Biomedical subjects

S Therrien

Publications and source records attributed to S Therrien.

7 recordsLinked to original sources

PubMed1995

First-year family medicine residents' use of computers: knowledge, skills and attitudes.

OBJECTIVE: To identify the computer knowledge, skills and attitudes of first-year family medicine residents. DESIGN: Cross-sectional survey of family medicine residents during the academic year 1993-94; sampling began in July 1993 and ended in October 1993. SETTING: Canada. PARTICIPANTS: All 727 first-year family medicine residents, of whom 433 (60%) responded. OUTCOME MEASURES: Previous computer experience or training, current use, barriers to use, and comfort with and attitudes regarding computers. RESULTS: There was no difference in age or sex between the respondents and all first-year family medicine residents in Canada. French-speaking respondents from Quebec were underrepresented (p < 0.001). Only 56 respondents (13%) felt extremely or very comfortable with computer use. The most commonly cited barriers to obtaining computer training were lack of time (243 respondents [56%]) and the high cost of computers (214 [49%]) but not lack of interest (69 [16%]). Most residents wanted more computer training (367 [85%]) and felt that computer training should be a mandatory component of family medicine training programs (308 [71%]). CONCLUSIONS: Computer knowledge and skills and comfort with computer use appear low among first-year family medicine residents in Canada, and barriers to acquisition of computer knowledge are impressive. Computer training should become an integral part of family medicine training in Canada, and user-friendly applicable computer systems are needed.

Attitude to Computers↗

PubMed1990

Educating patients on the run.

This article discusses patient education in the endoscopy laboratory. It addresses quality usage of time available to perform patient teaching, the problems encountered and the effects of stress on the learning process.

Endoscopy↗

PubMed1989

Chemoattractant-induced cytoplasmic pH changes and cytoskeletal reorganization in human neutrophils. Relationship to the stimulated calcium transients and oxidative burst.

The relationships between the chemotactic factor-stimulated mobilization of calcium, activation of the NADPH-oxidase, changes in cytosolic pH, and in the level of polymerized actin in human neutrophils have been examined. The approach taken was to use intracellular calcium chelators, and pharmacologic modulators (both positive and negative) of the NADPH-oxidase to measure the aforementioned responses under conditions where the calcium transients were abrogated and/or the generation of superoxide anions was either inhibited or augmented. The decrease in cytosolic pH induced by chemoattractants was inhibited by the calcium chelator BAPTA and by the diglyceride kinase inhibitor 6-[2-(4-[(4-fluorophenyl)phenylmethylene]-1-piperidinylethyl ]-7-methyl-5H-thiazolo[3,2-alpha]pyriimidin-5-one (R59022) (this latter compound enhanced the oxidative response of the cells). Furthermore, a specific inhibitor of the NADPH-oxidase (diphenyleneiodonium) had no significant effect on the cytosolic acidification induced by FMLP or leukotriene B4. These results indicate that the initiation of the cytosolic acidification induced by chemotactic factors is a calcium-dependent event that is not directly linked to the activation of the NADPH-oxidase. In contrast, the stimulated polymerization of actin was insensitive to BAPTA, R59022, and diphenyleneiodonium. Thus, neither the calcium transients nor the oxidative burst play a signaling role in the initiation of actin polymerization elicited by chemoattractants. These data indicate that additional investigations are needed to uncover the biochemical basis of the signals initiated in human neutrophils by chemotactic factors that lead to the polymerization of actin and to the cytosolic acidification.

Actins↗

PubMed1989

Guanine nucleotide-induced polymerization of actin in electropermeabilized human neutrophils.

The effects of exogenous guanine nucleotides on the polymerization of actin in human neutrophils were tested in an electropermeabilized cell preparation. Close to 40% permeabilization was achieved with a single electric discharge as measured by nucleic acid staining with ethidium bromide or propidium iodide with minimal (less than 2%) release of the cytoplasmic marker lactate dehydrogenase. In addition, electropermeabilized neutrophils retained their capacity to produce superoxide anions and to sustain a polymerization of actin in response to surface-receptor dependent stimuli such as chemotactic factors. Electropermeabilization produced a rapid and transient permeabilization that allowed the entry of guanine nucleotides into the cells. GTP and, to a larger extent, its nonhydrolyzable analog guanosine 5'-O-2-thiotriphosphate (GTP[S]), induced a time- and concentration-dependent polymerization of actin, as determined by increased staining with 7-nitrobenz-2-oxa-1,3-diazolylphallacidin. The effects of the aforementioned guanine nucleotides were antagonized by GDP[S], but were insensitive to pertussis toxin. Cholera toxin potentiated to a small degree the amount of actin polymerization induced by GTP[S]. These results provided direct evidence for the involvement of GTP-binding proteins in the regulation of the organization of the cytoskeleton of neutrophils, an event that is of crucial importance to the performance of the defense-oriented functions of these cells.

Actins↗

PubMed1988

Calcium mobilization, actin polymerization and right-angle light scatter responses to leukotriene B4, 12(R)- and 12(S)-hydroxyeicosatetraenoic acid in human neutrophils.

The presence of microgram quantities of 12(R)-hydroxyeicosatetraenoic acid (12(R)HETE) in psoriatic scales has been reported. 12(R)HETE has been found to be 5-10 times more potent than its isomer 12(S)HETE in inducing neutrophil locomotion and aggregation. In this study, the ability of these two eicosanoids to elicit a mobilization of calcium and a polymerization of actin was examined and compared to that of leukotriene B4. These two cell-biochemical assays were chosen in view of the likelihood that they are relevant to the motile functions of the neutrophils. 12(R)HETE was found to induce an increase in the cytoplasmic level of free calcium and in the amount of polymerized actin. 12(S)HETE also raised the level of free calcium, though to a lesser extent than 12(R)HETE, but did not induce a detectable polymerization of actin. Leukotriene B4 was more active, on the basis of concentration and maximal response, than either 12(R)HETE or 12(S)HETE. The activity of 12(R)HETE detected and reported in this communication provides support for the suggestion that this eicosanoid may play a significant role in the pathogenesis of the inflammatory reactions in psoriasis.

Actins↗

PubMed1988

[The physician and disability certificates: preconceived attitudes and behaviors].

Five attitudes and predicted behaviors characterize the physicians' responses (strategies) to invalidity certificates. These are: 1- scientific objectivation; 2- complicity (meaning: always completing the certificates without objective preoccupations of any kind); 3- socio political (meaning: influenced by the physician's ideas concerning ways the society should consider the non-working people: permissive or repressive); 4- negotiation (implicating a psychobiosocial approach to the patient and the problem); 5- indifference (never completing certificates, referring this role to someone else). Our recent survey (September 1986) including 92 physicians of a General Hospital (Cité de la Santé) in Laval demonstrates a preponderant attitude, the "socio political" one (A3). But, it has no relation to the preponderant predicted behavior which is the negotiation (C4), characterizing a psychobiosocial approach to the patient and the problem. This behavior has been chosen in a statistically significant way. Nevertheless, there is a relation between the attitude A1: scientific objectivation and the corresponding predicted behavior C1: scientific objectivation. Notions of rationability, professionalism and sociable desirability are evoked as explanations of these results.

Attitude of Health Personnel↗

PubMedDate not supplied

Regional variations of northern health: the epidemic of fatal trauma in northeastern Ontario.

OBJECTIVE: To examine the causes of traumatic death in a northern region of Ontario. METHODS: Prevalence study of trauma deaths occurring within the region of Northeastern Ontario over the years 1989-1991; regional data were compared with provincial data. RESULTS: 1,027 patient records were identified over the study period (51.4 deaths per 100,000 population/year). Non-intentional trauma accounted for 70% of all trauma deaths in the region; suicide (25%; 12.8/100,000) and homicide (5%; 2.4/100,000) were less common. Motorized vehicle trauma accounted for most of the non-intentional traumatic death (39%; 20.4/100,000). Age-standardized mortality ratios were 67% above the provincial average for non-intentional trauma, 71% above the provincial average for suicides, 55% above the provincial average for homicides, and 68% higher for all forms of traumatic death. CONCLUSIONS: Traumatic death is a major health problem in northern areas; reduction of these rates depends on the development of an effective injury prevention strategy.

Accidents, Traffic↗