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Biomedical subjects

C A Glass

Publications and source records attributed to C A Glass.

At least 37 records · Page 2Linked to original sources
PubMed1996

Prevention of preterm birth. Role of daily telephone contact.

OBJECTIVE: To compare the effectiveness of routine management of patients at high risk for preterm delivery to the effectiveness of routine management in combination with daily telephone nursing contact. STUDY DESIGN: The control group, 1 (n = 21), had education and frequent prenatal visits and cervical examinations. The study group, 2 (n = 21), had education, frequent prenatal visits and cervical examination, and daily telephone contact. Group 3 (n = 22) received education but refused to participate. RESULTS: There were no significant differences (SD) between groups in race, smoking, age, multiple gestation, visits, diagnosis of premature labor, mean days gained after diagnosis of premature labor, tocolytic use or bed rest. There was also no SD in preterm birth rate, mode of delivery, number of maternal or neonatal hospital days, mean neonatal weight or gestational age at delivery between groups. While not reducing the overall incidence of preterm birth, this management for all groups resulted in a more advanced gestational age at the time of delivery (mean change = 7.5 weeks, P < .0001) when compared to the patient's first preterm birth. CONCLUSION: This study indicated that daily contact, while providing reassurance and support, did not change the outcome when the study group was compared to women managed similarly but without daily contact.

Adolescent↗
PubMed1995

Factors associated with sexual functioning in women following spinal cord injury.

Research into sexuality following spinal cord injury (SCI) has tended to concentrate on male experiences and the physical capabilities for sexual intercourse. The sexuality of women following SCI has only recently been addressed and studies are limited to small numbers and the use of non-standardised measures. The present investigation utilised standard measures of affective state and body satisfaction together with pre and post-injury questionnaire information of sexual dysfunction, feelings about sex and importance of sexual activity in a group of 85 women with SCI. Sexual dysfunction increased significantly post-injury, whilst feelings about sex and it's importance were unaffected. Sexual dysfunction and the importance of sex were inversely correlated. General and Head satisfaction estimates were not significantly different to control samples, whilst Body Satisfaction was increased for women with disabilities. None of the body satisfaction measures were related to the sexual functioning measure. General dissatisfaction was associated depression. Both anxiety and depression were experienced by the same individuals, and anxiety related to current sexual dysfunction. Qualitative data supported previous findings concerning the effects of social and attitudinal barriers on sexual functioning.

Adolescent↗
PubMed1994

The latissimus dorsi/scapular bone flap (the "latissimus/bone flap").

During the past 4 years, our trauma and reconstructive service has treated a number of patients with lower extremity trauma involving the loss of both soft tissue and significant segments of tibia. While there are many methods for reconstruction of such defects, we became interested in providing a one-stage reconstruction of both the soft tissues and the missing bone segments. Since our standard flap for lower extremity reconstruction is a latissimus dorsi flap, we became interested in transferring a portion of the lateral border of the scapula along with the latissimus muscle. We dissected 34 cadaver scapulas in order to verify the reliability of the blood supply to the lateral border of the scapula based on the thoracodorsal artery. We then performed 12 "latissimus/bone flaps" from 1988 to 1992. Prior to flap transfer, control of the wound was obtained with surgical debridement and aggressive wound management. The flap usually was performed 5 to 7 days after initial contact with the patient. The muscle was skin grafted. All patients reported are ambulating, with x-ray evidence of bony incorporation of the transferred bone segment into the tibia. We feel that inclusion of the lateral scapula bone with the latissimus dorsi is a useful adjunct in the management of lower extremity trauma.

Adolescent↗
PubMed1993

The alpha-helical rod domain of human lamins A and C contains a chromatin binding site.

We examined regions of human lamins A and C involved in binding to surfaces of mitotic chromosomes. An Escherichia coli expression system was used to produce full-length lamin A and lamin C, and truncated lamins retaining the central alpha-helical rod domain (residues 34-388) but lacking various amounts of the amino-terminal 'head' and carboxy-terminal 'tail' domains. We found that lamin A, lamin C and lamin fragments lacking the head domain and tail sequences distal to residue 431 efficiently assembled into paracrystals and strongly associated with mitotic chromosomes. Furthermore, the lamin rod domain also associated with chromosomes, although efficient chromosome coating required the pH 5-6 conditions needed to assemble the rod into higher order structures. Biochemical assays showed that chromosomes substantially reduced the critical concentration for assembly of lamin polypeptides into pelletable structures. Association of the lamin rod with chromosomes was abolished by pretrypsinization of chromosomes, and was not seen for vimentin (which possesses a similar rod domain). These data demonstrate that the alpha-helical rod of lamins A and C contains a specific chromosome binding site. Hence, the central rod domain of intermediate filament proteins can be involved in interactions with other cellular structures as well as in filament assembly.

Animals↗
PubMed1993

The impact of home based ventilator dependence on family life.

Those who experience spinal trauma above the level of C4 require continued ventilation to keep them alive. Over the past 15 years considerable expertise has been developed in not only successfully treating these patients, but also returning them to their home environment with full ventilator support. Little objective evidence is available concerning the views of those who receive permanent ventilation and whether they or their relatives consider it would have been better to allow them to die. The present investigation examined the perceived value of returning home whilst still requiring ventilation, from the point of view of both the injured persons themselves and their nearest relatives. Objective analyses were made using the Family Environment Scale (Moos 1986) and a measure of affective state of the interaction patterns within each of the families. Although there was some alteration in affective state experienced in most families, the most important factors associated with adaptation appear to be the level of communication within the family and the degree of commitment between all family members.

Anxiety↗
PubMed1993

Maternal recall and medical records: an examination of events during pregnancy, childbirth, and early infancy.

It is not currently known whether sufficiently precise data on a previous pregnancy, labor and delivery, and early infancy can be obtained retrospectively. We conducted a telephone survey in 1991 of women who delivered babies between 1984 and 1986 at two teaching hospitals in Nashville, Tennessee, to assess how well mothers recall information on factors predictive of an adverse birth outcome. The survey yielded 102 usable responses that were compared with hospital records for mothers and infants. Overall, 89 percent agreement was found between women's responses and their charts. Respondents were not reluctant to answer potentially sensitive questions, and their technical knowledge was typically better for their own health than about some prenatal diagnostic procedures and their infants' health. We found no difference in recall accuracy according to whether mothers experienced some adversity with the index pregnancy. Accurate perinatal information can generally be obtained with a recall period as high as four to six years.

Data Collection↗
PubMed1992

Nucleotide sequence of diatom plasmids: identification of open reading frames with similarity to site-specific recombinases.

We have determined the nucleotide sequence of two small circular DNA plasmids, pCf1 and pCf2 [22], from the marine diatom Cylindrotheca fusiformis. pCf1 is 4273 bp, and pCf2 is 4079 bp in size. In each plasmid, all of the major open reading frames (ORFs) are encoded on the same DNA strand. Two ORFs are similar, comparing the two plasmids. ORF218 (pCf1) and ORF217 (pCf2) share 80% amino acid identity and ORF482 (pCf1) and ORF484 (pCf2) share 54% amino acid identity. ORF218/217 shows significant similarity (28-31% amino acid identity) to the Tn3 class of resolvases. Resolvases are most commonly found in bacterial transposons. However, two other features found in the Tn3 class of transposon are missing in the plasmids; an ORF encoding a transposase and terminal inverted repeat sequences. This, and data mapping the portions of the plasmids that hybridize to genomic chloroplast DNA, suggest that the plasmids do not contain active transposons. By analogy with the R46 plasmid from Enterobacter [5, 6], another potential role for the resolvases encoded by pCf1 and pCf2 is the conversion of multimeric forms of the plasmid to monomers. The similarity of ORF218/217 to resolvases documents the first identification of a potential coding function in an algal plasmid.

Amino Acid Sequence↗
PubMed1992

An investigation of the relationship between environmental factors and job satisfaction in intensive nursing, with particular reference to spinal trauma.

The literature concerning the effects of stress on health service professionals has increased rapidly over the past 10 years (eg Holland et al, Koran et al, Stone et al). The potential sources of such stresses are briefly reviewed and the involvement of the working environment as a source of stress is highlighted. The present investigation has examined the experience of 3 groups of nurses, working in spinal injuries, head injuries, and general medicine, using a standardised questionnaire devised by Moos. Significant differences were found between the 3 nurse groups on 3 subscales of the test (autonomy, innovation, and comfort), and the implications of the findings are discussed.

Adult↗
PubMed1992

Perceptual deprivation in the acute phase of spinal injury rehabilitation.

Patients in intensive care units are often reported to experience psychological disturbances which may be attributable to a number of well-researched causes. However, it is suggested that the total lack of proprioceptive and motor feedback after spinal trauma may be a significant factor in the genesis of these disturbances which are unique to this group of patients. All cases admitted to the Regional Spinal Injuries Centre in Southport from January 1987 through December 1990 were assessed (n = 187) and the conditions surrounding the occurrence of behavioural disturbances (n = 23, 12.3%) established. The level of interaction with relatives and significant others was established for all acute admissions, and low frequency was found to correlate significantly with the development of perceptual deprivation experiences. The effects of inadequate somatosensory input, lesion level, increasing age, and visitor variability for spinal patients is discussed and an algorithm presented to highlight the potential factors associated with aetiology and treatment of the problem. The implications of these findings for the future management of acute spinal trauma are discussed.

Adult↗
PubMed1992

Applying functional analysis to psychological rehabilitation following spinal cord injury.

There have been numerous attempts to categorize the responses of individuals to spinal trauma on the basis of generalized stage theories of grief reaction, and personality theory. A number of these studies are critically appraised and a behavioral model, based on functional analysis, is proposed as a more constructive framework for future research. Such an approach is applied clinically to the activities and development of the Clinical Psychology Service provided to the Mersey Regional Spinal Injuries Centre in Southport, England. A number of examples of clinical and research practice are included, highlighting the applicability of functional analysis to individual and systems level investigations.

Adaptation, Psychological↗
PubMed1991

CENP-B is a highly conserved mammalian centromere protein with homology to the helix-loop-helix family of proteins.

CENP-B is a centromere associated protein originally identified in human cells as an 80 kDa autoantigen recognized by sera from patients with anti-centromere antibodies (ACA). Recent evidence indicates that CENP-B interacts with centromeric heterochromatin in human chromosomes and may bind to a specific subset of human alphoid satellite DNA. CENP-B has not been unambiguously identified in non-primates and could, in principal, be a primate-specific alphoid DNA binding protein. In this work, a human genomic DNA segment containing the CENP-B gene was isolated and subjected to DNA sequence analysis. In vitro expression identified the site for translation initiation of CENP-B, demonstrating that it is encoded by an intronless open reading frame (ORF) in human DNA. A homologous mouse gene was also isolated and characterized. It was found to possess a high degree of homology with the human gene, containing an intronless ORF coding for a 599 residue polypeptide with 96% sequence similarity to human CENP-B. 5' and 3' flanking and untranslated sequences were conserved at a level of 94.6% and 82.7%, respectively, suggesting that the regulatory properties of CENP-B may be conserved as well. CENP-B mRNA was detected in mouse cells and tissues and an immunoreactive nuclear protein identical in size to human CENP-B was detected in mouse 3T3 cells using human ACA. Analysis of the sequence of CENP-B revealed a segment of significant similarity to a DNA binding motif identified for the helix-loop-helix (HLH) family of DNA binding proteins. These data demonstrate that CENP-B is a highly conserved mammalian protein that may be a member of the HLH protein family and suggest that it plays a role in a conserved aspect of centromere structure or function.

Amino Acid Sequence↗
PubMed1991

Spinal injury rehabilitation: do staff and patients agree on what they are talking about?

The psychological effects of spinal cord injury on patients themselves have been discussed in a number of articles, but few studies have been made of patients and staff, perceptions of the effectiveness of the treatment they receive and supply. An earlier investigation by the present authors showed that there were differences between the views of staff and of patients in terms of their understanding of rehabilitation. As a consequence, a number of procedural changes were implemented in the Spinal Unit, in an attempt to improve the information provided for patients and their relatives, and the selection and support of staff. Reanalysis of the staff and patients views of rehabilitation were carried out 12 months later using a standardised questionnaire and any changes in response were noted. The present findings are analysed, and the potential implications for other units are noted.

Analysis of Variance↗
PubMed1990

Screening impotence by home nocturnal tumescence self-monitoring.

Twenty subjects complaining of impotence were assessed using nocturnal penile tumescence (NPT), neurological, vascular and hormonal analysis. Subjects undertook NPT in both home and hospital environments: 10 hospital first and 10 home first. There were high levels of agreement between diagnosis using NPT in the two conditions and diagnosis from the physiological tests. There was a high correlation of frequency of erections between the home and hospital conditions, together with a high consecutive night reliability when using the monitor in the home condition (r = .94, p = .001).

Diagnosis, Differential↗
PubMed1990

In vitro posttranslational modification of lamin B cloned from a human T-cell line.

Autoimmune diseases are characterized by spontaneously occurring autoantibodies which have proven to be useful reagents for the characterization of specific nuclear proteins. Using a monoclonal autoantibody (72B9) derived from a murine lupus strain, we have cloned a cDNA from the human T-cell line MOLT-4, which encodes nuclear lamin B. The identity of the encoded protein as lamin B was established by both biochemical and immunological criteria. Inspection of the deduced amino acid sequence of lamin B revealed the presence in coil 1B of the alpha-helical domain of a leucine heptad repeat region. Analysis of mRNA in HL60 and MOLT-4 cells, which express only lamin B, or HeLa cells, which express all three major lamins (A, B, and C), together with the comigration of in vitro-translated product with isolated HeLa cell lamin B by two-dimensional gel electrophoresis, suggests that a single lamin B is expressed in mammalian somatic cells. In vitro translation with the cDNA clone revealed an EDTA-sensitive posttranslational modification which resulted in an increase in the apparent molecular weight to that equivalent to the native in vivo-synthesized lamin B protein. This in vitro modification included incorporation of a product of mevalonolactone and required an intact carboxy terminus.

Amino Acid Sequence↗
PubMed1989

Characterization of two immunoglobulin VH genes that are homologous to human rheumatoid factors.

We isolated a VH1 germline gene (Humhv1263) that is closely related to the heavy chains of 2 human rheumatoid factors (RF), Bor and Kas. We also found that the 783 rearranged VH1 gene is actually 91-93% homologous to Bor and Kas, and it differs from a VH1 complementary DNA (51P1) by only a single base. Thus, 783 is likely to be the unmutated form of a germline VH gene that may encode the heavy chains of RF Bor and Kas and several other human monoclonal RF.

Amino Acid Sequence↗
PubMed1987

Factors related to sexual functioning in male patients undergoing hemodialysis and with kidney transplants.

The sexual functioning of 13 male patients undergoing renal dialysis and 13 male patients who had received kidney transplants was compared. Standardized interviews were used to assess the frequency of intercourse before illness, during dialysis, and after transplantation and to assess sexual difficulties experienced during these periods. In addition, plethysmographic recordings of erection levels were obtained for three dialysis and three transplant patients at eight separate time periods corresponding to particular points in the dialysis cycle. Assessments of depression and anxiety (IDA scale) and renal functioning (Marital Patterns Test) were also carried out. Dialysis patients were less able to gain and maintain erections than transplant patients and intercourse was less frequent for couples where the husband was on dialysis. Dialysis patients were more depressed than transplant patients, although transplant patients showed greater levels of anxiety. More marital difficulties were experienced by patients on dialysis than patients who had received transplants. The implications of these findings for the treatment of sexual problems in these patients are discussed.

Adult↗