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Biomedical subjects

M Lawlor

Publications and source records attributed to M Lawlor.

At least 19 recordsLinked to original sources
PubMed2006

Consent for corneal donation: the effect of age of the deceased, registered intent and which family member is asked about donation.

AIM: To determine whether consent to corneal donation is related to which next of kin is asked to consent, the age of the potential donor and the indication about donation made by the deceased on their driving licence. METHOD: The Lions New South Wales Eye Bank (Sydney, New South Wales, Australia) provides the corneal transplantation service for Australia's most populous state. Over the 18-month period from 1 July 2004 to 31 December 2005 for all requests for donation, records were kept of which next of kin was asked for consent, the age of the deceased and the indication about donation by the deceased on their driving licence. RESULTS: Over the 18-month study period, 841 people were approached about corneal donation. 63.2% of those people approached gave their consent to donation. Increasing age of the deceased was significantly positively associated with consent to donation (p = 0.006). Multivariable univariate analysis adjusting for age of deceased showed that relative type was strongly associated with consent (p<0.001), with mothers and fathers more likely to donate than siblings, and siblings more likely to donate than children and spouses. An indication of willingness to donate on a driving licence was strongly associated with consent (p<0.001). CONCLUSIONS: Higher consent rates from older donors have implications for policies to maximise corneal procurement. The decision to donate on behalf of a deceased family member is complex and influenced by social context. Research should investigate individualised strategies to be used when seeking consent from particular categories of next of kin.

Age Factors↗
PubMed1999

The cost of hospital care in the year before and after parasuicide.

This study, based in Ireland in the Limerick centre of the WHO/EURO Multicentre Study of Parasuicide, tests the hypothesis that the uptake of hospital services increases significantly following an act of parasuicide. To investigate this, the costs of hospital attendance in the year before and in the year after an act of parasuicide are measured and compared. The sample is comprised of the first 100 individuals who attended an acute general hospital following an act of parasuicide after July 1, 1995. Using a computerized patient record system, every hospital attendance is identified, for each individual, in the 12 months before and after the parasuicide act. This includes every visit to the Emergency Room as well as both general and psychiatric inpatient admissions and outpatient attendances. There was a 50% increase in the uptake of hospital services--32% of the sample attended hospital in the year before compared with 48% in the year after. The total yearly costs for the 100 patients almost doubled from IR 53,652 Pounds (Euro 68,138) to IR 104,454 Pounds (Euro 132,657). Generalizing to the 539 individuals who engaged in parasuicide in the Limerick catchment area, total costs increased from IR 289,184 Pounds (Euro 367,264) to IR 563,007 Pounds (Euro 715,019). This study is an initial step toward the more complex task of estimating to what extent the increased uptake of hospital services is due to the consequences of parasuicide and how much is due to other aspects of the patient's health.

Adolescent↗
PubMed1996

The repression of apoptosis by activated abl oncogenes in chronic myelogenous leukaemia.

The formation of the unique fusion gene, bcr-abl, and the resultant increase in abl tyrosine kinase activity, is seen as the major driving force in the initiation of chronic myelogenous leukaemia (CML). The deregulation of abl tyrosine kinase activity, brought about by the binding of a portion of the Scr molecule to the SH2 regulatory domain of abl, appears to play a role in promoting resistance to drug-induced apoptosis. Thus the large increase In mature myeloid cells seen in CML could be the direct result of the suppression of apoptosis by the bcr-abl fusion protein. The role and contribution of apoptosis in the progression of CML and the possible role of antisense oligonucleotides to the bcr-abl gene as therapeutic agents is discussed.

Apoptosis↗
PubMed1995

The influence of brain acetaldehyde on oxidative status, dopamine metabolism and visual discrimination task.

The toxic effect of acetaldehyde on brain oxidative capacity and dopamine metabolism has been investigated in rat brains after a single intraperitoneal injection of acetaldehyde (5 mmol/kg) and the results compared with those from chronically ethanol fed rats. Acetaldehyde was present in rat brain 120 hr after a single dose of acetaldehyde, confirming that it is able to cross the blood-brain barrier. Brain catalase increased significantly after acetaldehyde or chronic ethanol administration although there were no other significant changes in the total brain activity of superoxide dismutase, glutathione peroxidase or glutathione reductase. Dopamine turnover was increased in both experimental groups. The acute dose of acetaldehyde reduced the ability of the rats to relearn a computer visual discrimination task.

Acetaldehyde↗
PubMed1995

D2 receptor antagonists do not modify guanine nucleotide-sensitive interactions between dopamine and D1 dopamine receptors under in vitro conditions.

This study investigated possible D1/D2 interactions in rat and bovine striatal tissue by examining the effects of D2 antagonists on the action of dopamine at D1 dopamine receptors. In addition, the extent to which D2 antagonists may induce an agonist low-affinity state of the D1 receptor was evaluated in comparison with the effects of the guanine nucleotide analogue 5'-guanylyl-imidodiphosphate [Gpp(NH)p]. In saturation experiments dopamine caused a dose-dependent decrease in rat striatal and bovine caudate D1 receptor density. This effect of dopamine, which has been shown to be sensitive to Gpp (NH)p, was not altered by pretreatment with either of the selective D2 antagonists eticlopride (200 nM) or domperidone (200 nM). Results from displacement experiments show that the affinity of dopamine for D1 receptors, and the proportion of receptors in an agonist high-affinity state, are reduced by Gpp(NH)p (100 microM) but not by eticlopride. A molar excess of dopamine (100 microM) promotes the dissociation of (+/-)-8-chloro-2,3,4,5-tetrahydro-3-methyl-5-phenyl-1H-3-benzazepine-7-o l ([3H]SCH 23390) from rat striatal D1 receptors at a rate that is significantly slower than when dissociation is initiated using 1 microM piflutixol. After pretreament with Gpp(NH)p, [3H]SCH 23390 dissociation induced by dopamine occurred at an even slower rate. Pretreatment with eticlopride had no effect on the dopamine-induced rate of [3H]SCH 23390 dissociation. These results indicate that all experimental approaches detected dopamine effects at D1 receptors that are Gpp(NH)p sensitive and D2 antagonist insensitive and provide no evidence to support a D1/D2 link operating at the receptor level.

Animals↗
PubMed1994

The utility of the Philips SRI-100 Real Time Portal Imaging Device in a case of postoperative irradiation for prevention of heterotopic bone formation following total hip replacement.

The new Radiation Oncology Department at the Heidelberg Repatriation Hospital in Melbourne, Australia commenced operation in June 1992. As part of quality control the Philips SL-15 linear accelerator was fitted with the Philips SRI-100 Real Time Portal Imaging Device (RTPID), the first such apparatus in Australia. One of its major advantages over older systems is its ability to provide a permanent hard copy of the image of the field treated. The computer image can be immediately manipulated and enhanced on the screen (with respect to such qualities as brightness and contrast) prior to the printing of the hard copy. This is a significant improvement over the more cumbersome older port films that required developing time, without any pre-assessment of the image quality. The utility of the Philips SRI-100 RTPID is demonstrated in the case of a patient irradiated soon after total hip replacement, as prophylaxis against heterotopic bone formation (HBF). The rapidity and quality of image production is a major advantage in these patients where post-operative pain may result in positional change between film exposure and image production. Extremely accurate shielding block position is essential to shield the prosthesis (and allow bone ingrowth for fixation) whilst avoiding inadvertent shielding of the areas at risk for HBF. A review of the literature is provided.

Adult↗
PubMed1994

The airway in the obstetrical patient.

Airway management of the parturient has serious implications for the anesthetist. Meticulous patient evaluation and preparation is essential. A management plan that can be implemented in the event of failed intubation should be familiar to all anesthetists who are involved in obstetrical anesthesia.

Anesthesia, Obstetrical↗
PubMed1990

Mandibular reconstruction using vascularised fibula.

The osteocutaneous fibula flap has been used to reconstruct large segments of mandible in cases following ablation for cancer or radionecrosis. The bone can be cut to the appropriate shape and the fasciocutaneous flap may be used simultaneously to provide oral cavity lining or skin cover. The technique is described and its successful use in seven patients is reported with details of the complications encountered.

Adult↗
PubMed1990

Utility of radioisotopic filtration markers in chronic renal insufficiency: simultaneous comparison of 125I-iothalamate, 169Yb-DTPA, 99mTc-DTPA, and inulin. The Modification of Diet in Renal Disease Study.

Assessment of glomerular filtration rate (GFR) with inulin is cumbersome and time-consuming. Radioisotopic filtration markers have been studied as filtration markers because they can be used without continuous intravenous (IV) infusion and because analysis is relatively simple. Although the clearances of 99mTc-diethylenetriamine-pentaacetic acid (DTPA), 169Yb-DTPA, and 125I-iothalamate have each been compared with inulin, rarely has the comparability of radioisotopic filtration markers been directly evaluated in the same subject. To this purpose, we determined the renal clearance of inulin administered by continuous infusion and the above radioisotopic filtration markers administered as bolus injections, simultaneously in four subjects with normal renal function and 16 subjects with renal insufficiency. Subjects were studied twice in order to assess within-study and between-study variability. Unlabeled iothalamate was infused during the second half of each study to assess its effect on clearances. We found that renal clearance of 125I-iothalamate and 169Yb-DTPA significantly exceeded clearance of inulin in patients with renal insufficiency, but only by several mL.min-1.1.73m-2. Overestimation of inulin clearance by radioisotopic filtration markers was found in all normal subjects. No differences between markers were found in the coefficient of variation of clearances either between periods on a given study day (within-day variability) or between the two study days (between-day variability). The true test variability between days did not correlate with within-test variability. We conclude that the renal clearance of 99mTc-DTPA, 169Yb-DTPA, or 125I-iothalamate administered as a single IV or subcutaneous injection can be used to accurately measure GFR in subjects with renal insufficiency; use of the single injection technique may overestimate GFR in normal subjects.

Creatinine↗
PubMed1981

Does invalidation produce loose construing?

This study tested Bannister's (1963) serial invalidation hypothesis that repeated invalidation of a person's judgements loosens conceptual organization. That is, a person's constructs or dimensions of judgement will become more weakly and inconsistently related. Using a variant of Kelly's (1955) repertory grid methodology, thirty university students rated three sets of eight career roles on sixteen constructs. During the ratings of the second set, subjects received both evaluative commentary from the experimenter and objective evidence in the form of fake ratings. Both types of feedback were either invalidating or validating of subjects' judgements on the first eight constructs. The main finding was that invalidation loosened conceptual organization, but only for subjects who initially manifested strong relations among constructs. Subjects who began with weaker construct relations were not significantly affected by type of feedback.

Concept Formation↗