Search PubMed⌕ Search

Biomedical subjects

J Townsend

Publications and source records attributed to J Townsend.

At least 91 records · Page 5Linked to original sources
PubMed1993

Relation between ultrasound appearance of the brain of very preterm infants and neurodevelopmental impairment at eight years.

The relation between the ultrasound appearance of the brain and neurodevelopmental outcome at eight years of age was investigated in 206 infants born between 1979 and 1982 at < 33 weeks gestation (600 to 2500g birthweights). Only 4 per cent of the 112 infants with normal scans at discharge from the neonatal unit developed major, disabling impairment. No significant adverse effect of uncomplicated periventricular haemorrhage was detected. The probability of a major impairment in infants with ventricular dilatation or hydrocephalus was 27 per cent, and 69 per cent in those with cerebral atrophy. 44 per cent of the children demonstrated significant differences in their cognitive processing skills, which appeared capable of affecting learning and may possibly have been caused by undetected hypoxic-ischaemic damage to callosal fibres.

Achievement↗
PubMed1993

The alcohol beverage warning label: when did knowledge increase?

This article presents data on the awareness of the alcohol beverage warning label among a sample of 5,169 inner city African-American gravidas seeking prenatal care. While the label law was implemented in November 1989, a significant increase in knowledge of the label did not occur until March 1990. Women who predominantly consumed wine coolers and beer, and those under age 30 were more likely to know about the label than their counterparts.

Adult↗
PubMed1992

Accumulation of a Brazil nut albumin in seeds of transgenic canola results in enhanced levels of seed protein methionine.

We have increased the methionine content of the seed proteins of a commercial winter variety of canola by expressing a chimeric gene encoding a methionine-rich seed protein from Brazil nut in the seeds of transgenic plants. Transgenic canola seeds accumulate the heterologous methionine-rich protein at levels which range from 1.7% to 4.0% of the total seed protein and contain up to 33% more methionine. The precursor of the methionine-rich protein is processed correctly in the seeds, resulting in the appearance of the mature protein in the 2S protein fraction. The 2S methionine-rich protein accumulates in the transgenic seeds at the same time in development as the canola 11S seed proteins and disappears rapidly upon germination of the seed. The increase in methionine in the canola seed proteins should increase the value of canola meal which is used in animal feed formulations.

Gene Expression↗
PubMed1992

Neuropathologic findings after liver transplantation.

Neuropathologic findings are described in 37 patients autopsied after one or more orthotopic liver transplants. Gross or microscopic lesions were observed in almost all patients, including anoxic-ischemic change, hemorrhages and/or infarcts, and opportunistic infections by fungi (most commonly Aspergillus) and rarely viruses (cytomegalovirus). Central pontine and extra-pontine myelinolysis was commonly observed, and appeared to result from severe multifactorial metabolic abnormalities in the perioperative period. Low-grade (microglial nodule) encephalitis without an obvious pathogen was often encountered. Common clinical neurologic abnormalities included encephalopathy, seizures (myoclonic, focal or generalized), obtundation and coma. These were found more commonly than focal findings, but clinical features in a given patient were not uniformly predictive of underlying neuropathologic change.

Brain Diseases↗
PubMed1992

Comparison of condom breakage during human use with performance in laboratory testing.

This paper combines results from a study of the determinants of condom quality and use conducted by The Population Council in two countries in the Caribbean with results from a condom breakage study conducted by Family Health International (FHI) in the United States. The studies, conducted two years apart, compared the breakage rates of condoms from the same lot during human use to their performance in laboratory test results. Breakage rates of 12.9% for Barbados, 10.1% for St. Lucia and 6.7% for the United States compared to passing ASTM laboratory tests suggest that existing laboratory tests as used with the current pass/fail standards are either not sufficiently sensitive or not well-defined to reliably predict condom performance during human use. The study also suggests that user behaviors and practices may be a factor in condom breakage. If the condom is to be an effective method against unplanned pregnancy and STD/HIV infection, and if consumer confidence is to be retained, condom breakage during sexual intercourse must be reduced.

Barbados↗
PubMed1992

Relation between cerebral oxidative metabolism following birth asphyxia, and neurodevelopmental outcome and brain growth at one year.

Studies of cerebral oxidative metabolism were carried out by phosphorous magnetic resonance spectroscopy during the first week of life in 52 infants with clinical and/or biochemical evidence of birth asphyxia. 15 infants died and the 37 survivors were assessed by a wide range of neurodevelopmental tests at one year of age. The minimum recorded values for cerebral phosphocreatine/inorganic phosphate concentration ratio (an index of oxidative metabolism) were related to outcome. The results showed a significant relation between the extent of derangement of oxidative metabolism and the severity of adverse outcomes, including death, neurodevelopmental impairment and reduced head growth.

Adenosine Triphosphate↗
PubMed1992

Emergency hospital admissions and readmissions of patients aged over 75 years and the effects of a community-based discharge scheme.

This paper reports the results of a retrospective review which analysed emergency admissions and readmissions of elderly patients to a district general hospital. All patients received standard after-care allocated by the community health and social services departments following referral by hospital staff. In addition, half of the cohort was randomly allocated to receive care attendant support for a maximum of 12 hours a week for two weeks following the first and any subsequent discharge from hospital. The effect of this additional community support on emergency readmissions was also reviewed. The findings show that the patients randomly allocated to receive the modest domiciliary after-care service were less likely to have another emergency readmission or multiple readmissions. The results suggest that patients over 75 years-of-age, living alone, or having two or more emergency admissions within six months, should have a domiciliary assessment and follow-up after hospital discharge.

Aftercare↗
PubMed1991

Adolescent smokers seen in general practice: health, lifestyle, physical measurements, and response to antismoking advice.

OBJECTIVE: To compare physical, lifestyle, and health characteristics of adolescent smokers and non-smokers and their initial response to anti-smoking counselling. DESIGN: Adolescents aged 13, 15, and 17 years were identified from age-sex registers and invited by letter for a general practice health check. SETTING: Three general practices in the MRC general practice research framework. MAIN OUTCOME MEASURES: Blood pressure, body mass index, saliva cotinine concentration, peak flow rate, alcohol consumption, exercise, duration of sleep, and stated persistent health problems. RESULTS: 73% of the adolescents (491) attended for the health check. A total of 68 (14%) were regular smokers. By age 17 those who smoked regularly had a significantly lower systolic blood pressure than those who had never smoked regularly (by 6 mm Hg; p = 0.025) despite a significantly higher body mass index (by 1.5; p <0.001) [corrected]. Cotinine concentrations increased with smoking exposure, from 0.7 ng/ml when no family member smoked to 155 ng/ml in active smokers of six or more cigarettes a week. Significantly more regular smokers than never regular smokers drank greater than or equal to 8 g alcohol a day (chi 2 = 15.2 adjusted for age and sex p less than 0.001); regular smokers exercised less (1.0 hrs/week in boys and 0.8 hrs/week in girls v 3.4 hrs/week in boys and 2.2 hrs/week in girls; p less than 0.001) and slept less (8.0 hrs/night v 8.5 hrs/night at age 17; p less than 0.005). Persistent health problems, mostly asthma or allergic symptoms, were reported by 25% (17/68) of the smokers and 16% (60/381) of the non-smokers. Of the smokers given counselling, 60% (26/43) made an agreement with the practice doctor or nurse to give up smoking. CONCLUSION: General practice is an appropriate setting for adolescents to receive advice on healthy lifestyle, which should not focus solely on smoking.

Adolescent↗
PubMed1991

Phenotypic profiles of language-impaired children based on genetic/family history.

Although etiological influences in developmental language impairment (dysphasia) are not well defined, a significant increase of family aggregation for the disorder has been reported. We report data from a large cohort of language-impaired (LI) children participating in the San Diego longitudinal study in which we examined whether children with or without positive family histories show different phenotypic profiles. Due to the longitudinal design of the study, questions pertaining to change over time are also addressed. Second, a subgroup of the most impaired children were reevaluated to obtain additional information pertaining to family history and phenotypic outcome. Approximately 70% of the LI children met criteria for inclusion as family history positive, with fathers reporting a history of language or learning problems one and a half to two times as frequently as mothers. LI children with or without a positive family history were not significantly different on language skills or IQ. However, subjects having a positive family history for developmental language/learning problems were significantly lower in socioeconomic status and were rated by parents and teachers as having more attention-related behavior problems than their family history negative counterparts. Similarly, family history positive LI children performed more poorly on standardized academic tests as well as on tests of auditory processing and attention.

Child↗
PubMed1991

HIV-1 seropositivity and behavioral and sociological risks among homosexual and bisexual men in six Mexican cities.

We report on the epidemiology of sexual behaviors, HIV-1 seroprevalence, and condom use in gay and bisexual men in six Mexican cities in 1988 and test the extent to which variations in sexual behavior and sociological risks are responsible for variations in prevalence. Seroprevalence rates among samples in six cities ranged from 2% to 25%. In multiple logistic regression models controlling for city, insertive/receptive behavior (IRB), and meeting partners in bathhouses, the following were independently related to seropositivity (p less than 0.05): city, IRB, syphilis, sex with a person with AIDS, and meeting partners in bathouses. The independent risks associated with categories of IRB were no or almost no activity (odds ratio 1.0), only insertive (3.0), mostly insertive (4.9), mixed (6.0), mostly receptive (3.3), and only receptive (0.9). The condom use rate on last sexual encounter was 30%. The main sexual risk for HIV-1 infection is not exclusively receptive anal sex, but rather mixed behavior. This association may be explained by the infectious state of the partner pools. The sociologic risk variables (national and local partner pools) are better predictors of seroprevalence than behavioral variables, such as the number of partners or use of condoms. These results imply that more effective individual strategies for risk reduction are needed, including better knowledge concerning the risk status of partners.

Adolescent↗
PubMed1990

Terminal cancer care and patients' preference for place of death: a prospective study.

OBJECTIVE: To assess the preference of terminally ill patients with cancer for their place of final care. DESIGN: Prospective study of randomly selected patients with cancer from hospital and the community who were expected to die within a year. Patients expected to live less than two months were interviewed at two week intervals; otherwise patients were interviewed monthly. Their main carer was interviewed three months after the patient's death. SETTING: District general hospital, hospices, and patients' homes. MAIN OUTCOME MEASURE: Stated preferred place of final care; actual place of death; reason for final hospital admission for those in hospital; community care provision required for home care. RESULTS: Of 98 patients approached, 84 (86%) agreed to be interviewed, of whom 70 (83%) died during the study and 59 (84%) stated a preferred place of final care: 34 (58%) wished to die at home given existing circumstances, 12 (20%) in hospital, 12 (20%) in a hospice, and one (2%) elsewhere. Their own home was the preferred place of care for 17 (94%) of the patients who died there, whereas of the 32 patients who died in hospital 22 (69%) had stated a preference to die elsewhere. Had circumstances been more favourable 67% (41) of patients would have preferred to die at home, 16% (10) in hospital, and 15% (9) in hospice. CONCLUSION: With a limited increase in community care 50% more patients with cancer could be supported to die at home, as they and their carers would prefer.

Consumer Behavior↗