Biomedical subjects

N J Adams

Publications and source records attributed to N J Adams.

7 recordsLinked to original sources

PubMed2001

Opioids and the treatment of chronic pain in a primary care sample.

Chronic pain is a widespread, difficult problem facing clinicians. This study assessed the current medical management of a general population of patients with chronic pain in 12 family medicine practices located throughout the state of Wisconsin. Medical record audits were conducted on a sample of 209 adults. Sixty-seven percent were female with an average age of 53 years. The most common pain diagnoses included lumbar/low back (44%), joint disease/arthritis (33%), and headache/migraine (28%) pain. The most frequently prescribed opioids were oxycodone/acetaminophen (31%), morphine ERT (19%), Tylenol #3 (15%), and hydrocodone/acetaminophen (14%). Depression/affective disorders were reported in 36% of the patient charts, anxiety/panic disorders (15%), drug abuse (6%), and alcohol abuse (3%). Written drug contracts were utilized by 42% (n = 31) of the practitioners, pain scales 25% (n = 29), and urine toxicology screens 8% (n = 6). This study suggests that primary care practitioners have unique opportunities to identify and successfully treat patients with chronic pain.

Analgesics, Opioid↗

PubMed1998

Detection in chimpanzees of a novel flavivirus related to GB virus-C/hepatitis G virus.

Infection with hepatitis G virus (HGV) or GB virus-C (GBV-C) is widely distributed in human populations. Viruses related to GBV-C/HGV have been recovered from several New World primate species, including tamarins, owl monkeys and marmosets. To understand more about the relationship between GB viruses and their hosts, we used primers from the 5' non-coding (5'NC), non-structural 3 (NS3) and NS5 regions in nested polymerase chain reactions to screen for related viruses infecting non-captive chimpanzees (Pan troglodytes, troglodytes and verus subspecies). Sequences from the 5'NCR and NS5 regions were amplified from samples taken from 3 of 39 chimpanzees, and from one chimpanzee in the NS3 region. Sequence comparisons of each region revealed that the GB virus infecting chimpanzees was distinct from both GBV-C/HGV and from any of the known GBV-A sequences, but was more closely related to human viruses. GB viruses recovered from different chimpanzees were more diverse than variants of GBV-C/HGV found in humans, with 25% sequence divergence in the 5'NCR and 20% (9.5% amino acid) sequence divergence in NS5 between variants recovered from the troglodytes and verus subspecies, compared with 7.4% and 10.4% (1.9% amino acid) divergence amongst GBV-C/HGV variants infecting humans. Finding GBV-C/HGV-related viruses in an Old World monkey species suggests that GB-like viruses may be widely distributed in simians, and suggests a close evolutionary relationship with their natural hosts.

Amino Acid Sequence↗

PubMed1997

The complete coding sequence of hepatitis C virus genotype 5a, the predominant genotype in South Africa.

Hepatitis C virus (HCV) genotype 5a is the predominant genotype in southern Africa with a high prevalence amongst infected blood donors from areas in South Africa. We have determined the nucleotide sequence corresponding to the complete coding region of an HCV isolate, EUH1480, previously classified as genotype 5a, from an Edinburgh haemophiliac. The sequence contained a single open reading frame (ORF) coding for a polyprotein of 3014 amino acids. Comparison with the polyprotein sequences from other HCV genotypes, where the ORF varies from 3008 to 3037 amino acids, showed the observed variation in size was due to differences in lengths of the envelope 2 and the nonstructural 5A proteins. The sequence divergence of HCV genotype 5 ranged from 29.4% nucleotide differences (24.91% amino acid differences) compared with genotype 1c to 32.5% nucleotide differences (30.3% amino acid differences) compared with 2a. Phylogenetic analysis of the available full length nucleotide sequences showed EUH1480 to form a branch distinct from the other HCV types, confirming the classification of type 5a as a separate genotype.

Amino Acid Sequence↗

PubMed1997

Complete coding sequence of hepatitis C virus genotype 6a.

Hepatitis C virus (HCV) genotype 6a is found in a restricted part of South East Asia, including Hong Kong, Macau and Vietnam. We determined the full length coding sequence of a type 6a isolate (EUHK2) obtained from a Hong Kong blood donor. The sequence of EUHK2 contained a single open reading frame coding for a polyprotein of 3018 amino acids, within the range of 3008 to 3037 for other HCV genotypes. The full length sequence of EUHK2 showed 30.3%-32.9% nucleotide (24.3%-29.4% amino acid) sequence divergence from genotypes 1-4, but only 27.7% (20.7% amino acid) divergence from JK046 ("type 11a"). These similarity values were intermediate between those of other HCV genotypes (minimum 28.4%) and between subtypes (maximum 25%). The close evolutionary relationship of EUHK2 with JK046 was further indicated by their grouping together by phylogenetic analysis.

Cloning, Molecular↗

PubMed1983

Elevated maternal serum alpha-fetoprotein, second-trimester oligohydramnios, and pregnancy outcome.

Although the primary purpose of maternal serum alpha-fetoprotein (AFP) screening is to detect open neural tube defects, the technique is of value in the diagnosis of other fetal abnormalities. Six patients from the Alpha-Fetoprotein Screening Program, Perinatal Region IV, were found to have twice elevated maternal serum AFP levels associated with severe early second-trimester oligohydramnios. Five of the fetuses were found to have urinary tract abnormalities. The source of the elevated maternal serum AFP is not clear. Pregnancy prognosis appears poor. These cases should be thoroughly studied so that patients may be accurately informed of the recurrence risk.

Amniotic Fluid↗

PubMed1970

Extracellular cell wall lytic enzyme from Staphylococcus aureus: purification and partial characterization.

An autolysin obtained from culture fluid of Staphylococcus aureus strain 8507 was purified 3,000-fold. One milligram of this preparation (S-5DL) will solubilize 12 mg of cell wall in 1 hr. The major activity is N-acetylmuramyl-l-alanine amidase. Recovery of lytic activity in the purified preparation was repeatably only 20% of the starting level. This suggests that other cell wall lytic enzymes may be present in the starting material. The S-5DL enzyme has been compared to freeze-thaw extracted enzyme (AFZ). Both enzymes precipitate in 0.01 m KPO(4) (pH 6.0) and dissolve in 0.1 to 0.7 m NaCl. Fifty per cent of the AFZ activity and 66% of the S-5DL activity bind rapidly to cell walls of S. aureus at 0 C in the presence of magnesium ion. None of the AFZ activity and 66% of the S-5DL activity bind to cell walls at 0 C in the absence of magnesium ion. The cell walls of nine different strains of S. aureus were compared for level of native autolysin activity. These same walls after inactivation of the native autolysin were tested for susceptibility to the S-5DL enzyme.

Amidohydrolases↗

PubMedDate not supplied

Corticosterone responses of grey-faced petrels (Pterodroma macroptera gouldi) are higher during incubation than during other breeding stages.

We report the results of the first field study examining seasonal changes in corticosterone responses of typically long-lived birds of the order Procellariiformes. In particular, we examined whether grey-faced petrels Pterodroma macroptera gouldi showed changes in circulating baseline corticosterone concentrations and corticosterone responses to a standardized handling protocol across the breeding season. Such changes have been associated with changes in body condition and variations in energy demands on adult birds through the breeding season. During early incubation, males were in significantly better condition than females that had just completed laying, whereas during late incubation, males were in significantly poorer condition than females. In spite of these differences, there was no significant difference in baseline corticosterone concentrations between sexes or among birds at different reproductive stages. However, we detected significant differences in corticosterone responses associated with a standardized handling protocol at different stages through the breeding season. Responses were significantly greater during incubation compared with the prelay period and late chick rearing. Body condition was weakly and negatively correlated with maximum and total integrated corticosterone level, indicating that some of the individual variability in stress corticosterone responses could be explained by variation in body condition. However, the largest stress response occurred during late incubation and was independent of sex, although males were in relatively poor condition and females in relatively good condition. This period coincided with the breeding stage in which energy constraints on individual adults were higher than at other periods of the reproductive cycle and birds may be physiologically primed for extended fasts.

Analysis of Variance↗