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Biomedical subjects

K Hsieh

Publications and source records attributed to K Hsieh.

At least 19 recordsLinked to original sources
PubMed2001

Risk factors for injuries and falls among adults with developmental disabilities.

The present study was designed to identify risk factors for injuries including falls and non fall-related injuries among adults with developmental disabilities. The following variables were examined as potential risk factors: age, gender, level of intellectual disability, health, seizures, ambulatory status, adaptive and maladaptive behaviours, use of antipsychotic drugs, and type of residential setting. The subjects were 268 adults with developmental disabilities > or = 30 years of age. A total of 30 participants (11%) were reported to have injuries. Over 50% of injuries were caused by falls. Individuals who had a higher frequency of seizures, had more destructive behaviour and used antipsychotic drugs had the highest risk of injuries. A sub-analysis of fall-related injuries indicated that individuals who were > or = 70 years of age, ambulatory and had a higher frequency of seizures had the highest risk of injurious falls. Adaptive behaviour, destructive behaviour and physical health were positively related to non-fall-related injuries. Individuals with developmental disabilities who have better health and greater adaptive behaviour may be more active, and therefore, at an increased risk of non-fall-related injuries.

Accidental Falls↗
PubMed2001

Intercellular communication in cultured human vascular smooth muscle cells.

Intercellular communication through gap junction channels plays a fundamental role in regulating vascular myocyte tone. We investigated gap junction channel expression and activity in myocytes from the physiologically distinct vasculature of the human internal mammary artery (IMA, conduit vessel) and saphenous vein (SV, capacitance vessel). Northern and Western blots documented the presence of connexin43 (Cx43) in frozen tissues and cultured cells from both vessels. Northern blots also confirmed the presence of Cx40 mRNA in cultured IMA and SV myocytes. Dual whole cell patch-clamp experiments revealed that macroscopic junctional conductance was voltage dependent and characteristic of that observed for Cx43. In the majority of records, in both vessels, single-channel activity was dominated by a main-state conductance of 120 pS, with subconducting events comprising less than 10% of the amplitude histograms. However, some records showed "atypical" unitary events that had a conductance similar to Cx40 (approximately 140-160 pS), but gating behavior like that of Cx43. As such, it is conceivable that the presence and coexpression of Cx40 and Cx43 in IMA and SV myocytes may result in heteromeric channel formation. Nonetheless, in terms of gating, Cx43-like behavior clearly dominates.

Aged↗
PubMed2001

Bladder injection of "naked" hSlo/pcDNA3 ameliorates detrusor hyperactivity in obstructed rats in vivo.

The goal of these studies was to examine the potential utility of bladder instilled K+ channel gene therapy with hSlo cDNA (i.e., the maxi-K channel) to ameliorate bladder overactivity in a rat model of partial urinary outlet obstruction. Twenty-two female Sprague-Dawley rats were subjected to partial urethral (i.e., outlet) obstruction, with 17 sham-operated control rats run in parallel. After 6 wk of obstruction, suprapubic catheters were surgically placed in the dome of the bladder in all rats. Twelve obstructed rats received bladder instillation of 100 microg of hSlo/pcDNA in 1 ml PBS during catheterization, and another 10 obstructed rats received 1 ml PBS (7 rats) or 1 ml PBS containing pcDNA only (3 rats). Two days after surgery cystometry was performed on all animals to examine the characteristics of the micturition reflex in conscious and unrestrained rats. Obstruction was associated with a three- to fourfold increase in bladder weight and alterations in virtually every micturition parameter estimate. PBS-injected obstructed rats routinely displayed spontaneous bladder contractions between micturitions. In contrast, hSlo injection eliminated the obstruction-associated bladder hyperactivity, without detectably affecting any other cystometric parameter. Presumably, expression of hSlo in rat bladder functionally antagonizes the increased contractility normally observed in obstructed animals and thereby ameliorates bladder overactivity. These initial observations indicate a potential utility of gene therapy for urinary incontinence.

Administration, Intravesical↗
PubMed2000

Later-life planning: promoting knowledge of options and choice-making.

The effectiveness of a person-centered later-life planning training program designed to teach older adults (N = 60) with mental retardation about later-life planning issues and increase their participation in choice-making was examined. Using quantitative data analyses, we assessed the impact of the program on intervention and control groups. Results indicated that the intervention group gained more knowledge of concepts in the curriculum and made more choices over time than did the control group. The wide variety of goals that participants set were examined through qualitative analyses; 87% of the participants met or partially met their goals. Information on the supports and barriers to meeting goals is provided.

Adult↗
PubMed1999

Sequence analysis and expression of a cDNA clone encoding a 98-kDa allergen in Dermatophagoides farinae.

BACKGROUND: The important dust mite allergens identified to date are of molecular weights ranging from 14 to 60 kDa. Our previous protein study indicated that the 98-kDa native paramyosin in Dermatophagoides farinae mite showed IgE reactivity with 82% of the mite-sensitive asthmatic patients suggesting that it is a novel major mite allergen. This study described the isolation and characterization of the cDNA clone encoding the 98-kDa mite allergen. METHODS: A Dermatophagoides farinae cDNA library was constructed in lambda ZAPII vector and the library was immunoscreened with a monoclonal antibody 642. The cDNA insert was sub-cloned into M13 sequencing vector for single-stranded sequencing. The whole cDNA insert was expressed in pGEX-2T Escherichia coli expression system as a fusion protein with GST. The allergenicity of the recombinant peptides was tested by skin tests and IgE immunoassay. The IgE and IgG immunoassays were performed with sera from 20 mite-allergic patients. RESULTS: The cDNA clone Df642 was 2134 bp long, coding for a polypeptide of 711 amino acid residues. Protein sequence analysis and alignment confirmed that the deduced polypeptide is a mite paramyosin which is truncated slightly at the N- and C-terminuses. In vivo skin tests and in vitro IgE-binding study showed that 62% (13/21) and 50% (10/20) of the mite-sensitive asthmatic patients reacted positively with the recombinant Dermatophagoides farinae paramyosin, respectively. CONCLUSION: The study indicated that 98-kDa mite paramyosin is an important allergen.

Adolescent↗
PubMed1998

Impact of age and transitions out of nursing homes for adults with developmental disabilities.

The impact of moving out of nursing homes into community-based settings was assessed by comparing the health, community functioning, and lifestyle satisfaction of movers and nonmovers at Time 1 and 3 years later at Time 2. We also examined whether age was a significant factor in outcomes of the transfers. The sample included 165 nonmovers and 67 movers age 30 years and older who initially were living in nursing homes. Findings indicated that movers showed benefits of improved health and community functioning. In addition, interviews with residents indicated higher increases in lifestyle satisfaction for the movers versus the nonmovers. Age of the residents did not have a significant impact on the effects of transferring out of nursing homes.

Adult↗
PubMed1997

Thrombin interaction with fibrin polymerization sites.

Thrombin is central to hemostasis, and postclotting fibrinolysis and wound healing. During clotting, thrombin transforms plasma fibrinogen into polymerizing fibrin, which selectively adsorbs the enzyme into the clot. This protects thrombin from heparin-antithrombin inactivation, thus preserving the enzyme for postclotting events. To determine how the fibrin N-terminal polymerization sites of A alpha 17-23 (GPRVVER) and B beta 15-25 (GHRPLDKKREE) and their analogs may interact with thrombin, amidolysis vs. plasma- and fibrinogen-clotting assays were used to differentiate blockade of catalytic site vs. other thrombin domains. Amidolysis studies suggest GPRVVER inhibition of thrombin catalytic site through hydrophobic interaction, and GPRVVER inhibited clotting. Neither GPRP nor VVER nor the B beta 15-25 homologs inhibited amidolysis. Contrary to heparin, acyl-DKKREE promoted plasma-clotting, but inhibited fibrinogen-clotting. In addition, acyl-DKKREE reversed the anticoagulant effect of heparin (0.1 U/ml) in plasma. The results suggest fibrin B beta 15-25 interaction with thrombin, possibly by blocking the heparin-binding site. Together with the reported fibrin A alpha 27-50 binding to thrombin, polymerizing fibrin appears to initially bind to thrombin catalytic site and exosite-1 through A alpha 17-50, and to another thrombin site through B beta 15-25. As these fibrin sites are also involved in polymerization, competition of the polymerization process with thrombin-binding could subsequently dislodge thrombin from fibrin alpha-chain. This may re-expose the catalytic site and exosite-1, thus explaining the thrombogenicity of clot-bound thrombin. The implications of these findings in polymerization mechanism and anticoagulant design are discussed.

Amino Acid Sequence↗
PubMed1997

Benefits of support groups for families of adults with severe mental illness.

Predictors of benefits derived from participating in support groups for families of persons with mental illness were examined. A survey of 131 families indicated that social support resources outside the group, as well as support received from and provided by the group, were associated with information acquired by the participant. Improved relationships with family and the ill relative were predicted by the participant's health and provision of support in the group.

Adolescent↗
PubMed1995

Serum ferritin as a clinical marker for renal cell carcinoma: influence of tumor volume.

OBJECTIVES: At present, 35% to 50% of patients with clinically localized renal cell carcinoma (RCC) unpredictably have a recurrence after surgical therapy. Presently, no clinical serum marker exists to detect occult metastases and to allow measurement of response to therapy in RCC. Serum ferritin was previously reported to correlate with pathologic stage. We postulated that this increase in serum ferritin with increasing stage might reflect tumor volume, since higher stage tumors are often larger. METHODS: Serum ferritin levels were measured preoperatively in 30 patients with radiologic evidence of RCC. Tumor volume and the largest tumor dimension were calculated from either the pathologic specimen (n = 24) or from the computed tomography or magnetic resonance imaging (n = 30). Pathologic stage was determined for all patients undergoing surgery (T1 = 3, T2 = 12, and T3 = 9). RESULTS: Preoperative serum ferritin levels did not correlate with age, blood urea nitrogen levels, creatinine levels, hematocrit, race, or gender. Although mean serum ferritin levels increased with increasing stage (T1 = 113 +/- 75, T2 = 254 +/- 270, and T3 = 425 +/- 257 ng/mL), these differences did not reach statistical significance (P > 0.05). Serum ferritin did, however, correlate with tumor volume (R = 0.75; P < 0.0001) and the largest tumor dimension measured from radiographic studies (R = 0.8; P < 0.0001). Serum ferritin measured intraoperatively from the renal vein (666 ng/mL) and the inferior vena cava (564 ng/mL) from a patient with a 500 cc tumor (preoperative serum ferritin, 552 ng/mL) suggested that the tumor was the source of the elevated ferritin levels. Histologic sections from tumors taken from patients with high serum ferritin levels were more necrotic and stained intensely positively for iron and immunohistochemically for ferritin, whereas adjacent histologically normal tissue did not. CONCLUSIONS: These data suggest that ferritin may be a useful serum marker for monitoring patients with RCC, but the actual source of the ferritin remains unclear and dictates further investigation.

Adult↗
PubMed1987

Protection of bone marrow transplant recipients from lethal doses of methotrexate by the generation of methotrexate-resistant bone marrow.

To develop a highly efficient means for generating methotrexate resistant (MTXr) hematopoietic cells in vivo, a recombinant retroviral genome was constructed that encodes a MTXr dihydrofolate reductase (DHFRr). Cell lines producing high titers of virus capable of transmitting the DHFR gene were generated and used to infect mammalian cells in vitro. Analysis of infected fibroblasts indicated that the DHFRr gene was transmitted intact and conferred a high level of MTXr upon cells. Based on these findings, DHFRr-containing virus was used to infect murine bone marrow cells in vitro. Following infection, the transduced cells were introduced into lethally irradiated recipients via bone marrow transplantation techniques. The presence of the proviral sequences in cells of the spleen and bone marrow of engrafted recipients was associated with significantly increased survival of mice treated with otherwise lethal doses of MTX.

Animals↗
PubMed1987

A study of occupational achievement of migrants to Kaohsiung City, Taiwan.

"Based on a survey of 452 migrants who moved into Kaohsiung City, Taiwan, in 1977, this paper tests two major hypotheses of occupational achievement within the context of migration. They are status attainment and information hypotheses. Using the Blau-Duncan basic model...[the author finds that] educational attainment of migrants is the most important factor in determining an individual's occupational achievement. More importantly, assistance from relatives has a negative effect on occupational achievement for rural migrants only." (SUMMARY IN CHI)

Asia↗
PubMed1981

Alkylating angiotensin II analogues: synthesis, analysis, and biological activity of angiotensin II analogues containing the nitrogen mustard melphalan in position 8.

Melphalan derivatives suitable for peptide synthesis, i.e., Boc-Mel and Mel-OBzl-HCl, have been prepared, and the integrity of their nitrogen mustard alkylating groups was examined by NMR, Volhard chlorine analysis, and colorimetric assay with 4-(p-nitrobenzyl)pyridine. By using the sensitive colorimetric assay, the stability of melphalan toward conditions commonly used for peptide synthesis, purification, and bioassay was evaluated. Further qualitative and quantitative assessment of the integrity of nitrogen mustard groups in angiotensin II was attempted in order to evaluate the significance of the observed biological results. [Ac-Asn1,Mel8]angiotensin II was a potent competitive antagonist of angiotensin II in vitro (rat uterus) but a transient and reversible inhibitor in vivo.

Alkylating Agents↗