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Biomedical subjects

A Rubin

Publications and source records attributed to A Rubin.

At least 199 records · Page 11Linked to original sources
PubMed1967

The serologic specificity of tropocollagen telopeptides.

Tropocollagen preparations from carp, buffalo fish, rats, calves, sheep, and humans have been studied by electron microscopy and serologic methods. Tropocollagens from each species appeared identical by electron microscopy but they were readily distinguished (except between sheep and calves) by C'-fixation tests with rabbit antisera against the various tropocollagens. Tests with calf tropocollagen antiserum showed no distinction between tropocollagen isolated from different tissues nor between individuals of the same or different strains. The major immunogenic sites in native tropocollagen are the telopeptides, and these are present on both alpha1- and alpha2-chains. The C'-fixing activity was lost with heat denaturation of the tropocollagen, but could be recovered in a concentration-dependent process on cooling. The fact that pure and enzyme-treated collagen can provoke serologic reaction implies that collagenous sutures and prostheses used in surgery may lead to sensitization and rejection, a fact which may merit clinical concern.

Animals↗
PubMedDate not supplied

Affective correlates of alcohol and cocaine use.

The affective correlates of alcohol and cocaine use were investigated in two studies. In the first, alcoholics (n = 50) and cocaine addicts (n = 40) were administered factor scales from the Inventory of Drinking Situations as well as the General Temperament Survey. Substance use in negative affect states was reported more often by alcoholics than by cocaine addicts, even when age and race differences were statistically controlled. Alcoholics also reported higher levels of negative temperament, and substance use in negative affect states was correlated with negative temperament across groups. In a study using subjects dependent on both drugs (n = 21), alcohol was more likely to be used in negative affect situations than was cocaine. Thus, the affective correlates of substance use are associated with both individual differences and drug-specific effects. Possible reasons for the differential association of alcohol with negative affect are proposed.

Adult↗
PubMedDate not supplied

Optimizing the cost-effectiveness of alcohol treatment: a rationale for extended case monitoring.

There has been much research on and debate about the appropriate length of acute treatment for alcohol problems. In the United States, the lengthy and costly treatment programs of only a few years ago have been supplanted by ever-shorter and less intensive protocols, with little evidence that this trend will end soon. In this paper, we argue that, because of the chronic, recurrent nature of alcohol problems, an optimal system for delivering treatment services to alcoholics needs to focus on long-term engagement with clients. There is evidence from studies on research reactivity and telephone follow-up protocols that a low-intensity long-term protocol for maintaining contact with clients over time spans measured in years may result in better long-term clinical outcomes and reduced long-term health care utilization and costs. We describe a flexible long-term low-intensity follow-up protocol for alcohol abusers we call "case monitoring." This protocol is specifically designed to minimize long-term health-care use. We predict that such an intervention should be especially efficacious for women, persons with comorbid Axis I disorders, and persons lower in sociopathy. The design of a study to determine the clinical and health service effects of this intervention is also described.

Alcohol-Related Disorders↗
PubMedDate not supplied

Self-help group meeting attendance among clients with dual diagnoses.

This study explores factors associated with self-help group meeting attendance in the aftercare of 81 clients with dual diagnoses of severe mental illness and chemical dependency following their discharge from an inpatient chemical dependency treatment program. It also explores the association between self-help group meeting attendance and treatment outcomes. Data were collected from patient records and results of the Addiction Severity Index (ASI) administered as part of an earlier experiment that evaluated the effectiveness of the treatment program. Collaterals also provided follow-up information. Of thirteen variables examined, only two were associated with increased self-help group meeting attendance: having more years of education and having a major substance problem that did not include alcohol. No association was found between self-help group meeting attendance and treatment outcome regarding psychiatric problem severity or five other domains of the ASI. A moderate association was found indicating that more self-help group meeting attendance was related to improvements in the legal problems domain of the ASI. Implications are discussed for future research and for improving self-help group meeting attendance and its influence on treatment outcomes for individuals with dual diagnoses.

Adolescent↗
PubMedDate not supplied

Collimator-produced energy degradation of megavoltage x rays.

Monte Carlo computer calculations have been made to assess the effects of small collimators (i.e., output field sizes less than or equal to 1 cm) on megavoltage x-ray beams. Such collimators are often used in experiments to measure beam energy, half value layers, and other beam parameters. Our calculations demonstrate, however, that such procedures can introduce significant changes in these same parameters. Under certain conditions, more than 40% of the transmitted photons exiting the collimator do so with degraded energy. Optimum collimator design, however, can greatly reduce these effects. In particular, it is shown that the thickness of material required to effect a good collimator is not only dependent upon the photon energy, but also upon the size of the collimator hole.

Humans↗