Search PubMed⌕ Search

Biomedical subjects

S Ferguson

Publications and source records attributed to S Ferguson.

80 records · Page 5Linked to original sources
PubMedDate not supplied

No evidence of infection with porcine endogenous retrovirus in recipients of encapsulated porcine islet xenografts.

Transplantation of pig tissues into humans has the potential for cotransferring pig infections. Knowledge of the epidemiology of pig infections transmissible to humans allows the development of risk limitation strategies at the source herd level, but potentially infectious pig endogenous retrovirus (PERV) is ubiquitous in all domestic pigs and therefore is not avoidable. Using a specific and sensitive RT-PCR and nested PCR for PERV nucleic acids with primers, the screening of pigs from New Zealand herds for the presence and expression of the PERV was conducted. The presence of PERV proviral DNA (pol and env region) and viral RNA was demonstrated in all tested pig tissues including pancreas, liver, spleen, brain, heart, and PBMC. Using the same assays it was established that different tissues (liver, spleen, and heart) of nude and nonobese diabetic (NOD) mice previously transplanted with nonencapsulated pig islets were PERV DNA and RNA negative. Alginate polylysine capsules prepared with encapsulated pig islets were tested for possible leakage of viral particles or viral nucleic acids. RNA was extracted from the supernatant of viable encapsulated pig islet cells grown in culture for 2 months. No evidence of PERV RNA or of cellular nucleic acids could be found. Two adult type I diabetic subjects were transplanted with 1 x 10(6) neonatal pig islets encased in alginate capsules into the peritoneal cavity. One patient was immunosuppressed. Both showed evidence of graft function (up to 34% reduction in insulin dose, corresponding increase in serum pig C-peptide) for up to 2 years. DNA and RNA were extracted from PBMC and blood plasma of both patients at 19 months posttransplant. No evidence of PERV proviral DNA or RNA could be detected. Piglet islets contain PERV DNA and RNA, but this does not traverse the capsules used or produce any evidence of infection in nude and nonobese diabetic (NOD) mice or humans.

Adult↗
PubMedDate not supplied

Cultural considerations in child-rearing practices: a transcultural perspective.

The nursing profession has begun to see the necessity of considering an individual's cultural belief system when providing nursing care. Leininger (1978), the founder of transcultural nursing, takes a strong position that "...a nurse should not be viewed as professional until she can effectively work with people in at least a bicultural setting, and the professional nurse should be prepared to respond effectively to people in our pluralistic world as an essential criterion of being professional" (pg. 141). To intervene effectively with the parent-child subsystem, the nurse must take into consideration the parental figure's belief system and cultural values. These cultural values give parents a sense of direction as well as meaning to their life. If nurses fail to respect and incorporate these values into nursing care, their ability to effectively help these parent-child subsystems is impaired and can limit this subsystem's progress toward their own culturally defined health state (Leininger, 1978). The purpose of the article is to provide nurses with a framework that can be used when interacting with families from diverse cultural backgrounds concerning the issue of discipline. This article emphasizes the need to incorporate a culturological assessment when implementing nursing interventions.

Adult↗
PubMedDate not supplied

Analgesia and analgesic drugs in paediatrics.

This article reviews the management of acute and chronic pain in childhood. Many of the common problems are discussed and the range of therapeutic options are reviewed, including possible future advances. The management of pain in neonates is not discussed. The second article of this series will describe the use of sedative drugs in paediatric practice.

Analgesia↗
PubMedDate not supplied

Sedation and sedative drugs in paediatrics.

The first article in this series looked at the provision of analgesia in paediatric practice. Practical procedures are common in paediatric practice. Certain procedures may be painful or distressing to the child if undertaken in the absence of sedation or analgesia. This article reviews the practical considerations which arise from the use of sedative drugs in children and looks at some of the drugs available.

Benzodiazepines↗