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Biomedical subjects

J Boxall

Publications and source records attributed to J Boxall.

At least 19 recordsLinked to original sources
PubMed2005

Effects of platinum/taxane based chemotherapy on acute perfusion in human pelvic tumours measured by dynamic MRI.

Dynamic contrast enhanced MRI (DCE-MRI) is being used increasingly in clinical trials to demonstrate that vascular disruptive and antiangiogenic agents target tumour microcirculation. Significant reductions in DCE-MRI kinetic parameters are seen within 4-24 and 48 h of treatment with vascular disruptive and antiangiogenic agents, respectively. It is important to know whether cytotoxic agents also cause significant acute reductions in these parameters, for reliable interpretation of results. This study investigated changes in transfer constant (K(trans)) and the initial area under the gadolinium curve (IAUGC) following the first dose of chemotherapy in patients with mostly gynaecological tumours. A reproducibility analysis on 20 patients (using two scans performed on consecutive days) was used to determine the significance of DCE-MRI parameter changes 24 h after chemotherapy in 18 patients. In 11 patients who received platinum alone or with a taxane, there were no significant changes in K(trans) or IAUGC in either group or individual patient analyses. When the remaining seven patients (treated with a variety of agents including platinum and taxanes) were included (n=18), there were also no significant changes in K(trans). Therefore, if combination therapy does show changes in DCE-MRI parameters then the effects can be attributed to antivascular therapy rather than chemotherapy.

Adult↗
PubMed2004

Characterisation of materials causing discolouration in potable water systems.

Discoloured water is one of the main causes of customer complaints received by UK water suppliers. Flushing is recognised as a means of preventing red water events by mobilising material with the potential to cause discolouration. The understanding of the mechanisms and materials causing discolouration is limited. It is therefore necessary to characterise the materials mobilised by flushing, which are responsible for discolouration. The University of Sheffield and two UK water companies embarked on an in-depth programme of monitoring mains flushing. The programme involves collecting discrete samples during flushing of pipes of differing materials, diameters, age, source water and hydraulic regime. The results show iron to be the dominant material mobilised irrespective of pipe material. All samples indicate a direct correlation between turbidity, iron and manganese, and to a lesser extent with metals lead, copper, aluminium and zinc. Concentration of metals mobilised is independent of pipe material, diameter or age.

Color↗
PubMed2003

A phase I (tumour site-specific) study of carboplatin and temozolomide in patients with advanced melanoma.

Temozolomide is an oral alkylating agent that readily crosses the blood-brain barrier and has activity in patients with advanced melanoma. Carboplatin is a convenient outpatient treatment that also has activity in patients with melanoma. The purpose of this study was to assess the safety of a combination of temozolomide and carboplatin, and provide preliminary evidence of efficacy. In all, 30 patients were treated in two stages. In stage 1, patients received temozolomide 750 mg x m(-2), with escalating doses of carboplatin AUC 3-6. In stage 2, patients received temozolomide 1000 mg x m(-2), with increasing doses of carboplatin until dose-limiting toxicity (DLT) was experienced. In stage 1, 12 patients received 33 cycles of treatment. No grade 3/4 haematological toxicity was experienced up to carboplatin AUC 6. In stage 2, 18 patients received 55 cycles of treatment. The DLT was haematological with grade 4 myelosuppression seen with carboplatin AUC 5. In all, 11 patients were treated with carboplatin AUC 4 to gain further information on toxicity. Myelosuppression remained significant and common with grade 4 thrombocytopenia experienced in 50% of cycles. Two of 28 patients (7%) assessable for efficacy achieved a partial response. None of the 11 patients with brain metastases responded to treatment. The addition of carboplatin to temozolomide 1000 mg x m(-2) significantly adds to toxicity with frequent grade 3/4 myelosuppression. Preliminary information on efficacy demonstrates that it is unlikely that the combination can be given in doses sufficient to improve on the efficacy of temozolomide alone.

Adult↗
PubMed2003

Changes in water quality parameters due to in-sewer processes.

Combined sewer systems contain a large number of organic and inorganic pollutants from both domestic and industrial sources. These pollutants are often retained within the combined sewer system for significant lengths of time before entering sewage treatment works, or being spilt to a watercourse via a combined sewer overflow (CSO) during storm conditions. Currently little knowledge exists concerning the effects of in sewer processes on pollutants. Understanding of in-sewer processes is important for the effective and efficient design of treatment works and CSO chambers and for impact assessments on receiving waters. A series of studies covering storm and dry weather flow conditions were undertaken with the aim of investigating the nature of in-sewer processes. These studies consisted of marking a body of water with a fluorescent tracer. The tracer was then monitored at a series of downstream sites, and discrete samples collected from the body of water as it progressed through the sewer. The samples were analysed for water quality parameters and these results investigated in tandem with the detailed hydraulic information gained through the tracer studies. The results highlight the hydraulic differences between storm and dry weather conditions such as increased travel times and mixing under storm conditions. The Advection Dispersion Equation (ADE) and Aggregated Dead Zone (ADZ) model parameters have been quantified for the tracer data. The ADE mixing coefficient is shown to increase by an order of magnitude for storm conditions. The ADZ dispersive fraction parameter is shown to be approximately constant with flow. Chemical reactions and decay within the sewer system were found to be consistent with oxygen limitation.

Environmental Monitoring↗
PubMed1994

Early onset Parkinson's disease. Part 2: Physician's viewpoint.

A young patient with early onset Parkinson's disease helped sharpen her physician's skills in patient education, referrals, hospital-based care, continuing medical education, and assessment of disability. The lessons could be applied to any patient or any disease process.

Activities of Daily Living↗
PubMed1991

Angiographic assessment of graft patency after coronary endarterectomy.

Fifty-one consecutive patients underwent 68 manual core endarterectomies between April 1985 and May 1987. There were 42 men and nine women, mean age 60 years (range 39 to 81). All patients underwent coronary bypass grafting alone. There were no reoperations. There was one operative death (2%). Forty patients consented to early (mean 19 days) and 27 to late (mean 19 months) repeat angiography. At the early restudy 47 of 52 (90%) grafts to endarterectomized vessels were patent. This rate fell to 27 of 42 (64%) at late restudy. There was considerable variation in the angiographic appearance of the endarterectomized vessels, ranging from a large caliber, smooth walled vessel to an attenuated vessel with irregular walls. In general, there was a tendency toward "shrinkage" of these vessels by the late restudy, suggesting fibrosis in the walls. We conclude that, although endarterectomy can be done on most atheromatous vessels with excellent early graft patency, these vessels tend to show an accelerated deterioration with time, resulting in a low late patency rate. We suggest that the procedure be reserved for vessels that are truly inoperable by other means and only for vessels that supply a coronary bed of at least moderate size.

Adult↗
PubMed1988

The role of permanent pacing after anterior myocardial infarction complicated by transient complete atrioventricular block.

A randomised study was performed to assess the influence of prophylactic permanent pacing on the incidence of late sudden death in patients surviving transient complete atrioventricular block with acute anterior myocardial infarction. Fourteen patients were studied, of whom ten died within two years, confirming the high overall late mortality in this group. The deaths included eight of the nine paced patients, of whom seven died suddenly. We conclude that prophylactic permanent pacing is not warranted in patients surviving transient complete atrioventricular block with acute anterior myocardial infarction.

Adult↗
PubMed1986

A new way to treat sucking and swallowing difficulties in babies.

Experience from the use of feeding plates for babies with cleft palate and from the treatment of dysphagia in patients recovering from stroke led to the design of a simple intraoral appliance. This device has been used successfully in treating twelve babies with feeding difficulties caused by incoordination, when other methods had failed.

Deglutition Disorders↗
PubMed1986

Video time-lapse microscopy of human laryngeal carcinomas in vitro.

Twelve human laryngeal carcinomas and 14 normal vocal cord epithelia were studied in vitro by the method of tissue culture incorporating video time-lapse microscopy. Different events were photographed by taking 'stills' from the television monitor during play-back. Outgrowths from both tumour and normal explants formed only as monolayers. Mitoses were mainly found to be localized approximately mid-way between explant and the edge of the outgrowth. Some cells were seen to become suddenly active producing oscillating blebs and sometimes they detached themselves from the monolayer culture and changed appearance. This was more prevalent in the tumour cultures. In both tumour and normal cell cultures lymphocytes were observed and their normal chemokinetic movement was changed into a rapid chemotactic attraction by the presence of a mitotic epithelial cell. These lymphocytes appear to represent T-suppressor cells. The present study has shown that primary tissue culture can be a valuable tool in the study of laryngeal carcinoma. The interaction between mitotic tumour cells and lymphocytes may represent a transformation of T-lymphocytes into LAK cells.

Carcinoma↗
PubMed1980

A comparison of nontransmural and transmural myocardial infarction.

This report compares the past history, hospital course and follow-up of 70 patients with nontransmural myocardial infarction compared to 259 patients with transmural myocardial infarction. The pre-infarction history in the two groups is similar with respect to angina and infarction. The hospital course for non-transmural myocardial infarction is not a guide for future cardiac events and the post-hospital prognosis in the two groups is similar. Nontransmural myocardial infarction has a lower hospital mortality (P less than 0.05). Patients in whom nontransmural myocardial infarction is a first coronary event have a lower incidence of subsequent angina (P less than 0.05). The study demonstrates that myocardial infarction without development of q waves does not have an unfavourable long term outlook when compared to transmural infarction. This finding is contrary to reports which suggest a poor prognosis and recommend early coronary anteriography with a view to aorto-coronary bypass in patients with nontransmural infarction.

Adult↗