PubMed Health⌕ Search

Biomedical subjects

S L Ray

Publications and source records attributed to S L Ray.

7 recordsLinked to original sources

Psychiatric nurses' perspectives of spirituality and spiritual needs during an amalgamation.

The purpose of this study was to explore the meaning of spirituality and how the spiritual needs of psychiatric nurses could be supported at work during a hospital amalgamation. Forty-six nurses completed the General Information Questionnaire and described the meaning of spirituality and how their spiritual needs could be supported. Data were analysed by the double-coding qualitative method. The themes identified for the meaning of spirituality included: being hopeful, having belief/belief systems, maintaining relatedness/connectedness and the expression of spirituality. The major themes identified to support nursing staffs' spiritual needs at work included communication, offering hope, being valued and support from spiritual sources. Nurses expressed the importance of spirituality in their lives and the need for spiritual support at work. Data for addressing staff spiritual needs are reported; however, further studies are needed to understand the spiritual needs of nursing staff at work during hospital amalgamations.

Adult↗

Maternal transfer of photoperiodic information in Siberian hamsters. V. Effects of melatonin implants are dependent on photoperiod.

Photoperiodic information is transferred from female Siberian hamsters to their fetuses during gestation. Although maternal melatonin is known to be essential for the transfer of prenatal photoperiodic information, its specific role is not well defined. The duration of the daily melatonin signal, expressed as an elevation of serum melatonin levels in the maternal circulation, has been hypothesized to convey day length information to the fetus. If this hypothesis is valid, it predicts that identical maternal melatonin signals should affect the fetuses identically, regardless of the prenatal photoperiod. To test this hypothesis, adult females received melatonin in beeswax or beeswax alone. They were paired with males and housed in photoperiods of 12L:12D or 16L:8D. On the day of parturition, mother and young were transferred to constant light (LL). Young males were killed on Day 28 of life, and weights of testes were determined. Prenatal treatment with beeswax alone did not affect the nature of the signal transferred from mother to fetus; young gestated in 12L:12D and reared in LL developed small testes, while those gestated in 16L:8D had large testes. On the other hand, the effect of the prenatal melatonin treatment on postnatal testicular development in LL was inversely dependent on the prenatal photoperiod: testicular growth was stimulated in young gestated in 12L:12D, but inhibited in young gestated in 16L:8D. To verify that the melatonin pellets produced equivalent serum melatonin levels in adult females in 12L:12D and 16L:8D, unmated adult females were killed 6-10 wk after receiving melatonin pellets. Serum levels were elevated in both groups throughout the day and night.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)

Animals↗

Maternal transfer of photoperiodic information in Siberian hamsters. II. The nature of the maternal signal, time of signal transfer, and the effect of the maternal signal on peripubertal reproductive development in the absence of photoperiodic input.

Peripubertal reproductive development of Siberian hamsters is controlled by maternally derived photoperiodic information and the ambient photoperiod present after weaning. Previous experiments suggested that the maternally derived information is transferred during gestation, not during lactation. Development was examined in several photoperiods following manipulation of gestational and lactational photoperiods; development was influenced by the gestational, but not lactational, photoperiod. Second, effects of the gestational photoperiod were observed in young reared in constant light (LL) from Day 15. Depriving the young of ambient photoperiodic information after Day 15 allows a more direct assessment of the signal received from their dams. Finally, melatonin injections to long-day dams, at certain times of day, caused transmission of a short-day signal to young, as evidenced by their development in LL and light-dark cycles. Thus, a maternally derived signal that is dependent on melatonin influences reproductive development of the young during gestation; the maternally directed pattern of development can subsequently be modified by the youngs' own response to ambient photoperiods after weaning.

Aging↗

Maternal transfer of photoperiodic information in Siberian hamsters. III. Melatonin injections program postnatal reproductive development expressed in constant light.

In Siberian hamsters, transference of photoperiodic information from dam to fetus influences pubertal testicular development of the young when reared either in constant light (LL) or postnatal photoperiods of intermediate length (i.e. 14L:10D). The effects of short photoperiods during gestation can be mimicked by administering melatonin to pregnant females. This experiment examined whether there exists a daily pattern of sensitivity to melatonin when it is administered to pineal-intact pregnant females housed on a long photoperiod. Groups of pregnant and lactating females received melatonin at each hour of the day. The young were not treated with exogenous melatonin. At the approximate time of maturation of their endogenous pineal melatonin rhythm (Day 15), the young were placed in LL to suppress pineal melatonin secretion. Young males were killed at 28 days of age. Afternoon (1200 h-2000 h) and late night (0400 h) injections of melatonin into females caused their male young to develop as though gestation occurred on a short photoperiod. Melatonin injections at other times were ineffective. The daily pattern of effectiveness of exogenous melatonin administration to pregnant females resembles that observed in adult males of this and other hamster species and is consistent with the hypothesis that a daily rhythm in sensitivity to melatonin is involved in the transduction of photoperiodic signals.

Animals↗

Differences in human X isochromosomes.

In this paper we describe two types of i(Xq), in three patients. A classification is proposed for at least seven different types of human i(Xq)s or X long-arm duplications described by banding in the literature. Type 1 reported here and also in the literature may be the most common. It consists of a single visible centromere, metacentric, length similar to number 3, G-banding interpreted as i(X)(qter leads to cen leads to qter), one C-band like a normal X. Type 2 reported here may not have a counterpart in the literature; it exhibits a single visible centromere, submetacentric, length similiar to number 3, extra G- and C-bands on region ql. The classification summarized in this paper implies that different breakpoints are involved in the production of human X long-arm isochromosomes or duplications. Some include duplications of short arm. Morphological differences in i(Xq)s will complicate their use for studying the effect of X chromosome structure on phenotype, unless differences are defined clearly. It seems important to resolve the question of whether these reported abnormal X chromosomes involve rearrangements between the same or two X chromosomes. We also report X chromosome defects in three generations of a family; both the mother and maternal grandmother of one 45,X,i(Xq)/45,X patient are themselves mosaics for 45,X/46,XX/46,X,r(X). This family suggests that familial predisposition to X chromosome abnormality included isochromosome formation, as well as ring formation and mosaicism.

Adolescent↗

Male survivors' perspectives of incest/sexual abuse.

PURPOSE: To show how understanding the aftereffects of incest and other forms of sexual abuse from male survivors' perspectives may help clinicians identify males with a possible history of sexual abuse. METHODS: Audiotaped interviews with 25 male survivors described the aftereffects in eight life areas. Data were analyzed by the double-coding qualitative method. FINDINGS: Themes identified included isolation, anger, depression/suicidal feelings, addictions, or low sense of self, and distant relationships with men and women. CONCLUSIONS: Clinicians need to explore the possibility of a history of sexual abuse with males who seek treatment for addictions, suicidal ideation, depression, and chronic low self-esteem.

Adult↗