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Biomedical subjects

B Carlson

Publications and source records attributed to B Carlson.

15 recordsLinked to original sources
PubMed1992

An ergonomic evaluation of nursing assistants' job in a nursing home.

Thirty-eight nursing assistants (NAs) in a nursing home ranked and rated 16 different patient handling tasks for perceived stresses to the low back. The nursing assistants were observed for 79 4 h shifts and were videotaped for 14 4 h shifts to describe a typical workday and to determine the number of patient-handling tasks performed per shift, the use of assistive devices, and biomechanical stresses to the low back. In addition, data were collected on nursing assistants' and patients' characteristics. The top eight ranked tasks included transferring patient from toilet to wheelchair (WC), WC to toilet, WC to bed, bed to WC, bathtub to WC, chairlift to WC, weighing patients and lifting patients up in bed. The mean ratings of perceived exertion for these tasks were between 'somewhat hard' and 'hard'. The estimated compressive force on L5/S1 disc for the 50th percentile patient weight ranged from 3.7 to 4.9 KN. Nursing assistants worked in teams of two and performed 24 patient transfers per 8 h shift by manually lifting and carrying patients. Assistive devices (a hydraulic lift and gait belt) were used less than 2% of the time. Patient safety and comfort, lack of accessibility, physical stresses associated with the devices, lack of skill, increased transfer time, and lack of staffing were some of the reasons for not using these assistive devices. Environmental barriers (such as confined workplaces, an uneven floor surface, lack of adjustability of beds, stationary railings around the toilet, etc.) made the job more difficult. Nursing assistants had a high prevalence of low-back pain and 51% of nursing assistants visited a health care provider in the last three years for work related low-back pain.

Accidents, Occupational↗
PubMed1992

Heterologous expression and secretion of a Streptomyces scabies esterase in Streptomyces lividans and Escherichia coli.

The esterase gene from Streptomyces scabies FL1 was cloned and expressed in Streptomyces lividans on plasmids pIJ486 and pIJ702. In S. lividans, the esterase gene was expressed during later stages of growth and was regulated by zinc, as is seen with S. scabies. The 36-kDa secreted form of the esterase was purified from S. lividans. N-terminal amino acid sequencing indicated that the processing site utilized in S. lividans for the removal of the signal sequence was the same as that recognized for processing in S. scabies. Western blots (immunoblots) revealed the presence of a 40-kDa precursor form of the esterase in cytoplasmic extracts. A 23-amino-acid deletion was introduced into the putative signal sequence for the esterase. When this deleted form of the esterase was expressed in S. lividans, a cytoplasmic 38-kDa precursor protein was produced but no secreted esterase was detected, suggesting the importance of the deleted sequence for efficient processing and secretion. The esterase gene was also cloned into the pUC119 plasmid in Escherichia coli. By using the lac promoter sequence, the esterase gene was expressed, and the majority of the esterase was localized to the periplasmic space.

Alkaline Phosphatase↗
PubMed1989

Non-erotic self-choking in five psychiatric inpatients.

Recurrent self-choking without suicidal intent has received limited attention in the literature; most reports have focused on the sexual nature of the behavior. The authors describe five psychiatric inpatients who engaged in repeated non-erotic self-choking. Similarities in clinical features of the cases include a history of substance abuse (including abuse of volatile substances), aggressive behaviors, a chronic history of psychotic symptoms leading to repeated long-term hospitalizations, and a sense of relief or pleasure, but no overt sexual stimulation, caused by self-choking. The possible role of limbic system dysfunction in this behavior is considered.

Adult↗
PubMed1987

Removal of benign intraoral masses using the CO2 laser.

Benign soft tissue lesions of the mouth can be removed using the CO2 laser. This type of laser surgery is faster and offers less postoperative complication as compared with conventional surgery and electrosurgery. Presently, the CO2 laser can be used for intraoral biopsy of benign masses, gingivectomies, and frenectomies.

Adult↗
PubMed1986

Increased phenylalanine incorporation in regenerating skeletal muscle grafts.

Skeletal muscle regenerates following grafting, but little is known about protein synthesis and its regulation during regeneration. We determined the sequence of changes in protein synthesis in rat extensor digitorum longus (EDL) muscle by the measurement of phenylalanine (Phe) incorporation into muscle protein at various times after grafting. Compared with control EDL, Phe incorporation in grafts doubled in 1 day, was four- to eight-fold greater from days 2 to 10 after grafting, and then subsided. Tissue mass (wet weight) increased rapidly from days 7 to 20 in EDL grafts. The maximal increase in protein synthesis occurred 7-10 days after grafting, whether or not the nerve was left intact. Autoradiography indicated that incorporated radioactivity was associated with regenerating muscle fibers on day 10. Deficiencies of insulin, pituitary or testicular hormones, or chronic in vivo administration of insulin, growth hormone, testosterone, or tri-iodothyronine did not substantially alter the elevation in incorporation of the Phe into muscle protein 10 days after grafting. The breakdown of EDL protein, measured in vitro simultaneously with protein synthesis, was increased five-fold, and overall protein degradation was elevated six-fold 10 days after grafting. These findings indicate that Phe incorporation is rapidly elevated following grafting of the EDL, and that by days 7-10 reflects synthesis in regenerating muscle fibers. The increase in protein synthesis associated with muscle regeneration at this time appears to be independent of innervation and anabolic hormones.

Animals↗
PubMed1985

Comparison of isometric exercise and high volt galvanic stimulation on quadriceps femoris muscle strength.

The purpose of this study was to compare the effectiveness of both high volt galvanic current (HVG) and isometric exercise to strengthen the quadriceps femoris muscles in 17 healthy subjects. The subjects were divided into three groups. The Control Group (n = 6) received no exercise or stimulation. The Isometric Exercise Group (n = 5) performed 15 sessions of maximum isometric contractions, and the Electrical Stimulation Group (n = 6) engaged in 15 sessions of electrically stimulated isometric contractions. The Isometric Exercise Group was found to have an increase in strength significantly greater (p less than .05) than either the Control or Electrical Stimulation Group. No increase in strength was observed in either the Control or Electrical Stimulation Group. This study indicates that HVG stimulation is not as effective as isometric exercise in increasing strength in muscle.

Adult↗
PubMed1976

Neutralizing antibodies against Escherichia coli and Vibrio cholerae enterotoxins in human milk from a developing country.

By means of the adrenal cell assay and the rabbit small-bowel loop technique enterotoxin-neutralizing antibodies were demonstrated in all investigated milk samples from severely undernourished Pakistani women but, with a single exception, not in milk from Swedish mothers. The antibodies belonged to the IgA and IgG classes as observed in an enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay, which also revealed secretory component on specific enterotoxin antibodies, showing that the IgA antibodies were primarily of the secretory type. The epidemiological stituation and experimental data strongly indicate that Escherichia coli enterotoxin rather than immunologically cross-reactive Vibrio cholerae toxin in most cases constituted the antigenic stimulus for the milk antibodies. The presence in the milk of the Pakistani mothers of secretory IgA antibodies against an important diarrheogenic agent may have practical importance for protection of the breast-fed baby and probably also illustrates the frequent intestinal exposure of these women to enterotoxinogenic bacteria. Since enterotoxin antigen is presumed not to enter deeper tissues, the demonstration of secretory antibodies in milk agrees with a proposed homing of intestinally triggered lymphocytes to the mammary gland.

Antibodies, Bacterial↗