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Biomedical subjects

R R Scott

Publications and source records attributed to R R Scott.

17 recordsLinked to original sources
PubMed2001

Repellency of volatile oils from plants against three mosquito vectors.

Volatile oils extracted by steam distillation from four plant species (turmeric (Curcuma longa), kaffir lime (Citrus hystrix), citronella grass (Cymbopogon winterianus) and hairy basil (Ocimum americanum)), were evaluated in mosquito cages and in a large room for their repellency effects against three mosquito vectors, Aedes aegypti, Anopheles dirus and Culex quinquefasciatus. The oils from turmeric, citronella grass and hairy basil, especially with the addition of 5% vanillin, repelled the three species under cage conditions for up to eight hours. The oil from kaffir lime alone, as well as with 5% vanillin added, was effective for up to three hours. With regard to the standard repellent, deet alone provided protection for at least eight hours against Ae. aegypti and Cx. quinquefasciatus, but for six hours against An. dirus. However, deet with the addition of 5% vanillin gave protection against the three mosquito species for at least eight hours. The results of large room evaluations confirmed the responses for each repellent treatment obtained under cage conditions. This study demonstrates the potential of volatile oils extracted from turmeric, citronella grass and hairy basil as topical repellents against both day- and night-biting mosquitoes. The three volatile oils can be formulated with vanillin as mosquito repellents in various forms to replace deet (N,N-diethyl-3-methylbenzamide), the most common chemical repellent currently available.

Animals↗
PubMed1998

Partial cloning and expression of the bovine leptin gene.

The product of the leptin (i.e., obese) gene may be an important regulator of energy metabolism, adiposity, and reproduction, and is perhaps linked to meat quality determinants such as marbling. Molecular probes were developed using polymerase chain reaction (PCR) technology to evaluate leptin expression in adipose depots and to evaluate the tissue-dependent nature of expression reported in other species. A 438 bp fragment representing the coding region of the bovine leptin gene excluding the N-terminal secretory signal was amplified, cloned into a plasmid vector (pASK75), and expressed in E. coli. Sequence analysis of the cDNA and the corresponding polypeptide indicate that, overall, both share approximately 87% homology with the mouse and human leptin genes and polypeptides. Amino terminal sequencing (30 amino acid residues) of the recombinant bovine leptin (rBL) protein revealed 100% homology with mouse and human leptin. The bovine leptin gene is expressed as a 3,090 nt mRNA which is detected in adipose tissue, but is not found in brain (despite the appreciable fat content and lipid metabolism) or other tissues. Leptin gene expression in several adipose depots (subcutaneous, renal, and omental) was similar (P = .73) in finished cattle.

Adipose Tissue↗
PubMed1990

Long-term smoking status of cardiac patients following symptom-specific cessation advice.

Although physicians routinely advise postcardiac event patients to stop smoking, the effect of a modified advice format targeting specific health concerns has not been investigated. Also, no studies of cessation advice with cardiac patients have used biochemical verification of self-reported abstinence. The present study included 48 veterans with a history of smoking and cardiac problems; of these, 31 were smoking and 17 were abstinent at initial assessment. Alveolar carbon monoxide (COa) levels served to: (1) augment cessation advice by demonstrating smoking risks and cessation benefits specific to cardiac patients and (2) verify self-report. At 12 months followup, following cessation advice, 18% of the abstinent subjects had resumed smoking while none of the smokers had become abstinent. Those who maintained abstinence significantly increased their estimates of the contribution of smoking to their cardiac problems whereas those who continued to smoke showed no change.

Breath Tests↗
PubMed1988

Behavioral assessment and treatment of the brain-injured patient.

From the literature on compensatory training it is clear that brain injured patients can learn to perform tasks they were incapable of soon after their brain injury. At present, little more can be said about the efficacy of cognitive retraining for several reasons. First, the bulk of our studies do not permit prediction to real-life recovery because they have focused on improvements on psychometric tests or experimental procedures with little social validity. Second, most studies have failed to assess the patient's ability to self-initiate the acquired skills and even they have, few studies have shown that patients can use the skill effectively to solve problems on their own. Third, the majority of studies have used only a few subjects and do not allow an evaluation of the power of a given technique for a given neuropsychological problem. In studies using multiple single cases, many researchers typically have had to modify the techniques to the unique psychological and neuropsychological strengths and weaknesses of their subjects. Hence, even very similar procedures at the outset often have been so radically changed during the course of therapy that they share few characteristics across subjects by the end of training. Finally, most important to the future of cognitive retraining is the continuation of research and development. Although the initial results of cognitive retraining efforts have been encouraging, clinical retraining techniques may be more popular than the extant treatment outcome data warrant. Promising the public a technology that has not been adequately developed is bound to produce negative repercussions for both patients and agencies willing to fund such treatment.

Aphasia↗
PubMed1987

Weight gain associated with decreases in smoking rate and nicotine intake.

The mechanisms involved in the weight gain associated with smoking cessation are not well known. This study employed a single-subject design to investigate changes in weight following systematic reductions in smoking rate and cigarette nicotine content. Although there were no changes in the subject's caloric intake or physical activity, a weight gain of 3.6 kg was observed after 4 months of reduced rate and nicotine intake. These results suggest that weight change during smoking reduction and cessation may be primarily due to changes in factors other than caloric intake or activity.

Body Weight↗
PubMed1986

A low-cost environmental intervention for reducing smoking among cardiac inpatients.

Abstinence rates for smokers following a myocardial infarction or coronary artery bypass graft surgery may not be superior to those for nonpatient groups, and thus there is a need for novel approaches to smoking cessation in this population. The present study evaluated the effectiveness of using two sets of educational posters to reduce smoking among veterans in an inpatient cardiology unit's designated smoking area. One set of posters outlined the benefits of cessation (positive message) for cardiac patients while the other highlighted the risks of continued smoking (negative message). The positive posters had no consistent effect on indices of smoking, but the negative posters produced a substantial decline in both number of observed smokers and daily cigarette butts.

Coronary Disease↗
PubMed1985

Variables related to long-term smoking status following cardiac events.

Abstinence rates for smokers following a myocardial infarction (MI) or coronary by-pass surgery (CABG) are far superior to those for persons attending formal cessation programs. However, only two studies have used any biochemical verification of self-report in this population, and it is unclear what variables are associated with successful cessation post-MI or -CABG. The present study used alveolar carbon monoxide levels to verify self-report of post-MI and -CABG veterans and obtained only a 29% abstinence rate. Most abstinent veterans quit immediately after their first cardiac event, and only the belief that smoking contributed to their cardiac problems predicted long-term smoking status.

Coronary Artery Bypass↗
PubMed1984

A brief neuropsychological screening procedure that assesses left and right hemispheric function.

Assessed the utility of two brief neuropsychological tests in screening patients referred to a neuropsychological consulting service. Forty-three cortically impaired and 19 neurologically intact Ss completed the Cognitive Capacity Screening Exam (CCSE) and the Memory-for-Designs (MFD). The results of these tests analyzed individually and in combination were compared with the Ss' neurological reports. The analysis revealed that the combined system was significantly better than either single test in accurately detecting neuropathology. A closer look at the data suggests that the MFD was superior in identifying unilateral, right hemispheric damaged patients, while the CCSE was superior in identifying Ss with unilateral, left hemispheric damage. Results are discussed with reference to the difficulty in using single screening tests for detecting deficits that result from unilateral cortical dysfunction.

Brain Damage, Chronic↗
PubMed1984

Assessing a CMHC's impact: resident and gatekeeper awareness of center services.

One accessible measure of the impact a community mental health center has on the community it serves is the awareness levels of both residents and gatekeeper groups regarding the center's existence and services. This broad-based study was conducted with university students at no cost to the center and included 436 residents and 175 gatekeepers. The results indicated that awareness levels for community residents and gatekeeper groups were 34% and 53%, respectively, but varied dramatically as a function of how the awareness questions were phrased. The overall awareness findings generally supported those of other studies and were discussed in light of potential normative levels, methods for conducting surveys of this nature, response rates, and the increasing need to justify existence given the diminishing funding situation.

Analysis of Variance↗
PubMed1983

A comparison of community attitudes toward CMHC services and clients with those of mental hospitals.

Community residents (n = 403) in the East Catchment area of Tucson, Arizona, were interviewed to assess attitudes toward community mental health center (CMHC) services and patients as well as mental hospital services and patients. These residents reported significantly more positive attitudes toward CMHC services than mental hospital services; however, there were no differences in reported attitudes towards CMHC and mental hospital patients. Results are discussed in terms of shifts in community residents' attitudes towards mental health services in general and community-based services in particular. Implications of community attitudes for support of CMHC programs in a time of increasing financial cutbacks are also explored.

Adult↗