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Biomedical subjects

L Bennett

Publications and source records attributed to L Bennett.

15 recordsLinked to original sources

Adjustable automated biopsy device.

The authors describe a device for soft-tissue core biopsy with core length of 3-19 mm. Excellent results were obtained in combination with a new needle design in a series of 119 renal biopsies in pediatric and adolescent patients. With ultrasound guidance and adjustment of the core length in relation to kidney size, renal biopsy in pediatric patients can be safely performed with this device.

Adolescent

Primary carcinoid tumor of the testis.

Primary carcinoid tumors of the testis are exceedingly rare. Thirty-one primary tumors have been reported in the literature, none of which have been diagnosed preoperatively. We present a case report demonstrating the sonographic features of a testicular carcinoid which may contribute to an early preoperative diagnosis.

Adult

Detection apparatus for multiple heterogeneous chemiluminescence immunoassay configurations.

We describe an apparatus for measuring signals emanated from two heterogeneous chemiluminescence immunoassay (CLIA) configurations: antibody-coated polystyrene beads, in reaction tray wells, and microparticles captured by a porous matrix. An optics and fluidics design which allows the use of a common detection head for these two different assay configurations is described. The detection head moves along three Cartesian coordinates to create a localized light-tight compartment around each individual disposable reaction vessel. Reproducibility of the light seal, trigger solution delivery, and mixing is achieved for acridinium-labeled CLIA. The coated polystyrene beads configuration is tested using beta HCG, CEA, and TSH assays. The microparticle-capture configuration is tested using beta HCG and HBsAg assays. The microparticle capture CLIA has shorter incubation times and the potential for ease of automation.

Data Interpretation, Statistical

Quantitative analysis of burnout and its associated factors in AIDS nursing.

A study was conducted to examine burnout and associated factors in the nursing care of AIDS patients in the hospital setting. Oncology nurses served as a comparison group and 64 subjects completed the Maslach Burnout Inventory. Although nurses working in the area of Oncology suffered burnout with greater frequency, nurses working in the area of AIDS showed greater intensity of burnout after adjustment for frequency of burnout. The study identified hospital differences in burnout scores, lending support to the environmental model of burnout proposed by Maslach. Male nurses were as likely to suffer burnout as female nurses. Having previously worked in other stressful areas did not influence burnout scores. On the other hand nurses who had worked in a particular unit for a greater length of time were more likely to suffer burnout, and age significantly influenced burnout inversely.

Acquired Immunodeficiency Syndrome

Adolescent girls' experience of witnessing marital violence: a phenomenological study.

The impact of witnessing marital violence on children and adolescents has only recently come to the attention of family violence researchers. The research emphasis has been on the behavioural effects of exposure to marital violence, with boys from these homes surfacing as the most visible victims. Girls, who some researchers believe show a less visible response, have been a largely neglected group. This phenomenological study explored experiential aspects of exposure to marital violence, focusing on the perspective of five adolescent girls. Data analysis followed the phenomenological method. Seven essential themes that expressed the meaning of this experience for participants were identified. The themes are described and implications for nursing practice and further research are discussed.

Adaptation, Psychological

Analyses of mouse and Drosophila proteins by two-dimensional gel electrophoresis.

Two-dimensional gel electrophoresis was employed for the protein analysis of several different mouse tissues and Drosophila. The number of protein spots detected with conventional protein dye staining techniques ranged from 110 in erythrocyte lysate to 320 in liver homogenate. Strain variation of protein spots on the gels was examined in five different tissues from two strains of inbred mice (DBA/2J and C57BL/6J) and their F1 hybrids. The protein spots which exhibited strain variation were shown to be autosomally inherited and to follow Mendelian genetics. From these analyses, it was shown that the frequencies of protein variations between these two strains of mice vary from 1 to 5% with the tissue examined. During the course of this study, the protein spots corresponding to nine muscle proteins and three testis enzymes from the mouse as well as two Drosophila enzymes were assigned on two-dimensional gels of their respective homogenates. Radioisotope labelling of Drosophila and autoradiography of the two-dimensional gels were also performed to improve the sensitivity and resolution of the technique. The potential application of two-dimensional gel electrophoresis for mutant screening as well as biochemical genetic studies is discussed.

Animals

Shear vs pressure as causative factors in skin blood flow occlusion.

An instrument was developed to measure the external pressure, shear, and pulsatile arteriolar blood flow existent at a given portion of the anatomy. Application of this device to the thenar eminence of 4 healthy subjects showed that externally applied pressure was approximately twice as effective as shear in reducing pulsatile arteriolar blood flow. The combination of pressure plus shear was found particularly effective in promoting blood flow occlusion. At a sufficiently high level of shear (roughly 100 g/cm2) the pressure necessary to produce occlusion was half that required when little shear was present.

Arterioles

Transferring load to flesh: part IX. Cushion stiffness effects.

Stresses developed within flesh in contact with a cushion are examined analytically. Compressive, tensile, and shear stresses within flesh in proximity to a bone are given as a function of cushion stiffness (major parameter) and the overall Poisson's ratio of flesh (minor parameter). It is shown that an individual already sitting on a soft cushion receives relatively minor benefit when a still softer cushion is substituted. This result follows from the fairly flat (saturated) trend of both shear and tensile stress with respect to cushion stiffness, once the soft cushion domain (less than 10 PSI) is entered. Only flesh normal stress (compression) responds significantly to incremental changes of stiffness within the soft cushion range; reducing the cushion stiffness 50 percent will typically reduce local compressive stress by roughly 20 percent. While such a gain is real, it is also modest.

Bone and Bones

Locomotion assistance through cane impulse.

The extent of locomotion assistance gained through cane usage by those with hip disorders is assayed. Employing as a standard the propulsive impulse delivered by each lower limb of a healthy young male, the cane is shown to supply about one-fifth the equivalent impulse, aside from other possible benefits. Full test values are given for nine handicapped subjects.

Adult

Malignant lymphoma associated with marked eosinophilia.

A 60-year-old black man with poorly differentiated lymphocytic lymphoma presented with generalized lymphadenopathy and marked eosinophilia. Extensive evaluation of the eosinophils revealed them to be normal morphologically and functionally. The patient responded to corticosteroid therapy with resolution of the lymphadenopathy and reversion of the peripheral blood counts to normal limits. Recurrence of the original clinical picture within months prompted institution of systemic chemotherapy. Response was transient, and the patient expired after an unremitting downhill course. Recent advances in our knowledge of mechanisms of eosinophilia and eosinophil function are reviewed. The relationship of lymphoma to eosinophilia is discussed.

Eosinophilia

Slipping cane and crutch tips. Part I--static performance of current devices.

A variety of commercially available cane and crutch tips were tested on surfaces of ice and soapy tile under varying axial (thrust) loads. The output measurement consisted of the angle between the vertical and the cane axis at which slip occurred. It was learned that: 1. From the viewpoint of a user, a minimal slip angle of roughly 25 deg is desirable. 2. On ice-rink ice, a number of cane tips approach the desired slip angle under conditions of low temperature; fewer appear safe at elevated air temperatures. Only one of the tested devices appears truly safe under any ice condition. 3. On rough tile flooded with soapy water, some cane tips offer adequate performance. However, no tested cane tip offers acceptable performance on slick tile flooded with soapy water. 4. There appears to be no simple relationship between the slip performance of a cane tip on ice-rink ice and that developed on soapy wet tiles. 5. No simple relationship between thrust load and slip angle emerged. Similarly, no simple relationship between contact area and slip appeared in the data.

Age Factors

Transferring load to flesh. Part VIII. Stasis and stress.

Those who suffer peripheral vascular disease (PVD) frequently require lower-limb amputation. To prevent further difficulties with circuation, the socket and support system of the resulting artificial leg should be arranged so as to prevent impairment of blood flow. The mechanical stress factors tending to impede flow and cause stasis are investigated. An assessment is made of the relative importance of the two types of stress, normal and shear, in reducing the flow within a simulated vessel surrounded by a model flesh.

Artificial Limbs