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Biomedical subjects

L Renaud

Publications and source records attributed to L Renaud.

At least 19 recordsLinked to original sources
PubMed1995

Coeur en santé St-Henri--a heart health promotion programme in Montreal, Canada: design and methods for evaluation.

STUDY OBJECTIVE: This paper describes the objectives, design, and methods of evaluation of the impact of the coeur en santé St-Henri programme, as well as selected results from the evaluation to date. It discusses the possible effects of study design choices made to maintain the impact evaluation within budget. DESIGN: The impact of the programme is evaluated in a community trial which compares the prevalence of cardiovascular disease behavioural risk factors before and after programme implementation in the intervention and a matched comparison community, in both longitudinal cohort and independent sample surveys. In addition, repeated independent sample surveys are conducted in the intervention community to monitor awareness of and participation in the programme. PARTICIPANTS: The baseline sample for both the longitudinal cohort and independent sample surveys included 849 subjects from the intervention community (79.3% of 1071 eligible subjects--8.0% could not be contacted and 12.6% refused) and 825 subjects from the comparison community (77.8% of 1066 eligible subjects--6.6% could not be contacted and 15.6% refused). The two surveys on awareness and participation conducted to date, included 461 (71.0% of 649 eligible subjects) and 387 (67.9% of 570 eligible subjects) subjects respectively from the intervention community. MEASUREMENTS: Baseline data for the longitudinal cohort and independent sample surveys on behavioural risk factor outcomes including use of tobacco, physical activity behaviour, high fat diet, and behaviours related to blood pressure and cholesterol control were collected in 35 minute telephone interviews in both the intervention and comparison communities. Data on awareness of and participation in the programme were collected in 10 minute interviews in the intervention community only in two independent sample surveys conducted seven and 22 months respectively after the baseline survey. RESULTS: With the exception of smoking, the intervention and comparison communities were similar at baseline with regard to the prevalence of behavioural risk factors studied. Awareness of the coeur en santé programme increased from 64.1% in January 1993 to 72.9% 15 months later. Participation in the programme increased from 21.3% to 33.7%. CONCLUSIONS: This paper presents background information on the evaluation of the impact of the coeur en santé programme, as a reference for future publications.

Adolescent↗
PubMed1995

Coeur en santé St-Henri--a heart health promotion programme in a low income, low education neighbourhood in Montreal, Canada: theoretical model and early field experience.

STUDY OBJECTIVE: Coeur en santé St-Henri is a five year, community based, multifactorial, heart health promotion programme in a low income, low education neighbourhood in Montreal, Canada. The objectives of this programme are to improve heart-healthy behaviours among adults of St-Henri. This paper describes the theoretical model underlying programme development as well as our early field experience implementing interventions. DESIGN: The design of the intervention programme is based on a behaviour change model adapted from social learning theory, the reasoned action model, and the precede-proceed model. The Ottawa charter for health promotion provided the framework for the development of specific interventions. Each intervention is submitted to formative, implementation, and impact evaluations using simple and inexpensive methods. PARTICIPANTS: The target population consists of adults living in St-Henri, a neighbourhood of 23,360 residents. Because of costs constraints, the intervention strategy targets women more specifically. The community is one of the poorest in Canada with 46% of the population living below the poverty line and 20% being very poor. The age-sex adjusted ischaemic heart disease mortality in 1985-87 was 317 per 100,000 compared with 126 per 100,000 in an affluent adjacent neighbourhood. RESULTS: Thirty nine distinct interventions have been developed and tested in the community, eight related to tobacco, 10 to diet, seven to physical activity, and 14 which are multifactorial. The interventions include smoking cessation and healthy recipes contests, a menu labelling and healthy food discount programme in restaurants, a point of choice nutrition education campaign, healthy eating and smoking cessation workshops, a walking club, educational material, print and electronic media campaigns, heart health fairs, and community events. CONCLUSION: An integrated heart health promotion programme is feasible in low income urban neighbourhoods but not all interventions are successful. Such a programme requires substantial energy and resources as well as long term commitment from public health departments.

Cardiovascular Diseases↗
PubMed1994

Persistence and possible progression of a pelvic neuroblastoma detected by mass screening during 19 months.

PURPOSE: The preclinical detection of neuroblastoma by screening for elevated levels of urinary catecholamines often leads to the discovery of children with early-stage, biologically favorable disease. It is uncertain how vigorously therapy must be pursued in such cases. We report an infant whose pelvic mass was initially thought to be a fecaloma, and consequently was not treated for 19 months. CASE REPORT: A 2-month-old girl was referred for evaluation for the presence of a neuroblastoma because of elevated urinary catecholamines detected in a mass screening program. Although no mass was initially found, urinary catecholamines became increasingly elevated, and a pelvic mass was finally radiologically identified. It was resected. Histology showed it to be a neuroblastoma, POG stage C, International stage 3, with unfavorable Shimada features, although near triploid with an unamplified N-myc oncogene. Chemotherapy was given for five cycles, and the child remains well, with no evidence of disease. CONCLUSION: Although mass screening programs often detect early- stage, biologically favorable neuroblastomas that may spontaneously regress, our case had rising levels of urinary catecholamines and unfavorable histologic features at the time of resection. The unusual location of the tumor, and radiologic features of a fecaloma, contributed to the delay in definitive diagnosis, although persistence of elevated urinary catecholamines in the absence of a tumor is infrequent.

Catecholamines↗
PubMed1992

A 5-y follow-up of the radiation exposure to in-room personnel during cardiac catheterization.

This study documents the radiation doses received by all in-room personnel of three cardiac catheterization laboratories where more than 15,000 cardiac procedures have been performed over a 5-y period. It is shown that all in-room personnel was exposed to a body dose equivalent well below any regulatory limits. However, some workers may have exceeded the occupational 150 mSv y-1 recommended limit for the lens of the eye. The physicians-in-training and the staff physicians are the two groups more likely to reach this limit. It is also demonstrated that a low correlation exists between the annual number of procedures and the annual head dose equivalent of a physician, but more variation is likely to originate from his/her working attitude and techniques. The mean dose equivalent at the collar level of the physicians is estimated to be 0.04 +/- 0.02 mSv per procedure.

Cardiac Catheterization↗
PubMed1990

[Yes, I'm quitting: a scripto-visual tool on anti-smoking for functionally illiterate women. Problems and educational research].

In Montreal a team of social workers has developed a scripto-visual method for breaking tobacco dependency. It is intended for functionally illiterate women between 18 and 35 years old with less than nine years of schooling. Before testing it on the target population, the team completed a developmental experiment with the goal of evaluating and measuring the efficacity of this method. The article presents the various components of the manual and summarizes the findings. The preparation of the manual naturally took into consideration the diverse factors affecting the decision to begin smoking as well as the arguments advanced for breaking the habit. These included: stressing the personal advantages (increased self-esteem and self-confidence); taking the guilt out of this behaviour by revealing its impact and the link between social and advertising incentives to smoke; offering women a means of verbalizing their situation; dedramatizing relapses to maintain self-respect; presenting specific devices to facilitate this step. Comic strips are the principal support mechanism. These present information on the causes and consequences of tobacco dependency and illustrate its effects. They also introduce practical ways to assist the target population in breaking the habit and provides examples of activities which boost motivation and will power. In order to analyse the manual, sessions were organized with potential users. They were invited to complete a short questionnaire, to participate in mock exercises and to comment on the visuals. Beyond the message conveyed, the intention was to measure interest and assimilation.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)

Adult↗
PubMed1989

Drug-related chromosomal changes in chemoresistant human ovarian carcinoma cells.

Four resistant sublines were derived from the sensitive human ovarian carcinoma IGROV 1 (OV1-P) cell line by exposure to increasing concentrations of vincristine, doxorubicin, and cisplatinum. The vincristine-resistant sublines expressed the MDR phenotype associated with a complete reversion of malignant properties. Cytogenetic studies of sensitive and resistant cells have been repeatedly performed over a 1-year period. Consistent and stable drug-related chromosomal structural rearrangements have been observed in each resistant population affecting chromosomes 3, 4, 6, 8, 11, 22, and X. The most significant result was the presence in OV1/P cells of a minor subclone with a del(11)(p13) marker that represented the whole OV1/VCR population. This result suggests a possible role of this deletion either in the drug-selection process, or in the malignant reversion.

Adenocarcinoma↗
PubMed1989

Evaluation of the efficacy of simulation games in traffic safety education of kindergarten children.

Using a simulation game designed to teach children to obey certain traffic safety rules, an experimental study was conducted with 136 five-year-old children in four Quebec schools. Within each classroom, subjects were randomly divided into four groups: three intervention groups and one control group. Each of the experimental groups was subjected to a different intervention with outcome measured using three instruments related to attitudes, behavior, and transfer of learning of pedestrian traffic safety. Results suggest that simulation games including role-playing/group dynamics and modeling/training can change attitudes and modify behavior in the area of pedestrian traffic safety in children of this age.

Accident Prevention↗
PubMed1985

Fourier analysis on ungated time-activity curves.

The frequency content of the ungated radionuclide time-activity curves for left and right ventricles was analyzed using a power spectrum estimation technique. This technique was applied to ten patients. It was observed that 75% of the contraction power of any ventricle was contained in the fundamental and at least 98% contained in the fundamental plus the first harmonic. Patients presenting bigeminy and trigeminy had a completely different spectrum distribution which calls for a different interpretation. Low frequency spectrum lines have been observed at breathing frequency. Up to 62% of the total power may be contained in those spectrum lines.

Erythrocytes↗
PubMed1984

A quality control program for cine radiography.

We describe a ciné processing quality control program aimed at the consistent production of high quality angiograms. A year's experience with this protocol has demonstrated the difficulty and importance of maintaining a constant on-frame optical density to ensure consistently high quality. We monitored film processing, speed of the emulsion and the automatic brightness control of the angiographic imaging system several times a day. Variations in film speed and their causes observed in our institution demonstrate that parameters other than film processing should be carefully controlled. The cost of applying this protocol is about +190.00/month and it requires no additional personnel. The cost is offset by the improved quality of the angiograms, reduced repeat examinations, and the improved monitoring of the system making for more effective preventative and corrective maintenance.

Cineangiography↗
PubMed1979

Fourier multiaperture emission tomography (FMET).

We describe a new emission tomographic technique, using an Anger scintillation camera and a new family of coded apertures, in which a noniterative computer algorithm is used to reconstruct multiplanar images. The novel feature is a set of spatial narrow band filters that allow the depth information to be separated in the frequency domain. The position of the reconstructed planes can be selected at will. Using this technique, a planar resolution of 0.75 cm and a depth resolution of 1.6 cm have been measured at a depth of 10 cm and a magnification of 1. To demonstrate the potential of this system, the results of a phantom study are reported.

Fourier Analysis↗
PubMed1976

Effects of aminonucleoside, daunomycin, and adriamycin on carbon oxidation by glomeruli.

The purpose of these experiments was to determine whether reported changes in substrate metabolism by isolated glomeruli from rats with aminonucleoside nephrosis could be explained by the glomerular changes associated with proteinuria or, alternatively, whether these metabolic changes and proteinuria were synchronous but causally unrelated events. Aminonucleoside of puromycin produced proteinuria within 7 days when injected intraperitoneally or subcutaneously. However, when aminonucleoside of puromycin as well as adenine were given, the onset of proteinuria was delayed until after day 7. A significant reduction in U-14C-glucose oxidation to CO2 was found at day 7 by glomeruli from rats given aminonucleoside of puromycin intraperitoneally but no significant changes were found with aminonucleoside of puromycin given subcutaneously on days 7 and 9 and aminonucleoside of puromycin + adenine given subcutaneously on days 7 and 9. Rats given daunomycin or adriamycin had developed proteinuria by day 14. U-14C-glucose oxidation to CO2 was significantly reduced on day 14 in glomeruli from rats given daunomycin but no significant changes were found on day 21 with daunomycin, or on days 14 and 21 with adriamycin. There was a reduction in pyruvic-acid carbon metabolism but not in glutamine-carbon oxidation 14 days after treatment with daunomycin. These results suggest that the observed changes in glomerular metabolism occur independently of, albeit synchronous with, the development of proteinuria. A causal relationship between these metabolic alterations and proteinuria therefore may be unlikely.

Adenine↗
PubMed1971

Effects of Ba2+ and tetraethylammonium on cortical neurones.

1. Ba(2+), applied by micro-iontophoresis, excites most cortical neurones that are excitable by ACh; other neurones tend to be depressed.2. The discharges evoked by Ba(2+) resemble those evoked by ACh, but they have an even slower time course and are characterized by firing in high frequency bursts.3. The excitatory action of Ba(2+), unlike that of ACh, is not abolished by muscarine antagonists; but it can be prevented with dinitrophenol.4. The depolarizing effect of Ba(2+) is associated with a rise in membrane resistance and it has a reversal level 24 mV more negative than the resting potential.5. These observations suggest that, as in other tissues, Ba(2+) reduced the K(+) conductance by a direct action on the cell membrane. Some diminution in Na(+) inactivation is indicated by the repetitive firing at high frequency.6. TEA has a predominantly depressant effect on all neurones tested. Like Ba(2+), it often increases greatly the duration of spikes, but there is no regular change in resting membrane resistance and no tendency to repetitive firing. TEA probably reduces only the delayed K(+) current.7. Even in large doses neither Ba(2+) nor TEA interferes with the conductance increase that generates the typical prolonged IPSPs recorded in cortical neurones.

Acetylcholine↗
PubMed1971

The mechanism of excitation by acetylcholine in the cerebral cortex.

1. The muscarinic depolarizing action of ACh on cortical neurones is associated with an increase in membrane resistance (mean DeltaV/DeltaR = 3.16 mV/MOmega).2. ACh also promotes repetitive firing by slowing repolarization after spikes.3. The depolarizing effect has a mean reversal level of -86.7 mV (with mean resting potential -56 mV).4. It is concluded that as a muscarinic excitatory agent, ACh probably acts by reducing the resting K(+) conductance of cortical neurones, and also the delayed K(+) current of the action potential.5. These results are discussed in relation to the possible role of ACh in cortical function.

Acetylcholine↗