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Biomedical subjects

K Harrison

Publications and source records attributed to K Harrison.

At least 55 records · Page 3Linked to original sources
PubMed1997

Pain assessment in self-injurious patients with borderline personality disorder using signal detection theory.

Signal detection theory measures of thermal responsivity were examined to determine whether differences in reported pain experienced during self-injurious behavior in female patients with borderline personality disorder (BPD) are explained by neurosensory factors and/or attitudinal factors (response bias). Female patients with BPD who do not experience pain during self-injury (BPD-NP group) were found to discriminate more poorly between noxious thermal stimuli of similar intensity, low P(A), than female patients with BPD who experience pain during self-injury (BPD-P group), female patients with BPD who do not have a history of self-injury (BPD-C group), and age-matched normal women. The BPD-NP group also had a higher response criterion, B (more stoical) than the BPD-C group. These findings suggest that 'analgesia' during self-injury in patients with BPD is related to both neurosensory and attitudinal/psychological abnormalities.

Adolescent↗
PubMed1997

Iodixanol as a density gradient medium for the isolation of motile spermatozoa.

PURPOSE: The purpose of this study was to establish concentrations of Iodixanol which could be used in a similar manner to the widely used Mini-Percoll technique for the separation of motile spermatozoa. METHODS: Various density gradient combinations of Iodixanol were compared for the isolation of motile spermatozoa from cryopreserved donor semen. The toxicity of Iodixanol was tested by its effect on the growth of two-cell mouse embryos and fresh sperm survival. RESULTS: The best sperm recovery (32%) came from the pellet of sperm passing through a discontinuous gradient of 25% over 40% OptiPrep after 20 min of centrifugation at 400 g. There was no evidence of toxicity to mouse embryo growth or sperm survival. CONCLUSIONS: Iodixanol (OptiPrep; Nycomed) provides a satisfactory alternative for the efficient separation of motile spermatozoa for ART procedures.

Animals↗
PubMed1997

Identification of sn-2 acetyl glycerophosphocholines in human keratinocytes.

Evidence is accumulating suggesting that platelet-activating factor plays a role in inflammatory dermatoses. Mass spectrometric methods were used to examine the molecular species of sn-2 acetyl glycerophosphocholines (GPC) synthesized by primary cultures of human neonatal foreskin-derived keratinocytes. Ionophore-stimulated keratinocytes synthesize both 1-alkyl and 1-acyl sn-2 acetyl-GPC, and the relative amounts were as follows: hexadecyl > palmitoyl > octadecyl > stearoyl at the sn-1 position. PAF synthesis in the keratinocyte-derived cell line HaCaT was inhibited by dexamethasone, suggesting that the anti-inflammatory effects of glucocorticosteroids in inflammatory dermatoses might be in part related to the inhibition of the synthesis of mediators such as PAF.

Adrenal Cortex Hormones↗
PubMed1997

Antiidiotypic response against murine monoclonal antibodies reactive with tumor-associated antigen TAG-72.

The immune response of 42 gastrointestinal and ovarian cancer patients at 1 month after exposure to murine monoclonal antibodies (B72.3 and CC49) reactive with the tumor-associated antigen TAG-72 was studied. The incidence of human anti-mouse antibody response was 89% to B72.3 and 70% to CC49. To evaluate the antiidiotypic immune response, we developed a serological assay based on affinity chromatography to remove the interference due to the presence of TAG-72, antiisotypic, and antiallotypic immunoglobulins in the serum. Seventy-eight percent of patients who received B72.3 developed an antiidiotypic response; in 33% of the patients, this was the only immune response detected. The antiidiotypic immune response after treatment with CC49 was present in 54% of the patients. Twelve percent of the patients who received CC49 developed an antiidiotypic response in the absence of antiisotypic or antiallotypic immune response. The lower immunogenicity of the variable region of CC49 is encouraging when considering the use of chimeric or humanized antibodies derived from the murine monoclonal antibody CC49 in clinical studies.

Animals↗
PubMed1997

Parental training for incarcerated fathers: effects on attitudes, self-esteem, and children's self-perceptions.

The effects of parent education programs on the parenting attitudes and abilities of 30 U.S. male inmates and on the self-perceptions of their children (aged 8-17 years) were examined. Inmates were pre- and post-tested with the Adult-Adolescent Parenting Inventory and the Index of Self-Esteem. The children were administered the Self-Perception Profile for Children or the Self-Perception Profile for Adolescents. Participants in the experimental group completed a 6-week program including parental training and behavior-management training. The control group's 6-week program consisted of viewing family-related videotapes, answering questions, and discussing the contents of the videotapes. Parent education improved the attitudes of inmates toward appropriate parenting but did not significantly change their children's self-perceptions.

Adolescent↗
PubMed1997

Development of a specific fluoroimmunoassay for ovine albumin.

A fluoroimmunoassay has been developed to measure serum levels of albumin in sheep. It employs ovine albumin labelled with fluorescein as the tracer and a rabbit antiserum raised against ovine albumin. Separation of the antibody bound and free fractions is achieved using a second antiserum directed against the Fc of rabbit immunoglobulin G and, to simplify the assay, the two antisera are premixed prior to use. Assay validation parameters are satisfactory and the reagents are predicted to be stable for at least one year at 4 degrees C. In contrast to the bromocresol green method, the assay is unaffected by immunoglobulins. A reference range for serum albumin levels has been established in lambs, normal ewes and ewes undergoing immunisation. Mean serum levels were 38.8, 51.3 and 37.8 g/l respectively. The sensitivity of the assay also enabled its use to monitor albumin levels at various stages during the production of specific antibody fragments from ovine antisera for therapeutic purposes.

Animals↗
PubMed1997

Home care triage nurse.

As a TN who began in a position with little insight into the expectations and who has been able to develop the system into one that ideally meets the needs of our home care institution, I always feel challenged. Initially, my concern was that I would lose touch with what was new and would lose my clinical skills. To the contrary, I feel that I have honed my skills. By understanding the steps to procedures and their rationale, disease processes, symptoms, treatment regimes, and through continuing education, I have become confident in teaching patients and caregivers over the phone. Although the staff includes those in each of our branches, I am able to have contact with them all now more than ever. Because we known as home care workers that it is difficult to develop relationships and trust among staff members because of the independent nature of home care nursing, forging a relationship based on trust between the staff members and the TN is crucial for delivering consistent patient care 24 hours a day, 7 days a week. It is note-worthy that to develop the TN system effectively, I was granted autonomy and lent support by the agency administration and management. This autonomy continues to be instrumental for success.

Home Care Services↗
PubMed1997

Characterization of the tomato Cf-4 gene for resistance to Cladosporium fulvum identifies sequences that determine recognitional specificity in Cf-4 and Cf-9.

In many interactions between plants and their pathogens, resistance to infection is specified by plant resistance (R) genes and corresponding pathogen avirulence (Avr) genes. In tomato, the Cf-4 and Cf-9 resistance genes map to the same location but confer resistance to Cladosporium fulvum through recognition of different avirulence determinants (AVR4 and AVR9) by a molecular mechanism that has yet to be determined. Here, we describe the cloning and characterization of Cf-4, which also encodes a membrane-anchored extracellular glycoprotein. Cf-4 contains 25 leucine-rich repeats, which is two fewer than Cf-9. The proteins have > 91% identical amino acids. DNA sequence comparison suggests that Cf-4 and Cf-9 are derived from a common progenitor sequence. Amino acid differences distinguishing Cf-4 and Cf-9 are confined to their N termini, delimiting a region that determines the recognitional specificity of ligand binding. The majority of these differences are in residues interstitial to those of the leucine-rich repeat consensus motif. Many of these residues are predicted to form a solvent-exposed surface that can interact with the cognate ligand. Both Cf-4 and Cf-9 are located within a 36-kb region comprising five tandemly duplicated homologous genes. These results provide further insight into the molecular basis of pathogen perception by plants and the organization of complex R gene loci.

Amino Acid Sequence↗
PubMed1997

High-dose therapy with iodine-131-labeled monoclonal antibody CC49 in patients with gastrointestinal cancers: a phase I trial.

PURPOSE: A phase I trial that evaluated for extrahematopoietic toxicity was conducted with iodine-131 (131I) labeled monoclonal antibody (MAb) CC49. Correlative studies included pharmacokinetic and biodistribution analyses, estimates of absorbed radiation dose, and measurement of human antimonoclonal antibodies (HAMA). PATIENTS AND METHODS: After collection and cryopreservation of hematopoietic stem cells, 15 patients with gastrointestinal cancers were administered a tracer dose of 131I-MAb CC49. Within 5 to 6 days, 14 patients (two to three per activity level) underwent a single treatment with 131I-MAb CC49 (50, 100, 150, 200, 250, and 300 mCi/m2). Biodistribution was determined using planar and single photon emission computer tomographic (SPECT) imaging. Pharmacokinetic studies were performed by measuring radioactivity in serial blood samples. In some patients, biopsies of metastases and related normal tissues were obtained for radioactivity measurements. Radiation dosimetry estimates were calculated using available biodistribution, pharmacokinetic, and tissue biopsy data. Toxicity was evaluated using the National Cancer Institute (NCI) Common Toxicity Criteria. RESULTS: No dose-limiting extrahematopoietic toxicity was identified. Twelve patients experienced grade IV myelosuppression and met criteria for infusion of hematopoietic stem cells. Radioimmunolocalization was excellent. The T1/2 for 131I-MAb CC49 after diagnostic and therapeutic administration was 39.7 +/- 10.4 and 46.1 +/- 10.6 hours, respectively. The percent injected dose per killigram of tumor ranged from 0.2 to 2.1. Absorbed radiation dose in metastatic tumor sites ranged from 630 to 3300 cGy. CONCLUSION: Although extrahematopoietic dose-limiting toxicity was neither observed or predicted, suboptimal absorbed dose estimates suggested that further escalation of 131I-MAb CC49 would not be useful. Future studies should focus on the use of radionuclides with high energy beta emissions, such as yttrium 90, and on strategies to optimize access of antibody to target antigens.

Adenocarcinoma↗
PubMed1996

Influence of column type and chromatographic conditions on the ion-exchange chromatography of immunoglobulins.

Immunoglobulins are often purified by affinity chromatography. However, this technique is costly, can result in poor resolution for subclasses (or is only group specific), and leads to possible leaching of contaminants into the purified products. Ion-exchange chromatography has shown great potential and has found an increased usage in the purification of immunoglobulins. The aim of this study is to further understand the separation mechanism with emphasis on the influence of column type and chromatographic conditions on the peak shape, selectivity and changes in the elution patterns. Included are strong cation-exchange, strong anion-exchange and weak anion-exchange columns. Five immunoglobulin G antibodies were used as test probes. Some sera and ascites were also used in the study. Among the chromatographic conditions examined were mobile phase pH, buffer type, buffer concentration, gradient rate, and column temperature. Significant differences in the chromatographic behavior (elution pattern, peak shape and selectivity) of the test samples are discussed in regard to the column type and the chromatographic conditions.

Animals↗
PubMed1996

Pain and self-injury in borderline patients: sensory decision theory, coping strategies, and locus of control.

Fifteen women with borderline personality disorder who do not experience pain during self-injury were found to discriminate more poorly between imaginary painful and mildly painful situations, to reinterpret painful sensations (a pain-coping strategy related to dissociation), and to have higher scores on the Dissociative Experiences Scale than 24 similar female patients who experience pain during self-injury and 22 age-matched normal women. "Analgesia' during self-injury in borderline patients may be related to a cognitive impairment in the ability to distinguish between painful and mildly painful situations, as well as to dissociative mechanisms.

Adaptation, Psychological↗
PubMed1996

The tomato Cf-2 disease resistance locus comprises two functional genes encoding leucine-rich repeat proteins.

In plants, resistance to pathogens is frequently determined by dominant resistance genes, whose products are proposed to recognize pathogen-encoded avirulence gene (Avr) products. The tomato resistance locus Cf-2 was isolated by positional cloning and found to contain two almost identical genes, each conferring resistance to isolates of tomato leaf mould (C. fulvum) expressing the corresponding Avr2 gene. The two Cf-2 genes encode protein products that differ from each other by only three amino acids and contain 38 leucine-rich repeat (LRR) motifs. Of the LRRs, 20 show extremely conserved alternating repeats. The C-terminus of Cf-2 carries regions of pronounced homology to the protein encoded by the unlinked Cf-9 gene. We suggest that this conserved region interacts with other proteins involved in activating plant defense mechanisms.

Amino Acid Sequence↗
PubMed1996

Analysis of the Bruton's tyrosine kinase gene promoter reveals critical PU.1 and SP1 sites.

The gene defective in X-linked agammaglobulinemia (XLA) encodes a novel protein kinase termed Bruton's tyrosine kinase (Btk). Whereas the XLA phenotype is confined to abnormalities of B-cell development and function, Btk is expressed not only in B-lymphocyte lineage but also in myeloid lineage cells. The first 450 basepairs of the Btk promoter fused to a luciferase gene displayed a similar cell-type specificity. Critical binding sites for the transcription factors PU.1 and Sp1 were identified in the proximal portion of the Btk promoter upstream of a cluster of transcriptional start sites. Mutation of either the PU.1 or Sp1 site markedly reduced the activity of a Btk promoter-luciferase reporter construct in transfection experiments. In addition, PU.1 directly transactivated the Btk promoter, and deletion of the PU.1 binding site abolished this effect. This study implicates PU.1 and Sp1 as major regulators of Btk expression and provides a foundation for further study of the regulation of this gene in XLA patients that lack Btk mRNA.

Agammaglobulinaemia Tyrosine Kinase↗
PubMed1996

The tomato Dwarf gene isolated by heterologous transposon tagging encodes the first member of a new cytochrome P450 family.

To transposon tag the tomato Dwarf (D) gene, a tomato line that carries a T-DNA containing a maize Activator (Ac) transposable element closely linked to D was pollinated with a stock homozygous for the d mutation. Hybrid seedlings were screened for dwarf progeny, and three independent dwarf lines were obtained. Two of these lines showed inheritance of a recessive phenotype similar to that conferred by the extreme dwarf (dx) allele. Variegation for the dwarf phenotype in one of these lines suggested that D had been tagged by Ac. Genomic DNA adjacent to Ac in these two lines was isolated by use of the inverse polymerase chain reaction, and the two insertions mapped approximately 2 kb apart. Partial complementation of d was observed when the corresponding wild-type sequence was used in transformation experiments. A cDNA clone of D was sequenced, and the predicted amino acid sequence has homology to cytochrome P450 enzymes.

Alleles↗
PubMed1996

Non-prescribed drug use during methadone treatment by clinic- and community-based patients.

We investigated the efficacy of methadone maintenance treatment in clinic-based (n = 10) and community-based (n = 10) patients by studying the relationships between dose, plasma concentrations of methadone and non-prescribed drug-use using logistic regression. We found that clinic-based patients had significantly reduced odds of having a urine sample test positive for illicit drugs when compared to community-based patients (OR = 0.20; 95% confidence interval 0.10-0.38: p < 0.001). There was no relationship between either methadone dose or plasma methadone concentration and testing positive for non-prescribed drugs (including cocaine, cannabis, amphetamine, ecstasy, benzodiazepines). We looked specifically at the misuse of opiate drugs. Location was again important and clinic-based patients had significantly reduced odds of having a urine sample test positive for opiate drugs (OR = 0.36, 95% confidence interval 0.18-0.71: p approximately 0.004). Opiate drug use in our patients was also significantly related to plasma methadone concentration, increasing noticeably when the drug concentration < 0.48 nmol/L (p approximately 0.04). We found no relationship between methadone dose and odds of having a positive urine drug test in either clinic- or community-based patients.

Adult↗
PubMed1995

Novel GUS expression patterns following transposition of an enhancer trap Ds element in Arabidopsis.

Enhancer trap derivatives of the maize Dissociation (Ds) transposon were introduced into Arabidopsis thaliana. The enhancer trap Ds was so designed that upon transposition to sites containing regulatory sequences in adjacent genomic DNA, transcription of a Ds-borne beta-glucuronidase (GUS) gene would be activated. Sixty percent of all transposition events were associated with GUS expression patterns including one linked to a mutant phenotype. Patterns of GUS expression were found in various organs and were stably inheritable in the F4 and F5 progenies. These results demonstrate the potential value of the technique as a means for detection of developmentally regulated genes and analysis of their function. The enhancer trap construct used in our experiments, as well as the seeds of primary transformants are publicly available.

Arabidopsis↗
PubMed1995

Analysis of splice donor and acceptor site function in a transposable gene trap derived from the maize element Activator.

Gene trap vectors have been used in insertional mutagenesis in animal systems to clone genes with interesting patterns of expression. These vectors are designed to allow the expression of a reporter gene when the vector inserts into a transcribed region. In this paper we examine alternative splicing events that result in the expression of a GUS reporter gene carried on a Ds element which has been designed as a gene trap vector for plants. We have developed a rapid and reliable method based on PCR to study such events. Many splice donor sites were observed in the 3' Ac border. The relative frequency of utilisation of certain splice donor and acceptor sites differed between tobacco and Arabidopsis. A higher stringency of splicing was observed in Arabidopsis.

Arabidopsis↗