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Biomedical subjects

D R Griffin

Publications and source records attributed to D R Griffin.

At least 19 recordsLinked to original sources
PubMed2001

Is the universe designed? Yes and no.

Addressing the title's question from the perspective of Whitehead's process theology, fourteen basic notions of which are explained, I argue that the universe is not designed in six common senses of that notion: It was not created out of nothing, all at once, through punctuated creationism, from a blueprint, solely for humans, or even with humans specifically in mind. But it is designed in two looser senses of the term: It reflects a divine aim at richness of experience, and it involved a divine establishment of this cosmic epoch's fundamental contingent principles--an idea that is consistent with process theism's view of divine power as purely persuasive.

Extraterrestrial Environment↗
PubMed1999

Prenatal features of Noonan syndrome.

We report six cases of Noonan syndrome which presented prenatally with sonographic abnormalities. These included increased nuchal fluid, short femora, pleural effusions, hydrops, cardiac and renal abnormalities. A review of all cases of Noonan syndrome seen at two regional genetics centres confirms the association with these sonographic abnormalities. These cases demonstrate the diversity of prenatal presentation of Noonan syndrome and highlight the need to consider this diagnosis, particularly when faced with a fetus with a normal karyotype and varying degrees of oedema or hydrops, with a short femur length.

Adult↗
PubMed1999

Diagnostic and therapeutic impact of MRI and arthrography in the investigation of full-thickness rotator cuff tears.

Investigation of shoulder pain is important before surgical treatment. The presence or absence of a full-thickness rotator cuff tear (FTRCT) may determine the type of surgical treatment. Both MRI and conventional arthrography can be used, but little is known about their relative diagnostic and therapeutic impact. We performed a prospective trial assessing: (a) the influence of MRI and arthrography results on the clinician's diagnostic thinking (diagnostic impact); (b) the influence of the results on the clinician's therapeutic thinking (therapeutic impact); and (c) the diagnostic performance of the two techniques in patients with surgical confirmation. A total of 104 consecutive patients with shoulder problems referred to a specialist orthopaedic shoulder clinic underwent pre-operative investigation with MRI and arthrography. The surgeon's diagnosis, diagnostic confidence and planned treatment were measured before the investigation, and then again after the results of each investigation. Before the presentation of the investigation, results, the patients were randomised into two groups. In one group MRI was presented first; in the other group, arthrography. The MRI results led to fewer changes in diagnostic category (14 of 46, 30%) than arthrography (20 of 54, 37%), but the difference was not significant (P > 0.5). Magnetic resonance imaging led to slightly more changes in planned management (17 of 47, 36%) than arthrography (14 of 55, 25%), but again the difference was not statistically significant (P > 0.3). The results of the second investigation always had less diagnostic and therapeutic impact than the first. The accuracy of MRI for FTRCT in 38 patients with surgical confirmation was 79%, sensitivity 81% and specificity 78%; the accuracy of arthrography was 82%, sensitivity 50% and specificity 96%. The clinical diagnosis and management plan can be adequately defined by a single radiological investigation. Magnetic resonance imaging and arthrography had fairly similar diagnostic and therapeutic impact and comparable accuracy, although MRI was more sensitive and less specific. Magnetic resonance imaging may be the preferred investigation because of its better demonstration of soft tissue anatomy.

Adult↗
PubMed1999

Complications of arthroscopy of the hip.

Although arthroscopy of the hip is being carried out increasingly, little is known about the rate of associated complications. We describe a prospective study of 640 consecutive procedures in which a consistent technique was used. The overall complication rate was 1.6%. Complications, none of which was major or long-term, included transient palsy of the sciatic and femoral nerves, perineal injury, bleeding from the portal wounds, trochanteric bursitis and intra-articular breakage of the instrument. We believe that it is possible to undertake this operation safely using the technique described.

Adolescent↗
PubMed1998

Postherpetic neuralgia: impact of famciclovir, age, rash severity, and acute pain in herpes zoster patients.

New and previously reported analyses of the data from a placebo-controlled trial of famciclovir are reviewed in light of recently proposed recommendations for the analysis of pain in herpes zoster trials. The analyses examined the effect of famciclovir treatment on the duration of postherpetic neuralgia (PHN), which was defined as pain persisting after rash healing, pain persisting > 30 days after study enrollment, or pain persisting > 3 months after study enrollment; the baseline characteristics of patients in the famciclovir and placebo groups who developed PHN; the impact of famciclovir treatment on the duration of PHN, while controlling for significant covariates; and the prevalence of PHN at monthly intervals from 30 to 180 days after enrollment. The results of these analyses indicated that greater age, rash severity, and acute pain severity are risk factors for prolonged PHN. In addition, they demonstrated that treatment of acute herpes zoster patients with famciclovir significantly reduces both the duration and prevalence of PHN.

2-Aminopurine↗
PubMed1995

Windows on animal minds.

The simple kinds of conscious thinking that probably occur in nonhuman animals can be studied objectively by utilizing the same basic procedure that we use every day to infer what our human companions think and feel. This is to base such inferences on communicative behavior, broadly defined to include human language, nonverbal communication, and semantic communication in apes, dolphins, parrots, and honeybees. It seems likely that animals often experience something similar to the messages they communicate. Although this figurative window on other minds is obviously imperfect, it is already contributing significantly to our growing understanding and appreciation of animal mentality.

Animal Communication↗
PubMed1991

The differential diagnosis of enlarged hyperechogenic kidneys with normal or increased liquor volume: report of five cases and review of the literature.

We report five cases of enlarged, hyperechogenic kidneys detected prenatally where the liquor volume was normal or increased. The etiology was different in all cases and included infantile and adult polycystic kidney disease, Perlman syndrome, trisomy 13 and cystic dysplasia. The differential diagnosis of such findings is discussed and other cases reported in the literature are reviewed.

Journal Article↗
PubMed1991

Pharmacokinetic studies and renal dehydropeptidase stability of the new beta-lactamase inhibitor BRL 42715 in animals.

BRL 42715 is a novel, highly potent beta-lactamase inhibitor with good activity against a broad range of beta-lactamases, including the class I enzymes of Enterobacter and Citrobacter spp. (K. Coleman, D.R.J. Griffin, J.W.J. Page, and P.A. Upshon, Antimicrob. Agents Chemother. 33:1580-1587, 1989). The pharmacokinetics of BRL 42715 were studied following oral and parenteral administration in mice, rats, rabbits, beagle dogs, and cynomolgus monkeys. The elimination half-life (t1/2) of BRL 42715 following intravenous administration was 7 min in rats, 6.2 min in rabbits, 11 min in dogs, and 18 min in cynomolgus monkeys; and interspecies scaling indicated a t1/2 of 31 min in humans. Urinary recovery was 24 to 43% in the three species studied. A linear relationship was observed between the dose and the theoretical concentration in blood at time zero and between the dose and area under the concentration-time curve following intravenous administration to mice. Extravascular dosing in mice, rats, and dogs resulted in an increase in t1/2, suggesting a depot effect. BRL 42715 was absorbed in mice following an oral dose (bioavailability of 0.2), but was not absorbed in rats, dogs, or cynomolgus monkeys to any significant extent. The binding of BRL 42715 in serum was 27 to 38% in mouse, rat, and dog sera but was somewhat higher (68 to 70%) in primate and human sera. BRL 42715 was not readily hydrolyzed by the renal dehydropeptidase enzymes of any of the five species studied.

Animals↗
PubMed1991

6-(substituted methylene)penems, potent broad spectrum inhibitors of bacterial beta-lactamase. IV. Kidney stability, serum binding and additional biological evaluation of racemic derivatives.

Sodium (5RS)-Z-6-(substituted methylene)penem-3-carboxylates (3) are extremely potent inhibitors of bacterial beta-lactamases, but some members of this group of compounds are highly bound to human serum, while others are readily degraded by renal dehydropeptidase I enzyme. Consequently, the stability of a variety of 6-(substituted methylene)penems (3) to human kidney homogenate, their binding to human serum and their activity in a mouse infection model was investigated at an early stage, and were instrumental in the selection of the 1,2,3-triazolylmethylene derivatives (e.g. 3k) as a class of compounds worthy of further evaluation.

Animals↗
PubMed1989

In vitro evaluation of BRL 42715, a novel beta-lactamase inhibitor.

The penem BRL 42715, C6-(N1-methyl-1,2,3-triazolylmethylene)penem, is a potent inhibitor of a broad range of bacterial beta-lactamases, including the plasmid-mediated TEM, SHV, OXA, and staphylococcal enzymes, as well as the chromosomally mediated enzymes of Bacteroides, Enterobacter, Citrobacter, Serratia, Morganella, Escherichia, Klebsiella, and Proteus species. The concentration of BRL 42715 needed to reduce the initial rate of hydrolysis of most beta-lactamase enzymes by 50% was less than 0.01 micrograms/ml, which was 10- to 100-fold lower than for other beta-lactamase inhibitors. These potent inhibitory activities were reflected in the low concentrations of BRL 42715 needed to potentiate the antibacterial activity of beta-lactamase-susceptible beta-lactams. Concentrations of 0.25 micrograms/ml or less considerably enhanced the activity of amoxicillin against many beta-lactamase-producing strains. The MIC50 (MIC for 50% of strains tested) of amoxicillin for 412 beta-lactamase-producing members of the family Enterobacteriaceae fell from greater than 128 to 2 micrograms/ml in the presence of 1 microgram of BRL 42715 per ml, whereas 5 micrograms of clavulanic acid per ml brought the MIC50 down to 8 micrograms/ml. Among these 412 strains were 73 Citrobacter and Enterobacter strains, and 1 microgram of BRL 42715 per ml reduced the MIC50 of amoxicillin from greater than 128 to 2 micrograms/ml for the 48 cefotaxime-susceptible strains and from greater than 128 to 8 micrograms/ml for the 25 cefotaxime-resistant strains.

Amoxicillin↗
PubMed1985

Animal consciousness.

The cognitive states that underlie animal behavior may include conscious, subjective, mental experiences. Familiar arguments to the contrary are inconclusive. Interactive communication between social animals may well include the exchange of information about subjective feelings and thoughts. Objective data about the subjective experiences of certain animals may thus be potentially accessible through analysis of their communicative signals.

Adaptation, Biological↗
PubMed1983

New doppler technique for assessing uteroplacental blood flow.

Gated, pulsed, doppler ultrasound was used to study blood flow velocity profiles in the uterine vessels (arcuate arteries) during the second and third trimesters of pregnancy. A frequency index profile nomogram was constructed from 30 normal pregnancies; this demonstrated high diastolic velocity and low pulsatility. Among 31 pregnancies with complications 14 showed waveform changes suggesting raised vascular resistance; these pregnancies were complicated with a high frequency of proteinuric hypertension, poor fetal growth, and fetal hypoxia. This non-invasive technique may give early warning of impaired uteroplacental perfusion and can be used to evaluate methods of improving uterine blood flow.

Doppler Effect↗