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Biomedical subjects

R A Bell

Publications and source records attributed to R A Bell.

At least 109 records · Page 6Linked to original sources
PubMed1989

Psychiatric assessment of leg fracture patients: a pilot study.

Of 200 consecutively admitted leg fracture patients, 101 consented to be screened for psychopathology using the BSI and SMAST questionnaires. Probable cases of psychopathology were referred for diagnostic psychiatric evaluation. Of the participants, 80.2 percent were identified as possible psychiatric cases. Diagnostic evaluation revealed high prevalence of substance abuse (66.0%), depression (46.8%), and personality pathology (38.3%). Accident victims tended to be single young males. Accidents occurred mostly during leisure hours, and were often associated with alcohol use. Psychiatric assistance appears essential in the management of such patients. Psychiatrists need to be especially knowledgeable about chemical dependency, interpersonal issues and psychotherapy.

Accidents↗
PubMed1988

Molecular cloning of a cDNA encoding the nerve growth factor precursor from Mastomys natalensis.

Mastomys natalensis is an African rat that has high levels of nerve growth factor (NGF) in its submaxillary glands. Like in the mouse, Mastomys NGF is found as a high-molecular-weight complex. However, the Mastomys complex differs from the mouse complex, in that the gamma-subunit is either missing or is less tightly bound in the Mastomys NGF complex. In the mouse, the gamma-subunit has been implicated in the processing of the beta-NGF precursor. The possible lack of gamma-subunits in the Mastomys NGF high-molecular-weight complex suggested that the Mastomys beta-NGF precursor might differ from the mouse beta-NGF precursor in some of its processing sites. In particular, Mastomys beta-NGF might lack the C-terminal dipeptide cleavage site implicated in beta-gamma subunit interactions in mouse NGF. In order to test this hypothesis, we isolated and sequenced a cDNA clone for Mastomys beta-NGF. We report here the cloning and sequencing of a cDNA coding for beta-NGF from Mastomys natalensis. The cDNA library was prepared from Mastomys submaxillary gland mRNA and the beta-NGF clone was isolated using a mouse cDNA as a probe. The nucleotide sequence of Mastomys beta-NGF is 95% homologous to that of mouse beta-NGF. In particular, the Mastomys beta-NGF precursor contains the same three C-terminal residues as the mouse, suggesting that the Mastomys beta-NGF precursor could interact with a gamma-like subunit.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)

Amino Acid Sequence↗
PubMed1988

Risk for depression in families over time: a pilot epidemiologic study.

A random sample of 34 families from the general population were studied over a 15-month period to determine their risk for depression over time. Adults and children in the families were interviewed three times during the 15-month period. Risk for depression was evaluated using four screening instruments, including the Diagnostic Interview Schedule. At the original interview, 40 percent of the families contained one or more members at risk for depression. The 15-month family incidence rate for risk for depression was 26 percent and of continued good mental health 74 percent. The mental health status of 35 percent of the families changed during the 15-month period, suggesting that longitudinal studies can provide a more accurate profile of family mental health than studies of families at a single point in time.

Adolescent↗
PubMed1988

The tip of the iceberg: psychiatric consultations on an orthopedic service.

One hundred and one consecutively admitted orthopedic patients with leg fractures participated in a study assessing psychiatric morbidity using the BSI- and SMAST-questionnaires. Patients identified as probable cases of psychopathology were then psychiatrically evaluated to establish diagnoses. It was determined that about 70 percent of the sample met the criteria for psychiatric diagnoses, with substance abuse being the leading group of disorders. The psychiatric consultation-liaison and orthopedic services remained blind to the research activities and continued to refer patients for psychiatric consultation when clinically necessary. Only six (5.9%) of the patients also participating in the study were referred for clinical consultation, and these appeared to have very obvious symptoms or complaints. The large majority of emotional distress remained unnoticed.

Fractures, Bone↗
PubMed1988

Quality assurance for MRI. Part one.

Quality assurance procedures are essential in promoting optimal image quality and consistent system performance. Proper patient care, however, depends not only on technical characteristics but also efficient and humane operations. In the first of a series of three articles on total system QA, methods are noted by which changes in MRI technical performance can be monitored. Six parameters are described and procedures are outlined for their measurement.

Hospital Departments↗
PubMed1988

Quality assurance for MRI. Part two.

Quality assurance, QA, extend beyond the periodic measurement of system parameters. In this, the second of our three-part series we explore the benefits to be gained through QA of operations. Various personnel must function smoothly together to provide efficient service.

Hospital Departments↗
PubMed1987

Clinical performance of sealed composite restorations placed over caries compared with sealed and unsealed amalgam restorations.

The 2-year clinical evaluations of paired occlusal restorations are presented. Each study participant received a sealed composite restoration placed over a carious lesion and either a traditional outline-form (unsealed) amalgam or an ultraconservative sealed amalgam restoration. Caries was removed before placement of both types of amalgam restorations. No important clinical differences developed among the three groups of restorations.

Adolescent↗
PubMed1987

Relative afferent pupillary defect in a lesion of the pretectal afferent pupillary pathway.

A 23-year-old man presented with Parinaud's syndrome due to a mixed germ cell tumour of the pineal gland. Following treatment the syndrome resolved, but the patient was noted to have a relative afferent pupillary defect (RAPD) without any detectable visual dysfunction. The authors localize the lesion to the pretectal afferent pupillary pathway and discuss the differential diagnosis of an RAPD in the presence of normal visual function.

Adult↗
PubMed1986

Consultative psychiatry in both private and public general hospitals.

Most psychiatric patients obtain care in the nonpsychiatric units of general hospitals. Two groups of 100 psychiatric consultation patients in a private hospital setting and in a public hospital were compared. Significant differences were found. Patients in the public hospital were medically, psychiatrically, and socioeconomically more disabled. In the private setting, psychiatric consultants were usually seen as members of a treatment team. The public facility expected consultants to function as psychiatric triage officers. However, both patient groups had a similar frequency of psychiatric illness and had an equal need for psychiatric services.

Adjustment Disorders↗
PubMed1986

Evaluation of pediatric oncology objectives developed by the American Association for Cancer Education.

Educational objectives in pediatric oncology for medical students developed at the Fall, 1981 meeting of the American Association for Cancer Education (AACE) were reviewed. These six terminal (general) and 40 enabling (specific) objectives were converted into 130 statements which were ranked from essential (rank 5) to not required (rank 0). The 58 pediatric oncology respondents gave broad support to the AACE pediatric oncology objectives. Primary importance was given to medical students knowing to refer pediatric malignancies. Principles of therapy, psychosocial management, management of infection, and complications during long term surveillance ranked high. Objectives were not ranked differently when related to number of new pediatric patients seen, type of hospital, or whether the institution had a core undergraduate pediatric training site. The list of terminal, enabling and supplemental pediatric oncology objectives developed by AACE appears valid for inclusion in the core curriculum of medical students.

Curriculum↗
PubMed1985

Parameters for the calculation of proton NMR chemical shifts of oligoribonucleotides.

A set of empirical parameters which allows the prediction of the proton NMR chemical shifts at 70 C of non-exchangeable heterobase and anomeric protons in oligoribonucleotides has been constructed. The set is based on the highly flexible nature of oligoribonucleotide single strands and the wide range of conformational states which can be populated at relatively high temperatures (70 C or greater). A pairwise subtractive procedure, using 129 ribonucleotide oligomers (all 16 dimers, all 64 trimers, 37 tetramers, and 12 pentamers), shows that significant contributions to the observed chemical shift of protons in a given nucleoside residue are made by first, second, and third neighbors on the 3' and the 5' sides. The majority of the neighbors cause shielding effects with the exception of some first neighbors on the 5' side of a given residue. The magnitude of the shielding effects is greatest for the purine heterobases and follows the order A greater than G greater than C greater than U, with first neighbors on the 3'side showing more pronounced effects than second neighbors and these in turn showing larger effects than third neighbors. Second neighbors on the 5' side showed consistently greater shieldings than first neighbors, a result attributed to the deshielding effects of the first 5' neighbor phosphate group. The parameter Tables are applied to the prediction of proton chemical shifts in one heptamer, four hexamers, and two pentamers and give average absolute differences between predicted and observed shifts less than 0.030 ppm. The parameter approach represents an excellent method of generating initial assignments of proton chemical shifts for any single strand oligoribonucleotide.

Magnetic Resonance Spectroscopy↗
PubMed1984

Relative stability of guanosine-cytidine diribonucleotide cores: a 1H NMR assessment.

Proton NMR was used to study the secondary structure and melting behavior of six self-complementary oligoribonucleotide tetramers, each containing two guanosine and two cytidine residues (GGCC, CCGG, GCCG, CGGC, GCGC, and CGCG). GGCC and CCGG formed perfect duplexes containing four G.C base pairs with Tms of 54 and 47.8 degrees C, respectively; GCCG and CGGC formed staggered duplexes with two G.C base pairs and four 3' double-dangling bases, with Tms of 35.5 and 29.2 degrees C, respectively; GCGC formed a perfect duplex with a Tm of 49.9 degrees C, while CGCG formed a staggered duplex with a Tm of 36.9 degrees C. From these results, an order of stability of the cores containing two G.C base pairs was proposed: GC:GC is more stable than GG:CC which is more stable than CG:CG. The RY model for secondary structure stability prediction was applied to the above tetramers with reasonable success. Suggestions for refinements are discussed.

Base Sequence↗