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Biomedical subjects

P Barrett

Publications and source records attributed to P Barrett.

124 records · Page 7Linked to original sources
PubMed1980

Digital measurement of pallor-disc ratio.

In an effort to quantitate optic nerve head pallor, a method has been devised to measure pallor-disc ratio using optic nerve head photographs. After electronically scanning photographs through various Wratten filters, it was observed that a red filter produces good contrast between the disc and the retinal surface, while a green filter produces good contrast between the pale area of the disc and the remaining normal-appearing nerve head. A computer program fitted an elliptical form to both the disc region of red image and the pale area of green image. Pallor-disc ratios were calculated on both area and radial bases. Reproducibility of 3.5% for the area ratios and 7% for the radial ratios were obtained.

Computers↗
PubMed1979

Deficits in psychologic and classroom performance of children with elevated dentine lead levels.

To measure the neuropsychologic effects of unidentified childhood exposure to lead, the performance of 58 children with high and 100 with low dentine lead levels was compared. Children with lead levels scored significantly less well on the Wechsler Intelligence Scale for Children (Revised) than those with low lead levels. This difference was also apparent on verbal subtests, on three other measures of auditory or speech processing and on a measure of attention. Analysis of variance showed that none of these differences could be explained by any of the 39 other variables studied. Also evaluated by a teachers' questionnaire was the classroom behavior of all children (2146 in number) whose teeth were analyzed. The frequency of non-adaptive classroom behavior increased in a dose-related fashion to dentine lead level. Lead exposure, at doses below those producing symptoms severe enough to be diagnosed clinically, appears to be associated with neuropsychologic deficits that may interfere with classroom performance.

Attention↗
PubMed1975

Thermodynamic study of a liquid crystal as a liquid phase in gas-liquid chromatography. II. A cholesteric liquid crystal.

Gas-liquid chromatography is utilized for the determination of thermodynamic solution parameters for various organic solutes at infinite dilution in the meso- and isotropic phases of cholesteryl palmitate. The thermodynamic data and trends in values of the activity coefficients for the solutes are discussed in relation to their structure and to the orientations of the liquid crystal.

Cholesterol↗
PubMedDate not supplied

Polymorphism and signalling of melatonin receptors.

Melatonin receptors belong to the superfamily of G protein-coupled receptors. Cloning of Mel1c receptors expressed in Xenopus skin revealed the existence of a polymorphism for these receptors. Heterologous expression of the two allelic isoforms, called Mel1c(alpha) and Mel1c(beta), indicated functional differences in their signalling properties. Both isoforms are coupled to the cAMP and cGMP pathways. However, the alpha isoform is preferentially coupled to the cAMP pathway, whereas the beta isoform couples preferentially to the cGMP pathway. Coupling differences may be explained by the fact that five of the six amino acid substitutions between the two isoforms are localized within intracellular receptor regions potentially involved in G protein coupling. Allelic isoforms were also observed for Mel1a receptors expressed in ovine pars tuberalis, suggesting that polymorphism is a general feature of the melatonin receptor family. We also evaluated the potential of the two human melatonin receptor subtypes, Mel1a and Mel1b, to modulate the cGMP pathway. Melatonin inhibited intracellular cGMP levels in a dose-dependent manner in HEK293 cells transfected with the human Mel1b receptor. This was not the case for HEK293 cells transfected with the human Mel1a receptor. In conclusion, our results indicate that the expression of receptor subtypes and isoforms may permit differential signalling between melatonin receptors.

1-Methyl-3-isobutylxanthine↗
PubMedDate not supplied

Melatonin receptors and signal transduction mechanisms.

The ovine pars tuberalis (PT) still offers the best model for the study of signal transduction pathways regulated by the melatonin receptor. From the evidence accumulated so far, it seems likely that the cAMP signal transduction pathway will be a major effector of a stimulatory signal to the PT which can be regulated by melatonin. Thus a principal action of melatonin in the PT may be the repression of biochemical processes driven by cAMP. However, through the phenomenon of sensitization, melatonin may also act to amplify a stimulatory input to the cAMP signal transduction pathway in the PT. These events are mediated via the melatonin receptor, which is itself a target for regulation by the melatonin signal. Studies using the PT have identified several signalling pathways that may serve to positively or negatively regulate the expression of the melatonin receptor. These and other studies in the PT have alluded to cAMP-independent pathways regulated by the melatonin receptor.

Animals↗
PubMedDate not supplied

The 1994 eruption of the Rabaul volcano, Papua New Guinea: injuries sustained and medical response.

On 19 September 1994, with little warning, two volcanoes erupted at the Rabaul caldera, affecting the heavily populated Gazelle Peninsula, East New Britain Province, Papua New Guinea. Local health services were able to deal with the disaster without additional external resources. The preparedness of the population and their knowledge of safe areas gained from a disaster plan widely publicized a decade earlier contributed to the low number of casualties.

Adult↗
PubMedDate not supplied

Counsel in confidence.

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Burnout, Professional↗