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Biomedical subjects

D Towle

Publications and source records attributed to D Towle.

8 recordsLinked to original sources
PubMed2005

Evolution of novel functions: cryptocyanin helps build new exoskeleton in Cancer magister.

Hemocyanin, the blue blood protein of many arthropods and molluscs, reversibly binds oxygen at its highly conserved copper-oxygen-binding sites and supplies tissues with oxygen. Cryptocyanin, closely related structurally and phylogenetically to arthropod hemocyanin, lacks several of the six critical copper-binding histidines, however, and has lost the ability to bind oxygen. Despite this loss of function, cryptocyanin continues to be synthesized, an indication that it has been exploited to carry out new functions. Here, we show that cryptocyanin is present in extremely high concentrations in the hemolymph of the crab during the premolt portion of the molt cycle. Both proteins are specifically expressed in the same type of cell in the hepatopancreas and secreted into the hemolymph, but cryptocyanin plays a major role in forming the new exoskeleton, while hemocyanin functions in oxygen transport. A cessation in cryptocyanin, but not hemocyanin, synthesis after eyestalk ablation supports our hypothesis that cryptocyanin is closely regulated by molting hormones. The contrasts between the two gene products illustrate how a gene duplication of a copper-oxygen protein and its subsequent mutation may work in concert with the evolution of new regulatory mechanisms, leading to the assumption of new functions.

Animals↗
PubMed1991

Use of the Indented Paragraph test with right hemisphere-damaged stroke patients.

The Indented Paragraph reading test has been presented as a useful screening test for identifying hemispatial neglect, as it has been reported to be more sensitive to mild neglect than text with a predictable format (Caplan, 1987). The number of errors made by 42 right hemisphere-damaged stroke subjects on this test was compared with their performance on text with straight margins and unpredictable text, where both right and left margins were irregularly indented. The inter-rater reliability of the paragraphs was checked for 23 subjects. The scores from the three paragraphs were significantly correlated, and all were able to detect mild neglect. Inter-rater reliability was higher when identifying moderate and severe levels of neglect than mild neglect. Performance on the Indented Paragraph was also compared with that on the Star Cancellation and Article Reading subtests of the Behavioural Inattention Test in a separate group of 56 right hemisphere stroke subjects and found to classify patients differently.

Aged↗
PubMed1989

The Rivermead Behavioural Memory Test: remembering a short route.

The route recall task in the Rivermead Behavioural Memory Test may be difficult to administer to immobile patients or to those being assessed at home. A comparison was made of 20 stroke patients' performance on this task when asked to walk the route around a room and when moving a small figure around a line drawing of a similar room. The results suggest the line drawing may be used in place of walking the route.

Aged↗
PubMed1989

Service provision and functional independence in depressed stroke patients and the effect of social work intervention on these.

OBJECTIVE To compare the provision of health and social services between a social work intervention and non-intervention group. DESIGN Depressed stroke patients were randomly assigned to either an intervention or non-intervention group. Over a 4 month period both groups were visited three times by an independent assessor who rated them on service provision and functional independence. SETTING Patients' homes. PATIENTS 44 depressed stroke patients. INTERVENTION Both groups were given an information booklet and the intervention group were then visited regularly by a research social worker over a period of 4 months. The social worker adopted a pragmatic approach which included providing counselling and information on services and benefits. MAIN RESULTS The study groups did not differ in level of social independence (p greater than 0.05) or total number of financial benefits (p greater than 0.05), services (p greater than 0.05) or aids (p greater than 0.05) received either before or after intervention. When the results from the two groups were combined, home help and meals-on-wheels were the most frequently provided services (25% of patients). Walking aids (72% of patients) and bath aids (59% of patients) were the most frequently provided aids to daily living. CONCLUSION Social work assistance had little effect on service provision or level of functional independence.

Activities of Daily Living↗
PubMed1988

Use of the 'extended activities of daily living scale' with depressed stroke patients.

The 'extended activities of daily living scale' was given to 44 depressed stroke patients. All were more than 1 year after stroke. The completed forms were then Guttman scaled to find whether the ranking of the items was valid in this group of patients. The items were not passed in the order expected from the ranking. The results therefore suggest that all items should be assessed when using this scale with depressed stroke patients.

Activities of Daily Living↗
PubMed1981

The relationship of herpesvirus to carcinoma of the prostate.

A laboratory based epidemiologic study was done to determine the possible relationship of herpesvirus type 2 to carcinoma of the prostate. A total of 305 patients (224 with benign prostatic hypertrophy and 81 with prostatic carcinoma) who underwent transurethral resection of the prostate was studied. Viral cultures were obtained from urethral swabs and urine preoperatively. Prostatic tissue removed at operation was grown as tissue explants, using a monolayer cell culture technique, and examined by specific immunofluorescence and electron microscopy for evidence of herpesvirus type 2. The sera of the patients also were tested for specific antibody to herpesvirus type 2 by the indirect hemagglutination inhibition test. Although herpesvirus was not isolated 5 per cent of the patients had evidence of herpesvirus type 2 antigen in prostatic tissues by specific immunofluorescence. Electron microscopy failed to reveal the presence of viral particles. There was an increased prevalence of herpesvirus type 2 antibody in patients with carcinoma of the prostate compared to the controls with benign prostatic hypertrophy (p less than 0.05). Although marital status was similar the patients with prostatic cancer tended to marry at an earlier age, have more children, more sexual partners and more exposure to prostitutes than their counterparts with benign prostatic hypertrophy. The demonstration of specific herpesvirus type 2 antibody in patients with prostatic cancer supports an etiologic role for herpesvirus type 2 but further studies are needed to describe more definitively the relationship since the indexes of sexual activity are remarkably high in both groups.

Antibodies, Viral↗