Biomedical subjects

C Fulwiler

Publications and source records attributed to C Fulwiler.

5 recordsLinked to original sources

PubMed1997

Retinal patterning in the zebrafish mutant cyclops.

Determination of cell fate in the vertebrate retina has been shown to be largely independent of lineage. After cell fates are determined, retinal neurons become organized in a precise laminar pattern. The mechanisms for this patterning could involve morphogens distributed in gradients or, alternatively, direct cell-cell interactions. In the zebrafish mutant cyclops (Cyc(b16)), most embryos have two partial retinas joined in the ventral midline. This presents developing retinal cells near the midline with abnormal cellular environments, whereas laterally the pattern of developing cells is normal. We examined the consequences of this for patterning in the mutant's retina. We found that the retinas are joined in the midline at the apical surfaces of the photoreceptor layers. A laminar pattern emerges in the midline that preserves normal positional relationships between retinal cell types locally but is abnormal with respect to patterning over the entire retina. Lateral to the midline, retinal patterning appears normal. Metabolic labeling experiments showed that late rounds of DNA synthesis precede the emergence of the novel pattern in this midline region. We conclude that these observations in the cyclops mutant are compatible with mechanisms of pattern formation in the retina involving local cell interactions.

Animals↗

PubMed1997

Early-onset substance abuse and community violence by outpatients with chronic mental illness.

OBJECTIVE: This study examined the relationship between violence and substance abuse among patients with chronic mental illness living in the community. METHODS: All referrals over a one-year period to an urban assertive community treatment team were evaluated systematically with a standardized intake protocol. Thirty-seven patients with a history of violence in the community were compared with 27 patients without such a history on a variety of clinical and demographic variables. RESULTS: More than half of the patients (58 percent) had a history of violence in the community. The only significant differences between those with a history of violence and those without involved alcohol or drug use. The single best predictor of violence was the onset of alcohol or drug abuse in late childhood or early adolescence. CONCLUSIONS: In this sample, very early onset of substance abuse among people who developed mental illness was associated with the greatest risk of community violence. Thus at least some of the causal determinants of violence in this sample may precede the onset of adult mental illness.

Activities of Daily Living↗

PubMed1997

Self-mutilation and suicide attempt: distinguishing features in prisoners.

Nonlethal forms of self-injury are often discussed together with suicide attempts as though they belonged on a continuum of self-harm. Both types of self-injury are common in prisons, which have a predominantly male population; however, most studies of nonlethal self-injury have been done with female subjects. This exploratory study tested the hypothesis that prisoners who injured themselves without intending to die would differ clinically from prisoners who had attempted suicide. Inmates admitted to the prison unit of a public hospital for treatment of self-inflicted wounds or who had a history of previous self-injury were administered a standardized intake protocol by the first author, which included asking about their intent at the time they injured themselves. Patients were classified as self-mutilators or suicide attempters on the basis of intent. Fifteen patients reported that they had attempted to take their own lives, while 16 reported other reasons for harming themselves. Suicide attempt was associated with adult affective disorder 13/15 versus 2/16 mutilators); self-mutilation with a history of childhood hyperactivity (12/16 versus 1/15 suicide attempters) and a mixed dysthymia/anxiety syndrome that began in childhood or early adolescence (9/16). Prison self-mutilators and suicide attempters had very different clinical presentations and histories. The history of childhood hyperactivity in self-mutilators deserves further study in both correctional and noncorrectional populations.

Adolescent↗

PubMed1991

Zebrafish embryology and neural development.

The zebrafish is rapidly increasing in popularity with developmental biologists. Driving this interest are the elegant methods for in vivo observations and recovery of early developmental mutations. The past year has seen the introduction of additional methods for in vivo manipulation of identified cells and the application of these methods to mutant analysis.

Animals↗

PubMedDate not supplied

Premorbid risk factors for violence in adult mental illness.

The role of premorbid factors in the violence associated with adult mental illness has received little attention. We previously found that the premorbid onset of substance abuse in early adolescence or childhood was a more powerful predictor of violence in adult patients with chronic mental illness than comorbid substance abuse. In the present study, we retrospectively assessed patients with chronic mental illness for a history of childhood conduct disorder. Consecutive referrals to a community treatment team were evaluated with a standardized protocol that included questions about violent behavior. Patients who met DSM-IV criteria for a primary diagnosis of major axis I disorder (N = 64) were assessed for behavior prior to age 15 with a checklist for DSM-IV criteria of conduct disorder using self-report data, supplemented by collateral information from charts and relatives when possible. About half of the sample had a history of committing violent acts in the community, and 26% met criteria for childhood conduct disorder. The odds of violence in adulthood was 10-fold higher for subjects with a history of childhood conduct disorder. Not surprisingly, there was considerable overlap between conduct disorder and early-onset substance abuse. About half of the patients with a history of substance abuse prior to age 15 also had a history of conduct disorder. However, these two premorbid conditions appear to be at least partially independent in predicting adult violence in this population.

Adult↗