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Biomedical subjects

R S Watson

Publications and source records attributed to R S Watson.

15 recordsLinked to original sources
PubMed2001

Cervical spine injuries among submersion victims.

BACKGROUND: Submersion victims are frequently considered at high risk for cervical spine (C-spine) injury regardless of whether they sustain a traumatic injury. We hypothesized that C-spine injury is unlikely in submersion victims who do not sustain high-impact injuries. METHODS: The study was a cohort study of all people who submerged between January 1974 and July 1996 and received medical care or were seen by the medical examiner in King, Pierce, and Snohomish counties in Washington State. RESULTS: Eleven (0.5%) of 2,244 submersion victims had C-spine injuries. All 11 had submerged in open bodies of water; had clinical signs of serious injury; and had a history of diving, motorized vehicle crash, or fall from height. No C-spine injuries occurred in 880 low-impact submersions. CONCLUSION: Submersion victims are at risk for C-spine injury only if they have also sustained a traumatic injury. Routine C-spine immobilization does not appear to be warranted solely on the basis of a history of submersion.

Adolescent↗
PubMed1990

Cellular processing of the interleukin-2 fusion toxin DAB486-IL-2 and efficient delivery of diphtheria fragment A to the cytosol of target cells requires Arg194.

We have used site-directed mutagenesis to examine the role played by Arg191, Arg193, and Arg194 of the fusion toxin DAB486-IL-2 in the intoxication of high affinity interleukin-2 receptor-bearing T-lymphocytes. These arginine residues are positioned in the proteolytically sensitive 14-amino acid loop subtended by the disulfide bond between Cys187 and Cys202 in this fusion toxin. DAB486-IL-2 was formed by the genetic substitution of the native diphtheria toxin receptor binding domain with human interleukin-2 (Williams, D.P., Parker, K., Bacha, P., Bishai, W., Borowski, M., Genbauffe, F., Strom, T.B., and Murphy, J.R. (1987) Protein Eng. 1, 493-498). We demonstrate that substitution of Arg194 with Gly results in a 1000-fold loss of DAB486-IL-2 potency. Since trypsin "nicking" of the Gly194 mutant restores biologic activity, we conclude that Arg194 is required for the cellular processing of the fusion toxin which results in the release of fragment A into the cytosol.

Animals↗
PubMed1976

The effects gastrin on neuromuscular activity.

The effect of Pure Synthetic Human Gastrin-l (SHG-1) on the neuromuscular junction was studied using a rat phrenic nerve-hemidiaphragm preparation in an isolated organ bath connected to a four-channelled Physiograph recorder. It was found that Pure Synthetic human Gastrin-1 increased the skeletal muscular activity, with a mean rise of 15%/ (S.D. +/- 5.0) and N=10 x 10 for each figure. This action was found to be sustained for at least 60 minutes in all the experiments, and in this respect was different from the effect of potassium chloride on skeletal muscular activity. This new action of Gastrin has not been reported before, and further investigations are going on to elucidate the details of the mechanism of this action. We think that this action of gastrin will be found to be of great clinical significance.

Animals↗
PubMed1976

Taste sensitivity to phenylthiocarbamide in non-goitrous and goitrous Nigerians.

Taste sensitivity to phenylthiocarbamide is thought to reflect a genotype homozygous for a single recessive gene. European and North American populations show a mean non-taster frequency of about 30% whereas Mongoloid populations show a much lower frequency of non-tasters. In the present study of Nigerians, there were mean non-taster frequencies of 1.9-2.9% among healthy subjects and not a significantly different level, 3.5%, among goitrous ones. Among subjects with nodular goiter, however, the non-taster frequency was 18.7%, significantly higher. The results suggest that there is a rarity of non-tasters among Nigerians and that non-tasters are more susceptible to the development of nodular goiter than are tasters.

Adult↗
PubMed1976

Casual blood pressures and their possible relation to age, body weight, Quetelet's index, serum cholesterol, percentage of body fat and mid-arm muscle circumference in three groups of northern Nigerian residents.

Blood pressures were determined for rural outpatients, soldiers and university students. There was no consistent change of systolic blood pressure with age until the sixth decade but even here, the rise could be due to the inclusion of a relatively high number of hypertensive subjects in the sample mean. Diastolic blood pressures show a steady rise with age consistent with the decreased elasticity of arteries with age. Diastolic pressures are remarkably low and probably reflect a general vasodilation necessitated by the hot day-time temperatures of this environment to facilitate heat loss and maintain body temperature. Dietary and psychological influences may also be involved. Pulse pressures are predictably high and decrease with age. Hypertension was observed in many groups although totally absent in some. Body weight significantly correlates with systolic and diastolic pressures in 13-19-year old adolescents probably because during this period of rapid growth blood pressure changes parallel changes in body build. In most other groups blood pressures show no consistent relationship with either body weight, Quetelet's index, mid-arm muscle circumference, serum cholesterol or percentage of body fat.

Adolescent↗
PubMed1975

Anthropometric measurements and amounts of body fat and serum cholesterol in samples of three Nigerian populations.

1. Skinfold thicknesses, arm circumferences, heights, weights and serum cholesterol levels were determined in ninety-one university students, 207 soldiers and 102 out-patients, all male subjects. Some of these measurements were used to determine the amount of body fat, Quetelet's index and mid-arm muscle circumference. 2. Quetelet's indices and body-fat values obtained were similar to previously reported values for lean or moderately built males. 3. Serum cholesterol levels were generally low, with means ranging from 3-98 mmol/l for 18-to 29-year-old students to 5-19 mmol/l for 40- to 69-year-old out-patients. 4. The mean values for triceps skinfold thickness, the amount of body fat and serum cholesterol levels for healthy adults obtained in this study are probably normal for northern Nigerian populations. 5. There was a significant correlation between the amount of body fat and values for triceps and subscapular skinfold thicknesses, Quetelet's index and body-weight for all adults. The correlation between muscle circumference and the amount of body fat was significant for all subjects except adult soldiers.

Adolescent↗
PubMed1975

Some blood indices in three groups of Nigerians and in very severe but ambulatory cases of anaemia.

This study determined the haemoglobin concentrations, packed cell volumes and mean corpuscular haemoglobin concentrations of healthy students and soldiers as well as "non-anaemic" outpatients. The same indices were also determined in small groups of moderately and severely anaemic but fully ambulatory outpatients. On the basis of the haemoglobin values most commonly observed in healthy male subjects it is suggested that the usual or "normal" haemoglobin concentration of a healthy male adult averages 14-7 gm. per cent; the packed cell volume averages 44 per cent and the mean corpuscular haemoglobin concentration averages 32-6 per cent. It is further suggested that subjects with haemoglobin values less than 11-0 gm. per cent (75 per cent of normal average) should probably be sent for further haematological investigations because such persons are probably anaemic. This study also reports some startlingly low haemoglobin values in fully ambulatory outpatients. There tended to be a compensatory rise in pulse rates as the degree of severity of anaemia increased.

Adolescent↗
PubMed1974

Body build, serum cholesterol and percentages of body fat in some male Nigerians. A contribution to the establishment of norms.

Heights and weights were measured and Quetelet's indices calculated for 402 subjects among whom were university students, local soldiers and outpatients of a rural hospital. Serum cholesterol and percentages of body fat as calculated from the sum of four skinfold thicknesses were also determined. Heights, and weights and Quetelet's indices of these mostly Northern Nigerian subjects fit a generally slim body build comparable to that of lean populations of other parts of the world. The subjects have generally low mean serum cholesterol levels of 152.1 mg% in the students, 189.9 mg% in soldiers and 188.4 mg% in outpatients. Mean percentage body fat values are also generally low ranging from 12.6% in soldiers through 12.4% in students to 11.2% in outpatients. The rather low serum cholesterol values obtained here along with the generally low values of percentage body fat suggest that our subjects may have a low risk of development coronary diseases in later years.

Adipose Tissue↗