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Biomedical subjects

J L Weeks

Publications and source records attributed to J L Weeks.

At least 37 records · Page 2Linked to original sources
PubMed1985

Measles reimmunization in children immunized before 1 year of age.

An outbreak of measles presented an opportunity to examine the immune response of children initially immunized with measles vaccine before 1 year of age to reimmunization at 15 months of age with measles, mumps, and rubella vaccine. Eighteen previously immunized children had higher acute and convalescent hemagglutination inhibition titers than 13 control children. None of the previously immunized children had measles-specific IgM appear in convalescent serum samples. These results indicate a brisk secondary immune response to measles reimmunization in children immunized before 1 year of age. They support the recommendation of the American Academy of Pediatrics of reimmunization at 15 months of age for those children whose initial measles immunization was before 1 year of age.

Humans↗
PubMed1985

Chronic hazards and acute enforcement: dilemma for occupational health enforcement policy.

It is a well-understood principle of public health--and of disease control in general--that preventive efforts must be consistent with the natural history of a targeted disease. Governmental standards-setting and enforcement policies in occupational health confuse short-term strategies for safety hazard control with long-term disease control. Recent decisions in mining to rely on "significant and substantial" acute risk are incompatible with medical and epidemiological evidence on the nature and progress of chronic disease in many industries.

Dust↗
PubMed1983

Fatality rates and regulatory policies in bituminous coal mining, United States, 1959-1981.

In the eleven years prior to the passage of the Federal Coal Mine Health and Safety Act of 1969, fatality rates changed little for underground miners and were increasing for surface miners. Following implementation of the 1969 Act, both rates decreased. Beginning in 1979, and continuing into the first six months of 1982, both rates increased. These associations suggest that current relaxation of regulations and policies for coal mine safety are unwarranted.

Accident Prevention↗
PubMed1981

Screening for occupational health hazards in the rubber industry. Part I.

Multiphasic health testing (MHT) is often offered to populations of workers usually with the objective of identifying individuals who may be ill. Results are typically not analyzed in relation to estimates of workplace exposure. We describe the results of combining MHT with industrial hygiene assessment of workplace exposures as a method of identifying possible health hazards rather than merely potentially ill individuals. MHT was offered to all production and maintenance workers employed at a tire manufacturing plant. Of 954, 744 participated. We measured worker exposure to respirable particulates, solvent vapor, and noise. We computed the frequency of positive screens among workers classified by exposure and compared these frequencies with expected values adjusted for confounding variables including age, sex, race, and smoking and drinking habits. Workers exposed to higher concentrations of respirable particulates exhibited signs of respiratory and gastrointestinal morbidity. Workers exposed to emissions from heated, uncured rubber undergoing plastic deformation reported chest tightness on return to work. We conclude that combining MHT with assessment of workplace exposure is a valid method for identifying possible occupational health hazards.

Environmental Exposure↗
PubMed1981

Screening for occupational health hazards in the rubber industry. Part II: health hazards in the curing department.

Multiphasic health testing was provided to 744 rubber workers at a tire manufacturing plant. Sixty-two white males from this population had worked longest in the curing department. Personal exposure to respirable particulates was measured for curing press operators. Outcome on screening tests for curing workers was compared with that of 280 white males at this same plant who had never worked in departments known to include jobs where they could have been exposed to respiratory health hazards. Employment in the curing department is associated with shortness of breath, chest tightness, wheeze, loss of FEV-1 and FVC, decline of FEV-1/FVC, and tingling and numbness in the extremities. These associations are stronger with increased duration of employment in the curing department. This paper further demonstrates the potential for using multiphasic health testing combined with measurements of workplace exposure for identifying occupational health hazards.

Adult↗
PubMed1981

Antagonism of ampicillin and chloramphenicol for meningeal isolates of group B streptococci.

The increasing prevalence of ampicillin-resistant Haemophilus influenzae type b has led to the recommendation that ampicillin and chloramphenicol be given as the initial therapy for suspected bacterial meningitis in infants and children. However, during the first 2 months of life, H. influenzae type b is a rare cause of meningitis, whereas group B streptococcus is the most frequently isolated agent. Since ampicillin and chloramphenicol have been shown to be antagonistic for other streptococci, an in vitro study of their effect on group B streptococci was performed. The effect of ampicillin and chloramphenicol, alone and in combination, on 18 meningeal isolates was determined for 2 different inocula of group B streptococci, using microtiter broth dilution and growth kinetic assays. Isoboles, fractional lethal concentration indices, or both indicated antagonism for all strains. Growth kinetic assays for two representative strains demonstrated inhibition of the early bactericidal activity of ampicillin by chloramphenicol. These findings of in vitro antagonism suggest that this combination may be contraindicated for the treatment of infants with group B streptococcal meningitis.

Ampicillin↗