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Biomedical subjects

S Kirk

Publications and source records attributed to S Kirk.

13 recordsLinked to original sources

The changes in the role of the nurse teacher following the formation of links with higher education.

A national study was conducted in England over a three-year period (1991-1994) to explore the changing role of the nurse teacher. The study used multiple methods of data collection, including a modified Delphi survey and a series of telephone interviews. A wide variety of respondents (nurse teachers, midwife teachers, clinical nurses, health service managers and higher education lecturers) were included in the sample. This paper presents findings relating to the changes in the role of the nurse teacher following the formation of links with higher education. Some of the issues discussed include the difficulties related to academic status and the relationships between nurse teachers and other lecturers in higher education, changes in teaching styles and the place of student nurses within higher education. The implications for nurse teachers which stem from a closer association with higher education are explored.

Burnout, Professional

The changing academic role of the nurse teacher in the United Kingdom.

This paper presents findings from a national study conducted over a 3-year period (1991-94) which examined the changing role of the nurse teacher. The study used multiple methods to collect data from a wide variety of respondents (nurse teachers, midwife teachers, clinical nurses, health service managers and higher education lecturers). This paper presents the findings relating to the development of the nurse teacher's academic role following the introduction of Project 2000. The issues presented and discussed include specialization within the nurse teacher's role, the nature of this specialization and the development of academic credibility and scholarship. The implications of these changes in terms of the development of nursing as an academic subject area and the opportunity to contribute to the establishment of research based practice are explored.

Delphi Technique

Regulation of plasma and tissue levels of insulin-like growth factor-I by nutrition and treatment with growth hormone in sheep.

Tissue and plasma levels of insulin-like growth factor-I (IGF-I), and relative levels of liver IGF-I RNA, were measured in 6-month-old ewe lambs which were well fed (n = 10) or starved (n = 10) for 5 days. Half of each nutrition group was given daily (09.00 h) injections of human GH (hGH; 0.15 mg/kg body weight per day). Blood was sampled daily from 09.00 to 12.00 h at 15-min intervals through jugular vein catheters and the lambs were slaughtered 24 h after the fifth injection of hGH. Tissue and plasma IGF-I was extracted using an acid-ethanol-cryo-precipitation technique and estimated by radioimmunoassay. Tissue IGF-I was corrected for retained plasma IGF-I using tissue and blood hemoglobin levels. Liver IGF-I RNA levels were monitored by in-situ hybridization. Plasma IGF-I (nmol/l) was higher in both the fed group and the fed group given GH treatment. Tissue IGF-I from kidneys (nmol/kg) was also higher (P < 0.001) in the fed group. There was no significant difference in IGF-I concentrations in the muscle biceps femoris or liver between fed and starved lambs. Although GH treatment did not increase IGF-I levels in tissues significantly, IGF-I RNA levels in liver were increased (P = 0.02) in both fed and starved animals. The relative liver IGF-I RNA levels positively correlated with their corresponding tissue IGF-I levels in the fed group and the fed group given GH treatment.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)

Animal Nutritional Physiological Phenomena

Irresectable hepatoma treated by intrahepatic iodized oil doxorubicin hydrochloride: initial results.

In this study we describe the investigation and treatment of 14 patients with primary hepatocellular carcinoma. Patients were treated with intra-arterial infusion of iodized oil and doxorubicin hydrochloride. Five of these patients were alive after 1 year. Twelve patients showed a fall in alpha-fetoprotein, and in seven of these patients, the fall in alpha-fetoprotein was greater than 50%.

Adult

A profile of residents of old people's homes.

This paper describes the characteristics of the 450 residents of all statutory residential homes for the elderly within five local government districts in Northern Ireland. The residents are described in terms of demographic detail, prevalence of dementia and prevalence of problem behaviour. Results are comparable with those of other studies. There are more females, fewer are married and more are over the age of 75 years than would be predicted from the general population. Roughly half scored within the dementia range, with 56% of those over 85 years being demented. More than 33% had some degree of incontinence, 9% were immobile and 10% were physically aggressive at least once a week. Five percent were wanderers and nearly all residents required help with bathing.

Activities of Daily Living

Skinfold thickness measurements in obese subjects.

To determine the accuracy of skinfold thickness measurements in body composition assessment, skinfold thicknesses, bioelectrical impedance, body density by underwater weighing, and total body water by deuterium dilution were determined in 105 healthy adults who varied widely in body fatness. Body fat ranged from 2.9% to 61.2% of body weight and a substantial number of obese subjects was included. The correlation between body fat calculated from skinfold equations and body fat measured by underwater weighing was in the same range as that between body fat estimated from impedance and underwater weighing. However, body fat calculated both from skinfold equations and bioelectrical impedance tended to be underestimated compared with body fat calculated from underwater weighing and total body water in the most obese subjects. In obese subjects it was not possible to measure significant numbers of skinfold thicknesses because of the inadequate size of the calipers.

Adult

Effect of long-distance running on bone mass in women.

The effect of long-distance running on bone mass was assessed in 10 premenopausal and 9 estrogen-deprived postmenopausal women and compared to that in closely matched sedentary control women. Vertebral trabecular bone density (VBD) was determined by computed tomography and radial cortical bone density (CBD) by single-photon absorptiometry. Physical fitness was assessed by determining maximal oxygen consumption (VO2max) on a treadmill run to exhaustion. VBD was 183 +/- 7 mg/cm3 and VO2max was 48 +/- 1 ml/kg per minute in young women runners and 163 +/- 8 mg/cm3 and 32 +/- 2 ml/kg per minute in sedentary young women. A positive correlation was noted between VBD and VO2max in these groups (r = 0.509, p less than 0.03). Despite a significantly higher VO2max in postmenopausal women runners compared with sedentary controls (37 +/- 2 versus 24 +/- 2 ml/kg per minute), VBD was identical (112 +/- 5 versus 111 +/- 5 mg/cm3) and no correlation was seen between VBD and VO2max (r = 0.187, p = 0.457). Radial cortical bone density was not different between the runners or sedentary groups in young women (0.738 +/- 0.01 versus 0.732 +/- 0.1 g/cm2) or postmenopausal women (0.617 +/- 0.3 versus 0.665 +/- 0.4 g/cm2). These results suggest that although physical fitness enhances vertebral bone density in premenopausal women, it does not appear to prevent age- and/or sex steroid deficiency-induced bone loss in postmenopausal women.

Adult

Developing a comprehensive system for handling mental illness commitments.

A comprehensive system for processing individuals being evaluated for mental illness commitment is presented. The system comprises six levels making maximum use of screening and evaluation procedures prior to judicial action. The system levels are described. Data from both the general literature and research specific to the system are presented to support the efficacy of such a processing model. The data suggest state hospital admissions/readmissions and hospital populations are reduced following implementation of the proposed screening/evaluation procedures. Additionally, the commitment system presented addresses recent sociopolitical trends mandating sufficient recognition of the rights of the mentally ill.

Commitment of Persons with Psychiatric Disorders

Minimizing corneal endothelial damage due to intraocular lens contact.

Previous studies have shown that momentary contact between a methylmethacrylate intraocular lens and the corneal endothelial cells results in extensive cell damage. This contact damage is reduced by coating the pseudophake with various solutions prior to contact with the endothelium.

Cornea

Improved screening for benzodiazepine metabolites in urine using the Triage Panel for Drugs of Abuse.

Screening for benzodiazepines is an important component of many drug testing programs. Current immunochemical methods are limited by a lack of sensitivity to many of the 35 forms of benzodiazepines available and because the antibodies used are insensitive to the glucuronic acid conjugates that constitute the major metabolites in urine. The Triage Panel for Drugs of Abuse (Biosite Diagnostics), a new screening device, is a competitive immunoassay containing monoclonal antibodies directed against glucuronide metabolites of benzodiazepines. We tested this device on 326 urine specimens, which were also tested by two other immunoassay methods (FPIA and EMIT) and by GC/MS. We found a sensitivity of 97.5% and a specificity of 94.3% for the Triage assay when it was applied to a population in which approximately 50% of the specimens were positive; a distribution of eight different benzodiazepines was found in the positive samples. Other immunoassays performed with lower sensitivity or specificity or both. We found no significant difference between two analysts using the Triage test. We conclude that the Triage method represents a superior method for benzodiazepine screening when compared with other immunoassay methods.

Anti-Anxiety Agents