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Biomedical subjects

B J McCabe

Publications and source records attributed to B J McCabe.

At least 37 records · Page 2Linked to original sources
PubMed1995

Reading skills of dietetic interns and readability of dietetics literature.

OBJECTIVE: To assess and compare reading skills of dietetic interns with reading levels of internship references. DESIGN: A standardized reading test, the Nelson-Denny Reading Test, measured reading skills of entering dietetic interns over 7 years. A computerized readability program assessed the readability of references. SETTING: Dietetic internships in university and Veterans Affairs hospitals. SUBJECTS: Of 194 entering interns, 178 (92%) were included and 16 (89%) were omitted. MAIN OUTCOME MEASURES: Nelson-Denny percentile and grade equivalent scores for vocabulary, comprehension, and total. The Fog Index identified reference reading-grade levels. STATISTICAL ANALYSES PERFORMED: Descriptive statistics and analysis of variance. RESULTS: Interns from the two programs did not differ significantly on Nelson-Denny Reading Test scores or in application grade point average. Percentile means and standard deviations were 54.7 +/- 23.8 for vocabulary, 51.2 +/- 25.0 for comprehension, 52.9 +/- 23.9 for total, and 41.6 +/- 24.7 for reading rate. Nearly 20% (33 of 178) of interns read significantly below expected grade level. The fog Index assigned reference grade levels from 6.98 to 21.63 years. CONCLUSIONS: The majority of dietetic interns have strong reading skills and read within the references' reading levels. A minority may experience difficulties reading assignments. Preinternship reading skills assessment could lead to greater success in reading professional literature.

Adult↗
PubMed1994

Learning-related changes in Fos-like immunoreactivity in the chick forebrain after imprinting.

The intermediate and medial part of the hyperstriatum ventrale (IMHV) is a part of the chick forebrain that is critical for the learning process of imprinting and may be a site of information storage. Chicks were either trained on an imprinting stimulus or dark-reared. Trained chicks were classified as good or poor learners by their preference score (a measure of the strength of imprinting). A monoclonal antibody against the immediate early gene product Fos was applied to sections through IMHV and other forebrain regions. In the IMHV, significantly more immunopositive nuclei were counted in good learners than in poor learners or dark-reared chicks. There was a positive correlation between counts of labeled nuclei and preference score that was not attributable to sensory activity per se, locomotor activity during training, or a predisposition to learn well; rather, the results indicated that the change in Fos immunoreactivity in the IMHV was related to learning. In the hyperstriatum accessorium, significantly fewer immunopositive nuclei were counted in good learners than in poor learners or in dark-reared chicks. In the dorsolateral hippocampal region, more immunopositive nuclei were counted in trained than in dark-reared chicks. No significant effects of training were found in the anterior hyperstriatum ventrale, lobus parolfactorius, neostriatum, medial hippocampal region, or ventrolateral hippocampal region, but counts in this last region were positively correlated with training approach. The results for IMHV implicate Fos or Fos-related proteins in memory processes and pave the way for the identification of the cell types that show the learning-related increase in gene expression.

Animals↗
PubMed1994

NADPH diaphorase (nitric oxide synthase) in a part of the chick brain involved in imprinting.

The intermediate and medial part of the hyperstriatum ventrale (IMHV) is a memory system in the chick forebrain in which certain learning-related changes occur after imprinting. We have enquired whether NADPH-diaphorase, a presumed marker for nitric oxide synthase, is present in sections through the IMHV of chicks, either trained with an imprinting stimulus or dark-reared. Very few NADPH-d-positive cells were found in the IMHV (0.37 +/- 0.07 S.E.M. cells per 0.3 mm x 0.9 mm sampling frame), in contrast to the palaeostriatum augmentatum (PA) (19.47 +/- 0.77). Some stained cells in the PA were closely associated with blood vessels. The results do not support the hypothesis that learning-related changes in the IMHV depend on nitric oxide acting as a retrograde neuronal messenger.

Amino Acid Oxidoreductases↗
PubMed1994

Neuronal activity related to memory in the intermediate and medial part of the hyperstriatum ventrale of the chick brain.

The intermediate and medial part of the hyperstriatum ventrale (IMHV) in the forebrain of the domestic chick Gallus gallus domesticus has been shown in previous studies to be critically involved in the learning process of imprinting. In the present study, 1-day-old chicks were imprinted by exposing them to one of two artificial stimuli. 24 h later each chick was given a preference test in which the two stimuli were presented in sequence. A preference score, an index of the strength of imprinting (i.e., of learning), was calculated from approach activity during the preference test. The chicks were divided into groups with low, medium and high preference scores (corresponding to weak, medium and strong learning respectively) and coded so that all subsequent procedures were performed blind. Each chick was then anaesthetized and spontaneous action potentials recorded extracellularly from groups of neurones in the left IMHV. The mean neuronal firing rate in chicks with medium and high preference scores was significantly greater than that in chicks with low preference scores. This relation between neuronal activity and preference score was not attributable to the chicks' locomotor activity per se. The results demonstrate an association between spontaneous electrical activity in the left IMHV and a measure of learning 1 day after the learning occurred.

Action Potentials↗
PubMed1993

Learning selectively increases protein kinase C substrate phosphorylation in specific regions of the chick brain.

The effect of imprinting, an early form of exposure learning, on the phosphorylation state of the protein kinase C substrates myristoylated alanine-rich C-kinase substrate (MARCKS) and protein F1/43-kDa growth-associated protein (F1/GAP-43) was studied in two regions of the chick forebrain. One region, the intermediate and medial part of the hyperstriatum ventrale (IMHV), is probably a site of long-term memory; the other, the wulst, contains somatic sensory and visual projection areas. After imprinting, a significant increase in MARCKS protein phosphorylation was observed in the left IMHV but not the right IMHV. No significant alteration in F1/GAP-43 was observed in IMHV. MARCKS was resolved into two acidic components of pI approximately 5.0 and approximately 4.0. Phosphorylation of the pI approximately 5.0 MARCKS but not the pI approximately 4.0 MARCKS was significantly altered by imprinting. The partial correlation between preference score (an index of learning) and phosphorylation, holding constant the effect of approach activity during training, was significant only for the pI approximately 5.0 MARCKS in the left IMHV. A significant negative partial correlation between preference score and F1/GAP-43 phosphorylation in the right wulst was observed. Because the imprinting-induced alteration in MARCKS is selective with respect to phosphoprotein moiety, hemispheric location, and brain region, we propose that these alterations may be central to the learning process.

Animals↗
PubMed1993

Co-expression of Fos immunoreactivity in protein kinase (PKC gamma)-positive neurones: quantitative analysis of a brain region involved in learning.

The expression of the gamma protein kinase C isoenzyme (PKC gamma) and of the c-fos immediate early gene protein product Fos in the intermediate and medial hyperstriatum ventrale (IMHV) of day-old chicks was determined immunocytochemically. Previous research has shown that (a) there is a learning-related increase in the expression of Fos in the IMHV of the chick after imprinting; (b) PKC gamma is expressed in neurones in most regions of the chick forebrain, including the IMHV. In the present study it was found that in imprinted chicks, 96.5% of neurones in the IMHV that expressed Fos also stained positively for PKC gamma. These results raise the possibility of a functional connection between PKC gamma activation and c-fos expression in neurones in general, and in particular in neurones in the IMHV that are involved in learning.

Animals↗
PubMed1993

Retrospective analysis of the use of a standardized reference form in admissions to a dietetics internship program.

Although the letter of recommendation is the most commonly requested information relating to the personal qualities of applicants to dietetics internship programs, little research has focused on its value in selection decisions. The purpose of this study was to review how 318 letters of recommendation submitted on a standardized form related to the source of the reference and to the admission status of the applicants. The form contained 40 attributes that raters assigned to one of six categories. Nine of the 40 attributes were not rated by more than 75% of the raters, and 3 of the attributes were rated as outstanding by more than 60% of the raters. We concluded that these attributes did little to distinguish among applicants. The attribute maturity correlated 0.70 with 5 attributes and 0.99 with 2 attributes, so duplication of information existed. Raters were categorized as follows: adviser, major professor, other professor, employer, and other. The highest mean ratings were given by advisers; major professors rated students lowest. Analysis of variance supported a significant difference in rating by type of rater. Our findings suggest that fewer items should be used on a standardized form and that the type of rater should be specified if references are to distinguish among applicants.

Analysis of Variance↗
PubMed1992

Impairment of learning by localized injection of an N-methyl-D-aspartate receptor antagonist into the hyperstriatum ventrale of the domestic chick.

A restricted part of the domestic chick forebrain is critically involved in the learning process of imprinting. This region is the intermediate and medial part of the hyperstriatum ventrale (IMHV). The effect on imprinting of local injection of the N-methyl-D-aspartate (NMDA) receptor blocker D-amino-5-phosphonopentanoic acid (D-AP5) into the left IMHV was studied in chicks in which the right IMHV had been lesioned. The left IMHV is essential for imprinting when chicks have been lesioned in this way. Injection of approximately 0.7 nmol D-AP5 into the left IMHV significantly impaired imprinting. Injection of approximately 0.2 nmol D-AP5 into the left IMHV, or of approximately 0.7 nmol D-AP5 into the left hyperstriatum accessorium, was without significant effect on imprinting. These results suggest that NMDA receptors in the left IMHV may play an important part in this learning process.

2-Amino-5-phosphonovalerate↗
PubMed1991

Quantitative analysis of the ultrastructural distribution of GABA-like immunoreactivity in the intermediate and medial part of hyperstriatum ventrale of chick.

The intermediate and medial part of the hyperstriatum ventrale of the chick telencephalon plays a crucial role in the learning processes of imprinting. The distribution within the intermediate and medial part of the hyperstriatum ventrale of the neurotransmitter gamma-amino butyric acid was studied with light and electron microscopy using an antibody against this amino acid. The antibody labelled 18.4% of neuronal somata. GABA-labelled terminals made symmetrical synapses onto somata and dendrites of labelled and unlabelled neurons. Labelled somata received about three times as many synaptic boutons as unlabelled somata. Approximately 21% of synaptic terminals on labelled somata were themselves labelled; unlabelled somata received a higher proportion (37.6%) of such terminals. Most labelled terminals synapsing with dendrites were confined to the shafts; very few labelled terminals contributed to axospinous synapses. Synaptic contacts made on dendritic shafts by labelled boutons were intermingled with symmetrical and asymmetrical contacts from non-immunoreactive terminals. The proportion of labelled terminals received by labelled dendrites (33.1%) was approximately twice that received by unlabelled dendrites (15.9%). Labelled neurons therefore received a higher proportion of labelled terminals on their dendrites and a lower proportion on their somata compared with unlabelled neurons. No immunoreactivity was seen in glial cells or ependyma.

Animals↗
PubMed1991

Synaptic transmission and recognition memory: time course of changes in N-methyl-D-aspartate receptors after imprinting.

Previous studies have shown that a restricted region of the chick forebrain (the intermediate and medial parts of the hyperstriatum ventrale, IMHV) is crucial for the learning process of imprinting. A learning-related increase in N-methyl-D-aspartate (NMDA) receptor binding has previously been shown in the left IMHV 8.5 hr after training with an imprinting stimulus. The present experiments showed that this increase in binding in the left IMHV does not occur until 6-8.5 hr after training: There was no significant change in binding in either the left or right IMHV less than 0.5, 3, or 6 hr after training. No significant change in binding occurred in the right IMHV 8.5 hr after training. It is probable that the increase in binding in the left IMHV is associated with the recognition memory of imprinting.

Animals↗
PubMed1990

Assessment of student selection practices and beliefs in dietetic internship programs.

With declining college enrollment, the health professions, including dietetics, are recognizing a need to assess and monitor student selection more closely. In this survey of 102 dietetic internship programs, program directors and a sample of their faculty members were asked to describe their current selection practices and to identify the beliefs they hold about the information obtained from various components of their procedures. Differences in beliefs between program directors and other faculty members were compared by t-test analysis. The five major categories of internship selection procedures are presented with information items faculty members believe are derived from each category, and the results are compared with those of previous surveys of dietetic selection practices. Major findings are that the intern selection process has changed significantly since 1978, with greater emphasis on work experience and extracurricular activities; the number of applicants per position has doubled despite a doubling of dietetic internship programs; and program directors and faculty members agree on the major selection practices but not on the information obtained from a given category. In the discussion, the findings are evaluated against a broad background of health profession education literature; implications are raised for intern selection committees and for the applicant.

Dietetics↗
PubMed1989

Evaluation of the use of standardized recommendation forms in admissions in radiologic technology, medical technology, and dietetics.

The continuing decline in the number of applicants to allied health educational programs combined with the need to ensure that graduates are competent has made essential the development of reliable predictors that more fully assess the potential of all individuals in the restricted applicant pool. The letter of recommendation is the most commonly requested information that relates to personal qualities in college applicants, but little research has been conducted on the value of this predictor. The purpose of this study was to retroactively review how attribute ratings in letters of recommendation submitted on standardized forms (N = 500) related to the source of the reference and the admission status of students applying to allied health educational programs. Results indicated that some attribute ratings distinguish between students and some do not, that standardized forms can be refined by elimination of items that failed to distinguish students, that ratings vary significantly by type of rater, and that the relationship between rating scores and admission status supports the efficacy of the standardized recommendation forms.

Allied Health Personnel↗
PubMed1989

A strategy for designing effective patient education materials.

Health care professionals have long voiced a concern about the mismatch between patients' reading skills and the readability of printed educational materials. The gap between patients' reading levels and the readability of diet education materials has not been closed in the past 20 years. This article details a strategy for developing effective printed educational materials that was used to develop and revise dietetic materials for patients at a university medical center. The process includes the use of a computerized readability software program to assess reading levels. Three major steps are to (a) analyze patient education needs, (b) develop the instructional plan and materials, and (c) evaluate the materials. Examples are given of the application of the readability program in the development of one diet booklet and in the simplification of four other booklets. Without the readability formulas, the reading level of the materials would have remained above the stated educational levels of the target population, and the objectives of the booklets would not have been achieved. Cautions against overreliance on the readability formulas without other assessment steps are given. A systematic approach including readability assessment is needed to ensure the effectiveness of dietetic educational materials.

Humans↗
PubMed1988

Learning and memory: regional changes in N-methyl-D-aspartate receptors in the chick brain after imprinting.

An extensive series of experiments has implicated a restricted region of the chick forebrain in the learning process of imprinting. The region is the intermediate and medial part of the hyperstriatum ventrale (IMHV). Previous studies have shown that training is associated with an increase in the area of the postsynaptic density of axospinous synapses in the left but not the right IMHV. The postsynaptic density is a site of high receptor density, and at least some axospinous synapses are excitatory. We found that imprinting is associated with a 59% increase in N-methyl-D-aspartate-sensitive binding of the excitatory amino acid L-[3H]glutamic acid in the left IMHV. The increase is probably due to an increased number of binding sites. The profile of sensitivity of the sites to a series of amino-, phosphono-substituted carboxylic acids (2-amino-3-phosphonopropionate to 2-amino-8-phosphonooctanoate) is characteristic of N-methyl-D-aspartate-type receptors. There were no significant effects of training on binding in the right IMHV. The effect of training on left IMHV binding could not be attributed to light exposure, arousal, or motor activity per se but was a function of how much the chicks learned. The changes in the left IMHV could increase the effectiveness of synaptic transmission in a region crucial for information storage and so form a neural basis for recognition memory.

Animals↗
PubMed1986

Androgens and imprinting: differential effects of testosterone on filial preference in the domestic chick.

The relation between testosterone and imprinting was investigated in domestic chicks. After hatching, chicks received either testosterone enanthate in oil or oil alone (controls). The chicks were then trained by exposing them to a rotating imprinting stimulus, either a red box or a stuffed jungle fowl. A preference score was then determined, providing a measure of the strength of imprinting. Plasma testosterone concentration after testing did not differ significantly between males and females and was unaffected by the type of training stimulus. In fowl-trained chicks, but not in box-trained chicks, preference score was positively correlated with plasma testosterone concentration. Furthermore, the mean preference score of the fowl-trained chicks that had received exogenous testosterone was significantly higher than that of their controls; no such effect was found in box-trained chicks. A previous study showed that imprinting with the box, but not the fowl, is profoundly impaired by a noradrenergic neurotoxin. The results taken together suggest that some of the neural systems supporting the preference for the red box, a simple artificial object, are different from some of those supporting the preference for the stuffed jungle fowl.

Animals↗
PubMed1986

Dietary tyramine and other pressor amines in MAOI regimens: a review.

A critical review of the literature on amine composition and relevant case reports provides rational guidelines for diet planning and counseling of patients on monoamine oxidase inhibitor (MAOI) drug regimens. Small amounts of normally harmless pressor amines in foods can lead to a hypertensive crisis, which is often termed the "cheese reaction." Initial recognition of the problem led to reduced usage of MAOIs and overzealous food restrictions. Recently, confidence in handling such reactions and in MAOI usage has increased. MAOIs treat anxiety and depression by supposedly inhibiting the inactivation of neurotransmitters. A side effect is the concurrent failure to inactivate the potent vasopressor amine, tyramine. Consumption of 6 mg of tyramine may produce a mild crisis whereas 10 to 25 mg may produce severe headaches with intracranial hemorrhage and its sequelae. Any food rich in aromatic amino acids can become high in tyramine if aging, contamination, prolonged storage, or spoilage occurs. Tables are presented listing the current MAOI drugs; the pressor amines; the tyramine content of various cheeses; and foods to avoid, foods to use with caution, and foods that are not restricted. Rational guidelines for dietary counseling in MAOI usage include: keep tyramine intake below 5 mg, begin diet counseling before drug therapy, monitor patient compliance, recommend preparation and consumption of only fresh foods, and continue the diet four weeks beyond drug therapy.

Diet↗