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Biomedical subjects

D Rose

Publications and source records attributed to D Rose.

At least 55 records · Page 3Linked to original sources
PubMed1998

Increasing prevalence of HIV antibody among blood donors monitored over 9 years in one blood bank.

To determine the time trend of HIV infection among non-professional blood donors at the Christian Medical College and Hospital, Vellore, the annual HIV prevalence among them for the years 1993-1997 was compared with that of the previous 5 yr. Since confirmed number of HIV positive blood donors is required for calculation of prevalence, the serum samples which were reactive for HIV 1/2 antibody by ELISA, were confirmed by Western blot. The annual prevalence of HIV antibody gradually increased from 1.6 per 1000 in 1988-1989, to 3.8 per 1000 in 1996-1997. The mean tri-annual prevalences for the years 1988-91, 1991-94 and 1994-97 were 1.3, 2.7 and 3.6 per 1000 respectively, suggesting a slow but steady increase in HIV prevalence over time. Our findings provide an insight into the dynamics of HIV infection in the general population of our country, whom the nonprofessional blood donors at our hospital represent.

Blood Banks↗
PubMed1997

Prospective case-control study of role of infection in patients who reconsult after initial antibiotic treatment for lower respiratory tract infection in primary care.

OBJECTIVE: To assess direct and indirect evidence of active infection which may benefit from further antibiotics in adults who reconsult within 4 weeks of initial antibiotic management of acute lower respiratory tract infection in primary care. DESIGN: Observational study with a nested case-control group. SETTING: Two suburban general practices in Arnold, Nottingham, over 7 winter months. SUBJECTS: 367 adults aged 16 years and over fulfilling a definition of lower respiratory tract infection and treated with antibiotics. 74 (20%) patients who reconsulted within 4 weeks for the same symptoms and 82 "control" patients who did not were investigated in detail at fallow up. MAIN OUTCOME MEASURES: Direct and indirect evidence of active infection at the time of the reconsultation or the follow up visit with the research nurse for the controls. Investigations performed included sputum culture, pneumococcal antigen detection, serial serology for viral and atypical pathogens and C reactive protein, throat swabs for detecting viral and atypical pathogens by culture and polymerase chain reaction, and chest radiographs. RESULTS: Demographic and clinical features of the groups were similar. Two thirds of the 74 patients who reconsulted received another antibiotic because the general practitioner suspected continuing infection. Any evidence of infection warranting antibiotic treatment was uncommon at reconsultation. The findings for the two groups were similar for the occurrence of identified pathogens; chest x ray changes of infection (present in 13%); and C reactive protein concentrations, which had nearly all fallen towards normal. Only three patients in the reconsultation group had concentrations > or = 40 mg/l. Pathogens identified at follow up in the 156 patients in both groups included ampicillin sensitive bacteria in six. Atypical infections diagnosed in 27 (Chlamydia pneumoniae in 22) and viral infections in 54 had probably been present at the initial presentation. CONCLUSION: Our study suggests that active infection, which may benefit from further antibiotics, is uncommon in patients who reconsult after a lower respiratory tract infection, and a repeat antibiotic prescription should be the exception rather than the rule. Other factors, such as patients' perception of their illness, may be more important than disease and infection in their decision to reconsult.

Adolescent↗
PubMed1997

Mental health. Heads and tales.

Interviews conducted by other users can be a successful means of capturing mental health users' views on services. In this study, more than a third of those with severe mental health problems considered themselves over-medicated, and many wanted more 'talking therapies'. More than three-quarters were satisfied with their community psychiatric nurse but under half were satisfied with their consultant. A fifth did not know how to get help in a crisis.

Community Mental Health Services↗
PubMed1997

Invasive infections due to a fish pathogen, Streptococcus iniae. S. iniae Study Group.

BACKGROUND: Streptococcus iniae is a pathogen in fish, capable of causing invasive disease and outbreaks in aquaculture farms. During the winter of 1995-1996 in the greater Toronto area there was a cluster of four cases of invasive S. iniae infection in people who had recently handled fresh, whole fish from such farms. METHODS: We conducted a prospective and retrospective community-based surveillance for cases of S. iniae infection in humans. To obtain a large sample of isolates, we studied cultures obtained from the surface of fish from aquaculture farms. Additional isolates were obtained from the brains of infected tilapia (oreochromis species). All the isolates were characterized by pulsed-field gel electrophoresis (PFGE). RESULTS: During one year, our surveillance identified a total of nine patients with invasive S. iniae infection (cellulitis of the hand in eight and endocarditis in one). All the patients had handled live or freshly killed fish, and eight had percutaneous injuries. Six of the nine fish were tilapia, which are commonly used in Asian cooking. Thirteen additional S. iniae isolates (2 from humans and 11 from infected tilapia) were obtained from normally sterile sites. The isolates from the nine patients were indistinguishable by PFGE and were highly related to the other clinical isolates. There was substantial genetic diversity among the 42 surveillance isolates from the surface of fish, but in 10 isolates the PFGE patterns were identical to those from the patients with S. iniae infection. CONCLUSIONS: S. iniae can produce invasive infection after skin injuries during the handling of fresh fish grown by aquaculture. We identified a clone of S. iniae that causes invasive disease in both humans and fish.

Adult↗
PubMed1997

Principles of an adaptive method for measuring the slope of the psychometric function.

Recent developments in the efficient estimation of threshold are here extended to the problem of how best to estimate the slope of the psychometric function. An adaptive method is described for selecting stimulus intensities that are optimal for slope estimation. A two-dimensional array of probabilities of different thresholds and slopes is used to calculate the stimulus intensity for the next trial; this array is updated after the trial, using Bayes' theorem to incorporate information from the subject's response. The practical implementation and efficiency of the method are demonstrated and discussed.

Bayes Theorem↗
PubMed1997

Environmental tobacco smoke exposure in the home and worksite and health effects in adults: results from the 1991 National Health Interview Survey.

OBJECTIVE: To determine the effect of environmental tobacco smoke (ETS) exposure in the home and worksite on the health of adults in the United States. DESIGN: Cross-sectional survey. SETTING: Nationally representative population. PARTICIPANTS: 43,732 adults who completed the Health Promotion and Disease Prevention supplement in the 1991 National Health Interview Survey. MAIN OUTCOME MEASURES: Rate of restricted activity, bed confinement, and work absence in the two weeks preceding the survey and self-reported health status among adults with and without exposure to ETS. RESULTS: We found that only 20.2% of never-smokers and 23.1% of former smokers reported exposure to ETS at home or work, whereas 87.2% of current smokers reported exposure to ETS. Among never-smokers, after adjusting for covariates, people who were exposed to ETS were more likely to report one or more days of restricted activity (relative risk (RR) = 1.27, 95% confidence interval (CI) = 1.10 to 1.46), one or more days of bed confinement (RR = 1.43, 95% CI = 1.19 to 1.73), and one or more days of work absence (RR = 1.33, 95% CI = 1.05 to 1.73) in the two weeks before the survey than were people without such exposure. We detected smaller trends for one or more days of restricted activity among current and former smokers (RR = 1.16, 95% CI = 0.97 to 1.40; and RR = 1.11, 95% CI = 0.82 to 1.51), one or more days of bed confinement among current smokers (RR = 1.34, 95% CI = 0.95 to 1.88), and one or more days of work absence among former smokers (RR = 1.13, 95% CI = 0.84 to 1.50) in the two weeks before the survey than among people without such exposure, although the CIs were wide and chance cannot be excluded as an explanation for these findings. Never-smokers (RR = 1.47, 95% CI = 1.34 to 1.62), former smokers (RR = 1.22, 95% CI = 1.07 to 1.39) and current smokers (RR = 1.31, 95% CI = 1.10 to 1.56) exposed to ETS were all more likely to report a less than very good health status than were people without such exposure. CONCLUSIONS: This study demonstrates that never-smoking adults exposed to ETS report more acute health effects than unexposed, never-smoking adults, and suggests similar findings in current and former smoking adults.

Adolescent↗
PubMed1997

Homophilic synaptic target recognition mediated by immunoglobulin-like cell adhesion molecule Fasciclin III.

We demonstrate that the cell adhesion molecule Fasciclin III (FAS3) mediates synaptic target recognition through homophilic interaction. FAS3 is expressed by the RP3 motoneuron and its target muscles during synaptic target recognition. The RP3 growth cone can form synapses on muscles that ectopically express FAS3. This mistargeting is dependent on FAS3 expression in the motoneurons. In addition, when the FAS3-negative aCC and SNa motoneuron growth cones ectopically express FAS3, they gain the ability to recognize FAS3-expressing muscles as alternative targets. We propose that homophilic synaptic target recognition serves as a basic mechanism of neural network formation.

Animals↗
PubMed1997

Toll, a muscle cell surface molecule, locally inhibits synaptic initiation of the RP3 motoneuron growth cone in Drosophila.

Toll, a transmembrane molecule with extracellular leucine-rich repeats, is dynamically expressed by the Drosophila embryonic musculature. Growth cones of RP3 and other motoneurons normally grow past Toll-positive muscle cells and innervate more distal muscle cells, which have down-regulated their Toll expression. In this study, we show that reciprocal genetic manipulations of Toll proteins can produce reciprocal RP3 phenotypes. In Toll null mutants, the RP3 growth cone sometimes innervates incorrect muscle cells, including those that are normally Toll-positive. In contrast, heterochronic misexpression of Toll in the musculature leads to the same growth cone reaching its correct target region but delaying synaptic initiation. We propose that Toll acts locally to inhibit synaptogenesis of specific motoneuron growth cones and that both temporal and spatial control of Toll expression is crucial for its role in development.

Animals↗
PubMed1997

Nutrient intakes of individuals from food-insufficient households in the United States.

OBJECTIVES: Understanding the nutritional consequences of food insufficiency is important for informed policy-making that addresses the problem of domestic hunger. This study estimated the extent to which individuals from food-insufficient households were likely to have low intakes of energy and 14 other nutrients. METHODS: The diets of pre-schoolers, adult women, and the elderly were analyzed with 24-hour recall data from the 1989 through 1991 Continuing Survey of Food Intake by Individuals. Logistic regression analysis was used to study the association of self-reported household food insufficiency with nutrient intakes below 50% of the recommended daily allowance. RESULTS: For adult women, food insufficiency was significantly associated with low intakes of eight nutrients, including energy, magnesium, and vitamins A, E, C, and B6. Elderly individuals in the food-insufficient group were also more likely to have low intakes of eight nutrients, including protein, calcium, and vitamins A and B6. Household food insufficiency was not significantly associated with low intakes among preschoolers. CONCLUSIONS: The results validate the use of self-reported hunger measures in nutritional surveillance and highlight nutrients of concern for food assistance and nutrition education efforts targeted at individuals from food-insufficient households.

Adult↗
PubMed1997

The ESRC review of government social classifications.

In this article we first discuss the background to the ESRC Review of Government Social Classifications and the recommendations of the Review Committee's initial report to the Office for National Statistics in 1995. Second, we discuss the work of Phase 2 of the review, including the derivation of an interim version of a proposed revised government social classification schema and the criterion and construct validation work so far undertaken using this schema. Finally, we indicate the further work required to establish the schema in its ultimate recommended form for use by ONS and others. The main purpose of the paper is to introduce users of government social classifications both to the ideas underlying the review and to the revised version of the current classifications which we shall be recommending to ONS.

Adolescent↗
PubMed1996

Central effects of 5-HT on activity of respiratory and hypoglossally innervated muscles in newborn kittens.

1. In decerebrate kittens (n = 29), electrical activity was studied in the 3rd intercartilaginous (inspiratory), the 9th internal intercostal (expiratory) and the hypoglossally innervated muscles (geniohyoid m. and sternohyoid m.) evoked by the application of 5-HT (n = 16) or related agents (5-HT1A agonist, 8-OH-DPAT (n = 6) and 5-HT2 agonist, DOI floor of the IVth ventricle. 2. The application of a control solution (n = 2) produced no significant changes either in minute inspiratory frequency (Fi) or in the electrical activity of the muscles studied. Except for these controls, only one trial with one dose of one drug was performed in a given kitten. 3. A dose-related decrease in Fi was observed in response to 5-HT. Low doses (50-500 nmol, n1 = 8) induced a long-lasting bradypnoea; high doses (5000-10,000 nmol, n2 = 8) induced prolonged periods of apnoea. 4. The apnoeas observed in tracheotomized (n = 3) or non-tracheotomized (n2 = 8) kittens were mainly of central origin and linked to the lengthening of expiratory time. The expiratory muscle activation came on with the reinforcement of the activity of hypoglossally innervated muscles. 5. Application of agonists showed that both the 5-HT-dependent modulation of Fi and the effects of 5-HT on the activity of the muscles studied resulted predominantly from activation of 5-HT2 receptors.

Animals↗
PubMed1996

Enduring stereoscopic motion aftereffects induced by prolonged adaptation.

This study investigated the effects of prolonged adaptation on the recovery of the stereoscopic motion aftereffect (adaptation induced by moving binocular disparity information). The adapting and test stimuli were stereoscopic grating patterns created from disparity, embedded in dynamic random-dot stereograms. Motion aftereffects induced by luminance stimuli were included in the study for comparison. Adaptation duration was either 1, 2, 4, 8, 16, 32 or 64 min and the duration of the ensuing aftereffect was the variable of interest. The results showed that aftereffect duration was proportional to the square root of adaptation duration for both stereoscopic and luminance stimuli; on log-log axes, the relation between aftereffect duration and adaptation duration was a power law with the slope near 0.5 in both cases. For both kinds of stimuli, there was no sign of adaptation saturation even at the longest adaptation duration.

Adaptation, Ocular↗
PubMed1996

The effect of thrombus on the vascular endothelium of arterialized vein grafts.

BACKGROUND: It is known that vein grafts can be salvaged by clot removal, but patency rates are diminished. This study was designed to determine the effects of thrombus on vascular endothelium and the ability of the endothelium to recover normal function. METHODS: Thirty external jugular vein grafts were placed as bilateral femoral artery interposition grafts in 15 mongrel dogs and allowed to arterialize for a period of at least 12 weeks. Six control grafts were not exposed to thrombus (C-NT). Six other control grafts were exposed to thrombus for 7 days and removed, ie, allowed no in vivo recovery (C-T). The remaining 18 grafts in 9 canines were exposed to autologous thrombus for 5 days and then flow was restored. The right femoral graft was removed 7 days after thrombectomy and the left removed 30 days after thrombectomy. At the time of removal, the grafts were perfused with a balanced salt solution alone and then with arachidonic acid added to the same volume of the salt solution. Perfusates were collected at 5, 15, and 30 minutes. These perfusates were assayed for the presence of 6-keto-prosglandin F1 alpha (6-keto-PGF1(1 alpha)), a metabolite of prostacyclin (PGI2). Over the 30-day recovery period, the amounts of 6-keto-PGF1(1 alpha) produced with and without arachidonic acid added were compared to assess endothelial response. Electron micrographs of the endothelium of all vein grafts were compared to the assay findings. RESULTS: When arachidonic acid was added to the perfusion system, there was a several fold increase in the production of 6-keto-PGF1(1 alpha) over baseline in all grafts allowed recovery. Grafts (C-T) that were allowed no in vivo recovery had no response to arachidonic acid. Ratios of 6-keto-PGF1(1 alpha) production with arachidonic acid stimulation to 6-keto-PGF1(1 alpha) production without stimulation were calculated to compare endothelial function. The electron micrographs showed the vascular endothelium to be severely injured after contact with thrombus, but recovered by 7 days. CONCLUSIONS: This study suggests that the endothelium of canine vein grafts is injured by contact with thrombus for 5 days but can recover structure and function. This recovery is detectable at 7 days post-thrombectomy.

6-Ketoprostaglandin F1 alpha↗
PubMed1996

A mathematical model for analysis of pharmacologically induced changes in the kinetics of cardiac muscle.

A mathematical model of the isometric contraction of cardiac muscle is developed and utilized to characterize the inotropic and lusitropic effects of cardioactive compounds in isolated guinea pig left atria. In contrast to metrics that are based on minima and maxima of an isometric twitch and its derivative function, the entire time course of the twitch is used to quantify the kinetics of the contraction-relaxation cycle. The model relates observed tension to a time-dependent activation function that describes generation of internal force and a coupling function that determines mechanical response to the activation function. The model is structured so that it is suitable for nonlinear curve fitting to observed data. Results obtained using the model for fitting experimental data from tissues treated with different classes of cardioactive compounds agree with more qualitative results presented by other authors. Experiments using the model to fit data over an extended (90 min) time course revealed differences in the kinetic profiles of milrinone and forskolin. Computer simulations that demonstrate the effect of each model parameter on twitch kinetics are presented, and the relationships between the model and other theoretical and empirical models of cardiac muscle are discussed. The mathematical model is useful to enable a more quantitative understanding of the kinetics of cardiac muscle contraction and relaxation and identify compounds that may be selective for inotropic or lusitropic effects.

Animals↗
PubMed1996

[Iodine-125-brachytherapy of malignant choroid melanoma. II: Long-term functional outcome].

BACKGROUND: Following I-125 brachytherapy of choroidal melanoma, a good primary postoperative visual acuity results. The aim of this study is to evaluate postoperative, longterm visual acuity answering the following questions: 1) When do radiogenic complications begin to develop; 2) How long does the postoperative visual acuity remain stable; 3) Is there a difference if the treated tumor is < or = or > 3 mm off the disc and foveola respectively. PATIENTS AND METHODS: Between 12/1984-12/1989, 19 patients were treated with I-125 brachytherapy for choroidal melanoma. Height of tumor was x 5.8 mm, maximum base diameter x 11.6 mm. In 10 eyes (group A), the posterior tumor border was < or = 3 mm off the disc and foveola respectively, in 9 (group B) > 3 mm. The plaque was in situ x 7.5 days, apical radiation dose x 70 Gy, and scleral contact dose x 355 Gy. Follow-up ranged at x 6.3 years. RESULTS: Between preoperative visual acuity in group A and group B there was a statistically significant difference (p < 0.05), which remained stable 1 1/2 years postoperatively. Subsequent deterioration of visual acuity occurred later in group B than in group A, but was present after 4 1/2 years in all patients and ranged at < or = 20/400. This decrease was due to subsequent radiogenic oculopathy. CONCLUSIONS: Radiogenic complications following I-125 brachytherapy begin within the first 6 months. In group B visual acuity deteriorated later, but after 4 1/2 years, it decreased due to radiogenic oculopathy to 20/400 in all patients. Prospective longterm studies are needed to evaluate whether I-125 should be indicated for larger melanomas and Ruthenium-106 for smaller melanomas to obtain better longterm visual results.

Adult↗