'The sage of Manchester Square': a glance at Hughlings Jackson and his ideas on brain function.
Explore the source record for details and available documents.
England↗
Biomedical subjects
J Harris
Publications and source records attributed to J Harris.
Failure of the heat-shock protein 70 locus to cosegregate with blood pressure in spontaneously hypertensive rat x Wistar-Kyoto rat cross.
OBJECTIVE: To investigate the involvement of the heat-shock protein 70 (hsp70) locus, located in the rat major histocompatibility complex (RT1), in hypertension of the spontaneously hypertensive rat (SHR). Previous studies have shown abnormal expression of hsp70 in the SHR and an association of the SHR hsp70 allele with increased blood pressure in recombinant inbred strains derived from a cross of SHR with Brown-Norway rats. DESIGN: SHR were crossed with normotensive Wistar-Kyoto (WKY) rats to produce a large cohort of F2 rats segregating for blood pressure and hsp70 alleles. Two hundred and thirty-three rats were maintained on a normal-salt diet and 167 were put on a high-salt diet (1% sodium chloride in drinking water) from 16 to 26 weeks of age. METHODS: Blood pressure was measured indirectly at 12, 16 and 20 weeks of age in rats on the normal-salt diet and at 16 (pre-salt), 18 and 20 weeks in rats on the high-salt diet. Both groups had direct conscious blood pressure measurements at 25-26 weeks of age. Genotyping was carried out for a BamH1 polymorphism in the hsp70 gene by Southern blotting. RESULTS: The hsp70 genotype had no effect on any of the blood pressure measurements in rats on either diet. CONCLUSIONS: We find no evidence of linkage between the hsp70 gene locus, and by implication other genes located within the rat RT1 complex, and blood pressure in our cross of SHR and WKY rats.
Animals↗
Using the child behaviour checklist in ordinary primary schools.
The study considers the application of the Child Behaviour Checklist (Achenbach & Edelbrock, 1986) to the identification of children with emotional and behavioural difficulties in ordinary primary schools. Teachers provided checklist data on a sample of 320 boys and 118 girls previously referred to the schools psychological services and a further 183 boys and 39 girls who had not been referred. There was a high level of agreement between referred and non-referred student status and subsequent classification using the CBCL criteria for psychiatric disturbance. An analysis of variance was carried out to determine how far teacher expectations may contribute to CBCL scores. The results indicated that teacher differences within schools are more important than the differences which exist between teachers working in different schools. The results support the validity of the CBCL. The future application of the CBCL in ordinary schools is discussed.
Aggression↗
Skeletal unloading decreases production of 1,25-dihydroxyvitamin D.
The plasma concentration of 1,25-dihydroxyvitamin D [1,25(OH)2D] decreases during skeletal unloading and increases when normal weight bearing is restored. To determine whether these changes in plasma 1,25(OH)2D reflect changes in production, metabolic clearance, or both we measured the kinetics of 1,25(OH)2D metabolism in rats whose skeletons were normally loaded, unloaded, or reloaded after a period of nonweight bearing. Skeletal unloading produced a transient but striking fall in the production (-73%) and plasma concentration (-72%) of 1,25(OH)2D without having a significant effect (< 20%) on metabolic clearance. Skeletal reloading returned production to normal. Bone formation predictably decreased during unloading and returned to normal after return to weight bearing. No consistent changes in blood ionized calcium, plasma immunoreactive parathyroid hormone (irPTH), or plasma phosphorus occurred. These data suggest that the changes in plasma 1,25-(OH)2D associated with changes in skeletal weight bearing primarily reflect changes in 1,25(OH)2D production. The data provide no evidence that the changes in 1,25(OH)2D production are a consequence of changes in blood ionized calcium, plasma irPTH, or phosphorus.
Animals↗
A gene differentially expressed in the kidney of the spontaneously hypertensive rat cosegregates with increased blood pressure.
The role of the kidney in initiating hypertension has been much debated. Here we demonstrate that a recently identified gene of yet unknown function, termed SA, which is differentially expressed in the kidney of the spontaneously hypertensive rat, cosegregates with an increase in blood pressure in F2 rats derived from a cross of the spontaneously hypertensive rat with normotensive Wistar-Kyoto rats, accounting for 28 and 21% of the genetic variability in systolic and diastolic blood pressures, respectively. Further, the genotype at this locus appears to determine the level of expression of the gene in the kidney. The findings provide strong evidence for a primary genetic involvement of the kidney in hypertension.
Aging↗
A proposal to classify happiness as a psychiatric disorder.
Explore the source record for details and available documents.
Happiness↗
Adjuvant tamoxifen versus placebo in elderly women with node-positive breast cancer: long-term follow-up and causes of death.
PURPOSE: This study analyzes the long-term results and causes of death in elderly women with node-positive breast cancer who participated in a double-blind adjuvant trial that compared tamoxifen with placebo to determine the benefit of 2 years of treatment. PATIENTS AND METHODS: One hundred eighty-one women 65 to 84 years old were given 20 mg of tamoxifen or placebo daily for 2 years after stratification by estrogen receptor status, tumor size, and degree of lymph node involvement. Approximately 30% of patients were older than 70 years and 20% were older than 75 years. Eighty-five percent were estrogen receptor-positive. Median follow-up was 10 years. RESULTS: Among the 168 eligible patients, there have been 98 recurrences (59 placebo v 39 tamoxifen), with reduced distant and bone-only first sites in patients treated with tamoxifen. Median time to failure was 4.4 years for placebo versus 7.4 years for tamoxifen (log-rank P = .001). A similar number of new nonbreast cancers occurred in each arm (seven placebo v six tamoxifen), but a reduced number of opposite-breast cancers (five placebo v one tamoxifen) was noted. Overall, there were 102 deaths (57 placebo v 45 tamoxifen). Median survivals were 8.0 years with placebo and 8.5 years with tamoxifen (log-rank P = .063); 50% of the tamoxifen patients and 33% of the placebo patients are still alive. Sixty-one percent of the deaths were reported to have been caused by breast cancer recurrence, 4% by other cancers, and 22% by the sequelae of non-cancer-related illness, with equal distributions for cardiovascular and cerebrovascular disease. There was no increase in the number of endometrial or other types of cancer, or thrombotic or orthopedic complications in this older group. CONCLUSION: Tamoxifen currently is the treatment of choice for elderly women with breast cancer. It extends the time to treatment failure by 3 years and reduces the number of recurrences, deaths, distant and bone-only first recurrences, and second breast cancers.
Aged↗
Transluminal placement of a prosthetic graft-stent device for treatment of subclavian artery aneurysm.
A 78-year-old man was seen with an expanding 5 cm false aneurysm of the right subclavian artery. This was treated by an intraluminal graft-stent device introduced through the brachial artery via a 16 F sheath. The graft was constructed from two polytetrafluoroethylene patches of 0.4 mm thickness and anchored in the subclavian artery by an 8 mm stainless steel stent. The procedure was monitored by an image intensifier. Completion arteriography and postoperative duplex scanning confirmed normal flow through the subclavian artery with no communication between the lumen and the aneurysmal sac. The patient recovered without complication.
Aged↗
A palindromic element in the human immunodeficiency virus long terminal repeat binds retinoic acid receptors and can confer retinoic acid responsiveness on a heterologous promoter.
A palindromic element (site B) located between bases -328 and -347 (relative to the start site of transcription) of the human immunodeficiency virus type 1 (HIV-1) long terminal repeat (LTR) was shown in a gel mobility shift assay to bind the human retinoic acid receptors (RARs). Greatly enhanced binding to this site was observed in the presence of both RAR and the retinoid X receptor. Retinoic acid responsiveness in F9 cells could be conferred on a thymidine kinase promoter by the presence of single or multiple copies of site B and responsiveness was abolished when this sequence was mutated to a form that could not bind RARs. However, the presence of this sequence did not render the HIV-1 LTR responsive to retinoic acid in F9 cells.
Animals↗
You can't ask if you don't know what to ask: a survey of the information needs and resources of hospital outpatients.
OBJECTIVES: to test public demand for health and sickness information and identify sources of information used by the public. METHODS: using a questionnaire as the basis of a highly structured interview, 274 outpatients or their caregivers from nine clinics in Wellington Hospital, attending for the second or subsequent time, were asked whether they felt they knew enough about their illness and treatment, and where they had obtained their information. RESULTS: almost half expressed a wish for more illness information and two-fifths wanted to know more about their treatment. Respondents were significantly more satisfied with treatment than illness information. Outpatient comments further indicated dissatisfaction with information. Sixteen sources of information were each used by four or more people, almost 20% of the sample using more than six sources. Health professionals, the hospital doctor in particular, were the most important source of information; informal personal contacts were also widely used. CONCLUSIONS: the results highlight the difficulties of communication between health professionals and clients. The possibility of cooperation between health and information professionals in providing patients with more information is raised.
Adult↗
Counting the costs of legal claims.
Explore the source record for details and available documents.
Malpractice↗
Malignant melanoma: primary presentation in bone marrow and lymph node.
We describe an unusual presentation of malignant melanoma with simultaneous lymph node and bone marrow metastasis. In addition the disease was associated with immune-mediated thrombocytopenia. A brief remission was obtained with combination chemotherapy.
Antineoplastic Combined Chemotherapy Protocols↗
An analysis of adrenergic influences on the sural-gastrocnemius reflex of the decerebrated rabbit.
The sural-gastrocnemius reflex was observed in decerebrated rabbits during intrathecal application of four alpha-adrenoceptor antagonists. Idazoxan and yohimbine, which are antagonists at the alpha 2-receptor, caused facilitation of the reflex, although idazoxan was more potent and produced a larger overall increase in the reflex response. However, when given after yohimbine, idazoxan elicited no further increase in reflex responses. The differences between the two drugs may result from the interaction of yohimbine with receptors for 5-hydroxytryptamine. The selective alpha 1-receptor antagonist prazosin had no consistent effects when given alone, but reduced the facilitatory effects of idazoxan. The putative selective post-junctional alpha 2-receptor blocker SK&F 104078 had no significant effects when given alone, nor did it influence the facilitatory action of a subsequent dose of idazoxan. Section of the spinal cord in the presence of idazoxan always caused a decrease in gastrocnemius responses to sural nerve stimulation. These data show that the facilitatory effects of idazoxan are almost certainly mediated at the spinal cord and that they do not involve blockade of alpha 1-receptors. It appears that idazoxan acts by blockade of adrenergic descending inhibition in combination with increased descending facilitation. The inhibition is probably mediated through noradrenaline acting at alpha 2-receptors, and the facilitation may be the result of release of noradrenaline (acting at alpha 1-receptors) and 5-hydroxytryptamine in the spinal cord.
Adrenergic alpha-Antagonists↗
Prolonged potentiation of transmission through a withdrawal reflex pathway after noxious stimulation of the heel in the rabbit.
The sural-gastrocnemius reflex of the spinalized rabbit was potentiated to an average of 3-6 times control levels after the application of noxious mechanical, thermal or chemical stimuli to the skin of the heel. Facilitation of the reflex was maximal within 1 min of the noxious stimulus, and in many cases persisted for more than 1 h. Prolonged increases in the excitability of the sural-gastrocnemius reflex were not seen after innocuous mechanical or thermal stimulation of the heel. Repetitive electrical stimulation of the sural nerve (100 shocks given at 0.5 Hz) caused persistent facilitation of the reflex when small myelinated A delta fibres or non-myelinated C-fibres were recruited by the conditioning stimulus. Such protracted increases in the excitability of the sural-gastrocnemius pathway would enhance the protective functions of this reflex. The mechanisms described here have probably evolved to provide a high level of reflex protection to the heel after tissue damage has occurred at that site.
Animals↗
Metastatic breast cancer: higher versus low dose maintenance treatment when only a partial response or a no change status is obtained following doxorubicin induction treatment. An Eastern Cooperative Oncology Group study.
Explore the source record for details and available documents.
Antineoplastic Combined Chemotherapy Protocols↗
Psychiatric mental health nursing specialist process evaluation criteria.
Explore the source record for details and available documents.
Employee Performance Appraisal↗
Growth failure and bony changes induced by deferoxamine.
We reviewed the linear growth and growth plate morphology in all children with homozygous beta thalassemia followed in Toronto, for whom monthly height percentiles were available before, and for a 36-month period after, the initiation of nightly subcutaneous deferoxamine therapy. All patients were less than 7 years of age when begun on deferoxamine, and had received nightly deferoxamine for a minimum of 36 months. Marked abnormalities of the metaphyseal growth plate were readily observed in the distal ulnar, radial, and tibial metaphyses in 11 of 37 patients in whom a significant decline in mean height percentile was also noted. (In 10 of these 11 patients, height was less than the 15th percentile after 36 months.) These 11 patients had received a significantly greater (p less than 0.025) initial and average daily dose of deferoxamine, and had maintained a significantly lower (p less than 0.025) mean serum ferritin concentration over the 36 months, than the remainder of the cohort. To determine whether deferoxamine played a causative role in growth failure, growth in patients who began deferoxamine before the age 2 years was compared to that of patients who began after age 5 years, for the period between 2 and 5 years of age. Only patients begun on deferoxamine prior to age 2 years demonstrated a significant (p less than 0.01) decline in height percentile by the third year, implicating deferoxamine therapy as the cause of growth failure. We conclude that both the decline in height percentile and the bony changes observed in well-chelated patients are directly related to deferoxamine therapy.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)
Alkaline Phosphatase↗