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Biomedical subjects

D Montgomery

Publications and source records attributed to D Montgomery.

At least 55 records · Page 3Linked to original sources
PubMed1993

Polycystic ovaries are a common finding in untreated female to male transsexuals.

OBJECTIVE: We studied the pretreatment hormone profile and ovarian ultrasound appearance of female-to-male transsexuals. DESIGN: Female-to-male transsexuals who were seen in the local Gender Identity Clinic were examined after psychiatric assessment. RESULTS: Sixteen patients were assessed. Approximately 50% had symptoms and signs of the polycystic ovary syndrome (PCOS) and 15 had a pelvic ultrasound diagnosis of polycystic ovaries. The endocrine profiles of the patients were not markedly abnormal and were compatible with the diagnosis of PCOS. CONCLUSIONS: Polycystic ovaries and the polycystic ovary syndrome are a common finding in female-to-male transsexuals who have had no previous exposure to exogenous androgen therapy.

Female↗
PubMed1993

Early hospital discharge and the timing of newborn metabolic screening.

Cost containment measures have reduced dramatically the length of stay for normal newborns, in some cases jeopardizing the ability to obtain appropriate newborn screens. In our hospital, we found that an unacceptable number of patients had mistakenly been screened before 24 hours of age. As pressures to shorten hospitalization increase, health-care providers must examine the impact of such changes on their ability to obtain adequate newborn screens. Potential solutions include continued vigilance in gathering specimens after 24 hours of age, interpretation of time-sensitive tests in an age-adjusted manner, and repeating newborn screens after 24 hours of age.

Cesarean Section↗
PubMed1992

Steady-state visual evoked cortical potentials from stimulation of visual field quadrants. Optimizing pattern variables for the size of the field to be investigated.

The effects of check size and stimulus size were investigated to optimize the steady-state visual evoked cortical potentials from pattern-reversal stimulation of the visual field quadrants. Check sizes of 15', 30', 60', 90', 120' and 180' were investigated at a pattern reversal rate of 11.6 per second for field sizes varying from 2 degrees x 2 degrees to 24 degrees x 24 degrees. The visual evoked cortical potentials were recorded from mid occipital, right occipital and left occipital positions. In the inferonasal quadrant, the largest amplitudes were obtained with 30' and 60' check sizes; however, for these check sizes, the visual evoked cortical potential yielded limited additional information for field sizes greater than 4 degrees x 4 degrees and 6 degrees x 6 degrees, respectively. When a field size of 12 degrees x 12 degrees was investigated, a 90' check size was optimal. The results indicated that, with the above recording positions and check sizes of 15' to 120', there is an optimal number of pattern elements, 40 to 100, for stimulation of the inferonasal quadrant. This should be taken into account when a check size is selected to investigate a field quadrant of a particular size. Digital signal processing techniques were applied to analyze the visual evoked cortical potential, and the system shows promise for objective examination of the visual field.

Adult↗
PubMed1992

Perinatal outcome in pregnancy complicated by massive obesity.

OBJECTIVE: Our objective was to determine the impact of massive obesity during pregnancy, defined as maternal weight > 300 pounds, on perinatal outcome. STUDY DESIGN: A case-controlled study was conducted. Between Jan. 1, 1986, and Dec. 31, 1990, 111 pregnant women weighing > 300 pounds who were delivered at Long Beach Memorial Women's Hospital were identified with a perinatal data base search. A control group matched for maternal age and parity was selected, and perinatal variables were compared between groups. To control for potential confounding medical complications, massively obese patients with diabetes and/or chronic hypertension antedating the index pregnancy were excluded from the obese group, and the data were reanalyzed. The Student t test chi 2, and Fisher's exact statistical analysis were used where appropriate. RESULTS: Massively obese pregnant women are significantly more likely to have a multitude of adverse perinatal outcomes, including primary cesarean section (32.4% vs 14.3%, p = 0.002), macrosomia (30.2% vs 11.6%, p = 0.0001), intrauterine growth retardation (8.1% vs 0.9%, p = 0.03), and neonatal admission to the intensive care unit (15.6% vs 4.5%, p = 0.01). They also are significantly more likely to have chronic hypertension (27.0% vs 0.9%, p < 0.0001) and insulin-dependent diabetes mellitus (19.8% vs 2.7%, p = 0.0001). However, when those massively obese pregnant women with diabetes and/or hypertension antedating pregnancy are excluded from analysis, no statistically significant differences in perinatal outcome persisted. CONCLUSION: Massively obese pregnant women are at high risk for adverse perinatal outcome; however, this risk appears to be related to medical complications of obesity.

Adult↗
PubMed1992

Severity of asthma and perinatal outcome.

OBJECTIVE: Our objective was to determine the impact of asthma and its severity, as determined by medication requirements, on perinatal outcome. STUDY DESIGN: A case-controlled study was conducted. Among 30,940 live births at Long Beach Memorial Medical Center Women's Hospital, 183 deliveries occurred between Jan. 1, 1985, and Dec. 31, 1990, that were coded for the diagnosis of asthma. Eighty-one that required the chronic use of medications to control their disease were identified. Thirty-one patients were steroid dependent and 50 were non-steroid-medication dependent. A control group was randomly selected (excluding maternal transports), and selected perinatal variables were compared between groups. RESULTS: When compared with controls, steroid-dependent asthmatics were at significantly increased risk for gestational (1.5% vs 12.9%) and insulin-requiring diabetes (0% vs 9.7%). Preterm delivery and preterm premature ruptured membranes occurred significantly more often in both asthmatic groups. Overall cesarean section rate was significantly increased in the non-steroid-medication-dependent asthmatic group when compared with controls (56.0% vs 30.0%). Delivery by primary cesarean section was significantly more common in the steroid-dependent group (38.7% vs 19.2%), and a strong trend was noted among the non-steroid-medication-dependent patients (34.0% vs 19.2%). Cesarean delivery for fetal distress was also more common in these two asthmatic groups. Neonates born to both groups of asthmatic pregnant women were significantly more likely to be of birth weight < 2500 gm but did not have an increased frequency of intrauterine growth restriction. No significant differences in low 5-minute Apgar scores were found; however, neonates born to both steroid-dependent and non-steroid-medication-dependent asthmatics were significantly more likely to be admitted to the neonatal intensive care unit (39.0% and 22.0% vs 7.7%). Preterm delivery and low birth weight were complications observed significantly more often in the steroid-dependent asthma group when compared with the non-steroid-medication-dependent group (54.8% vs 14.0% and 45.2% vs 14.0%). CONCLUSIONS: Perinatal outcome is compromised in the pregnancy complicated by chronic medication-dependent asthma. The extent is variable and is associated with disease severity, as measured by medication requirements.

Asthma↗
PubMed1992

Features of recurrent brief depression.

Recurrent brief depression, characterised by frequently occurring brief depressive episodes, lasting less than two weeks, is now recognised as a common and disabling illness with a chronic relapsing course and a significant suicide risk. The episodes have a mean duration of 3 days, but otherwise fulfill the symptomatic criteria for DSM III-R major depression. Some two thirds of episodes satisfy severity criteria for at least moderate depression and about a third for severe depression. They recur erratically with a mean period of 18 days between the start of one episode and the next. Because of the frequency of the episodes patients may report longer continuous periods of depression than was the case and may be mistakenly perceived as dysthymia as major depression. It is important to identify these patients as treatment response appears to differ. The episodes are too short to be able to assume efficacy with conventional antidepressants; it is necessary to adopt a prophylactic strategy for treatment aiming to reduce the severity, the frequency, or the duration of episodes.

Depressive Disorder↗
PubMed1991

Protein disulfide isomerase is essential for viability in Saccharomyces cerevisiae.

Protein disulfide isomerase (PDI) is an enzyme involved in the catalysis of disulfide bond formation in secretory and cell-surface proteins. Using an oligodeoxyribonucleotide designed to detect the conserved 'thioredoxin-like' active site of vertebrate PDIs, we have isolated a gene encoding PDI from the lower eukaryote, Saccharomyces cerevisiae. The nucleotide sequence and deduced open reading frame of the cloned gene predict a 530-amino-acid (aa) protein of Mr 59,082 and a pI of 4.1, physical properties characteristic of mammalian PDIs. Furthermore, the aa sequence shows 30-32% identity with mammalian and avian PDI sequences and has a very similar overall organisation, namely the presence of two approx. 100-aa segments, each of which is repeated, with the most significant homologies to mammalian and avian PDIs being in the regions (a, a') that contain the conserved 'thioredoxin-like' active site. The N-terminal region has the characteristics of a cleavable secretory signal sequence and the C-terminal four aa (-His-Asp-Glu-Leu) are consistent with the protein being a component of the S. cerevisiae endoplasmic reticulum. Transformants carrying multiple copies of this gene (designated PDI1) have tenfold higher levels of PDI activity and overproduce a protein of the predicted Mr. The PDI1 gene is unique in the yeast genome and encodes a single 1.8-kb transcript that is not found in stationary phase cells. Disruption of the PDI1 gene is haplo-lethal indicating that the product of this gene is essential for viability.

Amino Acid Sequence↗
PubMed1991

5-HT reuptake inhibitors, tricyclic antidepressants and suicidal behaviour.

Antidepressant drugs undoubtedly reduce much of the morbidity and mortality associated with a variety of depressive disorders. Certain types of antidepressant drugs have been shown to exert a relative advantage in the reduction of suicidal thoughts, and it is interesting that recent reports have noted an association between the prescription of some antidepressants and the development of suicidal and aggressive thoughts and behaviour. An analysis of the data from double-blind controlled trials of fluvoxamine, fluoxetine and paroxetine indicates that 5-HT uptake inhibitors exercise some protective effects on the emergence of suicidal thoughts, whereas the data from the studies with maprotiline show an increase in suicidal thoughts compared with placebo.

Antidepressive Agents↗
PubMed1990

The duration, nature and recurrence rate of brief depressions.

1. It has been shown in placebo controlled studies of prophylactic treatment of suicidal behaviour in patients not suffering from major depression that brief episodes of depression predict further suicidal behaviour. 2. In a prospective follow up study of patients with a history of repeated suicidal behaviour it appears that almost all suffered recurrent episodes of brief depression, mainly of moderate to severe intensity. Two thirds of the episodes lasted between two and four days. The recurrences were frequent, irregular, and apparently unpredictable. 3. The episodes were distinguishable from major depression only by the short duration.

Adult↗