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A Coyne

Publications and source records attributed to A Coyne.

12 recordsLinked to original sources
PubMed2002

Should patients who assault staff be prosecuted?

This article discusses the issue of prosecution of mentally disordered patients particularly in relation to assaults or acts of violence in health care settings. The arguments for prosecuting those responsible for committing acts of dangerous behaviour are discussed, as are the arguments against prosecution and some of the possible reasons why this is a contentious area of discussion. There are significant risks to the integrity of mental health services if the consideration of prosecution as a strategy to reduce risk of violence in hospitals does not become an area of meaningful discussion at all levels. The risk of violence is real, but the risks of accepting it without taking measures to reduce the frequency or severity of violence is no less acceptable than accepting that burglary is inevitable and leaving one's front door ajar every day. Health care professionals may wish to consider that in the absence of a clinically based solution or ownership of the problem, the risk of an organizational response to this sensitive area, perhaps guided or driven by political concerns is likely, as has happened in areas such as risk assessment, treatability and compliance with treatment.

Hospitalization↗
PubMed1999

Partial characterization of apoptotic factor in Alzheimer plasma.

We have previously demonstrated that a plasma natriuretic factor is present in Alzheimer's disease (AD), but not in multi-infarct dementia (MID) or normal controls (C). We postulated that the natriuretic factor might induce the increased cytosolic calcium reported in AD by inhibiting the sodium-calcium antiporter, thereby activating the apoptotic pathway. To test for a factor in AD plasma that induces apoptosis, we exposed nonconfluent cultured LLC-PK1 cells to plasma from AD, MID, and C for 2 h and performed a terminal transferase-dUTP-nick-end labeling (TUNEL) assay. The plasma from AD increased apoptosis nearly fourfold compared with MID and C. The effect was dose dependent and the peak effect was attained after a 2-h exposure. Additionally, apoptotic morphology was detected by electron microscopy, and internucleosomal DNA cleavage was found. We inhibited apoptosis by removing calcium from the medium, inhibiting protein synthesis with cycloheximide, alternately boiling or freezing and thawing the plasma, and digesting a partially purified fraction with trypsin. Heating AD plasma to 56 degrees C did not deactivate the apoptotic factor. These results demonstrate the presence of an apoptotic factor in the plasma of patients with AD.

Alzheimer Disease↗
PubMed1993

The effects of resistance strategies on rape.

This investigation sought to clarify which resistance strategies were associated with rape avoidance and at what cost. Data were gathered from initial and supplemental police reports about 150 sexual assault victims, ages 16 and older, who were assaulted between June 1, 1988, and May 31, 1989, in Omaha, Neb. Although this analysis could not determine causality, it did indicate that forceful verbal resistance, physical resistance, and fleeing were all associated with rape avoidance, whereas nonforceful verbal resistance and no resistance were associated with being raped. Further, women who used forceful resistance were no more likely to be injured than women who did not resist.

Adolescent↗
PubMed1988

Prenatal testing for Duchenne and Becker muscular dystrophy.

DNA studies were undertaken following 53 requests from pregnant women at risk for Duchenne and Becker muscular dystrophy, including 32 in whom there was only 1 affected individual in the family (sporadic cases). The DNA restriction fragment length polymorphisms were informative in 51 of the 53 cases. In 10 of 25 pregnancies with male fetuses the risk to the fetus was reduced to 5% or less. Referral of possible carriers before onset of pregnancy is strongly advisable on both medical and economic grounds. The banking of DNA from affected individuals for future use in the estimation of risks to their relatives should be encouraged.

Carrier State↗
PubMed1984

Age and sex differences in somatic complaints associated with depression.

Following the procedure used by Zemore and Eames (1979) with the Beck Depression Inventory, the 20 items of the Zung Self-Rating Depression Scale were categorized as either somatic or psychological symptoms of depression. Scores of 179 college students and 462 community-dwelling older adults revealed significant, though small, age differences in somatic complaints. Somatic complaints were especially prominent in older women. Age differences in psychological symptoms of depression were not significant. Diagnosis of depression in later life, especially in women, may be confounded by the use of physical symptoms of depression that are comparable to physical changes that accompany the aging process.

Adolescent↗
PubMedDate not supplied

Developmentally disabled children can be adopted.

People have often thought that developmentally disabled children were hard to place and poor risks in adoption. However, this research shows that a large number of children of all ages and disabilities were placed for adoption with few disruptions. In light of these findings, agencies may well put more effort into identifying developmentally disabled children as suitable candidates for adoption services.

Adolescent↗
PubMedDate not supplied

Relationship between foster care and adoption units serving developmentally disabled children.

There were few differences between developmentally disabled foster children and those who were adopted. The foster children as a group were slightly older and more likely to have intact biological families who continued to maintain contact with them. More differences were found in the agencies' structures and practices. The major problem areas identified during the site visits appeared to be within the child welfare system itself, specifically at the interface between foster care and adoption. Bridging mechanisms were needed between units to temper the differences in perception, values, role expectations, and decision-making criteria used by the specialized staffs. When bridging mechanisms were in place, specialization of function was related to increased effectiveness in placing developmentally disabled children for adoption.

Adolescent↗