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Biomedical subjects

B Porter

Publications and source records attributed to B Porter.

At least 91 records · Page 5Linked to original sources
PubMed1981

Percutaneous cytodiagnosis of abdominal masses by ultrasound guided fine needle aspiration biopsy.

A review was made of 168 ultrasound guided fine needle biopsies on 145 patients. Fifty-seven biopsies were from the pancreas, 40 biopsies from the liver, 28 from the kidney, 26 from the abdomen and 17 from the retroperitoneum. The total accuracy rate was 66 per cent varying from 50 per cent in abdominal lesions to 83 per cent in hepatic lesions. The differences of the results are discussed as are the indications and the role of ultrasound guided fine needle puncture compared with other modalities.

Abdominal Neoplasms↗
PubMed1980

Marital discord and childhood behavior problems.

Measures of overt marital hostility, general marital adjustment, and children's behavior problems were obtained from the parents of 64 children referred to a child psychological clinic. Correlations between children's scores on measures of general marital unhappiness and overt marital hostility were compared. Overt marital hostility correlated significantly with many behavior problems of boys. However, neither general marital unhappiness nor overt marital hostility related to problem behaviors in girls. Specific findings and possible reasons for the differential results with respect to boys and girls were discussed.

Adolescent↗
PubMed1979

Reliability of the middle ear examination.

Interobserver reliability of physical signs elicited and diagnoses made on middle ear examination were studied. Effect on reliability of variation in observer knowledge, patient age and instrument were defined. Two board-certified, color-seeing pediatric specialists who worked in the same clinic examined consecutively 350 ears with the same otoscope for each case. Over a period of four months, four different otoscopes were used to examine at least 50 ears with each. The following groups of findings were graded independently by the pediatrician according to pre-set criteria: color, landmarks and light reflex. Diagnosis was also recorded. At no time did the observers discuss their findings or diagnoses. Degree of interobserver agreement was expressed by the reliability coefficient (values given below) and the K coefficient. Overall agreement on findings ranged from 0.50 for landmarks to 0.85 for air-fluid level. Overall agreement for diagnoses was 0.72. Specific agreement on physical findings ranged from 0.0 for presence of air-fluid level to 0.85 for absence of air-fluid level. Specific agreement on diagnoses ranged from 0.08 on serous otitis to 0.56 on otitis media and 0.61 on normal. After the age of one year, agreement did not increase with age. Agreement did not change significantly with different instruments or as the study progressed. We concluded that equivalence of observer knowledge strongly increases agreement, while patient age less than one year decreases agreement, and type of instrument does not affect agreement. Clinicians should be trained to recognized middle ear signs and diagnoses according to specified criteria to maximize interobserver agreement.

Age Factors↗
PubMed1978

Cadmium exposure in a community near a smelter.

In June, 1976, the authors conducted a cross-sectional survey of a community near a cadmium smelter in Denver, Colorado, to evaluate human cadmium absorption and its possible health effects. In 1975 the mean annual airborne cadmium concentration in an area about 1 km from the smelter was 0.023 microgram/m3; the mean concentration in a comparison area 13 km distant was 0.003 microgram/m3. Whole blood and urine specimens were collected from 250 individuals residing within 2 km of the smelter and from a control population of 105 residents in the comparison area. There were no significant differences (p greater than .05) in whole blood or urine cadmium concentrations, as determined by flameless atomic absorption spectrophotometry, between persons in the two areas. The median blood and urine cadmium concentrations of residents within 1 km of the smelter were 0.05 and 0.09 microgram/100 ml, compared with 0.07 and 0.08 microgram/100 ml for control area residents. However, the difference between blood cadmium levels for smokers and nonsmokers was statistically significant (p less than .01). The median blood cadmium concentration for smokers was 0.21 microgram/100 ml compared with 0.04 microgram/100 ml for nonsmokers. Other laboratory determinations of blood and urine showed no evidence of a cadmium effect on hematopoietic or renal function.

Absorption↗
PubMed1976

Tay-Sachs disease in a Moroccan Jewish family: a possible new mutation.

The parents of a Jewish Moroccan family, in which a previous child had died of Tay-Sachs disease, both proved to be carriers of the mutant gene. Hexosaminidase A activity in the father was similar to that in Ashkenazic heterozygotes, while the mother showed extremely low hexosaminidase A activity in peripheral leukocytes. Amniocentesis was performed on the mother during a subsequent pregnancy; the fetus proved to be affected and the pregnancy was interrupted. Acrylamide isoelectrofocusing of fetal liver and leukocytes of additional family members revealed a variant mutation for Tay-Sachs disease.

Amniocentesis↗
PubMed1968

Involvement of protein and ribonucleic acid in the association of deoxyribonucleic acid with other cell components of Escherichia coli.

Cells of Escherichia coli were labeled with precursors of ribonucleic acid (RNA), deoxyribonucleic acid (DNA), and protein, lysed with detergent, and examined by starch-block electrophoresis and CsCl density gradient centrifugation. A large amount of the DNA was seen to remain at positions of low electrophoretic mobility and light density along with tryptophan and arginine-containing proteins and some RNA. Addition of labeled, phenol-extracted DNA to unlabeled cells prior to lysis and electrophoresis showed that only a small amount of the DNA became associated during or after lysis. Sonic treatment of a lysate removed most of the DNA to a position of electrophoretic mobility and density similar to that of free DNA, whereas pronase and ribonuclease released only a part of the DNA. We concluded that binding of DNA to cell membranes or other cell components occurs in the cell prior to lysis and involves protein and probably a specific type of RNA.

Arginine↗
PubMedDate not supplied

Diagnosing the 'strange' child.

The diagnosis of children with a spectrum of autistic features, who do not qualify for the diagnosis of classical autism, has increased during the past decade. A case is reported of an 8-year-old child originally diagnosed as learning disabled with attention disorders and hyperactivity, who was later diagnosed as having an autistic spectrum disorder when abnormalities of social interaction and play activity became more obvious. The frequency of learning and attention problems in school-age children may obscure more significant psychiatric pathologies, such as autistic disorders. Improved awareness of disorders of social functioning and play activity in the school-age child and use of screening tools may lead to earlier detection, definitive diagnosis and treatment for these children. In addition, assessments from multiple sources, i.e. the school, the home and the clinic, are needed in the diagnostic process. Periodic re-evaluations of the school-age child with problem behaviour are necessary to insure that more significant pathologies, which were not clear on initial evaluation, are diagnosed at the earliest opportunity.

Attention Deficit Disorder with Hyperactivity↗
PubMedDate not supplied

A review of intrathecal baclofen in the management of spasticity.

Spasticity is associated with damage to the corticospinal tract and is a common complication of neurological disease. Patients with spasticity complain of stiffness, involuntary spasm and pain. The majority of patients are managed conservatively with physiotherapy and/or oral medication. However, 25-35% of patients will develop unacceptable side-effects or fail to respond to oral doses of antispasmodics. Surgical procedures such as myelotomy, rhizotomy and neurotomy have not been universally successful. More recently, intrathecal baclofen has become established as an important adjunct in the management of spasticity. This article describes the mechanism of action of baclofen, the delivery systems available and the criteria for patient selection. The screening phase, surgical procedure and specific postoperative observations are also described.

Baclofen↗
PubMedDate not supplied

Reporting of communicable diseases by university physicians.

Billing records from the outpatient clinics of the University of Arizona were compared to case reports of communicable diseases received by the local health department. Of 286 cases of reportable diseases found, 183 (64 percent) were reported to the local health department. Sexually transmitted diseases were more likely to be reported than other diseases [risk ratio (RR) = 1.97; 95 percent confidence interval (CI), 1.62-2.39]. Diseases of residents of Pima County were more likely to be reported than those of residents of other Arizona counties (RR = 1.40; 95 percent CI, 1.11-1.77), and diseases in Arizona residents were more likely to be reported than those of residents of other States (RR = 2.37; 95 percent CI, 1.35-4.15). Diseases of citizens of other countries were never reported. The only significant difference found among the specialty clinics of the medical center was that pediatricians reported less frequently than others (RR = 0.75; 95 percent CI, 0.58-0.98).

Ambulatory Care Facilities↗