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Biomedical subjects

C Turner

Publications and source records attributed to C Turner.

At least 73 records · Page 4Linked to original sources
PubMed1999

Paradoxical effects of serotonin and opioids in pemoline-induced self-injurious behavior.

Self-injurious behavior (SIB) is a symptom of various psychiatric disorders with differing etiologies. Although no generally effective pharmacological treatment of SIB is available, subsets of individuals exhibiting SIB have been found to respond to opioid antagonists and selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors (SSRIs). The present study evaluated the efficacy of these two treatments in the pemoline-induced model of self-biting behavior (SBB) in rats. Using a factorial design, adult rats receiving daily pemoline at 100 mg/kg or the peanut oil vehicle were pretreated with either distilled water vehicle (1 cc/kg), naltrexone (1 mg/kg), or paroxetine (1 mg/kg). Each day, animals were rated on the severity of SBB and also periodically behavioral changes were evaluated using various other outcome measures. Paroxetine significantly increased the severity of SBB induced by pemoline, while naltrexone only marginally increased the SBB. These results were not expected and suggest that further studies into the role of serotonin agonists and antagonists are needed in evaluating this model.

Amphetamine↗
PubMed1999

Evaluating a clinical partnership model for undergraduate nursing students.

Since the transfer of nurse education to the tertiary sector in Australia there have been many challenges associated with the selection, administration and facilitation of clinical experiences for undergraduate nursing students. The School of Nursing at Australian Catholic University, McAuley Campus, planned and implemented a partnership model for clinical practice with the aim of improving current methods and overcoming some of the problems previously experienced. Evaluation of the model was conducted during the first year of implementation. An interpretive approach involving academic staff, clinical affiliates and students was used to evaluate the model. Thematic analysis of the data revealed three major themes of familiarity, acceptance and trust and supportive learning environments. It was found that students had been supported in their learning environment through the clinical affiliates commitment to teaching and learning, linkage of theory and practice and credibility as practising clinicians.

Attitude of Health Personnel↗
PubMed1999

Laboratory-scale inactivation of African swine fever virus and swine vesicular disease virus in pig slurry.

Two methods were evaluated for the inactivation of African swine fever (ASV) and swine vesicular disease (SVD) viruses in pig slurry: chemical treatment and heat treatment. The addition of NaOH or Ca(OH)2 at different concentration/time combinations at 4 degrees C and 22 degrees C was examined, as was virus stability at different temperature/time combinations. ASF virus (ASFV) was less resistant to both methods than SVD virus (SVDV). In slurry from one source, ASFV was inactivated at 65 degrees C within 1 min, whereas SVDV required at least 2 min at 65 degrees C. However, it was found that thermal inactivation depended on the characteristics of the slurry used. Addition of 1% (w/v) of NaOH or Ca(OH)2 caused the inactivation of ASFV within 150 s at 4 degrees C; 0.5% (w/v) NaOH or Ca(OH)2 required 30 min for inactivation. NaOH or Ca(OH)2 (1% (w/v)) was not effective against SVDV at 22 degrees C after 30 min, and 1.5% (w/v) NaOH or Ca(OH)2 caused inactivation of SVDV at both 4 degrees C and 22 degrees C. At higher chemical concentrations or temperatures, ASFV and SVDV inactivation was faster in slurry than in buffered medium.

African Swine Fever Virus↗
PubMed1999

Recovery and assay of African swine fever and swine vesicular disease viruses from pig slurry.

Assaying samples for infectious virus is more difficult when the sample is toxic to cells used in the assay, e.g. with samples of infected pig slurry. Various techniques were compared for the recovery of African swine fever virus (ASFV) and swine vesicular disease virus (SVDV) in pig slurry. Extraction with Freon led to 80-100% recovery of SVDV added to pig slurry. The assay sensitivity enabled undiluted, centrifuged sample to be put directly onto monolayers of IB-RS2 cells, allowing a minimum detection level of 100.7 pfu ml-1. ASFV was difficult to recover intact, and the best technique allowed a recovery of 60% with a minimum detectable level of 101.8 HAD50 ml-1, due to toxicity to the cells at low sample dilutions. Extraction with the addition of an equal volume of ox serum to inoculated slurry was best at recovering ASFV. Poor recoveries with the other techniques may have been due to the inactivation of the virus while in the slurry rather than as a result of the inability of the method to extract ASFV.

African Swine Fever Virus↗
PubMed1999

Effects of allopurinol, erythro-9-(2-hydroxy-3-nonyl)adenine and S-(4-nitrobenzyl)-6-thioinosine on the degradation of adenosine 5'-triphosphate in the rat colon muscularis mucosae.

The effects on ATP breakdown of some modulators of adenosine transport or metabolism were studied in the rat colon muscularis mucosae, a tissue which contracts to ATP and is thought to contain P2Y1 receptors. The compounds tested were the xanthine oxidase inhibitor allopurinol, the adenosine deaminase inhibitor erythro-9-(2-hydroxy-3-nonyl)adenine (EHNA) and the adenosine uptake blocker S-(4-nitrobenzyl)-6-thioinosine (NBTI). The degradation of adenosine 5'-triphosphate (ATP) (100 microM) and the appearance of metabolites was followed by high pressure liquid chromatography during incubation of isolated tissue preparations alone or in the presence of the drugs, following preincubation with the drugs for 1 h. In the absence of drugs ATP was rapidly degraded by the rat colon muscularis mucosae with a half-life of 6.1 +/- 0.7 min, the major breakdown product being inosine rather than adenosine. Allopurinol (1 microM) and NBTI (10 microM) had no effect on the rate of breakdown of ATP or on the pattern of metabolites produced. EHNA (1 or 10 microM) also had no effect on the half-life of ATP, but in the presence of EHNA (1 microM) the rate of production of inosine was significantly reduced and some adenosine was detected, while in the presence of 10 microm EHNA the production of inosine was abolished and adenosine became the final breakdown product. These results indicate that allopurinol (1 microM) and NBTI (10 microM) have no detectable effect on extracellular purine metabolism in this tissue, and that the build-up of adenosine produced by treatment with EHNA does not have a feedback effect on ATP breakdown.

Adenine↗
PubMed1999

Pilot scale thermal treatment of pig slurry for the inactivation of animal virus pathogens.

This paper describes a pilot scale treatment plant that has been designed and built for the thermal inactivation in pig slurry of two viruses that infect pigs--African swine fever virus (ASFV) and swine vesicular disease virus (SVDV). The plant treats pig slurry continuously at a rate of up to 100 litres/hour and functions by heating the slurry, maintaining at least 99.99% of the slurry at the required temperature for a minimum period of 5 minutes, and then recovering the heat to raise the temperature of the incoming slurry. Results obtained indicated that SVDV was inactivated in pig slurry to below detectable levels with an alkaline pH (pH 7.5 to 8, as is usually the case) at a temperature of between 50 and 55 degrees C. In acidified slurry (pH 6.4), inactivation occurred between 55 and 60 degrees C. The difference in inactivation temperatures was probably due to the presence of free ammonia in the unacidified slurry. ASFV was inactivated by operating the plant at a temperature of 53 degrees C at a pH of 8.

African Swine Fever↗
PubMed1999

Adrenal insufficiency in septic shock.

BACKGROUND: Functional adrenal insufficiency has been documented in critically ill adults. OBJECTIVE: To document the incidence of adrenal insufficiency in children with septic shock, and to evaluate its effect on catecholamine requirements, duration of intensive care, and mortality. SETTING: Sixteen-bed paediatric intensive care unit in a university hospital. METHODS: Thirty three children with septic shock were enrolled. Adrenal function was assessed by the maximum cortisol response after synthetic adrenocorticotropin stimulation (short Synacthen test). Insufficiency was defined as a post-Synacthen cortisol increment < 200 nmol/l. RESULTS: Overall mortality was 33%. The incidence of adrenal insufficiency was 52% and children with adrenal insufficiency were significantly older and tended to have higher paediatric risk of mortality scores. They also required higher dose vasopressors for haemodynamic stability. In the survivor group, those with adrenal insufficiency needed a longer period of inotropic support than those with normal function (median, 3 v 2 days), but there was no significant difference in duration of ventilation (median, 4 days for each group) or length of stay (median, 5 v 4 days). Mortality was not significantly greater in children with adrenal insufficiency than in those with adequate adrenal function (6 of 17 v 5 of 16, respectively). CONCLUSION: Adrenal insufficiency is common in children with septic shock. It is associated with an increased vasopressor requirement and duration of shock.

Adolescent↗
PubMed1999

Diagnostic markers of infection: comparison of procalcitonin with C reactive protein and leucocyte count.

BACKGROUND: Procalcitonin has been advocated as a marker of bacterial infection. OBJECTIVE: To evaluate diagnostic markers of infection in critically ill children, comparing procalcitonin with C reactive protein and leucocyte count in a paediatric intensive care unit (PICU). METHODS: Procalcitonin, C reactive protein, and leucocyte count were measured in 175 children, median age 16 months, on admission to the PICU. Patients were classified as: non-infected controls (43); viral infection (14); localised bacterial infection without shock (25); bacterial meningitis/encephalitis (10); or septic shock (77). Six children with "presumed septic shock" (without sufficient evidence of infection) were analysed separately. Optimum sensitivity, specificity, predictive values, and area under the receiver operating characteristic (ROC) curve were evaluated. RESULTS: Admission procalcitonin was significantly higher in children with septic shock (median 94.6; range 3.3-759.8 ng/ml), compared with localised bacterial infection (2.9; 0-24.3 ng/ml), viral infection (0.8; 0-4.4 ng/ml), and non-infected controls (0; 0-4.9 ng/ml). Children with bacterial meningitis had a median procalcitonin of 25.5 (7.2-118.4 ng/ml). Area under the ROC curve was 0.96 for procalcitonin, 0.83 for C reactive protein, and 0.51 for leucocyte count. Cut off concentrations for optimum prediction of septic shock were: procalcitonin > 20 ng/ml and C reactive protein > 50 mg/litre. A procalcitonin concentration > 2 ng/ml identified all patients with bacterial meningitis or septic shock. CONCLUSION: In critically ill children the admission procalcitonin concentration is a better diagnostic marker of infection than C reactive protein or leucocyte count. A procalcitonin concentration of 2 ng/ml might be useful in differentiating severe bacterial disease in infants and children.

Adolescent↗
PubMed1999

Parent-offspring trios: a resource to facilitate the identification of type 2 diabetes genes.

The transmission disequilibrium test with use of trios (an affected proband with both parents) is a robust method for assessing the role of gene variants in disease that avoids the problem of population stratification that may confound conventional case/control studies and allows the detection of parent-of-origin effects. Trios have played a major role in defining genes in a number of polygenic conditions, including type 1 diabetes. We assessed the prevalence, clinical characteristics, and suitability for defining type 2 susceptibility genes of European type 2 diabetes trios. In a Caucasian population in the U.K., only 2.5% of type 2 patients had both parents alive. Using a nationwide strategy, we collected 182 trios defined by strict clinical criteria. Immunological and genetic testing resulted in the exclusion of 25 trios as a result of latent autoimmune diabetes (n = 13), inconsistent family relationships (n = 7), and maternally inherited diabetes and deafness (n = 5). The 157 remaining probands had similar treatment requirements to familial type 2 diabetic subjects but presented at a younger age, were more obese, and more frequently had affected parents. Using this resource, we have not found any evidence for linkage disequilibrium between type 2 diabetes and the glucokinase gene markers GCK1 and GCK2 and the chromosome 20 marker D20S197. We conclude that European type 2 diabetes trios are difficult to collect but provide an important additional approach to dissecting the genetics of type 2 diabetes.

Adult↗
PubMed1999

An analysis of the demand for and cost of preimplantation genetic diagnosis in the United Kingdom.

Research in the field of preimplantation genetic diagnosis (PGD) has concentrated on increasing the number of diseases diagnosed, different strategies for single cell analysis and improving efficiency and reliability. Of equal importance are clinical issues such as the demand for and cost of PGD. This study assesses patient awareness of PGD and its potential benefits; additionally the awareness, attitudes and referral patterns of Assisted Conception Units, Regional Genetics Centres and Health Authorities (funding bodies) have been analysed to establish the demand for PGD within the United Kingdom. The licensed units are able to perform 128 cycles of PGD annually, however 256 cases were referred within the last year. It is clear that the currently licensed units operating at their present capacity are unable to meet the demand for PGD in the U.K. Concerns raised by this study include the unequal geographical distribution of PGD services and the lack of a uniform funding policy by Health Authorities. The investment in personnel and technology to establish a PGD service is considered and a costing provided. We estimate an initial investment in the region of 139,000 Pounds with annual running costs of 55,000 Pounds. This information should contribute towards an appropriate allocation of resources at a national level in the U.K.

Awareness↗
PubMed1999

Mouth care practices in nursing and research-based education: an historical analysis of instructional nursing texts 1870-1997.

In this paper we examine 68 nursing textbooks published between 1870 and 1997 to examine the historical background to contemporary mouth care practice(s) in nursing and the extent to which they are based on research evidence. The analysis shows that, although there has been some variation in the types of equipment and preparations recommended for use over the past 120 years, descriptions of the actual nursing practices themselves have not varied greatly; nor has the discourse varied noticeably. Since the 1970s, there is a progressive increase in references to research. However, the instructional style and discursive frames in which mouth care is discussed reflect an approach to body care that is relatively unchanged in over a century. Individual nursing practices appear as decontextualised and procedurally oriented. With the exception of assessment techniques, written accounts of mouth care practices do not reflect the influence of more recent conceptual or rhetorical standpoints in nursing.

Education, Nursing↗
PubMed1998

Relocation of the t-SNARE SNAP-23 from lamellipodia-like cell surface projections regulates compound exocytosis in mast cells.

For regulated secretion, mast cells and several other cell types utilize compound exocytosis, a combination of granule-plasma membrane and granule-granule fusions. The molecular machinery that controls this massive export process has not been identified. We report that SNAP-23, a t-SNARE related to SNAP-25, relocates in response to stimulation from plasma membrane lamellipodia-like projections to granule membranes in permeabilized mast cells. While relocation is a prerequisite for secretion, it can occur without membrane fusion and will expedite a subsequent secretory response. After relocation, SNAP-23 is required for exocytosis, implying a crucial role in promoting membrane fusion. Thus, relocation of this SNARE regulates compound exocytosis and links granule-plasma membrane and granule-granule fusions.

Animals↗
PubMed1998

Insect juvenile hormone resistance gene homology with the bHLH-PAS family of transcriptional regulators.

Juvenile hormone analog (JHA) insecticides are relatively nontoxic to vertebrates and offer effective control of certain insect pests. Recent reports of resistance in whiteflies and mosquitoes demonstrate the need to identify and understand genes for resistance to this class of insect growth regulators. Mutants of the Methoprene-tolerant (Met) gene in Drosophila melanogaster show resistance to both JHAs and JH, and previous biochemical studies have demonstrated a mechanism of resistance involving an intracellular JH binding-protein that has reduced ligand affinity in Met flies. We cloned the Met+ gene by transposable P-element tagging and found reduced transcript level in several mutant alleles, showing that underproduction of the normal gene product can lead to insecticide resistance. Transformation of Met flies with a Met+ cDNA resulted in susceptibility to methoprene, indicating that the cDNA encodes a functional Met+ protein. MET shows homology to the basic helix-loop-helix (bHLH)-PAS family of transcriptional regulators, implicating MET in the action of JH at the gene level in insects. This family also includes the vertebrate dioxin receptor, a transcriptional regulator known to bind a variety of environmental toxicants. Because JHAs include a diverse array of chemicals with JH activity, a mechanism whereby they can exert effects in insects through a common pathway is suggested.

Amino Acid Sequence↗
PubMed1998

A randomized trial comparing Arglaes (a transparent dressing containing silver ions) to Tegaderm (a transparent polyurethane dressing) for dressing peripheral arterial catheters and central vascular catheters.

The purpose of this trial was to prepare for a large randomized trial comparing Arglaes film dressing, a recent innovation containing silver ions, against Tegaderm, a transparent polyurethane dressing. Thirty-one patients admitted to the intensive care unit and requiring the insertion of an arterial line or central venous catheter were recruited into the study. Skin swabs were taken from the insertion sites prior to catheterization and on removal of the intravascular device to measure skin colonization rate between the two dressings. The catheter tips were also cultured on removal to establish if there was a difference between the two groups. No statistical differences were found in bacterial growth between the two dressings.

Adolescent↗
PubMed1998

Oral health status of Russian children with unilateral cleft lip and palate.

OBJECTIVE: To evaluate the oral and dental health of Russian children who underwent Frolova primary palatoplasty. DESIGN: Eighty-nine children (62 boys and 27 girls; age range, 5 to 9 years) who had undergone repair of unilateral cleft lip and palate were included in this oral/dental evaluation. Factors such as stage of dentition; oral hygiene; carious, missing and restored teeth; and occlusion were recorded. RESULTS: Twenty-six of the 89 patients presented with a palatal fistula. Oral hygiene of patients without a palatal fistula was significantly better than that of patients with a fistula (p < .01). Forty-five percent of patients had eight or more decayed teeth. Significantly more patients with palatal fistulae had class II soft tissue facial profiles than those without palatal fistulae. Anterior crossbites were found in 48% of patients, unilateral posterior crossbites in 58%, and bilateral posterior crossbites in 12%. CONCLUSIONS: The high percentage of poor oral hygiene and dental caries found in this group of patients is likely due to the general unavailability of dental hygiene products and the high cost of these products when available. In addition, it seems there is limited understanding by parents of the importance of dental hygiene and appropriate diet in preventing dental disease.

Child↗
PubMed1998

Central effects of the H1-antihistamine, cetirizine.

BACKGROUND: Effects of the H1-antihistamine, cetirizine, were studied on daytime alertness and performance to establish whether the drug would be suitable for use by air personnel and others involved in skilled activity. METHODS: The investigation was carried out in six healthy volunteers, and the effects of the drug (5, 10, and 15 mg) were studied on sleep latency, subjective sleepiness, digit symbol substitution, tracking and vigilance from 0.5 h to 7.5 h after ingestion. The study was placebo-controlled and double-blind with a six-way cross-over design. Promethazine (10 mg) was used as an active control to establish the sensitivity of the experimental procedures. RESULTS: Promethazine (10 mg) decreased the mean level of vigilance over the day, increased objective and subjective sleepiness from 1.5 to 5.5 h, and impaired tracking 5.5 h after ingestion. Cetirizine (10 and 15 mg) led to shortened sleep latencies over the day, and at 7.5 h sleep latencies were shorter with 10 mg cetirizine than with placebo. Subjective sleepiness with cetirizine was increased compared with placebo after 5 mg at 1.5 h, 10 mg at 7.5 h, and 15 mg at 5.5 h and when meaned over the day. Tracking was impaired with 5 and 15 mg cetirizine 0.5 h after ingestion. CONCLUSION: The study failed to establish dose-response effects of cetirizine, but it is evident that cetirizine is not free of central activity over the therapeutic range, and so its use by air personnel is not recommended.

Administration, Oral↗