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Biomedical subjects

P A Weston

Publications and source records attributed to P A Weston.

18 recordsLinked to original sources
PubMed2000

Progeny production by Tribolium castaneum (Coleoptera: Tenebrionidae) and Oryzaephilus surinamensis (Coleoptera: Silvanidae) on maize previously infested by Sitotroga cerealella (Lepidoptera: Gelechiidae).

A laboratory experiment was conducted to quantify the effects of infestation of maize by Sitotroga cerealella (Olivier) on progeny production by two common secondary colonizers of grain, Tribolium castaneum (Herbst) and Oryzaephilus surinamensis (L.). Adults of both secondary pest species were allowed to oviposit for 3 wk on intact kernels of 'DeKalb 689', mechanically split kernels, kernels that had been infested for 3 mo by S. cerealella, and kernels that had been infested for 6 mo. Progeny of both species reached highest numbers on 6-mo infested maize. Prior infestation for 6 mo by S. cerealella makes maize a more suitable medium for reproduction by T. castaneum and O. surinamensis, much more than can be accounted for by mere disruption of kernel integrity resulting from larval feeding. The results highlight the importance of limiting establishment by S. cerealella on maize in storage.

Animals↗
PubMed1998

Comparison of three trap types for monitoring insect populations in stored grains.

Three trap types--probe, cone, and sticky--were used to monitor insect populations infesting shelled maize, Zea mays L., housed in galvanized steel storage bins. Sticky traps were suspended in the headspace 1 m above the grain mass, probe traps were inserted into the grain near the top and bottom of the grain mass, and cone traps were positioned at the surface of the grain mass. Although there was some overlap, each trap type was rather specific in the range of insect species trapped. Probe traps positioned near the grain surface trapped mostly Oryzaephilus surinamensis (L.), Tribolium castaneum (Herbst), and Cynaeus angustus (LeConte); whereas those positioned near the bottom of the grain mass trapped mostly Sitophilus zeamais Motschulsky. Cone traps caught mostly Typhaea stercorea (L.), Cryptolestes spp., and Ahasverus advena Waltl. Sticky traps caught primarily stored-product moths [Plodia interpunctella (Hübner) and Sitotroga cerealella (Olivier)] and A. advena. In addition to catching pest species, cone traps also caught hemipteran predators and hymenopteran parasitoids, and sticky traps caught large numbers of parasitoids. Although probe traps caught smaller numbers of several pest species than cone traps, these traps generally detected the presence of these species at the same time as cone traps, in addition to trapping other species that were not detected at all in cone traps. Therefore, a combination of sticky traps in the grain bin headspace and probe traps positioned just below the grain surface is probably most efficient for monitoring the presence of pest and beneficial insect species in grain storage. If pests cannot be eliminated from the space beneath the false floor of a grain bin, probe traps set at the bottom of the grain mass should provide the best early warning of infestation by species colonizing a grain mass by this route.

Animals↗
PubMed1986

Data collection from road traffic accidents.

A method of improving information about injuries sustained in road traffic accidents is described. It was achieved by combining data from the police with that from the accident and emergency department in such a way that patient confidentiality was preserved. This improved data base shows that present estimates of the number of injuries sustained on the road are too low and that assessments of their severity are probably inaccurate.

Accidents, Traffic↗
PubMed1982

Haemorrhage from pelvic fractures: dangers and treatment.

A simple, non-invasive method of control of haemorrhage from severe fractures of the pelvis is described. This method is the application of a pneumatic splint from the costal margin to the toes; the splint is then inflated to a pressure of 30 cm of water. The splint was originally designed for the control of leaking aortic aneurysms. We have applied it to 4 patients with severe fractures of the pelvis. There was dramatic improvement in 2 of these patients in whom the bleeding had continued in spite of energetic initial resuscitation.

Accidents, Traffic↗
PubMed1981

Admission policy for patients following head injury.

In the 2 years following a change in the policy of admission following head injury in Nottingham, the number of patients admitted fell from 941 in 1977 to 534 and 460 in 1978 and 1979 respectively. No detrimental effects resulting from this change in policy have been noted. Previously, all patients who had been unconscious (however briefly) had been admitted. The changed policy stated that: 1. Patients who had been briefly unconscious or amnesic would only be admitted if one of the following factors was also present: abnormal neurological signs or obtunded consciousness on arrival at hospital, fits, vomiting, severe headaches or clinical or radiological evidence of a fracture of the skull. 2. Such patient would only be allowed home if instructions issued to the patients on a ":head injury instruction card' could be implemented satisfactorily. It is suggested that the implementation of such an admission policy will avoid the unnecessary admission of large numbers of patients, thus freeing beds for other purposes. The article leaves unanswered the question "Which patients should have a skull X-ray?"

Adolescent↗
PubMed1981

Pretibial flap wounds: early grafting under regional anaesthesia as an outpatient procedure.

A method is described of treating thin flap wounds of the leg which involves primary excision followed by delayed primary closure by skin graft carried out under regional nerve block. This method avoids not only admission to hospital but the hazards of general anaesthesia in patients who are often elderly, or taking steroid drugs. In 38 out of 40 patients so treated, the grafted area was sufficiently well healed to require either no dressing or a protective dressing only after 2-3 outpatient visits spread over 15-16 days.

Aged↗
PubMed1981

Spontaneous cytotoxicity against virus-infected cells: relationship to NK against uninfected cell lines and to ADCC.

Cellular immunoadsorption and cold cell competition assays were used to examine the specificity of NK. Lymphocytes nonadherent to monolayers of cells persistently infected with Sendai virus (SV-HEp2) were almost totally depleted of NK against the uninfected tumor cell lines K562, MOLT-4, and HSB, as well as against SV-HEp2, when assayed immediately after separation. Lymphocytes adherent to SV-HEp2 monolayers were also partially depleted of NK against these targets. After overnight incubation, the nonadherent cells remained relatively depleted of NK against all targets, compared to controls. The adherent cells displayed a variable amount of activity, depending on the donor; in all cases, however, substantial NK activity was observed in this fraction against all targets, infected and uninfected. Exogenous interferon failed to augment the activity of the nonadherent lymphocyte fraction. Cellular immunoadsorption on monolayers of K562 or HSB was similarly found to partially deplete NK against SV-HEp2, as well as against the homologous cells. Cold cell inhibition studies showed that SV-HEp2 and, to a lesser extent, HEp2, could inhibit the lysis of K562; similarly, K562 could partially inhibit the lysis of SV-HEp2. We concluded that infected and uninfected target cells are lysed by overlapping populations of NK effector cells. In addition, the ADCC activity of SV-HEp2-adherent and nonadherent lymphocyte fractions was examined immediately after separation. Whereas the nonadherent lymphocytes were depleted of both ADCC and NK, the adherent lymphocytes were partially depleted of NK yet contained high levels of ADCC activity.

Adsorption↗
PubMed1980

Intracranial pressure measurements in patients suffering head injury, managed in a non-neurosurgical unit.

The method of measuring intracranial pressure in the extradural space described by Coroneos et al. (1973) has been used safely in a large general hospital without a CAT scanner or a neurosurgical unit. Monitoring of the intracranial pressure has helped to rationalize the early management of a small number of patients with severe injuries to the head, whose transfer to a neurosurgical unit might involve unacceptable delay in initiating urgent treatment or might be inadvisable because of multiple injuries.

Adolescent↗
PubMed1980

Transfer facilities for the seriously ill and injured.

The handling of stretchers and trolleys plays an important part in the early management of seriously ill and injured patients. The design of such equipment should include the following features. Stretchers (or carrying sheets) should be interchangeable between the hospital and the ambulance service. They should be made of washable, unshrinkable, antistatic material and should be fitted with loops on either side to facilitate transfer by sliding and to enable them to be used also as carrying sheets when narrow staircases have to be negotiated. Hospital trolleys should be able to rise and fall (to allow transference by sliding on to a standard X-ray table) and to have a back rest hinged at 2 ft 9 in to facilitate erect X-ray examination of the chest. Such trolleys should also carry oxygen and suction, cotsides, dripstand and a tray for clothes and for a chest drainage bottle. Both carrying sheets and trolley tops should be completely pervious to X-rays. A plea is made for a more critical scrutiny of the facilities which are available for the transport of the ill and injured, both inside and outside the hospital.

Humans↗
PubMed1979

Seat-belts.

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Legislation, Medical↗