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Biomedical subjects

J J Ryan

Publications and source records attributed to J J Ryan.

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

Prorating Wechsler Adult Intelligence Scale-III summary scores.

The application of the nine-subtest prorated version of the Wechsler Adult Intelligence Scale-III (WAIS-III) in estimating Verbal, Performance, and Full-Scale IQ scores was evaluated in a sample of 278 mixed clinical patients from two Department of Veterans Affairs Medical Centers. The composite reliabilities of the three prorated summary scores, which excluded Comprehension and Picture Arrangement, did not differ from reliabilities from the full WAIS-III. All three prorated IQ summary scores demonstrated good alternate forms reliability with the standard WAIS-III summary scores. Verbal Performance discrepancy scores were accurate for 86% of the cases. The results of this study appear to support the regular use of prorated WAIS-III summary scores in estimating full WAIS-III summary scores. The benefit of this system is that by giving all of the subtests required for the index scores, not only are the index scores derived, but a very close estimation of the summary scores are generated.

Adult↗
PubMed2000

Supplementary WMS-III tables for determining primary subtest strengths and weaknesses.

It is common practice to evaluate the age-adjusted subtest scores from the Wechsler intelligence scales to determine strengths and weaknesses within a profile. The Wechsler Memory Scale-III (WMS-III; D. Wechsler, 1997a) represents a significant improvement over its predecessors and, for the first time, provides age-adjusted subtest scores for interpretation, just as the Wechsler intelligence scales have done for 60 years. It is reasonable to assume that examiners will evaluate the WMS-III subtest profiles for strengths and weaknesses. However, the WMS-III Administration and Scoring Manual and the WAIS-III-WMS-III Technical Manual (The Psychological Corporation, 1997) provide no assistance for accomplishing this goal. Data from the WMS-III standardization sample, as described in the WAIS-III-WMS-III Technical Manual, were used to develop tables for determining both confidence levels and infrequency of differences between individual subtest scores and the means of 5 subtest combinations that may be clinically relevant for individual cases.

Adult↗
PubMed2000

Exposure of Russian phenoxy herbicide producers to dioxins.

Russian workers who manufactured phenoxy herbicides and related compounds in the 1960s in the city of Ufa, Bashkortostan, a republic of the former Soviet Union, were studied for exposure to polychlorinated dibenzo-p-dioxins (PCDDs) and dibenzofurans. Sixty whole blood samples were drawn in September 1992 and analyzed by gas chromatography-mass spectrometry. Thirty-four workers who manufactured the herbicide 2,4,5-trichlorophenoxyacetic acid (2,4,5-T) had median blood lipid 2,3,7,8-tetrachlorodibenzo-p-diozin (TCDD) concentrations of 166 ng per kg (parts per trillion) and 1,2,3,7,8-pentachloro-p-dioxin (PnCDD) levels of 52 parts per trillion with several TCDD values greater than 500 ng/kg. These 1992 values are 10 to 30 times greater than contemporary normal or background blood levels from the Baskortostan region of Russia and were at least 10-fold higher 25 years earlier in the late 1960s. Six workers who produced the herbicide 2,4-dichlorophenoxyacetic acid also had elevated levels in 1992, with 1,2,3,7,8-PnCDD blood lipid levels higher than 2,3,7,8-TCDD. Even children of some of the workers and factory administrative personnel had blood levels of TCDD higher than most general population groups from other parts of Russia or from other countries. The patterns of the PCDDs and dibenzofurans (as defined by the specific congeners and their relative amounts) were distinctive for the type of chemical produced, with notable contributions to the TCDD toxic equivalents from the 2,3,7,8-TCDD and 1,2,3,7,8-PnCDD congeners. No correlation was found between chloracne status in 1965 to 1967 and TCDD or toxic equivalent blood lipid concentrations in 1992. These Russian phenoxy herbicide and related chemical producers have some of the highest occupational exposure to dioxins of any cohort studied to date and seem to be unique with respect to the presence of appreciable amounts of 1,2,3,7,8-PnCDD.

Adolescent↗
PubMed2000

Observations on the factor structure of the WAIS-R.

Confirmatory factor analyses (CFAs) revealed 2 important characteristics of the standardization data of the Wechsler Adult Intelligence Scale Revised. One finding was that Digit Symbol fit better on an attentional factor in younger groups, but fit was better when Digit Symbol loaded on a visual-perceptual factor in older groups. A second observation was that specifying correlated errors or a fourth factor to explain covariance between Block Design and Object Assembly improved model fit in all age groups except 70- to 74-year-olds. The results illustrate the value of CFA and have implications for investigating other samples and other Wechsler tests.

Adult↗
PubMed2000

Reliability of the WAIS-III subtests, indexes, and IQs in individuals with substance abuse disorders.

Reliability of the WAIS-III for 100 male patients with substance abuse disorders was determined. Means for age and education were 46.06 were (SD = 8.81 years) and 12.70 years (SD = 1.51 years). There were 63 Caucasians and 37 African Americans. Split-half coefficients for the 11 subtests (Digit Symbol-Coding, Symbol Search, and Object Assembly were omitted) ranged from .92 for Vocabulary and Digit Span to .77 for Picture Arrangement. The median subtest reliability coefficient was .86. Composite reliabilities were excellent for the Indexes (.94 to .95) and IQs (.94 to .97), with all coefficients > or = .94. Using the Fisher z test to compare correlation coefficients from independent samples, none of the reliability estimates differed significantly from those reported for the WAIS-III standardization sample. Similar findings emerged when reliabilities were determined separately for Caucasian and African American participants.

Black or African American↗
PubMed2000

Estimation of Wechsler Adult Intelligence Scale-III index scores with the 7-subtest short form in a clinical sample.

A 7-subtest short form of the Wechsler Adult Intelligence Scale-III (WAIS-III) previously demonstrated good comparability in estimating Full Scale and Verbal IQ summary scores, with adequate comparability in estimating Performance IQ. In a mixed clinical sample of 295 patients, the current study assessed the equivalence of the index scores generated from the full and prorated WAIS-III. The results revealed correlations corrected for redundancy of .90, .86, .87, and .75 for the Verbal Comprehension (VCI), Perceptual Organization (POI), Working Memory (WMI), and Processing Speed (PSI) indexes, respectively. Although the 7-subtest short form of the WAIS-III was not designed to estimate index scores, adequate estimates are viable for VCI, POI, and WMI when the goal is to obtain group, rather than individual, data points.

Adult↗
PubMed2000

Glucose levels are not associated with common features-derived prototype memory abstractions.

Elevated glucose levels are associated with increased recall on declarative memory tasks. No previous studies have examined such a relationship using a common features-derived prototype memory abstraction task. 20 participants volunteered, 10 each in an experimental group who were given 40 g of glucose to drink and a control group given an artificially sweetened beverage after fasting. Analysis indicated that common features-derived prototype memory abstractions seem resistant to glucose fluctuations.

Adolescent↗
PubMed2000

Age effects on Wechsler Adult Intelligence Scale-III subtests.

This investigation extended work on the Wechsler Adult Intelligence Scaled-Revised (WAIS-R) to the WAIS-III by determining how allotments of scaled-score points change with age, and to evaluate WAIS-III performance in terms of the Horn-Cattell constructs of crystallized and fluid intelligence. The age norms for the 14 individual WAIS-III subtests indicate that additional scaled-score points are awarded primarily to the Letter-Number Sequencing subtest of the Verbal Scale and to the seven Performance Scale subtests at ages 45 to 89 years for the same performance as individuals in the 20- to 34-year-old reference group. Subtests that measure speed of information processing showed more of a decline than subtests that measure verbal processing. Results are consistent with the view that measures of fluid intelligence show more of a decline with advancing age than do measures of crystallized intelligence. Published by Elsevier Science Ltd

Journal Article↗
PubMed1999

Inhibition of Kit expression by IL-4 and IL-10 in murine mast cells: role of STAT6 and phosphatidylinositol 3'-kinase.

The c-kit protooncogene encodes a receptor tyrosine kinase that is known to play a critical role in hemopoiesis and is essential for mast cell growth, differentiation, and cytokine production. Studies have shown that the Th2 cytokine IL-4 can down-regulate Kit expression on human and murine mast cells, but the mechanism of this down-regulation has remained unresolved. Using mouse bone marrow-derived mast cells, we demonstrate that IL-4-mediated Kit down-regulation requires STAT6 expression and phosphotidylinositide-3'-kinase activation. We also find that the Th2 cytokine IL-10 potently down-regulates Kit expression. IL-4 enhances IL-10-mediated inhibition in a manner that is STAT6 independent and phosphotidylinositide-3'-kinase dependent. Both IL-4- and IL-10-mediated Kit down-regulation were coupled with little or no change in c-kit mRNA levels, no significant change in Kit protein stability, but decreased total Kit protein expression. Inhibition of Kit expression by IL-4 and IL-10 resulted in a loss of Kit-mediated signaling, as evidenced by reduced IL-13 and TNF-alpha mRNA induction after stem cell factor stimulation. These data offer a role for STAT6 and phosphotidylinositide-3'-kinase in IL-4-mediated Kit down-regulation, coupled with the novel observation that IL-10 is a potent inhibitor of Kit expression and function. Regulating Kit expression and signaling may be essential to controlling mast cell-mediated inflammatory responses.

Adjuvants, Immunologic↗
PubMed1999

Accuracy of the seven subtest WAIS-R short form in chronic schizophrenia.

The accuracy of the WAIS-R seven subtest short form (Ward, L.C., 1990. Prediction of Verbal, Performance and Full Scale IQs from seven subtests of the WAIS-R. J. Clin. Psychol. 46, 436-440) was examined for predicting IQs of 73 inpatients diagnosed with schizophrenia. Results indicated that 93% of the estimated Full Scale IQs were within +/-5 points of their actual scores. Using Wechsler's (1981) seven category intelligence classification, the level of agreement on the Full Scale IQ was 84% for the standard WAIS-R and the seven subtest short form. This abbreviated Wechsler Scale may be used with schizophrenic patients when only general estimates of intellectual functioning are required.

Adult↗
PubMed1999

Cutting edge: effects of an allergy-associated mutation in the human IL-4R alpha (Q576R) on human IL-4-induced signal transduction.

A mutation in the human (hu) IL-4R alpha, Q576R, has been linked with allergy in humans. Increased sensitivity of patients cells with this mutation to IL-4 suggest that a Q576R change enhances IL-4 signaling. To directly test this hypothesis, we analyzed the ability of huIL-4R alpha cDNA bearing the Q576R and Y575F mutations to signal tyrosine phosphorylation, DNA-binding activity, proliferation, protection from apoptosis, and CD23 induction in response to huIL-4 in murine cells. Responses generated by the Q576R and Y575F mutants were similar to those of the wild-type receptor, using various concentrations of huIL-4 and times of stimulation. These results indicate that neither the Q576R nor the Y575F mutations have a significant direct effect on IL-4 signal transduction, and that hypersensitive induction of CD23 in cells derived from human allergy patients may be due to different and/or additional alterations in the IL-4 signaling pathway.

Amino Acid Substitution↗
PubMed1999

Toxaphene and other chlorinated compounds in human milk from northern and southern Canada: a comparison.

Human milk from residents of northern Canada (Keewatin) was compared to that in national surveys of southern Canada with respect to residues of toxaphene, PCBs, PCDD/PCDFs, chlordane, and several other persistent organic compounds. Concentrations of toxaphene were approximately ten-fold higher in specimens from Keewatin than from the south. Toxaphene concentrations in samples from the Great Lakes Basin collected in 1992 were not significantly (p < 0.05) different from those of the rest of Canada; however they were significantly (p < 0.05) lower than concentrations reported in a 1986 survey. Hexachlorobenzene, trans nonachlor and oxychlordane were three to five times higher in concentration in the Keewtin samples than in samples reported in the 1992 national survey. Total PCB congeners, DDTs, PCDD/PCDFs, and other chlorinated compounds were not significantly higher in northern samples.

Canada↗
PubMed1999

The IL-4 receptor: signaling mechanisms and biologic functions.

Interleukin-4 is a multifunctional cytokine that plays a critical role in the regulation of immune responses. Its effects depend upon binding to and signaling through a receptor complex consisting of the IL-4R alpha chain and the common gamma chain (gamma c), resulting in a series of phosphorylation events mediated by receptor-associated kinases. In turn, these cause the recruitment of mediators of cell growth, of resistance to apoptosis, and of gene activation and differentiation. Here we describe our current understanding of the organization of the IL-4 receptor, of the signaling pathways that are induced as a result of receptor occupancy, and of the various mechanisms through which receptor function is modulated. We particularly emphasize the modular nature of the receptor and the specialization of different receptor regions for distinct functions, most notably the independent regulation of cell growth and gene activation.

Amino Acid Sequence↗
PubMed1999

Order of item difficulty on picture arrangement: extending the discussion to the WAIS-III.

Past examinations of the order of item difficulty on the 10-item WAIS-R Picture Arrangement subtest indicated that the items had not been arranged in increasing order of difficulty. Examination of the clinical data for 50 consecutive assessment referrals [means for age, education, Full Scale IQ, and Picture Arrangement subtest scaled score were 46.4 (SD = 10.2), 12.6 (SD = 1.1), 96.7 (SD = 12.6), and 10.6 (SD = 3.3), respectively] on the 11-item WAIS-III subtest suggested that the current order of items may not be in order of increasing difficulty. Clinical relevance of these findings and research on the order of item difficulty are discussed.

Alcoholism↗
PubMed1999

Intrasubtest scatter on the WAIS-III information subtest and psychometrically defined retrieval deficits.

Milberg, et al. (1996) postulated that significant intrasubtest scatter on the Wechsler Information subtest reflects impaired retrieval. From a pool of 205 male referrals at a VA medical center with complete WAIS-III and WMS-III protocols, 28 participants with impaired retrieval (Group I) defined by a high Retrieval Composite score were identified. A sample (Group II) without similar evidence of impaired retrieval was matched to Group I on age, education, Full Scale IQ, race, and diagnosis. Intrasubtest scatter on the Information subtest was the same across groups (Group I M = 6.3, SD = 2.7; Group II M = 6.9, SD = 3.4). A second study identified impaired retrieval using the WMS-III Word Lists subtest. 21 participants (Group III) had impaired retrieval indicated by a Recognition scaled score being > or = 4 points higher than the Delayed Recall scaled score. A matched sample (Group IV) of VA patients without similar evidence of impaired retrieval was constituted. Intrasubtest scatter on the Information subtest did not differ across groups (Group III M = 6.6, SD = 2.4; Group IV M = 6.0, SD = 2.5). Evaluations of the retrieval deficit hypothesis should be based on responses of participants whose Information performance is characterized by abnormal amounts of intrasubtest scatter. It is possible that a specific amount of response variability must be present within the subtest before retrieval problems can be detected.

Adult↗
PubMed1999

Development and preliminary validation of a Satz-Mogel short form of the WAIS-III in a sample of persons with substance abuse disorders.

We developed a Satz-Mogel short form of the WAIS-III and evaluated its accuracy for predicting IQs of 50 men with substance abuse disorders. Means for age, education, and Full Scale IQ were 44.20 years (SD = 7.23), 12.82years (SD = 1.53), and 98.06 (SD = 11.93). Correlations between the forms were significant for the 11 subtests (all rs> or =.79) and three IQs (all rs> or =.93). Short form estimated Verbal, Performance, and Full scale IQs were within +/-6 points of the WAIS-III 92% 80% and 90% of the time. The abbreviation may be used to estimate general intelligence, but interpretation of short-form-based IQ discrepancies should be avoided. The short form detected reliable WAIS-III Verbal-Performance IQ discrepancies only 67% of the time.

Adult↗
PubMed1998

IL-4 inhibits mouse mast cell Fc epsilonRI expression through a STAT6-dependent mechanism.

Mast cell activation by IgE-mediated stimuli is a central event in atopic disease. The regulation of the mast cell high affinity receptor, Fc epsilonRI, is poorly understood. We show that IL-4 can inhibit Fc epsilonRI expression on mouse bone marrow-derived mast cells and fetal liver-derived mast cell progenitors. This effect could be observed at 2.5 ng/ml IL-4 and was dose dependent. IL-4-mediated inhibition of cultured BMMC required 4 days of stimulation and was sustained at maximum levels for at least 21 days. The inhibition of Fc epsilonRI expression resulted in decreased sensitivity to IgE-mediated stimulation, as measured by serotonin release, and the induction of mRNA for IL-4, IL-5, IL-6, and IL-13. Additionally, IL-4 could abrogate the IgE-mediated increase in Fc epsilonRI expression. Lastly, IL-4-mediated inhibition was dependent upon expression of the STAT6 transcription factor, as STAT6-deficient bone marrow-derived mast cells did not decrease Fc epsilonRI levels in response to IL-4. These data argue for a homeostatic role of IL-4 in the regulation of Fc epsilonRI expression, a role that could be critical to understanding atopic disease.

Animals↗