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Biomedical subjects

E Weisberg

Publications and source records attributed to E Weisberg.

At least 55 records · Page 3Linked to original sources
PubMed1995

PEAPS-Q: a questionnaire to measure the psychosocial effects of having an abnormal pap smear. Psychosocial Effects of Abnormal Pap Smears Questionnaire.

We have developed the Psychosocial Effects of Abnormal Pap Smears Questionnaire (PEAPS-Q) which measures distress experienced by women undergoing follow-up investigation after an abnormal Pap smear result. A thorough literature review and qualitative research resulted in the development of a questionnaire which was tested on 350 women attending a Family Planning New South Wales (FPNSW) clinic. This sample included women at different stages of management after detection of a cervical abnormality: 93 first colposcopy clients and 257 follow-up colposcopy clients. Factor analysis identified four dimensions of distress: experience of medical procedures, beliefs/feelings about cervical abnormality and changes in perception of oneself, worry about infectivity and effect on sexual relationships. Repeatability of the PEAPS-Q was indicated by intra-class correlations of 0.88 overall and at least 0.60 for each scale. Internal consistency was shown by Cronbach's alpha of 0.84 overall and at least 0.72 for each scale. Validity was demonstrated by the correlation of scale scores with the 12-item General Health Questionnaire (GHQ) score of 0.32 (95% CI 0.22-0.41). The PEAPS-Q is a valid, reliable and multidimensional instrument for quantifying distress experienced by women with abnormal Pap smears.

Adult↗
PubMed1995

Prescribing oral contraceptives.

The combined oral contraceptive pill is the most popular method of contraception worldwide, with modern low-dose formulations significantly improving tolerability. Breakthrough bleeding is the most significant adverse event associated with the low-dose combined oral contraceptives. Monophasic, biphasic, triphasic and progestogen-only preparations are available, and the choice of formulation should be tailored to best suit the patient. Any areas of uncertainty or concern that the patient has should be addressed, and the patient should be clearly informed of how to use the oral contraceptive effectively, the likely initial adverse effects and what to do if a pill is missed.

Acne Vulgaris↗
PubMed1994

The decline in popularity of the intrauterine device. A survey of general practitioner attitudes and practices in New South Wales.

OBJECTIVE: To assess the attitudes and practices of general practitioners (GPs) in New South Wales in regard to intrauterine device (IUD) use. DESIGN: Randomised group comparison of 100 rural and 100 urban GPs by questionnaire. SUBJECTS: Sixty-five rural and 66 urban general practitioners took part in the study. RESULTS: Almost 50% of GPs who responded to the questionnaire always discussed the IUD when counselling about contraception, whereas 6% never discussed IUDs. Rural GPs were more likely to discuss IUD use than urban GPs. In the past, 68.7% of GPs had inserted IUDs but only 20.6% still inserted them. Fifty per cent of GPs who did not currently insert IUDs felt they lacked expertise due to less demand for IUDs from women or inadequate training. CONCLUSION: Prevailing community attitudes towards intrauterine devices have resulted in fewer requests to general practitioners for IUDs, resulting in a lack of expertise in IUD insertion. Increased litigation associated with IUD use, and subsequent publicity, has increased the cost of medical indemnity insurance. All these factors have contributed to fewer GPs being prepared to insert IUDs. Australian women are being deprived of balanced information about the benefits and risks of IUD use and of the possibility of using this very effective, low-cost, low-maintenance method of contraception.

Adult↗
PubMed1994

Tensin: a potential link between the cytoskeleton and signal transduction.

Cytoskeletal proteins provide the structural foundation that allows cells to exist in a highly organized manner. Recent evidence suggests that certain cytoskeletal proteins not only maintain structural integrity, but might also be associated with signal transduction and suppression of tumorigenesis. Since the time of the discovery of tensin, a fair amount of data has been gathered which supports the notion that tensin is one such protein possessing these characteristics. In this review, we discuss recent studies that: (1) elucidate a role for tensin in maintenance of cellular structure and signal transduction; (2) implicate tensin as the anchor for actin filaments at the focal adhesion; (3) describe the phosphorylation of tensin; (4) describe potential targets for its Src homology region 2 domain; (5) describe the association between tensin and the nuclear protein p130; and (6) demonstrate that increased tensin expression in a cell line appears to reduce its transformation potential.

Actin Cytoskeleton↗
PubMed1994

Practical problems which women encounter with available contraception in Australia.

Australian women face major difficulties with contraception because of the limited range of choices, the need for meticulous attention to compliance with most available methods and because of cost limitations for a significant minority of the population. The most commonly used methods are oral contraceptive pills and barrier methods, and each has substantial compliance problems which can be minimized with care and counselling. There is an urgent need for a wider range of options in Australia and for good information and publicity about them. Present progress in this direction gives some hope for the near future.

Australia↗
PubMed1992

Sexual activity and condom use in high school students.

OBJECTIVE: To determine the level of sexual experience and condom use among Year 9 high school students. DESIGN: Self-administered questionnaire to all Year 9 students attending a personal development workshop. SETTING: The study was carried out in two regional high schools in New South Wales, one in an urban area and the other in a rural area. PARTICIPANTS: A total of 253 students in Year 9 at the two high schools; only two students declined to participate. RESULTS: Seventy-one students (28.1%) had had intercourse at least once. There was no statistically significant difference between the percentage of male and female students or rural and urban students who had had intercourse. Thirty students (42.3%) always used condoms, 35.2% used them sometimes and the other sexually active students had never used them. The commonest reasons for non-use were unplanned sex, unavailability or no time. CONCLUSIONS: The unpredictability of teenage sexual activity may mean that condoms are not available at the crucial time. Girls appear to have more difficulty in asking for condoms to be used, but the numbers are two small in this survey to draw definite conclusions. If both pregnancy and sexually transmissible diseases are to be prevented among adolescents, sex education must encourage condom use as the first method of contraception for this group and emphasise the need for consistent availability and use.

Adolescent↗
PubMed1992

Membrane-bound and solubilized brain 5HT3 receptors: improved radioligand binding assays using bovine area postrema or rat cortex and the radioligands 3H-GR65630, 3H-BRL43694, and 3H-LY278584.

Bovine area postrema tissue was used as a convenient source of tissue for studies of brain 5HT3 receptors. 5HT3 receptor density was determined to be 97 +/- 5 fmol/mg and 124 +/- 10 fmol/mg of protein using the commercially available 5HT3 radioligands, 3H-GR65630 and 3H-BRL43694, respectively. The equilibrium dissociation constants (KD) for 3H-GR65630 and 3H-BRL43694 were 0.5 +/- 0.1 nM and 1.7 +/- 0.3 nM, respectively. The affinities of a series of drugs for the 5HT3 receptor using the two radioligands were essentially identical; the Ki values and order of affinities of agonists and antagonists were very similar to data published in studies on radiolabeling of 5HT3 receptors in rat brain. 3H-LY278584 also labeled 5HT3 receptors in bovine area postrema homogenates with a KD of 3.1 +/- 0.1 nM and a Bmax of 84 +/- 6 fmol/mg. In rat cortical homogenates, 3H-LY278584 produced the most reliable specific signal of 72%, with a KD of 2.6 +/- 0.3 nM and a Bmax value of 10.5 +/- 1 fmol/mg. At 1 nM, 3H-GR65630 or 3H-BRL43694 specific binding represented 28 and 50% of total radioligand binding, respectively. These data in bovine and rat brain tissues indicate that bovine area postrema can be used with 3H-GR65630, 3H-BRL43694, or 3H-LY278584 for drug screening or molecular investigations of the brain 5HT3 receptor: only 3H-LY278584 can be used for studies on the regulation and/or the molecular properties of 5HT3 receptors in rat cortical homogenates. 5HT3 receptors were solubilized from bovine area postrema and characterized using 3H-GR65630.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)

Animals↗
PubMed1992

Personal determinants of leisure-time exercise activities.

This study investigated the importance of personal determinants such as self-efficacy, beliefs about the contribution of exercise, health locus of control, and dispositional optimism for leisure-time exercise in a working population. The main predictors of such exercise were beliefs and self-efficacy with the generalization of the latter to eat correctly. Beliefs and efficacy expectations were highly correlated. Neither health locus of control nor dispositional optimism was related to leisure-time exercise; however, optimism was related to the positive belief that exercise contributes to health. Ramifications of the findings were carefully described.

Adolescent↗
PubMed1992

Sex after fifty.

Society has always been uncomfortable in discussing the sexual needs of the older person, however, sexual activity can give older people a sense of continued strength and renewal. General practitioners are in a unique position to promote a positive attitude about sex and ageing, so that older patients can remain sexually active for as many years as possible.

Age Factors↗
PubMed1991

Wet film examination.

A complaint of vaginal discharge is one of the commonest reasons a woman consults a doctor. Accurate diagnosis of the cause is essential for satisfactory treatment. With experience, the common causes of abnormal discharge--Gardnerella vaginitis, Candida albicans and Trichomonads--can easily and rapidly be determined by examining a wet film preparation of the discharge under a simple microscope.

Female↗
PubMed1989

Inadvertent pregnancies in oral contraceptive users.

Two hundred and nine inadvertent pregnancies in oral contraceptive users were studied to determine the associated factors. The percentage of Pill types also were compared with the market usage over the same period. We found that the classically-suggested cofactors, such as missed pills, late pills, drug ingestion, and gastrointestinal upsets were reported commonly. The triphasic Pills also were represented more frequently than would have been expected from their share of the market.

Adolescent↗