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Biomedical subjects

R Pollard

Publications and source records attributed to R Pollard.

At least 37 records · Page 2Linked to original sources
PubMed1996

Conceptualizing and conducting preoperative psychological assessments of cochlear implant candidates.

A review of literature pertaining to psychosocial research on cochlear implantation is embedded in this formulation of how preoperative psychological assessments should be comceptualized and conducted. This article considers various purposes of such assessments, including those relevant to candidate selection, exclusion, and readiness. Particular attention is directed to the conceptualization and operational investigation of candidate readiness, which includes aspects of motivation and informed consent. Assessment in this context is framed as both a data collection and an intervention procedure. The article describes specific methodologies useful in preoperative psychological assessment, including questionnaires, interviews, and psychological tests.

Journal Article↗
PubMed1995

A difference in heights and weights between right-handed and left-handed bowlers at cricket.

Right-handed pitchers have been shown to be significantly taller and heavier than left-handed pitchers. An analysis of 113 professional cricketers in England showed a similar difference between right-handed and left-handed bowlers. On average the right-handers were 1.05 in. taller and 8.30 lb. heavier than the left-handers, differences which were close to significance at the 5% level with this small n.

Animals↗
PubMed1995

Neonatal haematology in Zimbabwe. II: The red cell and white cell parameters.

Red cell and white cell parameters were determined in 600 (310 male and 290 female) normal Black Zimbabwean neonates with a mean +/- sd birth weight of 3.0 +/- 0.4 (range 2.04 to 4.50, median 3.0) kg using a Coulter Counter Model S Plus. Cord anaemia (cord Hb < 13.5 gdl-1) was detected in 60 (10 pc) of the neonates. Although the male babies were significantly heavier than the females (p = 0.004), there were no significant differences (p > 0.05) in the red cell and white cell indices between the two sexes. When the haematological parameters of the 540 (90 pc) non-anaemic (cord Hb > or = 13.5 gdl-1) neonates were analysed, the mean +/- sd values which may serve as local reference standards were: Hb 15.2 +/- 1.8 (range 13.5 to 19.4) gdl-1, Hct 47.3 4.9 (range 38.6 to 60.3) pc, MCV 107.8 +/- 9.4 (range 88.8 to 134.3) fl, MCH 31.9 +/- 3.4 (range 25.2 to 45.2) pg, MCHC 32.9 +/- 1.3 (range 30.0 to 38.3) gdl-1, nucleated red blood cells 6.1 +/- 5.9 (range 0 to 55) per 100 white blood cells, reticulocyte count 5.0 +/- 1.9 (range 0 to 24.0) pc, total leucocyte count 13.8 +/- 4.4 (range 4.6 to 132.8) x 10(9)l-1; differential count: neutrophils 7.30 +/- 2.90 (range 1.72 to 18.02) x 10(9) l-1, lymphocytes 5.67 +/- 2.47 (range 0.98 to 16.14) x 10(9) l-1, monocytes 0.81 +/- 0.83 (range 0 to 5.58) x 10(9) l-1, 1 and eosinophils 0.08 +/- 0.13 (range 0 to 0.72) x 10(9)l-1.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)

Africa↗
PubMed1995

Ethnic comparison of twinning rates in California.

A meaningful comparison of the twinning rates of different populations can be hindered by several factors that may influence the rates. Chief among these factors are the sources of data from which the rates are derived and the maternal age structure of the populations. The effects of such factors were minimal when the twinning rates of 14 ethnic groups in California were compared. After standardization for maternal age, twinning rates per 1000 maternities for the main ethnic groups were 13.20 for blacks, 10.05 for whites, and 7.18 for Asians. There were significant differences within the Asian group. The highest rate was for Cambodians (8.57). This rate compares with rates of approximately 6 for Koreans, Thai, and Vietnamese. These rates are similar to those found in Asia but lower than those for Californian Chinese, Japanese, and Filipinos, who have been established in the state for longer. In general, the results provide support for previous reports that twinning rates are modified by both migration and interethnic mixing. Rates for Indians from India were lower than those reported from the Indian subcontinent, whereas the twinning rates for Native Americans (10.15) and Pacific Islanders (10.60) were similar to the rate for US whites.

Birth Rate↗
PubMed1994

Didanosine compared with continuation of zidovudine in HIV-infected patients with signs of clinical deterioration while receiving zidovudine. A randomized, double-blind clinical trial. The Bristol-Myers Squibb AI454-010 Study Group.

OBJECTIVE: To determine the benefits of switching to didanosine compared with continuing zidovudine among patients infected with human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) who have previously used zidovudine and have signs of clinical deterioration. DESIGN: Randomized, double-blind, two-armed, parallel, comparative clinical trial with a blinded, compassionate crossover provision at 12 weeks. SETTING: Outpatient clinics at 19 tertiary care medical centers. PATIENTS: 312 patients infected with HIV who had received zidovudine for 6 months or more, had CD4 cell counts of 300/mm3 or less, and had signs of clinical deterioration within 12 weeks before study entry. INTERVENTION: Peroral didanosine tablets (600 mg/d adjusted for weight, "high dose") or zidovudine capsules (600 mg/d). MEASUREMENTS: Primary study end points were death, a new acquired immunodeficiency syndrome (AIDS)--defining event, or the combination of two new or recurrent HIV-related diagnoses with a 50% decrease in CD4 cells. RESULTS: Switching to didanosine was associated with fewer end points than continuing zidovudine (relative risk [RR] for zidovudine:didanosine = 1.5; 95% Cl, 1.1 to 2.0). This benefit was consistent across subgroups of patients with either AIDS-related complex or AIDS and was most apparent among those with a CD4 count at entry of 100/mm3 or more (RR = 2.2; Cl, 1.1 to 4.4). CONCLUSIONS: This study shows a positive treatment effect for switching from zidovudine to didanosine among patients with either AIDS-related complex or AIDS and validates the common practice of using clinical signs or a decrease in the CD4 count as an indication for changing therapy.

AIDS-Related Complex↗
PubMed1994

Medical liability claims and lawsuits filed against the University of Texas System involving adult psychiatric patients.

A survey was conducted to investigate medical liability claims filed against the University of Texas System (the U.T. System), physicians, and/or institutions concerning care of adult psychiatric patients. There were 34 such claims filed between 1978 and 1991 that had closed by December 1991. In many of these cases, medical record documentation was determined to be inadequate. Of the 34 claims filed, only seven were settled on behalf of U.T. personnel or U.T. institutions. Of these seven settlements, the mean monetary amount paid per case on behalf of U.T. System and non-U.T. System parties was $98,678.57. The two categories with the largest number of claims were 1) cases involving suicides, and 2) cases involving adverse reactions to medication. The largest award was $350,000, paid on behalf of U.T. physicians, a private physician, and non-U.T. institutions for alleged negligent failure to diagnose Cushing's disease. Of this amount, only $150,000 was paid on behalf of U.T. physicians. Risk management strategies should be implemented to address areas of liability in psychiatry residency programs.

Adult↗
PubMed1993

Malpractice litigation against child and adolescent psychiatry residency programs, 1981-1991.

A national survey was conducted to investigate malpractice litigation at United States child and adolescent psychiatry residency programs between 1981 and 1991. Fourteen percent of the directors of child and adolescent psychiatry reported at least one malpractice claim during this period. The highest percentage of lawsuits reported was in the northeast. Suicide and sexual abuse of latency age patients by other patients accounted for the most litigation. The mean monetary award was $167,000, and the largest award was $500,000 for discharge of a patient who killed his mother. There has been an increase in malpractice litigation during the past 10 years. Risk management strategies should be implemented to address areas of liability in child and adolescent psychiatry training programs.

Adolescent↗
PubMed1992

X-irradiation enhances in vitro human immunodeficiency virus replication correlation with cellular levels of cAMP.

Total body x-irradiation has been utilized in the treatment of several human diseases, including leukemia, where it is followed by bone marrow transplantation, and in some autoimmune disorders. Recently, it was reported that total body irradiation appeared useful in the treatment of Friend leukemia virus infection in mice. In this report, the effect of x-irradiation on the replication of human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) in vitro in CD4+ cells was examined. MT-4 cells and HIV strain human T cell lymphotropic virus Type IIIB were used to conduct this study. Infected MT-4 cells were irradiated at the time of infection or following infection with x-ray doses of 25-300 cGy. Doses of 50, 150, and 300 cGy enhanced HIV replication by 1.6-, 2-, and 4.8-fold, respectively. Irradiating the cells prior to infection also resulted in similar enhancement of HIV replication. This phenomenon was also observed with wild-type HIV isolates grown in peripheral blood mononuclear and in HIV chronically infected cells. In addition, the enhancement was associated with a radiation-induced increase in intracellular levels of cAMP. The use of the cAMP-dependent protein kinase A inhibitor, H-8, inhibited HIV replication by 65%. These data suggest that in vitro exposure to low doses of x-ray enhances HIV replication partially via a cAMP-dependent pathway.

CD4-Positive T-Lymphocytes↗
PubMed1991

Human immunodeficiency virus infection: association with altered intracellular levels of cAMP and cGMP in MT-4 cells.

T-cells from human immunodeficiency virus (HIV)-infected patients are characterized by a number of qualitative deficiencies including defective T-cell activation. The latter has previously been shown to be normally regulated by cAMP. In this study the patterns of cAMP and cGMP induction in MT-4 cells following HIV infection were investigated. The MT-4 cells were infected with HIV (strain IIIb) and at selected times postinfection (p.i.), culture supernatants were tested for HIV replication by reverse transcriptase activity or HIV P24 Ag. The cells were also examined for their intracellular levels of cAMP and cGMP by radioimmunoassay. HIV infection was associated with an increase in intracellular levels of cAMP and cGMP. The cAMP was increased 40-fold by Day 8 and cGMP 4-fold by Day 4 Pl. The increase in intracellular levels of the cyclic nucleotides (CN) were virus specific, dependent on virus dosage, genetically conserved among the two fresh patient isolates tested, and were abolished by uv inactivation. An increase in cAMP and cGMP was also observed in other cell lines infected with HIV. The sustained elevation in CN level observed could certainly influence cell activation and HIV replication and may potentially have clinical relevance.

Cell Line↗
PubMed1991

In vivo administration of tumor necrosis factor-alpha is associated with antiviral activity in human peripheral mononuclear cells.

Tumor necrosis factor-alpha (TNF-alpha) has a spectrum of biologic effects and has been shown to exert antiviral effects in fibroblasts in vitro. The in vivo administration of TNF-alpha (40-160 micrograms/m2 intravenously over 2 hr) and its effects on vesicular stomatitis virus (VSV) replication in peripheral blood mononuclear cells (PBMC) from patients with malignancy was investigated. Blood was obtained before, during, and after infusion. The PBMC were separated and infected with VSV at a multiplicity of infection of 0.005 plaque-forming units/cell and virus yields were determined 72 h later. The TNF-alpha inhibited VSV yields by as much as 99% in a dose-dependent manner with the inhibition initially observed during the first hour of infusion. Despite a rapid reduction in TNF-alpha serum levels, the higher doses still produced antiviral effects 4 hr after the infusion. Sera obtained at identical times had no interferon activity. Human gamma-interferon (25 micrograms/ml) added in vitro augmented the TNF-alpha-induced inhibitory activity in both magnitude and duration. Percentages of lymphocytes and monocytes in peripheral blood were reduced at 4 hr after TNF-alpha administration and the monocyte to lymphocyte ratio was diminished and temporally coincided with the loss of TNF-induced antiviral state. These data suggest that the in vivo administration of TNF has a direct inhibitory activity on VSV replication in human peripheral blood mononuclear cells that was enhanceable by gamma-interferon and possibly monocyte mediated.

Cells, Cultured↗
PubMed1987

Recombinant alfa interferon in renal cell carcinoma: a randomized trial of two routes of administration.

Ninety-seven patients with recurrent or metastatic renal cell carcinoma were randomized to receive recombinant interferon (IFN) alfa-2b (Intron A; Schering-Plough, Kenilworth, NJ) by either the subcutaneous (SC) or intravenous (IV) route. The SC dosage was 2 X 10(6) IU/m2 three times weekly, and the IV dose 30 X 10(6) IU/m2 for five consecutive days every 3 weeks. Dose escalation to a maximum of 10 X 10(6) IU/m2 SC and 50 X 10(6) IU/m2 IV was allowed for patients with minimal or absent toxicity. Five of 51 of the SC-treated patients (10%) and three of 46 of the IV-treated patients (7%) had a partial response (PR) or complete response (CR). Patients with prior nephrectomy, no prior treatment, and lack of bone metastases were most likely to respond, and a retrospective analysis of this subgroup revealed a 23% response rate. Achievement of response took from 3 weeks to 11 months, while response duration lasted from 3 to 31+ months. All responders had prior nephrectomy; six of eight had no prior chemotherapy or hormonal therapy; five had lung metastases, and none had bone metastases. Regardless of route, almost all patients developed a flu-like syndrome; however, grade 3 or greater toxicity was much more common for IV-treated patients. This trial demonstrates modest, but definite antitumor activity for recombinant interferon in advanced renal cell carcinoma. SC administration with lower dose and toxicity is as effective as treatment administered IV.

Adult↗
PubMed1986

Home advantage in soccer: a retrospective analysis.

The existence of home advantage has been established for all major professional team sports in England and North America. The advantage was found to be greatest in soccer, with the home team currently obtaining about 64% of all points gained in the English Football League. Home advantage has changed very little since the formation of the League in 1888 and there are only small variations between the four Divisions of the League. The advantage is less marked in local derbies, in the FA Cup and in nonprofessional competitions. It is greater in the European Cup and increases as the stages of the competition progress. The allocation of three points, instead of two, for a win in the Football League has not changed home advantage, but its effect has been greatly reduced in the GM Vauxhall Conference where an away win gains more points than a home win. The statistical evidence suggests that crowd support and travel fatigue contribute less to home advantage in soccer than do the less easily quantifiable benefits of familiarity with conditions when playing at home. Further possible explanations for the advantage are discussed in the light of findings in other sports.

Competitive Behavior↗
PubMed1986

Human cytomegalovirus: development and progression of nuclear inclusions by primary clinical isolates and laboratory-adapted strains.

The morphogenesis of cytomegalovirus (CMV) nuclear inclusions (NIs) was investigated using unadapted clinical isolates and adapted laboratory strains. Both adapted and unadapted strains of CMVs induced NIs whose morphologic appearance was similar in human fibroblastic cells. Early NIs appeared as ring-like structures composed of dense granular and fibrillar material, while late NIs appeared to consist of multiple electron-lucent areas containing coarse granules and bounded by electron-dense fibrillar material (cellulae). Capsids and nucleocapsids were associated primarily with the electron-dense fibrillar material; however, developing nucleocapsids were most often observed at the interface of the electron-dense and -lucent areas. Although there was some variation in the rate of development and maturation of the NIs with the intensity of infection, all CMVs examined produced late NIs with similar organizational patterns consisting of cellulae. Substitution of human fibroblastic cells derived from various tissues as cellular substrate did not appreciably affect the results. Thus, the unique organization of the CMV late NI, consisting of multiple cellulae, appears to be an intrinsic feature of CMV replication since it seems to be independent of the extent of laboratory adaptation, the virus strain, the intensity of infection, or the cell type.

Cell Nucleus↗
PubMed1985

Twinning rates in Fiji.

The incidence of twins in Fiji has been investigated using birth registrations for the years 1976-81. The twinning rate for the indigenous Fijians is found to be 9.4 per 1000 live maternities, (based on 407 sets of twins), and for Indians, descendants of immigrants who began to arrive in Fiji in 1879, 6.2 per 1000 (based on 350 twins). After standardizing for maternal age, the difference between the two ethnic groups decreases slightly, but the Fijian rate remains almost 40% above that of the Indians. This difference is consistent over the 6 years of the study, is found for mothers of all age groups under 40 and at all levels of parity. An analysis of hospital records in Fiji produces higher twinning rates for both Fijians and Indians, but a similar difference is found between the two ethnic groups. Although the twinning rate for Fijians is lower than that reported for other Melanesian people, it is well above reliable rates found for Mongoloid races from whom the Fijian is descended. The sparse information on twinning rates among Polynesians suggests rates not dissimilar from Melanesians, so that no support for the hypothesis of low twinning rates in the Pacific is evident. The twinning rate for Indians in Fiji is lower than rates reported from the Indian subcontinent.

Adult↗
PubMed1984

Nutritional status, body size and severity of diarrhoea associated with rotavirus or enterotoxigenic Escherichia coli.

Children with severe malnutrition have an increased risk of death from diarrhoea. To determine if the clinical manifestations of specific types of diarrhoea differed according to the nutritional status or size (weight and length) of the patient, we studied children with acute diarrhoea associated with rotavirus or enterotoxigenic Escherichia coli. In this study we found that a child's body size, which was determined by his age and nutritional status, was a significant predictor of his rate of stool output per kilogram of body weight. Thus, children who are small because of young age and/or malnutrition appear to lose a greater proportion of their total fluid volume during diarrhoea and might be expected to have a higher frequency of severe dehydration and death, if untreated.

Bangladesh↗
PubMed1983

Combination chemotherapy with mitomycin C, adriamycin, and cyclophosphamide (MAC) in stage III and IV ovarian cancer.

Twenty-nine patients with stages III and IV epithelial carcinomas of the ovary were treated with a combination of mitomycin-C, adriamycin, and cyclophosphamide (MAC). A 62% response rate (CR + PR) was observed in previously untreated patients with a median survival of responding patients of 100+ weeks, compared to 29 weeks for nonresponding patients (p less than 0.001). Toxicity was acceptable with moderate to severe but manageable myelosuppression. Prospective, randomized trials comparing this drug combination to others with demonstrated efficacy are indicated.

Cyclophosphamide↗