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Biomedical subjects

J Macleod

Publications and source records attributed to J Macleod.

At least 37 records · Page 2Linked to original sources
PubMed1999

Postal urine specimens: are they a feasible method for genital chlamydial infection screening?

BACKGROUND: A United Kingdom (UK) screening programme for Chlamydia trachomatis has recently been announced. Pilot projects involving the opportunistic testing of women attending health facilities are due to commence in several sites. There is a danger that this approach will fail to obtain adequate population coverage. The alternative--true systematic population screening--is generally assumed to be unfeasible. Studies in Denmark using postal urine specimens have challenged this assumption. No such studies have been reported from the UK. AIM: To assess the potential of urine specimens sent by post as the basis for a UK population screening strategy for genital chlamydial infection. METHOD: Two hundred patients (100 men, 100 women) aged 18 to 45 years were randomly sampled from the list of one urban group practice. Subjects were mailed an explanatory letter, a urine sample container, a sexual lifestyle questionnaire, and a prepaid return envelope. Non-responders were contacted by telephone; persistent non-responders were visited at home. Samples were tested for Chlamydia by DNA amplification and enzyme immunoassay. RESULTS: Sixty-four (32%) subjects were no longer living at their GP registered address. Of the remaining 136, 126 (93%) responded to the survey and 113 (83%) accepted the request for a urine sample and completed a questionnaire. Acceptance rates were similar for men and women and across age groups. Four samples (3%) were Chlamydia positive. CONCLUSION: Home mailed urine specimen collection in conjunction with a self-completed postal questionnaire is feasible. This could provide a viable basis both for determining population Chlamydia prevalence and for a UK Chlamydia population screening strategy. Overall cost effectiveness of such a strategy will depend on the cost of the test used. Comparative performance characteristics of the different currently available tests in this setting have yet to be fully determined.

Adolescent↗
PubMed1995

Effect of single and combined altered auditory feedback on stuttering frequency at two speech rates.

The purpose of this study was to determine if combining delayed auditory feedback (DAF) and frequency altered feedback (FAF) would enhance fluency more than either DAF or FAF alone. Ten stutterers read at normal and fast speech rates under nonaltered auditory feedback (NAF), DAF (i.e., a 50 ms delay), FAF (i.e., a one half octave downward shift), and a combination of DAF and FAF [(COMBO), i.e., a 50 ms delay plus a one half octave downward shift]. Results indicated that stuttering frequency was significantly reduced under all altered auditory conditions at high speech rates relative to the NAF condition. There were, however, no significant differences between the altered auditory feedback conditions (i.e., DAF, FAF, and COMBO). It is suggested that further studies be undertaken to explore the combination of altered auditory feedback conditions, as it may be the case that a floor effect was demonstrated with the singular presentations of DAF and FAF and further improvements in fluency enhancement could not be exhibited in the combined condition. Finally, these findings support the notion that a slowed rate of speech is not necessary for fluency enhancement under conditions of altered auditory feedback.

Adult↗
PubMed1994

Association of the regulatory subunit of a type II cAMP-dependent protein kinase and its binding proteins with the fibrous sheath of rat sperm flagellum.

Demembranated rat sperm flagellar polypeptides capable of binding the regulatory subunit (RII) of a type II cAMP-dependent protein kinase, having apparent subunit molecular masses of 120, 80 and 57 kDa were identified by an RII overlay procedure [Horowitz, J. A., Wasco, W., Leiser, M. & Orr, G. A. (1988) J. Biol. Chem. 263, 2098-2104]. In this study it is shown that all three polypeptides capable of binding RII on a solid-phase blot are tightly associated with the fibrous sheath. Purified fibrous sheath preparations were capable of binding (a) [3H]cAMP and (b) purified catalytic subunits of cAMP-dependent protein kinase forming a functional holoenzyme. The 57-kDa protein was identified as RII by photoaffinity labeling with 8-azido[32P]cAMP. This peptide was phosphorylated by the catalytic subunit of cAMP-dependent protein kinase. RII alpha was also shown to form tight, specific complexes with the fibrous sheath demonstrating the presence of functional RII alpha-binding sites. Truncated RII beta fusion proteins were used to identify the N-terminal amino acids at positions 1-50 as a primary determinant for RII-binding protein interaction. Differential extraction of adult testis with buffers containing Triton X-100, urea and sodium dodecyl sulfate revealed the presence of 80-kDa (major) and 120-kDa (minor) RII-binding proteins in particulate extracts. The 80-kDa polypeptide is only expressed at late stages of spermatogenesis, i.e. during spermiogenesis, suggesting a developmental role for RII anchoring to the sperm flagellar fibrous sheath.

Aging↗
PubMed1990

Health for all in Nicaragua.

The state of health care in Nicaragua can be attributed in part to the interaction between 'revolutionary' and 'counter revolutionary' forces. Since 1979 development of primary health care has been rapid and ambitious. Nicaragua's early successes in the pursuit of 'Health for all by the year 2000' have been widely reported and rightly acclaimed. Since 1983, however, these advances have been difficult to maintain, leading to stasis and deterioration in the health system. The contribution of various factors to the current health status of Nicaragua is examined.

Education, Medical↗