PubMed Health⌕ Search

Biomedical subjects

M Adcock

Publications and source records attributed to M Adcock.

9 recordsLinked to original sources
PubMed2001

Heat-related death and mental illness during the 1999 Cincinnati heat wave.

During a 1999 heat wave in Cincinnati, Ohio, the Hamilton County Coroner reported 18 heat-related deaths. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention and the Cincinnati Department of Health conducted a case-control study using surrogate case information and first-person control information to identify risk factors for mortality during the heat wave. Surrogate data were supplemented by systematic death scene investigation reports and comprehensive toxicologic screens, important sources of data that are routinely collected by the Hamilton County Coroner's Office. The study included 17 case subjects and 34 controls from the decedents' neighborhood. Among 17 case subjects, 8 (47.1%) had mental illness (odds ratio [OR], 14.0; 95% confidence interval [CI], 1.8-633). There was a suggestion of an interaction between age and mental health. A working air-conditioner was the strongest protective factor (OR, 0.03; 95% CI, 0-0.2). Toxicologic screening indicated that case subjects with reported mental illness and a prescription for psychotropic drugs may not have been medication compliant. Three decedents lived in group homes for people with mental illness, indicating that opportunities for prevention may have been missed. Systematic death investigations, including toxicologic screening, provide valuable information about the circumstances of heat-related death, particularly the role of medication compliance as a risk factor. Prevention programs during heat waves should target people with mental illness, especially those who take psychotropic medication.

Adult↗
PubMed1986

Cloning and sequence analysis of cDNA for human argininosuccinate lyase.

Using antibodies specific for argininosuccinate lyase (EC 4.3.2.1), we isolated two cDNA clones by screening a human liver cDNA library constructed in the lambda gt11 expression vector. The identity of these isolates was confirmed by in vitro translation of plasmid-selected mRNA. One of these isolates was used to rescreen the cDNA library and a 1565-base-pair (bp) clone was identified. The entire nucleotide sequence of this clone was determined. An open reading frame was identified which encoded a protein of 463 amino acids with a predicted molecular weight of 51,663. The clone included 115 bp of 5' untranslated sequence and 46 bp of 3' untranslated sequence. A canonical poly(A) addition site was present in the 3' end, 16 bp from the beginning of the poly(A) tract. Comparison of the deduced amino acid sequence of the human enzyme with that of the yeast enzyme revealed a 56% homology, when conservative amino acid changes were taken into consideration. The yeast protein is also 463 amino acids long, with a molecular weight of 51,944. By use of a genomic DNA panel from human-Chinese hamster somatic cell hybrids, the human gene was mapped to chromosome 7. Another hybridizing region, corresponding to a portion of the 5' end of the cDNA, was found on chromosome 22.

Amino Acid Sequence↗
PubMed1984

The value of annual medical examinations in the nursing home.

Although annual medical examinations are required in many nursing homes for all residents, little is known about the value of these examinations. To investigate this, 732 annual examinations were evaluated for frequency of positive findings and clinical importance of the findings. Although 51 per cent of examinations yielded a finding that was new or related to a known chronic disease process, only 3 per cent of findings were judged by primary care physicians to be of major importance. Approximately a fourth of findings were considered to be of intermediate importance. These results provide only modest support for endorsing annual medical examinations for nursing home residents.

Aged↗
PubMed1981

Pseudomonas chromonychia.

The patient reported on herein presented with a greenish black great toenail. The discoloration was due to Pseudomonas aeruginosa. This report should alert the practitioner to the fact that Pseudomonas chromonychia may occasionally be mistaken for color changes produced by subungual hematomas, nevi, or malignant melanomas.

Aged↗
PubMedDate not supplied

Evaluation of the limulus amebocyte lysate assay for presumptive diagnosis of gonorrhea in men at a clinic for sexually transmitted diseases.

Specimens of urethral exudate from 200 men with uncomplicated urethritis were tested for Neisseria gonorrhoeae by the limulus amebocyte lysate assay, culture on modified Thayer-Martin medium, and gram-stained smear. As compared with cultures, the sensitivity and specificity of the limulus assay were 94.8% and 89.3%, respectively, while the sensitivity and specificity of the gram stain were 98.8% and 100.0%, respectively. The accuracy of prediction of the presence of N. gonorrhoeae was significantly better by gram-stained smear than by the limulus assay. Unless the limulus assay is modified, as it was in this study, it does not appear to have a role in the presumptive diagnosis of the gonorrhea in men at a clinic for sexually transmitted diseases.

Adolescent↗