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Biomedical subjects

D Bass

Publications and source records attributed to D Bass.

At least 73 records · Page 4Linked to original sources

Longitudinal impact of interhousehold caregiving on adult children's mental health.

The wear-and-tear hypothesis of caregiving (the longer care provided, the more psychological strain on caregivers) was examined using panel survey data from 112 adult children providing interhousehold care to an impaired elderly parent. Measures included subjective caregiving stress and perceived caregiving effectiveness ("wear") and depression and affect balance ("tear"). Contrary to the hypothesis, data revealed variability in children's adaptation to caregiving, improvement rather than deterioration being the norm. In a recursive path model, both subjective stress and perceived effectiveness were significant predictors of changes in depression. Depression was not significantly related to duration of caregiving. Discussion suggests that future researchers consider other types of caregivers and care settings, factors predicting variability in caregivers' adaptation over time, and changes as well as stability in care arrangements.

Adult↗

Limited value of leukocyte adherence inhibition in screening for colorectal neoplasia in high-risk groups.

A study of 191 screenees at high risk for colorectal neoplasm was undertaken to evaluate the value of the leukocyte adherence inhibition (LAI) test in detecting colorectal neoplasms. All screenees underwent total colonoscopy and LAI test. Results show that 94/191 (49.2%) screenees had neoplasms. Overall LAI positivity was 18.3% (35/191), which was highly significant, versus an asymptomatic comparison group (7.5%, 11/146). LAI test sensitivity, specificity, and positive and negative predictive values were, respectively, 19.8, 82.7, 45.7, and 58.5%. In this study the LAI test was not found to be a sensitive screening test for colorectal neoplasms. However, as the LAI test result was a significant finding within the study group, it may possibly be a risk factor and identify a subgroup that will require careful prospective evaluation.

Adult↗

Hematologic changes induced by intravenous administration of diacetoxyscirpenol in pigs, dogs, and calves.

Diacetoxyscirpenol (DAS) was given IV to pigs (0, 0.5, and 1.0 mg/kg of body weight), cattle (0 and 0.5 mg/kg), and dogs (0 and 0.5 mg/kg). Blood was collected and hemograms were done at 0.5-hour intervals for 8 hours. The animals were euthanatized at 8 hours after treatment, and bone marrow samples were taken and examined by light microscopy. Moderate to severe necrosis of bone marrow hematopoietic elements was found in animals given DAS. The sequential increase in the type and number of abnormal cells in the blood suggested a successive destruction of the hematopoietic elements. A marked left shift in the neutrophil population was found in animals given DAS. Metarubricytes and large platelets were found in the blood of animals given DAS. Lymphocytes were replaced with immature cells. Pathologic changes were most severe in the pigs given a dosage of 1.0 mg of DAS/kg. The order of species sensitivity to DAS was pigs greater than dogs much greater than cattle.

Animals↗

Parent, teacher, and hospital staff evaluations of severely disturbed children.

Evaluations of parents, teachers, and hospital staff were compared using measures of deviance, improvement, and outcomes for short-term psychiatric inpatient children. Measures were completed at inception and termination of hospitalization and at a one-year follow-up. Evaluations by parents and community teachers differed from those by hospital staff, and pretreatment and post-treatment evaluations reliably predicted child functioning at home and, to a lesser extent, at school one year later.

Adaptation, Psychological↗

A comparison of the antigenic and allergenic components of birch and alder pollens in Scandinavia and Australia.

Allergens in birch (Betula) pollens from B. pendula grown in Australia and Norway, B. davurica and B. populofolia and from alder (Alnus incana) were identified by electroblotting, following separation by SDS-PAGE, transfer to nitrocellulose membranes and incubation with sera from birch pollen-allergic subjects. Of 42 antigenic components detected by protein staining in the pollen extract from B. pendula grown in Norway, 17 bound IgE. The allergenic components included those already reported in the literature at MWs of 40, 29, 25, 17 and 10-12 kd, as well as previously undescribed components at MWs of 90, 79, 60, 50, 38, 35, 31, 27, 23, 16, 15 and 14 kd. The major IgE-binding components were located in the low MW region 10-17 kd for all species of birch and alder pollen proteins studied. Results reported here provide the first evidence of birch and alder pollen allergies in Australia. Extensive heterogeneity was observed amongst the sera from birch pollen-allergic subjects in both Norway and Australia. Cross-reactivity appears to exist among the proteins present in pollen from the various birch species and from alder.

Australia↗

Allergic response to birch and alder pollen allergens influenced by geographical location of allergic subjects.

A detailed analysis was made of the reactivity patterns of birch pollen-allergic subjects from Norway and Australia to the various IgE-binding components of pollens from several different birch and alder species. Typically, with each of the pollens examined, the Norwegian subjects exhibited a specific limited response pattern in which only a few of the 18 possible allergenic bands were recognized. A single, major IgE-binding band of approximate molecular weight 16-17 kD was recognized in each pollen by all the Norwegian patients used in the study. In contrast to this situation, there was no 'typical' recognition pattern amongst the Australian patients. Although recognition of the 16- to 17-kD components occurred in some cases, it was not dramatically superior to any other single component. Recognition of higher molecular weight components occurred more frequently than with the Norwegian group. Reasons for the differences in the response patterns of the Australian and Norwegian groups are discussed with reference to the exposure of the populations to different allergenic sources and genetic variation.

Allergens↗

An aging society: implications for health care needs and impacts on allied health practice.

The first report of the National Task Force on Gerontology and Geriatric Care Education, excerpted herein, raises many more questions than it answers. Through its broad-brush articulation of the health care needs of older people, the report sets the environment for gauging the impact of these needs on allied health practice. Responses to a number of the implications for health care needs are now underway, yet much remains undone. In the coming year the task force will develop an action plan that addresses directly the many implications for allied health.

Aged↗

Identification of Parietaria judaica pollen allergens.

Parietaria judaica pollen allergens, fractionated by SDS-polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis and transferred to nitrocellulose membranes, were identified using 52 sera collected in Australia and Sicily from P. judaica pollen-allergic patients. IgE-binding pollen components transferred to nitrocellulose were detected by reaction with 125I-anti-human IgE and autoradiography. Nine pollen components, ranging in molecular weight (MW) from approximately 10,000 to 80,000 daltons, bound IgE antibodies but the two fastest migrating components sometimes each separated into two very closely migrating bands. The faster of the two components exhibiting doublet formation (MW approximately 10,000 daltons) showed by far the highest frequency of IgE binding, being recognised by 50 of the 52 sera examined. Although patients' IgE reaction patterns to P. judaica allergens were heterogeneous, the degree of heterogeneity was much less than that observed with house dust mite and other pollen extracts studied by electrophoretic transfer analysis. Results with gradient gel-nitrocellulose transfer experiments which showed no IgE-binding components with MWs less than 70,000 daltons, and comparisons of our electroblotting results with crossed radioimmunoelectrophoresis results of others, suggested that the doublet proteins with MWs of approximately 10,000 probably bind to higher MW proteins in P. judaica pollen extracts.

Collodion↗

Antitumor immune response to colorectal cancer antigen detected by the leukocyte adherence inhibition test (LAI) in groups at high risk for colorectal cancer.

Colorectal cancer is the second leading cause of cancer death in western populations. As treatment outcome is highly correlated with stage at diagnosis, early detection is a very important task. Three high-risk groups for colorectal cancer (first-degree relatives of colorectal cancer patients; individuals with past history of colorectal neoplasms, polyps, or carcinoma; and patients with ulcerative colitis) were screened for colonic neoplasms. The study program included the leukocyte adherence inhibition test (LAI), a specific immune response test for colorectal cancer antigen; fiberoptic sigmoidoscopy or colonoscopy; and guaiac impregnated slide test. The main finding was the detection of 92 positive LAI tests out of 451 high-risk individuals tested (20%), compared to eight positive tests out of 194 (4.1%) in a control group. Fifty-six colonic neoplasms were found out of 344 (16%) colonoscopies performed, most of them adenomatous polyps and a few carcinomas. Our findings, compared with the expected 2-3% neoplasms in low-risk groups, would prove that the screenees were indeed at high risk. However, only 11/56 (19%) of the polyps identified were LAI positive. The number of polyps found among LAI positive individuals were, so far, 11/92 (11%). The guaiac impregnated slide test for occult blood in the stool was performed in 221 screenees. Of these only 10 were positive (4.5%) compared with the average of 1% positive tests in low-risk groups.

Antigens, Neoplasm↗

Stimulation of hexose transport by human polymorphonuclear leukocytes: a possible role for protein kinase C.

The protein C kinase activators 1-O-oleoyl, 2-O-acetylglycerol, 12-O-tetradecanoyl phorbol-13-acetate, and mezerein, stimulated deoxyglucose uptake in human neutrophils. The responses were stimulus specific since no effect was noted with the diether analogues 1-O-hexadecyl-2-O-ethylglycerol, 1-O-palmitoyl-2-O-acetyl or 1-O-palmitoyl-3-O-acetyl diesters of propanediol, or with 1,2-diolein. Stimulation of deoxyglucose uptake had the characteristics of carrier facilitated hexose transport. Stimulated uptake of deoxy-glucose was inhibited by trifluoperazine (10-30 microM). Activation of protein kinase C therefore appears to trigger events involved in hexose transport.

Biological Transport, Active↗

Screening human populations for chromosome aberrations.

In order to determine the usefulness of micronuclear counts (MNC) for identifying people with relatively high frequencies of chromosome aberrations we have examined factors that influence the MNC in a learning set of blood samples obtained from 28 adults. The presence of cells with chromosome aberrations among approximately 170 metaphase cells per sample was the most important factor. Controlling for the effect of chromosome aberrations we found that age had a significant effect on MNC, but that donor sex, the mitotic index, the per cent of metaphase cells in the second or third division or the frequency of abnormal anaphase cells did not. Using logistic regression analysis we found that MNC was an excellent predictor of the presence of cells with chromosome aberrations among both the learning set and a test set of 17 additional blood samples.

Cell Nucleus↗

Crohn's ileitis complicated by amyloidosis: observations and therapeutic considerations.

We present a patient with clinically asymptomatic amyloidosis associated with Crohn's ileitis. A distinction should be made between immunocytic dyscrasia associated with amyloidosis (formerly primary or myeloma-associated amyloidosis) and acquired systemic amyloidosis (formerly secondary amyloidosis). We compare the natural course of amyloidosis complicating Crohn's disease with these complicating familial Mediterranean fever (FMF), and discuss the role of resection and the rationale behind colchicine therapy. Our patient is the first reported case in which colchicine therapy alone has been successful in the prophylactic treatment of amyloidosis complicating Crohn's ileitis.

Adult↗

Effect of (+)-cyanidanol-3 on chronic active hepatitis: a double blind controlled trial.

Forty patients with biopsy proven chronic active hepatitis were studied, 22 received (+)-cyanidanol-3 in a dose of 3 g daily and 18 placebo. Side effects related to cyanidanol were fever (four patients), haemolysis (one patient) and urticaria (one patient). All side effects subsided on discontinuation of the medication. Cyanidanol had an effect no better than placebo on symptoms, laboratory tests, and histological findings on liver biopsy.

Benzopyrans↗

An improved micronuclear assay in lymphocytes.

We have found that by increasing the bromodeoxyuridine (BUdR) concentration to 4 X 10(-4) M in cultures and using the conventional harlequin staining procedure we can distinguish the proliferating lymphocytes by their blue color from the non-proliferating cells which have red nuclei. The micronuclei (MN) are also blue and are associated with the proliferating cells. The high BUdR concentration does not appear to affect the yield of MN. By scoring the MN only in the (blue) proliferating cells the MN assay is made less sensitive to perturbations in the lymphocyte cultures caused by radiation or by variations in the culture time on PHA concentration. Moreover, the frequency of cells with MN approximately doubles and thus comes into better agreement with the frequency of cells with chromosome aberrations. A better agreement yet can be achieved by correcting the assay for the effect of cell division.

Bromodeoxyuridine↗

Two-dimensional echocardiographic imaging of left atrial appendage thrombi.

The utility of two-dimensional echocardiography in the diagnosis of left atrial thrombi is well documented. One major limitation of this technique, however, has been the failure to successfully image left atrial appendage thrombi. This report discusses the presumptive diagnosis in three patients of pathologically confirmed left atrial appendage thrombi using a modified short-axis parasternal two-dimensional echocardiographic view.

Adult↗

Effects of age, sex and diagnostic X-rays on chromosome damage.

The frequency of micronuclei assayed in lymphocytes obtained from 73 young adults increases significantly with the age, but not the sex, of the donor. The dose of medical X-rays absorbed by the lymphocytes in the 2 years before the examination has no significant effect on micronucleus frequency, provided the data are adjusted for age. However, a small significant increase in frequency is associated with X-ray examinations that involve the injection of contrast media into the blood.

Adult↗