Study of 45 pregnant opiate addicts in Dublin.
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Adult↗
Biomedical subjects
S Butler
Publications and source records attributed to S Butler.
Abundant expression of apoprotein E by macrophages in human and rabbit atherosclerotic lesions.
Previous studies have demonstrated the presence of apoprotein (apo) E protein and message in arterial lesions. To determine the source of the synthesized apoE, we performed simultaneous in situ hybridization and immunocytochemistry on human and rabbit atherosclerotic tissue. Studies of serial sections of aortic atherosclerotic lesions from humans and hypercholesterolemic New Zealand White rabbits and Watanabe heritable hyperlipidemic rabbits revealed a similar pattern of macrophage-specific apoE expression in the rabbit and human lesions. In early lesions of rabbit atherosclerotic tissue, in which many macrophages were present, there was abundant expression of apoE mRNA. Northern blot analyses of total mRNA obtained from arterial macrophage-derived foam cells, freshly isolated from ballooned, cholesterol-fed New Zealand White rabbits, demonstrated positive hybridization with an apoE-specific riboprobe. Western blot analyses of conditioned media from the isolated foam cells placed in culture for up to 24 hours demonstrated the presence of secreted apoE. These studies demonstrated that in atherosclerotic lesions, arterial wall macrophages synthesize and secrete apoE and probably account for most of the apoE synthesized in the atherosclerotic artery.
Adolescent↗
Autoantibody against oxidised LDL and progression of carotid atherosclerosis.
Oxidative modification of LDL renders it immunogenic and autoantibodies to epitopes of oxidised LDL, such as malondialdehyde (MDA)-lysine, are found in serum and recognise material in atheromatous tissue. However, there has been no prospective study to assess the importance of oxidised LDL among patients with vascular disease. We compared the titre of autoantibodies to MDA-modified LDL and native LDL in baseline serum samples of 30 eastern Finnish men with accelerated two-year progression of carotid atherosclerosis and 30 age-matched controls without progression. Neither group had specific antibody binding to native LDL. A titre was defined as a ratio of antibody binding to MDA-LDL/binding to native LDL. Cases had a significantly higher titre to MDA-LDL (2.67 vs 2.06, p = 0.003). Cases also had a greater proportion of smokers (37% vs 3%), higher LDL cholesterol (4.2 mmol/l vs 3.6 mmol/l), and higher serum copper concentration (1.14 mg/l vs 1.04 mg/l). Even after adjusting for these variables and the severity of baseline atherosclerosis, the difference in antibody titre remained significant in a multifactorial logistic model (p = 0.031). Thus, the titre of autoantibodies to MDA-LDL was an independent predictor of the progression of carotid atherosclerosis in these Finnish men. Our data provide further support for a role of oxidatively modified LDL in atherogenesis.
Adult↗
Quality circles in the public health sector: implementation and effect.
Although the quality circle (QC) process has been used in health care, there is a conspicuous gap in the literature about its use in community health nursing. The purpose of this service/education project was to implement QCs in the public health nursing sector throughout a southern central state. The major objective was to provide QC training to approximately 250 supervisors and staff nurses so that this participative group problem-solving approach might be used as a systematic method of dealing with concerns related to quality of care. Evaluation tools, such as the Science Research Associates' attitude scale and the quality management maturity index, were used to determine whether or not the implementation of the QC program influenced the level of morale and quality management maturity. The data obtained reflected positive changes and favorable supervisory responses.
Community Health Nursing↗
Cognitive behaviour therapy in chronic fatigue syndrome.
Fifty patients fulfilling operational criteria for the chronic fatigue syndrome (CFS), and who had been ill for a mean of five years, were offered cognitive behaviour therapy in an open trial. Those fulfilling operational criteria for depressive illness were also offered tricyclic antidepressants. The rationale was that a distinction be drawn between factors that precipitate the illness and those that perpetuate it. Among the latter are cognitive factors such as the belief that physical symptoms always imply tissue damage, and behavioural factors such as persistent avoidance of activities associated with an increase in symptoms. Therapy led to substantial improvements in overall disability, fatigue, somatic and psychiatric symptoms. The principal problems encountered were a high refusal rate and difficulties in treating affective disorders. Outcome depended more on the strength of the initial attribution of symptoms to exclusively physical causes, and was not influenced by length of illness. These results suggest that current views on both treatment and prognosis in CFS are unnecessarily pessimistic. It is also suggested that advice currently offered to chronic patients, to avoid physical and mental activity, is counterproductive.
Activities of Daily Living↗
Students' perceptions of male teachers: effects of teachers' dress and students' characteristics.
The purpose of this study was to explore the effects of a male teacher's clothing and selected students' characteristics on students' perceptions of teachers' characteristics. The sample consisted of 152 male and female high school students. Respondents selected one of four photographs of a male teacher model dressed in four different clothing styles for each of 20 teachers' characteristic statements. The mediating effects of students' gender, formality of clothing, and perceptions of the importance of clothing were also investigated. Significant differences among the four clothing styles were found for all 20 statements. Students' gender and rated importance of clothing had some influence on this relationship. The results supplement previous research on female teachers by suggesting that different types of clothing also influence students' perceptions of male teachers and that students' characteristics have some mediating effect.
Adolescent↗
Irish alcoholic women in treatment: early findings.
Alcoholic women in Ireland, as in other countries, tend to drink alone and a minority are pub drinkers. There are scant data about alcoholic women who are treated as well as about the outcome of such treatment. A representative sample of women in treatment were interviewed based on consecutive admission to treatment centers in Ireland. The women will be interviewed again 1 year later. Drinking patterns, use of other drugs, parental drinking, and troubles associated with drinking are described.
Adult↗
Tissue distribution of 14C- and 3H-labelled misonidazole in the tumor-bearing mouse.
The retention of labelled misonidazole (MISO) was measured in a range of normal tissues in the mouse 24 hr after the intravenous injection of [14C]MISO (ring labelled) and [3H]-MISO (side-arm labelled). For [14C]MISO the 24 hr tissue retention, in order of the highest to the lowest levels (excluding pathways of excretion), was esophageal epithelium, liver, foot pad, eyelid, lung, subcutaneous lung tumor (A110), esophageal wall, uterus, eye ball, blood, salivary gland, spleen, voluntary muscle, pancreas, inguinal fat. It was assumed that the 14C represented MISO metabolite(s) bound to macromolecules. An approximately similar pattern was observed for [3H]MISO, but a higher percentage of the injected activity per gram of tissue was retained, probably due to the presence of tritiated water in the tissues. It has generally been assumed that significant levels of MISO binding are restricted to hypoxic tissues, for example tumors, but the present results show that significant levels of binding can also occur in apparently normoxic tissues. The explanation is put forward that this binding may be due to local high levels of nitroreductase capacity.
Adenocarcinoma↗
Oxidative phosphorylation system during steady-state hypoxia in the dog brain.
The relationship between biochemical and physiological responses and tissue O2 during hypoxia was investigated in vivo in the dog brain by 31P nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR) spectroscopy. Our findings demonstrate how ATP synthesis in the brain can be maintained during hypoxia because of compensatory changes in NADH, ADP, and Pi. Eleven beagle dogs were anesthetized and mechanically ventilated, and a steady-state graded hypoxia was induced by decreasing the fraction of inspired O2 (FIO2) stepwise at 20-min intervals. Biochemical metabolites were measured using 31P-NMR and fluorescence spectroscopy. When sagittal sinus O2 partial pressure (PVO2) had decreased to 15 Torr, NADH increased by 30%, Pi increased by 50%, and phosphocreatine (PCr) decreased by 20%. In contrast, ATP remained constant. There was a 10% increase in ADP in dogs that maintained a steady temperature, but ADP decreased by as much as 30% in dogs in which body temperature decreased with the falling PVO2. PCr/Pi was logarithmically related to the phosphorylation potential during steady-state hypoxia. Compensation for the O2 lack is attributed to increases in ADP, Pi, and NADH as a result of the reciprocal relationship of the Michaelis-Menten equation. If the Michaelis-Menten constants (Km) of ADP, Pi, and O2 are the same as determined in vitro in mitochondria, the minimum brain cytosolic O2 capable of maintaining a steady-state ATP is near its Km (0.1 Torr) at a PVO2 of 7.5 Torr. At this critical O2 level, PCr/Pi is 0.9, intracellular pH is 6.75, phosphorylation potential is 38.5 mM-1, and the calculated maximum velocity of ATP formation by oxidative phosphorylation is 55% of normal.
Adenosine Diphosphate↗
Use and abuse of prescription and recreational drugs by chronic pain patients.
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Adult↗
Management of post-viral fatigue syndrome.
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Fatigue Syndrome, Chronic↗
Ventilatory response to combined high frequency jet ventilation and conventional mechanical ventilation for the rescue treatment of severe neonatal lung disease.
High frequency jet ventilation (HFJV) was used to treat 176 infants who were either failing to respond to conventional mechanical ventilation (CMV) or demonstrating pulmonary air leak. The median birthweight for infants treated with HFJV was 1530 g, median gestational age was 31 weeks. Median duration of therapy with HFJV was 3.0, with a range of 0.1 to 27 days. During the first 24 hours of treatment, mean airway pressure decreased from 16.2 +/- 0.3 (Mean +/- SEM) cmH2O to 12.2 +/- 0.3 cmH2O, while mean PaO2 increased from 65.3 +/- 3.0 torr to 93.3 +/- 3.0 torr during the same time period. Simultaneously, mean PaCO2 decreased from 46.4 +/- 1.5 torr to 36.6 +/- 1.0 torr, although peak inflating pressure decreased from 34.3 +/- 0.7 cmH2O to 30.1 +/- 0.8 cmH2O. Ninety-five (54%) infants treated with HFJV survived. Of 123 infants with RDS 75 (61%) survived. The rate of complications for HFJV patients was similar to that seen with CMV in our nursery. This study suggests that HFJV provides improved oxygenation and ventilation of infants at lower mean and peak pressures compared to conventional mechanical ventilation. HFJV combined with CMV may be a valuable adjunct to therapy in infants with severe lung disease.
Acute Disease↗
Distribution of injected monoclonal antibody in lymphoma-infiltrated spleen.
Specific and non-specific antibody was injected into mice with lymphoma-infiltrated spleens in order to assess the distribution with both time and with extent of tumour infiltration. The specific antibody (MRC OX7) bound to the Thy 1.1 antigen on the lymphoma cells (A120). There was evidence that the diffusion of MRC OX7 deeply into the tumour was hindered by competitive binding to the tumour cells immediately surrounding the supplying blood vessels. In some circumstances this situation persisted to 24 h, after which time the antibodies were being cleared from the host in significant amounts.
Animals↗
Evidence for the presence of oxidatively modified low density lipoprotein in atherosclerotic lesions of rabbit and man.
Three lines of evidence are presented that low density lipoproteins gently extracted from human and rabbit atherosclerotic lesions (lesion LDL) greatly resembles LDL that has been oxidatively modified in vitro. First, lesion LDL showed many of the physical and chemical properties of oxidized LDL, properties that differ from those of plasma LDL: higher electrophoretic mobility, a higher density, higher free cholesterol content, and a higher proportion of sphingomyelin and lysophosphatidylcholine in the phospholipid fraction. A number of lower molecular weight fragments of apo B were found in lesion LDL, similar to in vitro oxidized LDL. Second, both the intact apo B and some of the apo B fragments of lesion LDL reacted in Western blots with antisera that recognize malondialdehyde-conjugated lysine and 4-hydroxynonenal lysine adducts, both of which are found in oxidized LDL; plasma LDL and LDL from normal human intima showed no such reactivity. Third, lesion LDL shared biological properties with oxidized LDL: compared with plasma LDL, lesion LDL produced much greater stimulation of cholesterol esterification and was degraded more rapidly by macrophages. Degradation of radiolabeled lesion LDL was competitively inhibited by unlabeled lesion LDL, by LDL oxidized with copper, by polyinosinic acid and by malondialdehyde-LDL, but not by native LDL, indicating uptake by the scavenger receptor(s). Finally, lesion LDL (but not normal intimal LDL or plasma LDL) was chemotactic for monocytes, as is oxidized LDL. These studies provide strong evidence that atherosclerotic lesions, both in man and in rabbit, contain oxidatively modified LDL.
Adult↗
The master's prepared mental health nurse: an assessment of employer expectations.
A needs assessment survey seemed essential to a group of faculty members engaged in updating the curriculum in a Master's program in Mental Health Nursing in a University School of Nursing in the Midwest. An attempt was made to identify those nurse administrators who interviewed and hired clinical nursing personnel in hospitals in which psychiatric services were provided. Data were obtained from 23 respondents. The findings indicated that 1) Master's-prepared mental health-psychiatric nurses are being hired in the area; 2) at least 50% of the time, MSN graduates are expected to function in middle-management or administrative roles; and 3) Comprehensive Mental Health Nursing theory and skill development, rather than subspecialties, is viewed as the most important curricular focus. The need to continue recruiting students and develop and articulate the knowledge base in Mental Health Nursing through research and theory development is critical.
Curriculum↗
Management of chronic (post-viral) fatigue syndrome.
Simple rehabilitative strategies are proposed to help patients with the chronic fatigue syndrome. A model is outlined of an acute illness giving way to a chronic fatigue state in which symptoms are perpetuated by a cycle of inactivity, deterioration in exercise tolerance and further symptoms. This is compounded by the depressive illness that is often part of the syndrome. The result is a self-perpetuating cycle of exercise avoidance. Effective treatment depends upon an understanding of the interaction between physical and psychological factors. Cognitive behavioural therapy is suggested. Cognitive therapy helps the patient understand how genuine symptoms arise from the frequent combination of physical inactivity and depression, rather than continuing infection, while a behavioural approach enables the treatment of avoidance behaviour and a gradual return to normal physical activity.
Cognitive Behavioral Therapy↗
Current trends in autologous transfusion.
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Blood Transfusion, Autologous↗
Identification of inflammatory cells in bovine milk by flow cytometry.
Cells recovered from normal or mastitic bovine milk were examined by flow cytometry. All milk samples contained particulate material that was heterogeneous in size and that produced a right-angle light-scatter signal equal to or greater than that produced by human or bovine neutrophils. Although this material labeled with Hoechst 33342, it produced fluorescence intensities below that of intact bovine cells, suggesting that it consisted of cell fragments. Mastitic milk additionally contained other populations of cells that were poorly resolved from the normal particulate material by size (electronic volume sensor) and right-angle light scatter. In order to improve this resolution, the milk cells were incubated with carboxydimethylfluorescein diacetate (CMFDA) to label intact cells. When milk samples labeled with CMFDA were examined by dual-parameter analysis using green fluorescence and right-angle light scatter, five or more populations of cells could be identified in mastitic milk. These populations included intact and degenerate neutrophils, lymphocytes, including both small and activated cells, monocytes, and large activated macrophages containing many vacuoles and phagocytosed particles. Using this procedure, all the animals in the University of Nevada-Reno Holstein dairy herd were tested once a month for 6 months. In addition, individual animals with mastitis were examined one or more times each day during the course of the inflammatory process. In the routine screening, the flow cytometric examination detected mastitis before overt symptoms developed. In cows identified to have mastitis, the flow cytometric examination provided prognostic information regarding the success of treatments.
Animals↗