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Biomedical subjects

D Weiss

Publications and source records attributed to D Weiss.

At least 73 records · Page 4Linked to original sources
PubMed1997

Neuroendocrine challenge studies of suicidal behavior.

This article reviews the research data regarding human neuroendocrine systems and suicidal behavior. Special emphasis is placed on pharmacochallenge studies. Such studies uniquely allow for functional assessment of neuroendocrine parameters in living subjects. Serotonergic mechanisms have been the most fruitful areas of research. While discussing the major areas of controversy, theoretical approaches to integration are offered.

Depressive Disorder↗
PubMed1997

Impact of level III verification on trauma admissions and transfer: comparisons of two rural hospitals.

PURPOSE: To study the impact of Level III verification and other changes in rural hospitals on trauma delivery and to examine factors affecting transfer to a Level I trauma center. SETTING: Two rural Kentucky hospitals and a Level I trauma center. METHOD OF REVIEW: Concurrent review of all trauma patients in 1988 and re-review of the same parameters in 1995. FINDINGS: In 1988, both hospitals had similar management practices in trauma care. A significant number of patients were transferred for (a) patient choice, (b) serious and/or multiple trauma, (c) specialty care in non-life threatening situations, and (d) to exclude a potentially serious problem seen on radiologic evaluation (usually questionable cervical spine or widened mediastinum). Both hospitals had major changes in trauma delivery. One hospital received Level III verification, and the other had changes that lessened the general surgeon's involvement with initial evaluation and treatment. A re-review in 1995 disclosed major changes at both institutions. Transfers to exclude radiologic abnormalities had virtually disappeared. The Level III status had increased the surgical involvement in that hospital; there was actually an increase in patients transferred to the Level I hospital and an increase in patient acuity. More operations were performed locally, and the care was more efficiently delivered. The other hospital had a large increase in transfers and decreased admissions locally as general surgical involvement decreased. CONCLUSIONS: The factors related to patient transfer for trauma care are complex and require careful elucidation to improve care. The development of a Level III trauma service appeared to increase the number of seriously injured patients treated in the rural hospital and the efficiency of the care delivered.

Concurrent Review↗
PubMed1996

The petunia homologue of tomato gast1: transcript accumulation coincides with gibberellin-induced corolla cell elongation.

Gibberellins (GAs) regulate petunia corolla pigmentation and elongation. To study this hormone's effect at the molecular level, we used the tomato gast1 gene as a probe to isolate a gibberellin-induced gene (gip) from petunia corollas. The deduced sequence of gip exhibited 82% identity with GAST1 protein and contained a short, highly hydrophobic N-terminal region. High levels of gip expression were detected in elongating corollas and young stem intemodes. When detached corollas were grown in vitro in sucrose medium, gip expression was strongly induced by gibberellic acid (GA3). GA3-induced gip expression in corollas was inhibited by abscisic acid (ABA). The expression of the gene was also induced by GA3 in detached young stem segments. Sucrose was not essential for GA-induced gip expression in corollas but enhanced its effect. In stems, on the other hand, sucrose inhibited the effect of the hormone. The results of the present work support the possible role of gip in GA-induced corolla and stem elongation.

Abscisic Acid↗
PubMed1996

Nicotine preference in smokers as a function of smoking abstinence.

Overnight smoking abstinence increases desire to smoke and intensity of smoking behavior in smokers, but it is not completely clear that this reflects an increase in reinforcement from the psychoactive effects of nicotine per se. We examined choice of nicotine vs. placebo via nasal spray (Study 1) and nicotine vs. nonnicotine cigarette puffs (Study 2) in separate groups of smokers during each of two sessions, following overnight abstinence vs. no abstinence. In each study, subjects followed a forced choice procedure in which they were instructed to self-administer six sprays/puffs from between the two nasal sprays/cigarettes every 15 min for 2 h following initial exposure to each. In Study 1, choice of nicotine spray (1.5 micrograms/kg per spray) increased significantly following abstinence vs. no abstinence (47 +/- 6% vs. 34 +/- 5%, respectively, p < 0.05). This shift in choice was more pronounced in the subset of smokers (choosers, n = 9 out of 24) who selected nicotine on more than 50% of choices on the abstinent day. Choosers exhibited greater responses to initial nicotine exposure on positive (e.g., pleasant, vigor) but not aversive (e.g., jittery, uneasy) subjective measures, suggesting that greater positive reinforcement from nicotine per se predicted subsequent choice. In Study 2, abstinence similarly increased choice of nicotine vs. nonnicotine cigarette puffs (82 +/- 6% vs. 64 +/- 8%, p < 0.05), although nearly all subjects (12 of 13) preferred the nicotine cigarette following abstinence. These results indicate that choice of nicotine per se, isolated from tobacco smoke, increases significantly after overnight tobacco abstinence.

Adult↗
PubMed1996

The correlation between heat-shock protein accumulation and persistence and chilling tolerance in tomato fruit.

Heating tomato fruit (Lycoperiscon esculentum) for 48 h at 38 degrees C prevented chilling injury from developing after 21 d at 2 degrees C, whereas unheated fruit developed high levels of injury. Although the overall protein pattern as seen by Coomassie blue staining was similar from heated and unheated fruit, some high- and many low-molecular-mass proteins were observed in the heated fruit that were absent or present in reduced amounts in unheated fruit. When fruit wer injected with [35S]methionine at harvest and then heated, they accumulated high levels of specific radiolabeled proteins that could still be detected after 21 d at 2 degrees C. If the fruit were held at 20 degrees C after heating, the label in the proteins declined rapidly and these fruit were also sensitive to chilling injury. Hsp70 antibody reacted more strongly with proteins from heated and chilled fruit than with proteins from chilled fruit. Hsp18.1 antibody reacted strongly with proteins from heated fruit but not with those from unheated fruit. A 23-kD protein, highly labeled in heated fruit but not in unheated fruit, had its amino terminus sequenced. To our knowledge, this is the first report showing a relationship between the persistence of heat-shock proteins and chilling tolerance in a plant tissue.

Acclimatization↗
PubMed1995

Cyproheptadine treatment in neuroleptic-induced akathisia.

BACKGROUND: Cyproheptadine, an antiserotonergic agent, was used to treat neuroleptic-induced akathisia. METHOD: In an open clinical trial 17 neuroleptic-treated patients with akathisia were administered cyproheptadine (16 mg/day) over 4 days. Assessment of akathisia, psychosis and depression were monitored by BAS, BPRS and HAM-D. RESULTS: All subjects showed improvement in the severity of akathisia, which in the majority (15/17) was of a marked degree. There was no aggravation of psychosis or depression. Symptoms of akathisia returned when cyproheptadine was discontinued. CONCLUSIONS: Cyproheptadine may be useful in neuroleptic-induced akathisia.

Akathisia, Drug-Induced↗