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Biomedical subjects

G Parks

Publications and source records attributed to G Parks.

9 recordsLinked to original sources

National Retail Data Monitor for public health surveillance.

The National Retail Data Monitor (NRDM) is a public health surveillance tool that collects and analyzes daily sales data for over-the-counter (OTC) health-care products. NRDM collects sales data for selected OTC health-care products in near real time from >15,000 retail stores and makes them available to public health officials. NRDM is one of the first examples of a national data utility for public health surveillance that collects, redistributes, and analyzes daily sales-volume data of selected health-care products, thereby reducing the effort for both data providers and health departments.

Disease Outbreaks↗

Mortality following lower limb ischemia-reperfusion: a systemic inflammatory response?

Restoration of blood flow to an acutely ischemic lower limb may paradoxically result in systemic complications and unexpected mortality. It has been suggested that lower limb ischemia reperfusion alters gut permeability. In this study, using a rat model, we determined the effect of acute lower limb ischemia-reperfusion on mortality rate, bowel morphology, and circulating concentrations of endotoxin and the proinflammatory cytokine interleukin-6. Survival rate was compared in two groups of adult Wistar rats: (1) control group (n = 10); and (2) animals subjected to 3 hours of bilateral hind limb ischemia followed by reperfusion (n = 10). Both groups were observed under standard conditions for 4 days. In a second experiment three groups of animals were studied: (I) control (n = 12); (II) 3 hours of bilateral hind limb ischemia alone (n = 12); and (III) 3 hours of bilateral hind limb ischemia followed by 2 hours of reperfusion (n = 12). Animals subjected to bilateral hind limb ischemia followed by reperfusion had a significantly higher mortality rate (70%) than controls (0%) (p < 0.005). Morphometric assessment of the small bowel showed a significant decrease in mean mucosal thickness in the ischemia-reperfusion group compared with that in the group of controls and the ischemia-alone group (p < 0.05). Bilateral hind limb ischemia followed by reperfusion was associated with significantly increased plasma concentrations of endotoxin (p < 0. 05) and interleukin-6 (p < 0.0001) compared with that of controls and ischemia alone. These results indicate that reperfusion of the acutely ischemic lower limb is accompanied by structural changes in the gut mucosa associated with increased systemic endotoxin concentrations and cytokine activation. Mortality following reperfusion of the acutely ischemic limb may be related to a systemic inflammatory response triggered by endotoxin of gut origin.

Analysis of Variance↗

Motor corollary discharge activity and sensory responses related to ventilation in the skate vestibulolateral cerebellum: implications for electrosensory processing

The dorsal granular ridge (DGR) of the elasmobranch vestibulolateral cerebellum is the source of a parallel fiber projection to the electrosensory dorsal nucleus. We report that the DGR in Raja erinacea contains a large percentage of units with activity modulated by the animal's own ventilation. These include propriosensory and electrosensory units, responding to either ventilatory movements or the resulting electroreceptive reafference, and an additional population of units in which activity is phase-locked to the ventilatory motor commands even in animals paralyzed to block all ventilatory movements. A principal function of processing in the dorsal nucleus is the elimination of ventilatory noise in second-order electrosensory neurons. The existence of these ventilatory motor corollary discharge units, along with other DGR units responsive to ventilatory movements, suggests that the parallel fiber projection is involved in the noise cancellation mechanisms.

Journal Article↗

Morphometric analysis of colorectal cancer.

Thirteen nuclear and cellular morphometric variables were measured in 312 cases of colorectal adenocarcinoma. All variables, except nuclear shape factors, differed significantly (P < 0.001) between normal colorectal and tumor tissue. In adenocarcinomas, epithelial nuclei in well-differentiated mucosa tended to be elliptic, while those in poorly differentiated mucosa were more spheric. Increasing values of maximum nuclear and elliptic diameter were associated with progression from none to simple tubule configuration (P < 0.001), none to easily discerned nuclear polarity (P < 0.001), and expanding growth pattern (P < 0.001). Univariate survival analysis revealed that none of the morphometric variables was significantly related to patient survival. Multivariate regression analysis showed that no morphometric variable could add significantly to a model containing the variables of patient age, Dukes stage, and tumor differentiation. Morphometry may be useful in distinguishing malignant from normal tissue and degrees of differentiation, but it is of little prognostic value in colorectal adenocarcinoma.

Adenocarcinoma↗

The role of flow cytometry in carcinoma of the colon and rectum.

Flow cytometry was performed upon 312 patients with adenocarcinoma of the colon and rectum, satisfactory results being obtained with 275 (108 diploid, 130 aneuploid and 37 tetraploid). The proportion of nondiploid instances increased from 28 percent if one, to 80 percent when six specimens were assessed per patient. Reproducibility of the technique showed substantial agreement in the assessment of deoxyribonucleic acid ploidy (Kappa value equals 0.74). Increasing values of cells in the diving (G2/M) phase of the cell cycle were associated with little lymphocytic tumor infiltration (p = 0.0002) and extensive tumor fibrosis (p = 0.003). Univariate survival analysis revealed that, although diploid tumors tended to have a better prognosis than nondiploid tumors (p = 0.06), no flow cytometric variable was significantly related to survival. Flow cytometry similarly was not of prognostic value in instances without lymph node metastases or without distant metastases. Multivariate regression analysis of flow cytometric and clinicopathologic variables identified Dukes' stage, patient age and tumor differentiation as the combination of variables most closely related to survival. No flow cytometric variable could significantly improve on the prognostic model containing these three variables. It is concluded that conventional histologic variables remain the best predictors of prognosis in carcinoma of the colon and rectum.

Adenocarcinoma↗

Childhood anogenital lichen sclerosus. A case report.

Childhood lichen sclerosus is a rare disorder. A 4-year-old girl with chronic vulvar pruritus who was initially suspected to be the victim of child abuse was treated. Vulvar biopsy was performed, confirming the diagnosis of lichen sclerosus. The child was treated with 2% progesterone cream, with complete resolution of her pruritic symptoms and signs of traumatic injury to the vulvar skin. The basic condition, lichen sclerosus, has persisted.

Administration, Topical↗

Pruritic vulvar squamous papillomatosis: evidence for human papillomavirus etiology.

The origin of squamous papillae of the vulvar vestibule is controversial. Although some are considered as asymptomatic normal variants of pelvic anatomy, a review of 12 cases of vulvar squamous papillae in patients visiting the Infectious Diseases Clinic at UCLA reveals a distinctly symptomatic variety. A syndrome complex of premonitory vulvar vestibular pruritus, pain or burning, dyspareunia, and progressive development of squamous papillae was noted. Microscopic examination of tissue specimens of the areas of squamous papillae reveals the presence of koilocytic change suggestive of viral infection with human papillomavirus. Furthermore, immunoperoxidase stain revealed human papillomavirus capsid antigen in two cases, which has heretofore not been reported in the literature to the authors' knowledge. Evidence of partner infection on physical examination of sexual partners of these women revealed changes consistent with human papillomavirus in four of six partners who were available for examination. Treatment with podophyllin, cryotherapy, laser, or a combination seems to give predictable resolution of the condition and associated symptoms.

Adolescent↗