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Biomedical subjects

M Levinson

Publications and source records attributed to M Levinson.

7 recordsLinked to original sources
PubMed1992

Daisybank 1983-1989. An audit of a residential home preparing adolescents for permanent placements.

This paper describes the evaluation of a small children's home, Daisybank, set up to prepare adolescents, who had been in care for several years, to live in permanent placements. The home seemed largely to fail in this explicit task, but appear to succeed in helping a majority of its residents make substantial progress in coming to terms with their deprived and disrupted lives. It provided them with genuine care and commitment, which they acknowledged and appreciated. We believe that the success of the home needs to be judged by these criteria, since for young people in mid- to late adolescence the search for new permanent parental homes probably conflicted with other psychosocial tasks relating to adolescence. On the other hand, Daisybank seemed unable adequately to resolve the problems of a subgroup of adolescent males with serious conduct problems who were responsible for the not infrequent physical abuse of several female staff.

Adolescent↗
PubMed1992

Differential post-receptor responses of adenylate cyclase in white and brown adipose tissue membranes of rats fed high-energy diets.

1. Adenylate cyclase activity was determined in membranes of white and brown adipose tissue (WAT and BAT, respectively) from rats fed a high-energy diet (EXP group) vs those fed a nutritionally balanced one (CON group). 2. The isoproterenol- and guanine nucleotide-induced adenylate cyclase activity in WAT membranes of EXP rats was lower than that in CON rats. 3. Relative adenylate cyclase activity in like treated BAT membranes was higher in EXP than in CON rats. 4. It is concluded that feeding high-energy diets to rats induces similar post-receptor modifications of adenylate cyclase as found in genetic obese rodents.

Adenylyl Cyclases↗
PubMed1991

Interaction of MSG taste with nutrition: perspectives in consummatory behavior and digestion.

Studies in the taste system of mammals indicate that monosodium glutamate (MSG) produces a unique taste sensation termed umami. As a derivative of glutamic acid, MSG is a naturally occurring nutrient in many foods; its commercial use to improve food palatability for humans is well documented. Behavioral studies with experimental animals have revealed that preference for MSG in solutions and selection of MSG-flavored diets can be explained by sensory means with no appreciable effects on preference by postingestive consequences. However, preference for umami-flavored fluids is reduced by feeding rats low-protein diets or low quality protein. MSG-flavored diets, initially unpreferred, were subsequently highly selected. However, the adulteration of diets by MSG either did not or only slightly increased food intake. In light of the significant contribution of MSG to diet taste, apparently as a signal coupled to dietary proteins, physiological studies have been initiated to reveal its role as a stimulator of the cephalic phase of pancreatic exocrine secretion. Modified sham-feeding experiments with dogs have shown that oral stimulation by MSG produced significant stimulation of both pancreatic flow and protein output in conscious dogs.

Amino Acids↗
PubMed1991

Adenylate cyclase responses to sucrose stimulation in membranes of pig circumvallate taste papillae.

1. Typical adenylate cyclase (AC) responses to guanine nucleotides were found in membranes of pig circumvallate (CV) taste papillae. 2. Sucrose stimulated AC activity in the CV membranes and this stimulation was GTP dependent and tissue specific. 3. The stimulatory effect of sucrose in the CV membranes was dependent on the concentration of membranes used in the AC assay. 4. This study provides the first biochemical data on cellular transduction of taste in the pig, compares positively to preliminary results in cattle and supports recent suggestions for a role of cAMP in sweet taste transduction.

Adenylyl Cyclases↗
PubMed1979

Serum gamma-glutamyl transpeptidase: its specificity and clinical value.

The clinical import of the serum gamma-glutamyl transpeptidase (GGTP) level was evaluted in 162 prospectively studied patients. GGTP is helpful in determining the origin of alkaline phosphatase (AP); it clearly separates increased AP of bone and placental origin from that of liver origin. The GGTP level closely parallels the AP level in most instances, but it may be more sensitive in detecting liver disease in anicteric patients. The finding of significantly increased GGTP in patients with chronic aggressive hepatitis as compared to normal levels found in chronic persistent hepatitis may provide a prognostic clue in cases of unresolved hepatitis. The apparent specificity and sensitivity of the GGTP test, combined with ease of performance and low expense, make it a valuable addition to the evaluation of a patient with hepatic disease.

Adolescent↗