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Biomedical subjects

S Williams

Publications and source records attributed to S Williams.

At least 289 records · Page 16Linked to original sources
PubMed1998

Are young adults checking their skin for melanoma?

This study examined the prevalence and predictors of self screening for melanoma in a large sample of young New Zealanders. A self-report questionnaire was administered to a sample of 909, 21-year-olds to investigate if young adults check their skin for changes in lesions which could be melanoma, and to identify the factors which influence this behaviour and any subsequent help seeking. Fifty-three per cent reported checking their skin in the past year, with 20% noticing a change in a mole or freckle. Forty-five per cent of those who noticed a change sought medical advice. The most common reason for not seeking advice was cost. Women were more likely that men to have checked their skin, to have noticed a change and to have sought medical advice. In addition to gender, tendency to self check was also associated with knowledge of melanoma and perceived risk of melanoma. These results are discussed in light of the current debate regarding skin cancer screening. This study fills a gap in the literature regarding self screening for melanoma in young adults and identifies ways in which future prevention campaigns might be modified to address the concerns of this age group.

Adult↗
PubMed1998

Caregiving and well-being in a sample of women in midlife.

A survey of 742 women in midlife found that 12% were involved in the care of another person with a chronic health disorder. Of note was the diversity of circumstances that led to the women becoming caregivers. Further, about a third of the carers were supporting more than one person. Carers did not differ on measures of depression or subjective health ratings from persons not involved in care. Burden scores were predicted by co-residence, low satisfaction with social support, and poorer health ratings on the part of the carers but not by the relationship between the person cared for and the carer.

Adult↗
PubMed1998

Evaluation of four DNA typing techniques in epidemiological investigations of bovine tuberculosis.

DNA fingerprinting techniques were used to type 273 isolates of Mycobacterium bovis from Australia, Canada, the Republic of Ireland, and Iran. The results of restriction fragment length polymorphism (RFLP) analysis with DNA probes from IS6110, the direct repeat (DR), and the polymorphic GC-rich sequence (PGRS) were compared with those of a new PCR-based method called spacer oligonucleotide typing (spoligotyping) developed for the rapid typing of Mycobacterium tuberculosis (J. Kamerbeek et al., J. Clin. Microbiol. 35:907-914, 1997). Eighty-five percent of the isolates harbored a single copy of IS6110, and 81.5% of these carried IS6110 on the characteristic 1.9-kb restriction fragment. RFLP analysis with IS6110 identified 23 different types, RFLP analysis with the DR probe identified 35 types, RFLP analysis with the PGRS probe identified 77 types, and the spoligotyping method identified 35 types. By combining all results, 99 different strains could be identified. Isolate clusters were frequently associated within herds or were found between herds when epidemiological evidence confirmed animal movements. RFLP analysis with IS6110 was sufficiently sensitive for the typing of isolates with more than three copies of IS6110, but RFLP analysis with the PGRS probe was the most sensitive typing technique for strains with only a single copy of IS6110. Spoligotyping may have advantages for the rapid typing of M. bovis, but it needs to be made more sensitive.

Animals↗
PubMed1998

Treatment of acute asthmatic exacerbations with an increased dose of inhaled steroid.

OBJECTIVE: To investigate the efficacy of an increased dose of inhaled steroid used within the context of an asthma self management plan for treating exacerbations of asthma. DESIGN: Randomised, double blind, placebo controlled, crossover trial. METHODS: Twenty eight children aged 6-14 years with asthma of mild to moderate severity were studied for six months. Eighteen pairs of exacerbations were available for analysis, during which subjects took an increased dose of inhaled steroids or continued on the same dose. RESULTS: There was no significant difference between increasing inhaled steroids or placebo on morning or evening peak expiratory flow rates (PEFRs), diurnal peak flow variability, or symptom scores in the two weeks following an asthma exacerbation. Difference (95% confidence intervals) in baseline PEFR on days 1-3 were 3.4% (-3.5% to 10.4%) and -0.9% (-4.7% to 2.9%) for inhaled steroid and placebo, respectively. Spirometric function and the parents' opinion of the effectiveness of asthma medications at each exacerbation were also not significantly different between inhaled steroid or placebo. CONCLUSION: This study suggests that increasing the dose of inhaled steroids at the onset of an exacerbation of asthma is ineffective and should not be included in asthma self management plans.

Acute Disease↗
PubMed1998

Poly(vinyl alcohol) synthetic polymer foams as scaffolds for cell encapsulation.

Poly(vinyl alcohol) (PVA) foams were used as scaffolds in hollow fiber membrane-based cell encapsulation devices. The surrounding permselective membrane serves as an immunoisolation barrier while allowing metabolites and other small molecules to be freely transported. The internal matrix defines the microenvironment for the encapsulated cells. PC12 cell-containing devices represent one possible strategy for safe transplantation of dopamine-secreting cells for the treatment of dopamine-deficient diseases such as Parkinson's disease. PC12 cells--a dopamine-secreting cell line--were encapsulated with PVA foam as a matrix material in the lumen of these hollow fibers. In this work, we demonstrate the presence of the PVA matrix increased the catecholamine secretion efficiency of the cells as compared to devices containing a chitosan matrix. Devices were implanted in vivo into rodent striatum and device output of catecholamines was measured preimplant and post-explant. Evoked stores of dopamine remained constant (preimplant vs explant) for devices encapsulated with the foam matrix and increased with devices encapsulated with chitosan matrix. Cell proliferation within devices was inhibited in the presence of the foam matrix. Cell viability and distribution was significantly improved with the inclusion of the foam matrix in both in vitro and in vivo studies. In comparison to chitosan--a typical matrix material for PC12 cells--addition of a foam-type matrix altered the encapsulated cell microenvironment and resulted in more efficient secretion of catecholamines and improved distribution within the device resulting in smaller necrotic regions and a lower rate of cell proliferation.

Animals↗
PubMed1998

Effect of minocycline on osteoporosis.

The effect of oral minocycline on osteopenia in ovariectomized (OVX) old rats was examined in this study. Rats were divided into 4 groups: sham-operated, OVX followed by treatment with vehicle, minocycline, or 17 beta-estradiol. The treatment was initiated one day after OVX and proceeded for 8 wks. OVX reduced bone mineral density (BMD) in the whole femur and in the femoral regions that are enriched in trabecular bone. Treatment with minocycline or estrogen prevented a decrease in BMD. Femoral trabecular bone area, trabecular number, and trabecular thickness were reduced, and trabecular separation was increased by OVX. Treatment with minocycline or estrogen abolished the detrimental effects induced by OVX. OVX also reduced indices that reflect the interconnectivity of trabecular bone, and the loss of trabecular connectivity was prevented by treatment with minocycline or estrogen. Based on the levels of urinary pyridinoline, we showed that the effect of estrogen, but not minocycline, was primarily through its inhibitory effect on bone resorption. Analysis of bone turnover activity suggests that OVX increased parameters associated with bone resorption (eroded surface) and formation (osteoid surface, mineralizing surface, mineral apposition rate, and bone formation rate). Treatment with minocycline reduced bone resorption modestly and stimulated bone formation substantially. In contrast, treatment with estrogen drastically reduced parameters associated with both bone resorption and formation. We have concluded that oral minocycline can effectively prevent the decrease in BMD and trabecular bone through its dual effects on bone resorption and formation.

Amino Acids↗
PubMed1998

Stachybotrys, a mycotoxin-producing fungus of increasing toxicologic importance.

BACKGROUND: Stachybotrys as a fungus has been implicated as a source of mycotoxins. While the toxicity of several well-known mycotoxins (aflatoxins) is well documented, recent studies on Stachybotrys have raised the question that mycotoxins produced by this fungus may be responsible for the health effects of occupants in water-damaged buildings. METHODS: Published articles regarding Stachybotrys-related mycotoxins were reviewed with particular focus on human toxicity. RESULTS: A critical review of papers, reports, and studies on Stachybotrys mycotoxins revealed only descriptive reports of suspected animal and human poisoning secondary to consumption of mold-contaminated food products. No studies of good toxicologic and epidemiologic designs answer whether airborne mycotoxins produced by Stachybotrys could produce specific human toxicity. CONCLUSIONS: Current data on the toxicology of mycotoxins produced by Stachybotrys demonstrate that this group of mycotoxins is capable of producing immunosuppression and inflammatory insults to gastrointestinal and pulmonary systems. Case control study and case reports have suggested a possible association with environmental exposure to Stachybotrys mycotoxins, although a firm causal relationship has not been firmly established. Additional studies are needed to document that humans with sufficient exposure to these mycotoxins develop compatible clinical and pathologic pictures as demonstrated in animal models.

Animals↗
PubMed1998

Developing winning products, Part II.

Traditionally, the roles and methodologies of new-product designers and engineers have seemed diametrically opposed. This article discusses a development method that optimally embraces both roles and, with careful planning, may allow successful new products to be brought to market quicker than the competition.

Economic Competition↗
PubMed1998

Developing winning products, Part I.

Successful product development relies on several factors. This two-part article explores the role of the designer in creating winning products that people really want to buy. Part I examines two important issues: identifying under-exploited market need and the designer as champion of the end-user.

Economic Competition↗
PubMed1998

Client satisfaction with the New Zealand National Poisons Information Service.

A telephone survey of a random sample of callers to the New Zealand National Poisons and Hazardous Chemicals Information Centre (NPC) was undertaken to assess public satisfaction with, and knowledge of, the NPC and to determine whether the NPC was meeting the needs of its users. The response from a sample of 433 individuals (354 members of the general public and 79 health professionals) was 79%. Maori and Pacific Island people were under--represented in the sample. Overall the level of satisfaction with the NPC was high with 91% of the respondents finding the information they received very useful. If the NPC had not been available, 81% of the public would have sought advice from a medical facility and 59% would have visited such a facility. It was estimated that the NPC could be saving the public health services in New Zealand (NZ) up to NZ $1.3 million annually. It was concluded that the NPC was meeting the needs of current users, although greater public awareness and improved access are needed particularly for Maori and Pacific Island people.

Awareness↗
PubMed1998

The use of capture-recapture methods to monitor diabetes in Dominica, West Indies.

The aim of this project was to evaluate the utility of capture-recapture (CR) estimation methodology, together with easily accessible sources of information, for monitoring the frequency of diabetes mellitus in a developing country. On the Caribbean island of Dominica, from July 1995 through July 1996, the names were collected of all individuals who were listed in at least one of three sources as having been diagnosed with diabetes during 1995. The sources were the membership list of the Dominica Diabetic Association, a register of patients in seven regional health centers, and clinic records of the Princess Margaret Hospital, which is the main hospital on the island. Capture-recapture techniques were used to estimate the number of Dominicans with diagnosed diabetes who were missed by all three sources of information and to evaluate dependencies among the sources. An ascertainment-corrected prevalence estimate of diagnosed diabetes was then calculated. The three sources identified a total of 1,945 different individuals. When this number was compared with the ascertainment-corrected estimate obtained with CR methodology (2,688), it appeared to represent only 72.3% of the true prevalence of diagnosed diabetes. Most of the under-ascertainment by the data sources was due to cases that were missed in the urban area of the island. This approach to disease monitoring may be useful for other Caribbean countries. However, standardized procedures for collecting and reporting prevalence and morbidity data are needed to maximize its accuracy and cost-effectiveness.

Chi-Square Distribution↗
PubMed1998

Reinfusion of discard blood from venous access devices.

PURPOSE/OBJECTIVES: To determine if clots are present in the initial 10 ml of blood routinely discarded from venous access devices (VADs) prior to blood sampling, and to determine if clots form in the discard blood specimen during the five minutes required to complete blood specimen sampling. DESIGN: A pretest/post-test design. SETTING: A large, mid-Atlantic research institution. SAMPLE: A convenience sample of 50 adult patients with cancer (27 males and 23 females) with a median age of 60. A large sampling size variation existed among the different VADs. METHOD: Two 5 ml discard specimens were drawn into separate syringes. Syringe #1 was filtered immediately, and syringe #2 was filtered after a five-minute dwell time. Both samples were filtered through a 40 micron filter. MAIN RESEARCH VARIABLE: The presence or absence of clots. FINDINGS: Fifty percent (n = 25) of the VADs had clots present on the filter from syringe #1. The clots varied in length, width, depth, and diameter, which precluded a consistent measurement. The investigators were able to measure either the diameter or length, depending on the shape of the clots. The majority of the clots (n = 17) appeared to be shaped like the lumen of a catheter and varied from 0.1 cm to 1.2 cm in length. Six clots were round and varied in diameter from 1.6 mm to 2.8 mm. Only 4% (n = 2) of the VADs had clots in syringe #2, but those clots were much larger, measuring 8.3 mm and 18.4 mm. CONCLUSIONS: The study addresses concerns of the investigators regarding the clinical practice of reinfusing discard blood obtained from VADs. Whether the clots present in the catheter and their reinfusion represent a significant risk to patient outcome is unclear. IMPLICATIONS FOR NURSING PRACTICE: Until further research is conducted and the degree of risk can be better defined, methods of drawing blood that require reinfusion of discard blood from VADs are not recommended.

Adult↗