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Biomedical subjects

D B Martin

Publications and source records attributed to D B Martin.

At least 19 recordsLinked to original sources
PubMed2001

From genomics to proteomics: techniques and applications in cancer research.

New technologies designed to facilitate the comprehensive analyses of genomes, transcriptomes and proteomes in health and disease are poised to exert a dramatic change on the pace of cancer research and to impact significantly on the care of cancer patients. These approaches have already demonstrated the power of molecular medicine in discriminating among disease subtypes that are not recognizable using traditional pathological criteria and in identifying specific genetic events involved in cancer progression. This review outlines the current status of these technologies and highlights recent studies in which they have been applied in the context of carcinogenesis.

Affinity Labels↗
PubMed2000

Effects of the revised HCFA evaluation and management guidelines on inpatient teaching.

OBJECTIVE: In 1996, the Health Care Financing Administration (HCFA) introduced new evaluation and management (E&M) guidelines mandating more intensive supervision and documentation by attending physicians. We assessed the effects of the guidelines on inpatient teaching. DESIGN: Pretest-posttest, nonequivalent control group design. SETTING: A university hospital and an affiliated county hospital where the guidelines were implemented and an affiliated VA medical center where they were not. PARTICIPANTS: Sixty-one full-time faculty who had attended on the general medical wards for at least 1 month for 2 of 3 consecutive years prior to July 1996 and for at least 1 month during the 18 following months. MEASUREMENTS AND MAIN RESULTS: We evaluated standardized, confidential evaluations of attending physicians that are routinely completed by residents and students after clinical rotations at all three sites. Comparing 863 evaluations completed before July 1, 1996 and 497 completed after that date, there were no significant differences at any of the hospitals on any items assessed. There were also no differences between the university and county hospitals as compared with the VA. Eighty-seven percent of 39 university and county attending physicians returned a survey about their perceptions of inpatient teaching activities before and after July 1, 1996. They reported highly significant increases in time devoted to attending responsibilities but diminished time spent on teaching activities. CONCLUSIONS: Physicians reported a dramatic increase in overall time spent attending but a decrease in time spent teaching following implementation of the revised E&M guidelines. Yet, evaluations of their teaching effectiveness did not change.

Adult↗
PubMed1995

Head injury as a risk factor in Alzheimer's disease.

Several case-control studies have reported head injury to be more common among patients with Alzheimer's disease (AD) than healthy elderly controls. The present study sought to determine whether milder head injury is also a risk factor for AD. Furthermore, it was hypothesized that head injury would be more common among AD patients without a genetic risk for the disease. History of head injury in 68 consecutive cases of probable or definite AD and 34 non-demented control subjects was ascertained from their spouses. Head injury was reported in 20 of the AD patients (29%), and in only one control subject (2.9%) (odds ratio = 13.75). Twenty per cent of the familial and 43.5% of the sporadic AD cases reportedly had a premorbid head injury (odds ratio = 3.08). Head injury had no effect on age of dementia onset. The results indicate that head trauma may be a predisposing factor to AD, particularly in the absence of a clear genetic contribution.

Aged↗
PubMed1991

Dioctanoylglycerol regulation of cytosolic Ca2+ by protein kinase C-independent mechanism in HIT T-15 islet cells.

The effect of activators of protein kinase C (PKC) on cytosolic concentration of free Ca2+ [( Ca2+]i) was assessed in insulin-secreting islet cell line HIT T-15. Dioctanoylglycerol (DiC8) and 12-O-tetradecanoylphorbol-13-acetate (TPA) evoked activation of PKC. Basal [Ca2+]i was 65-160 nM. DiC8 induced triphasic increases in [Ca2+]i; phase 2 was the most prominent and consistent one. With 25-150 microM DiC8, [Ca2+]i increased in a dose-dependent manner during phase 2; half-maximal stimulatory dose was 53 microM. TPA did not evoke any increase in [Ca2+]i. Staurosporine, sphingosine, and H7, which are inhibitors of PKC, did not block DiC8-induced rise in [Ca2+]i. DiC8-induced rise in [Ca2+]i was also seen in cells that had been depleted of PKC by prior exposure to TPA. DiC8-induced rise in [Ca2+]i still occurred in the presence of the Ca(2+)-channel blocker verapamil or when the extracellular Ca2+ had been reduced from 2.5 mM to 30 nM by EGTA. Three immediate metabolites of DiC8, monooctanoylglycerol, octanoate, and glycerol, did not evoke any change in [Ca2+]i. Monooleoylglycerol and R59022, which induce increases in endogenous diacylglycerol (DAG) by inhibiting DAG kinase, evoked increases in [Ca2+]i. DiC8 did not cause any change in inositol 1,4,5-trisphosphate levels. DiC8 evoked biphasic increases in insulin release; the second-phase increase in [Ca2+]i preceded the late phase of insulin secretion. Exogenous DAGs should be used with caution in assessing PKC function. Changes in the generation in DAGs must be included among the mechanisms by which Ca2+ homeostasis is regulated in islet cells.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)

1-(5-Isoquinolinesulfonyl)-2-Methylpiperazine↗
PubMed1989

A new device for balloon inflation during valvuloplasty: a preliminary report.

A new device using a lever concept has been designed to facilitate rapid inflation and deflation of balloons during valvuloplasty. This report summarizes and illustrates the design features of the balloon inflation device as well as in vitro results of testing of times for balloon inflation, deflation, and bursting.

Catheterization↗
PubMed1989

Shigellosis occurring in newborn nursery staff.

Shigellosis is uncommon in the newborn nursery. We describe a case of Shigella sonnei gastroenteritis occurring in a newborn. Three of 32 health care providers caring for the infant acquired shigellosis. The neonate probably acquired the infection from its mother via vertical transmission. All six members of the infant's family had gastroenteritis and two siblings had stool cultures positive for Shigella. Transmission of Shigella in the newborn nursery is potentially great. Emphasis on handwashing and glove use, aggressive case finding, notification of contacts, and a liberal "forced paid sick time" policy may halt the spread.

Adult↗
PubMed1987

Effect of an insulin-induced decrease in blood glucose on the human diabetic retinal circulation.

The effect of an insulin-induced decrease in blood glucose on the retinal blood flow (Q) was studied in 12 type II diabetics, using bidirectional laser Doppler velocimetry (BLDV) and monochromatic fundus photography. Q was first measured during hyperglycemia and then during normoglycemia which was achieved within approximately 3 hours by intravenous insulin administration. At normoglycemia, Q was 15% lower than at hyperglycemia (P less than 0.001). The decrease in Q was larger in patients with shorter disease duration. The authors also determined the regulatory change in Q during 100% oxygen breathing. Although this response remained subnormal, it was improved significantly in normoglycemia (P less than 0.01), particularly in those patients whose blood glucose level was decreased at a slower rate, suggesting that a gradual decrease in blood glucose may be beneficial.

Adult↗
PubMed1986

The prevalence of hepatitis B in employees of small, rural hospitals--implications for vaccine administration.

The Centers for Disease Control Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices has based recommendations for hepatitis B vaccine for hospital employees on studies done in large urban hospitals. Data on the prevalence of hepatitis B in employees of small hospitals have been lacking. We measured hepatitis B surface and core antibody in 422 employees of six small, rural hospitals who were exposed to blood. The overall prevalence among those "high-risk" employees was 5.5%. The highest prevalence was found in General Nursing, Intensive Care Nursing, Recovery Room, IV Therapy, Laboratory, and Respiratory Therapy, although differences were seen between hospitals. Results of such testing for individual hospitals may have a major impact on the cost-effectiveness of vaccination programs for their employees.

Hepatitis B↗
PubMed1986

Basal phosphatidylinositol turnover controls aortic Na+/K+ ATPase activity.

To determine whether basal phosphoinositide turnover plays a role in metabolic regulation in resting rabbit aortic intima-media incubated under steady state conditions, we used deprivation of extracellular myo-inositol as a potential means of inhibiting basal phosphatidylinositol (PI) synthesis at restricted sites and of depleting small phosphoinositide pools with a rapid basal turnover. Medium myo-inositol in a normal plasma level was required to prevent inhibition of a specific component of basal de novo PI synthesis that is necessary to demonstrate a discrete rapidly turning-over [1,3-14C]glycerol-labeled PI pool. Medium myo-inositol was also required to label the discrete PI pool with [1-14C]arachidonic acid (AA). The rapid basal turnover of this PI pool, when labeled with glycerol or AA, was not attributable to its utilization for polyphosphoinositide formation, and it seems to reflect basal PI hydrolysis. Depleting endogenous free AA with medium defatted albumin selectively inhibits the component of basal de novo PI synthesis that replenishes the rapidly turning-over PI pool. A component of normal resting energy utilization in aortic intima-media also specifically requires medium myo-inositol in a normal plasma level and a free AA pool; its magnitude is unaltered by indomethacin, nordihydroguaiaretic acid, or Ca2+-free medium. This energy utilization results primarily from Na+/K+ ATPase activity (ouabain-inhibitable O2 consumption), and in Ca2+-free medium deprivation of medium myo-inositol or of free AA inhibits resting Na+/K+ ATPase activity to a similar degree (60%, 52%). In aortic intima-media basal PI turnover controls a major fraction of resting Na+/K+ ATPase activity.

Animals↗
PubMed1982

Significance of tissue myo-inositol concentrations in metabolic regulation in nerve.

Approximately 25 percent of resting energy utilization in isolated nerve endoneurium is inhibited by medium containing defatted albumin and selectively restored by arachidonic acid but is unaffected by indomethacin or nordihydroguaiaretic acid. The same component of energy utilization is inhibited by small decreases in endoneurial myo-inositol, which decrease incorporation of carbon-14-labeled arachidonic acid into phosphatidylinositol. The fraction of the resting oxygen uptake inhibited by ouabain is decreased 40 to 50 percent by a reduced tissue myo-inositol concentration or by defatted albumin. Metabolic regulation by rapid, basal phosphatidylinositol turnover is dependent on the maintenance of normal tissue myoinositol concentrations.

Albumins↗