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Biomedical subjects

J Boyle

Publications and source records attributed to J Boyle.

At least 37 records · Page 2Linked to original sources
PubMed2000

Pharmacokinetic assessment of an oral enalapril suspension for use in children.

The angiotensin-converting enzyme (ACE) inhibitor enalapril is commonly used to treat pediatric hypertension. Because some children are unable to swallow tablets or require doses less than the lowest available enalapril tablet, an enalapril suspension was developed. This study examined the relative bioavailability of enalapril suspension (10 mg) (S) compared with 10-mg marketed VASOTEC tablets (T) in 16 healthy adult subjects. The geometric mean ratio (S/T) estimate of urinary recovery of free enalaprilat, the active moiety, was 0.92 (90% confidence interval (CI): 0.80, 1.07). Urinary recovery data indicate that approximately 50% of the dose was absorbed (50% recovered in urine as enalapril plus enalaprilat) with about 30% of the dose recovered as free enalaprilat for both S and T. The geometric mean ratios (S/T) of serum AUC and C(max) were 1.01 (90% CI: 0.90, 1.13) and 0.98 (90% CI: 0.83, 1.16), respectively. Suspension T(max) was slightly shorter (0.5 h) than that for tablet, but this difference is not clinically significant. Both formulations were well tolerated and there were no clinically significant adverse experiences. We conclude that the bioavailability of enalapril oral suspension 10-mg is similar to that of VASOTEC 10-mg tablet. Instructions for compounding enalapril are provided.

Administration, Oral↗
PubMed2000

The feasibility of universal screening for primary speech and language delay: findings from a systematic review of the literature.

This paper reports on a systematic review of the literature commissioned to examine the feasibility of universal screening for speech and language delay. The results, based on an examination of productivity figures, including positive predictive ability and likelihood ratio, indicate that a number of screening tests are adequate. Sensitivity was generally lower than specificity, and study quality was inversely related to both sensitivity and likelihood ratio, suggesting that it is easier to identify accurately children who do not have language and speech problems than those who do. The review concluded that there is insufficient evidence to warrant the introduction of universal screening at this stage. This paper discusses the type of data that would be needed to address this issue further and recommendations are made for alternative approaches to early identification.

Child, Preschool↗
PubMed2000

Comparison of cognitive function and quality of life after endovascular or conventional aortic aneurysm repair.

INTRODUCTION: The long-term effects of endovascular aortic aneurysm repair on cognitive function and quality of life are not known. METHODS: The cognitive function and quality of life of 82 patients undergoing aortic aneurysm repair (34 endovascular and 48 conventional procedures) were assessed before and 6 months after operation. Cognitive function was quantified using a battery of psychometric tests. Quality of life was assessed with the Medical Outcomes Short Form 36 (SF-36) questionnaire. RESULTS: Data at 6 months were available for 78 per cent of patients. As a group the patients showed a significant decline on one cognitive function test (visual search) and on two domains of the SF-36 (physical function and vitality) when they were reassessed. There were no significant differences between patients undergoing endovascular or conventional aneurysm repair after 6 months in cognitive function or quality of life. CONCLUSION: Endovascular aneurysm surgery had a similar impact on health-related quality of life and cognitive function compared with conventional aneurysm repair. Patients in both groups demonstrated a significant decline in cognitive function.

Aged↗
PubMed2000

The pharmacokinetics and effects of intravenously administered carprofen and salicylate on gastrointestinal mucosa and selected biochemical measurements in healthy cats.

The pharmacokinetics of carprofen, a propionic acid-derived nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory (NSAID), and its effect on gastrointestinal mucosa, complete blood counts (CBC) and biochemical indicators of liver and renal function were investigated in healthy cats using a randomized crossover design. A single dose of 4 mg/kg of carprofen (Zenecarp(R) Injection), normal saline, or 20 mg/kg of DL-lysine acetyl salicylate (Vetalgine(R)) was given intravenously (i.v.) to each of five cats with a washout period of 2 weeks between treatments. Endoscopy of the stomach and duodenum 8 h postinjection revealed one acetyl salicylate-(aspirin)-treated cat with minor pinpoint erosions. None of the other cats in the three treatment groups had evidence of bleeding or ulceration. Serum biochemistry measurements of blood urea nitrogen (BUN), alanine transferase (ALT) and alkaline phosphatase (ALP) and complete blood counts (CBC) were not significantly altered from pretreatment values by the single dose of salicylate or carprofen (P < 0.05). Early and extended sample time points suggest that the pharmacokinetics of carprofen in the cat fit a 2-compartment model, with a long elimination half-life (t1/2) of 20.1 +/- 16.6 h, an area under the plasma concentration-time curve (AUC) of 637 (+/- 237) microgram.mL/h and a volume of distribution (Vdss) of 0.14 +/- 0.05 L/kg. Intravenously administered aspirin fit a 2-compartment model and had a long elimination half-life (t1/2) of 22.2 +/- 3.1 h, an AUC of 3824.2 +/- 506.7 microgram.mL/h and a volume of distribution (Vdss) of 0.17 +/- 0. 01 L/kg.

Alanine Transaminase↗
PubMed2000

Present status of cardiac pacing: a nursing perspective.

In this article, we focus on the nurse's role as caregiver and patient advocate for individuals requiring cardiac pacing. The history of cardiac pacing, new trends, indications for pacing, pacemaker dysfunction and complications, types of pacing, and nursing considerations will be discussed.

Arrhythmias, Cardiac↗
PubMed2000

Genome-wide screening for radiation response factors in head and neck cancer.

INTRODUCTION: Radiation therapy is an integral part of the treatment of head and neck cancer. Factors predicting radiation response are ill defined. The aim of this study was to identify genetic aberrations associated with radiation response in cell lines derived from head and neck squamous cell carcinomas (HNSCC) using comparative genomic hybridization (CGH) for genome-wide screening. METHODS: Five cell lines derived from HNSCC were subjected to a single course of radiation (400 cGy) in parallel with a similarly handled, untreated control. Cellular response to radiation was determined on posttreatment days 1, 2, 3, 4, and 5 using a cell viability assay (MTT assay). Radiation response was defined as 35% or greater decrease in cell survival relative to control. Tumor doubling time was determined by cell counts performed at day 0 and 1 for each cell line. All experiments were done in quadruplicate. CGH analysis was performed by differentially labeling DNA from tumor and normal tissue with fluorescent agents. The labeled DNAs were simultaneously hybridized to normal metaphase chromosomes. Image analysis for fluorescence intensity along the entire length of each metaphase chromosome allowed generation of a color ratio, which was used to detect copy number changes. RESULTS: Radioresistance was identified in two of five cell lines. The tumor doubling time was not a predictor of radiation response. CGH identified a complex pattern of aberrations, with gain of 3q common to all cell lines. The number of genetic aberration was higher in radiation-sensitive cell lines than in radiation-resistant ones. No recurrent aberrations were unique to the radiation-resistant cell lines. Recurrent gains at 7p and 17q and losses at 5q, 7q, and 18q were unique to the radiation-sensitive cell lines. CONCLUSIONS: The number of aberrations identified by CGH analysis may be a predictor of radiation response. A large study of primary tumors is warranted to confirm this association and identify specific genetic aberrations associated with radiation response.

Carcinoma, Squamous Cell↗
PubMed2000

Chronic granulomatous disease. Report on a national registry of 368 patients.

A registry of United States residents with chronic granulomatous disease (CGD) was established in 1993 in order to estimate the minimum incidence of this uncommon primary immunodeficiency disease and characterize its epidemiologic and clinical features. To date, 368 patients have been registered; 259 have the X-linked recessive form of CGD, 81 have 1 of the autosomal recessive forms, and in 28 the mode of inheritance is unknown. The minimum estimate of birth rate is between 1/200,000 and 1/250,000 live births for the period 1980-1989. Pneumonia was the most prevalent infection (79% of patients; Aspergillus most prevalent cause), followed by suppurative adenitis (53% of patients; Staphylococcus most prevalent cause), subcutaneous abscess (42% of patients; Staphylococcus most prevalent cause), liver abscess (27% of patients; Staphylococcus most prevalent cause), osteomyelitis (25% of patients; Serratia most prevalent cause), and sepsis (18% of patients; Salmonella most prevalent cause). Fifteen percent of patients had gastric outlet obstruction, 10% urinary tract obstruction, and 17% colitis/enteritis. Ten percent of X-linked recessive kindreds and 3% of autosomal recessive kindreds had family members with lupus. Eighteen percent of patients either were deceased when registered or died after being registered. The most common causes of death were pneumonia and/or sepsis due to Aspergillus (23 patients) or Burkholderia cepacia (12 patients). Patients with the X-linked recessive form of the disease appear to have a more serious clinical phenotype than patients with the autosomal recessive forms of the disease, based on the fact that they are diagnosed significantly earlier (mean, 3.01 years of age versus 7.81 years of age, respectively), have a significantly higher prevalence of perirectal abscess (17% versus 7%), suppurative adenitis (59% versus 32%), bacteremia/fungemia (21% versus 10%), gastric obstruction (19% versus 5%), and urinary tract obstruction (11% versus 3%), and a higher mortality (21.2% versus 8.6%).

Adolescent↗
PubMed1998

A visual environment for the manipulation and integration of JAVA beans.

MOTIVATION: Visual programming has the potential to allow non-programmers to redesign and rebuild applications to suit their individual needs. We have built such a visual programming environment, which allows non-programmers to interrogate and combine software components graphically to form new applications. As the needs of the biological community grow, so too will the need for more powerful and easy to use software tools. Intelligent visual programming environments will allow users to design and develop applications easily, so that they can concentrate on the application they wish to build rather than how it is to be done. RESULTS: The environment can read in JAVA Beans, and present relevant information about the beans to the user. The user can then graphically specify how they would like information to flow between the beans by performing simple docking operations. Unnecessary complexities associated with such visual design have been removed by providing intelligent docking of components and visual feedback. With such mechanisms, the complexities of building new applications are reduced. When the biologist has finished the visual construction, the design system is able to generate the new application automatically. The system has been designed specifically to meet the needs of the biological community, and a range of 'BioBeans' are being developed. These include beans for visualization (sequence displays and data visualizers), analysis (feature recognition, error detection) and communication (database access, URL retrieval, DDE communication). AVAILABILITY: Freely available. CONTACT: boyle@synomics.com

Computational Biology↗
PubMed1998

Pilot study of the cytochrome P450-2D6 genotype in a psychiatric state hospital.

OBJECTIVE: The authors conducted a pilot study to develop preliminary data on the frequency of cytochrome P450-2D6 (CYP2D6) genotypes in state psychiatric hospital patients and to establish population sizes needed to determine potential clinical relevance in therapeutic outcome. METHOD: One hundred consecutive inpatients at Eastern State Hospital in Kentucky who provided informed consent were genotyped at the CYP2D6 locus during their hospital stay. RESULTS: Twelve of the patients were CYP2D6 deficient, and four carried the *1Xn or *2Xn allele associated with ultrarapid metabolism; all of these patients were Caucasian (N=87). The rate of deficiency in CYP2D6 expression in these Caucasian state psychiatric hospital patients (14%) was twice that of the U.S. population (7%). The patients with CYP2D6 deficiency also appeared more likely to experience side effects in response to CYP2D6 medications. CONCLUSIONS: This study, limited by a small number of subjects, suggests that one-fifth of Caucasians admitted to a state hospital in Kentucky had genotypes associated with extremes in CYP2D6 activity that may have affected their response to CYP2D6 medications.

Adult↗
PubMed1998

Screening for primary speech and language delay: a systematic review of the literature.

Screening young children for developmental conditions such as speech and language delay is considered to be a part of the Child Health Surveillance programme in the UK. It is currently practised in many different ways throughout the country and like screening for other conditions conventionally identified in infancy, has been the subject of some concern for those responsible for providing such services. This systematic review (Law et al. 1998) was hypothesis driven and aimed to: i) establish whether, given the available evidence, there was sufficient evidence to warrant the introduction of universal screening for speech and language delays in children up to seven years of age; ii) identify gaps in the available literature; iii) identify priority areas in need of further investigation and iv); provide evidence-based recommendations for the future provision of services.

Child↗
PubMed1998

A new gatekeeper for back pain.

Managed care programs have evolved in response to the escalating costs of healthcare in the United States. Expenses related to back pain represent a significant portion of these costs. Chiropractic physicians handle more back pain visits than do medical doctors and are playing an increasing role in the management of neuromusculoskeletal problems in general. Furthermore, chiropractic patients are more satisfied with their care than are patients of family physicians. A number of studies have shown chiropractic medicine to have high efficacy and cost-effectiveness. Its utilization for neuromusculoskeletal problems in the managed care setting may well offer competitive advantages. Using chiropractic physicians as gatekeepers for back pain would result in more expedient movement through the algorithmic process and facilitate treatment of the patient with acute back pain. Many medical facilities are enhancing their services by utilizing chiropractic physicians as gatekeepers for the diagnosis and treatment of neuromusculoskeletal disorders.

Back Pain↗