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Biomedical subjects

S Sperry

Publications and source records attributed to S Sperry.

12 recordsLinked to original sources
PubMed1998

Dihydrotubastrines: phenethylguanidine analogues from the Indo-Pacific marine sponge Petrosia cf. contignata.

Two phenethylguanidine derivatives, 7,8-dihydrotubastrine (1) and 4-deoxy-7,8-dihydrotubastrine (2), along with the sterol xestobergsterol A (3), were isolated from the marine sponge Petrosia cf. contignata. The structures of the new natural products 1 and 2 were based on spectroscopic data and comparison to the literature properties for semisynthetic 1. This is the first example from this compound class with a saturated acyclic C2 unit.

Animals↗
PubMed1998

Isolation and cytotoxic evaluation of marine sponge-derived norterpene peroxides.

The marine sponge Diacarnus cf. spinopoculum has provided a series of norterpenes, including five new compounds (7-11), two new ent-compounds [(-)-1a and (+)-1b], and three known compounds (2a, 2b, and 12). Eight of these compounds represent additional examples of the muqubilin/sigmosceptrellin classes (norsesterterpene peroxides) or the nuapapuin class (norditerpene peroxides). Also isolated were dinorditerpenones 11 and 12, which are biosynthetically related to the muqubilin/sigmosceptrellin structure classes. In all, 11 compounds were evaluated for their cytotoxic properties using a soft agar assay system and the NCI's 60 cell-line screen. Compounds without peroxide functionality were inactive. Overall, the norsesterterpene peroxides were less selective as cytotoxins than norditerpene peroxide analogues. Two compounds, nuapapuin A methyl ester (3) and nuapapuin B (7), which were somewhat selective in their cytotoxic behavior, were selected for further in vivo evaluation.

Animals↗
PubMed1998

The psychological refractory period: evidence for age differences in attentional time-sharing.

The authors report 2 psychological refractory period (PRP) experiments in which the stimulus onset asynchrony (SOA) between Task 1 and Task 2 was 150 ms, 250 ms, 600 ms, and 1,100 ms for both younger and older adults. H. Pashler's (1994a) response-selection bottleneck theory predicts that SOA manipulations should not affect Task 1 performance, but that reaction time (RT) for Task 2 should increase as the SOA between the 2 tasks decreases (i.e., the classical PRP effect). In Experiment 1 (Task 1 = tone discrimination, Task 2 = dot location), older adults showed a larger PRP effect than younger adults did, although Task 1 RT was affected by SOA, suggesting that participants were grouping their responses on some trials. That is, participants were holding their response for Task 1 until they had completed processing Task 2, and then they responded to both tasks almost simultaneously. However, a subset of participants (11 younger adults and 11 older adults) who showed no evidence of response grouping on Task 1 continued to show a larger PRP effect for older adults on Task 2. In Experiment 2 (Task 1 = dot location, Task 2 = simultaneous letter matching), older adults continued to show a larger PRP effect than younger adults for Task 2, and Task 1 performance was unaffected by SOA. Consequently, these experiments provide evidence that older adults (relative to younger adults) exhibit a decrement in time-sharing at the response-selection stage of processing. These results suggest that attentional time-sharing needs to be added to the list of topics examined in aging research on varieties of attention.

Adult↗
PubMed1997

Haliclostanone sulfate and halistanol sulfate from an Indo-Pacific Haliclona sponge.

Two steroids, haliclostanone sulfate (1) and halistanol sulfate (3), were isolated from a Haliclona sp. marine sponge. The structure of the new compound 1 was established based on its spectroscopic data and the properties of a pentaacetate derivative 2. Compound 1 is unique in that it possesses the rare cis C/D ring junction precedented only in marine sterols, contignasterol (4) and xestobergsterols A (5), B (6), and C (7).

Animals↗
PubMed1993

The National Survey of Family Growth, Cycle IV, evaluation of linked design.

Research was undertaken to quantify the effects of costs of alternative methods for selecting sample women for the National Survey of Family Growth (NSFG) from the National Health Interview Survey (NHIS). This report presents estimates of the effects of alternative design options, obtained by statistical modeling techniques, for linking the NSFG with the NHIS; the cost data and the statistical precision of estimates were based on data from the NSFG, Cycle IV. The estimated survey costs and projected response rates for alternative linked design options and for the unlinked design are compared for fixed precision. The findings confirm that substantial gains in the NSFG design efficiency were obtained by linking the NSFG sample design to that of the NHIS.

Adolescent↗
PubMed1992

Cancer incidence and survival among American Indians registered for Indian health service care in Montana, 1982-1987.

BACKGROUND: Cancer incidence and cancer survival estimates in American Indians are quite limited. PURPOSE: Our purpose was to estimate cancer incidence and survival in American Indians who were registered for Indian Health Service (IHS) care in Montana. METHODS: We linked databases from the IHS and the Montana Central Tumor Registry (MCTR) to ascertain cases for the time period from January 1, 1982, through December 31, 1987. To calculate survival rates, we used a relative survival method that incorporated age-specific risks for noncancer deaths among American Indians. RESULTS: We identified 344 cases that were compatible with the National Cancer Institute (Surveillance, Epidemiology, and End Results Program) surveillance definition of cancer. Of these cases, 249 (72%) were listed in both the MCTR and the IHS databases; 56 (16%) and 39 (11%) were listed in only the MCTR or the IHS database, respectively. Compared with the overall cancer incidence in U.S. White men, the overall cancer incidence in Montana American Indian men was markedly lower, as was the incidence for colorectal and bladder cancers and for non-Hodgkin's lymphoma. The overall cancer incidence for Montana American Indian women differed less markedly, however, from the overall incidence in U.S. White women. Compared with the cancer incidence in U.S. White women, the incidence in Montana American Indian women was significantly higher for cervical cancer but was significantly lower for colorectal, breast, and uterine cancers. Survival rates from cancer were also examined for the first time in this population. For those sites examined, the survival rates were much lower in Montana American Indians than in U.S. Whites. CONCLUSIONS: We conclude that it is feasible to develop state-specific cancer incidence and survival estimates for American Indians in at least some states in different regions of the United States. Collaboration between the IHS and a state tumor registry is likely to improve the case ascertainment achieved by either agency alone.

Female↗
PubMed1979

The CSF-FTA test and the significance of blood contamination.

Although the fluorescent treponemal antibody absorption (FTA-ABS) test has found wide application in the diagnosis of syphilis, the cerebrospinal fluid fluorescent treponemal antibody (CSF-FTA) test is still controversial in the diagnosis of neurosyphilis. We found the CSF-FTA test extremely sensitive to contamination with FTA-ABS-reactive blood at concentrations in CSF that could not be detected by visual inspection. Interpretation of a reactive test should be made with caution if red cells are present in CSF.

Adult↗
PubMed1978

Bell's palsy and secondary syphilis: CSF spirochetes detected by immunofluorescence.

Although Bell's palsy is usually idiopathic, occasional cases may have an identifiable infectious cause. When facial paralysis results from syphilis, it usually develops during the tertiary meningovascular stage. We report a 30-year-old man with secondary syphilis who developed facial paralysis associated with acute syphilitic meningitis. Spirochetes were identified in the cerebrospinal fluid by immunofluorescence using standard reagents from the fluorescent treponemal antibody absorption (FTA-ABS) test. Patients with Bell's palsy should be screened for syphilis with a blood FTA-ABS test, and treatment with corticosteroids should be considered only after an infectious cause has been excluded.

Adult↗
PubMedDate not supplied

Outcomes of a pneumonia critical path.

Research outcomes of a pneumonia critical path for 73 patients in a metropolitan New York City hospital were analyzed. The positive outcomes included a decreased length of stay, decreased hospital charges, and improved multidisciplinary documentation.

Adult↗