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Biomedical subjects

A Fries

Publications and source records attributed to A Fries.

14 recordsLinked to original sources
PubMed2007

"Hitting the nail on the head".

Subungual malignant melanoma is a rare form of malignancy that can present at an advanced stage. We describe a case that was diagnosed after a presentation to the emergency department for a traumatic injury of the affected area. Initial presentations of malignant disease and its complications form a relatively low proportion of the caseload of emergency doctors. In this case, a patient presented after a minor injury that had failed to recover; subsequent investigation of this injury led to the diagnosis of subungual malignant melanoma in an otherwise asymptomatic patient. This is a rare case which presented in an atypical fashion, with a confounding history of minor trauma. It is presented to highlight the differential diagnosis of destructive bone lesions.

Emergencies↗
PubMed2006

A comparison between the short term and long term benefits of screening for abdominal aortic aneurysms from the Huntingdon Aneurysm screening programme.

BACKGROUND: The UK Multicentre Aneurysm Screening Study (MASS) showed a 44% reduction in AAA-related mortality after 4 years and predicted an increased number of deaths prevented in the longer term. We aim to compare the 5 and 13 years benefit from aneurysm screening in the Huntingdon Aneurysm screening programme. METHODS: Incidence and mortality of ruptured AAA (RAAA) after 5 and 13 years of screening in a population based aneurysm screening program. RESULTS: Five years of screening resulted in a reduction in the incidence of RAAA of 49% (95% CI: 3-74%). Nine out of 11 ruptures in the invited group did not survive (mortality 82%; 95% CI: 48-98%) compared to 38 non-survivors from 51 ruptures in the control group (mortality 75%; 95% CI: 60-86%). Five years of screening resulted in an RAAA-related mortality reduction of 45% (95% CI: -15 to 74%). After 13 years of screening the incidence of RAAA was reduced by 73% (95% CI: 58-82%). Twenty-one out of 29 ruptures in the invited group did not survive (mortality 72%; 95% CI: 53-87%) compared to 64 non-survivors from 82 ruptures in the control group (mortality 78%; 95% CI: 68-86%). Thirteen years screening resulted in a reduction of mortality from RAAA of 75% (95% CI: 58-84%). The number needed to screen to prevent one death reduced from 1380 after 5 years to 505 after 13 years. The number of elective AAA operations needed to prevent one death reduced from 6 after 5 years to 4 after 13 years. CONCLUSION: AAA screening becomes increasingly beneficial as screening continues over the longer term. Benefits continue to increase after screening has ceased.

Aortic Aneurysm, Abdominal↗
PubMed2000

Structural prerequisites for intersubtype B and D antigenicity of the third variable envelope region (V3) of human immunodeficiency virus type 1.

To elucidate the structural requirements for intersubtype antigenicity of human immunodeficiency virus type 1 (HIV-1) third variable envelope region (V3), synthetic peptides were used in enzyme immunoassays (EIAs) with serum samples from persons with proven or probable subtype B and D infections. Mathematical analyses of results from EIAs with singly substituted V3 peptides revealed important residues determining overall N-terminal V3 peptide antigenicity. This information was used to design V3 immunogens, rabbit antiserum to which were tested in EIA and for in vitro neutralization of molecular clones of HIV-1(MN) and HIV-1(MAL). Intersubtype-reactive epitopes were distributed toward the N-terminal half of the V3 loop. Lysine at position 310, arginine at position 311, and isoleucine at position 314, all derived from the MN primary sequence, were major determinants of intersubtype V3 antigenicity. Combinations of residues that enhanced antigenicity often contained lysine at position 310. Threonine at position 308 was common in the least advantageous combinations. V3 immunogens modified to achieve optimal antigenicity induced antiserum with augmented cross-neutralization of virus from MAL and MN molecular clones, suggesting one approach to subunit vaccine development.

Amino Acid Sequence↗
PubMed1998

Model misspecification effects within a family of alternative discrete reliability-growth models.

We describe a family of related discrete reliability-growth methodologies potentially applicable to one-shot systems undergoing a test-analyze-and-fix development process. The common feature shared by the models is their connection to Duane's renowned learning-curve property. The major difference, however, lies in their applicability in the context of two intrinsically different sampling schemes. For each model, a summary of the statistical properties of various estimators of the parameters as well as the reliability of the system, are reported. For purposes of assessing model misspecification, a particular text execution scenario conforming to a inverse sampling scheme is adopted. In reliability applications, it is not an uncommon practice to borrow inference results from models which are inappropriate in this setting. A detailed study of the potential impact of such misspecification on the estimation of system reliability is presented.

Computer Simulation↗
PubMed1996

[Effects of mastectomy on dimensions of psychological and psychosocial experience and behavior of affected women].

The present study deals with the issue of how mastectomy will impact selected dimensions of psychological and psychosocial experience and behaviour in the women concerned. The study had comprised 21 women, mean age 55. 73 years, with a breast cancer diagnosis given between 1 and 21 years ago. Data collection was carried out using a 17-item questionnaire standardized for this purpose. Factor analyses produced four clearly interpretable factors. Study findings suggest that breast cancer surgery will not inevitably result in impaired sexual behaviour and experience in the affected women, whereas it is sure to impact, to varying degrees, on the factors and dimensions of "body image and self-image", "psychological and psychosomatic complaints" as well as anticipated "performance capacity and social relationships". Intercorrelations among questionnaire items are set out. It has further been found that the variables "time of breast removal" and "life age" had exercised only negligible influence on the women's questionnaire response, and that the psychosocial support experienced post-surgery was reported to have primarily come from the circle of family and friends, and less so been extended by self-help groups or medial staff. Concluding, the need for integrated rehabilitative measures is pointed out.

Adaptation, Psychological↗
PubMed1993

[Opinions of non-handicapped children about handicapped children--results of a survey in 2nd grade of elementary school].

It is pointed out in the initial theoretical considerations that comparatively few studies can be found in the pertinent literature that address the issue of younger non-disabled children's attitudes and behaviour toward children with physical disablement. The present study had comprised 23 second-year primary school-children (8 male, 15 female), age 7.6 to 8.6, from a community with a population of approx. 6000. At the time of our investigation, the subject of "disability" had not been explicitly dealt with at school, and the children moreover reported that they had not previously come into contact with disabled children either. The interviews were administered individually, using an interviewing structure of 19 questions pertaining to 7 different topics. Along with the findings for these 7 areas, the following can be summarized: The findings permit the conclusion that the majority of the children interviewed do not encounter disabled children in terms of an already manifest prejudiced behaviour. Restrictive opinions primarily have to do with functional limitations assumed to affect disabled children's abilities in play, are however unrelated to dimensions of the personality or a social behaviour that could entail rejection of the disabled child. On the other hand it was found that non-disabled children do anticipate the negative views held by others in their environment toward children with disabilities.

Attitude↗
PubMed1993

[Presentation of the "physical handicap" topic in six selected children's books--a critical analysis].

Since the late 60s, reality-oriented books for children and young people have increasingly turned to subject-matters and issues involving social/societal criticism, among them the theme of "being disabled". In the discussion on the degree to which media, and books in particular, do affect children's attitudes and socialization, it has been underlined that media take effect in the development of specific attitudinal patterns and behavioural dispositions in those cases where the recipient has not already formed a "completed" opinion of the topic at hand. This in particular is true in children of primary school age, and above all relates to their view of the disabled person. Six selected children's books were reviewed critically, based on a catalogue of criteria permitting coverage of as wide as spectrum as possible of "physical disability" and allied subjects. Summarizing, it is noted that the books reviewed do give children the opportunity, and partly in an excellent manner, of gaining insights into the situation of disabled persons. The potential for didactical treatment in primary classrooms is pointed out.

Attitude↗
PubMed1991

[Environmental access to a rehabilitation center as a determinant of attitude to handicapped persons? A comparative empirical study of assumptions of the "contact hypothesis"].

A total of 263 respondents were interviewed relative to their attitudes towards disabled persons, using a standardized questionnaire. Of these 263 subjects, 144 lived in a community without any facility for disabled persons in the vicinity, 119 subjects lived close by a physically disabled persons centre. The "attitudinal climate" among all interviewees on the whole more on the positive side, it was found that those living in the vicinity of a physically disabled persons centre, though expressing less contact uneasiness when meeting physically handicapped children and young people, did however not give more positive--but neither more negative--opinions in other respects than those subjects not living near a facility for the disabled. The results obtained were further analyzed on the variables of age, sex, and closer contacts with disabled people among friends. It has, once again, been confirmed that attitudes toward disabled persons constitute a multidimensional construct that, to varying degrees, is influenced by a number of factors. Some consequences and considerations in terms of educational implementation possibilities of the findings are outlined in conclusion.

Adolescent↗
PubMed1986

Information seeking of high- and low-anxiety subjects after receiving positive and negative self-relevant feedback.

The present paper reports an experiment in which subjects received fictitious intelligence test feedback that was either negatively or positively discrepant with their self-evaluation. They were then given an opportunity to choose among several articles containing information that either derogated intelligence tests (test-disparaging information) or argued for their validity (test-supporting information). The main finding of this study consists of an interaction between the personality factor anxiety and the feedback variable: High-anxiety subjects prefer test-disparaging information significantly more in the negative feedback condition than in the positive feedback condition, whereas low-anxiety subjects show no difference in preference for test-related information as a function of the feedback condition. These results are in line with past theoretical reasoning and experimental findings showing that high-anxiety subjects feel more threatened by negative self-relevant feedback than do low-anxiety subjects.

Adolescent↗
PubMed1985

[Animal experiment results with a new vena cava filter].

A new cava filter has been tried in 23 dogs weighing between 16 and 23 kg. The filter consists of a stainless steel basket which can be introduced either antegrade or retrograde through a 10F teflon catheter and which can be removed again within the first four days. The filter was effective in holding back embolising thrombus. In the early stages, even without artificial embolisation, two out of five animals showed clot formation in the basket. After three or four months, all the filters were permeable and on only two occasions was a small amount of thrombus found.

Angioplasty, Balloon↗
PubMed1985

Vena caval filter to prevent pulmonary embolism: experimental study. Work in progress.

A new inferior vena caval filter was tested in an experimental series of 23 dogs and in an in vitro study. The filter consists of a pliable basket and anchoring legs made of stainless steel. It can be inserted percutaneously in an antegrade or retrograde fashion through a 10-F Teflon catheter and can be retrieved with a snare or forceps. The filter is self-orienting in the inferior vena cava, becomes securely the inferior vena cava, becomes securely fixed to the wall, and has exhibited no tendency to migrate. It is highly effective in capturing small and large emboli. There was no significant elevation in upstream hydrostatic pressure following entrapment of emboli. Spontaneous thrombus formation within the basket was observed in two of six dogs who had short-term follow-up. In dogs who had long-term follow-up, the filter remained patent. Microscopically, the filter caused sclerosis of the intima where the wire was in contact with the vessel wall. Breakage of an anchor leg and separation at the fusion between anchor and basket were seen in the study. They were eliminated by improvement of the prototype, which is now ready for clinical application.

Animals↗