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Biomedical subjects

L MacDougall

Publications and source records attributed to L MacDougall.

At least 19 recordsLinked to original sources
PubMed2005

Frozen chicken nuggets and strips and eggs are leading risk factors for Salmonella Heidelberg infections in Canada.

A case-control study was conducted from 1 January to 31 May 2003 to identify risk factors for S . Heidelberg infection in Canada. Controls were pair-matched by age group and telephone exchange to 95 cases. Exposures in the 7 days before illness/interview were assessed using multivariate conditional logistic regression. Consumption of home-prepared chicken nuggets and/or strips [matched odds ratio (mOR) 4.0, 95% confidence interval (CI) 1.4-13.8], and undercooked eggs (mOR 7.5, 95% CI 1.5-75.5) increased the risk of illness. Exposure to a farm setting lowered the risk (mOR 0.22, 95% CI 0.03-1.00). The population-attributable fraction associated with chicken nuggets/strips was 34% and with undercooked eggs was 16%. One-third of study participants did not perceive, handle or prepare chicken nuggets and strips as high-risk products, although the majority of the products on the Canadian market are raw. These findings have prompted changes in product-labelling policy and consumer education.

Adolescent↗
PubMed2004

Ovarian follicle development in wapiti (Cervus elaphus) during the anovulatory season.

The ovaries of 12 mature wapiti hinds were studied by transrectal ultrasonography during the anovulatory season to characterize follicular dynamics and to test the hypothesis that follicle development occurs in a wave-like fashion. The hinds were examined daily, standing without sedation. Follicle size and numbers were recorded, and individual follicles were identified serially. Follicle development was considered wave-like if periodic changes in follicle numbers could be associated temporally with the development of a dominant follicle. There were non-random changes (P<0.01) in the number of follicles > or =4 mm in diameter detected per day. Each peak in follicle numbers was associated with the development of a single dominant follicle. The dominant follicle of the cohort was larger (P<0.05) than the other follicles 1 day after its emergence. Intervals between successive peaks (6.8 +/- 0.4 day) and troughs (6.8 +/- 0.4 day) in follicle numbers, and emergence of sequential dominant follicles (7.1 +/- 0.5 day) were not different (P=0.86). Results confirmed the hypothesis that ovarian follicles develop in a wave-like fashion in wapiti during the anovulatory season.

Animals↗
PubMed2001

Promoting travel clinic referrals: exploring partnerships for healthier travel.

Many travellers are unaware or unprepared for the health-related risks of international travel. Indeed, studies of travel-related morbidity have estimated that between 15 and 45% of travellers to tropical and sub-tropical destinations experience a variety of mild to severe clinical symptoms during their travel. While some inadequacies may exist in the pre-travel health advice provided by travel clinics, recent studies have suggested that these clinics are more effective in promoting health awareness and consequently in preventing illness than more traditional health services. Unfortunately, traveller attendance records at pre-travel health clinics are poor. This situation suggests that new partnerships must be developed which encourage healthier travel by promoting the pre-departure use of travel health clinic services. The intent of this paper is to generate discussion as well as to initiate research into the development and evaluation of new partnerships to promote healthier travel.

Counseling↗
PubMed1996

Structural and functional diversity of phosphoinositide 3-kinases.

Phosphoinositide 3-kinases (PI3-kinases) have been shown to be recruited to cell surface receptor signal complexes whose formation is triggered by growth factors, cytokines and other ligands. PI3-kinases are also involved in protein sorting phenomena. A number of PI3-kinase isotypes have been characterised in several laboratories. Here the relations between the PI3-kinases, PI4-kinases and PI5-kinases and other potential phosphoinositide kinases are analysed. A study of the relation of structure to function for sequence motifs defined through the use of homology searches and protein modelling techniques is described and used to assign the family of phosphoinositide kinases to subgroups.

Amino Acid Sequence↗
PubMed1996

Controversies in magnetic resonance imaging of the hip.

One of the first musculoskeletal areas to be imaged by magnetic resonance (MR) was the hip. Early on, and even today, the most frequent indication for imaging of the hip has been for the evaluation of osteonecrosis and related diseases. Despite the long history of MR imaging of osteonecrosis, there still exist many controversies. This article will look at three of these: (a) What is the best way of imaging early osteonecrosis? This question has proven to be particularly important in the evaluation of the posttraumatic patient. We provide some preliminary evidence that the use of gadolinium-enhanced MR imaging may be helpful. Specifically, gadolinium fails to enhance areas of early osteonecrosis while surrounding uninvolved areas do enhance. (b) How should the patient with "MR bone marrow edema of the hip" be evaluated and treated? If there is radiographic osteopenia, the assumption is that this represents transient osteoporosis (a self-limited disease) and no treatment is necessary. However, if no osteopenia is present, the diagnosis and treatment become more problematic. A decision-making algorithm is presented to help overcome this dilemma. (c) Is documented osteonecrosis of the hip ever reversible without surgical intervention? Work done with renal transplant patients suggests that the answer to this question is yes, but work reported from Europe casts some doubt on this conclusion.

Bone Marrow↗
PubMed1990

Oral histoplasmosis as a presenting disease in acquired immunodeficiency syndrome.

A 43-year-old homosexual man visited his dentist with painful, nodular, ulcerated lesions on the soft palate, right buccal mucosa, and right posterior maxillary gingiva. Serologic studies for exposure to human immunodeficiency virus, performed before biopsy, were positive. Biopsy of the maxillary gingiva demonstrated sheets of histiocytes containing small intracellular yeasts, which on culture were identified as Histoplasma capsulatum. Bilateral leukoplakic lesions with some vertical furrowing involving the lateral borders of the tongue were also noted. Histologically, hyperkeratosis and fungal hyphae were identified. The patient was treated for histoplasmosis with amphotericin B, which resulted in significant improvement of the oral lesions. He was subsequently hospitalized for fatigue and dyspnea and was found to have Pneumocystis carinii pneumonia. Pulmonary status deteriorated within a 3-week period, and the patient died. Autopsy findings were negative for histoplasmosis but positive for necrotizing and cavitary P. carinii pneumonia, pulmonary and hepatic herpes simplex infections, and pulmonary and intestinal cytomegalovirus infection.

Acquired Immunodeficiency Syndrome↗
PubMed1987

Abnormalities of chromosome 12p13 and malignant proliferation of eosinophils: a nonrandom association.

Four patients representing a spectrum of haematological malignancies are reported. Two patients had Philadelphia chromosome negative myeloproliferative disorders, one had acute lymphoblastic leukaemia and one had eosinophilic leukaemia. In each case eosinophilia was present and demonstrated to be part of the malignancy by the association of clonally abnormal metaphases with eosinophil granules. Abnormalities involving the short arm of chromosome 12 (12p13) were a constant feature in all four cases and therefore a nonrandom association between this chromosome region and malignant eosinophil proliferation is proposed.

Acute Disease↗
PubMed1977

A socio-economic, health and cultural survey in Soweto.

The socio-economic, health and nutritional status of 186 families in Diepkloof, Soweto, was studied. The results, detailed in the text, reveal considerable socio-economic ills, of which the most important is the observation that 30% of the families existed below the poverty datum line, even when there was more than one wage-earner. More emphasis on health education and the promotion by health personnel of a better understanding of the backgrounds of clinic and hospital patients are urgent priorities for health services.

Adolescent↗
PubMed1966

Urinary screening tests in the prevention of mental deficiency.

A substantial number of genetically determined biochemical disorders in infants and young children produce mental deficiency and serious ill health in early life. If these diseases are detected promptly, effective therapy can be instituted to prevent the development of mental defect, or, where no treatment is presently available, the parents can be given appropriate genetic counselling so that the birth of further affected children can be prevented.Eight simple urine screening tests are described which have proved useful in the early detection of metabolic disorders in apparently healthy infants. These tests can easily be performed by a physician or nurse without special training or elaborate equipment. The attention of general practitioners, pediatricians and public health physicians is directed to the real possibilities for preventing some forms of mental deficiency through the routine use of screening tests on urine and on blood.

Blood↗
PubMed1966

Homolanthionine excretion in homocystinuria.

Patients with homocystinuria excrete in their urine small amounts of an amino acid indistinguishable from authentic L-homolanthionine. This compound could be formed from homocysteine and homoserine by a condensation analogous to that normally leading to cystathionine. The only other known occurrence of homolanthionine in nature is in a methionine-requiring mutant strain of Escherichia coli.

Adolescent↗