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Biomedical subjects

R Rees

Publications and source records attributed to R Rees.

At least 73 records · Page 4Linked to original sources

Microbial flora of the diseased stomach at resection.

The relation of microbial flora in stomach contents and stomach wall was examined in paired specimens from 10 surgical patients and in specimens of wall from 10 additional patients. The flora of both contents and wall were similar. Paired specimens from five patients contained the same kinds of bacteria. Paired specimens from these patients were sterile. Contents from two patients contained bacteria, but the wall was sterile. Microorganisms isolated were streptococci, lactobacilli, bifidobacteria, bacteroides, staphylococci yeast, and coliforms. Bacterial counts ranged from 0 to 10(7.5) per ml or g in both contents and tissue. Survey of the literature shows that most specimens from patients with gastric ulcers or gastric malignancies are positive for bacteria, while only about 60% of specimens from patients with duodenal ulcers are positive.

Bacteria↗

Psychological and social evaluation in cases of deliberate self-poisoning admitted to a general hospital.

In a prospective clinical trial 312 cases of self-poisoning (276 patients) consecutively admitted to hospital were randomly allocated to medical teams or to psychiatrists for an initial psychiatric assessment and a decision as to "disposal." Junior doctors and nurses received some instruction in this work. Both groups of assessors asked for help from social workers when necessary. Once the medical teams had completed their assessments, psychiatrists provided most of the hospital treatment. Follow-up at one year showed no significant difference between the two groups of patients in the numbers who repeated their self-poisoning or self-injury (or both), or committed suicide. Provided junior doctors and nurses are taught to assess self-poisoned patients, we think medical teams can evaluate the suicidal risk and identify patients requiring psychiatric treatment or help from social workers, or both. Contrary to the Department of Health's recommendation that all cases of deliberate self-poisoning should be seen by psychiatrists, we have reached the conclusion that physicians should decide for each of their patients if specialist psychiatric advice is necessary.

Humans↗

Elective delivery of the term fetus. An obstetrical hazard.

Of 1,020 consecutive admissions to a regional neonatal center, 38 infants were admitted following elective delivery in which no medical condition of the mother or fetus had necessitated immediate delivery. Twenty infants had problems that were not primarily the result of elective delivery, developed in 18. Fifteen of these 18 infants were delivered by cesarean section; in none of the mothers had any assessment of fetal maturity or size (other than the menstrual history and physical examination) been made. The infants remained in the hospital for an average of 12.7 days at a median cost of $2,678 per patient. One infant died. In the absence of pressing medical indications and without an objective assessment of fetal maturity, elective delivery remains potentially hazardous.

Adult↗

Postcoital contraceptive effects of agonist analogs of luteinizing hormone-releasing hormone.

Various analogs of synthetic hypothalamic luteinizing hormone-releasing hormone (LH-RH) were evaluated for agonistic (ovulation-inducing), postcoital contraceptive, and direct uterotrophic activities. All analogs showing agonistic activity also possessed the ability to terminate pregnancy, as did LH-RH; there appeared to be a direct relationship between agonistic and postcoital potency and activity. The highly potent and active LH-RH agonist, D-[Ala]6-des-[Gly]10-pro9-ethylamide-LH-RH, proved to be the most potent and active postcoital preimplantational and postimplantational antifertility agent. In contrast to LH-RH, none of the analogs tested in the hypophysectomized animal produced a uterotrophic effect, revealing a selective extrapituitary effect of the parent hormone. The collective data demonstrate that peptides derived from LH-RH and bearing agonistic properties can terminate pregnancy postcoitally, via disruption of the pituitary-ovarian reproductive complex. Possible mechanisms are discussed, and the use of members of this neurohormonal class as potential profertility agents should be weighed with caution.

Animals↗

Discrimination learning by Macaca mulatta with option to switch between S+ and S-.

Three rhesus monkeys were trained to press either of two response keys. A response on the reinforcement key during presentation of the reinforced stimulus produced a sucrose pellet followed by an intertrial interval, but during presentation of the unreinforced stimulus produced only the intertrial interval. A response on the switching key changed the discriminative stimulus from reinforced to unreinforced or from unreinforced to reinforced. The reinforced stimulus was presented automatically on half the trials, but could be produced only by a switching response on the other half. Switching tended to occur in three distinct stages during acquisition of discriminative behavior. The first stage was identified as "nondiscriminative switching"; the second as "nonswitching"; and the third as "discriminative switching".

Animals↗

4CMB: investigation of activity in a mouse micronucleus test.

To study possible clastogenic effects of 4-chloromethylbiphenyl (4CMB), a mouse micronucleus test was performed (as part of the UKEMS genetic toxicology trial). Mice were given 4CMB by intraperitoneal injection, once daily for 5 consecutive days. Although the range of dosages employed included highly toxic or lethal doses, the frequency of micronucleated polychromatic erythrocytes in the bone marrow was not significantly greater in 4CMB-treated groups, than in control-group animals treated with the Tween 80 vehicle alone. Thus, in this test, 4CMB did not induce chromosomal damage resulting in micronucleus formation, in bone-marrow erythrocytes.

Animals↗