Medical and Societal information from the Research Community	Number of Articles: 17,750,454 Number of Contributors: 57 Number of Queries: 12,901,611
	Save this page:  Send this page	Login  or Create a Free Account

GST Primary GST Primary Best Strategies for Health Care Quality Im... Best Strategies for Health Care Quality Improvement - Diabetes Quality Improvement Strategies for Antibio... Kathryn McDonald, Stanford-UCSF Evidence-b... Systematic review assessing the effect of ... Quality Improvement Strategies for Antibiotics Management Kathryn McDonald, Stanford-UCSF Evidence-based Practice Center, 117 Encina Commons, Stanford, CA 94305-6019, Kathy.mcdonald@stanford.edu Systematic review assessing the effect of quality improvement strategies on appropriate prescribing of antibiotics and appropriate choice of antibiotics. Adherence Adherence Assistive Devices Assistive Devices Childhood Burn Hanson MacMillan Childhood Burn Hanson MacMillan CLSA_9 CLSA_9 Cyberabuse Cyberabuse Cognitive Behavioural Therapy for Violent ... This review included randomized trials abo... Cognitive Behavioural Therapy for Violent Men who Batter Their Partners This review included randomized trials about the effects of cognitive behavioral therapy on domestic violence. The intervention included programs based on the Duluth Model. The violence had to be committed by a male toward his female partner. The violence also had to be physical. The primary outcomes were new arrests and convictions, and new reports of violence. CABG vs PCI CABG vs PCI Quality Improvement Strategies for Prevent... Quality Improvement Strategies for Preventing Nosocomial Infections (Created 17-Feb-06) Quality Improvement Strategies for Asthma ... Quality Improvement Strategies for Asthma Control Erectile Dysfunction (Created 30-Jan-06) Erectile Dysfunction (Created 30-Jan-06) Inequality - Smoking Cessation to Reduce S... This review was the first part of a projec... Inequality - Smoking Cessation to Reduce Socio-Economic Differences This review was the first part of a project about inequality. It included randomized trials about the effect of smoking cessation interventions on reducing socio-economic differences. The studies had to report data either on persons with low socio-economic groups status or, preferably, on both low and high socio-economic groups. Diet and Physical Activity to Reduce Socio... This review was the second part in a proje... Diet and Physical Activity to Reduce Socio-Economic Differences This review was the second part in a project about inequality. It included randomized trials about the effect of interventions on reducing socio-economic differences in diet and physical activity. The studies had to report data either on persons with low socio-economic groups status or, preferably, on both low and high socio-economic groups. Workfare The data in SRS are not identical to the d... Workfare The data in SRS are not identical to the data in the published report. We used SRS only for an updated search. The review included randomized trials about the effect of welfare-to-work programs. Participants were welfare recipients. There were basically two types of programs. The educational type tried to build knowledge and skills in order to help the welfare recipients acquire jobs that could support them economically. The "work first" approach was more aimed at getting the participants quickly into a job. Exercise interventions for the management ... The objective of this systematic review wa... Exercise interventions for the management of frailty The objective of this systematic review was to examine the effectiveness of current exercise interventions on the management of frailty. A comprehensive search of Medline, Embase, Psycinfo, Cinahl, Scopus, Ageline, Eric, and SportDiscus databases was conducted and produced 1808 citations. So far we have completed 2 levels of “title and abstract” screening and we ended up with 262 articles. We have just started the full text screening. Eligibility criteria included original studies whose participants were identified as frail or prefrail with specific criteria and in which structured physical activity was included as at least one component of the intervention. Create a free account, build a dictionary with saved terms to re-use later! Public Domestic Violence - Using Cognitive Behavior Therapy Smoking Cessation to Reduce Socio-Economic Differences Diet and Physical Activity to Reduce Socio-Economic Differences Workfare Exercise Interventions for the Management of Frailty Search     Simple Advanced Refine (4 coded questions)  Any of these:   Exact Phrase: All of these: None of these: Author: Periodical: Projects: No restrictions   Libraries: Public   Select SRS Projects Show Saved Terms Select Library Show articles that do not have abstracts  Humans or Animals Humans Animals Ages All Infant: birth-23 months All Child: 0-18 years All Adult: 19+ years Newborn: birth-1 month Infant: 1-23 months Preschool Child: 2-5 years Child: 6-12 years Adolescent: 13-18 years Adult: 19-44 years Middle Aged: 45-64 years Middle Aged + Aged: 45+ years Aged: 65+ years 80 and over: 80+ years Undetermined Type of Article Clinical Trial Editorial Letter Meta-Analysis Practice Guideline Randomized Controlled Trial Review Addresses Bibliography Biography Case Reports Classical Article Clinical Conference Clinical Trial, Phase I Clinical Trial, Phase II Clinical Trial, Phase III Clinical Trial, Phase IV Comment Comparative Study Consensus Development Conference Consensus Development Conference, NIH Controlled Clinical Trial Corrected and Republished Article Dictionary Directory Duplicate Publication English Abstract Evaluation Studies Festschrift Government Publications Guideline Historical Article Interview In Vitro Journal Article Lectures Legal Cases Legislation Multicenter Study News Newspaper Article Overall Patient Education Handout Periodical Index Published Erratum Retracted Publication Research Support, N.I.H., Extramural Research Support, N.I.H., Intramural Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't Research Support, U.S. Gov't, Non-P.H.S. Research Support, U.S. Gov't, P.H.S. Retraction of Publication Scientific Integrity Review Support of Research Technical Report Twin Study Validation Studies Not a Primary Study or Review Unknown Primary Study Case Series Case Control Cohort Study Observational Study Qualitative Research CBA or ITS Registry Double Blind Controlled before after study Quasi-randomized trial Simple before after study Cluster-RCT Non-Randomized Study Report Book Book chapter Dissertation Conference procedings Secondary Research Not RCT Language English French German Italian Japanese Russian Spanish Afrikaans Albanian Unknown Arabic Armenian Azerbaijani Bosnian Bulgarian Catalan Chinese Croatian Czech Danish Dutch Esperanto Estonian Finnish Georgian Greek, Modern Hebrew Hindi Hungarian Icelandic Indonesian Kinyarwanda Korean Latin Latvian Lithuanian Macedonian Malay Malayalam Maori Multiple Languages Norwegian Persian Polish Portuguese Pushto Romanian Sanskrit Scottish gaelic Serbian Slovak Slovenian Swedish Thai Turkish Ukrainian Vietnamese Not English Not French Results(1-25 of 4,233) Sort By: Publication Date Relevance Took: 0.587 seconds to search 17,750,454  Action: Copy Results to new Clipboard Build Search Link Page 1 of 170 1 2 3 4 > Last >> (4233 articles found) Craniofacial abnormalities, agenesis of the corpus callosum, polysyndactyly and abnormal skin and gut development--the Curry Jones syndrome. Apr 1995 I K Temple,D M Eccles,R M Winter,M Baraitser,S B Carr,D Shortland,M C Jones,C Curry Five children are described with a striking, asymmetric facial appearance, craniosynostosis, preaxial polysyndactyly, agenesis of the corpus callosum and unusual skin with streaky areas of atrophy. The gut and mucous membranes are involved in two patients. This paper includes two patients described... ( view more ) by Gorlin (1990) under the designation of the Curry Jones syndrome. ( view less ) View Full Abstract View Article Details View Coded Data Related Articles Health disparities and gaps in school readiness. 2005 Janet Currie The author documents pervasive racial disparities in the health of American children and analyzes how and how much those disparities contribute to racial gaps in school readiness. She explores a broad sample of health problems common to U.S. children, such as attention deficit hyperactivity disorde... ( view more )r, asthma, and lead poisoning, as well as maternal health problems and health-related behaviors that affect children's behavioral and cognitive readiness for school. If a health problem is to affect the readiness gap, it must affect many children, it must be linked to academic performance or behavior problems, and it must show a racial disparity either in its prevalence or in its effects. The author focuses not only on the black-white gap in health status but also on the poor-nonpoor gap because black children tend to be poorer than white children. The health conditions Currie considers seriously impair cognitive skills and behavior in individual children. But most explain little of the overall racial gap in school readiness. Still, the cumulative effect of health differentials summed over all conditions is significant. Currie's rough calculation is that racial differences in health conditions and in maternal health and behaviors together may account for as much as a quarter of the racial gap in school readiness. Currie scrutinizes several policy steps to lessen racial and socioeconomic disparities in children's health and to begin to close the readiness gap. Increasing poor children's eligibility for Medicaid and state child health insurance is unlikely to be effective because most poor children are already eligible for public insurance. The problem is that many are not enrolled. Even increasing enrollment may not work: socioeconomic disparities in health persist in Canada and the United Kingdom despite universal public health insurance. The author finds more promise in strengthening early childhood programs with a built-in health component, like Head Start; family-based services and home visiting programs; and WIC, the federal nutrition program for women, infants, and small children. In all three, trained staff can help parents get ongoing care for their children. ( view less ) View Full Abstract View Article Details View Coded Data Related Articles Evidence for frequency-dependent arterial damage in vibrated rat tails. Jun 2005 Brian D Curry,Sandya R Govindaraju,James L W Bain,Lin Ling Zhang,Ji-Geng Yan,Hani S Matloub,Danny A Riley The effects of single 4-hr bouts of continuous 30, 60, 120, and 800 Hz tail vibration (49 m/sec2, root mean squared) were compared to assess frequency-amplitude-related structural damage of the ventral caudal artery. Amplitudes were 3.9, 0.98, 0.24, and 0.0055 mm, respectively. Vibrated, sham-vibra... ( view more )ted, and normal arteries were processed for light and electron microscopy. The Curry rat tail model of hand-arm vibration (Curry et al. Muscle Nerve 2002;25:527-534) proved well-suited for testing multiple frequencies. NFATc3 immunostaining, an early marker of cell damage, increased in smooth muscle and endothelial cells after 30, 60, and 120 Hz but not 800 Hz. Increased vacuolization, which is indicative of smooth muscle contraction, occurred for all frequencies except 800 Hz. Vacuoles increased in both endothelial and smooth muscle cells after 60 and 120 Hz. Only 30 Hz showed pronounced smooth muscle cell vacuolization along the internal and external elastic membranes, suggesting stretch-mediated contraction from the large amplitude shear stress. Discontinuities in toluidine blue staining of the internal elastic membrane (IEM) increased for all frequencies, indicating vibration-induced structural weakening of this structure. Patches of missing IEM and overlying endothelium occurred in approximately 5% of arteries after 60, 120, and 800 Hz. The pattern of damage after 800 Hz suggests that the IEM is disrupted because it resonates at this frequency. Vibration acceleration stress and smooth muscle contraction appear to be the major contributors to arterial damage. The pattern of vibration-induced arterial damage of smooth muscle and endothelial cells is frequency-amplitude-dependent. ( view less ) View Full Abstract View Article Details View Coded Data Related Articles Improved post-ischemic ventricular recovery in the absence of changes in energy metabolism in working rat hearts following heat-shock. Jun 1990 R W Currie,M Karmazyn We have previously demonstrated that induction of the heat-shock response in rats results in improved recovery of isolated Langendorff-perfused rat hearts subjected to low-flow ischemia followed by reperfusion (Currie et al., 1988). The mechanisms underlying this protective effect of heat-shock are... ( view more ) uncertain although the protection was associated with enhanced content of the antioxidant enzyme catalase but not superoxide dismutase or glutathione peroxidase (Currie et al., 1988). Various investigators have suggested the importance of improved energy metabolism in determining recovery following ischemia (Pasque and Wechsler, 1984; Haas et al., 1984; Devous and Lewandowski, 1987). We therefore examined, using a working rat heart model subjected to 10 or 15 min zero flow ischemia whether changes in energy metabolites could account for the protective effect of the heat-shock response. Hearts perfused 24 h after induction of heat-shock failed to demonstrate significant improvement of recovery following 10 min ischemia, however recovery was significantly enhanced in hearts reperfused after 15 min ischemia. Ischemia produced a depression in both ATP and creatine phosphate (CP) content whereas a moderate elevation in ADP and AMP and a marked increase in tissue lactate were evident. These changes were unaffected by prior heat-shock treatment. For both durations of ischemia tissue metabolites were determined during early (5 min) and late (30 min) reperfusion. Although partial recovery in high energy phosphates and a return of ADP, AMP and lactate to near-normal levels were evident, no differences in energy products were observed between hearts from normal or heat-shocked animals, in spite of significantly enhanced recovery.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS) ( view less ) View Full Abstract View Article Details View Coded Data Related Articles Cranial components of startle behavior in larval and adult lampreys. Feb 1988 S N Currie,R C Carlsen Larval lampreys (Petromyzon marinus) exhibit a combination of cranial reflexes during their vibration-evoked startle response, including strong contractions of the gill chamber, velum and oral hood. These reflexes were confirmed by applying brief vibratory stimuli to an otic capsule and recording m... ( view more )ovement and electromyograms in moving preparations and efferent cranial nerve activity in curarized preparations. Vibration elicited efferent discharge in cranial nerves V, IX and X on both sides. The responses were lost following labyrinthectomy. The larval startle response results in water from the contracting gill chamber being expelled through the mouth and temporarily reduces head width. Reduced head width may facilitate the rapid withdrawal which is observed during startle behavior in burrowed larvae [S. Currie (1985) Neurosci. Abstr. 11, 268; S. Currie and R. C. Carlsen J. exp. Biol. (in Press)]. Adult lampreys (Entosphenus tridentata) attached to the wall of an aquarium by their suctorial disc, exhibited a brief but intense suction increase following a vibratory stimulus initiated by a tap to the aquarium wall. Oral suction (negative pressure) ranged from -0.6 to -10 cm H2O at rest and increased to values as high as -160 cm H2O during the vibration response. Suction intensity increased in direct proportion to the amplitude of the vibratory stimulus. Most of the suction response was lost following labyrinthectomy. Electromyographic recordings from the pharyngeal dilator m. basilaris and the lingual retractor m. cardioapicalis revealed stimulus-locked activity which preceded increased suction in adults, however, no vibration-evoked electromyogram responses were noted while recording from the gill chamber musculature or funnel. Stimulus-locked efferent activity was observed in the V-basilaris and V-apicalis branches of both trigeminal nerves following vibration of an otic capsule. Efferent vibration-evoked activity was lost in the trigeminal nerve after labyrinthectomy. No vibration-evoked activity was observed in nerves IX or X. Sudden vibration evoked dramatically different responses in larval and adult lampreys. Larvae contracted their gill chambers and expelled water from their mouths while adults exhibited a powerful suction reflex and no gill contraction. The trigeminal components of these behaviors (including velum and oral hood movement in larvae, pharynx and apicalis movement in adults) are difficult to compare. All of the larval trigeminal muscles degenerate during metamorphosis and are replaced by new adult muscles [M. W. Hardisty and C. M. Rovainen (1982) In The Biology of Lampreys, Vol. 4A. Academic Press, London].(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 400 WORDS) ( view less ) View Full Abstract View Article Details View Coded Data Related Articles Changes in child exposure to environmental tobacco smoke (CHETS) study after implementation of smoke-free legislation in Scotland: national cross sectional survey. Sep 15, 2007 Patricia C Akhtar,Dorothy B Currie,Candace E Currie,Sally J Haw OBJECTIVE: To detect any change in exposure to secondhand smoke among primary schoolchildren after implementation of smoke-free legislation in Scotland in March 2006. DESIGN: Comparison of nationally representative, cross sectional, class based surveys carried out in the same schools before and aft... ( view more )er legislation. SETTING: Scotland. PARTICIPANTS: 2559 primary schoolchildren (primary 7; mean age 11.4 years) surveyed in January 2006 (before smoke-free legislation) and 2424 in January 2007 (after legislation). OUTCOME MEASURES: Salivary cotinine concentrations, reports of parental smoking, and exposure to tobacco smoke in public and private places before and after legislation. RESULTS: The geometric mean salivary cotinine concentration in non-smoking children fell from 0.36 (95% confidence interval 0.32 to 0.40) ng/ml to 0.22 (0.19 to 0.25) ng/ml after the introduction of smoke-free legislation in Scotland-a 39% reduction. The extent of the fall in cotinine concentration varied according to the number of parent figures in the home who smoked but was statistically significant only among pupils living in households in which neither parent figure smoked (51% fall, from 0.14 (0.13 to 0.16) ng/ml to 0.07 (0.06 to 0.08) ng/ml) and among pupils living in households in which only the father figure smoked (44% fall, from 0.57 (0.47 to 0.70) ng/ml to 0.32 (0.25 to 0.42) ng/ml). Little change occurred in reported exposure to secondhand smoke in pupils' own homes or in cars, but a small decrease in exposure in other people's homes was reported. Pupils reported lower exposure in cafes and restaurants and in public transport after legislation. CONCLUSIONS: The Scottish smoke-free legislation has reduced exposure to secondhand smoke among young people in Scotland, particularly among groups with lower exposure in the home. We found no evidence of increased secondhand smoke exposure in young people associated with displacement of parental smoking into the home. The Scottish smoke-free legislation has thus had a positive short term impact on young people's health, but further efforts are needed to promote both smoke-free homes and smoking cessation. ( view less ) View Full Abstract View Article Details   Related Articles Helping or hindering: the role of nurse managers in the transfer of practice development learning. Sep 2007 Kay Currie,Debbie Tolson,Jo Booth AIM: This paper reports selected findings from a recent PhD study exploring how graduates from a BSc Specialist Nursing programme, with an NMC-approved Specialist Practitioner Qualification, engage in practice development during their subsequent careers. BACKGROUND: The UKCC (1998) defines speciali... ( view more )st practice as requiring higher levels of judgement, discretion and decision-making, with leadership in clinical practice development forming a core dimension of this level of practice. However, there is little evidence in the published literature that describes or evaluates the practice development role of graduate specialist practitioners. METHODS: This study applied a modified Glaserian approach to grounded theory methods. A preliminary descriptive survey questionnaire was posted to all graduates from the programme, response rate of 45% (n=102). From these respondents, theoretical sampling decisions directed the selection of 20 participants for interview, permitting data saturation. RESULTS: The grounded theory generated by this study discovered a basic social process labelled 'making a difference', whereby graduate specialist practitioners are increasingly able to impact in developing patient care at a strategic level by coming to own the identity of an expert practitioner (Currie, 2006). Contextual factors strongly influence the practitioner journey, with organizational position and other people presenting enabling or blocking conditions. IMPLICATIONS FOR NURSING MANAGEMENT: The line manager plays a crucial role in helping or hindering graduate specialist practitioners to transfer their learning to the clinical setting and become active in practice development. Recommendations to enhance managerial support for the practice development role of graduate specialist practitioners are proposed. ADDING TO CURRENT KNOWLEDGE: This work adds to currently limited knowledge of the graduate specialist practitioners' role in the leadership of clinical practice development. In addition, the findings emphasize the potential influence of the workplace environment by analyzing organizational factors in the specific context of the graduate specialist practitioner attempting to develop practice. ( view less ) View Full Abstract View Article Details   Related Articles The child health/family income gradient: Evidence from England. Mar 1, 2007 Alison Currie,Michael A Shields,Stephen Wheatley Price Recent studies using Canadian and US data have documented a positive relationship between family income and child health, with the slope of the gradient being larger for older than younger children [Case, A., Lubotsky, D., Paxson, C., 2002. Economic status and health in childhood: the origins of th... ( view more )e gradient. American Economic Review 92, 1308-1334; Currie, J., Stabile, M., 2003. Socioeconomic status and child health: why is the relationship stronger for older children? American Economic Review 93, 1813-1823]. In this paper we explore whether or not these findings hold for England, analysing a sample of over 13,000 children (and their parents) drawn from the Health Survey for England. While we find consistent and robust evidence of a significant family income gradient in child health, using the subjective general health status measure, the slope of the gradient is very small. Moreover, we find no evidence that the slope of the gradient increases with child age. Furthermore, we find no evidence of such a gradient with more objective measures, based on nurse examinations and blood test results. Together these results suggest that family income is not a major determinant of child health in England. Finally, we provide some evidence that nutrition and family lifestyle choices have an important role in determining child health and that child health is highly correlated within the family. ( view less ) View Full Abstract View Article Details   Related Articles Trachipleistophora hominis infection in the myocardium and skeletal muscle of a patient with AIDS. Oct 2005 A Curry,N J Beeching,J D Gilbert,G Scott,P L Rowland,B J Currie OBJECTIVES: To review the literature relevant to microsporidial infection of muscle and to describe a case of human microsporidial infection involving both skeletal and cardiac muscle. METHODS: Samples from an AIDS patient with myositis have been examined by light and electron microscopy. RESULTS: ... ( view more )We describe the findings at autopsy of a 47 year old Australian male with late stage AIDS, who had skeletal and cardiac muscle involvement with the microsporidian Trachipleistophora hominis. This is the third definitively identified case of human T. hominis infection and the first to describe infection of the myocardium. CONCLUSIONS: Microsporidial infection of muscle is rare in humans, but more work is needed to elucidate both the organisms and routes of transmission of this group of parasitic protozoa. ( view less ) View Full Abstract View Article Details View Coded Data Related Articles Persistent socio-demographic differences in physical activity among Scottish schoolchildren 1990-2002. Aug 2005 Joanna C Inchley,Dorothy B Currie,Joanna M Todd,Patricia C Akhtar,Candace E Currie BACKGROUND: Regular participation in physical activity can have significant health gains in terms of physical and psychological wellbeing but there is evidence to suggest that many young people are not sufficiently active to benefit their health. This paper examines the socio-demographic patterning... ( view more ) of leisure-time vigorous physical activity among Scottish schoolchildren between 1990 and 2002. METHODS: The Health Behaviour in School-Aged Children survey of 11-, 13- and 15-year-old schoolchildren has been carried out in Scotland since 1990 at four-yearly intervals. Levels of vigorous physical activity were measured in relation to gender, age and socio-economic status (SES). RESULTS: Girls reported lower levels of vigorous physical activity than boys and this gender difference persisted throughout the four survey years, irrespective of changes in overall levels of physical activity. Vigorous physical activity was also consistently lower among lower SES groups and older adolescents. The effect of gender was greatest, with high-SES girls reporting lower levels of vigorous activity than low-SES boys, and low-SES girls being the least active overall. CONCLUSION: Scottish adolescent females, especially those from low SES groups, may be at particular risk of the adverse health effects associated with low levels of physical activity. Health promotion programmes to promote physical activity need to address these persistent gender and socio-economic inequalities. ( view less ) View Full Abstract View Article Details View Coded Data Related Articles Microgemma vivaresi (Microsporidia: Tetramicridae): host reaction to xenomas induced in sea scorpions, Taurulus bubalis (Osteichthyes: Cottidae). May 2005 Elizabeth U Canning,Alan Curry Xenomas caused by Microgemma vivaresi Canning, Feist, Longshaw, Okamura, Anderson, Tsuey Tse et Curry, 2005 were found in liver and skeletal muscle of sea scorpions, Taurulus bubalis (Euphrasen). All muscle xenomas examined were in an advanced stage of destruction. In developing xenomas found in li... ( view more )ver, parasites were restricted to the centre of the cell, separated from a parasite-free zone by a nuclear network formed by branching of the host cell nucleus. Although xenomas were able to reach a size of several hundred microns, the surface remained a simple plasma membrane. Host reactions took the form of penetration by phagocytes and isolation by fibroblasts. Once the xenoma had been attacked, the nuclear profiles became pycnotic and the barrier between parasitized and parasite-free zones was lost. Parasite antigens cannot be exposed at the surface of intact xenomas, as the host does not recognise the enlarging cell as foreign. Breaches in the plasma membrane of the xenoma and leakage of parasite antigens are thought to be the stimuli for phagocyte entry into the cell, its isolation by fibroblasts and eventual granuloma formation. ( view less ) View Full Abstract View Article Details View Coded Data Related Articles Neurological and cognitive recovery following abstinence from petrol sniffing. May 2005 Sheree Cairney,Paul Maruff,Chris B Burns,Jon Currie,Bart J Currie Anecdotal observations suggest that neurological impairments associated with petrol (gasoline) sniffing resolve with abstinence, although these effects have not been proven empirically. Severe exposure to leaded petrol may induce a lead encephalopathy that extends beyond any acute intoxication and ... ( view more )requires emergency hospital treatment. Previously, in chronic petrol sniffers, we showed neurological, saccadic, and cognitive abnormalities that were more severe in petrol sniffers with a history of hospitalization for lead encephalopathy, and that correlated with blood lead levels and the length of time of sniffing petrol. Ex-petrol sniffers showed a qualitatively similar but quantitatively less severe pattern of impairment. Petrol sniffing was stopped completely in one of the study communities by modifying social, occupational, and recreational opportunities. After 2 years, we obtained biochemical and neurobehavioral (neurological, saccade, and cognitive) data from all available participants of the earlier study including 10 nonsniffers and 29 chronic petrol sniffers, with six of these individuals previously receiving hospital treatment for lead encephalopathy. Here, we report that blood lead was reduced and that neurobehavioral impairments improved, and in many cases normalized completely. The most severe petrol-related neurobehavioral impairment was observed among individuals who had longer histories of abuse and higher blood lead levels, and among petrol sniffers with a history of lead encephalopathy. Those with the greatest extent of neurobehavioral impairment showed the greatest degree of improvement with abstinence, but were less likely to recover completely. This is the first direct evidence that neurological and cognitive impairment from chronic petrol sniffing ameliorates with abstinence and may recover completely. ( view less ) View Full Abstract View Article Details View Coded Data Related Articles Saccade dysfunction associated with chronic petrol sniffing and lead encephalopathy. Mar 2004 S Cairney,P Maruff,C B Burns,J Currie,B J Currie BACKGROUND: In chronic petrol sniffers, recent exposure to high levels of leaded petrol may give rise to a lead encephalopathy characterised by tremor, chorea, ataxia, hyperreflexia, convulsive seizures, and death. Neurological abnormalities associated with lead encephalopathy involve the cortex, b... ( view more )asal ganglia, cerebellum, and brain stem. OBJECTIVE: To use saccadic eye movement tasks as an experimental tool to determine which CNS changes are associated with chronic petrol sniffing and which with a history of lead encephalopathy, and to what extent these changes are reversible. METHODS: Saccade function was assessed in chronic petrol sniffers with a history of lead encephalopathy (encephalopathic sniffers), chronic petrol sniffers who had never suffered lead encephalopathy (chronic sniffers), individuals who had sniffed petrol in the past but had not done so for more than six months (ex-sniffers), and individuals who had never sniffed petrol (non-sniffers). RESULTS: Chronic sniffers showed increased latency of visually guided saccades and antisaccades and increased antisaccade errors which suggested cortical and basal ganglia dysfunction. These abnormalities returned to normal in ex-sniffers. Encephalopathic sniffers showed the same abnormalities as chronic sniffers but with greater severity and additional saccadic signs including dysmetria, gaze evoked nystagmus, and saccade slowing which usually indicate cerebellar and brain stem dysfunction. CONCLUSIONS: Chronic petrol abuse is associated with cortical and basal ganglia abnormalities that are at least partially recoverable with abstinence. Additional long term cerebellar and brain stem abnormalities are associated with lead encephalopathy. ( view less ) View Full Abstract View Article Details View Coded Data Related Articles Examination of the responses of slimy sculpin (Cottus cognatus) and white sucker (Catostomus commersoni) collected on the Saint John River (Canada) downstream of pulp mill, paper mill, and sewage discharges. Dec 2003 Brendan J Galloway,Kelly R Munkittrick,Steve Currie,Michelle A Gray,R Allen Curry,Craig S Wood As part of a larger survey on cumulative effects within the Saint John River basin (Canada), a fish survey was conducted near Edmundston (NB, Canada) in the fall of 1999 using slimy sculpin (Cottus cognatus) and white sucker (Catostomus commersoni). The discharge environment receives effluent from ... ( view more )the pulp mill, a paper mill, three sewage discharges, and tributaries receiving agricultural runoff. Sculpin collected downstream of the sewage discharges and pulp mill effluent had greater growth, condition, and liver size but no significant differences in gonad size. Stable isotope data indicated slimy sculpin did not move between sites. Female sculpin collected downstream of the paper mill showed no significant differences in length, body weight, age, condition factor, liver size, and gonad size compared to fish from reference sites. Female white sucker collected downstream of the pulp mill did not differ significantly in any measured parameter compared to reference fish. Liver sizes of white sucker from the Saint John River were outside the range considered to be indicative of uncontaminated riverine sites. In 2000, sculpin collected downstream from a poultry-processing facility had larger livers and lower condition factors, suggesting that the site is contaminated. We found no significant differences in sculpin length, weight, condition (except for males), and liver size in sculpin collected downstream from the pulp mill in October 2001. The responses of slimy sculpin and white sucker differed, perhaps in relation to differences in life history characteristics. Results from this study indicate the slimy sculpin is a suitable fish species for monitoring rivers that receive multiple industrial and municipal effluents. ( view less ) View Full Abstract View Article Details View Coded Data Related Articles Saccade and cognitive impairment associated with kava intoxication. Oct 2003 Sheree Cairney,Paul Maruff,Alan R Clough,Alex Collie,Jon Currie,Bart J Currie Kava is an extract from the Piper methysticum Forst. f. plant that has social and spiritual importance in Pacific islands societies. Herbal remedies that contain kava are used for the psychiatric treatment of anxiety and insomnia. Laboratory studies have found only subtle, if any, changes on cognit... ( view more )ive or motor functions from the acute effects of consuming small clinical doses of kava products. Intoxication from recreational doses of kava has not been studied. The performance of individuals intoxicated from drinking kava (n=11) was compared with a control group (n=17) using saccade and cognitive tests. On average, intoxicated individuals had consumed 205 g of kava powder each (approximately 150 times clinical doses) in a group session that went for 14.4 h and ended 8 h prior to testing. Intoxicated kava drinkers showed ataxia, tremors, sedation, blepharospasm and elevated liver enzymes (GGT and ALP), together with saccadic dysmetria, saccadic slowing and reduced accuracy performing a visual search task that only became evident as the task complexity increased. Kava intoxication is characterized by specific abnormalities of movement coordination and visual attention but normal performance of complex cognitive functions. Saccade abnormalities suggest disruption of cerebellar and GABAergic functions. ( view less ) View Full Abstract View Article Details View Coded Data Related Articles Saccade and cognitive function in chronic kava users. Feb 2003 Sheree Cairney,Alan R Clough,Paul Maruff,Alex Collie,Bart J Currie,Jon Currie Kava is an extract from the Piper methysticum Forst. f. plant that has been consumed in the Pacific islands for millennia and more recently, among indigenous populations, in northern Australia and throughout the Western world as an herbal medicine. Through alterations on neuronal excitation, kava i... ( view more )nduces muscle relaxation, anasthesia, and has anxiolytic properties. There have been several isolated reports of psychotic syndromes, severe choreoathetosis and possible seizures following kava use. However, there is no conclusive evidence that kava interferes with normal cognitive processes. We tested a group of current, ex, and nonkava users among an indigenous population in northern Australia, using saccade and cognitive tests that have proven cross-cultural validity and are sensitive to subtle disruptions of the brain arising from substance abuse or neuropsychiatric illness. Despite collecting data from among the heaviest reported kava drinkers in the world, we found no impairment in cognitive or saccade function in individuals who were currently heavy kava users (and had been for up to 18 years), nor was there any impairment in individuals who had been heavy kava users in the past but had abstained for longer than 6 months. Current and ex-kava users showed a higher rate of kava dermopathy, lower body mass index, lowered blood lymphocytes and, in addition, current kava users showed elevated liver enzymes. While there has recently been increasing concern about potentially fatal liver damage attributed to kava use, we have found no evidence of brain dysfunction in heavy and long-term kava users. ( view less ) View Full Abstract View Article Details View Coded Data Related Articles Dermatology and the Americans With Disabilities Act: a review of the case law. Dec 2002 Mary L Curry,James A Curry,Clay J Cockerell The Americans With Disabilities Act (ADA) defines disability as a physical or mental impairment that substantially limits one or more major life activities. Although dermatology has received relatively little attention in the context of disability law, dermatologic diseases are properly covered by ... ( view more )the ADA and are subject to the same criteria as other medical conditions. A Lexis-Nexis search of federal court decisions covering the ADA produced 23 cases dealing with dermatologic impairments as disabilities. In Cehrs v Northeast Ohio Alzheimer Research Center, a federal appeals court held that psoriasis constituted a disability under the Act. Skin diseases not only cause physical and mental impairments, but they are also visible to others. Persons with skin diseases may be "regarded as" disabled, and this can constitute discrimination under the law. ( view less ) View Full Abstract View Article Details View Coded Data Related Articles Abnormalities of motor and praxis imagery in children with DCD. Mar 2001 P H Wilson,P Maruff,S Ives,J Currie In an earlier study using the visually guided pointing task (VGPT) the authors showed that the timing of imagined movement sequences in children with developmental coordination disorder (DCD) does not conform to the conventional speed-for-accuracy trade-off (or Fitts' law [P.M. Fitts, Journal of Ex... ( view more )perimental Psychology 47 (1954) 381-391]) that occurs when the distance and accuracy requirements of movements are varied [P. Maruff, P.H. Wilson, M. Trebilcock, J. Currie, Neuropsychologia 37 (1999b) 1317-1324]. The present study sought to replicate this earlier finding and to examine (using a weight manipulation) whether this deficit was also attributable to inaccurate programming of relative force. The chronometry of real and imagined movements was investigated in a group of 20 children with DCD aged between 8 and 12 years and a group of controls matched on age and verbal IQ (VIQ). Movement duration was tested for real and imagined movements using the preferred hand, with the VGPT performed under two load conditions: with and without the addition of a weight attached to a pen. Group means of each subjects' mean movement duration were calculated and plotted against target width for each of the four conditions [Movement type (2) x Load (2)] and a logarithmic curve was fitted to the data points. In the control group, the speed-for-accuracy trade-off for both real and imagined performance conformed to Fitts' law under each load condition. In the DCD group only real movements conformed to Fitts' law. Moreover, the effect of load differed between groups--for real movements, movement duration did not differ between load and no-load conditions for either group, while for imagined movements, movement duration increased under the load condition for the control group only. These results replicate and extend the results of our earlier study. This pattern of performance suggests that children with DCD have an impairment in the ability to generate internal representations of volitional movements which may reflect an impaired ability to process efference copy signals. The ability to programme both relative force and timing appears to underly this difficulty. Results have implications for the use of (guided) motor imagery training in order to facilitate the development of motor skill in children with DCD. ( view less ) View Full Abstract View Article Details View Coded Data Related Articles Effects of ethanol on protein kinase C activity induced by filamentous actin. Jan 12, 2001 S J Slater,B A Stagliano,J L Seiz,J P Curry,S K Milano,K J Gergich,C D Stubbs Protein kinase C (PKC) can be activated by interaction with filamentous actin (F-actin) in the absence of membrane lipids (S.J. Slater, S.K. Milano, B.A. Stagliano, K.J. Gergich, J.P. Curry, F.J. Taddeo and C.D. Stubbs, Biochemistry 39 (2000) 271-280). Here, the effects of ethanol on the F-actin-in... ( view more )duced activities of a panel of PKC isoforms consisting of 'conventional' (cPKC) alpha, betaI, gamma, 'novel' (nPKC) delta, epsilon and 'atypical' (aPKC) zeta were investigated using purified PKC and F-actin. Ethanol was found to inhibit the Ca2+- and phorbol ester-dependent activities of cPKCalpha and betaI, and the Ca2+- and phorbol ester-independent activity of cPKCgamma, whereas the activities of nPKCdelta, epsilon and aPKCzeta were unaffected. Although the activities of cPKCalpha and betaI induced by saturating levels of phorbol ester were inhibited by ethanol, the binding of these isozymes to F-actin was unaffected within the same phorbol ester concentration range. Conversely, within submaximal levels of phorbol ester, cPKCalpha and betaI activities were unaffected by ethanol whereas binding to F-actin was inhibited. The potency of the inhibition of F-actin-induced cPKCbetaI activity increased with n-alkanol chain length up to n-hexanol, after which it declined. The results indicate that PKC activities associated with F-actin, and therefore cellular processes involving the actin cytoskeleton, are potential targets for ethanol action. The effects of ethanol on these processes may differ according to the particular regulating PKC isoform, its intracellular localization and the presence of activators and cofactors. ( view less ) View Full Abstract View Article Details View Coded Data Related Articles The N-terminal 17% of apoB binds tightly and irreversibly to emulsions modeling nascent very low density lipoproteins. Jan 2001 H Herscovitz,A Derksen,M T Walsh,C J McKnight,D L Gantz,M Hadzopoulou-Cladaras,V Zannis,C Curry,D M Small The N-terminal 17% of apolipoprotein B (apoB-17) readily associates with dimyristoylphosphatidylcholine (DMPC) multilamellar vesicles (MLV) to form large (240-A diameter) discoidal particles. Because apoB is normally secreted with triacylglycerol (TAG)-rich lipoproteins, we studied the binding of a... ( view more )poB-17 to triolein-rich emulsions modeling nascent TAG-rich very low density-like lipoproteins. Emulsions with the following composition (by weight) were prepared: 85--89% triolein, 1.1--1.4% cholesterol, and 10--14% phosphatidylcholines (PC) including either egg yolk (EY)-, dimyristoyl (DM)-, or dipalmitoyl (DP)-PC representing (at 25 degrees C), respectively, a fluid surface, a surface at transition, and a mainly solid surface. The respective sizes were 1,260 +/- 500, 1,070 +/- 450, and 830 +/- 300 A mean diameter. The emulsions were incubated with conditioned medium containing apoB-17, and then reisolated by ultracentrifugation. Analysis of the emulsion-bound proteins by gel electrophoresis showed that all three emulsions bound primarily apoB-17. The DPPC emulsions bound more apoB-17 than EYPC or DMPC emulsions. Immunoaffinity-purified apoB-17 exhibited saturable, high affinity binding to EYPC and DPPC emulsions. The respective K(d) values were 32 +/- 23 and 85 +/- 27 nM and capacities (N) were 10 and 58 molecules of apoB-17 per particle. When apoB-17 bound to emulsions was incubated with DMPC MLV at 26 degrees C for 18 h, it remained bound to the emulsions, indicating that once bound to these emulsions it is unable to exchange off and solubilize DMPC into discs. In contrast, apoE-3 bound to emulsions dissociated from the emulsions when incubated with DMPC MLV and formed discs.Thus, apoB-17 binds strongly and irreversibly to emulsions modeling nascent lipoproteins. It therefore may play an important role in the stabilization of nascent VLDL and chylomicrons.- Herscovitz, H., A. Derksen, M. T. Walsh, C. J. McKnight, D. L. Gantz, M. Hadzopoulou-Cladaras, V. Zannis, C. Curry, and D. M. Small. The N-terminal 17% of apoB binds tightly and irreversibly to emulsions modeling nascent very low density lipoproteins. J. Lipid Res. 2001. 42: 51;-59. ( view less ) View Full Abstract View Article Details View Coded Data Related Articles The role of the saccade target object in the perception of a visually stable world. May 2000 C B Currie,G W McConkie,L A Carlson-Radvansky,D E Irwin Although the proximal stimulus shifts position on our retinae with each saccade, we perceive our world as stable and continuous. Most theories of visual stability implicitly assume a mechanism that spatially adjusts perceived locations associated with the retinal array by using, as a parameter, ext... ( view more )ra-retinal eye position information, a signal that encodes the size and direction of the saccade. The results from the experiment reported in this article challenge this idea. During a participant's saccade to a target object, one of the following was displaced: the entire scene, the target object, or the background behind the target object. Participants detected the displacement of the target object twice as frequently as the displacement of the entire background. The direction of displacement relative to the saccade also affected detectability. We use a new theory, the saccade target theory (McConkie & Currie, 1996), to interpret these results. This theory proposes that retinal (as opposed to extra-retinal) factors, primarily those concerning the saccade target object, are critical for the detection of intrasaccadic stimulus shifts. ( view less ) View Full Abstract View Article Details View Coded Data Related Articles Study on genotoxic effects of the space environment: a comparison between experienced cosmonauts and unexposed Russian twins. Dec 6, 1999 M Khaidakov,J Curry,D Walsh,A Mortimer,B W Glickman The molecular analysis of T-lymphocytes from experienced cosmonauts and seven pairs of unexposed twins was performed [M. Khaidakov, D. Young, H. Erfle, A. Mortimer, Y. Voronkov, B.W. Glickman, Molecular analysis of mutations in T-lymphocytes from experienced soviet cosmonauts, Environ. Mol. Mutagen... ( view more ), 30 (1997) 21-30; J. Curry, G. Bebb, J. Moffat, D. Young, M. Khaidakov, A. Mortimer, B.W. Glickman, Similar mutant frequencies observed between monozygotic twins, Human Mutation, 9 (1997) 445-451]. Hprt mutant frequencies (MF) in both datasets were considerably higher (38.0+/-14.6x10(-6) in cosmonauts, and 18.5+/-8.9x10(-6) in twins) than in the background Western control (8-12x10(-6)), [A.D. Tates, F.J. van Dam, H. van Mossel, H. Shoemaker, J.C.P. Thijssen, V.M. Woldring, A.H. Zwinderman, A.T. Natarajan, Use of the clonal assay for the measurement of frequencies of HPRT mutants in T-lymphocytes from five control populations, Mutation Res., 253 (1991) 199-213; R.F. Branda, L.M. Sullivan, J.P. O'Neill, M.T. Falta, J.A. Nicklas, B. Hirsch, P.M. Vacek, R.J. Albertini, Measurement of HPRT mutant frequencies in T-lymphocytes from healthy human populations, Mutation Res., 285 (1993) 267-279]. The distribution of mutations by class in the twin dataset was essentially similar to the background Western control, whereas cosmonaut samples demonstrated a significant excess of splice errors and complex mutations. The distribution of base substitutions showed similar trends in both the cosmonaut and twin samples, which are quite distinct compared to those seen in the Western control. The differences observed between cosmonaut and twin samples (a 2-fold higher MF and an excess of complex mutations in cosmonaut mutational spectra) could be an indication of possible effects of the space environment. However, these changes could also be age-related because the twin group was, on average, 17 years younger. Moreover, very similar patterns of base substitution distribution in both datasets suggest the involvement of certain region-specific factors reflected in mutational spectra. In order to discriminate between occupation and region-specific factors contributing to mutagenesis, an additional study involving trainees and cosmonauts with recent long-term flight experience is required. ( view less ) View Full Abstract View Article Details View Coded Data Related Articles Spinal motor patterns in the turtle. Nov 16, 1998 P S Stein,M L McCullough,S N Currie Rhythmic alternation between ipsilateral hip flexors and extensors occurs during the normal pattern of fictive rostral scratching in response to unilateral midbody stimulation in D3-end turtles (complete spinal transection posterior to the forelimb enlargement). Unilateral midbody stimulation evoke... ( view more )s rhythmic bursts of ipsilateral hip flexor activity with no hip extensor activity in D3-end turtles with D6-D7 contralateral hemisection (transverse hemisection anterior to the hindlimb enlargement). Bilateral midbody stimulation in these turtles evokes reconstruction of rhythmic alternation between intact side hip flexors and extensors. These normal motor patterns in response to two-site stimulation are reconstructed because one-site stimulation in this preparation activates only hip flexor rhythms (J. Neurosci. 18: 467). Hip flexor rhythms can therefore occur without hip extensor activation. This supports the concept that reciprocal inhibition between flexor and extensor interneurons is not required for flexor motor rhythm generation. Reciprocal inhibition, when present, also contributes to rhythmicity (J. Neurophysiol. 78: 3479; see also Currie and Gonsalves, this volume). Both mechanisms for rhythmicity are included in the Grillner unit burst generator model: hip flexor unit burst generators may be rhythmogenic in the absence of hip extensor activity and reciprocal inhibition contributes to rhythmogenesis. Contralateral midbody stimulation assisted in the activation of ipsilateral hip extensor rhythmicity during reconstructed rostral scratching. This result provides additional support for the hypothesis that a bilateral shared core of hip interneuronal circuitry plays a critical role in the generation of the normal pattern of fictive rostral scratching (J. Neurosci. 15: 4343). ( view less ) View Full Abstract View Article Details View Coded Data Related Articles Neurological and cognitive abnormalities associated with chronic petrol sniffing. Oct 1998 P Maruff,C B Burns,P Tyler,B J Currie,J Currie Substance abuse through the deliberate inhalation of petrol (petrol sniffing or gasoline sniffing) is prevalent in inner-urban and remote rural communities. Although acute toxic encephalopathy is a well-documented consequence of petrol sniffing, the neurological and cognitive effects of chronic pet... ( view more )rol sniffing are unknown. A structured neurological examination and the Cambridge Neuropsychological Test Automated Battery (CANTAB) were used to assess neurological and cognitive function in 33 current-sniffers (individuals who had sniffed petrol for >6 months), 30 ex-sniffers (individuals who had sniffed petrol in the past but had abstained for 6 months) and 34 matched non-sniffers (individuals who had never sniffed petrol). No subject was, or had been, encephalopathic from petrol sniffing and all were residing in their community. Blood lead and hydrocarbon levels and information about petrol sniffing behaviour were obtained from each subject. When compared with non-sniffers, current-sniffers showed higher rates of abnormal tandem gait, rapid alternating hand movements, finger to nose movements, postural tremor, bilateral palmomental reflexes and brisk deep reflexes. Cognitive deficits occurred in the areas of visual attention, visual recognition memory and visual paired associate learning. Ex-petrol sniffers showed higher rates of abnormal tandem gait and bilateral palmomental reflexes and cognitive deficits in the areas of visual recognition memory and pattern-location paired associate learning. Blood lead levels and length of time of petrol sniffing correlated significantly with the magnitude of neurological and cognitive deficits. Blood hydrocarbon levels were not related to neurocognitive deficits, although this may have been due to methodological difficulties in obtaining hydrocarbon levels. These results suggest that subtle neurological and cognitive abnormalities do occur in individuals who abuse petrol but who do not have acute toxic encephalopathy and that the severity of these abnormalities is reduced with abstinence. ( view less ) View Full Abstract View Article Details View Coded Data Related Articles Test of a two-pathway model for small-solute exchange across the capillary wall. Jun 1998 B M Fu,R H Adamson,F E Curry We previously proposed a two-pathway model for solute and water transport across vascular endothelium (Fu, B. M., R. Tsay, F. E. Curry, and S. Weinbaum. J. Biomech. Eng. 116: 502-513, 1994) that hypothesized the existence of a continuous slit 2 nm wide along tight junction strands within the intere... ( view more )ndothelial cleft in parallel with 20 x 150-nm breaks in tight junctions. We tested this model by measuring capillary permeability coefficients (P) to a small solute (sodium fluorescein, radius 0.45 nm), assumed to permeate primarily the 2-nm small pore, and an intermediate-sized solute (FITC-alpha-lactalbumin, radius 2.01 nm) excluded from the small pore. Mean values of the paired diffusive permeability coefficients, Psodium fluorescein and PFITC-alpha-lactalbumin, were 34.4 and 2.9 x 10(-6) cm/s, respectively, after corrections for solvent drag and free dye (n = 26). These permeabilities were accounted for by transport through the large-break pathway without the additional capacity of the hypothetical 2-nm pathway. As a further test we examined the relative reductions of Psodium fluorescein and PFITC-alpha-lactalbumin produced by elevated intracellular cAMP. Within 20 min after the introduction of rolipram and forskolin, Psodium fluorescein and PFITC-alpha-lactalbumin decreased to 0.67 and 0.64 times their respective baseline values. These similar responses to permeability decrease were evidence that the two solutes were carried by a common pathway. Combined results in both control and reduced permeability states did not support the hypothesis that a separate pathway across tight junctions is available for solutes with a radius as large as 0.75 nm. If such a pathway is present, then its size must be smaller than that of sodium fluorescein. ( view less ) View Full Abstract View Article Details View Coded Data Related Articles Page 1 of 170 1 2 3 4 > Last >> (4233 articles found)

      
 ESRNexus is provided as a service by TrialStat Corporation. ESRNexus is a registered trademark of TrialStat Corporation. Copyright 2008. View a list of all articles here