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Biomedical subjects

E Clifford

Publications and source records attributed to E Clifford.

At least 19 recordsLinked to original sources
PubMed2006

The performance of fibrous peat biofilters in treating domestic strength wastewater.

Peat is an abundant resource in Ireland and has the capacity to be used in low-cost, low-maintenance wastewater treatment systems for single houses. In this study four fibrous peat columns, of varying depths were constructed and tested in the laboratory for their capacity to remove contaminants from domestic-strength synthetic wastewater. The four filters had peat depths of 0.3 m, 0.6 m, 0.9 m and 1.2 m. During the 360 day study the filters were intermittently loaded with domestic strength synthetic wastewater at a hydraulic loading rate of 180 l/m2cd. Hydrographs and residence times for each filter were examined as was their ability to remove impurities from the wastewater. Removal of 5-day biochemical oxygen demand (BOD5) and total chemical oxygen demand (CODt) were > or =96% and 84%, respectively, in all filters with almost complete nitrification (> or =99%) being recorded for each filter. The removal of total suspended solids (TSS) was excellent at > or =94% and no clogging was recorded on any filter during the study. For the 0.6 m, 0.9 m and 1.2 m deep filters, total viable counts (TVC) were less than EU surface water directive limits for Class A2 potable water sources. The systems were cheap to construct and very easy to maintain.

Adsorption↗
PubMed2004

Organic carbon and ammonium nitrogen removal in a laboratory sand percolation filter.

The on-site treatment of wastewaters from single dwellings requires simple, low maintenance systems that reduce the chemical and biochemical oxygen demand (COD and BOD respectively), ammonium-nitrogen (NH4-N), orthophosphate (PO4-P), phosphorus (P), and microorganisms to acceptable concentrations. Sand filters have the potential to achieve these reductions. In this study, a sand tank model of a percolation trench and filter was constructed in the laboratory, loaded with wastewater, and monitored for a period of 293 days. The silty sand filter was seeded for 153 days with effluent from an aerobic biofilm treatment unit. The filter was then loaded with synthetic wastewater of domestic strength for 193 days, when the average organic and hydraulic loading rates on the percolation trench were 13.33 g BOD/m2 d and 75 L/m2 d respectively. Removal rates of 90% for total COD, 99.3% for BOD5, >99% for total NH4-N, 89% for total PO4-P, and 96% for total suspended solids (TSS) were recorded during the study. No excessive clogging of the sand filter was observed. During the study very good dispersion of the wastewater over the sand filter by the percolation trench was recorded. The sand filter was simple to construct and operate and achieved excellent results.

Biofilms↗
PubMed2003

Short-term learning effects of practice during the performance of the tandem Romberg test.

The tandem Romberg test is possibly the most common static test of postural stability. This study aims to see if practice effects the performance of the tandem Romberg test. Twenty-four subjects were instructed to practice the tandem Romberg test daily for a period of 10 consecutive days, and were tested on five occasions using the sway magnetometry posturographic system. The test was performed with eyes open and eyes closed either on the floor or on foam. Their ability to perform the test for 60 s was used as a pass/fail criterion. With eyes closed, 65% of tandem Romberg tests were successful on hard surface, and 28% on foam. With eyes open, all subjects scored a 'pass'. On hard surface, the mean path length for the first and last day was 371.7 mm (SD 68.56) and 481 mm (SD 145.47) respectively. On foam, it was 506 mm (SD 139) and 530 mm (SD 212). For the 'fail' tandem Romberg tests, the 75th percentile for the time taken for subjects to perform the test on the first and last days were 18.5 and 9 s on floor, and 18 and 37 s on foam respectively. Across all testing sessions and groups, no significant improvement in performance with practice was observed. The absence of improvement in subjects practising the tandem Romberg test indicates a lack of short-term learning effects. The failure rate, however, associated with eye closure, whether on foam or on hard surface, invalidates the use of the tandem Romberg test in assessing postural stability because of its performance variability.

Adult↗
PubMed2002

Attitudes towards and use of dietary supplementation in a sample of postmenopausal women.

OBJECTIVES: To assess the reason why people take food supplements in addition to or in place of medication, as well as the perceived efficacy and risk of these supplements. METHODS: A 20-item, computer-assisted telephone questionnaire was administered to 442 women over 60 years of age in Hull, to assess the prevalence of use and perception of efficacy and safety of food supplements. RESULTS: Data were available for 411 women, of whom 269 (65.4%) were currently taking food supplements, 76 (18.5%) were previous users and 66 (16%) were never-users. There was no difference in terms of age, smoking, consumption of fruit and vegetables, life-style and attitude towards conventional medicine between current or past users of supplements and never-users. The majority of users (n = 229, 66%) thought that food supplements help maintain good health (p < 0.001). Overall long-term (5 years) adherence was achieved in 244 cases of supplement uses (36%). Among users, 150 (43%) thought that supplements were very effective, and 171 (49.5%) women had noticed an improvement of various symptoms. Although the majority of users (n = 176, 51%) believed that supplements might have adverse effects, over 66% would not associate side-effects with the food supplement. Information regarding supplements was obtained primarily from the media, particularly magazine and newspaper articles (27%), with health professionals rarely being consulted (16%). CONCLUSIONS: Users believed supplements to be effective, although possibly with associated side-effects. However, they would not attribute adverse effects experienced to this form of treatment. Medical practitioners and health professionals are rarely informed or consulted, leaving potentially dangerous side-effects of food supplements to go unreported.

Aged↗
PubMed2001

How not to be seen: the contribution of similarity and selective ignoring to sustained inattentional blindness.

When people attend to objects or events in a visual display, they often fail to notice an additional, unexpected, but fully visible object or event in the same display. This phenomenon is now known as inattentional blindness. We present a new approach to the study of sustained inattentional blindness for dynamic events in order to explore the roles of similarity, distinctiveness, and attentional set in the detection of unexpected objects. In Experiment 1, we found that the similarity of an unexpected object to other objects in the display influences attentional capture: The more similar an unexpected object is to the attended items, and the greater its differencefrom the ignored items, the more likely it is that people will notice it. Experiment 2 explored whether this effect of similarity is driven by selective ignoring of irrelevant items or by selective focusing on attended items. The results of Experiment 3 suggest that the distinctiveness of the unexpected object alone cannot entirely account for the similarity effects found in the first two experiments; when attending to black items or white items in a dynamic display, nearly 30% of observers failed to notice a bright red cross move across the display, even though it had a unique color, luminance, shape, and motion trajectory and was visible for 5s. Together, the results suggest that inattentional blindness for ongoing dynamic events depends both on the similarity of the unexpected object to the other objects in the display and on the observer's attentional set.

Adult↗
PubMed2000

Detection of carcinoma cells in the blood of breast cancer patients.

BACKGROUND: Breast cancers shed cancer cells into the blood soon after they become invasive. We developed an assay for removing these circulating cancer cells. In this study, we wanted to determine the percentage of early stage and metastatic patients with circulating breast cancer cells. METHODS: Twenty milliliters of blood were drawn from patients with breast cancer. Epithelial cells were removed by immunomagnetic selection and analyzed by flow cytometry, cytomorphology, and immunocystochemistry. RESULTS: Early stage patients averaged 16 epithelial cells per 20 cc blood whereas metastatic patients averaged 122 tumor cells. Cytomorphology and immunostains confirmed that these were cancer cells. Control blood samples had 1.7 squamous epithelial cells per 20 cc blood. CONCLUSION: This assay can identify and characterize circulating breast cancer cells. Metastatic patients had more circulating cells than early stage patients. This assay could screen high-risk patients, determine the need for and monitor response to adjuvant therapy, and detect early recurrence of breast cancer.

Breast Neoplasms↗
PubMed2000

Dynamic assessment of imbalance in acoustic neuroma patients by sway magnetometry

INTRODUCTION: Imbalance may be a significant problem for patients with acoustic neuromas. Prospective data on patients with acoustic neuromas to establish how the vestibular system performs dynamically, in the perioperative phases, is not available. Posturography is an established method of measuring balance and sway magnetometry has been developed as a reliable technique in this field. AIMS: Prospectively to assess pre- and postoperative dynamic vestibular function in patients with acoustic neuromas using sway magnetometry. METHODS: Sway patterns were recorded on 12 patients with acoustic neuromas tested under two sets of conditions: first, a baseline test for 120 s, repeated after 120 s of vestibular stimulation. After each test a validated questionnaire to assess balance subjectively was compeleted: before operation and 1, 3 and 6 months after operation. RESULTS: (1) Patients with acoustic neuromas demonstrate 'overswing' on baseline testing: most exaggerated 1 month postoperatively. After vestibular stimulation the 'recovery' time was prolonged to 50 s postoperatively, 62 s postoperatively (1/12), 43 s (3/12), and 47 s (6/12) postoperatively. (2) Mean path length (normal range, 163-287 mm) was increased in all groups: preoperative = 332 mm, 1 month postoperatively = 358 mm, 3 months postoperatively = 308 and 6 months postoperatively = 343 mm (3) The Dizziness Handicap Inventory scores were elevated at all times of testing and significantly correlated with baseline path length (rs = 0.6, P = 0. 03) and vestibular stimulation path length (rs = 0.7, P = 0.01) preoperatively. CONCLUSIONS: This is the first dynamic, prospective study of balance in patients with acoustic neuromas. Abnormal sway patterns and prolonged recovery times pre- and postoperatively, most marked at 1 month, were demonstrated. A subjective assessment of balance disturbance reflected these abnormal sway measurements confirming its clinical usefulness.

Journal Article↗
PubMed1998

Sentinel lymph node biopsy, an alternative to elective axillary dissection for breast cancer.

BACKGROUND: Axillary metastases remain an important prognostic indicator in breast cancer. Axillary lymphadenectomy (ALND) carries significant morbidity and is unnecessary in most patients with early breast cancer; thus, sentinel lymph node (SLN) biopsy has been advocated for axillary staging. We studied the SLN identification rate and its accuracy in predicting axillary metastases. METHODS: One hundred nineteen women with breast carcinoma underwent SLN and ALND. Lymphoscintigraphy was performed using Technetium99 sulfur colloid supplemented by Isosulfan blue dye. Hematoxylin/eosin-stained lymph node sections were examined by light microscopy. RESULTS: The SLN identification rate was 81%. One SLN was negative (1%) in a patient with axillary disease. SLN histology correctly predicted the absence of axillary disease in 98.6%. Sensitivity, specificity, and positive and negative predictive values were 96%, 100%, 100%, and 99%, respectively. CONCLUSIONS: Sentinel lymph node biopsy accurately predicts total axillary status and is valuable in the surgical staging of breast cancer.

Adult↗
PubMed1997

Psychosocial adjustment to unsuccessful IVF and GIFT treatment.

Twenty-one couples for whom in vitro fertilisation (IVF) or GIFT treatment failed were followed-up 15-30 months after treatment and compared with 20 couples for whom IVF had been successful. Current mental health status, quality of life and marital adjustment were assessed via standardised questionnaires. In addition, couples' experiences of IVF/GIFT treatment were explored via a semi-structured interview. Questionnaire results showed that unsuccessful IVF/GIFT recipients cannot be distinguished from general population norms. However, these couples reported more emotional distress relative to those whom treatment had worked and females in particular indicated a lower quality of life. Couples who had at least one child prior to IVF/GIFT treatment tended to show greater emotional distress at follow-up. Both groups gave similar accounts of the positive and negative aspects of IVF/GIFT treatment, but the unsuccessful group felt less supported by the IVF Unit staff and were less satisfied with the counseling they received. The data indicate that post-treatment counseling may be particularly important for facilitating positive reconstructions of the IVF experience when treatment is unsuccessful.

Adaptation, Psychological↗
PubMed1993

Human ciliary neurotrophic factor: localization to the proximal region of the long arm of chromosome 11 and association with CA/GT dinucleotide repeat.

Ciliary neurotrophic factor (CNTF) promotes survival and differentiation of several types of sensory, motor, sympathetic, and parasympathetic neurons. We have used the polymerase chain reaction to amplify, clone, and partially sequence CNTF cDNA from human muscle. Using a rodent-human mapping panel and fluorescence in situ hybridization, we have localized a single copy of the gene for human CNTF to the proximal long arm of chromosome 11. We have also identified a polymorphic tandem CA/GT dinucleotide repeat associated with the human CNTF gene.

Base Sequence↗
PubMed1993

A follow-up study of 'successful' IVF/GIFT couples: social-emotional well-being and adjustment to parenthood.

Twenty couples who conceived their babies by in vitro fertilization/gamete intrafallopian transfer (IVF/GIFT) were seen between 15 and 27 months postdelivery in order to evaluate social-emotional well-being and parental functioning. Emotional health and marital adjustment were assessed by standard questionnaires and compared with general population norms. Questionnaires measuring quality of life, parents' feelings about their babies and child-rearing attitudes were also administered. Scores from these were compared with those obtained from a group of parents who had conceived without medical assistance. Results indicated that IVF/GIFT parents were undifferentiated from the general population with respect to emotional health and marital adjustment. Also, relative to non-IVF parents, they gave higher positive ratings for their feelings about their babies and for one aspect of quality of life (feelings of freedom). Parenting attitudes for the two groups differed in only one respect, IVF/GIFT parents reported being more overprotective.

Adaptation, Psychological↗
PubMed1990

Day-case surgery: enhanced recovery with flumazenil.

In an open, randomized, parallel group study of 84 adult patients undergoing elective day-case urological surgery the specific benzodiazepine antagonist flumazenil was shown to reverse effectively subjective postoperative sedation due to midazolam and enabled 83% of patients to recover and be ready for potential discharge within 15 min of surgery (control group 24% p less than 0.001). The significantly shorter recovery time has benefits in terms of increased patient cooperation and reduced demands on postoperative nursing care. The implications of these findings for day-case surgery are discussed.

Adult↗
PubMed1988

The state of what art?

Psychological studies need to meet contemporary standards of research design and theoretical relevance within the mainstream of its behavioral science. The use of a clinical-scientist model for psychologists with greater emphasis on clinician than on scientist results in an impoverishment of psychological research and a paucity of stimulating theoretical speculation. Sporadic and pedestrian studies cannot explain why a necessary and sufficient relationship should exist between the presence of a cleft and the dependent measures used. As a result, psychological studies about cleft palate have managed to achieve a state of invisibility as far as most psychologists are concerned. As long as the present status remains at the current level, real progress is impossible, and we will be content with mediocrity.

Behavioral Sciences↗
PubMed1986

Social and psychological problems associated with clefts: motivations for cleft palate treatment.

Adolescents probably constitute a significant proportion of patient case loads for well-established cleft palate teams. Most teenagers return for periodic recall and continue to do so until they are discharged by the team. The proposition that social and psychological dissatisfactions might coalesce during adolescence and influence young people to stop treatment was examined. The modest drop-out rate argues against this contention. An alternative explanation for the low drop-out rate stresses that these patients are poorly equipped psychologically to deal with their clefts during any period of development. Maladaptation is brought into adolescence, influencing some patients to discontinue team treatment. Since most adolescents remain in treatment, it is suggested they do so because it is in their best interests or because there are no other reasonable alternatives. Adolescents who are knowledgeable about their clefts and the purpose of cleft palate teams may view treatment as a necessary and logical sequence of events designed ultimately to enhance appearance and function. For these adolescents, the goals of treatment are in keeping with existing well differentiated self-concepts and body images. It can be argued that prior good psychological adaptation to having a cleft, provides adolescents with a solid base upon which to cope effectively with the subsequent challenges of adolescence.

Adolescent↗
PubMed1984

The meaning of concepts related to breast reconstruction.

Information is presented from a psychometric study using a semantic differential to measure the meaning of concepts related to breast reconstruction. One hundred five women participated. All were experiencing breast reconstruction subsequent to mastectomy. The average woman was married, middle-aged, and had 11/2 years of education beyond high school. Results from the semantic differential demonstrated that the women viewed themselves, their bodies, and their femininity positively. They valued themselves, and their self-concepts were closer in meaning to health than to mastectomy, death, or cancer.

Adult↗