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Biomedical subjects

L Hart

Publications and source records attributed to L Hart.

At least 55 records · Page 3Linked to original sources
PubMed1985

Radiosensitivity of peripheral blood lymphocytes in autoimmune disease.

The proliferation of peripheral blood lymphocytes, cultured with Con A, can be inhibited by ionizing radiation. Lymphocytes from patients with conditions associated with autoimmunity, such as rheumatoid arthritis, systemic lupus erythematosus and polymyositis, are more radiosensitive than those from healthy volunteers or patients with conditions not associated with autoimmunity. The nuclear material isolated from the lymphocytes of patients with autoimmune diseases is, on average, lighter in density than the nuclear material from most healthy controls. This difference in density is not related to increased sensitivity to ionizing radiation but the degree of post-irradiation change in density (lightening) is proportional to the initial density, i.e. more dense nuclear material always shows a greater upward shift after radiation. The recovery of preirradiation density of nuclear material, 1 h after radiation exposure, taken as an indication of DNA repair, correlates with the radiosensitivity of lymphocyte proliferation (Con A response); failure to return to pre-irradiation density being associated with increased sensitivity of proliferative response. These results require extension but, taken with previously reported studies of the effects of DNA methylating agents, support the idea that DNA damage and its defective repair could be important in the aetio-pathogenesis of autoimmune disease.

Adult↗
PubMed1984

Interpretation of Doppler segmental pressures in peripheral vascular occlusive disease.

Measurement of Doppler segmental arterial pressures in the lower extremity using narrow pneumatic cuffs has become a standard noninvasive diagnostic technique. Correlation between arteriographic and noninvasive studies was available for 345 aortoiliac segments and 326 femoropopliteal segments. If stenoses of 50% or greater and occlusions were considered hemodynamically significant, the sensitivity to aortoiliac disease was 97%, but only 67% to femoropopliteal disease. The specificity for hemodynamically insignificant disease was 50% and 68%, respectively. Accuracy was influenced by the presence of associated aortoiliac or femoropopliteal disease. The sensitivity to hemodynamically significant femoropopliteal disease was 55% if there was associated aortoiliac disease, and 89% in its absence. In the presence of significant femoropopliteal disease, specificity for the absence of aortoiliac disease decreased from 70% to 41%.

Angiography↗
PubMed1984

Controlled trial of clinical utility of serum salicylate monitoring in rheumatoid arthritis.

A crossover double-blind controlled trial was performed on 36 patients with rheumatoid arthritis to assess the necessity for serum salicylate monitoring in determining optimal dosage. There was no clinically or statistically significant increase in the clinical improvement of patients associated with serum monitoring but potentially toxic serum levels occurred without tinnitus when serum monitoring was not used.

Arthritis, Rheumatoid↗
PubMed1983

Impedance plethysmography. Noninvasive diagnosis of deep venous thrombosis and arterial insufficiency.

The versatility of impedance plethysmography (IPG) in the diagnosis of arterial and venous disease was evaluated in the clinical setting. Eighty-eight consecutive patients suspected of acute or chronic deep venous thrombosis (DVT) and undergoing ascending venography were evaluated using IPG. Venous capacitance (VC) and venous outflow (VO) were expressed as a per cent impedance change (% delta I). The evaluation was considered as abnormal if the VC was less than 1.85% delta I and the VO less than 0.95% delta I. The overall accuracy was 90 per cent with a sensitivity of 92 per cent and specifity of 93 per cent. Arterial blood flow (ABF) was measured in normal volunteers (20 limbs) and patients with intermittent claudication (20 limbs) and rest pain (16 limbs). Resting ABF (cc/100 ml/min) did not differ (P greater than 0.05) in the normal volunteer (4.3 +/- 0.4) and patients with intermittent claudication (4.6 +/- 0.5), but both were significantly greater (P less than 0.05) than ABF in patients with rest pain (3.2 +/- 0.2). Peak ABF during reactive hyperemia (RH) was significantly greater (P less than 0.001) in normal volunteers (24.8 +/- 1.6) than in claudicators (10.5 +/- 1.3), and both flows were significantly greater (P less than 0.0001) than the peak ABF in patients with rest pain (5.3 +/- 0.5). IPG may be used in the assessment of arterial and venous disease. It provides a sensitive test with which to screen patients with suspected DVT. In addition, it is a valuable adjunct in differentiating normal limbs from those with intermittent claudication and/or rest pain.

Arterial Occlusive Diseases↗
PubMed1981

Oculoplethysmography and pulsed Doppler ultrasonic imaging in diagnosis of carotid arterial disease.

The individual and combined diagnostic accuracy rates for fluid-filled oculoplethysmography and pulsed Doppler ultrasonic imaging in the detection of extracranial carotid artery insufficiency were calculated. Results of the two techniques were compared with those of contrast arteriograms which were available for 109 patients, 210 arteries, for computations of sensitivity and specificity. Sensitivities for oculoplethysmography and ultrasonic imaging were 84 and 87 per cent, while specificities were 87 and 81 per cent, respectively. These values were not significantly, p greater than 0.05, different. Results of oculoplethysmography and ultrasonic imaging agreed in four-fifths of the arteries, producing a sensitivity of 98 per cent and a specificity of 97 per cent. In the remaining arteries, the results of the two tests did not agree, resulting in a sensitivity of 71 per cent and a specificity of 79 per cent. Fluid-filled oculoplethysmography and pulsed Doppler ultrasonic imaging are diagnostic tests of comparable accuracy which, when used together, provide accurate hemodynamic and anatomic information in the diagnosis of extracranial carotid arterial disease.

Adult↗
PubMed1979

Relationship of sociodemographic and drinking variables to differentiated subgroups of alcoholics.

The results suggest that the sociodemographic variables of age, living arrangements, number of dependents, the drinking variable, and the client's perception of the type of drinker he is are the most strongly related to the derived typology. The exact relationship of these variables, as well as the variables that were moderately related to the typology, is not apparent. There is a pattern, however, that appears to run through the categories of the classification. The evidence suggests that for alcoholics to be in their prime earning years, living with their spouses, perceiving themselves as alcoholic, possessing marketable skills, and a recent history of abstinence seems to increase the likelihood of psychological need satisfaction. The antithesis--to be alcoholic, less than 30 or older than 50 years old, living by oneself or with parents, perceiving oneself as a social or problem drinker, and possessing a recent history of drinking--seems to decrease the likelihood of psychological need satisfaction. There seems to be a relationship between drinking behavior and psychological need satisfaction. As a group, the members of Clusters Two, Three, and Four are unable to abstain for longer than a week; Clusters Two and Three both possess physiological problems of adjustment. The members of Clusters One and Five tend to be able to abstain for longer periods. Cluster One is devoid of physiological difficulties, whereas Five has borderline problems. The physiological subscale of the Human Service Scale assesses the absence of symptoms associated with poor health (Realges & Butler, 1976). It appears that aberrant drinking does not necessarily result in self-perceived physiological-health complaints. These results are at variance with the belief that ethanol ingestion by an alcoholic and the resulting pathological complications are the predominant difficulties encountered by these persons. Thus it seems to us that a distraught life situation (that is, the lack of social and demographic assets--marriage, education, and so on) contributes to self-perceived severity of psychological need deprivation and not solely aberrant drinking. Therefore, in terms of recovery from alcoholism, these results argue against a unidimensional approach toward the treatment of alcoholism; that is, an approach that focuses solely on the drinking as "the" problem. A more strategic approach would include a thorough medical, psychiatric, psychological, social and vocational evaluation of the alcoholic's life situation, which in turn would permit mobilizing the efforts of a multidisciplinary team whose goal would be to maximize the resources and enhance the life situation of the alcoholic. It is hoped that the results of this study serve to increase our understanding of those factors that influence aberrant drinking.

Adult↗
PubMed1979

A canonical correlation analysis of the Alcohol-Use Inventory and the Human Service Scale.

The responses of 312 persons with alcoholism to the Alcohol-Use Inventory and Human Service Scale were subjected to canonical correlation analysis. Results indicate that the relationship between alcohol-use constructs and psychological need satisfaction can be explained by two axes: a personal security--social dimension and a personal stress--environmental dimension. Microanalysis of the variates indicated that emotional need satisfaction was differentially influenced by social and physiological variables.

Adolescent↗
PubMed1977

Medicine at McMaster; an innovative programme for undergraduates.

An innovative programme in undergraduate medical education, developed at the McMaster Medical School in Hamilton, Canada, is described. A number of features distinguish the McMaster approach from the more traditional system. Among these is a firm commitment to well-defined goals which stress the need for comprehensive patient care and an awareness of changing patterns of health delivery. Emphasis is placed on the student as the focal point in the educational process and a flexible curriculum provides the medium through which all facets of this novel system can best find expression.

Curriculum↗
PubMed1977

A review of treatment and rehabilitation legislation regarding alcohol abusers and alcoholics in the United States: 1920-1971.

A review of various legislative and judicial decisions in the area of alcohol abuse and alcoholism is presented. With heightened awareness of alcoholism as our nation's number one drug problem, the federal government has developed a national institute to coordinate multimodal prevention, treatment, and rehabilitation programs. It is noted that several historical cases promoted the courts and investigating committees to recommend to our states that the crime of public drunkenness be removed. The recently developed Uniform Alcoholism Intoxication Treatment Act is discussed along with some of the intervention techniques being employed to deal with drinking drivers.

Alcoholic Intoxication↗
PubMed1977

Attitudes regarding alcoholism among a group of drinking drivers.

Ninety-four drinking drivers were surveyed to assess their attitudes on nine factors related to alcoholism and the alcoholic. Each of the factors was assessed according to Marcus' criterion. Two factors were extracted which differed from those of the general population norm group. These drinking drivers were positive in their belief that periodic excessive drinkers can be alcoholics and negative in their attitude regarding alcoholism as an illness. It was noted that apart from these two factors, these drinking drivers were equally ambivalent in their attitudes toward alcoholism and the alcoholic when compared to the norm group.

Alcoholism↗
PubMed1976

Attitudes regarding drug abuse among a group of ex-addict staff members.

Thirteen male and 11 female ex-addict staff members of a therapeutic community were surveyed to assess their attitudes on nine factors related to drug abuse and the drug abuser. Each factor was assessed according to the critieria established by Marcus. Both male and female groups held positive beliefs that psychological problems were contributing factors in the development of addiction. Among the remaining eight factors there was considerable variation in agreement regarding these male and female ex-addicts' attitudes toward drug abuse and the drug abuser.

Attitude of Health Personnel↗
PubMed1975

Problems of adjustment reported among a group of heroin addicts.

Many reports in the literature concerning the heroin addict and his addiction have been related to psychological tests and the personality and behavior among addicts. However, studies have not cited his adjustment problems. Forty-seven narcotic addicts were surveyed to determine their adjustment difficulties by an administration of the Mooney Problem Checklist. The results indicate that the most difficult areas of adjustment were related to personality, self-improvement, the home and family, and occupation. It was concluded that among these participating narcotic addicts, four areas were noted as frequent problems while five additional areas were reported as less of an adjustment difficulty.

Adaptation, Psychological↗