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Showing papers by "University of Alabama at Birmingham published in 1976"


Journal ArticleDOI
TL;DR: A gradient of response magnitude was observed across the movement fields of neurons in the intermediate and deeper layers of the superior colliculus, suggesting that precise saccadic movements are not produced by the discharge of a small population of finely tuned neurons but result from the weighted sum of the simultaneous movement tendenciesproduced by the activity of a large population of less finely tuned neuron.

356 citations


Journal ArticleDOI
TL;DR: In this article, a generalized theory of growth is presented based upon three postulates, namely, growth rate is jointly proportional to a monotonic function of the generalized distance from the origin to present size (reproductive capability) and to a linear function (limiting factor).
Abstract: A generalized theory of growth is presented based upon three postulates. The first asserts that the rate of growth is jointly proportional to a monotonic function of the generalized distance from the origin to present size (“reproductive capability”), and to a monotonic function of the generalized distance from present size to ultimate size (“limiting factor”). The second postulate restricts the monotonic function to power (or “mass action”) functions. The third postulate constrains the model to a mathematically tractable set which never-the-less is sufficiently general to include the cases of Malthusian, Gompertz, logistic and Bertalanffy-Richards Growth. The most general case is termed the “generic growth model”. Other special cases are termed hyperGompertzian and hyperlogistic growth. Generic growth is illustrated by rat weight data from the literature.

282 citations



Journal ArticleDOI
TL;DR: A passive hemagglutination assay was used to detect antibodies to native human collagens and to collagen chains in the sera of 110 rheumatoid patients and those of 75 normal controls, and no correlation was found between the stage of RA and the incidence and/or titers of antibody to any given type of collagen.
Abstract: A passive hemagglutination assay was used to detect antibodies to native human collagens and to collagen chains in the sera of 110 rheumatoid patients and those of 75 normal controls. The incidence and titer of anticollagen antibodies in rheumatoid arthritis are high, but in controls they are low or in most instances absent. No correlation was found between the stage of RA, or titers of rheumatoid factor, or ANA and the incidence and/or titers of antibody to any given type of collagen.

196 citations


Journal ArticleDOI
18 Jun 1976-Science
TL;DR: Infection of killed cells of a highly cariogenic strain of Streptococcus mutans induced specific antibodies in both saliva and milk but not in serum of gnotobiotic rats that were associated with the immunoglobulin A class.
Abstract: Ingestion of killed cells of a highly cariogenic strain of Streptococcus mutans induced specific antibodies in both saliva and milk but not in serum of gnotobiotic rats. These antibodies were associated with the immunoglobulin A class. When infected with Streptococcus mutans, orally immunized animals developed significantly fewer carious lesions than nonimmunized infected controls.

194 citations


Journal ArticleDOI
TL;DR: A case of septicemia and meningitis secondary to dog bites by two different dogs on two consecutive days is described, and the unidentified Gram-negative bacillus showed susceptibility to all antimicrobials tested except gentamicin.
Abstract: This report describes a case of septicemia and meningitis secondary to dog bites by two different dogs on two consecutive days. The case is noteworthy because of the unusual characteristics of the etiologic agent and the inability to place the etiologic agent into any currently defined genus or to identify it by the existing systems of classification. The organism is a small, thin, Gram-negative bacillus after 24 hours of incubation on blood agar; after prolonged incubation, it becomes filamentous. The organism is catalase- and oxidase-positive, hydrolyzes esculin, and forms acid in glucose, xylose, and maltose after 21 days' incubation. The organism does not manifest lysis on sheep blood agar, and does not grow on MacConkey, Salmonella-Shigella, Centrimide, nutrient, or Kligler iron agars. The tests for urea, nitrate reduction, and indol are negative. The unidentified Gram-negative bacillus showed susceptibility to all antimicrobials tested except gentamicin.

155 citations


Journal ArticleDOI
TL;DR: The study has shown that it is possible to conduct a randomized trial in patients with unstable angina pectoris, and that the medical and surgical groups have been similar in relation to the variables examined.
Abstract: A preliminary report is presented of a prospective randomized trial conducted by eight cooperative institutions under the auspices of the National Heart and Lung Institute to compare the effectiveness of medical and surgical therapy in the management of the acute stages of unstable angina pectoris. To date 150 patients have been included in the randomized trial, 80 assigned to medical and 70 to surgical therapy; the clinical presentation, coronary arterial anatomy and left ventricular function in the two groups are similar. Some physicians have been reluctant to prescribe medical or surgical therapy by a random process, and the ethical basis of the trial has been questioned. Since there are no hard data regarding the natural history and outcome of therapy for unstable angina pectoris, randomization appears to provide a rational way of selecting therapy. Furthermore, subsets of patients at high risk may emerge during the process of randomization. The design of this randomized trial is compared with that of another reported trial. Thus far, the study has shown that it is possible to conduct a randomized trial in patients with unstable angina pectoris, and that the medical and surgical groups have been similar in relation to the variables examined. The group as a whole presented with severe angina pectoris, either as a crescendo pattern or as new onset of angina at rest, and 84 percent had recurrence of pain while in the coronary care unit and receiving vigorous medical therapy. It is anticipated that sufficient patients will have been entered into the trial within the next 12 months to determine whether medical or surgical therapy is superior in the acute stages of unstable angina pectoris.

152 citations


Journal ArticleDOI
TL;DR: Disodium etidronate has proven its effectiveness in the prevention of heterotopic ossification in a double-blind, clinical study of 149 spinal cord injury patients and EHDP is the first therapeutic agent known to alter the formation ofheterotopic Ossification after spinal injury.
Abstract: Heterotopic ossification is a frequent complication following spinal cord injury with 16 per cent to 53 per cent of patients developing varying degrees of pathologic ossification. The diphosphonates are known to block the transformation of amorphous calcium phosphate into crystalline hydroxyapatite. Therefore, one of the diphosphonates, disodium etidronate (generic name of disodium ethane-1-hydroxy-1, 1-diphosphonate (EHDP) was selected fro clinical trials to study the effectiveness of EHDP in preventing heterotopic ossification following spinal cord injury. In a double-blind, clinical study of 149 spinal cord injury patients, disodium etidronate has proven its effectiveness in the prevention of heterotopic ossification. The extent of heterotopic ossification development as measured by the total heterotopic ossification X-ray grade was significantly less in EHDP-treated patients compared to placebo-treated patients (P less than 0-05). For maximal effectiveness, EHDP treatment must be started before the onset of the pathological process initiating the development of heterotopicossification. Further studies are necessary to determine the optimal time to institute EHDP treatment, length of treatment, and minimal effective dose. EHDP is the first hterapeutic agent known to alter the formation of heterotopic ossification after spinal injury and may prove useful in other conditions where heterotopic ossification prevention is clinically indicated.

96 citations


Journal ArticleDOI
TL;DR: In this paper, a prospective randomized trial was conducted by eight cooperative institutions under the auspices of the National Heart and Lung Institute to compare the effectiveness of medical and surgical therapy in the management of the acute stages of unstable angina pectoris.
Abstract: A preliminary report is presented of a prospective randomized trial conducted by eight cooperative institutions under the auspices of the National Heart and Lung Institute to compare the effectiveness of medical and surgical therapy in the management of the acute stages of unstable angina pectoris. To date 150 patients have been included in the randomized trial, 80 assigned to medical and 70 to surgical therapy; the clinical presentation, coronary arterial anatomy and left ventricular function in the two groups are similar. Some physicians have been reluctant to prescribe medical or surgical therapy by a random process, and the ethical basis of the trial has been questioned. Since there are no hard data regarding the natural history and outcome of therapy for unstable angina pectoris, randomization appears to provide a rational way of selecting therapy. Furthermore, subsets of patients at high risk may emerge during the process of randomization. The design of this randomized trial is compared with that of another reported trial. Thus far, the study has shown that it is possible to conduct a randomized trial in patients with unstable angina pectoris, and that the medical and surgical groups have been similar in relation to the variables examined. The group as a whole presented with severe angina pectoris, either as a crescendo pattern or as new onset of angina at rest, and 84 percent had recurrence of pain while in the coronary care unit and receiving vigorous medical therapy. It is anticipated that sufficient patients will have been entered into the trial within the next 12 months to determine whether medical or surgical therapy is superior in the acute stages of unstable angina pectoris.

96 citations


Journal ArticleDOI
TL;DR: The authors paraphrase this statement somewhat as follows: every gifted child has a humorous, mocking component which represents the unused aspect of potential creativity, and this dictum corresponds to the experience of most of us who have dealt t with gifted children.
Abstract: Put in more psychological terms, one might paraphrase this statement somewhat as follows: Every gifted child has a humorous, mocking component which represents the unused aspect of potential creativity. And this dictum corresponds to the experience of most of us who have dealt t with gifted children--humor is one of their outstanding characteristics. Even the language agrees with us in the double meaning of the word &dquo;wit&dquo;.

87 citations



Journal ArticleDOI
TL;DR: The findings suggest that the amphipathic helix is an important structural unit in lipid-associating proteins and that this unit can be recognized on the basis of its amino acid sequence.
Abstract: Polypeptide segments, composed of alpha helixes with specific surface topography termed amphipathic helixes, have been proposed as the basic lipid-associating domains of apolipoproteins from the plasma lipoproteins. A computer search for proteins having sequences that could form amphipathic helixes indicated that amyloid A, a pathologically occurring protein usually associated with "secondary" amyloidosis, also contained amphipathic helixes. In studies reported here, amyloid A is shown to associate spontaneously with phospholipid vesicles with the following results: (a) the formation of a protein-lipid complex isolated by equilibrium density gradient ultracentrifugation, (b) a 100% increase in alpha helicity as measured by circular dichroism, (c) a 9-nm shift in the fluorescence maximum due to the single tryptophan residue located in the amphipathic region, indicating the tryptophan is moving from a polar to a nonpolar environment, and (d) the formation of stacked disk-like protein-lipid complexes as visualized by negative stain electron microscopy. The temperature dependence of the circular dichroic spectrum of the amyloid A-phospholipid complex suggests that the complex is formed by insertion of protein between the fatty acyl chains of the lipid. These findings suggest that the amphipathic helix is an important structural unit in lipid-associating proteins and that this unit can be recognized on the basis of its amino acid sequence. In addition, these studies have implications for the origin and function of amyloid A protein.

Patent
09 Jul 1976
TL;DR: In this article, an insoluble cross-linked polypentapeptide is totally synthesized by preparing two modified linear polypentAPEptides patterned on the poly pentapeptides from the peptide sequence contained in tropoelastin, the precursor protein of the core of the elastic fiber of the vascular wall.
Abstract: An insoluble cross-linked polypentapeptide is totally synthesized by preparing two modified linear polypentapeptides patterned on the polypentapeptide from the pentapeptide (Val1 -Pro2 -Gly3 -Val4 -Gly5) one of the repeating peptide sequences contained in tropoelastin, the precursor protein of the core of the elastic fiber of the vascular wall, and by cross-linking the modified polypentapeptides. One of the intermediate polypentapeptides is modified by replacing a portion of at least one of the amino acid residues with the residue of an amino acid having more than one amino function and the other is modified by replacing a portion of at least one of the amino acid residues with the residue of an amino acid having more than one carboxyl function, to provide free amino groups on the one intermediate and free carboxyl groups on the other for interreaction in the presence of a suitable cross-linking agent. The resulting cross-linked insoluble polypentapeptide is elastomeric in nature and capable of calcification by withdrawing calcium ions from a serum medium, thus making it useful as a calcifiable matrix for the formation of an artificial bone structure. The calcifiable material can be treated to make it useful in artificial vascular wall formation.

Journal ArticleDOI
TL;DR: The inhibition of C2 uptake by polyanion could be reduced by increasing magnesium concentration to levels which are normally inhibitory, suggesting that Mg ++ ions are sequestered by these sulfated polyanions.

Journal ArticleDOI
TL;DR: In contrast to C4 and C2, PA had no effect on the esterolytic activity of C1s against the synthetic substrate TAMe, indicating that PA do not interfere with the enzymatic site of C 1s.

Journal ArticleDOI
TL;DR: The verruciform xanthoma, a rare lesion of the oral cavity, was studied by light and electron microscopy and the major cell type associated with the lesion was shown to contain appreciable amounts of lipid and was characterized as a macrophage.
Abstract: . The verruciform xanthoma, a rare lesion of the oral cavity, was studied by light and electron microscopy. The major cell type associated with the lesion was shown to contain appreciable amounts of lipid and was characterized as a macrophage. It was characteristic of the endothelial cells associated with subepithelial capillaries to exhibit multiple basal laminae. A rather unusual observation was the migration of lipid-filled cells into the stratum germinativum of the overlying epithelium.

Journal ArticleDOI
TL;DR: A simple method for directly determining the superhelix density of closed circular DNAs by ethidium bromide titration using agarose gel electrophoresis in tubes containing increasing concentrations of the dye has been developed.

Journal ArticleDOI
TL;DR: Two infants developed a protracted pneumonitis with lower respiratory obstruction beginning at one month of age and were apparently acquired at birth from infected maternal genital tracts and have persisted for prolonged periods of time.

Journal ArticleDOI
TL;DR: PWM induces normal adult lymphocytes to divide and differentiate in vitro to cells containing large amounts of cytoplasmic immunoglobulin of the major classes IgM, IgG, and IgA to study the ontogeny of B-lymphocyte function in humans.

Journal ArticleDOI
TL;DR: In one group of patients with recurrent atrial flutter and 2:1 A-V conduction, continuous rapid atrial pacing at 450 beats/min produced and sustained atrial fibrillation and it was demonstrated that the technique is safe, effective, and reliable.
Abstract: A technique is described to control recurrent or sustained supraventricular tachycardia associated with rapid ventricular rates following open heart surgery. The technique utilizes a pair of temporarily implanted atrial epicardial wire electrodes to pace the heart. In one group of patients with recurrent atrial flutter and 2:1 A-V conduction, continuous rapid atrial pacing at 450 beats/min produced and sustained atrial fibrillation. The ventricular response rate immediately slowed when compared to that during atrial flutter, and if further slowing was required, it was easily accomplished by the administration of digitalis. Another group of patients with different arrhythmias (recurrent paroxysmal atrial tachycardia, sustained ectopic atrial tachycardia, or sinus rhythm with premature atrial beats which precipitated runs of atrial fibrillation) was treated with continuous rapid atrial pacing to produce 2:1 A-V block. In all instances, the continuous rapid atrial pacing suppressed the supraventricular tachycardia and maintained the ventricular response rate in a therapeutically desirable range. It was demonstrated that the technique is safe, effective, and reliable.

Journal ArticleDOI
TL;DR: In this article, statistical analyses of the carbohydrate compositions of eleven IgA1 and six IgA2 meyloma proteins revealed that in addition to the known difference in the content of galactosamine, which is present only in proteins of the IgA 1 subclass, there are further quantitative differences in the carbohydrate composition of both subclasses.

Journal ArticleDOI
TL;DR: Complementation and recombination have been observed with temperature-sensitive mutants of Bunyavirus snowshoe hare hare virus.
Abstract: Complementation and recombination have been observed with temperature-sensitive mutants of Bunyavirus snowshoe hare virus.

Journal ArticleDOI
TL;DR: Twenty-six patients with atrioventricular discordance and a variety of ventriculo-arterial connections have had appropriate intracardiac repairs and one of two patients is well after repair of “isolated ventricular inversion” and ventricular septal defect.
Abstract: Twenty-six patients with atrioventricular discordance and a variety of ventriculo-arterial connections have had appropriate intracardiac repairs. Seven of 26 patients (26.9%) died early postoperatively, but only two (11.1%) of 18 patients operated upon since May 1972 have died. Ten patients (40%) developed permanent complete heart block. Two patients died late postoperatively; 16 (84.1% of those surviving the early postoperative period) were in NYHA Class I or II at late follow-up. Seventeen of the patients had "corrected transposition." Six developed tricuspid incompetence with regurgitation into the left atrium after repair. Two patients with atrioventricular discordance and double outlet right ventricle survived operation and are asymptomatic but have permanent pacemakers. One patient died after repair of double outlet left ventricle with atrioventricular discordance. Three of four patients with atrioventricular discordance and "pseudotruncus arteriosus" survived repair with valved external conduits and are well. One of two patients is well after repair of "isolated ventricular inversion" and ventricular septal defect.

Journal ArticleDOI
TL;DR: In the intact ventricle an inverse linear relation characterizes the force-shortening relation with the amount of shortening determined by initial fiber length, afterload, and the contractile state of the myocardium.
Abstract: To assess in the intact ventricle the steady-state influence of several mechanical variables on the extent of left ventricular midwall circumferential shortening, a pressure servo system was utilized in isolated canine hearts. The system permits continuous monitoring of ventricular volume and control of diastolic and systolic pressures. After determination of the diastolic volume at zero filling pressure (V0), a series of variably preloaded or afterloaded contractions were generated including the isovolumic state. Contractile state was manipulated in a positive (calcium, 12-18 mg/100 ml; norepinephrine, 0.4-1.4 mug/min) or negative (propranolol, 0.12-0.50 mg/min) direction. Force and length terms derived for a thick-walled sphere were expressed per cross-sectional area of muscle and length, respectively, calculated at V0. For any preload, an inverse linear (r greater than 0.96) force-shortening relation was obtained, and each line was identified by its slope and isovolumic load (sigma0). Both slope and sigma0 increased with positive inotropic agents (vis-a-vis propranolol) or increments in preload. Thus, in the intact ventricle an inverse linear relation characterizes the force-shortening relation with the amount of shortening determined by initial fiber length, afterload, and the contractile state of the myocardium.

Journal ArticleDOI
TL;DR: Proteases capable of activating procollagenase from gingiva and from fibroblast and macrophage monolayer cultures were harvested from homogenates of canine tumor mast cells and showed substrate specificities and reactive center reactivities similar to pancreatic trypsin and chymotrypsin.

01 Apr 1976
TL;DR: The PBB/Ld mouse is a new strain of mouse that develops an obesity that is characterized by increasing cellularity of adipose tissue, increased serum immunoreactive insulin, reduced glucose tolerance, fatty liver, and hyperlipidemia, and represents another model for study of adult onset obesity.
Abstract: Diabetes mellitus occurs in many animals species. However, only a few have been utilized in systematic studies designed to answer unsolved problems associated with the disorder in man such as molecular basis, pathogenesis of the vascular and neural lesions, and the roles of diet, exercise and obesity. Among the animal models available, rodents have been studied most thoroughly for a number of reasons: a) short generation time (sexually mature at about 3 mo of age, gestation time 21 days) and life-span is approximately 3 yr; b) hyperglycemia and/or obesity is known to be inherited in several species; c) environmental factors can be controlled easily in the laboratory because of small size; and d) economic considerations. The better-known rodent diabetes/obesity syndromes may be categorized as follows: 1) hyperglycemic with ketoacidosis, nonobese (Chinese hamster, South African hamster); 2) hyperglycemic with insulin hypersecretion, moderate obesity and may develop ketoacidosis (diabetic mouse (db/db), spiny mouse, sand rat); and 3) less pronounced hyperglycemia with hyperinsulinemia, insulin "resistance" and marked obesity (obese (ob/ob), yellow (Ay) and New Zealand obese (NZO) mice, and the Zucker "fatty" rat). The PBB/Ld mouse, described here in detail for the first time, is a new strain of mouse that also fits into the latter category. Members of this strain following maturity develop an obesity that is characterized by increasing cellularity of adipose tissue, increased serum immunoreactive insulin, reduced glucose tolerance, fatty liver, and hyperlipidemia. Therefore, this strain of mouse represents another model for study of adult onset obesity.

Journal ArticleDOI
TL;DR: Newborn infants provided with antibiotics at intubation and the control group were similar in birthweight and gestational age, as well as race, sex, hospital or origin, and indication forintubation, and systemic infection occurred only in those infants who were initially or subsequently colonized.
Abstract: The role of antibiotics in preventing respiratory tract bacterial colonization and systemic infection after orotracheal intubation was prospectively studied in 54 newborn infants. Respiratory tract colonization was assessed from nasopharyngeal and tracheal aspirate cultures obtained at intubation and daily thereafter, while systemic infection was monitored by blood, cerebrospinal fluid, and suprapubic urine cultures performed initially and every three days thereafter while intubated. Colonization and systemic cultures were also obtained at extubation or death. The study group, provided with antibiotics at intubation, and the control group were similar in birthweight and gestational age, as well as race, sex, hospital or origin, and indication for intubation. Colonization at intubation was five times more common in infants intubated 12 or more hours after birth than in infants intubated earlier. Subsequent colonization was twice as frequent in infants intubated longer than 72 hours as well as in those requiring two or more reintubations. Systemic infection occurred only in those infants who were initially or subsequently colonized and was three times more frequent in the control group than in the study group.

Journal ArticleDOI
TL;DR: It is suggested that the observed changes represent a “modulation” in cell behavior, this being expressed not only by the morphological changes but also by changes in cell-specific protein synthesis as demonstrated by the changes in the type of collagen synthesized.

Journal ArticleDOI
TL;DR: In this paper, the new isotope $^{184}\mathrm{Tl}$ has been identified with the mean life of the 375-keV band head of a deformed band was measured to be 0.3 nsec which is a factor of 10 faster than theoretically predicted for a shape-isomeric $E2$ transition.
Abstract: The new isotope $^{184}\mathrm{Tl}$ has been identified with ${T}_{\frac{1}{2}}=11\ifmmode\pm\else\textpm\fi{}1$ sec and the levels in $^{184}\mathrm{Hg}$ investigated from its decay. The ${0}^{+}$ band head of a deformed band was found to drop to 375 keV in agreement with theoretical predictions. The mean life of the 375-keV ${0}^{+}$ level was measured to be 0.9 \ifmmode\pm\else\textpm\fi{} 0.3 nsec which is a factor of 10 faster than theoretically predicted for a shape-isomeric $E2$ transition.

Journal ArticleDOI
TL;DR: A large percentage of the RA patients displayed a high occurrence of anticollagen antibodies in the serum, and the titers and occurrence of these antibodies were even higher in the respective synovial fluids.