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Biomedical subjects

J Smith

Publications and source records attributed to J Smith.

At least 1,207 records · Page 67Linked to original sources
PubMed1983

Nasal bone grafting using split skull grafts.

The nose has been reconstructed with bone grafts, cartilage, and silicone. Each of these methods has disadvantages, but the bone graft is most trouble free. It is possible to take a split skull graft with a high speed drill and an osteotome. The position of the graft site on the skull determines its shape. This can be tailored to the desired nasal contour. Several grafts may be used to build up the nasal dorsum further. This method has been used in patients suffering from acute trauma and deformities resulting from previous trauma, rhinoplasty, congenital anomalies, and after cancer resection. Apart from 1 scalp wound infection, there have been no complications in 24 cases. The degree of bone graft resorption has been minimal, and the level of patient satisfaction has been high.

Adult↗
PubMed1983

Nephrotoxicity in bone marrow transplant recipients treated with cyclosporin A.

Cyclosporin A(CyA) is a valuable post graft immunosuppressive agent in allogeneic bone marrow transplantation. The use of CyA is associated with a reduction in severity of graft versus host disease and improved marrow engraftment. A major side effect of CyA is nephrotoxicity. In 33 patients studied during the first 4 weeks of therapy there is a close correlation between trough (12 h) serum cyclosporin A concentrations and plasma creatinine (r = 0.93, P less than 0.001) and urea (r = 0.88, P less than 0.001). Trough CyA serum concentrations of greater than 500 ng/ml are potentially nephrotoxic. Other risk factors for early nephrotoxicity in cyclosporin therapy are the concurrent use of aminoglycoside antibiotics (P = 0.01) and hyperbilirubinaemia (P = 0.01). Early nephrotoxicity can be prevented by maintaining trough CyA levels in the range 100-400 ng/ml. During prolonged CyA therapy, cumulative renal impairment can occur and nephrotoxic episodes associated with microangiopathic peripheral blood changes and hypertension are seen in a minority of patients.

Adolescent↗
PubMed1983

Pilot study for large-scale plasma procurement using automated plasmapheresis.

A pilot study for large-scale automated plasmapheresis using the Haemonetics Model 50 machine was undertaken in the Yorkshire Region of the United Kingdom to determine the viability of such a programme for national self-sufficiency in fresh plasma procurement for factor VIII concentrate production. The study was designed to resolve three areas of concern: donor safety and recruitment; a cost analysis, and the choice of anticoagulant for optimum factor VIII yields. The results show that large-scale automated plasmapheresis could safely and economically produce high-quality source plasma necessary for national self-sufficiency.

Anticoagulants↗
PubMed1983

Insulin secretory capacity in newly diagnosed non-insulin dependent diabetics.

Plasma insulin was measured fasting and after iv glucose in fifteen newly diagnosed non-grossly obese non-insulin dependent diabetics. Two-thirds had normal fasting insulin (less than 13 mU/L) and all had sub-normal responses to iv glucose. There was no significant correlation between fasting or stimulated insulin concentrations and body weight. Six subjects with totally "flat" response to iv glucose were tested after a standard 4MJ meal and after 75 g oral glucose. They now showed normal profiles of later phase insulin release to the meal test or oral glucose and a significant increase in early phase insulin concentration, but this response was still blunted when compared with control subjects. We conclude that for non-grossly obese NIDDs (1) insulin deficiency is a common and important disorder and (2) there may be a loss of beta cell sensitivity to blood glucose with retention of sensitivity to gut mediated factors.

Adult↗
PubMed1983

A computerised EEG-analyzing system for small laboratory animals.

The experimental setup, including instrumentation and software packaging, is described for the use of a minicomputer as an on-line analyzing system of the EEG in rats. Complete fast Fourier transformation of the EEG sampled in 15 episodes of 10 s each is plotted out within 7 min after the start of registration of the EEG signal. The influence of high voltage spikes, spindles and baseline drift on the power density spectrum is shown and a method of clipping is presented that excludes these kinds of artefacts. The normalized standard error of the power density estimate is determined by the smoothing procedure and is at maximum 26%.

Animals↗
PubMed1983

Lyb-5- B cells of CBA/N mice can be induced to synthesize DNA by culture with insolubilized but not soluble anti-Ig.

The use of anti-immunoglobulin (anti-Ig) antibodies to stimulate B cell proliferation (1-4), and to stimulate B cell differentiation in the presence of T cell derived-lymphokines (5-8), has simplified investigations into the mechanisms of B cell growth and maturation that are dependent on the cross-linking of surface Ig (sIg). It is only the ontogenetically late appearing Lyb-5+ murine splenic B cells, however, that proliferate in response to anti-Ig antibodies, whereas B cells of the Lyb-5- phenotype obtained from neonatal mice or from mice with the xid immune defect cannot be induced to proliferate in response to this stimulus (1, 9, 10). Thus, the analysis of B lymphocyte physiology of the Lyb-5- B cell population has been hampered by the unavailability of B cell stimulants that mimic an antigen-induced sIg cross-linking event that leads to B cell activation. The inability of soluble anti-Ig antibodies to induce the proliferation of Lyb-5- cells has been particularly difficult to explain because these cells can be induced to increase in size (11) and to show an increase in their expression of surface Ia (sIa) after exposure to anti-Ig (12). Apparently, therefore, these cells are not entirely refractory to this stimulus but are simply unable to progress to the latter stages of cell activation. In view of our observations that the cells of CBA/N mice cannot respond to soluble trinitrophenyl-(TNP) dextran or TNP-polyacrylamide (13) but can respond to insolubilized forms of these antigens, we evaluated their ability to respond to insolubilized anti-Ig. In this paper we report that B cells from CBA/N mice can be stimulated to proliferate in response to anti-Ig conjugated to Sepharose beads, but in contrast to normal B cells they need to be stimulated with beads expressing a high-epitope density of anti-Ig antibodies.

Animals↗
PubMed1983

Evaluation of a residency training program in behavioral pediatrics.

The impact of behavioral training upon first-year residents was evaluated by assessing attitudes with regard to 15 clinical "entities," including behavioral disorders, physical disorders, and "mixed" disorders. Each entity was rated at four times: beginning of the year, start of the behavioral rotation, end of the rotation, and end of the year. Multiple-choice questions were also included to assess knowledge regarding behavioral pediatrics. Data were collected from 37 residents, from 1977 to 1980. For behavioral disorders and mixed disorders, residents' self-reported competence increased with regard to diagnosis, management, advising parents, and knowledge of resources. Further, the greatest change occurred during the 2-month rotation. In contrast, change in perceived competence for physical disorders was not specific to the rotation but, rather, increased evenly over the year. Ratings of faculty and housestaff interest remained constant across testing points, and residents' "desire to learn more" and prediction of "future relevance" showed a slight decrease over time, for all disorders. Knowledge regarding behavioral pediatrics increased significantly from the beginning of the year to the start of the rotation, and also during the rotation. These data demonstrate that changes in residents' perceived competence are directly related to their rotation experience, and suggest that behavioral issues can be introduced successfully during the first year of residency training.

Attitude of Health Personnel↗
PubMed1982

Chemical synthesis and cloning of a gene for human beta-urogastrone.

A DNA duplex coding for the 53 amino acids of human beta-urogastrone has been synthesised. Computer assisted design of the gene included restriction endonuclease sites for plasmid insertion, a termination codon and two triplets coding for lysine at the 5'-end of the structural gene. The synthesis involved preparation of 23 oligodeoxyribonucleotides by phosphotriester procedures coupled to rapid HPLC techniques. The gene was constructed in two halves by enzymatic ligation of the oligonucleotides and cloned into a specially constructed chimeric plasmid vector. Escherichia coli K12 MRC8 was transformed by the plasmid and clones containing the full gene sequence were isolated and characterised.

Amino Acid Sequence↗
PubMed1982

Free thyroxine or free thyroxine index?

Free thyroxine (FT4) values determined by direct radio-immunoassay and the free thyroxine index (FTI) determined by indirect calculation were compared in 431 consecutive sera from patients with suspected thyroid dysfunction . Sensitivity and specificity were similar for both tests in the thyrotoxic, hypothyroid and euthyroid ranges with appropriate thyroid-binding globulin (TBG) concentrations. However, FT4 was superior to FTI in the euthyroid group with high concentrations of TBG, FT4 is therefore a useful alternative to FTI as a screening test for thyroid dysfunction, and is likely to be a better discriminator of thyroid status in patients with high TBG levels.

Evaluation Studies as Topic↗