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Biomedical subjects

R Linn

Publications and source records attributed to R Linn.

At least 19 recordsLinked to original sources
PubMed2004

Increased C-reactive protein levels in the polycystic ovary syndrome: a marker of cardiovascular disease.

The polycystic ovary syndrome (PCOS), one of the most common reproductive abnormalities, shares some components of the metabolic cardiovascular syndrome. Therefore, PCOS patients may represent the largest group of women at high risk for the development of early-onset cardiovascular disease (CVD) and/or diabetes. C-reactive protein (CRP) is a strong independent predictor of future CVD and/or stroke. Only one small published study has looked for such an association (17 PCOS patients vs. 15 controls). The objective of this study was to compare the levels of CRP and other risk factors of CVD in a large group of PCOS patients and controls. CRP measurements were undertaken in 116 PCOS patients and 94 body mass index-matched controls with regular menstrual cycles. Whereas 36.8% of the PCOS patients had CRP levels above 5 mg/liter, only 9.6% of the controls exhibited high CRP levels (P < 0.001). The mean +/- SD was 5.46 +/- 7.0 in the PCOS group vs. 2.04 +/- 1.9 mg/liter in the control (P < 0.001). The body mass index, white blood cell count, TSH, glucose, cholesterol, and homocysteine levels were not significantly different between the two groups. CRP levels are elevated in patients with PCOS and may be a marker of early cardiovascular risk in these patients. High CRP levels may explain why some PCOS women may possibly be at an increased risk for the development of early-onset CVD. Consequently, whether treatment regimens directed toward lowering CVD risk factors should be more aggressive for those PCOS women with increased CRP levels, awaits further clinical experience.

Adult↗
PubMed2003

Screening for multiple sclerosis cognitive impairment using a self-administered 15-item questionnaire.

Since there is a need for cost-effective screening techniques to identify neuropsychological impairment in multiple sclerosis (MS) patients, and because existing methods require cognitive testing with subsequent interpretation by a neuropsychologist, a brief self-report procedure was developed to screen for neuropsychological impairment in MS. In the first phase of the study, a pool of 80 items was generated based on a literature review and consultation with healthcare professionals. The set was reduced to 15 via Rasch analysis. Using these items, a brief (five minute) MS Neuropsychological Screening Questionnaire (MSNQ), including patient- and informant-report forms, was composed. In phase II, 50 MS patients and their caregivers completed the MSNQ. A comprehensive neuropsychological test battery was also administered. Analyses covered the reliability of the MSNQ and correlations between both patient- and informant-report scores and objective neuropsychological testing. Cronbach's alpha coefficients were 0.93 and 0.94 for the patient- and informant-report forms, respectively, and both forms of the test were strongly correlated with a more general cognitive complaints questionnaire. The patient MSNQ form correlated significantly with measures of depression but not with objective tests of cognitive function. In contrast, the informant form was correlated with patient cognitive performance but not depression. A cut-off score of 27 on the informant form of the MSNQ optimally separated patients based on a neuropsychological summary score encompassing measures of processing speed and memory. There were two false-negatives and one false-positive, giving the test a sensitivity of 0.83 and a specificity of 0.97. It is concluded, therefore, that this self-administered neuropsychological screening test is reliable and predicts neuropsychological impairment in MS patients with a reasonable degree of accuracy.

Adult↗
PubMed1999

["Risk management in the practice field of ambulatory surgery in the intersection of home and hospital practice", with the practical example of the Ilmtal Clinic in Pfaffenhofen].

Caring for patients in out-patients departments with ambulant surgery requires new thinking, new organizational structures and administration in hospitals. Ilmtal-Clinic in Pfaffenhofen has designed a model system to facilitate procedures with a high standard and risk management.

Ambulatory Surgical Procedures↗
PubMed1997

Impact of psychosocial factors on health outcomes in the elderly. A prospective study.

One hundred and thirty-five initially healthy men and women older than 65 years of age were studied prospectively to identify factors associated with health outcomes. At study onset, measures of personality, social interaction, and health locus of control were obtained while participants were still healthy. A reliable health outcome measure was developed, based on the annual objective coding of morbidity. Correlations between variables showed significant associations between age, a less independent personality trait, and poor health outcomes. Anxiety and low levels of social interaction were associated with poor health after 8 years. Gender and health locus of control were not significantly related to health outcomes. A path analysis showed significant direct paths between age and trait anxiety and 8-year health outcomes, and indirect paths between anxiety and extroversion and 8-year health, by way of social interaction. There was no evidence that social interaction mediated the effects of either anxiety or extroversion on health. The structure of psychosocial characteristics of the healthy elderly sample was revealed in the pattern of correlations between personality, social interaction, and locus of control.

Aged↗
PubMed1996

Mapping 638 STSs to regions of human chromosome 3.

The initial step of mapping STSs to chromosome 3 has been by mapping to a reference panel of 21 somatic cell hybrids containing fragments of chromosome 3. In this study we map 638 STSs to 23 bins on chromosome 3. The bin information greatly facilitates further mapping by radiation hybrids and YAC clones.

Chromosome Mapping↗
PubMed1996

Reassignment of the 92-kDa type IV collagenase gene (CLG4B) to human chromosome 20.

The collagenase type IV B gene (CLG4B) was previously mapped to human chromosome 16 by hybridization of a cDNA probe to DNAs from a somatic cell hybrid panel. We have relocalized CLG4B to chromosome 20 based on three different lines of evidence: screening a somatic cell hybrid mapping panel, fluorescence in situ hybridization (FISH), and linkage analysis using a newly identified polymorphism.

Base Sequence↗
PubMed1995

Characterization of the mouse tartrate-resistant acid phosphatase (TRAP) gene promoter.

Tartrate-resistant acid phosphatase (TRAP) is an iron-binding protein that is highly expressed in osteoclasts. To characterize the regulation of TRAP gene expression, progressive 5' and 3' deletions of a 1.8 kb fragment containing the 5'-flanking sequence were fused to a luciferase reporter gene. Two nonoverlapping regions of this 1.8 kb fragment had promoter activity. The upstream promoter (P1) was located within the region from -881 bp to -463 bp relative to the ATG, while the downstream promoter (P2) was located between -363 bp to -1 bp in a region we have previously shown to be an intron in transcripts originating from the upstream promoter. A putative repressor region for the P2 promoter at -1846 bp to -1240 bp and a putative enhancer region at -962 bp to -881 bp relative to the ATG were identified. PCR analysis of promoter-specific transcription of the TRAP gene in various murine tissues showed that both promoters were active in several tissues. Transferrin-bound iron increased P1 promoter activity 2.5-fold and hemin decreased P1 promoter activity, but neither had any effect on P2 activity. These data show that the transcriptional regulation of the TRAP gene is complex and that iron may play a key role in TRAP gene regulation.

Acid Phosphatase↗
PubMed1993

Injury severity scoring and length of stay in hospital of war casualties--demonstration of an association and possible selection bias.

The Injury Severity Score (ISS) is a widely used measure of anatomical injury. It is the sum of squares of the highest scores on the Abbreviated Injury Scale (AIS) in each of the three most severely injured body regions. This study was designed to describe the relationship between ISS and length of stay (LOS) in hospital. The ISS was independently determined by four physicians who studied 491 war casualties, excluding dead on arrival and non-trauma patients. The study demonstrates non-linear and non-homogeneous relationships between ISS and LOS. Exclusion of fatalities resulted in biased (higher) estimates of LOS among those with ISS scores of 25-66. The patients could be grouped into five categories according to their maximal AIS (MAIS): (1) Slight injury--i.e. those with injuries appropriate for AIS scores 1 or 2 that lead to an LOS of median 5 days; (2) Moderate injury--i.e. those with injuries appropriate to AIS scores of 3, with an expected median LOS of 10 days; (3) Severe injuries--i.e. those with injuries appropriate to AIS scores of 4, with expected median LOS of about 17 days; (4) Very severe injuries--i.e. those with one injury appropriate to an AIS score of 5; and (5) Multiple severe injuries--those who are severely wounded in two or more body regions, i.e. those with two or more injuries appropriate to AIS scores of 5 and 4, with a median LOS of 39 days.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)

Humans↗
PubMed1993

A note concerning misconceptions of the general public about brain injury.

A survey performed in South Louisiana disclosed that the general population held a number of misconceptions about the sequelae of brain injury. The authors cautioned that the respondents represented a convenient sample and were representative of only a small geographic region, and challenged others to conduct similar surveys in other regions of the country. The present study represents a replication of the Gouvier et al. survey in samples of individuals residing in Western New York State and Southern Ontario, Canada. The results of the current study are consistent with those reported by Gouvier et al., namely that misconceptions about brain injury are common. The impact of these misconceptions for individuals with brain injury are discussed.

Journal Article↗
PubMed1992

Prevalence of dementia and probable senile dementia of the Alzheimer type in the Framingham Study.

We determined the prevalence of dementia and probable senile dementia of the Alzheimer type (SDAT) for biennial Exam 17 of the Framingham cohort (1982/1983). The prevalence of dementia was 30.5/1,000 for men and 48.2/1,000 for women and increased with advancing age. Cases of probable SDAT constituted 55.6% of all dementia cases. THe prevalence of SDAT was 11.7/1,000 for men and 30.1/1,000 for women and also increased with advancing age. Prevalence of dementia and probable SDAT were greater for women than men. The female:male ratio of prevalence for cohort members 75 years of age and older was 1.8 for all cases of dementia and 2.8 for cases of probable SDAT.

Adult↗
PubMed1992

A review of the postconcussion syndrome.

OBJECTIVE: This review will focus on aspects of the postconcussion syndrome (PCS), including accompanying symptomatology, neuropsychological changes, brain imaging studies and treatment. METHOD: In each topic area, those research studies resulting in the most interpretable data are reported. Since there is little research in some aspects of the PCS, some studies of limited merit are described, with their limitations outlined, in lieu of not reporting any study. The section on psychopharmacology largely consists of opinions of recognized clinicians, since there is almost no research on the psychopharmacology of PCS. RESULTS: Mild traumatic brain injury is a relatively frequent occurrence which often results in the postconcussion syndrome (PCS), consisting of complaints of irritability, fatigue, headache, difficulty concentrating, dizziness, and memory problems. Anxiety and depression are also frequently present, especially later in its course. Although the PCS has often been thought to reflect a psychological response to injury, there is considerable recent evidence to suggest that it is primarily a physiologic disturbance. For most individuals, treatment consists primarily of education of the patient and his/her family, along with supportive counseling regarding emerging problems at work or at home. A subgroup of patients, however, may require psychopharmacologic intervention. CONCLUSION: More research is needed in all aspects of PCS, especially its neurophysiology and pharmacologic treatment. Relationships between neurophysiological changes and behavioral and neuropsychological changes are unknown. New imaging techniques, such as single-photon emission tomography, and positron emission tomography will likely play an important role in understanding the physiology of this disorder.

Antidepressive Agents↗
PubMed1991

Sexual and moral development of Israeli female adolescents from city and kibbutz: perspectives of Kohlberg and Gilligan.

This paper analyzes real-life moral dilemmas of Israeli city and kibbutz adolescents. The contribution of Gilligan's theory to our knowledge of adolescent moral development as originally conceived by Kohlberg is emphasized. It is suggested that Kohlberg's view of the adolescent as a moral philosopher limits the understanding of the moral development of female adolescents, who use both care and justice in their self-descriptions within existing relationships.

Adolescent↗
PubMed1990

Frontal systems impairment following multiple lacunar infarcts.

To characterize cognitive impairments following multiple subcortical lacunar infarcts (lacunes), we prospectively compared the neuropsychological performance of 11 subjects with multiple lacunes with 11 medical control subjects matched for age and education who had no clinical or computed tomographic evidence of central nervous system disease. Subjects with multiple subcortical lacunes displayed neuropsychological signs of frontal system dysfunction, even though only 27% met the criteria for clinical diagnosis of dementia. They exhibited significant deficits in shifting mental set, response inhibition, and executive function. In addition, they were more often rated apathetic on a behavior-rating scale. We propose a continuum of cognitive impairments in lacunar states, ranging from frontal systems impairment to dementia.

Cerebral Infarction↗
PubMed1990

Failed partial nephrectomy: local recurrence vs. multicentric disease.

Candidates for partial nephrectomy for renal cell carcinoma include those with (1) bilateral synchronous lesions, (2) tumour in a solitary kidney and (3) renal mass and borderline renal function. Present imaging techniques aid in the identification of appropriate candidates for partial nephrectomy and in the preoperative assessment for technical feasibility of the operation. Studies have shown that the postoperative local recurrence rate ranges from 9 to 13%. We submit a case report in which a 65-year-old male with a history of colon carcinoma four years earlier was found to have a 3 cm left lower pole lesion on his follow-up abdominal CT scan. Upon intended partial nephrectomy, a small synchronous upper pole mass was noticed as well as numerous cortical lesions despite extensive preoperative imaging to the contrary. It is our feeling that finer imaging techniques including thinner CT cuts, additional imaging planes and continued use of renal ultrasound will aid in the identification of ipsilateral, synchronous lesions and draw further distinction between local recurrence and multicentric disease.

Aged↗
PubMed1990

Transitional cell carcinoma of distal female urethra.

A rare case of carcinoma of female urethra from transitional cell origin is reported. The occurrence of primary transitional cell carcinoma in the urethra is being discussed, with review of the literature.

Carcinoma, Transitional Cell↗
PubMed1990

Cognitive changes in patients with multiple cerebral infarcts.

Consensus has not been achieved regarding the impact of multiple cerebral infarcts on neurobehavioral status. To evaluate cognitive function in patients with multiple cerebral infarcts, we administered a comprehensive neuropsychological test battery to 23 consecutive male patients with clinical and brain computed tomographic findings consistent with at least two separate areas of cerebral infarction. Based on brain computed tomographic findings, patients were classified as having either mixed (n = 12) or lacunar (n = 11) infarcts. Results of these two groups were compared with those of 11 age-, sex-, and education-matched controls with no clinical or brain computed tomographic evidence of cerebrovascular disease. The mixed group had significantly lower mean scores than the controls for every cognitive domain tested. The lacune group showed cognitive impairment on most neuropsychological measures but did not differ from the controls in the attention domain. Although some degree of cognitive impairment was detected by the neuropsychological test battery in virtually every patient, only seven of 23 (30%) had Mini-Mental State Examination scores indicating dementia (less than 24). We conclude that virtually every patient with multiple cerebral infarcts has some degree of cognitive impairment but that only a minority can be classified as demented if the Mini-Mental State Examination is used as the primary defining examination.

Attention↗