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Biomedical subjects

J Ryan

Publications and source records attributed to J Ryan.

At least 37 records · Page 2Linked to original sources
PubMed2003

Wicking assays for the rapid detection of West Nile and St. Louis encephalitis viral antigens in mosquitoes (Diptera: Culicidae).

The recent outbreaks of West Nile (WN) encephalitis and St. Louis encephalitis (SLE) in the United States have highlighted the need for rapid and specific methods of detecting arboviral antigens in mosquitoes. We evaluated rapid, field-usable assays for detecting and differentiating WN and SLE viruses in mosquito pools, based on a patent-pending, immunochromatographic technology (VecTest) formatted on a dipstick. The device provides results in less than 20 min and can be used in laboratories with adequate containment facilities. In laboratory assessments, both the SLE and WN virus tests demonstrated sensitivity comparable with that of an antigen capture ELISA, but less than can be achieved with Vero cell plaque or reverse-transcriptase polymerase chain reaction assays. There was no evidence of cross-reaction when tested with high concentrations of heterologous flavivirus antigens or with Eastern equine encephalitis or Western equine encephalitis viruses. Both the WN and SLE dipstick tests delivered a clear positive result with a single positive specimen in a pool of 50 mosquitoes. This virus assay technology reduces the time required to obtain test results and will allow rapid medical threat assessment and effective targeting of vector control measures.

Animals↗
PubMed2002

Estimating the risk of importation of foot-and-mouth disease into Europe.

The opinions of a number of recognised world experts on foot-and-mouth disease (FMD) were sought in order to answer key questions relating to the importation of the disease into European countries from countries outside Europe. In addition, their opinions were sought on where in Europe a primary outbreak of FMD was most likely to occur and the number of outbreaks likely to occur within European countries in the next five years. The Balkans group of countries was considered to be the most likely group within Europe to have a primary outbreak of FMD and also most likely to have the highest number of primary outbreaks. Turkey was considered to be the country outside Europe which was most likely to be the source of an outbreak within Europe as a whole, and the illegal importation of livestock was considered to be the most likely route of introduction of FMD into Europe. Results specific to the Islands group of countries, which included the UK and Ireland, suggested that this group was likely to have a mean of one primary outbreak of FMD in the five years from September 2000, and that the importation of foodstuffs by people entering those countries from Turkey was the most likely source of an outbreak.

Animals↗
PubMed2002

The experience and training of British general surgeons in trauma surgery for the abdomen, thorax and major vessels.

BACKGROUND: The report Better Carefor the Severely Injured [London: The Royal College of Surgeons of England and the British Orthopaedic Association; 2000] states that an experienced general surgeon trained in the techniques required to perform life-saving emergency surgery is vital in the management of major trauma. The experience and training of general surgeons in the UK in the management of trauma to the abdomen, thorax and major vessels has never been assessed. METHOD: Postal questionnaire sent to UK general surgical consultants and Higher Surgical Trainees (HSTs). RESULTS: A total of 854 (48%) questionnaires were completed. Of respondents, 85% believe that major trauma should be directed to hospitals that provide a dedicated trauma service. Of non-vascular specialists, 43% felt their training was adequate to manage vascular trauma and only one-third of general surgical consultants felt adequately prepared to manage acute cardiothoracic injuries. The median number of trauma laparotomies undertaken annually was 2 for blunt injury and 1 for penetrating injury. Of HSTs, 21% had not performed a splenectomy for trauma and 44% had no experience of packing for liver injuries. CONCLUSIONS: There is limited experience and training in the surgical management of torso trauma in the UK. Implementation of the recommendations from Better Care for the Severely Injured will be hampered unless steps are taken to maximise experience and improve training.

Abdominal Injuries↗
PubMed2002

Community data--where does the value lie? Assessing confidence limits of community collected water quality data.

Waterwatch is a national community-based monitoring network that aims to involve community groups and individuals in the protection and management of waterways. Waterwatch Victoria has the dual objectives of catchment education and water quality monitoring. The educational outcomes are evident, with the Waterwatch programme facilitating over 9,000 students to monitor more than 2,000 sites in waterways in 2000. This paper aims to assess the scientific value of community-collected data, through examining differences between Waterwatch data and professionally collected data. The study looked at all aspects of volunteer data collection, including data confidence protocols, equipment, and data analysis. All professional data was collated by the Victorian Water Quality Monitoring Network (VWQMN). The parameters examined in this study were turbidity, electrical conductivity (EC), pH and total phosphorus. The level of agreement between community-collected data and professional data varied temporally and spatially. Waterwatch data for EC and pH appeared to be very similar to professionally collected data. Equipment used by Waterwatch volunteers for turbidity and total phosphorus appeared to be limited in accuracy to moderate ranges. Overall the VWQMN professionally collected data showed less variance, suggesting greater variability, potentially due to inaccuracies, in volunteer collected data

Community-Institutional Relations↗
PubMed2001

What determines the perceived speed of dots moving within apertures?

Whereas it is a well known fact that objects appear to move faster in smaller stimulus fields, the reason for such a misjudgement of speed is still a matter of debate. We present four experiments to characterise the stimulus parameters that are important for the apparent speed increase of dots moving behind small apertures. In these experiments we varied the size and the shape of the aperture and its location in the visual field, as well as the stimulus duration. We report that the field-size effect does not depend on the overall duration of the stimulus, which does influence the typical path length of individual dots in the display. It is, however, affected by the shape of the aperture in such a way that the aperture size along the motion path is crucial for the speed misjudgement. The field-size effect furthermore depends on the location of the stimulus in the visual field. Our combined results are best described as an increase in perceived speed that is consistently elicited when a motion sink, i.e. a boundary of disappearing dots, is located close to the fovea. Such a description of the relevant stimulus parameters is discussed with respect to possible high-level mechanisms, relating back to classic Gestalt psychology explanations of the field-size effect, and with respect to well-known aspects of neuronal processing that may underlie speed perception and motion integration.

Adult↗
PubMed2001

The short-term impact of adjunctive tiagabine on health-related quality of life.

Combinations of tiagabine (TGB), carbamazepine (CBZ), and phenytoin (PHT) were compared for their impact on health-related quality of life (HRQOL) and adverse effects related to treatment efficacy for people with frequent complex partial seizures. Two independent, randomized, double-blind clinical trials for efficacy and safety were conducted simultaneously with treatment groups: CBZ+PHT versus CBZ+TGB, and PHT+CBZ versus PHT+TGB. Treatment was initiated at week 0 and continued through week 16. HRQOL was evaluated with the QOLIE-89. Treatment success was defined as > or =50% reduction in complex partial seizures. Among patients who achieved a > or =50% reduction in seizures, addition of TGB to baseline PHT enhanced patient perceptions of attention/concentration (13%; p = 0.002), memory (17%; p = 0.042), and language subscales (22%; p = 0.004). Addition of CBZ to PHT led to positive change in the work/driving/social relations subscale (14%; p = 0.004). These improvements were significantly different only between visits, not between the two treatment groups. Seizure worry subscale scores showed improvement among all treatment groups and was probably related to participation in the clinical trial. These exploratory analyses suggest a possible early positive effect of TGB on patient-perceived cognitive domains using the QOLIE-89. These findings are limited by the small sample size and could be related to reduction in seizures.

Adult↗
PubMed2001

Histological observations on the brains of symptomless 7-year-old cattle.

The histological changes in the brains of 506 clinically normal 7-year-old cattle, which were part of a cohort study on maternal transmission of bovine spongiform encephalopathy, are described. Vacuolation of the white matter, of unknown aetiology, located particularly in the substantia nigra, was a frequent finding. Vacuolated neurons were commonly observed in the red nucleus (64.3% of the animals) and in the habenular nucleus (50.1%). Spheroids were found in 10.8% of the brains, most frequently in the vestibular nuclei. Cellular inflammatory infiltrates in association with blood vessels occurred in 30% of the animals at various locations in the brain; their aetiology remains uncertain, but they may have reflected subclinical or latent infections. Mineralization of the wall of blood vessels, with proliferation of the intima, was observed frequently in vessels of the internal capsule and was probably associated with ageing. The description of histological findings in the brain of symptomless adult cattle in the present study provides a useful background for diagnostic bovine neuropathology.

Animals↗
PubMed2001

Relationship between alcohol consumption, ambulatory blood pressure recordings and left ventricular mass.

The relationship between alcohol consumption, blood pressure and left ventricular mass remains uncertain. A detailed alcohol intake history, clinic blood pressure measurements, 24-h ambulatory blood pressure recordings and measurements of left ventricular mass using magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) were performed in 98 males aged 47.9 +/- 9.7 years, 20 of whom were receiving antihypertensive monotherapy. Alcohol consumption (median intake 315 g/week, range 0-2050) was significantly related to supine systolic clinic blood pressures (beta = 0.20, p = 0.05) but not to clinic supine diastolic blood pressures (beta = 0.12, p = 0.25), 24-h blood pressures (systolic: beta = -0.03, p = 0.75; diastolic beta = -0.05, p = 0.60), awake blood pressures or sleeping blood pressures. Alcohol consumption was not related to left ventricular mass index (beta = -0.05, p = 0.59). Left ventricular mass was strongly related to mean 24-h systolic blood pressures (beta = 0.28, p = 0.01), mean awake and sleeping systolic blood pressures, and less strongly to clinic systolic blood pressures (beta = 0.23, p = 0.03). These results were not significantly altered by adjusting for age, smoking, body mass index or alcohol intake, or by excluding the 20 men who were receiving antihypertensive therapy. The results of this study suggest that alcohol consumption at levels commonly encountered in the community is not an important predictor of left ventricular mass index in men, either via direct effects or by indirect effects on blood pressure.

Adult↗
PubMed2001

Introduction of water conservation education packages: the opportunites and constraints affecting their success.

The Remote Area Developments Group in the Institute for Environmental Science at Murdoch University developed a video and booklet education package on water conservation. The package was developed after research, review of current efforts in water conservation, and consultation with communities showed that there was a need in this area. The package was distributed to all communities within Western Australia. Several different workshops were conducted with Indigenous Environmental Health Workers from around Western Australia in remote areas and in the Perth Metropolitan communities using the package. This paper will briefly describe the opportunities and constraints that exist for water conservation in remote Aboriginal communities in Western Australia as well as give an evaluation of the education package based on workshops, trials and survey instrument. This paper will explain the conclusions that have been drawn from the study: that a broad delivery style is the most advantageous style for remote communities, allowing the facilitator to assess the best style of delivery.

Australia↗
PubMed2000

Charged-particle multiplicity near midrapidity in central Au+Au collisions at sqrt[SNN]=56 and 130 GeV.

We present the first measurement of pseudorapidity densities of primary charged particles near midrapidity in Au+Au collisions at sqrt[s(NN)] = 56 and 130 GeV. For the most central collisions, we find the charged-particle pseudorapidity density to be dN/deta|(|eta|<1) = 408+/-12(stat)+/-30(syst) at 56 GeV and 555+/-12(stat)+/-35(syst) at 130 GeV, values that are higher than any previously observed in nuclear collisions. Compared to proton-antiproton collisions, our data show an increase in the pseudorapidity density per participant by more than 40% at the higher energy.

Journal Article↗
PubMed2000

Scrapie surveillance in Great Britain: results of an abattoir survey, 1997/98.

A randomised sample of 2,809 apparently healthy sheep, 55 per cent of them less than 15 months of age, which were slaughtered for human consumption at abattoirs in Great Britain in 1997/98, was taken to establish the prevalence of scrapie infection. The medulla oblongata of each sheep was examined histopathologically at the level of the obex, and fresh brain tissue was examined for scrapie-associated fibrils (SAF) to establish whether there was evidence of scrapie. In addition, histological sections of the medulla from 500 of the sheep were immunostained with an antiserum to PrP, and the same technique was also applied to any animal found positive or inconclusive by the histological or SAF examinations. Any sheep which was positive by any of these diagnostic methods was also examined by Western immunoblotting, for the detection of the disease-specific protein PrP(Sc). A total of 2,798 sheep (99.6 per cent) were negative by all the methods applied. Ten animals were SAF-positive but negative by all the other methods, and in one animal there was immunohistochemical staining which could not be interpreted unequivocally as disease-specific. A mathematical model was used to estimate the prevalence of scrapie infection in the national slaughtered sheep population which would be consistent with these results. By this model, the absence of unequivocally substantiated cases of scrapie in the sample was consistent with a prevalence of infection in the slaughter population of up to 11 per cent.

Abattoirs↗
PubMed2000

Automated registration of frontal and lateral radionuclide lung scans with digital chest radiographs.

RATIONALE AND OBJECTIVES: The purpose of this study was to develop and evaluate a fully automated method that spatially registers anterior, posterior, and lateral ventilation/perfusion (V/Q) images with posteroanterior and lateral digital chest radiographs to retrospectively combine the physiologic information contained in the V/Q scans with the anatomic detail in the chest radiographs. MATERIALS AND METHODS: Gray-level thresholding techniques were used to segment the aerated lung regions in the radiographic images. A variable-thresholding technique combined with an analysis of image noise was used to segment the adequately perfused or ventilated lung regions in the scintigraphic images. The physical dimensions of the segmented lung regions in images from both modalities were used to properly scale the radiographic images relative to the radionuclide images. Computer-determined locations of anatomic landmarks were then used to rotate and translate the images to achieve registration. Pairs of corresponding radionuclide and radiographic images were enhanced with color and then merged to create superimposed images. RESULTS: Five observers used a five-point rating scale to subjectively evaluate four image combinations for each of 50 cases. Of these ratings, 95.5% reflected very good, good, or fair registration. CONCLUSION: The automated method for the registration of radionuclide lung scans with digital chest radiographs to produce images that combine functional and structural information should benefit nuclear medicine physicians and radiologists, who must visually correlate images that differ greatly in physical size, resolution properties, and information content.

Female↗
PubMed2000

Team nursing and ITU--a good combination?

Deficits in 'measurable care', in an 11-bedded intensive care unit, prompted a pilot study of team nursing. Team nursing was introduced for three beds out of the total 11 for a period of six months. In order to evaluate the effects, aspects of care and job satisfaction were measured and compared between the team nursing beds and the rest of the unit. The study revealed that job satisfaction and the levels of 'measurable care' did not improve whilst team nursing was practised. Based on this evidence, the authors question the relevance of team nursing in this particular intensive therapy unit (ITU) and maintain that the best method of delivering nursing care in ITU remains unclear.

Attitude of Health Personnel↗