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Biomedical subjects

J A Chambers

Publications and source records attributed to J A Chambers.

54 records · Page 3Linked to original sources
PubMed1986

Ultrasound in abdominal injury in children.

Ultrasonography has been used as an investigation in children with abdominal signs after blunt injury. Sixteen children were examined, of whom nine had abnormal findings. Free intraperitoneal fluid was demonstrated in four cases. The injuries found are detailed and subsequent management of the patients is described. The children with normal scans settled with no sequelae. It is suggested that ultrasonography offers a valuable, non-invasive method of investigating blunt abdominal injury.

Abdominal Injuries↗
PubMed1986

Characterization of Rous sarcoma virus-related sequences in the Japanese quail.

We detected sequences related to the avian retrovirus Rous sarcoma virus within the genome of the Japanese quail, a species previously considered to be free of endogenous avian leukosis virus elements. Using low-stringency conditions of hybridization, we screened a quail genomic library for clones containing retrovirus-related information. Of five clones so selected, one, lambda Q48, contained sequence information related to the gag, pol, and env genes of Rous sarcoma virus arranged in a contiguous fashion and spanning a distance of approximately 5.8 kilobases. This organization is consistent with the presence of an endogenous retroviral element within the Japanese quail genome. Use of this element as a high-stringency probe on Southern blots of genomic digests of several quail DNA demonstrated hybridization to a series of high-molecular-weight bands. By slot hybridization to quail DNA with a cloned probe, it was deduced that there were approximately 300 copies per diploid cell. In addition, the quail element also hybridized at low stringency to the DNA of the White Leghorn chicken and at high stringency to the DNAs of several species of jungle fowl and both true and ruffed pheasants. Limited nucleotide sequencing analysis of lambda Q48 revealed homologies of 65, 52, and 46% compared with the sequence of Rous sarcoma virus strain Prague C for the endonuclease domain of pol, the pol-env junction, and the 3'-terminal region of env, respectively. Comparisons at the amino acid level were also significant, thus confirming the retrovirus relatedness of the cloned quail element.

Animals↗
PubMed1985

Light-regulated protein and poly(A)+ mRNA synthesis in Neurospora crassa.

We have examined the effect of illumination upon the patterns of protein synthesis in the filamentous ascomycete Neurospora crassa by pulse labelling and two-dimensional gel electrophoresis. Light did not affect overall rates of protein synthesis but did induce the synthesis of six novel polypeptides whose appearance followed a temporally regulated pattern. When translation products of mRNA from illuminated cultures and dark control cultures were compared it was found that the synthesis of five out of six of the polypeptides specific to illuminated cultures could be seen in vitro. We believe that this is consistent with the hypothesis that light regulates the transcription of some genes in N. crassa, although we cannot exclude effects on mRNA stability or the control of precursor splicing.

Electrophoresis, Polyacrylamide Gel↗
PubMed1985

Further studies on the activation of glucocerebrosidase by a heat-stable factor from Gaucher spleen.

Using Sephadex G-75 and DEAE-cellulose column chromatography, an 8270-Da glycopeptide (designated Fragment II) has been isolated from a cyanogen bromide-formic acid digest of a heat-stable factor from Gaucher spleen which activates a lipid-depleted preparation of lysosomal glucocerebrosidase from human liver. Fragment II contains all of the activity present in the native heat-stable factor. Compared with the parent factor, Fragment II contains four fewer cysteine and methionine residues and one less of each of the following: aspartic acid, threonine, serine, valine, isoleucine, and leucine. Nearly all of the monosaccharides present in the parent heat-stable factor can be accounted for in Fragment II, including three glucosamine, three mannose, one sialic acid, and one fucose. By itself, Fragment II has little or no stimulatory activity; its major effect is to markedly increase the sensitivity of glucocerebrosidase to activation by phosphatidylserine. A mixture of 1 microgram phosphatidylserine and 2 micrograms of the cyanogen bromide fragment activates the lipid-depleted preparation of glucocerebrosidase 50% more than 30 micrograms phosphatidylserine alone. Analysis of the Km and Vmax of glucocerebrosidase at various hydrogen ion concentrations revealed that the heat-stable factor and phosphatidylserine together dramatically increase the catalytic efficiency (Vmax/Km) of glucocerebrosidase while making apparent three ionizable groups that participate in the catalysis. Phosphatidylserine alone recruits two ionizable groups, but catalytic efficiency is lower than when heat-stable factor is also present. Heat-stable factor alone has no discernable effect on the ionization of functional groups on the enzyme or on catalytic efficiency. By sucrose density gradient ultracentrifugation, it was shown that preincubation of rat liver glucocerebrosidase with phosphatidylserine and heat-stable factor shifted the enzyme completely from a 56,600-Da form to a 188,100-Da form. The activity of the slower sedimenting form of glucocerebrosidase was totally dependent upon exogenous bile salt activator, whereas the faster sedimenting form exhibited the same activity in the presence or absence of sodium taurocholate. It appears that the heat-stable factor promotes the transfer of phosphatidylserine to glucocerebrosidase, which, in turn, results in an increase in both the catalytic efficiency and size of the enzyme.

Amino Acids↗
PubMed1984

The cloning and overproduction of Escherichia coli uracil-DNA glycosylase.

Escherichia coli cells containing elevated levels of the DNA repair enzyme uracil-DNA glycosylase (the ung gene product) have been constructed by in vitro recombination methods. First, lambdanadB transducing phages were isolated from two E. coli DNA libraries by selection of nicotinate-independent lysogens. lambdanadB phage from one of the libraries were also ung+ and carried the ung-nadB genes on an 8.3-kb HindIII restriction fragment. The ung and nadB genes were subcloned into plasmids and a restriction map of the ung region of the E. coli chromosome was constructed. The uracil glycosylase gene was localized to a 1.4-kb restriction fragment by subcloning the gene into pBR322. Uracil glycosylase was overproduced (relative to the specific activity of wild type cells) by about two-fold in lambdaung lysogens and by 15- to 20-fold in cells containing pBR322ung derivatives. When the ung gene and its promoter were placed downstream from the bacteriophage lambdaPL promoter in the plasmid pKC30, uracil glycosylase production was heat-induced to more than 100-fold above the levels of a wild-type cell. By relating the insertion orientation of the lambdaung gene in the plasmid pKC30 to its orientation in lambdaung-nadB transducing phages, the transcription direction of the ung gene on the E. coli linkage map was found to be clockwise.

Bacteriophage lambda↗
PubMed1983

Development and evaluation of a long-term, implantable, electrically actuated left ventricular assist system: THI/Gould LVAS.

A long-term, implantable, electrically actuated left ventricular assist system (THI/Gould LVAS) is being developed and characterized in vitro and in vivo for utilization in patients with end-stage heart disease. This system consists of five major components: a long-term, implantable blood pump (THI E-type ALVAD); an electrical-mechanical energy converter (Gould Model V); a control unit with batteries; a volume compensation system; and an external power supply and monitoring unit. Two of these components (blood pump and electrical-mechanical energy converter) have been integrated, and are undergoing chronic in vivo evaluations in calves. Thus far, 44 pneumatically and electrically actuated THI/Gould LVAS evaluations have been performed. This experience has resulted in greater than 6.5 years of actuation in vivo, with durations exceeding 1 year. System in vivo performance in terms of durability, mechanical reliability, hemodynamic effectiveness, and biocompatibility has been satisfactory. Demonstration of long-term (2-year) effectiveness in supporting the circulation is the ultimate goal.

Animals↗
PubMed1983

Chronic in vivo evaluations of a long-term, implantable left ventricular assist system.

Total THI/Gould LVAS experience includes 59 pneumatically and electrically-actuated blood pump evaluations (in calves, goats and sheep), including 23 studies with the Gould Model V energy converter. This experience has resulted in greater than 8 cumulative years of actuation, in vivo, including electrically-actuated LVAS durations up to 6 mos.

Animals↗
PubMed1981

Development and evaluation of electrically actuated abdominal left ventricular assist systems for long-term use.

A long-term, totally implantable, electrically actuated, abdominally positioned left ventricular assist system (ALVAS) is being developed, characterized in vitro, and evaluated in vivo for utilization in patients with end-stage cardiac failure refractory to conventional therapeutic techniques. The first two major subsystems of the ALVAS (the pusher-plate blood pump and electrical-mechanical energy converters) have been integrated and are undergoing in vitro characterization and long-term in vivo evaluations in calves. Duration of these studies has exceeded 6 months. System performance in terms of hemodynamic effectiveness, mechanical reliability, and biocompatibility has been excellent and no untoward effects have been observed. Long-term effectiveness of the ALVAS remains to be established in continuing experiments, with a 2 year period of clinical use as an ultimate goal.

Abdomen↗
PubMed1977

Evidence for a cytosol counterpart of the major plasma membrane protein in Acanthamoeba castellanii.

Isolated plasma membranes from Acanthamoeba castellanii incorporated radio-activity when incubated in a corresponding labelled cytosol fraction. The incorporation increased linearly with time and reached saturation at high cytosol: membrane protein ratios in the incubation mixture. Polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis of treated membranes showed that the major protein, which comprised 40 to 50% of the total, was labelled, suggesting that it had exchanged with a radioactive cytosol counterpart. The same protein was discernible in polypeptide profiles of labelled cytosol and showed a higher specific radioactie membrane by solutions of high ionic strength or chelation, this protein appears to be integral rather than peripheral.

Amoeba↗
PubMed1976

Phagocytosis and pinocytosis in Acanthamoeba castellanii.

Endocytotic activity of Acanthamoeba trophozoites attenuates once the cells enter stationary phase in liquid culture. Phagocytosis, monitored by the ingestion of polystyrene latex beads, essentially ceases and the uptake of [3H]inulin, known to be mediated by pinocytosis, is reduced by about half. The reduced pinocytotic activity of stationary-phase cells remains sensitive to respiratory inhibitors. Preincubation of stationary-phase cells in fresh growth medium for 1-5 h before the initiation of endocytosis has no effect on phagocytosis and only marginally increases pinocytosis. This impairment of ingestion, particularly of pinocytosis, may account for the reduced contractile vacuole activity known to characterize stationary-phase cells of this organism. The unequal responses of phagocytosis and pinocytosis to the onset of stationary-phase growth suggest that they are independent processes subject to different controls.

Animals↗