Biomedical subjects
Publications and source records attributed to J Moody.
This article reports a study of the attitudes of NHS management and financial personnel to issues of moving and handling, in particular the use of mechanical aids. The study highlights some confusions about the responsibilities and roles of different personnel, and the authors make some recommendations to clarify these.
Erectile dysfunction is mainly due to the inability of the cavernosal smooth muscle of the penis to undergo complete relaxation. In the aging rat model, erectile dysfunction is accompanied by a reduction of penile smooth muscle compliance and, in very old animals, by a decrease in penile nitric oxide synthase (NOS), which is responsible for the synthesis of the mediator of penile erection, nitric oxide (NO). We have investigated whether the stimulation of penile NOS expression by local induction or gene therapy can mitigate erectile dysfunction in the aged rat. A mix of iNOS (inducible NOS) inducers was continuously delivered to the penises of 5- ("adult"), 20- ("old"), and 30- ("very old") mo-old rats for 3-6 days, and the erectile response to electrical field stimulation of the cavernosal nerve was measured. The erectile dysfunction observed in old and very old rats as compared to adult animals was ameliorated by treatment with iNOS inducers. Penile iNOS was detectable in the penis of these rats by Western blot, NADPH diaphorase, and NOS activity assays. Inducible NOS was inducible in vitro in both rat and human corpora cavernosal tissue and in rat penile smooth muscle cells (RPSMC), as shown by Western blots. However, NO synthesis in cavernosal tissue upon iNOS protein induction remained low, indicating that the increased NOS levels were under physiological control. The iNOS cDNA was cloned from induced RPSMC mRNA and generated by reverse transcriptase polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR) from induced human penile smooth muscle cells and corporal tissue. The coding regions from both the rat (RPiNOS) and human (HPiNOS) penile iNOS showed several amino acid differences from their analogous isoform in nonpenile tissues. RPiNOS cDNA injected into the penis mitigated the aging-associated erectile dysfunction. The iNOS construct was detected in cavernosal tissue by PCR, and its expression by RT-PCR and Western blots. These results open the way for the possible use of NOS isoforms in the management of erectile dysfunction.
This paper describes Phase III of the study of mechanical aids used within the NHS, the aim of which was to evaluate the acceptability and effectiveness of mechanical aids within the service. Phases I and II of the study consisted of interviewing nurses and clients concerning their attitudes towards mechanical aids and observing nurses in the clinical area using mechanical aids. Phase III consisted of an experiment being undertaken to compare the usability of a number of mechanical aids for controlled task in a laboratory environment. The aim of this was to compare a number of different mechanical aids currently available, for perceived safety, comfort, ease of use and manoeuvrability in ward simulated conditions.
In the second article of three (the first appeared in last week's issue), the authors describe Phase II of the study "An Evaluation of Mechanical Aids used within the NHS', the aim of which was to evaluate the acceptability and effectiveness of mechanical aids. In this article clients' attitudes toward mechanical aid use is considered. This is supplemented by data obtained through observing nurses and clients using mechanical aids in the clinical area. It was found that, although mechanical aids were considered desirable and safe by most patients and their operation involved only moderate postural discomfort to the nurses operating them, the nurses still offered client discomfort or fear as a reason for not using the aids. The authors offer some recommendations to encourage increased use of mechanical aids in appropriate client care situations. The final article, describing Phase III of the study, will appear in next week's issue.
Publication of the Manual Handling Operations Regulations (HSE 1992) focused attention on the use of mechanical aids for the purposes of moving and handling. However, nurses' reluctance to use this equipment has been widely documented. The reasons for this are complex and the aim of this study was to examine in depth the effectiveness and acceptability of mechanical aids to nurses and clients. This article reports on the part of the study which surveyed nurses' attitudes towards this equipment. The data were obtained by means of a semi-structured interview schedule. One hundred and eighty five nurses from a selection of specialties were interviewed. Common problems identified by the researchers were lack of proper training in mechanical aid use, mechanical aids and slings being unavailable or inaccessible, arbitrary use of mechanical aids and spatial constraints to mechanical aid use. Recommendations are made which aim to address the issues raised. Phases II and III of the study will appear in the next two issues.
Despite the special working environment and exposures of airline pilots, data on risk of death and cancer incidence in this occupational group are limited. The authors investigated a cohort of 2,740 Air Canada pilots who contributed 62,449 person-years of observation. All male pilots employed for at least 1 year on and since January 1, 1950, were studied. The cutoff date for outcome information was December 31, 1992. Standardized mortality ratio (SMR) and standardized incidence ratio (SIR) were used to compare mortality rates and cancer incidence rates of the cohort with the respective Canadian population rates. Ninety percent confidence intervals of the SMR and SIR were calculated. Statistically significant decreased mortality was observed for all causes (SMR = 0.63, 90% confidence interval (CI) 0.56-0.70), for all cancers (SMR = 0.61, 90% CI 0.48-0.76), and for all noncancer diseases (SMR = 0.53, 90% CI 0.45-0.62). Mortality from aircraft accidents was significantly raised (SMR = 26.57, 90% CI 19.3-35.9). Significantly decreased cancer incidence was observed for all cancers (SIR = 0.71, 90% CI 0.61-0.82), rectal cancer (SIR = 0.42, 90% CI 0.14-0.96), lung cancer (SIR = 0.28, 90% CI 0.16-0.46), and bladder cancer (SIR = 0.36, 90% CI 0.12-0.82). Prostate cancer (SIR = 1.87, 90% CI 1.38-2.49) and acute myeloid leukemia (SIR = 4.72, 90% CI 2.05-9.31) were significantly increased. The preferred relative risk model for radiation-induced nonchronic lymphoid leukemia (Beir V report) was applied to the cohort by using published estimates of in-flight radiation exposures. The estimated relative risk ranged from 1.001 to 1.06 and did not differ significantly from the observed SIR (SIR = 1.88, 90% CI 0.80-3.53). However, the incidence rate of acute myeloid leukemia was significantly increased. Monitoring of in-flight radiation exposure and long-term follow-up of civil aviation crew members is needed to further assess cancer incidence and leukemia risk in this special occupational group.
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Basilar skull fractures account for approximately 19% of all skull fractures. There have been little data published concerning the need for intensive care monitoring in this injury. We retrospectively studied 259 patients admitted to our trauma center over an 8-year period with a diagnosis of basilar skull fracture. All patients were evaluated with cranial computed tomographic (CT) scans. These patients were admitted to the trauma service, and neurosurgical consultation was obtained in all cases. The diagnosis was made by clinical signs in 207 patients (80%), by CT scan in 47 (18%), and by plain films in 5 (2%). Ninety-two patients (group I) had intracranial pathology in addition to basilar skull fracture. Twenty-one patients in this group underwent craniotomy. In this group, the morbidity and mortality rates were 11% and 7%, respectively. Forty-four patients (group II) had no intracranial pathology and a Glasgow Coma Score (GCS) of less than 13. The morbidity was 2%, and the mortality was 2%. One hundred twenty-three patients (group III) had no intracranial pathology on CT scan and a GCS of 13 or greater. The complication rate in this group was 1%, and there was no neurologically related mortality. Patients who are admitted with a diagnosis of basilar skull fracture and who have a GCS of 13 or greater with no intracranial pathology on CT can be managed without intensive care monitoring.
We performed chorionic villus samplings (CVS) in 795 cases in the first trimester during a 13-month period. Of these 35 were found to have a blighted ovum or missed abortion prior to the procedure. Nineteen women consented to have CVS. Ultrasonographic and cytogenetic findings in these 19 pregnancies were correlated. Expected gestational age was determined by last menstrual period. Observed gestational age was determined by crown rump length (CRL) (12 pregnancies) or gestational sac (GS) (7 pregnancies without fetal pole). The differences in days between the estimated and observed gestational ages was determined for each pregnancy. In all 19 CVS samples cytogenetic diagnosis documented aneuploidy. Ten cases had chromosome abnormalities virtually always lethal in the embryonic period (group I). Nine pregnancies had defects with moderate potential for fetal viability (group II). Gestations with low viability potential (group I) had estimated minus observed gestational age discrepancies (23.4 +/- 8.3 days) significantly greater than gestations with moderate viability potential (group II) (8.9 +/- 4.3 days) (P less than .001). The absence of a fetal pole was more common in group I. CVS in pregnancies with missed abortion or blighted ovum is feasible and has a high likelihood of documenting aneuploidy. Furthermore, the more severe the anomaly the more likely there will be very early fetal demise or intrauterine growth retardation.
Age labels may lead to the seeking of age-stereotypic information from target individuals. Using Carver and de la Garza's information-seeking procedure (which asked respondents to judge the relative importance of various kinds of information they would glean from drivers involved in an automobile accident for assigning accident responsibility), but extending it to a wider life span (16 to 91 years of age) and to both genders, we generalized earlier findings to a similar undergraduate sample (n = 437) in another country. Also demonstrated for the first time is the fact that ageist information-seeking across the life span was independent of the driver's gender, the participant's age, and the participant's gender. Specifically, participants wanted to know from younger drivers about their driving conduct (whether they had been drunk and speeding), and from older drivers about their capacity for driving (mental competence, vision, and health). The seeking of environmental information (car safety and road conditions) did not vary with the age of driver in any systematic way.
Trousseau's syndrome remains a widely unrecognized and untreated complication of cancer. The clinical spectrum of the coagulopathy extends from uncomplicated superficial thrombophlebitis to life threatening DIC. Due to the absence of specific biochemical markers associated with the hypercoagulable state, this diagnosis is often overlooked. Initial intravenous heparin followed by the chronic administration of subcutaneous heparin will usually prevent thromboembolic recurrence.
The study of Xuan Wei fuel use and lung cancer mortality and also the interim case-control study suggested an association between domestic smoky coal use and Xuan Wei lung cancer. The collaborative studies of physical characterization, chemical analysis, and toxicology further substantiated this linkage. The Xuan Wei residents who used smoky coal inhaled extremely high concentrations of mostly submicron-sized particles, which can be inhaled and deposited effectively deep in the lung. These fine particles were composed mostly of organic compounds (72%), including mutagenic and carcinogenic organic compounds, especially in the aromatic and polar fractions. These residents were exposed to polycyclic aromatic compounds, such as benzo[a]pyrene, at comparable or higher levels than those measured in coke oven plants and other occupational environments (International Agency for Research on Cancer 1984). In comparison with wood and smokeless coal combustion emissions, the organic extracts of smoky coal emission particles showed much higher activity of genotoxicity and carcinogenicity. These results all point to a strong etiological link between the complex organic mixtures from smoky coal emissions and Xuan Wei lung cancer. This study and studies reported by other investigators (de Koning et al. 1984) suggested little association between indoor open-fire wood smoke and lung cancer. The less efficient lung deposition of the larger particles from wood combustion, as well as the lower concentrations of biologically active organic compounds, may contribute to the low rate of lung cancer in the wood-burning communes. As to the smokeless coal emissions, the lower particulate concentration and the lower organic content of the particles emitted may also contribute to the low lung cancer rate in the commune using this fuel. In conclusion, the complex organic mixtures from combustion emissions are genotoxic and carcinogenic in animal and in vitro assays. The magnitude of the cancer risks from the complex organic mixtures in man depends on the degree of the exposure, the types of the compounds contained in the mixtures, and the concentrations of these biologically active compounds present in the combustion emissions.
We undertook a cohort study of all male pilots employed since January 1, 1950, by CP Air, now Canadian Airlines International. A total of 913 eligible pilots--630 active and 283 no longer employed--contributing 18,060 person-years of observation, were identified through company records. As of October 31, 1988, current status was obtained on 891 (97.6%). Standardized mortality ratio (SMR) and standardized incidence ratio (SIR) were used to compare, respectively, the mortality and cancer incidence of the cohort with that of the British Columbia population. Statistical significance of the SMR and SIR by comparison with the Poisson distribution (p less than 0.05 one-sided) and 90% confidence intervals (CI) were calculated. Excess deaths were observed for aircraft accidents (No. = 23; SMR = 21.29; p less than 0.001; CI 14.60, 30.20), brain cancer (No. = 4; SMR = 4.17, p = 0.017; CI 1.40, 9.50) and rectal cancer (No. = 3; SMR = 4.35; p = 0.033; CI 1.20, 11.20). Excess cancer incidence was noted for non-melanoma skin cancer (No. = 26; SIR = 1.59; p = 0.017; CI 1.10, 2.20), brain cancer (No. = 4; SIR = 3.45; p = 0.030; CI 1.20, 7.90) and Hodgkin's Disease (No. = 3; SIR = 4.54; p = 0.030; CI 1.20, 11.70). These findings, suggesting an excess risk for certain cancers in commercial airline pilots, are based on small numbers and need to be confirmed in larger cohort studies.
Some recent reports have suggested that invasive testing is unnecessary when ultrasound either confirms or refutes a neural tube defect (NTD). However, counseling for recurrence risks and the possibilities for in utero therapy would be significantly altered by an aneuploid karyotype. We report our experience with 53 pregnancies affected by NTD in which we found 13.2% of these fetuses with abnormal chromosomes. In view of the higher than previously published incidence of aneuploidy, we believe that fetal karyotypes are essential in the evaluation of all fetuses with NTDs.
The clearance of Staphylococcus aureus from perforated peritoneal capsules which are accessible to phagocytic cells, and subcutaneous Visking chambers which exclude phagocytes, was studied simultaneously in eight rabbits implanted with both devices. Animals were treated with cephalothin, 100 mg/kg im every 8 h for sixteen doses, beginning 24 h after inoculation of the infection sites with S. aureus (cephalothin MIC 0.125 mg/l, MBC 0.5 mg/l). At the start of cephalothin, subcutaneous chambers contained a higher concentration of S. aureus (8.4 log10 cfu/ml) than peritoneal capsules (6.8 log10 cfu/ml, P less than 0.001). There was a significant bactericidal effect in subcutaneous chambers on both the third and sixth day of treatment (P less than 0.002), whereas in peritoneal capsules this did not occur until day six. The total reduction in bacterial count in subcutaneous chambers (7.0 log10 cfu/ml) was significantly greater than in capsules (4.4 log10 cfu/ml, P less than 0.002). The mean concentration of cephalothin in subcutaneous chambers (10.7 mg/l) was significantly higher than in peritoneal capsules (6.1 mg/l, P less than 0.02), but no difference in in-vitro killing of S. aureus was detected at these concentrations. We conclude that cephalothin clearance of S. aureus from a site accessible to phagocytes was delayed when compared to a phagocyte-inaccessible site.
A reversed-phase high-performance liquid chromatographic method is described for a stability-indicating assay of folic acid in multivitamin preparations. This method shows excellent recovery and precision characteristics, allows the determination of folic acid to levels of 0.1 microgram/mL, is simple to execute, and is suitable for high volume routine work. A good correlation was demonstrated between the HPLC method and the currently used bioassay.