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Biomedical subjects

B Hartman

Publications and source records attributed to B Hartman.

At least 19 recordsLinked to original sources
PubMed1999

Boosting social support in caregivers of children with HIV/AIDS.

Providing care for a child that is infected with human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) is challenging for the child's caregiver and affects the entire family system. Research has demonstrated that social support has the potential to buffer caregiver stress and facilitate caregiver coping. A two-group experimental study was implemented to test the effect of a social support boosting intervention on caregiver stress, coping and social support among caregivers of children with HIV/acquired immune deficiency syndrome (AIDS). The subjects in the study were caregivers of children with HIV/AIDS. The sample strata included seropositive caregivers (biological parents) and seronegative caregivers (foster parents and extended family members). The measures for the study included the Derogatis Stress Profile, The Family Crisis Oriented Personal Evaluation Scale, and the Tilden Interpersonal Relationship Inventory. These data were then analyzed descriptively and then with a repeated measure MANOVA. Initially, there were no statistically significant differences found between the control and intervention groups. However, when subject HIV status was included in the analysis, the combined dependent variables of stress, coping, and social support were significantly related to the interactions of group by HIV status over time. F values were then computed and no statistically significant differences were found for stress or coping. There were, however, significant differences in measures of social support between groups when adjusting for HIV status of caregivers. In this study, social support levels over time for seronegative caregivers were significantly different from those of seronegative caregivers in the control group. Three case studies are presented that illustrate differences between seronegative and seropositive caregivers. The case studies describe the problems identified by caregivers and the effectiveness of problem solving using the social support boosting intervention. Finally, the mobilization of social support is discussed. Contrasts between the problems of caregivers are made relative to their HIV status. The potential for the effectiveness of the social support boosting intervention is discussed within the context of the caregiver's HIV status.

Adaptation, Psychological↗
PubMed1998

Recombinant E1-deleted adenovirus-mediated gene therapy for cancer: efficacy studies with p53 tumor suppressor gene and liver histology in tumor xenograft models.

Type 5 adenoviral (Ad) vectors have been the "vector-of-choice" for preclinical studies on p53 tumor suppressor gene therapy of cancer. Previous studies have examined the in vivo efficacy of p53 Ad when given intratumorally. However published information does little to guide clinicians in the design of intraperitoneal (i.p.) dosing trials for i.p. tumors, e.g., ovarian, or clinical trials using regional organ perfusion, e.g., for lung tumors. Therefore, we examined several parameters with special significance for these routes of administration. Lung metastases from p53mut MDA-MB-231 mammary xenografts were treated with therapeutic levels of intravenous buffer, beta-galactosidase (beta-Gal) Ad, or p53 Ad. Treatment with intravenous p53 Ad significantly reduced the number of metastases per lung and there was a dramatic reduction in the surface area occupied by these tumors as compared to control groups. Two types of i.p. tumor xenografts were used for preclinical modeling of i.p. gene therapy, the p53null SK-OV-3 ovarian and the p53mut DU-145 prostate human cancers. In a study examining the effect of different vehicle volumes on the efficacy of a constant drug dose, all mice treated with p53 Ad had reduced tumor burden compared to controls. Dosing volumes between 0.2 and 1 ml were equally effective and all were more effective than a dosing volume of 0.1 ml. However, reduced efficacy was observed when a volume of 1.5 ml was used. When the effect of dosing frequency on antitumor efficacy was examined, fractionated doses of p53 Ad had somewhat greater efficacy than fewer, bolus injections. One of the significant elements in the emerging toxicology associated with recombinant adenoviruses is the hepatocyte pathology caused by high systemic concentrations of adenovirus. For recombinant Ad used in this study, there was a pronounced dose-dependence for the liver response, with very high, repeated doses causing significant hepatocellular insult. Expression of cytoplasmic beta-Gal protein coincided with areas of greatest damage in mice treated with high doses of beta-Gal Ad. Ultrastructural examination of hepatocyte intranuclear inclusions revealed moderately electron-dense, tightly packed granular material interspersed with more electron-dense nuclear material. Human tumor xenografts, but not mouse tissues, expressed viral hexon protein. In summary, hepatic toxicity caused by high concentrations of recombinant adenovirus was observed in murine cancer models. However, therapeutic levels of p53 Ad could be achieved which had dramatic efficacy without significant pathology.

Adenoviridae↗
PubMed1997

Purkinje cell expression of a mutant allele of SCA1 in transgenic mice leads to disparate effects on motor behaviors, followed by a progressive cerebellar dysfunction and histological alterations.

Spinocerebellar ataxia type 1 (SCA1) is an autosomal dominant neurological disorder caused by the expansion of a CAG repeat encoding a polyglutamine tract. Work presented here describes the behavioral and neuropathological course seen in mutant SCA1 transgenic mice. Behavioral tests indicate that at 5 weeks of age mutant mice have an impaired performance on the rotating rod in the absence of deficits in balance and coordination. In contrast, these mutant SCA1 mice have an increased initial exploratory behavior. Thus, expression of the mutant SCA1 allele within cerebellar Purkinje cells has divergent effects on the motor behavior of juvenile animals: a compromise of rotating rod performance and a simultaneous enhancement of initial exploratory activity. With age, these animals develop incoordination with concomitant progressive Purkinje neuron dendritic and somatic atrophy but relatively little cell loss. Therefore, the eventual development of ataxia caused by the expression of a mutant SCA1 allele is not the result of cell death per se, but the result of cellular dysfunction and morphological alterations that occur before neuronal demise.

Alleles↗
PubMed1993

Perceiving the affordance of contact in four- and five-month-old infants.

The focus of this study was on the ability of infants to perceive whether an object is positioned at a distance that would make contact possible. As a toy was presented, sometimes within and sometimes beyond reach, the initiation of reaching and leaning forward was scored. Infants were divided into leaning and nonleaning groups. Both leaning and nonleaning 5-month-olds changed their behavior dramatically when the object was placed beyond, as opposed to within, reach. The nonleaners showed a decline in reaching when this boundary for contact was crossed. The "leaners" did not; rather, they began to lean forward. These results suggest that 5-month-olds use information for the affordance of contact. 4-month-olds provided less evidence that arm length regulates reaching. 5-month-old infants acted as if they not only had some sensitivity to the absolute distance of an object but also to the effect that leaning forward has on their ability to make contact with a distant object.

Cognition↗
PubMed1993

Observations on in situ degradation of forage cell components in alfalfa and Italian ryegrass.

The rate and extent of degradation of forage feed fractions contained in alfalfa and Italian ryegrass hays were determined. Nylon bags filled with 4 g of each forage were suspended in the rumen of two cannulated cows immediately before feeding and incubated for 10 different times (0, 2, 4, 8, 12, 24, 48, 72, 120, and 168 h). The alfalfa hay, which had lower NDF, showed a lower extent, but a higher rate, of NDF degradation than the Italian ryegrass (41.1 vs. 59.8% and 4.64 vs. 2.91%/h, respectively). Alfalfa cell walls were degraded more rapidly than Italian ryegrass even though their lignin content was higher. The hemicellulose fermentation of alfalfa showed a longer lag time (13 h) and an undegradable fraction nearly twice that for Italian ryegrass (63.3 vs. 37.1%). Cellulose from alfalfa was degraded at a higher rate than NDF or ADF, indicating that cellulose may be the primary site of hydrolysis of the cell wall in the rumen. Calculations based on in situ degradability indicate that alfalfa can have a higher inclusion than Italian ryegrass in diets for dairy cows because of lower NDF and greater availability of cell contents.

Animal Feed↗
PubMed1993

Effective action by infants to contact objects by reaching and leaning.

The ability of infants aged 8-12 months to coordinate their arm and trunk movements to contact an object located in different positions was investigated in 2 experiments. In the first, 8- and 10-month-old infants reached for near objects but both reached and leaned for more distant ones indicating that they perceived that forward leaning extends the range of contact beyond that of reaching alone. In addition, arm and trunk movements were initiated simultaneously; visual information concerning object distance was sufficient to activate an integrated reaching-and-leaning response. Object distances were increased and a mechanical aid was provided on half the trials in the second experiment with 10- and 12-month-old infants. For both age groups the degree of leaning was reduced for objects that were out of reach without the aid. Only older infants were able to use the aid to extend partially their range of contact. Overall the results support the conclusions that, by at least 8 months, infants perceive that leaning extends their effective reaching space; by 10 months they perceive the limits within which reaching together with leaning is likely to be effective; and by 12 months they begin to perceive how this space may be extended by a mechanical aid.

Child Development↗
PubMed1990

Static and kinetic perimetry results of krypton red laser treatment for macular edema complicating branch vein occlusion.

Twenty patients with clinical and angiographic evidence of recent branch vein occlusion complicated by macular edema were assigned to receive krypton red laser treatment if their macular edema lasted more than three months. Visual acuity, static and kinetic perimetry, fundus photography, and fluorescein angiography were evaluated before treatment and at two-month intervals thereafter. Visual acuity improved by two lines one year after treatment in 65% of patients. Each of these patients had a complete perifoveal capillary arcade. Static perimetry results correlated well with visual acuity, and a significant threshold improvement was detected in these patients. Visual-acuity results and static and kinetic perimetry findings are presented. The rationale for selection of the krypton red wavelength (647 nm) is discussed.

Aged↗
PubMed1989

[VIth nerve palsy associated with ipsilateral Horner's pupil].

A rare syndrome which includes VIth nerve palsy associated with ipsilateral Horner's pupil was foreseen by Parkinson and Johnston in the mid-seventies. They anticipated the occurrence of this syndrome on the basis of the unique anatomical relationships discovered by them in the cavernous sinus. The main finding consisted of very close proximity between the VIth nerve and a branch emerging from the carotid sympathetic plexus. Recently, several reports of this syndrome caused by a variety of pathologic processes in the cavernous sinus, proved that Parkinson and Johnston were correct. Since it is quite difficult to identify lesions in the cavernous sinus by X-ray or CT scan, the neuroradiologist should utilize special techniques. It is expected that the number of cases of this syndrome will soon increase, due to increasing familiarity with the syndrome and to improved imaging techniques.

Abducens Nerve↗
PubMed1989

Symmetric and asymmetric manual materials handling. Part 1: Physiology and psychophysics.

To study the physiological and psychophysical costs of symmetric and asymmetric manual materials handling, two tasks were performed by 30 industrial subjects. In both tasks, box weight and handle position were varied. The symmetric task, lifting and lowering between floor and conveyor, showed handles to be beneficial. The asymmetric task was palletizing and depalletizing 36 boxes between a pallet and a conveyor. Both palletizing and depalletizing proved strenuous for females with heart rates exceeding 140b/min. All handle positions were better than No Handles, but the best handle position changed from asymmetric for 9 kg boxes to symmetric for 13 kg boxes. The effect of handles was equivalent to a weight change of 1-2 kg for Heart Rate and Rated Perceived Exertion, but much higher (2-14 kg) for Body Part Discomfort measures.

Adult↗
PubMed1989

Symmetric and asymmetric manual materials handling, Part 2: Biomechanics.

Earlier studies of the biomechanics of handle placement and angles on boxes in Manual Materials Handling have been limited to sagittally symmetric tasks. This study extends the results to a palletization/depalletization task with considerable asymmetric movement. Part 2 shows how body posture, hand/handle interface, and disc compressive force change in this asymmetric task. The results were not too different from the earlier studies of symmetric tasks, except that a 'traditional' handle position in the upper part of each lateral face (the 2/2 position) proved more effective than had been anticipated.

Adult↗
PubMed1986

Placental-like alkaline phosphatase. Re-evaluation of the tumor marker with exclusion of smokers.

This report demonstrates that smoking is a major factor of nonspecific elevation of the tumor marker placental-like alkaline phosphatase (PLAP). In 98 healthy nonsmokers the mean of the enzyme activity was determined as 0.068 U/L (range, +/- 2 SD 0-0.144 U/L) compared to a mean of 0.378 U/L (range, +/- 2 SD 0-1.02 U/L) in 65 smokers. In view of this finding the usefulness of PLAP as a tumor marker was re-evaluated in 286 patients with various neoplasms and a negative smoking history. Of these patients, 23% and 50% had elevated values for PLAP and carcinoembryonic antigen, respectively. When compared to the range of PLAP in normal smokers only 4.1% of the patients showed elevated values. An increased incidence of elevated PLAP was found in patients with tumors of the lung, pancreas, stomach, colon/rectum, ovaries, and in 2 of 3 seminomas. It was concluded from the data that PLAP is a useful tumor marker for selected neoplasms provided its use is confined to nonsmokers.

Abdominal Neoplasms↗
PubMed1986

Morphometric analysis of dysplasia in cervical cone biopsy specimens in cases with false-negative cytology.

Conization specimens with a histologic diagnosis of cervical intraepithelial neoplasia III were reviewed with respect to cytology findings in the three months preceding conization. In 29% of the cases, one or more false-negative cytology reports preceded conization. No dysplastic cells were found on review of the false-negative cytology slides from these cases. Morphometric analysis of surface dysplasia in the conization specimens was performed to explain these findings. A statistically significantly greater surface area of dysplasia and greater spread of dysplastic cells in the endocervical canal was found in the positive cytology when compared to the false-negative cytology cases. No difference in vaginal spread of dysplasia existed between the two groups. The endocervical canal was sampled with a moist cotton swab in all of the cases. The results suggest that small numbers of dysplastic cells high in the endocervical canal may not be effectively sampled by cotton swabs in cases of false-negative cervical cytology, lowering screening sensitivity.

Adult↗
PubMed1985

Pneumocystis carinii pneumonia in the acquired immunodeficiency syndrome (AIDS). Diagnosis with bronchial brushings, biopsy, and bronchoalveolar lavage.

Sixty-one diagnostic biopsies for Pneumocystis carinii pneumonia were performed on 40 homosexual male patients with acquired immunodeficiency syndrome (AIDS), using flexible fiberoptic bronchoscopy. Bronchial brushings and bronchoalveolar lavage were performed in conjunction with the biopsy in 58 and 29 bronchoscopies, respectively. Using a rapid methenamine silver stain, P carinii pneumonia was diagnosed in 27 (68 percent) of the patients. Twenty of these patients had a repeat biopsy one or more times for evaluation of therapy. Eighteen of the biopsies following two to three weeks of therapy were positive. There was an 84 percent correlation between findings on transbronchial brushing and biopsy (89 percent on initial biopsy before treatment) and an 86 percent correlation between bronchoalveolar lavage and biopsy. Additionally, transbronchial brushing permitted demonstration of Pneumocystis organisms in four follow-up bronchoscopies in which the biopsy was negative or inadequate. Rapid methenamine silver stain of transbronchial brushings permits diagnosis of P carinii pneumonia in patients with AIDS within one-half hour of bronchoscopy.

Acquired Immunodeficiency Syndrome↗
PubMed1984

Identification of catecholamine cell bodies in the pons and pons-mesencephalon junction of the cat brain, using tyrosine hydroxylase and dopamine-beta-hydroxylase immunohistochemistry.

Using a double labeling immunohistochemical method with antibodies to tyrosine hydroxylase and dopamine-beta-hydroxylase, we reexamined the topographical distribution of dopaminergic (DA) and noradrenergic (NA) cells in the pons-mesencephalon junction of the cat. Besides DA cells of SN and its extensions, DA cells were also observed more caudally in nucleus raphe linearis intermedius and dorsalis, decussation of brachium conjunctivum, fasciculus longitudinalis medialis and periaqueductal gray. In nucleus locus coeruleus, cells exhibited variable levels of DBH, but dopaminergic cells were not evidenced in this structure.

Animals↗