Biomedical subjects
Publications and source records attributed to G Grant.
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Specular microscopy provides a level of magnification and differentiation of detail which approaches that of a histological examination, and has the advantage of being a noninvasive procedure. This makes specular microscopy useful not only in examining the corneal endothelium, but also in identifying deep corneal opacities, which fall into two broad groups: 1) exogenous materials deposited in the cornea; and 2) endogenous pathologic corneal changes. Exogenous materials in the cornea have a wide variety of appearances, including the typical appearance of caterpillar hairs, the multifaceted appearance of glass foreign bodies, the regular geometric appearance of cholesterol crystals and cigar-shaped myeloma crystals or the more irregular deposits of chlorpromazine. Endogenous changes include ghost vessels, larger striate corneal nerves, fasciculi of fine parallel lines in keratoconus, criss-cross irregularly running lines in resolved keratitis, and a shagreen or cellophane-like appearance suggesting thickening of Descemet's membrane. While some deep corneal opacities are easily diagnosed clinically, the nature of others may be difficult to determine and specular microscopy is a valuable aid in such cases.
PURPOSE: The ability of three different intravascular stents (Gianturco-Roubin, Palmaz-Schatz, and CV Rad), and two different metals (stainless steel and tantalum) to resist vasoconstriction was evaluated in an intact artery ex vivo model. MATERIALS AND METHODS: Stents were deployed in 21 rabbit thoracic aortae and five dog carotid arteries, which were constricted with phenylephrine and serotonin, respectively. Vasoconstriction was measured with the use of high-frequency ultrasonic imaging. RESULTS: The maximal vasoconstriction of the control segment was 37.7% +/- 2.6 with rabbit aortae and 36.3% +/- 4.1 with dog carotid arteries, while the average maximal constriction for all segments in which stents were placed was 5.7% +/- 1.1 (P < .01). The maximal constriction of the Gianturco-Roubin stainless steel stent was 9.4% +/- 2.7 versus 7.9% +/- 1.6 with the tantalum version (P = .65). Both designs showed somewhat greater constriction compared with either the Palmaz-Schatz (3.3% +/- 0.9) or the CV Rad (1.4% +/- 1.1) stents. CONCLUSIONS: Although all of the stents tested substantially resist arterial vasoconstrictive forces, the Palmaz-Schatz and CV Rad stents resist vasoconstriction to a greater degree than the Gianturco-Roubin stents. Tantalum and stainless steel stents of the same design (Gianturco-Roubin) appear similar in their ability to resist vasoconstrictive forces.
In a previous study we provided evidence that dorsal root ganglion (DRG) neurons of different phenotypes have different birthdates. The present study aimed at determining if birthdates of DRG neurons are related to different types of peripheral nerves, namely cutaneous versus muscle, and somatic versus visceral. Pregnant rats were injected intraperitoneally with bromodeoxyuridine (BrdU) to label the neurons on one of the embryonic days E12-E16. When the progeny rats reached adulthood, a mixture of 1% B-fragment of cholera toxin and 1% isolectin B4 from Griffonia simplicifolia I was injected into the peripheral nerves, or a 5% Fluoro-Gold solution was applied to the transected end of the nerves. The saphenous and sural nerves were used as cutaneous nerves, the gastrocnemius nerve as a muscle nerve, the intercostal nerves T9-11 as somatic nerves and the greater splanchnic nerve as a visceral nerve. Cell size measurements were made of DRG neurons labeled from the two cutaneous nerves and the muscle nerve, as well as of neurons of the saphenous and gastrocnemius nerves labeled by BrdU at different embryonic stages. Most of the DRG neurons of the muscle and intercostal nerves were generated early, with peaks at E13, and those of the cutaneous and visceral afferent nerves later, with peaks at E14. The temporal differences were reflected in the cell size spectrum, the muscle nerve having a greater proportion of large neurons compared to the cutaneous nerves. The findings add to previous knowledge regarding the sequence of development of different DRG phenotypes.
BACKGROUND: The present paper addresses a rather neglected dimension of family caregiving, its temporality. Many accounts of caregiving assume a state of stasis, and therefore, overlook factors which shape the evolving experience of family caregiving over the life course. METHODS: The paper begins by offering some reflections on theoretical and methodological issues identified by life-course researchers. RESULTS: Based both on theoretical propositions and a growing body of empirical evidence, this paper offers a heuristic for thinking about caregiving stages applied to families supporting people with intellectual disability. CONCLUSIONS: This heuristic is used to suggest further avenues of research and development.
Respite care is frequently provided within a hospital setting and such a service is likely to increase due to community care policies. Nurses need to challenge traditional assumptions on which respite care is based in order to provide a more flexible service.
Debate on the costs and benefits of continuing professional education for nurses has intensified following the PREPP proposals. Evidence suggests that nurses who consider that their educational needs are being fully met have higher morale and work more efficiently than those who do not.
The extent to which nurses feel that their contribution is recognized and that they are involved in important decisions varies according to grade and location. Clinical nurses generally feel that they exert little influence over doctors, general management or their own nurse managers.
This article considers the results of an opinion survey of nurses working in Gwynedd, North Wales. Present changes to the structure and function of the NHS are heightening concerns and eroding the strengths of the profession. Action is needed if nursing's move towards enhanced professional status is to be maintained.
This article describes the development of a new index for assessing the coping strategies employed by family (informal) carers. It considers the nature of coping and suggests ways that professional interventions can augment the coping repertoires that carers employ.
In this article those factors which influence the job satisfaction and morale of nurses are considered. It is suggested that action is needed if the profession is to continue to grow and develop.
The intra-axonal transport of horseradish peroxidase (HRP) was used to label fibres in the intratemporal facial nerve portion (ITFN) in the rat and cat. HRP was applied to the proximal cut end of facial nerve branches innervating different facial muscles. Following appropriate survival periods, the animals were fixed by perfusion. The ITFN was processed histochemically for demonstration of intra-axonal HRP, using tetramethylbenzidine as substrate. The distribution of labelled fibres was analyzed in serial longitudinal sections and in photographic transverse-like reconstructions from three selected levels. HRP-labelled fibres from all examined motor branches were found to be diffusely distributed almost throughout the entire ITFN, leaving only a narrow zone free of label. By applying HRP to the chorda tympani nerve, it was shown that this zoe harbours fibres of this nerve. The findings support the conclusion that the motor fibres to the facial muscles are diffusely organized in the ITFN.
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We have investigated amplification and expression of the epidermal growth factor (EGF)-receptor gene and the multidrug-resistance (MDRI) gene in a newly established lung adenocarcinoma cell line and its subcell lines. Of these cell lines, the EGF-receptor was amplified (64-fold) and rearranged (6.5 and 5.4 Kb with EcoRI restriction) in an early passage cell line, DMS-4CS. MDRI gene amplification (10.5-fold), accompanied by rearrangement (4.6 and 3.7 Kb with Hind III restriction), was found in the same cell line. All other subcell lines derived from DMS-4C5 failed to demonstrate any amplification of these genes. Moreover, mRNA expression of these two genes was not overproduced. Our findings seem to indicate that highly selected cells at an early stage have undergone spontaneous amplification of these genes. However, cells containing such amplified DNA sequences may exhibit growth disadvantage, and, therefore, the amplified DNA sequences were not present in the sublines. The cytogenetic study demonstrated that early passage cells, DMS-4C6, only showed one unique marker chromosome, M10, which may represent amplification of these genes in question.
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