[Metabolism of elastin and pulmonary emphysema].
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Animals↗
Biomedical subjects
J Marks
Publications and source records attributed to J Marks.
Home health care and quality of life of patients with Alzheimer's disease.
BACKGROUND: Little is known about the quality of life (QOL) of people with Alzheimer's disease (AD). The formal home care sector plays an increasingly large role in care for this population, but home care agencies do not routinely collect QOL information or use this information in care planning. METHODS: A series of roundtable discussions with representatives of the home care industry were held to document current practices by home care providers regarding the elicitation, recording, and use of QOL information; to derive indicators of QOL in AD patients; and to develop standardized procedures for using QOL information. Results from this investigation were incorporated into an epidemiological investigation of community-dwelling AD patients, comparing formal sector home attendants to family caregivers regarding efforts to enhance patient QOL. RESULTS: Twenty representatives of the home care industry met over three sessions to discuss these issues. Patient QOL indicators were derived, showing divergence of patient and caregiver perspectives. A survey of 240 AD patients compared family and formal home attendant caregivers and showed that home attendants underutilize opportunities to enhance patient QOL, as referenced by patient participation in activities that require supervision. CONCLUSIONS: Collaboration with home care agencies allowed a better understanding of quality of life for this vulnerable patient population. More research will be required to refine QOL outcomes and develop quality assurance tools for dementia care. Medical Subject Headings (MeSH): Alzheimer's disease, quality of life, home care, paraprofessional care.
Aged↗
Neosporosis and bovine abortion in Scotland.
Serum samples were collected over a two-year period from aborting cows and their fetuses from throughout Scotland; 465 maternal sera were examined using an immunofluorescent antibody test for IgG antibody to Neospora caninum and 547 fetal sera were examined for IgM and IgG antibody to the parasite; 355 of the maternal sera were paired with their respective fetal samples. The maternal titres ranged from 1/8 to 1/16,384, with 59 per cent (275) having titres of 1/128 or 1/256. Of the 547 fetal sera, 9.9 per cent had IgM titres equal to or greater than 1/64, 11.2 per cent had IgG titres equal to or greater than 1/64 and 15.9 per cent had IgM and/or IgG titres equal to or greater than 1/64. It is concluded that a fetal IgM or IgG titre of 1/64 or more is evidence of fetal exposure to N caninum but that the examination of maternal sera is less reliable on an individual basis, although valuable for indicating the degree of infection in a herd. Although fetal seropositivity does not necessarily provide proof that N caninum was the cause of death in a given case, the observation that 15.9 per cent of aborted fetuses had antibody to the parasite shows that vertical transmission from dam to fetus is relatively common and may be an important cause of fetal loss in cattle in Scotland.
Abortion, Septic↗