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Biomedical subjects

S A Murphy

Publications and source records attributed to S A Murphy.

At least 55 records · Page 3Linked to original sources
PubMed1995

An analysis for menstrual data with time-varying covariates.

This paper concerns the analysis of menstrual data; in particular, methodology to identify variables that contribute to the variability of menstrual cycles both within and between women. The basis for the proposed methodology is a parameterization of the mean length of a menstrual cycle conditional upon the past cycles and covariates. This approach accommodates the length-bias and censoring commonly found in menstrual data. Data from a longitudinal study of menstrual patterns and other variables among Lese women of the Ituri Forest, Zaire, illustrate the methodology. A small simulation illustrates the bias caused by incorrectly deleting the censored cycles.

Adolescent↗
PubMed1995

Psychological assessment of postdisaster class action and personal injury litigants: a case study.

The case study method is used to describe psychological assessments undertaken with victims of a combined natural/technological disaster for litigation purposes. A class action suit was filed in which the authors determined levels of traumatic stress in 27 plaintiffs as a group and relative to each other. The process was effective--the case was settled out of court in favor of the litigants. Individual litigants were satisfied with monetary awards received.

Adult↗
PubMed1995

Evaluating students' substance abuse assessment skills.

Graduating nursing students' abilities to assess clients for substance use were evaluated using two standardized patient (SP) cases. In the comprehensive health history case (unprompted), 55% of the study participants assessed alcohol use and 20% assessed drug use. When prompted to conduct a substance use history, at least 90% of the subjects asked about the quantity and frequency of alcohol use and 80% asked about drug use. However, in the prompted case, fewer than 10% of the subjects linked current alcohol and drug (AOD) use with risks and consequences, nor did they ask the SP if he had considered decreasing substance use. The mean score for communication skills used in the two assessment interviews were 3.65 and 3.56 on a 1 to 6 Likert scale. These data point out the need for additional emphasis on instructing students to include AOD questions as part of routine assessments, what questions to ask in a substance use assessment, and how to act on the information received. The use of SPs is one way to obtain valid information about students' assessment competencies.

Adult↗
PubMed1995

Halofantrine pharmacokinetics in Kenyan children with non-severe and severe malaria.

1. Kenyan children with uncomplicated malaria given oral halofantrine (HF; non-micronised suspension; 8 mg base kg-1 body weight 6 hourly for three doses) showed wide variation in the disposition of HF and desbutylhalofantrine (HFm). 2. Eight Kenyan children with severe (prostrate) falciparum malaria who were receiving intravenous quinine, were given the same HF regimen by nasogastric tube. One patient had undetectable HF and two had undetectable HFm at all times after drug administration. 3. The mean AUC(0,24 h) of HF in prostrate children was half (7.54 compared with 13.10 micrograms ml-1 h) (P = 0.06), and that for HFm one-third (0.84 compared with 2.51 micrograms ml-1 h) (P < 0.05) of the value in children with uncomplicated malaria. 4. Oral HF may be appropriate for some cases of uncomplicated falciparum malaria in Africa, but in patients with severe malaria, the bioavailability of HF and HFm may be inadequate.

Administration, Oral↗
PubMed1994

Brain swelling and ischaemia in Kenyans with cerebral malaria.

Computed tomography was performed on 14 unconscious Kenyan children recovering from cerebral malaria (seven of whom had another scan 12-120 days later) to elucidate the cause of intracranial hypertension and neurological sequelae. Brain swelling, defined as a loss of cerebrospinal fluid spaces, was documented in six children, while a further two had conspicuously small ventricles only. There was severe intracranial hypertension in the two children with definite brain swelling in whom intracranial pressure was monitored. There was no evidence of acute hydrocephalus or vasogenic oedema. Four children with brain swelling also had widespread low density areas suggestive of ischaemic damage. The patterns of damage were not uniform but were consistent with a critical reduction in cerebral perfusion pressure (which was documented in the two in whom this was monitored), hypoglycaemia, or status epilepticus. All four had serious neurological sequelae. These data suggest that brain injury in cerebral malaria may be due in part to secondary systemic and intracranial factors as well as to the direct effect of intravascular sequestration.

Brain↗
PubMed1994

Gender differences in fire fighter job stressors and symptoms of stress.

This study described gender differences in fire fighter appraisal of job stressors and symptoms of stress. A sample of 670 male and 41 female fire fighters responded to an anonymous mail survey consisting of three standardized and investigator-developed questionnaires. Male and female fire fighter respondents were more similar than different on both job stressor and symptoms of stress measures. Five job stressors were ranked the most "bothersome" by both males and females during the last 10 shifts worked. These were: sleep disturbance, wage/benefit concerns, job skill concerns, substandard equipment, and safety concerns. Of these five job stress factors, only one gender difference was noted. Female fire fighters reported significantly higher scores than males on job skill concerns. Job discrimination reported by female respondents was significantly higher than for males (t = 3.51, p < .0001) even though it was not ranked among the five most stressful factors. Partial correlations computed between job stressors and symptoms of stress, while controlling for the number of years as a fire fighter, were of moderately high magnitude for both genders and similar to simple correlations computed. These results suggest that the number of years of service did not account for gender differences reported.

Adult↗
PubMed1994

Firefighters and paramedics: years of service, job aspirations, and burnout.

1. Data were collected from an anonymous mail survey of over 2,000 paramedics and firefighters to determine the relationships among years of service and four occupational outcomes, including burnout. 2. Paramedics had poorer outcomes than firefighters. Job title, not percent of emergency service runs per se, significantly differentiated the groups with respect to burnout and job aspiration variables. 3. After adjusting for age, years of service correlated negatively with three measures of job aspirations: job satisfaction, work related morale, and career goal attainment in both groups. 4. If signs and symptoms of burnout occur throughout the worker's life cycle rather than with increasing years of experience, the findings have implications for both prevention and intervention strategies.

Adult↗
PubMed1994

A study of the comparative bioavailability of pyrimethamine-sulfadoxine obtained from two oral preparations.

The bioavailability of two oral preparations of pyrimethamine-sulfadoxine are compared in a randomised cross-over study. Pyrimethamine(PM)-sulfadoxine(SD) was given orally in a single dose to healthy male adults (SD 12 mgkg-1; PM 0.64 mgkg-1). For Fansidar(Hoffman-LaRoche) the mean AUC for PM and SD were; 0.47 mghl-1 and 45.4 mghl-1, and for Falcidin(Cosmos), the mean AUC for PM and SD were; 0.49 mg hl-1 and 42.9 mghl-1 respectively. There was no significant difference in bioavailability of PM or SD between the two preparations.

Administration, Oral↗
PubMed1993

An empirical description of phases of maintenance following treatment for alcohol dependence.

This article reports two longitudinal prospective studies conducted sequentially to describe participants' maintenance of abstinence experiences up to 36 months posttreatment. Study 1 reports responses of 102 subjects who maintained alcohol abstinence following treatment and who were assessed for duration and intensity of symptoms associated with postacute withdrawal at baseline, 3, 6, and 12 months. A decreasing linear trend of symptoms was found as time of alcohol abstinence increased. Study 2 obtained interview and survey data from 23 successful abstainers from Study 1 at 12, 18, and 36 months posttreatment to describe coping strategies, perceptions of relapse risk, extent and duration of "aftercare," and substitute addictions as these phenomena developed and changed over time. Multiple occasions of data collection supported the description of three phases of maintenance: symptom stabilization/management accompanied by a cognitive paradigm shift, distancing self from alcohol-dependent behavior, and normalization of life processes.

Adult↗
PubMed1993

Coping strategies of abstainers from alcohol up to three years post-treatment.

This study characterizes the experiences and coping strategies of 23 alcohol-dependent persons who maintained abstinence from alcohol use up to three years post-treatment. Interview, journal, and mail questionnaire data were collected at 12, 18 and 36 months post-treatment. The results support and extend the theoretical model of change proposed by Prochaska and DiClemente (1984). Hallmarks of successful change included factors that can be learned, practiced, perfected and are transferable to other alcohol-dependent persons who decide to break the addictive cycle.

Adaptation, Psychological↗
PubMed1992

Contributions to the design and statistical analysis of in vivo SCE experiments.

Two issues that arise in the design and statistical analysis of in vivo SCE and similar experiments are considered. First, with regard to analysis, the merits of various methods of data transformation are explored in depth. The conclusion drawn is that common transformations of the type studied here seemingly offer little advantage in the assessment of whether a test agent induces SCE in a dose-related manner. Second, a proposal is made for a method to determine, subject to budgetary constraints, the desired numbers of animals/dose group and cells scored/animal. The approach advocated also lends itself to discussions weighing the gains and losses from possible reductions in the number of animals below the 'desired' levels.

Analysis of Variance↗
PubMed1992

Validation of addictions nursing diagnoses in a sample of alcohol abstainers 1 year posttreatment.

This study examined the fit between 26 Addictions Nursing diagnoses and a sample of clients who had maintained abstinence from alcohol use for 1 year after inpatient treatment for alcohol abuse. Data were obtained from interview transcriptions of 26 successful abstainers. Investigator identification of diagnoses were validated by expert nurse clinicians. Although participants had been abstinent for a year, 73% of the sample showed defining characteristics of 17 of the 26 diagnoses. In addition, the raters identified 3 human responses for which no diagnoses exist, 8 diagnoses that do not have defining characteristics that fit the data, and 13 additional defining characteristics that could be added to the list.

Adult↗
PubMed1991

Marrow antioxidant enzyme activity in tumor-bearing and non-tumor-bearing mice following vincristine treatment.

Pretreatment or "priming" with vincristine (VcR) has been documented to radioprotect animals from whole body irradiation by accelerating recovery of hematopoietic marrow. The mechanisms underlying this phenomenon are unclear, but the marked similarities between priming with VcR and with immune stimulants such as endotoxin and glucan have led to speculation that VcR may be inducing such radioprotective immunoregulators as interleukin 1 (IL-1) and tumor necrosis factor (TNF). The radioprotective ability of these cytokines, in turn, has been linked to an induction of the antioxidant enzyme manganese superoxide dismutase (Mn SOD). To establish whether priming with VcR is associated with induction of antioxidant enzymes, the activities of Mn SOD, copper-zinc (Cu-Zn) SOD, catalase (CAT), and glutathione peroxidase (GPX) were measured in the marrow of both LLca tumor-bearing and non-tumor-bearing mice given a priming dose of VcR. Results in non-tumor-bearing mice indicate that, similar to IL-1 and TNF administration, VcR treatment increases Mn-SOD activity, but not Cu-Zn SOD, CAT, or GPX activity. Furthermore, this increase occurs at the time VcR priming has been demonstrated previously to exhibit maximal radioprotection, suggesting that it may be contributing factor. However, VcR priming has been demonstrated to radioprotect both tumor-bearing and non-tumor-bearing animals, and no increase in Mn SOD activity (or the other enzymes monitored) was found in the tumor-bearing group. Rather, the presence of tumor significantly suppressed antioxidant enzyme activity. Collectively, the present data suggest that it is unlikely that increased antioxidant enzyme activity is directly involved in the VcR priming response.

Animals↗