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Biomedical subjects

M Thompson

Publications and source records attributed to M Thompson.

At least 37 records · Page 2Linked to original sources
PubMed2005

The continuous glucose monitoring sensor in neonatal intensive care.

OBJECTIVE: To determine the feasibility of continuous glucose monitoring in the very low birthweight baby requiring intensive care, as these infants are known to be at high risk of abnormalities of glucose control. METHOD: Sixteen babies were studied from within 24 hours of delivery and for up to seven days. RESULTS: The subcutaneous glucose sensors were well tolerated and readings were comparable to those on near patient whole blood monitoring devices. CONCLUSION: Continuous glucose monitoring is practical in neonates, giving detailed information about glucose control.

Biosensing Techniques↗
PubMed2005

In vivo tracking for cell therapies.

The success of a particular cellular therapy regime requires the therapeutic agent to migrate expeditiously to the intended target in sufficient numbers and to provoke a desirable response. There are many variables associated with the production, administration and host that need to be investigated to maximize the resulting therapeutic benefit. The large number of factors which may contribute to, or detract from, treatment efficacy can make therapy optimization an arduous procedure. Direct visualization of in vivo migration patterns using nuclear medicine techniques greatly assists the appraisal of the multitude of variables. Conventional radionuclide cell labeling is a proven, simple and sensitive technique which can provide whole body biodistribution information. Labeling with a PET isotope offers greater sensitivity, much improved 3-dimensional resolution and quantification. In general, current efforts are increasingly concentrating on this technology. Imaging studies can supply definitive evidence of successful targeting and allow quantification of the degree of migration to a particular site. Incorporating tracking studies into clinical trials of cell-based therapy at the earliest stage can provide proof of mechanism of the therapy and permit evaluation of the many contributory variables, even on a patient-by-patient basis.

Animals↗
PubMed2004

Outcomes in elderly patients following surgery for colorectal cancer in the veterans affairs health care system.

AIM: To compare 30-day and 5-year mortality in elderly vs. younger patients following surgical resection for colorectal cancer. METHODS: A cohort study of patients admitted to VA hospitals with a new diagnosis of colorectal cancer who underwent surgical resection between October 1990 and September 2000. Cumulative survival rates (30-day and 5-year) were calculated from Kaplan-Meier estimates and adjusted risks of death were estimated using Cox proportional hazards models. RESULTS: We identified 34,888 individuals with a new diagnosis of colorectal cancer between October 1990 and September 2000, of whom 22 633 (65%) underwent surgical resection. The 30-day mortality following resection for rectal and colon cancer, respectively, for patients <65 years was 2.1 and 2.8% compared with 4.9 and 5.6% for those > or =65 years. The 5-year cumulative survival for rectal and colon cancer for patients <65 years was 54.0 and 57.6% compared with 44.5 and 46.6% for those > or =65 years. In patients > or =65 years with rectal or colon cancer, after adjustment, 30-day mortality was 2 times greater and 5-year mortality was 1 times greater than in younger patients. CONCLUSIONS: Older age is an independent predictor of increased short-term and long-term mortality following surgery in patients with rectal and colon cancer.

Age Factors↗
PubMed2004

Study on the correlation of the autonomic nervous system responses to a stressor of high discomfort with personality traits.

The present study investigated Eysenck's predictions concerning the correlation of personality to arousal at higher levels of stress. Twenty young adults were exposed to a physical stress causing great discomfort, specifically a cold wind (4 degrees C at 60 km/h) exposure to the face for 3 min. Autonomic nervous system (ANS) responses were measured by continuous heart rate and plasma catecholamine determinations before, during and after the test. At the end of the test, the participants gave a rating of discomfort on a 0 to 10 scale. The personality traits were assessed with the Big-Five Inventory test (BFI). Results indicated that higher levels of trait extraversion were positively correlated with discomfort ratings and with the increased heart rate and the noradrenaline responses. Neuroticism was negatively correlated to discomfort and the autonomic responses. These findings tend to support Eysenck's theory on the role of personality on arousal at higher levels of stress. It is also proposed that the better tolerance to this severe stress observed with neuroticism is correlated to a certain habituation process caused by light to moderate arousal frequently experienced by participants with this personality trait during their daily activities.

Adipose Tissue↗
PubMed2004

A paediatric case of a solitary fibrous tumour of the parotid gland.

Solitary fibrous tumours are rare and they were first described in the pleura of the lungs. However this rare tumour is being increasingly recognised in the oro-facial region and other extra-pleural sites among adults. We present a paediatric case of a solitary fibrous tumour of the parotid gland in an 11-year-old girl who was also diagnosed as having type I neurofibromatosis.

Child↗
PubMed2004

Identification and characterisation of SB-366791, a potent and selective vanilloid receptor (VR1/TRPV1) antagonist.

Vanilloid receptor-1 (TRPV1) is a non-selective cation channel, predominantly expressed by peripheral sensory neurones, which is known to play a key role in the detection of noxious painful stimuli, such as capsaicin, acid and heat. To date, a number of antagonists have been used to study the physiological role of TRPV1; however, antagonists such as capsazepine are somewhat compromised by non-selective actions at other receptors and apparent modality-specific properties. SB-366791 is a novel, potent, and selective, cinnamide TRPV1 antagonist isolated via high-throughput screening of a large chemical library. In a FLIPR-based Ca(2+)-assay, SB-366791 produced a concentration-dependent inhibition of the response to capsaicin with an apparent pK(b) of 7.74 +/- 0.08. Schild analysis indicated a competitive mechanism of action with a pA2 of 7.71. In electrophysiological experiments, SB-366791 was demonstrated to be an effective antagonist of hTRPV1 when activated by different modalities, such as capsaicin, acid or noxious heat (50 degrees C). Unlike capsazepine, SB-366791 was also an effective antagonist vs. the acid-mediated activation of rTRPV1. With the aim of defining a useful tool compound, we also profiled SB-366791 in a wide range of selectivity assays. SB-366791 had a good selectivity profile exhibiting little or no effect in a panel of 47 binding assays (containing a wide range of G-protein-coupled receptors and ion channels) and a number of electrophysiological assays including hippocampal synaptic transmission and action potential firing of locus coeruleus or dorsal raphe neurones. Furthermore, unlike capsazepine, SB-366791 had no effect on either the hyperpolarisation-activated current (I(h)) or Voltage-gated Ca(2+)-channels (VGCC) in cultured rodent sensory neurones. In summary, SB-366791 is a new TRPV1 antagonist with high potency and an improved selectivity profile with respect to other commonly used TRPV1 antagonists. SB-366791 may therefore prove to be a useful tool to further study the biology of TRPV1.

8-Hydroxy-2-(di-n-propylamino)tetralin↗
PubMed2004

Antibiotic-treated infections in intensive care patients in the UK.

The purpose of this audit was to study reasons for starting antibiotic therapy, duration of antibiotic treatment, reasons for changing antibiotics and the agreement between clinical suspicion and microbiological results in intensive care practice. We conducted a multicentre observational audit of 316 patients. Data on demographic details, site, treatment and nature of infection were collected. The median duration of antibiotic therapy was 7 days. Infections were community-acquired in 160 patients (55%). Antibiotics were started on clinical suspicion of infection in 237 patients (75%). Pulmonary infections were the most common, representing 52% of all proven infections. Gram-negative organisms were the most common cause of proven infections (n = 90 (50%)). The antibiotic spectrum was narrowed in light of microbiology results in 78 patients (43%) and changed due to antibiotic resistance in 38 patients (21%). We conclude that the mean duration of treatment contrasts with existing published guidelines, highlighting the need for further studies on duration and efficacy of treatment in intensive care.

Adolescent↗
PubMed2004

Augmentation mammoplasty and "silicone-osis".

BACKGROUND: Claims have been made that breast augmentation induces a previously unrecognized disease ("silicone-osis"). AIMS: To confirm the existence of "silicone-osis", qualify and quantify its characteristics. METHODS: In this population-based retrospective cohort study, the health status of 458 female Sydney residents who had augmentation mammoplasty for cosmetic reasons ("augmentation mammoplasty-exposed" or "exposed" cohort) between 1979 and 1983 was compared with the health status of 687 female Sydney residents who had non-silicone-associated plastic surgery ("augmentation mammoplasty-nonexposed" or "non-exposed" cohort). Both groups were matched for age (+/- 5 years), year of plastic surgery (+/- 2 years), plastic surgeon, anaesthetist and mode of anaesthesia. Outcome measures comprised dummy symptoms to assess reporting bias, as well as symptoms and symptom clusters from a comprehensive 78-symptom list. RESULTS: Dummy variables were not over-reported by the exposed cohort. The following individual symptoms developed more commonly in the exposed cohort after index plastic surgery: "memory loss/confusion", "altered bowel habit", "chest pain made worse by deep breathing", "shortness of breath after walking up 10 steps", "breast pain", "sweating mainly at night" and "tunnel vision". Of eight identified symptom clusters, three were rejected as biologically unimportant: "joint swelling of the bunion joint", "haemorrhoids" and "breast lumps" (the latter two occurring more commonly in the non-exposed cohort). In contrast, five symptom clusters were thought to have potential biological importance and occurred more commonly in the exposed cohort. The symptom "night sweats" was common to all five clusters, and comprised the sole symptom in one instance. The other four multisymptom clusters were also characterized by "low energy" (lethargy) and "pins and needles", whereas "breast pain", "impaired memory", "muscle pain" and "reflux", occurred in three of the four clusters. CONCLUSION: Cluster analysis suggested the existence of a multisystem disorder occurring more commonly in the exposed cohort and characterized by night sweats, lethargy, breast pain, impaired mentation, reflux, paraesthesiae, hand muscle weakness and myalgia. The argument against this being a new disease entity --"silicone-osis"-- however, was its presence, albeit at lower frequency, in the silicone-unexposed cohort. Thus this study did not confirm the existence of a new disease entity "silicone-osis" uniquely and causally associated with silicone exposure. The possible interpretations of these findings are discussed.

Autoimmune Diseases↗
PubMed2004

Endoleak after endovascular aneurysm repair: current concepts.

Endoleak remains the most common complication following endovascular aneurysm repair. Over the past few years the classification of endoleaks has been defined and appropriate treatment identified for most endoleaks. The treatment of type II and type V endoleaks remains controversial. This article reviews the current knowledge relating to endoleak.

Aorta, Abdominal↗
PubMed2003

Development of a fluorescent probe for the study of nucleosome assembly and dynamics.

To develop a probe for use in real-time dynamic studies of nucleosomes, core histones (from Drosophila) were conjugated to a DNA-intercalating dye, thiazole orange, by a reaction targeting Cys 110 of histone H3. In the absence of DNA, the conjugated histones are only very weakly fluorescent. However, upon reconstitution into nucleosomes by standard salt dialysis procedures, the probe fluoresces strongly, reflecting its ability to intercalate into the nucleosomal DNA. The probe is also sensitive to the nature of the DNA-histone interaction. Nucleosomes reconstituted by stepwise salt dialysis give a fluorescence signal quite different from that of the species formed when DNA and histones are simply mixed in low salt. In addition, changing either the DNA length or the type of sequence (nucleosome positioning sequences versus random DNA of the same size) used in the reconstitution alters the resulting fluorescence yield. The results are all consistent with the conclusion that a more rigid, less flexible nucleosome structure results in less fluorescence than a looser structure, presumably due to structural constraints on dye intercalation. This probe should be well suited to analyzing nucleosome dynamics and to following factor-mediated assembly and remodeling of nucleosomes in real time, particularly at the single-molecule level.

Animals↗
PubMed2003

Inhibition of the TEF/TEAD transcription factor activity by nuclear calcium and distinct kinase pathways.

Transcription enhancer factor (TEF/TEAD) is a family of four transcription factors that share a common TEA-DNA binding domain and are involved in similar cellular functions, such as cell differentiation and proliferation. All adult tissues express at least one of the four TEAD genes, so this family of transcription factors may be of widespread importance, yet little is known about their regulation. Here we examine the factors that regulate TEAD activity in CHO cells. RT-PCR indicated the presence of TEAD-1, TEAD-3, and both isoforms of TEAD-4, but not TEAD-2. Quantitative measurements showed that TEAD-4 is most abundant, followed by TEAD-3, then TEAD-1. We examined the relative effects of nuclear and cytosolic Ca(2+) on TEAD activity, since TEAD proteins are localized to the nucleus and since free Ca(2+) within the nucleus selectively regulates transcription in some systems. Chelation of nuclear but not cytosolic Ca(2+) increased TEAD activity two times above control. Inhibition of mitogen-activated protein kinase (MAPK) also increased TEAD activity, while cAMP decreased TEAD activity, and protein kinase C had no effect. Together, these results show that nuclear Ca(2+), MAPK, and cAMP each negatively regulate the activity of the TEAD transcription factor.

3T3 Cells↗
PubMed2003

Duplicated inferior vena cava and crossed renal ectopia with abdominal aortic aneurysm: preoperative anatomic studies facilitate surgery.

Abdominal aortic aneurysm in association with duplication of the inferior vena cava and crossed renal ectopia is described for the first time. Preoperative imaging with computer-aided tomography provided good visualization of the local anatomy, allowing the surgical approach to be adapted for the best access to the surgical site. A retroperitoneal approach was successfully used for repair of the abdominal aortic aneurysm.

Abnormalities, Multiple↗
PubMed2003

Response to thermal stress and personality.

Tolerance to cold and heat exposure shows large variations for which there is still insufficient explanation. On the other hand the relationship between the responses to mental stress and individual personality is well documented. The aim of this study was then to find if personality traits have some influence on the responses to environmental temperature exposure. A group of 20 young adults were exposed for 90 min to cold (10 degrees C) while skin temperature (Ts), oxygen consumption and discomfort rating were recorded. In a second experiment they were exposed to heat (40 degrees C) for 90 min when the sweat rate and the discomfort rating were recorded. Prior to these tests the Big Five Personality Test was used to measure the personality traits of the subjects. The results show significant negative correlation between neuroticism and the O(2) consumed, the discomfort rating and Ts for the test in the cold, while extraversion was positively related to O(2) consumption but not to Ts and discomfort rating. In response to heat, neuroticism predominance was associated with greater discomfort, reduced tolerance and diminished sweat rate. The discomfort rating, in this case, was negatively related to extraversion. It is proposed that the reduced O(2) consumption in the cold and the lower rate of sweating in the heat observed with neuroticism, are caused by enhanced activity of the sympathetic nervous system. Further investigation is required to assess the validity of this proposal. Overall, the present investigation shows that physical environmental stresses, in common with mental stress, could be in some ways related to personality traits.

Adaptation, Physiological↗
PubMed2003

Locating broken dental needles.

Broken dental needles are a rare event. They are difficult to find and remove. We report two cases in which broken needles were located using a simple stereotactic method with the aid of an image intensifier.

Anesthesia, Dental↗
PubMed2003

Assessing expressed emotion in mothers of preschool AD/HD children: psychometric properties of a modified speech sample.

OBJECTIVE: To examine the reliability and validity of a modified coding measure of expressed emotion (Preschool Five Minute Speech Sample [PFMSS]), suitable for parents of preschool AD/HD children. DESIGN: Mothers of preschool AD/HD children identified through a three-stage screening programme were compared with mothers of non-AD/HD children on the PFMSS. METHOD: Mothers of 80 AD/HD and 20 non-AD/HD children participated in the PFMSS. They had 10 mins of play interaction with their child and completed the Feelings on Parenting scales from the Family Impact Questionnaire. RESULTS: With the exception of emotional over-involvement, the PFMSS demonstrated acceptable code-recode and inter-rater reliability, and adequate test-retest reliability. It also demonstrated acceptable validity, being associated with less affection and greater maternal direction during play interaction and discriminated between the parents of preschool AD/HD and non-AD/HD children. CONCLUSION: This study shows that in a revised form, the Five Minute Speech Sample can provide a useful measure of expressed emotion during the preschool period.

Adult↗
PubMed2002

Syndrome of inappropriate antidiuretic hormone secretion associated with oral squamous cell carcinoma.

The syndrome of inappropriate antidiuretic hormone secretion (SIADH) is associated with various conditions including malignant disease, particularly small cell lung cancer. It has been reported to occur in 3% of patients with head and neck cancer. Less well known is its association with oral squamous cell carcinoma. This report describes a patient with SIADH associated with recurrent oral squamous cell carcinoma.

Aged↗