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Biomedical subjects

D Duckworth

Publications and source records attributed to D Duckworth.

10 recordsLinked to original sources
PubMed1995

Measuring disability: the role of the ICIDH.

The ICIDH definition of disability has ensured that disability is treated as a continuous variable and therefore as a measurable concept. Even though the suggestions made in the ICIDH for the measurement of severity of disability are applicable only in certain contexts, the ICIDH classification of disabilities, when used flexibly, contributes greatly to the identification of the disabilities whose severities should be measured in both rehabilitation medicine and health interview surveys. There is still a great need to identify and devise instruments which measure the severity of many particular disabilities to an appropriate level of accuracy. Nevertheless, as the reduction of handicap is the ultimate aim of both health service planning and rehabilitation medicine, it is fight that the description and measurement of handicap should be the first priority.

Activities of Daily Living↗
PubMed1993

Characteristics of L-glutamine transport in equine jejunal brush border membrane vesicles.

The sodium-dependent transporter system responsible for L-glutamine uptake by brush border membrane vesicles prepared from equine jejunum was characterized. Vesicle purity was ascertained by a 14- to 17-fold increase in activity of the brush border enzyme markers. Glutamine uptake was found to occur into an osmotically active space with negligible membrane binding. The sodium-dependent velocity represented approximately 80% of total uptake and demonstrated overshoots. Kinetic studies of sodium-dependent glutamine transport at concentrations between 5 microM and 5 mM revealed a single saturable high-affinity carrier with a Michaelis constant of 519 +/- 90 microM and a maximal transport velocity of 3.08 +/- 0.97 nmol/mg of protein/10 s. Glutamine uptake was not affected by changes in environmental pH. Lithium could not substitute for sodium as a contransporter ion. 2-Methylaminoisobutyric acid inhibited the sodium-dependent carrier only minimally, but marked inhibition (> 90%) was observed in the presence of histidine, alanine, cysteine, and nonradioactive glutamine. Kinetic analysis of the sodium-independent transporter revealed it to have a Michaelis constant = 260 +/- 47 microM and a maximal transport velocity of 0.32 +/- 0.06 nmol/mg of protein/10 s. We conclude that glutamine transport in equine jejunal brush border membrane vesicles occurs primarily via the system B transporter and, to a lesser extent, by a sodium-independent carrier.

Amino Acids↗
PubMed1992

A new technique of ankle arthrodesis.

A new technique of ankle arthrodesis is described and the results of 12 consecutive procedures are assessed. The method described employs three cannulated transfixion screws and an anterior approach to the ankle. Eleven of the 12 ankles proceeded to solid fusion. One patient developed a painless fibrous non-union. There were no other significant complications. This simple technique provides good compression and adequate resistance to rotatory and angulatory stresses about the ankle fusion site.

Adult↗
PubMed1988

Plasmid profiles and klebocin types in epidemiologic studies of infections by Klebsiella pneumoniae.

The epidemiological methods of klebocin typing, antibiogram and plasmid DNA profile were evaluated using organisms isolated from a suspected epidemic of gentamicin-resistant Klebsiella pneumoniae and unrelated strains from different geographical areas as controls. The electrophoretic analysis of plasmid DNAs from Klebsiella pneumoniae showed the presence of at least one and up to as many as seven plasmids in each strain. The molecular weight of plasmid DNAs ranged from 1 to greater than 70 mega daltons. While none of the control Klebsiella pneumoniae strains showed identical plasmid profiles, 63% of the epidemic-related Klebsiella pneumoniae strains did. Klebocin typing and plasmid DNA profile gave different results for the same strains. Plasmid DNA profile was found to be a more valuable method than klebocin typing alone or klebocin typing in combination with antibiogram for differentiating epidemiologically related from unrelated isolates. Both plasmid DNA profile and klebocin typing methods were superior to antibiogram.

Anti-Bacterial Agents↗
PubMed1981

Bacteriophage T5 growth in Escherichia coli containing PstI fragments of the colicin Ib plasmid.

PstI restriction fragments of the colicin Ib (ColIb) plasmid have been cloned into the Apr gene of the pBR322 vector. Colicin-producing clones (Col+) all contained two common PstI (L and U) fragments, 2000 and 800 bp long, respectively. All of these colicin producers were found to permit the normal growth of bacteriophage T5; the presence of the whole ColIb plasmid causes an abortive T5 or BF23 phage infection. None of the other clones selected for their inability to propagate T5 produced colicin. The clones (Abi+) that permitted only an abortive infection by T5 contained a single restriction fragment, O (1600 bp), which was not found in any of the colicin producers. Likewise, the specific fragments (L and U) found in the Col+ clones were not found in the Abi+ clones. These data are very hard to reconcile with the hypothesis of a colicin-induced cell deterioration after T5 phage infection.

Bacteriocin Plasmids↗
PubMed1980

The measurement of disability by means of summed ADL indices.

The characteristics of ADL indices which provide a total score of disability or capability are described, and the complexity of their rationale is stressed. The technical requirements of a good index in terms of reproducibility and validity are then discussed. It is suggested: (i) that there are some good validated indices available which, within limits, provide reproducible scores; (ii) that until demonstrably better indices are available, more suited to the local national context, workers should use these indices when they need total scores, in preference to devising their own.

Activities of Daily Living↗
PubMedDate not supplied

Is auricular acupuncture beneficial in the inpatient treatment of substance-abusing patients? A pilot study.

Patients with comorbid substance abuse problems who were admitted to a psychiatric unit of a general hospital over an 11-month period were offered treatment with auricular acupuncture. Subsequently and retrospectively, the medical records of these patients were examined to assess compliance, side effects, impact on course, and acceptance of discharge recommendations. Patient's continuation of treatment in destination programs was also followed. Seventy-seven patients were offered acupuncture: 30 patients refused or had four or fewer treatments (control group), and 47 had acupuncture five or more times (treatment group). The treatment group did significantly better than the control group as indicated by the following findings: compliance with psychiatric/substance abuse treatment on the unit was 75% in the treatment group vs. 20% in the control group, noncompliance or AMA discharge rate was 2% in the treatment group vs. 40% in the control group, acceptance of staff's discharge recommendations was 77% in the treatment group vs. 37% in the control group, and 58% of the treatment group patients remained in follow-up treatment for at least 4 months, vs. only 26% of the control group patients. Average inpatient length of stay was 22 days for the treatment group patients compared to 16 days for the control group patients. Side effects in the treated patients were negligible. Auricular acupuncture thus appears to be a safe and inexpensive treatment modality that is easily administered and produces significant results. Its wider application in substance abuse treatment appears warranted.

Acupuncture Therapy↗
PubMedDate not supplied

The human sex ratio and factors influencing family size in Japan.

In 1979 sex data were obtained from 861 Japanese students from three upper secondary school (Katsushikano, Ogikubo, and Kiyose) located in the residential, metropolitan area of Japan. Average numbers of children per family were 5.16 for the parental and 2.43 for the present generation. Secondary sex ratios were 106.9 and 104.9 for the parental and present generation, respectively. Neither the similarity or dissimilarity of sexes nor the proportion of males in existing children was significantly associated with family size in the present generation. A significant positive correlation was found between sexes of child 1 and 2 in families of two or more children. None of the other correlations between successive births or between nonsuccessive births was significant. Observed frequencies of combinations of sexes within families of the parental and present generations did not differ from expected frequencies. The family most preferred by both male and female respondents consisted of two children representing both sexes with the first-born being male. The desired families were characterized by an average of 2.35 children and a resulting sex ratio of 122 males: 100 females.

Biometry↗