Search PubMed⌕ Search

Biomedical subjects

J E Miller

Publications and source records attributed to J E Miller.

At least 37 records · Page 2Linked to original sources
PubMed2001

Risk factors for Brucella seropositivity in goat herds in eastern and western Uganda.

Cross-sectional prevalences and risk factors for Brucella seropositivity in goats in eastern and western Uganda were investigated. Serum was collected from 1518 goats randomly selected from 145 herds which had been identified using multistage sampling. The brucellosis card test (CT) and the Brucella melitensis tube-agglutination test (TAT) were used in parallel to detect antibodies against B. abortus and B. melitensis, respectively. Interviewer-administered questionnaires were used to collect information on goat health and management. This information was used in multivariable logistic-regression models to determine the risk factors for Brucella seropositivity in goat herds. For each analysis, a herd was considered positive if at least one goat in the herd tested positive for antibodies against Brucella and negative if none was positive. Four percent (55/1480) of the goats screened with the CT had antibodies against Brucella. The reactors were distributed in 13% (19/145) of the herds. The most-important herd-level risk factors identified were use of a hired caretaker as the primary manager of the operation compared to owner/family members (adjusted odds ratio (OR)=8.1; 95% CI 1.6, 39.7), keeping sheep in addition to goats (OR=6.0; CI 1.5, 23.7) compared to having no sheep, and free browsing (OR=4.7; 95% CI 1.0, 20.7) when compared to tethering or zero-grazing. Using the TAT, 10% (141/1446) of the goats tested positive. The positives were distributed in 43% (63/145) of the herds. Free browsing (OR=6.7; 95% CI 2.7, 16.9) when compared to tethering or zero-grazing and lack of veterinary care (OR=2.9; CI 1.3, 6.7) were the most-important factors identified in the multivariable model for B. melitensis herd seropositivity. To explore/reduce the risk of misclassification in a secondary analysis, herds were reclassified as positive if at least one goat tested positive on both tests and negative if none of the goats was positive on any of the two tests. Using this classification, 2% (30/1320; 95% CI 2, 3%) of the goats tested positive resulting in 13% (12/93) of the herds being positive. The distribution of the above risk factors by brucellosis herd-status (as defined by the second criterion) is also presented.

Agglutination Tests↗
PubMed2001

Predictors of asthma in young children: does reporting source affect our conclusions?

Both the size and statistical significance of sociodemographic and early health risk factors on childhood asthma vary across studies, in part because some studies rely on parents' retrospective reports of health conditions while others are based on medical records. The authors compare predictors of asthma alternately using maternal reports and medical records for the same set of children. Data are from the 1988 National Maternal and Infant Health Survey and 1991 Longitudinal Follow-up, which collected information from birth certificates, medical records, and mothers of a nationally representative, population-based cohort, allowing comparison across data sources for a consistent sample of young children in the United States. Concordance between maternal reports and medical records on asthma is moderate (kappa = 0.48). The authors find considerable discrepancies in both the estimated prevalence of asthma and the distribution across children with different sociodemographic and health characteristics, depending on the source of asthma data. Black race, male gender, and preterm birth are found to be risk factors for asthma regardless of data source. Poverty, large family size, urban residence, maternal smoking, and breastfeeding are significantly associated with asthma based on maternal reports but not medical records. Lower health care utilization among poor, uninsured, and urban children may account for part of the discrepancy.

Adult↗
PubMed2001

Epidemiological observations and heterosis analysis of gastrointestinal nematode parasitism in Suffolk, Gulf Coast Native, and crossbred lambs.

A crossbreeding program was conducted to evaluate the resistant status to gastrointestinal nematode parasite infection in crossbred (F1) lambs and their Suffolk and Gulf Coast Native (Native) breed counterparts. A total of 253 lambs were included in the study over 2 years. Fecal egg count (FEC) and blood packed cell volume (PCV) of 18-20 monitor lambs of each breed group in each year were collected every other week from birth to 24-30 weeks of age. The FEC and PCV of all lambs were determined at weaning (11-12 weeks of age) and at three subsequent times when anthelmintic treatment was administered. Nematode counts of wether lambs were obtained at 30 weeks of age in the first year. The epidemiological patterns of FEC and PCV of each breed group were similar in both years. The Suffolk group consistently showed the highest FEC and the lowest PCV. Conversely, the Native group had the lowest FEC and highest PCV. For the most part, all parameters for the F1 group fell intermediate to the Native and Suffolk groups. Nematode count followed the same pattern. Heterosis analysis showed that FEC, PCV, nematode count and weight gain of the F1 group favored the Native group. These results suggested that crossbreeding Suffolk to Native sheep may be a suitable way to produce lambs with improved resistance to gastrointestinal nematode infection, but production may be compromised.

Animals↗
PubMed2001

Anthelmintic resistance on goat farms in Georgia: efficacy of anthelmintics against gastrointestinal nematodes in two selected goat herds.

Gastrointestinal nematode (GIN) parasitism is a major constraint to production of goats in the southeastern United States. The conventional method of control used by producers in this region is frequent use of anthelmintics during the warm season. Overuse of anthelmintics has led to an increase in the incidence of anthelmintic resistance in many parts of the world, but data on prevalence of anthelmintic resistance in GIN of goats in the southeastern United States are very limited. To address this issue, anthelmintic efficacy was determined in goat herds at the Fort Valley State University, Agricultural Research Station (FVSU-ARS) and the University of Georgia, College of Veterinary Medicine (UGA-CVM) using fecal egg count reduction (FECR) tests and DrenchRite((R)) larval development assays (LDA). At FVSU-ARS, 2-year-old Spanish goat does were randomly allocated to one of nine different treatment groups (n = 10): albendazole (ABZ; 20mg/kg body weight (BW)), fenbendazole (FBZ; 20mg/kg BW), ivermectin (IVM; 0.4 mg/kg BW), doramectin (DRM; 0.4 mg/kg BW), moxidectin (MOX; 0.4 mg/kg BW), levamisole (LEV; 12 mg/kg BW), morantel tartrate (MOR; 10mg/kg BW), a combination of IVM (0.4 mg/kg BW) and ABZ (20 mg/kg BW), and untreated controls. At UGA-CVM, goats were randomly allocated to one of five different treatment groups (n = 8): ABZ (20 mg/kg BW), IVM (0.4 mg/kg BW), MOX (0.4 mg/kg BW), LEV (12 mg/kg BW), and untreated controls. All drugs in both experiments were administered orally. Anthelmintic efficacy was calculated by comparing 14-day post-treatment FEC of treated and control animals, and percent reductions were interpreted using the World Association for the Advancement of Veterinary Parasitology guidelines for resistance. For the LDA, nematode eggs were isolated from pooled fecal samples of untreated control goats in each herd and used to perform DrenchRite((R)) assays. In the FVSU-ARS herd, MOX, LEV, the combination of IVM and ABZ, IVM, DRM, ABZ, MOR, and FBZ reduced FEC by 100, 91, 88, 78, 76, 62, 48, and 10%, respectively. In the UGA-CVM herd, MOX, LEV, ABZ and IVM, reduced FEC by 100, 94, 87, and 0%, respectively. In both herds moxidectin was the only drug tested that was fully effective. Results of the LDA were in agreement with results of the FECR tests for both herds. These data demonstrate the presence of GINs resistant to all three major anthelmintic classes in both goat herds.

Animals↗
PubMed2001

AXOR12, a novel human G protein-coupled receptor, activated by the peptide KiSS-1.

A novel human G protein-coupled receptor named AXOR12, exhibiting 81% homology to the rat orphan receptor GPR54, was cloned from a human brain cDNA library. Heterologous expression of AXOR12 in mammalian cells permitted the identification of three surrogate agonist peptides, all with a common C-terminal amidated motif. High potency agonism, indicative of a cognate ligand, was evident from peptides derived from the gene KiSS-1, the expression of which prevents metastasis in melanoma cells. Quantitative reverse transcriptase-polymerase chain reaction was used to study the expression of AXOR12 and KiSS-1 in a variety of tissues. The highest levels of expression of AXOR12 mRNA were observed in brain, pituitary gland, and placenta. The highest levels of KiSS-1 gene expression were observed in placenta and brain. A polyclonal antibody raised to the C terminus of AXOR12 was generated and used to show localization of the receptor to neurons in the cerebellum, cerebral cortex, and brainstem. The biological significance of these expression patterns and the nature of the putative cognate ligand for AXOR12 are discussed.

Amino Acid Sequence↗
PubMed2001

Racial differences in colorectal cancer mortality. The importance of stage and socioeconomic status.

This investigation studies racial and socioeconomic differences in mortality from colorectal cancer, and how they vary by stage and age at diagnosis. Cox proportional hazards models were used to estimate the hazard ratio of dying from colorectal cancer, controlling for tumor characteristics and sociodemographic factors. Black adults had a greater risk of death from colorectal cancer, especially in early stages. The gender gap in mortality is wider among blacks than whites. Differences in tumor characteristics and socioeconomic factors each accounted for approximately one third of the excess risk of death among blacks. Effects of socioeconomic factors and race varied significantly by age. Higher stage-specific mortality rates and more advanced stage at diagnosis both contribute to the higher case-fatality rates from colorectal cancer among black adults, only some of which is due to socioeconomic differences. Socioeconomic and racial factors have their most significant effects in different age groups.

Adult↗
PubMed2001

C-terminal fragments of ACTH stimulate feeding in fasted rats.

Peptides derived from pro-opiomelanocortin, including alpha-MSH and ACTH, play important roles in the regulation of feeding. We investigated the central effect of ACTH 1-39 (ACTH) and peptides derived from the N-terminus (ACTH 1-10, Acetyl-ACTH 1-13-amide [alpha-MSH]) and C-terminus (ACTH 18-39 and ACTH 22-39) of this peptide on feeding in 16 hour-fasted or rats fed ad libitum. As expected, ACTH reduced feeding in fed and previously fasted rats, although this anorectic effect was more pronounced in fasted rats. The N-terminal-derived peptide alpha-MSH, but not ACTH 1-10, reduced cumulative food intake over 2 h after its injection intracerebroventricularly (icv) in 16 h-fasted, but not in fed rats. In contrast, the C-terminal fragments produced a long-lasting increase in feeding in fasted, but not in fed rats. The anorectic effects of N-terminal fragments of ACTH are recognised to be mediated via melanocortin MC4 receptors. However, the orexigenic effects of the C-terminal fragments do not appear to be conducted via MC4 receptors, since neither ACTH 18-39 nor ACTH 22-39 stimulated cAMP accumulation nor inhibited the ACTH-stimulated cAMP accumulation in HEK-293 cells transfected with the recombinant MC4 receptor.

Adrenocorticotropic Hormone↗
PubMed2001

The effect of intracytoplasmic sperm injection and semen parameters on blastocyst development in vitro.

The present study compares the development and quality of blastocysts derived from conventional oocyte insemination with those derived from intracytoplasmic sperm injection (ICSI). Oocytes were collected from patients undergoing ovarian stimulation with human menopausal gonadotrophins for IVF. Patients with normal semen were assigned to conventional oocyte insemination while those with progressive motility <20% and/or normal sperm morphology < or =4% were assigned to ICSI. Resulting embryos were cultured for up to 6 days. The mean number and percentage of embryos reaching the blastocyst stage and the mean number and percentage of blastocysts of high quality on days 5-6 were assessed for both treatment groups and compared. The influence of paternal factors (sperm concentration, motility, progressive motility, morphology) on blastocyst development and quality were assessed by regression analyses. Significantly more ICSI-derived embryos arrested at the 5- to 8-cell stage (P = 0.024) concomitant with the activation of the paternal genome than those derived from conventional oocyte insemination. Significantly fewer ICSI-derived embryos reached the blastocyst stage on days 5-6 (P<0.001) and significantly fewer ICSI-derived embryos were of high quality (P = 0.002) compared with conventional oocyte insemination. When treatment groups were combined and evaluated by regression analysis, progressive motility and sperm morphology were significantly correlated with diminished blastocyst development and quality (P < 0.05). From these data, we conclude that paternal factors and/or performing ICSI in cases of severe male factor infertility may have a detrimental effect on blastocyst development and their quality.

Adult↗
PubMed2001

Molecular characterization of the T cell repertoire using immunoscope analysis and its possible implementation in clinical practice.

T lymphocytes play a central role in the pathogenesis of a large number of human conditions including autoimmunity and graft rejection. Although T cells are key players in mounting immune responses, the assessment of T cell repertoires has yet to find an important role in clinical decision making. In this review, we discuss the "immunoscope" technique and its potential diagnostic role in a variety of clinical scenarios. This is an RT-PCR based approach that subdivides a bulk T cell population (i. e. from blood, lymph, spleen, or tissue) into approximately 2800 groups based upon rearranged variable beta (Vbeta)/joining beta (Jbeta) gene segments and the resulting length of the T cell receptor's (TCR's) third complementarity determining region (CDR-3). This extensive subdivision, or focusing, allows clonal expansions to be directly observed. Such a fine-tuned analysis has revealed previously unappreciated aspects of the T cell repertoire. For instance, an antigen-specific immune response can be divided into both public and non-public components. The non-public repertoire contains the majority of the expanding T cells which are unique to the individual (private), or shared by only some (semi-private), while "public" T cells can be found responding to the antigenic determinant in every individual. Although they are often a minority of the response, the public T cell repertoire seems to play a more important role in defining, as well as driving, the overall immune phenotype in the animal. Immunoscope analysis has identified public and non-public responses in human pathologies, such as multiple sclerosis. The ability to characterize the driver T cells dictating the state of immunity/autoimmunity in individual patients will be an important step towards understanding autoimmunity and designing effective treatment for a variety of conditions including rheumatoid arthritis and multiple sclerosis. We review the current literature involving public and non-public repertoires and discuss the prospect that immunoscope analysis may play a central role in the study and perhaps the management of human autoimmune diseases, and cancer.

Animals↗
PubMed2001

Early childhood chronic illness: comparability of maternal reports and medical records.

OBJECTIVES: The research reported here seeks to quantitatively assess the comparability of two widely used sources of information on child health: maternal reports and medical records. The analysis provides a comparison of how well maternal reports and medical provider data agree on 15 types of chronic health conditions, ranging from specific illnesses such as asthma or sickle cell anemia to broader categories such as chronic heart or orthopedic conditions, to impairments such as vision, hearing, or speech problems. METHODS: This study uses data on a nationally representative sample of 6201 preschool aged children whose mothers participated in the 1991 Longitudinal Followup (LF) to the 1988 National Maternal and Infant Health Survey (NMIHS) and whose identified health care providers supplied medical visit data for the children. The LF and NMIHS were conducted by the National Center for Health Statistics (NCHS), Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), in collaboration with a number of other agencies of the Federal Government. In the 1991 LF survey, the mothers' questionnaire included questions on chronic and acute health conditions, accidents requiring medical attention, and hospital admissions for their children that had been included in the 1988 NMIHS. The mothers were also asked to grant NCHS permission to request medical records from the children's medical providers. RESULTS: Kappa statistics reveal poor agreement for 12 of 15 conditions studied. Weighted prevalence estimates vary widely across sources. For some conditions, despite apparently similar prevalence estimates from the two sources, mothers' reports and medical records identified very different groups of children as "cases." Concurrence rates were lower for children from poor, less educated, and Hispanic families. Reasons for and implications of these findings are also discussed.

Accidents↗
PubMed2000

Attempts to control haemonchosis in grazing ewes by vaccination with gut membrane proteins of the parasite.

A vaccination trial was conducted to evaluate the potential benefit of Haemonchus contortus gut membrane proteins as vaccine antigens under field conditions in Louisiana. The trial was conducted in the summer of 1996 in a flock of ewes grazing pasture naturally infected with H. contortus. Ewes were randomly assigned to three treatment groups (vaccine, adjuvant only, and saline) and fecal egg counts (FEC, measured as eggs per gram of feces), packed cell volumes (PCV), and antibody levels were monitored fortnightly for 12 weeks. It was shown by FEC that there were large individual variations in susceptibility to H. contortus in both vaccinated and non-vaccinated sheep, a finding which could have masked differences between treatments when analyzed by conventional statistical methods. Based on their egg counts before the period when the vaccination could have had an effect, all ewes were categorized as 'susceptible' or 'relatively resistant'. The significance of differences between FEC, PCV and antibody responses of vaccinated and control sheep were tested separately for the 'susceptible' and 'relatively resistant' category. The 'susceptible' vaccinates shed 65% fewer worm eggs during the period when the vaccine could have had an effect, but the difference was only significant on Week 6 post-vaccination. In these experiments, it was difficult to completely exclude the confounding effect of having 'relatively resistant' sheep in the control group. More studies are needed to further evaluate H11 and H-gal-GP antigens under field conditions.

Animals↗
PubMed2000

Intrauterine cytomegalovirus infection and glycoprotein B genotypes.

Cytomegalovirus (CMV) strains display polymorphisms for the gene encoding glycoprotein B (gB; gpUL55). Recent data suggest that the gB genotype may influence the outcome of acquired CMV infections. To determine whether the gB genotype also contributes to the outcome of intrauterine infection, CMV strains were studied from 56 infants with culture-confirmed intrauterine CMV infections who were born in Iowa or Texas. CMV gB genotypes were compared with the neonatal clinical features and neurodevelopmental outcomes. Fifty-three strains (95%) could be assigned a gB genotype. The overall distribution of genotypes was as follows: type 1, 50%; type 2, 18%; type 3, 23%; and type 4, 4%. Strains with the gB 3 genotype were more common among the Iowa infants (P=.082). The gB 3 genotype was more common among infants with asymptomatic infections (P=.004), but geographic location and ascertainment biases may have accounted for these differences. The gB genotypes did not correlate with the neurodevelopmental outcome of intrauterine infection.

Cytomegalovirus↗
PubMed2000

Neuromedin U is a potent agonist at the orphan G protein-coupled receptor FM3.

Neuromedins are a family of peptides best known for their contractile activity on smooth muscle preparations. The biological mechanism of action of neuromedin U remains unknown, despite the fact that the peptide was first isolated in 1985. Here we show that neuromedin U potently activates the orphan G protein-coupled receptor FM3, with subnanomolar potency, when FM3 is transiently expressed in human HEK-293 cells. Neuromedins B, C, K, and N are all inactive at this receptor. Quantitative reverse transcriptase-polymerase chain reaction analysis of neuromedin U expression in a range of human tissues showed that the peptide is highly expressed in the intestine, pituitary, and bone marrow, with lower levels of expression seen in stomach, adipose tissue, lymphocytes, spleen, and the cortex. Similar analysis of FM3 expression showed that the receptor is widely expressed in human tissue with highest levels seen in adipose tissue, intestine, spleen, and lymphocytes, suggesting that neuromedin U may have a wide range of presently undetermined physiological effects. The discovery that neuromedin U is an endogenous agonist for FM3 will significantly aid the study of the full physiological role of this peptide.

Calcium↗
PubMed2000

Differences in susceptibility to gastrointestinal nematode infection between Angus and Brangus cattle in south Louisiana.

Breed susceptibility to nematode infection was evaluated in Angus (Bos taurus) and Brangus (B. indicus crossbreed) cattle. A cow-calf herd and a yearling replacement heifer herd were monitored during one grazing season. Calves were born in March and were weaned in October. Individual rectal fecal samples were collected monthly from the two herds and processed for fecal egg counts (FEC) and coprocultures. Cow and calf FEC increased from April, reaching maximum values during the summer. Angus cows and calves had significantly (p<0.05) greater FEC than Brangus cows and calves, and Haemonchus and Cooperia were the predominant genera. Replacement heifer FEC showed a similar pattern with maximum levels during late summer/fall, and Haemonchus was the predominant genus. No significant differences were seen between breeds, however, infection levels were consistently lower in Brangus heifers. Ostertagia was present in cows and heifers only in fall/winter, which is consistent with summer inhibition. The data suggested that cows were an important source of pasture contamination for their susceptible calves and that the Brangus breed was relatively more resistant to infection. The use of B. indicus crossbreeds may help in alleviating reliance on chemical control by reducing the rate of pasture contamination and subsequent infection losses.

Animals↗
PubMed2000

Differences in AIDS knowledge among Spanish and English speakers by socioeconomic status and ability to speak English.

Previous studies have shown that Hispanics know less about acquired immunodeficiency syndrome (AIDS) than non-Hispanics, but few studies have examined the role of language or socioeconomic status. We used data from a 1998 population-based sample survey of New Jersey adults to compare levels of AIDS knowledge among English and Spanish speakers, taking into account educational attainment and ability to speak English. Spanish speakers, especially those who filled out the questionnaire in Spanish, knew less about AIDS transmission, although their general AIDS knowledge was comparable to English speakers with similar educational attainment. Differences between Hispanics who speak primarily English and those who speak primarily Spanish underscore the idea that linguistic and cultural barriers vary within a cultural group and should be taken into account in the design of AIDS education programs.

Acquired Immunodeficiency Syndrome↗
PubMed2000

Influence of foot, leg and shoe characteristics on subjective comfort.

The purpose of this study was to determine the relationships between foot and leg characteristics, shoe characteristics, and the short-term subjective comfort of three different pairs of athletic shoes. Static measurements of foot dimension and leg angles were taken from eighteen subjects. Subjects rated the comfort of three different athletic shoes for standing, walking and running. The shoes were quantified by internal dimensions, hardness, flexibility and torsional stiffness. Average comfort ratings decreased from standing to walking to running. One shoe seemed suited for only a small group of subjects. In contrast, another shoe was generally comfortable for a large group. Skeletal alignment, specifically eversion angle, was related to comfort for one shoe. Therefore, fit of the shoe is not sufficient for comfort. Skeletal alignment, shoe torsional stiffness and cushioning seem to be mechanical variables which may be important for comfort.

Anthropometry↗
PubMed2000

A survey of GP views in intra-uterine contraception.

AIMS: To investigate knowledge and attitudes towards intra-uterine contraception. DESIGN: Anonymous postal survey of 441 GPs (153 female and 288 male GPs) from the FHSA register in Stockport and Manchester. SETTING: General practices in Stockport and Manchester. Main outcome measure. Response to a series of questions concerning attitudes and knowledge of intra-uterine contraception. RESULTS: One hundred and forty-two responses were received, giving a 35% response rate. Thirty-four percent of responding GPs did not fit intra-uterine devices (IUDs), with only 10% fitting more than 30 a year. There was a significant trend against IUD fitting by male GPs and GPs aged <40 years. Younger GPs with <10 years experience were significantly more aware of the reliability of intra-uterine contraception, but perceived IUD fitting as inconvenient for both the patient and the doctor. Female GPs had better knowledge and more positive attitudes to IUDs than male GPs. CONCLUSION: GPs may have difficulties in maintaining expertise. Primary care groups may opt to concentrate fittings in a few expert practices, or refer women to centrally based family planning clinics for IUD fitting.

Adult↗