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Biomedical subjects

R Good

Publications and source records attributed to R Good.

At least 19 recordsLinked to original sources

Descriptive and surveillance studies of suppliers to New York and New Jersey retail live-bird markets.

Low pathogenicity avian influenza virus (AIV) H7N2 has been isolated since 1994 from retail live-bird markets (LBMs) in the northeastern United States. This study examines the suppliers to the LBMs in New York and New Jersey. In 2001, 185 supplier premises in nine states were surveyed for the presence of AIV by virus isolation (VI) in embryonating chicken eggs. No H7 or H5 virus was isolated. In addition, 104 producer premises in two states were serologically negative for H7 and H5 AIV. Information on management practices was obtained via questionnaire for 191 premises in 12 states. The survey results suggest that current biosecurity practices at supplier premises could be improved, especially regarding movement of birds. The study supports the hypothesis that H7N2 AIV is primarily maintained within the LBMs and, if reintroduction from suppliers is occurring, it is likely reintroduced at a very low level or from suppliers not included in this study.

Animals↗

Epidemiologic and surveillance studies on avian influenza in live-bird markets in New York and New Jersey, 2001.

In 2001, all 109 retail live-bird markets (LBMs) in New York and New Jersey were surveyed for the presence of avian influenza virus (AIV) by a real time reverse transcriptase/polymer chain reaction assay (RRT/PCR) and results compared to virus isolation (VI) in embryonating chicken eggs. The RRT/PCR had a 91.9% sensitivity and 97.9% specificity in detecting presence of AIV at the market level. However, the sensitivity at the sample level is 65.87%. The RRT/PCR is a reliable method to identify AIV at the market level. In addition, a cross-sectional epidemiologic study of the LBMs showed that, during the past 12 months, markets that were open 7 days per week and those that also sold rabbits had the highest risk for being positive for AIV. Markets that were closed one or more days per week and those that performed daily cleaning and disinfecting had the lowest risk for being AIV positive.

Animals↗

Environmental water in a regulated river system: the Murrumbidgee River planning approach to the determination of environmental needs.

The major platform of the Council of Australian Governments (COAG) water reform program is the equitable and sustainable sharing of surface and groundwater resources between the environment and consumptive water users. In the regulated section of the Murrumbidgee River below Burrinjuck Dam, approximately 2,800 GL of the available surface water (4,300 GL) is diverted or extracted for irrigation uses in the Murrumbidgee Irrigation Area and Districts, and in the Coleambally Irrigation Area. Environmental flow rules have been developed for the Murrumbidgee which provide for an allocation of water to the environment but on the basis of no more than a 10% impact on farm-gate income of irrigation farmers. This provision limits the volume of water that can be used for environmental purposes, so the most effective use must be made of it. To identify and quantify the benefits to the environment of this limited additional volume of water and to determine the most effective use of the water, an "environmental spreadsheet matrix" has been developed. This paper outlines the development and use of the matrix in the planned implementation of flow regimes appropriate to the protection and enhancement of riparian and aquatic ecosystems and ecological processes.

Australia↗

Nonresective treatment of pineoblastoma: a case report.

BACKGROUND: Stereotactic biopsy followed by cytoreductive surgery and/or radiation are the standard treatment for pineoblastoma. We are reporting a patient with a relatively large pineoblastoma, who was treated with a combination of nonresective treatment modalities. METHOD: The patient is a 20-year-old woman who presented with signs and symptoms of raised intracranial pressure. Magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) showed a large tumor in the pineal region and hydrocephalus. She was emergently treated by placement of a ventriculoperitoneal shunt. Three days later she underwent a stereotactic biopsy, which showed the tumor to be pineoblastoma. She was then further treated with the following treatment modalities: permanent implantation of high activity I125 seeds, external radiation, and chemotherapy. RESULTS: At 10 months' follow-up, MRI showed complete disappearance of the tumor. At 18 months' follow-up, the patient is asymptomatic, neurologically intact, and her MRI scans show no evidence of intracranial or intraspinal tumor. CONCLUSIONS: Though the follow-up is relatively short, the results of the nonresective approach in this patient have been excellent.

Adult↗

Protein phosphorylation in intact superior cervical ganglion during regeneration.

The incorporation of radioactive phosphate into proteins of both normal and regenerating superior cervical ganglion nerve of the rat is reported. Incorporation studies carried out by in vitro and in vivo methods are compared. In the in vitro method, excised intact ganglia or their homogenates were incubated in the presence of inorganic phosphate or ATP, respectively, under various conditions. Proteins were analyzed by gel electrophoresis followed by autoradiography, in which quantitative but not qualitative differences between regenerating and control cases were apparent. In the in vivo procedure, inorganic phosphate was injected into the living animal 4 h before removal of ganglia. At least fivefold more proteins became labeled in vivo than in vitro, whereas no similarity in the pattern of labeling between the two methods was observed. For example, the most heavily labeled protein in the in vivo method, tentatively identified as microtubule-associated protein-2, was not detected on autoradiograms of proteins labeled by the in vitro method. In this latter method, an 85-kDa species and growth-associated protein-43 were always labeled, and the extent of their phosphorylation was enhanced by the additional presence of phosphatidylserine and Ca2+, a result indicating that these labeled species are substrates of protein kinase C. The in vitro conditions also led to the labeling of proteins identified as alpha- and beta-tubulin. Comparison of the methods suggests that removal of the ganglion interferes with the function of protein phosphorylation systems and that this effect involves elements of the cytoskeleton.

Adenosine Triphosphate↗

Phosphorylation of superior cervical ganglion proteins during regeneration.

The incorporation of radioactive phosphate into proteins of both normal and regenerating ganglia of the sympathetic nervous system of the rat is reported. The incorporation reactions were carried out in vitro by incubating homogenates of excised ganglia with [gamma-32P]ATP under various conditions. It was found that incorporation of phosphate into proteins of regenerating ganglia in the molecular mass range 10,000-100,000 daltons increased up to 40% over incorporation into proteins from control ganglia during the first 3 days following injury and returned to control levels after 14 days. Analysis of the proteins by two-dimensional electrophoresis revealed that only few, i.e., less than 20, became radioactively labelled in homogenates of superior cervical ganglia in the presence of Ca2+, and even fewer in the presence of cyclic AMP. Furthermore, all these proteins fell within a narrow pI range of 4-6. The growth-associated protein, variously designated GAP-43, B-50, F-1, and pp46, has an enhanced level of expression and phosphorylation in regenerating ganglia compared with controls at day 3. Injury also caused consistently higher levels of incorporation into two other proteins with molecular masses at positions 55,000 and 85,000 and pI values of 5.1 and 4.5, respectively; the former protein most probably is beta-tubulin. The fact that both proteins are found in the 15,000 g pellet after the tissue has been solubilized in 0.5% nonionic detergent indicates that they may indeed by components of filament assemblies. Thus, the results suggest that protein phosphorylation is a mechanism involved in cytoskeletal function in regenerating nerve.

Adenosine Triphosphate↗

Determination of D-sorbitol in human erythrocytes by an improved enzymatic method with fluorometric detection.

In this enzymatic method to analyze erythrocytes for D-sorbitol, the erythrocytes were separated from plasma by centrifugation, washed with isotonic saline (9 g/L NaCl), then diluted threefold with more saline. We lysed 1.5 mL of the diluted erythrocytes with chloroform and precipitated the protein with 58 g/L HClO4 solution. The resulting supernates were mixed with buffer, NAD+, and sorbitol dehydrogenase (EC 1.1.1.14). For standards, we added sorbitol to the erythrocytes before lysing. After 25 min of incubation at 37 degrees C, the fluorescence responses were recorded. Results for sorbitol were corrected for sample-blank and enzyme fluorescence, and were then normalized for hemoglobin content. Response was linear for a sorbitol concentration range of 1 to 30 mumol/L. Reproducibility was good, with an average CV of 2.5% at 10 mumol/L. Results for healthy individuals and diabetic patients are presented.

Blood Glucose↗

Spontaneous and concanavalin A induced suppressor cell activity in patients undergoing bone marrow transplantation: relationship with acute and chronic graft versus host disease.

Peripheral blood mononuclear cells from 23 patients with acute lymphoblastic leukemia (ALL), acute myeloid leukemia (AML) or aplastic anemia (AA) undergoing allogeneic bone marrow transplantation were examined for spontaneous and Concanavalin A (Con-A)-induced suppressor activities against proliferative response of autologous or allogeneic responder lymphocytes to phytohemagglutinin (PHA) and for its relationship with acute or chronic graft-versus host disease (GVHD). Patients who developed acute GVHD had increased spontaneous and deficient Con A-induced suppressor cell activity, whereas patients who developed chronic GVHD or had no evidence of GVHD had both spontaneous and Con A-induced suppressor cell activity essentially similar to that of healthy controls. The nature of underlying disease (ALL v. AML v. AA) had no relationship with the abnormal suppressor functions. Depletion of adherent monocytes from mononuclear cells from a patient with acute GVHD and deficient Con A-induced suppressor function, restored the suppressor function, demonstrating the role of monocytes for deficient Con A suppressor function in some patients with acute GVHD. Additional mechanisms of abnormal immunoregulatory functions in bone marrow transplant recipients are discussed.

Adolescent↗

Reduced capacity for DNA repair synthesis in patients with or genetically predisposed to colorectal cancer.

Peripheral resting mononuclear leukocytes were compared for their capacities to repair DNA lesions induced by a 1-hour exposure to a standardized 10-microM dose of N-acetoxy-N-2-fluorenylacetamide (N-AcO-2-FAA). Leukocytes from the following 3 groups were studied: 39 control subjects, 40 patients after colonic resection because of colorectal cancer (disease-free at the time of this study), and 28 individuals with a hereditary predisposition to colorectal cancer. Although the level of N-AcO-2-FAA that bound to mononuclear leukocyte DNA was the same for the various population groups, the level of N-AcO-2-FAA-induced unscheduled DNA synthesis (UDS) was significantly reduced in the mononuclear leukocytes of individuals who had had colorectal cancer or a genetic predisposition for the disease. These findings indicate that a deficiency in mononuclear leukocyte DNA repair synthesis is associated with the development of colorectal cancer in these populations. Our observation of this nonspecific UDS deficiency (relating to colorectal cancer) was not explained by experimental variations among the sampled groups with regard to individual differences in lymphocyte heterogeneity, age, sex, smoking habits, or blood pressure.

Acetoxyacetylaminofluorene↗

Symptoms of rectosigmoid carcinoma.

The presenting symptoms of 167 patients with carcinoma of the rectum, sigmoid, and rectosigmoid were reviewed. The earliest symptom was a change in bowel habits and the most frequent symptom was visible blood in the stool followed by a change in bowel habits. The duration of symptoms was not related to survival or the stage of tumor found during surgery.

Abdomen↗

Homicide by use of a pellet gun.

This report relates the findings in a death by use of an air gun. It is believed to be the second reported homicidal air gun death in the United States. The fatal wound was unusual in that two pellets were loaded in "piggyback" fashion into the single shot .20 caliber Sheridan air gun. The lethal pellet penetrated the brain. Current literature on air gun deaths and injuries is reviewed.

Autopsy↗

Attitudes and perceptions of perinatal concepts during pregnancy in women from three cultures.

Interviewed Black-American, White-Anglo, and Cuban-Hispanic women (N = 126) during pregnancy and the puerperium in a longitudinal study of perinatal attitudes. Cultural differences emerged for the attitude toward Pregnancy, and differences across time emerged for the perception of activity of Unborn (Newborn) Baby. Such cultural and psychological factors need to be considered in the development of comprehensive prenatal care programs.

Attitude to Health↗

In vitro and in vivo reactivity and specificity of fractions from sonicates of Mycobacterium tuberculosis separated by gradient acrylamide gel electrophoresis.

Fractions of cell sonicates from the H37Rv strain of Mycobacterium tuberculosis prepared by gradient acrylamide gel electrophoresis (GAGE) were examined by immunoelectrophoretic analysis and tested for biologic reactivity and antigenic specificity. Each was tested for the ability to elicit delayed type hypersensitivity reactions in the skin of guinea pigs sensitized with M. tuberculosis, M. kansasii, M. intracellulare (Battey), M. scrofulaceum (Gause), and M. fortuitum. Peripheral lymphocytes from persons infected with mycobacteria were also exposed to fractions, and the increase in [3H]thymidine incorporation into DNA was used as an index of stimulation (lymphocyte transformation). Only 4 fractions (6, 11, 12, and 16) were found to be significantly more specific than the unfractionated sonicate, and none was monospecific for M. tuberculosis. The results of fused rocket immunoelectrophoresis suggested that incomplete separation of antigens and/or shared group-specific multideterminant antigens may have accounted for the observed cross-reactions.

Animals↗

Aplastic anaemia: Evidence for an immunological mechanism.

The soft agar culture assay (C.F.U.-C) has been used in vitro as a measure of haemopoietic capacity of bone-marrow. In a patient with aplastic anaemia pretreatment of the patient's bone-marrow with horse anti-human-thymocyte globulin and complement (A.T.G. + C) prior to culture led to a dramatic increase in ability to form colonies in the soft agar assay; and co-culturing marrow from a normal donor and from the patient resulted in a distinct reduction in the number of expected C.F.U.-C. These findings point ot an immunological or autoimmune mechanism in this patient by selective destruction of the suppressing cells in the patient's marrow with A.T.G. and by suppression of normal myelopoiesis following addition of the patient's marrow to normal marrow.

Adult↗