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Biomedical subjects

C Morgan

Publications and source records attributed to C Morgan.

268 records · Page 15Linked to original sources
PubMedDate not supplied

Seeking meaning and hope: self-reported spiritual and existential needs among an ethnically-diverse cancer patient population.

Spiritual beliefs and practices are believed to promote adjustment to cancer through their effect on existential concerns, including one's personal search for the meaning of life and death, and hope. This study sought to identify the nature, prevalence, and correlates of spiritual/existential needs among an ethnically-diverse, urban sample of cancer patients (n=248). Patients indicated wanting help with: overcoming my fears (51%), finding hope (42%), finding meaning in life (40%), finding spiritual resources (39%); or someone to talk to about: finding peace of mind (43%), the meaning of life (28%), and dying and death (25%). Patients (n=71) reporting five or more spiritual/existential needs were more likely to be of Hispanic (61%) or African-American (41%) ethnicity (vs. 25% White; p<0.001), more recently diagnosed (mean=25.6 vs. 43.7 months; p<0.02), and unmarried (49% vs. 34%; p<0.05), compared with those (n=123) reporting two or fewer needs. Treatment status, cancer site, education, gender, age, and religion were not associated with level of needs endorsement. Discriminant analysis found minority status to be the best predictor of high needs endorsement, providing 65% correct classification, p<0.001. Implications for the development and delivery of spiritual/existential interventions in a multi-ethnic oncology setting are discussed.

Adolescent↗
PubMedDate not supplied

The role of neuropeptides in the sacral autonomic reflex pathways of the cat.

Immunohistochemical and pharmacological studies were conducted to examine the origin and function of peptidergic nerves in the sacral autonomic system of the cat. Leucine-enkephalin (L-Enk) immunoreactivity was identified in nerve terminals in peripheral ganglia on the surface of the urinary bladder and in the parasympathetic nucleus in the sacral spinal cord. In colchicine-treated animals L-Enk was also detected in sacral preganglionic neurons (sPGN) identified by retrograde transport of a fluorescent dye. L-Enk terminals in bladder ganglia are believed to arise from sPGN since the terminals were eliminated by transection of the sacral ventral roots. Pharmacological studies indicated that exogenous as well as endogenously released enkephalins have an inhibitory action at both ganglionic and spinal sites in the sacral outflow to the urinary bladder. Peptides were also associated with afferents nerves in the sacral autonomic system. The distribution of substance P, VIP and cholecystokinin in the sacral dorsal horn paralleled the distribution of visceral afferent projections as demonstrated with HRP techniques. Dye labeling combined with immunohistochemistry revealed that some dorsal root ganglion cells projecting to the pelvic viscera contain substance P or VIP.

Animals↗
PubMedDate not supplied

AIDS campaign.

Explore the source record for details and available documents.

Acquired Immunodeficiency Syndrome↗
PubMedDate not supplied

Evaluation of a novel vitamin E coated cellulosic membrane hollow fiber dialyzer.

Adverse physiologic effects accompany hemodialysis. Biocompatible dialyzer membranes may both limit oxidative stress and decrease beta2-microglobulin production, thereby reducing patient morbidity. We compared standard solute clearance, lipid, and antioxidant effects of a novel cellulosic membrane dialyzer modified with covalently bonded vitamin E (Excebrane Clirans E15, Terumo Australia) with standard cellulosic and polysulphone membrane dialyzers. Stable adult hemodialysis patients taking no lipid lowering or antioxidant therapy (n = 17; 9 male, 8 female) were recruited into a 10 week, prospective, unblinded study. Measurements were made at baseline on their usual dialyzer and after 2, 4, and 10 weeks of Excebrane use. Excebrane demonstrated good in vivo clearance of standard solutes relative to surface area. Predialysis beta2-microglobulin levels were unchanged with time and were significantly lower postdialysis than with cellulose acetate (p < 0.05). Oxidized low density lipoprotein levels as measured by nitrotyrosine residues were high predialysis, but tended to decrease with both membranes (p > 0.05). Total antioxidant status fell during dialysis (p < 0.0005), but plasma vitamin A and E concentrations increased (p = 0.007 and p = 0.02, respectively). Baseline vitamin A levels were high in all patients and, along with vitamin E, total antioxidant status and lipid profiles did not change over time with Excebrane use. Excebrane is an efficient, biocompatible membrane with no deleterious effects on beta2-microglobulin or lipids. More long-term study is merited.

Adult↗
PubMedDate not supplied

Stereotactic brain surgery: a method for rapid and precise positioning of a target in the Todd-Wells stereotactic instrument.

We describe an improved method for positioning the head for stereotactic brain surgery of aneurysms. The method uses a mathematical calculation and requires some physical modifications in the Todd-Wells stereotactic apparatus. This procedure achieves (1) a reduction in the number of angiograms needed and (2) an increase in the speed and accuracy of positioning. The technique has been applied to operations on live dogs.

Humans↗
PubMedDate not supplied

Relationship of muscle capillary basement membrane thickness and diabetic retinopathy.

We examined the relationship between the thickness of the quadriceps muscle capillary basement membrane and diabetic retinopathy. Basement membrane thickness was measured in two groups of patients with long-standing type II diabetes mellitus. One group of patients (N = 13) had no evidence of diabetic retinopathy on fluorescein angiography, whereas the other (N = 12) had proliferative microvascular disease. All the patients were male, and both groups were of similar ages, duration of diabetes, serum creatinines, and glycemic control as reflected by HbA1 levels. Mean muscle capillary basement membrane width (+/- SE) of the patients with proliferative retinopathy (3346 +/- 262) was significantly greater (P less than .05) than that observed in the patients without retinopathy (2660 +/- 177). The results of this study suggest that there is a relationship between capillary basement membrane thickness in skeletal muscle and the severity of microangiopathy in the eye. However, there was a substantial overlap between the two groups, indicating that for any individual patient the measurement of muscle capillary basement width will probably not be useful in identifying the presence or absence of retinopathy.

Aged↗
PubMedDate not supplied

Spatial distribution of mast cells in chronic venous leg ulcers.

Chronic venous leg ulcers (CVUs) show chronic inflammation but different pathological changes occur in different parts of the ulcer. There is a lack of re-epithelialisation and defective matrix deposition in the ulcer base but epidermal hyperproliferation and increased matrix deposition in the surrounding skin. The role of mast cells in wound healing, inflammation, fibrosis and epidermal hyperproliferation has been extensively studied but less is known about their role in CVUs. In the present study, we investigated the distribution of mast cells in CVUs with specific consideration of the differences between the ulcer base and the skin surrounding the ulcer. Both histochemical and immunohistological methods were used to detect the mast cell marker tryptase in frozen sections of CVU biopsies. Mast cells were counted in the dermis of normal skin, in the ulcer base and in the skin surrounding the ulcer. Double immunofluorescence staining was used to study the location of mast cells in relation to blood vessels. In normal skin few mast cells were seen in the dermis but none in the epidermis. However in CVUs there was a significant increase in intact and degranulated mast cells in the surrounding skin and ulcer edge (184 per field, p<0.003) of CVUs and a significant reduction in the ulcer base (20.5 per field p<0.05) in comparison to normal skin (61 per field). In CVUs mast cells showed a characteristic location near the epithelial basement membrane whilst mast cell granules and phantom cells (mast cells devoid of granules) were predominantly seen in the epidermis. In the dermis, mast cells were seen associated with blood vessels. The marked increase in mast cells in the surrounding skin of CVUs and depletion of mast cells in the ulcer base could implicate mast cell mediators in the pathological changes in CVUs particularly in the epidermal and vascular changes occurring in the surrounding skin.

Cell Count↗