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Biomedical subjects

Y Michel

Publications and source records attributed to Y Michel.

At least 19 recordsLinked to original sources
PubMed1998

Regulation of human B19 parvovirus promoter expression by hGABP (E4TF1) transcription factor.

The genetic expression of human B19 parvovirus is only dependent on one promoter in vivo and in vitro. This is the P6 promoter, which is located on the left side of the genome and is a single-stranded DNA molecule. This led us to investigate the regulation of the P6 promoter and the possible resulting variability of the nucleotide sequence. After analysis of the promoter region of 17 B19 strains, only 1.5% variability was found. More exciting was the finding of mutations that were clustered around the TATA box and defined a highly conserved region (nucleotides 113-210) in the proximal part of the P6 promoter. HeLa and UT7/Epo cell extracts were found to protect this region, which contained a core motif for Ets family proteins, with YY1 and Sp1 binding sites on either side. Gel mobility shift assays performed with nuclear proteins from HeLa and UT7/Epo cells identified DNA-binding proteins specific for these sites. By supershift analysis, we demonstrated the binding of the hGABP (also named E4TF1) protein to the Ets binding site and the fixation of Sp1 and YY1 proteins on their respective motifs. In Drosophila SL2 cells, hGABPalpha and -beta stimulated P6 promoter activity, and hGABPalpha/hGABPbeta and Sp1 exerted synergistic stimulation of this activity, an effect diminished by YY1.

Base Sequence↗
PubMed1998

Life review: preventing despair in newly relocated nursing home residents short- and long-term effects.

Relocation to a nursing home places frail elders at risk for developing depression and suicide ideation. This study followed two hundred and fifty-six newly relocated nursing home residents for five years. Using a Solomon Four research design, participants were divided into four groups, two control and two experimental, one each with pretesting and all with posttesting. Participants in the control groups received a friendly visit and those in the experimental groups received the intervention of life review. Immediate short-term results showed the life review to be an effective preventive intervention for clinical depression (p = .05). Additionally, when looking at long-term effects at one year, there were significant decrease in depression (p = .05), hopelessness (p = .01), and psychological well-being (p = .02) with measurable increases in life satisfaction (p = .08). These findings support the hypothesis that life review prevents despair in frail elders newly admitted to a nursing home.

Adaptation, Psychological↗
PubMed1997

Long-term exercise patterns and immune function in healthy older women. A report of preliminary findings.

The purpose of this study was to examine the relationship between active versus inactive lifestyle and immunocompetence in older women. A sample of 46 independently dwelling, ambulatory and mentally alert women 60-98 years was examined, 25 who rated themselves as 'active' and 21 who rated themselves as 'inactive'. Lymphocyte subpopulations were analyzed by flow cytometry using selected monoclonal antibodies. The self-reported active subjects (also validated by their current unsolicited participation in a formal exercise class) demonstrated significantly higher percent change in CD25 mitogen stimulated lymphocytes (P = 0.0335) than those who reported themselves to be sedentary.

Age Factors↗
PubMed1997

Stress-induced immunosuppression and therapeutic touch.

OBJECTIVE: The specific aim of this study was to evaluate the effectiveness of therapeutic touch in reducing the adverse immunological effects of stress in a sample of highly stressed students. Long-term goals are to develop methods by which a variety of stress-reduction techniques can be tested for efficacy. DESIGN: Experimental. SETTING: A large urban medical university in a southern coastal city. SUBJECTS: Healthy medical and nursing students who are taking professional board examinations. INTERVENTION: Therapeutic touch. MAIN OUTCOME MEASURES: T-lymphocyte function (CD25) and immunoglobulin levels. RESULTS: Subjects who received therapeutic touch and subjects who did not had significantly different levels of IgA and IgM; CD25 (mitogen-stimulated T-lymphocyte function) and IgG levels differed in the expected direction between the two groups, but the differences were not statistically significant. Apoptosis (programmed cell death) was significantly different between the two groups. CONCLUSIONS: The small sample size requires cautious interpretation of the results. This is a pilot study designed to provide evidence to show that further study of therapeutic touch as an intervention that may be useful in reducing the adverse immunologic consequences of anxiety related to stress in otherwise healthy students is warranted. Change in immune function related to anxiety and the relief of anxiety can be measured. Subsequent power analysis suggests sample sizes of 90 subjects per group are required to confirm the conclusions.

Adult↗
PubMed1997

The effect of psychosocial nursing intervention on the mood state of patients with implantable cardioverter defibrillators and their caregivers.

This study sought to determine whether mood state and psychosocial adjustment four months after implantable cardioverter defibrillator (ICD) placement were better for patients and caregivers who received a program of psychosocial interventions than for those who received usual postoperative care and follow-up. Thirty-four adult ICD recipients (17 experimental and 17 control) and their significant other (SO) caregivers were randomly assigned to an experimental or control group. The intervention consisted of weekly, postoperative telephone follow-up, evaluation and counseling by a psychiatric liaison nurse, and participation in an ICD support group. There were no significant differences between treatment and control groups on the outcome measures of adjustment (Profile of Mood States, Psychosocial Adjustment to Illness Scale). Outcomes were not associated with age, ejection fraction, length of hospital stay or family income, and there were no differences in outcomes based on gender, employment status, thoracotomy versus non-thoracotomy procedure, or shocked versus unshocked status. The results do not indicate that the extra time spent to provide individualized attention to these ICD recipients and their SOs was advantageous for the outcomes measured. Adaptation to the device may occur over time regardless of intervention.

Adaptation, Psychological↗
PubMed1996

Studying multidimensional constructs through cluster analysis.

The analysis of multidimensional constructs presents a challenge. The challenge is to combine the information from the dimensions relating to the construct in a meaningful way. This article examines a complex construct known as the nursing practice environment and describes the use of cluster analysis to combine information from three dimensional measurements to operationalize the construct.

Cluster Analysis↗
PubMed1995

During HIV infection, CD4+ CD38+ T-cells are the predominant circulating CD4+ subset whose HLA-DR positivity increases with disease progression and whose V beta repertoire is similar to that of CD4+ CD38- T-cells.

Three-color automated flow cytometry was carried out on peripheral blood CD4+ and CD8+ T-lymphocytes of 42 HIV-positive patients using tri-color anti-CD4 or anti-CD8, phycoerythrin-anti-CD38, and fluorescein-anti-HLA-DR, mAbs to elucidate further the T-cell activation hypothesis recently proposed to explain CD4+ T-cell abnormalities observed during HIV infection. CD4+ CD38+ T-cells constituted the major part of circulating CD4+ T-cells in HIV-infected patients and their HLA-DR molecule positivity increased as their disease progressed. The level of CD38 and HLA-DR expression on CD4+ T-cells was positively correlated to that of CD8+ T-cells and to the level of beta 2-microglobulin. Next, to determine whether CD38 expression was associated with a selective expansion or deletion of V beta gene-defined subsets, we compared the V beta gene frequencies between CD38+ and CD38- T-cells from HIV-infected CDC stage II patients using 13 mAbs specific to V beta families. While selective expansion of certain V beta families was observed in CD4+ and CD8+ T-cells the T-cell receptor V beta subset distribution was similar among CD38+ and CD38-, CD4+ and CD8+ T-cells, suggesting that CD38+ expression was either independent of an HIV-encoded antigen-driven process or rather indicative of T-cell immaturity. It is proposed that the phenotype of circulating CD4+ and CD8+ T-cells of HIV-infected patients is a feature of two different mechanisms: (i) an in vitro activation state responsible for increased DR expression and selective expansion of V beta gene-defined subsets, and (ii) T-cell immaturity due to an increased turnover of these cells and accounting for increased CD38 expression.

ADP-ribosyl Cyclase↗
PubMed1995

Control of Listeria monocytogenes in the delicatessen industries: the lessons of a listeriosis outbreak in France.

During a recent outbreak of foodborne listeriosis which occurred in France in 1992, investigations were carried out in order to identify the plants associated with the production of contaminated products. These investigations were made in six 'suspect' delicatessen plants following the first epidemiological investigations, and in one 'control plant'. The first visits were made during working operations. Two hundred and seventy samples were taken ('environmental' swabs, air samples, products), with 68% of the swabs being positive for Listeria monocytogenes in raw product areas, and 33% positives in the finished product area. The epidemic phagovar was identified in a single plant preparing pork tongues in aspic. The major causes of contamination identified were contact of cooked products with soiled surfaces, cross-contamination between 'raw' and 'cooked' channels and the inadequacy of cleaning and disinfection procedures. A second visit was also made to five plants to provide validation of their cleaning and disinfection procedures. Among 112 swabs collected, 17% of the samples from raw product surfaces and 7% from finished product surfaces were found to be positive. These results suggest that cleaning and disinfection procedures were unable to eliminate sources of L. monocytogenes when not correctly applied.

Disease Outbreaks↗
PubMed1995

Coordination as a critical element of managed care.

Although the concept of coordination is not new to nursing, little is known about how it contributes to cost-effective patient care outcomes. The authors examined the mechanisms used by staff nurses to coordinate patient care services in practice environments characterized by low, moderate, and high levels of uncertainty. Regardless of practice environment conditions, nurses used the same mechanisms to coordinate patient care. These findings suggest a potential for inadequate communication among providers, poor coordination of services, and lost efficiency. Strategies to improve coordination of patient care services are discussed.

Continuity of Patient Care↗
PubMed1995

Immunomodulatory effects of alpha interferon and thymostimulin in patients with neoplasias.

In this report, we have evaluated the immunological effects following administration of alpha interferon (IFN-alpha) in combination with thymostimulin (TP-1), as well as of IFN-alpha and TP-1 alone in patients with neoplasias who underwent surgery and were subsequently treated with conventional chemotherapy. Data suggest that the combination of IFN-alpha and TP-1 is the most effective in the up-regulation of some immune parameters such as the CD4(+)-CD8+ cell-dependent antibacterial activity. Since this immune function plays an important role in the host protection against different targets such as invading microorganisms and/or neoplastic cells, the administration of TP-1-IFN-alpha is advisable for patients with neoplasias under chemotherapy.

Adjuvants, Immunologic↗
PubMed1995

Behavioral and physiological response during feeding in infants with congenital heart disease: a naturalistic study.

Twenty mother-infant dyads, ten with congenital heart disease (CHD) and ten controls, were studied during a naturally occurring feeding episode. Heart and respiratory rate data from a Hewlett Packard Infant Monitor were recorded on a computer while the feeding was videotaped for later scoring. No significant relationship was found between potent disengagement cues and changes in either heart or respiratory rate during feeding. However, the presentation of subtle disengagement cues were observed to be significantly more frequent among infants with CHD. A wide range of individual differences were noted in presentation of disengagement cues and heart and respiratory rates in both groups. No discernable pattern of heart rate or respiratory rate increase or decrease related to subtle or potent disengagement cures was found in either the infants with CHD or the healthy controls.

Adult↗
PubMed1994

Case management and preventive services among infants from low-income families.

To determine the impact of an experimental approach to case management on use of child health clinic and immunization services, a nonequivalent control group with covariate measures design was employed in a sample of 98 infants from low-income families. The innovative pattern of care featured continuity of care; a single public health nurse (PHN) provided child health care to an infant by integrating case management and preventive services. In contrast, the customary pattern of child health care was characterized by fragmentation of services. Case management was segregated from preventive services, and multiple PHNs delivered care to an infant. As predicted, experimental-group infants (44%) were more likely to achieve adequate child health clinic services than control-group infants (8%) (p < 0.001). Moreover, the cost-effectiveness (C/E) ratio (dollar cost per effective intervention) for adequate child health clinic visits in continuous care ($523) was one-fifth of that in fragmented care ($2,900). The C/E ratio related to adequate immunization was 8% less in continuous care ($359) than in the fragmented approach ($386), although the difference in rates of adequate immunization was nonsignificant (experimental group, 64%; control group, 60%). These findings suggest that continuous PHN care with integrated case management is a more effective, cost-efficient approach to critical child preventive services than the customary, segregated case-management approach.

Chi-Square Distribution↗
PubMed1994

A measure of perceived environmental uncertainty in hospitals.

The purpose of this study is to evaluate the preliminary psychometric properties of the Perceived Environmental Uncertainty Questionnaire (PEUQ). Environmental uncertainty (EU) refers to times when within the organization unanticipated events and problems occur with frequency and cannot be predicted by members of the organization due to a lack of critical information. The PEUQ was designed as a measure of EU and was tested with 375 patient-care and nonpatient-care hospital employees. Internal consistency as measured by Cronbach's alpha was .81. Confirmatory factor analysis supported two of the PEUQ's hypothesized three factors: state and effect EU. These two factors accounted for 61.1% of the variance in subjects' level of uncertainty. Factor analysis failed to confirm response uncertainty as a subconstruct of EU. Contrasted group analysis found expected differences in the level of perceived EU between workers on different hospital units (t = -5.02, p < .001). This study provides evidence of the PEUQ's beginning reliability and validity as a measure of EU. Failure to identify response uncertainty as a salient subconstruct of EU warrants further exploration. The design of nursing care delivery structures (NCDS) to minimize EU first requires a means to measure hospital units' EU. The establishment of the PEUQ's psychometric soundness is antecedent to measuring EU and improving the efficacy of our NCDS.

Attitude of Health Personnel↗
PubMed1993

Body size values of white and black women.

The purpose of this naturalistic study was to compare values held by 36 white and 31 black women related to body size, and to identify factors that influence these values and linkages between body size values and weight management activities. Black women of lower SES were significantly different from black women of higher SES and white women, regardless of SES, in that they were heavier, viewed themselves as heavier, and perceived attractive body size as heavier. Black lower status women had to become a great deal heavier than the other groups before they defined themselves as overweight. We suggest that black lower social status women have a wider range of "normal" and attractive body size and that this wider range is developed from comparisons of other women in their social milieu and influences the initiation of weight loss activities.

Adult↗
PubMed1984

[Value of indirect immunofluorescence and passive hemagglutination reactions in the detection of urogenital trichomoniasis].

The indirect fluorescent antibody (IFAT) and indirect hemagglutination tests (IHA) were performed in 375 patients attending the venereal disease clinic (CHU of ROUEN). In addition, wet mount, acridine orange stain and culture were used to detect Trichomonas vaginalis in genital discharge. Significant levels of antitrichomonas antibodies were present in sera, in 44 per cent of women with vaginal discharge and 23 p. cent of men with urethritis or prostatitis, whereas no evidence of trichomonal infection was demonstrated. These data suggest that IFAT and IHA tests may be useful to improve the diagnosis of uro-genital trichomoniasis.

Adult↗
PubMed1982

Maternal risk factors in infants with very low birth weight.

To determine whether maternal risk factors associated with the delivery of very low birth weight infants under 1501 g are different from those associated with low birth weight infants of 1501 to 2500 g, prenatal data on 12,247 deliveries were evaluated. The sample contained 302 very low birth weight infants. Maternal race, age, height, weight, gravidity, parity, past pregnancy performance, and pregnancy complications were analyzed. Factors related to very low birth weight but not to low birth weight infants were previous abortions, previous fetal deaths, and hypertensive vascular disease. Race, maternal height, and prepregnancy weight were not related to very low birth weight but were associated with an increase in low birth weight. There was no significant difference in the rate of very low birth weight or low birth weight by maternal age from 14 to 40 years. These results contradict the concept of a uniform set of predisposing factors for birth of all infants weighing 2500 g or less.

Abortion, Spontaneous↗