Search PubMed⌕ Search

Biomedical subjects

M Greig

Publications and source records attributed to M Greig.

At least 19 recordsLinked to original sources
PubMed2001

Characterizing human hand prehensile strength by force and moment wrench.

Characterizing human hand capabilities or demand created by various occupational tasks or activities of daily living has been mainly accomplished by measuring the maximum force exerted on a force dynamometer in a number of standard grips, for example power, key pinch and tip pinch grips. A framework is proposed instead to characterize human hand prehensile strength in generic form by describing external force and moment wrench capability, where a wrench is a vector describing the forces and moments applied at a point. It is further suggested that if tools and activities are characterized by the internal forces and external forces and moments required, a better understanding of the human prehension in occupational settings and during activities of daily living can be obtained. An example of using a pistol grip drill is used to show the utility of the approach.

Biomechanical Phenomena↗
PubMed1999

Which stabilization technique corrects anatomy best in patients with AC-separation? An experimental study.

In ten human cadaveric shoulder specimens four different parameters were documented prior to, and after, dissecting all passive stabilizers. These included the vertical, horizontal and mediolateral acromioclavicular distance, as well as the clavicular rotation. In addition, the same parameters were documented after acromioclavicular (AC) reconstruction using eight different techniques. The results showed a good reconstruction of the vertical ac-distance. Most of the techniques, especially the coracoid-sling procedure, led to a significant anterior displacement of the clavicle in relation to the scapula. To a lesser degree, most of the conventional procedures also resulted in a lateralization of the acromion and/or clavicular rotation. A bone anchor system for distal fixation in the base of the coracoid process and a medialized hole in the clavicle restored anatomy best. This new technique therefore is recommended for anatomical AC-reconstruction.

Acromioclavicular Joint↗
PubMed1996

Basic life support skill acquisition and retention in student nurses undertaking a pre-registration diploma in higher education/nursing course.

Many studies have investigated the ability of health care professionals to provide competent Basic Life Support (BLS) and all results indicate that the majority of staff fail to demonstrate competence. However, it has not yet been shown whether this poor performance is due to deterioration of skill or the nonacquisition of the skill during BLS training. This study seeks to identify aspects of BLS acquisition and retention by student nurses during their three years of training. The two issues under consideration are the effect of teacher-student ratio and the effect of regular practice on BLS performance. This paper provides a review of the methodology and the initial findings.

Cardiopulmonary Resuscitation↗
PubMed1995

Utility of organic bases for improved electrospray mass spectrometry of oligonucleotides.

The sensitivity and accuracy of the mass spectrometric analysis of oligonucleotides using electrospray ionization can be compromised when the oligomer is adducted in the gas phase to cations such as sodium or potassium. We have evaluated the addition of mM concentrations of a series of organic bases with solution pKb values ranging from 11.5 to 5.5 and gas-phase proton affinities ranging from 213 to 232 kcal/mol as a method for suppression of signals from alkali-adducted ions. Stronger bases such as triethylamine and piperidine reduce the signals from bound sodium most effectively, but also decrease the total ion current from oligonucleotide. Imidazole, with a solution pH of approximately 8.0, provides modest suppression of sodium/potassium adduct ions, but up to a four-fold improvement in sensitivity. Co-addition of imidazole and triethylamine or piperidine produces high ion abundance and good suppression of cation-adducted species for samples of phosphodiester or phosphorothioate oligomers which have not been desalted via preliminary precipitation or by high-performance liquid chromatography. Addition of high concentrations of imidazole generates a bimodal distribution of charge states, which may reflect different gas-phase conformations for single-stranded oligomers.

Alkalies↗
PubMed1994

Issues of accountability in the assessment of practice.

The nature of nursing work makes the Code of Professional Conduct's moral and professional emphasis appropriate. However this is to the detriment of practitioners' moral, professional and contractual accountability towards learners. Practitioners may fail to make the paradigmatic shift necessary for them to be accountable for the teaching, supervision and assessment of learners. This is a direct consequence of the paucity of assessor preparation and the utilization of assessors with limited professional experience. They have been invested with an authority of which they are unaware and for which they are unprepared.

Clinical Competence↗
PubMed1993

A comparative study of the numbers of bacteria present in enteral feeds prepared and administered in hospital and the home.

Levels and types of bacterial contamination were compared in enteral feeds prepared and administered in hospital or in the home. Samples of feed administered to children suffering from cystic fibrosis were collected for microbiological analysis immediately after preparation, immediately prior to use (unless administered after preparation) and at the end of feeding. No bacteria were detected in 51 (70%) of the 73 feeds sampled on the hospital ward, and in most of the remaining feeds viable counts were less than 10(1) colony-forming units (cfu) ml-1. However, only four (18%) of the feeds sampled in the home were free from bacterial growth and the remaining 18 feeds contained from 10(1) to more than 10(6) cfu ml-1. Bacteria isolated from feeds sampled both in hospital and the home, included Staphylococcus spp., Bacillus spp., viridans and faecal streptococci, Klebsiella spp. and Enterobacter spp. Enterobacter cloacae was isolated from 11 of the 73 hospital feeds and four of the 22 home feeds. Staphylococcus aureus was isolated from five of the home feeds but from none of the hospital feeds. The higher incidence and numbers of bacteria found in home enteral feeds indicate that further, more detailed studies need to be carried out to find the sources and routes of this contamination and devise methods to minimize the problem.

Bacteria↗
PubMed1982

Environmental factors and chronic gastric ulcer. A case control study of the association of smoking, alcohol, and heavy analgesic ingestion with the exacerbation of chronic gastric ulcer.

The aim of this case control study was to define the strength of the associations of smoking, alcohol, and heavy analgesic ingestion with chronic gastric ulcer (GU). Ninety-nine patients were interviewed about smoking, alcohol, and analgesic ingestion for the 6 months before exacerbation of their chronic GU. The 180 non-ulcer community control subjects were frequency-matched with the patients for the characteristics of age, sex, and social status. Smoking, alcohol, and heavy analgesic ingestion were studied when present as sole factors and in combinations. Their associations with GU were measured by the odds ratio (OR) and the adjusted odds ratio (AOR). Smoking in male patients (OR 15.4) and heavy analgesic ingestion in female patients (OR 23.4) were significant as sole factors. Smoking plus heavy analgesic ingestion was significant in female patients (OR 10.0), and the combination of all three factors was significant in male patients (OR 13.0) and in female patients (OR 6.3). Smoking had significantly increased AORs of 3.3 in male patients and 3.5 in female patients; alcohol had a significantly decreased AOR of 0.4 in female patients; and heavy analgesic ingestion was significantly increased in female patients (AOR 7.2). It is concluded that smoking in all patients and heavy analgesic ingestion in female patients are risk factors for chronic GU. Alcohol, however, does not appear to be a risk factor.

Adult↗
PubMed1980

A prospective study of the development of coronary heart disease in a group of 1202 middle-aged men.

A prospective study of the development of coronary heart disease (CHD) in men aged 45--54 was conducted in six group practices in Belfast, Northern Ireland Of the 1343 men examined once by clinical, electrocardiographic, biochemical and anthropometric methods, 1202 free from CHD entered the prospective study. All 1202 men were followed for at least five years and the average annual incidence of CHD during this period was estimated as 1.73% (104 men developed). Of the 28 measurements made at initial examination, four--S-T depression, total lifetime tobacco consumption, diastolic blood pressure, and height (significant on classical linear discriminant function analysis)--were investigated in more detail. Using multidimensional contingency table methods, the probability of developing CHD was found to depend, in rand order of importance, on S-T depression, total lifetime tobacco consumption, and diastolic blood pressure. The risk of development was maximal (0.3732, four times the 'random' risk) in men with S-T depression, greater than average total lifetime tobacco consumption, and a diastolic pressure of 100 mm Hg or more.

Analysis of Variance↗
PubMed1980

The location of chronic gastric ulcer: a study of the relevance of ulcer size, age, sex, alcohol, analgesic intake and smoking.

Ulcer size, age, sex, alcohol and analgesic intake and cigarette consumption were studied in relation to the site of the ulcer in 215 patients with chronic gastric ulcer, of whom 96 were initial and 115 recurrent ulcers. Ulcer site was classified into upper (U), middle (M) and lower (L) thirds of the stomach, on X-ray films of air-contrast barium studies. The ulcers were situated in the upper third in 37 patients (17%), middle third in 90 patients (42%) and lower third in 88 patients (41%), i.e., significantly more in M and L compared to U (p less than 0.001). 135 ulcers were on the lesser curve (63%) with more in L and M compared to U (p less than 0.0005). Posterior wall ulcers accounted for 29.3%. Ulcers were smallest in L (mean 28.8 mm2) compared to those in M (mean 66.1 mm2) and U (mean 64.4 mm2) (p less than 0.001). Mean size overall was 49.0 mm. The mean age of the patients was 58.8 years with no significant differences in age between U, M and L (p greater than 0.9). The M/F ratio in the whole series was 0.6 which varied with ulcer site, being 0.3 in U (differing significantly from the whole series, p less than 0.05), 0.4 in M and 1.2 in L (significantly different from the whole series, p less than 0.01) and from U (p less than 0.01). Initial ulcers did not differ from recurrent ulcers except in women where initial ulcers were more common in M and L, whereas recurrent ulcers were more commin in U. The independent variables, namely, alcohol and analgesics (with the exception of smoking), were not determinants of ulcer site, size or position once the patients were segregated by sex. In men only, there were interactions between L and lesser curve site (p less than 0.004) and L and smoking (p less than 0.03).

Age Factors↗
PubMed1980

Chronic duodenal ulcer and depression.

The aim of the study was to determine whether duodenal ulcer is associated with depression. Forty-three patients with endoscopically proven symptomatic ulcers were compared with 43 control persons matched for age, sex, and social class. Depression was assessed by the Beck Inventory. Duodenal ulcer patients had a higher mean score than controls, and this difference was probably due to the possession of a chronic disease rather than typical duodenal ulcer. Only one patient showed moderate depression, and none were severely depressed.

Age Factors↗
PubMed1980

Chronic gastric ulcer and life events.

The purpose of this study was to define the frequency of stress preceding or during the course of chronic gastric ulcer (CGU). Stress was measured by the occurrence of 62 selected life events over 2 yr in two groups of CGU patients. One group (A) was studied for events during the 2 yr before their diagnosis (147 patients) and the second group (B) was studied for events occurring after diagnosis (73 patients). The ulcer groups were compared with community controls matched for age, sex, and social grade. Groups A and B did not differ in any significant way in their reported life events, indicating no temporal relationship between stressful life events and CGU. The combined ulcer groups, when compared with controls showed no differences in the number of events experienced or the associated scores for change and distress caused by the events. There was no difference in the order of the three most frequent events. Only the event "minor illness" was more frequent in controls on matched pairs analysis (P less than 0.05). The other 61 events showed no differences. When events were grouped into areas of activity, financial and legal events were reported by 38 patients and 23 controls (P less than 0.05). Significantly, few of these 38 patients were in the 60+ age range (P less than 0.02). Twenty-four patients reported no events, compared to 12 controls (P less than 0.05). Although there is no difference in the life events experienced by CGU patients and their controls, this assessment of stress has not taken account of the significance of the event as perceived by a particular individual, the ulcer patient perhaps reacting differently to stress and the ulcer being one result of this abnormal reaction. Consequently, the role of emotional stress remains open.

Adult↗
PubMed1979

A comparison of various parameters of social grade: a study of a Sydney population.

A comparison has been made between different methods of classifying a Sydney population of 118 persons into social grades. A positive correlation was found between address and occupation, education and occupation, occupation and father's occupation, address and education, address and father's occupation, and education and father's occupation, all correlations being significant at or below the P=0.004 level of statistical significance.

Australia↗