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Biomedical subjects

J F Andrews

Publications and source records attributed to J F Andrews.

At least 19 recordsLinked to original sources
PubMed1998

Hopwood, affirmative action, and deaf education.

Minority-deaf students constitute 43.5% of the deaf school-age population, yet only 11.7% of teachers and administrators in programs serving deaf students are persons of color. The ruling in Hopwood v. State of Texas (1996) banned the use of race as a major determinant in admissions to colleges and universities in Louisiana, Mississippi, and Texas. This ruling, along with the current backlash against affirmative action policies, has hindered college administrators' efforts to recruit minorities in deaf education. We discuss Hopwood, affirmative action policies, and how both affect deaf education teacher training today. We also present an eight-step action plan for teacher-training colleges and universities to meet the need to increase the number of minority teachers and leaders and encourage state educational agencies and schools for the Deaf to do likewise.

Adolescent↗
PubMed1998

Changes in cytochrome oxidase activity in brown adipose tissue during oestrous cycle in the rat.

Cold-acclimated female Wistar rats were killed at a known phase of the oestrous cycle to investigate whether natural fluctuations of female sex steroids during the cycle are mirrored by changes in brown adipose tissue (BAT) activity. Four phases: proestrus, oestrus, dioestrus I and dioestrus II, were identified by the cells types appearing in vaginal smears. BAT was removed and analysed for composition and specific indicators of BAT activity. No changes in BAT mass, protein or mitochondrial content were detected during the cycle. Thermogenesis was also unchanged as judged by both lipid multilocularity and mitochondrial GDP-binding. However, cytochrome c oxidase (COX) activity did cycle with a minimum at proestrus and a maximum at dioestrus I. The involvement of oestradiol in such a cycle is suggested by the fact that oestradiol treatment decreased COX activity to values similar to those found in proestrus. The physiological function of a cyclic oxidative capacity remains to be elucidated.

Adipose Tissue, Brown↗
PubMed1997

What's up, Billy Jo? Deaf children and bilingual-bicultural instruction in east-central Texas.

Seven deaf children attended a bilingual-bicultural (bi-bi) prekindergarten, kindergarten, and first grade from 1993 to 1996 in an east-central Texas public school. The children had diverse backgrounds (African American, Hispanic, White) and various intellectual, cognitive, and linguistic abilities. We detail the backgrounds of the seven children and their families and describe three bi-bi classrooms. We present standardized test scores on cognition (Bracken Test of Basic Concepts) and academic achievement (Stanford Achievement Test, 9th edition, and Woodcock-Johnson Psycho-Educational Battery). When, with one exception, the children completed first grade, they all tested at grade level. (The exception was a younger child who had only completed kindergarten but who nonetheless tested at the first-grade level). We interpret our findings in light of theories of first- and second-language acquisition and discuss the feasibility of establishing bi-bi programs in areas where no large Deaf community exists. We also note our plans to evaluate the seven children again, at the end of second grade in spring 1997.

Child↗
PubMed1997

Synergistic action by neuropeptide Y (NPY) and norepinephrine (NE) on food intake, metabolic rate, and brown adipose tissue (BAT) causes remarkable weight loss in the obese (fa/fa) Zucker rat.

NPY has been reported to co-exist within catecholaminergic neurons of the central and peripheral nervous systems. The functional significance in noradrenergic neurons has been related to the vasomotor effects of NPY which complement and interact with NE which is known to have central and peripheral effects on resting metabolic rate (RMR), food intake and body weight of rats. We have studied the effect of chronic peripheral administration of NPY on the metabolic action of NE in obese adult male rats. A group of 20 adult male obese (fa/fa) Zucker rats were acclimated to environmental temperature of either 28 degrees C or 17 degrees C. Each group was divided into 5 subgroups: (I) untreated controls; (II) Carrier-treated Controls; (III) NPY treated; (IV) NE treated and (V) NPY + NE treated. In subgroups II-V, Alzet (2002) osmotic minipumps were implanted under the skin in the interscapular region. Pumps were filled with carrier alone (subgroups II) plus NPY (subgroups III), or NE (subgroups IV), or both (subgroups V). Delivery rates were calculated to be 0.5 microgram/h NPY; 20 micrograms/h NE, extending over a period of 14 days. Starting from day 2, cumulative food intake and cumulative changes in total body weight were measured every two days. RMR of the animals was measured on days 2, 8, and 14 (indirectly as minimal oxygen consumption). On day 15 animals were sacrificed and specimens of the interscapular BAT were fixed for microscopic examination and measurement of the cross-sectional area of the triglyceride droplets as index for tissue activity. In warm environmental conditions the combined treatment with NE and NPY was the only treatment that caused significant reduction of total body weight by inhibiting food intake and enhancing RMR. The involvement of BAT in this function was observed. In the cold environment the NE and NPY together showed similar but less enhancing effect on body weight; this was mainly due to the significant depression of food intake and slight metabolic response. BAT of this group showed significant response to the combined treatment and slight response to the separate treatments with either NE or NPY.

Adipose Tissue, Brown↗
PubMed1996

Voluntary contraction shortens peripheral conduction time in response to transcranial magnetic stimulation of the brain.

We investigated the effects of voluntary contraction on peripheral conduction time in response to transcranial magnetic stimulation (TMS) of the brain in 10 normal subjects. We obtained surface recordings of compound muscle action potentials (CMAP) from the abductor digiti minimi muscle (ADM) and nerve action potentials (NAP) from the ulnar nerve, at rest and during contraction (10% of maximal voluntary contraction) in response to TMS delivered at 100% output using a coil shaped like a figure 8. The distance between the two recording electrodes was 10 cm. The distal latency in response to TMS was calculated by subtracting the NAP latency from the CMAP latency. Distal latency was also measured by recording ADM responses to supramaximal electrical stimulation (ES) 10 cm proximal to the recording electrode. TMS-induced distal latency was significantly shorter during voluntary contraction than at rest (P < 0.0001). There was no significant difference between TMS-induced distal latency during contraction and ES-induced distal latency. TMS-induced distal latencies at rest and during contraction were correlated with the ES-induced distal latencies (r2 = 0.468, P = 0.028 and r2 = 0.769, P = 0.0009, respectively). Our results showed that the peripheral conduction time in response to TMS was related to the activity of the target muscle and to the fastest conduction velocity of the target nerve. Voluntary contraction reduced the peripheral conduction time in response to TMS.

Adult↗
PubMed1994

Deaf children reading fables: using ASL summaries to improve reading comprehension.

This study was a cooperative effort of two university-based reading educators and a reading teacher-librarian who is deaf. An intervention technique was designed based on studies emphasizing the importance of using American Sign Language (ASL) to build deaf children's background knowledge before they read materials that support the learning of English. The teacher used the ASL summary technique; that is, she signed a summary of a fable in ASL without giving the moral lesson before having the students read the fable in printed English. "Retelling scores" were computed for seven deaf elementary school students who read some fables with the ASL intervention and read other fables without the intervention. The students' responses in telling the moral lesson of each fable were also scored. The data showed that the ASL summary technique increased the quantity and quality of the retelling scores; it also improved deaf readers' comprehension of the moral lessons of the fables. A description of the ASL summary technique and a discussion of its implications for teachers are provided.

Child↗
PubMed1993

Minority and minority-deaf professionals. How many and where are they?

A survey of 6,043 professionals in 349 deaf education programs showed that 10.4% are from nonwhite or minority ethnic/cultural backgrounds. Of these minority professionals, 11.7% are deaf. Only 8 minority deaf administrators were found. Chi-square analyses showed that ethnic/cultural background and hearing loss were strongly associated with the type of program where the professionals were employed. More than half of the minority professionals worked in public schools. The District of Columbia, New York, and Maryland lead the country in the number of deaf professionals employed. More than half of all black deaf professionals work in either D.C. or New York. Texas leads the country in numbers of Hispanic professionals employed, and New Mexico has more Hispanic professionals than does California, New York, or Florida.

Deafness↗
PubMed1992

An assessment of the thermogenic effects of fluoxetine in obese subjects.

Fluoxetine is an antidepressant drug with weight reducing properties. To assess whether fluoxetine has an ability to promote diet induced thermogenesis (DIT), 30 obese subjects (BMI 30-45 kg/m2) underwent a double blind, randomized, cross-over trial of 60 mg fluoxetine versus placebo. A two week single blind, run-in period on placebo was incorporated into the study to allow for placebo responders. The first stage of the study lasted for 14 days followed by a six week cross-over wash-out phase and concluded with the second 14 day stage of the study. An estimate of resting metabolic rate (RMR) was measured by continuous indirect calorimetry using the ventilated hood technique. Metabolic measurements were performed on six occasions, immediately before the first tablet was taken in the first stage, 24 hours after the first tablet was consumed and on the last day of the first stage; these three recordings were repeated on the second stage of the study. On each occasion a control reading of RMR was taken for 30 minutes then DIT was measured for 90 minutes following a lemon and glucose drink (1 g/kg body weight). Whilst a significant weight reduction (1.16 kg, P less than 0.05) occurred in the active stage, no such effect was achieved in the placebo phase. No differences were found between the two stages with regard to RMR, total DIT, peak DIT and time taken to reach peak DIT. We conclude that fluoxetine does not stimulate metabolism and that the weight reduction after 14 days therapy is due to other mechanisms.

Adult↗
PubMed1991

Strategy usage among deaf and hearing readers.

High school youths who were prelingually and profoundly deaf, hearing elementary-school-age youths, and hearing reading-disabled high school youths read expository texts and filled in deleted words and phrases. After making word replacements, they explained their decisions in sign or verbally. As expected, the hearing youths had an easier time filling in the deleted portions and explaining what strategies they were using. While the deaf youths reported using similar strategies as the hearing youths, the frequency of each type of strategy differed. Deaf readers more often relied on rereading and background knowledge, while the hearing readers made greater use of context clues. The results suggest that instruction for deaf readers should include more effective comprehension strategies.

Adolescent↗
PubMed1990

Brown adipose tissue lipid is the main source of energy during arousal of the golden hamster (Mesocricetus auratus).

1. Male golden hamsters were induced to hibernate. 2. During stimulated arousal (i) the time course of increase in deep body temperature was related to the time-course of increasing oxygen consumption and (ii) brown adipose tissue lipid content was determined at several time points. 3. In early arousal (0-30 min) more lipid was mobilised (14.6 kJ) than was utilised in metabolism (3.5 kJ). BAT lipids accounted for 88% of the total energy requirement of arousal (90 min). 4. We conclude that BAT not only supplies heat for arousal but fuel for other arousing tissues.

Adipose Tissue, Brown↗
PubMed1989

New outlook on pericardial substitution after open heart operations.

The difficulties of reoperation owing to adhesions are well known. Clinical attempts to solve this problem using synthetic materials or glutaraldehyde-fixed pericardial xenograft have been less than satisfactory. Although experimental animal results have been good, they have not considered the influence of cardiopulmonary bypass (CPB) on adhesion formation. This study addressed the influence of CPB on the formation of adhesions and evaluated biodegradable polyglycolic acid as a material to reduce adhesions and as a pericardial substitute. Forty-five weanling sheep received implants of pericardial xenograft and polyglycolic acid with and without CPB. The pericardial xenograft showed no adhesions when implanted without CPB, but severe adhesions formed and a thick fibrinous layer covered the heart when CPB was used, making identification of coronary arteries at reoperation very difficult. The polyglycolic acid mesh implanted without CPB was absorbed and replaced with newly formed host collagen. With CPB, the polyglycolic acid was more rapidly absorbed, and a thinner layer of host collagen formed. Therefore, future animal studies must include CPB. In agreement with reported clinical results, glutaraldehyde-fixed pericardial tissue implanted with CPB resulted in severe epicardial reaction and therefore is not an ideal pericardial substitute.

Animals↗
PubMed1988

Effect of cold rearing on metabolic rate and growth rate of obese (ob/ob) mice.

Oxygen consumption, total body mass, and body fat content were measured in lean and obese animals housed from birth at either 17 +/- 2 or 28 +/- 2 degrees C. Results for each of the three parameters were recorded at three time points 26, 35, and 56 days of age. The experiments demonstrate that at both ambient temperatures oxygen consumption expressed per kilogram body mass is consistently greater in lean animals. In all animals oxygen consumption (ml/kg/min) falls between 26 and 56 days, but significantly so in obese mice at 17 degrees C. There is no difference in age-related reduction of oxygen consumption between the genotypes at 28 degrees C; cold environment also significantly impairs growth of obese animals but not of lean ones. Contrary to those at 28 degrees C obese mice at 17 degrees C do not differ significantly in body weight from lean controls by 56 days of age. Carcass fat is consequently reduced in cold-reared obese mice compared to warm-reared obese, when expressed as grams of fat. When expressed as percentage fat, cold-reared lean and obese mice have less fat at 56 days.

Adipose Tissue↗