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Biomedical subjects

N Hicks

Publications and source records attributed to N Hicks.

At least 37 records · Page 2Linked to original sources
PubMed1992

Bones of contention.

Explore the source record for details and available documents.

Attitude of Health Personnel↗
PubMed1991

N.m.r. studies of the flexibility of the glycosyl ring in thymidine and uridine nucleosides.

1H-N.m.r. spectroscopy at various temperatures has been used to investigate the flexibility of the glycosyl ring and to calculate the percentage of N- and S-character in the most favoured conformations in solution adopted by various pyrimidine deoxyribonucleosides. The position and orientation of substituents have a definite and predictable influence on the conformation of the deoxyribose ring in these nucleosides. The deoxyribose rings in the nucleosides studied were, in general, flexible except for those of 3'-deoxy-3'-fluoro- and 3'-azido-3'-deoxy-thymidine and 2'-deoxy-2'-fluoro-5-methyl-arabinosyluracil.

Magnetic Resonance Spectroscopy↗
PubMed1990

Water contamination in North Cornwall: a retrospective cohort study into the acute and short-term effects of the aluminum sulphate incident in July 1988.

IN JULY 1988 the drinking water supply of part of Cornwall was contaminated with 20 tons of aluminum sulphate solution. Emergency measures ensured that aluminum sulphate levels in most parts of the water distribution system were rapidly reduced, but residents were supplied with water containing raised concentrations of aluminum and other metals for at least a few days. A retrospective cohort study compared 480 individuals in the exposed area with 532 individuals resident in an area served by a different water supply. The exposed group were more likely to complain of all 18 symptoms in the questionnaire enquiry. They had a significantly higher relative risk of experiencing painful joints. These symptoms were reported by less than a quarter of the respondents exposed to contaminated water. This may represent a previously unrecognised acute effect of water contamination with aluminum sulphate, but the study does not exclude the possibility that the threshold for symptom reporting was lowered by anxiety and by the publicity associated with the incident. The overall response rate of the study was low (45%) and reflects the difficulties in both carrying out and interpreting environmental epidemiological studies of acute incidents.

Accidents, Occupational↗
PubMed1987

Platelet membrane properties in Alzheimer and multi-infarct dementias.

Recent investigations revealed that the physical properties of both central and peripheral cell membranes are changed in dementia of the Alzheimer Type (DAT). We attempted to ascertain whether this effect is specific for DAT by studying the polarization of diphenylhexatriene (DPH) fluorescence (an indicator of membrane "microviscosity") in the membranes of platelets isolated from DAT patients, patients with multi-infarct dementia and healthy controls. The 3 groups were matched as closely as possible for age and sex distributions. Platelet phospholipid composition was also examined in an attempt to identify the chemical basis of the membrane change(s). These studies revealed that DPH fluorescence polarization is significantly reduced in platelets from DAT patients, but not in patients with multi-infarct dementia, compared with controls. Analysis of the phospholipid composition of platelets from the 3 groups of subjects did not find any significant differences which might explain the change in membrane properties.

Aged↗
PubMed1985

Life-style factors among patients with melanoma.

For the period 1975 to 1980, melanoma incidence in persons 10 through 49 years of age in a southwest Georgia town was significantly increased compared with US rates (expected = 9; observed = 41) and Atlanta rates (expected = 13; observed = 41). We surveyed 36 white patients with melanoma and 74 unaffected control subjects to identify risk factors possibly associated with melanoma in this population. When compared with the controls, the patients more often had a history of melanoma in family members [odds ratio (OR) = 8.00; 95% confidence limits (CL) = 0.89 to 71.6; P = .063]; skin sensitivity to sun exposure (OR = 1.63; CL = 1.04 to 2.56; P = 0.016); or preexisting pigmented nevi (OR = infinity; one-sided 95% lower limit = 1.94, P = .005). More male patients had melanomas on covered body sites, though 67% of melanomas in both sexes occurred on normally covered sites. Patients in our study also had been exposed more often than controls to sick animals in the year before onset (OR = 3.18; CL = 0.92 to 11.0; P = .055) and to pesticides in nonoccupational settings (OR = 3.56; CL = 0.87 to 14.5; P = .059).

Adolescent↗
PubMed1984

Childhood cancer and occupational radiation exposure in parents.

To test the hypothesis that a parent's job exposure to radiation affects his or her child's risk of cancer, the authors compared this exposure during the year before the child's birth for parents of children with and without cancer. Parents of children with cancer were no more likely to have worked in occupations, industries, or combined occupations and industries with potential ionizing radiation exposure. Bone cancer and Wilms' tumor occurred more frequently among children of fathers in all industries with moderate potential ionizing radiation exposure. Children with cancer more often had fathers who were aircraft mechanics (odds ratio (OR) = infinity, one-sided 95% lower limit = 1.5; P = 0.04). Although four of these six were military aircraft mechanics, only children whose fathers had military jobs with potential ionizing radiation exposure had an increased cancer risk (OR = 2.73; P = 0.01). Four cancer types occurred more often among children of fathers in specific radiation-related occupations: rhabdomyosarcoma among children whose fathers were petroleum industry foremen; retinoblastoma among children whose fathers were radio and television repairmen; central nervous system cancers and other lymphatic cancers among children of Air Force fathers. Because numbers of case fathers are small and confidence limits are broad, the associations identified by this study need to be confirmed in other studies. Better identification and gradation of occupational exposure to radiation would increase the sensitivity to detect associations.

Adult↗