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Biomedical subjects

D Richards

Publications and source records attributed to D Richards.

At least 55 records · Page 3Linked to original sources
PubMed2000

Cloning of the Arabidopsis RSF1 gene by using a mapping strategy based on high-density DNA arrays and denaturing high-performance liquid chromatography.

Mapping genes by chromosome walking is a widely used technique applicable to cloning virtually any gene that is identifiable by mutagenesis. We isolated the gene responsible for the recessive mutation rsf1 (for reduced sensitivity to far-red light) in the Arabidopsis Columbia accession by using classical genetic analysis and two recently developed technologies: genotyping high-density oligonucleotide DNA array and denaturing high-performance liquid chromatography (DHPLC). The Arabidopsis AT412 genotyping array and 32 F(2) plants were used to map the rsf1 mutation close to the top of chromosome 1 to an interval of approximately 500 kb. Using DHPLC, we found and genotyped additional markers for fine mapping, shortening the interval to approximately 50 kb. The mutant gene was directly identified by DHPLC by comparing amplicons generated separately from the rsf1 mutant and the parent strain Columbia. DHPLC analysis yielded polymorphic profiles in two overlapping polymorphic amplicons attributable to a 13-bp deletion in the third of five exons of a gene encoding a 292-amino acid protein with a basic helix-loop-helix (bHLH) domain. The mutation in rsf1 results in a truncated protein consisting of the first 129 amino acids but lacking the bHLH domain. Cloning the RSF1 gene strongly suggests that numerous phytochrome A-mediated responses require a bHLH class transcription factor.

Alleles↗
PubMed2000

Controversial issues: female genital mutilation.

As immigrant women from African countries enter the U.S., Canada, Australia, and Western Europe, western health care providers are beginning to see patients affected by the cultural practice of Female Genital Mutilation (FGM). Unfamiliar with the practice, either medically or culturally, these providers are turning to medical librarians for information. Complicating the issue are the strong negative feelings most western health care workers have about FGM, which appears to them to be both barbaric and cruel. These feelings may conflict strongly with those of their immigrant patients, who regard the practice as normal and desirable. Both medical and cultural information are needed for the professional to provide treatment of medical conditions, while also establishing a good relationship with the FGM affected patient. This article identifies and describes the most important refereed journal article databases, available now over the Internet, providing both medical and cultural information on FGM, and the most useful Web sites for health professionals, librarians, and interested laypersons who need information about this difficult multicultural issue.

Africa↗
PubMed2000

Symptom severity, personal and social variables after armed robbery.

OBJECTIVES: To investigate the relative importance of personal and social variables on post-trauma symptom recovery. DESIGN: Prospective survey of armed robbery victims. METHODS: Fifty-one consecutive armed robbery victims were assessed immediately and at 1 month post-raid for post-traumatic stress. One month post-raid, crisis support, causal attribution and coping were also measured. Thirty-one of the sample were assessed for symptoms 6 months after the raid. RESULTS: Both the main and follow-up samples had high levels of post-traumatic stress symptoms immediately after the raid which reduced significantly 1 month later and, for the follow-up subsample, further still 6 months later. Higher levels of symptoms at 1 month and poor crisis support were associated with higher levels of symptoms at follow-up. CONCLUSIONS: Purposeful coping, symptom severity and social support effect post-trauma recovery.

Adaptation, Psychological↗
PubMed1999

Community networking as a means for identifying people with diabetes in a rural, predominantly bicultural community in New Zealand.

AIMS: To assess the use of community networking to estimate the prevalence of diabetes in a predominantly New Zealand Maori and European community. METHODS: A cross-sectional survey of people with known diabetes identified either through general practice or community networks (others with diabetes, public notices or public meetings) was undertaken. Ascertainment was compared using capture-recapture methods for two independent samples. RESULTS: Overall ascertainment by community networking was greater for Maori than Europeans (40 +/- 3% vs 15 +/- 2%, p < 0.001). Ascertainment using general practice registers was comparable in the two ethnic groups (48 +/- 4% vs 55 +/- 5%, respectively). Women were more likely than men to be contacted through community networking (odds ratio 1.47, 1.05-2.06). CONCLUSION: In closely knit communities, community networking provides an independent source for estimating the prevalence of diabetes.

Community Health Planning↗
PubMed1999

The effect of decreasing digital image resolution on teledermatology diagnosis.

OBJECTIVE: To determine the effect of degraded digital image resolution (as viewed on a monitor) on the accuracy and confidence of dermatologic interpretation. MATERIALS AND METHODS: Eight dermatologists interpreted 180 clinical cases divided into three Logical Competitor Sets (LCS) (pigmented lesions, non-pigmented lesions, and inflammatory dermatoses). Each case was digitized at three different resolutions. The images were randomized and divided into (9) 60-image sessions. The physicians were completely blinded concerning the image resolution. After 60 seconds per image, the viewer recorded a diagnosis and level of confidence. The resultant ROC curves compared the effect of LCS, level of clinical difficulty, and resolution of the digital image. One-way analysis of variance (ANOVA) compared the curves. RESULTS: The areas beneath the ROC curves did not demonstrate any consistently significant difference between the digital image resolutions for all LCS and levels of difficulty. The only significant effect observed was amongst pigmented lesions (LCS-A) where the ROC curve area was significantly smaller in the easy images at high resolution compared to low and medium resolutions. For all other ROC curve comparisons within LCS-A, at all other levels of difficulty, as well as within the other LCS at all levels of difficulty, none of the differences was significant. CONCLUSION: A 720 x 500 pixel image can be considered equivalent to a 1490 x 1000 pixel image for most store-and-forward teledermatology consultations.

Analysis of Variance↗
PubMed1999

Phase I evaluation of ISIS 3521, an antisense oligodeoxynucleotide to protein kinase C-alpha, in patients with advanced cancer.

PURPOSE: To determine the maximum-tolerated dose (MTD) and pharmacologic behavior of ISIS 3521 (ISI 641A), an antisense phosphorothioate oligonucleotide to protein kinase C-alpha. PATIENTS AND METHODS: Thirty-six patients with advanced cancer received 99 cycles of ISIS 3521 (0.15 to 6.0 mg/kg/d) as a 2-hour intravenous infusion administered three times per week for 3 consecutive weeks and repeated every 4 weeks. Plasma and urine sampling was performed during the first week of treatment and subjected to capillary gel electrophoresis to determine full-length antisense oligonucleotide in addition to chain-shortened metabolites. RESULTS: Drug-related toxicities included mild to moderate nausea, vomiting, fever, chills, and fatigue. Hematologic toxicity was limited to thrombocytopenia (grade 1, four patients; grade 2, one patient; grade 3, one patient). There was no relationship between dose, maximum concentration of the drug (C(max)), or area under the plasma concentration versus time curve (AUC) and coagulation times or complement levels. Dose escalation was discontinued because of the attainment of peak plasma concentrations, which approached that associated with complement activation in primates. Two patients with non-Hodgkin's lymphoma who completed 17 and nine cycles of therapy achieved complete responses. The pharmacokinetic profile of ISIS 3521 revealed a short elimination half-life (18 to 92 minutes), as well as a dose-dependent decrease in clearance and dose-dependent increases in C(max), AUC, and elimination half-life. CONCLUSION: No dose-limiting toxicity of ISIS 3521 was identified, and clinical activity was observed. A short elimination half-life was identified, which suggests that alternate schedules with prolonged administration may be necessary for further clinical development.

Adult↗
PubMed1999

Injuries in the adolescent population in Scotland: patterns and types of injuries sustained.

OBJECTIVE: To provide information on the incidence, sex distribution, type, site and severity of injuries requiring medical attention reported in a nationally representative sample of Scottish teenagers studied longitudinally. DESIGN: Health visitors administered structured interviews with parents (usually mothers). Quantitative data were analysed using SPSS-PC, and qualitative and textual data were coded using the Abbreviated Injury Score (AIS). SETTING: Scotland. SUBJECTS: Responses were received in respect of 958 (68%) of the estimated 1,416 teenagers enrolled in the British Cohort Study (BCS 70), and resident in Scotland in 1986/7. RESULTS: 43% of subjects were reported as having experienced one or more unintentional injury events requiring medical attention between the ages of 10 and 16/17. Boys experienced significantly more injuries than girls. Neither social class nor region appeared to be a significant risk factor for reported injury. CONCLUSION: Patterns of accidents in Scottish adolescents are reported. Further areas for study are suggested.

Adolescent↗
PubMed1998

Corticosteroid-resistant bronchial asthma is associated with increased c-fos expression in monocytes and T lymphocytes.

Unstimulated peripheral blood mononuclear cells (PBMCs) from corticosteroid-resistant (CR) but not corticosteroid-sensitive (CS) asthmatics demonstrate increased activating peptide-1 (AP-1)- and decreased glucocorticoid receptor (GR)-DNA binding. We test whether these abnormalities are associated with excessive generation of c-fos, the inducible component of AP-1. The c-fos transcription rate, mRNA and protein levels, and GR-DNA binding were quantitated in PBMCs, T cells, and monocytes from CS, CR, and nonasthmatic subjects. There was a 1.7-, 4.2-, and 2.3-fold greater increase in the baseline c-fos transcription rate, mRNA expression, and protein levels, respectively, in PBMCs derived from CR compared with CS patients. At optimal stimulation with PMA, there was a 5.7-, 3.4-, and 2-fold greater increase in the c-fos transcription rate, mRNA accumulation, and protein levels, respectively, in CR compared with CS PBMCs. These abnormalities were detected in both the T cell and monocyte subpopulations. PMA stimulation converted PBMCs from a CS to a CR phenotype and was associated with direct interaction between c-Fos and the GR. Pretreatment of PBMCs from CR patients with c-fos antisense oligonucleotides enhanced GR-DNA binding activity in CR PBMCs stimulated with dexamethasone. We suggest that increased c-fos synthesis provides a major mechanism for the increased AP-1- and decreased GR- DNA binding seen in CR asthma.

Adrenal Cortex Hormones↗
PubMed1998

Methadone in rural general practice: addiction or rehabilitation.

This article presents the reflections of a rural general practitioner who has been involved in the Victorian methadone program for some years. Its object is to highlight some perceived strengths and weaknesses in the Methadone Program, particularly as it operates in rural areas, and to suggest some ways in which it could be modified to provide better for the needs of opiate-dependent persons who live outside the major cities.

Counseling↗
PubMed1998

Portable satellite telemedicine in practice.

The US army's first portable telemedicine unit was built in 1993 and comprised a 'ruggedized' videoconferencing unit. The unit was initially used in the United Nations' operations in Macedonia in February 1994 and subsequently in support of the Mobile Army Surgical Hospitals in Haiti, but its dimensions made it suitable only for locations where a move at short notice was unlikely. The second portable telemedicine unit comprised a PC linked to an Inmarsat B earth station through a modern. The unit allowed videoconferencing at 64 kbit/s. Three and a half years of clinical experience with both units has shown this to be quite adequate for the majority of clinical telemedicine. Portable telemedicine units have been a major benefit to medical commanders in the field.

Bosnia and Herzegovina↗
PubMed1998

Maternal cigarette smoking and child psychiatric morbidity: a longitudinal study.

OBJECTIVE: Previous studies have linked maternal smoking during pregnancy with behavioral disturbance in children. However, additional evidence is needed to address the causality of the relationship. The present study analyses result from an Australian cohort of 5342 5-year-old children whose mothers were recruited early in pregnancy. METHODS: Smoking history was gathered for prepregnancy, first clinic visit (FCV), late pregnancy, and when the child was 6 months and 5 years of age. Behavior problems at the age of 5 were assessed using a modified Child Behavior Check List (CBCL) shown to have high agreement with the complete CBCL. This resulted in the formation of three scales: internalizing; social, attentional and thought; and externalizing behavior problems, which were then dichotimized at the 90th percentile in each case. Logistic regression was used to model these outcomes as a function of maternal smoking at five time points during which it was assessed. A series of models explored the effect of additional adjustment for confounding. The predictors of attrition (29.5%) throughout the cohort were also identified by multivariate modeling. RESULTS: The final analysis was carried out on a cohort of mother-child pairs for whom data and child behavior outcomes were complete. The mean age of children was 5 years, 6 months with a range from 4 to 6 years. The mean age of mothers at the time of birth of the child was 25 years, with a range from 13 to 47 years. Mothers lost to follow-up were more likely to be younger, single, and less well-educated than those who continued participation, although maternal smoking was not an independent determinant. Unadjusted analyses showed strong associations between externalizing child behavior and maternal smoking during pregnancy and at the 5-year follow-up, with relative risks (RRs) up to 2.6 for children of women smoking at least 20 cigarettes per day at the first antenatal clinic visit. A clear dose-response relationship existed in most relationships with higher levels of smoking being associated with higher rates of externalizing behavior problems. Weaker relationships occurred for internalizing behavior and social, attentional and thought behavior problems. Multivariate analysis of the timing in more detail that the association between maternal smoking and child behavior problems persisted, although the evidence for dose-response diminished. Moreover, it was primarily associated with smoking as determined by questions asked at the FCV (RR = 1.52, 2.03, 2.16) for 1 to 9, 10 to 19, and >/=20 cigarettes per day, respectively, compared with nonsmoking and secondarily by smoking determined at the 5-year follow-up (RR = 1.52, 1.87, 1.29) for 1 to 9, 10 to 19, and >/=20 cigarettes per day respectively, compared with nonsmoking. This association appeared to be independent of a wide range of possible confounders such as maternal age, education, social class, marital status and mental health, gestation at FCV, complications during pregnancy, the child's sex, gestational age at birth, and age at last follow-up. Adjustments were also made for the mother's employment since birth, family structure, and maternal mental health at the time of the CBCL assessment. Associations between externalizing behavior problems and maternal smoking at other times, and those between other behavioral problems examined and maternal smoking were not significant. CONCLUSION: Although previous studies have found evidence for an association between maternal smoking and child behavior problems, the strength of this study lies in its size, its detailed and consistent measurement of maternal smoking, and its ability to control for many social and biological factors linked to maternal smoking and child behavior. (ABSTRACT TRUNCATED)

Adolescent↗
PubMed1998

Putting CQI to work.

Explore the source record for details and available documents.

Attitude of Health Personnel↗
PubMed1998

Stimulation of auricular acupuncture points in weight loss.

OBJECTIVE: Many overweight people are aware that diets can help with weight loss but have difficulty in suppressing their appetite. Acupuncture stimulates the auricular branch of the vagal nerve and raises serotonin levels, both of which have been shown to increase tone in the smooth muscle of the stomach, thus suppressing appetite. The aim of this study was to determine the effectiveness of transcutaneous electrical nerve stimulation of specific auricular acupuncture points on appetite suppression. METHODS: Sixty overweight subjects, randomly divided into an active and a control group, used the AcuSlim device twice daily for four weeks. The active group attached the AcuSlim to the acupuncture ear points shenmen and stomach, whereas the control group attached the device to their thumb where there are no acupuncture points. The goal of a 2 kg weight loss was set and changes in appetite and weight were reported after four weeks. RESULTS: Of those who responded, 95% of the active group noticed suppression of appetite, whereas none of the control group noticed such a change. None of the control group lost the required 2 kg, with only 4 subjects losing any weight at all. Both the number of subjects who lost weight and the mean weight loss were significantly higher in the active group (p < 0.05). CONCLUSION: Frequent stimulation of specific auricular acupuncture points is an effective method of appetite suppression which leads to weight loss.

Acupuncture Therapy↗
PubMed1998

Using public relations for a dental practice.

Public relations is a way of marketing a dental practice through the media and directly to potential patients without purchasing advertising time or space. Well-written press releases and follow-up phone calls targeted to the specific audience of various media outlets can result in stories that are worth more than purchased advertising. One key to successfully communicating to others through public relations is straightforward writing. The following article not only covers the variety of opportunities available to a dental practice through PR, it also serves as an excellent example of the style of writing that should be used for PR communications.

Humans↗
PubMed1997

Perceptions of diabetes among rural Maori elders and spokespersons.

AIMS: To assess knowledge and opinions of diabetes among rural Maori elders and spokespersons. METHODS: Interviews were conducted in rural South Auckland. Subjects were identified through their affiliation with one marae (meeting house), residence near the marae and being recognised locally as either male (kaumatua) or female (kuia) elders or spokespersons. The main researcher was a kuia chosen by and from within the local community. Interviews were conducted with 43/44 (98%) subjects identified. RESULTS: While specific diabetes knowledge was low, diabetes was seen, along with cancer, as one of the two major health issues for Maori. Results need to be understood in the context of the holistic understanding of health by Maori. CONCLUSION: The recognition of diabetes as a major health problem was accompanied by a call for diabetes education in a form that will generate interest and participation by Maori. It is timely for the introduction of marae based diabetes awareness and sustained exercise programmes as part of a diabetes prevention and control strategy among Maori communities where diabetes risk is high.

Aged↗