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Biomedical subjects

A Peleg

Publications and source records attributed to A Peleg.

33 records · Page 2Linked to original sources
PubMed1999

Hallway medicine: prevalence, characteristics and attitudes of hospital physicians.

BACKGROUND: Hallway medicine is an integral part of physicians' medical culture, but little is known about it. OBJECTIVE: To characterize the practice of hallway medicine among hospital physicians, both as providers and consumers. METHODS: We conducted a survey of 112 randomly chosen hospital physicians at the Soroka Medical Center in Beer Sheva, Israel between November 1997 and May 1998. A self-administered 39-item questionnaire was used that included sociodemographic data, the extent to which hallway medicine is practiced, and satisfaction from and attitudes to it. RESULTS: Of the 112 selected physicians, 111 responded (99.1%). Of these, 91 (82%) had been asked by their colleagues to provide hallway medicine. Most of them (91%) agreed because of "willingness to help," because "it's unpleasant to refuse," or "it's the acceptable thing to do." Most of the requests (72%) were unscheduled and time consuming (41% up to 10 minutes and 21% more than 20 minutes). Records were kept in only 36% of the cases and follow-up in 62%. Physicians who provided hallway medicine were also consumers of it (P < 0.001), based on personal acquaintance, time saved and easy accessibility. In general, the attitude to hallway medicine was negative (54%) or ambiguous (37%). Most requests for hallway medicine were made to Israeli-trained physicians, surgeons or gynecologists, and senior physicians. CONCLUSIONS: Hallway medicine is practiced frequently among hospital physicians. A formal organization of health care service within medical centers might provide physicians with better medical care and reduce potential ethical, medical, legal, psychosocial and economic problems.

Adult↗
PubMed1999

[Knowledge, attitudes and training of family physicians with regard to addiction to illicit drugs].

Substance abuse is one of the most serious problems in Israel. Recent studies show the situation is getting worse. The deleterious outcomes of psychoactive substance abuse include crime, car accidents, physical and mental illness, violence and work injuries. 48 family physicians in the Negev completed a questionnaire which included training, diagnostic and treatment skills, attitudes, knowledge and need for training in this field. 38 family physicians (81%) had had no training, most (96%) indicated the importance of such training. 34 (71%) said that their medical skills could not cope with the problems of addiction, and 29 (64.5%) claimed that the quality of care of addict patients is reduced because of lack of knowledge and diagnostic skills. These findings support the conclusion that efforts should be invested in training family physicians in the field of psychoactive drugs, licit and illicit.

Education, Medical↗
PubMed1997

[Drinking and driving].

A worrisome connection between driving and drinking was found in 166 people randomly surveyed in public places in Beer Sheba. 80% of the study population stated that they drink alcoholic beverages. Of these, 45% reported drinking at least once a week, and 21% drank 3 glasses/cans at each drinking bout. We noted a trend among those who drank frequently to drink greater amounts. Of the sample, 110 interviewees stated that they had a driver's license and that they drank alcoholic drinks. 39% reported driving after a number of alcoholic drinks, and 23% of them did so invariably or frequently. 5% drank while driving. The drinkers exhibited a high-risk behavioral pattern, remaining in the car with friends (53%) or relatives (16%) also under the influence of alcohol. Those who are aware of the influence of alcohol on their driving skills and the danger of being involved in car accidents, moderate their consumption of alcohol. The results of the study confirm our hypothesis that there is an upswing in the phenomenon of high-risk driving connected with drinking alcoholic beverages.

Alcohol Drinking↗
PubMed1997

Abdominal wall pain in pregnant women caused by thoracic lateral cutaneous nerve entrapment.

Three pregnant women presented with disabling lower abdominal wall pain unresponsive to conventional therapies. The striking similarities among the clinical signs and symptoms prompted a review of the literature and led to the suspicion of thoracic lateral cutaneous nerve entrapment, a syndrome reported in other conditions, including after surgery, but not during pregnancy. Treatment by nerve block with local anesthetics was rapidly and completely successful in relieving the symptoms.

Abdominal Muscles↗
PubMed1996

Israeli college student alcohol use: the association of background characteristics and regular drinking patterns.

In Israel, there is a lack of research regarding the association between background characteristics of university students and their use of alcohol. In response, a cohort of 1276 male and female undergraduate students was surveyed at a major university in the country. Among the study participants, 21% (270) reported regular, weekly use of alcohol. Men were much more inclined to drink on a weekly basis than women; and, 7% of the students who used alcohol regularly did so on a daily basis. Approximately 70% of the students who used alcohol drank in the company of friends; and, one-third of the alcohol using students reported that it was important to have their friends with them when they used the substance. Student background characteristics found to be associated with weekly alcohol use included: gender, age, country of origin, economic status, academic discipline, father's level of education, and parents' use of alcohol and legal medication. An important finding of this study was that 30% of the students who used alcohol reported driving a car after drinking and 3% of this sub-population drank while driving. Alcohol tends to be used and abused more than any other licit or illicit substance among Israeli university students. This issue, however, receives far less attention than illicit drug use in terms of education, public awareness. prevention and treatment activities. Alcohol use and abuse among university students in Israel is far from the major problem found elsewhere. Nevertheless, planned prevention and other forms of intervention are needed on campuses throughout the country.

Accidents, Traffic↗
PubMed1992

A cis-acting DNA signal for encapsidation of simian virus 40.

Encapsidation of simian virus 40 is a complex biological process involving DNA-protein and protein-protein interactions in the formation of a unique three-dimensional structure around the viral minichromosome. A pseudoviral system developed in our laboratory, in which the viral early and late gene products are supplied in trans (by helpers), was used to analyze the encapsidation process independent of viral gene expression. With this experimental system we have discovered a requirement for a specific DNA signal for encapsidation, ses (for simian virus 40 encapsidation signal).ses is present within a 200-bp DNA fragment, which includes, in addition to the viral origin of replication (ori), six GGGCGG repeats (GC boxes) and 26 bp of the enhancer element. Deletion of the GC boxes and the enhancer sequences almost abolished encapsidation, while DNA replication was only moderately decreased. The ability to encapsidate was not regained by reinserting a DNA fragment carrying ses in the sesdeleted plasmid 2 kbp away from the ori, suggesting that for encapsidation the two DNA elements have to be close to each other. These findings afford novel strategies for the investigation of viral encapsidation.

Animals↗
PubMed1989

Helpers for efficient encapsidation of SV40 pseudovirions.

Plasmid DNA that carries the simian virus 40 (SV40) ori can be packaged as SV40 pseudovirions. The pseudovirions are very efficient in gene transmission into a variety of cell types, including human hemopoietic cells. They are routinely prepared with wild-type (wt) SV40 as a helper. In the present study, several parameters required for the helper function were investigated. Plasmids that carry pBR322 sequences in addition to the late genes of SV40 were inefficient in providing helper functions, presumably because the prokaryotic sequences interfered with expression of the SV40 late genes. Efficient helpers were plasmid pSVPiC [Villarreal and Soo, Mol. Appl. Genet. 3 (1985) 62-71] and an SV40 defective virus SLT3 (presently constructed). Plasmid pSVPiC carries a duplication of the SV40 ori and enhancer regions, and pi AN7 sequences. Because of its large size it was not packaged into virion particles. However, it underwent extensive recombination generating infective SV40 particles. Almost no prokaryotic sequences are included in SLT3, that carries the SV40 late gene. In spite of its small size (3.5 kb) it was packaged efficiently, creating defective (T-antigen-negative) SV40 virions. The availability of T-antigen positive and negative pseudovirion mixtures enabled us to suggest that T-antigen drives gene amplification in the target human hemopoietic cells.

Animals↗
PubMed1986

Efficient introduction of plasmid DNA into human hemopoietic cells by encapsidation in simian virus 40 pseudovirions.

Introduction of DNA into human hemopoietic cells is required for the study of regulatory mechanisms operating in these cells, as well as for possible procedures of gene therapy. However, with hemopoietic cells the conventional technique of calcium phosphate precipitation is inefficient. The pathway of encapsidation of plasmid DNA as simian virus 40 (SV40) pseudovirions for the introduction of new genetic material was therefore investigated. Encapsidation was achieved in COS (monkey kidney) cells, which express SV40 large tumor (T) antigen constitutively. The vector, pSO, was introduced to the COS cells by DNA transfection. It carried the SV40 origin of replication (ori), to facilitate replication of the plasmid in the COS cells. The SV40 capsid proteins were supplied in trans by a helper SV40 virus. The bacterial chloramphenicol acetyltransferase gene cat was used as a model for gene transmission. After encapsidation, the pseudovirions were used in infection of the human erythroleukemic cell line K562 and of normal human bone marrow cells. The results demonstrate that the cat gene can be transmitted with high efficiency. Over 40% of the infected K562 cells and 30% of the infected bone marrow cells were observed to contain plasmid DNA 48 hr after infection. Moreover, the results suggest that the efficiency of gene transmission by this vector can be improved and so may approach the theoretical 100%.

Acetyltransferases↗
PubMed1984

A unique natural human IgG antibody with anti-alpha-galactosyl specificity.

A new natural anti-alpha-galactosyl IgG antibody (anti-Gal) was found to be present in high titer in the serum of every normal individual studied. The antibody was isolated by affinity chromatography on a melibiose-Sepharose column. The reactivity of the antibody was assessed by its interaction with alpha-galactosyl residues on rabbit erythrocytes (RabRBC). The specificity was determined by inhibition experiments with various carbohydrates. The anti-Gal interacts with alpha-galactosyl residues, possibly on glycolipids of human RBC (HuRBC), after removal of membrane proteins by treatment with pronase. In addition, the anti-Gal bind specifically to normal and pathologically senescent HuRBC, suggesting a physiological role for this natural antibody in the aging of RBC. The ubiquitous presence of anti-Gal in high titers throughout life implies a constant antigenic stimulation. In addition to the theoretical interest in the antibody, the study of the anti-Gal reactivity seems to bear immunodiagnostic significance. Decrease in the antibody titer was found to reflect humoral immunodeficiency disorders.

Adult↗
PubMed1984

Be13, a human T-leukemia cell line highly sensitive to dexamethasone-induced cytolysis.

A unique human T-leukemia cell line highly sensitive to dexamethasone-induced lysis is described. The cell line designated Be13 is killed readily within 24 hr by 10(-9) M dexamethasone. No lysis is induced by nonglucocorticoid steroids. The lysis is mediated via specific cytoplasmic receptors and is efficiently blocked by the antagonist cortexolone. The inhibiting effect of actinomycin D and cycloheximide on the lytic process suggests the involvement of gene activation and destruction of the cells by an "autolytic protein." Kinetic studies imply that the lytic process is induced during a distinct phase of the cell cycle. Dexamethasone, however, does not cause an arrest in a distinct phase of the cell cycle. The Be13 cell is a unique human cell line killed directly by glucocorticoids, and it may serve as a suitable in vitro model for studying the lytic effect of glucocorticoids on the proliferating compartment of human leukemias.

Cell Line↗
PubMed1978

Embolization of detached fragments of intravenous plastic catheter.

Three cases of embolization by detached fragments of "Intracath" intravenous catheters are described. In two, successful surgical removal was performed, whilst in the third, due to the poor general condition of the patient, no attempt at removal was made and after long-term observation, there were no untoward side effects.

Adult↗
PubMed1977

Automatic testing of the visual field using electro-oculographic potentials.

The central visual field is tested using static perimetry on a tangent screen located 1 m from the patient. During the test electro-oculographic (EOG) potentials, associated with eye movements, are recorded. For this purpose two pairs of electrodes are placed in such a way that one pair records the vertical and the other the horizontal component of the EOG potential. The EOG signals that are produced when the tested eye moves toward the light target on the screen are digitized and fed into a computer programmed to relate each pair of signals to the specific lamp on the tangent screen. The results of the test appear on a computer-printed chart that shows the distribution of the lamps on the testing board together with the information whether the lamp was seen by the subject. This method of visual field testing is both objective and automatic.

Automation↗