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Biomedical subjects

C Cardwell

Publications and source records attributed to C Cardwell.

10 recordsLinked to original sources
PubMed2005

Secular trends in heart rate in young adults, 1949 to 2004: analyses of cross sectional studies.

OBJECTIVE: To investigate secular trends in resting heart rate in young adults. DESIGN, SETTING, AND PARTICIPANTS: A series of cross sectional cohorts of first year undergraduates (5562) aged 16-24 years who attended Queen's University Belfast from 1949 to 2004 and underwent health checks at the university health centre. MAIN OUTCOME MEASURE: Resting heart rate. RESULTS: Crude aggregate data for 1949-59 showed a secular decline in heart rate in male and female students. Both unadjusted and fully adjusted analyses of data from 1975 onwards-controlled for age, body mass index, height, and smoking-showed a U shaped association between heart rate and year of entry to university in both sexes (p < 0.001): heart rate initially declined and then increased from the mid 1980s. Trends were similar in smokers and non-smokers and in students with normal body size and those who were overweight. However, heart rate in the 693 (28%) male students reporting the most physical activity remained stable and lower than that of men who participated in less physical activity over the period of the study. Similarly in female students, heart rate was generally lower in the 210 (10%) who participated in the most physical activity than in those who engaged in less physical activity. CONCLUSIONS: The decline in heart rate in young adults occurring at least 50 years ago and continuing until the 1980s is consistent with other favourable findings on cardiovascular health in this age group and with observed long term declines in cardiovascular mortality. The more recent rise in heart rate, not accounted for by increases in overweight, prompts concern that recent favourable trends in cardiovascular disease risk may not be maintained. Among students who took part in the highest levels of physical activity the finding of low and stable heart rates points to the importance of exercise in maintaining cardiovascular health. Measurement of heart rate in population surveys would provide a simple tool to assist monitoring cardiovascular health.

Adolescent↗
PubMed2003

Observer variation in the detection of colorectal neoplasia on double-contrast barium enema: implications for colorectal cancer screening and training.

AIM: To assess inter-observer error for the diagnosis of neoplasia on double contrast barium enema (DCBE) in the light of claims that no additional interpretative training would be needed for implementation in a national screening programme. MATERIALS AND METHODS: 10 experts, 10 consultants, and 10 experienced trainees each reported 20 DCBE studies, of which two showed cancer, three showed large polyps, four showed small polyps, and 12 were normal. Inter-observer variation was compared using odds ratios with the trainee group as reference (baseline group). RESULTS: Experts were significantly more likely to correctly identify neoplasia on DCBE than trainees. The odds of a correct diagnosis for experts were 2.79 (95% CI 2.04, 3.81) for cancer, 2.36 (1.88, 2.97) for large polyps, and 3.50 (1.98, 6.18) for small polyps. While consultants were more likely to correctly diagnose a large polyp than trainees, 1.45 (1.15, 1.84), there was no significant difference between these two groups for the correct diagnosis of either cancer, 1.24 (0.52, 2.96), or small polyps, 1.26 (0.83, 1.90). A cancer was missed by 6 (60%) experts, 9 (90%) consultants, and 8 (80%) trainees. Large polyps were missed by 4 (40%) experts, 5 (50%) consultants, and 6 (60%) trainees. There was no significant difference between any group when false positive diagnoses were considered. CONCLUSIONS: There is considerable inter-observer perceptive error for the diagnosis of neoplasia on DCBE. Experts performed significantly better than other observers but the overall standard of performance was poor, even amongst experts.

Aged↗
PubMed1996

A novel type of programmed neuronal death in the cervical spinal cord of the chick embryo.

We examined the massive early cell death that occurs in the ventral horn of the cervical spinal cord of the chick embryo between embryonic days 4 and 5 (E4 and E5). Studies with immunohistochemical, in situ hybridization, and retrograde-tracing methods revealed that many dying cells express Islet proteins and Lim-3 mRNA (motoneuron markers) and send their axons to the somatic region of the embryo before cell death. Together, these data strongly suggest that the dying cells are somatic motoneurons. Cervical motoneurons die by apoptosis and can be rescued by treatment with cycloheximide and actinomycin D. Counts by motoneuron numbers between E3.5 and E10 revealed that, in addition to cell death between E4 and E5, motoneuron death also occur between E6 and E10 in the cervical cord. Studies with [3H]thymidine autoradiography and morphological techniques revealed that in the early cell-death phase (E4-E5), genesis of motoneurons, axonal elongation, and innervation of muscles is still ongoing. However, studies with [3H]thymidine autoradiography also revealed that the cells dying between E4 and E5 become postmitotic before E3.5. Increased size of peripheral targets, treatment with neuromuscular blockade, and treatment with partially purified muscle or brain extracts and defined neurotropic agents, such as NGF, BDNF, neurotrophin-3, CNTF, bFGF, PDGF, S100-beta, activin, cholinergic differentiation factor/leukemia inhibitory factor, bone morphogenetic protein-2, IGF-I, interleukin-6, and TGF-beta 1, were all ineffective in rescuing motoneurons dying between E4 and E5. By contrast, motoneurons that undergo programmed cell death at later stages (E6-E10) in the cervical cord are target-dependent and respond to activity blockade and trophic factors. Experimental approaches revealed that early cell death also occurs in a notochord-induced ectopic supernumerary motoneuron column in the cervical cord. Transplantation of the cervical neural tube to other segmental regions failed to alter the early death of motoneurons, whereas transplantation of other segments to the cervical region failed to induce early motoneuron death. These results suggest that the mechanisms that regulate motoneuron death in the cervical spinal cord between E4 and E5 are independent of interactions with targets. Rather, this novel type of cell death seems to be determined by signals that either are cell-autonomous or are derived from other cells within the cervical neural tube.

Animals↗
PubMed1995

Peptide inhibitors of the ICE protease family arrest programmed cell death of motoneurons in vivo and in vitro.

Members of the CED-3/interleukin-1 beta-converting enzyme (ICE) protease family have been implicated in cell death in both invertebrates and vertebrates. In this report, we show that peptide inhibitors of ICE arrest the programmed cell death of motoneurons in vitro as a result of trophic factor deprivation and in vivo during the period of naturally occurring cell death. In addition, interdigital cells that die during development are also rescued in animals treated with ICE inhibitors. Taken together, these results provide the first evidence that ICE or an ICE-like protease plays a regulatory role not only in vertebrate motoneuron death but also in the developmentally regulated deaths of other cells in vivo.

Amino Acid Sequence↗
PubMed1987

Victims of violence.

Explore the source record for details and available documents.

Community Health Nursing↗
PubMedDate not supplied

Helping health professionals deal with violence.

Violence towards health professionals is defined as any incident in which a health professional experiences abuse, threat, fear or the application of force arising out of the course of his or her work, whether or not they are on duty. It emerges that no single theory can adequately explain the phenomenon, and perceptions about incidence and prevalence are distorted by the media. There is consistent and variable reporting but a high incidence and prevalence undoubtedly exists within health care. Health professionals and less experienced nurses in particular have been found to be most at risk. A strategic approach is needed to the development and implementation of workplace-specific solutions. Health professionals have a right to expect that violence at work is minimized but it would be unrealistic to expect it to be eradicated.

England↗