Biomedical subjects
Publications and source records attributed to R F Cook.
An antigen capture indirect enzyme linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA) was developed to detect influenza nucleoprotein antigen in nasal secretions from horses infected with A/equine/H3N8 viruses. Results from this assay were compared with conventional virus isolation in embryonated hens eggs.
The literature on Werner's syndrome is scarce, and to our knowledge, no documented evidence is available to substantiate central nervous system involvement in this multisystem disease. We present a case of Werner's syndrome associated with recurrent delusional psychosis in the presence of cognitive impairment and computerised tomography (CT) radiological changes in the posterior cerebral cortex.
An extensive outbreak of EHV-1 abortions occurred on a stud farm in England in 1985. Of the 67 pregnant mares present on the stud farm, 31 were challenged with EHV-1, resulting in the loss of 22 fetuses or foals. Laboratory investigations revealed that the spread of the virus closely followed movement of apparently healthy mares (during the incubation period of the infection). During the outbreak mares were challenged 1-4 months before the expected foaling date. There was no relationship between the gestational age at the time of challenge and the subsequent outcome of infection in terms of abortion. The period between the estimated date of infection and abortion varied between 9 days and 4 months. Virus was isolated from the nasopharynx of 3 apparently healthy foals born during the outbreak.
Characteristic changes in the secreted polypeptides of Kirsten murine sarcoma virus (KiMSV) transformed mouse and rat cell lines could be detected 48 hours after infection of phenotypically normal cells with this virus and correlated with detection of the KiMSV encoded polypeptide p21.
A double blind trial examined the effects of low doses of the anti-depressant compound mianserin (10 mg nocte, Organon, Oss, Holland) on dietary compliance and weight loss in 45 obese subjects treated by a very-low-calorie diet (VLCD, 320 kcal (1.34 MJ)/day) for 16 weeks. The total mean weight loss of the 25 patients who completed the trial was 15.5 kg +/- 6.1 s.d. There was no significant difference in weight loss between the groups. More patients taking placebo (54 per cent vs 38 per cent) completed the experiment. Three patients stopped mianserin because of drowsiness, but were able to continue on the VLCD alone. Beck rating scores decreased (indicating less depression) in both groups by 50 per cent after eight weeks. With the linear self-rating scale there was no change in the placebo group but the mianserin group reported feeling less depressed (P less than 0.001). No significant changes were observed in ECG and routine clinical and laboratory tests. It is concluded that VLCD can be a safe and acceptable means of achieving substantial weight loss over several months. Patients do not become more depressed during treatment and there is no clinical advantage to be gained by the routine additional use of low doses of mianserin.
The M protein of avian, but not human, strains of influenza A viruses is synthesized in infected chicken erythrocytes. In dual infections an avian strain complemented the human virus and both the human and avian M proteins were expressed.
Two cases of corticosterone-secreting adrenal adenomata are reported. Both patients were middle-aged females in whom the clinical course spanned several years before the diagnosis was made. Severe hypertension and recurrent hypokalaemia refractory to standard treatments were outstanding features. The importance of measuring the production rates of all mineralocorticoids when a tumour is suspected is emphasized by Case 1 where the production rate of corticosterone alone was elevated. Bilateral renal artery stenosis was responsible for unsuppressed plasma renin activity in Case 2.
Chicken erythrocytes can be infected by the fowl plague (Rostock) strain (FP/R) of influenza type A, Newcastle disease virus (NDV), and Semliki Forest virus (SFV). Only NDV and SFV produced infectious progeny, albeit at low levels. Infection by FP/R was monitored by de novo synthesis of viral proteins, and the proteins synthesized could be identified by comparison with infected chicken fibroblast cells. FP/R synthesized far greater amounts of viral protein than did NDV or SFV.
The authors collected detailed histories of illicit drug use in the Army in individual interviews with a stratified random sample of 262 enlisted men at six military posts across the United States. Approximately half of the sample (N equals 128) were classified as drug users; 90 of these individuals were identified as career multiple-drug users. Most of these subjects used a variety of drugs in frequently changing patterns. The authors emphasize the individualistic nature of drug use and question the appropriateness of an addiction model for most users of illicit drugs.
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Problems of substance abuse damage the well-being of many workers and drain substantial resources from the organization. While companies have adopted drug testing to screen out drug users and employee assistance programs to provide services to troubled workers, serious substance abuse prevention strategies have been virtually ignored. The authors describe some of the obstacles to implementing substance abuse programs. Attempts to integrate these programs into worksite health promotion are described and a model for a health-oriented substance abuse program is presented.