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Biomedical subjects

K Murphy

Publications and source records attributed to K Murphy.

At least 127 records · Page 7Linked to original sources
PubMed1995

Apparent lack of response of salmon affected by pancreas disease to pancreatic enzyme replacement therapy.

A trial was conducted to establish whether there would be any benefit in feeding mammalian pancreatic enzymes to farmed salmon clinically affected by pancreas disease. Pancreatic enzymes were incorporated at a rate of 4 kg/tonne of feed and fed at 0.6 to 0.9 per cent bodyweight/day for 41 days to one cage of salmon. The weights, lengths and condition factors were established for the fish before and after the feeding trial and compared with those for an adjacent cage of untreated fish. Histopathology and blood amylase and lipase activities were monitored weekly. No significant increases in weight or condition factor, and no reduction in mortalities were recorded. Histopathology confirmed the presence of pancreas disease throughout the trial and there were concurrent skeletal and cardiac myopathies. Blood amylase activities showed no significant change and were considered to be within normal ranges; blood lipase activity remained undetectable.

Amylases↗
PubMed1995

FDG PET imaging of paragangliomas of the neck: comparison with MIBG SPET.

Two patients with cervical paragangliomas underwent positron emission tomography (PET) with 2-[18F]-fluoro-2-deoxy-D-glucose (FDG). There was marked tumor uptake and retention of FDG. Adjacent salivary gland accumulation of FDG was minimal, though quite prominent with meta-iodobenzylguanidine. FDG PET offers another potentially useful approach to functional imaging of these uncommon tumors, independent of the presence of specific amine uptake mechanisms or cell surface receptors required by other scintigraphic techniques.

3-Iodobenzylguanidine↗
PubMed1995

Micrometastases in bone marrow of patients undergoing "curative" surgery for gastrointestinal cancer.

BACKGROUND & AIMS: Immunohistochemical detection of bone marrow micrometastases has been reported as a prognostic marker in colorectal cancer. The aims of this study were to evaluate the potential advantage of flow cytometry as an objective method of identifying and quantifying micrometastatic deposits within bone marrow and to determine the prevalence and quantity of micrometastases in patients undergoing surgery for gastrointestinal cancers. METHODS: Flow cytometry was first validated by a controlled "spike" experiment in which varying numbers of neoplastic epithelial cells were added to bone marrow, and cytometry was performed in a blinded fashion. Three neoplastic cell lines (colonic and esophageal) with varying degrees of expression of cytokeratin-18 were used. Epithelial cells were detected by dual staining with fluorescence-labeled, monoclonal anti-cytokeratin, and propidium iodide. RESULTS: Cytometry reproducibly detected the presence of > or = 10 neoplastic cells per 10(5) marrow cells. Micrometastases were found in 20%-30% of patients undergoing potentially curative resection of colorectal and gastroesophageal adenocarcinomas. There was a trend toward increasing positivity for marrow deposits with advanced Dukes' staging of colorectal cancer. CONCLUSIONS: Flow cytometric assessment of bone marrow is a reliable, objective, and quantitative method of detecting micrometastatic deposits found in a substantial subset of patients undergoing surgery for gastrointestinal adenocarcinomas.

Adenocarcinoma↗
PubMed1995

Modulation by "central" PCO2 of the response to carotid body stimulation in man.

We describe a method to assess the effects of PCO2, around and below eucapnia, on the neuromuscular ventilatory response to a standard peripheral chemoreceptor stimulus. Subjects were "passively" hyperventilated (without respiratory muscle activity), at a constant level of ventilation. Stimuli (3-7 breaths N2) were delivered over a range of steady-state PETCO2 (25-43 mmHg). Stimuli during hypocapnia were coupled with a transient increase in FICO2 so that the stimulus to the peripheral chemoreceptors was always "hypoxia at eucapnia". Responses to the stimuli (quantified from the reduction in peak inflation pressure and the magnitude of the evoked diaphragm electromyographic activity) decreased in a graded manner as steady-state PETCO2 fell, disappearing at 7.5 mmHg below eucapnia. Carotid body chemoreceptor recordings from two anaesthetised cats, indicated that the peak firing rate during such stimuli was independent of steady-state PETCO2. The results suggest that the central sensitivity to a peripheral chemoreceptor input may be modulated by changes in steady-state PCO2 around eucapnia and during mild hypocapnia.

Adult↗
PubMed1995

Is voluntary control of breathing impaired in patients with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease?

1. To assess whether voluntary control of breathing is impaired in patients with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease, a group of such patients performed a tracking task, requiring volitional control of respiratory muscles. 2. Eight patients (mean age 60 years; mean ratio of forced expiratory volume in 1 s to forced vital capacity = 31%) took part in the study. Five of the seven patients in whom blood gas measurements were made were mildly hypoxaemic (PaO2 = 53-71 mmHg), and one of these was hypercapnic (PaCO2 = 55 mmHg). Each subject performed a compensatory ventilatory tracking task using a tracking system which comprised a fixed target displayed on a monitor screen and a cursor moving in a line bisecting the target. The position of the cursor was perturbed by a forcing function and patients were required to keep the cursor on the target by breathing in and out of a spirometer. 3. To allow for any non-specific deficiency in motor control, patients performed a similar manual tracking task, using their dominant arm to move a joystick. As a control group, 11 healthy subjects (mean age 58 years; mean ratio of forced expiratory volume in 1 s to forced vital capacity = 77%) underwent an identical experimental protocol. 4. Motor control performances were measured in terms of the error between the target position and the subject's positioning of the cursor. Indices of performance were the root mean square of the error and the averages of the zero errors (i.e. end expiration/arm movement towards the trunk) and the peak errors (i.e. end inspiration/arm movement from the trunk).(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)

Adult↗
PubMed1995

A clinical trial of the process-oriented treatment approach for children with developmental co-ordination disorder.

The process-oriented treatment (POR chi) approach is a time-limited programme aimed at increasing the kinaesthetic performance of children with mild motor problems in order to improve their motor performance. The approach was compared with a traditional or general motor approach and with no treatment in a randomized clinical trial of 75 children with developmental co-ordination disorder. The children were assessed before and after treatment and after a six-week follow-up period. The results were mixed. The study provides evidence of the severity of so-called 'mild' motor problems of children referred to occupational therapy. The data suggest that these children do not improve spontaneously, and that their motor problems are very resistant to treatment. The data also suggest that an appropriate treatment strategy might be one that involves direct, repetitive training of a specific skill.

Apraxias↗
PubMed1995

Effecting change through programme evaluation.

This paper highlights a children's mental health facility's approach to growing waiting lists and constraints on staffing dollars. The process undertaken to streamline service, develop and market a new model of service delivery, and evaluate its effectiveness is presented. Results of the evaluation of the treatment specialty model were most supportive of its implementation.

Canada↗
PubMed1994

B7 and interleukin 12 cooperate for proliferation and interferon gamma production by mouse T helper clones that are unresponsive to B7 costimulation.

We have previously shown that dendritic cells isolated after overnight culture, which can express B7 and are potent stimulators of naive T cell proliferation, are relatively poor at inducing the proliferation of a panel of murine T helper 1 (Th1) clones. Maximal stimulation of Th1 clones was achieved using unseparated splenic antigen presenting cells (APC). An explanation for these findings is provided in the present study where we show that FcR+ L cells transfected with B7 stimulate minimal proliferation of Th1 clones in response to anti-CD3 antibodies, in contrast to induction of significant proliferation of naive T cells. However, addition of interleukin 12 (IL-12) to cultures of Th1 cells stimulated with anti-CD3 and FcR+ B7 transfectants resulted in a very pronounced increase in proliferation and interferon gamma (IFN-gamma) production. Exogenous IL-12 did not affect the B7-induced proliferation of naive T cells. This showed that whereas costimulatory signals delivered via B7-CD28 interaction are sufficient to induce significant proliferation of naive T cells activated through occupancy of the T cell receptor, Th1 T cell clones require cooperative costimulation by B7 and IL-12. This costimulation was shown to be specific by inhibition of proliferation and IFN-gamma production using chimeric soluble cytolytic T lymphocyte-associated antigen 4-human IgG1Fc (CTLA4-Ig) and anti-IL-12 antibodies. Furthermore, the significant antigen specific proliferation and IFN-gamma production by Th1 clones observed when splenocytes were used as APC was almost completely abrogated using CTLA4-Ig and anti-IL-12 antibodies. Thus two costimulatory signals, B7 and IL-12, account for the ability of splenic APC to induce maximal stimulation of Th1 clones. IL-10 downregulates the expression of IL-12 by IFN-gamma-stimulated macrophages and this may account largely for t the ability of IL-10 to inhibit APC function of splenic and macrophage APC for the induction of Th1 cell proliferation and IFN-gamma production. Indeed we show that IL-12 can overcome the inhibitory effect of IL-10 for the APC-dependent induction of proliferation and IFN-gamma production by Th1 clones. These results suggest that proliferation by terminally differentiated Th1 clones, in contrast to naive T cells, requires stimulation via membrane-bound B7 and a cytokine, IL-12. It is possible that these signals may result in the activation of unresponsive T cells during an inflammatory response. IL-10, by its role in regulating such innate inflammatory responses, may thus help to maintain these T cells in an unresponsive state.

Abatacept↗
PubMed1994

Helicobacter pylori infection in children. Is there specific symptomatology?

Helicobacter pylori is an established cause of chronic-active gastritis in both adults and children. However, it is unclear whether H. pylori causes specific clinical symptoms. Therefore, the spectrum of clinical symptoms associated with H. pylori infection was studied in consecutive symptomatic children undergoing diagnostic endoscopy at two pediatric centers, using a structured questionnaire. In Toronto, Canada, 86 of 97 eligible children were enrolled into the study and in Limerick, Ireland, 24 of 29 were enrolled. The frequency of biopsy-confirmed H. pylori infection in Limerick, 16 of 24 (67%), was fivefold higher than in Toronto, 11 of 86 (13%, P = 0.0001). The two study populations were comparable in clinical presentation and duration of symptomatology and did not differ in age (11.9 +/- 3.5 and 11.6 +/- 2.0 years, respectively). Within both study populations H. pylori infection was not associated with specific clinical symptomatology, including duration of abdominal pain, location of pain, and history of melena or vomiting. H. pylori was positively associated with hematemesis in the Limerick group. These findings demonstrate that H. pylori infection in children is not associated with specific clinical symptomatology across varying geographical locations.

Adolescent↗
PubMed1994

Right-handers and left-handers show differences and important similarities in task integration when performing manual and vocal tasks concurrently.

For a sample of 73 consistent left-handers, 46 inconsistent left-handers and 65 right-handers, reciprocal interactions between unimanual or bimanual tasks and concurrent reading tasks were shown to be a complex function of task characteristics and sample composition. The suggestion that subgrouping of left-handers [Hellige and Key, Cerebral Control of Speech and Limb Movements, North Holland, Amsterdam, 1990] influences task interactions in left-handers was borne out. Both manual and vocal performance were measured. The effects of the vocal task on the manual task were variable for groups and conditions, but an important common trend emerged: all handedness groups showed the same robust effect: vocal task performance was better when the right hand performed the manual task. Finally, speaking rate increased and tapping rate decreased during concurrent single hand tapping [cf. Hiscock, Brain Cognit. 1, 119-131, 1982]; and there was an opposite effect with concurrent bimanual tapping. The results favour a task integration model rather than an interference in cerebral functions space model.

Adult↗
PubMed1994

Role of cytokines in determining T-lymphocyte function.

Early events in an immune response stimulate the production of cytokines that direct the subsequent development of T-helper (Th) subsets with discrete patterns of cytokine production. These events are dictated by the type of antigen/microorganism administered to a host, as well as dose and route of immunization. Bacterial stimuli activate macrophages of the innate immune response to produce IL-12 and drive Th1 development and cell-mediated immunity. Conversely, production of IL-4 early in an immune response favors a Th2 or allergic/humoral immune response. The ability of IL-4 and IL-10 to inhibit Th1 development and effector function, as well as the requirement of committed Th1 cells for co-stimulators to induce maximal IFN-gamma production, suggests that cell-mediated immunity is under strict control, probably to achieve immunity with minimum immunopathology.

Animals↗
PubMed1994

A pediatric client in an adult ICU setting requiring a mechanical assist device and heart transplantation: case study.

Intensive care unit nurses are often faced with challenging situations. This case study focuses on an older school-age child in an adult intensive care unit (ICU) for the placement of a biventricular assist device (BIVAD) and eventual heart transplantation. Discussion of the assist device and transplantation is included as well as a discussion of the nursing care issues. The care issues discussed include alteration in family processes, alteration in body image, and grieving related to the possibility of death.

Adaptation, Psychological↗
PubMed1994

Illuminating dissertation supervision through reflection.

This paper describes a small research study designed to explore the role of the dissertation supervisor and to examine the potential of using reflection as a tool for learning and for enhancing professional educational practice. The authors met to discuss and reflect upon the processes of supervision and the role of the supervisor throughout the period of supervising three dissertation students. Each author maintained individual reflective written accounts of supervisory meetings with students. These accounts and the transcribed tape-recordings of the group meetings provided two sets of data which were analysed using qualitative techniques. From the data analysis the authors were able to identify various phases in dissertation supervision--partnership; setting the learning contract; signposting; ownership of the dissertation; letting go; the rush at the end; maintaining the balance--and also contextual issues of humanness; time; and energy, which were needed to sustain the supervisory processes. The role of the dissertation supervisor was illuminated and the potential of using reflection as a tool for developing professional educational practice was realized. The importance of constructive support while engaged in processes of reflection cannot be underestimated.

Academic Dissertations as Topic↗