Biomedical subjects

B Giles

Publications and source records attributed to B Giles.

9 recordsLinked to original sources

PubMed2006

Patients with dementia and their carers in general practice.

In 2004, 6.5% of Australians over 65 years of age were estimated to have dementia and the prevalence of dementia is rising as a result of our aging population. There is evidence to show that carer wellbeing is important for the wellbeing of the patient. Increasing burden of care may lead to depression, anxiety, and more frequent physical illness in the carer, and earlier institutionalisation of patients. The general practitioner's role includes recognising early dementia, undertaking assessments to confirm the diagnosis, managing the disease, health promotion and support for both patient and carer, and follow up. We initiated a project to explore the extent to which GPs currently fulfill this role for patients with dementia still living in the community (rather than in hostels or nursing homes).

Aged↗

PubMed2001

Case work guidelines and interpretation of short tandem repeat complex mixture analysis.

Interpretation guidelines for short tandem repeat casework analysis are difficult to construct. As soon as a set of guidelines are developed, a new case evolves that does not fit the painstakingly written document. The casework analysts gather and amend the guidelines again, and again. This article seeks to demonstrate that general guidelines can be set and written such that it can be used for any detection format. Guidelines published by the Scientific Working Group for DNA Analysis Methods, a working group of DNA forensic experts in the United States, are used to set the format for the written protocol on interpretations. The rule "the interpretation of results in casework is a matter of professional judgment and expertise. Not every situation can or should be covered by a preset rule" is stressed. Development of minimum and maximum threshold values, heterozygote ratios, stochastic limits, and determination of major and minor components based on validation studies is discussed. The paper travels through setting criteria to evaluate internal lane standards and amplification controls. It continues with establishing ranges for interpretation and defining true alleles versus anomalies. Examples of a variety of profiles are given and the potential interpretation, using signal intensities and genetics. In addition, report writing strategies and wording routinely used by the Pennsylvania State Police DNA Laboratory System are given.

Alleles↗

PubMed1997

Recovery times from subarachnoid blocks using bupivacaine hydrochloride and tetracaine hydrochloride with and without epinephrine.

This retrospective study examined the length of time patients spent in the postanesthesia care unit (PACU) recovering from a subarachnoid block with either bupivacaine hydrochloride or tetracaine hydrochloride with and without epinephrine after total knee replacement surgery or total hip replacement surgery. One hundred subjects' charts were reviewed with 50 subjects receiving a subarachnoid block with bupivacaine (25 had epinephrine added to the bupivacaine) and 50 subjects receiving a subarachnoid block with tetracaine (25 had epinephrine added to the tetracaine). There were no statistical differences among the groups with respect to age, height, weight, dose of local anesthetic, and length of surgical procedure. Patient who received tetracaine stayed longer in the PACU (64.44 minutes) and took longer to bend their knees (73.17 minutes), flex their hips (99.65 minutes), and have return of sensation (68.88 minutes), compared to those who had received bupivacaine (P < .05). When epinephrine was added to the local anesthetic, it prolonged the time until the return of knee flexion, hip flexion, and sensation by 66.82, 87.65, and 76.77 minutes respectively (P < .05).

Anesthetics, Local↗

PubMed1997

Tumor necrosis factor-alpha gene polymorphism in psoriasis.

Psoriasis, an inflammatory autoimmune disease, is characterized by increased level and activity of the proinflammatory cytokine TNF-alpha in affected lesions. Two promoter region polymorphisms of the TNF-alpha locus--one at position -308 and the other at -238--were examined in 99 Caucasian patients (64 with type I and 35 with type II psoriasis) and in 123 controls. A highly significant difference in the distribution of the -238 polymorphism--the TNF (G,A) genotypes--was detected between the type I psoriasis patients and controls: compared to the controls, the frequency of the homozygous TNF-G genotype was decreased (55 vs. 91%; p = 0.0000000274; corrected p = 0.0000001644; odds ratio = 0.12), whereas that of TNF-G,A heterozygotes was increased (41 vs. 8%; p = 0.000000264; corrected p = 0.000001584; odds ratio = 7.73) in patients. No significant differences were observed in the distribution of the TNF-A homozygotes. These results suggest that homozygosity of the G allele is associated with a lower relative risk (resistance), whereas heterozygosity at this locus is associated with an increased risk (susceptibility) of type I psoriasis.

Humans↗

PubMed1993

Facilitation for demonstration practice grant holders.

Our results indicate that most demonstration practice grant holders in South Australia and the Northern Territory accept and regularly access facilitator services. Grant holders had little experience with granting body procedures and most frequently discussed administrative matters regarding their individual projects with the facilitator. Concerns about project progress and evaluation issues were other popular topics discussed during grant holder facilitator interactions. The present study did not seek to measure the impact of facilitation on the success of projects. A further study should be undertaken to examine the efficacy and effectiveness of facilitation on project outcome.

Family Practice↗

PubMed1990

Reproducibility of isokinetic muscle strength measurements in normal and arthritic individuals.

The serial reproducibility of an individual's isokinetic torque was assessed in order to establish a reliable baseline value for future comparison. Thirty-two controls and twenty arthritic patients were tested for their peak isokinetic torque on knee flexion and extension and hip flexion at three velocities on five occasions, at fortnightly intervals. The first test was found to provide a reliable baseline for controls and subjects who could generate a peak torque of 54 Newton meters (Nm) or more. The second test was found to be more representative of the series for groups containing weaker subjects. Variation related to torque: for subjects who generate a peak torque of 54 Nm or more, a range of +/- 20% accommodates the variability of 95% of tests. We conclude that a +/- 20% range applied to either the first or second test, depending on the nature of the group to be studied, serves as a representative baseline value.

Aged↗

PubMed1977

Radiation induced osteogenic sarcoma in the rat as a model of hormone-responsive differentiated cancer.

An osteogenic sarcoma was induced in an inbred strain of the Sprague Dawley rat using seven serial injections of 32P-orthophosphate. The tumor was maintained by transplantation over a 3-year period in the same inbred strain. During this time it retained its bone-like differentiation. Tumor membranes and freshly isolated tumor cells also retained responsiveness to parathyroid hormone and to prostaglandins of adenylate cyclase and cyclic nucleotide formation respectively. The potencies of these agents and their analogues and metabolites were found to be proportional to their efficacies as bone resorbing agents. Thus, the tumor was shown to be a model for the study of hormone-responsiveness for tumor growth and differentiation, and also of the effects of agonists which act on bone-like cells.

Adenylyl Cyclases↗

PubMed1975

On the chemical basis of chromosome banding patterns.

A comparative study of the staining characteristics of four reagents for human chromosomes has been carried out. The four reagents are: (I) quinacrine mustard, as an alkylating agent, (II) the dihydroxy derivative of quinacrine mustard, (III) quinacrine, and (IV) 9-amino-6-chloro-2-methoxyacridine. The last reagent does not possess the amino substituted side chain even though it has the same intercalating nucleus. Comparison of the first three compounds in their staining and banding behavior suggested the initial step leading to banding may be the displacement of the nucleoprotein sites in hcromosomes. The Q and G banding could be blocked experimentally by treating the chromosome preparation with dimethylamine solution. This result may suggest that these sites have weaker basic proteins (nonhistone proteins?). The use of compound IV, which does not have the side chain in the molecule but does have the same intercalating chromophore, did not lead to banding and gives indirect support to this hypothesis. A combined use of compound IV and quinacrine may be useful for the determination of total DNA vs. banding DNA.

Acridines↗

PubMedDate not supplied

Development and implementation of an instrument measuring CNCs' activities.

This report describes the development and introduction of a 'Clinical Nurse Consultant Activity Report' for use within the nursing division at a major metropolitan teaching hospital. The project involved the designing of an appropriate reporting format and definitions that could encompass all clinical nurse consultants' professional activities. Following the Report's development, an intensive education program was conducted, the Report was successfully trialled and evaluated and some minor modifications were made.

Humans↗