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Biomedical subjects

D T Miller

Publications and source records attributed to D T Miller.

At least 19 recordsLinked to original sources
PubMed2001

Disrespect and the experience of injustice.

This review analyzes research and theory pertaining to the psychology of injustice, using as its organizing theme the role that the perception of disrespect plays in the experience of injustice. The analysis focuses primarily on the links between disrespect and anger, disrespect and injustice, and anger and injustice. Determinants of the intensity of people's reactions to injustices are also reviewed. In addition, the review examines the goals of retaliation as well as the forms that retaliation can take. Parallels between justice reactions to those acts of disrespect directed toward the self and those directed toward others are noted. Finally, the review discusses the implications of justice research for understanding the specific and general entitlements that people believe are their due.

Attitude↗
PubMed2001

Moral credentials and the expression of prejudice.

Three experiments supported the hypothesis that people are more willing to express attitudes that could be viewed as prejudiced when their past behavior has established their credentials as nonprejudiced persons. In Study 1, participants given the opportunity to disagree with blatantly sexist statements were later more willing to favor a man for a stereotypically male job. In Study 2, participants who first had the opportunity to select a member of a stereotyped group (a woman or an African American) for a category-neutral job were more likely to reject a member of that group for a job stereotypically suited for majority members. In Study 3, participants who had established credentials as nonprejudiced persons revealed a greater willingness to express a politically incorrect opinion even when the audience was unaware of their credentials. The general conditions under which people feel licensed to act on illicit motives are discussed.

Adult↗
PubMed2001

The norm of self-interest and its effects on social action.

Four studies investigated whether people feel inhibited from engaging in social action incongruent with their apparent self-interest. Participants in Study 1 predicted that they would be evaluated negatively were they to take action on behalf of a cause in which they had no stake or in which they had a stake but held stake-incongruent attitudes. Participants in Study 2 reported both surprise and anger when a target person took action on behalf of a cause in which he or she had no stake or in which he or she held stake-incongruent attitudes. In Study 3, individuals felt more comfortable engaging in social action and expected others to respond more favorably toward their actions if the issue was described as more relevant to their own sex than to the opposite sex. In Study 4, the authors found that providing nonvested individuals with psychological standing rendered them as likely as vested individuals to undertake social action. The authors discuss the implications of these results for the relationship between vested interest, social action, and attitude-behavior consistency.

Adult↗
PubMed2001

Contributions of flow cytometry to the analysis of the myelodysplastic syndrome.

As the population of North America ages, the incidence of MDS is likely to rise. Epidemiologic survey instruments need to be put in place to document changes in the incidence. The basic mechanism of disease in MDS is largely unknown. No unifying, testable hypothesis is yet available, but apoptosis, with mitochondria playing a key role, are central to any discussion of MDS. Cytogenetic abnormalities have not provided an explanation of MDS but are of diagnostic and prognostic significance. The emergence of immunologic factors is of major importance and emphasizes the need for early detection. Flow cytometry can be used diagnostically to exclude other causes of cytopenias, document the phenotypic manifestations of myeloid dysmaturation, and provide blast enumeration. The distinctions between MDS and acute leukemia are arbitrary, and the process should be conceptualized as a continuum. There is a need for continued work to establish minimal diagnostic criteria for MDS. The current prognostic scoring systems do not incorporate findings from the newer technologies.

Aged↗
PubMed2000

The Drosophila primo locus encodes two low-molecular-weight tyrosine phosphatases.

The fine modulation of tyrosine phosphorylation by protein tyrosine phosphatases and protein tyrosine kinases is a key regulatory mechanism for many cell signaling pathways active during development. In a screen for genes with interesting expression patterns in the developing Drosophila pupal retina, we identified a novel pair of protein tyrosine phosphatases that exhibit an expression pattern suggesting a role in multiple steps of Drosophila neurogenesis. Together, these phosphatases define the primo locus. Their sequence is approx. 50% identical to each other and to low-molecular-weight protein tyrosine phosphatases (LMW-PTPs) identified in other species. Little is understood of the biological role of LMW-PTPs, and the powerful tools available in Drosophila should provide important insight into their role in signaling and development.

Amino Acid Sequence↗
PubMed2000

Exposure of the U.S. population aged 6 years and older to cadmium: 1988-1994.

Cadmium was measured in urine specimens from 22,162 participants in the Third National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey (NHANES III 1988-1994). Urine cadmium, expressed either as uncorrected (microg/L) or creatinine corrected (microg/g creatinine) increased with age and with smoking. The arithmetic mean value for urine cadmium in the U.S. population was 0.57 microg/L or 0.48 microg/g creatinine. Based on our estimates, about 2.3% of the U.S. population have urine cadmium concentrations greater than 2 microg/g creatinine, and 0.2% have concentrations greater than 5 microg/g creatinine, the current World Health Organization health-based exposure limit.

Adolescent↗
PubMed2000

Analysis of factors influencing the comparison of homocysteine values between the Third National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey (NHANES) and NHANES 1999+.

Two important changes occurred in the time between the Third National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey (NHANES III) (1991-1994) and the later survey (NHANES 1999+) regarding total homocysteine (tHcy), i.e., a change in matrix from serum to plasma and a change in analytical methods. The goals of this study were to determine the magnitude of potential differences between plasma and serum with regard to tHcy concentrations, and between the two analytical methods used in these surveys. Optimally prepared plasma, serum allowed to clot for 30 and 60 min at room temperature and serum allowed to clot for 30 and 60 min and subjected to four freeze-thaw cycles, prepared from blood samples collected from 30 healthy people, were analyzed by both methods. Serum samples had significantly higher tHcy concentrations than plasma samples, and the difference increased with longer clotting time. Freeze-thaw cycles had little or no effect on the variability or bias in the serum sample results. The tHcy results produced by the two analytical methods were significantly different, but consistent across sample types. On average, the results of the method used in NHANES III were lower by 0.64 micromol/L; however, the relative bias varied with tHcy concentration. The tHcy results determined in surplus serum from NHANES III overestimated tHcy concentrations by approximately 10% compared with optimally prepared plasma. The average method bias was 6% between the two analytical methods. On the basis of changes in matrix and methodology, direct comparison of tHcy results between the two surveys is inappropriate.

Adult↗
PubMed1999

Uranium and thorium in urine of United States residents: reference range concentrations.

We measured uranium and thorium in urine of 500 U. S. residents to establish reference range concentrations using a magnetic-sector inductively coupled argon plasma mass spectrometer (ICP-MS). We found uranium at detectable concentrations in 96.6% of the urine specimens and thorium in 39.6% of the specimens. The 95th percentile concenetration for uranium was 34.5 ng/L (parts per trillion); concentrations ranged up to 4080 ng/L. Thorium had a 95th percentile concentration of 3.09 ng/L; concentrations ranged up to 7.7 ng/L.

Body Burden↗
PubMed1999

Blood lead concentration and children's anthropometric dimensions in the Third National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey (NHANES III), 1988-1994.

OBJECTIVE: To assess the association between lead exposure and children's physical growth. DESIGN: Cross-sectional analysis of data from the Third National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey, 1988-1994. PARTICIPANTS: A total of 4391 non-Hispanic white, non-Hispanic black, and Mexican-American children age 1 to 7 years. MEASUREMENTS AND RESULTS: We investigated the association between blood lead concentration and stature, head circumference, weight, and body mass index with multiple regression analysis adjusting for sex, ethnic group, iron status, dietary intake, medical history, sociodemographic factors, and household characteristics. Blood lead concentration was significantly negatively associated with stature and head circumference. Regression models predicted reductions of 1. 57 cm in stature and 0.52 cm in head circumference for each 0.48 micromol/L (10 micrograms/dL) increase in blood lead concentration. We did not find significant associations between blood lead concentration and weight or body mass index. CONCLUSIONS: The significant negative associations between blood lead concentration and stature and head circumference among children age 1 through 7 years, similar in magnitude to those reported for the Second National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey, 1976-1980, suggest that although mean blood lead concentrations of children have been declining in the United States for 2 decades, lead exposure may continue to affect the growth of some children.

Black or African American↗
PubMed1999

Comparison of plasma total homocysteine measurements in 14 laboratories: an international study.

BACKGROUND: Information on interlaboratory variation and especially on methodological differences for plasma total homocysteine is lacking. METHODS: We studied 14 laboratories that used eight different method types: HPLC with electrochemical detection (HPLC-ED); HPLC with fluorescence detection (HPLC-FD) further subdivided by type of reducing/derivatizing agent; gas chromatography/mass spectrometry (GC/MS); enzyme immunoassay (EIA); and fluorescence polarization immunoassay (FPIA). Three of these laboratories used two methods. The laboratories participated in a 2-day analysis of 46 plasma samples, 4 additional plasma samples with added homocystine, and 3 plasma quality-control (QC) pools. Results were analyzed for imprecision, recovery, and methodological differences. RESULTS: The mean among-laboratory and among-run within-laboratory imprecision (CV) was 9.3% and 5.6% for plasma samples, 8.8% and 4.9% for samples with added homocystine, and 7.6% and 4.2% for the QC pools, respectively. Difference plots showed values systematically higher than GC/MS for HPLC-ED, HPLC-FD using sodium borohydride/monobromobimane (however, for only one laboratory), and EIA, and lower values for HPLC-FD using trialkylphosphine/4-(aminosulfonyl)-7-fluoro-2,1,3-benzoxadiazole. The two HPLC-FD methods using tris(2-carboxyethyl) phosphine/ammonium 7-fluoro-2,1,3-benzoxadiazole-4-sulfonate (SBD-F) or tributyl phosphine/SBD-F, and the FPIA method showed no detectable systematic difference from GC/MS. CONCLUSIONS: Among-laboratory variations within one method can exceed among-method variations. Some of the methods tested could be used interchangeably, but there is an urgent need to improve analytical imprecision and to decrease differences among methods.

Chromatography, High Pressure Liquid↗
PubMed1999

Comparison of serum and plasma methylmalonic acid measurements in 13 laboratories: An international study.

BACKGROUND: Detection of cobalamin deficiency is increasingly important, and methylmalonic acid (MMA) appears to be a useful marker. Information on interlaboratory variation and on methodological differences for MMA in serum and plasma is limited. METHODS: Using gas chromatography/mass spectrometry, 13 laboratories participated in a 2-day analysis of 8 serum and 11 EDTA-plasma specimens. Results were analyzed for imprecision, recovery, and differences among laboratories and methods. RESULTS: The mean among-laboratory imprecision (CV) was 19% and 21% for serum and plasma samples, respectively, and 9.3% and 7.8% for serum and plasma samples with added MMA, respectively. The mean within-laboratory (among-run) CV was 13% for both serum and plasma samples and 5.2% and 4.9% for serum and plasma samples with added MMA. Within-method imprecision was the same or higher than among-method imprecision. The mean among-laboratory recovery of MMA was 105% and 95% in serum and plasma, respectively. Most laboratories showed a proportional bias relative to the consensus mean of up to 15%. Two laboratories reported results that on average were almost 30% higher than the consensus mean. CONCLUSIONS: No method differences were found, but significant among-laboratory imprecision was found in the present study. Improvements are needed to reduce the analytical imprecision of most laboratories, and attention must be focused on calibration issues. Differences among laboratories can be improved by introducing high-quality reference materials and by instituting external quality assessment programs.

Calibration↗
PubMed1998

Trace metals in urine of United States residents: reference range concentrations.

We measured 13 metals in the urine of 496 United States residents to establish reference range concentrations using inductively coupled argon plasma mass spectrometry and Zeeman graphite furnace atomic absorption spectrometry. We frequently found 8 of these analytes at detectable concentrations in urine specimens: molybdenum (in 99.8%); lead (98.8%); tin (89%); thallium (77%); antimony (73.5%); manganese (73%); cesium (71%); tungsten (70%); and platinum (69.7%). The 95th percentile concentration for molybdenum was 168 micrograms/L; concentrations ranged up to 688 micrograms/L. Lead concentrations ranged up to 67 micrograms/L, and the 95th upper percentile was 6.4 micrograms/L. Tin had 95th upper percentile of 20.1 micrograms/L. Other analytes measured at detectable concentrations included barium (in 67% of the specimens); beryllium (67%); chromium (54%); thorium (44%); and cobalt (43%). In almost every case, the 95th upper percentiles of these analytes were less than 15 micrograms/L.

Adult↗
PubMed1998

The disparity between the actual and assumed power of self-interest.

Five studies examined the hypothesis that people overestimate the influence of self-interest on attitudes and behaviors. The results strongly supported the hypothesis. In Study 1, participants overestimated the impact that financial reward exerted on their peers' willingness to donate blood. In 4 subsequent studies, participants overestimated the impact that group membership had on their peers' attitudes (Studies 2, 3, and 4) and behaviors (Study 5). The tendency to overestimate the impact of self-interest on others was largely unrelated to the impact that it had on participants' own attitudes and behaviors. Implications of the lay person's belief in the power of self-interest are discussed.

Blood Donors↗
PubMed1998

Iodine nutrition in the United States. Trends and public health implications: iodine excretion data from National Health and Nutrition Examination Surveys I and III (1971-1974 and 1988-1994)

Iodine deficiency in a population causes increased prevalence of goiter and, more importantly, may increase the risk for intellectual deficiency in that population. The National Health and Nutrition Examination Surveys [NHANES I (1971-1974) and (NHANES III (1988-1994)] measured urinary iodine (UI) concentrations. UI concentrations are an indicator of the adequacy of iodine intake for a population. The median UI concentrations in iodine-sufficient populations should be greater than 10 microg/dL, and no more than 20% of the population should have UI concentrations less than 5 microg/dL. Median UI concentrations from both NHANES I and NHANES III indicate adequate iodine intake for the overall U.S. population, but the median concentration decreased more than 50% between 1971-1974 (32.0+/-0.6 microg/dL) and 1988-1994 (14.5+/-0.3 microg/dL). Low UI concentrations (<5 microg/dL) were found in 11.7% of the 1988-1994 population, a 4.5-fold increase over the proportion in the 1971-1974 population. The percentage of people excreting low concentrations of iodine (UI, <5 microg/dL) increased in all age groups. In pregnant women, 6.7%, and in women of child-bearing age, 14.9% had UI concentrations below 5 microg/dL. The findings in 1988-1994, although not indicative of iodine deficiency in the overall U.S. population, define a trend that must be monitored.

Adolescent↗
PubMed1998

Local induction of patterning and programmed cell death in the developing Drosophila retina.

Local cell signaling can pattern the nervous system by directing cell fates, including programmed cell death. In the developing Drosophila retina, programmed cell death is used to remove excess cells between ommatidia. Cell ablation revealed the source and position of signals required for regulating the pattern of programmed cell death among these interommatidial cells. Two types of signals regulate this patterning event. Notch-mediated signals between interommatidial precursors result in removal of unneeded cells. Cone cells and primary pigment cells oppose this signal by supplying a 'life'-promoting activity; evidence is provided that this signal occurs through localized activation of the EGF Receptor/Ras pathway. Together, these signals refine the highly regular pattern observed in the adult retina.

Animals↗
PubMed1998

Regulation of EGF receptor signaling establishes pattern across the developing Drosophila retina.

Developing epithelia use a variety of patterning mechanisms to place individual cells into their correct positions. However, the means by which pattern elements are established are poorly understood. Here, we report evidence that regulation of Drosophila EGF receptor (DER) activity plays a central role in propagating the evenly spaced array of ommatidia across the developing Drosophila retina. DER activity is essential for establishing the first ommatidial cell fate, the R8 photoreceptor neuron. R8s in turn appear to signal through Rhomboid and Vein to create a patterned array of 'proneural clusters' which contain high levels of phosphorylated ERKA and the bHLH protein Atonal. Finally, secretion by the proneural clusters of Argos represses DER activity in less mature regions to create a new pattern of R8s. Propagation of this process anteriorly results in a retina with a precise array of maturing ommatidia.

Animals↗