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Biomedical subjects

K R Kumar

Publications and source records attributed to K R Kumar.

8 recordsLinked to original sources
PubMed2000

Effects of case-load size on the process of care of patients with severe psychotic illness. Report from the UK700 trial.

BACKGROUND: Studies of intensive case management (ICM) for patients with psychotic illnesses have produced conflicting results in terms of outcome. Negative results have sometimes been attributed to a failure to deliver differing patterns of care. AIMS: To test whether the actual care delivered in a randomised clinical trial of ICM v. standard case management (the UK700 trial) differed significantly. METHOD: Data on 545 patients' care were collected over 2 years. All patient contacts and all other patient-centred interventions (e.g. telephone calls, carer contacts) of over 15 minutes were prospectively recorded. Rates and distributions of these interventions were compared. RESULTS: Contact frequency was more than doubled in the ICM group. There were proportionately more failed contacts and carer contacts but there was no difference in the average length of individual contacts or the proportion of contacts in the patients' homes. CONCLUSIONS: The failure to demonstrate outcome differences in the UK700 study is not due to a failure to vary the treatment process. UK standard care contains many of the characteristics of assertive outreach services and differences in outcome may require that greater attention be paid to delivering evidence-based interventions.

Activities of Daily Living↗
PubMed2000

Chemical characterization of bovine urine with special reference to oestrus.

Cows' urine was analysed by gas chromatography mass spectrometry (GC-MS). The profiles from preovulatory, ovulatory and postovulatory samples were compared to establish any qualitative and quantitative differences that might have potential value in olfactory communication. Dichloromethane was used as the solvent for extraction of the compounds. Seven different compounds were detected, of which only two were common to all the chromatograms. The chemical profile of oestrous urine was distinguished by the presence of two specific compounds, viz. di-n-propyl phthalate and 1-iodoundecane, that were not found in the other samples. As oestrous urine has been shown to elicit sexual behaviour in cattle, these two characteristic peaks may represent important chemical compounds that elicit signals that allow the bull to detect 'oestrous odours'.

Alkanes↗
PubMed1999

Influence of the stage of the cycle on olfactory sensitivity in laboratory mice.

Females in estrus showed maximum olfactory sensitivity as judged by their ability in locating the buried bait. The results suggest that olfactory sensitivity in females varies during the stages of the estrous cycle. The findings further indicate that gonadal steroids play an important role in the expression of olfactory sensitivity in females.

Animals↗
PubMed1995

Exocrine pancreatic and beta-cell function in malnutrition-related diabetes among north Indians.

OBJECTIVE: To compare the pancreatic exocrine and beta-cell function in the two variants of malnutrition-related diabetes mellitus (MRDM): fibrocalculous pancreatic diabetes (FCPD) and protein-deficient pancreatic diabetes (PDPD). RESEARCH DESIGN AND METHODS: Fecal chymotrypsin (FCT) and fasting C-peptide levels were measured in 20 consecutive patients with FCPD and 19 with PDPD. FCPD was diagnosed by pancreatic calcification on ultrasonography, while the diagnosis of PDPD was made on the basis of low body mass index, severe diabetes requiring insulin therapy, and ketosis resistance on interruption of insulin. Twenty patients with type I diabetes and 32 healthy subjects served as control subjects. RESULTS: Both FCPD and PDPD patients had diminished levels of FCT when compared with those of control subjects and patients with type I diabetes. However, FCT levels were significantly lower in subjects with FCPD (median 0.4 U/g, range 0-8.9 U/g), in comparison with those with PDPD (4.7 U/g, 0.6-40.5 U/g; P < 0.001). Of the FCPD patients, 13 of 20 (65%) had severe exocrine pancreatic deficiency (FCT < 1 U/g) vs. 3 of 19 (15.8%) PDPD subjects (P < 0.01). In comparison with control subjects, fasting serum C-peptide levels were significantly diminished in both MRDM groups. However, C-peptide levels in subjects with FCPD (mean +/- SE, 0.22 +/- 0.04 nmol/l) and PDPD (0.26 +/- 0.04 nmol/l) were comparable. CONCLUSIONS: Among the two variants of MRDM, subjects with FCPD have severe pancreatic exocrine deficiency in comparison with those with PDPD, even though their C-peptide levels are comparably diminished. This suggests that the pathogenesis of these two entities may differ or that the genetic and/or environmental factors leading to exocrine damage are different.

Adult↗
PubMed1986

Cushingoid adrenal hyperplasia in infancy.

Cushing's syndrome, a characteristic pattern of obesity with hypertension due to the hyperfunction of the adrenal cortex, is relatively rare in infancy. Thirty-six infants have been reported in world literature, most of whom have had adrenal tumours. There are only eight reported cases of infants under the age of 1 year with adrenal hyperplasia responsible for Cushing's syndrome. This is a report of an 8 month old child with bilateral nodular adrenal hyperplasia.

Adrenal Gland Neoplasms↗