the transition to stationary phase and also following ethanol exposure. The reduced formation of initiation complexes suggests possible functional modifications of eukaryotic initiation factor-2 (eIF-2) present in the PMS fraction and of mRNAs under these conditions. Data suggest that cells initiate adaptive or protective mechanisms by reducing the rate of the initiation reaction following environmental alterations produced by ethanol.

Astrocytoma↗
PubMed1988

Cloning and characterization of the tetracycline resistance determinant of and several promoters from within the conjugative transposon Tn919.

Tn919 is a 15- to 16-kilobase (kb) tetracycline resistance conjugative transposon that was originally isolated from Streptococcus sanguis FC1. The tetracycline resistance determinant (tet) was found on a 4.2-kb HindII fragment by in vitro deletion analysis. This fragment was subcloned to a pWV01 origin capable of directing replication in Escherichia coli, Bacillus subtilis, and Streptococcus lactis, and expression was observed in all three genera. In all cases, expression was weaker when only the 4.2-kb cloned fragment rather than the full transposon was present. The resistance gene is of the streptococcal tetM class and codes for a protein of approximately 70 kilodaltons. The restriction map resembles that of the tetM gene of Tn1545 (P. Martin, P. Trieu-Cuot, and P. Courvalin, Nucleic Acids Res. 14:7047-7058, 1986), which codes for a protein of 72.5 kilodaltons. A number of transposon-derived promoter-bearing fragments were also cloned and sequenced. These closely resemble the consensus sequence of E. coli and B. subtilis promoters. Fusion experiments with a truncated lacZ gene indicate the possibility of an open reading frame for one of the promoters.

Base Sequence↗
PubMed1988

Concomitant conjugal transfer of reduced-bacteriophage-sensitivity mechanisms with lactose- and sucrose-fermenting ability in lactic streptococci.

Ten previously reported lactose-positive (Lac) transconjugants from Streptococcus lactis, S. cremoris, and S. lactis subsp. diacetylactis and one sucrose-positive (Suc) transconjugant from S. lactis were examined for their sensitivity to prolate- and small isometric-headed bacteriophages. Four of the Lac transconjugants showed a 10- to 100-fold reduction in the efficiency of plating (EOP) as well as a reduced plaque size for the prolate phage c2 and were insensitive to the small isometric phage 712. A fifth Lac transconjugant demonstrated a similar reduced sensitivity to phage c2; however, this transconjugant was able to plaque phage 712, but with a reduced plaque size and EOP. The other five Lac transconjugants were sensitive to both c2 and 712 phages. The Suc transconjugant plaqued phage 712 with a reduced plaque size and EOP, but no reduction in plaque size or EOP was observed for phage c2. The Lac and reduced bacteriophage sensitivity (Rbs) phenotypes were correlated with specific plasmids in the Lac transconjugants. As four of the Lac transconjugants exhibited a phenotypically indistinguishable Rbs, one (AB001) was selected for further study. The Rbs in AB001 for both small isometric- and prolate-headed phages was not related to adsorption, and the reduced EOP for phage c2 was not related to the presence of a restriction and modification system. The latent period for phage c2 was unchanged, but the burst size was reduced 80%. The presence of the plasmid coding for Rbs retarded the lysis of a mitomycin C-induced prophage-containing strain. The Rbs mechanism appears to be abortive phage infection. This study supports previous observations that Rbs and conjugal transfer ability are physically linked among some group N streptococci. The results presented have implications in the identification of plasmids coding for Rbs and may also aid in explaining the dissemination of Rbs genes among lactic streptococci.

Journal Article↗
PubMed1987

Ultrasonic assessment of skin and wounds with the scanning laser acoustic microscope.

The aim of the present study was to test the hypothesis that ultrasonic propagation properties in skin and wound tissue would correlate with material properties such as collagen content, water content, and tensile strength of those tissues. Both ultrasonic speed and ultrasonic attenuation coefficient were directly correlated with tissue collagen content, [r = 0.80 and r = 0.56, respectively (p less than 0.001)]. In addition, ultrasonic speed and attenuation coefficient were inversely correlated with tissue water content, [r = -0.57 and r = -0.73, respectively (p less than 0.001)]. Tensile strength also correlated very significantly with ultrasonic speed (r = 0.90, p less than 0.001), and significantly with attenuation coefficient (r = 0.58, p less than 0.001). The results demonstrate the feasibility of using ultrasound for noninvasively determining the material properties of biologic tissues including healing cutaneous wounds.

Animals↗
PubMed1987

Development of High-Frequency Delivery System for Transposon Tn919 in Lactic Streptococci: Random Insertion in Streptococcus lactis subsp. diacetylactis 18-16.

The conjugative transposon Tn919, originally isolated in Streptococcus sanguis FC1, is capable of low-frequency transfer (10 and 10 per recipient) on membrane filters to a wide number of streptococcal recipients including the industrially important lactic streptococci. The introduction of pMG600 (Lac Lax; a lactose plasmid capable of conjugative transfer at high frequencies and which, in certain hosts, confers an unusual clumping phenotype) into a Streptococcus lactis CH919 donor, generating S. lactis CH001, resulted in a significant improvement in the transfer frequency of Tn919 to S. lactis CK50 (1.25 x 10 per recipient). In addition, these matings could be performed on agar surfaces, allowing the recovery of a greater number of recipients than with filter matings. Tn919 also transferred at high frequency to S. lactis subsp. diacetylactis 18-16S but not to Streptococcus cremoris strains. Insertion in 18-16S transconjugants generated from filter matings with an S. lactis CH919 donor was random, occurring at different sites on the chromosome and also in plasmid DNA. Thus, the conditions necessary for the practical exploitation of Tn919 in the targeting and cloning of genes from a member of the lactic streptococci, namely, high-frequency delivery and random insertion in host DNA, were achieved.

Journal Article↗
PubMed1987

Detailed characterization and comparison of four lactic streptococcal bacteriophages based on morphology, restriction mapping, DNA homology, and structural protein analysis.

Bacteriophages uc1001 and uc1002, which are lytic for Streptococcus cremoris UC501 and UC502, respectively, were characterized in detail. Comparisons were made with a previously characterized phage, P008, which is lytic for Streptococcus lactis subsp. diacetylactis F7/2, and uc3001, which is a lytic phage for S. cremoris UC503. Phages uc1001 and uc1002 had small isometric heads (diameters, 52 and 50 nm, respectively) and noncontractile tails (lengths, 152 and 136 nm, respectively), and uc1002 also had a collar. Both had 30.1 +/- 0.6 kilobase pairs (kbp) of DNA with cross-complementary cohesive ends. Restriction endonuclease maps made with seven endonucleases showed no common fragments. Despite this there was a very high level of homology between uc1001 and uc1002, and results of cross-hybridization experiments showed that the organization of both phage genomes was similar. Heteroduplex analysis confirmed this and quantified the level of homology at 83%. The regions of nonhomology comprised 2.1-, 1.1-, and 1.0-kbp deletion loops and 13 smaller loops and bubbles. The sodium dodecyl sulfate-polyacrylamide gel electrophoretic structural protein profiles were related, with a major band of about 40,000 molecular weight and minor bands of 35,000 and 34,000 molecular weight in common. There were also differences, however, in that uc1001 had a second major band of 68,000 molecular weight and two extra minor bands. Except for the restriction maps, which were strain specific, phages uc1001, uc1002, and P008 were closely related by all the criteria listed above. Their DNAs also showed a very significant bias against the cleavage sites of 9 of 11 restriction endonucleases. Phage uc3001 was unrelated to uc1001, uc1002, or P008 in that it had a prolate head (53 by 39 nm) and a shorter tail (105 nm), contained approximately 22 kbp of DNA, had unrelated cohesive ends, showed no DNA homology with the isometric-headed phages, and displayed a very different structural protein profile.

Journal Article↗
PubMed1984

Evidence that the dopaminergic incerto-hypothalamic tract has a stimulatory effect on ovulation and gonadotrophin release.

2 micrograms dopamine (DA) were injected into particular hypothalamic sites containing dopaminergic nerve terminals, on the morning of pro-oestrus in cyclic rats, in which ovulation was blocked by administration of 35 mg/kg pento-barbitone Na, in the afternoon of pro-oestrus. DA in a specific area of the zona incerta (ZI) (medial area at A 5.4 mm; de Groot atlas), and medial anterior hypothalamus (AH) overcame the pentobarbitone block and induced ovulation. Injections into the median eminence and preoptic area were ineffective, as were injections of 5-hydroxytryptamine and nor-adrenaline into the ZI. Injection of 2 micrograms haloperidol and lesions in the ZI inhibited ovulation in otherwise untreated cyclic rats. Lesions induced constant dioestrus for 14 +/- 0.7 days, but the animals were not pseudopregnant. 2 micrograms DA were also injected into the ZI of ovariectomised rats primed with 2 micrograms oestradiol benzoate 48 h before; this treatment stimulated a rise in plasma LH approximately 40 min later. These findings indicate that the dopaminergic incerto-hypothalamic tract which has nerve terminals in the ZI and AH has a stimulatory role in the control of gonadotrophin release.

Animals↗
PubMed1983

The use of mesophilic cultures in the dairy industry.

The use of mesophilic starter cultures, containing group N Streptococcus and Leuconostoc species, in the dairy industry is examined. Bacteriophage attack is identified as the main cause of culture inhibition and criteria used to select stable mixed-strain starter cultures and phage-insensitive defined strains are established. The key aspects of culture propagation and storage are highlighted, as well as bulk-culture protection based on physical exclusion of phage and the use of phage-inhibitory media. Developments in the application of starter culture systems in different countries are examined and show that significant process control and elimination of phage problems can be achieved.

Bacteriological Techniques↗
PubMed1982

ScrFI: a new sequence-specific endonuclease from Streptococcus cremoris.

A novel sequence-specific endonuclease has been isolated from Streptococcus cremoris F. ScrFI recognises the sequence: (formula; see text) and cleaves as indicated by the arrow ( ). It is the first enzyme to recognise this sequence and the first endonuclease reported from the lactic streptococci used in dairy fermentations.

Base Sequence↗
PubMed1982

Isolation and general characterization of a heat-stable proteinase from Pseudomonas fluorescens aft 36.

An extracellular proteinase from Pseudomonas fluorescens, strain AFT 36, was isolated to homogeneity by chromatography on DEAE-cellulose and Sephadex G-150; a 230-fold increase in specific activity with a recovery of 53% was obtained. The enzyme was optimally active at pH 6.5 and 45 degrees C; activity declined rapidly at higher temperatures but significant activity persisted down to 4 degrees C. Activity was strongly inhibited by 10(-3) M EDTA and was partially restored by addition of Zn2+, Ca2+ or Co2+. The Km values on methylated casein and sodium caseinate were 18.2 and 7.1 mg/ml, respectively. The enzyme was very labile in phosphate buffer and in a mild salts buffer at 55 degrees C but was very stable in the latter at more than 80 degrees C.

Cations, Divalent↗