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Biomedical subjects

R Cooper

Publications and source records attributed to R Cooper.

At least 55 records · Page 3Linked to original sources
PubMed1996

Pain following craniotomy: a preliminary study comparing PCA morphine with intramuscular codeine phosphate.

We have performed a prospective randomised trial of 30 patients undergoing craniotomy to compare intramuscular codeine phosphate with patient-controlled analgesia using morphine 1 mg bolus with a 10-min lockout and no background infusion. For 24 h postoperatively, pain, nausea, Glasgow coma score, respiratory rate and sedation score were assessed. There was a wide variation in the amounts of morphine requested by the patients in the patient-controlled analgesia group in the first 24 h postoperatively (range 2-79 mg, median 17 mg). There was a small, but non-significant, reduction in pain scores in the patient-controlled analgesia group. There were no significant differences between the two groups in respect of nausea and vomiting, sedation score or respiratory rate. No major adverse effects were noted in either group. Patient-controlled analgesia with morphine is an alternative to intramuscular codeine phosphate in neurosurgical patients which merits further investigation.

Adolescent↗
PubMed1996

Polymorphisms of renin-angiotensin genes among Nigerians, Jamaicans, and African Americans.

Within the context of an international collaborative study of the evolution of hypertension in the black diaspora, we determined the allelic distribution of hypertension candidate genes for the renin-angiotensin system in three populations of African origin. The insertion/deletion (I/D) polymorphism of the angiotensin-converting enzyme (ACE) and the M235T and T174M variants of the angiotensinogen (AGT) gene were examined in individuals from Nigeria, Jamaica, and the United States. Large differences in the prevalence of hypertension were recorded in door-to-door surveys, ranging from 16% in Nigeria to 33% in the United States. The frequency of the D allele was similar in all groups (54%, 59%, and 63% in Nigeria, Jamaica, and the United States, respectively). The 235T allele of the AGT gene was found in 81% of US and Jamaican blacks and 91% of Nigerians; very little variation was seen for the T174M marker. Despite large differences in hypertension rates, genetic variation at the index loci among these groups was modest. Overall, the frequency of the ACE*D allele was only slightly higher than that reported for European and Japanese populations, whereas the AGT 235T allele was twice as common. Compared with blacks in the western hemisphere, Nigerians had a higher frequency of the 235T allele, which is consistent with 25% European admixture in Jamaica and the United States. The results indicate the potential for etiologic heterogeneity in genetic factors related to hypertension across ethnic groups while suggesting that environmental exposures most likely explain the gradient in risk in the comparison among black populations.

Alleles↗
PubMed1996

Psychosocial correlates of chest pain among African-American women.

While 10-30% of individuals with chest pain who undergo cardiac arteriography are found to have no demonstrable pathology, women are far more likely than men to have normal coronary arteries in the presence of angina. Black women, in particular, frequently seek medical attention for persistent episodes of chest pain. This cross-sectional study was designed to examine the potential role of psychological and social factors in relation to chest pain among black women. Among our population-based sample of 188 women, 48% reported experiencing chest pain. Seventeen of these cases met the Rose criteria for classification as cardiac pain while 74 of them reported pain not consistent with cardiac origin. A statistically significant difference was observed in the stress scores among the women; the highest stress scores occurred among those with Rose angina and the lowest scores were obtained from those women reporting no chest pain experiences (p < 0.001). There was no association detected between the presence and type of chest pain and psychosocial measures of depression and coping abilities. These results confirm the high rates of chest pain experienced among black women, and provide insight into the role of psychological factors that should be considered in the identification of treatment options.

Adult↗
PubMed1996

A comparative study of hypertension prevalence, awareness, treatment and control rates in St Lucia, Jamaica and Barbados.

BACKGROUND: Cardiovascular diseases represent the most common cause of death in the English-speaking Caribbean, and hypertension represents the most important predisposing condition. However, direct between-country comparative studies in the Caribbean have not previously been undertaken. OBJECTIVE: To obtain estimates of hypertension prevalence, awareness, treatment and control in three countries in the Caribbean. DESIGN: Population-based samples of adults aged 25-74 years in St Lucia, Barbados and Jamaica were surveyed regarding their cardiovascular health and their blood pressures were measured using a highly standardized protocol. A reference site was available from a collaborative study among blacks in metropolitan Chicago, Illinois, USA. RESULTS: At the 160/95 mmHg threshold, age-adjusted hypertension prevalence estimates for Jamaica, St Lucia and Barbados were 17.5, 18.3 and 21.5%, respectively, and 24.7, 26.9 and 27.9%, respectively, at the 140/90 mmHg threshold. The corresponding estimate for the Chicago site at the 140/90 mmHg threshold was 33.2%. The gradient in prevalence resembled the gradient in body mass index (25.7 kg/m2 in Jamaica to 29.3 kg/m2 in the USA). At the 160/95 mmHg threshold, the proportion of all hypertensives who were aware of their disease, pharmacologically treated and controlled was highest in Barbados (90, 85 and 72%, respectively) and lowest in St Lucia (74, 59 and 35%, respectively). Men, particularly those aged less than 55 years, were less likely to have their hypertension treated and controlled. CONCLUSIONS: Compared with estimates from earlier independent surveys, considerable progress has been made in hypertension detection and control in these countries, which should lead to sizable reductions in the burden of cardiovascular disease.

Adult↗
PubMed1996

Diagnosis of bacterial contact lens related keratitis with the white-light confocal microscope.

PURPOSE: We used white-light confocal microscopy to identify the causative organisms in two patients with contact lens related keratitis. METHODS: The corneal infiltrates were examined by confocal microscopy and corneal specimens were obtained for culture. RESULTS: In both patients, confocal microscopy revealed 1.5- to 2-micron diameter hyper-reflective bodies below the level of the epithelium. The sizes of these structures were consistent with those of bacteria. The corneal cultures from one patient grew Staphylococcus werneri and the cultures from the other patient grew Streptococcus viridans. CONCLUSIONS: The confocal microscope permitted the in vivo observation of what we believe to be bacteria in patients diagnosed with contact lens related keratitis.

Adult↗
PubMed1996

The nurse's role in future cancer services.

The Calman report proposes a comprehensive national policy for cancer care. Implementation of these proposals could reduce the inequalities of opportunity of access to specialist services. The future role of nurses in cancer care has still to be clarified.

Home Care Services↗
PubMed1995

Infant with mos45,x/46,XY/47,XYY/48,XYYY: genetic and clinical findings.

We describe an infant with mos45,X/46,XY/47,XYY/48,XYYY who presented with ambiguous genitalia. Her phenotype was also remarkable for minor ear and eye anomalies and coarctation of the aorta with bicuspid aortic valve. Laparoscopy revealed bilateral Fallopian tubes and a left infantile testis with epididymis. Chromosomal analyses of blood, skin, aorta, right Fallopian tube, and left gonadal tissue showed mos45,X/46,XY/47,XYY/48,XYYY. The 46,XY cell line was identified with routine trypsin-Giemsa banding only in cultured cells from an aortic biopsy. Fluorescence in-situ hybridization (FISH) was utilized to identify the presence of 46,XY cells in other tissues. The clinical manifestations of this patient are discussed and compared with those of similar cases of Y chromosome aneuploidy. To our knowledge, this is the first report of a patient with this unusual karyotype.

Aneuploidy↗
PubMed1995

Interleukin-11 stimulates multilineage progenitors, but not stem cells, in murine and human long-term marrow cultures.

Interleukin-11 (IL-11) is a bone marrow microenvironment-derived growth factor with pleiotropic effects on a variety of hematopoietic cells. To more accurately assess the effects of IL-11 on stem and progenitor compartments within the hematopoietic microenvironment (HM), we added recombinant human (rh) IL-11 to human and murine long-term bone marrow cultures (LTMC) and analyzed primitive (high proliferative potential-colony forming cells [HPP-CFC], long-term culture-initiating cells [LTC-IC], and long-term reconstituting stem cells) and progenitor (day 12 colony forming unit-spleen [CFU-S12], colony forming unit-megakaryocyte [CFU-Mk] and colony forming unit-granulocyte/macrophage [CFU-GM]) compartments throughout the duration of the cultures. rhIL-11 (100 ng/mL) added twice weekly resulted in significantly increased nonadherent (NA) cellularity, CFU-GM, and CFU-Mk production in human LTMC. Addition of rhIL-11 to murine LTMC was associated with a 5- to 40-fold increase in CFU-GM and a four- to 20-fold increase in day 12 CFU-S in NA cells. However, IL-11 had no significant effect on total HPP-CFC concentration and decreased the size of the more primitive stem/progenitor compartment as evidenced by both decreased LTC-IC frequency in human LTMC and decreased frequency of long-term reconstituting stem cells in murine LTMC. These data suggest that IL-11 may increase commitment of stem cells into a multipotential progenitor compartment.

Animals↗
PubMed1995

Anti-(human immunodeficiency virus) activity of polyoxotungstates and their inhibition of human immunodeficiency virus reverse transcriptase.

Heteropolyoxotungstates of the Keggin class containing different heteroatoms were tested for inhibition of two strains of human immunodeficiency virus 1 (HIV-1); they exhibited varying antiviral activity. Compounds containing boron were inactive, only one of those containing phosphorus showed selective anti-viral activity, whereas all silicon-containing compounds exhibited significant anti-viral activity in C8166 cells infected with the IIIB strain. Their effectiveness was some 10-fold higher in JM cells with selectivity indices of about 2000. The silicotungstates were effective inhibitors of HIV reverse transcriptase, showing greater inhibition with RNA/DNA template primers than with DNA/DNA template.primer. Kinetic analysis demonstrated that they inhibit the enzyme by different mechanisms, as, of the four compounds examined, two competed with template.primer and two competed with deoxynucleoside triphosphate. Inhibition of DNA polymerase activity by these compounds was compared using polymerases from different sources, including human; although not necessarily most specific for HIV-1 reverse transcriptase, they did not inhibit all DNA polymerases to a similar degree.

Antiviral Agents↗
PubMed1995

Soar and the case for unified theories of cognition.

Despite the potential importance to cognitive psychology of unified theories no attempt has been made to assess concretely the methodological problems that such theorising produces. This paper addresses this issue of unified theorising, and in particular the arguments for unified theories put forward by Newell (1990). Close examination of these arguments reveals that Newell's approach does not adequately counter the difficulties which beset the grand theories of the 1930s, nor the problems of irrelevant specification which arise in modern computational psychological work. These difficulties do not prevent the development of unified theories, but they do pose serious problems, problems which it is argued can only be met by rigorous empirical testing together with extreme methodological sensitivity. The methodological concerns lead us to examine Soar, perhaps the most well-developed unified theory, from methodological, computational, and empirical perspectives. Our conclusions are that, whilst Soar represents an impressive body of research, its methodological foundations are insecure, it is ill specified as a computational/psychological theory, and under empirical testing it does not stand up to close scrutiny as a unified theory. The Soar research programme as it currently stands thus fails to meet the necessary methodological demands imposed by unified theorising.

Cognition↗
PubMed1995

The effect of massage on oxygen consumption at rest.

This study determined the effect of massage on oxygen consumption at rest. Ten healthy, adult males (mean age = 28 years) volunteered to serve as subjects. During the Control Session, each subject was placed in the supine position on a massage table to remain motionless for 30 minutes. During the Treatment Session, each subject received a 30-minute sports massage of the lower extremities. Oxygen consumption was determined via the Beckman Metabolic Measurement Cart, which was upgraded to estimate cardiac output using the CO2 rebreathing (equilibrium) method. Paired t-tests were used for all tests of statistical significance. There was no significant difference in the subjects' oxygen consumption with the massage. Also, there were no significant differences in heart rate, stroke volume, cardiac output, and arteriovenous oxygen difference during the massage. These findings indicate (1) that massaging the lower extremities results in neither an increase nor a decrease in the subjects' expenditure of energy at rest and (2) that the energy cost of metabolism at rest is determined by the same central and/or peripheral adjustments.

Adult↗