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Biomedical subjects

R McLaren

Publications and source records attributed to R McLaren.

At least 19 recordsLinked to original sources

Immunization information systems progress - United States, 2005.

Immunization registries are confidential, computerized information systems that collect and consolidate vaccination data from multiple health-care providers, generate reminder and recall notifications, and assess vaccination coverage within a defined geographic area. A registry with added capabilities, such as vaccine management, adverse event reporting, lifespan vaccination histories, and linkages with electronic data sources, is called an immunization information system (IIS). This report summarizes data from CDC's 2005 Immunization Information System Annual Report (IISAR), a survey of grantees in 50 states, five cities, and the District of Columbia (DC) that receive funding under section 317b of the Public Health Service Act. These data indicated that approximately 56% of U.S. children aged <6 years participated in an IIS, an increase from 48% in 2004. Moreover, 75% percent of public vaccination provider sites and 44% of private vaccination provider sites submitted vaccination data to an IIS during July-December 2005. These findings underscore the need to increase the number of participating children, from the current 13 million to approximately 21 million, to assure 95% participation of children aged <6 years and improve the effectiveness of U.S. immunization programs.

Child, Preschool↗

Does intrathecal morphine alter the stress response following coronary artery bypass grafting surgery?

PURPOSE: Intrathecal morphine administered prior to coronary artery revascularization (CABG) surgery was studied to determine its effects on the stress response. METHODS: In a single centre, open, randomized clinical trial, first time elective CABG surgery patients, < 75 yr, were studied. Control subjects (n=12) received a standardized anesthetic consisting of fentanyl (maximum cumulative dose of 35 microg x kg(-1)), propofol, and pancuronium. In addition, spinal subjects (n=13) received 1.0 mg (age > 60 yr) or 1.5 mg (age < or = 59 yr) intrathecal morphine prior to induction of anesthesia. Control subjects received continuous i.v. morphine at 2 mg x hr(-1) on arrival in the ICU with i.v. bolus morphine supplementation as required while spinal subjects received bolus i.v. morphine as required. Changes in plasma cortisol and catecholamine concentrations were measured preoperatively, poststernotomy, on admission to ICU, following tracheal extubation, at 0800 hr on the first postoperative day, and 24 and 48 hr after ICU admission. RESULTS: No differences between groups were detected for demographic variables. The percent change in cortisol concentration relative to preoperative values (control vs spinal; (38 (87) vs -41 (46)%: P < 0.05)) was lower in the spinal group on admission to ICU. The percent change in plasma epinephrine levels (control vs spinal) on admission to ICU (285 (337) vs -10 (37)%) and 0800 hr after surgery (314 (341) vs -4 (37)%) was also significantly different. CONCLUSION: Intrathecal morphine only partially attenuated the postsurgical stress response in CABG surgical patients.

Adult↗

The relationship of p53 immunostaining to survival in carcinoma of the lung.

In this study 125 primary lung tumours have been immunostained with a panel of 5 anti-p53 antibodies (PAb240, PAb421, PAb1801, CM-1 and C19). These antibodies recognise different epitopes over the full extent of the p53 gene. It is generally believed that immunolabelling identifies only mutant p53 proteins due to the short half life of the wild type protein. The aims of this study were to confirm earlier studies of p53 positivity in human lung tumours and to establish whether or not this bore any relationship to survival. Immunostaining was demonstrated within the nuclei of affected cells in 54% of the 125 lung tumours (59% of 78 squamous cell carcinomas, 52% of 42 adenocarcinomas and 20% of five small cell carcinomas). This confirms previous smaller studies of p53 protein expression in human lung tumours. Survival curves have been drawn for all of the cases considered together and for squamous and adenocarcinomas separately. No differences in survival between p53 positive and negative cases were seen for any group of tumours. This indicates that although p53 may be of considerable importance in the initiation of malignancy it is probably of little significance once a tumour has developed.

Adenocarcinoma↗

Recognition of fused dichotic words: an examination of the effects of head-turn and perceived spatial position.

Ear advantages for verbal stimuli were determined for male and female right-handed subjects using a fused dichotic words test. Subjects performed the word recognition task with their heads turned 90 degrees to the left, 90 degrees to the right, and straight ahead. In addition, subjects provided subjective judgements with regard to the perceived spatial position of the sound. A significant right ear advantage was evidenced under all three head turn conditions, although the magnitude of the REA was reduced in the right head turn condition. There was no significant effect of sex. Judgements of perceived spatial position indicated that subjects perceived the fused sound as coming from the centre of the head, regardless of the head's orientation with respect to the body. These findings suggest that ear of entry rather than the perceived position of a sound source is the major factor in determining the perceptual asymmetries observed with dichotic stimuli.

Adult↗

Computer-assisted analysis of fetal heart rate patterns at 20-41 weeks' gestation.

Fetal heart rate (FHR) monitoring and computer-assisted analysis of FHR patterns were used to study 190 normal pregnancies on one occasion at 20-41 weeks' gestation. The mean baseline FHR decreased, while the overall FHR variation, number of accelerations and time spent in high variation increased with gestation. The time spent in low variation did not change significantly with gestation. These data indicate that, in the interpretation of FHR patterns from high-risk pregnancies, it is necessary to make adjustments for gestational age.

Cross-Sectional Studies↗

Carbon fiber reinforced plastic (CFRP) plates versus stainless steel dynamic compression plates in the treatment of fractures of the tibiae in dogs.

In a series of 14 dogs, fractures of both tibiae were caused by a "bone-breaker" designed in the authors' department and observed to produce a consistent and realistic canine fracture. One tibia was plated with a carbon fiber reinforced plastic (CFRP) plate and the other with a dynamic compression (DC) plate. Roentgenographic examination demonstrated healing of the CFRP-plated tibiae with abundant callus, and almost total remodeling of the fracture callus between ten and 20 weeks. Biomechanical testing by three-point bending revealed little difference between the strength of union of the fractures at 12-16 weeks. At 20 weeks, although the numbers were too small for statistical confirmation, the CFRP-plated tibiae were consistently stronger than the DC-plated tibiae.

Animals↗

Winding one's ps and qs: mental rotation and mirror-image discrimination.

Subjects were timed as they made judgments about ps and qs (also interpretable as ds and bs) in different angular orientations. Whether these judgments were left-right mirror-image discriminations (b vs. d or p vs. q) or up-down mirror-image discriminations (b vs. p or d vs. q), the subjects' reaction times increased sharply with the angular departure of each letter from its designated normal upright orientation, a fact implying mental rotation. This was so whether the subjects responded with the letter labels themselves (e.g., b vs. d) or with the labels left versus right or top versus bottom. It was again the case when the letters were replaced by nonletter forms, in which event there was also a left visual-field advantage in reaction time. This study is therefore the first to demonstrate a mental-rotation strategy when the canonical forms to be discriminated are up-down mirror images as well as when they are left-right mirror images. In both cases, however, the task requires the ability to tell left from right, and we suggest that this is the critical ingredient that induces mental rotation.

Adult↗

Interaction between perceived and imagined rotation.

In Experiment 1, subjects performed a mental-rotation task in which they were timed as they decided whether rotated letters were normal or backwards. Between presentations of the letters, they watched a rotating textured disk that induced an aftereffect of rotary movement on the letters. The function relating reaction times to orientation was influenced asymmetrically by the aftereffect, suggesting that perceived movement interacts with imagined movement. Experiment 2 showed that the aftereffect produced a negligible influence on perceived orientation, suggesting that the influence of the aftereffect on mental rotation was not caused by changes in the perceived orientations of the letters. Detailed analysis of the mental-rotation functions suggested that the aftereffect may sometimes have induced subjects to rotate letters through the larger rather than the smaller angle back to the upright where the aftereffect was in the appropriate direction.

Adolescent↗

Extradural analgesia in obstetrics: a controlled trial of carbonated lignocaine and bupivacaine hydrochloride with or without adrenaline.

Four local anaesthetic solutions (2% carbonated lignocaine with or without adrenaline and 0.5% bupivacaine HCl with or without adrenaline) were used randomly for 335 continuous lumbar extradural blocks in labour. Carbonated lignocaine caused a more rapid onset of analgesia than bupivacaine HCl. The addition of adrenaline made little difference to the onset times, prolonged markedly the duration of analgesia with carbonated lignocaine and had little effect on the duration of analgesia with bupivacaine HCl. Tachyphylaxis was a feature with carbonated lignocaine and adrenaline, but not with the other solutions. The incidence of unblocked segments was 7-9% in the four groups. The incidence of unilateral analgesia was 6% with plain lignocaine and 13% in the other groups. Complete pain relief occurred more frequently with bupivacaine HCl than with carbonated lignocaine and the use of adrenaline had little effect on the degree of analgesia.

Anesthesia, Epidural↗