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Biomedical subjects

B Wilde

Publications and source records attributed to B Wilde.

14 recordsLinked to original sources
PubMed2006

Thin-foil magnetic force system for high-numerical-aperture microscopy.

Forces play a key role in a wide range of biological phenomena from single-protein conformational dynamics to transcription and cell division, to name a few. The majority of existing microbiological force application methods can be divided into two categories: those that can apply relatively high forces through the use of a physical connection to a probe and those that apply smaller forces with a detached probe. Existing magnetic manipulators utilizing high fields and high field gradients have been able to reduce this gap in maximum applicable force, but the size of such devices has limited their use in applications where high force and high-numerical-aperture (NA) microscopy must be combined. We have developed a magnetic manipulation system that is capable of applying forces in excess of 700 pN on a 1 mum paramagnetic particle and 13 nN on a 4.5 mum paramagnetic particle, forces over the full 4pi sr, and a bandwidth in excess of 3 kHz while remaining compatible with a commercially available high-NA microscope objective. Our system design separates the pole tips from the flux coils so that the magnetic-field geometry at the sample is determined by removable thin-foil pole plates, allowing easy change from experiment to experiment. In addition, we have combined the magnetic manipulator with a feedback-enhanced, high-resolution (2.4 nm), high-bandwidth (10 kHz), long-range (100 mum xyz range) laser tracking system. We demonstrate the usefulness of this system in a study of the role of forces in higher-order chromosome structure and function.

Journal Article↗
PubMed2006

CD134 expression on CD4+ T cells is associated with nephritis and disease activity in patients with systemic lupus erythematosus.

Systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE) is characterized by a deviation of the immune system that involves T cell-dependent autoantibody production. The aim of this study was to investigate the role of co-stimulatory markers on T cells in this disease. Twenty-eight patients with SLE as defined by the American College of Rheumatology (ACR) criteria and 11 healthy controls were included into the study. Eleven patients had biopsy-proven lupus nephritis while 17 patients had no clinical evidence of lupus nephritis. Clinical disease activity was assessed according to the systemic lupus erythematosus disease index (SLEDAI). CD4+ T cell populations in the peripheral blood were analysed for the expression of co-stimulatory markers CD45RO, CD70, CD80, CD86, CD137, CD137L, CD134, CD152, CD154 and ICOS. SLE patients showed an increased frequency of peripheral CD4+ T cells expressing high levels of CD80, CD86 and CD134 compared to healthy controls (7.1 +/- 1.5% versus 1.7 +/- 0.9%; P < 0.005; 2.3 +/- 0.4% versus 1.0 +/- 0.2%; P = 0.008, 20.2 +/- 2.0% versus 10.6 +/- 1.9%; P < 0.005, respectively). Significantly higher levels of CD80 on CD4+ T cells were detected in SLE patients with lupus nephritis compared to patients without nephritis (11.9 +/- 3.3% versus 4.0 +/- 0.7%; P < 0.005). There was an increased presence of CD134+ CD4+ cells in SLE patients with lupus nephritis (27.5 +/- 4.0% versus 15.5 +/- 1.3%; P < 0.005). CD80 and CD134 expression was significantly correlated with SLEDAI (r = 0.42, P = 0.03; r = 0.56, P < 0.005). Co-stimulatory molecules on CD4+ T cells are associated with renal disease and disease activity in patients with systemic lupus erythematosus.

Acute Disease↗
PubMed2004

Evidence for distinct cognitive deficits after focal cerebellar lesions.

OBJECTIVES: Anatomical evidence and lesion studies, as well as functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI) studies, indicate that the cerebellum contributes to higher cognitive functions. Cerebellar posterior lateral regions seem to be relevant for cognition, while vermal lesions seem to be associated with changes in affect. However, the results remain controversial. Deficits of patients are sometimes still attributed to motor impairment. METHODS: We present data from a detailed neuropsychological examination of 21 patients with cerebellar lesions due to tumour or haematoma, and 21 controls matched for age, sex, and years of education. RESULTS: Patients showed deficits in executive function, and in attentional processes such as working memory and divided attention. Further analysis revealed that patients with right-sided lesions were in general more impaired than those with left-sided lesions. CONCLUSIONS: Those hypotheses that suggest that lesions of the right cerebellar hemisphere lead to verbal deficits, while those of the left lead to non-verbal deficits, have in part been confirmed. The generally greater impairment of those patients with a right-sided lesion has been interpreted as resulting from the connection of the right cerebellum to the left cerebral hemisphere, which is dominant for language functions and crucial for right hand movements. Motor impairment was correlated with less than half of the cognitive measures, with no stronger tendency for correlation with cognitive tests that require motor responses discernible. The results are discussed on the basis of an assumption that the cerebellum has a predicting and preparing function, indicating that cerebellar lesions lead to a "dysmetria of thought."

Adult↗
PubMed1998

Triplet repeat variability in the signal peptide sequence of the Xmrk receptor tyrosine kinase gene in Xiphophorus fish.

Trinucleotide repeats in several human genes have been found to undergo spontaneous variation in repeat numbers in succeeding generations. Expansion of the repeat beyond a certain length causes specific pathological disorders. So far, a naturally occurring triplet repeat instability of transcribed sequences has been reported only from humans. However, the signal peptide encoding region of the receptor tyrosine kinase gene Xmrk from fish of the genus Xiphophorus contains a CTG repeat that differs in length even between closely related individuals. The consequence of this variability is signal peptides with shorter or longer hydrophobic core regions reaching, in some individuals, the critical maximum length for functional protein export or even exceeding it. In one stock, animals that are homozygous for such an allele were extremely rare, indicating that the triplet repeat length variability of the Xmrk gene of Xiphophorus may indeed have an influence on the function of the gene product and, under certain conditions, may affect the fitness of the individual.

Alleles↗
PubMed1998

Orthodontic care from the patients' perspective: perceptions of 27-year-olds.

The aim was to analyse 27-year-olds' perceptions of their own dental arrangement and any orthodontic care they may have received as a child or adolescent. All of the individuals in a sample of young adults in Kronoberg County, Sweden, who had received orthodontic care during childhood or adolescence (n = 121) were selected to participate in the study. In addition, 76 orthodontically untreated individuals were randomly selected from the same sample. All participants, both those who had previously had orthodontic treatment and those who had not, were sent a questionnaire. Most of the respondents were satisfied with their earlier decision, whether to choose orthodontic treatment or not. Dental professionals were considered to have had the greatest influence on this decision. This means that the desire for treatment may be guided by the orthodontist. Three out of four individuals considered orthodontic treatment important, even when irregularities of the teeth were minor. A majority of the individuals thought that they would have been able to wear visible braces if needed, even in adulthood. Individuals treated by specialists were more contented than individuals treated by general practitioners. Individuals with malocclusions and treatment need, but who had refused offered treatment, were in general more discontented with their dental arrangement; more than half of them now regretted their decision. They also felt it more difficult to communicate questions, thoughts, and opinions on their own desire for treatment. An increased level of information, especially to these individuals, would have been desirable.

Adult↗
PubMed1995

Quality of care from the elderly person's perspective: subjective importance and perceived reality.

The aim of this study was to carry out a theoretically-based survey of elderly persons' perceptions of quality of care, in terms of their evaluations of actual care conditions, as well as the subjective importance they ascribe to these. The sample consisted of 428 elderly (> or = 60 years) persons, in four different care environments: a geriatric department (N = 51); persons receiving home nursing (N = 111); nursing homes (N = 111); and service homes (N = 154) in two Swedish cities. Data were collected by way of personal interviews, structured from the questionnaire, Quality from the Patients' Perspective (QPP). The QPP is theory-based and consists of 40 items covering 17 factors. Each item was evaluated in two ways by the respondent: assessment of perceived reality, and evaluation of subjective importance (Likert scales). The results show that personal characteristics, such as age, sex, and self-rated health, had a limited effect on reports of what were regarded as highly important care characteristics, as well as on ratings of actual care conditions. Psychological well-being was strongly related to perceived reality ratings: a favorable well-being covaried with favorable ratings and vice versa. Considerable differences were noted in both types of ratings when the four types of care environments were compared. On the subjective importance scales, persons living in service homes reported lower scores, particularly on the scales designed to measure the medical-technical competence of the caregivers. On the perceived reality scales, the participants in service homes and the geriatric department scored lower.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)

Age Distribution↗
PubMed1994

A mitochondrial group-I intron in fission yeast encodes a maturase and is mobile in crosses.

The open reading frame in the first intron of the mitochondrial gene encoding subunit I of cytochrome c oxidase encodes a maturase and stimulates homologous recombination in Escherichia coli. In this paper, we demonstrate that this intron is mobile in crosses, indicating that it also encodes an endonuclease. This is the first report on an intron which possesses mobility and acts as a maturase.

Cloning, Molecular↗
PubMed1994

Quality of care. Development of a patient-centred questionnaire based on a grounded theory model.

In a previous study (Wilde et al. 1993), we developed a model of quality of care from a patient perspective using a grounded theory approach. The aim of the present study was to derive an instrument from this model. A questionnaire, Quality from Patients' Perspective (QPP), was developed which consisted of 56 items. Each item was evaluated in two ways by the respondent; assessment of perceived reality and evaluation of subjective importance (Likert scales). A personal quality of care index was computed on the basis of the relationship between these two scores. The QPP was tested on two samples, patients with infectious diseases (n = 147, mean age: 60 years) and nursing students (n = 103, mean age: 27 years). Patient's scores were factor analysed (principal factoring with oblique rotation) and 17 factors were extracted. Subgroups of patients were compared and correlations were computed between factor scores and self-rated health and well-being. Students also responded to a short form of the QPP (41 items) and personality scales. Correlations between these sets of variables were computed. The QPP was discussed in relation to existing scales.

Humans↗
PubMed1993

Quality of care from a patient perspective--a grounded theory study.

The aim of the present study was to develop a theoretical understanding of quality of care from a patient perspective, using a grounded theory approach. Thirty-five interviews were conducted with a sample of 20 adult hospitalized patients (mean age: 60 years) in a clinic for infectious diseases. Data were analysed according to the constant comparative method. A model was formulated according to which quality of care can be understood in the light of two conditions, the resource structure of the care organization and the patient's preferences. The resource structure of the care organization consists of person-related and physical- and administrative environmental qualities. The patient's preferences have a rational and a human aspect. Within this framework, patients' perceptions of quality of care may be considered from four dimensions: the medical-technical competence of the caregivers; the physical-technical conditions of the care organization; the degree of identity-orientation in the attitudes and actions of the caregivers and the socio-cultural atmosphere of the care organization. The model is discussed in relation to existing theories in the field.

Adult↗
PubMed1993

[Quality of nursing care seen from the Scandinavian nurse's viewpoint].

The aim of this study was to do the nurses' perception of quality of care explicit and to describe the quality of nursing from the nurses' perspective using a grounded theory approach. Sixteen nurses in four Nordic countries were interviewed. On the basis of the analysis a system theoretical model was generated. In the model there is a core category: patient focused outcome, and three mutual dependent categories; nursing capacity, organisation and physical environment. These categories are dynamically interrelated with the categories, relation and knowing the patient. The model is discussed in relation to relevant theories.

Attitude of Health Personnel↗
PubMed1992

Nursing theory based changes of work organisation in an ICU: effects on quality of care.

The study evaluated the effects of an organisational change programme on quality of care in a Swedish intensive care unit (ICU). The programme included: structural components e.g. converting assistant nurse positions to nurse positions; behavioural components e.g. improvements of report routines; and attitudinal components e.g. explication of what quality of care could mean in the ICU. Planning and implementation of the programme took about 1 year. Quality of care was studied on 40 patients 3 months before the intervention and on 40 patients 18 months after. An observation and question scheme was used for data collection. using Henderson's (1960) nursing model of patient's needs as point of departure. Statistically significant improvements of quality of care were noted on several observations at the postintervention assessment. Most of the improvements were noted on activities aimed at assisting the patient with basic physical needs such as breathing, nutrition, elimination, movement, sleep and rest, and avoiding dangers. No effects were noted on activities aimed at assisting the patient with psychological and spiritual needs. Discussing the results, the multimodal character of the intervention programme was believed to be a significant factor.

Clinical Nursing Research↗
PubMed1991

Contributions of stress theory to the understanding of helping.

The paper is theoretical, patient centred, and focuses on the two following questions: (1) In what way might a stress theoretical approach further our understanding of how helping can affect somatic and psychological processes in patients, and (2) in what way might stress theory offer action oriented guidelines for those who offer help? A stress model is outlined involving relationships between a patient's cognitive appraisal of a given care situation, his or her coping efforts, and emotional and physiological reactions. Several conditions, related to the patient and to the care giving situation, which might influence the patient's appraisal process are discussed. Possible short- and long-term effects of helping in the somatic and psychological domains are presented. Two examples of common care situations are analysed to show how stress theory may offer helpers an action oriented tool. The concept of participatory caring, implying not only patient involvement but actual power sharing between patients and health professionals, is discussed.

Adaptation, Psychological↗