Search PubMed⌕ Search

Biomedical subjects

C Smith

Publications and source records attributed to C Smith.

At least 991 records · Page 55Linked to original sources
PubMed1981

Psychosocial and developmental factors in failure to thrive: one- to three- year follow-up.

Fifteen infants and children with a diagnosis of failure to thrive (FTT) were followed at one to three years postdischarge. Data were gathered from in-home interviews, psychosocial questionnaires, measurement of present height and weight, and administration of the Developmental Profile. Nine of the 15 children were still failing to thrive; the other 6 were considered recovered. The nonthriving group consisted of three subgroups: (1) developmentally retarded, (2) organic basis FTT, and (3) psychosocial FTT. The developmentally retarded children were significantly different in that they required more attention, had greater constipation, and engaged in less tantrum behavior. Further, they were significantly more impaired in the physical, self-help, and social areas of development. The difficulties in diagnosis and treatment of FTT children are discussed. Suggestions for the enhancement of medical management of this complex and life-threatening disorder are offered.

Body Height↗
PubMed1981

Human vestibular epithelia: prospects for future study.

The lateral ampullae of thirteen patients, removed during translabyrinthine surgery for various disorders, have been examined with light and electron microscopy. Correlation of results of vestibular function tests with changes of histology and ultrastructure have been attempted. Light and electron microscopy revealed the same features that other investigators have reported as pathologic changes in the sensory epithelium and associated subepithelial structures. The occurrence of these features did not correlate with the vestibular function tests, indicating that these features, in our tissue samples, were handling and preparation artifacts. Two observations made in a specimen from a patient with Meniere's disease were difficult to ascribe to handling or preparation artifact. One was the presence of densely stained granular inclusions in the basal portion of the sensory epithelium. The location and contents of these inclusions as seen in the electron microscopy indicated they were hypertrophied degenerating nerve terminals. Similar inclusions were also seen in the axoplasm of myelinated nerve fibers in the sensory subepithelial connective tissue. The other observation believed to be relevant to the symptoms of Meniere's disease, was the presence of widened tight junctions between adjoining sensory and supporting epithelial cells. The attempt at correlation of histologic and ultrastructural changes of ampullae with vestibular function has made possible some differentiation between pathology and artifact. The significance of the ultrastructural observations is discussed.

Adult↗
PubMed1981

Pediatric vascular injuries.

The literature on the treatment of pediatric vascular injuries was reviewed. Aggressive treatment of arterial ischemia is clearly indicated, since children with uncorrelated arterial thrombosis are almost certain to develop a growth abnormality in the affected extremity. Alternatives to operative treatment have not been well described. Operative treatment is technically difficult and results are strongly influenced by age. To emphasize this relationship, we combined 10 cases of arterial thrombosis treated operatively in children under age 2 years complied form the literature with five similar cases reviewed retrospectively in our hospital. In these 15 patients the etiology was iatrogenic in 100%. Sixty-seven percent (10 of 15) were treated with simple thrombectomy, and only one patient (7%) received a graft. At up to 8 years of follow-up, only 26% (3 of 15) were normal, 47% (7 of 15) had thrombosis, 20% (3 of 15) had suffered tissue loss, and there had been one perioperative death. We conclude that operative treatment of an ischemic although viable limb in a small child might best be deferred if simple thrombectomy has failed or if a more complex procedure would be required at the outset, with the hope that any growth abnormality that developed could be reversed by definitive reconstruction when the child is larger.

Catheterization↗
PubMed1980

Studies on the mechanism of membrane fusion: role of phosphate in promoting calcium ion induced fusion of phospholipid vesicles.

The role of phosphate in enhancing the calcium-induced fusion of phosphatidylserine (PS) vesicles has been examined by using the new fluorescent (terbium/dipicolinic acid) assay described by Wilschut et al. (1980) [Wilschut, J., Düzgüneş, N., Fraley, R., & Papahajopoulos, D. (1980) Biochemistry (preceding paper in this issue)]. In the presence of physiological levels of phosphate, the calcium concentration required for fusion of PS vesicles was lowered significantly (3-4-fold), and the rate of vesicle fusion was increased dramatically (up to 1000-fold). The fusion of PS vesicles by calcium and phosphate is shown to be specific and critically dependent on temperature, pH, ion concentrations, and the composition of the calcium phosphate crystalline phase present during the incubation. The results indicate that a significant enhancement in vesicle fusion occurs only when calcium phosphate precipitation is initiated in the presence of PS vesicles, suggesting that crystal nucleation on the vesicle surface is a prerequisite for fusion. Calcium and phosphate were shown to promote phospholipid phase separations and vesicle fusion under conditions (e.g., mixtures of PS and phosphatidylcholine) in which calcium alone is ineffective, indicating that formation of PS calcium phosphate complexes may facilitate the molecular segregation of PS into distinct domains. These experiments underline the important role that phosphate may play in calcium-mediated fusion phenomena in biological membranes.

Calcium↗
PubMed1980

Training family doctors to recognise psychiatric illness with increased accuracy.

In a training programme to improve the accuracy with which family doctors rate psychiatric disturbances in their patients an agreement coefficient (kappa) was calculated for each of 45 trainees between their ratings of psychiatric disturbances and the symptom levels of their patients as reported on the General Health Questionnaire (GHQ-28). The 24 trainees with the lowest kappa cofficients were randomly assigned to an index or a control group, and the index group received four sessions of individual instruction, based on videotaped feedback of their own interviews, aimed at modifying their interview style. After the training sessions the index group had significantly improved the accuracy of their assessments.

England↗
PubMed1980

Purification, radioimmunoassay, and distribution of human brain 14-3-2 protein (nervous-system specific enolase) in human tissues.

Human 14-3-2 protein, a nervous-system specific enolase (EC 4.2.1.11) isoenzyme, has been purified from human brain and a sensitive radioimmunoassay has been developed for its detection. A systematic survey of human organs has shown that immunoreactive nervous-system specific enolase is present in all human organs but at levels less than 3% of those found in human brain, with especially low levels in liver, kidney and skeletal muscle, and with the highest levels in adrenal and large intestine. In all organs immunoreactive nervous-system specific enolase occurs in two forms representing the heterodimer and homodimer forms of the enzyme, and in all tissues except brain the heterodimer predominates. The presence of nervous-system specific enolase in other organs is unlikely to be explicable by innervation alone since significant quantities are found in red blood cell haemolysates. Tissues which contain amine precursor uptake and decarboxylation cells, for which the protein has been claimed to be a specific molecular marker, do not contain significantly higher levels of immunoreactive nervous-system specific enolase than other tissues. Both the heterodimer and homodimer forms of the enolase appear to be expressed at low levels in all tissues.

Amino Acids↗
PubMed1980

Estrogenization in women with postmenopausal ovarian hyperthecosis.

The cases of two women who show postmenopausal bleeding and signs of endogenous estrogen production are presented. At laparotomy, ovarian hyperthecosis was found and confirmed histologically. Determination of 17 beta-estradiol concentrations in ovarian and peripheral veins suggested that these ovaries actively secreted excessive estrogens. Ovarian hyperthecosis is discussed as a cause of renewed endogenous estrogen activity in the postmenopausal women.

Aged↗
PubMed1980

The structure of segmental errors in the speech of deaf children.

A quantitative description of the segmental errors occurring in the speech of deaf children is developed. The method of description separates out those errors or characteristics that are common to all deaf speakers from those that are common to different subpopulations of the deaf (e.g., severely versus profoundly hearing impaired) from those errors or characteristics that are unique to individual speakers. Using this technique, the pattern of segmental errors is specified for several groups of children including deaf children at a school for the deaf as well as hearing-impaired children who have been mainstreamed into the regular school system.

Adolescent↗