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Biomedical subjects

W Levinson

Publications and source records attributed to W Levinson.

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

Cardiopulmonary resuscitation in long-term care facilities: a survey of do-not-resuscitate orders in nursing homes.

Growing public debate regarding no cardiopulmonary resuscitation (no-CPR) policies in acute care hospitals, together with recent changes in the patient population of long-term care facilities, has led nursing homes to examine their need for resuscitation policies. To determine current cardiopulmonary resuscitation policies and procedures in nursing homes, medical directors and directors of nursing service in long-term care facilities in Portland, Oregon, were surveyed. Seventy-five percent responded; of these, only 41% reported having a resuscitation policy. Of those with no policy, 70% thought one was needed. Most nursing homes reported that resuscitation was infrequently discussed with patients and families. When a no-CPR determination was made, it was usually documented in the patient's chart. Training in basic life support was required for registered nurses in two thirds of the facilities. Few homes had equipment necessary for advanced life support. It is recommended that: a) nursing homes develop cardiopulmonary resuscitation policies; b) resuscitation orders be made part of the medical record; and c) nursing home personnel increase their ability to perform basic life support.

Aged↗
PubMed1986

Nonassociation of caffeine and fibrocystic breast disease.

Fibrocystic breast disease (FBD) is common in women. Caffeine-containing foods and beverages have been implicated as a cause of FBD or as an important factor in its progression. Relationships of causation are difficult to demonstrate. Only rigorous investigational methods can show true association between cause and effect. Our critical review of the medical literature indicated that there is weak evidence for an association between caffeine and FBD. We conclude that physicians need not recommend the avoidance of caffeine in otherwise healthy women who have FBD.

Caffeine↗
PubMed1984

Counter-detailing.

Explore the source record for details and available documents.

Drug Industry↗
PubMed1984

The use of cefotaxime in a community hospital.

The use of cefotaxime was monitored to evaluate the appropriateness and cost of its use. This was done by chart review and physician questionnaire. Of 57 patients reviewed, 19 were treated empirically for specific established infections; 19 for sepsis without an identified source; 3 for infections with a known pathogen; and 16 for surgical prophylaxis. In the majority of patients treated empirically for specific infection or sepsis, the use of cefotaxime was judged appropriate by infectious disease consultants, while for surgical prophylaxis, it usually was judged inappropriate. The average charge for cefotaxime was +396 per course vs. +318 for antibiotics commonly used before cefotaxime became available. When used alone, cefotaxime was less expensive to the patient than a combination of antibiotics in 22 of 29 cases. We concluded that cefotaxime was used appropriately for empiric therapy without increasing costs greatly.

Bacterial Infections↗
PubMed1984

Preoperative evaluations by an internist--are they worthwhile?

The value of preoperative examinations done by internists on ophthalmology patients was assessed. A retrospective chart review of 258 consultations was conducted and information about surgical risk, as defined by strict criteria, was abstracted. A total of 59 surgical risk conditions and 62 incidental problems were detected. In 65% of the risk conditions internists intervened to lessen the patients' risk. Most of these benefits were in patients older than 60 years and very few important problems were detected in those younger than 50. The average cost of the consultation and additional laboratory tests was $146.60. It is concluded that significant benefit was derived at a reasonable cost by patients older than 50 years.

Adult↗
PubMed1984

Neurodevelopmental functioning of good and poor readers in urban schools.

This study investigated specific aspects of neurodevelopmental functioning in good and poor readers entering second grade and followed their neurodevelopmental course and reading progress over a three-year period. Poor readers at age seven performed significantly worse than good readers on assessment of gross and fine motor coordination and corticosensory functioning. Furthermore, the presence of soft signs at age seven was significantly predictive of reading achievement at age ten. Group differences in neurodevelopmental functioning disappeared by age ten, and the presence of soft signs at ages eight and nine no longer was predictive of reading achievement. These findings have implications for pediatricians, educators, and researchers exploring brain-behavior relationships.

Achievement↗
PubMed1981

A cellular protein that associates with the transforming protein of Rous sarcoma virus is also a heat-shock protein.

A single viral protein (pp60src) mediates neoplastic transformation of cells infected with Rous sarcoma virus. Immunoprecipitation of pp60src has revealed two cellular proteins (Mr 50,000 and 89,000) that appear to associate with pp60src in a specific manner. Neither of the cellular proteins has been well characterized, but it is thought that both may participate in the function of pp60src. Treatment of avian cells with unphysiological temperature or certain chemical agents amplifies the production of several proteins in the manner of the "heat shock" response earlier described for Drosophila. We report here that one of these proteins, with a molecular weight of 89,000 is identical to the 89-kilodalton protein found associated with pp60src. The 89-kilodalton protein is a major constituent of both uninfected and infected cells, even in the absence of inducing agents, but only a small fraction of this protein appears to associate with pp60src in cells transformed by Rous sarcoma virus. The complex containing pp60src and the 89-kilodalton protein can be precipitated by an immune reaction involving pp60src alone. The complexed form of the 89-kilodalton protein did not react directly with antibodies but regained its reactivity subsequent to release from the complex. We conclude that the 89-kilodalton protein is bound to pp60src in a relatively stable complex. We suggest that the 89-kilodalton protein may have overlapping roles in viral oncogenesis and the heat shock response, and that evidence on the function of the protein in either setting may illuminate its function in the other. In addition, it may prove profitable to search for other overlaps between the cellular response to heat shock and the neoplastic transformation of cells by pp60src.

Animals↗
PubMed1980

Induction of four proteins in chick embryo cells by sodium arsenite.

Four proteins of Mr = 89,000, 73,000, 35,000, and 27,000 are strongly induced in chick fibroblasts by sodium arsenite. Induction of these proteins is discoordinate as a function of arsenite concentration. Kinetically, all species appear 1 h after exposure to 50 microM arsenite, after 24 and 48 h of exposure, the 27,000 protein is still synthesized extensively, whereas normal cell proteins and the three other induced proteins are greatly reduced. The four proteins are unrelated by tryptic peptide-mapping procedures. Multiple subspecies of p89, p73, and p27 were observed in two-dimensional gels. The subspecies of p73 appear to be related as determined by partial proteolytic maps as are those of p27. Two-dimensional gel analysis of in vitro translation products from rabbit reticulocyte lysates primed with mRNA from uninduced and induced cells reveals that the amount of translatable mRNA specific for these proteins is increase by induction. This increase is attributable to new mRNA synthesis since actinomycin D prevent induction and new bands of RNA (Mr = 0.9 X 10(6) and 1.3 X 10(6)) appear in methyl mercury gels of oligo(dT) selected RNA from induced cells. These bands are assigned to p73 and p89 based on translation of electroeluted RNA from a similar preparative gel. A comparison is made between induction of these proteins and the heat shock response in Drosophilla melanogaster.

Animals↗
PubMed1980

Transition series metals and sulfhydryl reagents induce the synthesis of four proteins in eukaryotic cells.

Several transition series metals (copper, cadmium, zinc and mercury) and the sulfhydryl reagent, sodium arsenite, enhance the synthesis of specific proteins in chick embryo cells and in human foreskin cells in culture. The proteins are visible 1--3 h after exposure to concentrations ranging from 10 microM to 100 microM depending upon which reagent is used. These proteins comigrate on acrylamide gel electropherograms with the proteins induced by two copper-chelating drugs, kethoxal bis(thiosemicarbazone) and disulfiram, and by heat shock. However, these proteins migrate in a significantly different manner than do the canavanine-enhanced proteins. The four proteins induced in chick embryo cells are distinct from one another as determined by partial proteolytic mapping. Simlarly, the three proteins induced in human cells are distinct. However, the 100-kilodalton and the 70-kilodalton proteins from chick and from human cells appear to be related as judged by this mapping procedure. The 70 kilodalton protein enhanced by kethoxal bis(thiosemicarbazone), disulfiram, arsenite and heat shock have a high degree of similarity according to this technique. The arsenite and canavanine-enhanced 100-kilodalton proteins are related as are the arsenite-enhanced 70-kilodalton and the canavanine-enhanced 75-kilodalton proteins. The canavanine-enhanced 30 kilodalton protein resembles the arsenite-enhanced 25-kilodalton protein rather than the 35-kilodalton species. In view of these findings, it appears that a variety of treatments, namely, chelating drugs, transition series metals, sulfhydryl reagents, heat shock, and amino acid analogous can induced similar, if not identical, proteins in eukaryotic cells.

Animals↗
PubMed1979

Binding of N-methyl isatin beta-thiosemicarbazone-copper complexes to proteins and nucleic acids.

N-Methyl isatin beta-thiosemicarbazone-copper complexes interact with nucleic acids and proteins as shown by ultraviolet (UV) and visible spectroscopy and Sephadex exclusion chromatography. The Cu++ ions are most effective; Co++ ions have less albeit significant activity. Chelating agents, such as Tris and histidine, high NaCl concentration, and dimethyl sulfoxide reduce the binding of the drug-metal complex. The binding constant of the drug-copper complex to calf-thymus DNA was calculated to range between 6.9 x 10(4) and 2.7 x 10(5) M-1.

Chelating Agents↗