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Biomedical subjects

R Gorman

Publications and source records attributed to R Gorman.

9 recordsLinked to original sources
PubMed1992

Research priorities of VA nurses: a Delphi study.

The purpose of this study was to conduct a Delphi survey of a sample of Gainesville Veterans Affairs Medical Center staff and head nurses. The study consisted of three rounds of questionnaires completed by the nurses as they identified and narrowed the most pressing nursing research questions. Results indicated that in five of the six clinical settings, despite investigators' instructions to identify clinical nursing research questions, administrative research questions were identified and ranked consistently higher in priority than clinical research questions. The single exception was in home care, where clinical questions received the highest priority. This phenomena may suggest that institutional constraints interfere with nurses' full expression of their clinical practice.

Attitude of Health Personnel↗
PubMed1991

Decline in spindle support to alpha-motoneurones during sustained voluntary contractions.

1. To address whether the muscle spindle support to alpha-motoneurones is maintained during prolonged isometric voluntary contractions, the discharge of eighteen muscle spindle afferents, originating in the dorsiflexors of the ankle or toes, was recorded from the common peroneal nerve in eight subjects. Isometric contractions were generally sustained for 1 min, usually below 30% of the maximal voluntary dorsiflexion force. 2. Once the afferent had been identified, subjects were instructed to dorsiflex the foot slowly to recruit the spindle ending, to continue the ramp contraction until a predetermined target force was reached, and then to hold that force until requested to relax. 3. Five muscle spindle afferents maintained a constant discharge frequency during the hold phase of the isometric contraction. Following relaxation of the contraction two spindle afferents from tibialis anterior, exhibited a post-contraction discharge despite the absence of detectable electromyographic activity (EMG). 4. The discharge frequency of most of the spindle afferents (72%) declined progressively during the isometric contraction. The mean firing rates had declined to two-thirds of those at the onset of the contraction by 30 s, and to half after 1 min. The decline in spindle firing rate commenced during the ramp phase of the contraction and was statistically significant by 10 s, when force was held constant. The extent of the decline was greater for those units with the higher initial firing rates and for those units studied after many preceding contractions. 5. In the same contractions a progressive increase in EMG was required to maintain force and consequently the change in EMG was inversely related to the change in spindle discharge. While many mechanisms may contribute to the decline in spindle discharge during a sustained isometric contraction, it is argued that the result will be a progressive disfacilitation of alpha-motoneurones, which may contribute to the decline in motor unit firing rates during a sustained contraction.

Adult↗
PubMed1989

Interference of automated electroencephalographic processing by an endocardial pacemaker.

This article reports a patient with an endocardial pacemaker undergoing a carotid endarterectomy in whom cerebral function was monitored by using processed electroencephalography (EEG). The EEG was processed by means of aperiodic analysis. The pacemaker generated an artifact that was identified on the processed EEG display and on the raw EEG display. During the time of carotid cross-clamping, a loss of EEG activity was noted on careful examination of the processed EEG and confirmed by referring to the raw EEG. Nevertheless, because of the presence of the artifact, the activity edge remained essentially constant despite the change in underlying EEG activity. The cross-clamp was released based on the observed change in EEG activity, yielding a return to baseline EEG activity. The surgeon elected to shunt the patient. The patient awoke without neurologic sequelae. This case serves to demonstrate the importance of referring to the raw EEG signal and the limitations of the activity edge in the presence of artifact.

Carotid Artery Diseases↗
PubMed1987

Toluidine blue in the corroboration of rape in the adult victim.

Objective physical evidence to corroborate a claim of rape is frequently absent. Genital lacerations are considered evidence that rape has occurred. In this study, toluidine blue dye, a nuclear stain, was used to detect vaginal lacerations. The detection of vaginal lacerations in reported rape victims increased from one in 24 to 14 in 24 with toluidine application. Toluidine blue increases the detection of perineal lacerations in adult rape victims and the presence of lacerations is supportive of the documentation of rape.

Adult↗
PubMed1985

Relationship of thromboxane generation to the aggregation of platelets from humans: effects of eicosapentaenoic acid.

A non-linear relationship between the percent aggregation of human platelets and the amount of TXB2 generated requires investigators to use caution when using the data to assess antiplatelet regimens. The relationship approximates a hyperbola with a roughly linear relationship from 0 to 70% aggregation and 0 to 50 ng TXB2 per ml of platelet-rich plasma. Above these values, the amount of TXB2 produced may increase up to 500 ng per ml of platelet-rich plasma with no clear relationship to the observed platelet function of aggregation. Also, appreciable inhibition of TXB2 formation can occur at high TXB2 levels with no detectable decrease in aggregation. Thus, assessment of antiplatelet regimens using TXB2 formation alone are unlikely to be interpretable without reference to this non-linear property of platelet function. We applied this concept when evaluating a study of forty subjects with dietary supplements of 1.8 g or 2.7 g of ethyl eicosapentaenoate (20:5n-3) for four weeks. There was a moderate, but statistically significant decrease in average values for the percent aggregation (60 +/- 15 to 45 +/- 30) and thromboxane production (51 +/- 30 to 33 +/- 31 ng/ml). Although the differences in mean values were slight relative to the overall standard deviations, reductions of platelet function were clearly evident in 31 of 40 subjects when paired results were examined relative to the recognized hyperbolic relationship.

Blood Platelets↗
PubMed1979

9,11-Iminoepoxyprosta-5,13-dienoic acid is a selective thromboxane A2 synthetase inhibitor.

9,11-Iminoepoxyprosta-5,13-dienoic acid inhibits the thromboxane A2 synthetase in platelet and lung microsomal enzyme preparations and in intact platelets. It does not inhibit the protaglandin I2 synthetase in aorta or lung microsomes and intact Balb 3T3 fibroblasts. In lung microsomes, which contain both enzymes, 9,11-iminoepoxyprosta-5,13-dienoic acid inhibits only thromboxane A2 formation and augments prostaglandin I2 formation. This inhibitor is more selective than other reported prostaglandin endoperoxide analogs which inhibit the platelet thromboxane synthetase.

Animals↗