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Publications and source records attributed to A Page.

At least 55 records · Page 3Linked to original sources
PubMed1996

Education of parents of infants and very young children with asthma: a developmental evaluation of the Wee Wheezers program.

A randomized control trial of the Wee Wheezers asthma education program was conducted with 76 children < 7 years of age, 31% of whom were on a medication regimen consistent with mild, 51% with moderate, and 18% with moderately severe/severe asthma. Treatment children showed improved morbidity at 3-month follow-up relative to the changes in the controls: increased symptom-free days in the preceding 2 weeks (mean change of +2.2 vs. -2.6 in the controls; p = .004) and month (+2.0 vs. -3.8; p < .02), fewer nights of parental sleep interruption in a typical week (+0.7 vs. +1.8; p < or = .05), and a trend toward fewer asthma sick days (-0.2 vs +0.7; p = ns). These improvements were accompanied by significantly better parental asthma management compared with controls (more consistent use of preventive medications, p < or = .01; early symptom intervention, [corrected] p < or = .05) and trends toward more restrictions on smoking in the home (p < .07) and decreased parental confusion about asthma treatment (p < .11). This study provides evidence that a multisession program of asthma education for parents can improve parental asthma management and clinical outcomes in very young children and provides information on the validity and sensitivity of various asthma outcome measures in this age group.

Asthma↗
PubMed1994

Analysis of myocardial response to significant weight loss in obese rats.

We evaluated cardiac response to weight loss induced by a very-low-energy (VLE) diet similar to commercially available protein-sparing diets. Such diets have been implicated in sudden death, and whether organ and tissue responses to them are untoward is not known. Rapid weight loss was induced in rats with weights ranging from obese to normal, and cardiac mass and myocardial histomorphometry were assessed. Over 3 wk body weight dropped from 544 +/- 12 to 417 +/- 21 g (P < 0.001). Heart weight was less in the VLE group than in obese controls (1246 +/- 115 vs 1625 +/- 179 mg, P < 0.001), as were the weights of the left ventricle (805 +/- 81 vs 1061 +/- 134 mg, P < 0.001) and right ventricle (198 +/- 27 vs 265 +/- 40 mg, P < 0.002). Reduction in heart weight was commensurate with loss of body weight (r = 0.89). Myocyte cross-sectional area was reduced in the VLE group (452.6 +/- 108.6 to 331.8 +/- 41.5 microns 2, P < 0.05), with no structural abnormalities. We conclude that weight loss in the weight range studied is accompanied by proportional reduction in cardiac mass and myocyte size. Myocardial regression is not accompanied by myocyte dropout or edema, and likely represents a simple adaptation to reduced body size.

Animals↗
PubMed1994

Social-psychological predictors of self-reported actual and intended physical activity in a university workforce sample.

This study investigated the social-psychological predictors of self-reported actual and intended physical activity in a university workforce sample. Based on the 'Theory of Planned Behaviour', but with additional variables of benefits, barriers and self-efficacy, it was found that both intended and actual activity could be predicted but only when strenuous activity was considered. In addition, the predictors were different for men and women. Specifically, the best predictors of intention to exercise were attitude, perceived control, benefits and self-efficacy for women, but only attitude for men. Predicting self-reported strenuous activity for women were intention and self-efficacy, and for men intention and attitude. Theoretical and practical implications for attitude research and exercise promotion are discussed.

Attitude to Health↗
PubMed1993

Echocardiographic values in the greyhound.

Serial B- and M-mode echocardiography was performed on Greyhounds to determine normal cardiac values for this breed. These were generally of greater magnitude than predicted from previous echocardiographic research on other breeds and cross-breeds. In particular, left ventricular posterior wall thickness, measured at both systole and diastole, was consistently greater.

Animals↗
PubMed1991

Alterations in femoral and acetabular bone strains immediately following cementless total hip arthroplasty: an in vitro canine study.

Alterations in strain patterns in both the femur and acetabulum of the dog, due to cementless total hip arthroplasty (THA), were evaluated by monitoring cortical bone strains before and immediately following implantation of components, using an accurate in vitro jig, simulating the loading of the canine hip in vivo. Femoral arthroplasty with straight stem, canal-filling, femoral components, made of titanium-based alloy, led to a statistically significant reduction of proximal femoral bone strains, with proximal medical compressive strains reduced, on average, to only 22% of intact strain magnitude (p less than 0.01), even though the prostheses contained collars and were not fixed with cement. Strain alterations on the acetabulum, following cementless THA, were more complex and variable. Laterally, a significant decrease (p less than 0.01) in periacetabular strains to between 20 and 60% of the intact state was observed, while medial wall strains varied inconsistently after arthroplasty. These strain alterations reflect major changes in mechanical loading of both the femur and acetabulum immediately following cementless THA, using components similar to those used clinically in humans. Major reductions in strains on the proximal femur occurred with cementless femoral components, while the change in strains on the acetabulum were variable, and could be a result of variations in fit and placement of components inherent even in well-controlled implantation techniques. The physiologic in vitro loading of the canine femur with the pelvis, used to obtain these data, can be applied to future investigations exploring stress transfer around uncemented components and the relationship of stress transfer to morphological changes of bone, in the canine model.

Acetabulum↗
PubMed1991

A chest radiograph scoring system to predict chronic oxygen dependency in low birth weight infants.

The usefulness of a chest radiograph scoring system to predict chronic oxygen dependency (oxygen dependency at 36 weeks post conceptual age) was determined in 40 infants with a median gestational age 27 weeks (range 24-32 weeks). The scoring system assessed the appearance of the preterm infant's chest radiograph taken at one month of age, and graded the radiograph according to lung volume, the presence of opacification, cystic elements and interstitial change (maximum score 24). Infants who were chronically oxygen dependent had significantly higher scores (median 9, range 7-20) than those not oxygen dependent (median 3, range 0-13, P less than 0.01). All nine chronically oxygen dependent infants had a score greater than 6, in comparison with only two of 31 infants not chronically oxygen dependent (P less than 0.01). A chest radiograph score of 6 thus had a sensitivity of 100% and specificity of 93.5% in predicting chronic oxygen dependency.

Bronchopulmonary Dysplasia↗
PubMed1991

Cardiac changes in experimental hyperthyroidism in dogs.

Injection of triiodothyronine (T3) (1 mg/kg per day subcutaneously for 14 days) to 10 healthy dogs produced a hyperthyroid state characterised by high serum T3 concentrations, hypokalaemia, hyperactivity, loss of weight, diarrhoea and thirst. Electrocardiographic measurements showed that these dogs had an increase in heart rate of 63 +/- 11 beats/min with a significantly increased T wave amplitude without changes in R wave amplitude. Echocardiographic measurements showed no changes in fractional shortening and no evidence of ventricular hypertrophy, in contrast to reports in humans, cats and rats. However, the smooth muscle of the coronary arteries was markedly hypertrophied, which may cause a decrease in myocardial perfusion.

Animals↗
PubMed1991

Chest radiograph scoring system for use in pre-term infants.

A scoring system to characterize the pre-term infant's chest radiograph appearance has been evaluated. Chest radiographs taken at 1 month of age in 20 infants (median gestational age 27 weeks) were scored according to abnormalities of lung volume, presence of opacification, interstitial changes and cystic elements (maximum score 17). The median score was 4 (range 1-14); the highest scores were for the only infants with cystic elements and/or interstitial changes on their chest radiographs. The scoring system documented accurately the severity of neonatal respiratory distress; the highest scores occurred in those infants requiring the most prolonged respiratory support, i.e. ventilated beyond 1 week of age (p less than 0.01) and oxygen-dependent beyond 1 month (p less than 0.01). It was also a useful predictor of chronic respiratory problems, with an 88% sensitivity in the detection of infants with the most severe lung function abnormalities at 6 months of age.

Female↗
PubMed1987

A second look at the effects of supportive follow-up on smoking cessation.

In 1982 a report in CMAJ (1982; 126: 127-129) indicated that the addition of supportive follow-up appointments in a family practice increased the 6-month cigarette abstinence rate from 12% to 23%. We reanalysed the data by means of recognized standards for treatment success and found little evidence that the treatment had any reliable effect on attempts to quit that lasted at least 3 months: 8.5% and 4.8% of the groups with and without supportive follow-up respectively abstained for more than 3 months. We discuss a problem of the experimental design (longer evaluative follow-up for the control group than for the treatment group) and cost-benefit issues.

Costs and Cost Analysis↗
PubMed1987

A non-linear regression program in BASIC for estimating Km and Vmax.

This paper gives a program in BASIC for calculating the kinetic parameters Km and Vmax for an enzyme reaction from a set of paired values of reaction velocity at given substrate concentrations. An initial estimate of the two parameters is made using a weighted linear regression, these values are then used in an iterative process to fit the data to the Michaelis-Menten equation and give final values of Km and Vmax with their associated standard errors.

Algorithms↗
PubMed1987

A reappraisal of the relationship between arachnoid cysts of the middle fossa and chronic subdural haematoma.

It has been increasingly recognised that patients with arachnoid cysts of the middle fossa appear more susceptible to the development of subdural haematomas. Seven patients with arachnoid cysts of the middle fossa and associated subdural haematomas are presented. Intra-cystic haemorrhage, masking the presence of an arachnoid cyst on computed tomography (CT) is highlighted. Repeat of CT scanning in young patients with subdural haematomas in the absence of severe trauma is recommended. Two theories are proposed to account for the observed susceptibility to the development of subdural haematomas in these patients.

Adolescent↗