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Biomedical subjects

R Goodman

Publications and source records attributed to R Goodman.

At least 73 records · Page 4Linked to original sources
PubMed1995

The impact of child IQ, parent IQ and sibling IQ on child behavioural deviance scores.

In an epidemiological sample of 411 13-year-old twins of normal intelligence, both parents and teachers reported more behavioural problems among children with lower IQs. This was not attributable to the effects of parental IQ or social class and was not entirely mediated by lower scholastic attainments. Different causal models are discussed: "rater bias" and "IQ is a consequence" explanations seem less plausible than "IQ is a cause" and "IQ is a marker" explanations. Higher parental IQ was associated with more emotional symptoms in the child, both by parental and school report. There was no evidence that being brighter or less bright than a (twin) sibling influenced behavioural deviance, casting doubt on the importance of contrast effects.

Adolescent↗
PubMed1995

A controlled double blind study of azathioprine in the management of Crohn's disease.

While immunosuppressive agents are used widely in the management of Crohn's disease, their efficacy has not been well established in randomised controlled trials. This study was designed to examine whether azathioprine increases remission rate when used in conjunction with a diminishing dose regimen of prednisolone over a period of 12 weeks. It further examined whether azathioprine offers any therapeutic advantage over placebo in the maintenance of remission in Crohn's disease over a period of 15 months. Sixty three patients with active Crohn's disease were treated with a 12 weeks diminishing dose of prednisolone and at the same time entered into a randomised, double blind 15 month trial of either azathioprine (2.5 mg/kg) or placebo. Remission rates between the two groups were compared at 12 weeks and at 15 months. There was no significant difference in the proportion of patients who had achieved and maintained remission by week 12 but at 15 months there was a highly significant difference in the proportion of patients in remission (42% receiving azathioprine v 7% receiving placebo), p = 0.001. Using life tables this beneficial effect was reflected as the difference in the median number of days on the trial (p = 0.02). There were significantly greater decreases over the trial period in the median erythrocyte sedimentation rate, C reactive protein, and leucocyte count in the azathioprine group. There were no cases of severe bone marrow suppression or clinical pancreatitis. In conclusion, azathioprine offers a therapeutic advantage over placebo in the maintenance of remission in Crohn's disease.

Adolescent↗
PubMed1995

Child and adolescent psychiatric presentations of second-generation Afro-Caribbeans in Britain.

BACKGROUND: A clinical sample was used to investigate whether second-generation Afro-Caribbean children differed from other British-born children in their psychiatric presentation or vulnerability to risk factors. METHOD: Second-generation Afro-Caribbean patients (n = 292) were compared with a predominantly white group of patients (n = 1311) who lived in the same inner-city area and attended the same child psychiatric clinic between 1973 and 1989. Data on psychiatric presentation and background factors were systematically recorded at the time of the initial clinical assessment. RESULTS: Afro-Caribbean patients were exposed to more socio-economic disadvantage but less family dysfunction. The ratio of emotional to conduct disorders was lower among Afro-Caribbean than among the comparison patients--an effect that was not evidently due to demographic factors or diagnostic bias. Most risk factors for emotional or conduct disorders had comparable effects on Afro-Caribbean and comparison patients. Psychotic and autistic disorders were disproportionately common among the Afro-Caribbean patients. CONCLUSIONS: Second-generation Afro-Caribbean children differ somewhat from other British-born children in their psychiatric presentation--a difference that has persisted over the 1970s and 1980s and that deserves more investigation than it has received to date.

Acculturation↗
PubMed1995

The value of an elimination diet in the management of patients with ulcerative colitis.

Debate exists about the role of diet in both the aetiology and the management of ulcerative colitis. To examine the latter, a group of patients with documented ulcerative colitis was studied at the Groote Schuur Hospital Gastro-intestinal Clinic. A total of 18 subjects, 9 female and 9 male, were randomised into active or control groups and followed up weekly for 6 weeks. Subjects in the control group were asked to document but not alter their intake of food and drink. Those in the experimental group had their diets systematically manipulated to exclude foods that appeared to provoke symptoms. The symptoms, sigmoidoscopy and biopsy findings of all subjects were compared before and after. 'Remission' was defined as the passage of normal stools with absence of rectal bleeding. 'Improvement' was defined as a decrease in the number of diarrhoeal stools and/or a diminution of rectal bleeding. At the end of the trial the diet group displayed significantly fewer symptoms than did the controls (P = 0.009; Fisher's exact test). Sigmoidoscopic findings improved in 8 subjects in the diet group compared with 2 of the controls. Histological findings improved in 3 of the diet group as well as in 3 of the controls. There were no foods that provoked symptoms in all patients, though spiced and curried foods and fruits, especially grapes, melon and the citruses, commonly caused diarrhoea. In only 2 patients were symptoms reproduced consistently on reintroduction of a particular food, pork in 1 case and yellow cheese in another.

Adult↗
PubMed1994

Calcium is necessary in the cell response to EM fields.

Previous research showed that exposure of human HL-60 cells to extremely low frequency electromagnetic fields increases the steady-state levels of some mRNAs. Modifications in calcium flux have been suggested as a means of amplifying electromagnetic signals, and induced changes in calcium influx could hypothetically lead to gene activation. The present experiments tested the role of calcium in the response of cells to electromagnetic fields. Steady state transcript levels for c-fos and c-myc were determined under conditions of low extracellular calcium. The present study confirms that calcium plays a role in the response of cells to electromagnetic fields.

Base Sequence↗
PubMed1994

Exposure of simian virus-40-transformed human cells to magnetic fields results in increased levels of T-antigen mRNA and protein.

In its integrated form. SV-40 DNA offers an opportunity to observe the behavior of what is in effect a viral genome within a cellular genome, with transcriptional and translational products that can be clearly distinguished from those of the host cell. Exposure of SV40-transformed human fibroblasts to a 60 Hz continuous-wave sinusoidal electromagnetic (EM) field resulted in increased levels of virally derived mRNA and protein of large T-antigen. These findings provide evidence that a foreign DNA integrated into cells can be affected by EM fields under conditions known to cause increased transcripts from endogenous cellular genes.

Antigens, Viral, Tumor↗
PubMed1994

Specific region of the c-myc promoter is responsive to electric and magnetic fields.

The level of c-myc transcripts is increased in cells exposed to extremely low frequency (elf) electromagnetic (EM) fields at 60 Hz. The aim of the present experiments was to determine if regulatory regions upstream of the c-myc gene modulate the response to EM fields. DNA upstream of P1 of both mouse and human c-myc genes was transfected into cells as CAT constructs. The presence of DNA 5' to the human or mouse myc genes results in increased expression of CAT following 20 min exposures of cells to 60 Hz elf EM fields. Specific portions of the human upstream DNA were deleted and introduced into cells. The region responsive to EM fields is located between -353 and -1,257 relative to the P1 promoter.

Animals↗
PubMed1994

A modified version of the Rutter parent questionnaire including extra items on children's strengths: a research note.

An expanded version of the Rutter parent questionnaire was administered to 320 schoolchildren with hemiplegia. Scores and caseness categories derived from the original Rutter items corresponded well with the findings of independent psychiatric evaluations. A measure of prosocial behaviour derived from 10 novel items had promising internal consistency, factorial independence and inter-rater reliability. Another six novel items loaded on the same factor as the three original Rutter hyperactivity items. The modified questionnaire may be useful with a wide range of children, particularly if the focus on children's strengths as well as weaknesses increases parental compliance and reduces halo effects.

Affective Symptoms↗
PubMed1994

Childhood hemiplegia: is the side of lesion influenced by a family history of left-handedness?

Family histories of left-handedness were obtained for 396 children with congenital or acquired hemiplegia. As in other studies, right-sided hemiplegia was substantially more common than left-sided hemiplegia. The excess of right hemiplegia was entirely accounted for by children with left-handed relatives. This is contrary to what would be expected if the preponderance of right hemiplegia reflected a greater vulnerability of the dominant hemisphere to early damage. Though the observed association between right hemiplegia and a family history of left-handedness may well have occurred by chance, it could potentially reflect some heritable aspect of cerebral asymmetry (such as slow development of the left hemisphere) that predisposes an individual both to left-handedness and to left-hemisphere injury.

Brain↗
PubMed1993

2'-substituted chalcone derivatives as inhibitors of interleukin-1 biosynthesis.

A series of 2'-substituted chalcone derivatives has been found to show potent inhibition of the production of IL-1 beta from human peripheral blood monocytes stimulated with lipopolysaccharide (LPS), with IC50 values in the 0.2-5.0-microM range. Some members of the series have also shown inhibition of septic shock induced in mice by injection of LPS, although with low potency. Qualitative structure-activity relationships have shown that the enone is required for activity, which may be mediated by conjugate addition of a biological nucleophile to the chalcone. Electron-poor aromatic rings beta to the ketone give enhanced potency. Although electronic effects in the other ring (directly attached to the ketone) are minimal, this ring must possess an ortho substituent for good activity without cytotoxicity, suggesting a degree of selectivity which would not be expected for simple, nonspecific alkylating agents.

Animals↗
PubMed1993

Electromagnetic fields and cells.

There is strong public interest in the possibility of health effects associated with exposure to extremely low frequency (elf) electromagnetic (EM) fields. Epidemiological studies suggest a probable, but controversial, link between exposure to elf EM fields and increased incidence of some cancers in both children and adults. There are hundreds of scientific studies that have tested the effects of elf EM fields on cells and whole animals. A growing number of reports show that exposure to elf EM fields can produce a large array of effects on cells. Of interest is an increase in specific transcripts in cultured cells exposed to EM fields. The interaction mechanism with cells, however, remains elusive. Evidence is presented for a model based on cell surface interactions with EM fields.

Animals↗
PubMed1992

Transcription in Drosophila melanogaster salivary gland cells is altered following exposure to low-frequency electromagnetic fields: analysis of chromosome 3R.

The use of the transcription autoradiographic method permits identification of nascent RNA chains directly on identifiable regions of Drosophila salivary gland chromosomes. Changes in transcriptional activity at 13 defined regions of the right arm of chromosome 3 (3R) were observed following 20-min exposures of salivary glands to five different extremely low frequency (ELF) electromagnetic (EM) fields. Changes in translational patterns were also induced by the ELF EM fields in exposed cells. Differences included an increase in over-all polypeptide synthesis as well as in the number of polypeptides resolved in cells exposed to EM fields.

Animals↗
PubMed1991

Phospholipase A2 (PLA2) activity in bovine pulmonary artery endothelial cells.

We have investigated the role of recombinant human interleukin-1 beta (rIL-1 beta) and recombinant human tumor necrosis factor alpha (rTNF-alpha) on PLA2 activity, protein synthesis and eicosanoid production in bovine pulmonary artery endothelial cells. Cellular PLA2 activity increased 4-fold and production of PGE2 increased 3-fold at 1-2 hrs in the presence of 10 units/ml rIL-1 beta. PLA2 activity increased 3-fold at 30 min and PGE2 production increased 2-fold with 5 x 10(-9) M rTNF-alpha. The data show that endothelial cells respond more rapidly to rIL-1 beta (2-6 hr) and rTNF-alpha (30 min) than do chondrocytes and synovial cells (6-16 hrs), suggesting endothelial cells may play a primary role in initiating the inflammatory response.

Animals↗
PubMed1991

Reliability of clinical ratings by trainee child psychiatrists: a research note.

Trainee and senior psychiatrists separately rated the symptoms and signs of 14 consecutive referrals to a child psychiatric team. Inter-rater reliabilities ranged from 0.61 to 0.94 on four clinically relevant dimensions of psychopathology. Aggregating all items, trainees' ratings identified whether or not items were definitely present with greater than 95% accuracy, as judged by a senior psychiatrist's ratings and a review of the case notes. This pilot study suggests that trainees' ratings can be of acceptable reliability for research purposes.

Affective Symptoms↗
PubMed1991

The use of progressive indicators as predictors of NCLEX-RN success and performance of BSN graduates.

Successful performance during the student's academic career contributes to his success on the NCLEX-RN. The purpose of this study was to determine predictors of success on the NCLEX preadmission and years 2, 3, and 4 variables in relation to NCLEX-RN scores. Data were obtained retrospectively from records of 408 baccalaureate nursing students. Preadmission variables were sex, age, race, and admission grade point average (GPA). Year 2 variables were numerical grades for the first two clinical nursing courses. Year 3 variables were numerical grades for clinical courses in mental health, adult health, and maternal child nursing. Year 4 variables were numerical grades in two senior clinical courses, percentile rank on NLN comprehensive exam, and graduate GPA. In NCLEX-RN scores, 67% of the variance was accounted for by admission GPA and race (33%), one 2nd year grade (an additional 14%), the 3rd year adult health grade (an additional 14%), the 3rd year adult health grade (an additional 11%), one 4th year theory grade, and the NLN comprehensive exam (an additional 9%). These results suggest that there are preadmission and sophomore year predictors of NCLEX-RN success which could be used to design early interventions for students performing poorly and at risk of failing the NCLEX-RN.

Achievement↗