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Biomedical subjects

K Donovan

Publications and source records attributed to K Donovan.

25 records · Page 2Linked to original sources
PubMed1989

Measuring quality of life in cancer patients.

The diagnosis and management of cancer can have a major impact on every aspect of a patient's quality of life. Despite its importance, quality of life is rarely a reported outcome in randomized clinical trials in cancer patients. Failure to collect quality-of-life information may reflect a lack of information among researchers and clinicians about the adequacy and relative merits of measures available for assessing quality of life. We reviewed the adequacy of the 17 existing scales for assessing quality of life in cancer patients against characteristics needed for an adequate measure. None of the existing measures met all of the criteria. Recommendations about the relative adequacy of existing scales were made.

Humans↗
PubMed1986

Bile acids and the intestinal kallikrein-kinin system.

We have measured concentrations of tissue kallikrein-like amidase (TKLA) in blood-free rat gastrointestinal tissue. TKLA was present in the gut wall from the stomach to the rectum with concentration peaks in the duodenum and caecum. When rats, fasted for 24 hr were compared with normally fed animals, the mean fasted TKLA levels rose significantly in the duodenum and proximal and distal colons and fell in the caecum. No other tissues showed concentration changes. Sodium chenodeoxycholate and other bile acids have biological actions on the rat intestinal wall which are similar to those produced by the kallikrein-kinin system. We have previously reported that bile acids released TKLA from the rat colon wall. This TKLA was totally inhibited by aprotinin. We now report that intraluminal sodium chenodeoxycholate (30 mM) increases both colonic motility and colonic mucosal leakage. These increases are largely blocked by aprotinin. The ability of intraluminal sodium taurochenodeoxycholate to increase vascular leakage in the rat stomach and colon was parallelled by its ability to release TKLA from these issues. Our results are compatible with the mediation of these biological actions of the tested bile acids via activation of a serine proteinase, possibly tissue kallikrein.

Animals↗
PubMed1984

Gravity receptors: an ultrastructural basis for peripheral sensory processing.

Our ultrastructural study of serial sections has shown that type II hair cells of the anterior part of the utricular macula are integrated into the afferent neural circuitry of type I cells, which are arranged in clusters. Additionally, there exists a complex system of intramacularly originating efferent-type nerve fibers and terminals. The findings taken together suggest that, on morphological grounds, complex processing of sensory information occurs in gravity receptors. Asymmetry of such a complex system may contribute to motion and Space-motion sickness.

Acoustic Maculae↗
PubMed1977

Sago haemolysis: clinical features and microbiological studies.

Severe, acute and sometimes fatal intravascular haemolysis has occurred on several occasions in Papua New Guinea families after the ingestion of apparently 'stale' sago. Earlier cases had been recorded only from the Maprik area; however, we now report the occurrence of two similar outbreaks, involving a total of 14 persons, in the Western Province. Several bacteria and fungi were isolated and identified in a sample of suspect sago from one of the outbreaks. None of these, however, to our knowledge, has ever been incriminated as a cause of haemolysis, and the aetiological agent(s) and mechanism of haemolysis thus remain to be elucidated. No mycotoxins were detected in one sample available for analysis. It is suggested that the eating of sago stored for a long time be discouraged; and further that, if a meal of sago tastes abnormal, additional mouthfuls should not be eaten and the remaining portion should be sent for analysis or discarded.

Adolescent↗