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Biomedical subjects

S Vance

Publications and source records attributed to S Vance.

8 recordsLinked to original sources
PubMed2006

The astrobiology primer: an outline of general knowledge--version 1, 2006.

The Astrobiology Primer has been created as a reference tool for those who are interested in the interdisciplinary field of astrobiology. The field incorporates many diverse research endeavors, but it is our hope that this slim volume will present the reader with all he or she needs to know to become involved and to understand, at least at a fundamental level, the state of the art. Each section includes a brief overview of a topic and a short list of readable and important literature for those interested in deeper knowledge. Because of the great diversity of material, each section was written by a different author with a different expertise. Contributors, authors, and editors are listed at the beginning, along with a list of those chapters and sections for which they were responsible. We are deeply indebted to the NASA Astrobiology Institute (NAI), in particular to Estelle Dodson, David Morrison, Ed Goolish, Krisstina Wilmoth, and Rose Grymes for their continued enthusiasm and support. The Primer came about in large part because of NAI support for graduate student research, collaboration, and inclusion as well as direct funding. We have entitled the Primer version 1 in hope that it will be only the first in a series, whose future volumes will be produced every 3-5 years. This way we can insure that the Primer keeps up with the current state of research. We hope that it will be a great resource for anyone trying to stay abreast of an ever-changing field.

Astronomical Phenomena↗
PubMed1992

Transthoracic defibrillation: effect of sternotomy on chest impedance.

The purpose of this study was to determine the effect of sternotomy on transthoracic impedance, a major determinant of current flow and defibrillation success. Transthoracic impedance was determined by using a validated test-pulse technique that does not require actual shocks. Seventeen patients undergoing median sternotomy were studied prospectively. Transthoracic impedance was determined before operation, 3 to 5 days after operation and (in eight patients) greater than or equal to 1 month after operation. When measured using paddle electrodes placed in the standard apex-right parasternal defibrillating position, transthoracic impedance declined after sternotomy in all patients, from 77 +/- 18 to 59 +/- 17 omega (p less than 0.01); smaller declines were demonstrated by using other electrode positions. Transthoracic impedance remained below the preoperative level in the eight patients who underwent a second set of measurements at least 1 month after operation. Six normal subjects not undergoing sternotomy underwent serial transthoracic impedance measurements at least 5 days apart; mean transthoracic impedance did not change. It is concluded that transthoracic impedance declines after sternotomy. At any operator-selected energy level a higher current flow will result after sternotomy; this may facilitate postoperative defibrillation.

Cardiography, Impedance↗
PubMed1986

The relationship of brain-tissue loss volume and lesion location to cognitive deficit.

We examined the relationship of preinjury intelligence, a lesion-severity variable (brain-tissue loss volume), and lesion location to the persistence of cognitive deficits in Vietnam veterans with penetrating brain wounds. Using stepwise multiple linear regression procedures, we found that preinjury intelligence predicted a significant amount of the variance on postinjury cognitive testing, being a better predictor for tests requiring a number of complementary cognitive processes (e.g., intelligence tests) than for tests measuring a specific cognitive process (e.g., face recognition). Brain-tissue volume loss was found to play a larger role when a global cognitive measure was used, but a smaller role when a specific cognitive process was measured. Finally, lesion location was shown to be a significant predictor of performance only for specific cognitive processes. Nevertheless, preinjury intelligence/education appears to play an even larger role in postinjury performance than either brain-tissue loss volume or a particular structural loss.

Adult↗
PubMedDate not supplied

Psychiatric disorders and survival after lung transplantation.

The 30 patients who underwent lung transplantation between 1990 and 1996 were included in this study, and data were analyzed to find predictors of 1-year survival posttransplantation. All patients were followed throughout the posttransplantation period. Fifteen patients had a pretransplantation diagnosis of an anxiety and/or depressive disorders. Of the 30 patients transplanted, 19 survived 12 months or more, and 11 died less than 12 months posttransplantation. The > 12-month survival group had a mean age of 45.2 years at transplantation, compared with a mean age of 43.0 years in the < 12-month group (NS). The mean Psychosocial Assessment of Candidates for Transplant score and premorbid history of smoking did not differ between the groups. The > 12-month survival group had more psychiatric illness pretransplantation than the < 12-month survival group (56% vs. 27%, P < 0.05). The recipients with a psychiatric history (N = 15) were more likely to survive 1 year posttransplantation than the recipients without a psychiatric history (80% vs. 47%, P < 0.05) and were not significantly different from the recipients without a psychiatric history in terms of episodes of rejection, bronchiolitis obliterans, or noncompliance with treatment. Depression and anxiety are treatable disorders that occur frequently in patients with end-stage lung disease, and a premorbid history of either did not predict a worse outcome posttransplantation in this study of lung transplantation recipients.

Adult↗
PubMedDate not supplied

Smoking behavior, knowledge, and beliefs among Korean Americans.

PURPOSE: The purpose of the study was to examine smoking behavior, knowledge, and beliefs among Korean Americans. DESCRIPTION OF STUDY: One hundred four Korean American men and 159 women, 40 to 69 years old, living in Chicago, Illinois, served as study respondents. The National Health Interview Survey (NHIS) Cancer Control Supplement Questionnaire was used to collect data. The NHIS was translated into Korean with minor modifications to develop a culturally appropriate instrument. RESULTS: This study suggests that smoking is almost exclusively a male behavior (38.5%) and that Korean American men smoke mostly cigarettes. Almost 90% of women have never smoked, whereas 23% of men reported never smoking. Respondents with a non-Christian background or no religious affiliation were 16.5 times more likely to be current smokers. Respondents who had lived in the United States less than 10 years were 12.5 times more likely to be current smokers. More than 90% of men, regardless of smoking status, were able to identify an association between smoking and major chronic diseases. CLINICAL IMPLICATIONS: The prevalence of smoking among these Korean American men places them at considerable risk for smoking-related disease. Healthcare providers must be better informed about smoking behavior in this group, and specific attention to recently migrated men and those reporting religions other than Christianity is recommended. Health-protecting strategies for women and children who fall victim to secondhand smoke, or who may be targeted by tobacco advertising, are also an important step in disease prevention for this population.

Adult↗
PubMedDate not supplied

Using e-mail to facilitate nursing scholarship.

A central tenet of university education is the development of scholarly abilities. The traditional hallmarks of scholarship, such as critical thinking, reflection, creativity, critical analysis, and openness to new thinking, need to be fostered in the face of increasing technological change. Contemporary e-mail applications provide a sophisticated environment in which many of the fundamental skills of scholarship can be nurtured. This article describes an interdisciplinary curricular project in which e-mail was employed as a vehicle to support the development of students' understanding of scholarship within a cohort of first-year undergraduate nursing students. The project involved the establishment of "Virtual Colleague" activity, which used e-mail to conduct scholarly activities, including critical analysis of electronic journals and web sites and peer review. The theoretical underpinning of the project and an evaluation of the project are presented. Future use of such technologies in the promotion of scholarship among nurses is discussed.

Communication↗