Therapeutic and investiational evaluation of asthmatic children.
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Absenteeism↗
Biomedical subjects
K Brady
Publications and source records attributed to K Brady.
Sonographic evidence of fetal hydrothorax after in-utero death of monozygotic twin.
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Adult↗
Influence of parental lead exposure on subsequent learning ability of offspring.
This study was designed to assess the learning ability of rat offspring following the exposure of one or both parents to lead acetate (Pb) from 30-90 days of age. At that time, parents were mated to yield four groups: Group Pb-Pb, both parents had received Pb; Group Pb-N, only the mother had received Pb; Group N-Pb, only the father had received Pb; Group N-N, the control parents. Mothers were continued on their respective treatments throughout gestation and nursing. Testing of offspring began at 30 days of age, employing a black-white discrimination water T maze. Analysis of results revealed that the three Pb groups made more errors than the controls, but did not differ from one another. However, offspring in Group Pb-Pb had longer swimming times than those in Groups Pb-N and N-Pb, who, in turn, had longer swimming times than Group N-N. Thus dual parental exposure was more severe than single parental exposure, which, however, still exerted a detrimental effect compared to control performance.
Animals↗
Acute hematogenous osteomyelitis in intravenous drug users.
The authors report a case of acute hematogenous osteomyelitis in a closed metatarsal fracture of an adult intravenous drug user. A transient Staphylococcus aureus bacteremia documented by blood cultures was sustained that presumably seeded the existing fracture. Osteomyelitis was documented by intraoperative cultures that matched the blood cultures and a Technetium-HMPAO-labeled leukocyte scan. Reliance on a noncompliant patient for information may have been a factor that resulted in significant morbidity in this case. Although the patient managed to do well after surgical intervention, osteomyelitis may have been avoidable. Treatment and a self-critical review of the approach to this patient population and decisions made in this case are also discussed.
Acute Disease↗
Oxalate nephrocalcinosis: a study in autopsied infants and neonates.
A review of renal histology from 44 neonatal and pediatric autopsies, all with documented intensive hospital courses, identified 8 cases showing varying degrees of microscopic calcium deposition. Histochemical and x-ray spectroscopic microanalysis showed that all eight cases contained intratubular deposits of calcium oxalate, and two cases contained both oxalate and phosphate microliths. The spatial arrangement of the deposits appeared to vary with the density of deposition. A control group of 68 non-intensively treated cases (stillbirths and sudden infant death syndrome cases) showed rare calcium phosphate microliths but none had oxalate crystals. Infantile nephrocalcinosis is little understood and is poorly documented in the current literature. This study may contribute to the understanding of this entity and may be useful in guiding stratagems to prevent its occurrence.
Fatal Outcome↗
The effect on asthma in children of experimental separation from the family.
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Affect↗
Upstream stimulators for recoding.
Recent progress in elucidation of 5' stimulatory elements for translational recoding is reviewed. A 5' Shine-Dalgarno sequence increases both +1 and -1 frameshift efficiency in several genes; examples cited include the E. coli prfB gene encoding release factor 2 and the dnaX gene encoding the gamma and tau subunits of DNA polymerase III holoenzyme. The spacing between the Shine-Dalgarno sequence and the shift site is critical in both the +1 and -1 frameshift cassettes; however, the optimal spacing is quite different in the two cases. A frameshift in a mammalian chromosomal gene, ornithine decarboxylase antizyme, has recently been reported; 5' sequences have been shown to be vital for this frameshift event. Escherichia coli bacteriophage T4 gene 60 encodes a subunit of its type II DNA topoisomerase. The mature gene 60 mRNA contains an internal 50 nucleotide region that appears to be bypassed during translation. A 16 amino acid domain of the nascent peptide is necessary for this bypass to occur.
Animals↗
Understanding birthing mode decision making using artificial neural networks.
BACKGROUND: This study examined obstetricians' decisions to perform or not to perform cesarean sections. The aim was to determine whether an artificial neural network could be constructed to accurately and reliably predict the birthing mode decisions of expert clinicians and to elucidate which factors were most important in deciding the birth mode. METHODS: Mothers with singleton, live births who were privately insured, nonclinic, non-Medicaid patients at a major tertiary care private hospital were included in the study (N = 1508). These mothers were patients of 2 physician groups: a 7-obstetrician multispecialtygroup practice and a physician group of 79 independently practicing obstetricians affiliated with the same hospital. A feedforward, multilayer artificial neural network (ANN) was developed and trained. It was then tested and optimized until the most parsimonious network was identified that retained a similar level of predictive power and classification accuracy. The performance of this network was further optimized using the methods of receiver operating characteristic (ROC) analysis and information theory to find the cutoff that maximized the information gain. The performance of the final ANN at this cutoff was measured using sensitivity, specificity, classification accuracy, area under the ROC curve, and maximum information gain. RESULTS: The final neural network had excellent predictive accuracy for the birthing mode (classification accuracy = 83.5%; area under the ROC curve = 0.924; maximum information = 40.4% of a perfect diagnostic test). CONCLUSION: This study demonstrated that a properly optimized ANN is able to accurately predict the birthing mode decisions of expert clinicians. In addition to previously identified clinical factors (cephalopelvic disproportion, maternal medical condition necessitating a cesarean section, arrest of labor, malpresentation of the baby, fetal distress, andfailed induction), nonclinical factors such as the mothers' views on birthing mode were also found to be important in determining the birthing mode.
Decision Making↗
Blood supply and position of the vermiform appendix in Zambians.
The arterial blood supply, position, and length of the appendix were studied 103 Zambian cadavers. In 39.8%, more than one appendicular artery was found. In position, 43.6% were pelvic, and 20.3% retro-cecal. The average length of the appendix was 12.0 cm in males, and 11.4 cm in females. The prevalence of the dual blood supply and pelvic position, may partly explain the recorded rarity of appendicitis among Africans.
Adolescent↗
The gall bladder in adult Zambians.
The morphology of the gall bladder, the length and mode of termination of the cystic duct, and the origin and distribution of the cystic artery were studied in 88 adult Zambians (61 men, 27 women). The origin of the cystic artery was the right hepatic artery (53%), and the common hepatic artery (41%). Hartmann's pouch was observed in 44% of gall bladders. The cystic duct usually opened into the common hepatic duct (91%); its average length was 2 cm.
Adolescent↗
The sigmoid colon in Zambians.
Four variables were measured in the sigmoid colon of 103 Zambians (73 men). The mean results were as follows:- Length 32.9cm (men), 29.5cm (women); height of mesentery 8.2cm in both sexes; length of attachment of the mesentery was 10.3cm (men), 10.8cm (women) and thickness 3.0mm in both sexes. The findings are inconclusive throwing no light on the aetiolocy of sigmoid volvulus.
Colon↗
Puberty in Zambian children.
A cross sectional study of 2,638 Zambian school children 1,220 boys and 1,418 girls has been done in Lusaka to study the puberty process. Public and axillary hair, breast development and menarche were studied. Pubic hair appeared for the first time in the group of 9 year-old girls and 10 year-old boys. Axillary hair appeared at about the same time. Stage two of the breast bud appeared for the first time in the group of 9 year-old girls. The earliest case of occurrence of menarche was in a girl of 9.4 years. The mean age at menarche in Zambian school girls was 13.7.
Breast↗
Growth of Zambian children.
A cross sectional study of 2,637 Zambian school children (1,220 boys and 1,417 girls) between the ages of six and eighteen years was carried out to observe growth patterns. Five anthropometric measurements were taken. It was noted that the growth spurt commenced at the age of nine years in girls. The accelerated growth continued until the age of fifteen years after which the rate of growth was very small. In boys, the growth spurt commenced a year later and continued until the age of seventeen years. Height was compared with that of the European and Ghanian children from London and Accra respectively. Although the growth patterns were similar, the Europeans were taller and the Ghanians were shorter than Zambians in this age group.
Adolescent↗