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Biomedical subjects

J Wisniewski

Publications and source records attributed to J Wisniewski.

At least 19 recordsLinked to original sources
PubMed2006

Acupuncture for treatment of irritable bowel syndrome.

BACKGROUND: Irritable bowel syndrome (IBS), a disorder of altered bowel habits associated with abdominal pain or discomfort. The pain, discomfort, and impairment from IBS often lead to healthcare medical consultation (Talley 1997) and workplace absenteeism, and associated economic costs (Leong 2003). A recent randomized controlled trial shows variable results but no clear evidence in support of acupuncture as an effective treatment for IBS (Fireman 2001). OBJECTIVES: The objective of this systematic review is to determine whether acupuncture is more effective than no treatment, more effective than 'sham' (placebo) acupuncture, and as effective as other interventions used to treat irritable bowel syndrome. Adverse events associated with acupuncture were also assessed. SEARCH STRATEGY: The following electronic bibliographic databases were searched irrespective of language, date of publication, and publication status: MEDLINE, the Cochrane Central Register of Controlled Trials (CENTRAL) on The Cochrane Library, EMBASE, the Chinese Biomedical Database, the Cumulative Index to Nursing and Allied Health (CINAHL), and the Allied and Complementary Medicine Database (AMED). References in relevant reviews and RCTs were screened by hand. The last date for searching for studies was 7 February 2006. SELECTION CRITERIA: Published reports of randomized controlled trials (RCTs) and quasi-randomised trials of acupuncture therapy for IBS. DATA COLLECTION AND ANALYSIS: All eligible records identified were dually evaluated for eligibility and dually abstracted. Methodological quality was assessed using the Jadad scale and the Linde Internal Validity Scale. Data from individual trials were combined for meta-analysis when the interventions were sufficiently similar. Heterogeneity was assessed using the I squared statistic. MAIN RESULTS: Six trials were included. The proportion of responders, as assessed by either the global symptom score or the patient-determined treatment success rate, did not show a significant difference between the acupuncture and the sham acupuncture group with a pooled relative risk of 1.28 (95% CI 0.83 to 1.98; n=109). Acupuncture treatment was also not significantly more effective than sham acupuncture for overall general well-being, individual symptoms (e.g., abdominal pain, defecation difficulties, diarrhea, and bloating), the number of improved patients assessed by blinded clinician, or the EuroQol score. For two of the studies without a sham control, acupuncture was more effective than control treatment for the improvement of symptoms: acupuncture versus herbal medication with a RR of 1.14(95% CI 1.00 to 1.31; n=132); acupuncture plus psychotherapy versus psychotherapy alone with a RR of 1.20 (95% CI 1.03 to 1.39; n=100). When the effect of ear acupuncture treatment was compared to an unclearly specified combination of one or more of the drugs diazepam, perphenazine or domperidone, the difference was not statistically significant with a RR of 1.49(95% CI 0.94 to 2.34; n=48). AUTHORS' CONCLUSIONS: Most of the trials included in this review were of poor quality and were heterogeneous in terms of interventions, controls, and outcomes measured. With the exception of one outcome in common between two trials, data were not combined. Therefore, it is still inconclusive whether acupuncture is more effective than sham acupuncture or other interventions for treating IBS.

Acupuncture Therapy↗
PubMed2006

Prism coupling method to excite and analyze Floquet-Bloch modes in linear and nonlinear waveguide arrays.

We demonstrate an experimental method for the direct measurement of band structures of one-dimensional periodic optical media. With the help of a prism coupler that is used in a retroreflective scheme, the allowed bands of a waveguide array in lithium niobate are determined and the results are compared with numerical calculations. Furthermore, we demonstrate the suitability of this method to measure propagation constants of extended nonlinear modes inside the forbidden gap.

Journal Article↗
PubMed2000

Generic isolated horizons and their applications

The notion of isolated horizons is extended to allow for distortion and rotation. Space-times containing a black hole, itself in equilibrium but possibly surrounded by radiation, satisfy these conditions. The framework has three types of applications: (i) it provides new tools to extract physics from strong field geometry; (ii) it leads to a generalization of the zeroth and first laws of black hole mechanics and sheds new light on the "origin" of the first law; and (iii) it serves as a point of departure for black hole entropy calculations in nonperturbative quantum gravity.

Journal Article↗
PubMed2000

A proposed mechanism for the induction of cytotoxic T lymphocyte production by heat shock fusion proteins.

A 65 kDa mycobacterial heat shock protein (hsp65), fused to a polypeptide that contains an octapeptide (SIYRYYGL) agonist for a particular T cell receptor (2C TCR), stimulated C57BL/6 mice as well as CD4-deficient mice to produce CD8+ cytolytic T lymphocytes (CTL) to the fusion partner's octapeptide. This and other hsp65 fusion proteins but not native hsp65 itself stimulated dendritic cells in vitro and in vivo to upregulate the levels of MHC (class I and II) and costimulatory (B7.2) molecules. The results suggest a mechanism for the general finding that hsp fusion proteins, having fusion partners of widely differing lengths and sequences, elicit CD8 CTL to peptides from the fusion partners without requiring exogenous adjuvants or the participation of CD4+ T cells.

Animals↗
PubMed1998

Postoperative fever, bowel ischaemia and cytokine response to abdominal aortic aneurysm repair--a comparison between endovascular and open surgery.

OBJECTIVES: To study bowel ischaemia in transfemorally placed endoluminal grafting (TPEG) for abdominal aortic aneurysms, and any relation to cytokine response or postoperative fever. DESIGN: Prospective not randomised. University hospital setting. MATERIAL: Fourteen cases of conventional surgery and 23 cases of endovascular technique for infrarenal abdominal aortic aneurysm repair. METHODS: Tonometry was used for sigmoid colon pH, and ELISAs for serum IL-6. RESULTS: Mucosal pH in the sigmoid colon fell significantly during clamping and reperfusion in both groups. Lowest measured sigmoid colon pH was 7.10 in the open group, compared to 7.22 in the TPEG group (p < 0.05). The IL-6 levels in serum peaked after 4 h of reperfusion; 249 pg/ml in the open group, compared to 89 pg/ml in the TPEG group (p < 0.05). High levels of IL-6 in the postoperative period and persisting low sigmoidal pH were associated with serious complications. Postoperative temperature did not differ significantly between the groups, and no significant correlation could be found with sigmoid colon pH or IL-6 levels. CONCLUSIONS: The less pronounced perioperative bowel ischaemia in TPEG patients indicates an advantage of the TPEG technique. Splanchnic ischaemia was not related to postoperative fever, nor the IL-6 or TNF response.

Aged↗
PubMed1997

Role of nucleosome remodeling factor NURF in transcriptional activation of chromatin.

The Drosophila nucleosome remodeling factor (NURF) is a protein complex of four subunits that assists transcription factor-mediated perturbation of nucleosomes in an ATP-dependent manner. We have investigated the role of NURF in activating transcription from a preassembled chromatin template and have found that NURF is able to facilitate transcription mediated by a GAL4 derivative carrying both a DNA binding and an activator domain. Interestingly, once nucleosome remodeling by the DNA binding factor is accomplished, a high level of NURF activity is not continuously required for recruitment of the general transcriptional machinery and transcription for at least 100 nucleotides. Our results provide direct evidence that NURF is able to assist gene activation in a chromatin context, and identify a stage of NURF dependence early in the process leading to transcriptional initiation.

Adenosine Triphosphatases↗
PubMed1997

Association between visual reaction time and batting, fielding, and earned run averages among players of the Southern Baseball League.

BACKGROUND: This study was performed to investigate the relationship between vision reaction time (VRT) and batting, fielding, and pitching skill in baseball. METHODS: A vision screening of 213 professional baseball players in the Southern Baseball League was performed, and the visual reaction times of these players were determined. Official Southern Baseball League statistics were consulted to obtain the players' batting average, fielding average, and earned run average. RESULTS: The mean visual reaction time for all players was 239 msec. There was no significant association between mean VRT and age or race. The mean VRT for dominant eyes was not significantly different from the mean VRT for nondominant eyes. For the 92 players who batted at least 100 times, an association was found between mean VRT and batting average (p = 0.017). For the 168 fielders in the league playing at least 20 games, no statistically significant association was found between mean VRT and fielding average. Similarly, no association was found between mean VRT and earned run average for the B8 pitchers who had participated in more than 20 games. CONCLUSIONS: An association was found between visual reaction time and batting skill in baseball. No association was found between visual reaction time and fielding or pitching skill.

Baseball↗
PubMed1996

The C-terminal region of Drosophila heat shock factor (HSF) contains a constitutively functional transactivation domain.

The heat shock transcription factor (HSF) is constitutively expressed in Drosophila cells as an inactive monomer. Upon heat shock HSF undergoes trimerization and acquires high affinity DNA binding ability leading to specific interaction with its cognate elements in heat shock promoters. Here we show that the transactivation function of HSF is conferred by the extreme C-terminal region of the protein. Deletion analysis of HSF fragments fused to the GAL4 DNA-binding domain demonstrates that transactivation is dependent on HSF residues 610-691. This domain is located beyond the C-terminal heptad repeat (leucine zipper 4) whose presence or integrity is dispensable for transactivation. The transactivation domain is functional in the absence of heat shock and can be replaced by the extreme C-terminal region of human HSF1. The Drosophila and human HSF transactivation domains are both rich in hydrophobic and acidic residues and may be structurally conserved, despite limited sequence identity.

Amino Acid Sequence↗
PubMed1996

Regulation of Drosophila heat shock factor trimerization: global sequence requirements and independence of nuclear localization.

Heat shock transcription factor (HSF) is a multidomain protein that exists as a monomer under normal conditions and is reversibly induced upon heat shock to a trimeric state that binds to DNA with high affinity. The maintenance of the monomeric state is dependent on hydrophobic heptad repeats located at the amino- and carboxy-terminal regions which have been proposed to form an intramolecular coiled-coil structure. In a systematic deletion analysis to identify other regions of HSF that may be required to regulate its oligomeric state, we have found that local sequences encompassing the carboxy-terminal end of the DNA binding domain and a broad region of HSF between the heptad repeats also contribute to this regulation. Immunocytochemical analysis of mutant HSF proteins revealed a canonical motif required for nuclear localization. HSF proteins lacking the nuclear localization signal remain in the cytoplasm, but these HSFs nonetheless exhibit reversible heat stress-inducible trimerization. The results indicate that the signals that regulate HSF trimerization operate in both the nuclear and cytoplasmic compartments of the cell.

Animals↗
PubMed1996

Association between eye and hand dominance and hitting, fielding and pitching skill among players of the Southern Baseball League.

BACKGROUND: The relationship between eye dominance and batting skill in baseball has been investigated, but conflicting results have been obtained. In addition, little attention has been given to the relationship, if any, between eye dominance and fielding and pitching skill. METHODS: A vision screening of 215 professional baseball players in the Southern Baseball League was performed and the eye dominance of these players was determined by a sighting test. Handedness for batting, fielding, and pitching was determined by history. RESULTS: The screening revealed that 66 percent of players were right-eye dominant and that, of 92 players who met the criteria established to qualify for the league batting championship, 60 percent had matched dominance of eye and hand. When official league batting averages were obtained for these 92 players, it was found that there was no statistically significant difference between batters with matched dominance (.278 mean batting average). For the 149 fielders in the league, no statistically significant differences based on eye dominance were found for fielding average (.893 matched dominance, .864 crossed dominance); for the 89 pitchers, a similar result was obtained. Pitchers were also evaluated with respect to eye dominance and earned run average, but no significant difference was found (3.91 matched dominance, 4.03 crossed dominance). CONCLUSIONS: Results indicate that there is no association between eye dominance, and hitting, fielding, or pitching skill in baseball.

Baseball↗
PubMed1994

Interaction between heat shock factor and hsp70 is insufficient to suppress induction of DNA-binding activity in vivo.

The intracellular level of free heat shock proteins, in particular the 70-kDa stress protein family, has been suggested to be the basis of an autoregulatory mechanism by which the cell measures the level of thermal stress and regulates the synthesis of heat shock proteins. It has been proposed that the DNA-binding and oligomeric state of the heat shock transcription factor (HSF) is a principal step in the induction pathway that is responsive to the level of 70-kDa stress protein. To test this hypothesis, we investigated the association between HSF and 70-kDa stress protein by means of a coimmunoprecipitation assay. We found that 70-kDa stress proteins associate to similar extents with both latent and active forms of HSF, although unlike other 70-kDa stress protein substrates, the association with HSF was not significantly disrupted in the presence of ATP. Gel mobility shift assays indicated that active HSF trimers purified from a bacterial expression system could not be substantially deactivated in vitro with purified 70-kDa stress protein and ATP. In addition, elevated concentrations of hsp70 alone could not significantly inhibit induction of the DNA-binding activity of endogenous HSF in cultured rat cells, and the induction was also not inhibited in cultured rat cells or Drosophila cells containing elevated levels of all members of the heat shock protein family. However, the deactivation of HSF to the non-DNA-binding state after prolonged heat stress or during recovery could be accelerated by increased levels of heat shock proteins. Hence, the level of heat shock proteins may affect the rate of disassembly of HSF trimers, but another mechanism, as yet undefined, appears to control the onset of the oligomeric transitions.

Adenosine Triphosphate↗
PubMed1993

Induction temperature of human heat shock factor is reprogrammed in a Drosophila cell environment.

Heat shock factor (HSF), the transcriptional activator of eukaryotic heat shock genes, is induced to bind DNA by a monomer to trimer transition involving leucine zipper interactions. Although this mode of regulation is shared among many eukaryotic species, there is variation in the temperature at which HSF binding activity is induced. We investigated the basis of this variation by analysing the response of a human HSF expressed in Drosophila cells and Drosophila HSF expressed in human cells. We report here that the temperature that induces DNA binding and trimerization of human HSF in Drosophila was decreased by approximately 10 degrees C to the induction temperature for the host cell, whereas Drosophila HSF expressed in human cells was constitutively active. The results indicate that the activity of HSF in vivo is not a simple function of the absolute environmental temperature.

Animals↗
PubMed1993

An upstream region of the rat spermatogenesis-specific heat-shock-like Hst70 gene confers testis-specific expression in transgenic mice.

In order to study the temporal and spatial regulation of a rat testis-specific heat-shock-like hst70 gene, an 0.8-kb fragment of its upstream DNA was fused to the lacZ gene and microinjected into one-cell murine embryos. Independent tgHST1 and tgHST2 transgenic mice strains were established, containing about 5-7 and 40-60 transgene copies/haploid genome, respectively. Enzyme assays in various tissues showed that transgene-encoded beta-galactosidase accumulates exclusively in testes of transgenic animals and cannot be detected until 16-17 days after birth. In-situ assays revealed that the enzyme accumulates mainly in pachytene primary spermatocytes. Our data complement previous studies on the endogenous rat hst70 and suggest that its 0.8-kb upstream region contains sufficient information to function as an active spermatogenesis-specific promoter.

Animals↗
PubMed1993

Regulation of heat shock factor trimer formation: role of a conserved leucine zipper.

The human and Drosophila heat shock transcription factors (HSFs) are multi-zipper proteins with high-affinity binding to DNA that is regulated by heat shock-induced trimerization. Formation of HSF trimers is dependent on hydrophobic heptad repeats located in the amino-terminal region of the protein. Two subregions at the carboxyl-terminal end of human HSF1 were identified that maintain the monomeric form of the protein under normal conditions. One of these contains a leucine zipper motif that is conserved between vertebrate and insect HSFs. These results suggest that the carboxyl-terminal zipper may suppress formation of trimers by the amino-terminal HSF zipper elements by means of intramolecular coiled-coil interactions that are sensitive to heat shock.

Amino Acid Sequence↗
PubMed1992

Molecular cloning and characterization of a constitutively expressed heat-shock-cognate hsc71 gene from rainbow trout.

A rainbow trout major heat-shock-protein-like gene (hsp 70) and corresponding cDNA clones were isolated by hybridization to heterologous hsp70 probes. DNA sequencing revealed that this gene is structurally similar to a mammalian heat-shock-cognate hsc70 gene and consists of eight introns. Northern blot and primer extension analyses showed that the corresponding mRNA is constitutively abundant in different trout tissues and salmonid cell lines. Fragments of the isolated gene containing the -900 - +30 and -217 - +58 sequence were linked to a bacterial chloramphenicol acetyltransferase reporter gene and transiently transfected into salmonid cells. The expression pattern of these constructs supports our conclusion that the isolated genomic and cDNA clones correspond to a trout heat-shock-cognate hsc70 gene.

Amino Acid Sequence↗