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Biomedical subjects

D L Anderson

Publications and source records attributed to D L Anderson.

At least 19 recordsLinked to original sources

Thyroid stimulating hormone and prolactin responses to thyrotropin releasing hormone in nondepressed alcoholic inpatients.

Thyroid stimulating hormone (TSH) and prolactin (PRL) responses to thyrotropin releasing hormone (TRH) stimulation are sometimes blunted in alcoholic subjects; however, the mechanisms involved in these phenomena have not been established. We hypothesized that elevations in free thyroid concentrations might be related to these abnormal responses and then tested that hypothesis in a sample of nondepressed alcoholic inpatients (n = 21). Four alcoholic patients had delta max TSH responses that were < 7 mIU/l; three had PRL responses at or below 8 micrograms/l. Baseline TSH was the only significant predictor of peak TSH; however, free thyroxine (FT4) and baseline TSH both were significant predictors of peak PRL. The average baseline FT4 concentration in alcoholic patients was significantly higher than that in healthy control subjects (n = 10). Our data, thus, suggest that small elevations of FT4 play a role in the inhibition of TSH and PRL responses to TRH among nondepressed, abstinent alcoholic patients.

Adult

Circular forms of DNA synthesized by Rous sarcoma virus in vitro.

Electron microscopic analysis of the DNA product synthesized by detergent-disrupted preparations of Rous sarcoma virus in vitro revealed the presence of several interesting molecular forms including covalently closed circular DNA. The identification of such circular DNA indicates that virions of retroviruses contain all the components necessary to facilitate the complete synthesis of mature forms of viral DNA and therefore provide a useful system to delineate the molecular mechanisms involved in their synthesis.

Avian Sarcoma Viruses

Psychoendocrine response to sexual arousal in human males.

The hypothesis is tested that luteinizing hormone (LH) and follicle stimulating hormone (FSH( may be released from the anterior pituitary in response to a psychological state of sexual arousal. LH levels in 10 male volunteers were found to be higher after viewing a sexually arousing film than after a control film. The magnitude of LH response was found to be positively correlated with the subjective evaluation of sexual arousal. FSH levels tended in the same direction bu the predominant and unexpected finding for this hormone was that levels were consistently lower during the first session, when anxiety was high, and higher during the second session, when anxiety was less, whether control or stimulus film had been shown. This study is analogous to those demonstrating the responsiveness of other anterior pituitary hormones to specific psychological states.

Erotica

Molar polymorphisms and body growth.

Body growth at adolescence was later in children of the serial experimental sample of the Burlington Growth Centre who had agenesis of third molars of 4-cusped mandibular permanent first molars. These groups of children tended to have later maximum increment of growth, later completion of the growth spurt, less adolescent prepeak gain and greater postpeak gain in height and weight than the children with four third molars and 5-cusped first molars. Growth of the boys differed significantly (P less than 0.05) according to absence or presence of third molars, whereas in girls it differed significantly (P less than 0.05) by the number of cusps of the mandibular first molars. In skeletal age, the children with the molar reductions were slightly advanced before adolescence, fell behind during prepeak adolescent growth, and caught up to the other children by the end of their growth spurt. Later maturation in association with dental reduction may be an evolutionary trend in man.

Adolescent

Tooth, chin, bone and body size correlations.

Correlations of size of teeth, chin, bone and body were investigated in 118 males and 102 females of the Burlington Growth Centre. In the males, the mesiodistal widths of the mandibular lateral incisors and canines were independently related to the thickness of the cortex of the second metacarpal and to body weight. Bone cortex thickness was significantly related to metacarpal width in males and to body weight in females. Chin depth of the males was significantly related to bone width and to body height, negatively related to tooth width when bone width or body weight was held constant in partial correlations. Bone width and length were significantly related to body height in both sexes.

Adolescent

Dental reductions and dental caries.

Although first permanent molar hypoconulid absence, third molar agenesis, and small tooth size are all part of evolutionary trend of dental retardation, each bears a different relationship to dental caries. Caries prevalence in the maxillary and mandibular permanent first molars of the Burlington Research Centre serial experimental group at age 16 years was less in the children whose first molars were missing the hypoconulid. Conversely, caries prevalence in mandibular first molars was greater in the children who had agenesis of third molars. The extraction of first molars due to caries was more frequent in children with agenesis of third molars, less frequent in those with absence of hypoconulids of the first molars and unrelated to tooth size. Caries prevalence was less in small teeth, and occurred least in the small mandibular first molars with four cusps. Whereas this is in harmony with the hypothesis that evolutionary dental reductions resulted from the pressure of caries, the increased prevalence of caries and extractions coinciding with third molar agenesis does not support this view. In addition, agenesis of hypoconulids and agenesis of third molars were related to changes in structures unrelated to caries.

Adolescent

Morphogenesis of bacteriophage phi 29 of Bacillus subtilis: mapping and functional analysis of the head fiber gene.

A set of mutants of Bacillus subtilis bacteriophage phi29 unable to synthesize the head fiber protein has been identified by sodium dodecyl sulfate-polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis and autoradiography. Infectious phage are produced during restrictive infection. We have focused on mutant sus 8.5(900) because the mutation is suppressible by both the su(+3) and su(+44) hosts, and it can be mapped by three- and four-factor crosses. After restrictive infection with mutant sus 8.5(900), a fragment about 70% of the size of the normal fiber is produced as well as particles that are fast-sedimenting in sucrose gradients relative to phi29(+). These particles have the buoyant density of particles with the fibers removed and have the absolute plating efficiency of phi29(+). Fiber protein is absent from prohead as well as virion. A second set of mutants produces fiber protein with a slightly altered electrophoretic mobility. This type of fiber protein is either present or absent on both prohead and virion. A third class of mutants, typified by 914, produces a "normal" fiber, but a major head protein of altered electrophoretic mobility. After infection by this mutant, the fiber is absent from both prohead and virion, and the biological and physical properties of the 914(-) particle are similar to those of particles produced after infection of the su(-) host by sus8.5(900). These observations suggest that the head fiber is not an essential component of the prohead or virion and that the assembly process is efficient in the absence of fiber protein. Three- and four-factor genetic crosses have established the order sus8(769)-8(914)-sus8.5(900)-sus9(756) and indicate that cistrons 8 and 8.5 code for the major head protein and head fiber protein, respectively.

Bacillus subtilis

Molar polymorphisms and the timing of dentition mineralization.

The chronological age, skeletal age, and morphological age at the time of mineralization of 14 stages of the permanent teeth of 121 boys and 111 girls of the serial experimental sample of the Burlington Growth Centre were contrasted according to whether or not the children had 4- or 5-cusped mandibular permanent first molars, and whether or not they had agenesis of one or more third molars. In the boys with 4-cusped mandibular first molars, the mineralization of the teeth occurred at significantly earlier chronological and skeletal ages when they were significantly shorter in stature. Tooth mineralization was not consistently earlier in the girls with 4-cusped molars, but these girls tended to be taller and heavier than those with 5-cusped molars. In contrast, in both sexes with agenesis of third molars, the mineralization of the teeth was significantly delayed according to chronological, skeletal and morphological evaluation. The change in timing of mineralization was greatest for the second premolars and second molars, and least for the first molars.

Age Factors

Clinical spectrum of pseudomembranous colitis.

Five cases of pseudomembranous colitis (PMC) provided the opportunity for observation of clinical, endoscopic, and histologic features, and evaluation of potential modes of therapy. Although PMC may occur postoperatively or concomitantly with staphylococcal infection, if most frequently occurs following the administration of a variety of antibiotics. Patients with this disorder often have chronic, debilitating diseases. The clinical course may vary from a self-limited diarrheal illness to a fatal process. Onset with abdominal pain, diarrhea, and fever is characteristic. Barium enema contrast findings are nonspecific. Proctoscopy usually permits an accurate diagnosis. In the typical case, multiple elevated nodules formed by cream-colored plaques of pseudomembrane are scattered about the inflamed mucosa. Biopsy of these nodular lesions will confirm the diagnosis. Therapy must be individualized.

Adult

Genetic analysis of bacteriophage phi 29 of Bacillus subtilis: integration and mapping of reference mutants of two collections.

Reference mutants of Bacillus subtilis phage phi 29 of the Madrid and Minneapolis collections were employed to construct a genetic map. Suppressor-sensitive and temperature-sensitive mutants were assigned to 17 cistrons by quantitative complementation. Three-factor crosses were used to assign an unambiguous order for the 17 cistrons. Recombination frequencies determined by two-factor crosses were used to construct a linear genetic map of 24.4 recombination units. The genes were numbered sequentially from left to right (1 to 17) according to their relative map position.

Bacillus subtilis

Analysis of gene function of bacteriophage phi 29 of Bacillus subtilis: identification of cistrons essential for viral assembly.

Restrictive infection of Bacillus subtilis by suppressor-sensitive (sus) mutants of phi 29 has been used to search for cistrons that function in viral assembly. The products of cistrons 7, 9, 10, and 16 are necessary for head morphogenesis. The neck upper collar protein P10 and the tail protein P9 must be present for DNA packaging to occur. The protein P7 must be present for phage-related particles to form. A prohead-like particle has been isolated during 16-restrictive infection. The particle is composed of the proteins Hd, P10, F, and P7. P16 must function for DNA-filled particles to accumulate. A DNA-containing particle produced in the absence of the cistron 11 product may be an intermediate in the phi 29 assembly pathway. The protein P13 interacts with P9 and P11 to form a stable DNA-filled particle. The products of cistrons 2 and 3 are essential for viral DNA synthesis, and in their absence virus-related particles are not detected.

Bacillus subtilis

Morphogenesis of bacteriophage phi 29 of Bacillus subtilis: preliminary isolation and characterization of intermediate particles of the assembly pathway.

Three classes of particles have been identified in restrictive phi 29 suppressor-sensitive (sus) mutant infections of Bacillus subtilis, including DNA-containing heads or phage, prohead, and empty heads. Pulse-chase labeling experiments indicate that the prohead, the first particle assembled in 14-infected cells, is converted to DNA-filled heads and phi 29. In addition to the proteins Hd, P10, and F found in mature phi 29, the prohead contains a "core" protein P7 that exits as the prohead matures and appears to recycle during subsequent rounds of prohead assembly. Prohead-like structures accumulate in UV-irradiated cells and are present in restrictive infections with sus mutants of cistrons 9 and 16. Empty heads are observed only when infection results in the formation of DNA-containing particles; this and other evidence indicates that the empty heads are probably not true intermediates. Phage phi 29 assembly apparently occurs by a single pathway in which neck and tail components interact to stabilize the completed DNA-containing head.

Bacillus subtilis

Age of attainment of mineralization stages of the permanent dentition.

The ages at which the maxillary and mandibular teeth of 121 boys and 111 girls reached 14 mineralization stages were determined from serial cephalograms at the Burlington Growth Centre. The present data are more comprehensive than any previously available and can be applied to chronological age determinations in juveniles of indefinite age, and of specimens in anthropological and forensic investigations. The sexes differed in the age at which they attained the stages of mineralization, with the canines demonstrating the greatest difference. In each sex, the ages at identical stages were similar for the corresponding teeth in the maxilla and mandible. Variability in age was greater among the males, especially for the first premolars, and increased with age, except for the third molars. Variability in age of third molar mineralization was greater in females and diminished among both sexes at late stages of root formation.

Adolescent