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Biomedical subjects

Mary Harris

Publications and source records attributed to Mary Harris.

16 recordsLinked to original sources
PubMed2006

Impact of varying levels of protein intake on protein status indicators after gastric bypass in patients with multiple complications requiring nutritional support.

BACKGROUND: <6% of patients who undergo Roux-en-Y gastric bypass (RYGBP) for morbid obesity require nutritional support after surgery. Protein and caloric needs have been estimated as 14-21 kcal, 1.2 g protein/kg/current body weight/day in uncomplicated morbidly obese patients. This study assesses the effect of varying protein-calorie intake in complicated patients after RYGBP on two markers of protein status: thyroxine-binding prealbumin (TBPA) and serum albumin. METHODS: This 25-month retrospective study consisted of 22 patients with postoperative complications. Serum albumin, TBPA, medical nutrition care-plans, laboratory data and history were reviewed. These post-RYGBP patients who had BMI>35 and no multi-system organ failure or fistulas, had complications after surgery requiring nutrition support services (NSS). Serum albumin and TBPA were matched to fed levels of protein using random coefficient regression analysis. RESULTS: Mean incremental increases of 2.34 mg/dl (TBPA, P=0.0113) and 0.11 g/dl (serum albumin, P=0.0272) were found with each 0.5 g protein intake increase/kg ideal body weight/day (kg/IBW/day). Patients required NSS for 23+/-21 (mean+/-SD) days, with 15+/-19 days fed at goal rate. Initial serum albumin was 2.3+/-0.5, with a final measure of 2.7+/-0.5 g/dl. Goal protein and calorie intake were 2.1 g and 17 kcal/kg IBW/day versus actual intake of 1.6 g and 13 kcal/kg IBW/day. CONCLUSION: Morbidly obese patients requiring NSS following RYGBP risk iatrogenic protein malnutrition. There was a positive linear relationship between protein status and protein intake that warrants further study of higher protein feeding in complicated post-RYGBP patients.

Adult↗
PubMed2006

Tell me a story.

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England↗
PubMed2005

Omega-3 for baby and me: material development for a WIC intervention to increase DHA intake during pregnancy.

OBJECTIVE: The purpose of this project was to develop educational materials for a Special Supplemental Nutrition Program for Women, Infants, and Children (WIC) program intervention in Denver, Colorado. Despite accumulating evidence of the importance of docosahexaenoic acid (DHA) during pregnancy, there has been no attempt to develop a targeted nutrition intervention to improve birth outcomes among high-risk women. The goal of the Omega-3 for Baby and Me intervention, for which these materials were developed, is to increase the consumption of DHA-rich foods to decrease the risk for premature delivery and low-birth weight babies among this population. METHOD: Following collection of data from eight focus groups among the target audience, the principles of the Health Belief Model were used to develop materials to address the needs, barriers, and motivators of this audience. In addition, process evaluation pilot testing was used to evaluate recipes and logos during the material development. RESULTS: Materials developed for this intervention include a logo, 9-month calendar, stickers, shopping lists, recipes, recipe holder, magnetic clip, nylon pouch, and recruitment materials. CONCLUSION: The use of focus groups and pilot testing increased the target audience acceptance of education materials that are being used for the Omega-3 for Baby and Me intervention. Successful outcomes from the Omega-3 for Baby and Me intervention, i.e., decreasing the incidence of preterm birth and low-birth weight, will have implications for supplemental food policies at state and national levels.

Colorado↗
PubMed2005

Barrier properties and cost implications of a single versus a double wrap for storing sterile instrument packs.

BACKGROUND: Materials for wrapping sterile items continue to evolve, but evaluation of such products under clinical conditions is rare. The purpose of the current study was to test a new product before introducing it to the hospital's sterilizing processing unit. METHODS: Four hundred packs containing 1199 items were prepared. Half were wrapped in linen and Kimguard sterile wrap (Kimberley-Clark Australia Pty, Ltd; Queensland, Australia), and half were wrapped in Kimguard One-Step sterile wrap (Kimberley-Clark). They were stored on shelves in 4 areas in the hospital. Items from the packs were periodically tested in the laboratory to evaluate shelf life. Time of wrapping was measured on a series of 50 packs (25 using each product), wrapped by 1 experienced person. These were unwrapped by an operating room nurse, and, again, the process was timed. RESULTS: Bacteria were cultured from 20 (1.7%) of the 1157 test items. There were no differences on this measure between the 2 products (P = .64). Coagulase-negative Staphylococcus was the most frequent isolate, accounting for 40% of the positive results. The average time taken to wrap the test tray with the double wrap was 56.4 seconds compared with 32.4 seconds with the single wrap (P < or = .000). Unwrapping the single pack (5.02 seconds) was also faster than unwrapping the double-wrap pack (6.92 seconds; P = .000). CONCLUSIONS: Wrapping sterile items using Kimguard one-step sterile wrap carries no greater risk of bacterial contamination than double-wrap methods and may lead to significant cost savings in both labor (time to wrap) and consumables (linen and recycling costs).

Bacteria↗
PubMed2005

Factors influencing decisions about the state in which doctors plan to practise: additional results from the 2002 Australian Medical Workforce Advisory Committee national survey.

As a result of growing doctor shortages, postgraduate doctor recruitment and retention within Australian states and territories has become an issue of concern. Australia's policy of national self-sufficiency in health workforce supply implies that state medical schools will, at a minimum, enroll a sufficient number of locally born students to meet future medical workforce requirements. This article focuses on factors influencing the state or territory in which doctors plan to practise medicine, identified through a national survey. Independent variables of interest were birth place, medical school and vocational training location because of their importance to medical workforce policy. The study found that the career location plans of Australian-born and overseas-born doctors in vocational training were similar and that 5% of doctors planned to work overseas. Of Australian-born doctors who planned to work in Australia, 88% graduated from a medical school in the state in which they were born, while 78% and 65%, respectively, were undertaking vocational training in, and proposed to work in, the state in which they were born. The study concludes that trainee-doctor decisions about the state or territory in which they will practise medicine when they are fully qualified are more complex than location of birth.

Adult↗
PubMed2003

Antioxidant properties of bran extracts from "Akron" wheat grown at different locations.

Bran extracts of Akron wheat grown at four nonirrigated and one irrigated testing locations were examined and compared for their free radical scavenging properties against the 2,2-diphenyl-1-picrylhydrazyl radical (DPPH(*)) and the radical cation ABTS(*)(+), chelating capacities, and total phenolic content (TPC) to determine the potential effects of environmental factors on the antioxidant properties of hard winter wheat. The environmental factors included total solar radiation, average daily solar radiation, and number of hours exceeding 32 degrees C. The results showed that bran samples from different growing locations may significantly differ in their radical scavenging activities against both DPPH(*) and ABTS(*)(+), chelating capacities, and TPC. A significant negative correlation was detected between the chelating activities of the bran samples from the four nonirrigated locations and total solar or daily average solar radiation (r = -0.999 and P = 0.001). These data suggest potential influences of growing conditions on the antioxidant properties of hard winter wheat and the possibility of producing wheat that is strong in a selected antioxidant property by optimizing the growing conditions of a selected wheat variety. More research is required to further investigate the relationship among antioxidant properties and environmental factors using different wheat varieties and larger sample sizes.

Altitude↗
PubMed2003

Neural mechanism of acupuncture-induced gastric relaxations in rats.

Acupuncture has been used to treat gastrointestinal symptoms in China for more than 3000 years. However, the mechanism of the beneficial effects of acupuncture remains unknown. Strain gauge transducers were implanted on the serosal surface of the stomach to record circular muscle contractions in thiobutabarbital-anesthetized rats. Acupuncture on the right lower abdomen caused a transient relaxation of the stomach. Acupuncture-induced gastric relaxations were abolished by guanethidine, propranolol, splanchnic ganglionectomy, spinal cord transection, and spinomedullary transection. In contrast, N(G)-nitro-L-arginine, phentolamine, truncal vagotomy, and pontomedullary transection had no effect. Acupuncture increased the number of c-Fos immunopositive cells at the ventrolateral medulla (VLM). It is concluded that acupuncture-induced gastric relaxations are mediated via the somatosympathetic reflex. Its afferent limb is composed of abdominal cutaneous and muscle afferent nerves. Its efferent limb is the gastric sympathetic nerve and the reflex center is within the medulla. VLM neurons may play an important role in mediating this reflex.

Acupuncture↗
PubMed2003

Short-chain fatty acids stimulate colonic transit via intraluminal 5-HT release in rats.

We studied whether physiological concentration of short-chain fatty acids (SCFAs) affects colonic transit and colonic motility in conscious rats. Intraluminal administration of SCFAs (100-200 mM) into the proximal colon significantly accelerated colonic transit. The stimulatory effect of SCFAs on colonic transit was abolished by perivagal capsaicin treatment, atropine, hexamethonium, and vagotomy, but not by guanethidine. The stimulatory effect of SCFAs on colonic transit was also abolished by intraluminal pretreatment with lidocaine and a 5-hydroxytryptamine (HT)(3) receptor antagonist. Intraluminal administration of SCFAs provoked contractions at the proximal colon, which migrated to the mid- and distal colon. SCFAs caused a significant increase in the luminal concentration of 5-HT of the vascularly isolated and luminally perfused rat colon ex vivo. It is suggested that the release of 5-HT from enterochromaffin cells in response to SCFAs stimulates 5-HT(3) receptors located on the vagal sensory fibers. The sensory information is transferred to the vagal efferent and stimulates the release of acetylcholine from the colonic myenteric plexus, resulting in muscle contraction.

Animals↗
PubMed2003

Dual effects of acupuncture on gastric motility in conscious rats.

The effects of manual acupuncture on gastric motility were investigated in 35 conscious rats implanted with a strain gauge transducer. Twenty (57.1%) rats showed no cyclic groupings of strong contractions (type A), whereas 15 (42.9%) rats showed the phase III-like contractions of the migrating motor complex (type B) in the fasting gastric motility. Acupuncture at the stomach (ST)-36 (Zusanli), but not on the back [Weishu, bladder (BL)-21], increased the peak amplitude of contractions to 172.4 +/- 25.6% of basal in the type A rats (n = 20, P < 0.05). On the other hand, the motility index for 60 min after the acupuncture was not affected by the acupuncture in this group. On the contrary, acupuncture decreased the peak amplitude and motility index to 72.9 +/- 14.0% and 73.6 +/- 16.2% in the type B rats (n = 15, P < 0.05), respectively. The stimulatory and inhibitory effects of acupuncture observed in each type were reproducible on the separate days. In 70% of type A rats, acupuncture induced strong phase III-like contractions lasting for over 3 h that were abolished by atropine, hexamethonium, atropine methyl bromide, and vagotomy. Naloxone significantly shortened the duration of the stimulatory effects from 3.52 +/- 0.21 to 1.02 +/- 0.15 h (n = 3, P < 0.05). These results suggest that acupuncture at ST-36 induces dual effects, either stimulatory or inhibitory, on gastric motility. The stimulatory effects are mediated in part via vagal efferent and opioid pathways.

Acupuncture↗
PubMed2003

Breasts and breastfeeding: perspectives of women in the early months after birthing.

Over recent years there has been widespread recognition and education about the benefits of breastfeeding. However as many Australian women breastfeed for only a few weeks, education alone appears inadequate to improve breastfeeding duration. This study explores other influences on breastfeeding by looking at women's perceptions of their breasts in relation to their breastfeeding experiences. Six women were recruited at approximately three months postpartum. The hermeneutic phenomenology of Heidegger (1962) and Gadamer (1975) was the chosen methodology. Individual, unstructured, indepth, conversational interviews were employed and analysed using Colaizzi's (1978) framework, which was modified to manage the large amount of data. Two patterns of differing focus emerged from the interviews, mixed images of the breasts and journey through the unknown of breastfeeding and new motherhood. Each pattern was divided into six and seven related themes respectively.

Adult↗
PubMed2002

Identification of potent and novel alpha4beta1 antagonists using in silico screening.

The antigen alpha4beta1 (very late antigen-4, VLA-4) plays an important role in the migration of white blood cells to sites of inflammation. It has been implicated in the pathology of a variety of diseases including asthma, multiple sclerosis, and rheumatoid arthritis. We describe a series of potent inhibitors of alpha4beta1 that were discovered using computational screening for replacements of the peptide region of an existing tetrapeptide-based alpha4beta1 inhibitor (1; 4-[N'-(2-methylphenyl)ureido]phenylacetyl-Leu-Asp-Val) derived from fibronectin. The search query was constructed using a model of 1 that was based upon the X-ray conformation of the related integrin-binding region of vascular cell adhesion molecule-1 (VCAM-1). The 3D search query consisted of the N-terminal cap and the carboxyl side chain of 1 because, upon the basis of existing structure-activity data on this series, these were known to be critical for high-affinity binding to alpha4beta1. The computational screen identified 12 reagents from a virtual library of 8624 molecules as satisfying the model and our synthetic filters. All of the synthesized compounds tested inhibit alpha4beta1 association with VCAM-1, with the most potent compound having an IC(50) of 1 nM, comparable to the starting compound. Using CATALYST, a 3D QSAR was generated that rationalizes the variation in activities of these alpha4beta1 antagonists. The most potent compound was evaluated in a sheep model of asthma, and a 30 mg nebulized dose was able to inhibit early and late airway responses in allergic sheep following antigen challenge and prevented the development of nonspecific airway hyperresponsiveness to carbachol. Our results demonstrate that it is possible to rapidly identify nonpeptidic replacements of integrin peptide antagonists. This approach should be useful in identification of nonpeptidic alpha4beta1 inhibitors with improved pharmacokinetic properties relative to their peptidic counterparts.

Administration, Inhalation↗
PubMed2002

Free radical scavenging properties of wheat extracts.

Three hard winter wheat varieties (Akron, Trego, and Platte) were examined and compared for their free radical scavenging properties and total phenolic contents (TPC). Free radical scavenging properties of wheat grain extracts were evaluated by spectrophotometric and electron spin resonance (ESR) spectrometry methods against stable 2,2-diphenyl-1-picryhydrazyl radical (DPPH*) and radical cation ABTS*+ (2,2'-azino-di[3-ethylbenzthiazoline sulfonate]). The results showed that the three wheat extracts differed in their capacities to quench or inhibit DPPH* and ABTS*+. Akron showed the greatest activity to quench DPPH radicals, while Platte had the highest capacity against ABTS*+. The ED50 values of wheat extracts against DPPH radicals were 0.60 mg/mL for Akron, 7.1 mg/mL for Trego, and 0.95 mg/mL for Platte under the experimental conditions. The trolox equivalents against ABTS*+ were 1.31 +/- 0.44, 1.08 +/- 0.05, and 1.91 +/- 0.06 micromol/g of grain for Akron, Trego, and Platte wheat, respectively. ESR results confirmed that wheat extracts directly reacted with and quenched free radicals. The TPC were 487.9 +/- 927.8 microg gallic acid equivalents/g of grain. No correlation was observed between TPC and radical scavenging capacities for DPPH* and ABTS*+ (p = 0.15 and p > 0.5, respectively).

Benzothiazoles↗
PubMed2002

Accuracy and reliability of the endoscopic classification of portal hypertensive gastropathy.

BACKGROUND: There is no consensus regarding the endoscopic classification of the severity of portal hypertensive gastropathy. This study compared the accuracy and reproducibility of the 2-category classification system (2-CCS) with the 3-category classification system (3-CCS). METHODS: Ninety-eight endoscopic pictures of portal hypertensive gastropathy and 22 of nonspecific gastritis were selected. Eight duplicate sets were generated, each in a different random order. These were shown to 6 experienced endoscopists during 2 sessions 1 week apart with 4 slide sets at each session. Each picture was scored by using either the 2-CCS or 3-CCS. Kappa statistics and percent agreement were used to estimate the reproducibility and agreement. RESULTS: The mean percentage agreement among the 4 separate readings for each observer was significantly lower for the 3-CCS compared with the 2-CCS (mean [standard deviation] = 33.5% [8.9%] vs. 64.9% [9.1%]; p = 0.0001). The mean (SD) interobserver kappa values were 0.44 (0.03) for the 3-CCS and 0.52 (0.04) for the 2-CCS (p = 0.02), and the respective intraobserver kappa values were 0.43 (0.1) and 0.63 (0.06) (p = 0.002). CONCLUSIONS: Even though both the 2-CCS and 3-CCS have substantial limitations with regard to specificity and reliability, there were better agreement and reproducibility with the simpler classification system for portal hypertensive gastropathy.

Gastric Mucosa↗
PubMed2002

Planning Australia's hospital workforce.

Growing government support has been evident during the past decade for macro-level workforce planning to ensure that future populations have access to appropriate health care services. Population ageing is impacting on workforce requirements and on workforce supply within Australia and internationally. Changes in financing and the organisation of health services are impacting on the availability of training and on the quality of working life. The age and gender profile and career expectations of young Australians are changing. These factors are all adding to the importance and complexity of workforce planning. This paper draws on data from various sources to describe Australia's hospital workforce, to explore supply-side workforce trends and to discuss some contemporary issues of concern to policy makers and workforce planners. The paper finds that in recent years there has been a 3 per cent decline in the number of full time equivalent staff in public hospitals, while the number in the private hospital workforce has increased by 28 per cent. The paper concludes that, nationally, there are serious limitations in the data available to describe and monitor the hospital workforce and that there is a need to remedy this situation.

Allied Health Personnel↗
PubMedDate not supplied

Square 100.

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Adolescent↗