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Biomedical subjects

J Berg

Publications and source records attributed to J Berg.

159 records · Page 9Linked to original sources
PubMedDate not supplied

Determinants of a genotoxic effect of 4-(methylnitrosamino)-1-(3-pyridyl)-1-butanone (NNK) in human diploid fibroblasts.

The induction of micronuclei was studied in human diploid fibroblasts incubated in the presence of the tobacco-specific nitrosamine NNK. We used four fibroblast strains having a high capacity of O6-alkylguanine DNA alkyltransferase (13.0-23.3 pmol O6-methylguanine repaired per 8 x 10(6) cells) and four strains that showed no detectable repair capacity. Incubation with NNK doubled the frequency of micronuclei in repair-deficient cells but failed to evoke any effect in the proficient cell strains. Control experiments were performed with the direct methylating agent MNNG and in the presence of inhibitors of either metabolic activation or alkyltransferase. The results showed that the genotoxicity of NNK is dependent on the relationship between its metabolic activation and the constitutive DNA repair. This supports earlier findings that low constitutive levels of O6-alkylguanine DNA alkyltransferase may increase susceptibility to lung cancer after exposure to DNA methylating agents.

Adult↗
PubMedDate not supplied

HeLa-LAV, an epithelial cell line stably infected with HIV-1.

An HeLa-LAV cell line was established by infecting and subcloning previously described CD4-expressing HeLa cells with HIV-1. Cells of this line stably synthesize all major HIV proteins, release infectious particles of HIV-1, but do not die even after long term culture. More than 90% of the cells express the envelope protein gp120 on the surface. The cells can be easily and efficiently labeled with 51chromium, and exhibit a low spontaneous release. Because they are susceptible to killing by allogeneic cytotoxic T cells (CTL) when targeted to gp120, they ought to be a useful source of target cells in any kind of HIV-specific killing assays. The cells may also help studies on HIV replication in non-lymphatic/non-monocytic cells. The HeLa-LAV cell line will be freely available from the AIDS Research and Reference Reagent Program.

CD4-Positive T-Lymphocytes↗
PubMedDate not supplied

Relationship between psychosocial variables and compliance in patients with heart failure.

OBJECTIVE: The purpose of this study was to describe the socio-demographic, psychosocial, and social support variables that predict compliance to treatment regimens in HF patients. DESIGN AND SETTING: Semistructured interviews were conducted on 82 patients at an outpatient heart failure clinic to gather data related to compliance behaviors. Five standardized instruments were used to gather data on patients' psychosocial health status and perceived social support. RESULTS: The overall compliance rate was 85.13 (10.01%). Higher levels of compliance (> 90%) were noted for follow-up appointments, medications, smoking, and alcohol cessation. Poor compliance was observed with dietary and exercise recommendations (71% and 53%, respectively). In a multivariate model, higher education, higher mental and physical health status and neuroticism independently contributed to 24% of the variance in overall compliance. CONCLUSION: The study supports that HF patients had poor compliance with dietary and exercise regimens. Since following a dietary and exercise regimen has been demonstrated to reduce morbidity in this population, strategies to increase compliance should be rigorously pursued [corrected].

Adult↗
PubMedDate not supplied

Assessing for pericarditis in the end-stage renal disease patient.

Pericarditis in the end-stage renal disease (ESRD) patient can be a life-threatening emergency. Careful assessment of these patients helps the critical care nurse plan for impending complications and ensure the best possible patient outcomes.

Critical Care↗
PubMedDate not supplied

Finding the right faculty. The important job of the search committee.

Nursing programs must face the challenge to recruit and retain qualified faculty who are committed to the institution and the profession. In these times of scarce financial resources, increased faculty retirements, and a declining faculty applicant pool, the search committee must make wise choices for searching and hiring replacement faculty. The authors discuss how the search committee can effectively conduct a search, review applications, interview, hire, and orient qualified faculty replacements.

Education, Nursing, Baccalaureate↗
PubMedDate not supplied

Hostility, gender, and cardiac autonomic control.

OBJECTIVE: Although considerable evidence implicates hostility in the development of coronary artery disease (CAD), the pathogenic mechanisms remain poorly understood. We have developed a psychophysiological model that holds that altered autonomic nervous system function links psychological traits with CAD outcomes. In laboratory studies, stressors reduce high-frequency (HF) heart period variability, an index of cardiac vagal modulation. With ambulatory electrocardiographic recording, we demonstrated in a predominantly male sample that hostility was inversely associated with HF power, but only during waking hours. These findings are consistent with the hypothesis that hostile individuals experience multiple stressful interpersonal transactions each day, resulting in overall lower HF power during the day but not at night. METHODS: To further evaluate this hypothesis, we screened 96 subjects using the Cook-Medley Hostility Scale and selected 15 men and 15 women representing a wide distribution of hostility. These subjects were studied in a laboratory session assessing reactivity to psychological and orthostatic challenges with continuous electrocardiographic, blood pressure, and respiration monitoring. We predicted that for men and women, hostility would be inversely related to reductions in HF power in response to challenge. RESULTS: In response to mental stressors, all measures of heart period variability change were inversely related to hostility as predicted. No such relationships were found for responses to tilt. The data suggested a possible effect of gender on these relationships. CONCLUSIONS: These data add to the growing body of evidence showing that hostility influences vagal modulation of the cardiovascular system and suggest that altered autonomic control is a pathogenic mechanism linking hostility and CAD.

Adult↗
PubMedDate not supplied

Craniolateral approach to the humerus with transection of the brachialis muscle.

Six fractures of the midshaft or distal third of the humerus were repaired through a modified craniolateral approach in which the brachialis muscle was transected rather than retracted to improve exposure of the bone. The approach simplified fracture reduction and fixation. Normal fracture healing and excellent limb function resulted in each case.

Animals↗
PubMedDate not supplied

Effects of four preparations of 0.05% chlorhexidine diacetate on wound healing in dogs.

Four chlorhexidine diacetate (CHD) antiseptic wound lavage preparations were evaluated in vivo to determine their effects on second intention wound healing in the dog in vitro to determine their relative antibacterial activity against Staphylococcus intermedius. Chlorhexidine was diluted to 0.05% in sterile water, 0.9% sodium chloride, lactated Ringers solution (LRS), and LRS that was allowed to form a precipitate with CHD. Control solutions included sterile water and LRS. There were no significant differences in wound contraction or epithelialization. All 0.05% CHD preparations provided 100% bacterial kill.

Animals↗
PubMedDate not supplied

Prognostic significance of serum alkaline phosphatase activity in canine appendicular osteosarcoma.

Sixty-one dogs with appendicular osteosarcoma were treated with amputation and chemotherapy of cisplatin and doxorubicin. Serum samples were obtained before and after treatment for determination of total alkaline phosphatase (TALP) activity as well as the activities of the constituent bone (BALP), liver (LALP), and corticosteroid-induced (CALP) isoenzymes. The relationship between alkaline phosphatase activities and survival was examined by Cox proportional hazards regression analysis and Kaplan-Meier log rank analysis. Mean activity of TALP, BALP, and LALP decreased significantly after treatment (P < .001). TALP and LALP activities before treatment were significantly correlated with survival (P = .006 and .001, respectively). The correlation between BALP activity before treatment and survival approached significance (P = .054). CALP activity and TALP, BALP, and LALP activities after treatment were not significantly correlated with survival. Dogs with normal pretreatment TALP and BALP activities survived significantly longer than dogs with increased pretreatment activities (P = .001 and .003, respectively). Median survival times for dogs with normal or increased TALP activities before treatment were 12.5 and 5.5 months, respectively; and median survival times for dogs with normal or increased BALP activities before treatment were 16.6 and 9.5 months, respectively. In the design of future clinical trials involving dogs with osteosarcoma, consideration should be given to stratifying the randomization according to alkaline phosphatase activity. In addition, alkaline phosphatase activity should be a factor considered by clinicians attempting to tailor the aggressiveness of adjuvant chemotherapy to the needs of individual patients or owners.

Age Factors↗
PubMedDate not supplied

Microencapsulation of emulsified oil droplets by in-situ vinyl polymerization.

This paper reports on the preparation and evaluation of microcapsules formed by the polymerization of methyl methacrylate in the presence of an oil/water emulsion. The oil phase was composed of an alkane (n-decane or hexadecane) and the oil/water emulsions were stabilized by a variety of emulsifiers. Both oil-soluble and water-soluble initiators were used and the monomer was introduced by either dissolving it in the oil or by feeding it through the water. The primary objective of the work was to study the effects of both formulation and process variables on the morphological characteristics of the polymer/oil composite particle. Our experimental findings indicate that it is not a trivial task to assure that the polymer is formed at the interface in such a way that it envelopes the oil droplet. It was found that the type of emulsifier used is crucial in determining the success of the encapsulation process.

Alkanes↗
PubMedDate not supplied

Prognosis for dogs with nonlymphomatous, small intestinal tumors treated by surgical excision.

Long-term follow-up information was obtained for 39 dogs that had undergone surgical excision of nonlymphomatous, small intestinal tumors. For all dogs evaluated in this study, the median survival time was 10 months, and the one- and two-year survival rates were 40.5% and 33.1%, respectively. There was no difference in survival times between dogs with adenocarcinomas (n=23) and dogs with leiomyosarcomas (n=16). Survival times were significantly (p less than 0.0001) shorter for dogs with histological evidence of metastases at the time of surgery (median, 3.0 months) than for dogs with no histiological evidence of metastases (median, 15.0 months).

Adenocarcinoma↗
PubMedDate not supplied

Problems in neurolocalization.

A complete neurologic examination is essential to manage patients with thoracolumbar or cervical intervertebral disc herniations appropriately. The neurologic examination provides an assessment of the severity of the lesion and allows the lesion to be accurately localized. This chapter will review the basic principles of localizing the compressive spinal and lesions and will discuss some specific problems encountered in localizing thoracolumbar and cervical intervertebral disc herniations.

Animals↗
PubMedDate not supplied

Compliance, diet and cultural factors among black Americans with end-stage renal disease.

This article examines dietary compliance among a sample consisting predominantly of Black End-Stage Renal Disease (ESRD) patients. Previous research on ESRD patients has concentrated on dietary compliance as engendered by a White middle-class medical value system. The current research suggests that this approach may deter compliance rather than encourage it in an ESRD patient population which tends to be composed disproportionately of Blacks. Findings from a structured interview schedule administered to 23 ESRD patients, and their blood analyses, indicate that while patients claim to be compliant, their subjective laboratory results suggest the contrary. As a possible explanation of this result, this article argues that renal dietary restrictions are both too rigid and alien in the context of a Black cultural world view and the eating patterns related to this cultural ethos.

Adolescent↗