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Biomedical subjects

S L Russell

Publications and source records attributed to S L Russell.

16 recordsLinked to original sources
PubMed2003

Non-contact measurement of wastewater polluting load--the Loadmon project.

A new approach to the measurement of polluting load in crude wastewaters is described. The Loadmon project has developed an optical technique which enables suspended solids and organic load of a crude wastewater to be measured in an open channel. There is no requirement for any sampling equipment or sensor contact of any kind. The paper covers the laboratory study of wastewater optical properties,the prototype development, testing in the laboratory and field trials. Future plans for product development are outlined.

Environmental Monitoring↗
PubMed1999

Oral health perceptions and adherence with dental treatment referrals among caregivers of children with HIV.

Results from a 3-year longitudinal study on the oral manifestations of AIDS (OMA) among seropositive children and their siblings indicated poor adherence with recommendations for dental treatment (Broder, Catalanotto, Reisine, & Variagiannis, 1996). The purposes of this study were to (a) to examine oral health behaviors, attitudes, and perceived barriers to care among caregivers of children with HIV and their siblings who were referred for dental care, and (b) develop and evaluate a 5-week summer pilot program to increase adherence with referral for dental treatment. Telephone interviews with caregivers were conducted to identify barriers to care and to implement services to increase attendance in the dental clinic for their children. Interviews were completed with 28 of the 38 (74%) caregivers recruited from the OMA study (previously cited) who had children referred for dental treatment at the final (sixth) oral health research exam. Twelve of their 58 children (21%) had obtained dental care privately, 25 (62.5%) initiated treatment and 2 (6.3%) completed treatment at the referred dental school during the 5-week pilot program. Although caregivers of children with HIV and their siblings were responsive to the initial efforts of the program's service coordinators, follow-up data from the coordinators' records and chart abstraction revealed that the majority of the participants did not appear for their second or third appointments. The interview reports suggested that caregivers expect dental treatment, such as restorations, at each appointment and do not regard exams/treatment planning as treatment. Personal/family and health care delivery system factors were expressed barriers to dental care. Implications for future programs and investigations are discussed.

Adult↗
PubMed1998

Investigation of xerostomia in patients with rheumatoid arthritis.

The authors investigated the prevalence of xerostomia in a group of 604 subjects participating in a rheumatoid arthritis, or RA, study to explore the relationship of reduced salivary flow symptoms and demographic, clinical and medical characteristics. Forty-three percent of these subjects exhibited one or more severe xerostomia symptoms. Separate analyses revealed that the subjects who had the most physical disease symptoms were at greater risk of having reduced salivary flow. The study's results suggest that patients with RA should be screened for xerostomia symptoms so appropriate clinical interventions can be initiated.

Age Factors↗
PubMed1997

Isolation of cell surface-specific human monoclonal antibodies using phage display and magnetically-activated cell sorting: applications in immunohematology.

A method is described for the isolation of filamentous phage-displayed human monoclonal antibodies directed at unpurifiable cell surface-expressed molecules. To optimize the capture of antigen-specific phage and minimize the binding of irrelevant phage antibodies, a simultaneous positive and negative selection strategy is employed. Cells bearing the antigen of interest are pre-coated with magnetic beads and diluted into an excess of unmodified antigen-negative cells. Following incubation of the cell admixture with a Fab/phage library, the antigen-positive cell population is retrieved using magnetically-activated cell sorting and antigen-specific Fab/phage are eluted and propagated in bacterial culture. Utilizing this protocol with magnetically-labeled Rh(D)-positive and excess unlabeled Rh(D)-negative human red blood cells and a Fab/phage library constructed from human peripheral blood lymphocytes, dozens of unique clinically-useful gamma 1 kappa and gamma 1 lambda anti-Rh(D) antibodies were isolated from a single alloimmunized individual. This cell-surface selection method is readily adaptable for use in other systems, such as for the identification of putative tumor-specific antigens and provides a rapid (< 1 month), high-yield approach for isolating self-replicative antibody reagents directed at novel or conformationally-dependent cell-surface epitopes.

Antibodies, Monoclonal↗
PubMed1994

Expression of mRNAs encoding subunits of the N-methyl-D-aspartate receptor in cultured cortical neurons.

The expression of mRNAs encoding subunits of the N-methyl-D-aspartate (NMDA) receptor was examined in cortical neurons maintained in primary culture. Cultures were prepared from embryonic day 17 rat neocortex. At this developmental age, levels of NR1, NR2A, NR2B, and NR2C mRNA were low or undetectable. Expression of NR1 mRNA increased progressively between days 1 and 21 in vitro. The amount of NR2A mRNA did not change between days 1 and 7 but increased between days 7 and 21. In contrast, levels of NR2B mRNA increased between days 1 and 7, with little further change after day 7. The level of NR2B mRNA was approximately 4-fold higher than that of NR2A mRNA in 21-day cultures. Using ligand binding assays, the proportion of NMDA receptors having a low affinity for ifenprodil was also found to increase over time in culture. The increase in the expression of receptors having a low affinity for ifenprodil and the increase in NR1 and NR2A mRNAs were reduced or prevented by maintaining cells in medium with a low concentration of serum. The results are consistent with the hypothesis that inclusion of the NR2A subunit in native NMDA receptors is responsible for their low affinity for ifenprodil. Splice variants of NR1 lacking the 5' (amino-terminal) insert were found to be the predominant forms of NR1 in cultured neurons. Variants containing the 5' insert represented only a small (< or = 5%) fraction of total NR1 mRNA, and their proportion was not altered as a function of time in culture. Time-dependent changes in the properties of NMDA receptors and in the expression of subunit mRNA occurring in cultured neurons are similar to changes observed in developing rat brain. Thus, the developmental sequence of NMDA receptor expression that occurs in vivo is partially retained in neurons maintained in vitro.

Animals↗
PubMed1993

Left temporal lobe brain damage pattern on the WAIS, addendum.

This study added Digit Span to an index investigated in a previous study. An index score, in which the WAIS Vocabulary and Information were more impaired than Similarities and Digit Span, indicated left temporal lobe damage. Using subjects with damage restricted to a single lobe of the brain, the index was found to be significantly more related to the left temporal lobe than to any other part of the brain.

Adult↗
PubMed1993

Developmental switch in the expression of NMDA receptors occurs in vivo and in vitro.

The properties of many ligand-gated ion channels are altered during development. We have characterized a developmental switch in the sensitivity of NMDA receptors to the novel antagonist ifenprodil using ligand binding assays with rat brain membranes and voltage-clamp recording of Xenopus oocytes expressing NMDA receptors after injection of RNA from rat brain and from cloned subunits of the receptor. In neonatal rat brain, NMDA receptors have a uniformly high affinity for ifenprodil. During postnatal development, a second population of receptors having a 100-fold lower affinity for ifenprodil is expressed and represents 50% of NMDA receptors in adult rat brain. This developmental change also occurred in cortical neurons maintained in primary culture. Ifenprodil potently inhibited responses of homomeric NR1 and heteromeric NR1/NR2B receptors but not NR1/NR2A receptors expressed in oocytes, suggesting that inclusion of different NR2 subunits in native NMDA receptors can control the sensitivity to ifenprodil.

Animals↗
PubMed1991

Mexiletine versus quinidine as first-line antiarrhythmia therapy: results from consecutive trials.

The efficacy of mexiletine and quinidine in controlling ventricular couplets (VC) and ventricular tachycardia (VT) was compared in 156 trials (78 for each drug) in 114 consecutive patients. Forty-two patients received both drugs, whereas 36 patients were given mexiletine, and 36 patients received quinidine only. During acute drug testing, mexiletine was more effective than quinidine in controlling VC and VT (54 vs. 32 patients, respectively, P less than .001) and resulted in fewer proarrhythmic events (4 vs. 13, respectively, P less than .05). Mean duration of follow-up for mexiletine (27 +/- 14 mo) and quinidine (21 +/- 14 mo) did not differ. Long-term success was more frequent with mexiletine administration than quinidine administration (33/47 vs. 10/30 patients, respectively, P less than .01). The incidence of sudden death during follow-up with the two drugs did not differ overall, but more patients with ejection fraction greater than or equal to 40% died suddenly while taking quinidine than while receiving mexiletine (4/17 vs. 0/24, P less than .02). Mexiletine is as effective as quinidine for treating VC and VT and appears to be less proarrhythmic. It should be considered as an initial choice in the management of VC and VT.

Aged↗
PubMed1985

Nonemetic effects of ipecac syrup.

The aftereffects of home-induced emesis with ipecac syrup were determined by telephone interviews of callers to a poison center. During the 12-week study, the presence of any symptoms at follow-up in 146 patients was compared with findings in 99 callers to the poison center who did not receive ipecac. Within four hours after ipecac-induced emesis, 33.6% had no symptoms and 17.1% experienced protracted emesis. In the ipecac-treated group the incidences of one formed stool (4.1%) and lethargy during a typical sleeping time (42.5%) were not significantly different from the incidences in patients not receiving ipecac syrup. The incidences of diarrhea (13.0%) and atypical lethargy (11.6%) were higher (P less than .025 and P less than .05, respectively) after ipecac-induced emesis than in patients not receiving ipecac syrup. There was no significant statistical association between the propensity of the ingested toxin to produce diarrhea or lethargy and the occurrence of diarrhea or atypical lethargy. Because ipecac-induced emesis can produce diarrhea and lethargy, these side effects should be noted and differentiated from normal conditions when ipecac syrup is administered.

Adolescent↗
PubMed1984

Comparison of poison control statutes in the United States.

Statutory compilations of each of the 50 states and the District of Columbia were searched for laws pertaining to poison control activities, and existing statutes were compared. Poison control statutes exist in 13 states and vary among these states. Provisions of the statutes include statewide poison control center programs, enumerated functions, state funding, health department coordination, advisory committees, university affiliation, joint drug information centers, 24-hour service, toll-free telephone numbers, community education activities, and case-reporting systems. In 1957, a Connecticut law authorized establishment of a poison information center; this was the first state statute. Between 1971 and 1977, Massachusetts, Tennessee, Arkansas, and Indiana established statutes. In 1978, the American Association for Poison Control Centers (AAPCC) published criteria for regional poison control centers; after this, states including Michigan, Oregon, Washington, Arizona, Minnesota, and New Jersey adopted more comprehensive laws. Since publication of the AAPCC criteria, there has been a trend toward regional and more comprehensive poison control center services both in states with poison control statutes and in those without pertinent statutes.

Humans↗
PubMed1974

Oestradiol uptake and retention, and high-affinity binding sites in cultured rabbit uterus.

Oestradiol uptake and turnover was examined in rabbit uterus maintained in organ culture for up to 3 days. Serum decreased the uptake of [(3)H]oestradiol, whereas insulin had no significant effect. During the first 24h of culture unoccupied high-affinity receptors for oestradiol were markedly depleted in the cytosol. Nuclear binding sites remained high during the first day of culture, and were still present after 3 days. The stability of nuclear-bound oestradiol was confirmed by examining the turnover of radioactivity during culture of uteri of rabbits injected with [(3)H]oestradiol 6h before death. Over half of the radioactivity was retained for as long as 3 days in tissue cultured in the absence of oestrogen. In tissue cultured for 24h with unlabelled oestrogen, there was a progressive increase in the displacement of [(3)H]oestradiol as the concentration of unlabelled hormone in the medium was increased from 0.1 to 5nm. Higher concentrations of oestradiol had little additional effect. The oestradiol involved in this displacement reaction was associated with macromolecules, characterized by Sephadex G-25 chromatography and sucrose-density-gradient ultracentrifugation of the 0.4m-KCl extract of the nuclear pellet.

Animals↗
PubMedDate not supplied

Respiratory pathogen colonization of the dental plaque of institutionalized elders.

Although it has been established that aspiration of pharyngeal bacteria is the major route of infection in the development of nosocomial pneumonia, colonization of the pharyngeal mucosa by respiratory pathogens has been shown to be a transient phenomenon. It has been suggested that the dental plaque may constitute an additional, possibly more stable, reservoir of respiratory pathogens. The purpose of this study was to assess the prevalence of oral colonization by potential respiratory pathogens in a group of elderly (mean age = 75.9 yrs) chronic-care-facility residents (n = 28) and a group of age-, gender-, and race-matched outpatient control subjects (n = 30), with specific attention to plaque present on tooth, denture, and oral mucosal surfaces. Plaque scores on teeth and dentures were significantly higher in the chronic-care-facility (CCF) subjects than in the dental outpatient control (DOC) subjects (PII 2.3 vs. 1.2 and denture plaque 1.4 vs. 0.3). While no subjects in the DOC group were found to be colonized with respiratory pathogens (> 1.0% of the cultivable aerobic flora), 14.3% (4/28) of the CCF subjects were found to be colonized. Oral colonization with respiratory pathogens in CCF subjects was associated with the presence of chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) and higher plaque scores. These results suggest that deficient dental plaque control and the presence of COPD may be related to respiratory pathogen colonization of dental plaque in chronic-care-facility residents.

Aged↗