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J Smith

Publications and source records attributed to J Smith.

At least 127 records · Page 7Linked to original sources
PubMed2001

Isolation and characterization of four microsatellite loci in the tidewater goby (Eucyclogobius newberryi).

The first microsatellite loci for the endangered tidewater goby Eucyclogobius newberryi are described. A partial tidewater goby genomic library was constructed in pUC19 plasmid. Microsatellite-containing clones were isolated, sequenced, and amplified. Out of 12 positive clones sequenced, 3 were polymorphic and proved useful in a preliminary genetic screen of 3 well-separated populations (50 individuals each) along the central California coast. The number of alleles per locus ranged from 2 to 3. This initial study suggests a population bottleneck had occurred in one of the populations.

Journal Article↗
PubMed2001

Recruitment of participants for the Estrogen Replacement and Atherosclerosis (ERA) trial. a comparison of costs, yields, and participant characteristics from community- and hospital-based recruitment strategies.

This paper documents recruitment for the Estrogen Replacement and Atherosclerosis trial, a multicenter, placebo-controlled, double-blind angiographic trial of the effects of opposed and unopposed estrogen on coronary atherosclerosis in postmenopausal women (average scheduled duration of follow-up 3.2 years). We compare costs, yields, and participant characteristics between community-based and hospital-based recruitment strategies. We further compare community-based enriched sources (i.e., those that allowed self-selection or targeted women with known health characteristics) and nonenriched sources. Data gathered on potential participants include method of contact, clinical site, eligibility, completion of screening visits, and randomization rates. Demographic data on participants include age, race, education, marital status, and income. Self-reported health status, smoking status, lipid level, ejection fraction as well as history of chest pain, hypertension, and diabetes were recorded at baseline. Recruitment costs were estimated from employee salaries and costs of screening tests and procedures. Yields were compared by clinical site and by method of contact. Enriched sources of recruitment yielded higher percentages of enrolled participants than nonenriched sources. Both types of source resulted in demographically similar participants. Costs of community-based recruitment were less than hospital-based recruitment; however, screening costs were higher. Overall, screening and recruitment averaged $2508 per randomized participant. Control Clin Trials 2001;22:13-25

Aged↗
PubMed2001

Identification of ICAM-1 polymorphism that is associated with protection from transplant associated vasculopathy after cardiac transplantation.

Transplant associated coronary disease (TxCAD) is the main cause of late graft loss following cardiac transplantation. It is a multifactorial disease with immunologic and nonimmunologic components involved. This study was undertaken to analyze the gene polymorphism in adhesion molecules in donors and recipients and to investigate its potential association with the development of TxCAD. A total of 82 cardiac transplant patients, 96 donors and 101 UK controls, were genotyped retrospectively. Nine nucleotide polymorphisms in L-selectin, E-selectin, ICAM-1, and PECAM were analyzed using allele-specific PCR-SSP assay. Recipients were selected on the basis of the development of TxCAD: patients who had developed TxCAD within 2 years after transplantation, and patients who did not have TxCAD within 4.5-5 years after transplantation. All recipients received CyA and azathioprine as a primary immunosuppression. Associations were assessed by using Fisher's exact test. No association was found between E-selectin, L-selectin, and PECAM allele or genotype frequencies and TxCAD. However, the donors whose recipients did not develop TxCAD at first 2 years had a significant increase of ICAM-1 E-469 allele compared with donors, whose recipients developed TxCAD (63.8% vs 46.4%, p = 0.042) and to UK controls (63.8% vs 47%, p = 0.04). Moreover, we found that the decreased frequency of ICAM E469 allele was associated with the increased number of rejection episodes. The 469 E/K polymorphism is in exon 6 and results in a change from glutamic acid to lysine in Ig-like domain 5 of ICAM-1, which is thought to affect interactions with LFA-1 and adhesion of B-cells. Our data suggest the presence of allele E469 ICAM-1 in either donor or recipient is protective against allograft rejection in a transplant setting.

Coronary Disease↗
PubMed2001

Dynamic temporal and spatial regulation of the cdk inhibitor p57(kip2) during embryo morphogenesis.

The complete developmental expression pattern of the cyclin dependent kinase inhibitor (CDKI) p57(kip2) has not been reported, here we report a detailed study of the localization of p57(kip2) protein during mouse organogenesis. We show that p57(kip2) is coincident with key stages of differentiation of several organs, some but not all of which are affected in Beckwith-Weidermann syndrome, a human congenital syndrome characterized by foetal overgrowth and childhood tumours.

Animals↗
PubMed2001

The use of left heart bypass in adult and recurrent coarctation repair.

OBJECTIVES: Paraplegia following coarctation repair occurs in 0.4% of infants. However, for older children, adults and re-operations, the incidence can be as high as 2.6%. Yet there is no consensus on the need for spinal cord protection or the optimal method. This paper reports our experience with left heart bypass (LHB) in adult and re-do coarctation. METHODS: Between 1997 and 2000, nine patients underwent elective resection of coarctation (three re-dos, two balloons) with a mean age of 17.9 years (range, 8-44) and weight of 52 kg (range, 17.3-109). The mean trans-coarctation gradient was 29.6 mmHg (range, 20-45). Patients were placed on LHB using a centrifugal pump with full heparinization through a fourth-space thoracotomy. Patients were cooled to 31-34 degrees C for additional spinal cord protection. Repair was carried out with an inter-positional graft (5/9), a Gore-Tex patch (2/9) or end-to-end anastomosis (2/9). The mean cross-clamp and bypass times were 36.4 (range, 19-65) and 40.3 min (range, 22-70), respectively. RESULTS: No patient developed transient or permanent paraplegia. The mean peak creatinine was 80 micromol/l (range, 51-123). CONCLUSIONS: LHB is simple, easy and safe to implement, and is the only technique capable of maintaining independent upper and lower body perfusion pressure. Potentially, it provides the best spinal cord protection, and extends the margin of safety and time to execute an accurate repair.

Adolescent↗
PubMed2001

The MCH Certificate Program: a new path to graduate education in public health.

OBJECTIVE: The purpose of the MCH Certificate Program was threefold: to develop a new educational initiative in response to national and local demands for increased MCH workforce capacity, to eliminate key financial and nonfinancial barriers to advanced MCH academic preparation, and to improve rates of recruitment and retention of students from minority communities, thus enhancing the quality of MCH services available to the region. METHODS: An MCH Certificate Program, designed for clinicians (e.g., nurses, occupational therapists and nutritionists) and public health practitioners as a bridge to graduate programs in public health, combined a competency based curriculum with skills workshops, leadership seminars, mentoring, small group activities, and an interactive teaching format. RESULSTS: Students from the first two cohorts (n = 45) report an expansion of core public health knowledge (issues, policies, and strategies), enhanced self-confidence, and efficacy. Half have experienced job changes that represent increased responsibility, leadership, and professional advancement. A third are enrolled in or have completed a formal program of graduate study in MCH. CONCLUSIONS: This innovative MCH Certificate Program, now in its fourth year, is a new approach to increasing workforce capacity and a successful model of instruction for adult learners. It has the potential for adaptation to a variety of educational settings and MCH populations, and helps to expand the continuum of MCH training experiences in schools of public health.

Boston↗
PubMed2001

Presence of VZV and HSV-1 DNA in human nodose and celiac ganglia.

Polymerase chain reaction (PCR) revealed herpes simplex virus (HSV) and varicella zoster virus (VZV) DNA in human nodose and celiac ganglia. This is the first detection of VZV DNA in ganglia of the human autonomic nervous system. The ability of reactivated VZV to produce serious, sometimes fatal neurological disease in the absence of rash, raises the possibility that VZV reactivation from autonomic ganglia might be involved in visceral disease.

Aged↗
PubMed2001

Metabolic and hormonal effects of tacrolimus (FK506) or cyclosporin immunosuppression following renal transplantation.

Twelve renal transplant recipients randomised to receive immunosuppression with either tacrolimus (FK506) or cyclosporin underwent oral glucose tolerance tests (OGTT) a median of 8 months (range 7-9) after transplantation. Six healthy subjects acted as controls. Compared with the controls, both transplant groups had significantly elevated fasting (p < 0.05 for both groups) and postprandial (p < 0.001 for tacrolimus and p < 0.05 for cyclosporin) blood glucose concentrations. Fasting hyperinsulinaemia was observed in both transplant groups (p < 0.05) relative to the control subjects. Glucose-stimulated plasma immunoreactive insulin concentrations in the tacrolimus-treatment group were significantly higher than in the cyclosporin group (p < 0.05) and the controls (p < 0.001). Postprandial blood alanine concentrations were also significantly elevated in the tacrolimus group compared with both the controls (p < 0.001) and cyclosporin-treated patients (p < 0.001). The raised insulin concentrations with normal or increased blood glucose concentrations after renal transplantation suggests that insulin resistance was more marked in patients receiving tacrolimus-based immunosuppression.

Alanine↗
PubMed2001

Axonal regeneration stimulated by the combination of nerve growth factor and ciliary neurotrophic factor in an end-to-side model.

The aim of this study was to investigate the potential for stimulating axonal regeneration in the context of end-to-side coaptation using a combination of nerve growth factor and ciliary neurotrophic factor in the rat sciatic nerve model. Four experimental groups (n = 8) were used: end-to-side coaptation only, end-to-side coaptation plus growth factor injection, primary repair, and nontransferred gap control. Twenty weeks after surgery histologic analysis showed that the ratio of axon density was significantly increased for the growth factor injection group. Histologic evidence suggested contamination from the proximal peroneal stump. Electrical stimulation and muscle weights showed that the target muscles had been reinnervated in all groups except the nontransferred gap control group. These data support the conclusion that the use of nerve growth factor and ciliary neurotrophic factor in combination may enhance regeneration in the peripheral nervous system. This is consistent with previous reports on the central nervous system and suggests a potential application in future studies aimed at improving peripheral nerve regeneration. Another conclusion is that contamination from the proximal peroneal stump may explain the regeneration observed in the end-to-side model. Further study using retrograde labeling is needed to establish the origin of the regenerating axons. Finally, evidence suggests that regenerating axons can use the epineurium of an intact nerve to bridge a gap in continuity.

Anastomosis, Surgical↗
PubMed2001

Comparison of the effects of two early intervention strategies on the health outcomes of malnourished hemodialysis patients.

OBJECTIVE: To determine the efficacy and cost-effectiveness of providing oral supplementation early in the course of malnutrition for hemodialysis (HD) patients. DESIGN: The study design consisted of 3 groups: an experimental group, a control group of patients with mild hypoalbuminemia (HA) (serum albumin [SA] = 3.5 to 3.7 g/dL), and a comparison group of patients with moderate to severe HA (SA = 2.5 to 3.4 g/dL). SETTING: Ten outpatient hemodialysis centers in southeast lower Michigan. PATIENTS: Treatment and control groups consisted of 32 HD patients with mild HA. Fourteen HD patients with moderate to severe HA comprised the comparison group. INTERVENTION: The experimental group received diet counseling and oral supplementation, and the control group received diet counseling only. The comparison group received physician-prescribed oral supplements and dietary counseling to permit comparison of the experimental treatment with current supplementation practices. MAIN OUTCOME MEASURES: Differences between groups in the number of patients reaching nutritional repletion, change in SA levels at the end of the study, and follow-up periods, were tested using chi-square analysis. Analysis of variance was used to compare group differences in treatment duration to repletion and number of hospitalization days. RESULTS: During the study period, significantly more patients reached nutritional repletion in the experimental group and control group (50% and 57%, respectively) than in the comparison group (7%). Overall, repletion occurred more quickly in the experimental group (3.2 +/- 1.7 months) than in the control group (3.5 +/- 1.2 months), with a larger number of patients in the experimental group repleted by month 2 of the study phase. During follow-up, patients in the experimental group were far more likely to maintain nutritional repletion or continue to improve (61%) than patients in the control group (14%). Although too few patients were hospitalized to show statistical significance, there was a trend toward greater numbers of hospital days in more malnourished patients (208 days for the comparison group), followed by those with mild HA who did not receive oral supplements (107 days), and the experimental group (71 days). CONCLUSION: Although the sample size for this study was too small for the results to be conclusive, it appears that use of nutritional supplements early in the course of malnutrition may provide benefits such as, attaining nutritional repletion more quickly, which results in less product usage. It is also more likely that good nutritional status will be maintained after supplementation is discontinued.

Aged↗
PubMed2001

Unpacking the 'value added' impact of continuing professional education: a multi-method case study approach.

The tangible benefits of continued professional education (CPE) continues to be widely debated within nursing. Whilst there is a plethora of literature relating to CPE, there is an absence of empirical evidence confirming the value of educational activities. Using a case study approach, this study sought to examine the relationship between undertaking a named course (Children's Neuroscience Course) and the perceived benefits to practitioners. Nursing students who had successfully undertaken the course (n = 14) were invited to participate. Self-report evaluations (completed at induction, mid point and exit), academic performance, and data collected from a questionnaire were analyzed using non-parametric measures. In addition, semi-structured interviews (n = 9) were undertaken and analyzed using a thematic content approach. Second level analysis involved triangulating the various data sets using coding frames and three themes were identified: improved knowledge, improved care delivery and professional development, which were judged as benefits to the practitioners who had undertaken the course. Further, there was a significant relationship between undertaking the course and participant's perception of their increased abilities in delivering care to the child with a neurological problem and their families. This paper will illustrate the benefits of a multi-method case study approach for evaluating the 'value added' impact of educational provision.

Adult↗
PubMed2001

Enhancement of amniotic cyclooxygenase type 2 activity in women with preterm delivery associated with twins or polyhydramnios.

OBJECTIVE: We tested the hypothesis that preterm delivery in women with twins or polyhydramnios is associated with enhanced expression and activity of cyclooxygenase type 2 in the amnion. STUDY DESIGN: We obtained amniotic tissue samples from women undergoing preterm delivery complicated by either twins or polyhydramnios and also from women undergoing preterm cesarean delivery before or after labor. We measured amniotic prostaglandin E2 content and determined cyclooxygenase type 1 and type 2 expressions. We inhibited cyclooxygenase type 1 and type 2 activities with selective inhibitors. RESULTS: Preterm delivery attributed to twins or polyhydramnios was associated with higher prostaglandin E2 production and enhanced amniotic expression of cyclooxygenase type 2. In contrast, cyclooxygenase type 1 expression was unchanged. Incubation of amniotic samples in vitro with either indomethacin or the selective cyclooxygenase type 2 inhibitor SC-236, but not with the cyclooxygenase type 1 inhibitor SC-560, effectively reduced prostaglandin E2 production. CONCLUSION: Preterm delivery related to multiple gestation or polyhydramnios was associated with enhanced amniotic expression and activity of cyclooxygenase type 2.

Amnion↗