PubMed Health⌕ Search

Biomedical subjects

Brian Martin

Publications and source records attributed to Brian Martin.

10 recordsLinked to original sources
PubMed2026

Workforce Representation in Ophthalmology Oral Board Examiners and Examinees.

PURPOSE: To evaluate the characteristics of the American Board of Ophthalmology (ABO) oral board examiners and examinees as well as trends in examiner and examinee gender over time. DESIGN: Retrospective cohort study. SUBJECTS: ABO oral board examiners and examinees. METHODS: We utilized data from the American Board of Ophthalmology (ABO) and Association of American Medical Colleges (AAMC) to assess board examiner and examinee demographic characteristics from 2011 to 2024. Examiner characteristics included gender, years of experience, initial certification year and average examiner score. Examinee characteristics included gender, years since residency graduation and exam outcome (pass/fail). We utilized logistic regression to examine temporal trends in examiner and examinee gender from 2013 to 2024. MAIN OUTCOME MEASURES: Gender distribution of examiners and examinees. RESULTS: Overall, the proportion of women examiners increased over the study period. Notably, the most pronounced increase occurred following the transition from in-person to virtual oral board exam administration in 2020, rising from 31.3% (95% CI: 24.1%-38.4%) in 2019 to 49.1% (95% CI: 43.8%-54.4%) in 2024 (p < .001). The percentage of women examinees remained stable (41.7% [95% CI: 37.6%-45.8%] in 2019; 37.5% [95% CI: 33.0%-42.0%] in 2024, p-value: .019). CONCLUSIONS: The representation of women among the ABO oral board examiners has increased significantly following the transition to virtual exams while the proportion of examinees remained stable. Strategies to increase flexibility in scheduling exams may be beneficial in continuing to improve examiner representation.

Humans↗
PubMed2006

Open reduction and internal fixation of dislocated condylar fractures in children: long-term clinical and radiologic outcomes.

The purpose of this study was to investigate the long-term clinical and radiologic outcomes of treating dislocated condylar fractures sustained in childhood with open reduction and internal fixation (ORIF). Six children 14 years or younger with a condylar neck or subcondylar fracture with dislocation of the condyle from the glenoid fossa were treated with ORIF. Patients were followed for 27 to 92 months post-ORIF (mean: 67.6 months) with routine clinical and radiologic examinations. On the dislocated side, all patients radiographically showed signs of remodeling of the condylar process and shortening of the ramus. Subsequent to their fractures, 3 patients were classified with Angle class II malocclusion, retrognathism, and deviation of the mandibular symphysis. Four patients had objective and/or subjective signs of temporomandibular (TMJ) dysfunction. Until open surgery demonstrates a consistent functional advantage, nonsurgical management should be considered the first treatment option for the dislocated pediatric condylar fracture.

Adolescent↗
PubMed2004

Forecasting the cytokine storm following systemic interleukin (IL)-2 administration.

Extensive clinical experience has shown that systemic interleukin (IL)-2 administration can induce complete or partial regression of renal cell cancer (RCC) metastases in 15 to 20 % of patients. Since IL-2 has no direct anti-cancer effects, it is believed that cancer regression is mediated either by a direct modulation of immune cell effector functions or through the mediation of soluble factors released as a result of IL-2 administration.We previously observed that transcriptional and protein changes induced by systemic IL-2 administration affect predominantly mononuclear phagocytes with little effect, particularly within the tumor microenvironment, on T cell activation, localization and proliferation. It further appeared that mononuclear phagocyte activation could be best explained by the indirect mediation of a secondary release of cytokines by IL-2 responsive cells either in the circulation or in peripheral tissues.To better characterize the cytokine outburst that follows systemic IL-2 administration we followed the serum levels of 68 soluble factors in ten patients with RCC undergoing high dose (720,000 IU/kg intravenously every 8 hours) IL-2 therapy. Serum was collected before therapy, 3 hours after the 1st and 4th dose and assayed on a multiplexed protein array platform. This study demonstrated that 1) the serum concentration of more than half the soluble factors studied changed significantly during therapy; 2) changes became more dramatic with increasing doses; 3) subclasses of soluble factors displayed different kinetics and 4) cytokine patterns varied quantitatively among patients.This study shows that the cytokine storm that follows systemic IL-2 administration is complex and far-reaching inclusive of soluble factors with disparate, partly redundant and partly contrasting effects on immune function. Therefore comparing in parallel large number of soluble factors, it sets a comprehensive foundation for further elucidation of "cytokine storm" in larger patient pools. Based on this analysis, we propose a prospective collection of serum samples in a larger cohort of patients undergoing IL-2 administration with the purpose of discerning patterns predictive of clinical outcome and toxicity.

Journal Article↗
PubMed2004

Rebound eosinophilia after treatment of hypereosinophilic syndrome and eosinophilic gastroenteritis with monoclonal anti-IL-5 antibody SCH55700.

BACKGROUND: Hypereosinophilic syndrome and eosinophilic gastroenteritis with peripheral eosinophilia are characterized by sustained eosinophilia and eosinophil-mediated tissue damage. Although treatment with the humanized monoclonal anti-IL-5 antibody SCH55700 resulted in improvement of eosinophilia and clinical symptoms in 6 of 8 of patients with hypereosinophilic syndrome or eosinophilic gastroenteritis with peripheral eosinophilia for as long as 12 weeks, eosinophil counts subsequently rose above baseline levels, accompanied by an exacerbation of symptoms. OBJECTIVE: To identify the mechanism underlying this rebound eosinophilia. METHODS: Purified eosinophils from patients or normal donors were cultured with IL-5, patient serum, and/or anticytokine antibodies, and eosinophil survival was assessed by flow cytometry. Serum and intracellular cytokine levels were measured by multiplex sandwich ELISA and flow cytometry, respectively. RESULTS: Before treatment with SCH55700, in vitro eosinophil survival in media and in response to recombinant IL-5 was similar in patients and normal donors. At 1 month posttreatment, the eosinophil survival curves were unchanged in 4 of 5 patients in media and in all 5 patients in response to recombinant IL-5. Normal eosinophil survival was prolonged in cultures containing posttreatment but not pretreatment sera (pretreatment vs posttreatment, 10.74% vs 73.02% live cells; P = .01). This posttreatment serum effect on eosinophil survival was reversed by the addition of the monoclonal anti-IL-5 antibody TRFK5. Although increased levels of serum IL-5 were observed at 1 month compared with 2 to 3 days posttreatment in 5 of 6 patients ( P = .04), intracellular cytokine analysis did not reveal increased production of IL-5 by peripheral blood mononuclear cells. CONCLUSIONS: The rebound eosinophilia after SCH55700 treatment is a result of a serum factor that enhances eosinophil survival. Reversal of this effect by the addition of antibody to IL-5 suggests that this factor may be IL-5 itself.

Adult↗
PubMed2004

Dissent and heresy in medicine: models, methods, and strategies.

Understanding the dynamics of dissent and heresy in medicine can be aided by the use of suitable frameworks. The dynamics of the search for truth vary considerably depending on whether the search is competitive or cooperative and on whether truth is assumed to be unitary or plural. Insights about dissent and heresy in medicine can be gained by making comparisons to politics and religion. To explain adherence to either orthodoxy or a challenging view, partisans use a standard set of explanations; social scientists use these plus others, especially symmetrical analyses. There is a wide array of methods by which orthodoxy maintains its domination and marginalises challengers. Finally, challengers can adopt various strategies in order to gain a hearing.

Cooperative Behavior↗
PubMed2004

A genomic- and proteomic-based hypothesis on the eclectic effects of systemic interleukin-2 administration in the context of melanoma-specific immunization.

Among human cancers, melanoma is characterized by an almost unique predisposition to regress in response to immune therapy. Recent clinical studies suggest that the frequency of this favorable event is enhanced by combining T-cell-directed active specific immunization with the systemic administration of interleukin (IL)-2. While waiting for additional clinical experience to confirm this observation, we embraced the working hypothesis that this combination provides superior response rates than either treatment alone. In particular, we have focused our interest on the paradoxical observation that active specific immunization consistently induces circulating CD8+ T cells capable of recognizing in ex vivo assays tumor cells, but cannot induce tumor regression alone. In these settings, it appears that combining the systemic administration of IL-2 is almost an absolute requirement for the induction of clinical responses. Here, we will expand on previous speculations on the postulated mechanism(s) of action of systemic IL-2 administration and, based on original data recently derived through high-throughput transcriptional and post-translational analysis, we will suggest an explanation for the eclectic effects of IL-2 administration in the context of active specific immunization.

CD8-Positive T-Lymphocytes↗
PubMed2002

Serum immunoglobulin G4 antibodies to the recombinant antigen, Ll-SXP-1, are highly specific for Loa loa infection.

The clinical manifestations and geographic distribution of loiasis overlap with those of other human filarial parasites, presenting challenges in the specific diagnosis of loiasis that may lead to delays in appropriate therapy. A recombinant antigen (Ll-SXP-1), preferentially recognized by serum samples from experimentally infected rhesus monkeys, was identified from a Loa loa L3 cDNA library. IgG4 antibody reactivity to purified Ll-SXP-1 was assessed by means of ELISA, using serum samples from patients with loiasis, lymphatic filariasis, onchocerciasis, mansonellosis, or other helminthiases and healthy control subjects. The assay was 56% sensitive and 98% specific for loiasis. Antibody reactivity was detectable before microfilaremia in experimentally infected rhesus monkeys and declined (but did not disappear) after diethylcarbamazine therapy in infected patients. IgG4 antibodies to recombinant Ll-SXP-1 are a highly specific marker of L. loa infection and may be useful for the diagnostic evaluation of persons with filariasis of unclear etiology.

Amino Acid Sequence↗
PubMed2001

The politics of a scientific meeting: the origin-of-AIDS debate at the Royal Society.

The Royal Society of London held a scientific meeting in September 2000 focusing on two theories of the origin of AIDS: one, that it occurred through "natural transfer" of immunodeficiency virus from monkeys or chimpanzees to humans; and the other, that it occurred through iatrogenic transfer via contaminated polio vaccines used in Africa in the late 1950s. This meeting was the culmination of years of public contention over the polio-vaccine theory. Several dimensions of the politics of science are revealed by analysis of this issue, including the power of scientific editors, the use of the mass media, decisions regarding selection of speakers and organization of the meeting, and epistemological assumptions made by participants.

Acquired Immunodeficiency Syndrome↗
PubMedDate not supplied

Countershock: mobilizing resistance to electroshock weapons.

Electroshock, stun and restraint technologies are often used for torture and as tools of repression. There is much information available exposing the problems with such technologies, but little about how to be effective in challenging their use. The concept of political ju-jitsu--the process by which an attack on a non-violent resister can backfire on the attackers--is introduced and adapted to examine challenges to electroshock weapons. In order to make these weapons backfire, it is important to emphasize the value of potential targets, to expose secret dealings, to reveal the harm caused by the weapons and to communicate clearly to a wide audience. A longer-term goal is policy change to deny access by torturing states to such repressive tools. Countershock strategies and methodologies are introduced here as potential tools to create ever-expanding torture-technology-free zones.

Electric Injuries↗