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Biomedical subjects

G Green

Publications and source records attributed to G Green.

At least 55 records · Page 3Linked to original sources
PubMed1997

Effect of gemfibrozil +/- niacin +/- cholestyramine on endothelial function in patients with serum low-density lipoprotein cholesterol levels <160 mg/dl and high-density lipoprotein cholesterol levels <40 mg/dl.

We studied endothelial function using the brachial artery ultrasound model in 100 subjects from the Armed Forces Regression Study, a placebo-controlled, angiographic regression trial in subjects with normal or modestly elevated low-density lipoprotein (LDL) cholesterol and low levels of high-density lipoprotein (HDL) cholesterol treated for 30 months with gemfibrozil and (if necessary) niacin and/or cholestyramine to raise HDL by 25% and lower LDL to < 110 mg/dl. Although the treatment group had highly significant improvements in LDL and HDL cholesterol, there was no difference between the 2 groups in flow-mediated dilation (treatment vs control 6.9 +/- 6.5% vs 6.3 +/- 7.3%) or nitroglycerin-induced dilation (12.4 +/- 9.6% vs 11.9 +/- 7.4%, all p = NS). Treatment and control subjects without a history of hypertension had flow-mediated dilation similar to that of a normal reference population (10.6 +/- 8.3% vs 8.4 +/- 4.5%), whereas subjects with a history of systemic hypertension had markedly impaired flow-mediated dilation that was not significantly improved with treatment (treatment vs control, 6.0 +/- 5.5% vs 4.3 +/- 5.9%, p = 0.2). Thus, nonhypertensive subjects with angiographic coronary disease and low HDL cholesterol had normal endothelial function in the brachial artery model. Patients with a history of hypertension had marked endothelial dysfunction despite blood pressure treated to normal levels, and this dysfunction is not attenuated by pharmacologic therapy for dyslipidemia.

Aged↗
PubMed1997

Pediocin PD-1, a bactericidal antimicrobial peptide from Pediococcus damnosus NCFB 1832.

Pediocin PD-1, produced by Pediococcus damnosus NCFB 1832, is inhibitory to several food spoilage bacteria and food-borne pathogens. However, pediocin PD-1 is not active against other Pediococcus spp. and differs in this respect to other pediocins produced by Pediococcus acidilactici and Pediococcus pentosaceus. Production of pediocin PD-1 starts during early growth and reaches-a plateau at the end of exponential growth. Pediocin PD-1 was partially purified and its size was determined by tricine-SDS-PAGE as approximately 3.5 kDa. The isoelectric point (pI) of pediocin PD-1 is approximately 3.5, as determined with the Rotofor electrofocusing cell (BioRad). Pediocin PD-1 is heat-resistant (10 min at 121 degrees C) and remains active after 30 min of incubation at pH 2-10. Pediocin PD-1 is resistant to treatment with pepsin, papain, alpha-chemotrypsin and trypsin, but not Proteinase K. Pediocin PD-1 is bactericidal against sensitive cells of Oenococcus oeni (previously Leuconostoc oenos).

Bacteriocins↗
PubMed1996

Chromatographic fractionation and analysis by mass spectrometry of conjugated metabolites of bis(2-ethylhexyl)phthalate in urine.

Mono(2-ethylhexyl)phthalate (MEHP), the primary metabolite of the plasticizer bis(2-ethylhexyl)phthalate (DEHP), was given to guinea pigs and mice and the methods for the isolation, separation and analysis of its metabolites in urine were developed. Following solid-phase extraction with octadecylsilane-bonded silica, individual metabolites were purified and separated using a combination of ion-exchange chromatography on lipophilic gels and reversed-phase high-performance liquid chromatography. Analysis of intact conjugates, as well as nonconjugated metabolites, was performed by fast atom bombardment mass spectrometry (FAB-MS) and, after derivatization, by gas chromatography-mass spectrometry. Enzymatic methods were used for further characterization. The study confirms glucuronidation as the major conjugation pathway for MEHP in the investigated species. Although less important quantitatively, glucosidation is shown to be an alternative conjugation pathway in mice. The methods developed were applied to a sample of urine from a hyperbilirubinemic newborn infant subjected to DEHP-exposure in conjunction with an exchange transfusion. It was demonstrated that metabolites of DEHP were excreted in amounts which could be analyzed by FAB-MS.

Animals↗
PubMed1996

Coronary bypass surgery with internal-thoracic-artery grafts--effects on survival over a 15-year period.

BACKGROUND: Aortocoronary bypass surgery has been performed most often with the patient's saphenous vein as the conduit. The internal-thoracic-artery graft, which has superior patency rates, has been shown to have clinical advantages, but it is not known how long these advantages persist. METHODS: We identified all the patients in the registry of the Coronary Artery Surgery Study who had undergone first-time coronary-artery bypass grafting. Those with internal-thoracic-artery bypass grafts (749 patients) were compared with those with saphenous-vein bypass grafts only (4888 patients) with respect to survival over a 15-year follow-up period. RESULTS: In a multivariate analysis to account for differences between the two groups, the presence of an internal-thoracic-artery graft was an independent predictor of improved survival and was associated with a relative risk of dying of 0.73 (95 percent confidence interval, 0.64 to 0.83). This improved survival was also observed in subgroups including patients 65 years of age or older, both men and women, and patients with impaired ventricular function. The survival curves of the two groups showed further separation over the years of follow-up, with a more marked downsloping after eight years in the curve for the group with saphenous-vein grafts only than in that for the group with internal-thoracic-artery grafts. CONCLUSIONS: As compared with saphenous-vein coronary bypass grafts, internal-thoracic-artery grafts conferred a survival advantage throughout a 15-year follow-up period. The survival advantage increased with time, suggesting that the initial selection of the conduit was a more important factor in survival than problems appearing long after surgery, such as the progression of coronary disease.

Aged↗
PubMed1996

The good side after stroke: ipsilateral sensory-motor function needs careful assessment.

Twenty subjects were examined 4-6 weeks after stroke to establish whether a sensory-motor ipsilateral deficit occurs early after stroke. Each underwent a timed test of repetitive side-to-side movement of both the upper and lower limbs ipsilateral to the cerebral infarct, and an assessment of motor disability using the Motor Assessment Scale. Results were compared with a group studied almost a year after their stroke, and with 41 age-matched healthy volunteers. There was a significantly worse performance (p < 0.005) on the right ipsilateral side, but not the left ipsilateral side, compared with normal volunteers, a finding similar to that of a group previously studied about a year after the stroke. There was no relationship between the severity of the motor deficit and performance of the side, possibly owing to reduction in cerebral activation as a result of a right hemispheric lesion. These observations have importance in rehabilitation and education as well as practical skills, including driving a car and maintaining balance.

Activities of Daily Living↗
PubMed1996

Location, DNA sequence and transcriptional analysis of the DNA polymerase gene of orf virus.

Degenerate oligonucleotides representing conserved regions of various DNA polymerases hybridized to a region located 26 kb from the left end of the orf virus (OV) strain NZ-2 genome. DNA sequence analysis of this region revealed a 3024 bp open reading frame able to encode a protein with 56 percent amino acid identity to the DNA polymerase of vaccinia virus (VAC) and with significant homology to other DNA polymerases. Early transcripts derived from the open reading frame were detected in RNA purified from OV-infected cells, and 5' ends were mapped to a region 8-19 nt downstream from an A/T-rich sequence that resembles VAC early promoters. Unlike the VAC gene, the OV DNA polymerase makes almost exclusive use of G/C coding options. Attempts to substitute the activity of the OV DNA polymerase for its VAC counterpart were unsuccessful. This may indicate that the OV DNA polymerase is incompatible with VAC accessory proteins.

Amino Acid Sequence↗
PubMed1996

What to do while things are changing.

No longer able to support an entitlement culture, the business of health care is rapidly giving way to a culture of marketability. However, effective career management within a changing professional landscape doesn't have to be nightmare. Physician executives can learn to work with the dynamics and principles of change management to significantly reduce their error rate and increase their chances for success. Using change management strategies and tools effectively is the best way to transform any sense of urgency you may feel into energy, information, and action. This is the optimal time to create a better work environment for yourself, and become a better resource for the community you serve.

Career Mobility↗
PubMed1995

Variation in ANA titres in Auckland.

AIM: To determine the intralaboratory and interlaboratory variation in reported ANA titres in three Auckland laboratories, and to see if this has improved since a similar study was performed in 1981. METHODS: Serum samples on 26 subjects with rheumatological symptoms were sent to the three laboratories on two separate days in 1993, and the presence and titre of ANA determined. RESULTS: The number of titre dilutions by which duplicate samples differed within each laboratory has decreased since the previous study, and variation within each laboratory of greater than two dilutions was not observed. The correlation between the laboratories has improved since the previous study, particularly for Lab A vs. Lab B. CONCLUSION: The ANA test, as expressed in titres, is more reproducible in Auckland laboratories than has been the case in the past.

Antibodies, Antinuclear↗
PubMed1995

Attitudes towards people with HIV: are they as stigmatizing as people with HIV perceive them to be?

Stigma is a feature of HIV disease and many people who are HIV-positive report that their lives are affected by fear of discrimination (felt stigma). Although opinions do not necessarily predict behaviour, this article examines whether the public's avowed attitudes to people with HIV are as punitive and stigmatizing as those infected think they are, and the extent to which public attitudes may contribute to felt stigma. A street survey was conducted in Glasgow and Edinburgh, Scotland, asking a stratified quota sample of 300 men and women of all ages to complete a short questionnaire about their attitudes toward people with HIV. The same questionnaire was also completed by 42 men and women with HIV. One in five respondents in the street survey, and all of those with HIV, were also asked to complete the questionnaire imagining that they were a typical member of the public, to find out whether both groups attributed more hostile attitudes to generalized others than they themselves professed. Overall, the general public had relatively liberal views about people with HIV although a majority felt that some restrictions should be placed upon their freedom. Controlling for age, sex, socioeconomic status and city, people with HIV had more liberal attitudes than the general public, but perceived public attitudes to be far less liberal than were reported in the street survey. Respondents in the street survey also perceived generalized others to be less liberal than themselves. These results provide evidence of felt stigma among people with HIV and the policy implications are discussed. The findings are also set within a theoretical framework concerning the nature of attitudes, their relationship to behaviours, and the pervasiveness of negative images associated with AIDS.

Adult↗
PubMed1995

Chest pain associated with cocaine: an assessment of prevalence in suburban and urban emergency departments.

STUDY OBJECTIVE: Chest pain and myocardial infarction following the use of cocaine have been well documented. We assessed the prevalence of cocaine use in patients who presented to the emergency department with chest pain of possibly ischemic origin. DESIGN: During times of research assistant availability, consecutive adults with the chief complaint of chest pain unexplained by trauma or radiographic abnormality were questioned about cocaine use in the preceding week. Urine was tested for the presence of cocaine or cocaine metabolites with a highly accurate bedside urine test kit (specificity, 100%; sensitivity 98%). Anonymous unlinked data-collection methods were used. Therefore we could not determine whether the patients who used cocaine had sustained myocardial infarctions. SETTING: One suburban and three urban EDs. RESULTS: We enrolled 359 patients with a mean age of 51 years, 8% of whom sustained myocardial infarctions. Sixty patients (17%) had cocaine or cocaine metabolites in urine. The likelihood of testing positive for cocaine varied by age group: 18 to 30 years, 29%; 31 to 40 years, 48%; 41 to 50 years, 18%; 51 to 60 years, 3%; 61 years or older, 0% (P < .0001). Of the 60 patients who tested positive for cocaine, only 43 (72%) admitted recent use. CONCLUSION: Many ED patients with chest pain have recently used cocaine. Because the recent use of cocaine is not uncommon in patients with chest pain up to 60 years old, such patients should be questioned about cocaine use. When treatment or disposition may be altered, consideration should be given to objective assessment of cocaine use because patient self-report does not appear reliable.

Adolescent↗
PubMed1995

Unconventional conceptions and HIV.

The condom is widely recommended as the principal method for preventing HIV transmission, but such advice obviously does not apply to women who are seeking to become pregnant. In this sense, 'safer sex' is incompatible with reproduction. Existing research into HIV transmission has examined the choices made by those wishing to conceive within a sexual relationship; such research shows that HIV is not a highly significant factor in their decision-making processes. This study aims to extend the debate by exploring the decision-making processes of women seeking to become pregnant with donated sperm. In particular, we focus on women outside the fertility clinic system who do not have access to sperm screened for HIV to see whether HIV is a significant factor in these women's decisions. The study involved in-depth interviews with 20 women (14 lesbians, one bisexual and five heterosexuals) recruited through informal networking and snowball sampling. HIV was a salient concern for our sample, largely because of their contacts with gay men, but nonetheless most of these women took some risks. On the one hand, the conscious deliberations necessary to conceive through self-insemination facilitated risk reduction, as did factors such as 'stranger-danger'. On the other hand, factors such as the scarcity of suitable sperm donors and the women's own feelings of gratitude and loyalty to their donors mitigated against their requesting that their donor take an HIV test. This study highlights the need to provide information for women seeking self-insemination, and to remove restrictions on access to fertility clinics, in order to reduce their risk of HIV infection and subsequent vertical transmission.

AIDS Serodiagnosis↗
PubMed1995

Dentists' attitudes toward the treatment of HIV-positive patients.

The authors studied the attitudes of 1,000 U.S. dentists toward the treatment of HIV-positive patients. Using a random-sample mail survey, they measured dentists' professional attitudes toward treating HIV/AIDS patients, fear of contagion and negative emotions toward HIV-positive patients. The results indicate that 68 percent of the respondents would treat an HIV-positive patient, even if the possibility for a legitimate referral exists.

Adult↗
PubMed1994

The reproductive careers of a cohort of men and women following an HIV-positive diagnosis.

This report examines the consequences of a positive HIV diagnosis upon the reproductive decision-making of 39 men and women in Scotland. Whilst the majority initially decide never to have any (more) children this sometimes changes as other factors gain ascendancy, such as a partner wanting 'their' child and about one-third had had a child or were intending to do so. The motivations underlying such decisions are discussed and ways in which health services could intervene to support people with HIV in making reproductive choices and to minimise the risk of transmission to an HIV-negative partner and the child are suggested.

Adolescent↗