Biomedical subjects

M J Fett

Publications and source records attributed to M J Fett.

21 records · Page 2Linked to original sources

PubMed1984

The development of matching criteria for epidemiological studies using record linkage techniques.

The hypothesis that pairs of records with identical surnames, given names and birth dates represent the same person was tested by compiling a frequency distribution of the number of birth date digits in common when the names contained in two registers were matched. This distribution was compared with a computer simulation of the distribution which would be expected if the paired records represented different people. The divergence of the two distributions in the region of five and six birth date digits in common confirmed the hypothesis. Where surname, two given names and at least four date of birth digits matched, only 0.012% of the matching records represented different people. Where surname, two given initials and six date of birth digits matched, 0.1% of the matched records represented different people.

Australia↗

PubMed1978

Quantitative mapping of cutaneous receptive fields in normal and operated leeches, Limnobdella.

1. The receptive fields and physiological properties of the sensitive cutaneous mechanoreceptive neurones in the leech Limnobdella australis were found to be very similar to those previously described in Hirudo medicinalis. 2. Following separation from the central nervous system (C.N.S.), the distal dendrite stump and cutaneous receptive field remained unchanged for at least 160 days. 3. There was little spreading of receptive fields into regions of skin isolated from the C.N.S. for at least 184 days. 4. Cutting one dendrite of a mechanoreceptive neurone which has two major dendrites produced little change in the receptive field of the intact dendrite. 5. Abnormalities were found in most of the receptive fields of operated leeches, irrespective of the site of operation. These abnormalities were not seen in normal leeches.

Animals↗

PubMedDate not supplied

Mortality among Vietnam veterans compared with non-veterans and the Australian population.

A retrospective cohort study of mortality was conducted to assess whether the military service of young Australian men in Vietnam has influenced their overall death rates, or those from specific causes. The study was of all national servicemen who were conscripted during the conflict and served in the Army for at least 12 months. Of these, 19 205 served in Vietnam (veterans) while 25 677 served only in Australia (non-veterans). These men were traced from the end of their national service (between 1966 and 1973) until the beginning of 1982. For most causes of death, the observed number of deaths of veterans and of non-veterans was less than expected from Australian population death rates, and for no cause was there a statistically significant excess of deaths compared with that of the Australian population. Similarly, when veterans were compared with non-veterans, there was no statistically significant difference in deaths for all causes combined, for diseases of the circulatory system, for deaths in motor vehicle accidents, for suicide and for all external causes after adjustment for the different subsequent death rates of men who had served in different Army corps. All seven deaths from diseases of the digestive system were of veterans. There was no excess of deaths among veterans from cancer or from atypical causes of death in this group of young men. Three-quarters of deaths of both veterans and non-veterans were from external causes, often involving motor vehicle accidents.

Adult↗