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Biomedical subjects

M Greenfield

Publications and source records attributed to M Greenfield.

At least 19 recordsLinked to original sources

Decomposition of nitramine energetic materials in excited electronic states: RDX and HMX.

Ultraviolet excitation (8-ns duration) is employed to study the decomposition of RDX (1,3,5-trinitro-1,3,5-triazacyclohexane) and HMX (1,3,5,7-tetranitro-1,3,5,7-tetrazacyclooctane) from their first excited electronic states. Isolated RDX and HMX are generated in the gas phase utilizing a combination of matrix-assisted laser desorption and supersonic jet expansion techniques. The NO molecule is observed as one of the initial dissociation products by both time-of-flight mass spectroscopy and laser-induced fluorescence spectroscopy. Four different vibronic transitions of NO are observed: A (2)Sigma(v(') = 0)<--X (2)Pi(v(") = 0,1,2,3). Simulations of the NO rovibronic intensities for the A<--X transitions show that dissociated NO from RDX and HMX is rotationally cold (approximately 20 K) and vibrationally hot (approximately 1800 K). Another potential initial product of RDX and HMX excited state dissociation could be OH, generated along with NO, perhaps from a HONO intermediate species. The OH radical is not observed in fluorescence even though its transition intensity is calculated to be 1.5 times that found for NO per radical generated. The HONO intermediate is thereby found not to be an important pathway for the excited electronic state decomposition of these cyclic nitramines.

Journal Article↗

Who is entitled to long-term health care? Emerging policy and moral debate.

This paper focuses on emerging British health policy which emphasizes the use of locally determined restrictive criteria to assess access to state provision for long-term health care and the individual's responsibility to plan to meet their own long-term health care needs. Inconsistency in current health policy and ambiguity in the relevant central guidance are explored. This is contextualized in a philosophical framework which seeks to highlight the moral justification underpinning different patterns for the distribution of health care. These issues are of direct relevance to nurse managers because these fundamental changes surface in dilemmas in the management of care and interaction in the multidisciplinary team.

Eligibility Determination↗

The land of hospital.

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Attitude of Health Personnel↗

Insulin receptor binding and insulin-mediated glucose uptake in type-II-diabetics.

A 5-hour insulin clamp was performed in 7 normal subjects (N) and 6 type-II-diabetics. After a 10-min-priming insulin infusion, a constant infusion of 1.813 micrograms/m2 s.a./min was given to all subjects. Glycemia was kept at fasting levels by a variable glucose infusion. Under these conditions the amount of metabolized glucose (M) has been calculated and served as a measure of insulin-stimulated glucose disposal. M differed markedly between N (35.6 +/- 3.11 mumol glucose/kg b.w./min and diabetics (17.8 +/- 1.17 mumol glucose/kg b.w./min; p less than 0.01) indicating a diminished insulin sensitivity in the latter group. However, M increased slightly but significantly until the end of the study in both groups. Under fasting conditions the mean percent 125I-insulin specifically bound to 3.5 X 10(9) erythrocytes/ml at tracer concentrations was 12 +/- 1.2% and 8.9 +/- 0.9% in N and diabetics, respectively. During insulin infusion specific insulin binding decreased significantly in both groups by 34% and 41%. Thus, the downregulation of insulin binding was similar in both groups and was due to changes in receptor affinity. Assuming that insulin binding to red blood cells mimic that to target cells we conclude that the cause of reduced glucose utilization in type-II-diabetes lies mainly in changes of postreceptor events rather than in receptor binding.

Adult↗

Diurnal variation in specific insulin binding to erythrocytes.

We studied the insulin binding to erythrocytes during a 24-h period in 11 normal subjects. Compared with 0800 and 1600 h the specific 125I-insulin binding decreased significantly at midnight. These changes were mainly due to alterations in insulin binding affinity rather than a decrease in receptor number. An inverse finding was obtained concerning the plasma insulin levels. In fact, the highest insulin concentrations were observed at midnight. The results suggest that diurnal variations in insulin receptor function occur in response to fluctuations of plasma insulin levels.

Circadian Rhythm↗

Quantification of insulin secretion and in vivo insulin action in nonobese and moderately obese individuals with normal glucose tolerance.

Insulin secretion and in vivo insulin action were quantified in nonobese and moderately obese subjects (approximately 35% above desirable body weight) with normal glucose tolerance. Insulin secretion was estimated by determining plasma insulin responses to a 75-g oral challenge, and in vivo insulin-stimulated glucose uptake by the euglycemic clamp technique. Plasma glucose levels of the two groups were identical during the glucose tolerance test, but the plasma insulin response was significantly greater (P less than 0.01) in the obese subjects. However, insulin-stimulated glucose utilization by the two groups was equal during the euglycemic clamp studies. These results were supported by the fact that degree of obesity correlated significantly with insulin response (r = 0.61, P less than 0.005), but not with insulin-stimulated glucose utilization (r = -0.25, P greater than 0.2). Thus, indirect evidence that moderately obese subjects were more insulin-resistant based on measurement of plasma insulin response was not supported by direct quantification of insulin action. One explanation for these findings is that the height of the plasma insulin response bears no relationship to loss of in vivo insulin action, but that seems unlikely in view of the fact that there was a significant correlation (r = -0.52, P less than 0.01) between these two variables in the group as a whole. Therefore, it appears that the hyperinsulinemia seen in obese individuals may not be a simple function of insulin resistance, and that ability of insulin to stimulate glucose utilization is not significantly impaired in moderately obese subjects with normal glucose tolerance. Alternatively, the degree of impairment in insulin action seen in these individuals is insufficient to be detected by the euglycemic clamp technique.

Adult↗

Effects of moderate increases in dietary polyunsaturated: saturated fat on plasma triglyceride and cholesterol levels in man.

1. The effects of two isoenergetic diets differing only in the values for polyunsaturated: saturated fat (P:S values of 0.2 v. 2.0) were studied in twenty adult human volunteers. 2. A period of 14 d on the high P:S diet failed to produce significant changes in fasting triglyceride levels, though there were individual variations. On the other hand, fasting cholesterol levels dropped by 10% (P less than 0.005). High-density-lipoprotein-cholesterol concentrations were not influenced by changes in the P:S value. 3. Investigations into the mechanism by which changes in the P:S value might affect plasma triglyceride values revealed no consistent effects on very-low-density-lipoprotein kinetics, insulin secretion, insulin sensitivity or free fatty acid concentrations. 4. The results of this study suggest that the largest increase in dietary P:S values that is likely to be obtained on a long-term basis may have only a small effect on plasma triglyceride and cholesterol concentrations.

Adult↗

Effect of age on glucose tolerance, insulin secretion, and in vivo insulin action.

The effect of age on glucose tolerance, insulin secretion, and in vivo insulin action (insulin clamp) was studied in 48 nonobese subjects, all of whom were fully ambulatory and in good general health. The observed age-related increase in fasting plasma glucose (r = 0.35, P less than 0.01) was not due to an increase in relative body weight (RBW). Plasma insulin levels, both fasting and postprandial, tended to rise with age, but these changes were not significant. There was a marginally significant correlation (r = -0.21) between age and insulin-stimulated glucose utilization, which fell to -0.13 when controlled for RBW. However, steady-state insulin levels during the insulin-clamp period were higher in the older subjects, suggesting that age leads to an impairment in insulin catabolism; thus it is likely that the impairment of in vivo insulin action with age was underestimated. The variation in in vivo action between individuals was much greater among the older subjects. It was concluded that the glucose intolerance associated with aging is of relatively minor magnitude when ambulatory, generally healthy, nonobese, and nondiabetic subjects are studied. The cause of the glucose intolerance associated with aging seems to be loss of normal in vivo insulin action. On the other hand, this defect is not shared by all older persons, and in many over the age of 70, glucose transport is as efficient as in persons in their 20s.

Adult↗

Relationship between insulin resistance, insulin secretion, very low density lipoprotein kinetics, and plasma triglyceride levels in normotriglyceridemic man.

We have previously postulated that resistance to insulin-mediated glucose uptake was the basic metabolic abnormality in patients with endogenous hypertriglyceridemia. In this situation, glucose tolerance would tend to deteriorate, and could only be maintained by the increased secretion of insulin. Although the ensuing hyperinsulinemia might prevent the development of glucose intolerance, we suggested that it would also lead to increased hepatic very low density (VLDL) triglyceride (TG) synthesis and secretion. In the current study we have quantified these four metabolic variables in 16 nonobese human subjects with plasma TG concentrations less than 175 mg/dl. The results demonstrate the following degree of correlation: insulin resistance (Formula: see text) insulin response to food (Formula: see text) VLDL-TG secretion rate (Formula: see text) plasma TG concentration. These data indicate that nonobese subjects with normal TG levels have the same relationship between degree of insulin sensitivity, insulin response to food, VLDL-TG secretion, and TG concentration previously described in patients with endogenous hypertriglyceridemia.

Adult↗

Mechanism of hypertriglyceridaemia in diabetic patients with fasting hyperglycaemia.

Several aspects of lipid metabolism were studied to define the mechanism of hypertriglyceridaemia in insulin-independent diabetic patients with fasting hyperglycaemia. Patients with insulin-independent diabetes were more obese (p < 0.001) and had a significantly (p < 0.001) higher mean (+/- SEM) fasting plasma triglyceride concentration (387 +/- 66 mg/dl) than did either insulin-dependent diabetics (133 +/- 11 mg/dl) or normal (73 +/- 1 mg/dl) subjects. Very low density lipoprotein secretion rate was also significantly (p < 0.01 - < 0.001) higher in patients with insulin-independent diabetes (14.65 +/- 1.37 mg/kg/h) as compared to 7.64 +/- 0.60 mg x kg/h and 9.86 +/- 0.75 mg/kg/h in normal subjects and patients with insulin-dependent diabetes, respectively. However, the relationship between plasma triglyceride concentration and very low density lipoprotein-triglyceride secretion was similar in diabetics and in normals. The diabetic groups had equivalent degrees of fasting and postprandial hyperglycaemia, and comparable elevations of fasting plasma nonesterified free fatty acid levels (insulin-independent = 0.72 +/- 0.07 mmol/L, insulin-dependent = 0.63 +/- 0.08 mmol/L). Postprandial plasma insulin concentrations, however, reached normal levels in insulin-independent diabetics and were higher (p < 0.001) than in insulin-dependent diabetics. Thus, hypertriglyceridaemia in insulin-independent diabetics with fasting hyperglycaemia was associated with increased hepatic very low density lipoprotein-triglyceride secretion, and normal plasma insulin levels. The lower triglyeride levels in the insulin-dependent diabetics is assumed to be due to their relative hypoinsulinaemia.

Blood Glucose↗

Effect of source of dietary carbohydrate on plasma glucose and insulin responses to test meals in normal subjects.

Plasma glucose and insulin responses were measured in 22 subjects after two meal tolerance tests that varied only in the food source of carbohydrate. Each meal contained 45% carbohydrate, 15% protein, and 40% fat and provided 40% of calculated daily caloric requirement. The meals elicited a similar glucose response; however, the insulin response was significantly lower when rice and corn supplied the carbohydrate as compared to potato and gelatin. The total insulin response, calculated as area under the response curve, was 60% (P less than 0.001) greater in the meal with potato and gelatin versus the rice and corn meal.

Adult↗