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Biomedical subjects

D Ramsay

Publications and source records attributed to D Ramsay.

At least 37 records · Page 2Linked to original sources
PubMed1996

Atypical cutaneous changes after topical treatment with nitrogen mustard in patients with mycosis fungoides.

Side effects in the treatment of mycosis fungoides with topical nitrogen mustard include allergic contact dermatitis, hyperpigmentation, urticaria, and erythema multiforme-like dermatitis. We reviewed biopsy specimens from 10 patients with mycosis fungoides who were treated with topical nitrogen mustard for 10-76 months. There was no history of oral psoralen with long-wave UV radiation treatment, radiotherapy, or systemic chemotherapy. Control biopsies taken from erythematous or poikilodermatous patches on the trunk or proximal extremities showed epidermal and dermal changes associated with cytologic atypia that were not present before treatment. These changes included slight epidermal hyperplasia with foci of flat rete ridges, atypical keratinocytes with large nuclei, mostly in the lower portion of the epidermis; suprabasal mitotic figures; a few dyskeratotic cells, focal vacuolar alteration of the epidermal basal layer; increased number of slightly enlarged junctional melanocytes; melanophages in the papillary dermis; dilated blood vessels lined by plump, atypical endothelial cells; and large fibroblasts with atypical nuclei. These atypical histologic changes resemble, in part, those described in association with systemic chemotherapeutic agents, such as etoposide, busulfan, and bleomycin. We conclude that topical nitrogen mustard should be added to the list of chemotherapeutic agents that can produce atypical histologic changes in the skin.

Administration, Topical↗
PubMed1995

Stability and change in cortisol and behavioral response to stress during the first 18 months of life.

Observation of cortisol and behavioral responses to routine inoculation was conducted at 18 months for infants in a longitudinal sample whose stress responses had been observed at 2, 4, and 6 months of age. At 18 months, infants showed an increase in cortisol level over base to the perturbation. The magnitude of this response did not differ from the 6-month response. Moreover, level of cortisol response at 18 months was related to level of cortisol response at 6 months, but not at 2 or 4 months of age. In light of previous findings for a decline in cortisol response between 2 and 6 months had for the emergence of consistent individual differences in cortisol response by 4 to 6 months, the present findings indicate that a developmental shift in adrenocortical functioning has occurred by 6 months of age.

Adaptation, Psychological↗
PubMed1994

Assessment of the structures and functions of Fife core dementia teams.

A research partnership was formed between Fife Regional Council's Social Work Department, Fife Health Board and the Dementia Services Development Centre and Social Work Research Centre of Stirling University, to investigate the multi-disciplinary dementia teams which operate in Fife. The primary method of data collection was a series of group interviews with the six dementia teams: the teams were autonomous coalitions of professionals from various agencies and organizations who met together voluntarily. The informal nature of the teams has permitted them to operate without a defined set of purposes or objectives, enabling the participants to work together with a degree of pragmatism according to professional values and agency policies. There was wide agreement within the teams that the coordination of multi-agency services to clients was much improved and inter-personal relations between different professionals had become much better developed since the operation of teams.

Aged↗
PubMed1993

Recurrent erythema migrans despite extended antibiotic treatment with minocycline in a patient with persisting Borrelia burgdorferi infection.

Erythema migrans recurred in a patient 6 months after a course of treatment with minocycline for Lyme disease. Polymerase chain reaction on heparinized peripheral blood at that time demonstrated the presence of Borrelia burgdorferi-specific DNA. The patient was seronegative by Lyme enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay but showed suspicious bands on Western blot. Findings of a Warthin-Starry stain of a skin biopsy specimen of the eruption revealed a Borrelia-compatible structure. Reinfection was not believed to have occurred. Further treatment with minocycline led to resolution of the erythema migrans.

Aged↗
PubMed1993

Impact of the ring-billed gull (Larus delawarensis) on the microbiological quality of recreational water.

We evaluated the impact of the ring-billed gull (Larus delawarensis) on the microbiological quality of water. We measured fecal coliforms, Salmonella spp., and Aeromonas spp. in the gull droppings and the number of fecal coliforms in the water prior to and after attracting these birds to the beach with food. Gulls can contribute to the bacteriological degradation of recreational water.

Aeromonas↗
PubMed1992

The dependent elderly: a comparative survey of institutional care in Fife.

Dependency levels were assessed in 441 elderly people in long term geriatric hospital care, 488 living in private nursing homes and 637 in the local authority residential homes in Fife. Results indicated that the most dependent were in hospital care, the most able in residential homes with private nursing homes accommodating elderly people with intermediate dependency levels. While each care setting cares for severely dependent elderly people, up to 29% of those in residential homes, 24% of those in nursing homes and 6% of hospital residents were considered by care staff to be fully independent. The implications of this in relation to the future provision and pattern of long term care for the frail elderly in Fife are considerable.

Activities of Daily Living↗
PubMed1988

Common epitope on the lipopolysaccharide of Legionella pneumophila recognized by a monoclonal antibody.

Serogroup-specificity of Legionella pneumophila is related to lipopolysaccharide (LPS), and few cross-reactions between serogroups have been observed with rabbit or monkey antisera. C57BL/6 mice were sequentially immunized with crude outer membrane fractions of L. pneumophila serogroups 1, 5, and 7, Legionella bozemanii, and Legionella micdadei. Spleen cells from these mice were then fused with the Sp2-0/Ag14 mouse myeloma cell line. Outer membrane-rich fractions and LPS were prepared from L. pneumophila serogroups 1 to 8 and other Legionella and non-Legionella species. Immunoblots of these extracts were performed with monoclonal antibody obtained from these fusions. One of these monoclonal antibodies recognized an epitope common to all tested serogroups of L. pneumophila and attached to the major constituent of the outer membrane, LPS. This antibody did not react with other Legionella species and numerous gram-negative rods other than Pseudomonas fluorescens CDC93. This monoclonal antibody may be useful in preliminary identification of L. pneumophila as an alternative to direct fluorescent-antibody testing.

Animals↗
PubMed1988

Psychiatric consultation services in an oncology hospital.

Psychosocial oncology has become an area of considerable interest over the past ten to fifteen years. There has been little written about the development of psychiatric services or the profile of such services to this population. This paper describes the historical evolution of a psychiatric consultation service in a cancer hospital and provides a statistical analysis of the patient population and services provided. The special need for continuity of care and a comprehensive biopsychosocial approach is elaborated and clinical examples are reported. Finally, directions for the future development of this kind of service are suggested.

Adaptation, Psychological↗
PubMed1987

Antigenic variability of the outer membrane antigens of Legionella pneumophila serogroups 1 to 8.

The outer membrane proteins of Legionella pneumophila serogroups 1 to 8 were prepared from broken cells by selective solubilization using sodium lauryl sarcosinate. The isolated proteins were separated by sodium dodecyl sulfate-polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis and transferred to nitrocellulose sheets. Rabbit antisera against each of the eight serogroups of L. pneumophila were obtained by immunizing each animal with live bacteria. The transferred proteins were revealed using these antisera and peroxidase-labeled swine anti-rabbit immunoglobulins. Antigenic determinants common to all eight serogroups were found in at least three outer membrane antigens (19, 29, and 45 kilodaltons (kDa)). However, cross-absorption experiments revealed that these three antigens were immunologically related, but not identical among serogroups. The antigenic relationships observed with two of these three antigens correlated well with cross-reactions observed in immunofluorescence. When a monoclonal antibody directed against L. pneumophila serogroup 1 lipopolysaccharide was used to reveal a blot of serogroup 1 outer membrane antigens, the 29- and 45-kDa bands appeared. This demonstrates a strong association between lipopolysaccharide and outer membrane proteins.

Animals↗
PubMed1986

Leu-M1 antigen expression in advanced (tumor) stage mycosis fungoides.

The authors describe two patients with clinically and histopathologically documented advanced (tumor) stage mycosis fungoides. In each case the large, pleomorphic neoplastic cells lacked the monoclonal antibody-defined cell surface antigens commonly associated with immature and mature T-cells, i.e., T11, Leu-1, T3, T4, T6, T8, and T10, but expressed various T-cell-associated activation antigens, such as HLA-DR, Tac, and T21. Leu-M1, a monocyte-associated antigen, was not expressed by the small, cerebriform neoplastic cells in the plaque stage lesions of either patient. However, Leu-M1 was expressed by most of the large, pleomorphic neoplastic cells present in the nodular lesions of both patients. The pattern of Leu-M1 antigen expression was identical to that previously reported in the Reed-Sternberg cells of Hodgkin's disease. Identification of these two patients suggests using caution in the interpretation of the results of immunophenotypic analysis of cutaneous lymphoid neoplasms and that Leu-M1 should not be used as a diagnostic indicator of Hodgkin's disease or a histiocytic-derived neoplasm. These studies also suggest that Leu-M1 may be preferentially expressed on a subpopulation of activated, rapidly proliferating, and/or dedifferentiated neoplastic T-cells that proliferate in the advanced (tumor) stages of mycosis fungoides.

Aged↗
PubMed1986

Development of a standardized subgrouping scheme for Legionella pneumophila serogroup 1 using monoclonal antibodies.

A panel of monoclonal antibodies to Legionella pneumophila serogroup 1 and a subclassification scheme were developed in a collaborative project among three laboratories. The seven most useful monoclonal antibodies were selected from three previously developed panels on the basis of indirect fluorescent antibody patterns with 83 strains of L. pneumophila serogroup 1 that were obtained from widely distributed geographic locations. The isolates were divided into 10 major subgroups on the basis of reactivity patterns that can be readily reproduced in any laboratory and are not subject to major inconsistencies of interpretation of staining intensity. A standard protocol for the indirect fluorescent antibody procedure was also developed.

Antibodies, Bacterial↗
PubMed1985

Use of monoclonal antibodies in the diagnosis and epidemiologic studies of legionellosis.

The routine use of monoclonal antibodies against L. pneumophila and other Legionellaceae has not yet reached the clinical microbiology laboratory. Most of these antibodies are still under evaluation and are not available commercially. However, it is obvious that some of them will be available in the next few years. Because of the numerous subtypes and serogroups of L. pneumophila already identified, extreme caution must be used before they are adopted routinely by a given laboratory. Testing against a large number of strains will have to be performed, and even then unidentified subtypes may not be recognized. Monoclonal antibodies against species-specific antigens of Legionella may prove to be the most useful for routine work, but once again a large number of strains will have to be tested before they are adopted. Under certain circumstances and especially in epidemiologic studies, well-chosen anti-L. pneumophila serogroup 1 monoclonal antibodies that define different subtypes may prove to be invaluable. This is currently the area in which the use of monoclonal antibodies against L. pneumophila is best defined.

Antibodies, Bacterial↗
PubMed1985

Mother-infant attachment in adoptive families.

Data from 2 separate samples using the Strange Situation paradigm were combined to assess the quality of attachment relationships in adoptive and nonadoptive mother-infant pairs. Infants were between 13 and 18 months at the time of observation. Results indicated no differences in mother-infant attachment between nonadopted and intraracial adopted subjects or between intraracial and interracial adopted subjects. Interracial adoptive mother-infant pairs did show a higher incidence of insecure attachment in comparison to nonadoptive pairs. Mothers of interracial adopted infants also were less comfortable having others care for their babies and perceived less emotional support from extended family and friends for their decision to adopt a child prior to the actual adoption than did other mothers. No relation was found, however, between quality of mother-infant attachment and either perceived social support, infant developmental quotient, infant temperament, number of foster homes experienced by the infant, or infant's age at the time of adoption placement. It was suggested that the higher incidence of psychological problems found among adoptees in middle childhood and adolescence cannot be explained in terms of insecure attachment relationships during the infancy years.

Adaptation, Psychological↗