PubMed Health⌕ Search

Biomedical subjects

G Midgley

Publications and source records attributed to G Midgley.

At least 37 records · Page 2Linked to original sources
PubMed1994

Nosocomial Malassezia pachydermatis bloodstream infections in a neonatal intensive care unit.

Malassezia pachydermatis, a lipophilic yeast, has been described to cause sporadic nosocomial bloodstream infections (BSI). Nosocomial outbreaks of M. pachydermatis BSI have never been described. A cluster of M. pachydermatis BSIs in the neonatal intensive care unit at Louisiana State University Medical Center, University Hospital provided the opportunity to investigate the epidemiology of this organism and apply molecular epidemiologic typing techniques. A case-patient was defined as any neonatal intensive care unit patient in University Hospital with a blood culture positive for M. pachydermatis from January 1, 1989, through August 15, 1991. Five patients met the case definition. Case-patients were premature as estimated by gestational age and required prolonged hospitalization. Case-patients received parenteral nutrition and intravenous lipids for twice as many days as randomly selected controls. No environmental source of M. pachydermatis was identified; however, infants on each side of a previously identified M. pachydermatis-colonized infant became colonized with M. pachydermatis during a 20-day period. Chromosomal analysis of five M. pachydermatis blood isolates from two case-patients had identical banding patterns. These data show that M. pachydermatis can cause nosocomial BSI outbreaks, that premature infants receiving parenteral nutrition and/or lipids may be at greatest risk and that transmission is most likely from person to person, probably via the hands of medical personnel.

Cross Infection↗
PubMed1990

Ketoconazole in the treatment of blepharitis.

A double masked, placebo controlled clinical trial, of topical 2% ketoconazole cream with lid hygiene, for the treatment of seborrhoeic and mixed seborrhoeic/staphylococcal blepharitis was conducted. Forty patients with symptomatic blepharitis, 20 randomly allocated to ketoconazole, 20 to placebo were entered. Treatment efficacy was assessed by improvement of symptoms using visual analogue scales, appearance of the eyelids and reduction in numbers of pityrosporum yeasts on the eyelids. Both groups showed a similar reduction in symptoms, and signs of inflammation. The overall clinical impression in the ketoconazole group was better at week five than in the placebo group. Sixty nine per cent were either normal or markedly improved, as compared to 42% in the placebo group, although this was not statistically significant (p less than 0.1, one-sided Mann-Whitney). Pityrosporum numbers were reduced significantly in both groups during the treatment period. Ketoconazole was no better than placebo at improving the symptoms of blepharitis. More ketoconazole treated patients had normal or markedly improved lids after treatment than the placebo group. Pityrosporum yeasts may play a role in blepharitis, and treatment with an antifungal has some advantages over conventional therapy.

Adult↗
PubMed1989

UVA sunbeds: tanning, photoprotection, acute adverse effects and immunological changes.

The effects on 31 normal subjects following exposure to sunbeds containing UVA lamps with minimal UVB emission have been compared in a double-blind study with the effects on nine control subjects of a similar exposure course three times weekly for 4 weeks to sunbeds emitting visible light. On previously untanned areas, all those subjects on active treatment developed a mild tan; in tanned areas they all developed a moderate tan, while all control subjects developed a minimal to mild tan. The mean protection factor against later UVB-induced erythema was 3.2 +/- 0.3 after the active course and 1.6 +/- 0.2 among the controls. Significantly more frequent adverse cutaneous effects for active subjects were pruritus, erythema, freckling, burning sensation, dryness and polymorphic light eruption. Cutaneous Langerhans cell numbers, and blood CD3+ (pan T-cell) and CD4+ (helper T-cell) lymphocyte subsets were reduced in both active and control groups. CD8+ (cytotoxic/suppressor T-cell) counts were similarly but not significantly reduced in both groups. Pityrosporum yeast counts were significantly reduced in both groups. The changes found in both groups seem attributable to small amounts of UVB emission from both active and control lamps.

Adolescent↗
PubMed1989

Onychomycosis caused by Trichophyton equinum.

A case of onychomycosis caused by Trichophyton equinum affecting the right thumbnail of a 13-year-old girl is described. Trichophyton equinum appears to be an extremely rare cause of nail infection.

Adolescent↗
PubMed1988

Seborrheic dermatitis and malignancy. An investigation of the skin flora.

The skin flora of patients with disseminated malignant disease and seborrheic dermatitis has been investigated and compared with controls as well as with otherwise healthy patients suffering from seborrheic dermatitis. Although significant differences were detected in both bacterial and yeast counts between different sites on the body, no significant qualitative or quantitative differences were found between the three groups of subjects. Whereas abnormalities of the skin flora have been described in seriously ill patients and in individuals subjected to occlusion, we were unable to demonstrate any changes in skin flora in patients with malignant disease and seborrheic dermatitis. Our results do not support the view that increased numbers of Pityrosporum yeasts are important in the pathogenesis of seborrheic dermatitis.

Bacteria, Aerobic↗
PubMed1986

Toewebs as a source of gram-negative bacilli.

The prevalence of Gram-negative bacilli on the toewebs was 8% in normal students, 24% in hospital outpatients with suspected Tinea pedis, 41% in industrial workers wearing protective clothing and 58% in coal miners. Prevalence was greatest in those exposed to wet working conditions. In miners, the presence of Gram-negative bacilli was related to symptoms of itching/soreness and cracking/fissuring, and was negatively related to malodour, but this latter trend was reversed in outpatients and in industrial workers. The feet are a source of many 'enteric' and 'environmental' bacilli and could contribute to infection elsewhere than in the toewebs themselves.

Acinetobacter↗
PubMed1982

Generalization after form discrimination in light-reared and dark-reared rats.

In 2 experiments the performance of 90- and 150-day-old light-reared and dark-reared rats was compared under appetitive reinforcement conditions on rigorous tests of form discriminative abilities. Although early stimulatory history had little impact on either the ability to discriminate shapes on the basis of contour orientation or to generalize from that initial experience to lines in other orientations lack of visual experience did have significant consequences with respect to a comparable task in which the relationship between lines was the significant feature. Little change in the initial deficits was observed with exposure to a normal light environment for 60 days following the period of early visual deprivation in the case of this 2nd complex pattern discrimination task.

Animals↗
PubMed1981

The effect of early visual experience on spatial maze learning in rats.

In the 1st of 2 experiments on spatial ability, groups of sighted and blind, light-reared (LR) and dark-reared (DR) rats were tested on a series of (Hebb-Williams) maze problems and their reversals under appetitive and aversive reinforcement conditions. Significant effects due to early rearing conditions, vision at time of testing, and problem were found. Dark-reared rats learned the problems whose solution depended on nonvisual cues more slowly than LR animals. Blindness at time of testing had a significantly adverse effect on the performance of LR and DR rats on all problems, but a significantly greater effect in the DR animals. In a 2nd experiment DR rats were also found to perform less effectively than LR rats on a 17-arm radial maze throughout a 36-day period during which variations in the task were introduced. The results reveal the impact of early visual experience on the development of the ability to acquire spatial concepts.

Animals↗
PubMed1981

A glabrous Microsporum canis in Greater London.

A variant of Microsporum canis, which produces glabrous colonies on primary culture, has been frequently isolated from cases of scalp and body ringworm by this department. The records of this laboratory, which undertakes a diagnostic service covering most of the Greater London Area, show that the prevalence of M. canis among scalp infections has increased during the past ten years, and this species is presently responsible for the majority of cases diagnosed by culture. The glabrous form now represents one third of the scalp isolates of M. canis and it has been found most commonly in the West and South of Greater London.

Dermatomycoses↗
PubMed1980

Effect of controlled rearing on the development of stimulus-seeking behavior in rats.

In three experiments, the performance of differentially reared rats was compared at 15 through 90 days of age in an experimental situation in which the amount of self-exposure to various lighted displays was being measured. The kind of visual array preferred by these animals was significantly influenced by both their ages and visual stimulation histories. Preference for light arrays involving features significantly increased in the case of light-reared and bias-reared rats beginning at 60 days of age. At the same time, a preference for diffuse light stimulation emerged in the case of their dark-reared (DR) controls. Although the significant increase in light-seeking exhibited by all groups of animals at 60 days of age was found to be unrelated to previous testing in the situation, the visual experience associated with repeated tests did "protect" DR rats from the decline in light-seeking observed after prolonged visual deprivation. Potential species differences and the nature and specificity of these changes in visual behavior are further discussed with respect to the role of early experience in visual development.

Aging↗
PubMed1978

The effect of visual deprivation in the rat on transfer effects after form discrimination training.

In 3 experiments the performances of light-reared (LR) and dark-reared (DR) 90-day-old rats were compared on a variety of transfer tests following acquisition of 3 discriminations involving patterns of small squares (dots). Though no significant difference due to rearing condition was found in acquisition of those discriminations consisting of single lines of dots in various orientations, transfer tests did reveal subtle differences in the way LR and DR rats analyze contour information. Significant differences due to rearing were also observed on the acquisition of a complex dot pattern (gradient vs X) and, in spite of overtraining, on subsequent stimulus equivalence tests. Anomalous transfer effects were not observed in any of these test situations.

Animals↗