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Biomedical subjects

J Childs

Publications and source records attributed to J Childs.

At least 19 recordsLinked to original sources
PubMed2000

Treatment of sialorrhea with glycopyrrolate: A double-blind, dose-ranging study.

OBJECTIVE: To determine the safety and efficacy of glycopyrrolate in the treatment of developmentally disabled children with sialorrhea. DESIGN: Placebo-controlled, double-blind, crossover dose-ranging study. SETTING: Outpatient facilities in 2 pediatric hospitals. PATIENTS: Thirty-nine children with both developmental disabilities and excessive and bothersome sialorrhea. MAIN OUTCOME MEASURES: Parent and investigator evaluation of change in sialorrhea and adverse effects. RESULTS: Glycopyrrolate in doses of 0.10 mg/kg per dose is effective at controlling sialorrhea. Even at low doses, 20% of children may exhibit adverse effects severe enough to require discontinuation. CONCLUSIONS: Glycopyrrolate is effective in the control of excessive sialorrhea in children with developmental disabilities. Approximately 20% of children given glycopyrrolate may experience substantial adverse effects, enough to require discontinuation of medication. Arch Pediatr Adolesc Med. 2000;154:1214-1218.

Adolescent↗
PubMed2000

Recruitment strategies in the Prostate, Lung, Colorectal and Ovarian (PLCO) Cancer Screening Trial: the first six years.

The Prostate, Lung, Colorectal and Ovarian (PLCO) Cancer Screening Trial has a total enrollment goal of almost 150,000 participants. These participants are being recruited at ten screening centers across the United States. All screening centers tested recruitment methodologies during a 1-year pilot phase. The main phase of recruitment was planned to take place over a 3-year period. The majority of participants are being recruited during the main phase of the study. Each of the screening centers tailors recruitment to its individual catchment area. Recruitment strategies in the PLCO trial are described. As the trial began, several protocol changes were made to help to increase enrollment. The National Cancer Institute (NCI) initiated recruitment efforts at the national level. The individual screening centers describe some of the specific recruitment experiences encountered. As the study progressed, the NCI implemented special initiatives to increase the enrollment of minority participants.

Aged↗
PubMed2000

Projected requirements for radiation oncologists and trainees in Australia and New Zealand to 2007.

Workloads in radiation oncology facilities in Australia and New Zealand have been increasing steadily for many years and it is anticipated that this trend will continue. In the present paper the projected number of radiation oncologists required to meet this demand to the year 2007 are estimated, along with the number of trainees required. The estimates are based on data from regular surveys by the Royal Australian and New Zealand College of Radiologists (RANZCR) for the years 1988-97 (inclusive). From these surveys profiles of numbers, age and gender of specialists and trainees are documented together with increases from the training programme and losses from retirement. It is concluded that if the current trainee numbers are increased by 12 in Australia and two in New Zealand, there will be approximately 10 radiation oncologists per million of population by the year 2007. This number is considered appropriate considering the anticipated increase in demands and complexity of treatment. Because projections too far forward are unreliable, careful monitoring of progress is essential to obtain the appropriate balance between requirement and supply. Comparisons are made with other estimates of needs including the 1998 Australian Medical Workforce Advisory Committee (AMWAC) Report and the New Zealand Clinical Agency Workforce Project Report in 1997.

Adult↗
PubMed1998

An epidemiologic and entomologic investigation of a cluster of Rocky Mountain spotted fever cases in Delaware.

BACKGROUND: Rocky Mountain spotted fever (RMSF) continues to be the most common fatal tick-borne illness in the United States. In August of 1996, four children attending a summer camp in Delaware were diagnosed with RMSF. This report summarizes the results of the epidemiologic and entomologic investigation conducted by the Delaware Division of Public Health and the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention regarding this cluster of RMSF cases. Epidemiologic and clinical aspects of RMSF, as well as previously reported clusters of the disease, are also reviewed. METHODS: A questionnaire regarding symptoms and activities was administered via telephone to 163 (73 percent) of the 223 attendees. A suspected case was defined as an illness in a person attending the camp between August 11 and 17 that occurred during the two-week period following the session, characterized by either 1) fever with one or more symptoms (i.e., headache, rash, myalgia, or fatigue) or 2) no fever with two or more symptoms. Cases of RMSF were confirmed by serologic evaluation. RESULTS: Seven of 13 patients with suspected RMSF submitted sera for testing. Four patients had confirmed RMSF; three were males, and the median age was 12.5 years compared with 12 years for all attendees. All confirmed patients reported fever, headache, fatigue, and rash. An increased risk of becoming ill was associated with overnight camping at site A (Odds Ratio (OR) undefined, p = 0.02), visiting or overnight camping at site B (OR undefined, p = 0.003 and 0.002), and leaving the trails when hiking (OR undefined, p = 0.02). CONCLUSIONS: These data suggest that development of RMSF was associated with visiting or camping at specific sites and behavior likely to increase contact with ticks. Camp supervisors were advised to educate campers regarding tick bite prevention measures, reduce underbrush around campsites, and encourage campers to remain on the trails. Health care providers should remain aware of the increased risk for RMSF during the spring, summer, and fall months.

Animals↗
PubMed1997

Krabbe's disease presenting as a peripheral neuropathy.

A 13-year-old female initially presented with scoliosis and pes cavus. Initial examination revealed distal lower extremity weakness and sensory loss, as well as greater auricular nerve hypertrophy. There was a Babinski sign on the right. Nerve conduction velocities were consistent with a demyelinating neuropathy. Four years after initial presentation she developed lower extremity spasticity and bilateral Babinski signs. Magnetic resonance imaging of the brain showed diffuse white matter disease. Laboratory evaluation revealed an abnormally low galactocerebroside beta-galactosidase level. Nerve biopsy demonstrated inclusions consisting of globoid clusters and evidence of demyelination. DNA analysis was used to identify mutations consistent with Krabbe's disease. Patients presenting with an atypical peripheral neuropathy should be evaluated for Krabbe's disease.

Adolescent↗
PubMed1997

Peer relationships of young children: affiliative choices and the shaping of aggressive behavior.

Examined the occurrence of selective peer affiliation, and its impact on the development of aggressive behavior in four classrooms serving 72 preschool-age, high-risk boys and girls. Children classified as aggressive and nonaggressive were both highly selective in their peer affiliations, spending the majority of their time with a few same-sex classmates. Children generally established strong, stable, mutual affiliations with peers similar to themselves in aggression, but aggressive children had more difficulty establishing such affiliations. The interaction of peer dyads containing at least one aggressive child were characterized by more frequent, lengthy, and intense conflicts regardless of the affiliative relationship characterizing the dyad. The amount of time children spent interacting with aggressive peers predicted changes in observed and teacher-rated aggressiveness 3 months later.

Black or African American↗
PubMed1997

Five years and counting: the path to self-directed work teams.

In 1989, Roberts Express launched its first self-directed work team. Today it has more than 25 such teams, and they essentially have the responsibility of running operations. Those involved in the move to self-directed teams know it hasn't been easy. They have learned a number of important lessons along the way, some of which are described in this article.

Consumer Behavior↗
PubMed1994

Quantitative analysis of ribosome binding sites in E.coli.

185 clones with randomized ribosome binding sites, from position -11 to 0 preceding the coding region of beta-galactosidase, were selected and sequenced. The translational yield of each clone was determined; they varied by more than 3000-fold. Multiple linear regression analysis was used to determine the contribution to translation initiation activity of each base at each position. Features known to be important for translation initiation, such as the initiation codon, the Shine/Dalgarno sequence, the identity of the base at position -3 and the occurrence of alternative ATGs, are all found to be important quantitatively for activity. No other features are found to be of general significance, although the effects of secondary structure can be seen as outliers. A comparison to a large number of natural E.coli translation initiation sites shows the information profile to be qualitatively similar although differing quantitatively. This is probably due to the selection for good translation initiation sites in the natural set compared to the low average activity of the randomized set.

Base Sequence↗
PubMed1994

Functional neurological outcome in leukaemic children receiving repeated cranial irradiation.

Long-term outcome defined by educational or employment history has been recorded in a group of children with acute lymphoblastic leukaemia (ALL) who received cranial radiotherapy at some stage prior to TBI conditioned bone marrow transplant (BMT). Median follow-up in 24 survivors of 69 consecutive patients was 4 years and 2 months. Individual risk factors for poor functional outcome were considered, including calculations of biological effective radiation doses. There was no incidence of CNS treatment-related mortality. All survivors are in normal school or employment, although three who had CNS relapse are receiving remedial teaching. No individual risk factors could be identified but the worst outcome was seen in children who were of young age at the time of initial treatment, who suffered CNS relapse and who had received the highest total dose of cranial irradiation.

Adolescent↗
PubMed1993

Genetic identification of a hantavirus associated with an outbreak of acute respiratory illness.

A mysterious respiratory illness with high mortality was recently reported in the southwestern United States. Serologic studies implicated the hantaviruses, rodent-borne RNA viruses usually associated elsewhere in the world with hemorrhagic fever with renal syndrome. A genetic detection assay amplified hantavirus-specific DNA fragments from RNA extracted from the tissues of patients and deer mice (Peromyscus maniculatus) caught at or near patient residences. Nucleotide sequence analysis revealed the associated virus to be a new hantavirus and provided a direct genetic link between infection in patients and rodents.

Animals↗
PubMed1992

Failure of conventionally fractionated radiotherapy to decrease the risk of hemorrhage in inoperable arteriovenous malformations.

Twenty-six patients with arteriovenous malformations (AVMs) were treated between 1965 and 1986 with conventional fractionated radiotherapy at the Royal Marsden Hospital. There were 14 male patients and 12 female, aged 11 to 57 years (median, 24 yr). Twenty-five patients completed radiotherapy with a localized treatment target volume of a dose of 40 to 54 Gy. The median follow-up was 14.5 years. Eleven patients had an additional hemorrhage. The actuarial annual risk of bleeding was 2.3%, which is similar to that found in untreated patients. Follow-up angiograms were performed in 11 patients, and 10 showed persistence of AVM. The results suggest that fractionated radiotherapy in conventional doses does not make a large impact on the risk of hemorrhage in patients with inoperable AVMs, and, where possible, stereotactic external beam radiotherapy/radiosurgery should be employed.

Actuarial Analysis↗
PubMed1988

Production and characterization of human basic fibroblast growth factor from Escherichia coli.

The cDNA sequence coding for human basic fibroblast growth factor (bFGF) has been cloned downstream of a transcription promoter recognized by the bacteriophage T7 RNA polymerase. Initiation of translation at the fgf gene has been coupled to upstream translation of a fragment of the T7 phi 10 gene. Expression of the fgf gene in this system can lead to an accumulation of approximately 40 mg/liter/A600 unit of bFGF. This material can be purified close to homogeneity from a soluble protein extract on a heparin-Sepharose column. bFGF so obtained has been shown to have bioactivity indistinguishable from human placental fibroblast growth factor in mitogenicity, synthesis of plasminogen activator, and angiogenesis assays.

Amino Acid Sequence↗
PubMed1985

Beneficial effects from systematic dosage reduction of the diuretic, chlorthalidone: a randomized study within a clinical trial.

The purpose of this study was to determine the effects on blood pressure and selected biochemical measures of reducing the dosage of chlorthalidone from 100 mg to 50 mg. Within the larger study (Multiple Risk Factor Intervention Trial), 140 Special Intervention hypertensive men, taking 100 mg of chlorthalidone daily, were randomly assigned to either a continuation of 100 mg or a dosage reduction to 50 mg daily. Men were followed monthly for 4 months. Measures were made of blood pressure, serum potassium, serum uric acid, serum glucose, serum cholesterol, and triglycerides. Blood pressure change from baseline to 4 months revealed a significantly higher diastolic blood pressure in the group continued on the 100 mg dose compared to the dose reduction group. However, analysis of covariance, which took into account baseline differences in blood pressure, resulted in a nonsignificant difference in follow-up blood pressure (systolic and diastolic) between groups. Serum potassium increased significantly in the dose reduction group, especially in those participants taking supplemental potassium chloride. The results of this study demonstrate that a reduced dose of 50 mg chlorthalidone over the 4-month period was as effective as the 100 mg dose in long-term, well-controlled hypertensive men. Careful study of other antihypertensive agents is warranted to determine the drug dose that is maximally effective for blood pressure lowering and that also minimized toxic and adverse effects.

Blood Glucose↗
PubMed1985

Cholinergic stimulation of chromaffin cells induces rapid coating of the plasma membrane.

Stimulation of primary bovine adrenal chromaffin cells by carbachol produced a 6-fold increase in cell surface coated pits within 30 s. This coat appeared not to be recruited from a preformed pool at the plasma membrane, but from some pool transparent to electron microscopy. The number of coated pits appeared to decrease rapidly after 1 to 2 min stimulation, but processing for electron microscopy using tannic acid to enhance contrast indicated that both coated pits and closed coated vesicles were increased relative to unstimulated cells for up to 30 min. Analyses of purified adrenal medulla coated vesicles showed a lipid composition close to that expected for cell surface membrane, but there were only trace levels of plasma membrane marker enzymes. Coated vesicles contained significant amounts of both membrane and content proteins characteristic of the chromaffin granule, suggesting that medulla coated vesicles preferentially carry secretion granule proteins. The kinetics of stimulus-dependent formation of coated membrane in the cortical zone of chromaffin cells is closely similar to that observed for secretion granule membrane retrieval.

Adrenal Medulla↗
PubMed1984

Cellular distribution of three mammalian Ca2+-binding proteins related to Torpedo calelectrin.

Addition of Ca2+ to post-microsomal fractions of bovine adrenal or liver produced a sedimentable complex of membrane vesicles and cytoplasmic proteins. Proteins with apparent mol. wts. 70 000, 36 000 and 32 500 were solubilized from this complex by Ca2+ chelation. The 36 000 mol. wt. protein (p36) was immunoprecipitated by an antiserum specific for pp36, a major substrate for Rous sarcoma virus src-gene tyrosine kinase. This protein was present in many mesenchymal cells and associated with membrane cytoskeleton of bovine fibroblasts in a Ca2+-dependent manner. The 70 000 and 32 500 mol. wt. proteins were widely distributed in established cell lines, but were not clearly associated with cell organelles in tissue sections, nor retained in cytoskeleton preparations. On immunoblots p36 reacted strongly with antibodies produced against the electric fish protein Torpedo calelectrin and the similar Ca2+-binding properties and subunit mol. wts. of these proteins suggests that they might be functionally related. Since Torpedo calelectrin, p70, p36 and p32.5 were bound by lipid vesicles or microsomal membranes at micromolar free Ca2+ concentrations, regulated association with intrinsic membrane components may be involved in the functions of these widespread proteins.

Adrenal Medulla↗