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Biomedical subjects

E Gallagher

Publications and source records attributed to E Gallagher.

At least 19 recordsLinked to original sources
PubMed2006

Gain of imprinting of SLC22A18 sense and antisense transcripts in human breast cancer.

The 11p15.5 region harbors three imprinted sense/antisense transcript pairs, SLC22A18/SLC22A18AS, IGF2/IGF2AS (PEG8), and KCNQ1/KCNQ1OT1 (LIT1). SLC22A18 (solute carrier family 22 (organic cation transporter) member 18) and its antisense transcript SLC22A18AS are paternally suppressed in fetal samples. In adult tissue, SLC22A18 displays polymorphic imprinting, but the imprinting status of SLC22A18AS remains elusive. SLC22AI8 DNA-PCR-RFLP analysis using NlaIII restriction digestion identified SLC22A18 heterozygotes within this breast tissue cohort (n = 89). Commercial sequencing identified informative SLC22A18AS samples. Random hexamer-primed cDNA synthesis, SLC22A18/SLC22A18AS-specific PCR, and imprinting evaluation by commercial sequencing demonstrated that SLC22A18AS displays a nonimprinted profile in reduction mastectomies (n = 6). However, SLC22A18 showed a gain of imprinting (GOI) in 1/4 of these normal cases. In the malignant cohort, GOI was also demonstrated in 18% for SLC22A18 and 14% for SLC22A18AS, occurring concomitantly in one case. This study reports the imprinting status of SLC22A18AS in adult tissue, and shows that GOI affects both the sense, and antisense transcripts at this locus in human breast tissue.

Adult↗
PubMed2005

13C-carrier DNA shortens the incubation time needed to detect benzoate-utilizing denitrifying bacteria by stable-isotope probing.

The active bacterial community able to utilize benzoate under denitrifying conditions was elucidated in two coastal sediments using stable-isotope probing (SIP) and nosZ gene amplification. The SIP method employed samples from Norfolk Harbor, Virginia, and a Long-Term Ecosystem Observatory (no. 15) off the coast of Tuckerton, New Jersey. The SIP method was modified by use of archaeal carrier DNA in the density gradient separation. The carrier DNA significantly reduced the incubation time necessary to detect the (13)C-labeled bacterial DNA from weeks to hours in the coastal enrichments. No denitrifier DNA was found to contaminate the archaeal (13)C-carrier when [(12)C]benzoate was used as a substrate in the sediment enrichments. Shifts in the activity of the benzoate-utilizing denitrifying population could be detected throughout a 21-day incubation. These results suggest that temporal analysis using SIP can be used to illustrate the initial biodegrader(s) in a bacterial population and to document the cross-feeding microbial community.

Bacteria↗
PubMed2002

Estimating the risk of importation of foot-and-mouth disease into Europe.

The opinions of a number of recognised world experts on foot-and-mouth disease (FMD) were sought in order to answer key questions relating to the importation of the disease into European countries from countries outside Europe. In addition, their opinions were sought on where in Europe a primary outbreak of FMD was most likely to occur and the number of outbreaks likely to occur within European countries in the next five years. The Balkans group of countries was considered to be the most likely group within Europe to have a primary outbreak of FMD and also most likely to have the highest number of primary outbreaks. Turkey was considered to be the country outside Europe which was most likely to be the source of an outbreak within Europe as a whole, and the illegal importation of livestock was considered to be the most likely route of introduction of FMD into Europe. Results specific to the Islands group of countries, which included the UK and Ireland, suggested that this group was likely to have a mean of one primary outbreak of FMD in the five years from September 2000, and that the importation of foodstuffs by people entering those countries from Turkey was the most likely source of an outbreak.

Animals↗
PubMed2001

Looking beyond caseload numbers for long-term home-care case managers.

Determining the best use of case managers' time is difficult both because of the great variability in the factors and the lack of outcome studies. In place of the outcome studies, the responses to focus group questions of 89 experienced case managers from across Canada were used to indicate a value for case management functions in the areas of direct care, indirect care management, and program management. The case managers identified greater value for direct care with clients and families who are new to home care or who have complex problems in comparison to clients in more stable or manageable situations. Case managers were frustrated by the lack of agency and community policies and resources to allow case managers to properly support people in their homes. The case managers valued addressing problems on a program or community basis rather than the usual case-by-case. Although preliminary, the approach could be useful in assessing the efficient and effective use of a scarce resource, case managers' time.

Canada↗
PubMed1998

Cerebellar abnormalities in the disabled (mdab1-1) mouse.

A mouse homolog of the Drosophila Disabled (dab) gene, disabled-1 (mdab1), encodes an adaptor molecule that functions in neural development. Targeted disruption of the mdab1 gene (mdab1-1 mice) leads to anomalies in the development of the cerebrum, hippocampus, and cerebellum. Here we describe a number of histologic abnormalities in the cerebellum of the mdab1-1 mouse. There is a complete absence of foliation, and most Purkinje cells are clumped in central clusters. However, lamination appears to develop normally in areas where the Purkinje cells and external granular layer are closely apposed. The granular layer forms a thin rind over most of the cerebellar surface, but is subdivided by both transverse and parasagittal boundaries. The Purkinje cells, identified by anti-zebrin II in the adult or anti-calbindin in the new born mdab1-1 mutant cerebellum, form a parasagittal banding pattern, similar to but distorted compared with the wild-type design. The data suggest that the development of the mdab1-1 cerebellum parallels the development of reeler. The reeler gene encodes an extracellular protein (Reelin) that is secreted by the external granular layer. Because Reelin expression is retained in the mdab1-1 mutant mouse, mDab1 p80 may act in a parallel pathway or downstream of Reelin, leading to the transformation of embryonic Purkinje cell clusters into the adult parasagittal bands.

Animals↗
PubMed1998

Regionalization defects in the weaver mouse cerebellum.

The mammalian cerebellum consists of parasagittal bands and transverse zones that are laid down early in development. When the adult cerebellum is immunostained for the Purkinje cell-specific antigen zebrin II (i.e., aldolase C), compartmentation is reflected in alternating zebrin II+ (P+) and zebrin II- bands (P ). The zebrin II phenotype is Purkinje cell autonomous; thus, disruptions in the zebrin pattern may reflect early problems in pattern formation. Zebrin II expression has been examined in the weaver (wv) mouse cerebellum. Both zebrin II- and zebrin II Purkinje cells are present in the homozygous weaver (wv/wv) mouse, but they are not distributed normally. In the posterior vermis, although the zebrin II+ bands are wider and multilaminate, the standard compartmentation is present. However, a large zebrin II+ cell mass is absent from the central vermis, and analysis of the anterior lobe reveals several missing zebrin II- bands. The cytoarchitectonic defects in wv mice are not simply related to the Purkinje cell abnormalities. Instead, serial reconstruction reveals two transverse boundaries-one rostrally in lobule VI and the other caudally in lobule IX-that delineate cytoarchitectonic transverse zones important in cerebellar development. The abnormal zebrin expression pattern in wv/wv mice may be secondary to the deletion of a transverse zone. This is the first demonstration that Purkinje cell compartmentation can be altered by mutation; therefore, the wv mutation should prove valuable in understanding cerebellar regionalization.

Animals↗
PubMed1998

Spatial and temporal variation of phenanthrene-degrading bacteria in intertidal sediments.

Phenanthrene-degrading bacteria were isolated from a 1-m2 intertidal sediment site in Boston Harbor. Samples were taken six times over 2 years. A total of 432 bacteria were isolated and characterized by biochemical testing. When clustered on the basis of phenotypic characteristics, the isolates could be separated into 68 groups at a similarity level of approximately 70%. Several groups (a total of 200 isolates) corresponded to well-characterized species belonging the genera Vibrio and Pseudomonas. Only 51 of the 437 isolates (< 11.7% of the total) hybridized to a DNA probe that encodes the upper pathway of naphthalene and phenanthrene degradation in Pseudomonas putida NCIB 9816. A cluster analysis indicated that the species composition of the phenanthrene-degrading community changed significantly from sampling date to sampling date. At one sampling time, 12 6-mm-diameter core subsamples were taken within the 1-m2 site to determine the spatial variability of the degrading communities. An analysis of molecular variance, performed with the phenotypic characteristics, indicated that only 6% of the variation occurred among the 12 subsamples, suggesting that the subsamples were almost identical in composition. We concluded that the communities of phenanthrene-degrading bacteria in the sediments are very diverse, that the community structure undergoes significant change with time but does not vary significantly on a spatial scale of centimeters, and that the predominant genes that encode phenanthrene degradation in the communities are not well-characterized.

Geologic Sediments↗
PubMed1998

Blebs in the mouse cerebellar granular layer as a sign of structural inhomogeneity. 2. Posterior lobe vermis.

When the adult mouse cerebellum is perfusion-fixed with 70% ethanol, paraffin-embedded, sectioned, and the sections are rehydrated, the granular layer wrinkles into an elaborate array of blebs. In the posterior lobe vermis these blebs are seen in both transverse and sagittal sections, are symmetrical about the midline, reproducible between neighboring sections and between individuals, and bear a constant relationship to the Purkinje cell bands as revealed by zebrin II immunocytochemistry. The data suggest that blebs represent individual cytoarchitectonic units and thus that the mouse cerebellum is subdivided into several thousand modules, each comprising >10(2) Purkinje cells and their associated interneurons and glial cells.

Animals↗
PubMed1997

Blebs in the mouse cerebellar granular layer as a sign of structural inhomogeneity. 1. Anterior lobe vermis.

The cerebellum is a modular structure. However, the size of the fundamental compartments is uncertain, with anatomical methods showing a parasagittal band arrangement but electrophysiological mapping suggesting a finer subdivision into microzones and patches. A new anatomical way to demonstrate compartmentation is described. The cerebellum is fixed by perfusion with 70% ethanol, paraffin-embedded and sectioned. When the sections are rehydrated the granular layer pleats into an elaborate array of blebs. These blebs are seen in both transverse and sagittal sections, found in all lobules of both the vermis and the hemispheres, symmetrical about the midline, reproducible between neighboring sections and between individuals, and bear a constant relationship to the Purkinje cell bands as revealed by zebrin II immunocytochemistry. The data suggest that the granular layer of the adult mouse cerebellum is divided into several thousand modules. These modules may reflect the mossy fiber topography, and may be the anatomical equivalents of the tactile receptive field patches. Such a profound compartmentation has important implication for theories of cerebellar structure and development.

Animals↗
PubMed1996

Elder abuse in Canada and Australia: implications for nurses.

This paper examines the issue of elder abuse from a Canadian and Australian perspective. A research project was undertaken in Canada and Australia to identify registered nurses' knowledge about the types of abuse, skill at recognition and comfort counselling and intervening in cases of elder abuse. Although a phenomenon that has probably been in existence for many years, it is only during the last decade that elder abuse has come into prominence as an important aspect of family violence. A recent Canadian report records that elder abuse today is at the same level of publicity as wife abuse 10 years ago (Canadian Nurses Association, 1993). It is estimated that as many as 4% of the elderly population in each country are exposed to elder abuse (Podneiks and Pillemer, 1990, National Survey on Abuse of the Elderly in Canada. Ryerson Polytechnic Inst., Toronto; Kurrle et al., 1992, Modern Med. Austral., September, pp. 58-71). This takes the form of physical, emotional as well as financial abuse. Each country has an increasingly ageing population. By the year 2000 the percentage of the population over the age of 65 is predicted to be 13.6% in Canada and 11.7% in Australia (Gnaedinger, 1989, National Forum on Family Violence; Rowland, 1991, Ageing in Australia, Longman Cheshire, Melbourne). Nurses in both community practice and health care facilities have a responsibility to this elderly population to identify those being abused and those at greatest risk. This study questioned a small sample of registered nurses in both countries to identify whether nurses were adequately prepared to identify, intervene and manage patients in an abusive situation. Results show that nurses in both countries were not knowledgeable about the types of abuse, or comfortable and skilled when dealing with the types of elder abuse.

Aged↗
PubMed1996

Looking out for family caregivers.

Nurses are regularly advised to become involved in community development initiatives, but what exactly does this entail and what are the precautions that should be considered? A 10-week, government sponsored, community-development program for family caregivers allowed nurses to offer education and support to six under-serviced areas of B.C. They offer a critique of the program and recommendations for the future.

Caregivers↗
PubMed1995

Corticosteroid effect on early beta-adrenergic down-regulation during circulatory shock: hemodynamic study and beta-adrenergic receptor assay.

OBJECTIVES: The steroid effect on critically ill patients remains controversial. The aim of this study is to characterize the effect of methylprednisolone on the heart in a beta-adrenergically down-regulated condition. DESIGN: A prospective hemodynamic study and retrospective receptor assay. SETTING: Multidisciplinary ICU in a university hospital. SUBJECTS: 42 patients who required pulmonary arterial catheters and an additional 4 corpses who were available for study within 3 h of their deaths. INTERVENTION: Intravenous methylprednisolone (10 mg/kg). MEASUREMENTS AND RESULTS: We pursued a hemodynamic study following a glucocorticoid administration. In patients who had undergone a long term (> 72 h) catecholamine treatment, the cardiac index increased. In patients who had undergone a short term (1-72 h) catecholamine treatment and in patients with no record of catecholamine administration, the cardiac index showed no remarkable change. Among the corpses, who died soon after their arrival, and the patients, who later died in the ward and were available for further study, we measured beta-adrenergic receptor density in the left ventricular myocardium. It was found that receptor density was decreased after long term catecholamine treatment. Methylprednisolone, on the other hand increased the receptor density. CONCLUSION: Methylprednisolone improved the cardiac index, intriguingly, in patients with long term catecholamine treatment in circulatory shock. Myocardial beta-adrenergic receptor also increased in number after the administration of methylprednisolone. However, the hemodynamic improvement caused by methylprednisolone was not observed in patients without beta-adrenergic down-regulation.

Adrenergic beta-Antagonists↗
PubMed1987

Distribution of indicator bacteria and Vibrio parahaemolyticus in sewage-polluted intertidal sediments.

The impact of a sewage point source on the bacterial densities in an intertidal mud flat in Boston Harbor, Mass., was investigated. The area, Savin Hill Cove, acts as a receiving basin for a combined storm and sewage outlet (CSO). Preliminary examination of sediments and overlying water at high tide demonstrated that fecal coliforms were present in sediments at abundances 2 to 4 orders of magnitude higher than in the overlying water column. The following bacterial counts were determined from sediments along a sampling transect extending 460 m from the CSO: total bacteria by epifluorescent microscopy, heterotrophic bacteria by plate counts on nutrient-rich and nutrient-poor media, fecal coliforms and enterococci by membrane filtration, and Vibrio parahaemolyticus by a most-probable-number technique with a resuscitation step. Median sediment grain size, average tidal exposure, carbon/nitrogen ratio, and total organic carbon were also measured. All bacterial indices, except for V. parahaemolyticus, declined significantly with distance from the outfall. Multiple regression analysis indicated that tidal exposure (low tides) may affect densities of total bacteria. Fecal coliforms and enterococci were still present in appreciable numbers in sediments as far as 460 m away from the CSO. In contrast, V. parahaemolyticus densities did not correlate with the other bacterial counts nor with any of the environmental parameters examined. These results indicate that intertidal sediments which adjoin point sources of pollution are severely contaminated and should be considered as potentially hazardous reservoirs of sewage-borne diseases.

Enterobacteriaceae↗