Search PubMed⌕ Search

Biomedical subjects

G Gardner

Publications and source records attributed to G Gardner.

At least 73 records · Page 4Linked to original sources

Tobacco and alcohol use among Australian secondary schoolchildren.

A national survey of 23,359 Australian schoolchildren who were predominantly in the age range of 12-17 years was undertaken in 1984 to determine their levels of use of tobacco and alcohol. The prevalence of current smoking behaviour (that is, at least one cigarette in the past week) rose with age to 34% among girls and 29% among boys at 15 years of age. The prevalence of current drinking behaviour (that is, at least one drink in the past week) rose with age to 49% among girls and 56% among boys at 17 years of age. Very few pupils reported daily drinking but from 15 years of age between 12% and 14% of the sampled students reported smoking every day. Boys who currently smoked and drank reported higher consumptions of tobacco and alcohol than did girls who currently smoked and drank. Most smoking and drinking took place at weekends. Normal responses for intention to smoke in the future, and for drinkers and smokers "self-referent labels" are also reported, and it is suggested that health education programmes for schoolchildren usefully could be focused on these psychological factors.

Adolescent↗

Electrical pacing of the Roux limb resolves delayed gastric emptying.

This study compares antegrade gastric and Roux-limb electrical pacing in the evaluation and treatment of delayed gastric emptying following vagotomy, antrectomy and Roux-Y enterostomy. Twenty-four male Sprague-Dawley rats (250 g) underwent midline laparotomy, truncal vagotomy, antrectomy, and Roux-Y jejunostomy. Pacemaker leads were implanted 1 cm apart in both the gastric fundus and proximal Roux limb. Pacing was accomplished using a 0.5 mA, 50 msec, 0.33 Hz signal and monitored by an oscilloscope. Animals were fasted for 2 hr and then gavaged with 1.0 cc of 99mTc-labeled egg white. At 1 hr rats were anesthetized. The stomach, Roux limb, small intestine, and colon were doubly ligated and excised without disturbing their contents. The total number of counts per minute per rat was determined in a gamma radiation counter, and percentage gastric emptying (GE) was evaluated. Group I controls (n = 8) retained 76 +/- 15.8% for a GE of 24%. Group II gastric paced rats (n = 8) retained 64.5 +/- 19.2% (GE 35.5%) and Group III Roux-limb paced rats (n = 8) retained 46.8% +/- 13.2 (GE 53.2%) (P less than 0.005 III vs I, P less than 0.05 III vs II). The amount of radioactive meal distal to the Roux limb was also evaluated. Group I had 15.7 +/- 16.1%, Group II (gastric paced) 20.5 +/- 19.0%, and Group III (Roux-limb paced) 37.2 +/- 11.9% (P less than 0.005 III vs I, P less than 0.05 III vs II). These data imply that Roux-en-Y limb dysmotility may contribute to delayed gastric emptying following vagotomy, antrectomy, and Roux-Y enterostomy.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)

Animals↗

Importance of non-patient transfer activities in nursing-related back pain: II. Observational study and implications.

To determine the low back stressor exposures of hospital nursing staff members, the daily activities of 63 staff members were observed and coded. In addition to direct patient contact activities, non-patient contact activities were common. Many patient contact actions were static (isometric), requiring maintenance of an antigravity position which stresses the low back. These findings suggest the need to expand the focus of work practice training, equipment redesign, and future research activities.

Adult↗

Synthesis of phytochrome apoprotein and chromophore are not coupled obligatorily.

G Gardner and HL Gorton (1985 Plant Physiol 77: 540) demonstrated that gabaculine (5-amino-1,3-cyclohexadienylcarboxylic acid) inhibits the initial synthesis and resynthesis of spectrophotometrically detectable phytochrome in pea, maize, and oat. We show that the level of immuno-detectable phytochrome in pea is unaffected by the presence of gabaculine at a concentration that reduces spectrophotometrically detectable phytochrome up to 10-fold. This result indicates that gabaculine inhibits chromophore synthesis without affecting phytochrome apoprotein synthesis and that chromophore-less phytochrome is stable in the cell.

Journal Article↗

Nonsurgical management of small and intracanalicular acoustic tumors.

It is generally accepted that the proper treatment for acoustic tumors is surgical removal. In fact, there is little, if any, reference to nonsurgical treatment of these tumors in the recent medical literature. We would like to report on the nonsurgical management of six patients with cerebellopontine angle tumors based upon CT examination. The diagnostic findings, follow-up data, and the rationale upon which the decision was made to treat the patients nonsurgically will be presented, as will a review of the pertinent literature.

Aged↗

Lethal cholesteatoma.

Aural cholesteatoma is a disease entity well known to the otologic community. Complications of cholesteatoma, although uncommon, are not usually life threatening. We present two cases in which a unique and hitherto unreported pathway of spread of a cholesteatoma is noted. The cholesteatoma, after originating in the ear, entered the diploë and spread insidiously between the inner and outer tables to distal parts of the skull. Osteomyelitis, in concert with the cholesteatoma, destroyed large areas of the skull in both patients. One patient died of his disease. The other patient was operated on and is alive but has unresectable disease and purulent drainage from three separate cranial fistulas.

Aged↗

Inhibition of phytochrome synthesis by gabaculine.

Gabaculine (5-amino-1,3-cyclohexadienylcarboxylic acid), a transaminase inhibitor, also inhibits chlorophyll formation in plants, and the effect of this compound can be counteracted by 5-aminolevulinic acid (ALA) (Flint, personal communication, 1984). Since it is probable that ALA also serves as a precursor to phytochrome, the effects of gabaculine on phytochrome synthesis in developing etiolated seedlings were examined using in vivo spectrophotometry. Preemergence treatment with gabaculine was found to inhibit initial phytochrome synthesis in peas (Pisum sativum L.), corn (Zea mays L.), and oats (Avena sativa L.). In general, reduction in phytochrome correlated with reduction in chlorophyll. However, the extent of inhibition of phytochrome synthesis was not as great as that of chlorophyll synthesis, perhaps due to preexisting phytochrome in the seed. Foliar treatment of etiolated pea seedlings prior to light-induced destruction of phytochrome inhibited subsequent phytochrome resynthesis in the dark. These results suggest that both initial synthesis and resynthesis of phytochrome require de novo synthesis of chromophore as well as apoprotein.

Journal Article↗

Skull base surgery for glomus jugulare tumors.

Thirty-six patients with glomus jugulare tumors have been managed over a 13-year period using various combinations of skull base surgery and irradiation therapy. The data resulting from this study are presented; the techniques of diagnosis and treatment are reviewed. We conclude that irradiation therapy alone is a satisfactory form of treatment for elderly and poor-risk patients; preoperative x-ray therapy followed by skull base surgery is an effective treatment for younger patients.

Adult↗

Facial nerve function in cerebellopontine angle tumor surgery.

This article evaluates previous reports of facial nerve function after acoustic tumor surgery, and reports the results of a series of 144 patients treated surgically for cerebellopontine angle tumors. Previous reports have been handicapped by lack of an adequate grading system, which makes it difficult to compare results of different series. Previous studies provide limited correlation of pertinent features of pathology and management. This study correlates both the anatomic status of the facial nerve postoperatively with the ultimate outcome, and whether or not additional facial nerve surgery was performed, as well as the level of facial nerve function with the duration of time elapsed since surgery. Findings indicate that, although the long-term likelihood for satisfactory recovery of facial function is high, there is also a high likelihood of severe facial paralysis at some point during the postoperative course. Emphasis is also placed on maximal use of available technology during the process of dissection of the nerve from the tumor.

Adult↗

Transtemporal approaches to the cranial cavity.

A variety of surgical approaches through the temporal bone to the cranial cavity have been described in the past. We advocate creative modifications and combinations of these approaches in order to match the specific needs of particular tumors and other types of pathology. Two case examples demonstrating the need for such modifications are presented.

Adult↗

Increased phosphorylation of a membrane protein consequent to amygdaloid kindling.

The phosphorylation of both particulate and soluble proteins in the amygdala was examined in electrically kindled rats. In animals receiving electrical stimulation in the left amygdala for 5-6 days that displayed electrical after-discharges but no motor seizures, no changes were observed in the phosphorylation of either particulate or soluble proteins. In animals stimulated for 20-21 days where major motor seizures were produced, the phosphorylation of a protein having a molecular weight of 45,000 ( 45K ) was markedly increased. The phosphorylation of this protein was increased in both the right (unstimulated) and left (stimulated) amygdala. Major motor seizures induced by electroconvulsive shocks, however, did not alter phosphorylation of this protein. Phosphorylation of the 45K protein was stimulated by calcium and calmodulin. The 45K protein is a major phosphoprotein of amygdala, representing 3.2% of the total particulate phosphoproteins in control animals and 7.4% in the kindled animals. In the presence of calcium-calmodulin, 16.2% of net protein phosphorylation was accounted for by the 45K protein.

Amygdala↗

Effects of social and family factors on viral respiratory infection and illness in the first year of life.

A total of 131 infants were monitored from birth through the first year of life for respiratory viral infection and illness and evaluated for the relationship that these had to certain social and familial factors. The results showed no general patterns of association between viral infection and the study factors, but there were several significant individual associations. Excess influenza virus infection was found for black infants, infants with at least one sibling, and especially those with school age siblings. Rhinovirus infection rates were highest among girls attending daycare. In addition, significantly higher rates of lower respiratory disease (LRD) were seen in daycare infants and low socioeconomic infants and a definite trend to increasing amounts of LRD was seen with increasing family size. Protection from LRD seen in girls was apparently lost in daycare. No convincing differences for viral infection or respiratory illness were seen with parental smoking as an isolated factor.

Child Day Care Centers↗