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Biomedical subjects

M King

Publications and source records attributed to M King.

At least 415 records · Page 23Linked to original sources

Polyester prostheses as substitutes in the thoracic aorta of dogs. I. Evaluation of commercial prostheses.

Using canine models, a representative selection of polyester or Dacron vascular prostheses, including woven, knitted, and velour types, were evaluated for their relative healing characteristics and for their structural changes during implantation. Following residence periods ranging from 4 h to 6 months at the site of the thoracic aorta, the dogs were sacraficed, and the grafts were excized for measurement of the thrombogenicity of the flow surface and for pathological examination by light microscopy and SEM. The kidneys were also removed and examined for infarcts caused by any trapped circulating emboli. The extent of healing, the presence of embolizing nuclei, and the thrombogenicity and morphology of the lumen surface were also assessed. The healing characteristics of each type of device proved similar. Velour fabrics exhibited more extensive encapsulation, but frequently their internal capsules failed to incorporate all the fibers. In all cases, cellular development on the lumen was limited to areas contiguous to the anastomoses. The initial porosity of the devices as measured by water permeability did not appear to influence the healing sequence to a significant extent. The grafts did exhibit differences in structural stability depending on whether they were of a knitted or woven construction. We suggest that users consider these different mechanical and structural properties when making their choice of a graft. Despite these differences, we believe that the healing process is far more host dependent than graft dependent.

Angiography↗

Enhanced tracheal mucus clearance with high frequency chest wall compression.

The clearance of mucus in the trachea during high frequency chest wall compression (HFCWC) was studied in nine anesthetized dogs. High frequency chest wall compression was applied by oscillating the pressure in a thoracic cuff such that it produced oscillatory tidal volumes of 25 to 100 cc at frequencies of 3 to 17 Hz. The tracheal mucus clearance rate (TMCR) was determined by direct observation of the rate of displacement of a charcoal particle spot by means of a fiberoptic bronchoscope. Baseline TMCR during spontaneous breathing averaged 8.2 +/- 5.6 mm/min in the 9 dogs. The TMCR during 2 min of HFCWC was increased at 5, 8, 11, 13, 15, and 17 Hz but not at 3 Hz. The enhancement of clearance was most pronounced in the range of 11 to 15 Hz, reaching a peak value of 340% of control at 13 Hz. These studies suggest that HFCWC might be of considerable potential benefit as a mode of chest physiotherapy.

Animals↗

Giardiasis: a common, sexually transmissible parasitic diarrhea with pitfalls in diagnosis.

Giardia lamblia is the number one intestinal parasite in the United States. Symptoms of giardiasis include upper abdominal pain and distress, flatulence, nervousness, and diarrhea. Multiple stool specimens examined for ova and parasites by nonexpert parasitologists will frequently not provide the diagnosis, and special studies must then be done. Antibiotics, antidiarrheals, certain enema preparations, and oily laxatives can cause a temporary disappearance of parasites from the stool. Treatment of choice is a five-day course of quinacrine hydrochloride. Recently, attention has been brought to the fact that oral sex may be responsible for transmission in a significant number of cases of giardiasis.

Child↗

A case of Lassa fever: experience at St Thomas's Hospital.

An 18-year-old Nigerian girl, normally resident in Jos, was admitted to hospital for five days before she was diagnosed as having Lassa fever. There were several atypical features in the early stages of here illness, notably the absence of prostration, pharyngitis, or bradycardia and the development of appreciable leucocytosis. Consequent control and surveillance measures required checks for 21 days on 173 people who had had contact with as first line if they had handled her or specimens without taking precautions to avoid direct skin contact with her excretions, secretions, and blood; other contacts were categorised as second line. During her time in hospital she was managed in a single room on a general ward. She visited a number of investigative departments within the hospital, and her specimens were examined in five clinical laboratories. Despite this no secondary cases occurred among either first- or second-line contacts, and there was no serological evidence of subclinical infection among any of the contacts tested (159 people).

Adolescent↗

Cyclic biological expression in mouse mammary tumors.

Biological characteristics were assessed in GR mouse mammary tumors during 22 serial transplantations. Although unidirectional progression from hormone dependency to independency was observed, other biological markers such as progesterone receptors, polyploid frequency and thymidine kinase activity demonstrated cyclic phenomena every fourth to sixth transplant generation, suggesting the continued presence of regulatory mechanisms among various cells subpopulations.

Animals↗

Binding of the origin of replication of Escherichia coli to the outer membrane.

The replication origin of the Escherichia coli chromosome binds with high affinity to outer membrane preparations. This binding requires a 460 bp stretch of origin DNA between positions -40 and 420 of the oriC map. Specific binding can be detected by the use of a membrane filter retention assay in the presence of excess calf thymus DNA. This binding is enhanced by divalent cations and takes place specifically at a few (0.7-3.0) membrane sites per cell. The apparent affinity of origin DNA for membranes is enhanced by two peptides, (55 kilodaltons (kd) and 75 kd), which remain attached to the DNA through treatment with 5.5 M cesium chloride.

Bacterial Proteins↗

Resistance of mucus-lined tubes to steady and oscillatory airflow.

We examined the effects of quantity and physical properties of mucus on resistance to steady and oscillatory flows in a circular tube. Gels with similar rheological properties to canine tracheal mucus were prepared from hog gastric mucin or locust bean gum cross-linked with Na2B4O7. A horizontal straight tube (D 1.85 cm) was lined with these mucus simulants to depths ranging from 0.3 to 1.0 mm. The pressure difference over a 50-cm portion of the tube and the volumetric flow rate were determined simultaneously. Low-amplitude oscillatory flow were generated with a modified Harvard pump. For steady flow, the resistance at low Reynolds number (Re) increased with increasing gel depth only to the extent expected for simple constriction of the tube cross-sectional area. The same was true for oscillatory (0.25--6 Hz) flow resistance at low flow amplitude (corresponding to Re less than 4,000). No effect of gel cross-link density at low Re was observed. At high steady-flow rates, and for high-amplitude oscillatory flow, resistance increased beyond that predicted for simple constriction. Plots of friction factor (f) vs. Re showed a critical point (Recrit) of the order of 1.5 x 10(4), at which f increased sharply. Recrit, which corresponded to the onset of wave formation in the lining layer, was insensitive to changes in gel depth. However, gel cross-link density did affect the onset of wave formation: in oscillatory flow Recrit was shifted to higher Re, and the rise in f in steady flow was blunted with high degrees of cross-linking. The existence of Recrit and its association with wave formation are consistent with predictions based on two-phase flow theory.

Airway Resistance↗

New alternatives in the preparation of chemically fixed human umbilical veins as arterial substitutes.

Following reports of the successful use of chemically processed human umbilical veins as medium and small diameter arterial substitutes, the development of new and improved techniques for the preparation, fixation and storage of these bioprostheses has been attempted. A series of physical and "in vitro" tests was undertaken to predict the "in vivo" performance of these devices. The results indicate that the new techniques are not only technically feasible but may provide a more convenient, versatile and effective surgical product.

Arteries↗

[Analysis of silicone testicular implants after explantation].

Two juvenile size silicone testicular prostheses were analyzed following replacement by adult size devices after 72 and 99 months in situ. Scanning electron microscopy and electron microprobe studies were carried out on the explanted silicone prostheses and their attached tissue capsules. The material at the surface of the prostheses gave no evidence of biodeterioration. However, localized sites of calcification were observed. The adjacent tissue capsule consisted of two distinct concentric layers with different morphologies; the one adjacent to the prosthesis consisted of dense arrays of collagen fibres oriented parallel to the silicone surface and extending outward to a thickness of 100-120 microns. The outer layer was less dense, more disordered and was uneven in thickness. It contained numerous discrete particles of silicon-rich material. Technical and clinical implications of these results are discussed.

Adolescent↗

Survival of autotransfused red blood cells recovered from the surgical field during cardiovascular operations.

The survival of autologous red blood cells (RBCs) collected during operation from the surgical field and processed immediately by the Haemonetics Cell Saver was compared to the survival of autologous nonprocessed RBCs obtained by venipuncture in nine patients undergoing reconstructive vascular operations and four patients undergoing coronary artery bypass. A double isotope technique (Cr-51 and In-111) was used to determine the survival of the different cell populations. Seven patients undergoing coronary artery bypass served as controls to characterize the isotopes by labeling the same population of RBCs with each radionuclide. Comparison of the data in all groups failed to show any significant difference in either the immediate or long-term survival between autotransfused (Cell Saver--processed) blood and nonprocessed RBCs. This study indicates that shed blood collected and processed at operation with the Haemonetics Cell Saver can be autotransfused and that the in vivo survival of these cells is not significantly different from the survival of nonprocessed blood.

Blood Transfusion, Autologous↗

Comparative inhibition of nuclear RNA synthesis in cultured mouse leukemia L1210 cells by adriamycin and 4'-epi-adriamycin.

Adriamycin and 4'-epi-adriamycin were compared as to their effect on nRNA synthesis. 4'-Epi-adriamycin was a more effective inhibitor than the parent compound of RNA synthesis as measured by incorporation of [3H]-uridine. Adriamycin inhibited all three species of nRNA (ribosomal, non-poly(A)hnRNA, poly(A)hnRNA) to approximately the same extent. 4'-Epi-adriamycin on the other hand inhibited the nRNA species in the following order: non-poly(A)hnRNA greater than ribosomal RNA greater than poly(A)hnRNA. The inhibitory effects of both drugs on incorporation of uridine into RNA were reversible at low concentrations (5 microgram/ml).

Animals↗

Noninvasive ventilatory monitoring by respiratory inductive plethysmography in conscious sheep.

The respiratory inductive plethysmograph is a noninvasive device that has been used to measure tidal volume (VT) in humans from changes in self-inductance of wire coils excited by an oscillator circuit placed about the rib cage and abdomen. We investigated its accuracy in conscious sheep utilizing a new calibration procedure during quiet breathing and breathing associated with bronchospasm provoked by aerosolized carbachol. Seven sheep were intubated with a nasotracheal tube and an esophageal balloon placed for determination of transpulmonary pressure. Base-line mean pulmonary flow resistance (RL) in the sheep was 1.5 +/- 0.7 (SD) cmH2O X l-1 X s. After carbachol inhalation, mean RL increased to a maximum of 8.8 +/- 2.8 cmH2O X l-1 X s (P less than 0.002). AT base line, mean VT estimated by respiratory inductive plethysmography over a 20-s period fell within +/- 6% of spirometry. After carbachol VT in five of the sheep remained close to the initial validation, but in two, it deviated +/- 11% from spirometry. Analysis of the continuous recording of timing and volume components of the breaths revealed that bronchoprovocation did not significantly alter mean VT or frequency. However, there was a slight increase in both parameters resulting in an increase in minute ventilation from 7.6 +/- 2.4 to 9.6 +/- 2.8 l/min (P less than 0.02). Similarly, a slight decline in inspiratory time coupled with the slight rise in VT produced an increase in mean respiratory flow from a base-line value of 0.35 +/- 0.12 to 0.44 +/- 0.17 l/s (P less than 0.05). These results indicate that the respiratory inductive plethysmography accurately monitors breathing pattern in conscious sheep even during severe bronchospasm.

Animals↗