Interstitial deletion of chromosome 21q and schizophrenia susceptibility.
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Adult↗
Biomedical subjects
L Ramsay
Publications and source records attributed to L Ramsay.
Use of new EST markers to elucidate the genetic differences in grain protein content between European and North American two-rowed malting barleys.
A population comprising 102 doubled haploid lines were produced from a cross between Beka, a barley cultivar widely grown in Spain, and Logan, a north American cultivar with inherently low protein content, a character considered to derive from the cultivar Karl. The intentions were to determine whether low-nitrogen malting barleys could be developed in Spain, and if genetic factors that influenced protein content were similarly expressed in widely diverse environments, i.e. northeastern Spain and eastern Scotland. An extensive map comprising 187 molecular markers was developed. Expressed sequence-tagged-derived markers were used in addition to anonymous simple sequence repeats to determine the potential for identifying candidate genes for quantitative trait loci (QTLs), and 22 such markers were mapped for the first time. There was transgressive segregation for both yield and protein content, and the gene for low protein from Logan was not expressed in the Scottish environment. In 2002, high yield was associated with earlier heading date in Spain, while late heading at the Scottish site was associated with greater lodging and lower thousand-kernel weight. These appeared to be possible pleiotropic effects of a factor detected on chromosome 2H. Using information from a consensus map, it was shown that this locus on 2H was in the region of the photoperiod response gene Eam6. A QTL explaining 18% of the variation in grain protein content was detected on chromosome 5H in a region in which a gene for nitrate reductase was previously observed. No effect on grain protein was associated with chromosome 6H, which has been suggested as the location of the low protein gene from Karl. However, it is likely that Karl contained more than one genetic factor reducing protein, and we postulate that the gene on 6H may have been lost during the breeding of Logan.
Base Sequence↗
Randomized controlled trial of brief cognitive behaviour therapy versus treatment as usual in recurrent deliberate self-harm: the POPMACT study.
BACKGROUND: We carried out a large randomized trial of a brief form of cognitive therapy, manual-assisted cognitive behaviour therapy (MACT) versus treatment as usual (TAU) for deliberate self-harm. METHOD: Patients presenting with recurrent deliberate self-harm in five centres were randomized to either MACT or (TAU) and followed up over 1 year. MACT patients received a booklet based on cognitive behaviour therapy (CBT) principles and were offered up to five plus two booster sessions of CBT from a therapist in the first 3 months of the study. Ratings of parasuicide risk, anxiety, depression, social functioning and global function, positive and negative thinking, and quality of life were measured at baseline and after 6 and 12 months. RESULTS: Four hundred and eighty patients were randomized. Sixty per cent of the MACT group had both the booklet and CBT sessions. There were seven suicides, five in the TAU group. The main outcome measure, the proportion of those repeating deliberate self-harm in the 12 months of the study, showed no significant difference between those treated with MACT (39%) and treatment as usual (46%) (OR 0.78, 95% CI 0.53 to 1.14, P=0.20). CONCLUSION: Brief cognitive behaviour therapy is of limited efficacy in reducing self-harm repetition, but the findings taken in conjunctin with the economic evaluation (Byford et al. 2003) indicate superiority of MACT over TAU in terms of cost and effectiveness combined.
Adult↗
Audit of the Forensic Psychiatry Liaison Service to Glasgow Sheriff Court 1994 to 1998.
This study seeks to describe the demographic, offence, and diagnostic details of subjects referred by the Procurator Fiscal at Glasgow Sheriff Court to the Forensic Psychiatry Liaison between 1994 and 1997. The initial outcome of the assessment and an assessment of medical time involved is presented. This study is a retrospective review of audit forms completed between 1993 and 1994 and once more in 1997. The referral criteria, age structure and offence pattern was broadly similar to that reported in court diversion schemes in England. A primary diagnosis of alcohol and/or drug dependence was seen in one third of referrals during both years of the audit. A marked increase (250%) in referrals between 1994 and 1997 resulted in a marked reduction of those admitted to hospital, and an increase in the percentage who had 'no psychiatric diagnosis'. The need for ongoing liaison between the Procurators Fiscal and the Forensic Psychiatrists involved would appear important in modifying referral criteria.
Adolescent↗
Nutritional influence on fungal colony growth and biomass distribution in response to toxic metals.
This work examines nutritional influence on fungal colony growth and biomass distribution in response to toxic metals. In low-substrate solid medium, 0.1 mM Cd, Cu and Zn caused a decrease in radial expansion of both Trichoderma viride and Rhizopus arrhizus. However, as the amount of available carbon source (glucose) increased, the apparent toxicity of the metals decreased. These metals also affected the overall length of the fungal mycelium and branching patterns. In low-nutrient conditions, T. viride showed a decrease in overall mycelial length and number of branches in response to Cu, resulting in an extremely sparsely branched colony. Conversely, although Cd also reduced overall mycelial length to about one-third of the control length, the number of branches decreased only slightly which resulted in a highly branched colony with many aberrant features. Cu and Cd induced similar morphological changes in R. arrhizus. A large-scale mycelial-mapping technique showed that disruption of normal growth by Cu and Cd resulted in altered biomass distribution within the colony. When grown on metal-free low-substrate medium, T. viride showed an even distribution of biomass within the colony with some allocation to the periphery. However, Cu caused most of the biomass to be allocated to the colony periphery, while in the presence of Cd, most biomass was located at the interior of the colony. These results imply that such alterations of growth and resource allocation by Cu and Cd may influence success in locating nutrients as well as survival, and that these metals have individual and specific effects on the growing fungus.
Biomass↗
A review of suicide within the State Hospital, Carstairs 1972-1996.
This retrospective case note review describes the demographic, forensic and psychiatric backgrounds of 14 in-patient suicides in a maximum secure hospital. The majority were schizophrenic with chronic treatment-resistant illnesses, who had committed proportionally more violent offences, had a history of serious self-injury but no recognized clear depressive episodes. This profile is markedly different from that reported in general psychiatric in-patients, out-patients and suicides in prison, but is similar to that described in a maximum secure hospital in the United States and in long-stay patients in Canada. Many of the patients had continued to experience significantly subjective distress over many years. The clinical relevance of this series is discussed in the context of the assessment of suicidal intent in psychotic patients. We speculate that the decrease in in-patient suicides in the State Hospital may be due to a less restrictive ward milieu, increased staff/patient ratios, or the introduction of Clozapine.
Adult↗
Computational and experimental characterization of physically clustered simple sequence repeats in plants.
The type and frequency of simple sequence repeats (SSRs) in plant genomes was investigated using the expanding quantity of DNA sequence data deposited in public databases. In Arabidopsis, 306 genomic DNA sequences longer than 10 kb and 36,199 EST sequences were searched for all possible mono- to pentanucleotide repeats. The average frequency of SSRs was one every 6.04 kb in genomic DNA, decreasing to one every 14 kb in ESTs. SSR frequency and type differed between coding, intronic, and intergenic DNA. Similar frequencies were found in other plant species. On the basis of these findings, an approach is proposed and demonstrated for the targeted isolation of single or multiple, physically clustered SSRs linked to any gene that has been mapped using low-copy DNA-based markers. The approach involves sample sequencing a small number of subclones of selected randomly sheared large insert DNA clones (e.g., BACs). It is shown to be both feasible and practicable, given the probability of fortuitously sequencing through an SSR. The approach is demonstrated in barley where sample sequencing 34 subclones of a single BAC selected by hybridization to the Big1 gene revealed three SSRs. These allowed Big1 to be located at the top of barley linkage group 6HS.
Arabidopsis↗
A simple sequence repeat-based linkage map of barley.
A total of 568 new simple sequence repeat (SSR)-based markers for barley have been developed from a combination of database sequences and small insert genomic libraries enriched for a range of short simple sequence repeats. Analysis of the SSRs on 16 barley cultivars revealed variable levels of informativeness but no obvious correlation was found with SSR repeat length, motif type, or map position. Of the 568 SSRs developed, 242 were genetically mapped, 216 with 37 previously published SSRs in a single doubled-haploid population derived from the F(1) of an interspecific cross between the cultivar Lina and Hordeum spontaneum Canada Park and 26 SSRs in two other mapping populations. A total of 27 SSRs amplified multiple loci. Centromeric clustering of markers was observed in the main mapping population; however, the clustering severity was reduced in intraspecific crosses, supporting the notion that the observed marker distribution was largely a genetical effect. The mapped SSRs provide a framework for rapidly assigning chromosomal designations and polarity in future mapping programs in barley and a convenient alternative to RFLP for aligning information derived from different populations. A list of the 242 primer pairs that amplify mapped SSRs from total barley genomic DNA is presented.
Chromosome Mapping↗
Parental attitudes regarding interviews about injuries to their children.
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Adult↗
Guidelines for management of hypertension: report of the third working party of the British Hypertension Society.
Use non-pharmacological measures in all hypertensive and borderline hypertensive people. Initiate antihypertensive drug therapy in people with sustained systolic blood pressures (BP) >/=160 mm Hg or sustained diastolic BP >/=100 mm Hg. Decide on treatment in people with sustained systolic BP between 140 and 159 mm Hg or sustained diastolic BP between 90 and 99 mm Hg according to the presence or absence of target organ damage, cardiovascular disease or a 10-year coronary heart disease (CHD) risk of >/=15% according to the Joint British Societies CHD risk assessment programme/risk chart. In people with diabetes mellitus, initiate antihypertensive drug therapy if systolic BP is sustained >/=140 mm Hg or diastolic BP is sustained >/=90 mm Hg. In non-diabetic hypertensive people, optimal BP treatment targets are: systolic BP <140 mm Hg and diastolic BP <85 mm Hg. The minimum acceptable level of control (Audit Standard) recommended is <150/<90 mm Hg. Despite best practice, these levels will be difficult to achieve in some hypertensive people. In diabetic hypertensive people, optimal BP targets are; systolic BP <140 mm Hg and diastolic BP <80 mm Hg. The minimum acceptable level of control (Audit Standard) recommended is <140/<90 mm Hg. Despite best practice, these levels will be difficult to achieve in some people with diabetes and hypertension. In the absence of contraindications or compelling indications for other antihypertensive agents, low dose thiazide diuretics or beta-blockers are preferred as first-line therapy for the majority of hypertensive people. In the absence of compelling indications for beta-blockade, diuretics or long acting dihydropyridine calcium antagonists are preferred to beta-blockers in older subjects. Compelling indications and contraindications for all antihypertensive drug classes are specified. For most hypertensives, a combination of antihypertensive drugs will be required to achieve the recommended targets for blood pressure control. Other drugs that reduce cardiovascular risk must also be considered. These include aspirin for secondary prevention of cardiovascular disease, and primary prevention in treated hypertensive subjects over the age of 50 years who have a 10-year CHD risk >/=15% and in whom blood pressure is controlled to the audit standard. In accordance with existing British recommendations, statin therapy is recommended for hypertensive people with a total cholesterol >/=5 mmol/L and established vascular disease, or 10-year CHD risk >/=30% estimated from the Joint British Societies CHD risk chart. Glycaemic control should also be optimised in diabetic subjects. Specific advice is given on the management of hypertension in specific patient groups, ie, the elderly, ethnic subgroups, diabetes mellitus, chronic renal disease and in women (pregnancy, oral contraceptive use and hormone replacement therapy). Suggestions for the implementation and audit of these guidelines in primary care are provided.
Antihypertensive Agents↗
Intimate association of microsatellite repeats with retrotransposons and other dispersed repetitive elements in barley.
Simple sequence repeat (SSR)-based genetic markers are being actively developed for the majority of crop plant species. In barley, characterization of 290 dinucleotide repeat-containing clones from SSR-enriched libraries has revealed that a high percentage are associated with cereal retrotransposon-like and other dispersed repetitive elements. Associations found were with BARE-1, WIS2-1A, PREM1 and the dispersed repetitive element R173. Additional similarities between different SSR clones, which have no matches in DNA sequence databases, indicate that this phenomenon is probably widespread in the barley genome. Sequence homologies to the non-coding regions of several cereal genes were also explained by homology to mobile genetic elements. The SSRs found can therefore be classified into two types: (1) those with unique sequences on either flank, and (2) those which are intimately associated with retro-transposons and other dispersed repetitive elements. As the cereal genome is thought to consist largely of this type of DNA, some random association would be expected. However, the conserved positions of the SSRs, relative to repetitive elements, indicate that they have arisen non-randomly. Furthermore, this class of SSRs can be classified into three subtypes: (1) those which are positioned 3' of a transposable element with unique sequence on the other flank, (2) those positioned 5' of a transposable element, and (3) those which have arisen from an internal sequence and so have transposable element sequence on both flanks. The first appear to be analogous to the class of SSRs in mammalian systems which are associated with Alu elements and SINEs (short interspersed elements) and which have been postulated to arise following integration of an extended and polyadenylated retro-transcript into the host genome, followed by mutation of the poly(A) tract and expansion into an SSR. For the second, we postulate that a proto-SSR (A-rich sequence) has acted as a 'landing pad' for transposable element insertion (rather than being the result of insertion), while the third includes those which have evolved as a component of an active transposable element which has spread throughout the genome during bursts of transposition activity. The implications of these associations for genome and SSR evolution in barley are discussed.
Base Sequence↗
Comparison of RAMP and SSR markers for the study of wild barley genetic diversity.
Two molecular marker technologies, random amplified microsatellite polymorphism (RAMP) and simple sequence repeats (SSR), were used to determine genetic diversity of 27 accessions of the wild barley Hordeum vulgare ssp. spontaneum. 19 primer combinations were used to generate RAMP fragments and 16 SSR loci were analysed. A high level of polymorphism was found with both kind of markers as revealed by the mean polymorphism information content (PIC) values obtained: 0.838 and 0.855 for RAMP and SSR, respectively. Genetic dissimilarities between genotypes were estimated from RAMP and SSR data. A lack of correlation was found between both sets of data. This was reflected in the two dendrograms obtained which presented accessions clustered differently. The results suggest that both sets of markers reveal genetic variation induced by different mechanisms. The dendrogram produced from the RAMP dissimilarity estimates showed most of the groups related to the geographic origin of the accessions.
Alleles↗
Injury surveillance in an accident and emergency department: a year in the life of CHIRPP.
BACKGROUND: The design of childhood injury prevention programmes is hindered by a dearth of valid and reliable information on injury frequency, cause, and outcome. A number of local injury surveillance systems have been developed to address this issue. One example is CHIRPP (Canadian Hospitals Injury Reporting and Prevention Program), which has been imported into the accident and emergency department at the Royal Hospital for Sick Children, Glasgow. This paper examines a year of CHIRPP data. METHODS: A CHIRPP questionnaire was completed for 7940 children presenting in 1996 to the accident and emergency department with an injury or poisoning. The first part of the questionnaire was completed by the parent or accompanying adult, the second part by the clinician. These data were computerised and analysed using SPSSPC for Windows. RESULTS: Injuries commonly occurred in the child's own home, particularly in children aged 0-4 years. These children commonly presented with bruising, ingestions, and foreign bodies. With increasing age, higher proportions of children presented with injuries occurring outside the home. These were most commonly fractures, sprains, strains, and inflammation/oedema. Seasonal variations were evident, with presentations peaking in the summer. CONCLUSIONS: There are several limitations to the current CHIRPP system in Glasgow: it is not population based, only injuries presented to the accident and emergency department are included, and injury severity is not recorded. Nevertheless, CHIRPP is a valuable source of information on patterns of childhood injury. It offers local professionals a comprehensive dataset that may be used to develop, implement, and evaluate child injury prevention activities.
Adolescent↗
Natural and complementary therapy utilisation on the north coast of NSW.
The use of natural and complementary therapies in Australia seems to be increasing. There is an emerging body of literature which describes the prevalence and patterns of usage of such therapies. This paper reports the findings of a telephone survey of 645 residents of the North Coast of New South Wales which set out to describe the prevalence and patterns of use of natural and complementary therapies in the region.
Adolescent↗
Circulating antibodies to cardiac protein-acetaldehyde adducts in alcoholic heart muscle disease.
1. Serum samples from patients with alcoholic heart muscle disease and from control subjects with and without heart disease who did not drink to excess were screened by Western immunoblotting for antibodies to acetaldehyde-modified cardiac cytosolic proteins. 2. Two of the 64 control samples (from subjects with and without heart disease who were not drinking and from subjects with alcoholic liver disease) had detectable (IgG) antibody to acetaldehyde-modified cardiac proteins. 3. By contrast, 7 of 21 (33%) patients with alcoholic heart muscle disease had antibodies against cyanoborohydride-stabilized, acetaldehyde-modified human cardiac cytosolic protein antigens (P < 0.001). 4. Antibodies were of IgG class in six patients and IgA class in five. The molecular sizes of the protein antigens observed ranged from 58 to 120 kDa. 5. These results suggest that a proportion of patients with alcoholic heart muscle disease develop immunogenic cardiac protein-acetaldehyde adducts. The presence of antibodies to these adducts may be a marker for the diagnosis of this heart disease, or possibly for its pathogenesis.
Acetaldehyde↗
Management guidelines in essential hypertension: report of the second working party of the British Hypertension Society.
Several important new issues have arisen in the management of patients with hypertension. A working party of the British Hypertension Society has therefore reviewed available intervention studies on anti-hypertensive treatment and made recommendations on blood pressure thresholds for intervention, on non-pharmacological and pharmacological treatments, and on treatment goals. This report also provides guidelines on blood pressure measurement, essential investigations, referrals for specialist advice, follow up, and stopping treatment.
Aged↗
Hepatitis B in the non-residential mentally handicapped population.
This study describes seroprevalence and risk factors for hepatitis B in seven centres caring for non-residential mentally handicapped individuals. Overall, 11% were hepatitis B marker seropositive and 4% had the hepatitis B surface antigen (HBsAg). Male sex and increasing age were associated with seropositive status, and Down's syndrome was associated with the presence of HBsAg. Immediate family members of those with hepatitis B markers were screened and 22% had evidence of hepatitis B markers. Forty-one family members were identified when the mentally handicapped individual was HBsAg positive and of these 13 (32%) were seropositive. This study demonstrates that hepatitis B is a problem for the non-residential mentally handicapped population and confirms the risk of infection to their immediate families.
Adolescent↗
Elimination of canrenone in congestive heart failure and chronic liver disease.
The elimination half-life (T1/2) of canrenone, the principal unconjugated metabolite of spironolactone, was 59 h (range 32-105 h) in 5 patients with chronic liver disease and 37 h (range 19-48 h ) in 7 patients withcongestive heart failure. In comparison the T1/2 in normal subjects was 13.5-24 h in previous reports and 20.5 h in the present study, However there was no evidence of greater cumulation of canrenone in the plasma of those patients with a prolonged T1/2.
Aged↗