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Biomedical subjects

J Harries

Publications and source records attributed to J Harries.

12 recordsLinked to original sources
PubMed2006

Rates of complication in first-trimester manual vacuum aspiration abortion done by doctors and mid-level providers in South Africa and Vietnam: a randomised controlled equivalence trial.

BACKGROUND: We assessed whether the safety of first-trimester manual vacuum aspiration abortion done by health-care providers who are not doctors (mid-level providers) is equivalent to that of procedures done by doctors in South Africa and Vietnam, where mid-level providers are government trained and accredited to do first-trimester abortions. METHODS: We did a randomised, two-sided controlled equivalence trial to compare rates of complication in abortions done by the two groups of providers. An a-priori margin of equivalence of 4.5% with 80% power and 95% CI (alpha=0.05) was used. 1160 women participated in South Africa and 1734 in Vietnam. Women presenting for an induced abortion at up to 12 weeks' gestation were randomly assigned to a doctor or a mid-level provider for manual vacuum aspiration and followed-up 10-14 days later. The primary outcome was complication of abortion. Complications were recorded during the abortion procedure, before discharge from the clinic, and at follow-up. Per-protocol and intention-to-treat analyses were done. This trial is registered at with the identifier . FINDINGS: In both countries, rates of complication satisfied the predetermined statistical criteria for equivalence: rates per 100 patients in South Africa were 1.4 (eight of 576) for mid-level providers and 0 for doctors (difference 1.4, 95% CI 0.4 to 2.7); in Vietnam, rates were 1.2 (ten of 824) for mid-level providers and 1.2 (ten of 812) for doctors (difference 0.0, 95% CI -1.2 to 1.1). There was one immediate complication related to analgesics. Delayed complications were caused by retained products and infection. INTERPRETATION: With appropriate government training, mid-level health-care providers can provide first trimester manual vacuum aspiration abortions as safely as doctors can.

Abortion, Induced↗
PubMed2000

Community-based validation of the McCormick Toy Test.

The aim of the present study was to investigate the validity of a community-based hearing test to detect conductive hearing loss in 3-year-old children. Sixty-five children had their hearing tested using standard audiological tests at the same time as they underwent their 3-year-old health checks. The checks were performed by health visitors at community health clinics, and included the McCormick Toy Test (MCTT) for hearing. Fourteen children failed both tests and none passed the MCTT and failed the standard tests, giving a sensitivity of 100%. Forty-eight children passed both tests and three children failed the MCTT but passed the standard tests, giving a specificity of 94%. Positive predictive value was 82%. The results from this sample indicate that the MCTT may be used as a valid test for conductive hearing loss for 3-year-old children in the community setting.

Acoustic Impedance Tests↗
PubMed1999

Small angle X-ray scattering of wheat seed-storage proteins: alpha-, gamma- and omega-gliadins and the high molecular weight (HMW) subunits of glutenin.

Small angle X-ray scattering in solution was performed on seed-storage proteins from wheat. Three different groups of gliadins (alpha-, gamma- and omega-) and a high molecular weight (HMW) subunit of glutenin (1Bx20) were studied to determine molecular size parameters. All the gliadins could be modelled as prolate ellipsoids with extended conformations. The HMW subunit existed as a highly extended rod-like particle in solution with a length of about 69 nm and a diameter of about 6.4 nm. Specific aggregation effects were observed which may reflect mechanisms of self-assembly that contribute to the unique viscoelastic properties of wheat dough.

Gliadin↗
PubMed1999

Identification of common epitopes on gliadin, enterocytes, and calreticulin recognised by antigliadin antibodies of patients with coeliac disease.

BACKGROUND: Sera of patients with coeliac disease, containing IgA and IgG antigliadin antibodies (AGA) and various IgA autoantibodies, react with isolated enterocytes. AGA cross react with enterocyte antigens, one of which has been identified as calreticulin. AIMS: To characterise the antigenic structures of gliadin, enterocytes, and calreticulin recognised by AGA from patients with active coeliac disease. METHODS: AGA were isolated from sera of nine patients by affinity chromatography and tested by competitive ELISA using 40 alpha-gliadin synthetic dodecapeptides (A1-F6). RESULTS: Reactivity of gliadin with all purified AGA tested was inhibited by peptide A4 at the N-terminal region; by C2, C3, and D4 at the central region; and by F3 and F4 at the C-terminal region of the gliadin molecule. AGA cross reactivity with enterocytes was inhibited by peptides A4, D1-D4, and F6 and with calreticulin by peptides A4, D3, and D4. As dominant epitopes AGA of coeliac patients recognise similar structures corresponding to peptides A4, D3, D4, and F6 present on gliadin, enterocytes, and calreticulin. Substitution of glutamine in the A4 peptide by glutamic acid caused loss of inhibitory capacity. Shortening of peptide A4 on the N-terminal by three amino acids increased its inhibitory effect. CONCLUSIONS: AGA of patients with coeliac disease react with similar structures on gliadin and potential autoantigens on enterocytes.

Adult↗
PubMed1994

X-ray diffraction studies of whole rat heart during anoxic perfusion.

Equatorial x-ray reflections were recorded from the ventricular region of whole rat heart, during the transition from normoxia to anoxia. The intensity ratio of the 1.0 and 1.1 equatorial reflections (I 1.0/I 1.1) was 2.96 during normoxic perfusion, decreasing to 0.37 after 115 minutes of anoxic perfusion and closely parallel those reported between partially dissected relaxed and rigor vertebrate heart muscle (1.2). The peak positions of these reflections both increased by ca. 5% during anoxic perfusion indicative of a lateral expansion in the sarcomere filament lattice. These results indicate that the process of anoxia leads to the condition of rigor in which the majority of the myosin cross-bridges bind to the thin filament. Using this technique global changes in whole heart structure can be studied, and due to the ease of perfusion of the heart, biochemical and physiological problems may be investigated in relation to the structure of the heart as a whole. This may be of clinical interest, particularly in terms of investigations into organ preservation and transplantation. This is believed to be the first occasion where intact muscular organs have been studied in this way.

Animals↗
PubMed1994

Time-resolved X-ray diffraction studies of myosin head movements in live frog sartorius muscle during isometric and isotonic contractions.

Using the facilities at the Daresbury Synchrotron Radiation Source, meridional diffraction patterns of muscles at ca 8 degrees C were recorded with a time resolution of 2 or 4 ms. In isometric contractions tetanic peak tension (P0) is reached in ca 400 ms. Under such conditions, following stimulation from rest, the timing of changes in the major reflections (the 38.2 nm troponin reflection, and the 21.5 and 14.34/14.58 nm myosin reflections) can be explained in terms of four types of time courses: K1, K2, K3 and K4. The onset of K1 occurs immediately after stimulation, but that of K2, K3 and K4 is delayed by a latent period of ca 16 ms. Relative to the end of their own latent periods the half-times for K1, K2, K3 and K4 are 14-16, 16, 32 and 52 ms, respectively. In half-times, K1, K2, K3 lead tension rise by 52, 36 and 20 ms, respectively. K4 parallels the time course of tension rise. From an analysis of the data we conclude that K1 reflects thin filament activation which involves the troponin system; K2 arises from an order-disorder transition during which the register between the filaments is lost; K3 is due to the formation of an acto-myosin complex which (at P0) causes 70% or more of the heads to diffract with actin-based periodicities; and K4 is caused by a change in the axial orientation of the myosin heads (relative to thin filament axis) which is estimated to be from 65-70 degrees at rest to ca 90 degrees at P0. Isotonic contraction experiments showed that during shortening under a load of ca 0.27 P0, at least 85% of the heads (relative to those forming an acto-myosin complex at P0) diffract with actin-based periodicities, whilst their axial orientation does not change from that at rest. During shortening under a negligible load, at most 5-10% of the heads (relative to those forming an acto-myosin complex at P0) diffract with actin-based periodicities, and their axial orientation also remains the same as that at rest. This suggests that in isometric contractions the change in axial orientation is not the cause of active tension production, but rather the result of it. Analysis of the data reveals that independent of load, the extent of asynchronous axial motions executed by most of the cycling heads is no more than 0.5-0.65 nm greater than at rest.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 400 WORDS)

Animals↗
PubMed1985

AIDS--a health education approach in West Glamorgan.

An education programme on AIDS has been established in West Glamorgan. It was designed to provide an information network amongst health authority staff which would reach as wide an audience as possible. The programme has been organised on a direct contact approach because of the limitations of other methods of disseminating information to large groups of people. The initial success of the programme has led to its extension among other interested groups in West Glamorgan such as the prison population, drug groups, and members of the gay community. The programme is to continue and be updated on a regular basis.

Acquired Immunodeficiency Syndrome↗
PubMed1984

Randomised controlled trial of routine hospital clinic care versus routine general practice care for type II diabetics.

Two hundred patients with type II diabetes were entered into a randomised controlled trial lasting five years to compare routine care of this condition by a hospital diabetic clinic with routine care in general practice. Fewer patients in the group being cared for by their general practitioner (general practice group) were regularly reviewed or had regular estimations of blood glucose concentration. More patients in the general practice group than in the hospital group were admitted to hospital for medical reasons during the study (25 (24%) compared with 17 (18%] and more patients in the general practice group died (18) than did in the hospital group (6). At the end of the study mean concentrations of haemoglobin A1 were higher in the general practice group (10.4%) than in the hospital group (9.5%). Routine care in general practice for patients with type II diabetes was less satisfactory than care by the hospital diabetic clinic.

Adult↗
PubMed1982

Intestinal absorption of food antigens in coeliac disease.

Serum concentrations of ovalbumin, beta-lactoglobulin, and antigen-antibody complexes were measured after jejunal administration of milk and raw egg in 6 children with active coeliac disease and in 4 controls. The results did not support the hypothesis of a generalised increase in absorption of antigens from the intestinal lumen in coeliac disease.

Antigen-Antibody Complex↗