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Biomedical subjects

L A Richards

Publications and source records attributed to L A Richards.

6 recordsLinked to original sources
PubMed1998

Increased mast cell density in invasive melanoma.

Mast cell participation in immune responses, tumor progression, and vascularization has been studied extensively in vitro. In situ investigation of mast cells in routinely processed tissues is hampered by difficulty in reliable detection of mast cells. We studied the tissue density of mast cells using a morphometric point-counting technique in 1 microm-thick, Giemsa-stained, tissue sections from epon-embedded samples of skin biopsies. This technique has been demonstrated to be an accurate and reproducible method for determining mast cell density. Mast cell density in 15 cases of invasive melanoma was compared to that of 9 cases of benign melanocytic nevi and 4 cases of melanoma in situ. Mast cell density was greatest in invasive melanoma (mean density = 0.61 vol.%). The mean density of mast cells in nevi and in situ melanoma was 0.33 and 0.5 respectively. Six of 15 cases of melanoma had mast cell densities > 0.6, whereas mast cell density did not exceed 0.6 in any cases of melanoma in situ or benign melanocytic nevi (p < 0.02). Our findings confirm an increase in mast cell tissue density in some cases of invasive melanoma when compared to mast cell density in benign nevi and in situ melanoma.

Adult↗
PubMed1998

Bench stepping and running in women. Changes in fitness and injury status.

BACKGROUND: The purpose of this investigation was to evaluate injury rates and changes in VO2peak in women associated with aerobic exercise (bench stepping and running). METHODS: A pretest post-test repeated measures design was used to evaluate changes in VO2peak after training for 10 weeks, 3 days per week, for 1 hour per session. Injury incidence was monitored by questionnaires throughout the training program. SETTING: All testing and training took place at Auburn University Montgomery, Montgomery, AL, USA. PARTICIPANTS: The subjects were women enrolled in university physical activity courses. The exercise groups consisted of 23 women who performed bench exercise and 15 who performed running-jogging. Eleven subjects served as non-exercising controls. INTERVENTION: The 10-week exercise training program served as the intervention. MEASURES: Subjects were both pre- and post-tested for VO2peak by open circuit calorimetry. Body composition was estimated from a 7-site skinfold equation. A daily injury log was maintained to evaluate injury status. RESULTS: A repeated measures ANOVA found similar significant improvements in VO2peak for both the bench and running groups with no change for the control group. An evaluation of the injuries graded II or higher found 0.29 injuries per 100 hrs for the bench group and 0.66 injuries per 100 hrs for the running group. When all complaints were considered (grade I to grade IV) the rates increased to 2.44 per 100 hrs for the running group and 6.09 per 100 hrs for the bench group. CONCLUSIONS: Aerobic bench exercise produced similar changes in VO2peak compared to running. The results indicated that the primary injury complaints were grade I and related to delayed onset muscle soreness (DOMS). The bench group experienced an greater incidence of grade I complaints while the running group experienced a slightly greater incidence of more serious grade II or higher injuries.

Adult↗
PubMed1996

Self-reports on the Eating Disorder Inventory by female aerobic instructors.

This study examined the possibility of eating disorders in 30 female aerobic dance instructors. All subjects completed a biographical questionnaire and the Eating Disorder Inventory. The results showed that the aerobic instructors yielded scores which were comparable to similarly aged female weight lifters but tended to be lower than those of women distance runners (also of similar age). Interestingly, 23% (n = 7) of the subjects reported a previous history of bulimia and 17% (n = 5) reported a previous history of anorexia. Thus, 40% of the instructors indicated a previous experience with eating disorders. Based on all 30 participants, the mean scores associated with Body Dissatisfaction, Drive for Thinness, Ineffectiveness, and Perfectionism were quite comparable to those previously established for anorexic groups. In addition, a relatively high percentage of the sample yielded scores which were actually greater than mean values associated with anorexia patients on nine of the 11 subscales. Based on these results, a number of the aerobic dance instructors possessed scores suggesting behaviors and attitudes consistent with female athletes whose sports emphasize leanness and comparable to those who have eating disorders.

Adult↗
PubMed1988

Bone conduction threshold levels for different bone vibrator types.

This study determined if bone conduction (BC) thresholds were influenced by vibrator type. BC thresholds were obtained for 100 subjects using mastoid placement of Radioear B-71 and B-72 and Pracitronic KH 70 bone vibrators. The nontest ear was masked (30 dB EL) and the ear ipsilateral to the vibrator was open except when testing at 3000 and 4000 Hz when the ear canal was occluded with an earplug to guard against acoustic radiation. BC thresholds at 250 Hz obtained with the B-72 and KH 70 were significantly (p less than .05) higher by 10.5 dB and at 500 Hz were significantly (p less than .05) lower by 5.5 dB than for the B-71. BC thresholds at other frequencies (1000, 2000, 3000, and 4000 Hz) were not significantly different among vibrator types. The findings indicated that reference equivalent threshold force levels (RETFLs) for BC audiometry should be specified by bone vibrator type.

Adult↗
PubMedDate not supplied

An inpatient cervical cancer screening program to reach underserved women.

Underserved women (e.g., African American, older women of all races) are less likely to be screened than other groups. The Johns Hopkins Hospital began the Cervical Cancer Screening Program (CCSP) to provide direct Papanicolaou (Pap) test screening to inpatient females. Over a 1-year period, 256 women received Pap tests as part of the CCSP. Of these, 56% (n = 144) were African American, 36% (n = 92) received medical assistance benefits, and only 47% (n = 120) had health insurance. The CCSP is an effective way to screen low-income and underserved females who otherwise may not be screened.

Adult↗