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Biomedical subjects

J R Jackson

Publications and source records attributed to J R Jackson.

At least 55 records · Page 3Linked to original sources
PubMed1992

Effect of N-alkylation on the affinities of analogues of spiperone for dopamine D2 and serotonin 5-HT2 receptors.

Two series of N-substituted spiperone analogues were prepared and evaluated in vitro to measure their affinities for dopamine D2 and serotonin 5-HT2 receptors. Substitution of the amide nitrogen with an alkyl group of five carbon units or less resulted in analogues displaying a low selectivity for D2 compared to 5-HT2 receptors. However, a moderate improvement in selectivity for D2 receptors was observed with N-benzylspiperone. Substitution at either the ortho or para position of the benzyl group resulted in a further reduction in affinity for 5-HT2 receptors and improvement in the selectivity ratio. Examination of N-substituted analogues of spiperone may provide insights into the topography of the antagonist binding region of the 5-HT2 receptor. The results also suggest that an 18F-labeled analogue of N-(4-nitrobenzyl)spiperone (4p) may be a suitable tracer for studying D2 receptors with positron emission tomography since this compound displays a high selectivity for D2 receptors relative to that of spiperone and N-methylspiperone.

Alkylation↗
PubMed1992

The use of indium 111 leukocyte scans in children with inflammatory bowel disease.

Indium 111 leukocyte (WBC) scans have been used in the investigation of inflammatory bowel disease in recent years, but their use in children is not well described. We reviewed our experience with 281 indium 111 scans over an 8-year period in a total of 109 children with inflammatory bowel disease (Crohn's disease 70, ulcerative colitis 39). One hundred twenty-eight indium 111 scans done within 2 weeks of a radiographic contrast study, endoscopic examination, or surgical procedure were evaluated for diagnostic accuracy. Analysis showed that indium 111 scans were accurate when compared with conventional diagnostic tests and operative findings. This noninvasive imaging technique can play a useful role in the management of children with inflammatory bowel disease.

Adolescent↗
PubMed1992

Organizational planning: a program evaluation survey of AACE members.

The Long Range Planning Committee of the American Association for Cancer Education (AACE) has completed a comprehensive survey of AACE members. The survey was distributed in July and August 1989 to 592 AACE members, and 360 (61%) returned completed forms. The respondents did not differ markedly from the membership as a whole on selected member characteristics. Survey questions addressed the following aspects of the AACE: Annual Meeting, Special Interest Sections, Liaison Relationships, Journal of Cancer Education (JCE), and Communications. Results showed that the AACE is healthy and responsive to the needs of its members. Several areas needing attention were indicated, but no significant concerns were noted.

Communication↗
PubMed1991

Contraceptive female sterilization in Alabama: a replication of the WHO study.

The prevalence of female sterilization for contraceptive purposes has grown rapidly throughout the world, and is especially high in the United States. Yet the psychosocial impact of female sterilization is incompletely understood. Much of the previous research has been retrospective and has lacked comparison groups of women using other methods. Better designed, prospective studies have been needed, and the World Health Organization's Collaborative Prospective Study of Female Sterilization was conducted to address this need. No evidence was found in the WHO study of a significant impact of tubal ligation compared to other contraceptive methods on mental health, menstruation, or sexual satisfaction. The present study, a replication of the WHO study, compared 323 Alabama women undergoing elective contraceptive sterilization with 318 women using other techniques to control fertility. In general, the results supported the WHO study conclusions. Although sterilization produced a small increase in menstrual distress in Alabama, there were no significant differences between sterilization and comparison women in mental health or sexual satisfaction.

Adult↗
PubMed1991

Potential natural exposure of Mississippi sandhill cranes to aflatoxin B1.

A survey was conducted to determine if carcinogenic mycotoxins were present in foods consumed by Mississippi sandhill cranes (Grus canadensis pulla). Samples of field corn (Zea mays) (n = 111) and chufa (Cyperus esculentus) (n = 20), obtained in 1987, 1988 and 1989 on the Mississippi Sandhill Crane National Wildlife Refuge (MSCNWR) and nearby private lands were analyzed for aflatoxin B1(AB1), ochratoxin A and sterigmatocystin using thin layer chromatography. Chufa samples were negative for all three mycotoxins. Aflatoxin B1 was found in corn at concentrations from 5 to 5,000 ppb; the other mycotoxins were not found in corn. Contaminated corn was found in 72% of all corn fields, but the proportion of contaminated fields was 57 to 100% for the 3-yr period. Contamination with AB1 was greatest in corn obtained from the ground post-harvest. Overall, 32% of corn samples from the ground had levels greater than or equal to 200 ppb with a mean of 427 ppb (range = 5 to 5,000 ppb) in contaminated fields. In 1989, mean AB1 concentration in corn on the ground was 5 to 1138 ppb for individual fields. The concentration of AB1 was less than or equal to 200 ppb in all corn samples from upright stalks. The study demonstrated that AB1 is available to sandhill cranes and at levels that may pose a serious health threat.

Aflatoxin B1↗
PubMed1990

Alternative DNA-protein interactions in variable-length internucleosomal regions associated with Drosophila Adh distal promoter expression.

Chromatin at the Drosophila Adh distal promoter displays an ordered but different conformation in different cell types as detected by a modified exonuclease protection assay and accessibility to endonucleases. In cells not transcribing Adh (ADH-) sequences between -40 to +30 of the distal RNA initiation site exist as a DNA linker between positioned nucleosomes, and appear to interact with a specific DNA-binding protein. In contrast, a longer linker DNA, from -140 to +30, is bound in a multi-protein transcription initiation complex in cells that specifically transcribe the distal (adult) ADH RNA (ADH+A). These DNA-protein interactions can account for a localized open chromatin structure at the distal promoter in ADH+A cells. The observed mutually exclusive patterns of DNA-protein interactions in the linkers of different ADH cell types between -40 to +30 suggest a model for organizing alternative chromatin structure associated with gene regulation. Two DNA binding proteins, one being a TATA box binding factor, compete for overlapping sites to allow either assembly of a transcription initiation complex and transcription, or positioning of nucleosomes for stable repression.

Alcohol Dehydrogenase↗
PubMed1990

Biennial survey of clinical nutrition training programs.

Three posttraining program surveys have been done by The American Society for Clinical Nutrition Committee on Subspecialty Training to evaluate the status of training programs in clinical nutrition. This survey updates demographic data about programs and determines which classes are offered or required as a part of basic nutrition-science requirements for nutrition training programs. In addition, the importance of board certification and accreditation of training programs is examined.

Certification↗
PubMed1990

Effect of helium-neon laser auriculotherapy on experimental pain threshold.

This study was conducted to examine the effects of helium-neon laser auriculotherapy on experimental pain threshold. Eighty healthy female and male subjects, aged 18 to 39 years, were assigned randomly to one of two treatment groups. Subjects in the Experimental Group (n = 41) received laser stimulation, and subjects in the Control Group (n = 39) received sham stimulation to appropriate acupuncture points on the left ear. Experimental pain threshold at the ipsilateral wrist was determined with an electrical stimulus immediately before and after treatment. The mean change (posttreatment minus pretreatment) for the Experimental Group was greater than the mean change for the Control Group (p less than .05). The Experimental Group demonstrated a statistically significant (p less than .05) increase in mean pain threshold after treatment, but the Control Group did not. Results indicate that helium-neon laser auriculotherapy can increase experimental pain threshold and suggest a possible alternative for patients intolerant of transcutaneous electrical nerve stimulation.

Adult↗
PubMed1990

Rheumatology algorithms for primary care physicians.

Primary care physicians were trained on three rheumatology topics to assess the effectiveness of an educational strategy for continuing medical education. Algorithm training was shown to be at least as effective as that based on standard prose monographs. Both training groups improved their knowledge of patient management skills but there were no statistically significant differences between groups in the amount learned. When algorithms were used to design text materials, the designed texts required less study time than did the annotated clinical algorithms alone. That difference was significant for the shoulder pain materials (P less than 0.05) but not for the osteoporosis materials. The ratio of knowledge gained to study time was significantly higher for the algorithm group on the low back pain topic (P less than 0.05) but not for the other topics. Taped interview problems tests were studied as a method for assessing patient management skills related to problem-specific indicator conditions and were found to produce interrater reliability greater than 0.80 on five of the six tests.

Clinical Protocols↗
PubMed1989

Effects of auricular transcutaneous electrical nerve stimulation on distal extremity pain: a pilot study.

The purpose of this pilot study was to determine the effectiveness of auricular acupuncture-like transcutaneous electrical nerve stimulation on pain. Fifteen subjects (6 men, 9 women) experiencing distal extremity pain received either one placebo pill or a 10-minute treatment of acupuncture-like TENS bilaterally to five acupuncture points on the auricle. Pain levels were measured before treatment and at 0, 10, and 30 minutes posttreatment using the visual analogue scale (VAS) and the pain rating index (PRI) of the McGill Pain Questionnaire. The VAS showed no statistically significant differences between Experimental Group (n = 8) and Control Group (n = 7) means at pretreatment or posttreatment; however, both groups showed a reduction in VAS means over time. The Experimental and Control Group means on the PRI were significantly different (p less than .05) at all three posttreatment measurements, but not at pretreatment baseline measurement. These results suggest that auricular acupuncture-like TENS could be an alternative for relief of distal extremity pain. Additional clinical studies are necessary to validate the results of this study.

Acupuncture Therapy↗
PubMed1989

Transcutaneous electrical nerve stimulation in the relief of primary dysmenorrhea.

The purpose of this study was to replicate a previous study to determine the effectiveness of acupuncture-like transcutaneous electrical nerve stimulation in treating primary dysmenorrhea. Twenty-one women with dysmenorrhea received a placebo pill or 30 minutes of acupuncture-like TENS. All subjects completed two pain questionnaires before treatment; immediately posttreatment; 30, 60, 120, and 180 minutes posttreatment; and the next morning upon awakening. Each woman also participated in a separate study measuring electrical resistance at four auricular acupuncture points before and immediately after treatment. The data were analyzed with a two-factor repeated-measures analysis of variance, which revealed statistical significance over time but not for group or interaction between group and time. Results revealed an average pain relief of at least 50% immediately posttreatment, indicating that acupuncture-like TENS may be useful for dysmenorrheic pain. This study also suggests that auriculotherapy via acupressure may relieve the pain of primary dysmenorrhea.

Acupuncture Therapy↗
PubMed1989

Balance performance and step width in noninstitutionalized, elderly, female fallers and nonfallers.

The purposes of this study were to compare age, static balance performance, and step-width variables between elderly noninstitutionalized women with and without a history of falls and to determine the relationship between balance performance and step width. Each subject performed a maximum of three timed trials on the sharpened Romberg and one-legged stance tests with eyes open and with eyes closed. The first and best trial measurements were used for analysis. Each subject walked on paper walkways making ink prints for step-width measurements. The mean and the variability of each subject's step-width measurements were used for analysis. Data from 110 women, aged 60 to 89 years, were analyzed. The fallers (n = 26) had significantly lower values than the nonfallers (n = 84) on the best trial of the sharpened Romberg test in the eyes-open condition (t = 1.98, df = 108, p less than .05). No significant differences between fallers and nonfallers were revealed in age, the mean and variability of step width, the first trials of the balance tests, and the best trials on the other balance tests. For the total group, the mean measurements on the first trials were significantly lower than those on the best trials for each balance test. Small, but statistically significant (p less than .05), negative relationships existed between balance performance and the mean and variability of step width. The results of this study indicate that the methods of measuring balance and step width are clinically applicable, and the data of patients from a similar population sample may be compared with the data established in this study.

Accidental Falls↗
PubMed1989

Comparison of effects of transcutaneous electrical nerve stimulation of auricular, somatic, and the combination of auricular and somatic acupuncture points on experimental pain threshold.

This study compared the effects of high intensity, low frequency transcutaneous electrical nerve stimulation of auricular, somatic, and combined auricular and somatic acupuncture points on experimental pain threshold measured at the wrist. Sixty-seven healthy adults, aged 18 to 39 years, were assigned randomly to one of four groups: 1) the Auricular Group (n = 17) received TENS to auricular acupuncture points, 2) the Somatic Group (n = 17) received TENS to somatic acupuncture points, 3) the Combined Group (n = 17) received TENS to both auricular and somatic acupuncture points, and 4) the Control Group (n = 16) received no TENS and served as controls. Pain threshold was measured immediately before and after treatment or rest. Pain threshold significantly increased (p less than .05) in the Auricular, Somatic, and Combined Groups following treatment, with no statistically significant differences in mean pain threshold change scores among treatment groups. The Control Group demonstrated no statistically significant change in pain threshold. The results indicate that TENS applied to any of the three sets of acupuncture points equally increases pain threshold, thus possibly increasing options in choosing stimulation sites for treating patients with pain.

Acupuncture Therapy↗
PubMed1989

Academic performance of reapplicants to a medical school.

This study examined the academic performance of 399 reapplicants who had entered the University of Alabama School of Medicine between 1978 and 1984. Compared with the first-time applicants, the reapplicants had lower preadmission measures and a higher rate of academic difficulty during medical school. However, applicant status (that is, first-time or reapplicant) added nothing to the prediction of academic difficulty over what could be predicted by preadmission measures alone: the students with lower preadmission measures were more likely to experience academic difficulty, regardless of their applicant status. Based on these results, reapplicants should not be viewed negatively simply because they are reapplicants.

Achievement↗
PubMed1989

Evaluation issues in the development of expert systems in medicine.

Evaluation of medical decision support software (MDSS)--computer programs to assist health professionals with diagnostic and/or therapeutic decisions--has not kept pace with the development of such programs. This article describes the following formative evaluation issues that must be addressed by developers of MDSS to evaluate these programs properly: (1) How can systematic feedback be obtained about an evolving program? (2) How can enough data to evaluate the program be obtained? (3) How much instruction is necessary? (4) What are the most important aspects for users to evaluate? and (5) How can the appropriate use of a developing MDSS be assured? Data from an ongoing evaluation of an existing MDSS, Quick Medical Reference, are used to illustrate the issues and to suggest recommendations for addressing them.

Data Collection↗