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Biomedical subjects

R Hackett

Publications and source records attributed to R Hackett.

At least 19 recordsLinked to original sources
PubMed2001

Enuresis and encopresis in a south Indian population of children.

INTRODUCTION: Though bladder and bowel control are important developmental milestones in all cultures, the prevalence of enuresis and encopresis has rarely been studied in developing countries despite there being factors in these countries that could affect it. This study reports the prevalence and associations of enuresis and encopresis in children in Kerala, India. METHOD: The parents of 1403 randomly selected 8-12-year-old children were interviewed. The prevalence of enuresis and encopresis was ascertained using Rutter's A2 scale. Subsamples of children underwent psychiatric, physical and psychometric evaluations. RESULTS: Of the children, 18.6% had had an episode of enuresis in the past year and 4.3% in the past week. Four per cent had had an episode of encopresis in the past year. Enuresis was associated with parents' education, physical and psychiatric symptoms in the child, poor academic achievement and lax parental attitudes to toilet training. Encopresis was associated with male sex, physical and psychiatric symptoms, poor academic achievement, early separation and not having a toilet. DISCUSSION: The prevalence of enuresis compares with western countries, but encopresis is commoner. The associations of enuresis suggested a multifactorial model in which parental competence was prominent. This study de-emphasized the importance of neurodevelopmental factors in enuresis and encopresis in this age group.

Child↗
PubMed2001

Malnutrition and childhood epilepsy in developing countries.

A high prevalence of epilepsy in children is frequently found in developing countries. Though high rates of acquired brain injury may contribute, the possibility that malnutrition may lower seizure threshold has rarely been examined. This review suggests potential biochemical mechanisms that could adversely affect seizure threshold, particularly the effect of malnutrition on inhibitory neurotransmitters and electrolytes. Supporting evidence from animal research and epidemiological findings in children are discussed.

Adolescent↗
PubMed2000

Life events in a South Indian population and their association with psychiatric disorder in children.

Western research suggests that life events contribute to childhood psychiatric disorder but no studies have examined this in developing countries. During a population-based study of 1,403 8-12 year old children in Kerala, South India, a life events schedule was administered to parents of children with ICD10 psychiatric disorders (n = 72) and controls. Life events were associated with lower social class, greater poverty, less educated parents, worse physical health and psychiatric disorder. Multivariate analysis confirmed the association of life events with psychiatric disorder, independent of indices of social adversity.

Child↗
PubMed1999

The prevalence and associations of psychiatric disorder in children in Kerala, South India.

This study aimed to identify the prevalence and associations of childhood psychiatric disorder in Calicut District, South India. Among 1403 children aged 8 to 12 years selected by random cluster sampling, a projected prevalence of 9.4% (95% CI 7.9-10.8%) was found. Associations of disorder with male sex, the Muslim religion, lower social class, less parental education, school failure, and impaired reading and vocabulary were found, but not with malnutrition or perinatal problems. The similarity to associations of disorder in Western studies was noted. The discussion focuses on the validity of comparisons of prevalence across cultures.

Affective Symptoms↗
PubMed1998

Stereotactic core biopsy reduces the reexcision rate and the cost of mammographically detected cancer.

The management of patients with mammographic abnormalities is rapidly shifting from needle-localized surgical biopsy (NLB) to stereotactic core biopsy (SCB). The precise role of SCB in the management of nonpalpable breast cancer remains to be defined. The purpose of this study was to compare SCB to NLB in the diagnosis of mammographically detected breast cancer in women who underwent breast-conserving surgery. The records of all patients with nonpalpable breast cancer who underwent breast-conserving surgery from 1/1/95 to 6/1/97 were analyzed with respect to method of diagnosis, time interval from detection to diagnosis and breast-conserving surgery, volume of breast tissue excised, margin status and reexcision rate, number of surgical procedures, and total charges and costs per patient. During a 30-month period, 117 patients with nonpalpable breast cancer underwent breast-conserving surgery. The diagnosis was made by NLB in 69 patients and SCB in 48 patients. The time from detection to diagnosis and breast-conserving surgery was 1.7 +/- 0.5 and 8.1 +/- 1.2 days for SCB patients and 6. 8 +/- 1.3 and 16.9 +/- 2.3 days for NLB patients (P < 0.01). The volume of breast tissue removed was 117.9 +/- 5.6 cm3 for SCB patients versus 75.2 +/- 2.9 cm3 for NLB patients (P < 0.01). Three SCB patients (6%) had positive margins, while 38 NLB patients (55%) had positive margins (P < 0.01). Only 1 SCB patient (2%) was reexcised, while 34 NLB patients (50%) were reexcised (P < 0.01). Eighty-nine percent of SCB patients had a single surgical procedure compared to 39% of NLB patients (P < 0.001). Patients who underwent SCB had reduced total charges and total costs per patient compared to NLB patients ($11,700 +/- $554 and $3537 +/- $167 per SCB patient versus $15,654 +/- $706 and $4853 +/- $198 per NLB patient, P < 0. 0001). Stereotactic core biopsy shortens the time from detection at mammography to diagnosis and breast-conserving therapy, permits appropriate discussion of treatment alternatives, reduces the positive margin rate and reexcision rate, and may represent a significant cost savings in the management of nonpalpable breast cancer.

Biopsy, Needle↗
PubMed1998

Psychiatric disorder and cognitive function in children with epilepsy in Kerala, South India.

The cognitive and psychiatric associations of childhood epilepsy have not been studied in developing countries. Children with epilepsy were identified during a population-based epidemiological study of 1403 8- to 12-year-old children in Kerala, South India. They were compared with age-, sex- and social class-matched controls on measures of reading, vocabulary, non-verbal reasoning and school performance. In addition, psychiatric symptoms were measured using standard questionnaires and the presence or absence of psychiatric disorder was established by interview. Patients performed as well as controls on the non-verbal test, but performed worse on tests of vocabulary and reading, suggesting a specific disadvantage in the area of education. Psychiatric disorder was more prevalent in the children with epilepsy. It was concluded that epilepsy in the population studied is accompanied by a significant burden of cognitive and psychiatric disorders which need recognition and adequate service provision.

Absenteeism↗
PubMed1997

Cloning and characterization of tomato leaf senescence-related cDNAs.

Senescence-related cDNA clones designated SENU1, 4, 5 (senescence up-regulated) and SEND32, 33, 34, 35 and 36 (senescence down-regulated) isolated from a tomato leaf cDNA library [9] were characterized. Southern analysis showed that SEND32 is encoded by a single-copy gene while SEND33, 34, 35, 36 and SENU1 and SENU5 are members of small gene families. DNA and protein database searches revealed that SEND32, SEND35, SENU1 and SENU5 are novel cDNAs of unknown function. SEND33 encodes ferredoxin, SEND34 encodes a photosystem II 10 kDa polypeptide and SEND36 encodes catalase. The SENU4 sequence is identical to the P6 tomato protein previously reported to be pathogenesis-related [46]. The mRNA levels of SENU1, 4 and 5 increased during leaf senescence and SENU1 and SENU5 were also expressed at high levels during leaf development and in other plant organs. The SENU4 mRNA was associated more specifically with leaf senescence, although low expression was also detected in green fruit. The mRNAs for all SEND clones decreased during tomato leaf development and senescence and all except SEND32 were expressed at low levels in other plant organs. The accumulation of mRNA homologous to SENU4 and the decrease in abundance of SEND32 provide good molecular markers for leaf senescence.

Amino Acid Sequence↗
PubMed1997

Febrile seizures in a south Indian district: incidence and associations.

One thousand four hundred and three children participated in a home-based survey of psychiatric disorders in 8- to 12-year-old children in Calicut District, Kerala, India. One thousand one hundred and ninety-two consecutive children underwent neurological and psychometric assessments. The projected number of children with a history of febrile seizures was 120 giving a lifetime incidence of 10.1%. Recurrent febrille seizures predominated and these were strongly associated with a history of perinatal adversity. Febrile seizures were independently association with indices of infective illness and mothers' education. Epilepsy developed in 2.7% of children with febrile seizures, but no evidence was found that febrile seizures had adverse intellectual or behavioural sequelae.

Child↗
PubMed1995

Cloning and expression of a long form of the beta subunit of the interferon alpha beta receptor that is required for signaling.

The interferon alpha beta receptor (IFN alpha R) or type I IFN-R is formed by a 110-kDa alpha subunit or IFNAR and by a beta subunit, which has short and long forms (molecular masses of 55 and 95-100 kDa, respectively). In this report, we demonstrate that the IFN alpha/beta R cDNA recently cloned corresponds to the 55-kDa or short form of the beta subunit, while the 95-100-kDa species reported here corresponds to a longer form of the IFN alpha/beta R cDNA that is probably produced by alternative splicing of the same gene. Stable transfection of the alpha subunit with either form of the beta subunit results in the expression of low and high affinity receptors, while expression of either form of the beta subunit alone only produces low affinity receptors. More important, only expression of the alpha and long form of the human beta subunits in mouse L-929 cells reconstitutes the activation of the Jak kinases and the Stat factors, as well as the antiviral response to human type I IFNs.

Amino Acid Sequence↗
PubMed1995

Low maternal serum unconjugated estriol during prenatal screening as an indication of placental steroid sulfatase deficiency and X-linked ichthyosis.

Placental sulfatase deficiency is an X-linked metabolic defect that occurs in about 1 in 2,000 to 5,000 males. It is associated with congenital ichthyosis. In this report, the authors document a case of placental sulfatase deficiency detected during routine prenatal screening of maternal serum by the triple test: serum alpha-fetoprotein (AFP), unconjugated estriol (uE3), and human chorionic gonadotropin (hCG). At 16-weeks gestation, her AFP was 20.9 IU/mL (multiple of the median [MOM] 0.83), hCG was 14.4 mIU/L (MOM 0.42) and her uE3 was 0.01 nmol/L (MOM 0.01). The extremely low uE3 indicated a possible placental sulfatase deficiency, congenital adrenal hypoplasia, or other unknown abnormality. On receiving this information, the obstetrician obtained a family history that was consistent with ichthyosis in the maternal grandfather and his siblings. Biochemical analysis of placenta documented the lack of sulfatase activity. This case illustrates that an extremely low level of maternal uE3 should prompt investigation of the family for evidence of X-linked ichthyosis associated with placental sulfatase deficiency.

Adult↗
PubMed1991

Psychological disturbance and its associations in the children of the Gujarati community.

The infrequent referral of Asian children to child psychiatry clinics was noted. By administering Rutter's scale A2 to samples of Gujarati and English parents with children between the ages of 4 and 7 years a lower rate of disturbance was demonstrated among the Asian sample providing an explanation for the original observation. Family and child-rearing factors associated with disturbance were identified.

Affective Symptoms↗
PubMed1991

Histopathological and ultrastructural changes in simulated large colonic torsion and reperfusion in ponies.

This investigation examines the histological and ultrastructural lesions of the colonic mucosa during terminal experimental infarction and subsequent reperfusion. Four ponies were anaesthetised and subjected to surgical torsion of the colon. Biopsies were collected at hourly intervals for 3 h, at which point the torsions were corrected. Circulation was re-established for 2 h and the bowel was re-biopsied at hourly intervals. The ponies were killed while under anaesthesia. During the 3 h experimental infarction, the bowel became macroscopically thickened and dark purple. Histologically, the mucosa degenerated from Grade 0 to Grade 3. Ultrastructurally, there was progressive micro-vascular distension with erythrodiapedesis and damage to the interstitial cells. Spaces developed between the bases and sides of the columnar epithelial cells and sloughing followed subsequently. During the 2 h reperfusion interval, the mucosa continued to degenerate rapidly to a Grade 5, and was characterised by extensive interstitial damage, oedema, cellular swelling, necrosis and mitochondrial damage. The results showed that the experimentally infarcted colonic mucosa degenerated sequentially. Following circulatory reestablishment, continued rapid mucosal degeneration characteristic of reperfusion injury occurred. Reperfusion injury is probably responsible, at least in part, for the often poor outcome of infarcted bowel in horses following surgical correction.

Animals↗
PubMed1989

Metabolic clearance rate (MCR) of dehydroepiandrosterone sulfate (DS), its metabolism to dehydroepiandrosterone, androstenedione, testosterone, and dihydrotestosterone, and the effect of increased plasma DS concentration on DS MCR in normal women.

The combined infusion of [3H]dehydroepiandrosterone sulfate [( 3H]DS) and [14C]estrone (E1) for 6 h in four normal women in the follicular phase of the cycle demonstrated values of 13.77 +/- 0.27 L/day (mean +/- SE) for the DS MCR (MCRDS) and 1343 +/- 206 L/day for MCRE1. The fraction of DS metabolized to dehydroepiandrosterone (D), [rho]DS-D, was 0.285 +/- 0.044, and the fraction of D arising from DS (delta D) was 0.318 +/- 0.096, determined using isotopic techniques. Raising the plasma DS concentration by 8.6 micrograms/mL (23 mumol/L) by infusing DS iv increased the MCRDS to 24.49 L/day in the first subject, and raising the plasma DS by 11.40 +/- 0.33 micrograms/mL (30.94 +/- 0.90 mumol/L) in the next three subjects raised the MCRDS to 35.7 +/- 1.3 L/day (P less than 0.01) without changing the MCRE1. The increase in MCRDS produced by increasing plasma DS makes it difficult to accurately measure the MCRDS in effect at the subject's endogenous plasma DS concentration by infusion of nonisotopic DS. Determination of the fractions of D, androstenedione (delta delta 4A), and testosterone (T) arising from DS using the increase in the plasma concentrations of these steroids produced by infusion of nonisotopic DS gave the following estimates: delta D = 0.262 +/- 0.042, delta delta 4A = 0.089 +/- 0.046, and delta T = 0.273 +/- 0.14.

Adult↗
PubMed1988

Copper activates metallothionein gene transcription by altering the conformation of a specific DNA binding protein.

Copper homeostasis in yeast involves a copper binding protein, metallothionein, and a trans-acting regulatory protein that activates transcription of the metallothionein gene in response to copper ions. We show that the regulatory protein specifically binds to the metallothionein gene control sequences in the presence, but not in the absence, of copper. Both the DNA binding and metalloregulatory functions of the transacting factor are contained within its aminoterminal domain, and partial proteolysis experiments show that copper activates this domain by causing a major switch in its conformation. Silver also activates the DNA binding domain in vitro and induces metallothionein gene transcription in vivo. We propose a novel copper cluster model for the DNA binding domain based on its surprising structural similarities to metallothionein itself.

Base Sequence↗
PubMed1988

Breast cancer in a patient with silicone breast implants after 13 years.

The patient described in this article is a 45-year-old woman who developed an infiltrating ductal carcinoma in her left breast next to a Silastic mammary implant that had been used for augmentation some 13 years previously. She underwent a modified radical mastectomy and removal of the silicone prosthesis with an axillary lymph node dissection. Twenty-six axillary lymph nodes were negative for metastatic disease. The 165-gram silicone gel prosthesis was surrounded by a thin fibrous capsule with an attached 1-cm carcinoma that did not invade the fibrous capsule. It appeared that the capsule presented a barrier to the invading ductal carcinoma. The fibrous capsule surrounding the Silastic implant may have altered the spread of the breast cancer without being related to its genesis.

Breast↗