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Biomedical subjects

R King

Publications and source records attributed to R King.

At least 91 records · Page 5Linked to original sources
PubMed1998

The geography of Bangladeshi migration to Rome.

"With reference to the Bangladeshi community in Rome, this paper provides some answers to three key geographical questions: what is the migrants' regional pattern of origin in their home country; what are the mechanisms and routes of their migration to Italy; how are they spatially distributed in Rome?... Chain migration links specific origins in Bangladesh with spatial clusters and economic activities in Rome; the key here is the role of Bangladeshi community leaders in Rome who act both as migration sponsors and entrepreneurs."

Asia↗
PubMed1998

Approaches and issues in defining asthma and associated phenotypes map to chromosome susceptibility areas in large Minnesota families. The Collaborative Study for the Genetics of Asthma (CSGA).

Evidence for linkage of asthma and its associated phenotypes with susceptibility genes on chromosome 12 has been demonstrated in one group of Minnesota families. The evidence is strong in affected sib pairs and weakens in analysis of the large pedigrees. A second group of families provided little evidence for such linkage. A discrepancy has been demonstrated in different families. This may be due to several factors, including genetic heterogeneity and gene-gene, or gene-environmental interaction effects as well as the statistical power of the sample population used.

Adolescent↗
PubMed1998

Psychopathology associated with suicidal ideation and attempts among children and adolescents.

OBJECTIVE: To identify the independent and differential diagnostic and symptom correlates of suicidal ideation and suicide attempts and determine whether there are gender- and age-specific diagnostic profiles. METHOD: The relationships between suicidal ideation, suicide attempts, and psychiatric disorders were examined among 1,285 randomly selected children and adolescents, aged 9 to 17 years, of whom 42 had attempted suicide and 67 had expressed suicidal ideation only. Youths and their parents were interviewed as part of the Methods for the Epidemiology of Child and Adolescent Mental Disorders (MECA) Study, using the Diagnostic Interview Schedule for Children Version 2.3 (DISC-2.3). RESULTS: Logistic regression analyses indicated that mood, anxiety, and substance abuse/dependence disorders independently increased the risk of suicide attempts, after controlling for sociodemographic characteristics. There was no significant independent contribution of disruptive disorders to suicide attempts, although its association with suicidal ideation was significant. Substance abuse/dependence independently differentiated suicide attempters from ideators. Noncriterion symptoms that remained significant predictors of suicide risk, after adjusting for psychiatric disorder, included panic attacks and aggressiveness. Perfectionism did not significantly increase suicide risk after adjusting for psychiatric disorder. The association of specific disorders and noncriterion symptoms with suicidality varied as a function of gender and age. CONCLUSION: A monolithic diagnostic risk profile for suicidality, ignoring gender- and age-specific risks, is inadequate. The contribution of substance abuse/dependence in the escalation from suicidal thoughts to suicide attempts is underscored.

Adolescent↗
PubMed1998

The contribution of low birth weight to severe vision loss in a geographically defined population.

AIMS: To describe the birthweight specific rate of severe vision loss among babies born between 1 January 1984 and 31 December 1987 to mothers resident in a geographically defined area, to classify the causes of vision loss by time of origin, and to describe the associated sensory and motor impairments and disabilities. METHODS: Cases were identified from a population register of children with early childhood impairment, which uses multiple sources of ascertainment. Further clinical information was retrieved from hospital records and by asking ophthalmologists caring for the children. RESULTS: 166 (1.25/1000 live births) children with severe vision loss diagnosed by the age of 5 years were identified. The rate among babies born weighing less than 1500 g at birth was 26 times higher than the rate for babies between 2500 g and 3499 g. These very low birthweight babies contribute 17.5% of all severely visually impaired children. Almost two thirds of children with severe vision loss have a lesion of prenatal origin. Other sensory or motor deficits are present in 69% of the children. Retinopathy of prematurity accounted for 5.4% of all visually impaired children and seven of the 166 children met the criteria for perinatal asphyxia. CONCLUSIONS: Although the contribution made by babies with a low birth weight to overall severe vision loss in the community is small, many of these children have additional impairments and probably place considerable demands on health and educational services and families. Reduction in the frequency of vision problems in the preschool population as a whole is unlikely to occur until there are major advances in the understanding of the aetiology and prevention of eye conditions of genetic, prenatal, and developmental origin.

Birth Injuries↗
PubMed1998

Epidemiology of cerebral palsy in England and Scotland, 1984-9.

AIMS: To report on the epidemiology of cerebral palsy in England and Scotland, to provide information on the prevalence of cerebral palsy and the severity of the disability or any co-morbidity. METHODS: Cerebral palsy registers were compiled from multiple sources of ascertainment covering all of Scotland and the counties of Merseyside, Cheshire, Berkshire, Buckinghamshire, Northamptonshire and Oxfordshire in England. All cases of cerebral palsy born in 1984 to 1989, to mothers resident in the area, were included. Denominator number of live births and neonatal deaths for determining birthweight specific prevalence were obtained from birth and death registrations. Learning, manual, and ambulatory disabilities were graded for severity. Any co-existing sensory (hearing or visual) morbidity was also graded for severity. RESULTS: There were 789,411 live births in 1984-9, with 3651 neonatal deaths (neonatal mortality 4.6 per 1000 live births) and 1649 cases of cerebral palsy--a cerebral palsy prevalence of 2.1 per 1000 neonatal survivors. The birthweight specific cerebral palsy prevalence ranged from 1.1 per 1000 neonatal survivors in infants weighting > or = 2500 g to 78.1 in infants weighing < 1000 g. There was no significant time trend in prevalence of cerebral palsy in any of the birthweight groups, in contrast to the fall in neonatal mortality observed in all birthweight groups. Of the 1649 cases of cerebral palsy, 550 (33.4%) had severe ambulatory disability (no independent walking), 390 (23.7%) had severe manual disability (incapable of feeding or dressing unaided), 381 (23.1%) had severe learning disability (IQ < 50), 146 (8.9%) had severe visual disability (vision < 6/60 in the better eye) and 12 had severe hearing disability (> 70 dB loss). CONCLUSIONS: Registers fill an important gap left by the lack of routine data on the prevalence of disability in children. The ability to record trends in the prevalence and the severity of the disability should inform those who have responsibility for providing services for children with disabilities.

Cerebral Palsy↗
PubMed1998

Clinical and in situ cellular responses to Haemophilus ducreyi in the presence or absence of HIV infection.

We aimed to determine if the clinical and histological features of chancroid are altered by HIV infection. Male patients presenting to the Nairobi special treatment clinic with a clinical diagnosis of chancroid were eligible for the study. A detailed history, physical examination, swabs for Haemophilus ducreyi culture and blood for HIV serology, syphilis serology and CD4 counts were obtained from all patients. Punch biopsies from an ulcer were obtained from 10 patients and either fixed in 10% formalin or snap frozen in Optimum Cutting Temperature (OCT) medium compound at -70 degrees C. Patients were treated with erythromycin and followed for 3 weeks. Chi-square and Student's t-test were used to determine if the clinical and laboratory features of chancroid differed between HIV-seropositive and seronegative individuals. Cox regression survival analysis was used to determine if HIV infection altered cure rates of chancroid at 21 days. Immunohistochemical staining was performed using lymphocytic and macrophage markers and tissue sections were analysed by 2 pathologists in a blinded manner. Between February and November 1994, 109 HIV-seropositive and 211 HIV-seronegative individuals were enrolled in the study. HIV patients had ulcers of longer duration than HIV-seronegative patients (P=0.03). Although cure rates were similar at 3 weeks, HIV patients had lower cure rates at 1 week (23% v 54%, P=0.002). A dense interstitial and perivascular inflammatory infiltrate extending from the reticular to deep dermis was present in all biopsies. This consisted of equal amounts of CD4 and CD8 T-lymphocytes as well as macrophages. The histological and immunohistochemical picture was identical for HIV-positive and negative patients. HIV infection slows the healing rates of chancroid ulcers despite appropriate antibiotic therapy. This clinical difference cannot be attributed to an altered histopathological response to HIV infection. Additional studies are needed to elucidate the mechanisms responsible for this finding.

AIDS-Related Opportunistic Infections↗
PubMed1998

The impact of mental health service integration on systemic function: a staff perspective.

OBJECTIVE: The purpose of this study was to investigate the perceptions of community staff regarding service process and quality, while a public mental health service integrated acute inpatient and continuing care components. METHODS: The study employed a naturalistic successive measures design in which community mental health staff completed a questionnaire on three occasions during the integration process. RESULTS: Staff perceived overall service quality to improve during the integration process with continuity of care being the area subject to greatest improvement. CONCLUSIONS: The integration of acute inpatient and continuing care services resulted in changes to service process and outcome, which were judged by staff to be beneficial, especially with respect to continuity of patient care.

Analysis of Variance↗
PubMed1998

Emergence of visceral leishmaniasis in central Israel.

In 1994-1995, a child and five dogs from villages located between Jerusalem and Tel-Aviv, Israel were diagnosed with visceral leishmaniasis (VL). Based on these findings, the distribution of VL in domestic and wild canids in central Israel was examined. In the two villages where canine index cases were identified, a substantial proportion (11.5%, 14 of 122) of the dogs examined were seropositive. However, the rate of infection in five neighboring villages was only 1% (1 of 99). Parasites were cultured from 92% (12 of 13) of the seropositive dogs biopsied and the strains were characterized as Leishmania infantum by a clamped polymorphic-polymerase chain reaction, monoclonal antibodies, and/or excreted factor serology. The discovery of VL close to major urban centers is an important public health issue. The disease appears to have emerged recently in this area, and it is unclear whether the parasite was re-introduced or was continuously present at low levels in this region. The presence of seropositive wild canids, jackals (7.6%, 4 of 53) and red foxes (5%, 1 of 20), in central Israel, and the reappearance of the jackal population after near extinction suggests that wild canids may play a role in spreading this disease.

Animals↗
PubMed1998

Dyspareunia and vulvar disease.

OBJECTIVE: To determine the presence and frequency of contributing factors in functional dyspareunia and if these factors differ between patients with an epithelial disorder and those with apparently healthy genitalia. STUDY DESIGN: A psychologist assessed patients reporting dyspareunia at a vulvar diseases clinic by using a structured interview questionnaire, the Beck Depression Inventory, and the Spielberger State/Trait Anxiety Inventory. The questionnaire topics included sexual behavior, stresses and coping. Data were divided into two groups based on patients' functional diagnosis or epithelial disorder. RESULTS: Both groups recorded high levels of trauma-producing sexual behavior. Such behavior included unlubricated, unaroused and undesired sex. High levels of psychological and coping difficulties were also seen. Differences between the groups were seen in undesired sex, capacity to cope, stress factors coincidental with symptom onset and distress at the time of interview. CONCLUSION: Due to the high frequency of factors contributing to dyspareunia, such factors should be address regardless of the diagnosis. In all such patients it is recommended that a sexual and stress history be taken and counseling be considered.

Adaptation, Psychological↗
PubMed1997

Corneal abnormalities associated with incontinentia pigmenti.

PURPOSE: To report corneal abnormalities associated with incontinentia pigmenti. CASE REPORTS: Two girls, aged 2 1/2 and 5 years, with incontinentia pigmenti from one family underwent a complete ophthalmic examination. RESULTS: We found vortex (whorl-like) epithelial keratitis characterized by epithelial microcysts that stained with fluorescein and midstromal radial mild haziness in daughters of a family with incontinentia pigmenti. CONCLUSION: Incontinentia pigmenti should be included in the differential diagnosis of children with keratitis, particularly if there is evidence of characteristic dermatologic or other systemic manifestations.

Child, Preschool↗
PubMed1997

Placental nitric oxide synthase activity and abnormal umbilical artery flow velocity waveforms.

OBJECTIVE: To assess the nitric oxide synthase activity in placentas from women with either normal or abnormal Doppler ultrasound umbilical artery flow velocity wave-forms who delivered by elective cesarean. METHODS: This prospective observational study involved 16 women admitted either for elective cesarean for standard obstetric indications (with normal umbilical artery Doppler waveform studies, n = 8) or with evidence of fetal or maternal complications of pregnancy (with abnormal umbilical artery Doppler studies, n = 8). Placental tissue was collected and frozen in liquid nitrogen immediately upon delivery. Following storage at -80C, nitric oxide synthase activity was analyzed by measuring the conversion of [3H]L-arginine to [3H]L-citrulline. RESULTS: Placentas from women with abnormal umbilical artery flow velocity waveforms showed significantly lower mean nitric oxide synthase activity than did placentas from women with normal umbilical artery flow velocity wave-forms (Vmax = 11.3 pmol/minute/mg protein versus 22.6 pmol/minute/mg protein). CONCLUSION: There is a statistically significant reduction in nitric oxide synthase activity in placentas from pregnancies with abnormal umbilical artery flow velocity waveforms.

Adult↗
PubMed1997

Thresholds and tolerance of physical pain in suicidal and nonsuicidal adolescents.

It was hypothesized that suicidal inpatient adolescents (n = 38) will exhibit a higher tolerance for physical pain than nonsuicidal inpatients (n = 29) and control participants (n = 34). Participants provided self-reports of hopelessness, dissociation, suicidal tendencies, depression, and anxiety and were administered a series of thermal pain stimuli by means of a Thermal Sensory Analyzer (TSA). The suicidal participants significantly differed from the 2 controls in pain thresholds and tolerance and in most self-report measures, even after controlling for motivation, medication, diagnosis, and length of hospitalization. Significant correlations were found between pain measures and self-report measures. The results were discussed in terms of the role that body experiences play in suicidal behavior.

Adolescent↗
PubMed1997

Healthy aboriginal communities.

Improving the health of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander populations is the greatest challenge facing public health in Australia today. The gains in the health of the population overall have not been matched by gains among these communities. Much of the information about the health of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander communities and people is negative, and little information is available about what Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people themselves consider to be indicators of healthy people and healthy communities. This paper identifies some successful programs and highlights the need for community ownership of decisions about goals, services and programs. By looking to ways that Aboriginal people view their health (and its determinants), and to the examples of successful action to date, it is possible to begin to develop a vision of healthy Aboriginal communities in which the relationship between body, land and spirit has been restored. The need, now, is to build the partnerships that will be necessary to turn the vision into reality.

Attitude to Health↗
PubMed1997

Obsessive-compulsive disorder with and without tics in an epidemiological sample of adolescents.

OBJECTIVE: This study was undertaken to discriminate subtypes of obsessive-compulsive disorder in adolescents. METHOD: Forty individuals with obsessive-compulsive spectrum disorders were ascertained from an epidemiological sample of 861 adolescents. Interviews were conducted by child psychiatrists using semistructured diagnostic interviews, including a clinician-rated Yale-Brown Obsessive Compulsive Scale. Discriminant analysis was performed to compare the scores on the Yale-Brown scale of groups with and without comorbid tics and to compare boys and girls. RESULTS: Adolescents with tics were more prone to aggressive and sexual images and obsessions than were adolescents without tics; these differences could not be wholly attributed to sex differences. CONCLUSIONS: The subtypes among unreferred adolescents are similar to those of adult patients with obsessive-compulsive disorder with and without Gilles de la Tourette syndrome. Subtypes evident in adulthood may be established relatively early in the natural course of obsessive-compulsive disorder.

Adolescent↗
PubMed1997

A place in the sun: international retirement migration from northern to southern Europe.

"This article considers four aspects of IRM [international retirement migration]. The first considers the limited literature on this... topic and identifies the distinctiveness of both its international and European features. The second reviews the existing statistical data for north-south IRM in Europe, particularly from the UK to Italy, Malta, Portugal and Spain; it establishes both the scale and the geography of these migrations. In the third section we investigate some of the major influences on both the volume and the spatial pattern of IRM. Finally, in the fourth section, a brief review is presented of the economic, social and cultural implications of IRM for both the emigrants and their host communities."

Data Collection↗