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Biomedical subjects

L A Baker

Publications and source records attributed to L A Baker.

At least 55 records · Page 3Linked to original sources
PubMed1991

Bipolar disorder: epidemiology, course, diagnosis, and treatment.

Bipolar affective disorder, previously known as manic depression, is a major public health problem affecting approximately 1% of the U.S. population. Despite the considerable emotional, psychological, and economic cost of this disorder, relatively little research has focused on developing alternative maintenance treatments for bipolar patients. The authors review the epidemiology, course, diagnosis, and current treatment options for those patients with bipolar disorder, then suggest areas for further research.

Adolescent↗
PubMed1990

Immunoscintigraphy of colorectal cancer with an antibody to epithelial membrane antigen (EMA).

Immunoperoxidase staining of LICR-LON M8, a mouse monoclonal antibody reactive with epithelial membrane antigen, showed a strong reaction with colorectal cancer. This finding prompted an immunoscintigraphic study of colorectal cancer patients using this antibody. Sixteen patients had external gamma scintigraphy after intravenous injection of indium 111-labeled M8. Positive scans were obtained in 11 of the 13 patients with primary colorectal cancers, and 2 of the 3 patients with recurrent tumors. The high indium 111 background in the liver prevented the detection of hepatic metastases in 5 patients. Twelve patients had samples taken of tumor, normal colon, and venous blood at the time of surgery. The ratio of labeled antibody uptake in tumor to that of blood was 5.1 (+/- 3.6 S.D.), which was significantly different (P = 0.001) to that of the similar ratio for normal colon (2.0 +/- 1.6 S.D.). The tumor to normal colon uptake ratio was 2.6 (+/- 1.3 S.D.). These results suggest a specific uptake of indium 111-labeled M8 by colorectal cancer.

Aged↗
PubMed1990

Nonshared environmental influences and personality differences in adult twins.

The twin design was used to examine the importance of different experiences of siblings within the family and to identify relations between twins' personality differences and their differential experiences. A sample of 161 monozygotic and 74 dizygotic twin individuals between the ages of 18 and 75 years retrospectively reported on their different experiences when growing up. The Sibling Inventory of Differential Experience (SIDE) was used for the first time with a sample of twin siblings. In addition, the twins provided self-report measures of affect and personality. In contrast to results from a sibling adoption design, this study of twins showed greater evidence for genetic variance in the SIDE scales. Nevertheless, the SIDE showed significant associations with differences in personality and affect for monozygotic twins, which reflect pure environment-behavior relations.

Adolescent↗
PubMed1989

Sex differences in property crime in a Danish adoption cohort.

Sex differences in genetic and environmental influences on criminal behavior against property were studied in a birth cohort of 6129 male and 7065 female Danish adoptees and their biological and adoptive parents. Both genetic and environmental factors were found to contribute to variation in liability to property criminality, the relative proportions of variance explained being similar in males and females. Important shared- and nonshared-family environmental factors were present. In separate analyses of average liability toward property criminality, however, convicted females appeared to be more genetically predisposed than convicted males, a conclusion based on the finding that female property offenders were more likely than male offenders to have convicted biological (but adopted-away) offspring. On the other hand, property-offending males and females did not appear to differ in their average shared-family environmental liabilities, since conviction rates did not differ for adoptees of convicted adoptive mothers and fathers. Also, social class in the adoptive parents of convicted sons and daughters were comparable, further indicating that average shared-family environmental liabilities do not differ between the sexes.

Adoption↗
PubMed1989

Masculinity and femininity in twin children: genetic and environmental factors.

Genetic and environmental origins of individual differences in masculine and feminine personality attributes were investigated in a sample of 38 monozygotic and 32 dizygotic twin pairs (total N = 140) during pre- and early adolescence. Self-report measures of both masculine and feminine characteristics were obtained for each child using 2 standardized instruments: the Children's Personality Attributes Questionnaire (CPAQ) and the Adolescent Self-Perception Inventory (ASPI). Multivariate biometrical analyses revealed significant genetic influences in all measures, accounting for 20%-48% of the observed variation in each. Environmental influences, which explained the remaining 52%-80% of variance in masculinity and femininity, were apparently specific to each individual and not shared by members of the same twin pair. The results underscore the importance of considering both genetic and environmental factors in gender-role development, particularly in studies of family resemblance.

Adolescent↗
PubMed1987

Obesity and decreased femoral anteversion in adolescence.

The degree of femoral anteversion in a group of obese adolescent children and a group of adolescent children of normal weight was determined by either magnetic resonance imaging or computerized axial tomography. Compared with the children of normal weight, the obese children showed a significantly reduced angle of femoral anteversion. Increased biomechanical forces generated across the hip joint of obese children leads to increased remodeling of the femoral neck. This may account for the association of slipped capital femoral epiphysis, reduced femoral anteversion, and obesity in the adolescent population.

Adolescent↗
PubMed1984

Cognitive abilities in reading-disabled children: a longitudinal study.

Longitudinal psychometric test data collected at two different ages (9.4 +/- 1.3 and 14.8 +/- 1.2 years) were utilized to compare the developmental rates of 69 pairs of reading-disabled and matched control children. Results of a two-factor (GROUP X TIME), mixed-model, multivariate analysis of variance indicated that reading-disabled children manifested deficits on measures of academic achievement, symbolic processing speed and spatial reasoning abilities at both ages. Although both reading-disabled and control children were found to improve significantly between the two testing sessions, the lack of a significant GROUP X TIME interaction on measures of academic achievement and spatial reasoning abilities indicated that the rate of development was similar for the two groups. For measures of symbolic processing speed, however, differences between reading-disabled and control children were somewhat greater at the later age.

Achievement↗
PubMed1983

Chemical composition and biological functions of Listeria monocytogenes cell wall preparations.

A crude Listeria cell wall fraction, a purified fraction (PF) with demonstrated biological activity, as well as a third fraction of base-hydrolyzed PF (BHPF) were analyzed for chemical composition and activities not previously described. Listeria cell wall fraction and PF contained significant quantities of lipid, whereas BHPF was lipid depleted. Fatty acid compositions were typical of gram-positive bacteria. PF and BHPF were depleted in protein. Alanine, glutamic acid, diaminopimelic acid, glucosamine, and muramic acid were found in all fractions, in enhanced concentration in PF and BHPF, and with molar ratios typical of bacterial peptidoglycans. Major neutral sugars were rhamnose, ribose, ribitol, and glucose. The concentrations of rhamnose, ribose, and glucose were increased in BHPF. Differences in chemical composition of the fractions reflected differences in their biological activities: Listeria cell wall fraction induced resistance to Listeria infection, whereas PF did not. Mitogenic and adjuvant activities were demonstrated for Listeria cell wall fraction and PF but were lost in BHPF. BHPF retained the ability to induce macrophage-mediated tumoricidal activity and decrease resistance to Listeria infection.

Adjuvants, Immunologic↗
PubMed1983

The withdrawal of benztropine mesylate in chronic schizophrenic patients.

In this double-blind, four-week study, 28 chronic schizophrenic patients receiving neuroleptic medication plus the antiparkinsonian drug, benztropine mesylate, were either switched to placebo or maintained on benztropine. Patients withdrawn from benztropine reliably increased their overall scores on the Wechsler Memory Scale in comparison with the drug group. Sub-test scores suggest that deficits in attention and concentration were induced by treatment with benztropine. Psychotic decompensation appeared to develop simultaneously with extrapyramidal symptoms (EPS) in some patients, but only 14.2 per cent of the placebo group experienced extrapyramidal symptoms severe enough to require resumption of benztropine therapy. It is suggested that antiparkinsonian agents should be prescribed only if and when EPS occur.

Adolescent↗
PubMed1983

Longitudinal stability of cognitive ability in the Colorado Adoption Project.

Measures of general cognitive ability in 1- and 2-year-old adopted and nonadopted infants and their parents were subjected to path analysis to estimate the contribution of genetic and environmental factors to short-term stability. Although significant genetic influences were found at both 1 and 2 years of age, no significant environmental influences shared by parents and children were observed at these ages. Short-term stability of mental ability between the 2 ages was relatively independent of both between-family genetic and environmental influences. However, genetic factors may contribute importantly to long-term stability.

Adoption↗
PubMed1983

Parental contributions to longitudinal stability of cognitive measures in the Colorado Family Reading Study.

Data on reading-disabled and control probands and their families tested in the Colorado Family Reading Study were subjected to a comprehensive longitudinal-familial path analysis. Covariance matrices were constructed from composite scores for reading performance and for coding and symbol processing speed, and maximum likelihood estimates of familial parameters were obtained. With regard to the reading data, these estimates suggest that parental influences contribute importantly to longitudinal stability for reading-disabled children but not for controls. Such a difference in covariance structure between the 2 types of families could be due to a gene (or genes) with major effect. In the case of coding and symbol processing speed, covariance structure is similar for the 2 types of families, and combined parameter estimates indicate that parental contributions to longitudinal stability for this measure are relatively unimportant.

Adolescent↗
PubMed1980

Thioglycolate medium decreases resistance to bacterial infection in mice.

Brewer thioglycolate medium, a bacterial culture medium which is widely used as a nonspecific in vivo macrophage stimulant, was tested for its effect on mouse resistance to bacterial infection. Mice which did or did not receive thioglycolate medium were challenged with Listeria monocytogenes. Injection of thioglycolate medium significantly decreased the ability of the host to resist infection. This decreased resistance occurred whether thioglycolate medium was injected 0 to 9 days before, or 1 to 2 h after Listeria challenge. Bacteria grew considerably better in washed adherent peritoneal cells from thioglycolate medium-injected mice than in washed adherent peritoneal cells from normal mice. Thus, thioglycolate medium may ultimately cause a decrease in macrophage function.

Animals↗
PubMed1978

Listeria monocytogenes cell walls induce decreased resistance to infection.

A significant decrease in murine resistance to Listeria monocytogenes was induced by using crude Listeria cell wall fraction (LCWF) and purified Listeria cell walls (PF). When equal amounts of these materials were injected, PF was more effective than LCWF in decreasing resistance. The PF effect was dose dependent when measured either as a decrease in 50% lethal dose of the Listeria challenge or as a decrease in survival time of the infected mice. PF apparently does not act directly on the Listeria since it (i) did not cause a change in in vitro growth of Listeria and (ii) did not increase the virulence of Listeria passaged in vivo or in vitro. The greatest decrease in resistance was observed when both PF and the Listeria challenge were injected intraperitoneally, which may suggest a localized effect. A decrease in resistance was seen when PF was given as early as 3 days before challenge. There was little or no decrease in resistance when PF was given 2 days after the Listeria challenge. Mice previously immunized with live Listeria were immune to Listeria challenge. However, after PF injection the immune mice showed a decreased resistance which was of the same order of magnitude as that seen in unimmunized mice. The effect of PF seems to be at least partially nonspecific, since a decrease in resistance to Salmonella typhimurium could also be demonstrated in PF-treated mice. Phagocytosis of Listeria both in vivo and in vitro did not appear to be inhibited by PF, although the ability of PF-treated mice to kill Listeria in the peritoneal cavity was inhibited.

Animals↗
PubMed1977

Chemotaxigenesis and complement fixation by Listeria monocytogenes cell wall fractions.

Data reported here show that a crude cell wall fraction of Listeria monocytogenes (LCWF) and its purified derivative (PF) induce chemotaxis of human polymorphonuclear leukocytes in the presence of normal rabbit serum. In addition, both LCWF and PF can fix rabbit and guinea pig complement. The purified cell wall preparation is more active than LCWF in both chemotaxigenesis and complement fixation, indicating that these activities are due primarily to the nonprotein portion of LCWF. Complement fixation by PF was demonstrated in the presence of ethylene glycol tetraacetic acid (EGTA) and in C4-deficient serum, which is evidence that PF activated complement by the alternative pathway. Therefore, chemotaxigenesis by PF and LCWF seems to involve fixation of complement via the alternative pathway.

Animals↗
PubMed1976

Adjuvant and mitogenic properties of a supernatant fraction of sonically treated Myobacterium bovis (BCG).

A water-soluble, oil-free supernatant fraction of sonically treated BCG (BCG-SS) was shown to be an immunological adjuvant and a mitogen. When BCG-SS and sheep erythrocytes (SRBC) were injected intravenously into mice, the plaque-forming cell (PFC) response was 10 times greater than that induced by injection of SRBC alone. Circulating antibody responses to SRBC and to bovine serum albumin were also enhanced by BCG-SS. The in vitro enhancement of PFC and circulating antibody responses did not require mineral oil or exogenous lipids. In vitro PFC responses by normal mouse spleen cells were also greatly increased in the presence of BCG-SS. Anti-theta serum-treated spleen cells from mice that had been lethally irradiated and reconstituted with normal bone marrow cells also gave a higher PFC response to SRBC in the presence of BCG-SS. This suggests that BCG-SS can stimulate B lymphocytes to develop an immune response when T lymphocytes are severely depleted or absent. BCG-SS also stimulated the uptake of 125IUdR by normal spleen cell cultures, indicating that it is a mitogen.

Adjuvants, Immunologic↗