Search PubMed⌕ Search

Biomedical subjects

I M Smith

Publications and source records attributed to I M Smith.

At least 55 records · Page 3Linked to original sources

A high performance liquid chromatography method for the analysis of total and free indomethacin in serum.

A simple rapid and sensitive HPLC technique for the analysis of total and free plasma indomethacin concentrations in neonates is described. The advantages of the technique are small sample volumes (50 microL) enabling the use of capillary samples, direct extraction, low limits of detection (20 ng/mL) and good precision (CV less than 7% between-batch). Indomethacin and the internal standard (flufenamic acid) eluted within 12 min and the peaks were unaffected by indomethacin metabolites or by a number of commonly used drugs. The technique is suitable for the investigation into the pharmacokinetics of total and free indomethacin, in neonates with patent ductus arteriosus, and could be used to define a therapeutic window for free indomethacin levels to enable therapeutic drug monitoring to occur in this condition.

Chromatography, High Pressure Liquid↗

Binding patterns of five monoclonal antibodies to Actinobacillus (Haemophilus) pleuropneumoniae.

Five monoclonal antibodies were obtained after immunising mice with superficial antigens of three strains representing serovars 1 to 3 of Actinobacillus (Haemophilus) pleuro-pneumoniae. When tested in ELISA against the standard strains representing serovars 1 to 10, the monoclonal antibody raised against the standard strain of serovar 1 reacted only with that strain. Of the three monoclonal antibodies raised against the standard strain of serovar 3, one reacted with serovars 3 and 8 only, another with serovar 7 only and the third with the strains representing serovars 7, 9 and 10. The monoclonal antibodies produced with the serovar 2 strain also reacted with a wide spectrum of strains, representing serovars 7 to 10.

Actinobacillus↗

Comparative virulence of some English strains of Haemophilus pleuropneumoniae serotypes 2 and 3 in the pig.

Between 10(7.5) and 10(8.1) viable organisms of four English and one Danish strain of Haemophilus pleuropneumoniae serotype 2 and five English strains of serotype 3 were inoculated intranasally into groups of conventional pigs. Among the English isolates of both serotypes there were virulent and non-virulent strains. Four of the serotype 2 strains, including the Danish strain, and two of the serotype 3 strains produced varying degrees of pulmonary consolidation with abscess formation and pleurisy in at least three of the five pigs in the individual groups. H pleuropneumoniae was isolated from the pulmonary lesions in all save one instance, frequently from the tonsil but less frequently from other parts of the respiratory tract. Purulent arthritis and tenosynovitis developed in one animal infected with serotype 3. Apart from the latter pig no clinical signs of illness were detected except for febrile reactions which reflected the prevalence of the thoracic lesions in the various groups. A humoral antibody response was detected by indirect immunofluorescence in two-thirds of the pigs which developed lesions but in fewer by complement fixation.

Animals↗

"Risk" factors affecting readmission of the elderly into the health care system.

One hundred one patients, 70 years and older, who were discharged to the community from an acute-care hospital were followed for 1 year to isolate risk factors affecting the probability of readmission. A total of five interviews were conducted with each patient. Postdischarge outcome at any point in time was defined as either readmission to a health care institution or continuous survival in the community. At 1 year, 47 individuals had experienced at least one unplanned readmission. Logistic regressions were used to study risk factors influencing the probability of readmission at 6 weeks, 6 months, and 1 year after release from the hospital. In the short run, sex, being widowed, a weighted severity-of-illness factor, and life satisfaction were significant; previous hospitalization and admission and discharge location were additional variables significant in the long run. An explanation is offered for why some risk factors useful in postadmission studies do not function as well as risk factors in post-discharge studies.

Age Factors↗

A simple method for the measurement of glycerol in serum.

An automated enzymic assay for the measurement of glycerol in serum is described. As it uses a centrifugal analyser, this method does not require prior extraction. It is precise, sensitive, and can be performed rapidly at low cost.

Blood Chemical Analysis↗

Lack of pathogenicity of haemophili of the 'minor group' taxon for the gnotobiotic piglet.

After intranasal instillation two freshly isolated English strains of Haemophilus taxon 'minor group' produced persistent infection in the tonsil but failed to elicit macroscopic or histological changes in the lower respiratory tract of two pairs of 14-day-old gnotobiotic piglets whereas a freshly isolated English strain of Haemophilus pleuropneumoniae caused a lethal pleuropneumonia in a third pair.

Animals↗

Prevalence of pig herds affected by pleuropneumonia associated with Haemophilus pleuropneumoniae in eastern England.

A survey for the macroscopic lesions indicative of pneumonic infection in the pig with Haemophilus pleuropneumoniae was made in an abattoir in eastern England. A total of 78 herds located in 11 counties of eastern or central England were seen between December 1982 and August 1983. Lesions were noted in the batches submitted by 44 (56 per cent) of the 78 herds. A further 16 herds (21 per cent) submitted batches containing pigs affected by pleurisy principally of the caudal lobes but without the pneumonic lesions. Lesions suggestive of enzootic pneumonia were also seen in 61 herds (78 per cent). Circumstances restricted corroborative bacteriological examinations to 53 and serological examinations to 33 herds. Strains of H pleuropneumoniae (predominantly serotype 3 but also serotype 2) were isolated from 26 herds. These comprised 22 out of 42 (51 per cent) of those where typically affected plucks, or plucks with caudal lobe pleurisy, were encountered, and four out of 11 (36 per cent) in which there was either no observable thoracic disease or enzootic pneumonia only. Complement fixing antibodies to serotype 3 or 2 antigens occurred in 26 out of 33 herds (79 per cent). These comprised 25 (83 per cent) of 30 herds with batches exhibiting either typical pulmonary lesions and, or, caudal lobe pleurisy and one of three herds without such lesions. Collectively these data indicate that herds containing pigs with pleuropneumonia are common at least in the more easterly parts of England and that H pleuropneumoniae, usually but not always associated with disease, is also widespread.

Abattoirs↗

Prevalence and functional correlates of low back pain in the elderly: the Iowa 65+ Rural Health Study.

As part of an interview survey of a defined population of 3,097 rural persons 65 years and older (the Iowa 65 + Rural Health Study), the prevalence and functional correlates of specifically defined low back pain were studied. Low back pain was reported by 23.6 per cent of the women and 18.4 per cent of the men in the year prior to the survey, with prevalence rates declining with age. Forty per cent of those with low back pain noted its presence at the time of the interview. Over half had used analgesics. Use of medical and chiropractic services for this symptom was nearly 75 per cent; 25 per cent had at least one hospitalization directly related to low back pain and over 5 per cent had low back surgery. Limitation of walking, sitting, bending over, and performing household chores was reported by 15 to 40 per cent, and 21 per cent attributed sleep disturbance to the low back pain. Nearly 75 per cent of subjects with low back pain reported first onset of the problem prior to age 65, which has important implications for pathogenesis and prevention. The functional and clinical burdens of low back pain in this population of rural elderly were substantial and require further evaluation of risk factors and impact on health status.

Activities of Daily Living↗

Dementia.

Explore the source record for details and available documents.

Aged↗

A simple method for the measurement of arginine in serum.

A simple method for the direct measurement of arginine in 40 microL of serum is described. The technique is rapid (22 samples within 10 minutes), inexpensive (reagent cost: pounds 0.03 per test), accurate and relatively precise. The limit of detection is 1 mmol/L: it is therefore not suitable for normal basal arginine concentrations, but can be used when arginine concentrations are known to be raised.

Arginine↗

Infants' sensitivity to accretion and deletion of texture as information for depth at an edge.

Based on Gibson's hypothesis that accretion and deletion of texture in the optic array provides unambiguous information for the spatial layout of surfaces, we sought evidence of early responsiveness to this information with infant subjects. 5- and 7-month-olds viewed computer-generated random-dot displays in which accretion and deletion of texture provided the only information for contours, specifying either a foreground surface moving in front of and occluding a moving background surface or 2 partially overlapping surfaces. The infants in both age groups showed significant preferences to reach for the apparently nearer regions in the displays. Since previous research has shown that infants reach more frequently for the nearer of 2 surfaces, these results indicate that 5- and 7-month-olds are sensitive to accretion and deletion of texture as information for the spatial layout of surfaces.

Depth Perception↗

The effect of two-dimensional and three-dimensional distance on apparent motion.

The problem of how the visual system matches corresponding inputs from one instant to the next to produce the perception of motion has been experimentally examined. The specific concern was whether this correspondence problem is solved prior to the interpretation of three-dimensional distance. Observers judged the degree of apparent motion between pairs of lights in a conflicting motion display. Spatial separation of the lights was varied in two and three dimensions in order to assess whether retinal distance, actual depth, or some combination of these provided critical information for correspondence. The results support Ullman's contention that only two-dimensional (retinal) distances are used in establishing correspondence in motion perception.

Depth Perception↗