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Biomedical subjects

S Knox

Publications and source records attributed to S Knox.

53 records · Page 3Linked to original sources
PubMed1991

Effects of glycemic control on red cell deformability determined by using the cell transit time analyzer.

There is considerable evidence that blood viscosity is greater than normal in diabetes, and decreased red blood cell deformability has been suggested as the cause. However, viscosity can be influenced by changes in the properties of blood proteins in addition to red cells. Direct interpretation of red cell filtrometry data in terms of deformability has been complicated by the interfering effect of white cells and platelets and clogging of micropores. We have thus used the cell transit time analyzer, a new filtrometric procedure that eliminates these complications and produces an individual red cell micropore transit time profile, to reassess diabetic red cell deformability. Samples from 26 patients with diabetes and an equal number of subjects without diabetes who served as controls were assayed by the cell transit time analyzer at 2 and at 4 cm hydrostatic pressure. Samples from patients with diabetes and controls were sex and age matched for daily runs. At 2 cm H2O, red blood cell transit time for the patients with diabetes was 2.73 +/- 0.05 milliseconds as compared with 2.67 +/- 0.05 milliseconds for controls (p not significant). The ratio of transit time for patients with diabetes to that of controls (Td/Tnd) was 1.03 +/- 0.01 (p less than 0.05, Wilcoxon) at 2 cm H2O and 1.02 +/- 0.01 (p not significant) at 4 cm H2O.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)

Adult↗
PubMed1988

Emotional coping and the psychophysiological substrates of elevated blood pressure.

A structured interview concerning emotional coping patterns was administered to 63 28-year-old men included in a psychophysiological study of blood pressure elevation. The interviews were tape recorded and subsequently evaluated by a rater not otherwise involved in the study. The interviews involved discussion of four emotions: anger, sorrow, anxiety, and joy. The results indicate that normotensives can express sorrow to significantly more people than hypertensives, and that their behavior in situations involving sorrow tends to be more instrumental than that of the group with labile pressure. Hypertensives also experienced significantly less joy than normotensives. In multiple regression analyses on physiological variables relevant for blood pressure elevation, the use of a somatic and unfocused way of describing sorrow was associated with significantly lower heart rate. The results show also that emotional coping explains a significant amount of the variance in three of the psychosocial functions involved in elevated blood pressure: ability to express anger at work, plus the social support variables of attachment and acquaintance.

Adaptation, Psychological↗
PubMed1986

Young men with high blood pressure report few recent life events.

Men who had high, medium and low blood pressure at age 18 (compulsory screening for military service in Stockholm) were examined ten years later at age 28. Interviewers, having had no information regarding past or present blood pressure, interviewed them about life events experienced during the year preceding the examination. Men with high blood pressure at rest reported fewer life events for the past year than other men. Furthermore, high plasma adrenaline levels at rest were associated with few reported life events.

Adolescent↗
PubMed1986

Stress management in the treatment of essential hypertension in primary health care.

The present study was a pilot project to determine the feasibility of a stress management program for treatment of hypertension in the Swedish primary health care system. Those patients in the catchment area of the primary health care center at Tumba hospital who were under 45 years old and diagnosed with primary hypertension during 1979-1981, were chosen to participate if they had had at least one measurement of 150 mmHg systolic and/or 95 mmHg diastolic during 1981. Patients on diuretic medication were included but those being medicated with beta-blockers were excluded for ethical reasons. Of the 21 people who fulfilled these criteria, 13 took part in the treatment, which lasted ten weeks. Both systolic and diastolic blood pressure decreased significantly (151.1 to 124.7 and 96.4 to 89.3, respectively). The conclusions drawn were that stress management may offer a viable alternative to medication of mild hypertension in primary health care and that it should be tested on a larger scale with systematic blood pressure measurements performed during daily activities, serving as a basis for baseline determination.

Adult↗
PubMed1985

Blood pressure variations during a working day at age 28: effects of different types of work and blood pressure level at age 18.

During an ordinary work day blood pressure was self-monitored once every hour in two samples of asymptomatic nonmedicating 28-year-old men. They were selected on the basis of previous compulsory blood pressure recordings made at the age of 18 when they had been drafted for military service. Subjects in the "original hypertensive sample" with "strain" occupations (hectic and uncontrollable, such as waiter, driver and cook) had more marked elevations of systolic blood pressure during work hours than other subjects.

Adult↗
PubMed1985

Psychosocial and physiological factors in relation to blood pressure at rest--a study of Swedish men in their upper twenties.

The interrelationships between psychosocial factors, several physiological variables and blood pressure (BP) were investigated in 88 young men (aged 26-32 years) in whom high, intermediate or low BP had been recorded at the age of 18 years. In the original high BP group, venous plasma noradrenaline was normal but adrenaline levels elevated. At the follow-up adrenaline correlated with systolic blood pressure (SBP), and this was also so after controlling for overweight and serum gamma-glutamyltranspeptidase [gamma-GT, a marker for alcohol consumption, which showed an independent association with diastolic blood pressure (DBP)]. Low assertiveness (low scores of verbal and indirect aggression) correlated with high BPs, even after controlling for other psychosocial variables. Several associations between psychosocial job variables and physiological variables were found. Among self-reported job variables, excessive 'demands' and 'bossing others' (but not 'decision latitude' or 'psychosocial conflict') were associated with high SBP. Habitual smoking of cigarettes was not associated with BP at rest, but influenced several associations between psychosocial and physiological variables. Men with high BP at rest and low plasma renin activity (PRA) reported more psychosocial problems at work and lower assertiveness than other groups.

Adult↗
PubMed1984

On the interplay between socioeconomic factors, personality and work environment in the pathogenesis of cardiovascular disease.

This article summarizes some of the major findings in research on associations between psychosocial factors and cardiovascular illness. Methodological difficulties are discussed. Findings from some of the authors' own studies serve as illustrations. It is emphasized that an interplay between environmental and individual factors is of great importance. Personality factors relevant to the risk of cardiovascular illness may distort individual descriptions of the work environment. Cardiovascular risk factors such as cigarette smoking and repeated blood pressure elevations may be influenced by psychosocial factors. Lack of intellectual discretion at work, particularly if combined with excessive demands, may increase the risk of cardiovascular illness.

Adult↗
PubMed1982

Blood pressure variations across areas in the greater Stockholm region: analysis of 74,000 18-year-old men.

74,000 18-year-old men who went through the medical examination for the military draft procedure in the greater Stockholm region during the years 1969-1978 were divided into 63 areas of residence. Means of systolic and diastolic blood pressures, as well as heart rate, height, muscle strength and reasoning test results varied significantly across areas. In a univariate analysis, significant correlations were found between high average systolic blood pressure in an area on one hand and low median income and high proportion of subjects on social welfare in the area on the other hand. In a multivariate analysis these associations were partly explained by a tendency of areas with relatively poor socioeconomic conditions to have high average relative weight, high mean muscle strength and poor average reasoning test results. All of these variables were associated with high average systolic blood pressure. The findings are discussed in relation to ecological mechanisms. Somatic and psychological development during childhood is associated with educational environment at school and leisure activities. Areas with poor socioeconomic conditions and high average systolic blood pressure were those which tended to have high rates of migration.

Adolescent↗
PubMed1981

Cytogenetics and granulopoietic effects of bone marrow fibroblastic cells in Fanconi's anaemia.

To determine if abnormalities exist in the bone marrow stroma in Fanconi's anaemia, we studied the cytogenetic composition of in vitro bone marrow fibroblastic cells (FC) from a patient with this disorder and compared it to those obtained from skin fibroblasts, peripheral blood lymphocytes, and direct bone marrow preparations. The presence of granulocytic progenitors in bone marrow and T lymphocyte colonies in peripheral blood was also determined in addition to the ability of this patient's FC to stimulate normal granulocytic progenitors. We found that the FC had far fewer chromosomal abnormalities and stimulated normally the growth of granulocyte colonies. Granulocyte progenitors were not found, but T lymphocyte colonies were abundant. These results support the concept that a defect in haematopoietic stromal elements is not responsible for the aplasia developing in the disorder.

Adolescent↗
PubMed1980

Increase in the size of soluble brain adenylate cyclase with activation by guanosine 5'-(beta, gamma-imino)triphosphate.

Adenylate cyclase solubilized from bovine brain with Lubrol 12A9 or Triton X-100 can be resolved into two forms by gel filtration or sucrose density gradient centrifugation. The activity of one of these forms is not stimulatable by guanosine 5'-(beta, gamma-imino)triphosphate (Gpp(NH)p) and represents the "basal" adenylate cyclase activity. In Lubrol 12A9, this form has Mr = 330,000 (total, protein and detergent) and Mr (protein only) = 265,000. The other form of adenylate cyclase can be activated by Gpp(NH)p and has a smaller molecular weight: Mr (protein and detergent) = 293,000, Mr (protein only) = 199,000. Upon activation by Gpp(NH)p, the size of the Gpp(NH)p-responsive form of adenylate cyclase increases: Mr (protein and detergent) = 330,000, Mr (protein only) = 251,000. Similar values were obtained in Triton X-100. The kinetics of heat inactivation are different in the two forms of the enzyme. Both forms are activated about 2-fold by 5 mM MnCl2. Neither of the forms is associated with measurable low Km GTPase activity. On the basis of these studies, we propose that the catalytic unit (C) of adenylate cyclase and the guanine nucleotide regulatory unit (G/F) may exist in solution in the following rapid equilibrium: (formula: see text) We propose that activation by Gpp(NH)p stabilizes the C . G/F complex and this accounts for the greater mass of the enzyme measured after activation with Gpp(NH)p. The size of the enzyme which represents the basal activity is very similar to that of the C . G/F complex. We suggest, therefore, that the basal activity is the result of a stable association of the catalytic unit with the guanine nucleotide regulatory site.

Adenylyl Cyclases↗
PubMedDate not supplied

Strategic planning in academic nursing.

Dramatic transformations are occurring in higher education. As colleges of nursing compete with other university colleges for limited resources, new strategies are needed to be successful. One university's unique strategic planning process is presented.

Curriculum↗