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Biomedical subjects

L Kim

Publications and source records attributed to L Kim.

At least 73 records · Page 4Linked to original sources
PubMed1994

Enhanced T cell migration to sites of microscopic CNS disease: complementary treatments evaluated by 2- and 3-D image analysis.

Novel therapies are being developed to attack tumour or other abnormal cells within the brain. A general problem is the need for delivery to sites of microscopic disease. Leukocytes offer an attractive solution; they are able to both move through tissue and recognize abnormal targets. Leukocytes may act as effectors, or as vehicles for drugs, retroviral vectors or other agents. Here, we illustrate complementary ways of enhancing leukocyte migration to sites of microscopic central nervous system (CNS) disease. Enhanced T cell migration to sites of disseminated tumour is used as the example. Computer-assisted image analysis is used to evaluate migration patterns in 2 and 3 dimensions. Shared regulatory features in the migration of tumour and responding cells, and the opportunities and questions they imply, are discussed.

Brain Diseases↗
PubMed1993

The referral of minority adolescents to community mental health centers.

Few investigations have examined the referral of minority adolescents to community mental health clinics. This issue is especially critical in light of the increased attention given to mental health services for children and adolescents in recent years. The present study uses mental health clinic data from a large metropolitan area to explore whether African Americans and Mexican Americans entering mental health care do so through referrals that are more coercive than those made for Whites. The total sample consists of 2,460 adolescents aged 13-17; the results indicate that African-American adolescents are more likely than Whites to be referred by an external agency. When types of external agencies are considered, African Americans enter community mental health care more often than Whites through referrals from social agencies; Mexican Americans enter more often than Whites through school referrals. This paper suggests that African-American adolescents' overrepresentation in community mental health clinics may in part be due to their disproportionate contact with social and legal agencies and the propensity of these agencies to rely more often on the mental health system than on families or schools. Among all variables considered in the analyses for this paper, poverty status demonstrated the most consistent and powerful association with coercive referrals.

Adolescent↗
PubMed1991

Transcapillar metabolism of lipid- and watersoluble antioxidants as marker of chronical stress in coming population of circumpolar regions.

It was shown that the content of the lipid peroxide oxidation products and basic lipid and soluble antioxidant products in capillary and venous blood reflect the tissue trophy provision process in the chronic ecology stress condition. The high reactive oxygen species (ROS) generation in the xanthine-xanthine oxidase system is one of the important mechanisms which is responsible for capillary penetration disturbance and for accelerated development of inflammatory and non-inflammatory disease among immigrants to Circumpolar regions.

Adaptation, Physiological↗
PubMed1990

Pharmacokinetics of calcitriol in continuous ambulatory and cycling peritoneal dialysis patients.

Oral calcitriol is commonly used for the treatment of secondary hyperparathyroidism in patients undergoing long-term dialysis, but it has been suggested that intravenous (IV) or intraperitoneal (IP) administration enhances the therapeutic efficacy of the sterol. To examine potential mechanisms for this difference, the bioavailability of calcitriol was evaluated after single oral (PO), IV, and IP doses of 60 ng/kg in each of six adolescent patients with osteitis fibrosa undergoing continuous ambulatory peritoneal dialysis (CAPD) or continuous cycling peritoneal dialysis (CCPD). Serum calcitriol levels were 3.6 +/- 4.3, 8.2 +/- 7.5, and 2.5 +/- 3.0 pg/mL, respectively, before IV, PO, and IP doses of the sterol; these values increased to similar levels at 24 hours: 55.6 +/- 14.6 pg/mL after PO, 56.4 +/- 17.6 pg/mL after IV, and 53.8 +/- 20.1 pg/mL after IP. Serum calcitriol levels were higher 1, 3, and 6 hours after IV injections than after PO or IP doses; values thereafter did not differ among groups. The bioavailability of calcitriol, determined from the 24-hour area under the curve (AUC0-24) for the increase in serum calcitriol concentration above baseline values was 50% to 60% greater after IV, 2,340 +/- 523 pg.mL-1.h-1, than after PO, 1,442 +/- 467 pg.mL-1.h-1, or IP, 1,562 +/- 477 pg.mL-1.h1, dosages, P less than 0.05. These differences were due to higher values for AUC during the first 6 hours after calcitriol administration. Although IP calcitriol did not increase sterol bioavailability, radioisotope tracer studies indicated that 35% to 40% of the hormone adheres to plastic components of the peritoneal dialysate delivery system.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)

Adolescent↗
PubMed1988

Nucleotide sequence of the gene coding for a 130-kDa mosquitocidal protein of Bacillus thuringiensis israelensis.

The nucleotide sequence of pVB131 containing the gene coding for a 130-kDa Bacillus thuringiensis israelensis (B.t.isr) mosquitocidal protein was determined. The pVB131 plasmid was constructed by Sekar and Carlton [Gene 33 (1985) 151-158]. Our sequencing revealed only one open reading frame large enough to code for a protein of 130 kDa. The translation start site was determined by sequencing the protein isolated from B.t.isr. The amino acid sequence of the protein was deduced from the nucleotide sequence, and its Mr was determined as 128,505. Immunological and biochemical analyses of B.t.isr mosquitocidal proteins indicated that the 130-kDa protein coded by pVB131 was indeed expressed in B.t.isr. Comparing the peptide sequence of the 130-kDa B.t.isr toxin with the sequences of other B.t. toxins having activities specific to lepidopteran species showed that several domains were highly homologous. This suggests that they are evolutionarily related to each other, and in the evolutionary process the sequences in the homologous domains that are important to the insecticidal activity have been conserved.

Amino Acid Sequence↗
PubMed1988

Arthroscopic evaluation and treatment of the symptomatic previously operated knee.

One hundred seventy-six knees in 172 consecutive patients with persistent or recurrent symptoms following a previous operative procedure were reevaluated and treated arthroscopically. Most knees had multiple findings, which are described. On the basis of these findings, four categories were defined: (a) the degenerative group; (b) the new meniscal tear group; (c) the fibroarthrosis group; (d) the minor problems group. Preoperative radiographic and clinical findings were correlated with the arthroscopically defined category. Follow-up evaluation by either comprehensive examination or detailed questionnaire was possible in 110 patients, with a mean follow-up interval of 31.4 months. A subjective rating scale relating to symptom level, functional level, and perceived surgical benefit was used. Overall, 68% of the patients were rated as satisfactory. By category, the frequencies of satisfactory results were: the degenerative group, 81%; the new meniscal tear group, 100%; the fibroarthrosis group, 75%; and the minor problems group, 47%. Workers' compensation claims correlated with a lower percentage of satisfactory results. Preoperative characteristics of those in the minor problems group were described. The poor results in this group suggest that common findings such as mild surface damage, minor adhesions, and minor meniscal lesions are often not symptomatic. Conservative management rather than arthroscopy may be more appropriate for patients in this group whereas arthroscopy is more reliable in treating symptomatic knees in the other three groups.

Adolescent↗
PubMed1987

Electron spin resonance of calmodulin-vanadyl complexes.

X-band (9.2 GHz) electron spin resonance spectroscopy was used to investigate the binding of vanadyl to calmodulin. Solution spectra, obtained at ambient temperature with various VO2+:calmodulin molar ratios, suggested a binding stoichioimetry of 4 mol of VO2+/mol of protein and the possibility of two classes of binding sites. The latter was confirmed by using frozen solutions of calmodulin-VO2+ complexes that gave splitting of the spectral bands corresponding to the parallel components, which was particularly pronounced with the three high-field peaks. Competition of Ca2+ for the VO2+ binding sites was investigated, and the results indicated that two of the VO2+ sites corresponded to two of the Ca2+ sites; the other two VO2+ binding sites may have a higher affinity for VO2+ than for Ca2+ or they may correspond to Ca2+-independent sites. These results demonstrate that electron spin resonance spectroscopy can be used advantageously to probe subtle differences in the microenvironments of metal-binding sites in calmodulin.

Binding Sites↗
PubMed1987

Molecular characterization of the virC genes of the Ti plasmid.

The virC (formerly bak) complementation group of the nopaline-type Ti plasmid pTiC58 encodes two proteins, VirC1 and VirC2. According to the primary structure of the polypeptides predicted by the nucleotide sequence, VirC1 is composed of 231 amino acids with a total molecular mass of 25.5 kilodaltons, and VirC2 is composed of 202 amino acids with a molecular mass of 22.1 kilodaltons. The pTiC58 VirC1 and VirC2 polypeptides are equal in length to VirC1 and VirC2 of the octopine-type plasmid pTiA6NC. VirC1 proteins of pTiC58 and pTiA6NC are identical at 202 (87.4%) of the amino acid residues, and this homology is distributed fairly evenly throughout the protein. VirC2 identities occur at 142 residues (70.3%), but fall predominantly into two blocks of higher homology (84.6 and 78.5%) separated by a 41-residue segment of much lower homology (29.3%). Mutations in virC resulted in attenuated virulence on all hosts tested, the severity of attenuation varying markedly depending on the type of plant inoculated. For example, the attenuation was more pronounced on Kalanchoe than on sunflower or jimson weed. Virulence was restored to normal on all hosts by in-trans complementation with corresponding nonmutant DNA fragments of pTiC58 or of the octopine-type plasmid pTi15955. Two oligopeptides from within the predicted pTiC58 VirC1 polypeptide were synthesized and used to raise antibodies. These antibodies were used to detect the VirC1 product of both pTiC58 and pTi15955. In both cases, virC was expressed constitutively in the Agrobacterium tumefaciens ros mutant. The homology between virC genes of octopine- and nopaline-type Ti plasmids thus includes a conservation of genetic regulatory control mechanisms as well as considerable conservation of the primary structure of the protein products.

Amino Acid Sequence↗
PubMed1980

Studies on the involvement of GABA in the aggression directed by groups of intact or gonadectomized male and female mice towards lactating intruders.

The aims of the present studies were (a) to determine the effects of pharmacological elevation of GABA by treatment with DPA (competitive inhibitor of GABA transaminase) on a form of aggression displayed by grouped female mice towards lactating and non-lactating intruders; (b) to estimate GABA levels in six different brain areas of intact and gonadectomized male and female mice. The results revealed that DPA treatment considerably reduced this form of aggression. Increased GABA levels, modulated by the hormonal state of the animals, were observed in most brain areas studied.

Aggression↗