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Biomedical subjects

C Garrett

Publications and source records attributed to C Garrett.

At least 55 records · Page 3Linked to original sources
PubMed1995

Developing a collaborative community partnership program in medical asepsis with tattoo studios.

The possibility of transmission of infectious agents during tattooing has become a legitimate issue of concern for health care providers. A collaborative educational program was developed by a county health department, College of Nursing, and tattoo artists to address issues of medical asepsis with the goal of producing a mechanism for certification of tattoo studios. The group's effort was enhanced by recognizing each other's value systems and by the mutual need for a successful program. A framework for developing, implementing, and evaluating community partnerships was addressed. This program demonstrated that community health nurses can play an instrumental role in collaborating with both health care providers and personal-service workers to minimize transmission of infectious agents during cosmetic procedures.

Asepsis↗
PubMed1995

A new fully automated system for the morphometric analysis of human sperm heads.

OBJECTIVE: To develop a fully automated image analysis system to provide objective, quantitative, and reproducible assessment of the head morphology of human spermatozoa. DESIGN: Shorr-stained smears of washed sperm were imaged with a microscope (x100) and black and white video camera and digitized for computer analysis. Automatically selected sperm head images are analyzed in terms of 32 parameters that reflect size, shape, and staining heterogeneity. Unique features of the analysis include extraction of a 40% density contour in addition to the usual boundary contour and parameterization of optical density profiles. The morphometry of a semen sample is summarized by evaluation of the sample mean and standard deviation for each morphometric parameter. In addition, each analyzed sperm in a sample is assessed for conformity to a reference morphometric data set. RESULTS: The system filters seminal debris, superimposed cells, and lysed sperm, with an average sperm recognition error of 2.3% and contour interpretation error of 1.7%. The average proportion of variance attributable to slide preparation and analysis methods (2.6%) was low relative to that between infertility patients (12.4%). The relatively slow assessment times would be improved substantially with upgraded hardware. CONCLUSION: The precision and sensitivity offered by the detailed image analysis of this system provides a powerful tool for morphometric semen analysis.

Autoanalysis↗
PubMed1994

Distribution of NHS funds between fundholding and non-fundholding practices.

OBJECTIVES: To estimate the amount spent on specific hospital care by health agencies in 1993-4 and compare it with the resources allocated to patients registered with fundholding practices for the same type of care. To investigate whether fundholding practices and health agencies pay different amounts for inpatient care. DESIGN: Examination of hospital episode statistics, 1991 census data, and family health services authority and health agency records. SETTING: Health agencies and fundholding practices in the former North West Thames Regional Health Authority. MAIN OUTCOME MEASURES: Amount per capita allocated to inpatient and outpatient care for patients registered with fundholding and non-fundholding practices. Average specialty cost per finished consultant episode for health agencies and fundholding practices. RESULTS: The ratio of per capita funding for patients in non-fundholding practices to those in fundholding practices ranged from 59% to 87% for inpatient and day case care and from 36% to 106% for outpatient care. Average specialty costs per episode were similar for fundholding practices and health agencies. CONCLUSIONS: Fundholding practices seem to have been funded more generously than non-fundholding practices in North West Thames.

Budgets↗
PubMed1994

Six cases of 7p deletion: clinical, cytogenetic, and molecular studies.

To date, 32 cases of partial 7p monosomy have been described, 14 of which have been associated with craniosynostosis (CRS). There is considerable variation in the size and location of the deleted segment. However, CRS appears to be consistently associated with either a deletion or partial deletion 7p21-->7p22 or more rarely a deletion of 7p13-->7p14. Analysis of a panel of six 7p deletion cases (three with CRS) was undertaken using informative DNA probes, in order to characterize and define the extent of the deletions at the molecular level. There were five de novo deletions and one resulting from the unbalanced product of a paternal balanced insertion. The putative proximal CRS locus at 7p13-->7p14 does not appear to be allelic with Greig cephalopolysyndactyly syndrome. Three probe positions have been refined: pJ5.11 (D7S10) previously mapped to 7p14-->pter does not appear to map proximal to p15; TM102L (D7S135) does not map distal to p22; CRI-P137 (D7S65) maps distal to 7p13.

Chromosome Banding↗
PubMed1993

New autosomal recessive lethal disorder with polycystic kidneys type Potter I, characteristic face, microcephaly, brachymelia, and congenital heart defects.

We report on 3 pairs of sibs from unrelated families, who present with polycystic kidneys Potter type I claimed to be specific for the ARPKD, and with microbrachycephaly, hypertelorism with telecanthus, large posteriorly angulated fleshy ears and various congenital malformations including congenital heart defects. We suggest that they represent a previously unrecognized autosomal recessive lethal developmental disorder within the group of infantile polycystic kidney disease and Potter sequence.

Abnormalities, Multiple↗
PubMed1993

Holoprosencephaly: a family showing dominant inheritance and variable expression.

A family with probable dominant holoprosencephaly is presented with five affected subjects in two sibships, the offspring of healthy sisters who are presumed gene carriers. Of the affected children, three had cebocephaly and died shortly after birth. One had left choanal atresia, retinal coloboma, a single central maxillary incisor, microcephaly, short stature, and learning problems. Another had only a single central maxillary incisor. The occurrence of hypotelorism, microcephaly, and unilateral cleft lip and palate as minor manifestations of the gene in possible and probable gene carriers is discussed.

Abnormalities, Multiple↗
PubMed1991

Bizarre fetal behaviour associated with lethal congenital anomalies: a case report.

Prolonged recording of behaviour was performed in a fetus at 36 weeks gestation, who was severely small for dates with no apparent aetiology. Detailed analysis of fetal behaviour was grossly abnormal. Behavioural states were absent and there were no intervals during which linkage of the state variables was demonstrated in a total of 120 min of observation. On repeated conventional biophysical testing the non-stress test was normal and the biophysical score was equivocal, varying from 4/10 to 8/10. Following delivery a lethal multiple congenital abnormality syndrome was identified. Close linkage of the fetal behavioural state variables is almost universal by this gestation, and has been associated with a good outcome in high-risk fetuses. Behavioural recordings may have a useful role in the evaluation of such fetuses, particularly where the aetiology is not apparent.

Abnormalities, Multiple↗
PubMed1991

Chemical oxidation and metabolism of N-methyl-N-formylhydrazine. Evidence for diazenium and radical intermediates.

N-Methyl N-formlhydrazine (1), a component of the mushroom Gyromitra esculenta, is a carcinogen. Its mode of action, however, is poorly understood. To determine the intermediates that may form during the metabolism of 1, we examined its oxidative chemistry, identified the products and inferred the intermediates on the basis of these products. The incubation of 1 with rat liver microsomes was also studied and the metabolites determined and quantified. Both the chemical and the microsome-mediated oxidation of 1 yielded formaldehyde and acetaldehyde. The formation of acetaldehyde requires (i) the oxidation of 1 to a diazenium ion (I) or diazene (II) and (ii) fragmentation of I/II to formyl and methyl radicals. It is suggested that these radical intermediates may be important in understanding and elucidating carcinogenesis by 1.

Acetaldehyde↗
PubMed1991

Effects of a take-home drug prevention program on drug-related communication and beliefs of parents and children.

Five hundred and eleven fourth, fifth, and sixth grade students and their parents from six schools in northwest Arkansas participated in this study. Students were blocked on school and grade level, then assigned randomly by class to either the intervention Keep A Clear Mind (KACM) program or a waiting list control. KACM students received four weekly correspondence lessons designed to be completed at home with a parent. KACM students reported significantly less perceived peer use of alcohol, tobacco, and marijuana, as well as significantly less peer pressure susceptibility to experiment with cigarettes. Mothers in the KACM program reported significantly more recent and frequent communication with their children about refusing drugs, and significantly greater discussions with their children regarding how to resist peer pressure to use alcohol, tobacco, and marijuana. Intervention program fathers reported significantly more communication with their children concerning how to resist peer pressure to drink alcohol and use tobacco, and significantly greater motivation to help their children avoid drug use. No significant differences were found between groups on student intentions to use drugs. These data suggest a print medium that emphasizes parent-child activities holds promise for accessing families and enhancing drug prevention communication.

Adult↗
PubMed1991

High 64Cu uptake and retention values in two clinically atypical Menkes patients.

We have investigated two previously published atypical Menkes patients with 64Cu uptake and retention studies. Both of these analyses gave significantly increased results in the range seen for classical Menkes patients. 64Cu uptake analyses on female relatives gave the same uptake pattern as seen for other families with classical Menkes disease.

Cells, Cultured↗
PubMed1990

Yunis-Varon syndrome with severe osteodysplasty.

We report two male sibs and two female sibs from separate families, both with normal parents, who had a lethal condition with features of the Yunis-Varon syndrome and radiological signs of severe osteodysplasty. Autosomal recessive inheritance is likely in both families. The additional features described represent further delineation of the phenotype of the Yunis-Varon syndrome.

Bone Diseases, Developmental↗
PubMed1989

Expression of int-2 mRNA in human tumors amplified at the int-2 locus.

Gene amplification is a relatively frequent event in human malignant tumors and is believed to have an important function in neoplastic transformation and tumor progression. Our attention has been focused on the amplification and the expression of the int-2 gene for several reasons: (1) In the mouse mammary tumorigenesis int-2 is frequently activated by MMTV proviral integration. (2) The human homolog of int-2, located on chromosome 11q13, is frequently amplified in human primary tumors and is comprised in an amplification unit encompassing the hst gene, which is often coamplified; the amplification at the 11q13 locus in breast carcinomas correlates with a poor outcome of the disease. (3) int-2 and hst belong to the basic FGF gene family. All these observations raise the possibility that the human int-2 gene plays an active role in the neoplastic process, but this will prove to be true only if int-2 is expressed in human tumors. In the present study we used RNA:RNA in situ hybridization and Northern blot analysis to show that int-2 gene is expressed in a number of human carcinomas amplified at the same locus.

Blotting, Northern↗
PubMed1987

Deoxyribonucleoside triphosphate imbalance. 5-Fluorodeoxyuridine-induced DNA double strand breaks in mouse FM3A cells and the mechanism of cell death.

The mechanism of cytotoxic action of 5-fluorodeoxyuridine (FdUrd) in mouse FM3A cells was investigated. We observed the FdUrd-induced imbalance of intracellular deoxyribonucleoside triphosphate (dNTP) pools and subsequent double strand breaks in mature DNA, accompanied by cell death. The imbalance of dNTP pools was maximal at 8 h after 1 microM FdUrd treatment; a depletion of dTTP and dGTP pools and an increase in the dATP pool were observed. The addition of FdUrd in culture medium induced strand breaks in DNA, giving rise to a 90 S peak by alkaline sucrose gradient sedimentation. The loss of cell viability and colony-forming ability occurred at about 10 h. DNA double strand breaks as measured by the neutral elution method were also observed in FdUrd-treated cells about 10 h after the addition. These results lead us to propose that DNA double strand breaks play an important role in the mechanism of FdUrd-mediated cell death. A comparison of the ratio of single and double strand breaks induced by FdUrd to that observed following radiation suggested that FdUrd produced double strand breaks exclusively. Cycloheximide inhibited both the production of DNA double strand breaks and the FdUrd-induced cell death. An activity that can induce DNA double strand breaks was detected in the lysate of FdUrd-treated FM3A cells but not in the untreated cells. This suggests that FdUrd induces the cellular DNA double strand breaking activity. The FdUrd-induced DNA strand breaks and cell death appear to occur in the S phase. Our results indicate that imbalance of the dNTP pools is a trigger for double strand DNA break and cell death.

Animals↗
PubMed1987

Genetic heterogeneity of X-linked mental retardation with fragile X. Association of tight linkage to factor IX and incomplete penetrance in males.

X-linked mental retardation with fragile X or Martin-Bell Syndrome (MBS) is a frequent cause of mental retardation. So far segregation analysis of MBS in pedigrees ascertained by different, incomplete criteria has produced results, difficult to interpret, which suggest genetic complexity (Sherman et al. 1985). Biochemical and cell biological studies have failed to provide an assay for genetic heterogeneity in MBS and linkage analysis is the only available method. Such analysis, however, is complicated by the incomplete penetrance of the disease in males and the variable penetrance and expression of the defect in heterozygous females. We have used a new approach to test the heterogeneity of recombination between MBS and the coagulation factor IX gene or the anonymous probe 52A in a group of nine families who have sought genetic counselling at Guy's Hospital. We find that both our families alone and our families plus apparently complete samples of pedigrees reported in the literature, separate into two groups: one tightly and one loosely linked to factor IX. In the combined family sample these represent respectively 0.3 and 0.7 of the total and show recombination fractions of 0.0-0.15 and 0.25-0.5. Furthermore, the families with non-penetrant carrier males show tighter linkage to factor IX than the others, thus confirming the suggestion of a systematic difference among MBS families in the recombination between the disease and the factor IX locus. By contrast, no significant differences were found in the recombination between 52A and factor IX in the two groups of MBS families or in these families versus those with Hunter syndrome examined in our laboratory. The causes of the linkage heterogeneity we describe are not known. At least two alternatives can be considered: The existence of two MBS loci or differences in the recombination between a single MBS locus and the factor IX gene. The association between incomplete penetrance and tight linkage to factor IX as well as the discontinuous variation in recombination fraction we have observed seem to favour the former alternative.

Factor IX↗
PubMed1987

The use of thiphenamil hydrochloride (Trocinate) to control wound contraction after radial keratotomy.

We studied the efficacy of a topical smooth muscle antagonist, thiphenamil hydrochloride (Trocinate), in inhibiting wound contraction in ocular tissue. Fifteen New Zealand white rabbits underwent standard eight-incision radial keratotomy (RK), and eyes were randomly assigned to treatment or control groups. As demonstrated by slit lamp corneal photographs and by ocular histology, transient inhibition of wound contraction lasted approximately one week in all treatment eyes. We conclude that thiphenamil has a temporary, but specific, effect in controlling wound contraction after ocular surgery. Smooth muscle antagonists may be useful for managing cicatricial conditions of the eye.

Animals↗