Showing papers by "Medical University of South Carolina published in 1995"
TL;DR: Cushion formation is restricted to the AV canal and ventricular outflow tract regions of the primary heart tube, which may imply that the iv and inv genes and retinoic acid are important for the proper patterning of the heart.
Abstract: The majority of congenital heart defects arise from abnormal development of valvuloseptal tissue. The primordia of the valve leaflets and membranous septa of the heart are the cardiac cushions. Remodeling of the cushions is associated with a transitional extracellular matrix that includes sulfated proteoglycans and the microfibrillar proteins fibulin and fibrillin. Cushion formation is restricted to the AV canal and ventricular outflow tract regions of the primary heart tube. The proper placement of the cushions may be the result of the development of the primary heart tube as a segmented organ, as well as the subsequent looping of the heart. Segmentation of the heart tube may be demonstrated by the alternating molecular expression pattern along the longitudinal axis. In support of this hypothesis is the restricted expression of BMP-4 and msx-2 to the AV canal and ventricular outflow tract. The importance of looping for cushion positioning may imply that the iv and inv genes and retinoic acid are important for the proper patterning of the heart. The cells of the cushions evolve from endocardial cells that undergo an epithelial-to-mesenchymal transformation. This developmental event is regulated by the myocardium and is probably due to the production of protein complexes, present within the cardiac jelly of the cushion-forming regions, that consist of fibronectin and the ES proteins. Both the cushion mesenchyme and its endocardial cell antecedents express JB3, an ECM protein. JB3 expression is also featured within the heart-forming fields of the primary mesoderm, from which the endocardial progenitors of the cushion cells originate.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)
629 citations
TL;DR: Initial results indicate that the OCDS seems to validly measure a dimension of alcohol dependence, because it decreased from baseline during alcohol reduction and increased in relationship to relapse drinking.
Abstract: It has been suggested that a crucial dimension of alcohol "craving" includes the concept of both obsessive thoughts about alcohol use and compulsive behaviors toward drinking. An interview-based rating scale, the Yale-Brown Obsessive Compulsive Scale-heavy drinkers (YBOCS-hd), has been found useful in quantifying this concept in alcohol-dependent individuals. A self-rating scale, the Obsessive Compulsive Drinking Scale (OCDS) has been developed by us as a modification of the YBOCS-hd. The YBOCS-hd showed excellent interrater reliability in our hands. The correlation between the YBOCS-hd and the OCDS total scores obtained on 60 alcohol-dependent individuals was 0.83. The test-retest correlation for the OCDS total score was 0.96, and the obsessive and compulsive subscales test-retest correlations were 0.94 and 0.86, respectively. The internal consistency of the items in the OCDS was high (0.86) and did not improve significantly with removal of individual items. The shared variance between the OCDS scores and alcohol consumption during the period of evaluation was only approximately 20%, indicating that the dimension measured by the scale was somewhat independent of actual drinking. As such, it might act as an independent measure of the "state of illness" for alcohol-dependent individuals. When used during a prospective 12-week treatment research study, initial results indicate that the OCDS seems to validly measure a dimension of alcohol dependence, because it decreased from baseline during alcohol reduction and increased in relationship to relapse drinking.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)
621 citations
Children's Hospital Oakland1, University of Washington2, Children's Hospital Oakland Research Institute3, University of California, San Francisco4, University of Illinois at Chicago5, University of Miami6, Medical University of South Carolina7, Boston Children's Hospital8, University of Mississippi9
TL;DR: A conservative transfusion regimen was as effective as an aggressive regimen in preventing perioperative complications in patients with sickle cell anemia, and the conservative approach resulted in only half as many transfusion-associated complications.
Abstract: Background Preoperative transfusions are frequently given to prevent perioperative morbidity in patients with sickle cell anemia. There is no consensus, however, on the best regimen of transfusions for this purpose. Methods We conducted a multicenter study to compare the rates of perioperative complications among patients randomly assigned to receive either an aggressive transfusion regimen designed to decrease the hemoglobin S level to less than 30 percent (group 1) or a conservative regimen designed to increase the hemoglobin level to 10 g per deciliter (group 2). Results Patients undergoing a total of 604 operations were randomly assigned to group 1 or group 2. The severity of the disease, compliance with the protocol, and the types of operations were similar in the two groups. The preoperative hemoglobin level was 11 g per deciliter in group 1 and 10.6 g per deciliter in group 2. The preoperative value for hemoglobin S was 31 percent in group 1 and 59 percent in group 2. The most frequent operations w...
577 citations
TL;DR: Current knowledge of IgY structure, function and expression is reviewed in the context of the evolutionary role of this primitive immunoglobulin.
507 citations
TL;DR: It is concluded that previous traumatization may attenuate the acute cortisol response to trauma and development of rape-related post-traumatic stress disorder.
Abstract: Objective The authors examined the relationships among history of previous assault, severity of rape, acute plasma cortisol level after rape, and development of rape-related post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD). Method Blood samples were drawn from 37 adult female rape victims within 51 hours after they had been raped. The subjects were assessed for history of previous assault and for the presence of PTSD 17-157 days (mean = 90 days) after the rape. Results Women with a history of previous assault had a lower mean acute cortisol level after the rape but a higher probability of subsequently developing PTSD. A significant interaction between history of previous assault and the severity of the index rape was observed: only women who had never been assaulted before had higher cortisol levels following high-severity rapes (those which included injury or multiple types of penetration) than low-severity rapes. Conclusions The authors conclude that previous traumatization may attenuate the acute cortisol response to trauma.
420 citations
TL;DR: Comparing coronary risk factors in a randomly selected group of migrants from the Indian subcontinent of Punjabi origin living in West London and 117 of their siblings living in the Punjab in India found increases in serum cholesterol after migration from India lead to increased coronary risk conferred by high serum lipoprotein concentrations and greater insulin resistance.
389 citations
TL;DR: Alendronate, a potent inhibitor of bone resorption, reduces markers of bone remodeling and significantly increases BMD at the lumbar spine, hip, and total body, and is well tolerated at therapeutic doses in the treatment of osteoporosis in postmenopausal women.
355 citations
TL;DR: Observations show that exogenous VEGF has an impact on the behavior of primordial endothelial cells engaged in vasculogenesis, and they strongly suggest that endogenous V EGF is important in vascular patterning and regulation of vessel size (lumen formation).
Abstract: Vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF) is a potent and specific endothelial mitogen that is able to induce angiogenesis in vivo [Leung, D. W., Cachianes, G., Kuang, W.-J., Goeddel, D. V. & Ferrara, N. (1989) Science 246 1306-1309]. To determine if VEGF also influences the behavior of primordial endothelial cells, we used an in vivo vascular assay based on the de novo formation of vessels. Japanese quail embryos injected with nanomolar quantities of the 165-residue form of VEGF at the onset of vasculogenesis exhibited profoundly altered vessel development. In fact, the overall patterning of the vascular network was abnormal in all VEGF-injected embryos. The malformations were attributable to two specific endothelial cell activities: (i) inappropriate neovascularization in normally avascular areas and (ii) the unregulated, excessive fusion of vessels. In the first instance, supernumerary vessels directly linked the inflow channel of the heart to the aortic outflow channel. The second aberrant activity led to the formation of vessels with abnormally large lumens. Ultimately, unregulated vessel fusion generated massive vascular sacs that obliterated the identity of individual vessels. These observations show that exogenous VEGF has an impact on the behavior of primordial endothelial cells engaged in vasculogenesis, and they strongly suggest that endogenous VEGF is important in vascular patterning and regulation of vessel size (lumen formation).
338 citations
TL;DR: Elderly African Americans were significantly more fatalistic than elderly white participants and less likely to participate in FOBT, and fatalism remained the only significant predictor even when factors such as age, poverty, and education were controlled.
Abstract: The goal of increasing participation in fecal occult blood testing (FOBT) for elderly African Americans is a national priority. Fatalism is believed to be a barrier to screening among this population. Fatalism is the belief that death is inevitable when cancer is present. The Powe Fatalism Model guided this descriptive, correlational study that reports on the relationship between race and fatalism, as well as the relationship between fatalism and participation in FOBT. Participants (N = 192) were recruited from randomly selected congregate meal sites. The majority of participants were African American, female, had minimal education, and minimal incomes. Elderly African Americans were significantly more fatalistic than elderly white participants and less likely to participate in FOBT. Not only was fatalism a significant predictor of FOBT, but it remained the only significant predictor of FOBT, but it remained the only significant predictor even when factors such as age, poverty, and education were controlled. Nursing science must accept the challenges of promptly identifying fatalistic individuals and the development of interventions to counteract its influence.
329 citations
TL;DR: During vasculogenesis ligation of integrin alpha v beta 3 on the surface of primordial endothelial cells is critical for the differentiation and maturation of blood vessels.
Abstract: Experimental data in this study demonstrate that integrin alpha v beta 3 is fundamentally involved in the maturation of blood vessels during embryonic neovascularization (vasculogenesis). Integrin alpha v beta 3 was specifically expressed on the surface of angioblasts during vessel development in quail embryos and vitronectin, a ligand for alpha v beta 3, localized to the basal surface of these cells. More importantly, microinjection of the anti-alpha v beta 3 monoclonal antibody, LM609, disrupted the normal pattern of vascular development. After exposure to LM609 the angioblasts in experimental embryos appeared as clusters of rounded cells lacking normal cellular protrusions. This led to disruption of lumen formation and abnormal vessel patterning. These findings demonstrate that during vasculogenesis ligation of integrin alpha v beta 3 on the surface of primordial endothelial cells is critical for the differentiation and maturation of blood vessels. Similar studies on chicken chorioallantoic membrane showed that LM609 blocks angiogenesis. Together the two studies suggest that integrin alpha v beta 3 plays a role in neovascularization of tissues.
303 citations
TL;DR: Testosterone regulates the expression of platelet TXA2 receptors in humans and may contribute to the thrombogenicity of androgenic steroids.
Abstract: Background The incidence of thrombotic cardiovascular disease is greater in men than in premenopausal women. Testosterone has been implicated as a significant risk factor for cardiovascular disease and for acute myocardial infarctions and strokes in young male athletes who abuse anabolic steroids. Thromboxane A2 (TXA2) is a vasoconstrictor and platelet proaggregatory agent that has been implicated in the pathogenesis of cardiovascular disease. We therefore tested the hypothesis that testosterone regulates the expression of human platelet TXA2 receptors. Methods and Results In a double-blind, placebo-controlled, randomized, parallel-group study, we determined the effects of testosterone cypionate 200 mg IM given twice, 2 weeks apart, or saline placebo in 16 healthy men. Platelet TXA2 receptor density (Bmax) and dissociation constant (Kd) were measured by use of the TXA2 mimetic 125I-BOP. Platelet aggregation responses to I-BOP and to thrombin and plasma testosterone concentrations were measured before trea...
TL;DR: Data indicate that the protection afforded the animals by pretreatment with macrophage modulators was not due to suppression of the formation of NAPQI and hence support the hypothesis that macrophages may contribute directly to acetaminophen hepatotoxicity by an independent mechanism.
TL;DR: The region defined by residues 956 to 982 of adenylyl cyclase 2 may contain determinants important for receiving signals from G beta gamma, which is conserved in regions of potassium channels and beta-adrenergic receptor kinases that participate in G beta Gamma interactions.
Abstract: Receptor-mediated activation of heterotrimeric guanine nucleotide-binding proteins (G proteins) results in the dissociation of alpha from beta gamma subunits, thereby allowing both to regulate effectors. Little is known about the regions of effectors required for recognition of G beta gamma. A peptide encoding residues 956 to 982 of adenylyl cyclase 2 specifically blocked G beta gamma stimulation of adenylyl cyclase 2, phospholipase C-beta 3, potassium channels, and beta-adrenergic receptor kinase as well as inhibition of calmodulin-stimulated adenylyl cyclases, but had no effect on interactions between G beta gamma and G alpha o. Substitutions in this peptide identified a functionally important motif, Gln-X-X-Glu-Arg, that is also conserved in regions of potassium channels and beta-adrenergic receptor kinases that participate in G beta gamma interactions. Thus, the region defined by residues 956 to 982 of adenylyl cyclase 2 may contain determinants important for receiving signals from G beta gamma.
TL;DR: There appears to be an adverse relationship between high levels of exposure to community violence and emotional and conduct problems in children between the ages of 7 and 12 years.
Abstract: OBJECTIVE: To use multiple methods and measures to investigate preliminarily the emotional impact of children's exposure to community violence. METHOD: Thirty-seven schoolchildren between the ages of 7 and 12 years were categorized into groups with "high" or "low" frequency of exposure. RESULTS: Differing levels of exposure to community violence did not appear to have an impact on DSM-III-R diagnoses. Exposure to high levels of community violence was not related to internalizing behavior and disorders, but rather was associated with externalizing behavior. CONCLUSIONS: There appears to be an adverse relationship between high levels of exposure to community violence and emotional and conduct problems. Vicarious learning serves as an explanatory construct for these findings. VioLit summary: OBJECTIVE: The aim of this study by Cooley-Quille et al. was to examine the impact of community violence on children. METHODOLOGY: The authors employed a quasi-experimental, cross-sectional analysis design. Data were collected from 51 children in grades 4-7 attending elementary and middle schools in urban and rural areas in South Carolina. Subjects were categorized according to whether they had been exposed to low or high levels of violence in their communities. The authors reported that this resulted in a subsample of 37 subjects. The authors utilized a variety of measures to determine the effects of community violence on the subjects. These included the Schedule for Affective Disorders and Schizophrenia for School-Age Children Present Episode, a semi-structured clinical interview designed to derive DSM-III-R diagnoses, plus a series of self report measures. Self report instruments included the Children's Depression Inventory (Kovacs, 1985), the Fear Survey Schedule for Children-Revised (Windle & Lerner, unpublished), the Child Behavior Checklist (Achenbach & Edelbrock, 1979), the Family Environment Scale (Moos & Moos, 1974), and the Children's Report of Exposure to Violence (CREV) (Cooley et al., 1995). The authors reported that the CREV was developed to measure children's exposure to community violence. This measure consisted of 32 items. Twenty-nine of these items assessed lifetime frequency of exposure to different forms of community violence (e.g., media, hearsay, direct witness or direct experience of stranger, familiar persons, and self victimization). Violent situations included being chased or threatened, beaten, robbed or mugged, shot, and stabbed or killed. Three additional open-ended questions were directed at eliciting information on violent incidences not previously included in the questionnaire. There was a two week test-retest reliability of r=.75 for the CREV, and cronbach's alpha was .78. Categorization of children's exposure to community violence was achieved by using the upper (high community violence exposure) and lower (low community violence exposure) quartiles of total CREV scores. Twenty-three children from the 37 families were categorized as having experienced high or low exposure to different forms of violence. FINDINGS/DISCUSSION: The authors found that the high exposure group was significantly older than the low exposure group (t[35]=2.54, p High community violence exposure was inversely related to social competence in interpersonal functioning (r=-.53, p=.03). There was an association between externalizing behaviors and reported community violence exposure (r=.44, p=.06). The authors found no significant relationship between low exposure to community violence and emotional distress. The authors discovered that among those children who were administered the Schedule for Affective Disorders and Schizophrenia for School Age Children Present Episode instrument (23 children) only two children who had been exposed to high levels of community violence met diagnostic criteria for psychiatric disorder (e.g., adjustment disorder with depressed mood, simple phobia). Two children in the low violence exposure group also met diagnostic criteria (e.g., attention-deficit hyperactivity disorder, social phobia). The authors concluded that consistent with previous literature, children exposed to high levels of community violence were significantly more likely to exhibit impaired social relationships, increased restlessness and general activity, and some measure of externalized behavior problems. Further, the families of these children were shown to experience higher levels of conflict and lower levels of cohesiveness. AUTHORS' RECOMMENDATIONS: The authors suggested that future research should focus on chronic and severe community violence. Further, clinicians should be concerned about the effects of community violence on children's externalizing problem behavior. (CSPV Abstract - Copyright © 1992-2007 by the Center for the Study and Prevention of Violence, Institute of Behavioral Science, Regents of the University of Colorado) South Carolina Child Witness Exposure to Violence Community Violence Effects Witnessing Community Violence Witnessing Violence Effects Child Adjustment Middle Childhood Late Childhood Elementary School Student Urban Youth Urban Environment Urban Violence Psychological Victimization Effects Language: en
TL;DR: Two preliminary investigations into the pattern of PTSD symptoms in a sample of women seeking treatment for a SUD and comorbid with PTSD were compared and it was determined that the PTSD + SUD group reported greater traumatic-event exposure than the PTSD-only group.
Patent•
20 Apr 1995TL;DR: In this article, an occlusive device for inserting into body cavities or vesicles is described. And the device is typically introduced through a catheter in the substantially linear inoperable configuration, where a plurality of such substantially spherical strand portions nest concentrically with each other in the operable configuration.
Abstract: This invention is an occlusive device for inserting into body cavities or vesicles More particularly, it is a vasoocclusive device which, as used, is in the approximate shape of an anatomical cavity It may be ultimately deployed as a substantially spherical shape in the operable configuration The device is a self-forming shape made from a pre-formed occlusive strand of flexible material The occlusive strand may be helically coiled or braided and may be adapted with various polymeric fibers The device is typically introduced through a catheter in the substantially linear inoperable configuration The invention provides a plurality of such substantially spherical strand portions which nest concentrically with each other in the operable configuration The invention also includes methods of producing and using the substantially spherical vasoocclusive devices
TL;DR: Long-term therapy with interferon gamma in patients with osteopetrosis increases bone resorption and hematopoiesis and improves leukocyte function.
Abstract: Background Congenital osteopetrosis is a rare osteosclerotic bone disease characterized by both a defect in osteoclastic function and reduced generation of superoxide by leukocytes. The disease is frequently fatal during the first decade of life. A six-month trial of therapy with recombinant human interferon gamma-1b in eight patients with osteopetrosis provided evidence of benefit, prompting this study of more prolonged therapy. Methods We studied 14 patients with severe osteopetrosis treated with subcutaneous injections of recombinant human interferon gamma-1b (1.5 μg per kilogram of body weight per dose) three times per week for at least 6 months; 11 patients were treated for 18 months. We assessed the effect of therapy by evaluating the patients' clinical status, measuring blood counts and biochemical markers of bone turnover, and performing bone marrow imaging and bone biopsies. Results After 6 months of therapy, all 14 patients had decreases in trabecular-bone area (determined by histomorphometric a...
TL;DR: Results from controlled studies in humans support the concept of altered post-synaptic, hypothalamic 5-HT receptor sensitivity in bulimia nervosa (BN), regardless of the presence of anorexia nervosa(AN) or major depression (MD), although these conditions may be associated with other disturbances in 5- HT function.
Journal Article•
TL;DR: This folate antagonist structure-activity relationship can be of value for predicting drug sensitivity and resistance of tumor cells or drug-related toxicity to normal cells and for the rational design and development of novel antifolates.
Abstract: The transport properties and growth-inhibitory potential of 37 classic and novel antifolate compounds have been tested in vitro against human and murine cell lines expressing different levels of the reduced folate carrier (RFC), the membrane-associated folate binding protein (mFBP), or both. The intracellular targets of these drugs were dihydrofolate reductase (DHFR), glycinamide ribonucleotide transformylase (GARTF), folylpolyglutamate synthetase (FPGS), and thymidylate synthase (TS). Parameters that were investigated included the affinity of both folate-transport systems for the antifolate drugs, their growth-inhibitory potential as a function of cellular RFC/mFBP expression, and the protective effect of either FA or leucovorin against growth inhibition. Methotrexate, aminopterin, N10-propargyl-5,8-dideazafolic acid (CB3717), ZD1694, 5,8-dideazaisofolic acid (IAHQ), 5,10-dideazatetrahydrofolic acid (DDATHF), and 5-deazafolic acid (efficient substrate for FPGS) were used as the basic structures in the present study, from which modifications were introduced in the pteridine/quinazoline ring, the C9-N10 bridge, the benzoyl ring, and the glutamate side chain. It was observed that RFC exhibited an efficient substrate affinity for all analogues except CB3717, 2-NH2-ZD1694, and glutamate side-chain-modified FPGS inhibitors. Substitutions at the 2-position (e.g., 2-CH3) improved the RFC substrate affinity for methotrexate and aminopterin. Other good substrates included PT523 (N alpha-(4-amino-4-deoxypteroyl)-N delta-hemiphthaloyl-L-ornithine), 10-ethyl-10-deazaaminopterin, and DDATHF. With respect to mFBP, modifications at the N-3 and 4-oxo positions resulted in a substantial loss of binding affinity. Modifications at other sites of the molecule were well tolerated. Growth-inhibition studies identified a series of drugs that were preferentially transported via RFC (2,4-diamino structures) or mFBP (CB3717, 2-NH-ZD1694, or 5,8-dideazaisofolic acid), whereas other drugs were efficiently transported via both transport pathways (e.g., DDATHF, ZD1694, BW1843U89, or LY231514). Given the fact that for an increasing number of normal and neoplastic cells and tissue, different expression levels of RFC and mFBP are being recognized, this folate antagonist structure-activity relationship can be of value for predicting drug sensitivity and resistance of tumor cells or drug-related toxicity to normal cells and for the rational design and development of novel antifolates.
TL;DR: Neurocognitive abilities were measured in 14 morbidly obese children, five of whom had obstructive sleep apnea as determined by polysomnography, and apneic/hypopneic events were inversely related to memory and learning performance among the entire sample.
TL;DR: Results support the safety and efficacy of daily dosages of 50, 100, and 200 mg of sertraline in the short-term treatment of patients with OCD.
Abstract: Background: Anecdotal evidence suggests patients with obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD) are treated with selective serotonin uptake inhibitors at dosages significantly higher than those used with depressed patients. The current study examined the efficacy, safety, and optimal dosing strategy of sertraline in patients with OCD. Methods: Three hundred twenty-four nondepressed outpatients with OCD from 11 sites followed identical protocols using a double-blind parallel design. Following 1 week of single-blind placebo, patients were randomly assigned to 12 weeks of treatment with one of three fixed dosages of sertraline (50, 100, or 200 mg/d) or placebo. Results: Sertraline patients exhibited significantly greater improvement ( P Conclusions: Results support the safety and efficacy of daily dosages of 50, 100, and 200 mg of sertraline in the short-term treatment of patients with OCD.
Journal Article•
TL;DR: Data confirm previous reports of a strong association between bulimia nervosa and affective illness, which in most cases precedes the eating disorder, and a high frequency of anxiety disorders, particularly social phobia, is seen in bulimic patients.
Abstract: Background The coexistence of other psychiatric disorders in patients with bulimia nervosa is of major clinical and theoretical interest. We therefore studied a group of consecutively evaluated bulimic patients. Method The Structured Clinical Interview for DSM-III-R (SCID) was administered to a sample of 59 female patients with DSM-III-R-defined bulimia nervosa. Results The following frequencies of lifetime Axis I comorbid diagnoses were found (in decreasing frequency): any affective disorder (75%), major depressive disorder (63%), any anxiety disorder (36%), any substance abuse disorder (20%), social phobia (17%), generalized anxiety disorder (12%), and panic disorder (10%). In the 44 cases with an affective disorder, 27 (61%) had the onset of affective disorder, 27 (61%) had the onset of their affective disorder prior to the onset of their bulimia, 15 (34%) afterward, and 2 (5%) concurrently. In the 21 cases with any anxiety disorder, 15 (71%) had the onset of their anxiety disorder prior to the onset of their bulimia, 4 (19%) afterward, and 2 (10%) concurrently. Conclusion These data confirm previous reports of a strong association between bulimia nervosa and affective illness, which in most cases precedes the eating disorder. In addition, a high frequency of anxiety disorders, particularly social phobia, is seen in bulimic patients.
TL;DR: Oleic acid inhibited the endothelium-dependent vasodilator response to acetylcholine in rabbit femoral artery rings preconstricted with phenylephrine but had no effect on the response to nitroprusside.
Abstract: Many obese hypertensive individuals have a cluster of cardiovascular risk factors. This cluster includes plasma nonesterified fatty acid concentrations and turnover rates that are higher and more resistant to suppression by insulin than in lean and obese normotensive individuals. The higher fatty acids may contribute to cardiovascular risk in these patients by inhibiting endothelial cell nitric oxide synthase activity. To test this hypothesis, we quantified the effects of oleic (18:1[cis]) and other 18-carbon fatty acids on nitric oxide synthase activity in cultured bovine pulmonary artery endothelial cells by measuring the conversion of [3H]L-arginine to [3H]L-citrulline. Oleic acid (from 10 to 100 mumol/L) caused a concentration-dependent decrease in nitric oxide synthase activity at baseline and during ATP and ionomycin (Ca2+ ionophore) stimulation. At 100 mumol/L, linoleic (18:2[cis]) and oleic acids caused similar reductions of nitric oxide synthase activity, whereas elaidic (18:1[trans]) and stearic (18:0) acids had no effect. Oleic acid also inhibited the endothelium-dependent vasodilator response to acetylcholine in rabbit femoral artery rings preconstricted with phenylephrine (P < .05) but had no effect on the response to nitroprusside. The pattern of 18-carbon fatty acid effects on nitric oxide synthase activity in endothelial cells is consistent with activation of protein kinase C. Although oleic acid increased protein kinase C activity in endothelial cells, neither depletion of protein kinase C by 24-hour pretreatment with phorbol 12-myristate 13-acetate nor its inhibition with staurosporine eliminated the inhibitory effect of oleic acid on nitric oxide synthase.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)
TL;DR: It is reported that a subset of clonally related myocytes differentiates into conductile Purkinje fibers, invariably in close spatial association with forming coronary arterial blood vessels.
Abstract: The rhythmic contraction of the vertebrate heart is dependent on organized propagation of electrical excitation through the cardiac conduction system. Because both muscle- and neuron-specific genes are co-expressed in cells forming myocardial conduction tissues, two origins, myogenic and neural, have been suggested for this specialized tissue. Using replication-defective retroviruses, encoding recombinant beta-galactosidase (beta-gal), we have analyzed cell lineage for Purkinje fibers (i.e., the peripheral elements of the conduction system) in the chick heart. Functioning myocyte progenitors were virally tagged at embryonic day 3 of incubation (E3). Clonal beta-gal+ populations of cells, derived from myocytes infected at E3 were examined at 14 (E14) and 18 (E18) days of embryonic incubation. Here, we report that a subset of clonally related myocytes differentiates into conductile Purkinje fibers, invariably in close spatial association with forming coronary arterial blood vessels. These beta-gal+ myogenic clones, containing both working myocytes and Purkinje fibers, did not incorporate cells contributing to tissues of the central conduction system (e.g. atrioventricular ring and bundles). In quantitative analyses, we found that whereas the number of beta-gal+ myocyte nuclei per clone more than doubled between E14 and E18, the number of beta-gal+ Purkinje fiber nuclei remained constant.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)
TL;DR: In this article, a meta-analytic review examined the relationship between interpersonal violence and psychological distress, utilizing 50 published or prepublication empirical studies and found that subjective factors, such as general appraisal, self-blame, and perceived life threat, contributed twice as much to the magnitude of psychological distess as did objective factors.
TL;DR: This initial report suggests that the CREV has promise as a self-report questionnaire, and its construction represents a significant advance in the development of psychometrically sound instruments for use in community violence research.
Abstract: Objective To describe the development and initial psychometric features of a brief self-report instrument for assessing exposure to community violence, the Children's Report of Exposure to Violence (CREV). Method The CREV was administered to 228 schoolchildren between the ages of 9 and 15 years. A subset ( n = 42) was retested 2 weeks later. Results The CREV has good test-retest reliability, internal consistency, and construct validity. Analyses performed by race and gender revealed no differences in frequency of exposure to community violence as assessed by the CREV. Conclusion This initial report suggests that the CREV has promise as a self-report questionnaire, and its construction represents a significant advance in the development of psychometrically sound instruments for use in community violence research.
Journal Article•
TL;DR: Education, income, ethnicity, gender, age, and gender could be used to predict cancer fatalism scores and African Americans and females had higher mean cancer fatalist scores.
Abstract: PURPOSE: To determine the relationship between selected demographic factors (eg, education, income, ethnicity, gender, age) and cancer fatalism DESIGN: Descriptive study SETTING: Randomly selected senior citizen centers in a southern state SAMPLE: The majority of the participants (N = 192) were female African Americans Mean age of participants was 76 years, mean years of education was < or = 8 years, and mean income was below $6,500 per year METHODS: Demographic data was collected and Powe Fatalism Inventory was completed in face-to-face interviews MAIN RESEARCH VARIABLES: Education, income, ethnicity, gender, age, and cancer fatalism FINDINGS: Significant negative correlations between cancer fatalism and education and income were found Significant correlations also existed between cancer fatalism and ethnicity and gender Age was not a significant predictor of cancer fatalism CONCLUSIONS: As participants' level of education and income decreased, cancer fatalism scores increased African Americans and females had higher mean cancer fatalism scores Education, income, ethnicity, and gender could be used to predict cancer fatalism scores IMPLICATIONS FOR NURSING PRACTICE: Future research should evaluate the relationship between cancer fatalism and early detection practices
TL;DR: The similarity in patterns of victimization, PTSD, and substance use across two samples suggests that telephone structured interviews are a valid method of collecting data/information about these important phenomena.
Abstract: A structured interview with behaviorally specific probes was used to assess victimization and posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD) in a clinical and a national, epidemiologic sample of women who had received treatment for a substance use disorder. Separate clinical and epidemiologic approaches to evaluating substance use disorders were compared. More than 80% of women in both samples had a history of sexual and/or physical assault and approximately one-quarter had current PTSD. The similarity in patterns of victimization, PTSD, and substance use across two samples suggests that telephone structured interviews are a valid method of collecting data/information about these important phenomena.
TL;DR: Novel and potentially useful methods to diagnose ILD in SSc are induced sputum and technetium-labeled diethylenetriamine pentaacetate (99mTC-DTPA) clearance time and Cyclophosphamide seems to be relatively effective to treat the earliest phase.
Abstract: Fibrosis of the pulmonary parenchyma is a frequent and serious complication of scleroderma (systemic sclerosis, SSc), resulting in significant morbidity and mortality. During the past decade data have accumulated in support of an inflammatory process affecting the alveoli and distal airways that culminates in irreversible fibrosis in many SSc patients. Recent findings indicate the presence of lung fibroblasts with altered phenotype and biologic activity (myofibroblasts), perhaps arising from the influence of cytokines on resident lung fibroblasts. Acute-phase inflammatory cytokines such as IL-1 alpha, TNF-alpha, MIP-1 alpha, IL-8 and RANTES are increased in SSc bronchoalveolar lavage (BAL) fluid, as is thrombin, a potent mitogen for lung fibroblasts. Chronic-phase inflammatory and fibrogenic cytokines such as PDGF and TGF-beta are also present in increased amounts in SSc BAL fluid. The inciting event(s) and the process(es) leading to the perpetuation of fibrosis in SSc are unknown. Treatment of SSc lung disease has been empiric and generally disappointing, and it is likely that effective treatment awaits a better understanding of the biological events that regulate collagen and other extracellular matrix synthesis.
TL;DR: In this paper, behavioral and pharmacological treatment outcome studies of obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD) are reviewed, and a synthesis of findings regarding post-treatment response and durability of treatment effects is offered.