Biomedical subjects
C Mason
Publications and source records attributed to C Mason.
Changing effects on erythrocyte sodium and potassium during the development of chronic renal failure with anaemia in rats.
Rats were studied 7 days and 17 days after the onset of renal failure which was induced by a surgical technique. Plasma urea, creatinine (PCr) and potassium had increased after 7 days; plasma potassium increased much more after 17 days but PCr was slightly lower. Renal failure caused resetting of erythropoietic control to a lower level of packed cell volume (PCV). After 7 days renal failure some rats had a low PCV, whereas others still had a normal PCV apparently due to slower erythrocyte destruction of pre-renal failure cells. After 7 days renal failure, rats with a normal PCV had an increased erythrocyte membrane leak to potassium that resulted in a low erythrocyte potassium [K+]RBC. This was accompanied by an increase in active sodium pump units [increased ouabain sensitive sodium flux (Fo) and its rate constant (ko)] that caused erythrocyte sodium ([Na+]RBC) to fall. The increased active pump units retarded the fall in [K+]RBC and may have extended the life of the normal erythrocytes in the renal failure environment. The PCV was below normal in all rats after 17 days renal failure. [K+]RBC was increased and since ko was normal there appeared to be compensation to produce erythrocytes with reduced membrane leak to potassium with longer standing renal failure. PCr was only related to PCV after 17 days renal failure and not in the earlier phase of erythrocyte destruction. The changes in erythrocyte membrane permeability were very significantly related to PCV after 17 days.
Absorption, deposition and distribution of dietary aluminium in immature rats: effects of dietary vitamin D3 and food-borne chelating agent.
We report the levels of aluminium, calcium and potassium in selected tissues of growing rats administered dietary or subcutaneous aluminium, and also the effect of dietary aluminium in combination with cholecalciferol, or with lactose plus a dietary chelating agent. Dietary aluminium decreased the growth rate of normal rats and increased the deposition of aluminium in the tissues. Animals given lactose with a dietary chelator showed a 17 - 100% increase in brain, heart, and muscle aluminium concentration in comparison with those fed aluminium alone. Animals fed both aluminium with cholecalciferol also showed increased levels (12-39%) of aluminium, chiefly in muscle and heart in comparison with those fed aluminium alone. Aluminium deposition was correlated positively with Ca2+ and K+ levels among each of these tissues. We conclude that in normal growing rats aluminium deposition is increased in heart and muscle in the presence of vitamin D3 and in brain, heart and muscle in the presence of lactose and a dietary chelating agent.
How successful is teaching on terminal care?
Teaching on terminal care in the Dundee University Medical School is being evaluated over the next 4 years (1985-89). The paper describes the present course and the intended procedures of evaluation. A pilot evaluation was conducted on a class of fourth-year students during the academic year 1984-85. Students' recall of factual information presented 2 years and also 2 terms prior to the pilot evaluation was acceptable although questions relating to pain relief were not well answered. When asked to rate ten areas of medical management from most to least satisfying and worrying, the majority of students saw both the care of the terminally ill and speaking with those about to face bereavement as relatively high on worry and low on satisfaction. The overall results of the pilot study challenged teachers to consider the cost-effectiveness of their chosen methods of teaching on terminal care.
Medicine and architecture: a new development in interdisciplinary teaching.
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The production and effects of uncertainty with special reference to diabetes mellitus.
Ninety-one patients of one consultant physician were followed up for 1 year. All were newly diagnosed as suffering from diabetes mellitus. Patients were found to be distressed by continuing uncertainties about the nature of the disease from which they suffered and about important aspects of self-management required of them. The 'doctor-centered' style of communication adopted by health professionals was not conducive to the resolution of these uncertainties.
The psychosexual histories of young women with bulimia.
While it is known that anorexia nervosa patients show a wide range of sexual knowledge, attitudes and practices, the psychosexual histories of bulimia patients have not been studied. In this paper the psychosexual histories of 20 bulimic patients and 20 matched control subjects are presented. Bulimic patients were more likely to experience orgasm with masturbation, were more likely to have experimented with anal intercourse, and were more likely to describe their libido as 'above average.' Control subjects were more likely to experience orgasm during sexual intercourse. Bulimic patients associated high body weights with unattractiveness, and tended to withdraw from social and sexual activity at high weights. In other aspects of their sexual behaviour, and in their attitudes to sexual matters, the two groups were similar.
General practice in the context of an undergraduate course in behavioural sciences.
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Management of an intraoral vascular malformation.
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Rubella susceptibility in young adults.
Despite widespread availability of rubella vaccine, a substantial group of young women remain at risk for delivery of infants with congenital rubella syndrome. In this study of 224 women students of childbearing age seen at a university gynecological clinic, 10.3 percent were shown serologically to have nonimmune rubella status. Of this group only five women returned for free immunization. Compliance and motivation appeared lacking. Patient history of infection or immunization was found to be unreliable; 59 percent of the sample population were uncertain of their immune status, and 32 percent showed poor understanding of rubella. Serological testing appears to be the only reliable test for detecting immune status.
Seizures in childhood lymphoblastic leukaemia patients.
Features of seizures in children with acute lymphoblastic leukaemia were examined in relation to the type of treatment received for central nervous system prophylaxis. Of the 1289 patients in the study, 132 (10%) had experienced one or more seizures. In 96 the seizures had not been associated with any recognisable aetiology and, with 3 exceptions, had been generalised or focal motor in type. Status epilepticus had occurred in one-third of the group with seizures. Initial seizure rates among patients in continuous complete remission were significantly related to the method of central nervous system prophylaxis. Those who had received intrathecal methotrexate repeatedly with or without moderate doses of methotrexate intravenously or prior prophylactic cranial irradiation had a 20-fold higher seizure risk during remission induction, and a 37-fold higher risk during the 6th to 12th month of therapy, than did those who had received irradiation and only five intrathecal injections of methotrexate early in the course of treatment. Other clinical factors associated with an increased frequency of seizures were escalation of intravenous methotrexate dosage following cranial irradiation and treatment of meningeal leukaemia with intrathecal methotrexate. Parenterally administered methotrexate thus seems to increase susceptibility to seizure development in childhood leukaemia patients.
A model for erythropoiesis in experimental chronic renal failure.
Chronic renal failure (CRF) in rats was induced by various subtotal nephrectomy procedures. Plasma creatinine concentrations ([Creat]p) were consistently elevated in partially nephrectomized (PNX) rats (P less than 0.001) and renal function ([Creat]p-1) was correlated with the amount of intact renal tissue (r = 0.624, P less than 0.001). Red blood cell (RBC) production in uraemic and non-uraemic rats was assessed using the recovery of packed cell volume (PCV) and the production of reticulocytes in response to acute blood loss (5, 10, 15 and 20 ml kg-1 body wt). PCV recovery was significantly delayed and failed to reach pre-bleed values for up to 28 d in PNX rats compared with full recovery within 8 d in controls. Linear relationships between the index of reticulocyte production (RP1) and blood loss induced falls in PCV were found in PNX (r = -0.679, P less than 0.001) and control rats (r = -0.696, P less than 0.001). The index of RBC production was lower in PNX rats compared with controls. This was attributed to a reduced erythropoietin (Ep) mediated reticulocyte response to acute blood loss in PNX rats. PNX rats developed a normocytic, normochromic form of anaemia in which the red blood cell volume (RBCV) and plasma volume (PV) were both appropriate for measured PCVs. The reduced RBC production response in experimental CRF may explain the development of anaemia in PNX rats, even though steady state erythropoiesis may eventually be established at a reduced level of PCV. Furthermore, the quantitative evaluation of RBC production in response to acute blood loss provides a further model for the assessment of agents which may stimulate erythropoiesis in CRF.
Current opinion concerning the treatment of heart disease. Report of a postal survey among Tayside general practitioners.
Using a postal questionnaire method of investigation, the views of Tayside general practitioners were examined with respect to the management of three hypothetical patients with ischaemic heart disease. In the case of a man showing symptoms suggestive of infarction, hospital care was preferred by the majority of doctors. Of three categories of employment, the person in a manual occupation would be advised by most doctors to change his job after a second serious infarction. The advice given to patients was orientated towards the risk factors associated with ischaemic heart disease. Such advice was general rather than specific and emphasized restriction of activities rather than return to normal life. Commonly held social stereotypes appeared to affect the advice which practitioners said they would offer. The implications of these findings are discussed.
Storage of seed in liquid nitrogen.
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Abstracts of state legislated hospital cost-containment programs.
This report summarizes State legislated efforts to control rising hospital costs and the status of these efforts in May 1982. The abstract for each of 17 State programs summarizes key legislative features and operating aspects. The States included in this report are: Arizona, California, Connecticut, Florida, Illinois, Maine, Maryland, Massachusetts, Minnesota, New Jersey, New York, Oregon, Rhode Island, Virginia, Washington, West Virginia, and Wisconsin, The abstracts focus on programs requiring the disclosure, review, or legislation of hospital rates and budgets.
Cytokinetically based induction chemotherapy and splenectomy for childhood acute nonlymphocytic leukemia.
A four-drug regimen, based on cell kinetic principles, induced complete remissions in 68 of 95 children (72%) with acute nonlymphocytic leukemia (ANLL). Patients entered remission after 2-5 weekly cycles of vincristine-daunorubicin (day 1) followed by sequential cytosine arabinoside and 6-azauridine (days 4-7). With continuation therapy of monthly vincristine-doxorubicin-cyclophosphamide, weekly cytosine arabinoside, and daily 6-mercaptopurine, the median duration of complete remission was 10 mo and the median survival time 21 mo. Portal triaditis, evident in 11 of 23 patients with liver biopsies, was associated with long remissions. A larger spleen size (greater than 5 cm) and a higher myeloblast labeling index (greater than 10%) at diagnosis were clearly related to shorter durations of remission. Splenectomy within 1 mo of remission had no statistically significant effect on the frequency of relapse or length of remission. Patients without central nervous system (CNS) leukemia at diagnosis, all treated prophylactically with intrathecal methotrexate, had a low frequency of initial CNS relapse (3/56, 5%). The 2-yr disease-free survival rate is 29% (20 of 68 patients attaining complete remission). fifteen patients have completed 2.5 yr of therapy, and each remains in continuous complete remission, off treatment, for 1+ -36+ mo. This induction chemotherapy was as effective as more intensive regimens, with the advantage of less toxicity and shorter periods of hospitalization.
Practical work in a behavioural sciences course.
This paper describes a recent change in the practical component of the Behavioural Sciences course at Dundee Medical School. Results obtained from an evaluation of the change appear to show that students' learning was enhanced by the new form of practical work.
The physiotherapist in the ESN(S) school.
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