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Biomedical subjects

M Haque

Publications and source records attributed to M Haque.

At least 19 recordsLinked to original sources

Deformation of a trapped Fermi gas with unequal spin populations.

The real-space densities of a polarized strongly interacting two-component Fermi gas of 6Li atoms reveal two low-temperature regimes, both with a fully paired core. At the lowest temperatures, the unpolarized core deforms with increasing polarization. Sharp boundaries between the core and the excess unpaired atoms are consistent with a phase separation driven by a first-order phase transition. In contrast, at higher temperatures the core does not deform but remains unpolarized up to a critical polarization. The boundaries are not sharp in this case, indicating a partially polarized shell between the core and the unpaired atoms. The temperature dependence is consistent with a tricritical point in the phase diagram.

Journal Article↗

Caudal anesthesia in pediatric surgical practice.

Prospective study was carried out on 100 patients since May 2005 in my private practice and in the department of pediatric surgery of MMCH. Under caudal anesthesia along with or without ketaminie induction and gas inhalation all the patients underwent different surgical procedure namely anorectal surgery (eg. anoplasty, rectal polyp), urogenital surgery (Circumcision, hypospadias, meatotomy), groin surgery (hernia, hydrocele) and foot & leg surgery. Calculated dose schedule of drugs used in anesthesia and volume were maintained. Time of giving anesthesia and time of starting analgesia were recorded. Per-operative and postoperative analgesia were evaluated. Every parent was explained regarding the merit of caudal anesthesia calculated and compared with that of general anesthesia. Application of caudal anesthesia with or without ketamine & diazepam induction can be used safely and cost effectively and may be put into protocol in many of the pediatric surgical practice both in institute and also in private practice.

Anesthesia, Caudal↗

Barriers to initiating insulin therapy in patients with type 2 diabetes mellitus in public-sector primary health care centres in Cape Town.

BACKGROUND: The majority of patients with type 2 diabetes mellitus in Cape Town who attend primary care community health centres (CHCs) have unsatisfactory glycaemic control. Insulin is rarely prescribed despite its being indicated for type 2 diabetic patients with inadequate metabolic control on maximum oral glucose-lowering agent (OGLA) therapy. OBJECTIVE: The study examined barriers to initiating insulin therapy in poorly controlled type 2 diabetes patients on maximum OGLAs in CHCs in the Cape Town metropolis. METHODS: Five focus group discussions and 10 in-depth semistructured individual interviews were conducted with 46 medical officers working at the CHCs. The discussions and interviews were transcribed and common themes were identified and categorised. RESULTS: Doctor, patient, and system barriers to initiating insulin therapy were identified. Doctors' barriers include lack of knowledge, lack of experience with and use of guidelines related to insulin therapy, language barriers between doctor and patients, and fear of hypoglycaemia. Patient barriers were mistaken beliefs about insulin, non-compliance, lack of understanding of diabetes, use of traditional herbs, fear of injections, and poor socioeconomic conditions. System barriers were inadequate time, lack of continuity of care and financial constraints. CONCLUSION: Suggestions for overcoming barriers include further education of doctors on insulin initiation and the use of standardised guidelines. In addition, a patient-centred approach with better communication between doctors and patients, which may be achieved by reorganising aspects of the health system, may improve patient knowledge, address mistaken beliefs, improve compliance and help overcome barriers. Further research is needed to investigate these recommendations and assess patients' and nurses' perceptions on initiating insulin therapy.

Attitude of Health Personnel↗

Dairy cream as a phantom material for biexponential diffusion decay.

Commercially available aliquots of dairy cream are shown to have diffusion decay curves characterized by biexponential functions when studied over a wide range of b-factors. The fast and slow diffusion components responsible for the biexponential decay are attributed to water and lipid protons, respectively. The fast diffusion coefficient and relative fast and slow diffusion component fractions obtained from biexponential fits of cream phantoms over a wide range of b-factors up to 3,000 s/mm2 are similar to those obtained previously for brain. The slow diffusion coefficient from lipid protons is smaller than that found in the brain. Overall, however, the results suggest that dairy cream can serve as a widely available phantom material for testing software and hardware components designed to perform quantitative, biexponential diffusion decay studies.

Animals↗

Loss of irreversibility of granulocytic differentiation induced by dimethyl sulfoxide in HL-60 sublines with a homogeneously staining region.

The human HL-60 acute leukemia cell line harbors double minutes (dmins) during early passages. During its continuous culture for a long term, a single marker chromosome with a homogeneously staining region (HSR) replaces the dmins. The both structures harbor amplified c-MYC sequences. Here we ask how the cellular phenotype is altered by the c-MYC integration into a HSR. Treatment with dimethyl sulfoxide induces granulocytic differentiation in the both types of cells. In contrast to HL-60/dmin cells, however, no apoptosis followed differentiation and the differentiation phenotype was reverted upon withdrawal of the drug in HL-60/HSR cells. Terminal differentiation and loss of DNase I hypersensitivity sites at c-MYC P2 promoter appeared to be unlinked in the both types of cells. By comparison with HL-60/dmin cells, we conclude that the integration into a HSR of an extrachromosomal gene(s) but not c-MYC likely leads to the loss of irreversibility of the differentiation phenotype.

Acute Disease↗

Intracranial adenoid cystic carcinoma of suprasellar region.

Adenoid cystic carcinoma (ACC) is a relatively common head and neck tumor which grows slowly but locally aggressive and prone to recurrence. ACC most commonly arises in the major and minor salivary glands. Some rare cases of intracranial ACC with an unknown primary site have been reported. The authors present the first case of primary intracranial ACC of the suprasellar region. A 34 year-old female presented with one month's duration of visual disturbance and galactorrhea. Magnetic resonance image (MRI) showed intra- and suprasellar mass mimicking a craniopharyngioma. There was no evidence of invasion from an extracranial site. The operative findings showed the mass existed under the arachnoid membrane and seemed to originate from the pituitary stalk. Pathological diagnosis was ACC. After the first operation, local recurrence and CSF dissemination to the lower clivus occurred within two months. Recurrence repeatedly treated by Gamma knife radiosurgery 10 times and 4 times by surgery during a 3 year follow-up period. But total removal of the tumor at the first operation along with radiosurgery may control the lesion and prevent further recurrence.

Adult↗

Development of lumbosacral spina bifida: three-dimensional computer graphic study of human embryos at Carnegie stage twelve.

There is still some controversy as to whether sacral spina bifida in humans is the result of a defect of the primary or secondary neural tube. As somites are related to the development of vertebrae and the primary neural tube is related to the development of the spinal cord in embryos, it is very important to determine the number of somites in normal human embryos at the time of closure of the primary neural tube to understand the contribution of primary neural tube defects to the development of spina bifida. However, in the literature, the number of somites in stage 12 human embryos is still controversial. The aim of this study is to find the number of somites in human embryos at Carnegie stage 12. Four human embryos at Carnegie stage 12 were selected from the laboratory of the Congenital Anomaly Research Center in Japan. The neural tube and somites were reconstructed from their slices by a three-dimensional computer graphic reconstruction technique. The reconstructed embryos were examined from multidirectional magnified images. Thirty-three pairs of somites were present in all these reconstructed embryos. As the 33rd pair of somites corresponds to the fifth sacral segment, the presence of 33 pairs of somites at Carnegie stage 12 suggests that spina bifida develops from defects of the primary neural tube.

Computer Graphics↗

Evaluation of pleomorphic xanthoastrocytoma by use of positron emission tomography with.

We present a case of pleomorphic xanthoastrocytoma (PXA) in a patient with temporal lobe seizures. Imaging sequences included MR, and results of positron emission tomography (PET) with [18F]-fluorodeoxyglucose (FDG) and [11C]-methionine (Met) tracers revealed a hypermetabolic region equivalent or nearly equivalent to normal cerebral cortex, suggesting that the tumor might have malignant potential. Histopathologic findings indicated low-grade glioma. The mechanism for glucose hypermetabolic activity of PXA is not clear; however, the positive findings obtained from FDG-PET may not always indicate the degree of malignancy associated with PXA.

Adult↗

Characterization of human herpesvirus 7 U27 gene product and identification of its nuclear localization signal.

A monoclonal antibody, 5H4, that recognizes human herpesvirus 7 (HHV-7) was used in Western analysis to probe HHV-7-infected SupT1 cells. This antibody recognizes a 40-kDa virus-specific polypeptide that is expressed in the absence of viral DNA synthesis. By screening a lambdagt11 HHV-7 cDNA library, the gene encoding the protein was identified as the U27 open reading frame previously reported [J. Virol. (1996) 70, 5975-5989]. Immunofluorescent studies showed a punctate nuclear localization of the protein in both HHV-7-infected cells and transfected cells. A computer program predicted two classic nuclear localization signals (NLSs) in the middle and C-terminal regions of the protein. A C-terminal deletion mutant of the protein could not enter the nucleus, whereas green fluorescent protein or maltose binding protein fused to the C-terminal region of the protein was transported into the nucleus. These findings demonstrate that the predicted C-terminal, but not middle, NLS of the protein actually function as NLS. In addition, nuclear transport of a maltose binding protein-fusion protein containing the C-terminal NLS of the U27 protein was inhibited by both wheat germ agglutinin and a Q69L Ran-GTP mutant, indicating that the U27 protein is transported into the nucleus from the cytoplasm by means of classic nuclear transport machinery. Interestingly, this NLS motif is highly conserved at the C-termini of all herpesvirus DNA polymerase processivity factors that have been examined.

Amino Acid Sequence↗

Prevalence, severity and associated features of gastro-oesophageal reflux and dyspepsia: a population-based study.

AIMS: To describe the prevalence and severity of dyspepsia and gastro-oesophageal reflux in the community, to investigate their association with lifestyle factors and to evaluate the consultation pattern for these conditions. METHOD: A previously validated questionnaire was posted to 1000 adults randomly selected from the electoral rolls of the greater Wellington region. It investigated symptoms of dyspepsia, reflux, lifestyle and consultation pattern over the previous twelve months. RESULTS: Response rate was 81.7%. Prevalence of dyspepsia was 34.2%. Prevalence of reflux was 30%. The overall prevalence of both symptom groups combined was 45.2%. Most subjects had multiple symptoms. Results indicated 63% of subjects with reflux also had symptoms of dyspepsia and 56% of subjects with dyspepsia showed symptoms of reflux. Although 69% of subjects with heartburn used over-the-counter medications, only 17% consulted medical practitioners. Current and ex-smokers had a higher prevalence of reflux. Dyspeptic symptoms were not associated with alcohol intake or aspirin use. Prevalence of dyspeptic symptoms did not change with increasing age. CONCLUSIONS: Dyspepsia is very common in the community. Significant overlap among the subgroups of dyspepsia makes a classification, based on symptoms alone, of questionable value. Frequency and severity of symptoms should be incorporated in the definition to exclude those subjects with trivial symptoms.

Adolescent↗

Modulation of the oxygen affinity of cobalt-porphyrin by globin.

We have combined two extreme effects which influence the oxygen affinity to obtain a cobalt-based oxygen carrier with an affinity similar to that of human adult hemoglobin (HbA). The goal was to obtain an oxygen transporter with a lower oxidation rate. Exchange of the heme group (Fe-protoporphyrin IX) in Hb with a cobalt-porphyrin leads to a reduction in oxygen affinity by over a factor of 10, an oxygen affinity too low for use as a blood substitute. At the other extreme, certain globin sequences are known to provide a very high oxygen affinity; for example, Hb Ascaris displays an oxygen affinity 1000 times higher than HbA. We demonstrate here that these opposing effects can be additive, yielding an oxygen affinity similar to that of HbA, but with oxygen binding to a cobalt atom. We have tested the effect of substitution of cobalt-porphyrin for heme in normal HbA, sperm whale (SW) Mb (Mb), and high affinity globins for leghemoglobin, two trematode Hbs: Paramphistomum epiclitum (Pe) and Gastrothylax crumenifer (Gc). As for HbA or SW Mb, the transition from heme to cobalt-porphyrin in the trematode Hbs leads to a large decrease in the oxygen affinity, with oxygen partial pressures for half saturation (P(50)) of 5 and 25 mm Hg at 37 degrees C for cobalt-Pe and cobalt-Gc, respectively. A critical parameter for Hb-based blood substitutes is the autoxidation rate; while both metals oxidize to an inactive state, we observed a decrease in the oxidation rate of over an order of magnitude for cobalt versus iron, for similar oxygen affinities. The time constants for autoxidation at 37 degrees C were 250 and 100 h for Pe and Gc, respectively.

Animals↗

Identification and analysis of the K5 gene of Kaposi's sarcoma-associated herpesvirus.

Kaposi's sarcoma-associated herpesvirus (KSHV), or human herpesvirus 8 (HHV-8), belongs to the gammaherpesvirus subfamily and encodes approximately 80 open reading frames (ORFs). Among them are a few candidates for immediate-early genes (e.g., K5). We developed a monoclonal antibody (MAb), 328C7, against the K5 antigen. This MAb reacted with the K5 gene product by immunoscreening of a cDNA library from BCBL-1 cells, and this result was confirmed by transfection of the K5 ORF into Cos-7 cells. After induction of lytic infection by treatment with 12-O-tetradecanoylphorbol-13-acetate, MAb 328C7 reacted with an antigen in the cytoplasm of BCBL-1 and BC-3 cells as early as after 4 h of induction. Immunoelectron microscopy showed that the K5 antigen was situated mainly in the endoplasmic reticulum but was not present on the virion or in the nucleus. Northern blotting with a K5-specific probe revealed a single transcript of 1.2 kb, while Western blotting showed the antigen to be a 36-kDa polypeptide. The 5' and 3' ends were then determined by rapid amplification of cDNA, followed by sequencing of RACE products, and a splice was revealed upstream of the K5 ORF. K5 expression was unaffected by the respective DNA and protein synthesis inhibitors phosphonoformic acid and cycloheximide plus actinomycin D, confirming its immediate-early nature. Transient-transfection assays showed that the K5 promoter was transactivated by ORF 50 (KSHV Rta), a homolog of Epstein-Barr virus Rta, but the K5 gene product exhibited no transregulation of its own promoter or those of DNA polymerase and the human immunodeficiency virus type 1 long terminal repeat. This is the first such analysis of an immediate-early gene product; determination of its specific biological function requires further investigation.

Animals↗

Social class, coronary risk factors and undernutrition, a double burden of diseases, in women during transition, in five Indian cities.

OBJECTIVE: To find out the association between social class and coronary risk factors in women. DESIGN AND SETTING: Cross-sectional surveys were conducted in six-twelve urban streets in each of five cities from various regions of India following a common study protocol and criteria of diagnosis. SUBJECTS AND METHODS: We randomly selected 3257 women, aged 25-64 years inclusive, from the cities of Moradabad (n=902), Trivandrum (n=760) Calcutta (n=410), Nagpur (n=405) and Bombay (n=780). Evaluation was by questionnaires validated at Moradabad. All subjects, after pooling of data, were divided into social class 1 (n=985), social class 2 (n=790), social class 3 (n=674), social class 4 (n=602) and social class 5 (n=206), based on various attributes of socioeconomic status. RESULTS: The prevalence of hypertension, diabetes mellitus, family history of coronary disease, obesity, central obesity and sedentary lifestyle were significantly associated with higher social classes and tobacco consumption was not associated with social class. Oral contraceptive intake and postmenopausal status were also more common among higher social classes, which may be due to more education and a longer lifespan among the higher social classes, respectively. Mean total cholesterol, high density lipoprotein cholesterol, systolic and diastolic blood pressure, mean body mass index and waist-hip ratio showed significant association with higher social classes. Mean age, body weight, body mass index, waist-hip ratio, systolic and diastolic blood pressure, total cholesterol and 2-h blood glucose were significantly positively correlated with social class, as assessed by Spearman's rank correlation. Higher social classes 1-3 were more common in Trivandrum and Bombay than in Moradabad. The prevalence of hypertension, diabetes mellitus and being overweight (body mass index >25 kg/m2) were also more common in Trivandrum and Bombay compared to Moradabad. Undernutrition was negatively associated with higher social classes and was more common in Moradabad and Nagpur than Trivandrum. CONCLUSIONS: Higher social classes among Indian urban women have a higher prevalence of coronary risk factors, hypertension, diabetes mellitus, being overweight, central obesity, sedentary lifestyle, family history of coronary disease, oral contraceptive intake and postmenopausal status. Mean concentrations of total and high density lipoprotein cholesterol were also significantly associated with higher social classes.

Adult↗

Retinoic acid increases tyrosine phosphorylation of focal adhesion kinase and paxillin in MCF-7 human breast cancer cells.

Treatment of estrogen receptor (ER)-positive MCF-7 human breast cancer cells with retinoic acid (RA) inhibited cell growth and increased cell adhesion to fibronectin. In contrast, ER- MDA-MB-231 cells failed to respond. Western blot analysis showed that tyrosine phosphorylation of two major bands at Mr 125,000 and Mr 68,000 was induced by RA in ER+ MCF-7 human breast carcinoma cells. However, this induction was a late phenomenon detectable at 12 and 24 h, but not within 3 h. A similar increase of tyrosine phosphorylation by RA was observed in ER+ human breast cancer cell lines T-47D and ZR-75-1, but not in the ER- cell lines MDA-MB-231, MDA-MB-453, and MDA-MB-468. Focal adhesion kinase and paxillin, which localize in focal adhesion plaques and may play important roles in the integrin signaling pathway, were identified as the major proteins showing RA-induced tyrosine phosphorylation. The retinoid X receptor-selective compound SR11237 failed to induce tyrosine phosphorylation, indicating that retinoid X receptor activation is not involved in this phenomenon. In contrast, stable overexpression of a truncated RA receptor (RAR) alpha cDNA, RARalpha403, with strong RAR dominant negative activity prevented the increase in tyrosine phosphate, suggesting that RAR signaling is involved in RA-induced tyrosine phosphorylation. Tyrosine phosphorylation was induced the most by the RAR-alpha (193836), followed by RAR-gamma (194433), but was not significantly induced by RAR-gamma (193174)-selective retinoids. This study demonstrates a coordinated albeit relatively late effect of RA on cell adhesion and tyrosine phosphorylation in ER+ human breast cancer cells and suggests RAR-alpha as the major responsible retinoid receptor.

Antineoplastic Agents↗

Development of a new dyspepsia impact scale: the Nepean Dyspepsia Index.

BACKGROUND: There is not at present a suitable disease-specific health-related quality of life instrument for uninvestigated dyspepsia and functional (non-ulcer) dyspepsia. AIM: To develop a new multi-dimensional disease-specific instrument. METHODS: The Nepean Dyspepsia Index (NDI) was designed to measure impairment of a subject's ability to engage in relevant aspects of their life and also their enjoyment of these aspects; in addition, the individual importance of each aspect is assessed. A 42-item quality of life measure was developed and tested, both in out-patients presenting to general practice with upper gastrointestinal complaints (n = 113) and in a randomly chosen population-based sample (n = 347). RESULTS: Adequate face and content validity was documented by an expert panel. Factor analysis identified four clinically relevant subscales: interference with activities of daily living, work, enjoyment of life and emotional well-being; lack of knowledge and control over the illness; disturbance to eating or drinking; and disturbance to sleep because of dyspepsia. These scales had high internal consistency. Both symptoms and the quality of life scores discriminated dyspepsia from health. CONCLUSION: The Nepean Dyspepsia Index is a reliable and valid disease-specific index for dyspepsia, measuring symptoms and health-related quality of life.

Adult↗

Human herpesvirus 6 open reading frame U83 encodes a functional chemokine.

Some viruses including herpesviruses have undergone evolution to benefit viral infection and propagation by pirating and modifying host genes such as chemokine genes. Human herpesvirus 6 (HHV-6), acutely or persistently infects mononuclear cells in vitro. DNA sequence analysis of HHV-6 has revealed that the putative protein encoded by an open reading frame (ORF) of the U83 gene in HHV-6 variant B resembled a human chemokine. We have cloned the U83 gene and analyzed the biological function of this gene. The U83 gene contained an ORF encoding a 113-amino-acid peptide, starting at the first methionine and containing a possible signal peptide and the typical cysteine residues characteristic of the chemokines. Reverse transcription-PCR analysis of mRNA and immunofluorescent-antibody testing of infected cells both indicated that the encoded protein was a late protein. The ORF U83 gene fused to the Fc gene was expressed as a fusion protein in COS-7 cells by transfection, and the fusion protein was purified from the supernatant of transfected cells to test its biological function. The purified protein was capable of inducing transient calcium mobilization in THP-1 cells and of chemotactically activating THP-1 cells. These findings suggested that the U83 protein might play an important role in HHV-6 propagation in vivo by activating and trafficking mononuclear cells to sites of viral replication, thus aiding the development of superbly efficient virus production mechanisms.

Amino Acid Sequence↗