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Biomedical subjects

M Rubert

Publications and source records attributed to M Rubert.

8 recordsLinked to original sources
PubMed2004

Well-being, appraisal, and coping in Latina and Caucasian female dementia caregivers: findings from the REACH study.

While there has been considerable interest in studying ethnically diverse family caregivers, few studies have investigated the influence of dementia caregiving on Latino families. The current study includes participants from two sites of the REACH (Resources for Enhancing Alzheimer's Caregiver Health) project to compare well-being, appraisal, and religiosity by ethnicity, with specific attention to levels of acculturation. Latina (n = 191) and Caucasian female (n = 229) dementia family caregivers from two regions of the United States (Miami, Florida and Northern California) were compared at baseline on demographics, care recipient characteristics, mental and physical health, and psychosocial resources, including appraisal style and religiosity. Latina caregivers reported lower appraisals of stress, greater perceived benefits of caregiving, and greater use of religious coping than Caucasian caregivers. The relationship of these variables to level of acculturation for the Latina caregivers was also explored. Implications of these results for psychosocial interventions with Latino and Caucasian family caregivers are discussed.

Adaptation, Psychological↗
PubMed2001

An evaluation of the NINCDS-ADRDA neuropsychological criteria for the assessment of Alzheimer's disease: a confirmatory factor analysis of single versus multi-factor models.

Neuropsychological test batteries are frequently used to assess the nature and severity of cognitive deficits among patients with early Alzheimer's Disease (AD) and related disorders. The NINCDS-ADRDA criteria are among the most widely used guidelines to diagnose dementia (McKhann et al.,1984). These criteria specify eight distinct areas of neuropsychological function that should be evaluated in patients with suspected cognitive impairment. Recent studies have suggested that neuropsychological deficits observed in AD may be explained by a single general factor related to memory deficits or to executive dysfunction. In contrast, the results of other investigations have indicated that multiple qualitatively different factors underlie cognitive abilities in AD. In the present study, we used confirmatory factor analysis to examine the structure of cognitive abilities in AD and to assess the extent to which single and multiple ability factors accurately represent neuropsychological test data obtained from patients with AD. Results indicated that the NINCDS-ADRDA model fit the data better than a single factor model. However, a more parsimonious model specifying memory, verbal abilities, visuospatial skills, executive function, and higher as well as lower functional activities of daily living fit the data better than the NINCDS-ADRDA model. These results have important theoretical and practical implications for diagnostic evaluation.

Activities of Daily Living↗
PubMed1995

A qualitative analysis of semantic intrusive errors in Alzheimer's disease.

Intrusive or perseverative errors as evidenced on tests of memory have been found to occur with greater frequency in patients with Alzheimer's Disease (AD) relative to other disorders and are thought to reflect the cholinergic deficits associated with AD. A particular type of intrusive error, semantic intrusions, has been found to discriminate AD from multi-infarct dementia and normal elderly controls. However, it has been suggested that such errors actually reflect random responding as the result of the disinhibition often observed in AD patients. The present study compared the frequency and types of intrusive errors from a sample of mildly, moderately, and more severely impaired AD patients who had undergone the Fuld Object Memory Evaluation with the "guesses" of elderly controls. Results of this study indicate that the semantic intrusions of AD patients differ both in type and frequency from the guesses of the control subjects.

Journal Article↗
PubMed1980

Pharmacokinetics of vinblastine-loaded platelets utilized in the treatment of platelet-phagocytizing tumors.

Vinblastine-loaded platelets (VLP) have been successfully used in the treatment of idiopathic thrombocytopenic purpura. Three patients with platelet-phagocytizing tumors and thrombocytopenia were treated with VLP. Patient 1 has sustained a response for 11 months. Patient 2 was not evaluable for response because of early death. Patient 3 had a brief partial response. Vinblastine levels were measured by radioimmunoassay in the platelet-rich plasma, platelet-poor plasma, and serum. The pharmacokinetic data obtained on the patients suggest that: (a) the amount of vinblastine bound to platelets in vivo is a function of the platelet-poor plasma vinblastine level and the platelet count; (b) VLP will probably not have any therapeutic advantage, compared with iv vinblastine alone in patients with normal platelet counts; and (c) it appears that delivery of vinblastine was tumor-specific, since the bone marrow serum vinblastine level in patient 2, obtained when the marrow was replaced by tumor cells, was 2.5-fold higher than a simultaneous peripheral blood serum vinblastine level after VLP. Additional studies with VLP appear warranted in patients with platelet-phagocytizing tumors resulting in thrombocytopenia.

Adult↗
PubMed1975

Synthesis of ethanolamine phosphoglycerides by human platelets.

Platelet homogenates contain an ethanolaminephosphotransferase (EC 2.7.8.1) that catalyzes the synthesis of ethanolamine phosphoglycerides from cytidine-5'-diphosphate ethanolamine and 1-radyl-2-acyl-sn-glycerols. The enzyme is particulate-bound and requires Mn2+ and bile salts for optimal activity. The apparent Km of the enzyme for cytidine-5'-diphosphate ethanolamine is 1.6 X 10(-5) M when the concentration of 1,2-diacyl-sn-glycerols is 8.8 X 10(-4) M. The pH optimum is 8.5 in Tris-HCl or glycine-NaOH buffer. The activity of the enzyme in platelets from normal subjects is 0.24-0.34 nmole/min/mg of protein.

Blood Platelets↗
PubMed1973

Diglyceride kinase in human platelets.

Human platelets contain diglyceride kinase, an enzyme that catalyzes the phosphorylation of diacylglycerol by adenosine 5'-triphosphate to yield phosphatidic acid. The majority of the platelet enzyme is particulate-bound, and membrane fractions of platelet homogenates have a higher specific activity than granule fractions. Both deoxycholate and magnesium are necessary for optimal enzyme activity. The K(m) of the enzyme for adenosine 5'-triphosphate is 1.3 mm, and the apparent K(m) for diacylglycerol is 0.4 mm. The pH optimum is 6.6-6.8 in imidazole-HCl or maleate-NaOH buffer. The enzyme activity of platelets from normal subjects was similar to the activity from patients with renal and hepatic failure.

Adenosine Triphosphate↗
PubMedDate not supplied

Phase I trial of chlorozotocin: attempted amelioration of myelotoxicity by glucose administration.

Chlorozotocin is a new anticancer agent with the chloroethylnitrosourea cytotoxic moiety attached to the carbon-2 position of glucose. Like other chloroethylnitrosoureas, this agent produces delayed myelotoxicity which is dose-limiting. A phase I trial of chlorozotocin with administration of glucose was done in an attempt to modify the myelotoxicity. The patients received the first course of chlorozotocin (200 mg/m2) in the fasting state and then the second course of chlorozotocin with boluses of a 50% glucose solution. With the second course of chlorozotocin administration, the glucose concentration remained threefold greater than after the first course for at least 1 hour. The plasma half-life and apparent volume of distribution of chlorozotocin were similar following either course. The wbc, neutrophil, and platelet count nadirs after the first course of this agent were not significantly different than the nadirs after the second course. We were unable to modify the myelotoxicity of chlorozotocin with boluses of a 50% glucose solution.

Blood Glucose↗