Search PubMed⌕ Search

Biomedical subjects

R King

Publications and source records attributed to R King.

At least 109 records · Page 6Linked to original sources

Oral rabies vaccination of red foxes and golden jackals in Israel: preliminary bait evaluation.

Field trials were conducted in late April to early May of 1995 and 1996 in central Israel to assess the potential for controlling rabies in red foxes (Vulpes vulpes) and golden jackals (Canis aureus) by using vaccine-laden baits. Of the bait types which were field tested, polymer fish meal baits were selected as the most suitable for both species. Fish meal baits containing tetracycline hydrochloride, an oral biomarker, were distributed by four-wheel-drive vehicle at a density of approximately 30 baits/km2 in two test areas of 35 km2. Of the animals which were trapped and euthanized seven to ten days after treatment, 65% of foxes and 56% of jackals gave positive results when tested for the biomarker. These results indicate the potential effectiveness of oral rabies vaccination of these species in Israel and possibly elsewhere in the Middle East, where rabies is a problem in wild canids.

Administration, Oral↗

Expression of N-acetyl-D-galactosamine associated epitope in synovium: a potential marker of glycoprotein production.

OBJECTIVE: To investigate synovial glycoprotein production in situ, a novel monoclonal antibody (Mab), A13D8, was used to evaluate the expression of an epitope containing N-acetyl-D-galactosamine (GalNAc) in normal and pathological synovium. METHODS: Immunohistological and cytochemical analysis of synovial tissue samples was undertaken with single and double staining techniques using the A13D8 Mab, anti-CD68, vascular cell adhesion molecule-1 (VCAM-1), the hyaluronan associated enzyme uridine diphosphoglucose dehydrogenase (UDPGD), and the anti-Golgi Mab SSN/HR-1992. The specificity of the A13D8 Mab was established through blocking studies using carbohydrate residues, including GalNAc and N-acetylglucosamine (GlcNAc). RESULTS: A13D8 is expressed intensely in the cytoplasm of normal type B lining cells, which coexpress VCAM-1 and UDPGD, and is not expressed by CD68+ type A lining cells. In the lining layer of RA synovium, there is a negative correlation between A13D8 expression and the level of lymphocytic infiltration in the sublining areas (r = -0.43, p < 0.001). The endothelium of a subset of venules, typically in lymphocyte-rich aggregates, also stains intensely for A13D8. Pretreatment of the Mab with GalNAc completely eliminates the tissue staining, as well as the 110 kDa band seen on immunoblot, whereas pretreatment of A13D8 with GlcNAc and lactose has no effect. Double staining of HEp-2 cells with A13D8 and the anti-Golgi Mab SSN/HR-1992 reveals co-localization of the A13D8 epitope to the Golgi apparatus. CONCLUSION: Type B synovial lining cells and selected synovial endothelium express GalNAc containing epitope identified by Mab A13D8. Marked reduction in the expression of this epitope in the lining layer of inflamed RA synovium suggests that the synovial production of GalNAc containing glycoproteins, such as mucins, may be altered in this disorder.

Acetylgalactosamine↗

Sharing skills.

Explore the source record for details and available documents.

Humans↗

Emigration, return, immigration: a review and evaluation of Greece's postwar experience of international migration.

"This paper offers a review and evaluation of the Greek experience of international migration.... The analysis is based partly on available published data, and partly on qualitative appraisals. Three major international migration phases are analysed--emigration, return migration and immigration--and the main socio-economic and cultural effects of these migration trends are discussed. The paper pays particular attention to the recent mass immigration movements, noting their heterogeneity...and describing their impact on the Greek labour market. The article concludes with some comments on the difficulties of formulating a Greek migration policy in the light of the country's location, open borders and internationalized economy."

Culture↗

A comparison of hemolysis rates using intravenous catheters versus venipuncture tubes for obtaining blood samples.

OBJECTIVE: The primary purpose of this study was to compare the rate of hemolysis in blood samples obtained by an i.v. catheter versus the rate in samples obtained by venipuncture (Vacutainer tubes and needles; Becton Dickinson Vacutainer Systems, Franklin Lakes, N.J.). Subsequently, variance in i.v. catheter diameter was reviewed to determine its influence on hemolysis rate of i.v. catheter aspirate. DESIGN: A randomized, prospective study was used to evaluate hemolysis differences between the two blood sampling methods. A descriptive, retrospective review of study data was used to evaluate the importance of the variable i.v. catheter diameter. METHODS: The study group consisted of patients who came to the emergency department and required both an i.v. infusion and blood sampling for determination of electrolyte levels and complete blood cell count. Pediatric patients (younger than 16 years) were excluded. The ED patients who qualified for the study were randomly assigned to either group A or B. The blood samples for patients in the A group were obtained through the i.v. catheter at the time of insertion. The i.v. catheters ranged in size from 24 gauge to 14 gauge. Patients in the B group also had insertion of an i.v. line, but their blood samples were obtained by Vacutainer venipuncture at a separate site. The Vacutainer needle was standardized at 21 gauge. All blood samples were collected by one of seven experienced ED nurses. The nurse who collected the blood sample for an study patient was responsible for result follow-up. RESULTS: A total of 165 patients participated in the study; 87 patients were assigned to the A (i.v.) group, and 78 patients participated in the B (venipuncture) group. In group A a total of 12 of 87 (13.7%) blood samples hemolyzed. Hemolysis occurred in 3 of 78 (3.8%) of group B samples. These findings were statistically significant (p < 0.05). When we examined the variable i.v. catheter diameter, we noted a lower incidence of hemolysis with larger catheter diameters: 24 gauge (100%), 22 gauge (25%), 20 gauge (15%), 18 gauge (10%), 16 gauge (0%), 14 gauge (0%). This findings was statistically significant (p < 0.05). CONCLUSIONS: Hemolysis of blood samples obtained by an i.v. catheter was significantly higher than when blood was obtained through Vacutainer venipuncture. There is an inverse correlation between i.v. catheter diameter and the rate of hemolysis.

Blood Specimen Collection↗

An immunohistochemical analysis of naturally occurring chancroid.

Haemophilus ducreyi is a major cause of genital ulcer disease in many developing countries and is associated with augmented transmission of human immunodeficiency virus (HIV). However, the mechanisms through which H. ducreyi produces ulceration are poorly understood. The characteristics of the host response to H. ducreyi and the pathobiology of its potential contribution to increased HIV susceptibility are not known. Chancroid ulcer biopsies from 8 patients were analyzed histologically and immunohistochemically. All biopsies had perivascular and interstitial mononuclear cell infiltrates that extended deep into the dermis. The infiltrate, which contained macrophages and CD4 and CD8 lymphocytes, was consistent with a delayed hypersensitivity type cell-mediated immune response. The recruitment of CD4 T lymphocytes and macrophages may in part explain the facilitation of HIV transmission in patients with chancroid.

Biopsy↗

A putative poststreptococcal case of OCD with chronic tic disorder, not otherwise specified.

A 12-year-old girl presented with an atypical, recurrent, increasingly treatment-resistant case of obsessive-compulsive disorder and chronic tic disorder associated with profound separation anxiety, learning difficulty, and intermittent upper respiratory symptoms. In addition to detailed reviews of history and findings from many clinical caretakers from the prior 7 years, current pediatric, psychiatric, neuropsychological, neuroimaging, and clinical laboratory data were also available. Treatment options were considered from multiple perspectives: psychoanalytically oriented psychotherapy, conventional pharmacotherapy, family interventions, cognitive-behavioral therapy, and learning-supportive strategies. Psychological, neuropsychiatric, and neuroimmunological formulations of etiology were considered. Subsequent treatments included supportive psychotherapy, neuroleptic augmentation of selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors, prophylactic penicillin, and a course of six sessions of plasmapheresis over a 2-week period. The case raises questions for ongoing consideration that juxtapose dynamic, neuropsychiatric, and neuroimmunological perspectives.

Antibiotic Prophylaxis↗

European economic restructuring: demographic responses and feedbacks.

The relationship between economic restructuring in Europe and various aspects of demographic change, such as demographic aging and fertility decline, is examined. The focus is on changes in the labor market. "Changing employment conditions--the growth of the secondary labour market, the flexibilization of labour demand and increasingly also of supply, growing female labour force participation rates, generally high ethnic minority unemployment--reflect different aspects of the transition from the Fordist to the postFordist regime as well as changing demographic and life-style influences. Together they have deeply transformed the European landscape of employment and unemployment. The specific role of international migration is also analysed and it is seen to have fundamentally altered between the Fordist and postFordist eras. Less clear to interpret are changing internal migration patterns: has counterurbanization stopped in response to restructuring and integration and is a new postFordist population map unfolding? The paper concludes by evaluating the nature of the relationship between economic restructuring and population trends and identifying pointers for future research."

Birth Rate↗

Arguments for and against teaching suicide prevention in schools.

OBJECTIVE: To present arguments for and against the provision of curriculumbased suicide prevention programs in schools. METHOD: The authors developed their arguments independently, based on the available literature on school-based programs, prior to debating the topic at a national conference on suicide prevention. RESULTS: The rationale for school-based programs is that the school has the responsibility: to resolve problems that interfere with education; to teach health education; and to acknowledge a duty of care to parents and to the community as well as to youth. Primary prevention programs in schools are not aimed at so-called 'at-risk' students, but potential 'helpers', based on the knowledge that peers are a primary support for troubled adolescents. One measure of the efficacy of school-based prevention programs must be the extent to which there is an increase in the tendency for adolescents to turn to adults for help. There is ample evidence that increasing the tendency for adolescents to approach adults for help is achievable. The argument against such programs is that evidence from evaluation research suggests that they are ineffective, inefficient, not universally acceptable, and of questionable safety. CONCLUSIONS: Those persuaded by the positive argument will wish to see these programs adopted in all Australian secondary schools. Those persuaded by the negative argument will recommend that suicide prevention resources be allocated to activities other than school-based suicide education programs.

Adolescent↗

Hypokalaemic paralysis in remote aboriginal communities.

Increasing weakness occurring over several days, involving the upper and lower limbs, and progressing to symmetrical paresis is a clinical presentation that raises many diagnostic issues. When faced with these circumstances most clinicians opt for a range of neurological possibilities. However, metabolic possibilities are equally important and are eminently treatable. There are a variety of reasons why potassium depletion presents as paralysis in Aboriginal Australians. The cause may not be apparent, although careful questioning may unearth clues that can lead to a diagnosis. Once the potassium level has been measured in the blood the diagnosis becomes obvious, but until that time the presentation can be confusing. Early serum potassium measurement is recommended with this clinical picture.

Adult↗

Limited sequence diversity of the HIV type 1 protease gene from clinical isolates and in vitro susceptibility to HIV protease inhibitors.

Proviral DNAs from 3 laboratory strains and 21 clinical isolates of HIV-1 were extracted from infected cells after proteinase K digestion and the protease gene was PCR amplified and sequenced directly by the Sanger method. In vitro susceptibilities of the virus isolates to protease inhibitors were determined by the ACTG/DoD consensus assay. Four different HIV protease inhibitors were tested including P9941, a C2 symmetrical diol (Du Pont-Merck); A80987, an asymmetric mono-ol (Abbott); XM323, a cyclic urea (Du Pont-Merck); and Ro31-8959, an asymmetric hydroxyethylene isostere (Roche). Maximum sequence variation was 10% at both the nucleic and amino acid levels. Purine-purine substitutions were most common. Five noncontiguous regions were conserved across all isolates and corresponded to amino acids 1-9 (amino terminal), 21-32 (catalytic site), 47-56 ("flap" region), 78-88 (substrate-binding region), and 94-99 (carboxy terminal). All clinical isolates demonstrated in vitro susceptibility to the protease inhibitors. There was no significant difference between the susceptibility of the reference strains and the clinical isolates. These data suggest that the variable regions of protease do not contain sites that are important for interactions with the inhibitors tested.

Amino Acid Sequence↗

Couple communication, sexual coercion and HIV risk reduction in Kigali, Rwanda.

OBJECTIVE: To describe sexual interaction and HIV-related communication in Rwandan couples and to examine their relationship to HIV testing and condom use. STUDY DESIGN: Cross-sectional survey of a longitudinal cohort. METHODS: In 1988, women recruited for an epidemiological study of HIV, and interested male partners, received confidential HIV testing and counseling. Two years after enrollment, 876 women reporting one steady partner in the past year completed a questionnaire addressing sexual and HIV-related communication, sexual motivation and violence in the partnership. RESULTS: Men control sexual decision making, and coercive sex and violence between partners is not uncommon. HIV-positive women were more likely to report coercive sex and less likely to have discussed their test results with their partner. Women with HIV-positive partners were more likely to report being physically abused. Condom use was more common if the man had been previously tested, and if women reported discussing or negotiating condom use. HIV-negative women with untested or seronegative partners were the least likely to use condoms or to discuss or attempt to negotiate condom use. CONCLUSIONS: Participation of the male partner is crucial for successful HIV risk reduction in couples. HIV testing and counseling of couples has beneficial long term effects on condom use and HIV-related communication. Couple communication is associated with condom use, but only when the discussion is specific (sexually transmitted disease risks and using condoms). Seronegative women with untested partners are at increased risk for HIV as they are the least likely to discuss or attempt to negotiate condom use.

Coercion↗