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Biomedical subjects

K Mitchell

Publications and source records attributed to K Mitchell.

At least 19 recordsLinked to original sources

Body habitus as a predictor of injury pattern after blunt trauma.

The records of obese and nonobese victims of blunt trauma were compared to determine if obese individuals are predisposed to a specific injury pattern. Prospectively collected data on 6368 adults admitted to a level I trauma center over a 4-year period were analyzed. Twelve percent (743 patients) met Body Mass Index (weight/height2) criteria for obesity (greater than or equal to 30 kg/m2). The obese group was older (p less than 0.01) and had lower ISSs (p less than 0.05) and higher GCS scores (p less than 0.01). More obese patients were injured in vehicular crashes (62.7% vs. 54.1% [p less than 0.01]). The obese victims were more likely to have rib fractures, pulmonary contusions, pelvic fractures, and extremity fractures and less likely to have incurred head trauma and liver injuries (p less than 0.05). Obese people injured in vehicular crashes had a similar injury pattern with no difference in seating position, direction of impact, seat belt use, and ejection.

Accidents, Traffic

Training medical practitioners in information transfer skills: the new challenge.

Traditionally, undergraduate medical education has concentrated on teaching students how to gather information or take medical histories from their patients. However, research increasingly indicates that there is a need for medical practitioners to improve their skills in information transfer in a way which will increase the probability that patients are active collaborators in their treatment. Consequently, Newcastle Medical School has sought to develop training packages for medical students in information transfer skills. This paper describes the resulting training programme with particular emphasis on the areas selected for training, the methods by which students are taught, the necessary interactional skills and the assessment procedures which are applied.

Clinical Competence

The movements of the components of the Hastings bipolar prosthesis. A radiographic study in 65 patients.

We aimed to find out whether the Hastings bipolar prosthesis moved in a bipolar fashion after its use for displaced fractures of the femoral neck. In 65 patients non-weight-bearing movement was assessed radiographically and compared with an earlier study of the Monk prosthesis. In 70% of patients, the only movement was between the acetabulum and the prosthetic shell, the prosthesis behaving as if it were unipolar. This did not change with time, but there was a slight improvement in the range of movement, particularly in flexion. The absence of movement between the outer shell and the metal head is most probably due to the design of the prosthesis and makes this prosthesis unsuitable for use in osteoarthritic hips.

Aged

Molecular genetic analysis of the pyr-4 gene of Neurospora crassa.

By means of S1 nuclease mapping, one transcription origin and three termini are identified for the pyr-4 gene of Neurospora crassa, the same origin being used also by Escherichia coli on the cloned gene. Translation of the clone in mini-cells gives a 50,000 dalton gene product, the same size as that determined for the Neurospora native enzyme. Putative CAAT and TATA boxes, and upstream and downstream potential secondary structures, are identified.

Amino Acid Sequence

Identification of three new Ig lambda-like genes in man.

Three new human lambda L chain-like Ig genes are identified by restriction enzyme and nucleotide sequence analysis. Two genes, 14.1 and 16.1, have intact J and C regions, and are potentially functional, with open reading frames. A third gene, 18.1, is a pseudogene. The evolutionary lineage of these genes compared to the known functional locus lambda C1-lambda C6 can be surmised from Southern blot and nucleotide homologies. This study demonstrates that the human lambda gene family is more complex than previously recognized.

Amino Acid Sequence

Influence of SLO4 on the leucocyte migration inhibiting factor and on the DTH response.

This phase I study demonstrates the immunostimulating properties of SLO4 administered by the oral route in the healthy volunteer. Responses to the test of DTH (delayed type hypersensitivity) were enhanced by SLO4 and the production of MIF (migration inhibiting factor) involved in this response was stimulated. These properties could be correlated with the previously demonstrated induction of interferon by SLO4.

Adjuvants, Immunologic

Colorectal carcinoma antigens detected by hybridoma antibodies.

Hybridoma cells which secrete colorectal carcinoma-specific antibodies have been produced and used to study the antigenic structure of these tumor cells. Nineteen antibodies have been studied in detail, and 15 of these are colorectal carcinoma specific. Only two antibodies reactive with carcinoembryonic antigen (CEA) have been discovered and five other antibodies that react with distinct epitopes on the cell surface have been defined. Several antigens with distinct molecular characteristics have been shown to exist by use of hybridoma antibodies. Six hybridoma antibodies have been shown to mediate antibody-dependent cell-mediated cytotoxicity (ADCC).

Animals

Uricosuric response to increasing doses of the indanone diuretic MK-196 in healthy volunteers.

Doses of 20, 40, 60 and 80 mg of the indanone diuretic MK-196 and 40 mg of frusemide were administered in random order to 5 healthy volunteers in a stable metabolic state, on the same day for 5 consecutive weeks. Diuresis, natriuresis and kaluresis increased with increasing doses, the natriuresis lasting for about 12 h and the kaluresis for about 24 h. Uricosuria increased with increasing doses of MK-196 and lasted for about 6 h. The uricosuria was followed by urate retention, so that there was little net change in the renal excretion of urate. Significant weight loss occurred, so that there was probably some associated plasma volume contraction, which would promote urate retention. By contrast, frusemide caused a reduction in renal excretion of urate at all times.

Diuretics

Thymic hormone-like restoration by human prealbumin of azathioprine sensitivity of spleen cells from thymectomized mice.

Gel filtration of fresh human serum revealed that over 95% of the thymic-hormone-like activity was present in the fraction representing the total albumin and prealbumin. Further studies demonstrated that the activity resided in the prealbumin fraction; albumin was inactive. Prealbumin was isolated from Cohn fraction IV-1 of pooled human plasma by extraction with aqueous buffer, fractionation with (NH4)2SO4, gel filtration on Sephadex G-150, and preparative disc gel electrophoresis. The final product was homogeneous by analytical gel electrophoresis was 40,000 times more active than the starting material in an azathioprine-sensitive rosette assay. Physical and chemical characterization studies showed that the isolated product was identical to authentic human plasma prealbumin. Isolation of the prealbumin fraction from sera of adult thymectomized mice revealed that the rosette activity was substantially lower than that isolated from sera of normal mice, suggesting a thymic dependence of the prealbumin activity. In vitro and in vivo bioassays of the fraction obtained prior to the final step of the purification procedure support the conclusion that prealbumin exhibits thymic hormone-like activity.

Animals

Ciguatera.

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Animals