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Biomedical subjects

S Hanson

Publications and source records attributed to S Hanson.

At least 55 records · Page 3Linked to original sources
PubMed1985

Vital statistics data as a measurement of perinatal regionalization in Alabama, 1970 and 1980.

Although regionalization of perinatal health care services has received credit for much of the recent improvement in neonatal mortality, until now no measurement of regionalization has been proposed. The measurement presented in this paper--the average of the percentage of infants of very low birthweight and neonatal deaths occurring among residents of a geographic area at a perinatal center--provides a means of comparing the extent of perinatal regionalization in various geographic areas and time periods. Despite continued disparities in the degree of regionalization from one perinatal district to another, Alabama's perinatal system became substantially regionalized from 1970 to 1980. The lower mortality for infants of very low birthweight born at a perinatal center suggests that if Alabama were more completely regionalized, its neonatal mortality would be improved.

Alabama↗
PubMed1979

A simple micromethod for 25-hydroxyvitamin D estimation.

A quick and simple method for estimating 25-hydroxyvitamin D is described, It involves dichloromethane extraction followed by competitive protein-binding assay without chromatography. This assay can be performed on 100 microliter of serum and enables 50 samples to be estimated in one working day. The simplicity, speed, and sample size of this method make it very suitable for use in a routine clinical biochemistry laboratory. It is particularly useful when calcium disorders secondary to abnormalities in vitamin D intake and metabolism are suspected.

Animals↗
PubMed1975

Effects of polluted and non-polluted sediments on the growth of Gonyaulax tamarensis.

Cultures of Gonyaulax tamarensis were grown on Hastings medium based on 100%, 10%, 1%, 0.1% and 0% (control) of seawater elutrients of bottom sediments. Both "clean" and heavily polluted sediments were used. Very low concentrations of polluted elutrients (0.01% v/v) slightly enhanced the growth of Gonvaulax tamarensis; greater concentrations of polluted elutrient depressed growth. Elutrient from "clean" sediments did not enhance growth; the depression of growth at any given elutrient concentrate was not as great as that seen with the polluted elutrients.

Chlorophyll↗
PubMed1971

Pigmentation and acriflavine resistance in Serratia marcescens.

Stable, orange, acriflavine-resistant variants were selected by treatment of a wild-type, red, acriflavine-sensitive strain of Serratia marcescens with acriflavine. Visible, ultraviolet, infrared, and nuclear magnetic resonance spectra of purified pigment from the red strain were identical to those of the pigment from the orange strain, and the orange mutant was not due to a mutation affecting the structure of the pigment, prodigiosin. The color of the red strain was not affected by variations in pH between 5.0 and 8.0, whereas the color of the orange mutant changed from pink to orange over the same pH range. This variation was mimicked by the pH-induced variation in color of prodigiosin purified from either the red, wild-type or the orange, mutant strains. Density-gradient centrifugation of cell fragments after ultrasonic disintegration resulted in characteristic pigmented bands. Biochemical characterization of these pigmented bands showed that they contained pigment and a protein component, but no lipids, polysaccharides, sugars, glucosamine, or phosphates were detected. Further fractionation of these pigmented bands by zone electrophoresis on a sucrose density gradient indicated that some pigment in S. marcescens was specifically attached to protein components.

Acridines↗
PubMedDate not supplied

Health sector reform and STD/AIDS control in resource poor settings--the case of Tanzania.

Integration in health sector reform tends to mean horizontal interaction between vertical programmes. This can result in a larger more complex system than a set of individual vertical programmes. This article looks at the HIV/AIDS programme in Tanzania and the possible impact of system-wide health sector reform involving 'decentralization' and horizontal integration. It implies that the build-up to reform is likely to be costly, at least initially (although eventually the system may become more cost-effective). Integration can thus save resources, but it will also demand additional inputs, and may lead to reduced service output if operations depend on horizontal functions that fail to deliver. The objective of reform must be to create a reasonably sized, well-balanced, system which aims to maximize the output of quality services, both preventive and curative, and to facilitate community efforts to improve health. It is doubtful whether present reform efforts in Tanzania will contribute to more effective services, if not based on a more thorough analysis adapted to the local situation and given considerably more resources, both human and financial. There is also a risk that key preventive programmes, such as those aimed at the control of STD/AIDS, will be further weakened because of both integration with subsequent dependence on poorly functioning horizontal units and reduction in allocated resources.

Acquired Immunodeficiency Syndrome↗
PubMedDate not supplied

Long term outcome of renal transplantation in the pre cyclosporin era: one centre's experience.

The number of renal transplants has been increasing steadily over the last twenty years. This increase has been associated with a significant improvement in the one year graft and patient survival. However, as survival improves, long term complications are becoming more clinically important. We, therefore, retrospectively reviewed our experience of renal transplantation in 165 patients between January 1970 and December 1980, and describe in detail the complications experienced by those whose grafts functioned for 10 years or longer. The 10 year patient survival rate was 47% and graft survival rate was 30%. The graft survival rate for living related grafts was superior to that of cadaveric grafts. The major cause of mortality in the first year following renal transplantation was infection and in subsequent years, cardiovascular disease predominated. Patients whose grafts functioned for 10 years or more developed a variety of complications including infection, skin cancer and hepatic dysfunction. Clinicians involved in the long term care of the patients need to be aware of these problems and skilled in their management.

Adolescent↗
PubMedDate not supplied

Intrathecal enzyme replacement therapy reduces lysosomal storage in the brain and meninges of the canine model of MPS I.

Enzyme replacement therapy (ERT) has been developed for several lysosomal storage disorders, including mucopolysaccharidosis I (MPS I), and is effective at reducing lysosomal storage in many tissues and in ameliorating clinical disease. However, intravenous ERT does not adequately treat storage disease in the central nervous system (CNS), presumably due to effects of the blood-brain barrier on enzyme distribution. To circumvent this barrier, we studied whether intrathecal (IT) recombinant human alpha-L-iduronidase (rhIDU) could penetrate and treat the brain and meninges. An initial dose-response study showed that doses of 0.46-4.14 mg of IT rhIDU successfully penetrated the brain of normal dogs and reached tissue levels 5.6 to 18.9-fold normal overall and 2.7 to 5.9-fold normal in deep brain sections lacking CSF contact. To assess the efficacy and safety in treating lysosomal storage disease, four weekly doses of approximately 1 mg of IT rhIDU were administered to MPS I-affected dogs resulting in a mean 23- and 300-fold normal levels of iduronidase in total brain and meninges, respectively. Quantitative glycosaminoglycan (GAG) analysis showed that the IT treatment reduced mean total brain GAG to normal levels and achieved a 57% reduction in meningeal GAG levels accompanied by histologic improvement in lysosomal storage in all cell types. The dogs did develop a dose-dependent immune response against the recombinant human protein and a meningeal lymphocytic/plasmacytic infiltrate. The IT route of ERT administration may be an effective way to treat the CNS disease in MPS I and could be applicable to other lysosomal storage disorders.

Animals↗
PubMedDate not supplied

A glider swing intervention for people with dementia.

The soothing, repetitive movement of rocking and swinging is well known to anyone who has enjoyed a porch swing or rocking chair. Positive effects of rocking have been reported. However, investigations on its effect in people with dementia are limited. The purposes of this quasi-experimental, repeated-measures design study were to measure the effects of a glider swing on emotions, relaxation, and aggressive behaviors in a group of nursing home residents with dementia (n = 30). Data were obtained during a 5-day baseline phase, a 10-day intervention phase, and a 5-day posttreatment phase. Subjects were placed on the glider for 20 minutes each day during the intervention phase. The results of the study indicate that the glider intervention significantly improved emotions and relaxation. The most noted changes were found after 10 minutes of swinging. However, no differences were found in aggressive behaviors.

Adult↗
PubMedDate not supplied

Outcomes of a nursing intervention for siblings of chronically ill children: a pilot study.

PURPOSE: To evaluate the outcomes of a structured, educational, and support group intervention (ISEE, Intervention for Siblings: Experience Enhancement) for siblings of children with chronic illness (cancer, cystic fibrosis, diabetes, and spina bifida), including a session with parents about sibling needs; and to describe sibling and parent perceptions of sibling experiences at home. DESIGN: One-group, pretest-posttest pilot study. PARTICIPANTS: A convenience sample of 22 siblings and parents. SETTING: A Midwestern university medical center. MAIN OUTCOME MEASURES: Knowledge of Illness Test, parent ratings on a global, single item, 10-point scale. RESULTS: Sibling test scores increased significantly after intervention, compared to baseline. Parents' average evaluation rating was 9 on a 10-point scale. Parents supported their positive ratings with verbatim descriptions. Sibling and parent perceptions of sibling experiences were congruent, suggesting the sources of potential adjustment problems in siblings, and were consistent with the literature. CONCLUSIONS: A randomized, clinical trial with a larger sample size is needed to evaluate the intervention further.

Adolescent↗
PubMedDate not supplied

Challenges of implementing intervention research in persons with dementia: example of a glider swing intervention.

Intervention studies for persons with dementia present many challenges. This article describes challenges encountered in conducting a glider swing intervention study for persons with dementia and the strategies used to manage the problems encountered. The overall purpose of a quasi-experimental study was to explore the effects of a glider swing intervention on emotions, relaxation, and aggressive behaviors in nursing home residents with dementia. Suggestions for investigators conducting intervention studies for persons with dementia are provided.

Adult↗
PubMedDate not supplied

STD care in Zambia: an evaluation of the guidelines for case management through a syndromic approach.

Clinical diagnosis of STDs is unreliable and therefore constitutes a poor basis for choice of treatment. A syndromic approach has been suggested to increase effectiveness of treatment in resource poor settings. Algorithms for the treatment of STD syndromes were evaluated. A total of 436 patients were followed; cure rates were defined and estimated for genital ulcer disease (GUD), urethral and vaginal discharge. Cure rates for the discharge syndromes were high, 97-98%, for both sexes. The cure rate for GUD was 83% for female and 69% for male patients. A higher prevalence of syphilis in the female study population probably contributed to this. It is likely that a large proportion of the treatment failures were due to decreased susceptibility of Haemophilus ducreyi to trimethoprim-sulpha. The determination of cure rates met with a number of methodological problems. This makes it difficult to evaluate the algorithms as part of routine activities, as suggested earlier by WHO.

Evaluation Studies as Topic↗