PubMed HealthSearch

Biomedical subjects

D Gould

Publications and source records attributed to D Gould.

At least 19 recordsLinked to original sources

Case report: heparin-induced thrombocytopenia--a complication presenting to the vascular radiologist.

Heparin-induced thrombocytopenia is an infrequent complication of heparin which causes thrombocytopenia and thrombosis. The vascular radiologist can expect to come across several cases in his/her career. A high index of suspicion is required for early diagnosis. This may befall the radiologist who is asked to provide thrombolytic treatment in a heparinized patient. We present such a case and discuss the clinical presentation, pathogenesis and management of heparin-induced thrombocytopenia.

Amputation, Surgical

Nurses' hands as vectors of hospital-acquired infection: a review.

Hospital-acquired infections (HAI) are notorious for the manner in which they complicate the course of the original illness, increase costs of hospital stay and delay recovery. This review will briefly outline the problems presented by HAI in developed countries and present evidence that Staphylococcus aureus and gram negative bacilli, the main causative agents, reach susceptible patients via the contact rather than airborne route, predominantly on the hands of hospital staff. Good hand hygiene could help reduce the economic burden and patient distress caused by HAI, but there is evidence that it is infrequently and poorly performed by nurses, the health care staff most frequently in continuous contact with patients. Possible reasons are explored in an attempt to identify strategies to improve hand hygiene.

Cross Infection

Empathy: a review of the literature with suggestions for an alternative research strategy.

Although empathy is regarded as a necessary component of good quality nursing care, defining and measuring empathy have both been fraught with problems. A historical overview helps to explain these difficulties, as nurses have tended to accept the views of psychotherapists uncritically, and have used scales developed for clients in counselling with people who are physically ill. Methodological difficulties combined with the results of studies demonstrating low levels of empathic ability in nurses have culminated in disenchantment with this topic. A framework is used to show why nurses cannot always demonstrate empathic awareness of every patient's need and an alternative approach for exploring the nature of empathy is suggested.

Empathy

Weight loss, dietary carbohydrate modifications, and high intensity, physical performance.

Well trained subjects (N = 12) were studied before and after losing approximately 6% of body weight to determine whether physical performance could be maintained while consuming a hypocaloric, high percentage carbohydrate diet. During a 4-d period of weight loss, subjects were randomly assigned to a high carbohydrate (HC) or low carbohydrate (LC) diet. A crossover design was used; subjects were measured before (PRE) and after (POST) weight loss on both diets for a 6-min bout of high intensity arm cranking, weight, skinfold thickness, and profile of mood states (POMS). Hemoglobin, hematocrit, and glycerol concentrations were analyzed for resting blood samples, while lactate, pH, and base excess were analyzed for blood samples drawn at rest and 1, 3, and 5 min after arm cranking. A three-way ANOVA of sprint work revealed a weight loss effect, a diet by weight loss interaction, and an order by diet by weight loss interaction (P less than 0.05). Total sprint work (mean +/- SE) PRE and POST HC was 37.7 +/- 2.1 kJ and 37.4 +/- 2.2 kJ, respectively. Sprint work was higher for PRE LC vs POST LC, with mean values of 37.4 +/- 2.1 kJ and 34.4 +/- 2.2 kJ, respectively. Post-arm cranking lactate was significantly higher PRE compared to POST for both HC and LC. Post-exercise blood pH was lower (P less than 0.05) at PRE vs POST, with no diet effect. Regardless of the diet, POMS variables tension, depression, anger, fatigue, and confusion were significantly elevated from PRE to POST; vigor was significantly lower.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)

Adult

Identification of a cDNA encoding a long form of prolactin receptor in human hepatoma and breast cancer cells.

Human PRL receptor cDNA clones from hepatoma (Hep G2) and breast cancer (T-47D) libraries were isolated by using a rat PRL receptor cDNA probe. The nucleotide sequence predicts a mature protein of 598 amino acids with a much longer cytoplasmic domain than the rat liver PRL receptor. Although this extended region has additional segments of localized sequence identity with the human GH receptor, there is no identity with any consensus sequences known to be involved in hormonal signal transduction. This cDNA will be a valuable tool to better understand the role of PRL in the development and growth of human breast cancer.

Amino Acid Sequence

Cardiac nursing.

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Education, Nursing, Continuing

Teaching theories and models of nursing: implications for a common foundation programme for nurses.

At the present time nurse education is facing a number of upheavals which have major implications for curriculum development. No hard and fast rules governing the approach to educating learners about nursing theory and nursing models can be made. This paper has generated a number of suggestions which could be explored as new courses are designed and evaluated. It is the responsibility of teachers and practitioners to be aware of the changes ushered in by the implementation of Project 2000 and to seek to ensure that students are appropriately prepared for the professional demands of the years ahead.

Curriculum

Membrane-associated interleukin 2 epitopes on the surface of human T lymphocytes.

Analysis of surface fluorescence with flow cytometry has revealed the presence of membrane-associated interleukin 2 (IL-2) epitopes on the surface of long term human T cell clones. These IL-2 epitopes could not be accounted for by soluble IL-2 binding to its specific receptor or adsorbing nonspecifically to the cells. The level of surface IL-2 antigenic determinants on the T cell clones was decreased in the presence of phorbol esters and increased in the absence of an exogenous source of IL-2. It was completely lost upon stimulation of the clones to produce the soluble lymphokine. Surface IL-2 epitopes were also detected on the Jurkat tumor cell line which secretes IL-2 upon stimulation and on another T cell tumor line MOLT 4. MLA-144 produces IL-2 constitutively; however, it did not possess membrane-associated epitopes. Tumor lines of other lineages were negative. A subpopulation of peripheral blood T lymphocytes demonstrated some membrane-bound IL-2, whereas non-T peripheral blood mononuclear cells were negative. Thus, cells with the potential of producing and secreting IL-2 upon stimulation possessed the surface epitopes of the lymphokine and cells either actively secreting IL-2 or without the potential for secretion were negative for surface expression. Membrane-associated IL-2 antigenic determinants appear to represent a T lymphocytic surface marker of potential cellular function. The relationship of this marker to the secreted lymphokine is not known. Although it is possible that the epitopes seen were present on a distinct molecule independent of secreted IL-2, the distribution on a variety of T cells and regulation via cellular activation suggest that the surface expression of IL-2 epitopes is in some way related to the soluble lymphokine.

Antibodies, Anti-Idiotypic

Monoclonal antibodies to glucose-6-phosphate dehydrogenase (G6PDH) form cyclic 1:1 complexes with G6PDH and act as regulatory subunits.

A number of IgG monoclonal antibodies against L. mesenteroides glucose-6-phosphate dehydrogenase (G6PDH) have been prepared. Four of the antibodies form 1:1 enzyme-antibody complexes which are stabilized in the presence of glucose-6-phosphate (G6P) and have greatly reduced enzyme activity. In the absence of G6P, the 1:1 complexes convert gradually to a more active multimeric form. Reduction of the IgG inter-heavy chain disulfides partially relieves inhibition and removes the G6P requirement for stability. F(ab')2 fragments of one of the antibodies behave similarly to the intact IgG. Reduction of the disulfides in the G6PDH-F(ab')2 complex leads to complete recovery of activity. The activity of complexes of G6PDH with reduced antibodies or Fab with digoxin bound to the antibody or Fab sulfhydryl groups can be modulated with antibodies to digoxin. The anti-G6PDH antibodies bridge two identical epitopes of this two subunit enzyme and simulate the function of regulatory subunits in which anti-digoxin acts as an activator. The system can be used to provide a sensitive homogeneous immunoassay for digoxin.

Animals

Breakfast in bed?

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Delivery of Health Care

Activation of stimulus-specific serine esterases (proteases) in the initiation of platelet secretion. I. Demonstration with organophosphorus inhibitors.

The effect of organophosphorus inhibitors of serine esterases (proteases) on secretion from washed rabbit platelets was examined. Five noncytotoxic stimuli were employed: collagen, thrombin, heterologous anti-platelet antibody (in the absence of complement), rabbit C3 bound to zymosan, and platelet activating factor derived from antigen-stimulated, IgE-sensitized rabbit basophils. Diisoprophyl phosphofluoridate, three series of p-nitrophenyl ethyl phosphonates, and a series of cyclohexyl phenylalkylphosphonofluridates were all found to be inhibitory to the platelet secretion. These are irreversible inhibitors of serine proteases but in this system were only inhibitory if added to the platelets concurrently with the stimuli. Pretreatment of either the platelets or the stimuli with the inhibitors followed by washing, was without effect on the subsequent reaction. This suggested the involvement of stimulus-activatable serine proteases in the secretory process. The concept was supported by finding that nonphosphorylating phosphonates or hydrolyzed phosphonates or phosphonofluoridates were without inhibitory action. The effect of a series of phosphonates or phosphonoflouridates in inhibiting each stimulus exhibited a unique activity-structure profile. The demonstration of such unique profiles with four series of inhibitors for each of the five stimuli was interpreted as demonstrating that a specific activatable serine protease was involved in the platelet secretory response to each stimulus.

Animals