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Biomedical subjects

J Unsworth

Publications and source records attributed to J Unsworth.

At least 37 records · Page 2Linked to original sources
PubMed1985

Fatal unresponsive villous atrophy of the jejunum, connective tissue disease and diabetes in a girl with intestinal epithelial cell antibody.

The patient presented with a diabetes at the age of 3 years. At the age of 5 years she got persistent diarrhoea, lost weight and showed symptoms or arthritis and pericarditis. She was found to have total villous atrophy of the jejunum, which did not respond to dietary treatment, total parental nutrition, prednisone and cyclophosphamide medication. She had high titres of antinuclear antibodies and elevated serum IgG, but antibodies to DNA and to ribonuclearprotein were negative. A low titre of antibodies to human intestinal epithelial cells was found. The patient died of overwhelming fungal sepsis. We propose that the intestinal damage is part of the autoimmune disease. Careful study of jejunal biopsy specimens is helpful in distinguishing this type of patient from patients with coeliac disease.

Antibodies↗
PubMed1985

Enalapril in the treatment of hypertension associated with impaired renal function.

This pilot study was undertaken to examine the safety and efficacy of enalapril in the treatment of hypertension associated with impaired renal function. Forty-one patients with glomerular filtration rate (GFR) < or = 50 ml/min received enalapril for up 12 weeks. Blood pressure, renal function, biochemistry and haematology were monitored weekly for 4 weeks and then monthly. Blood pressure was effectively reduced within 4 weeks; this reduction was maintained for at least 12 weeks. Renal function remained stable and there was no significant sustained alteration in any biochemical or haematological parameter. Requirement for additional antihypertensive drugs was reduced during enalapril therapy. These data suggest that enalapril may have a useful role in the management of hypertension associated with renal impairment.

Adult↗
PubMed1985

Hydration effects on muscle response.

The effect of bathing toad sartorius muscle in hypotonic solutions is studied. The twitch, tetanus force and active stiffness increase as the tonicity decreases from 1.0 R to 0.6 R and then decrease below 0.6 R. Explanation is given in terms of the effect on ATP-ase activity.

Animals↗
PubMed1984

Hill plots of muscles bathed in hypertonic solutions.

The velocity of muscle contraction is found to decrease as the osmotic pressure increases for constant load. Vmax evaluated from computer fitted load/velocity curves shows two distinct activation processes when plotted against the reciprocal of absolute temperature. Hill's equation proves to be an accurate descriptor of the experimental P/V curves for each osmotic pressure and temperature. The area under the P/V curves was found to provide a more reliable parameter representing the overall muscle response than Vmax. When the bathing solution is made sufficiently hypertonic only one activation process remains. These effects are found to be reversible. The results are explained in terms of the inhibition of ATP splitting during the crossbridge power stroke.

Animals↗
PubMed1982

Flat small intestinal mucosa and autoantibodies against the gut epithelium.

A male infant, aged 1 year 3 months, was admitted to the hospital with protracted diarrhoea, vomiting, and weight loss. The diarrhoea and vomiting coincided with an outbreak of acute diarrhoea and vomiting affecting other family members. Biopsy showed a flat small intestinal mucosa which did not respond to a diet free of gluten, cow's milk, and eggs, or during 8 weeks of intravenous alimentation. Steroids were given, and courses of nalcrom and later cimetidine, but these did not produce any significant improvement. A rare IgG autoantibody specific for gut epithelium was found, which, when present, was associated with a cytological abnormality of crypt enteroblasts. The autoantibody disappeared after treatment with cyclophosphamide, and the cytological abnormality subsequently diminished. However, the mucosa remained severely abnormal and has been so for 23 months. It is possible that an autoimmune reaction against the patient's small intestinal mucosa has led to persistence of the enteropathy.

Animals↗
PubMed1980

Frequency-domain study of the mechanical response of living striated muscle.

Small-amplitude sinusoidal displacements, in the frequency range 4-100 Hz, were applied to intact whole frog sartorius muscle whilst in a state of tetanus. At low frequencies the muscle was observed to do oscillatory work, while at higher frequencies it tended towards elastic behaviour. Frequency-response plots obtained were compared with those from other muscle preparations. Results were interpreted in terms of mechano-chemical transduction properties of muscle.

Adenosine Triphosphatases↗
PubMed1980

The initial investigation of jaundice in a district general hospital: a study of ultrasonography and hepatobiliary scintigraphy.

Twenty-five jaundiced patients presenting to a district general hospital were investigated by both ultrasonography (performed by a medical physicist) and hepatobiliary scintigraphy using 99Tcm-HIDA. Hepatobiliary scintigraphy was completely unable to distinguish medical from surgical jaundice. However, with mild jaundice--bilirubin < 100 mumol/l--the presence or absence of gall-bladder activity fairly accurately predicted the presence or absence of gall-bladder disease. Ultrasonography had three technical failures. Of the remaining 22 patients, medical jaundice was correctly predicted in nine of ten patients and surgical jaundice in eight of 12 patients. Erroneous results were only obtained from patients with mild jaundice, the accuracy being 100% in the 15 patients with serum bilirubin > 60 mumol/l. In a district general hospital ultrasonography is recommended as the investigation of first choice in jaundice, perhaps complemented by hepatobiliary scintigraphy when the jaundice is mild.

Biliary Tract↗
PubMed1975

Osmotic pressure variations used to elicit oscillations and changes in stiffness of muscle fibers.

By observing diffraction spectra produced by passing a laser beam through stimulated muscle fibers, the magnitude of sarcomere length change and the relative rate of filament sliding were found to decrease in hypertonic solutions. The first order diffraction for both resting and stimulated muscle fibers faded and then returned to its original intensity as the bathing solution was changed from isotonic to hypertonic and then back to isotonic. This is explained as being due to a change in optical contrast between the A and I bands. 7 Hz oscillations were detected at 4 degrees C during stimulation as the fibers equilibrated in hypertonic solutions. The stiffness of resting muscle in the hypertonic solutions increased while the stiffness of stimulated muscle decreased until at a concentration of 3.10 R they were equal. All processes were reversible.

Animals↗
PubMedDate not supplied

Removal of dioxins and related aromatic hydrocarbons from flue gas streams by adsorption and catalytic destruction.

The dioxin removing capacity of the shell dedioxin system (SDDS-a Ti/V oxidative type catalyst) has been tested using the Umeå lab-scale incinerator over the temperature range 100-230 degrees C and at space velocities of 8000 and 40,000 h(-1). Other analogous organic compounds, such as PCBs, PAHs, chlorobenzenes and chlorophenols have also been investigated. Results show a high degree of dioxin removal already at 100 degrees C (82%), which occurs mainly by adsorption. When the temperature is raised a transition towards destruction is seen and at 150 degrees C, gas hour space velocity (GHSV) 8000 and at 230 degrees C, GHSV 40,000 virtually all removal is by destruction. High PCDD/F destruction efficiencies are reported (> 99.9%, based on I-TEQ); the other dioxin-related species and PAHs are also removed and destroyed to a significant extent. The SDDS has proved to be an effective means of destroying organic compounds in the gas phase, particularly dioxins, at temperatures as low as 150 degrees C.

Journal Article↗
PubMedDate not supplied

Containing incontinence in men: an extra dimension.

The prevalence and nature of incontinence means that all nurses will see patients who suffer from this condition. Many professionals remain unaware of products that can assist in the management of such patients. This article describes experience with some of the products available, highlighting their clinical usefulness and effectiveness.

Drainage↗
PubMedDate not supplied

Stress incontinence: treatment using pelvic floor re-education.

Stress incontinence is the most common cause of urinary incontinence. A pelvic floor assessment is an essential prerequisite to all pelvic floor exercise programmes. Many patients with stress incontinence can be cured using a programme of exercises. The use of weighed pelvic floor cones with an exercise programme increases compliance and enables patients to perform resisted exercises in their own homes.

Aged↗