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Biomedical subjects

J Morrison

Publications and source records attributed to J Morrison.

At least 37 records · Page 2Linked to original sources
PubMed1990

cDNA cloning and expression of a Talaromyces emersonii beta-glucosidase determinant in Escherichia coli.

Intact mRNA has been isolated from the thermophilic fungus Talaromyces emersonii following growth on lactose-containing media and this has been used as template to produce cDNA. This cDNA has been cloned into the Escherichia coli expression system, pUC18 and this DNA was used to transform E. coli. A 2.1 kb fragment was isolated and shown to encode functional beta-glucosidase activity in E. coli. When the fragment was sub-cloned into a leaky strain of E. coli K-12, beta-glucosidase activity was detected in culture supernatants. The fragment was characterised further using restriction enzyme analysis and was also used as a probe in Northern and Southern blotting analyses of T. emersonii mRNA and genomic DNA, respectively. Results obtained from these analyses verified that the cloned insert DNA was of T. emersonii origin.

Blotting, Northern↗
PubMed1990

Impaired hoarding and olfactory learning in DSP-4-treated rats and control cagemates.

The possibility that variables affecting rats' home-cage odor preferences also influence hoarding behavior was examined. Neonatal male rats were injected SC with the noradrenergic neurotoxin, N-(2-chloroethyl)-N-ethyl-2-bromobenzylamine (DSP-4), or with vehicle. At weaning, rats were assigned to control-only, DSP-4-only, or mixed groups of DSP-4 and control rats. For the next 10 days, half the rats in each social condition were housed in cedar shavings, and remaining rats were housed in pine. Exposure to cedar significantly increased preference for the odor in control-only groups, but not in DSP-4-only or mixed treatment groups. Control-only groups also hoarded significantly more pellets per animal than rats in the other two social conditions. The results suggest that both olfactory adaptation and hoarding can be impaired by either neonatal NE depletion or an abnormal social environment.

Animals↗
PubMed1990

Effect of hemorrhagic shock on bacterial translocation, intestinal morphology, and intestinal permeability in conventional and antibiotic-decontaminated rats.

Bacterial translocation and ileal and cecal injury have been shown to occur 24 h after limited periods of hemorrhagic shock. The present studies were performed to determine the temporal sequence of mucosal injury, permeability, and bacterial translocation after hemorrhagic shock. The results indicated that bacterial translocation and mucosal injury have occurred by 2 h after a 30-min episode of shock (mean arterial pressure 30 mm Hg). Although the histologic extent of the intestinal mucosal injury was less at 2 h postshock than at 24 h postshock, at both times intestinal barrier function was lost as measured by permeability to horseradish peroxidase. Since the role of translocating bacteria in potentiating the loss of intestinal barrier function after shock is unclear, the second goal was to determine whether the extent of shock-induced mucosal injury and permeability could be reduced or abrogated by antibiotic decontamination of the gut. The extent of shock-induced mucosal injury and intestinal permeability was similar between rats with a normal gut flora (greater than 10(6) bacteria/g cecum) and antibiotic-decontaminated rats (less than 10(3) bacteria/g cecum) 2 h postshock, although the incidences of bacterial translocation were 67% and 0, respectively. Thus, shock-induced mucosal permeability and injury appear not to be directly related to the presence of translocating bacteria.

Animals↗
PubMed1990

Social factors associated with the decision to relinquish a baby for adoption.

Little is known about the characteristics, social circumstances and mental health of women who give a child up for adoption. This paper reports data from a longitudinal study of 8556 women interviewed initially at their first obstetrical visit. In total, 7668 proceeded to give birth to a live singleton baby, of which 64 then relinquished the baby for adoption. Relinquishing mothers were predominantly 18 years of age or younger, in the lowest family income group, single, having an unplanned and/or unwanted baby and reported that they were not living with a partner. These women were somewhat more likely to manifest symptoms of anxiety and depression both prior, and subsequent to, the adoption, but the majority of relinquishing mothers were of 'normal' mental health. The decision to relinquish a baby appears to be a consequence of an unwanted pregnancy experienced by an economically deprived single mother rather than the result of emotional or psychological/psychiatric considerations. These findings document a particular dimension of the impact of poverty on health.

Adolescent↗
PubMed1990

Managing somatization disorder.

Somatization disorder (SD), a chronic psychiatric illness that affects about 1% of adult women, is characterized by multiple somatic complaints. It should be suspected in any woman who presents with a vague or complicated history; unaccountable non-responsiveness to therapy; dramatic, seductive or demanding personality style; family history of personality disorder; sexual abuse as a child; substance abuse; or depression with atypical features. Its cause is unknown, although both genetic and environmental factors have been implicated. At follow-up, patients with SD continue to have somatic symptoms, but many improve with therapy. Nearly two thirds of patients with SD attempt suicide, but few complete it; however, completions may be more common than formerly realized. There is no specific treatment for SD, but management can be organized around the following ABCs: Accommodate initially to forge rapport; Behavior modification (ignore symptoms, praise for improved behavior); Confrontation later about effects of behavior style; Decrease drugs gradually, with praise for reduction; Educate about course and meaning of illness; Family involvement to give information and help with treatment; Guilt should be assuaged in physicians, who may blame themselves when patients do not improve; Hospitalize (closed psychiatric unit) only for serious suicide risk, substance abuse, or other extreme behavior; and Intercurrent depression should be treated conservatively.

Adult↗
PubMed1989

A physiologically based model of creatine kinase-MB release in reperfusion of acute myocardial infarction.

To gain insight into the altered kinetics of creatine kinase-MB (CK-MB) release after reperfusion, a physiologically based model with first-order CK-MB appearance and disappearance functions was postulated. This biexponential model is based on the assumption that reperfusion reestablishes nutritive blood flow, providing direct access of interstitial CK-MB to the bloodstream. This is in contrast to persistent coronary artery occlusion, in which no direct access to nutritive flow is present. The accuracy of this model was examined in 8 dogs reperfused after 2 hours of coronary artery occlusion. The fit to observed values was excellent, with a mean r2 of 0.97 +/- 0.05. In agreement with the biexponential model, the initial increase in CK-MB activity was abrupt and rapid. The same degree of accuracy was found in 21 patients with angiographic evidence of reperfusion after thrombolytic therapy (mean r2 0.97 +/- 0.02). The appearance characteristics were similar to the animal model, with an abrupt and rapid increase in CK-MB activity. When compared with 5 patients with persistent occlusion, ka, the rate constant of the appearance function, clearly distinguished patients with reperfusion (chi-square = 20.6, p less than 0.0001), whereas considerable overlap was present in the time to peak CK-MB (time to peak less than 12 hours, chi-square = 3.6, difference not significant). Alterations of CK-MB release in reperfusion can be accurately modeled with the biexponential model. The characteristics of this model suggest that early identification of reperfusion by serial CK-MB assay is possible.

Animals↗
PubMed1989

Monoclonal antibodies to human A-I apolipoprotein and characterisation of cyanogen bromide fragments of apoA-I.

Several monoclonal antibodies to human A-I apolipoprotein were produced after immunising mice with pure delipidated apoA-I. These monoclonal antibodies were characterised for their ability to react with whole lipoproteins, apolipoproteins and fragments of apoA-I generated by cleavage with cyanogen bromide. The data suggest that production of monoclonal antibodies using apoA-I as antigen was influenced by two major epitopes subsequently localised to cyanogen bromide fragments 1 and 3, and have been designated antibodies 1----5 A-IB and 6----10 A-IB, respectively. Cyanogen bromide fragments were first purified to homogeneity before screening by competitive displacement or immunoblotting procedures. Definitive characterisation of one antibody series (1----5 A-IB) depended ultimately on Western blotting following isoelectric focusing of purified apoA-I fragments. This technique identified the epitope for these antibodies to fragment 1, an identification not fully concluded from competitive displacement studies. These studies have also revealed the presence of microheterogeneity in fragment 1 (as well as in fragment 4) of apoA-I, suggesting that structural variations in several regions may account for the polymorphism observed in this apolipoprotein.

Animals↗
PubMed1989

Histrionic personality disorder in women with somatization disorder.

The clinical distinctions between histrionic personality disorder and somatization disorder have frequently been blurred. In this study, 60 women with somatization disorder were found to have histrionic personality disorder. A DSM-III diagnosis of histrionic personality disorder did not significantly help to improve the diagnosis of somatization disorder. A diagnosis of histrionic personality disorder should stimulate a search for better-validated Axis I diagnoses.

Adult↗
PubMed1989

The employment of mothers and the outcomes of their pregnancies: an Australian study.

One of the more dramatic structural changes in a number of western industrial societies has involved the increased participation of women in the paid labour force. Little is known about the health consequences of this change. This paper reports the findings of a prospective longitudinal study of 8,556 pregnant women who were interviewed on three occasions; early in their pregnancy, shortly after the birth of the baby and some six months later. Additional data were derived from the medical record of the delivery. The findings suggest that employed women and housewives differ in their health behaviour (e.g. number of missed appointments, attendance at antenatal classes, smoking) and emotional health in pregnancy, but that there are no significant differences between employed women and housewives in their physical health or pregnancy outcomes. Although none of the differences was statistically significant, virtually all of the indices of outcome were slightly more favourable for the housewives than for the employed women.

Adult↗
PubMed1989

A prospective longitudinal study of social, psychological and obstetric factors in pregnancy: response rates and demographic characteristics of the 8556 respondents.

This paper introduces the Mater Misericordiae Mothers' Hospital-University of Queensland Study of Pregnancy, a prospective study of 8556 pregnant women interviewed at their first clinic visit, and subsequently interviewed some days after the birth of the baby and again 6 months later. Additional data were derived from the medical record of the pregnancy and delivery. The study was designed to assess the impact of social, psychological and obstetric factors on pregnancy outcome. We present here details of the study design, sampling, response rates and demographic characteristics of the sample.

Age Factors↗
PubMed1989

Socio-economic status and pregnancy outcome. An Australian study.

A prospective cohort of 8556 pregnant women attending the Mater Misericordiae Mothers' Hospital in Brisbane was examined to consider the impact of socio-economic status on pregnancy outcome. The indicators of socio-economic status selected were family income, maternal education and paternal occupational status. Pregnancy outcomes considered were preterm delivery, low birthweight, low birthweight for gestational age, and perinatal death. Subsidiary analyses were also undertaken for Apgar scores, time to establish respiration, need for mechanical respiration and admission to intensive care. Before adjustment, the main consistent association was between the occupational status of the father and three measures of perinatal morbidity. Initial adjustment for the mother's socio-demographic background and weight/height ratio reduced the strength and statistical significance of the above associations, while further adjustment for lifestyle variations between the three status groups further reduced the above associations to marginal statistical significance. The findings suggest that observed class differences in pregnancy outcome are attributable to the mother's personal characteristics (height/weight, parity) and her lifestyle.

Body Weight↗
PubMed1989

Unemployment and reproductive outcome. An Australian study.

The Mater-University of Queensland Study involves the follow-up of 8556 pregnant women who were enrolled at their first clinic visit. This analysis compares four groups of women categorized according to their own and their partners' employment status. Group 1 comprised women unemployed, partners not unemployed. Group 2 comprised women not unemployed with unemployed partners. Group 3 comprised women and partners who were both unemployed. In group 4 neither partner was unemployed. Initial analysis showed that there was a significant association between birthweight and birthweight for gestational age, and unemployment as reported by mothers. After adjustment for lifestyle variables (principally smoking) there were no remaining statistically significant associations.

Birth Weight↗
PubMed1989

Childhood sexual histories of women with somatization disorder.

The author interviewed 60 women with somatization disorder and 31 women with primary affective disorders who were matched for race, age at interview, and level of education to obtain their childhood sexual development histories. The two groups of women reported similar sexual experiences at similar ages, except that significantly more women with somatization disorder had been molested as children.

Adolescent↗
PubMed1989

Obstetric share-care.

This protocol on obstetric share-care has been prepared as a guide for general practitioners referring patients to a city hospital for specialised perinatal care. Our intention is not to teach basic obstetrics but hopefully some doctors may find the article useful as a reference from time to time.

Australia↗
PubMed1988

Surveillance of occupational skin disease using the Supplementary Data System.

The utility of the Supplementary Data System (SDS) compiled by the Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS) in conducting surveillance of occupational skin disease was evaluated by examining 14,703 workers' compensation cases reported to the SDS for the year 1981. Combined with state employment denominators obtained from the BLS Employment and Earnings Program, rates of illness (cases of dermatitis/10,000 employed) calculated for eight major industrial divisions varied significantly according to the criteria used for reporting cases. Despite quantitative variations in the rate of skin disease that depended on specific reporting criteria, the relative ranking of the major industrial divisions remained unchanged, with highest rates of skin disease consistently found in three major industry divisions: agriculture, manufacturing, and construction. This ranking of major industry divisions by rate of dermatitis corresponded extremely well with rankings generated from the 1981 Annual Survey (Spearman rank correlation = .98, p less than .01). At the two-digit level of the Standard Industrial Classification, the rankings based on the SDS had a 77% rank correlation with those from the Annual Survey. Two-digit SIC codes identified from the top 10 in both sets of rankings included crop and livestock production from the agricultural division and leather products, food products, rubber and plastic products from the manufacturing division.

Dermatitis, Occupational↗
PubMed1988

Effect of mode of delivery on incidence of respiratory distress syndrome.

The effect of route of delivery on incidence of respiratory distress syndrome (RDS) has been controversial. While some investigators have reported no difference in RDS rates in infants born by cesarean section as compared to vaginal delivery, others have shown a significant increase in risk for RDS among infants born by cesarean section. Data from the 297 patients comprising the placebo group in the recently completed collaborative study of antenatal steroid therapy in the prevention of neonatal RDS, were analyzed to determine the effect of mode of delivery on RDS. The results indicate that infants born by cesarean section without labor have a higher risk for neonatal RDS than infants born vaginally or by cesarean section after a trial of labor.

Cesarean Section↗
PubMed1988

Religious values, practices and pregnancy outcomes: a comparison of the impact of sect and mainstream Christian affiliation.

In this report 6566 women enrolled in the Mater-University of Queensland Study of Pregnancy (MUSP) were separated into three groups; members of religious sects, Christians who attend church frequently and Christians who are infrequent attenders. These three groups, respectively labelled Christian sects, Christian attenders and lukewarm Christians were compared on a number of social background, lifestyle and pregnancy outcome variables. The sect members appeared to have the most favourable health, lifestyles and healthy babies at delivery, though this latter finding appears attributable to specific characteristics of the mother and her lifestyle. On most measures the children of lukewarm Christians appear to manifest the worst health while Christian attenders form a group whose children's health is between that of sect members and lukewarm Christians.

Australia↗