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K Mays

Publications and source records attributed to K Mays.

6 recordsLinked to original sources
PubMed1996

Intrahepatic biliary endoscopy in sclerosing cholangitis.

Sclerosing cholangitis is usually diagnosed by clinical findings coupled with radiographic imaging of the bile ducts by ERCP. Direct imaging of both the intra- and extrahepatic biliary tree provides an opportunity to further study this disorder and its potential complications such as biliary malignancy. However, endoscopic visualization of the intrahepatic bile ducts in sclerosing cholangitis is potentially limited by the size of available cholangioscopes and the presence of strictures. Below, we report our initial results using a 0.8-mm fiberoptic endoscope placed through a partially steerable 1.8-mm guide catheter. The system allows visualization of the intrahepatic biliary tree beyond areas of stricture in the more distal ducts.

Cholangitis, Sclerosing↗
PubMed1995

Evolutionarily conserved alternative pre-mRNA splicing regulates structure and function of the spectrin-actin binding domain of erythroid protein 4.1.

A developmental alternative splicing switch, involving exon 16 of protein 4.1 pre-mRNA, occurs during mammalian erythropoiesis. By controlling expression of a 21-amino acid peptide required for high-affinity interaction of protein 4.1 with spectrin and actin, this switch helps to regulate erythrocyte membrane mechanical stability. Here we show that key aspects of protein 4.1 structure and function are conserved in nucleated erythroid cells of the amphibian Xenopus laevis. Analysis of protein 4.1 cDNA sequences cloned from Xenopus erythrocytes and oocytes showed that tissue-specific alternative splicing of exon 16 also occurs in frogs. Importantly, functional studies with recombinant Xenopus erythroid 4.1 demonstrated specific binding to and mechanical stabilization of 4.1-deficient human erythrocyte membranes. Phylogenetic sequence comparison showed two evolutionarily conserved peptides that represent candidate spectrin-actin binding sites. Finally, in situ hybridization of early embryos showed high expression of 4.1 mRNA in ventral blood islands and in developing brain structures. These results demonstrate that regulated expression of structurally and functionally distinct protein 4.1 isoforms, mediated by tissue-specific alternative splicing, has been highly evolutionarily conserved. Moreover, both nucleated amphibian erythrocytes and their enucleated mammalian counterparts express 4.1 isoforms functionally competent for spectrin-actin binding.

Actins↗
PubMed1992

A utility analysis of dental implants.

By applying a utility (usefulness) scale termed the "Feeling Thermometer" to 111 edentulous patients, a measure of effectiveness (quality-adjusted prosthesis years) that can be compared across several treatment strategies was developed. The results suggest that the utility scale was a valid (known group, P < .05), reliable (intraclass correlation coefficient = .713) measure of patients' preferences for the three treatment strategies: (1) conventional complete dentures (controls, n = 77), (2) transosteal implant-supported prostheses (n = 19), and (3) endosseous implant-supported prostheses (n = 15). The implant-treated patients rated their prostheses as high or higher (Feeling Thermometer score of 86.3 [endosseous] and 82.3 [transosteal]) than a functional fitting, esthetic conventional denture (score of 85.0 [endosseous] and 82.0 [transosteal]). They were also younger, more educated, and had received more sets of dentures (P < .05) than conventional denture patients.

Age Factors↗