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Biomedical subjects

J M Moss

Publications and source records attributed to J M Moss.

At least 19 recordsLinked to original sources

J/psi polarization in 800-GeV p-Cu interactions.

We present measurements of the polarization of the J/psi produced in 800-GeV proton interactions with a copper target. Polarization of the J/psi is sensitive to the ccmacr; production and hadronization processes. A longitudinal polarization is observed at large x(F), while at small x(F) the state is produced essentially unpolarized or slightly transversely polarized. No significant variation of the polarization is observed versus p(T).

Journal Article↗

Energy loss of fast quarks in nuclei.

We report an analysis of the nuclear dependence of the yield of Drell-Yan dimuons from the 800 GeV/c proton bombardment of 2H, C, Ca, Fe, and W targets. Employing a new formulation of the Drell-Yan process in the rest frame of the nucleus, this analysis examines the effect of initial-state energy loss and shadowing on the nuclear-dependence ratios versus the incident proton's momentum fraction and dimuon effective mass. The resulting energy loss per unit path length is -dE/dz = 2.32+/-0.52+/-0.5 GeV/fm. This is the first observation of a nonzero energy loss of partons traveling in a nuclear environment.

Journal Article↗

Observation of polarization in bottomonium production at square root of s = 38.8 GeV.

We present a measurement of the polarization observed for bottomonium states produced in p-Cu collisions at square root of s = 38.8 GeV. The angular distribution of the decay dimuons of the Upsilon(1S) state shows no polarization at small values of the fractional longitudinal momentum x(F) and transverse momentum p(T) but significant positive transverse production polarization for either p(T)>1.8 GeV/c or for x(F)>0.35. The Upsilon(2S+3S) (unresolved) states show a large transverse production polarization at all values of x(F) and p(T) measured. These observations challenge NRQCD calculations of the polarization expected in the hadronic production of bottomonium states.

Journal Article↗

Laparoscopic intraperitoneal polytetrafluoroethylene (PTFE) prosthetic patch repair of ventral hernia. Prospective comparison to open prefascial polypropylene mesh repair.

BACKGROUND: The purpose of this study was to determine whether laparoscopic intraperitoneal polytetrafluoroethylene (PTFE) prosthetic patch (LIPP) repair of a ventral hernia is superior to open prefascial polypropylene mesh (OPPM) repair in a tertiary care university hospital in an urban environment. METHODS: Data on 39 consecutive patients undergoing either LIPP repair (n = 21) or OPPM repair (n = 18) were compared. RESULTS: Findings showed that LIPP repair is characterized by less painful recovery and shorter hospital stay, with 90% of patients treated successfully as outpatients as compared with 7% in the OPPM group. The total facility costs for the LIPP repair ($8,273+/-$2,950) was significantly lower than for the OPPM repair ($12,461+/-$5,987) (p<0.05). Two serious delayed complications in the LIPP group were treated by reoperation (colocutaneous fistula, mesh infection), but the higher readmission costs in this group did not negate the overall cost advantage for LIPP repair. In the follow-up evaluation, 1 hernia recurrence was found in the LIPP repair group, and none in the OPPM group. CONCLUSIONS: Initial experience suggests that LIPP repair has advantages over OPPM repair in terms of decreased hospitalization, postoperative pain, and disability. Refinements in the technique to reduce complications may make LIPP repair the procedure of choice for repair of ventral hernias.

Adult↗

Feasibility of 23-hour hospitalization after laparoscopic fundoplication.

PURPOSE: In order to reduce the costs of laparoscopic fundoplication, a pilot program for outpatient surgery was instituted in 1995. The risks and benefits of reducing postoperative hospitalization to < or =23 hours were assessed. PATIENTS AND METHODS: Patients in ASA grade I or II (N = 22) with refractory gastroesophageal reflux disease underwent laparoscopic fundoplication over a 21-month period in a hospital-affiliated outpatient facility. The results were compared with those of a similar group of 16 patients whose surgery was performed on an inpatient basis. RESULTS: Seventeen patients (77%) were discharged within 23 hours of surgery. The maximum length of stay was 3 days. There were no deaths. Nineteen patients (86%) reported excellent results. The average facility cost declined from $7,169 for the inpatient group to $4,588 for patients on operated under the outpatient protocol. The decrease resulted from a reduction in the cost of room, operating suite, supplies, and anesthesia. CONCLUSION: Laparoscopic fundoplication can be performed safely in a hospital-affiliated outpatient setting, resulting in a significant reduction in procedure costs.

Adult↗

Characterization of a novel GDP-mannose:Serine-protein mannose-1-phosphotransferase from Leishmania mexicana.

Protozoan parasites of the genus Leishmania secrete a number of glycoproteins and mucin-like proteoglycans that appear to be important parasite virulence factors. We have previously proposed that the polypeptide backbones of these molecules are extensively modified with a complex array of phosphoglycan chains that are linked to Ser/Thr-rich domains via a common Manalpha1-PO4-Ser linkage (Ilg, T., Overath, P., Ferguson, M. A. J., Rutherford, T., Campbell, D. G., and McConville, M. J. (1994) J. Biol. Chem. 269, 24073-24081). In this study, we show that Leishmania mexicana promastigotes contain a peptide-specific mannose-1-phosphotransferase (pep-MPT) activity that adds Manalpha1-P to serine residues in a range of defined peptides. The presence and location of the Manalpha1-PO4-Ser linkage in these peptides were determined by electrospray ionization mass spectrometry and chemical and enzymatic treatments. The pep-MPT activity was solubilized in non-ionic detergents, was dependent on Mn2+, utilized GDP-Man as the mannose donor, and was expressed in all developmental stages of the parasite. The pep-MPT activity was maximal against peptides containing Ser/Thr-rich domains of the endogenous acceptors and, based on competition assays with oligosaccharide acceptors, was distinct from other leishmanial MPTs involved in the initiation and elongation of lipid-linked phosphoglycan chains. In subcellular fractionation experiments, pep-MPT was resolved from the endoplasmic reticulum marker BiP, but had an overlapping distribution with the cis-Golgi marker Rab1. Although Man-PO4 residues in the mature secreted glycoproteins are extensively modified with mannose oligosaccharides and phosphoglycan chains, similar modifications were not added to peptide-linked Man-PO4 residues in the in vitro assays. Similarly, Man-PO4 residues on endogenous polypeptide acceptors were also poorly extended, although the elongating enzymes were still active, suggesting that the pep-MPT activity and elongating enzymes may be present in separate subcellular compartments.

Amino Acid Sequence↗

Dependence of salt concentration on glycosaminoglycan-lysozyme interactions in cartilage.

The cationic protein, lysozyme, has an extracellular distribution in cartilage but its precise role in this tissue has not yet been established. This study describes the dependence of salt concentration on the binding properties of lysozyme isoforms of different cationic charges, isolated from bovine cartilage, to the two major and structurally similar glycosaminoglycans of cartilage, i.e., chondroitin sulfate and hyaluronan. The binding of most cartilage lysozyme isoforms and hen egg-white lysozyme (control) to chondroitin sulfate and hyaluronan linked to agarose supports displayed optimal levels at approximately 20 and 5-10 mM salt, respectively, but decreased at both lower and higher salt concentrations indicating the electrostatic nature of the interactions. However, optimal binding of the most cationic lysozyme isoform to chondroitin sulfate occurred at 60 mM salt, with significant binding remaining at 150 mM. This isoform also showed binding to hyaluronan up to 60 mM salt, while for the other isoforms binding was observed only up to 150 and 40 mM salt for chondroitin sulfate and hyaluronan, respectively. The low salt concentrations at which these interactions occur are likely to exist in cartilage as shown from equilibrium dialysis studies performed using solutions of chondroitin sulfate (up to 10%, a concentration likely to occur in cartilage). From Scatchard analysis, the affinity of binding of all lysozymes to chondroitin sulfate was similar (Kd = 10(-6) M) and slightly lower than their binding to hyaluronan (Kd = 10(-7) M) of similar molecular mass.

Animals↗

Purification, characterization, and biosynthesis of bovine cartilage lysozyme isoforms.

The cationic protein, lysozyme, has an extracellular distribution in cartilage; however, its biological role in this tissue still remains unclear. This study describes a simple and high yielding procedure for the purification of four novel isoforms of lysozyme from the functionally different articular (metacarpalphalangeal joint) and nonarticular (nasal septum) bovine cartilages. Chromatography of the cartilage extracts on S-Sepharose revealed the presence of four major lysozyme active peaks each of which was further purified to homogeneity by gel filtration and reversed-phase chromatography. Each peak yielded a different molecular mass when analyzed by ion spray mass spectrometry, and material isolated from either cartilage source displayed an identical molecular mass for each lysozyme preparation. N-terminal amino acid sequence and amino acid composition analyses confirmed the presence of four novel lysozyme isoforms in both bovine articular and nonarticular cartilages. The lytic activity of each lysozyme isoform toward Micrococcus lysodeikticus was dependent on both the ionic strength and pH of the buffer, where an increase in activity accompanied an increase in ionic strength. The lysozymes were shown to be synthesized by chondrocytes in vitro, which in addition to the relatively high chemical amounts of lysozyme present in cartilage, would suggest that this small cationic protein has some as yet undetermined biological role within the cartilage extracellular matrix.

Amino Acid Sequence↗

Binding properties of glycosaminoglycans to lysozyme--effect of salt and molecular weight.

The cationic protein, lysozyme, is present in cartilage but its precise role in this tissue has not yet been established. This study shows that two major and structurally similar glycosaminoglycans (GAGs) of cartilage, i.e., chondroitin sulfate (CS) and hyaluronan (HA) interact with lysozyme at salt concentrations up to 40 mM. Such a low salt concentration is likely to occur in cartilage due to exclusion of microions by the high charge density of the proteoglycans (PGs). The affinity of binding to lysozyme increases with increasing molecular weight of HA and is higher for HA (Kd = 1-2 x 10(-8) M and 0.5-1 x 10(-7) M for HA of relative molecular mass of 4 x 10(5) and 5 x 10(4), respectively) than for CS (Kd = 1 x 10(-6) M). The binding displays optimal levels at around 20 mM but decreases at both lower and higher salt concentrations. This dependence of binding on salt concentration resembles that of the enzymic activity of lysozyme for its natural substrate, murein, which is structurally similar to HA/CS. The increase in binding up to 20 mM salt is characteristic for HA/CS-lysozyme interaction as such an effect was not observed in the interaction of heparin with lysozyme or of GAGs with serum albumin. Binding of HA to lysozyme was inhibited by various polyanions but not by uncharged macromolecules, indicating the electrostatic nature of the interaction. The dependence of binding on salt concentration obtained in systems where lysozyme is linked to an agarose support and the GAG is free in solution is similar to that determined when both macromolecules are free in solution; however, the number of GAG disaccharides bound per mole lysozyme increases significantly in the latter system, indicating a marked artifactual steric hindrance effect in the former.

Chondroitin Sulfates↗

Binding of hyaluronan to lysozyme at various pHs and salt concentrations.

Binding of hyaluronan (HA) to lysozyme immobilized on Sepharose-6B was investigated as a function of pH and NaCl concentration. High affinity binding (Kd = 1.0-2.0 x 10(-8) M) was observed at pH 7.5 and at 10-50 mM NaCl; the number of moles of HA bound to lysozyme was twice as high at 30 mM NaCl as at 10 mM. No specific binding was observed at and above 100 mM NaCl. Binding was suppressed in the presence of chaotropic agents such as guanidinium chloride and urea. These results suggest that binding between HA and lysozyme can occur in the extracellular matrix where an electrolyte concentration as low as 50 mM could be expected due to ionic exclusion by the highly negative charge concentration arising from the polyanions present.

Animals↗

Improved customer service boosts bottom line.

By efficiently handling patients' complaints about financial matters, patients accounts managers can help their organizations to retain customers and attract new ones. The Cleveland Clinic Foundation has developed an ombudsman program for handling complaints. Smaller organizations an develop effective centralized grievance handling mechanisms by designating one person to handle complaints and collect statistics.

Accounting↗

Diabetic ketoacidosis: effective low-cost treatment in a community hospital.

Diabetic ketoacidosis can be effectively and economically treated by using low-dose intravenous insulin and 2 to 3 liters of isotonic saline at 500 ml/hr to replace extracellular fluids, followed by 2 to 4 L of 5% glucose in 0.45% saline with potassium chloride and/or potassium phosphate to replace intracellular fluids at 250 ml/hr. During the first six to nine hours serum glucose and potassium are measured every two to three hours, and bicarbonate, sodium, and chloride every four to six hours. Determination of arterial blood gas and serum ketone levels, electrocardiograms, and chest x-ray films are done only when indicated, and not routinely. Few patients need to be treated in an intensive care unit, and most can be discharged in three days. This protocol has been safe and effective without mortality in 250 consecutive patients. By eliminating unnecessary laboratory tests, costs have been greatly reduced without deterioration in results.

Adolescent↗

Treatment of diabetic ketoacidosis.

Diabetic ketoacidosis can be effectively treated by using a few properly selected tests and more physiologic administration of insulin and intravenous fluids. Insulin is given by intravenous drip at an initial rate of about 0.1 u per kg per hour. The initial hydrating fluid is 5 percent glucose in 0.45 percent saline plus 40 mEq of potassium chloride or buffered potassium phosphate, given at a rate of 250 mL per hour. Arterial blood gas measurements are not needed.

Bacterial Infections↗

Self-monitoring of blood glucose.

Many diabetic patients can achieve a normal blood glucose level throughout the day by self-monitoring of blood glucose. Improved control reduces the complications of pregnancy and the development of microvascular disease. Multiple doses of insulin are usually necessary for tight control of blood glucose in patients with insulin-dependent diabetes. In the absence of insulin resistance, 1 u of regular insulin lowers the blood glucose by 30 mg per dL in 90 minutes.

Blood Glucose↗

Human insulin: a double-blind clinical study of its effectiveness.

Over a two-year period, 88 patients were evaluated in a double-blind study of human insulin (recombinant DNA origin) and Iletin II pork insulin. Patient follow-up was done throughout the program by glycohemoglobin assays and self-monitoring of blood glucose levels. The C peptides were studied before and after a test meal of Sustacal. Insulin antibody determinations were made regularly. Dietary management was supervised throughout the study.

Antibodies↗