Biomedical subjects

F M Andrews

Publications and source records attributed to F M Andrews.

At least 55 records · Page 3Linked to original sources

PubMed1992

Is fertility-problem stress different? The dynamics of stress in fertile and infertile couples.

OBJECTIVE: To compare the dynamics of fertility-problem stress experienced by wives and husbands in infertile couples with the dynamics of stress from other sources experienced by members of couples presumed to be fertile. DESIGN: Relationships of stress to four marriage factors and four aspects of life quality (subjective well-being) are examined within a causal modeling framework using data from structured interviews. SETTING: Face-to-face interviews were conducted in study participants' homes. PARTICIPANTS: Wives and husbands from 157 couples with primary infertility and from 82 presumed-fertile couples were studied. MAIN OUTCOME MEASURES: Final outcome measures were four multi-item scales assessing life quality with regard to the marriage, own self-efficacy, own health and appearance, and life as a whole. Intervening outcome scales measured four marriage factors: marital conflict, sexual self-esteem, sexual dissatisfaction, and frequency of intercourse. RESULTS AND CONCLUSIONS: Higher levels of stress, regardless of whether that stress was from attempting to solve a fertility problem or another problem, were related to reduced marital functioning and decreased life quality. For husbands, the strengths of the linkages did not depend on the source of the stress. For wives, however, the causal model suggested that fertility-problem stress had stronger negative impacts on sense of sexual identity and self-efficacy than did stress from other problems (P less than 0.05). Stress from any source had more impact on the lives of wives than of husbands, more impact on satisfaction with self and general well-being than on satisfaction with the marriage or health, and affected life quality mostly indirectly through its impacts on the marriage factors.

Adult↗

PubMed1992

Attitudes about infertility interventions among fertile and infertile couples.

BACKGROUND: There has been marked progress in the development of infertility interventions. This paper reports attitudes about 11 interventions for infertility. METHODS: Face-to-face interviews were conducted with each member of 185 infertile and 90 presumed fertile couples in southeastern Michigan. RESULTS: Seven of these interventions were generally viewed favorably and four were generally viewed negatively, regardless of the couple's fertility status. Infertile couples viewed all interventions, except for adoption, more favorably than did fertile couples. Multidimensional scaling was used to cluster the interventions according to similarity in endorsement. These clusters form a continuum from interventions that allow only one member of the couple to be a biological parent to the most noninvasive techniques. All clusters remain roughly equidistant from adoption, in which neither member of the couple is a biological parent. CONCLUSIONS: Interventions that produce a child who is biologically related to only one member of the couple were viewed most negatively. Members of couples who were receiving fertility treatment made finer discriminations among infertility interventions than did individuals who had not received treatment.

Adoption↗

PubMed1992

Comparison of standard and radionuclide methods for measurement of glomerular filtration rate and effective renal blood flow in female horses.

Comparison of standard and radionuclide methods for measuring glomerular filtration rate (GFR) and effective renal blood flow (ERBF) was performed in 8 healthy female horses. Inulin and p-aminohippurate solutions were administered IV as a bolus, followed by sustained administration. Urine and plasma inulin and p-aminohippurate concentrations and urine volume were measured. Glomerular filtration rate and ERBF were calculated on the basis of these measurements. Glomerular filtration rate and ERBF were measured on the basis of plasma clearance of the radiopharmaceuticals, 99mTc-labeled diethylene-triaminepentaacetic acid (99mTc-DTPA) and [131I]-o-iodohippuric acid (131I-OIH), respectively. Mean +/- SEM GFR, using inulin, was 1.83 +/- 0.21 ml/min/kg of body weight. Mean GFR, using 99mTc-DTPA was 1.79 +/- 0.18 ml/min/kg. Mean ERBF, using p-aminohippurate, was 15.13 +/- 1.28 ml/min/kg. Mean ERBF, using 131I-OIH, was 18.42 +/- 1.57 ml/min/kg. Analysis of variance indicated no significant difference between mean values for GFR and ERBF. Radionuclide measurement of GFR and ERBF compared well with standard methods and is an alternative technique to the cumbersome standard methods for determination of GFR and ERBF in horses.

Animals↗

PubMed1992

Determination of total protein concentration and viscosity of synovial fluid from the tibiotarsal joints of horses.

Viscosity of synovial fluid (SF) from 29 clinically normal horses was determined by use of a rotational cone and plate microviscosimeter. Total protein concentration in the SF of the 29 horses, as measured with a refractometer, was less than 2.5 g/dl. When the Coomassie brilliant blue test was used to determine total protein concentration in SF for 15 horses, the mean value was 1,088 mg/dl. Viscosity values at 60, 30, 12, 6, 3, and 1.5 revolutions/min (rpm) spindle speed were 4.41 +/- 1.54 centipoise (cp), 5.29 +/- 1.94 cp, 6.76 +/- 2.76 cp, 8.52 +/- 4.27 cp. 10.41 +/- 6.30 cp, and 13.07 +/- 9.05 cp, respectively. Synovial fluid viscosity increased with decreasing rpm and shear rate, but the shape of the curve for each horse fitted the asymptotic curve. The rotational cone and plate microviscosimeter was an accurate instrument in measuring SF viscosity at multiple rpm or shear rates in horses. The values obtained on clinically normal horses in this study will serve as a baseline for comparison in the evaluation of horses with joint disease.

Animals↗

PubMed1992

Viscosity and rheologic properties of blood from clinically normal horses.

Blood viscosity (BV) was measured in 32 healthy horses at 6 spindle speeds (60, 30, 12, 6, 3, and 1.5 rpm) and for PCV of 40%, using a digital rotational cone and plate microviscometer. Also, in 7 of 32 horses, BV was measured 3 times each, for 3 PCV values (20, 40, and 60%), and at each spindle speed to determine effect of PCV on BV and machine and among-horse variations. Total plasma protein and fibrinogen concentrations were measured in all horses, using a standard refractometer and heat precipitation, respectively. In 7 of 32 horses, quantitative fibrinogen concentration was measured, using a quantitative fibrinogen assay. Plasma protein and fibrinogen concentrations were measured to determine their effect on BV. Plasma total protein (6.0 to 7.5 g/dl) and fibrinogen (100 to 400 mg/dl) concentrations were within normal reference range for our laboratory.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)

Animals↗

PubMed1991

Number of bicycle injuries unrealistic.

Explore the source record for details and available documents.

Bicycling↗

PubMed1991

Stress from infertility, marriage factors, and subjective well-being of wives and husbands.

Stress associated with the inability to have a child is linked to four aspects of marriage and to five dimensions of life quality. Data come from 157 couples who met a standard medical definition for infertility. Wives and husbands were interviewed independently, and most of the following findings apply to both. A causal model suggests that fertility problem stress has direct effects that increase marital conflict and decrease sexual self-esteem, satisfaction with own sexual performance, and frequency of sexual intercourse. Also, fertility problem stress has both direct and indirect effects (via the marriage factors) that decrease evaluations of life-as-a-whole, self-efficacy, marriage, intimacy, and health. The negative effects on life quality are stronger for wives than for husbands. The model suggests that the life quality of couples with fertility problems could be improved if health care providers and couples themselves took steps to reduce such stresses and/or reduce their impact on the marriage factors.

Female↗

PubMed1988

Diagnosis and surgical treatment of functional obstruction of the right dorsal colon in a horse.

Functional obstruction of the right dorsal colon was found at surgery in a 6-year-old American Saddlebred gelding with a history of anorexia, depression, weight loss, and intermittent colic. Side-to-side anastomosis of the right dorsal colon to the small colon was done to bypass the obstruction. Histopathologic findings of the right dorsal colon and regional colonic lymph nodes were unremarkable. Surgical treatment was successful.

Animals↗

PubMed1987

Indication and use of electrodiagnostic aids in neurologic disease.

Electrodiagnostic aids, electromyography, auditory brainstem response testing, and electroencephalography are extensions of the neurologic examination and provide valuable information about the nervous system. This article discusses the use and interpretation of electrodiagnostic aids in equine neurology as well as the equipment that is employed. It is hoped that with a better understanding of the available electrodiagnostic aids, they will come into greater use.

Action Potentials↗

PubMed1987

Auditory brain stem response testing in anesthetized horses.

Auditory brain stem response testing, using insert earphones, was performed in 10 healthy horses given general anesthesia. The procedure involved clicks of alternating polarity delivered at a rate of 25 clicks/s. Wave forms, including five peaks, were commonly identified. Latencies were measured in milliseconds for waves I through V for all intensities. Latencies of all waves decreased as stimulus intensity increased. For waves I through V, a least-squares regression line was determined for each horse, using all responses between 87-dB sound pressure level (SPL) and 136-dB SPL, inclusive. Slopes were significantly (P less than 0.05) less than zero for waves I through IV, but not for wave V. Peak latencies of each wave averaged at 87-dB SPL for waves I through V were 1.73, 2.6, 3.82, 4.80, and 5.71 ms, respectively; latencies of these five waves at 136-dB SPL were 1.36, 2.2, 3.06, 3.92, and 4.71 ms, respectively. The decrease in latency among the five waves ranged from 0.13 to 0.004 ms/dB. When peak values were below 87-dB SPL, waves became essentially unrecognizable.

Anesthesia, General↗

PubMed1986

Bilateral renal hypoplasia in four young horses.

Three horses less than or equal to 3 years old were evaluated because of stunted growth, weight loss, anorexia, depression, and lethargy of at least 1 month's duration. A neonatal foal was examined after its death. In each case, gross and microscopic renal lesions were compatible with bilateral renal hypoplasia (ie, cortical hypoplasia with severe medullary hypoplasia). In young horses with renal failure, bilateral renal hypoplasia should be considered in the differential diagnosis, and may represent a congenital lesion.

Animals↗

PubMed1986

Histochemical staining characteristics of normal horse skeletal muscle.

The histologic and histochemical staining characteristics of the triceps brachii (long head), extensor carpi radialis, gluteus medius, vastus lateralis, biceps femoris, semimembranosus, semitendinosus, and extensor digitorum longus muscles of 8 Thoroughbreds, 2 Quarter Horses, 1 Arabian, 1 Paso Fino, and 1 Shetland Pony are described. Muscle fiber morphology, staining distribution and intensity, amount of IM connective tissue, number of IM blood vessels and IM nerves, calcium-activated adenosine triphosphatase activity (CaATPase), percentage of fibertype population, percentage of relative fibertype area, mean fiber diameter, nonspecific esterase activity, alkaline phosphatase activity, and acid phosphatase activity were evaluated, using 10 common histochemical and histologic stains. Two fiber types (I, II) and 3 subtypes (IIA, IIB, IIC) were observed, using CaATPase-, nicotinamide-adenine dinucleotide-tetrazolium reductase-, periodic acid-Schiff hematoxylin-, and nonspecific esterase-stained frozen serial muscle sections. Type I muscle fibers in general had low CaATPase activity, high oxidative capacity, low glycogen capacity, and low esterase activity. Type IIA muscle fibers had high CaATPase activity, intermediate oxidative capacity, high glycogen concentration, and high esterase activity. Type IIB fibers had high CaATPase activity, low oxidative capacity, high glycogen concentration, and a high esterase activity. Type IIC muscle fibers had high CaATPase activity, high oxidative capacity, variable glycogen concentration, and high esterase activity. Type II (IIA and IIB) muscle fibers predominated in the muscles. The percentage of muscle fiber population, mean minimal muscle fiber diameter, and percentage of relative muscle fiber area were determined for each sampled muscle. Type IIA and IIB muscle fibers predominated in the percentage of muscle fiber population and percentage of relative muscle fiber area. Type IIB muscle fibers had the greatest minimal fiber diameter, type IIA muscle fibers had intermediate minimal fiber diameter, and type I muscle fibers had the smallest minimal fiber diameter. The percentage of relative muscle fiber area was less variable (P less than or equal to 0.05) than the percentage of muscle fiber population. Mean muscle fiber diameter did not significantly differ between breeds. Alkaline and acid phosphatase activities were at low levels in all muscles biopsied and were limited to the IM connective tissue fibrocytes, macrophages, and capillaries.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 400 WORDS)

Animals↗

PubMed1986

Histochemical changes in skeletal muscles of four male horses with neuromuscular disease.

Skeletal muscle biopsy specimens were taken from 4 male horses with neuromuscular disease such as myotonia congenita, chronic myositis, exertional rhabdomyolysis, and shivers. Histologic and histochemical techniques were used to evaluate skeletal muscle morphologic features and fiber-type population, size, and area, as well as muscle enzyme activities (acid phosphatase, alkaline phosphatase, and esterase). A histochemical and histologic profile were described for each muscle biopsy specimen.

Animals↗

PubMed1985

Social effects of diazepam use: a longitudinal field study.

A longitudinal panel study examined the effects of actual use of diazepam (Valium) on subjective reports of life quality, affect, performance, stress, social support, control, coping and other variables related to mental health. Standardized interviews were conducted with 675 persons from the Detroit Metropolitan Area. Based on prescription records, diazepam users and nonusers were selected to represent a variety of sociodemographic characteristics rather than to be a completely random sample. Significant others in work and in personal life were also interviewed. Four interviews took place, one approximately every 6 weeks. Testing for social effects was conducted by within- and across-person analyses of 367 respondents who reported taking the medication at some time during the study and by comparisons with 308 respondents who did not report taking Valium. Users of Valium tended to take less Valium than prescribed. They also reported consuming less alcohol when using Valium than at other times and less than non-Valium users. Although there was a modest, positive cross-sectional relation between Valium use and distress, numerous multivariate analyses controlling for levels of stress and health indicated no notable effects of Valium use on any of the social or psychological indicators, including anxiety. Several interpretations of the results are examined including the possibility that the effects of Valium use were short-lived rather than long-term and that Valium may have been taken in anticipation of anxiety rather than after its occurrence.

Adolescent↗

PubMed1974