Search PubMed⌕ Search

Biomedical subjects

G Berry

Publications and source records attributed to G Berry.

At least 163 records · Page 9Linked to original sources
PubMed1981

Experimental galactose toxicity: effects on synaptosomal phosphatidylinositol metabolism.

Experimental galactose toxicity was induced by weaning rats onto an isocaloric 40% galactose diet. Synaptosomes were prepared from cerebra of rats at 2-9 weeks post-weaning and incubated with [33P][i and myo-[2-3H]inositol in the presence or absence of 0.2 mM-acetylcholine. The acetylcholine-stimulated [33P]Pi labeling of phosphatidylinositol and the changes in amounts of phosphatidylinositol were similar in the normal and galactose-toxic rats; however, acetylcholine-stimulated myo-[2-3H]inositol labeling of phosphatidylinositol was markedly decreased in the galactose-toxic rats. The impairment of acetylcholine-stimulated myo-[2-3H]inositol incorporation into phosphatidylinositol observed after 2 weeks on the diet did not vary after more prolonged exposure to galactose.

Acetylcholine↗
PubMed1981

Detrimental incidents, including falls, in an elderly institutional population.

In a Canadian Geriatric hospital, the report forms on the 2,177 untoward incidents occurring during the 1976-78 period were analyzed. The incident and fall rates were respectively 51.1 and 42.7/10,000 patient-days. Falls were the most common incident (82.9 percent). Of the patients who fell, 40.4 percent were over the age of 80 and another 27.5 percent were in the 71-80 age group. The majority fell more than once. Most falls occurred during the waking activity hours, and many were associated with the changing of the position or posture, notably in the course of using a wheelchair. Alcohol was a factor in 4.2 percent of the incidents. Nevertheless, the rate for mortality and serious morbidity were low. Patients' rooms and toilets should receive extra surveillance, and the caretaker staff should exercise special care in the use of wheelchairs and assistive devices. More attention should be given to recording cases of postural hypotension, cardiac arrhythmias or drug side effects.

Accident Prevention↗
PubMed1981

Mortality of workers certified by pneumoconiosis medical panels as having asbestosis.

A mortality study has been carried out at the London, Cardiff, or Swansea Pneumoconiosis Medical Panels between 1952 and 1976 on people certified as suffering from asbestosis. The main analysis was of 665 men, 283 of whom had died. Of the deaths, 39% were from lung cancer, 9% mesothelioma, and 20% asbestosis. The observed mortality was compared with expectation based on the death rates for England and Wales. For all causes the observed number of deaths was 2.6 times expectation and for lung cancer 9.1 times expectation. After 10 years from first certification half of the men had died compared with an expectation of one in four. The excess death rates were apparent in the first year after certification and were still operating after 10 years on those who survived until then. The main factor influencing the mortality was the clinical state of the men at the time of certification, as indicated by the percentage disability awarded; the excess lung cancer rate and the mesothelioma and asbestosis rates all increased with percentage disability. Those awarded only 10% or 20% benefit were still at risk from all the three asbestos-related causes. For a man certified at age 55 it was estimated that his life expectation would be reduced by 3, 5, 8, or 12 years according to whether his rate of disablement benefit was 10%, 20%, 30% or 40% , or 50% or more respectively.

Adult↗
PubMed1981

Randomised controlled trial of rehabilitation in chronic respiratory disability.

A randomised controlled study of the effects of exercise training in 39 patients with chronic respiratory disability was performed. Exercise training began with six weeks in a rehabilitation centre and was continued at home. The original control group attended the rehabilitation centre after the controlled part of the study. The treated group experienced subjective benefit from rehabilitation. The 12-minute walking distance increased on average from 523 m to 643 m in the treatment group and from 564 m to 607 m in the control group. The treatment effect of 77 m (SE 33 m) was significant at the 5% level. Treadmill exercise performance changed little and resting lung function was unaltered after rehabilitation. The treatment group maintained most of their improvement seven months later and the original control subjects improved after their rehabilitation. The study confirms the beneficial effects of exercise training in the chronically breathless and it suggests that the 12-minute walking distance is a useful index of changes in everyday exercise tolerance.

Chronic Disease↗
PubMed1980

Treatments affecting the rate of asbestos-induced mesotheliomas.

256 Wistar rats received a single injection into the right pleural cavity of UICC crocidolite in order to induce mesotheliomas. They were then given right intrapleural injectons of BCG, crystalline silica, talc, carrageenan or saline (as a control). There was no significant change in the mesothelioma rate in the rats exposed to BCG, silica or talc, but there was a 3-fold increase in mesothelioma incidence in the group injected with carrageenan.

Animals↗
PubMed1980

Dose-response in case-control studies.

The evidence provided by a case-control study on the association between a disease and some factor is strengthened if the extent of exposure to the factor is categorised into several groups or measured on a continuous scale. Then dose-response relationships can be estimated. The methods available are illustrated by application to data on lung cancer and chrysotile asbestos exposure from Quebec in which there were three matched controls for each case. Regression-type models were fitted assuming that the relative risk of lung cancer was linearly related to an exposure measure; a covariate, smoking, was also included in the analysis. The data were first analysed ignoring the matching and secondly taking account of the matching. The methodology for the latter analysis has only recently been developed; formerly, matched studies were of necessity analysed as unmatched. Although, in this particular example, the unmatched and matched analyses gave similar results, this is not always the case and it is argued that, now that the methodology is available, matched case-control studies should be analysed taking proper account of the matching.

Asbestos↗
PubMed1980

The prognosis following certification with asbestosis in the United Kingdom.

Men who were first awarded compensation for asbestosis by the Cardiff, London or Swansea Pneumoconiosis Medical Panels in the period 1952 to 1976 have been followed up. Out of a total of 665 men, 283 have died: 36% of the deaths were due to lung cancer, 9% to mesothelioma and 20% to asbestosis. Compared with the death rates for England and Wales, the rate for all deaths was 2.6 times that expected and that for lung cancer 8.5 times that expected. Mortality was related to the rate of compensation awarded but was still high for all of the above three causes for those awarded the lowest rates. The excess death rates were apparent in the first year after certification and were still operating after 10 years in those who survived until then.

Aged↗
PubMed1980

The consequences of exposure to asbestos dust in a wartime gas-mask factory.

This further study of wartime gas-mask workers who were exposed to asbestos dust has shown that among those who worked with crocidolite there is a considerable excess of cases of mesothelioma, a more modest excess of bronchial carcinoma, but no excess of any other type of malignant disease. A dose-response relationship is established in the mesothelioma and bronchial carcinoma patients. It is not possible to base any conclusions on the limited data available for the small number of people exposed to chrysotile for a maximum period of five months. We believe that the identification and measurement of fibres in autoptic lung tissue from patients with accurately known occupational histories of asbestos dust exposure is useful, and a similar study on a population exclusively exposed to chrysotile would be of considerable interest.

Asbestos↗
PubMed1980

The pathology and mineral content of lungs in cases of mesothelioma in the United Kingdom in 1976.

A study was made of 93 cases of mesothelioma who died in 1976 in the United Kingdom. Lung tissue was available for mineral fibre analysis from 86 of these cases, and also from 29 cases of cerebrovascular disease and 27 cases of bronchial carcinoma, matched for place of death, age and sex with the mesothelioma cases. It was observed that: (1) mesothelioma patients had more amphibole fibres in their lungs than did control cases; (2) chrysotile fibres were not present in greater numbers in the mesothelioma patients than in the control cases; (3) four of the mesothelioma cases had no amphibole fibres in their lungs; two of these had chrysotile fibres, and the other two had no asbestos fibres; and (4) 30 cases of mesothelioma had no chrysotile fibres in their lungs.

Adult↗
PubMed1980

The comparative effects of three chrysotiles by injection and inhalation in rats.

Three samples of chrysotile, UICC Canadian chrysotile, a grade 7 Canadian chrysotile and a super fine sample (SFA) also from a Canadian mine, were compared in animal experiments using rats of the Wistar strain. All the materials contained impurities. The average length and diameter of the fibres contained in the UICC chrysotile cloud were less than for the other two chrysotiles, but the higher fibre count meant that the UICC cloud contained more fibres of all lengths. In the first experiment, groups of 48 rats were injected intrapleurally with 20 mg of respirable dust. Mesotheliomas occurred with all samples; 18 with SFA, 13 with grade 7, and five with UICC chrysotile. In the second experiment, rats were exposed to a respirable cloud of about 1 mg/m3 for 35 hours a week. Groups of 48 rats were exposed for three months, 24 for six months and 24 for 12 months. Malignant lung tumours occurred with all the dusts; 10 with UICC chrysotile, 4 with SFA, and 1 with grade 7. However, only one of these tumours, obtained with SFA, was a mesothelioma.

Animals↗
PubMed1979

A note on Wong's competing risk model.

It is suggested that a method proposed recently by Wong contains an unrealistic assumption. This can be avoided by making an alternative assumption which leads to a slight alteration to one of his equations.

Humans↗