Special report on Quebec creates controversy.
Explore the source record for details and available documents.
Attitude of Health Personnel↗
Biomedical subjects
H Goldstein
Publications and source records attributed to H Goldstein.
Enhancement of HIV-1 infection by the capsular polysaccharide of Cryptococcus neoformans.
Patients with AIDS who become infected with Cryptococcus neoformans have a poor prognosis. We speculated that the presence of cryptococcal capsular polysaccharide may enhance HIV-1 infection. In an in-vitro study, the presence of cryptococcal polysaccharide significantly increased (p less than 0.05) production of p24 antigen after infection of H9 cells with HIV-1-infected H9 cells. We also found similar results when lymphocytes from an HIV-1-infected patient were co-cultured with mononuclear cells from an uninfected individual. Our findings suggest a new pathogenic role for the capsular polysaccharide--namely, the capacity to enhance HIV-1 infectivity.
Acquired Immunodeficiency Syndrome↗
A collaborative model of a county crisis intervention team: the Lake County experience.
A model is introduced for the classification of crisis intervention and disaster services as being clinic-based, ad hoc, school-oriented, disaster service based and integrative. An example is presented of an integrative-collaborative model that was developed in Lake County, Ohio to cope with situations of suicide, accidental death or natural disaster when they occur in rural areas and small towns. The Community Crisis Intervention Team (CCIT) was developed with characteristics specific to a collaborative model. The distinctive qualities of the CCIT are identified and discussed within the context of a case study of a postvention in a school setting following adolescent suicide.
Community Mental Health Services↗
Design of polymerase chain reaction primers for the selective amplification of HIV-1 RNA in the presence of HIV-1 DNA.
OBJECTIVE: To develop a sensitive method for the specific detection of HIV-1 RNA. DESIGN: Following reverse transcription, the presence of HIV-1 RNA can be detected by polymerase chain reaction (PCR) amplification. Since specific detection of HIV-1 RNA may be complicated by contamination with minute quantities of HIV-1 DNA, samples are treated with deoxyribonuclease (DNase) prior to analysis. This additional step increases the possibility of RNA degradation and sample contamination. METHODS: A primer, HG141, was designed to hybridize to the poly(A) tract present in HIV-1 genomic and all HIV-1 messenger (m) RNA with its 5' end and to the region upstream of the poly(A) tract with its 3' end. The increased stability of the HG141 primer/HIV-1 RNA or complementary (c) DNA complex, enabled PCR amplification to be performed with HG141 and the return primer HG62 at an annealing temperature above the melting temperature (Tm) of the primer-HIV-1 DNA complex. RESULTS: After reverse transcription of samples obtained from HIV-1-infected H9 cells, HG62/141-primed PCR amplification specifically detected HIV-1 RNA sequences without the need for DNAase pre-treatment. This technique was more sensitive for the detection of HIV-1 RNA than SK38/39-primed PCR amplification of DNase-treated samples. CONCLUSIONS: Since the presence of HIV-1 RNA is indicative of HIV-1 replication for the presence of HIV-1 virions, the RNA-specific primer described should facilitate the assessment of HIV-1 replication and the plasma HIV-1 viral load in HIV-1-infected individuals. This should prove useful in the evaluation of the effects of therapeutic interventions on HIV-1 infection.
Base Sequence↗
Widespread differentiation stage-specific expression of the gene encoding phosphoprotein p19 (metablastin) in mammalian cells.
p19 is a highly conserved 19 kD cytosolic protein that undergoes phosphorylation in response to diverse extracellular factors in mammalian cells. Its expression is abundant in brain and testis and is developmentally regulated. To gain insights regarding its function, we analyzed the expression of p19 mRNA in a variety of cell types during induction of differentiation. Murine erythroleukemia cells showed a moderate increase followed by a marked decrease in the abundance of p19 mRNA during induction of differentiation. In murine C2 myoblasts and primary fetal rat osteoblasts, p19 mRNA was abundant in replicating cells and decreased to undetectable levels during differentiation. In resting human peripheral blood lymphocytes, p19 mRNA was virtually undetectable but was strongly induced during blast transformation of both B and T cells. In rat liver, p19 mRNA was abundant on embryonic day 17 and decreased during early postnatal development. Upon fractionation of adult rat liver cells by centrifugal elutriation, p19 mRNA was not detected in hepatocytes while a low level was observed in a fraction enriched in non-parenchymal epithelial cells. CCl4-induced liver regeneration resulted in induction of p19 mRNA in hepatocytes. Primary cultures of embryonic and neonatal rat brain were analyzed by indirect immunofluorescence using co-staining with stage-specific markers. p19 expression was restricted to immature neurons and oligodendrocyte precursors. In contrast to the other cell types examined, the neuronal and glial precursors that express p19 were shown, using BrdU labeling, to be postmitotic both in primary culture and in vivo. The data demonstrate widespread, stage-specific expression of p19 and suggest that the protein exerts a general, lineage-independent function during induction of differentiation of mammalian cells. In view of the available evidence on the stimulation of serine phosphorylation of p19 by several growth factors, our working hypothesis is that phosphorylation of p19 may be involved in the mechanism by which growth factors control cell differentiation.
Animals↗
Effects of self-evaluation on preschool children's use of social interaction strategies with their classmates with autism.
This study investigated effects of a self-evaluation procedure on preschool children's use of social interaction strategies among their classmates with autism. Three triads of children (comprised of 1 trained normally developing peer, 1 untrained peer, and 1 child with autism) participated. A multiple baseline design across subjects was used to demonstrate that peers who were taught facilitative strategies increased their use of strategies only after the self-evaluation intervention was introduced. Improvements in social behavior of children with autism was associated with peers' increased strategy use. Untrained peers demonstrated little change in their social behavior. Treatment effects were replicated when trained peers were asked to use self-evaluation with other children with autism during other play times. Self-evaluation procedures enhanced the use of social interaction strategies on the part of normally developing peers during social skills interventions.
Autistic Disorder↗
Teaching idiom comprehension to children with mental retardation.
This study examined the effectiveness of a training program designed to teach children with mild mental retardation the meaning of 12 idiomatic phrases, such as "to hit the sack." Four 9-year-old children participated in the training. A multiple baseline design across subjects and across three sets of idioms was implemented. Training consisted of presenting both literal and idiomatic contexts in the form of story narratives, and asking the children to explain the outcome of the story and to select one picture from an array of four that represented the outcome. All children demonstrated learning, although 1 child required review procedures to facilitate maintenance. Children were able to generalize their receptive learning to an expressive task with varying levels of success. All children demonstrated an ability to understand the learned idioms when presented in unfamiliar contexts.
Child↗
Promoting interaction during sociodramatic play: teaching scripts to typical preschoolers and classmates with disabilities.
We investigated the effects of teaching sociodramatic scripts on subsequent interaction among three triads, each containing 2 typical children and 1 child with autistic characteristics. The same type and rate of teacher prompts were implemented throughout structured play observations to avoid the confounding effects of script training and teacher prompting. After learning the scripts, all children demonstrated more frequent theme-related social behavior. These improvements in social-communicative interaction were replicated with the training of three sociodramatic scripts (i.e., pet shop, carnival, magic show) according to a multiple baseline design. These effects were maintained during the training of successive scripts and when the triads were reconstituted to include new but similarly trained partners. Results provided support for the inclusion of systematic training of scripts to enhance interaction among children with and without disabilities during sociodramatic play.
Autistic Disorder↗
Peer-mediated intervention: attending to, commenting on, and acknowledging the behavior of preschoolers with autism.
This study investigated the effects of a peer-mediated intervention on the social interaction of five triads comprised of preschoolers with autism and their typical peers. Strategies thought to facilitate interaction were selected based on analyses of a descriptive data base. Peers were taught to attend to, comment on, and acknowledge the behavior of their classmates with disabilities. These are behaviors preschoolers typically exhibit frequently, but that do not obligate responses to the same extent as questions and requests do. The ABCB reversal designs revealed that improved rates of social interaction during play were clearly associated with the peer intervention for 4 of the 5 children with autism. This intervention offers an alternative peer-intervention package for increasing interaction between children with and without disabilities.
Attention↗
Multi-level statistical models in studies of periodontal diseases.
Periodontal data typically have a hierarchical structure, with sites grouped within individuals, and individuals grouped within communities. Also, the occasion may be regarded as another level since the acquired knowledge indicates that periodontal disease activity may vary over time. Conventional statistical tests are based on unilevel analysis of data. However, this approach to statistical analysis is often inconvenient in periodontal research because of the variation in the outcome variables between the various levels in the hierarchy. Lately there have been important developments in the statistical theory which have made available powerful statistical techniques for analyzing multilevel or hierarchical data. This report describes a new approach for analyzing periodontal data and uses an illustrative example to build a model which explains part of the variability in the response variable. The results from this analysis are then compared to results from an earlier report which uses unilevel methods and the findings discussed. The present multilevel approach has several advantages over unilevel methods, mainly due to its statistical validity and efficiency. Further, it permits the incorporation of explanatory variables measured at the site and the subject levels, and those which vary across the time points. Multilevel analyses have a promising potential and are expected to have a significant impact on periodontal research.
Age Factors↗
Studies of various aspects of Down syndrome in Denmark, and their use as an epidemiological basis for a cost benefit analysis of genetic amniocentesis.
Explore the source record for details and available documents.
Amniocentesis↗
Differing lymphokine profiles of functional subsets of human CD4 and CD8 T cell clones.
Functional subsets of human T cells were delineated by analyzing patterns of lymphokines produced by clones from individuals with leprosy and by T cell clones of known function. CD4 clones from individuals with strong cell-mediated immunity produced predominantly interferon-gamma, whereas those clones that enhanced antibody formation produced interleukin-4. CD8 cytotoxic T cells secreted interferon-gamma. Interleukin-4 was produced by CD8 T suppressor clones from immunologically unresponsive individuals with leprosy and was found to be necessary for suppression in vitro. Both the classic reciprocal relation between antibody formation and cell-mediated immunity and resistance or susceptibility to certain infections may be explained by T cell subsets differing in patterns of lymphokine production.
Antibody Formation↗
Increased gastric pH and the bioavailability of fluconazole and ketoconazole.
Explore the source record for details and available documents.
Adult↗
Significant progress in child language intervention: an 11-year retrospective.
This literature review summarizes knowledge gained from 151 articles on child language intervention published between 1978 and 1988. A general theoretical framework for viewing language development is offered as a basis for evaluating progress in the development of language intervention efforts. New developments and issues requiring further investigations are highlighted for five themes that characterize much of the language intervention research in recent years: (1) the development of augmentative and alternative communication systems, (2) the provision of language stimulation to take advantage of observational learning, (3) the teaching of various language functions, (4) the teaching of language as a means of environmental- and self-control, and (5) the study of different types of generalization processes.
Child↗
Observational learning of comprehension monitoring skills in children who exhibit mental retardation.
An observational learning paradigm was used to instruct 5 children with mild or moderate mental retardation to monitor their comprehension of inadequate instructions. Instructions were inadequate because of an interfering signal, an unfamiliar word, excessive length, or an unfamiliar idiomatic phase. Subjects' peers served as models during the training. A multiple baseline design across subjects and across instruction types was employed. All subjects learned to request clarification of the first three inadequate instructions; however, none of the children learned to request clarification of idiomatic phrases. Although all children eventually demonstrated observational learning, three children required feedback from the trainer before they began to request clarification for one or two of the instruction types. Two children generalized their requesting behavior to the interfering signal message type, suggesting that generalization may be likely to occur between similar message types. During posttesting all children generalized their requesting behavior when presented with two unfamiliar message types, sometimes using new question forms. Four of the 5 children also generalized their requesting behavior in sessions with their teachers 5-10 weeks later.
Child↗
Comparison of idiom comprehension of normal children and children with mental retardation.
This study compared the comprehension of 20 idioms of normal children with children exhibiting mild mental retardation. Sixty-six children comprised three groups: normal 9-year-olds, 9-year-old children with mild mental retardation, and younger normal children matched with the mentally retarded children by receptive vocabulary age. The assessment included both literal and idiomatic contexts with accompanying picture stimuli. The three groups demonstrated high accuracy with the literal contexts. On the idiomatic contexts, the normal children comprehended significantly more idioms than the children with mental retardation, and the mentally retarded children performed significantly better than the younger normal children.
Child↗
Cellular and antibody responses directed against the HIV-1 principal neutralizing domain in HIV-1-infected children.
The principal neutralizing domain (PND) for antibody response is located within the V3 variable region of gp120 and can also stimulate T-cell responses. In some adults infected with human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) an HIV-1-specific T-cell response can be detected by demonstrating in vitro proliferation to HIV-1 proteins and peptides. In other HIV-1 infected adults an HIV-1-specific T-cell response can involve interleukin 2 (IL-2) secretion in the absence of T-cell proliferation. To elucidate the T-cell responses to PND in children, we examined the proliferative and the IL-2 secretory responses of peripheral blood lymphocytes from 19 HIV-1-infected children toward a peptide which contained a highly conserved sequence of the principal neutralizing domain of HIVMN (PND-MN). Stimulation with PND-MN induced proliferation of lymphocytes from 2 of the children and IL-2 secretion by lymphocytes from 5 of the children. In a 3-month-old infant, the in vitro cellular response to the PND-MN indicated HIV-1 infection prior to the detection p24 antigen in her serum. Although antibodies directed against PND-MN were detected in all but one of the children examined, the presence of high-affinity/avidity antibodies to the PND-MN correlated with the presence of a cellular response to PND-MN. Thus, in HIV-1-infected children an HIV-1 specific T-cell response in the absence of a proliferative response can be assessed by determination of the IL-2 secretory response and correlates with the generation of high-affinity/avidity antibodies.
Amino Acid Sequence↗
Characterization of IgG and IgG subclass antibodies present in paired maternal and fetal serum which are directed against HIV-1 proteins.
Passive immunity is conferred to the fetus by maternal antibodies, the majority of which are transported across the placenta during the third trimester of pregnancy. To determine the placental transport of anti-HIV-1 antibodies, serum from 5 women infected with human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) and their abortuses were examined for anti-HIV-1 antibodies. The gestational age of the abortuses ranged from 18 to 24 weeks and following polymerase chain reaction amplification, HIV-1 gag DNA was detected in tissue from 2 of the abortuses. The concentration of total IgG antibodies present in cord blood ranged from 2.9% to 12.5% of maternal levels. Antibodies directed against the envelope proteins, gp160 and gp120, the reverse transcriptase protein, p66, and the capsular protein, p24, were present in fetal and maternal serum. Although IgG1 was the predominant subclass antibody generated in response to HIV-1 proteins, IgG2, IgG3, and IgG4 directed against HIV-1 proteins were also detected. There were large differences in the antigens recognized by the antibodies produced in the mothers, and the IgG subclasses of the antibodies produced. HIV-1 proteins recognized by antibodies present in cord blood were similar to those recognized by paired maternal serum and IgG1, IgG2, IgG3 recognizing HIV-1 proteins were detected in fetal serum. However, there was a dichotomy in placental transport of IgG subclass antibodies to HIV-1 proteins. The role of these antibodies in prevention of vertical transmission of HIV-1 has yet to be determined.
DNA, Viral↗