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PubMed1984

Changes in intracellular pH and inorganic phosphate concentration during and after muscle contraction as studied by time-resolved 31P-NMR. Alkalinization by contraction.

The changes in intracellular pH and concentration of inorganic phosphate (Pi) were studied during and after contraction of bullfrog sartorius muscles by using 31P-NMR. The intracellular pH was 7.04 in resting muscles at 4 degrees C and an alkalinization by as much as 0.08 pH unit occurred following 5 s tetanic contraction. During the recovery period after contraction the increased level of intracellular pH returned to the resting level, the time course of which coincided with that of the recovery of the Pi concentration. Based on the changes in the intracellular pH and Pi concentration, the buffering power was estimated to be 18 mM/pH unit.

Animals↗
PubMed1993

Nurse managers' perceptions of contracting for education, Part 1: Contracting and pre-registration education.

The introduction of the 'purchaser/provider' split into nurse education alters the relationship between service units (or the education purchasers) and colleges of health studies (the education providers). The aim of this study was to identify how education purchasers view the new contracting arrangements, with regard to the provision of pre-registration and post-registration nurse education. In the first of two papers, findings are reported in relation to purchasers' views of pre-registration education. 24 people from one region, comprising senior nurses, and some non-nurse executives involved in the Working Paper 10 initiative, were interviewed. The findings indicate that most of the respondents want a close working relationship with an education provider. They hope that this relationship will be responsive to, and understanding of the needs of the service, and that it will be enhanced by the contracting process. The majority see the need to formally monitor the quality of the output of the college, to ensure that their educational needs are being met by their provider, but they are unsure as to how this can be done. Finally, although it is understood that if service units become dissatisfied with their local college, they can contract with alternative colleges for pre-registration education, the majority of these respondents believe that this will not be desirable or feasible.

Attitude of Health Personnel↗
PubMed1998

Preterm contractions in community settings: II. Predicting preterm birth in women with preterm contractions.

OBJECTIVE: To examine risk factors for preterm delivery in women who present to nontertiary care hospitals with preterm contractions. METHODS: Women who presented to a network of community hospitals in Wisconsin with preterm contractions were followed until delivery. The main outcomes were preterm delivery before completion of 36 weeks of gestation and delivery within 1 week of initial presentation. RESULTS: Of the 266 women presenting with contractions over the 2-year study period, 90% (n=239) consented to participate. Multiple factors were associated with premature delivery, but when examined with a multivariate model, only four (ruptured membranes, multiple gestation, cervical effacement at least 80%, and nonwhite race) were associated with prematurity, whereas five (ruptured membranes, multiple gestation, cervical effacement at least 80%, dilation exceeding 1 cm, and being a nonsmoker) predicted delivery within 1 week. A decision model that combined the presence of ruptured membranes and effacement at least 80% could predict delivery at 34 weeks or less within 7 days of presentation with a sensitivity of 71% and a specificity of 98%. CONCLUSION: Only two clinical cues (ruptured membranes and effacement of the cervix of 80% or more) can predict premature delivery within 7 days. If these results are confirmed prospectively, women with either of these signs could be targeted for administration of steroids, antibiotics, or transfer to tertiary care facilities.

Female↗
PubMed1994

Contraction patterns during isokinetic eccentric and concentric contractions after anterior cruciate ligament injury.

Muscular fatigue was investigated in m. rectus femoris, m. vastus lateralis and medialis of 15 patients after an anterior cruciate ligament injury. Using a Lido active (isokinetic) dynamometer, combined eccentric and concentric contractions were carried out at intermediate contractile velocity speeds (150 degrees, 240 degrees/s). In addition, concentric contractions were also performed at fast angular velocities (300 degrees, 400 degrees/s). The results indicated that fatigue was significantly greater for the intermediate speeds. Given one angular velocity, the average eccentric force decline was more pronounced than the concentric one. At all velocities the relative decrease of peak torque (PT) was smaller than for contractional work (CW).

Adult↗
PubMedDate not supplied

HIPAA Business Associate Contracts: the value of contracts for case managers.

Case Managers are in the middle of the upcoming HIPAA regulation changes, with the issuance of the Final Privacy Rule. Every case obliges case managers to work with Individually Identifiable Health Information (IIHI) and Protected Health Information (PHI). The purpose of this article is to provide case managers in all practice settings with a clear understanding of a "Business Associate," of a "Covered Entity," and of the specifics of a Business Associate Contract. This information will demonstrate how case managers can benefit from the use of these contracts in their business life. As an essential component of an organization's compliance plan, Business Associate Contracts can become a sword or a shield. This article is particularly helpful to case managers in independent practice, as well as those who work for Covered Entities.

Case Management↗
PubMed1992

The effects of thyroxine treatment on slow- and fast-contracting skeletal muscle contractions of the cat and their cyclic AMP level.

1. The effects of thyroxine treatment on soleus and extensor digitorum longus (EDL) muscle contractions and their cyclic adenosine 3',5'-monophosphate (cyclic AMP) levels were examined in anaesthetized cats. 2. Thyroxine treatment decreased the tension of incomplete tetanic contractions of the soleus as well as the EDL muscles. The effect on tension of these muscles was not associated with an increase in the cyclic AMP level of the muscle as is the case with a beta 2-adrenoceptor agonist effect. 3. The results do not support the involvement of cyclic AMP in the tension depressant effect of thyroxine on contractions of skeletal muscle. 4. It is suggested that the muscle weakness and tremor observed in thyrotoxicosis and during administration of beta 2-adrenoceptor agonists are mediated by different mechanisms.

Animals↗
PubMed2002

Effects of prior contractions on muscle microvascular oxygen pressure at onset of subsequent contractions.

In humans, pulmonary oxygen uptake (.V(O2)) kinetics may be speeded by prior exercise in the heavy domain. This "speeding" arises potentially as the result of an increased muscle O(2) delivery (.Q(O2)) and/or a more rapid elevation of oxidative phosphorylation. We adapted phosphorescence quenching techniques to determine the.Q(O2)-to-O(2) utilization (.Q(O2)/.V(O2)) characteristics via microvascular O(2) pressure (P(O2,m)) measurements across sequential bouts of contractions in rat spinotrapezius muscle. Spinotrapezius muscles from female Sprague-Dawley rats (n = 6) were electrically stimulated (1 Hz twitch, 3-5 V) for two 3 min bouts (ST(1) and ST(2)) separated by 10 min rest. P(O2,m) responses were analysed using an exponential + time delay (TD) model. There was no significant difference in baseline and DeltaP(O2,m) between ST(1) and ST(2) (28.5 +/- 2.6 vs. 27.9 +/- 2.4 mmHg, and 13.9 +/- 1.8 vs. 14.1 +/- 1.3 mmHg, respectively). The TD was reduced significantly in the second contraction bout (ST(1), 12.2 +/- 1.9; ST(2), 5.7 +/- 2.2 s, P < 0.05), whereas the time constant of the exponential P(O2,m) decrease was unchanged (ST(1), 16.3 +/- 2.6; ST(2), 17.6 +/- 2.7 s, P > 0.1). The shortened TD found in ST(2) led to a reduced time to reach 63 % of the final response of ST(2) compared to ST(1) (ST(1), 28.3 +/- 3.0; ST(2), 20.2 +/- 1.8 s, P < 0.05). The speeding of the overall response in the absence of an elevated P(O2,m) baseline (which had it occurred would indicate an elevated.Q(O2)/.V(O2) or muscle blood flow suggests that some intracellular process(es) (e.g. more rapid increase in oxidative phosphorylation) may be responsible for the increased speed of P(O2,m) kinetics after prior contractions under these conditions.

Animals↗
PubMed1989

Hospitals should insist on contracted price even when delivery is after contract expires.

The hospital had a written annual contract with a supplier for designated goods at set prices to be shipped upon order of the buyer. These orders were generally made by telephone and later confirmed by a purchase order. Near the end of the year, goods were ordered against the contract by telephone and confirmed by a purchase order. The goods were shipped by the supplier after the contract expiration date and billed by a revised price schedule. In this dialogue, Dr. Decker discusses the legal issues arising from this situation.

Contract Services↗
PubMed1988

Managed care contracts. A primer on how to analyze contracts and avoid the traps: Part 2.

Because many business entities are attempting to increase their control over medical practice, physicians must take extreme care in reading proposed amendments to managed care contracts. Beware of vague language concerning utilization review; contracts that require you to passively accept future contract modifications; innocuous language that may endow the medical director with excessive authority; and unacceptable regulations concerning medical, financial, and administrative records. The author suggests counterproposals that are fair to both business entities and participating physicians. He further recommends maintaining an ongoing discussion between both parties in order to further chances for success.

Contract Services↗
PubMed1976

Length as a factor in excitation-contraction coupling in heart muscle: an investigation of mechanical transients in strontium-mediated contractions.

Sr-mediated contractions have been used to provide an analogue of the normal twitch contraction but with a plateau phase of steady-state activity. An abrupt change of load during the plateau induced an isotonic oscillatory response whose frequency was generally related to the length at which it occurred but could be independently increased by adrenaline or caffeine. The response was not specific for Sr, being seen also in Sr- or Ca-activated K-contractures. The isotonic oscillatory response was less damped than the corresponding isometric transient, and spontaneous isotonic oscillation often occurred following the initial shortening phase, suggesting that the change in length rather than the change in load was the causal perturbation. In cat but not frog preparations a second slower oscillation, also influenced by adrenaline, could be induced. Analysis of velocity--length relations indicates that the isotonic oscillations observed during the plateau phase are analogous to the velocity transients previously described in twitch contractions, but then only in three states characterized implicitly by a relatively poor capacity for internal sequestration. These findings provide evidence that length influences the level of activation of the contractile proteins during shortening in heart muscle, probably through changing Sr/Ca availability.

Animals↗
PubMed1991

Furrow-related contractions are inhibited but furrow-unrelated contractions are not affected in af mutant eggs of Xenopus laevis.

In embryos from af mutant females of Xenopus laevis, the cleavage furrows stayed on the surface and cytoplasmic divisions did not take place at all, while nuclear divisions continued (Kubota et al., 1991). To gain insights into the roles of the normal product of af on early development, contractile events which have been observed in the period from fertilization until first cleavage in wild-type eggs were examined in af mutant eggs. Activation waves, activation contraction, and surface contraction waves which were identical to those in wild-type eggs were observed in af eggs by time-lapse video recording. However, second polar body elimination was inhibited in af eggs, although a sign of the polar body formation was indicated by the cytoplasmic bulge of the egg surface as seen by light and electron microscopy. These results indicate that the normal product of af regulates furrow-related contractile events which involve formation of the contractile ring, but exerts no effects on furrow-unrelated contractions in early Xenopus eggs.

Animals↗
PubMed1977

Oscillating contractions in protoplasmic strands of Physarum: effects of external Ca++-depletion and Ca++-antagonistic drugs on intrinsic contraction automaticity.

1. The minimal requirement of external Ca-concentration for continuance of contraction activity lies in the range of 10(-4) M. 2. As in mammalian smooth muscle, the Ca antagonistic drugs verapamil and D 600 (5.10(-4) M) suppress the minute-rhythms. The action of the drugs is inhibited by 5mM Ca, La or Mn. De novo generation of contraction automaticity is not inhibited by external Ca depletion or by Ca antagonists. 3. It is concluded that rhythmical Ca fluxes across the cortical plasmalemma are not a precondition for triggering continuance or de novo generation of contraction automaticity.

Calcium↗
PubMed2004

Hirudin (desulfated, 54-65) contracts canine coronary arteries: extracellular calcium influx mediates hirudin-induced contractions.

OBJECTIVE: Although the anticoagulatory properties of hirudin are well known, its direct vasoactive effects have not been investigated extensively. Hirudin stimulates nitric oxide and prostacyclin production in noncoronary vascular beds, but its actions on coronary arteries are unknown. MATERIALS AND METHODS: Five-millimeter segments of canine left circumflex coronary arteries were obtained for organ chamber experiments. Some segments were denuded of endothelium before study. Segments were exposed to hirudin (10(-10)-10(-6) mol/L) following precontraction with prostaglandin F(2alpha) with or without pretreatment with indomethacin or calcium channel blockers (verapamil and nifedipine). RESULTS: Hirudin stimulated endothelium-independent contraction in coronary arterial segments. Maximum tension (hirudin 10(-6) mol/L) above precontraction baseline was 33.6 +/- 9.0% (n = 10, P < 0.05) for endothelium-intact and 31.8 +/- 11.5% (n = 8, P < 0.05) for endothelium-denuded arterial segments. Differences between endothelium-intact and endothelium-denuded segments were not significant. Contractile responses to hirudin were unaffected by the presence of indomethacin. Pretreatment with either verapamil or nifedipine (10(-4) mol/L) for 1 h attenuated these contractions. The maximal increase in tension above baseline (hirudin 10(-6) mol/L) for verapamil and nifedipine was only 6.2 +/- 12.4 and 3.8 +/- 7.0% (n = 6, P < 0.05 versus endothelium-intact control), respectively. CONCLUSIONS: Hirudin stimulates endothelium-independent contractions of canine coronary arteries in vitro. Pretreatment with calcium channel blockers attenuates this response, suggesting that extracellular influx of calcium has an important mechanistic role in hirudin-mediated coronary artery constriction.

Animals↗
PubMed2005

Contracted basis sets for density functional calculations: segmented versus general contraction.

The differences between segmented and general contracted basis sets of double and triple zeta quality are analyzed for first and second row elements. Based on coverage of the exponent space and the performance for molecular properties, it is shown that a segmented contraction requires duplication of one primitive function compared to a general contraction for double zeta type basis sets. For triple zeta basis sets, segmentation necessitates either addition of one primitive function and expanding to a quadruple valence space, or addition of two primitive functions. For molecular properties depending on the valence orbitals, such as atomization energies, equilibrium distances, and vibrational frequencies, some of the inner functions describing the core orbitals can be removed without significantly affecting the accuracy. Several of the popular basis sets in common use correspond to such core-pruned basis sets.

Journal Article↗
PubMed1989

Topical growth factors and wound contraction in the rat: Part II. Platelet-derived growth factor and wound contraction in normal and steroid-impaired rats.

The wound contraction model described in Part I was used to study topically applied, recombinant platelet-derived growth factor (rPDGF-BB) and wound contraction in normal and steroid-impaired rats. Circular wounds 4 cm in size were made on the dorsum of the rats with halothane anesthesia. Five groups of 20 normal rats each were treated with the vehicle alone and four concentrations of rPDGF-BB (0.5, 1.0, 3.0, and 10.0 micrograms/ml). Four groups of 20 steroid-impaired rats each were treated with the vehicle alone and three concentrations of rPDGF-BB (0.5, 1.0, and 3.0 micrograms/ml). The wounds were dressed with 2 x 2 gauze, Adaptic, 4 x 4 gauze, and Tubigrip. The investigators were blinded to the treatments until the completion of the experiment, and the treatments were applied in random order. Dressings were changed every 2 to 3 days for 14 days and the wound areas were determined, expressed as a fraction of the original, and plotted versus time. The areas under the curves and the means of the fraction open each day were compared between groups using Student's t-test. The treatment with 3.0-micrograms/ml rPDGF-BB accelerated the rate of wound contraction in the steroid-impaired animals (p less than 0.05).

Administration, Topical↗
PubMed1982

Visible light-cured composite resins: polymerization contraction, contraction pattern and hygroscopic expansion.

The wall-to-wall polymerization contraction and hygroscopic expansion of Durafill, Heliosit, Silux and Visio-Dispers were examined in dentin cavities in extracted human teeth. The linear shrinkage varied from 0.24% to 0.63% and only two of the tested materials were able to close the marginal gap owing to water absorption. The gaps were nearly always broadest in the apical part of the filings. Measurements of the marginal gaps were made at different levels between 100 and 1200 microns below the free surface of the fillings and the wall-to-wall polymerization contraction was found to increase markedly from the level of 100 microns down to 800 microns. The contraction pattern of the four light-cured resins differed significantly from the one found in a chemically-cured material.

Absorption↗
PubMed1985

Wound contraction. Correlations between the tension generated by granulation tissue, cellular content and rate of contraction.

The tension generated in vitro by samples of granulation tissue taken from wounds at various times after wounding has been measured. Throughout the period when in vivo contraction was occurring with a constant linear rate of movement of the wound margins the in vitro tension produced by samples of the granulation tissue remained constant at approximately 80 mg/mm2. With cessation of contraction in vivo, the tension generated by the granulation tissue fell to 40 mg/mm2. Morphometric studies demonstrated that total cellularity paralleled the tension developed. However, the decrease in cellularity preceded by approximately 4 d the decrease in the tension developed. Strong correlation between the rate of contraction and the maximum thickness of the granulation tissue was demonstrated.

Animals↗