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At least 631 records · Page 35Linked to original sources
PubMed1991

Peritonitis rates for CAPD patients using the SCD 210 (Inpersol sterile connecting device): a Canadian survey.

A retrospective study was conducted in 20 Canadian hospitals to assess peritonitis rates of CAPD patients utilizing the SCD 210 patient assist device during a 30 month study period. A total of 175 patients having a cumulative SCD experience of 1,494 patient months were included in the survey. Sixty-eight patients experienced 116 episodes of peritonitis, i.e., one episode every 12.9 patient months (pt mo). Patients that had used the SCD for their entire CAPD experience had a significantly lower peritonitis rate (1/15.2 pt mo) compared to patients who had used other CAPD systems (1/10.1 pt mo). Peritonitis rates for diabetic study patients or patients with impaired vision and/or dexterity were not significantly greater than non-diabetic or non-impaired study patients. Staphylococcus epidermidis and Staphylococcus aureus were the most frequent causative microorganisms, accounting for 27.7% and 16.0% of peritonitis episodes caused by single organisms, respectively. The proportion of peritonitis caused by skin commensals was consistent across all study patients, regardless of impairment of vision and/or dexterity. The study results demonstrate the successful application of this patient assist device in a CAPD population that consisted of a large proportion of high risk patients.

Bacteria↗
PubMed1991

PTH levels correlate with mental performance in CAPD.

Nervous system dysfunction remains a major cause of disability in patients with end stage renal disease. The mechanisms remain unclear, but elevated levels of parathyroid hormone (PTH) have been proposed to act as a neurotoxin in uremia. Previous studies have mainly used electroencephalographic techniques to assess mental performance in patients in dialysis. This study utilized the trail test A and the Pennsylvania bimanual dexterity work sample to evaluate mental performance of patients in CAPD and to correlate their performance with parathyroid hormone levels. Ten male patients from the same CAPD unit, with comparable dialysis dose, underwent standardized testing. Subjects had a mean +/- SE age of 50.8 +/- 3.66 years and had been on CAPD for a mean of 42.4 +/- 12.2 months. Each used 10-12 liters of dialysis per day, with a mean peritoneal dialysis index of 1.04 +/- 0.05 and Kt/V (UN/wk) of 2.35 +/- 0.39. Mental performance of patients with lower intact PTH levels 151.7 +/- 20.8 ng/ml (Group 1) was 34.4 +/- 2.8 min in the trail test A and patients with the higher PTH-mm level (414.0 +/- 21.4 ng/ml) was 58.2 +/- 10.8 min (p = 0.06). Whereas the bi-manual dexterity test was completed in 7.27 +/- 0.5 min by Group 1 and in 11.1 +/- 0.2 by Group 2 (p = 0.003). This study favors the hypothesis that PTH levels may be associated with the impaired mental performance observed in patients with end stage renal disease.

Adult↗
PubMed1991

[Observations of neurobehavior in lead exposed workers].

A neurobehavioral test of lead-exposed workers and the correlations between test scores and certain biochemical indices was made. The results showed that the scores of digit span, mental arithmetic, block design, digit symbol, Santa-Ana dexterity, Benton visual retention and pursuit aiming of lead-exposed workers tests were significantly lower than those of control groups. The scores of Santa-Ana dexterity, block design and digit span tests of lead-exposed workers were highly negatively correlated with levels of ZPP in blood.

Adult↗
PubMed1991

[Evaluating occupational stress on the hand].

In order to achieve objective data to eventually measure the dexterity of hands, we examined 210 hands in 105 persons. These persons were divided into two groups: one group of people with jobs demanding unusual dexterity (musicians, typists, etc.), and another group with average occupational demands on the hand. As expected, we found that hand length and breadth and wrist circumference are always greater in the dominant hand of any individual. The thumb and small finger are always longer in the dominant hand. Joints' active range of motion are significantly higher in individuals whose occupations were particularly demanding.

Fingers↗
PubMed1991

A role for aptitude testing in surgery?

Recent interest in the selection of surgical trainees has been directed towards the use of aptitude tests. Using mainly senior surgeons' ratings of trainees' surgical ability for comparison, specific areas of objective investigation have included manual dexterity, spatial ability, personality, and decision-making ability. While certain spatial ability tests have been shown to correlate with ratings of surgical skill, tests of manual dexterity have not. Personality variables, specifically, show how surgeons deal with stress and decision-making ability, and are considered to be important within the profession. Although aptitude tests are being used in medical recruitment, there is still widespread disagreement over their inclusion and their validity. It is proposed that the use of aptitude testing in surgery is limited by three principal factors: there are too few well-designed studies investigating the basic psychological and psychomotor abilities considered to be specific to surgical skill; the use of subjective ratings of surgical ability as the independent variable in most studies; and the fact that, as yet, there is no working definition of superior surgical ability.

Aptitude Tests↗
PubMed1990

The cytoskeleton of stromal cells from human bone marrow cultures resembles that of cultured smooth muscle cells.

The cytoskeleton of stromal cells from the adherent layer of human Dexter-type cultures has been studied. It was found that the stress fibers contained actin specific for smooth muscle, mainly the alpha SM actin isoform. The intermediate filaments consisted of vimentin, and there were no desmin filaments. This pattern was similar to that of cultured vascular smooth muscle cells. The detectability of the alpha SM actin isoform is coincident with the appearance of stromal cells in long-term marrow cultures and may provide a useful marker for stromal cells. The potential in vivo cellular counterpart for stromal cells generated in the Dexter-type culture system is discussed.

Actins↗
PubMed1990

[Evaluation of shoulder function after removal of the latissimus dorsi muscle for surgical flap].

The latissimus dorsi muscle is frequently used in reconstructive surgery. The present study was undertaken to determine the post-operative function of the shoulder girdle with respect to dominance in 26 patients following latissimus dorsi flap transplantation mainly for soft tissue coverage in the lower leg. The patients were interviewed and examined, with special attention being paid to shoulder mobility, dexterity and muscular strength. On interview, a considerable majority felt that very good results had been achieved. Raising the latissimus dorsi flap did however influence shoulder retroversion, particularly when surgery was performed on the non-dominant side. The influence of dominance was further noted as regards inward rotation of the shoulder and the ability to lead the hand backward over the shoulder. Dexterity was determined by a modified tapping test in the sagittal plane. Other than a minor correlation with age, post-operative function depended on whether the latissimus dorsi flap had been raised from the dominant or non-dominant shoulder. No effect of operation or dominance was observed in terms of isometric muscular strength, measured with an electronic device (Hottinger-Baldwin-Messtechnik). We believe that the function of the latissimus dorsi muscle can be compensated for by synergistic muscles. Yet, in rehabilitation, particular attention must be paid to the function of the non-dominant shoulder since it is used less in daily activity.

Adolescent↗
PubMed1989

Bone marrow stromal culture from patients with myelodysplastic syndromes and patients at different stages of acute nonlymphocytic leukaemia.

The haematopoietic microenvironment or stroma plays a decisive role for the proliferation and differentiation of haemopoietic cells. We studied if bone marrow cells from patients with myelodysplastic syndromes (MDS) and acute nonlymphocytic leukaemias (ANLL) are altered in their ability to form adherent stromal layer with active haemopoiesis in the Dexter liquid culture. Bone marrow cells were obtained from 24 normal volunteers, 28 patients with ANLL in different stages of the disease and 9 patients with MDS. There are no differences between the stromal layers of patients with ANLL in complete remission and those of normal volunteers after two weeks of cultivation. However, bone marrow cells from patients with ANLL before treatment and from patients in relapse formed a poor adherent stromal layer in most cases. In 6 of 9 cases we found the normal stromal grade of bone marrow cells from patients with MDS. There were qualitative differences in the nonadherent cell population between normal and ANLL patients in complete remission. In most cases we found morphologically recognizable erythroid cells after two-weeks Dexter liquid culture of bone marrow cells from patients with ANLL in complete remission, which were not seen with normal volunteers. This could be an indication of harmful effects on the balance of haematopoiesis caused by previous infiltration with leukaemic cells or/and high-dose chemotherapy.

Bone Marrow Cells↗
PubMedDate not supplied

Dystocia in nine British breeds of cattle and its relationship to the dimensions of the dam and calf.

The degree of assistance provided at 1353 calvings from 954 heifers and cows of nine breeds of British cattle (Ayrshire, British White, Dexter, Friesian/Holstein type, Gloucester, Kerry, Longhorn, Shetland and White Park) was recorded and analysed in terms of the dimensions of the dam and the calf. The sires had been chosen in accordance with normal farming practice. A heavy calf did not lead to dystocia. Assistance at calving was most frequently provided in the Ayrshire herd, which was used for veterinary teaching. There were very few difficult calvings in the seven rare breeds, but this was as likely to have been due to management policy as to the breed characteristics. A large tuber coxae measurement was associated with ease of calving, particularly in the Dexter. The breeds showed a wide range of pelvic dimensions and therefore provide a source of genetic variation.

Animals↗
PubMed1989

The combined effects of noise and illumination on the performance efficiency of visual search and neuromotor task components.

A battery of performance tests consisting of 'letter cancellation,' 'hand 'precision,' 'two-hand coordination,' and 'tweezer dexterity' were administered on 12 desk workers in an illumination chamber under six different combinations of noise and illumination made out of two levels of white noise (70 and 100 dB) and three levels of illuminations (50, 150, and 300 lx). The objective was to find out the combined effects of noise and illumination on the performance efficiency of the above tests. A 6 x 6 latin square design was followed. A three-way analysis of variance reflected significant combined effects of noise and illumination on the accuracy scores of the letter cancellation test and hand precision test and the efficiency score of the latter test. Significant separate effects of noise were, however, observable on the speed scores and efficiency scores of the letter cancellation test and that of illumination on the speed scores of this test as also the accuracy scores of the tweezer dexterity test. Studies ascertaining the effects of heat stress in combination with noise and illumination on human performance efficiency have been suggested.

Adult↗
PubMed1979

In vitro proliferation of hemopoietic stem cells in long-term marrow cultures: principles in mouse applied to man.

The continuous in vitro marrow culture system for proliferation of mouse pluripotent hemopoietic stem cells (CFUs) and granulocyte-macrophage progenitor cells (CFUc) as initially described by T. M. Dexter, depended upon a 25% concentration of special lots of horse serum and addition of fresh "recharging" marrow after 3-4 weeks. This system has been modified to permit longer hemopoiesis in non-recharged cultures over 25-30 weeks. Addition of 10(-7)M hydrocortisone sodium hemi-succinate during weekly feeding and switch from horse to 25% fetal calf serum with corticosteroid at week 4, maintains stability of the adherent marrow stromal cells, decreases lipogenesis (which is deleterious after 10 weeks) and increases proliferation of hemopoietic cells over longer duration. Stem cells removed from 8 week old primary NIH/Swiss marrow cultures reconstituted hemopoiesis in lethally irradiated mice. While 16 week old cultures produced total numbers of CFUc equivalent to 8 week cultures, these cells could not prevent marrow death following similar total body irradiation. Thus, stem cells moved progressively from a pluripotent to a committed CFUc compartment between weeks 8-16. Human femur marrow required thyroxine in addition to hydrocortisone for sustained CFUc maintenance over a shorter 8 week period. Improved technology for mouse long-term marrow cultures should further aid in developing a usable human "Dexter-system".

Animals↗
PubMed1989

Neurobehavioural disturbances in workers engaged in high-pressure spray painting.

A battery of neurobehavioural tests consisting of reaction time (simple and choice), tweezer dexterity, hand precision, and memory (forward and backward) were administered to a group of painters before and after their work schedule to provide a quantitative assessment of the possible behavioural changes. Their responses on five affective measures, e.g., headache, mental freshness, forgetfulness, sleepiness, and general good health were also collected on visual analogue scales. Analysis of variance indicated significant deterioration of performance on reaction time (choice), tweezer dexterity (accuracy), hand precision (accuracy), and memory (backward) in the painters by the end of their work-shift. Significant deleterious effects were also noted on headache, mental freshness, and sleepiness. The degree of deterioration of their performance on these tests as also of the affective measures were found to be associated with the duration of exposure.

Adult↗
PubMed1989

Prolonged hemopoiesis of murine bone marrow derived epithelioid cells in vitro.

We previously reported the isolation of a murine bone marrow derived stromal cell line, TC-1, and two sublines derived from this line. The monolayer of one subline, TC-1-C-3, directly supported the growth of nonadherent marrow cells in Dexter culture system for eight weeks. We report here the mechanism of the stromal cell effect on hemopoiesis in a long-term bone marrow culture system. When the hemopoietic blasts attach to the TC-1-C-3 cells, they are surrounded by the stromal cell cytoplasm within two hours and develop into cell clusters in a week. The developing hemopoietic cells show cell differentiation towards the granulocytic lineage. A key function of the epithelioid stromal cell, then, is to provide a 'niche' or 'envelope' for stem cells which supports long-term hemopoiesis in the Dexter culture system.

Animals↗
PubMed1988

An analysis of the multilineage production of human hematopoietic progenitors in long-term bone marrow culture: evidence that reactive oxygen intermediates derived from mature phagocytic cells have a role in limiting progenitor cell self-renewal.

To better understand the limited hematopoietic life span of human marrow "Dexter" cultures, we developed a miniaturized, two-stage culture system with which in vitro production of hematopoietic progenitors could be reproducibly detected and quantified. Light-density, gradient-separated human marrow cells were inoculated into Leighton slide tubes, and adherent ("stromal") cell layers were allowed to develop on the removable coverslips within these tubes during an initial 4 weeks of culture. Once stromal cell layers were established, cultures were irradiated (800 cGy) to eliminate all residual hematopoietic progenitors. The cultures were then recharged with autologous, cryopreserved marrow cells (enriched for BFU-E and CFU-GM) to reconstitute stem cell populations and to initiate in vitro hematopoiesis. Most progenitor cells added to irradiated cultures were no longer detectable by clonal assays within one to four days after recharge. Nonetheless, stable populations of adherent BFU-E and CFU-GM became established in these cultures within 24 to 48 hours, and when the total numbers of progenitors (adherent and nonadherent) were measured at weekly intervals thereafter, it was evident that both BFU-E and CFU-GM were generated in vitro. However, progenitor cell production declined as neutrophils and macrophages accumulated in the cultures. Moreover, with this accumulation of mature myeloid cells, increasing levels of O2- and H2O2 could be detected in the cultures, and it was found that the addition of oxidant scavengers (catalase and mannitol) to culture media enhanced the weekly expansions of progenitor cell numbers that could be measured. These findings support the conclusion that reactive O2 intermediates generated by mature myeloid cells have a role in limiting the duration and extent of hematopoietic progenitor cell self-renewal in long-term "Dexter" cultures of human marrow.

Bone Marrow Cells↗
PubMed1979

Evaluation of predictor variables for a self-instructional preclinical course.

Several studies have shown that the Dental Admission Test and predental grade point average have validity in predicting performance in dental school. The purpose of this two-year study is to compare these predictors with a manual skill exercise to determine their usefulness in predicting manual dexterity success in operative dentistry. Sophomore students were instructed to make preparations on an Ivorine block following imprinted outlines. Correlation to performance on laboratory examinations was computed. Results indicate the traditional predictors have limited usefulness in manual skill prediction while the Ivorine block exercise demonstrated consistent correlation over both years. The emphasis on manual dexterity in preclinical dental courses requires that appropriate variables be used in selecting students.

Achievement↗
PubMed1987

Assessment of symptoms of Parkinson's disease by apparative methods.

Established clinical scores assessing the severity of Parkinson's disease show high specificity but only low interrater reliability. Using them in therapy control in multicenter studies raises typical problems. We examined the MLS, a motor performance test, in an extended form including assessment of "tapping" regularity for its practicability in therapy control of Parkinson's disease. Assessing a group of right-handed healthy controls we obtained parameters which describe normal motor dexterity by mean values, standard deviations, age relationship and correlation between left and right hand. This method is thus a good tool for estimation of abnormalities in motor dexterity. In therapy control the comparison of results obtained before and after treatment allows a good objective evaluation of the therapeutic success.

Aged↗
PubMed1986

In vitro differentiation of B lymphocytes from primitive hemopoietic precursors present in long-term bone marrow cultures.

B lymphocytes are not produced in the Dexter long-term bone marrow cultures, but a primitive B cell precursor is present. The findings presented in this study demonstrate that this precursor can be induced to produce B lymphocytes by transferring the cultures to the Whitlock conditions for the long-term growth of B cells in vitro. Two weeks after the transfer of cultures maintained at 33 degrees C in medium supplemented with horse serum and steroids to low concentrations of fetal calf serum at 37 degrees C, marked effects can be observed. The pattern of cell growth changes from one in which the hemopoietic cells are clustered in tight foci containing several hundred cells to smaller ones in which the cells are not as densely packed. Fat cells in the adherent layer disappear and the supporting stroma becomes more uniform in appearance. This change in the culture format is accompanied by a decrease in the number of nonadherent cells and a shift from myelopoiesis to lymphopoiesis. The numbers of granulocyte-macrophage progenitors decline weekly after the change in culture conditions and are not detected by the third week. B cell colony-forming units appear by 3 wk. Cells that express the 14.8 cell surface antigen are induced by 1 wk after the change in culture conditions, followed by the appearance of surface IgM-bearing cells 2 wk later. This shift to lymphopoiesis can be confirmed morphologically. Granulocytes and macrophages disappear from the cultures by 4 wk, at which time almost all of the cells have a characteristic lymphocyte morphology. Upon switching these cultures back to the original Dexter conditions, only low levels of transient myelopoiesis can be reinitiated.

Animals↗
PubMed1984

Radioresistant murine marrow stromal cells: a morphologic and functional characterization.

Two types of murine marrow adherent cells derived from Dexter cultures have been characterized. Exposure of C57B1/6J, ICR, or BDF1 mice to 1000 R x-ray 24 h prior to killing and establishment of liquid marrow cultures resulted in the growth of two types of adherent cells. A macrophage-like cell was phagocytic, nonspecific esterase, and acid phosphatase, positive and alkaline phosphatase, myeloperoxidase, and factor-VIII negative. The second cell was large and epithelioid in appearance, had a subpopulation of giant fat cells, was nonphagocytic, alkaline phosphatase positive, and negative for acid phosphatase, nonspecific esterase, myeloperoxidase, and factor VIII. At low inoculum levels these cells formed three types of colonies within 1-3 weeks--macrophage, epithelioid, and mixed--while at higher inoculum levels they formed confluent monolayers. These radioresistant cells supported myeloid pluripotent stem cells (CFU-S) and granulocyte-macrophage stem cells (GM-CFU-C) in liquid culture of long term nonadherent marrow cells and stimulated GM-CFU-C in agar over-lays. Refeeding liquid cultures with nonadherent cells from long-term Dexter cultures revealed that myeloperoxidase-positive cells adhered predominantly to the colonies containing epithelioid cells.

Animals↗