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C Thompson

Publications and source records attributed to C Thompson.

At least 235 records · Page 13Linked to original sources
PubMed1994

Evaluation of a microdot immunofluorescent antigen detection test for Chlamydia trachomatis.

OBJECTIVE: To evaluate a centrifuge enhanced direct immunofluorescent antigen test (MD test), compared with conventional culture and ELISA testing in the diagnosis of Chlamydia trachomatis infection. SETTING: A District General Hospital situated 30 miles from a University Department of Medical Microbiology. SUBJECT AND METHOD: A prospective study on specimens from 638 patients. Culture was performed on 348 specimens from genitourinary medicine patients and ELISA testing was carried out on 272 specimens from Gynaecology patients. RESULTS: When compared with culture the MD test had a sensitivity of 90.6%, specificity of 96.8%, positive predictive value of 74.3% and a negative predictive value of 99%. When compared with confirmed ELISA results the MD test had a sensitivity of 100%, specificity of 98.8%, positive predictive value of 78.5% and negative predictive value of 100%. CONCLUSION: The MD test compares favourably with other chlamydial diagnostic techniques and in our setting is preferable to sending specimens for chlamydial culture. It is not suitable as the sole diagnostic method for screening large numbers of specimens but is a cost effective confirmatory test for positive ELISA results.

Antigens, Bacterial↗
PubMed1994

Neurodevelopment in pediatric HIV infection. The use of CAT/CLAMS. Clinical Adaptive Test/Clinical Linguistic and Auditory Milestone Scale.

Pediatric neuro-AIDS may be the first clinical manifestation of HIV infection in children born to HIV-infected mothers. As part of the neurodevelopmental examination of children, the Clinical Adaptive Test/Clinical Linguistic and Auditory Milestone Scale (CAT/CLAMS) was investigated as a tool for pediatricians to use to monitor the development of children at risk for HIV infection. The CAT/CLAMS was found to detect neurodevelopmental differences between HIV-infected and uninfected children at 12 and 18 months of age. Good correlations were found between the CAT/CLAMS and concurrently administered Bayley Scales of Infant Development. These findings suggest that the CAT/CLAMS should be considered as a part of the neurodevelopmental examination of children at risk for pediatric neuro-AIDS.

Acquired Immunodeficiency Syndrome↗
PubMed1994

Patterns of food choices among Arkansans with less than a high school education.

This study surveyed students in Adult Basic Education (ABE) Programs in Arkansas to determine their pattern of food choices. The results indicated that entire food groups, e.g. vegetables, fruits, or milk were not included in the diets of many participants. This population more frequently chose high fat than low fat foods. Regression analyses indicated that the choice of low fat products increased with age and family income level. The most dramatic trends were in changes in consumption of dairy products, fruits, and vegetables. These data support the need for nutrition education in Arkansans with less than a high school education.

Adolescent↗
PubMed1994

Management of depression in real-life settings: knowledge gained from large-scale clinical trials.

This paper reports the results of two studies of depressed patients, evaluating the efficacy and toleration of the selective serotonin reuptake inhibitor (SSRI) sertraline in a general practice setting in the UK. In the first of these studies, 308 patients, with a DSM-III-R diagnosis of major depressive episode, were treated for 6 weeks with either sertraline 50-100 mg/day or the tricyclic antidepressant dothiepin 75-150 mg/day, or placebo. Seventy-six per cent of sertraline-treated patients were maintained on the lower dose (50 mg/day), whereas 81% of dothiepin-treated patients required the higher dose (150 mg/day). Sertraline-treated patients demonstrated a significant improvement in the Montgomery-Asberg Depression Rating Scale (MADRS) and the Clinical Global Impression (CGI) severity scores compared with placebo-treated patients, while dothiepin-treated patients did not show significant improvement compared with placebo. The active drugs were well tolerated, and there were no significant differences in adverse events between the groups. The second study, "Sertraline in General Practice, A Multicenter Assessment", or SIGMA, was a large, multicentre trial with a cohort of 3396 patients recruited to receive 6 weeks of treatment. Patients started on sertraline 50 mg/day, and for 59% of patients this was the final dose; less than 10% of patients reached final doses of more than 100 mg/day. A 50% or greater reduction in MADRS scores was seen in 69% of patients across a wide range of severity of symptoms at baseline, and 87% of patients demonstrated excellent or good toleration of the drug.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)

1-Naphthylamine↗
PubMed1994

Kangaroo care.

Explore the source record for details and available documents.

Humans↗
PubMed1994

Efficacy of a recombinant endotoxin neutralizing protein in rabbits with Escherichia coli sepsis.

Gram-negative bacterial sepsis is associated with endotoxemia and a high mortality rate. In previous studies, we demonstrated the therapeutic benefit of an anti-lipopolysaccharide factor isolated from amebocytes of Limulus polyphemus, and of a recombinant version of this protein, termed endotoxin neutralizing protein (ENP), in rabbits challenged with purified lipopolysaccharides. To assess the benefit of ENP in treating a live bacterial infection, we established a rabbit model of Escherichia coli (E. coli) peritonitis and bacteremia with high mortality despite gentamicin treatment. Twenty-four pairs of New Zealand white rabbits were challenged intraperitoneally (IP) with E. coli O18ac K1 in 5% porcine mucin (mean bacteria per dose = 2.5 x 10(8)). The animals were treated with intravenous (i.v.) gentamicin (2.5 mg/kg), and with either ENP (5 mg/kg) or saline i.v. at 1 hr after E. coli challenge. All rabbits were bacteremic 1 hr after challenge (geometric mean 4.1 +/- 1.2 x 10(4) cfu/mL). Peak geometric mean serum endotoxin (2.62 v 10.54 EU/mL, P = .013) and tumor necrosis factor (TNF) (2540 v 6438 TNF units/mL, P = .046) concentrations were lower in ENP-treated animals as compared to control animals. Seven of 24 animals treated with ENP survived 24 hr compared with 4 of 24 controls (Kaplan-Meier analysis, P = .19). However, in the subgroup of 13 paired animals in whom bacteremia was eliminated by gentamicin treatment, 5 of 13 ENP-treated animals survived 24 hr, compared with 1 of 13 controls (Kaplan-Meier analysis, P = .032).(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)

Animals↗
PubMed1994

Intraindividual variation among pregnant adolescents: a pilot study and conceptual discussion.

There is little empirical research or theory on intraindividual variation (mood changes) during adolescence, and virtually no research on intraindividual variation during adolescent pregnancy. This pilot study illustrates the need for research on pregnant adolescents' moods and their impact on survey reliability and validity. Fourteen adolescents kept diaries for six consecutive weeks during their pregnancies. The diary entries were analyzed for affective tone, emotional lability, and contextuality. A conceptual discussion is presented that questions the psychometric properties of data gathered using one time, self-report measures with pregnant adolescents because of their fluctuating mood states. Hypotheses are generated for future testing in this area and a call is made for a new area of research on intraindividual tension during adolescent pregnancy.

Adolescent↗
PubMed1994

Kangaroo care: research results, and practice implications and guidelines.

Results of two studies of the effects of 2 to 3 hours of kangaroo care (KC), one a randomized trial of 25 premature infants in open-air cribs and the other a pilot of 6 premature infants who were at least 24 hours postextubation, who were cared for in incubators are reviewed. Both studies incorporated a pretest/posttest control group design. Heart rate and abdominal skin temperature rose for KC infants during KC. Heat loss did not occur during KC, and infants slept more during KC. Kangaroo care had a comforting effect on infants and their mothers. Apnea and periodic breathing episodes dropped during KC for incubator infants. Suggestions and guidelines for selection of infants and practice based on these studies are presented.

Adult↗
PubMed1994

Spatial integration of compound gratings with various numbers of orientation components.

PURPOSE: The human foveal visual system in a detection task was recently modeled as a simple image processor comprising low-pass filtering due to the optical modulation transfer function of the eye, high-pass filtering (lateral inhibition) due to the neural modulation transfer function of visual pathways, addition of internal neural noise, and detection by a local matched filter, the efficiency of which decreases with increasing grating area. The applicability of this model was now tested by studying spatial integration for sums of various numbers of cosine gratings with different orientations. METHODS: Binocular root-mean-square contrast sensitivity was measured as a function of area for sums of cosine gratings (n = 1 to 16) with the same contrast, phase, and spatial frequency but with an orientation difference of 180/n between the components. RESULTS: In agreement with the model, contrast sensitivity increased in proportion to the square root of grating area at small areas. When grating area exceeded its critical value, the increase saturated, and contrast sensitivity then became independent of area. The critical area and maximum contrast sensitivity of spatial integration first decreased with an increasing number of components, reaching minima at n = 5 to 6, but increased thereafter. A plausible explanation for the variation of critical area and maximum sensitivity could be the variation of the amount of contour and detail per unit area in the sums of cosine gratings. Critical area divided by maximum sensitivity squared refers to the contrast energy threshold at small grating areas. It was independent of the number of components but, because of lateral inhibition, decreased in inverse proportion to spatial frequency squared. Contrast energy threshold as a function of normalized grating area (grating area divided by critical area) also was independent of the number of components and decreased in inverse proportion to spatial frequency squared. CONCLUSIONS: Within the framework of the local matched filter model, the dependency of contrast sensitivity on the grating area and number of orientation components resulted from the decrease in the efficiency of contrast energy collection, which was probably due to the increasing amount of contour and detail in the stimulus to be detected.

Adult↗
PubMed1993

Use of new Escherichia coli/Streptomyces conjugative vectors to probe the functions of the two groEL-like genes of Streptomyces albus G by gene disruption.

Streptomyces albus G contains two groEL-like genes encoding three related proteins [Guglielmi et al., J. Bacteriol. 173 (1991) 7374-7381; Mazodier et al., J. Bacteriol. 173 (1991) 7382-7386]. Two proteins, HSP58 and HSP18, are synthesized from a single start codon site in groEL1. HSP18 may be a processed form of HSP58 or the result of early termination after frameshifting. The third protein, HSP56 is encoded by groEL2. In order to determine the physiological roles of these different proteins, both groEL genes were mutagenized by using a new approach for obtaining insertions in the streptomycete chromosome. Escherichia coli plasmids containing fragments homologous to groEL1 or groEL2 are unable to replicate in Streptomyces. They were introduced into S. albus by conjugation with E. coli. We then screened for mutants in which groEL1 or groEL2 had been disrupted due to recombination events (single or double crossover) at specific sites. Using this approach, the functionally indispensable domain of HSP58 was localized to within 249 amino acids of the N-terminus. HSP58 was not detected in the mutant generated by the most upstream insertion into the groEL1 coding sequence. However, HSP18 was synthesized in this mutant after heat shock. This groEL1 mutant was not impaired in growth in the 30-41 degrees C temperature range and SDS-PAGE analysis showed its overall pattern of gene expression to be indistinguishable from the parental strain. The inability to generate strains containing groEL2 disruptions strongly suggests that HSP56 is indispensable for growth.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)

Amino Acid Sequence↗
PubMed1993

Lack of involvement of nitric oxide in NMDA-induced neuronal cell death in cortical culture.

In primary cultures of rat cerebral cortex, N-methyl-D-aspartate causes widespread neurotoxicity. Inhibitors of the nitric oxide generating the enzyme nitric oxide synthase has been shown to attenuate the effects of N-methyl-D-aspartate in a number of neuronal systems both in vivo and in vitro. In our experiments, the nitric oxide synthase inhibitor N-nitroarginine was ineffective at blocking neurotoxicity induced by N-methyl-D-aspartate. Cyclic guanine monophosphate, known to be synthesized in response to nitric oxide was demonstrably inhibited by identical treatments with N-nitroarginine in sister cultures. We conclude that although nitric oxide is produced in response to N-methyl-D-aspartate, it is neither necessary nor sufficient for neurotoxicity.

Amino Acid Oxidoreductases↗
PubMed1993

Use of fluorescence in situ hybridization to confirm the interpretation of a balanced complex chromosome rearrangement ascertained through prenatal diagnosis.

A balanced complex chromosome rearrangement (BCCR) involving 3 chromosomes with 4 breakpoints, was identified in a 36-yr-old woman who was studied because her fetus was discovered to have an unbalanced reciprocal translocation (7q;10q). Analysis of high resolution bands and the application of fluorescence in situ hybridization has identified the BCCR as der(7)t(7;10)(q21.13;q23.33)ins(21;7)(q21.3;q11.22q21.13), der(10)t(7;10)(q21.13; q23.33), der(21)ins(21;7)(q21.3;q11.22q21.13). Alternate segregation of the BCCR appears to be favoured, and has resulted in two pregnancies with an unbalanced chromosome constitution.

Abnormalities, Multiple↗
PubMed1993

Importance of diabetic foot admissions at Middlemore Hospital.

AIMS: To investigate the costs and mortality associated with admission for diabetic foot problems. METHODS: Identification of patients by codes for diabetes and peripheral vascular disease from routinely collected hospital discharge data. Information was collected retrospectively from charts. Post discharge outcome was assessed by discussion with general practitioners. RESULTS: 357 patients accounted for 503 admissions. 11-15% of patients (n = 49) were admitted for diabetic foot problems. Patients with type 1 diabetes had shorter lengths of stay than those with type 2 diabetes, were more likely to be admitted with chronic renal failure and less likely to be admitted with ischaemic heart disease. Maori and Pacific Island patients with type 2 diabetes were admitted at a younger age than Europeans (53 (SD12) vs 56 (11) vs 69 (13) years respectively, p < 0.001). Admissions for diabetic foot problems resulted in the longest hospital stay in comparison with other causes (19 (1-184) days vs 8 (1-116)) days. Average cost per diabetic foot admission was $12,500 with a total annual cost of over $600,000. CONCLUSION: The diabetic foot is expensive and yet these costs are largely avoidable with improvement in patient education, motivation, monitoring and earlier intervention. It would be better to have in place improved community and hospital care before the predicted growth in the diabetic population associated with ageing.

Adult↗
PubMed1993

Accessory cell function of keratinocytes for superantigens. Dependence on lymphocyte function-associated antigen-1/intercellular adhesion molecule-1 interaction.

A growing body of evidence points to a role for epidermal keratinocytes as active participants in immunologic reactions. Inasmuch as certain T cell-mediated skin diseases, such as psoriasis and atopic dermatitis, are triggered by microbial infection, we asked whether multipassaged human keratinocytes could provide the costimulatory signals necessary to induce autologous T cell proliferation in response to bacterial-derived super-antigens. On exposure to IFN-gamma, keratinocytes are induced to express HLA-DR and HLA-DQ class II MHC Ag, and the lymphocyte function-associated Ag-1 counter-receptor intercellular adhesion molecule-1 (ICAM-1). This change in keratinocyte phenotype is accompanied by the ability of these cells to support T cell proliferation induced by two different bacterial-derived superantigens, staphylococcal enterotoxins A and B. Superantigen-driven proliferation in the presence of IFN-gamma-treated keratinocytes was significantly inhibited (70-90% reduction) by mAb against the LFA-1 alpha- or beta-chain or ICAM-1. Proliferation was not inhibited by mAb against the CD28 ligands BB-1 or B7, even though these keratinocytes express BB-1. In addition to previous defined roles for class II MHC Ag, stimulation of LFA-1 on the T cells by ICAM-1 on the keratinocytes also plays an important costimulatory role in this superantigen-mediated response. The accessory cell capability of keratinocytes was not unique to superantigen driven responses as PHA, as well as anti-CD3 mAb also induced vigorous T cell proliferation when IFN-gamma-treated keratinocytes were added. However, IFN-gamma-treated keratinocytes consistently failed to provoke an allogeneic response. These data demonstrate that 1) keratinocytes can serve as accessory cells for T cell proliferation using a variety of different stimuli, 2) the LFA-1/ICAM-1 interaction plays a major role in keratinocyte-mediated costimulation, and 3) previous reports in which IFN-gamma-treated keratinocytes failed to support T cell proliferation to nominal or alloantigens, may reflect impaired Ag presentation via class II MHC molecules, rather than lack of necessary costimulatory signals. These findings highlighting the accessory cell function of keratinocytes may have implications for our understanding of the pathogenesis of immunologic disorders of the skin.

Antibodies, Monoclonal↗
PubMed1993

Neuropsychiatric aspects of HIV-1 infection in gay men: controlled investigation of psychiatric, neuropsychological and neurological status.

The aim of this study was to determine whether HIV infection is associated with psychiatric morbidity or neuropsychological impairment in asymptomatic and early symptomatic stages of disease in gay men. The subjects were 100 gay men (68 HIV-ve, 32 HIV+ve, 6 being CDC IV). All subjects were recruited at the time of requesting their first HIV test and the assessment was double-blind to HIV serostatus. There were no differences in psychiatric status or neuropsychological performance between the HIV-ve and HIV+ve groups. Multiple regression analysis and logistic regression were used to identify factors associated with psychiatric morbidity, neuropsychological impairment and subjective reporting of memory problems and physical symptoms for all 100 subjects. Previous psychiatric history and current illegal (non-dependent) drug use were associated with psychiatric morbidity, poor education was associated with neuropsychological impairment and psychiatric status (score on HAD and PSE) was associated with subjective reporting of memory problems and physical symptoms.

AIDS Dementia Complex↗