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Biomedical subjects

C Penn

Publications and source records attributed to C Penn.

At least 19 recordsLinked to original sources
PubMed1992

The communicative Effectiveness Index: its use with South African stroke patients.

The functional communication of a group of 28 South African stroke patients was examined using the Communicative Effectiveness Index (CETI). It was translated into Afrikaans, Sotho and Zulu and administered to the significant others of 22 aphasic patients with left hemisphere damage and 6 patients with right hemisphere damage. Results were related to the results of standardized language testing and to case history factors such as cultural factors and time since onset. The CETI was readministered in the case of eight of the aphasic subjects after a mean period of six months in order to assess its sensitivity to recovery. Results showed that the CETI seems applicable across different language groups, that it is sensitive to change across time as well as sensitive to the communication disorders resulting from both right and left hemisphere damage. Further it appears to correlate well with overall level of severity. It does not appear to differentiate patients in terms of time since onset. Its potential use as a relatively culture free assessment tool in the South African context is discussed.

Adult↗
PubMed1991

Toward a national policy for deaf education in the "new" South Africa.

In this article, it is suggested that there has been a lack of a clear, focused, cohesive and articulated sense of direction in areas related to deafness and the provision of services to the deaf in South Africa. As a means of rectifying this situation, policy proposals which were developed in a workshop conducted at the Thirteenth Biennial Conference of the South African National Council for the Deaf are presented and discussed, as is the underlying research base for the policy proposals.

Curriculum↗
PubMed1990

Stable expression of foreign antigens from the chromosome of Salmonella typhimurium vaccine strains.

A simple and versatile system has been developed using a new cloning vector which can serve as a vehicle for integrating DNA fragments, which direct the expression of heterologous antigens, into the aroC gene on the Salmonella chromosome. The system is based on Escherichia coli plasmid vectors which contain the DNA fragment, cloned from the chromosome of S. typhimurium C5, which encodes the aroC gene. The aroC gene was modified using synthetic oligodeoxyribonucleotides so that it contained several unique restriction sites into which DNA, directing the expression of heterologous antigens, could be cloned. DNA was integrated into the S. typhimurium chromosome at aroC by transferring the vectors into S. typhimurium polA mutants and allowing homologous recombination to occur between the cloned and chromosomal aroC genes. The vectors were used to integrate nucleotide sequences into the S. typhimurium chromosome which directed the expression of tetanus toxin fragment C and the Treponema pallidum lipoprotein. The expression of both antigens was detected by Western blotting.

Antigens, Bacterial↗
PubMed1990

Acquired childhood aphasia with convulsive disorder (Landau-Kleffner syndrome). A case report.

The Landau-Kleffner syndrome is a rare form of acquired childhood aphasia associated with convulsive disorder. These children are typically misdiagnosed. A 15-year-old girl whose aphasia was not diagnosed until the age of 13 is described. Pitfalls in diagnosis are discussed, particularly with regard to interpretation of the results of audiometric testing. Attention is drawn to the existence of this rare form of aphasia and to the lack of appropriate educational facilities for aphasic children in general.

Adolescent↗
PubMed1989

The role of RNA segment 1 in an in vitro host restriction occurring in an avian influenza virus mutant.

A temperature sensitive mutant, ts C47, derived from A/FPV/Rostock/34 and with a ts mutation in RNA segment 8, fails to form plaques in MDCK cells. From data obtained with reassortant viruses using the human influenza isolate A/FM/1/47 it was apparent that more than one mutation contributed to the temperature-sensitive (ts) and host range (hr) phenotypes of ts C47, and the phenotype of reassortants containing RNA segment 1 from A/FM/1/47 indicated that this segment was involved. A single nucleotide substitution at nucleotide 1961, resulting in valine instead of methionine in the predicted amino acid sequence of polypeptide PB2, was found in RNA segment 1 of ts C47, but this mutation did not segregate with the attenuated phenotype on gene reassortment. The following conclusions are drawn: (a) that ts C47 has at least two mutations in addition to that already known to exist in RNA segment 8, one of which (that in RNA segment 1) does not contribute to the observed ts hr phenotypes and (b) that the hr phenotype can be suppressed by substitution of RNA segment 1 by that of another strain.

Amino Acid Sequence↗
PubMed1988

Identification of the major antigens of Treponema hyodysenteriae and comparison with those of Treponema innocens.

Eleven strains of Treponema hyodysenteriae isolated from pigs with swine dysentery were examined by using sodium dodecyl sulfate-polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis and immunoblotting. T. hyodysenteriae strains formed a homogeneous group with respect to sodium dodecyl sulfate-soluble proteins. However, immunoblotting with antiserum from rabbits immunized with T. hyodysenteriae CN8368 revealed heterogeneity among the lipopolysaccharide complexes of different strains. Polypeptides of molecular weights between 30,000 and 36,000 were the predominant T. hyodysenteriae polypeptides detected by porcine immune serum. In contrast, Treponema innocens did not form a homogeneous group with respect to sodium dodecyl sulfate-soluble proteins. Adsorption studies and immunoblotting identified polypeptide antigens present on cells of T. hyodysenteriae which were not detected on cells of T. innocens. These unique antigens may play a role in the virulence of T. hyodysenteriae.

Animals↗