Search PubMed⌕ Search

Biomedical subjects

S Gardner

Publications and source records attributed to S Gardner.

At least 73 records · Page 4Linked to original sources
PubMed1987

Ewingella americana: recurrent pseudobacteremia from a persistent environmental reservoir.

From September 1981 through April 1984, 20 patients at one hospital were identified with Ewingella americana pseudobacteremia. Case-control studies demonstrated an association between having a positive blood culture for E. americana and having blood for culture obtained simultaneously with blood obtained for coagulation studies (15 of 19 case patients versus 4 of 38 controls; P = 4.5 X 10(-7)). Review of blood-drawing procedures showed that blood for coagulation studies and culture was drawn with the same syringe, and coagulation tubes were filled before blood culture tubes. Some phlebotomists were not using new sterile needles to inoculate blood culture bottles. Collection tubes for coagulation studies were prepared in the hospital, and E. americana was isolated from all 52 unused coagulation tubes tested. Solutions prepared in the hospital may constitute a persistent inanimate environmental reservoir for this uncommon microorganism. Pseudobacteremia can result in unnecessary antimicrobial therapy for some patients, incurring the risks of adverse drug reactions, selection of drug-resistant bacteria, and increased health care costs.

Adolescent↗
PubMed1985

Loading doses and extended dosing intervals in topical gentamicin therapy.

Loading doses and extended dosing intervals were studied in a rabbit model using topically applied gentamicin in a concentration of 13.6 mg/ml. Loading doses consisting of one drop every minute for five minutes produced significantly higher gentamicin concentrations in the cornea during the early hours of treatment than regimens using one drop every hour and one drop every 30 minutes. Extended dosing intervals of two and four hours, when used in conjunction with an initial loading dose, produced peak gentamicin levels above 125 micrograms/g of cornea. However, trough levels with these extended dosing intervals were significantly lower than troughs during hourly gentamicin administration. An extended dosing interval regimen consisting of three drops every two hours maintained peak and trough levels equal to those produced by one drop an hour.

Administration, Topical↗
PubMed1984

Factor analyses of two 'attitude toward gender role' questionnaire.

Two questionnaires which purport to assess attitudes toward gender role, the Maferr Inventory of Feminine Values and the Sex Stereotype Questionnaire, were submitted to a factor analysis. While each analysis of the five response set items yielded interpretable factors with unequivocal item scores, the obtained factors are not consistent with the a priori assignment of items to "groupings" suggested by the manuals for these instruments. The implications of using questionnaires with questionable psychometric properties is discussed.

Journal Article↗
PubMed1983

cDNA clone for the alpha subunit of the acetylcholine receptor from the mouse muscle cell line BC3H-1.

Sequences from a gene coding for mouse acetylcholine receptor alpha subunit have been inserted into a recombinant plasmid and cloned in Escherichia coli. mRNAs for acetylcholine receptors occur in low abundance in vertebrate muscle. To clone the mouse alpha-subunit cDNA, we made use of (i) a cell line, BC3H-1, that overproduces the alpha-subunit mRNA and (ii) a polysome fractionation procedure that results in enrichment of alpha-subunit mRNA. Polyadenylylated RNA was used to construct a cDNA library of 750 recombinant clones. Acetylcholine receptor-specific sequences were identified by hybrid-selected translation, followed by monoclonal antibody precipitation and peptide mapping of the translation product. One clone (pA59) that fit these criteria was found in the first 80 isolates. It had a 700-base-pair insert that was excised with Pst I. Blot-hybridization experiments with nick-translated pA59 DNA showed that BC3H-1 cells contain 100-1,000 times more alpha-subunit mRNA than does newborn or adult mouse muscle. Blot hybridization of restriction digests of mouse liver DNA revealed that pA59 is homologous to a very small number (probably one) of genomic sequences.

Animals↗
PubMed1983

Time course of ventilatory depression after thiopental and midazolam in normal subjects and in patients with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease.

Using a dual isohypercapnic technique, the authors compared the effect on ventilatory control of midazolam (0.2 mg/kg) and thiopental (3.5 mg/kg) in normal volunteers and in subjects with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD). In normal volunteers the slope of the CO2 response curve decreased from 1.77 +/- 0.16 l . min-1 . mmHg-1 (mean +/- SEM) to a minimum of 1.14 +/- 0.17 l . min-1 . mmHg-1 3.5 min after midazolam, returning to 1.32 +/- 0.21 l . min-1 . mmHg-1 15 min after injection. In the same subjects, the slope of the CO2 response curve fell from 1.89 +/- 0.18 l . min-1 . mmHg-1 to a minimum of 1.37 +/- 0.29 l . min-1 . mmHg-1 one minute after injection of thiopental, returning to 1.69 +/- 0.22 l . min-1 . mmHg-1 15 min after injection. These changes were not statistically significant. In subjects with clinical COPD, the slope of the CO2 response curve decreased from 1.89 +/- 0.63 l . min-1 . mmHg-1 to a minimum of 0.39 +/- 0.19 l . min-1 . mmHg-1 two minutes after injection of midazolam (P less than 0.05 compared with control), while 15 min after injection, the slope recovered to only 0.62 +/- 0.40 l . min-1 . mmHg-1 (P less than 0.05 compared with control). In the same subjects, the slope of the CO2 response curve decreased from 1.53 +/- 0.17 to a minimum of 0.69 +/- 0.25 l . min-1 . mmHg-1 0.5 min after injection of thiopental, recovering to 1.47 +/- 0.28 l . min-1 . mmHg-1 15 min after injection. This was significantly greater than the corresponding slope after midazolam (P less than 0.05). The authors conclude that while the time course of ventilatory depression after thiopental is similar in normal volunteers and in patients with COPD, the ventilatory depression 15 minutes after midazolam is more profound in patients with COPD than in normal subjects.

Anesthetics↗
PubMed1983

Benefits of a statewide high-risk perinatal program.

A study was undertaken to determine whether newborn infants of women in a statewide high-risk program had less perinatal mortality and higher birth weight than newborn infants of high-risk women not in the program. The number of fetal and neonatal deaths was twice as high in the nonprogram group, but there was no statistical difference in birth weight distribution in the two groups. Possible reasons for the program's effectiveness are the facts that a greater number of program women had more prenatal visits and were delivered in a Level II or Level III hospital by appropriate personnel.

Adult↗
PubMed1983

The regulation of acetylcholine receptor expression in mammalian muscle.

The synthesis of functional AChRs can be described as a pathway leading from the translation of subunit mRNAs to the plasma membrane forms of extrajunctional and junctional receptors (Fig. 9). We have not included in this scheme pretranslational steps for the synthesis and processing of RNA coding for receptor subunits because very little is known about such processes. Several aspects of Figure 9 are worthy of note: It is now well established that polypeptide synthesis is initiated on free cytoplasmic polysomes and that once sufficient nascent subunits bearing signal peptides at the amino terminus is formed, polysomes assemble with the membranes of the rough endoplasmic reticulum via a mechanism that employs the signal recognition particle (Anderson et al. 1982). Nascent subunits undergo cotranslational insertion through the rough endoplasmic reticulum membrane, signal peptide removal, and core glycosylation (Anderson and Blobel 1981; Merlie et al. 1981; Anderson et al. 1982; Sebbane et al. 1983). Anderson and Blobel (this volume) have demonstrated that subunits synthesized in vitro and inserted into membrane vesicles do not undergo heterologous subunit-subunit associations. We have shown that alpha- and beta-subunits newly synthesized in vivo are not associated with each other. Our data indicate that the alpha-subunit is initially present in vivo in a conformation that is radically different from its native conformation in the mature receptor complex. We assume that beta-, gamma-, and delta-subunits also are synthesized as conformationally "immature" forms, but verification of this point must await the availability of new monoclonal antibody specificities. Our data indicate that only a fraction of the newly synthesized alpha-subunit undergoes conformational maturation to the 5S species which binds both alpha-bungarotoxin and anti-main immunogenic region monoclonal antibodies. alpha-Subunits synthesized during a 5-minute pulse labeling require 30 minutes for completion of this process. alpha-Subunits that do not undergo conformational maturation are degraded rapidly (t1/2 = 0.5 hr) ( Merlie et al. 1982). Assembly of alpha- and beta-subunits synthesized during a 5-minute pulse labeling lags for approximately 30 minutes and is not complete until 90 minutes. Finally, assembled receptors are transported to the surface and appear in the plasma membrane. These processes occur during expression of AChRs in differentiated myoblasts. We do not know how undifferentiated myogenic cells, in vivo or in tissue culture, differ with regard to any of these steps.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 400 WORDS)

Animals↗
PubMed1982

Moxalactam in the treatment of pediatric infections.

The clinical efficacy and safety of the new oxacephalosporin moxalactam disodium were evaluated in 54 children with a variety of pediatric infections. Except for a terminally ill neutropenic leukemic patient with pneumonia and sepsis due to Pseudomonas aeruginosa who died shortly after initiation of therapy, moxalactam treatment was effective in all patients. No recurrent infections were observed. The rate of clinical response to moxalactam appeared to be at least comparable to that of patients treated with traditional antibiotics. In vitro sensitivity testing demonstrated that all bacteria isolated except P aeruginosa were sensitive to moxalactam while Haemophilus influenzae was exquisitely sensitive. Side effects included thrombocytosis (five patients), transient SGPT elevations and eosinophilia (three each), fever with rash (one), and neutropenia (one). In one patient, superinfection with Streptococcus faecalis developed. We conclude that moxalactam may be a useful antibiotic in pediatrics, particularly for the treatment of infections due to H. influenzae and Enterobacteriaceae. Its role in infections caused by group B streptococcus and Pseudomonas awaits further studies.

Adolescent↗
PubMed1981

Maternal serum alpha-fetoprotein screening: a report of the Forsyth County project.

A pilot screening program for the prenatal detection of neural tube defects has been conducted in Forsyth County, North Carolina. During the first 2 years of the program, 3,476 women were screened by quantitating levels of maternal serum alpha fetoprotein. Three neural tube defects and one case of multiple congenital anomalies with severe gastroschisis were detected as a result of the screening program. Outcome of pregnancy has been monitored in this group of women and no false negatives have been reported. No false positive amniotic fluid alpha-fetoprotein values were observed and no normal fetuses were aborted. Data gathered from this screening program again document the validity of maternal serum screening. The method of implementing a program for the prenatal decision of neural tube defects in urban areas is discussed.

Amniotic Fluid↗
PubMed1980

Supglottic coccidioidomycosis presenting with persistent stridor.

Localized laryngeal coccidioidomycosis has been rarely reported and usually is associated with disseminated disease. This paper has described localized subglottic coccidioidomycosis in a 13-month old white boy who presented with persistent stridor. Medical management including intravenous amphotericin B resulted in complete eradication of the subglottic lesion.

Amphotericin B↗
PubMed1977

Malondialdehyde production by platelets during secondary aggregation.

A method is described for increasing the sensitivity of the thiobarbiturate assay for malondialdehyde by concentrating the coloured reaction product. The basal level of malondialdehyde-like material in plasma was found to be about 0.03 micrometer. Platelets synthesized malondialdehyde when stimulated by collagen or thrombin and also during the second phase of aggregation induced by ADP or adrenaline.

Adenosine Diphosphate↗
PubMed1976

A case of rabies in man: some problems in diagnosis and management.

A patient who returned from India with a gastrointestinal disturbance subsequently developed the clinical features of rabies. The diagnosis was confirmed by isolation of rabies virus from saliva and the demonstration of rising titres of rabies antibody. He was treated in an intensive care unit, ventilated mechanically, and given rabies antiserum, but cerebral activity ceased and he died after 22 days. His course was marked by numerous bouts of cardiac arrhythmia including complete heart block. This case indicates the need for vaccination against rabies to be carried out immediately after exposure to a possibly rabid dog since encephalitis develops a fatal outcome may not be prevented even with intensive medical treatment.

Adult↗