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Biomedical subjects

A Green

Publications and source records attributed to A Green.

At least 289 records · Page 16Linked to original sources
PubMed1995

An investigation of differences between three age groups in verbal and spatial task performance using the dual-task paradigm.

A dual-task paradigm with concurrent verbal and spatial tasks was used to investigate differences across three age groups for lateralized effects, magnitude of tapping interference, and cognitive task output. In addition, rescaled scores comparing verbal with spatial measures within and across age groups were analyzed to examine asymmetric age differences for right versus left hemisphere abilities. Results of the present dual task finger tapping investigation of three age groups showed all groups left lateralized for verbal tasks and right lateralized for spatial tasks. However, the magnitude of interference in tapping was significantly greater in paced nonideational shadowing tasks and during paced purposeful spatial tasks. Outcomes of exploratory analyses suggest a complex interplay between aptitude and the corresponding lateralized effects and cognitive effort to perform the task.

Adolescent↗
PubMed1995

Tyrosinaemia type 1 and glutathione synthetase deficiency: two disorders with reduced hepatic thiol group concentrations and a liver 4-fumarylacetoacetate hydrolase deficiency.

Thiol groups are important components of proteins and their oxidation can lead to a substantial loss of protein function. Patients with two apparently unrelated inborn errors of metabolism, tyrosinaemia type 1 and glutathione synthetase deficiency, have been reported to show reduced cell glutathione concentrations. We have found that not only glutathione but also protein thiol concentrations are reduced in the liver in tyrosinaemia type 1 patients. We also report a case of glutathione synthetase deficiency with a substantial deficiency of liver 4-fumarylacetoacetate hydrolase and provide evidence that glutathione, or some small-molecular-weight thiol, is essential for maintaining stability of this enzyme in vitro. Our results suggest that the availability of thiol groups may modify the phenotype of tyrosinaemia type 1 and that liver 4-fumarylacetoacetate hydrolase deficiency may be a secondary complicating factor in some forms of glutathione synthetase deficiency.

Amino Acid Metabolism, Inborn Errors↗
PubMed1995

Platelets in treated adrenoleukodystrophy: a brief report.

Platelet counts have been noted to be low in patients treated with high-oil diet therapy for adrenoleukodystrophy. We suggest that some of these observations are spurious but that others reflect a true thrombocytopenia. Visual platelet counts are recommended.

Adrenoleukodystrophy↗
PubMed1995

Variation by age group and seasonality at diagnosis of childhood IDDM in Europe. The EURODIAB ACE Study Group.

Recent data provided by the EURODIAB ACE study group have confirmed wide variation in the incidence of insulin-dependent diabetes mellitus (IDDM) across Europe. The aim of this report is to compare age-specific incidence and seasonality at clinical onset of IDDM between study regions. Using a uniform methodology, the EURODIAB ACE framework ascertained 3,168 newly-diagnosed cases of IDDM in children under the age of 15 years during 1989-1990. Eighteen percent of the cases were age 0-4 years at diagnosis, 34% were age 5-9 years and 48% were age 10-14 years. Poisson regression analysis suggested that there were highly significant statistical differences in incidence between the three age groups and between the 24 regions. Although incidence rates in the 0-4 year and 5-9 year age groups varied from region to region in a similar fashion, the pattern of variation in the older age group was different. Seasonality of diagnosis conformed to a sinusoidal model with a peak occurring in winter, a feature which was consistently observed in both sexes and in all age groups. However, a statistically significant heterogeneity in the seasonal distribution was present among regions, those in Scandinavia showing the smallest relative amplitude. The first insulin injection was given the same day or the day after diagnosis in 93% of the cases for whom data were available.

Adolescent↗
PubMed1995

Increased concentrations of proteins Gi1 and Gi2 in adipocytes from aged rats alter the sensitivity of adenylyl cyclase to inhibitory and stimulatory agonists.

We used a series of antipeptide antisera to estimate the relative amounts of G proteins in adipocytes from young lean versus aged obese Sprague-Dawley rats. Western blots were analyzed using antisera that recognize (1) the alpha-subunits of Gi1 and Gi2 (serum SG1), (2) the alpha-subunit of Gi3 (serum I3B) (3) two forms of the alpha-subunit of Gs (serum CS1), and (4) forms of the beta-subunits common to all the G proteins (serum BN2). Adipocyte membranes from aged rats contained approximately fivefold to sixfold more alpha i1 and alpha i2 than those from young rats, but almost equal amounts of alpha i3. Membranes from aged rats had a modestly higher (50%) amount of a 43-kd and normal amounts of a 47-kd form of alpha s. Membranes from old rats also had approximately a threefold higher amount of beta-subunits, consistent with increased concentrations of some of the G proteins but not others. Finally, the functional consequences of these differences in G proteins was investigated by measuring the effect of N6-phenylisopropyl adenosine ([PIA] an A1-adenosine receptor agonist) and isoproterenol on adenylyl cyclase activity. Adenylyl cyclase was more sensitive to inhibition by PIA in membranes from old rats than from young rats, but was less sensitive to stimulation by isoproterenol, suggesting that the differences we observed are functionally active G proteins. These findings may account for the altered sensitivity of adipocytes from old rats to antilipolytic and lipolytic hormones.

Adenylyl Cyclase Inhibitors↗
PubMed1995

A study of patient satisfaction and adherence to preventive care practice guidelines.

PURPOSE: Patient satisfaction ratings are being used to judge physicians' quality of care and to determine physician reimbursement. We therefore studied the association between patient satisfaction and the quality of medical care received by patients in physicians' offices. PATIENTS AND METHODS: Patient satisfaction was measured in a survey of patients cared for by 48 primary care physicians in a health maintenance organization in Southern California. Evidence that patients were offered or received preventive care services was determined by patient survey and medical record abstraction, respectively. The medical records of 3,249 randomly selected elderly patients (65 to 75 years old) were studied. Of these patients, 2,799 completed a patient satisfaction and preventive care services survey (response rate 86.1%), 2,654 completed a patient satisfaction survey (response rate 81.7%), and 2,258 completed a quality-of-life survey (response rate 69.5%). RESULTS: Patients were generally satisfied with their physicians' care (median satisfaction score 4.2; scale 1 to 5, 5 being most satisfied). Patients who received or were offered mammography, clinical breast examination, influenza vaccine, pneumococcal vaccine, tetanus vaccine, exercise counseling, and smoking cessation counseling were more satisfied with their medical care than those patients who did not (P < 0.001 for all tests). After controlling for the physician who was providing the medical care, there was still a statistically significant relationship between these factors and patient satisfaction. CONCLUSIONS: We found a significant association between patient satisfaction and the performance of some but not all preventive care services. However, we cannot be certain whether there is a relationship between patient satisfaction and quality of patient care.

Aged↗
PubMed1995

The state of health planning in the '90s.

The art of health planning is relatively new in many developing countries and its record is not brilliant. However, for policy makers committed to sustainable health improvements and the principle of equity, it is an essential process, and in need of improvement rather than minimalization. The article argues that the possibility of planning playing a proper role in health care allocative decisions is increasingly being endangered by a number of developments. These include the increasing use of projects, inappropriate decentralization policies, and the increasing attention being given to NGOs. More serious is the rise of New Right thinking which is undermining the role of the State altogether in health care provision. The article discusses these developments and makes suggestions as to possible action needed to counteract them.

Health Planning↗
PubMed1995

A non-invasive measure of photoageing.

BACKGROUND: Photoageing develops in skin due to chronic sun exposure and a method of measuring photoageing would be useful in monitoring solar damage in populations, in studies of sun exposure as an aetiological agent, and in the evaluation of the effects of cosmetics and therapeutics. Methods of measuring photoageing include several invasive techniques as well as non-invasive techniques which are often difficult to use and have not been validated. The non-invasive measure of photoageing described here is a new method for grading silicone-rubber casts of the skin surface. This paper describes the development of the measure (named the sigma system) and compares its reliability and validity with the most widely-used similar measure (the Beagley and Gibson system). METHODS: Useable punch biopsies and silicone-rubber casts were obtained from 82 subjects. Two random subgroups of silicone casts were created and the first subgroup was used for the development of the sigma system, while the second subgroup was used to test validity. All casts were graded twice using the sigma system and twice using the Beagley and Gibson system by two observers. The gradings of the second subgroup of casts were compared with the degree of photoageing seen on histological examination of the biopsies. RESULTS: The intraclass correlation coefficient (ICC) for inter-observer reliability of the sigma system was 0.89, with 73 of the 82 casts graded at the same level of photoageing by the two observers. Intra-observer ICC were 0.84 and 0.87 for the two observers. The Goodman-Kruskal tau for agreement between the grade on the sigma system and histological degree of photoageing was 0.22. While these values are very similar to the reliability and validity estimates obtained using the Beagley and Gibson system, the sigma system is easier to learn and to use. CONCLUSIONS: The sigma system is a reliable and easy-to-use measure of photoageing which has many possible applications in monitoring and studying the effects of solar exposure.

Adolescent↗
PubMed1995

The new Danish Twin Register: establishment and analysis of twinning rates.

BACKGROUND: Twin registers provide a valuable source for research into disease causation. The existing population-based registers comprise mostly old twins. In order to be able to study diseases which occur in childhood and youth a new Danish twin register has been established. METHODS: The register is based on the Danish Civil Registration, with information on number of twin births from the Danish Vital Statistics Office as the source of validation. All twins resident in Denmark at 1 March 1991 were sent a one-side questionnaire asking about diabetes, willingness to participate in other research projects and similarity in the twins. RESULTS: The register, comprising 20,888 twin pairs, covers 74.4% of all twin pairs born 1953-1967 (incl.) and 97.4% of those born 1968-1982 (incl.). The response rate to the questionnaire study was 92.3%. The responders represented 19,180 twin pairs distributed as 5304 monozygotic pairs, 6861 same-sex dizygotic pairs, 6244 opposite-sex dizygotic pairs and 771 pairs of unknown zygosity. Of the respondent twins, 96% declared their willingness to participate in additional studies. An analysis of trends in the twinning rates for the years 1968-1982 showed that the rate of monozygotic twinning is increasing and the twinning rate of opposite-sex twin pairs is decreasing. CONCLUSIONS: Earlier estimated trends in twinning rates have been confirmed. Due to the high response rate and opportunities for linkage with other Danish registers, the present material provides a valuable resource for twin studies in diseases and human traits.

Adolescent↗
PubMed1995

The incidence of melanocytic naevi in adolescent children in Queensland, Australia.

The aim of this study was to assess longitudinally the development of melanocytic naevi in children around the time of their puberty. In Queensland, Australia, 102 schoolchildren born mostly in 1977 or 1978, were examined annually on four occasions from 1990. All naevi on the body except for the scalp and parts covered by a bathing suit were counted by an experienced research nurse or trained assistant according to a set protocol. In addition, each subject's pigmentary characteristics were recorded and height, weight and pubertal status were assessed annually. The findings confirmed that the average number of naevi and average density of naevi (count per m2) on the whole body in boys and girls increase significantly with increasing age and increases were also seen on each of the following anatomic sites: face and neck, back and shoulders, and upper and lower limbs. Children who had a high baseline naevus count, or a large increase in skin surface area during the 3-year follow-up period had the highest absolute increases in naevus count but the smallest proportionate increases. Associations between baseline naevus counts and male sex, light brown or blonde hair, blue or hazel eyes, facial freckling and a tendency to sunburn, which have been previously reported, were also found. However, the independent relations of each of these factors to the increase in new naevi were more complex, once the effects of high naevus counts at baseline and increases in skin surface area were taken into account.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)

Adolescent↗
PubMed1995

The effect of temperature on nasal ciliary beat frequency.

Using a photometric method of measuring ciliary beat frequency, the effect of temperature on ciliary activity was investigated. A linear increase in ciliary beat frequency between 19 degrees and 32 degrees C was found. Between 32 degrees and 40 degrees a plateau was reached in which temperature did not significantly affect frequency and above 40 degrees C the frequency began to decline. It is concluded that nasal cilia are not critically dependent upon temperature in the range 32 degrees and 40 degrees C, the temperature range in which this tissue normally operates.

Adult↗
PubMed1995

Sun damage in teenagers' skin.

A noninvasive method of assessing the degree of sun-induced skin damage was used to estimate the prevalence of skin damage in teenagers in four cities in Australia and one in Scotland. Information about age, sex and complexion characteristics was obtained from 1307 students aged 13 to 15 years. Silicone rubber casts were taken of the skin of the students' hands and classified as showing either no or mild skin damage. Between 40 and 70 per cent of the Australian students had detectable skin damage, compared with about a third of Scottish students of the same age. In a multivariate analysis, the risk of having sun-damaged skin in the teenage years was up to seven times higher for Australian residents than for Scottish residents. Other risk factors were male sex (odds ratio (OR) 4.3), blistering on exposure to sun (OR 2.6), and having blond hair (OR 2.0), red hair (OR 5.3) or freckles (OR 2.7). The high prevalence of sun-induced skin damage at such a young age reinforces the need to encourage sun-protection behaviour in Australian children and teenagers.

Adolescent↗
PubMed1995

Excessive numbers of skin cancers and pre-malignant skin lesions in an Australian heart transplant recipient.

One and a half years after heart transplantation an Australian man developed his first skin cancer. In the period until his death, 7 years after the transplantation, 34 histologically confirmed squamous cell carcinomas developed, 17 intra-epidermal carcinomas, and 9 basal cell carcinomas. Most skin cancers were confined to chronically sun exposed sites. Exposure to sunlight and human papillomavirus are important factors in the development of skin cancer in renal transplant recipients, and further studies are needed to establish the role of these risk factors in cardiac transplant recipients.

Carcinoma in Situ↗
PubMed1995

The cryopreservation of skin biopsies--a technique for reducing workload in a cell culture laboratory.

A method is described for the cryopreservation of skin biopsies at -70 degrees C for subsequent possible reculture. Biopsies stored up to 1 year could be successfully recultured without affecting the time to achieve confluence or the culture failure rate. This technique has been in operation in our department for over 3 years and has resulted in a demonstrable reduction in cell culture costs and a greater flexibility in the acceptance of skin biopsies for culture.

Biopsy↗
PubMed1995

The endocrinology of the menopausal transition: a cross-sectional study of a population-based sample.

In a study of the endocrinology of the perimenopausal years, levels of serum FSH, estradiol (E2), immunoreactive inhibin (INH), testosterone, and sex hormone-binding globulin were measured in a population-based sample of 380 women (mean age, 49.4 yr; range, 45.6-56.9 yr). Subjects were divided into women who reported continuing regular menstrual cycles (27%; group I), a change in menstrual flow without a change in frequency (23%; group II), a change in frequency but no change in flow (9%; group III), changes in both frequency and flow (28%; group IV), and at least 3 months since their last menstrual period (13%; group V). After adjusting for age and body mass index, the geometric mean FSH increased across menstrual groups and, compared with group I, was 53% higher in group IV (P < 0.0005) and 253% higher in group V (P < 0.0001). Age- and body mass index-adjusted geometric means for E2 and INH in group V were 54% and 53% of those in group 1, respectively (P < 0.005, P < 0.0001). Women in group V who did not have a menstrual period in the next year had higher FSH and lower E2 and INH levels than those who subsequently went on to have at least one more menstrual period (P < 0.05). FSH was negatively correlated with E2 (r = -0.30) and INH (r = -0.39), whereas INH was positively correlated with E2 (r = 0.45). We conclude that an increase in serum FSH and decreases in E2 and INH are the major endocrine changes associated cross-sectionally with the menopausal transition.

Androgens↗
PubMed1995

Arthroscopic treatment of impingement syndrome.

The clinical relevance of subacromial pathology has been recognized for most of this century. More recently, the term "impingement syndrome" has been used to refer to a spectrum of subacromial pathology, ranging from tendinitis to rotator cuff tearing, and is probably the most common cause of shoulder pain. Increased experience with arthroscopy and advances in arthroscopic instrumentation have led to the widespread use of arthroscopy to treat impingement syndrome. This evolution in treatment will undoubtedly add to our understanding of the pathology. The indications for surgical treatment and the results have not changed significantly. The often proposed theoretical advantages of arthroscopy are being investigated.

Acromion↗