Biomedical subjects

D W Wilson

Publications and source records attributed to D W Wilson.

201 records · Page 12Linked to original sources

PubMedDate not supplied

Breast skin temperature rhythms in relation to ovulation.

Breast skin temperatures have been monitored at 30-min intervals throughout wake-span for the whole or part of the menstrual cycle of women aged 20-37 years using both manual and automatic (chronobra) methods of measurement. Circadian breast skin temperature rhythms have been mathematically characterized and rhythm parameters assessed in relation to the estimated time of ovulation. Data generally indicate that there is a peri-ovulatory rise in breast temperature. Computer simulation and practical experiments, based on changes in the residual sums of squares from target values obtained for days in the cycle prior to ovulation, have indicated that this peri-ovulatory increase in temperature is possibly detectable within 24 h. The use of the chronobra and associated statistics may be of value in signalling the onset of the infertile phase of the menstrual cycle.

Adult↗

PubMedDate not supplied

Prolactin and breast skin temperature rhythms in postmenopausal women with primary breast cancer.

Plasma prolactin and cortisol were determined and breast skin temperatures measured in 8 postmenopausal diurnally active-nocturnally resting women, 7 with primary breast cancer and 1 with benign breast disease. In all subjects, prolactin peaked during the early morning hours. Cortisol and oral temperature served as internal physiological markers of anticipated rhythmicity in adrenocortical function and metabolism. In all patients studied, the tumour site had an increased mesor (midline-estimating statistic of rhythm) and reduced amplitude of the circadian breast skin temperature rhythm when compared to a similar site on the contralateral breast. Thermal asymmetry was also observed between left and right breasts. A cancer, if in the left breast, may reinforce lower amplitude and perhaps a higher mesor (associated with the healthy left breast in these particular patients), whereas if it is located in the right breast, it tends to nullify inter-mammary differences in mesor and amplitude. Screening for breast cancer appears to require subjects being monitored on at least two occasions before thermal abnormalities due to tumour or preneoplasia become discernible.

Aged↗

PubMedDate not supplied

Circadian rhythms of testosterone and cortisol in saliva: effects of activity-phase shifts and continuous daylight.

The variations in concentrations of testosterone and cortisol in saliva samples collected by 4 healthy young men whilst on a scientific expedition from Britain to Spitzbergen are described. The rhythms observed in steroid concentrations in saliva were characterized mathematically by cosinor analysis of the levels of testosterone and cortisol determined in saliva samples collected before, during and after the expedition. Whilst in Spitzbergen, the subjects were maintained initially on the British sleep-wake schedule which was later subjected to an 8-h phase change. Variations in testosterone concentrations in saliva appeared to be largely related to subject activity rather than any photoperiodic effect with rapid resynchronization of the circadian acrophase in response to the phase shift of the sleep-wake schedule. In contrast, variation in salivary cortisol levels appeared to be less related to activity and more dependent on the slower resynchronization of an endogenous rhythm of cortisol secretion.

Adult↗