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Biomedical subjects

G E Cole

Publications and source records attributed to G E Cole.

At least 19 recordsLinked to original sources
PubMed1994

Behavioural risk factors and HIV infection of injection drug users at detoxification clinics in Puerto Rico.

BACKGROUND: The ethnic and geographical variations of AIDS prevalence among injection drug users (IDU) have highlighted the need to understand the role of the relevant risk factors in specific subpopulations of IDU. In this study we examine the factors related to seropositivity among IDU entering drug detoxification facilities in metropolitan San Juan, Puerto Rico. METHODS: From October 1990 until August 1991, 390 IDU were interviewed. Four groups of risk factors were examined: sexual practices, drug injection behaviours, risk behaviours while in US Mainland cities, and while incarcerated. A stepwise logistic regression model was used to simultaneously assess the independent effects of the behavioural risk factors on HIV seropositivity. RESULTS: Of the 342 IDU who were tested for HIV antibodies, 29.5% were seropositive. The behaviours found to be associated with seropositivity were: having sex with an IDU in the last 6 months; having injected drugs for over 5 years; and injecting with used needles while incarcerated. DISCUSSION: Public health programmes will need to establish more effective collaborative links with correctional institutions in order to reduce the spread of HIV among IDU in Puerto Rico.

Adult↗
PubMed1992

Demoralization and living alone: outcome from an urban community study.

The purpose of the present study was to investigate differences in demoralization between those who live in single-person households and those who live in households with others in a random sample of 8,634 urban adults. Responses to the 26-item Psychiatric Epidemiologic Research Interview did not substantiate that adults who live alone are more likely to be demoralized than those who live with others, until age and gender are considered. Men who live alone scored higher on demoralization than men who live with others, yet women who live with others scored higher on demoralization than those who live alone. An interaction for living arrangement and age group on demoralization was also observed.

Adult↗
PubMed1991

Demographic predictors of self-reported loneliness in adults.

The relative magnitude of individual demographic characteristics, compared with other demographic characteristics, in the prediction or explanation of frequency of loneliness has not been examined or reported in the literature. The relative strengths of a series of demographic variables (gender, age, marital status, household income, educational attainment, race or ethnicity, employment status, and occupation) in explaining frequency of loneliness in a random sample of 8,634 adults residing in a large metropolitan county were examined. Logistic regression analysis indicated several variables significantly affected group membership as lonely vs not lonely: marital status, household income, gender, and educational attainment. The strongest predictor of all was marital status. Age group as a predictor variable approached significance, but employment status, occupational, and race/ethnicity were not significant predictors of group membership as lonely vs not lonely in the logistic regression model.

Adolescent↗
PubMed1991

Loneliness and alcoholism risk in late adolescence: a comparative study of adults and adolescents.

The Short Michigan Alcoholism Screening Test (SMAST) was administered via phone survey to a random sample of subjects 18 years of age and older in a large metropolitan county. Among late adolescents (aged 18 to 20), lonely females had the highest mean score on the SMAST, indicating a higher degree of alcoholism risk than lonely males and nonlonely males and females. Among lonely females, late adolescents scored higher on the SMAST than any other age group. For males, loneliness did not appear to increase alcoholism risk in the late adolescent age group, but did appear to do so during the early and middle adulthood years. The implications of these findings for mental health professionals and adolescent substance abuse treatment personnel are discussed.

Adolescent↗
PubMed1990

Isolation and characterisation of the crnA-niiA-niaD gene cluster for nitrate assimilation in Aspergillus nidulans.

Genomic clones containing the entire crnA-niiA-niaD gene cluster of Aspergillus nidulans have been isolated, and the structures of the niiA and niaD genes have been determined by nucleotide sequence analysis. This gene cluster is required for the assimilation of nitrate in A. nidulans, and the three genes encode a product required for nitrate uptake and the enzymes, nitrite reductase and nitrate reductase, respectively. The putative coding sequences, as deduced by comparison to cDNA clones of both niiA and niaD, are interrupted by multiple small introns, and the two genes are divergently transcribed. Identification and characterization of specific mRNAs involved in nitrate assimilation indicates that only monocistronic transcripts are involved, and that the approximate sizes of these transcripts are 1.6 kb, 3.4 kb and 2.8 kb for crnA, niiA and niaD, respectively. The results also indicate that control of niiA and niaD gene expression is mediated by the levels of mRNA accumulation, in response to the source of nitrogen in the growth medium. Two types of transcripts for niiA were observed.

Amino Acid Sequence↗
PubMed1990

Recombinant feline herpesviruses expressing feline leukemia virus envelope and gag proteins.

We constructed recombinant feline herpesviruses (FHVs) expressing the envelope (env) and gag genes of feline leukemia virus (FeLV). Expression cassettes, utilizing the human cytomegalovirus immediate-early promoter, were inserted within the thymidine kinase gene of FHV. The FeLV env glycoprotein expressed by recombinant FHV was processed and transported to the cell surface much as in FeLV infection, with the exception that proteolytic processing to yield the mature gp70 and p15E proteins was less efficient in the context of herpesvirus infection. Glycosylation of the env protein was not affected; modification continued in the absence of efficient proteolytic processing to generate terminally glycosylated gp85 and gp70 proteins. A recombinant FHV containing the FeLV gag and protease genes expressed both gag and gag-protease precursor proteins. Functional protease was produced which mediated the proteolytic maturation of the FeLV gag proteins as in authentic FeLV infection. Use of these recombinant FHVs as live-virus vaccines may provide insight as to the role of specific retroviral proteins in protective immunity. The current use of conventional attenuated FHV vaccines speaks to the wider potential of recombinant FHVs for vaccination in cats.

Animals↗
PubMed1989

Identification of the thymidine kinase gene of feline herpesvirus: use of degenerate oligonucleotides in the polymerase chain reaction to isolate herpesvirus gene homologs.

Feline herpesvirus 1 (FHV) is the causative agent of viral rhinotracheitis in cats. Current vaccination programs employing attenuated live and killed FHV vaccines have been effective in reducing the incidence of this disease. As an initial step in the development of recombinant FHVs for use in the vaccination of cats, we have identified the thymidine kinase (TK) gene of this feline-specific alphaherpesvirus. Comparisons of the amino acid sequences of other herpesvirus TK proteins have shown that these proteins are highly divergent, sharing only short regions of imperfect amino acid identity. We have used the polymerase chain reaction method of DNA amplification to increase the specificity associated with the use of short, highly degenerate oligonucleotide probes derived from regions of imperfect amino acid conservation. These methods were used to isolate the TK gene of FHV and should prove to be useful in the identification of new members of other viral and cellular gene families. A recombinant FHV bearing a deletion in the identified TK gene was constructed and shown to possess the expected TK- phenotype. The FHV TK gene is located at a position of approximately 40% in the long unique component of the FHV genome. The location of the TK gene and the location and orientation of flanking FHV genes, homologs of herpes simplex virus type 1 UL24 and UL22, are conserved among alphaherpesviruses.

Amino Acid Sequence↗
PubMed1987

Biochemical and biological properties of the human N-ras p21 protein.

We characterized the normal (Gly-12) and two mutant (Asp-12 and Val-12) forms of human N-ras proteins produced by Escherichia coli. No significant differences were found between normal and mutant p21 proteins in their affinities for GTP or GDP. Examination of GTPase activities revealed significant differences between the mutant p21s: the Val-12 mutant retained 12% of wild-type GTPase activity, whereas the Asp-12 mutant retained 43%. Both mutant proteins, however, were equally potent in causing morphological transformation and increased cell motility after their microinjection into quiescent NIH 3T3 cells. This lack of correlation between transforming potency and GTPase activity or guanine nucleotide binding suggests that position 12 mutations affect other aspects of p21 function.

Animals↗
PubMed1986

Physical fitness: a buffer against stress.

The purpose of this study was to determine the extent to which physically fit and unfit persons differ regarding levels of stress in their lives. The six Kraus-Weber tests were employed to assess minimal muscular function and fitness among 4,628 adult males, and a 10-item Likert-type inventory was administered to measure perceived stress. Analysis of covariance was utilized with age statistically controlled, and the results indicated that the unfit subjects perceived significantly more distress in their lives than did the adequately fit subjects. It was concluded that physical fitness may fortify the body against the demands of life and provide increased strength and hardiness. Physical fitness may act as a buffer against stress.

Adult↗
PubMedDate not supplied

AIDS knowledge gaps: results from the first decade of the epidemic and implications for future public information efforts.

Throughout the first decade of AIDS, certain populations have been disproportionately affected by its spread, particularly men, blacks, Hispanics, and the young. Just as there are population differences in the spread of the disease, there are differences in knowledge about the disease as well. This article applies the knowledge gap framework to examine the nature and magnitude of gaps in knowledge among different populations. The analysis shows that persons of low education lag behind other groups in true-transmission knowledge (i.e., knowledge about ways in which HIV/AIDS actually is transmitted) and false-transmission knowledge (i.e., misconceptions about how the disease is spread).

Acquired Immunodeficiency Syndrome↗