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Early Screening (early + screening)

Distribution by Scientific Domains

Medical Sciences	90%

Selected Abstracts

Measurement of Faecal Progesterone Metabolites and its Application for Early Screening of Open Cows Post-insemination

REPRODUCTION IN DOMESTIC ANIMALS, Issue 3 2007
B Kornmatitsuk
Contents The present study investigated the changes of serum progesterone (P4) and its faecal metabolites in pregnant and non-pregnant cows (Expt 1) and the feasibilty of using faecal P4 metabolites for early screening of open cows post-insemination (Expt 2). In Expt 1, seven crossbred Holstein,Friesian (HF) cows were studied. Serum and faecal samples were collected once daily from the day of artificial insemination (AI) until 25 days after AI. In Expt 2, 27 crossbred HF inseminated cows were employed. Serum and faecal samples were obtained on the day of AI (day 0) and on days 19,22 post-insemination. Enzyme immunoassay measurements of serum P4 and faecal P4 metabolites were established. The low detection limit of the assay was 0.01 ng/ml and the amount of P4, resulting in a 50% reduction in the initial binding value, was 1.07 ng/ml. The intra- and inter-assay coefficients of variation were <8% and <14%, respectively. A positive correlation between the levels of serum P4 and faecal P4 metabolites was found in every single cow (r = 0.73,0.88, p < 0.001) and pooled data (r = 0.78, p < 0.001). The estimated value of faecal P4 metabolites at 100 ng/g of faeces was equal to the serum P4 levels of 1 ng/ml. The accuracies of pregnancy and non-pregnancy diagnosis based on the analyses of faecal P4 metabolites between day 0 and days 19,22 post-insemination, were 67% and 100%, respectively. In conclusion, the measurement of faecal P4 metabolites can be a potentially alternative method for early screening of open cows post-insemination with the same accuracy and precision, as measured by serum P4 assay. [source]

Caries Risk Assessment and Prevention: Strategies for Head Start, Early Head Start, and WIC

JOURNAL OF PUBLIC HEALTH DENTISTRY, Issue 3 2000
Michael J. Kaneilis DDS
Abstract Objective: This review updates the evidence regarding caries risk assessment for infants, toddlers, and preschool children and formulates recommendations for preventive strategies for WIC, Head Start, and Early Head Start. Methods: Literature on caries risk assessment and preventive strategies for infants, toddlers, and preschool children were reviewed and synthesized. Recommendations for WIC, Head Start, and Early Head Start were made based on the review. Results: Individual caries risk for children in WIC, Head Start, and Early Head Start should be based on: (1) previous caries experience, (2) precavity lesions, (3) visible plaque, and (4) perceived risk by examiners. Recommended preventive strategies for WIC and Head Start populations include: (1) daily toothbrushing in Head Start centers using fluoridated toothpaste; (2) fluoride varnish application to children enrolled in WIC, Head Start, and Early Head Start; (3) use of chlorhexidine gets and varnishes (following FDA approval); and (4) increased use of sealants on children with precavity pit and fissure lesions. Conclusions: Early screening, risk assessment, and preventive programs in WIC, Head Start, and Early Head Start populations hold a great deal of promise for preventing dental decay in high-risk children. [source]

Predictors of hyperactive,impulsive,inattention and conduct problems: A comparative follow-back investigation

PSYCHOLOGY IN THE SCHOOLS, Issue 7 2005
Frank M. Gresham
Disruptive behavior patterns are particularly challenging for parents, teachers, and peers as these behaviors often interfere with classroom instruction, frequently lead to academic underachievement, and are associated with social skills acquisition and performance deficits. Children who exhibit a combination of hyperactivity,impulsivity,inattention and conduct problems (HIA + CP) have been shown to be at greater risk for negative social, behavioral, and legal outcomes than children with HIA-only or CP-only behavior patterns. This investigation explored the degree to which academic, social, and behavioral characteristics in Grade 4 could differentiate sixth-grade students with HIA + CP (n = 61), HIA-only (n = 29), and CP-only (n = 14). Results showed that the HIA-only group had higher academic achievement in Grade 4 as measured by teacher judgments and standardized tests than the HIA + CP and CP-only groups. By Grade 6, the HIA-only and HIA + CP groups showed lower academic competence than the CP-only group suggesting that by sixth grade, children having HIA alone or in combination with conduct problems are at greater risk for academic failure. Additionally, HIA + CP and CP-only groups had poorer social skills than the HIA-only group. Consistent with past research, students in the three risk groups showed no difficulties in either academic or social self-concept. Early screening and identification methods using a multiple-gating model were recommended as a means of proactive approaches to intervention design and prevention. © 2005 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. Psychol Schs 42: 721,736, 2005. [source]

Motion analysis of stereotyped hand movements in Rett syndrome

JOURNAL OF INTELLECTUAL DISABILITY RESEARCH, Issue 2 2003
M. Wright
Abstract Background Rett syndrome is a genetic developmental disorder, and stereotyped hand movements are a striking feature of this condition. The aim of the present study was to subject these movements to objective analysis and compare the results in one girl at different ages. Method The hand movements of a 10-year-old girl with Rett syndrome were subjected to accurate, three-dimensional (3D) computerized motion analysis and compared to two-dimensional (2D) video analysis of the same girl at 3 years of age. Results Three-dimensional computerized analysis revealed regular patterns with strong coupling between the hands. Frequency analysis showed a dominant frequency at 1.2 Hz, with a higher component at 2.4 Hz that may relate to the activity of basic rhythm generators. The same coupling characteristics were extracted from standard, 2D video recordings made at the same time as the 3D capture. Conclusion An informal video of the same girl taken when she was 3 years of age was analysed in the same way as the 2D video and showed the same characteristics, indicating the possible future use of automated video analysis for early screening and intervention evaluation. [source]

Prediction of human pharmacokinetics , improving microsome-based predictions of hepatic metabolic clearance

JOURNAL OF PHARMACY AND PHARMACOLOGY: AN INTERNATI ONAL JOURNAL OF PHARMACEUTICAL SCIENCE, Issue 10 2007
Urban Fagerholm
Physiologically based methods generally perform poorly in predicting in-vivo hepatic CL (CLH) from intrinsic clearance (CLint) in microsomes in-vitro and unbound fraction in blood (fu,bl). Various strategies to improve the predictability have been developed, and inclusion of an empirical scaling factor (SF) seems to give the best results. This investigation was undertaken to evaluate this methodology and to find ways to improve it further. The work was based on a diverse data set taken from Ito and Houston (2005). Another objective was to evaluate whether rationalization of CLH predictions can be made by replacing blood/plasma-concentration ratio (Cbl/Cpl) measurements with SFs. There were apparently no or weak correlations between prediction errors and lipophilicity, permeability (compounds with low permeability missing in the data set) and main metabolizing CYP450s. The use of CLint class (high/low) and drug class (acid/base/neutral) SFs (the CD-SF method) gives improved and reasonable predictions: 1.3-fold median error (an accurate prediction has a 1-fold error), 76% within 2-fold-error, and a median absolute rank ordering error of 2 for CLH (n = 29). This approach is better than the method with a single SF. Mean (P < 0.05) and median errors, fraction within certain error ranges, higher percentage with most accurate predictions, and ranking were all better, and 76% of predictions were more accurate with this new method. Results are particularly good for bases, which generally have higher CLH and the potential to be incorrectly selected/rejected as candidate drugs. Reasonable predictions of fu,bl can be made from plasma fu (fu,pl) and empirical blood cell binding SFs (B-SFs; 1 for low fu,pl acids; 0.62 for other substances). Mean and median fu,bl prediction errors are negligible. The use of the CD-SF method with predicted fu,bl (the BCD-SF method) also gives improved and reasonable results (1.4-fold median error; 66% within 2-fold-error; median absolute rank ordering error = 1). This new empirical approach seems sufficiently good for use during the early screening; it gives reasonable estimates of CLH and good ranking, which allows replacement of Cbl/Cpl measurements by a simple equation. [source]

Kindergarten Predictors of Math Learning Disability

LEARNING DISABILITIES RESEARCH & PRACTICE, Issue 3 2005
Michèle M. M. Mazzocco
The aim of the present study was to address how to effectively predict mathematics learning disability (MLD). Specifically, we addressed whether cognitive data obtained during kindergarten can effectively predict which children will have MLD in third grade, whether an abbreviated test battery could be as effective as a standard psychoeducational assessment at predicting MLD, and whether the abbreviated battery corresponded to the literature on MLD characteristics. Participants were 226 children who enrolled in a 4-year prospective longitudinal study during kindergarten. We administered measures of mathematics achievement, formal and informal mathematics ability, visual-spatial reasoning, and rapid automatized naming and examined which test scores and test items from kindergarten best predicted MLD at grades 2 and 3. Statistical models using standardized scores from the entire test battery correctly classified ,80,83 percent of the participants as having, or not having, MLD. Regression models using scores from only individual test items were less predictive than models containing the standard scores, except for models using a specific subset of test items that dealt with reading numerals, number constancy, magnitude judgments of one-digit numbers, or mental addition of one-digit numbers. These models were as accurate in predicting MLD as was the model including the entire set of standard scores from the battery of tests examined. Our findings indicate that it is possible to effectively predict which kindergartners are at risk for MLD, and thus the findings have implications for early screening of MLD. [source]

Maternal Bacterial Vaginosis and Fetal/Infant Mortality in Eight Florida Counties, 1999 to 2000

PUBLIC HEALTH NURSING, Issue 5 2004
Barbara Hansen Cottrell M.S.N.
Abstract This study determined the prevalence of maternal bacterial vaginosis (BV) in fetal/infant mortality cases and factors associated with BV. A retrospective descriptive study was utilized. Data were obtained from review of vital statistics and medical records of 176 women experiencing fetal/infant deaths in eight Florida counties, 1999 to 2000. Non-White mothers accounted for 68.96% of deaths (chi square = 10.119, df = 4, p = 0.038), although the population of the eight counties was 64% White. Of 121 non-White mothers (68.8%) with infections, 37 (30.6%) had BV. Most fetal/infant deaths (39.7%) occurred 20,23 weeks' gestation and at birthweights <500 g, as did most cases of BV (46%). Women with BV were more likely to be non-White (OR 2.756, 95% CI 1.075, 7.066), single (OR 2.090, 95% CI 1.081, 7.246), <24 years old (t = 3.172, p = 0.002), and have <12 years of education (t = 2.56, p = 0.011). Findings support early screening and treatment for BV in women with these risk factors or a history of prior fetal/infant loss or preterm/low-birthweight infant. Factors contributing to racial disparity in BV and fetal/infant mortality need further exploration. [source]

Measurement of Faecal Progesterone Metabolites and its Application for Early Screening of Open Cows Post-insemination

Clinical and screening implications of the I1307K adenomatous polyposis coli gene variant in Israeli Ashkenazi Jews with familial colorectal neoplasia

CANCER, Issue 10 2002
Evidence for a founder effect
Abstract BACKGROUND The authors previously found the I1307K adenomatous polyposis coli (APC) gene variant in 5% of Ashkenazi control participants, in 15.4% of those who had familial colorectal neoplasia, but also in 1.6% of non-Ashkenazi control participants. In this study, they evaluated its use in a screening program for familial colorectal neoplasia and examined for a founder effect. METHODS Consecutive Ashkenazim with a personal and/or family history of colorectal neoplasia had the DNA test. Markers flanking the APC gene were examined in Ashkenazi and non-Ashkenazi I1307K carriers and noncarriers. RESULTS Among 718 persons, I1307K occurred in 6.2% of Ashkenazi participants, in 1.5% of non-Ashkenazi control participants (P = 0.02), and in 10.7% of Ashkenazim with familial neoplasia (relative risk, 1.73 [not significant compared with controls]; 95% confidence interval, 0.7,3.2). Colorectal neoplasia was detected in carriers at a younger age (P < 0.05) without excess risk for multiple colorectal neoplasia or noncolorectal neoplasia. I1307K attributable risk for colorectal neoplasia was 0.5,0.6%. Compared with noncarriers, both Ashkenazi and non-Ashkenazi I1307K carriers had similar flanking polymorphic alleles (P < 0.01). CONCLUSIONS I1307K is a low-penetrance genetic variant that indicates a 1.7 relative risk for neoplasia in carriers who have familial carcinoma, clinically equivalent to obtaining a family history of sporadic colorectal neoplasia and promoting early screening. I1307K is a founder genetic variant in Jews of different ethnic origin, mainly Ashkenazim, but it explains only partially their higher incidence of colorectal carcinoma. Cancer 2002;94:2561,8. © 2002 American Cancer Society. DOI 10.1002/cncr.10529 [source]

Very early detection of RET proto-oncogene mutation is crucial for preventive thyroidectomy in multiple endocrine neoplasia type 2 children

CANCER, Issue 2 2002
Presence of C-cell malignant disease in asymptomatic carriers
Abstract BACKGROUND Multiple endocrine neoplasia type 2 (MEN 2) is an inherited disease caused by germline mutations in the RET proto-oncogene, and is responsible for the development of endocrine neoplasia. Its prognosis is dependent on the appearance and spread of medullary thyroid carcinoma (MTC). Relatives at risk can be identified before clinical or biochemical signs of the disease become evident. METHODS Twenty-one families with MEN 2 (16 families with MEN 2A and 5 families with MEN 2B) were studied. Peripheral blood DNA was amplified by polymerase chain reaction. DNA sequence or restriction enzyme analysis was performed to detect mutations of RET proto-oncogene exons 10, 11, and 16. Molecular analysis was carried out in all index patients as well as in 98 relatives of MEN 2A patients (60 juveniles, ages 6 months to 21 years, and 38 adults, ages 22 to 81 years) and in 13 relatives (6 juveniles ages 10 to 21 years, and 7 adults ages 41 to 66 years) from MEN 2B families. RESULTS Molecular studies showed a mutation at codon 634, exon 11 in all MEN 2A patients. All MEN 2B patients showed an ATG to ACG (Met918Thr) mutation. In MEN 2A families, 42 out of 98 relatives were affected. Total thyroidectomy was performed in 18 juvenile carriers ages 17 months to 21 years. Histopathologic studies of the glands revealed parafollicular cell (C-cell) hyperplasia in all of these carriers, medullary thyroid carcinoma in 15 carriers, and only one carrier with lymph node metastases. CONCLUSIONS The consistent finding of C-cell disease in all the juvenile carriers who underwent preventive thyroidectomy emphasizes the relevance of early screening in children at risk of developing MTC. The presence of MTC in the specimen of prophylactic thyroidectomy from a 17 month old girl highlights the importance of thyroidectomy as soon as the molecular diagnosis is confirmed. Cancer 2002;94:323,30. © 2002 American Cancer Society. [source]

Rapid Polymerase Chain Reaction-based Screening Assay for Bacterial Biothreat Agents

ACADEMIC EMERGENCY MEDICINE, Issue 4 2008
Samuel Yang MD
Abstract Objectives:, To design and evaluate a rapid polymerase chain reaction (PCR)-based assay for detecting Eubacteria and performing early screening for selected Class A biothreat bacterial pathogens. Methods:, The authors designed a two-step PCR-based algorithm consisting of an initial broad-based universal detection step, followed by specific pathogen identification targeted for identification of the Class A bacterial biothreat agents. A region in the bacterial 16S rRNA gene containing a highly variable sequence flanked by clusters of conserved sequences was chosen as the target for the PCR assay design. A previously described highly conserved region located within the 16S rRNA amplicon was selected as the universal probe (UniProbe, Integrated DNA Technology, Coralville, IA). Pathogen-specific TaqMan probes were designed for Bacillus anthracis, Yersinia pestis, and Francisella tularensis. Performance of the assay was assessed using genomic DNA extracted from the aforementioned biothreat-related organisms (inactivated or surrogate) and other common bacteria. Results:, The UniProbe detected the presence of all tested Eubacteria (31/31) with high analytical sensitivity. The biothreat-specific probes accurately identified organisms down to the closely related species and genus level, but were unable to discriminate between very close surrogates, such as Yersinia philomiragia and Bacillus cereus. Conclusions:, A simple, two-step PCR-based assay proved capable of both universal bacterial detection and identification of select Class A bacterial biothreat and biothreat-related pathogens. Although this assay requires confirmatory testing for definitive species identification, the method has great potential for use in ED-based settings for rapid diagnosis in cases of suspected Category A bacterial biothreat agents. [source]