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Biomedical subjects

J Simons

Publications and source records attributed to J Simons.

At least 109 records · Page 6Linked to original sources
PubMed1989

[Goal related observation of motor behavior in psychiatry].

The goals to be attained by the patients frequently are determined by the various professions in psychiatry solely before the background of their various specialities. The new observation tool--LOVIPT--is aimed at enabling an integrative approach to be taken, leading from purposive observation of problem behaviour to the formulation of therapy goals. The potential range of objectives is worded in such a way that they can be taken over by other disciplines as well. Development and scientific validation are described in some detail.

Arousal↗
PubMed1988

Familial aggregation of coronary heart disease: partial mediation by high density lipoproteins?

The potential explanation of coronary heart disease inheritance by the major coronary risk factors was explored in a random sample of 1044 males, aged 40-70 years, who formed part of the Jerusalem Lipid Research Clinic Prevalence Study. Standardised data were available on personal and family history, coronary risk factors, resting and exercise electrocardiography. Twelve percent of subjects had coronary heart disease (previous myocardial infarction or electrocardiographic changes) and 20% had a family history of heart attack before 60 years in first degree relatives. In the presence of a family history of heart attack, the mean level of high density lipoprotein-cholesterol (HDL-C) was 5 mg/dl lower in cases of coronary heart disease than in controls. No such difference existed in the absence of a family history of heart attack. In multiple logistic regression, HDL-C was a significant negative predictor of coronary heart disease presence, but only in subjects having a positive family history. A 1 standard deviation (10 mg/dl) increment in HDL-C was associated with a two-thirds reduction in heart disease risk. Other risk factors did not predict the occurrence of coronary heart disease to any significant extent in subjects with a positive family history of heart attack. In an overall logistic model combining family history with other risk factors, the significant predictors of heart disease were: age, total plasma cholesterol, hypertension, family history and HDL-C. The interaction term, family history X HDL-C, was also a significant negative predictor of heart disease.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)

Aged↗
PubMed1987

Coronary risk factors six to 12 months after coronary artery bypass graft surgery.

Hyperlipidaemia appears to be a major factor in the development of graft atherosclerosis in the five- to 10-year period after coronary artery bypass graft surgery. A preliminary survey of coronary risk factors was conducted in 103 consecutive patients, who lived in the Sydney metropolitan area and who had undergone coronary artery bypass graft surgery six to 12 months previously in a single hospital unit. The information was collected by reply-paid questionnaire (response rate, 93%) and by clinical assessment (measurement rate, 85%). The group was predominantly (86%) male and elderly (mean age, 62 years; 60% of men and 85% of women were aged over 59 years). Seven per cent of the group had undergone a second operation. Approximately two of every three subjects manifested hypercholesterolaemia, one in four subjects manifested hypertension and one in three subjects was overweight, but only one in 20 subjects currently smoked cigarettes. The findings were compared with those in a general population sample; the assumption was made that coronary risk factors would be overrepresented in a sample of patients in whom coronary artery bypass graft surgery had been required. The data suggested that cigarette smoking was receiving appropriate intervention (before or after surgery), that hypertension was receiving some intervention, and that hyperlipidaemia was receiving insufficient intervention. On a purely empirical basis, the appropriate use of a cardiac rehabilitation service is suggested as one possible way of preventing the return of a large number of patients with graft atherosclerosis in later years.

Adult↗
PubMed1987

Chylomicrons and chylomicron remnants in coronary artery disease: a case-control study.

Epidemiologic studies of coronary artery disease have largely overlooked the role of triglyceride-rich lipoproteins circulating in the post-prandial state. We have conducted a case-control study in males which examined fasting plasma lipoproteins and lipoproteins circulating 4 h after ingestion of a test meal containing fat and cholesterol. The cases were 82 subjects with coronary artery disease confirmed by angiography, while there were two control groups: one group of 38 'hospital controls' free of significant coronary disease by angiography, and a second group of 61 'workforce controls' free of coronary disease on historical grounds. Mean plasma and LDL cholesterol levels were significantly higher and HDL cholesterol levels were significantly lower in cases than in controls. The apo-B48/apo-B100 ratio in lipoproteins Sf greater than 60 obtained 4 h post-prandially, a relative measure of chylomicron and remnant presence, was significantly higher in cases than in controls. After pooling of all data, the prevalence of coronary artery disease was found to increase progressively with the concentration of plasma cholesterol and triglycerides, total cholesterol/HDL cholesterol ratio and the apo-B48/apo-B100 ratio in Sf greater than 60, the relative risk being highest for total cholesterol/HDL cholesterol ratio. After controlling for the confounding effects of age and other lipid factors via multiple logistic regression, apo-B48/apo-B100 ratio was still a significant predictor of coronary artery disease presence (z = 1.97, P less than 0.05) in a 'dose-response' fashion. The risk of coronary artery disease in the top quartile of apo-B48/apo-B100 distribution was 2.2-fold greater than that for the bottom quartile, after adjustment for the effects of other risk factors.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)

Adult↗
PubMed1986

Non-Purkinje cell GABAergic innervation of the deep cerebellar nuclei: a quantitative immunocytochemical study in C57BL and in Purkinje cell degeneration mutant mice.

Purkinje cell degeneration (pcd) mutant mice, 3-4 months old, were used to identify and quantify the non-Purkinje cell GABAergic innervation of deep cerebellar nuclei. Glutamic acid decarboxylase (GAD) immunoreactive structures appeared as dark dots throughout the 4 nuclei. Ultrastructural examination confirmed that each dot corresponded to an axon terminal. GAD-labeled boutons were large, contained tightly packed flattened vesicles and established Gray type II synapses with all nuclear neuronal populations. Thus, cytological criteria did not distinguish between Purkinje cell and non-Purkinje cell GAD-positive nerve terminals, since they shared many common features. The number of GAD-immunoreactive axon terminals in the deep nuclei of pcd cerebella was compared to that of normal C57BL mice. Despite an almost complete disappearance of Purkinje cells in the pcd mouse (less than 0.05% of these neurons remained in the mutants), the surface density of GAD-positive nerve terminals in the deep nuclear region was 37% of control value. Taking into account a volumetric decrease of 58% for the deep nuclei of the mutant cerebellum, we estimated the percentage of GAD-positive boutons innervating these nuclei to be 15% of normal values. This important residual innervation of the deep nuclei might arise from local GABAergic neurons, which were identified in the normal and mutant cerebella by immunostaining with an anti-GABA antibody.

Animals↗
PubMed1986

Education level and coronary risk factors in Australians.

There is an inverse association between social class ranking and mortality from coronary heart disease in Australia and in some other countries. To explain whether this association is related to differences in risk factors, the relationship between coronary risk factors and the highest level of education completed was explored for a reasonably representative cross-section of the adult Australian population. After adjustment for the effects of age, relative weight and alcohol intake, blood pressure was found to vary inversely with education level in both sexes. In men only plasma cholesterol, triglycerides and high density lipoprotein cholesterol levels showed no significant variation with education level. In women, plasma triglycerides and high density lipoprotein cholesterol levels varied inversely with education level after adjustment. There was less cigarette smoking among more highly educated men but no clear smoking trends among women. The findings broadly confirm the results of similar analyses which used occupation as the measure of social class and have implications for future community education programmes in that present strategies may be inappropriate for less highly-educated members of society.

Alcohol Drinking↗
PubMed1986

Antihypertensive and biochemical dose-response study of tripamide.

Tripamide is an experimental sulfonamide-derived diuretic antihypertensive agent. Twenty-four hospitalized patients with essential hypertension received placebo followed by 10, 25, 50, or 100 mg of tripamide daily in a randomized, double-blind design. All doses of tripamide significantly lowered standing arterial pressure. Changes in blood pressure, heart rate, and weight were not dose related, but the decrease in mean arterial pressure was significantly related to both age (P less than 0.02) and pretreatment blood pressure (P less than 0.05). Serum potassium levels were lowered significantly by the 25 and 100 mg daily doses of tripamide, whereas all doses of tripamide significantly reduced serum chloride levels and produced an increase in serum uric acid levels. Disparate time courses of antihypertensive and diuretic effects and the lack of a relationship between the increase in urine volume and the change in blood pressure suggest an additional antihypertensive action of tripamide or a delayed physiologic adaptation to volume depletion. Equal antihypertensive effects over the range of 10 to 100 mg/day, but greater hypokalemia at higher doses, suggest that future studies should employ the lower doses of tripamide.

Adult↗
PubMed1986

A multimodal system for reconstruction and quantification of neurologic structures.

The utility of computers and computer graphics as aids in the study of nervous system architecture is growing. However, modern histologic, immunocytologic and biochemical methods for revealing the underlying microarchitecture and macroarchitecture of the nervous system yield data formats requiring disparate computer acquisition, analysis and display approaches, capable of spanning many orders of magnitude of scale. This paper describes the Image Graphics Laboratory data acquisition, processing and display system, whose various components and programs may be used singly or in concert to enable definition of various tissue properties at different levels of resolution and integration. Examples are given of the system's use in light microscopic two-dimensional and three-dimensional reconstructions, autoradiographic reconstructions, reconstructions from projected images, reconstructions of impregnated cells (e.g., whole neurons) and peripheral nerve image analysis.

Animals↗
PubMed1985

Simple fluorimetric screening for carazolol in swine kidneys by means of Sep-Pak cartridges.

A simple method to determine the beta-blocker carazolol in swine kidneys is presented. Spiked samples, homogenised under alkaline conditions, were heated. Passage of the ether extracts through C18 and silica Sep-Pak cartridges yielded a fraction containing the carazolol in 88% recovery. In this fraction carazolol was determined by fluorescence spectrophotometry. By this method a level of 1 microgram/kg in spiked samples can be detected. Injection of 10 micrograms/kg body weight, 105 minutes before slaughter, resulted in carazolol contents in kidneys ranging from 11 to 25 micrograms/kg (n = 8).

Adrenergic beta-Antagonists↗
PubMed1984

Health lifestyle education in high schools. A three-year follow-up study.

An experimental "healthy lifestyle programme" was initiated in Year 7 (first year of high school) in selected high schools in 1980 and was conducted over a three-year period. The programme had two main objectives: to influence attitudes and increase knowledge about health matters, in order to improve lifestyle; and to strengthen the general case for the more organized instruction of schoolchildren in this field. As part of the programme, children were given lessons on nutrition, physical activity and fitness, and on alcohol, tobacco and drugs. The programme was reasonably implemented in three of the four schools which took part in the experiment. Significant improvements, over three years, in attitudes and knowledge about health and nutrition and a reduction in cigarette smoking, were noted among children in schools where the programme had been implemented reasonably. The reasons for the partial success of the programme are discussed.

Attitude to Health↗
PubMed1984

How "representative" are subjects attending a coronary risk factor screening programme?

Coronary risk factors were compared in two groups of subjects aged 25-64 years. One group voluntarily, and at no cost, attended a risk factor screening clinic (n = 3844), while the second group represented a population sample drawn from the metropolitan Sydney electoral roll (n = 1394). Older subjects were over-represented in the screening clinic compared with the electoral roll sample. Hypercholesterolemia was more prevalent in the screening clinic in older females, while hypertension and current cigarette smoking were less prevalent in the screening clinic in older subjects of both sexes. Obesity was less prevalent in the screening clinic in older males. A voluntary screening programme may generate a unique and possibly unreproducible population sample.

Adult↗
PubMed1984

The interactions of body weight, age, cigarette smoking and hormone usage with blood pressure and plasma lipids in an Australian community.

The predicted variation of blood pressure and plasma lipid levels, based on association with body weight, age, cigarette smoking and oral contraceptive usage, was examined in 47 000 self-referred subjects who attended a community programme for coronary risk factor screening. In both sexes, blood pressure and plasma lipid (cholesterol and triglyceride) levels were positively correlated with age and body mass index (BMI, kg/m2). Plasma triglyceride concentrations were positively correlated with cigarette smoking. Partial correlation analysis showed age and BMI to be independently correlated with blood pressure and plasma lipids. Plasma cholesterol and triglyceride levels were correlated with each other independently of the effects of age and BMI. Multiple regression analysis showed age to be a more powerful predictor of blood pressure and plasma lipid levels in females than in males, while BMI was a more powerful predictor of blood pressure and plasma lipid levels in males than in females. Current cigarette smoking did not contribute to the prediction of blood pressure or plasma cholesterol level in either sex, but did predict a 10% higher plasma triglyceride level in both sexes. Oral contraceptive usage did not contribute to the prediction of plasma cholesterol level in multiple regression analysis, but did predict higher plasma triglyceride and blood pressure levels. In view of the high prevalence of overweight people in the Australian community, weight reduction would probably be associated with a significant fall in the risk of coronary heart disease, particularly in males.

Adolescent↗