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Biomedical subjects

R J Cook

Publications and source records attributed to R J Cook.

At least 199 records · Page 11Linked to original sources
PubMed1979

The distribution and chemical nature of radioactive folates in rat liver cells and rat liver mitochondria.

Subcellular fractionation of rat liver cells revealed that a mixture of 14C- and 3H-labelled folic acid was distributed approximately equally between the mitochondria and cytosol 2, 24, 48 and 72 h after oral administration. Subfractionation of liver mitochondria 48 h after oral administration showed that the radioactivity was mainly associated with the inner membrane (27.7%) and matrix (51.5%). Hot-ascorbate extraction of the cell cytosol, mitochondrial inner membrane and matrix showed the majority of folates were present as polyglutamates. Acid treatment of isolated folates from cytosol, inner membrane and matrix produced breakdown products consistent with scission of tetrahydrofolates. The folates isolated in the mitochondrial matrix were bound to protein that had an estimated mol. wt. of 90,000.

Animals↗
PubMed1978

A decade of international change in abortion law: 1967-1977.

Modern thinking on abortion, reflected in recent legal developments around the world, has turned from concentration upon criminality in favor of female and family well-being. New laws enacted during the last decade are coming to focus upon conditions of health and social welfare of women and their existing families as indications for lawful termination of pregnancy. Regulations governing the delivery of services may be restrictive, however, so as to limit in practice access to means of safe, legal abortion made available in theory. Requirements may be imposed that only medical personnel with unduly high qualifications perform procedures, or that they be undertaken only in institutions meeting standards higher than similar health care requires. Approval procedures may be established involving second medical opinions or committees to monitor observance of the law, which may delay abortions and therefore increase their hazards. Parental and spousal consent requirements may exist in addition with the same effects, or to veto a pregnant female's request. Regulations may be employed more positively, however, to encourage contraceptive practice. A disappointment with legislative reform is that it may fail to improve circumstances if public resources are not applied to achieve the supply of services newly rendered legitimate, and illegal practice may persist.

Abortion, Legal↗
PubMed1975

Assessment of the cognitive effect of a prototype health education unit on sixth grade students.

The purpose of this study was to assess the cognitive effects of a prototype health education teaching model on the cardiovascular health knowledge of selected sixth grade students. The level of significance for the study was set at .05. No significant differences between pre-test mean scores, experimental to control group were found. Significant differences between post-test mean scores, experimental to control group were noted. No significant differences between control group pre-test to post-test mean scores were found. Although significant experimental group pre-test to post-test mean scores were found in all four locations, no significant differences were found between the experimental post-test mean scores by geographic location.

Achievement↗
PubMedDate not supplied

Superficial and deep cervical plexus block for carotid artery surgery: a prospective study of 1000 blocks.

BACKGROUND AND OBJECTIVES: Cervical plexus blocks are performed for carotid surgery to allow neurological assessment of the awake patient. The aim of this study was to establish the frequency of success, complications, and patient acceptance of the technique. METHODS: One thousand superficial and deep cervical blocks were performed in 924 patients having carotid artery surgery. Data about the blocks were recorded prospectively and patients were followed up postoperatively by an independent anesthesiologist to assess patient acceptance of the technique. RESULTS: Lidocaine was the most frequently used anesthetic (88%). Surgical supplementation of the blocks was required in 53% of operations. Six blocks (0.6%) had clinical evidence of intravascular injection of local anesthetic. Sedation was required in 66% of operations and conversion to general anesthesia occurred in 25 (2.5%) of operations. Ninety-one percent of patients reported no problems with the block, and 93% stated that they would have the same anesthetic for any future similar surgery. CONCLUSIONS: We conclude that superficial and deep cervical plexus block has a high success rate, low complication rate, and high patient acceptance rate. Caution should, however, be exercised to ensure a low intravascular injection rate which is of most concern with this technique, because blood was aspirated in 30% of patients during performance of the block.

Aged↗
PubMedDate not supplied

Risk-adjusted monitoring of binary surgical outcomes.

A graphical procedure suitable for prospectively monitoring surgical performance is proposed. The approach is based on accumulating evidence from the outcomes of all previous surgical patients in a series using a new type of cumulative sum chart. Cumulative sum procedures are designed to "signal" if sufficient evidence has accumulated that the surgical failure rate has changed substantially. In this way, the chart rapidly detects deterioration (or improvement) in surgical performance while not overreacting to the expected fluctuations due to chance. Through the use of a likelihood-based scoring method, the cumulative sum procedure is adapted so that it adjusts for the surgical risk of each patient estimated preoperatively. The procedure is therefore applicable in situations where it is desirable to adjust for a mix of patients. Signals of the chart lead to investigations of the cause and to the timely introduction of remedial measures designed to avoid unnecessary future failures.

Cardiac Surgical Procedures↗
PubMedDate not supplied

Macroethical responsibilities of societies of gynaecologists and obstetricians.

The theme of maternal mortality and morbidity is of transcending macroethical importance. High rates of maternal mortality and morbidity can be significantly reduced by cost-effective means that are not dependent on advanced biotechnology. It has been shown that a major cause of maternal mortality comes from women (i) bearing children too early or too late in their reproductive lives, (ii) too frequently or at insufficiently spaced intervals. If women were able to control their fertility in order not to have children at unwanted times in periods of their life when pregnancy is inimical to their health, the incidence of maternal mortality and morbidity would drop. Improved standards of women's education, both in general and in particular regarding women's reproductive health, would reinforce the understanding of how to protect and improve one's reproductive health, and would accelerate the decline of maternal mortality and chronic morbidities. Accordingly, the macroethical demands of respect for autonomy, beneficence and justice would coincide. The value of justice would be served not only regarding women themselves, particularly those who have traditionally been vulnerable by virtue of their growing age, or dependent status in their communities, but also regarding the children dependent on such women, and families also dependent on the services of such women, like mothers, wives, daughters and grand-daughters.

Beneficence↗