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Biomedical subjects

P Coleman

Publications and source records attributed to P Coleman.

At least 55 records · Page 3Linked to original sources
PubMed1998

Dendritic changes in Alzheimer's disease and factors that may underlie these changes.

It seems likely that the Alzheimer disease (AD)-related dendritic changes addressed in this article are induced by two principally different processes. One process is linked to the plastic response associated with deafferentation, that is, long-lasting transneuronally induced regressive changes in dendritic geometry and structure. The other process is associated with severe alterations of the dendritic- and perikaryal cytoskeleton as seen in neurons with the neurofibrillary pathology of AD, that is, the formation of paired helical filaments formed by hyperphosphorylated microtubule-associated protein tau. As the development of dendritic and cytoskeletal abnormalities are at least mediated by alterations in signal transduction, this article also reviews changes in signal pathways in AD. We also discuss transgenic approaches developed to model and understand cytoskeletal abnormalities.

Alzheimer Disease↗
PubMed1998

Immunogenicity of hepatitis B Vaccines. Implications for persons at occupational risk of hepatitis B virus infection.

OBJECTIVE: To assess risk factors for decreased immunogenicity among adults vaccinated with hepatitis B vaccine and to determine the importance of differences in immunogenicity between vaccines among health care workers (HCWs). DESIGN: Randomized clinical trial and decision analysis. PARTICIPANTS: HCSw. MAIN OUTCOME MEASURES: Development of seroprotective levels of antibody to hepatitis B surface antigen (anti-HBs) and the number of expected chronic hepatitis B virus (HBV) infections associated with lack of protection. RESULTS: Overall, 88% of HCWs developed seroprotection. Risk factors associated with failure to develop seroprotection included increasing age, obesity, smoking and male gender (P < .05). Presence of a chronic disease was associated with lack of seroprotection only among persons > or = 40 years of age (P < .05). The two vaccines studied differed in their overall seroprotection rates (90% vs. 86%; P < .05), however, this difference was restricted to persons > or = 40 years of age (87% vs. 81%; P < .01). Among HCWs > or = 40 years of age, the decision analysis found 44 (0.34/100,000 person-years) excess chronic HBV infections over the working life of the cohort associated with use of the less immunogenic vaccine compared to the other. CONCLUSIONS: He patitis B vaccines are highly immunogenic, but have decreased immunogenicity associated with increasing age, obesity, smoking, and male gender; and among older adults, the presence of a chronic disease. One of the two available vaccines is more immunogenic among older adults; however, this finding has little clinical or public health importance. Hepatitis B vaccines should be administered to persons at occupational risk for HBV infection early in their career, preferably while they are still in their training.

Adult↗
PubMed1998

The proteoglycans and glycosaminoglycan chains of rabbit synovium.

The synovial lining of joint capsules is important because it controls the flow of fluid into and out of the joint cavity. Physiological studies have shown that the glycosaminoglycans, particularly hyaluronan, have an important role in the control of fluid flow. The distribution of the glycosaminoglycans and proteoglycans in the synovium and subsynovium of rabbits (approximately 12 weeks old) was, therefore, determined immunohistochemically. Hyaluronan, chondroitin-4- and chondroitin-6-sulphates and keratan sulphate are present in the synovium and subsynovium; chondroitin-4-sulphate is at higher concentrations than chondroitin-6-sulphate. The core proteins of the chondroitin sulphate proteoglycans, biglycan and decorin, and of the keratan sulphate proteoglycan, fibromodulin, are also present. To date, fibromodulin has not been located in other synovial linings, and its presence corroborates that of keratan sulphate.

Animals↗
PubMed1997

Clinical, magnetic resonance imaging and endocrinological differences between delusional and non-delusional depression in the elderly.

OBJECTIVE: To investigate neuroradiological, endocrinological and clinical differences between delusional and non-delusional depression. DESIGN: A cross-sectional study of depressed subjects. SETTING: Melbourne, Australia. PARTICIPANTS: Sixty-one subjects (inpatients) over the age of 55 meeting DSM-III-R criteria for major depression of whom 22 had delusional subtype of depression. MEASURES: Clinical assessment, including documentation of vascular risk factors. Cognitive assessment by the Cambridge Cognitive Examination (CAMCOG). Magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) scans were performed on a 0.3 Tesla scanner with temporal lobe atrophy, periventricular lesions (PVL) and deep white matter lesions (DWML) rated visually on 4-point scales. A standard 1 mg dexamethasone suppression test (DST) was performed. RESULTS: Subjects with delusional depression had significantly more vascular risk factors than those without delusions. There were no differences in measures of temporal lobe atrophy, PVL, DST results or cognitive test scores, though there was a non-significant trend for DWML to be more prevalent in those with delusions. Delusional depression was associated with a shorter duration of history and more frequent treatment with ECT. CONCLUSIONS: The increase in vascular risk factors and trend towards greater DWML on MRI suggests an organic contribution to delusional depression in the elderly. In contrast to some previous reports, we found no differences in cortical MRI appearance or neuroendocrine measures between groups.

Aged↗
PubMed1997

Leukocytes, cell adhesion molecules and ischemic acute renal failure.

Ischemic acute renal failure (ARF) is a common clinical syndrome, associated with high morbidity and mortality, for which there is no specific therapy. Polymorphonuclear neutrophils (PMN) recruited during reperfusion have been implicated as mediators of renal parenchymal injury in ischemic ARF. Leukocyte adhesion molecules appear to facilitate PMN recruitment in this setting. Complementary studies using monoclonal antibodies, antisense oligonucleotides and gene "knock-out" indicate that blockade of CD11/CD18 integrins and intercellular adhesion molecule-1 (ICAM-1) attenuates ARF in some experimental models of renal ischemia. These exciting observations may herald the development of novel anti-adhesion strategies for use in human disease.

Acute Kidney Injury↗
PubMed1997

A hermeneutic analysis of the process of conducting clinical interviews.

1. Although no right way to interview exists, an interviewer should develop a comfortable, personal style. 2. Allowing an interview to follow its own course while remembering the overall interview agenda will contribute to quality of the data. 3. Interviewing skills are enhanced as the interviewer develops a personal style and becomes comfortable as a practitioner.

Adult↗
PubMed1996

Tools to incorporate some psychological and organizational issues during the development of computer-based systems.

The organization, findings and outcomes of a joint industrial/academic project are described. The principal goal of the project was to develop and test some tools through which people involved in system development can incorporate explicit consideration of certain key psychological and organizational issues. Five tools developed for this purpose are outlined. These are concerned with the design of work organization, job design, the allocation of tasks between humans and computers, usability and task analysis. The use of the tools is described in a 'live' system development project in a large company. The authors briefly review the extent to which these tools meet a set of pre-specified requirements, compare their approach with those of Mumford (1986) and Lim et al. (1992), and make explicit what claims they are making of these tools.

Computer Systems↗
PubMed1996

Measuring the mental health status of a population: a comparison of the GHQ-12 and the SF-36 (MHI-5).

BACKGROUND: A comparison of the performance of the 5-item mental health dimension of SF-36 (MRI-5) with that of the 12-item General Health Questionnaire (GHQ-12) in a defined, non-patient population, using standard statistical tests. METHODS: A postal survey of 3000 patients aged 16-64 years was conducted. Patients were randomly selected from the practice lists of two general practices chosen to represent populations with different socio-economic characteristics. RESULTS: Considerable evidence was found for the internal consistency of both instruments (Cronbach's alpha 0.91 and 0.84 for GHQ-12 and the MHI-5 respectively) and for their construct validity in terms of distinguishing between groups with measured health differences. Both instruments showed a significant difference in the mean scores for men and women. In contrast to the GHQ-12, no correlation was found between age and score for the MHI-5. Both instruments were equally sensitive to socio-economic characteristics and to levels of social support. The scores on the two instruments were highly correlated (Spearman rank correlation-0.73). CONCLUSION: The MHI-5 has comparable psychometric performance to the GHQ-12, and can be used to measure and compare mental health in defined populations. Operational advantages of the MHI-5 over the GHQ-12 are that it is in the public domain, is part of a general health measure (SF-36) and is shorter.

Adolescent↗
PubMed1995

Utilization of home-delivered meals by recipients 75 years of age or older.

OBJECTIVE: To compare the effects of gender, age, and living situation on utilization of home-delivered meals by elderly recipients. DESIGN: Cross-sectional cohort study. SETTING: The sample was recruited from five meals-on-wheels agencies in southern Ontario, Canada, representing both rural and urban settings. SUBJECTS: Participants were 150 white, independently living recipients of meals-on-wheels who were older than 75 years and able to communicate in English and who had access to a telephone. Of these, 137 (90 women and 47 men) completed the study (attrition rate = 9%). MAIN OUTCOME MEASURES: Meal utilization: the energy and nutrient content and the amounts of specific foods in the consumed portions of delivered meals calculated as percentages of the total received from the service agencies. STATISTICAL ANALYSES PERFORMED: Two-factor analysis of variance. RESULTS: Meal utilization in terms of energy of the consumed portion of the delivered meals was 81 +/- 18%. Nutrient utilization ranged from 83% (vitamin A) to 77% (vitamin C). For specific foods, utilization ranged from 67% (miscellaneous) to 83% (protein sources and soups). Utilization levels for energy, eight nutrients, and specific foods were significantly higher for men than for women. Women living alone showed higher utilization values for energy and 11 nutrients compared with those living with others. Age had no effect on meal utilization. CONCLUSIONS: Monitoring and consultation procedures are necessary to ensure maximum nutritional benefits to clients and cost-effectiveness of the meal service.

Aged↗