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M Albert

Publications and source records attributed to M Albert.

At least 127 records · Page 7Linked to original sources
PubMed1991

Characterization of a monoclonal antibody to human proacrosin and its use in acrosomal status evaluation.

Among the monoclonal antibodies (MAb) selected after immunization of mice with a detergent-insoluble fraction from human spermatozoa, MAb 4D4 was found to stain in immunofluorescence the principal part of the acrosome of human spermatozoa. Acrosome reaction induced decreased and spotty 4D4 immunofluorescence staining. Immunoelectron microscopy before or after embedding revealed that the epitope defined by MAb 4D4 was sequestered in the anterior acrosomal matrix and, after the acrosome reaction, remained partly bound on matrix elements attached to the inner acrosomal membrane. Western blot analysis of sperm extracts showed that the epitope defined by MAb 4D4 was located on a 55 KD polypeptide in whole cells and on 55 and 50 KD polypeptides in non-ionic detergent fractions. Human proacrosin-enriched fraction obtained by FPLC purification exhibited several proteolytic activities against gelatin in gel enzymography: a 50 KD major band and two minor bands in the 20-30 KD area; the 50 KD polypeptide reacted with MAb 4D4 in Western blots. Furthermore, the 4D4-immunoprecipitated polypeptide from sperm extract showed that the 50 KD band exhibited proteolytic activity with an optimal pH at 8.0 that was strongly inhibited by soybean trypsin inhibitor and ZnCl2. MAb 4D4 also reacted with the acrosome of the monkey Macaca fascicularis but not with the acrosome of any of the other non-primate mammalian species examined so far. Various shape defects of the acrosomal principal region were revealed by 4D4 labeling of spermatozoa with head anomalies from infertile patients. MAb 4D4 also recognized proacrosin in paraffin-embedded human testis sections. These data make the monoclonal antiproacrosin antibody 4D4 an efficient tool for evaluation of the acrosomal status of human spermatozoa and spermatids.

Acrosin↗
PubMed1991

Human acrosome biogenesis: immunodetection of proacrosin in primary spermatocytes and of its partitioning pattern during meiosis.

Proacrosin biosynthesis timing during human spermatogenesis has been studied using the monoclonal antibody 4D4 (mAb 4D4). Frozen and paraffin-embedded sections of testicular biopsies were labelled by standard indirect immunofluorescence and avidin-biotin immunoperoxidase procedures. The labelling specificity was checked by immunochemistry assays on unrelated tissues and by western blotting of testis extracts showing that only the 50-55 x 10(3) Mr proacrosin was recognized by mAb 4D4. Proacrosin was first observed in the Golgi region of midpachytene primary spermatocytes. In late pachytene primary spermatocytes, proacrosin was observed in two regions located at opposite nuclear poles. During the subsequent steps of the first meiotic division, the two bodies containing proacrosin were located: (i) on opposite sides of the equatorial plate during metaphase; (ii) along the microtubular spindle during anaphase; and (iii) close to each chromosomal aggregate during telophase. Two bodies containing proacrosin were still observed in interphasic secondary spermatocytes. The single labelled area observed in early spermatids was found to increase considerably in size during spermiogenesis. Anomalies of proacrosin scattering were observed in patients with Golgi complex partitioning failure. These data reveal proacrosin biosynthesis during diploid and haploid phases of human spermatogenesis and the proacrosin partitioning pattern during meiosis.

Acrosin↗
PubMed1991

Cancer symptom management in the elderly.

Clear and concise written guidelines must designate accountability for coordination of the persons involved. As might be assumed by the preceding discussion, the process takes considerable time and effort. The development of clear guidelines is a long term venture and usually does not occur quickly. In some cases a nearby agency may have developed a useful protocol that when shared with area providers, is quickly accepted. However, one to two years is not uncommon to developing a complex plan of care or protocol which can be used effectively and is specific to the conditions in a particular setting. Written guides, when developed correctly, should save all providers' time, and ensure better client care. Clear directions regarding the care to be provided and well-established lines of communication can save health care providers time and increase the likelihood of better health outcomes for the client. The coordination of planning within the home care agency, and across professional, agency and geographic boundaries is a prerequisite for successful cancer symptom management. The central aim in planning is to enhance the family's ability to manage independently and to facilitate continuity of care in the use of health care services. For the client to have the greatest potential for symptom amelioration, the home care agency must assume a major role in the coordination of care providers in the delivery of care.

Aged↗
PubMed1991

Use of brief cognitive tests to identify individuals in the community with clinically diagnosed Alzheimer's disease.

Two brief screening tests, the Short Portable Mental Status Questionnaire (SPMSQ) and the East Boston Memory Test (EBMT), were included in a population questionnaire administered to 3,811 persons 65 years of age and older. A detailed clinical evaluation was then administered to 467 persons (drawn from high, medium and low performers on the EBMT) to determine who was cognitively impaired and the disorders that were responsible for that cognitive impairment. The results showed that the EBMT was better at enriching the population of the poor performance group with persons who had Alzheimer's disease (AD). It had a lower refusal rate among non-proxy respondents: 2% for the EMBT versus 9% for the SPMSQ. The sensitivity and positive predictive value were also higher for the EBMT than the SPMSQ when the diagnosis of interest was AD. However, there were persons with AD in all strata of performance on both the EBMT and the SPMSQ, emphasizing the importance of selecting persons from all performance strata in multistage community studies of AD.

Aged↗
PubMed1991

Influence of sewage discharge on the pollution of an estuary (Morlaix, France).

The purpose of this paper is to evaluate the pollution introduced into the Morlaix estuary by the city discharge of sewage and to determine its consequences on the microbiological quality of estuarine water and sediment. It has been shown that between 10(13) and 10(14) fecal coliforms and streptococci and between 10(6) and 10(7) enteroviruses are thus conveyed per day. The study of the downstream contamination indicates that the bacterial and viral density is much more significant in the sediment and that the bacterial concentration decreases gradually from upstream to downstream whereas the viral density only varies slightly in the water and shows very irregular fluctuation in the sediment.

Bacteria↗
PubMed1990

Quantified neurophysiology with mapping: statistical inference, exploratory and confirmatory data analysis.

Topographic mapping of brain electrical activity has become a commonly used method in the clinical as well as research laboratory. To enhance analytic power and accuracy, mapping applications often involve statistical paradigms for the detection of abnormality or difference. Because mapping studies involve many measurements and variables, the appearance of a large data dimensionality may be created. If abnormality is sought by statistical mapping procedures and if the many variables are uncorrelated, certain positive findings could be attributable to chance. To protect against this undesirable possibility we advocate the replication of initial findings on independent data sets. Statistical difference attributable to chance will not replicate, whereas real difference will reproduce. Clinical studies must, therefore, provide for repeat measurements and research studies must involve analysis of second populations. Furthermore, Principal Components Analysis can be employed to demonstrate that variables derived from mapping studies are highly intercorrelated and data dimensionality substantially less than the total number of variables initially created. This reduces the likelihood of capitalization on chance. The need to constrain alpha levels is not necessary when dimensionality is low and/or a second data set is available. When only one data set is available in research applications, techniques such as the Bonferroni correction, the "leave-one-out" method, and Descriptive Data Analysis (DDA) are available. These techniques are discussed, clinical and research examples are given, and differences between Exploratory (EDA) and Confirmatory Data Analysis (EDA) are reviewed.

Brain↗
PubMed1990

The influence of growth conditions of Pasteurella multocida on its ability to colonise the nasal mucosa of SPF piglets.

Colonisation of type D Pasteurella multocida was studied in five groups of seven SPF piglets each. Piglets of Group 1 were kept together with seven 5-week-old piglets obtained from a large herd infected with toxigenic P. multocida for 16 weeks (contact infection). These piglets were made free from toxigenic Bordetella bronchiseptica by local immunisation. Piglets of Group 2 were inoculated with 5 x 10(7) colony-forming units (cfu) of P. multocida washed from the nasal mucosa of piglets free from toxigenic B. bronchiseptica with fetal calf serum. Piglets of Group 3 were inoculated intranasally with 5 x 10(7) cfu of P. multocida washed from yeast-extract proteose-peptone cystine (YPC)-blood agar with fetal calf serum. Piglets of Group 4 were inoculated with 5 x 10(7) cfu of P. multocida grown in a YPC-based broth without blood. Piglets of Group 5 served as controls. The piglets of Group 1 did not contract P. multocida infection from infected contact piglets. After a single inoculation one of four, while after three inoculations two of three piglets of Group 2 became infected by P. multocida. After a single inoculation none of four, while after three inoculations one of three piglets of Group 3 were colonised by P. multocida. Both single and repeated inoculation failed in piglets of Group 4.

Animals↗
PubMed1990

Similarities in pain descriptions of four different ethnic-culture groups.

The purpose of this study was to identify pain terms commonly used by Hispanics, American Indians, blacks, and whites to describe painlike experiences. Subjects were asked to rate the intensity of the terms pain, ache, and hurt on a Visual Analogue Scale. Following this procedure, they were given three separate copies of the McGill Pain Questionnaire and asked to choose the words that represented pain, ache, and hurt, respectively. The results showed that all cultural groups rated pain as the most intense terms, followed by hurt; ache was rated least intense. There was a significant difference between the intensity level of the three terms (p less than 0.001). Word descriptors that distinguished pain from ache and hurt are presented. The importance of these findings for clinical practice is discussed.

Black or African American↗
PubMed1990

Clinical and pathological effects of the dermonecrotic toxin of Bordetella bronchiseptica and Pasteurella multocida in specific-pathogen-free piglets.

The role of dermonecrotic toxin (DNT) of Bordetella bronchiseptica and Pasteurella multocida, purified by repeated chromatography in Sephacryl S-200 gel, in the pathogenesis of atrophic rhinitis (AR) of swine was studied bacteriologically, clinically and pathologically. Two-week-old specific pathogen-free (SPF) piglets were parenterally treated with 30 micrograms of DNT 3 times at 2-day interval and 7-week-old piglets were treated with 15 micrograms of DNT twice a week for 5 weeks. In 2- to 3-week-old piglets, both B. bronchiseptica DNT and P. multocida DNT produced nasal turbinate lesions with similar severity, characterized by damage of the cilia, epithelial metaplasia, intensive proliferation of osteoblasts, regressive changes, and diffuse osteocytic osteolysis. In 7- to 12-week-old piglets, treatment with B. bronchiseptica DNT failed to produce progressive changes in the nasal turbinates. Histopathological examination revealed osteogenic processes and osteoid synthesis besides the proliferation of osteoblasts and mild osteocytic osteolysis. Moreover, severe gross pathological lesions developed in the stomach, liver, kidneys, and lymphoid organs. The piglets' appetite and body weight gain gradually decreased during the DNT treatment and in the last week when the toxic signs appeared. Treatment of 7- to 12-week-old piglets with P. multocida DNT resulted in progressive AR. Histopathologically, diffuse osteocytic osteolysis was observed in the nasal turbinates. Neither clinical signs nor pathological lesions of the visceral organs developed in these piglets. The authors emphasize that the DNT of B. bronchiseptica basically differs from that of P. multocida in biological properties, though there are certain similarities between the DNTs.

Animals↗
PubMed1990

Medication regimens and the home care client: a challenge for health care providers.

This paper synthesizes literature related to medication-taking behaviors of the elderly population and examines factors related to medication compliance problems. A review and critique of the literature focused on interventions and strategies for improving medication compliance is also presented. This analysis provides direction for developing assessment guides, intervention strategies, and educational materials which may be helpful for health providers in assisting patients and families to manage medication regimens. The paper also includes a comprehensive medication assessment guide and a resource list of educational materials for family care-givers and health providers. The last section of the paper describes the clinical testing study of the medication assessment guide.

Aged↗
PubMed1990

Teaching wound care in the home.

A survey of Medicare-certified agencies in Alaska, Idaho, Montana, Oregon, and Washington identified wound care and teaching wound care as being among the highest ranked clinical problems related to earlier hospital discharges that have resulted from Medicare Diagnostic Related Groupings (DRGs). Home care nurses are treating increasingly complex wounds and are required to teach complex wound care skills to clients and caregivers. This paper provides guidelines and resources to home care nurses for teaching wound care to their elderly clients and caregivers. The process of developing and implementing a teaching plan is described through the use of the community health nursing process. Following the presentation of the process content, a sample teaching wound care plan and sample teaching handouts are presented with a list of available teaching resources about wound care.

Aged↗
PubMed1989

Semantic processing in patients with Alzheimer's disease.

Ten patients with dementia of the Alzheimer type and 10 normal controls performed a lexical decision, semantic facilitation task. The performance of the patients differed from that seen in normals. A post hoc subdivision of the data suggested that the diviation from normality was not uniform throughout the patient population. Six of the 10 Alzheimer patients showed an advantage of related primes over unrelated primes, while 4 of the 10 were actually faster in the unrelated condition than in the related condition. Nevertheless, both group of Alzheimer patients showed lexical decision latency differences between unrelated and related prime words, suggesting that patients with Alzheimer's disease are sensitive to the semantic relationships between words.

Aged↗
PubMed1989

Cognitive differences between patients with progressive supranuclear palsy and Alzheimer's disease.

Sixteen patients with dementia of the Alzheimer type (AD) and nine patients with Progressive Supranuclear Palsy (PSP) were administered a battery of neuropsychological tasks that assessed a cross-section of cognitive abilities. The subjects were equated in terms of overall level of impairment. There was no difference between the groups on the WAIS subtests that were administered (Vocabulary, Digit Span Forward, Similarities, Block Design). There was a striking difference between the AD and PSP patients on tests of verbal and nonverbal memory, as assessed by the Wechsler Memory Scale. The memory performance of the PSP patients did not, in fact, differ from a group of normal controls. In addition, there was a double-dissociation between the AD and PSP patients on tasks that evaluated naming and verbal fluency.

Aged↗
PubMed1989

Delirium after elective orthopedic surgery: risk factors and natural history.

Forty-six orthopedic patients were studied to determine the incidence, natural history, and risk factors associated with post-operative delirium. Pre-operatively, patients were given a neuropsychological screening evaluation, the Mood Adjective Checklist (MACL), the Zung Depression Scale, the Anxiety Inventory Scale, and the Health Assessment Questionnaire (HAQ). A psychiatrist interviewed each patient on post-op day four for evidence of delirium as defined by DSM III criteria. Of the patients studied, thirteen (26%) were possibly or definitely delirious following surgery. Treatment with propranolol, scopolamine, or flurazepam (Dalmane) conferred a relative risk for delirium of 11.7 (p = 0.0028). Delirium was associated with increased post-operative complications (p = 0.01), poorer post-operative mood (p = 0.06), and an increase of about 1.5 days in length of stay (not significant). Delirious patients were significantly less likely than matched controls to improve in function at six months compared with a pre-operative baseline HAQ (t = 6.43, p less than 0.001).

Aged↗
PubMed1989

Developing a service-oriented health care culture.

To remain competitive and respond to consumer expectations for high-quality service, organizations in the health care industry must develop a service-oriented culture. This article describes a series of program steps to increase an organization's responsiveness to both internal and external customers. Of fundamental importance is understanding that employees' capacity to provide high-quality service to other employees and customers is directly related to the quality service they receive as internal customers of their organization's day-to-day management. Prior to summarizing specific program steps to develop and sustain commitment to a service-oriented culture, recommendations are provided for managing top-level support.

Consumer Behavior↗
PubMed1989

[Comparative study of the sealing properties of retrograde amalgam root fillings using a microtechnic and the naked eye].

The aim of the present investigation was to compare the quality of retrograde amalgam fillings made under the control of the naked eye and that of a stereomicroscope. The 58 extracted upper incisors used for study had been divided into two groups and were filled with one of the control methods. In both groups on 25 teeth the microleakage was assessed by dye diffusion, the surfaces of the remaining 4 teeth were subjected to SEM examination. The depths and angle belonging to the stained sections of the perimeter had been measured under a stereomicroscope with a magnification of 40 and the area affected was calculated. Significantly (p less than 0.001) less area was involved in the stereomicroscopic group (1.46 +/- 0.34 mm2) than in the naked eye group (3.89 +/- 1.80 mm2). The SEM photographs demonstrated the faults which can be eliminated by the use of a stereomicroscope and showed also those which derive from the physical and chemical properties of the amalgam.

Dental Amalgam↗
PubMed1989

[Use of a thin wall Impra prosthesis for a vascular approach in chronic hemodialysis. Short- and middle-term evaluation. Apropos of 66 cases].

The authors report their experience of thin wall PTFE IMPRA prostheses in providing vascular access for chronic haemodialysis. Sixty-six prostheses were inserted between 14/10/1983 and 31/10/1986, with review of all patients at 31/6/1987. Twenty-three per cent of patients died during the study period. Patency analysed by the actuarial method was 49.07 +/- 15.7% at 2 years. There was no evidence of any significant difference between use of the forearm and of the arm. The main cause of failure was early (responsible for the loss of 9.2% of prostheses) or secondary (after the first month) thrombosis. A total of 30.3% of prostheses were lost by thrombosis by the end of 2 years, the principal cause being anastomotic or post-anastomotic venous stenosis. The use of thin walls in no way modified the incidence of this complication. The authors suggest its preventive protection by routine ansography. False aneurysms occurred beyond 18 months of dialysis requiring removal of the prosthesis in 3 cases. Thinning of the wall is one of the probable factors involved in this complications, justifying the abandonment of this type of prosthesis in this indication despite technical advantages at implantation and during use.

Adolescent↗