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Biomedical subjects

K Adler

Publications and source records attributed to K Adler.

At least 19 recordsLinked to original sources
PubMed1992

Expression of myosin heavy and light chains and phosphorylation of the phosphorylatable myosin light chain in the heart ventricle of the European hamster during hibernation and in summer.

We investigated the expression of myosin subunits (myosin heavy chains) as well as light chains and the in vivo phosphorylation of the phosphorylatable myosin light chain in the heart ventricle of the adult male European hamster (Cricetus cricetus L.). Two myosin heavy chain isoenzymes could be detected under native and denaturing electrophoretic conditions having high (alpha-myosin heavy chain) and low (beta-myosin heavy chain) enzymatic activity. Enzymatic activity of alpha- and beta-myosin heavy chain revealed a different temperature dependency. When temperature increased ATPase activity of the alpha-myosin heavy chain isoenzyme increased relatively more than ATPase activity of the beta-myosin heavy chain isoenzyme. Summer animals expressed predominantly the beta-myosin heavy chain (79% of total myosin) while during hibernation the alpha-myosin heavy chain expression increased to 53% of total myosin. Winter-active hamsters kept at 22 degrees C and 12 h day/night rhythm showed the same myosin heavy chain isoenzyme pattern as summer-active animals. Two myosin light chain forms were expressed in the ventricle of all animal groups. The in vivo phosphorylation level of the phosphorylatable myosin light chain decreased from 45% in summer-active hamster to 23% during hibernation.

Animals↗
PubMed1992

Comparison of three nonradioisotopic polymerase chain reaction-based methods for detection of human immunodeficiency virus type 1.

Three nonradioisotopic polymerase chain reaction (PCR)-based detection techniques were evaluated for sensitivity and specificity in detecting human immunodeficiency virus type 1 (HIV-1) proviral DNA in peripheral blood mononuclear cells. The Roche prototype HIV-1 PCR assay, the Du Pont enzyme-linked oligonucleotide sandwich assay (ELOSA), and the Gen-Probe hybridization protection assay (HPA) were compared with a standard radioisotopic oligonucleotide solution hybridization (OSH) technique. A panel of 111 well-characterized clinical samples that included peripheral blood mononuclear cells from 48 healthy, low-risk, HIV-1 antibody-negative subjects, 24 antibody-positive subjects with stable CD4 counts of less than 200/mm3, and 39 antibody-positive subjects with stable CD4 counts of greater than 800/mm3 were studied. Each method demonstrated good specificity, ranging between 96 and 100%; those of the OSH and ELOSA (Du Pont) were 100%, those of the HPA (Gen-Probe) were 100% with one probe and 96% with the other probe, and that of the HIV-1 PCR assay (Roche) was 96%. Sensitivities ranged from 96 to 100% for the low-CD4-count group, with the OSH, the HIV-1 PCR assay (Roche), and the HPA (Gen-Probe) all attaining a sensitivity of 100%. For the high-CD4-count group, sensitivities ranged from 69 to 97%, with the OSH attaining a sensitivity of 97% and the HPA attaining sensitivities of 97% with one probe and 95% with the other probe. These data indicate that the nonradioisotopic techniques are sensitive and specific for the detection of HIV-1 proviral DNA in clinical samples.

Base Sequence↗
PubMed1991

Different legumin protein domains act as vacuolar targeting signals.

Legumin subunits are synthesized as precursor polypeptides and are transported into protein storage vacuoles in field bean cotyledons. We expressed a legumin subunit in yeast and found that in these cells it is also transported into the vacuoles. To elucidate vacuolar targeting information, we constructed gene fusions of different legumin propolypeptide segments with either yeast invertase or chloramphenicol acetyltransferase as reporters for analysis in yeast or plant cells, respectively. In yeast, increasing the length of the amino-terminal segment increased the portion of invertase directed to the vacuole. Only the complete legumin alpha chain (281 amino acids) directed over 90% to the vacuole. A short carboxy-terminal legumin segment (76 amino acids) fused to the carboxy terminus of invertase also efficiently targeted this fusion product to yeast vacuoles. With amino-terminal legumin-chloramphenicol acetyltransferase fusions expressed in tobacco seeds, efficient vacuolar targeting was obtained only with the complete alpha chain. We conclude that legumin contains multiple targeting information, probably formed by higher structures of relatively long peptide sequences.

Amino Acid Sequence↗
PubMed1991

The influence of cold stress on the myosin heavy chain expression of cardiac and smooth muscle in normotensive and spontaneously hypertensive female rats.

Cold exposure (6 weeks at 4 degrees C) of normotensive (Wistar-Kyoto) and stroke-prone spontaneously hypertensive female rats led to cardiac hypertrophy (in stroke-prone spontaneously hypertensive rats), increased the level of plasma thyroxine, and increased the alpha-myosin heavy chain expression in the left ventricle. In contrast, myosin heavy chain expression of both main mesenteric artery and uterus was not affected by cold stress and chronic hypertension, suggesting different regulation of myosin heavy chain expression in smooth and cardiac muscle in vivo.

Animals↗
PubMed1991

Primary care in New York State: report and recommendations of the associated medical schools of New York.

Medical education in New York is unique in the country in its scope and its diversity. It is important, as we go forward, that these strengths be neither eroded nor compromised. The AMS member institutions are making a collective commitment to work together to promote changes that will improve medical education for all students by providing them with enriched experience in primary care. Our major resource is faculty. To whatever degree medical schools can influence career choice, it is essential to this aim that the best possible people are placed in the settings in which primary care is taught. The schools will intensify their efforts to recruit and retain such faculty and, in whatever way is appropriate to each institution, provide them with the stature needed to emphasize the value which the school places on primary care. The schools will also work to provide exposure to primary care early in a student's academic career given anecdotal evidence, at least, that such early experience can influence subsequent specialty choice. Finally, the medical schools will assume greater responsibility for graduate medical education. If, with state support, ambulatory teaching sites are developed, the schools will make every effort to assure that they are staffed with high-quality faculty. Residents and students must see primary care practiced with total commitment to quality. It is hoped that, with state-initiated improvements in the practice environment, the ultimate outcome will be an increase in the number of our graduates selecting primary care disciplines for their practices and locating in areas in need of physicians.2+ Corporation, and the Greater New York Hospital Association. We are ready to work with others toward our common objectives, and we call on all of those who share these concerns to participate with us.

Career Choice↗
PubMed1990

[The reaction of the heart to radiation. II. Clinical studies].

In a review the cardiac attendant reactions in tumor irradiation in thoracal area are represented by means of papers and experiences of our own. It is shown that the heart reacts differently on ionizing rays and in special cases it can become a critical organ for radiotherapy. The diagnostic practice and the phenomenon of pericardiac and myocardiac reactions are described in detail. Complications on coronary vessel system are not frequent but because of their clinical consequence always they have to take into consideration. Cardiac radioreactions can be transient or harmless but rarely can lead to vitally threatening situations. Therefore it is referred to symptoms, diagnostic proving and possible or necessary therapeutic measures. Because significant curative therapeutic results can be attained by radiotherapy in thoracal area and the chances for curing increase for many patients, a slight risk is justifiable for side-effects on healthy adjoining tissue. On the other hand undesirable side reactions can influence the life-quality of the tumor cured patients. Therefore a radiotherapy in intrathoracal tumors with the aim of healing without complications has to take into consideration the sensibility of heart in addition to those of lung and spinal marrow. Beside permanent development of physical-technical suppositions these biological aspects have a substantial influence on optimizing irradiation in thoracal area. Finally it is tried to formulate really existing possibilities reducing a risk for cardiac side-effects and to refer to prospective interesting problems.

Heart↗
PubMed1990

[The reaction of the heart to radiation. I. State of the knowledge based on animal experimental studies].

The aim of curative tumor therapy is healing without complications. Therefore the avoidance of undesirable side-effects in healthy tissue becomes more important to such a degree as the lifespan can be prolonged by therapy: In this review the experiences to cardiac reactions by ionizing radiations are represented from experiments on animals. The former conception of a marked radioresistance of the heart has to be revised to the hitherto presented investigations. Acute inflammatory reactions and late, often progressive alterations can develop in the heart like in other normal tissue. These late-effects especially are reflected at pericardium, myocardium and vessel system (microvessel system and coronaries) and not rarely cause functional injuries of the tissue. Actual investigations give special attention to pathogenesis of acute radioreaction. It is supposed that their explanation gives a better understanding for the process of independence and progress and with that a possibility for prophylactic or therapeutic measures.

Animals↗
PubMed1989

Alpha-smooth muscle actin in parenchymal cells of bleomycin-injured rat lung.

Bleomycin causes focally diffuse interstitial fibrosis characterized by increases in the number and volume of contractile filament-laden parenchymal cells, as well as increased parenchymal contractility. However, the origin of these cells and their relationship to altered contractility, remain unknown. We now have used immunohistochemical methods to ask if cells containing smooth muscle actin and myosin are present in involved regions of parenchyma. Staining of the parenchyma of control lungs with a monoclonal antibody against alpha-smooth muscle actin is sparse, consisting of reactivity with the alveolar entrance ring (septal tip) cells as well as occasional reactivity of alveolar wall cells that may represent pericytes or contractile interstitial cells. Increased alpha-smooth muscle actin staining was observed in areas of parenchymal damage in lungs from animals sacrificed between 1 and 4 weeks postbleomycin instillation. This reactivity included altered staining of the airway and vessel smooth muscle coat as well as thickened septal tips. In addition, newly reactive cells were observed in interstitial and intraalveolar regions and in bands of thickened submesothelial tissue. Staining was most intense in the focal fibrotic lesions which are characteristic of this injury. By contrast, parenchymal reactivity with a polyclonal antibody against smooth muscle myosin at the later time points shows only a mild increase in punctate staining in the damaged foci. We hypothesize that the substantial increase in alpha-smooth muscle actin containing cells in fibrotic regions of involved parenchyma after bleomycin injury is responsible for the altered morphologic, biochemical, and mechanical properties that we have observed.

Actins↗
PubMed1989

[Radiation pneumonitis in the x-ray picture following megavoltage irradiation using the Neptune 10 p. linear accelerator].

For 105 patients with healthy lungs (76 breast carcinomas, 29 testicular tumors) irradiated from 1981 to 1983 with the linear accelerator Neptune 10p. the pulmonary effects of irradiation were monitored over several years. The true dose applied for breast carcinomas was 46 Gy (2 Gy per fraction), for testicular tumors 40 Gy were applied in the mediastinal field. 9% of the patients showed excessive infiltrations, 18% radiation pneumonitis of medium degree. In 35% of the patients slight infiltrations were found. The course of the pneumonitis was, according to its stage, regular. After a latency period 30 days post irradiation the early stadium occurs. Florid pneumonitis develops between the 45th and 90th day after irradiation. Extended radiographic effects occur up to 10 days earlier. Through a period of pneumonitis with pronounced shrinkage fibrosis develops. By CT-based individual radiation planning the pulmonary radiation reaction can be significantly reduced. The differential diagnostics of radiation effects and metastases is discussed.

Aged↗
PubMed1989

[The value of lung perfusion scintigraphy in radiation pneumonitis in comparison with the diffusing capacity DLCO].

The value of lung perfusion scintigraphy (Tc99m) and lung diffusing capacity are compared with references to early detection of radiogenic pneumonitis. Perfusion scintigraphy completed by diffusing capacity is excellent suitable for early detection. Risk cases are recognized up to 40 days earlier than by X-ray. Severity of radiogenic pneumonitis can be diminished remarkable by prevention therapy.

Breast Neoplasms↗
PubMed1988

Identification by heteroduplex analysis of an invertible element (Min) common among IncM group plasmids.

The analysis of heteroduplexes between EcoRI digested DNA derived from IncM plasmids in the transfer-off and in the transfer-on state revealed an internal loop of about 1 kbp on a distinct large EcoRI fragment. The presence of an invertible element (Min) is suggested which enables the formation of conjugative pili at 30 degrees C, but switches off the pilus formation at 37 degrees C incubation temperature.

DNA, Bacterial↗
PubMed1988

Psychiatric nursing roles in a community mental health center.

We describe the addition of medication monitoring to the duties of nurses working as case managers in a day treatment program for the chronically mentally ill. The nurses used their medical and behavioral knowledge to form a more complete picture of the patient than either a visiting psychiatrist or a case-manager who was not a nurse could do. This improved the integration of medication and other patient management decisions. It also improved cooperation between psychiatrists and nurses, better using the time and skills of both.

Clinical Competence↗
PubMed1988

The COP-BLAM programs: evolving chemotherapy concepts in large cell lymphoma.

The cyclophosphamide, vincristine, prednisone, bleomycin, doxorubicin, procarbazine (COP-BLAM) programs of combination chemotherapy were administered to patients with advanced diffuse large cell lymphoma. The original COP-BLAM programs were designed to deliver intense multidrug therapy maximizing tumor kill. COP-BLAM programs IA and IB, easily administered on an outpatient basis, produced identical 73% complete remissions (CRs) and 55% long-term, disease-free survival (DFS). COP-BLAM III, an outgrowth of studies using infusional therapy, differed from COP-BLAM by using infusional bleomycin and vincristine alternated with bolus vincristine. With COP-BLAM III, 84% CRs, 76% "potential cures," and a 65% DFS were produced at a median follow-up time of 50 months. COD-BLAM IV, using four sequential cycles of infusional chemotherapy, high-dose alternating myelosuppressives (doxorubicin, cyclophosphamide), and cycle-active agents (methotrexate, cytarabine, and etoposide) produced 88% CRs, 67% potential cures, and a 64% DFS at a median follow-up of 24 months. COP-BLAM V employs four to six sequential cycles of infusional chemotherapy tailored to the rapidity of response. Preliminary results in patients with high-risk Hodgkin's disease suggest COP-BLAM V may be effective despite the shortened treatment time. In all programs, prognostic factors were critical determinants in the results achieved, particularly age and rapidity of response.

Antineoplastic Combined Chemotherapy Protocols↗