Production of alginate beads by emulsification/internal gelation. I. Methodology.

Small diameter alginate beads (microspheres) were formed via internal gelation of alginate solution emulsified within vegetable oil. Gelation was initiated by addition of an oil-soluble acid thereby reducing the pH of the alginate solution and releasing soluble Ca2+ from the citrate complex. Smooth, spherical, micron-sized beads were formed.

Tuberculosis surveillance in a long-term care facility.

The prevalence of tuberculous infection in residents of a large nursing facility in New York City was assessed. The population was predominantly female (80%) and white (86%), with almost one-half (49%) being foreign born. The mean age of the group was 86.

Disruption of saccade production during oculomotor tracking in schizophrenia and the use of its changes across target velocity as a discriminator of the disorder.

A clear measure of eye movement disorder (EMD) that reliably separated schizophrenic individuals from others would both give insight into the brain control of the disorder and provide an aid in diagnosis. In the present study, a detailed analysis was carried out of the interactions between the pursuit and saccadic components of eye movements at different target velocities. The subjects comprised schizophrenic patients, unipolar depressed patients, and normal controls.

Lactococcus lactis release from calcium alginate beads.

Cell release during milk fermentation by Lactococcus lactis immobilized in calcium alginate beads was examined. Numbers of free cells in the milk gradually increased from 1 x 10(6) to 3 x 10(7) CFU/ml upon successive reutilization of the beads. Rinsing the beads between fermentations did not influence the numbers of free cells in the milk.

Orthostatic change in blood pressure in non-demented, ambulatory nursing home patients.

While postural hypotension was present in almost 20% of ambulatory patients of this long-term institution, associated symptoms were infrequent. A comparison of the groups with and without a history of falls in the prior year revealed no relationship to the presence of postural hypotension and no relationship to a number of medications which have been reported to be associated with orthostatic hypotension. Blood pressure readings should be obtained at 1,3 and 5 min after assuming the erect position as significant falls in blood pressure were found at each interval.

Pulmonary embolism in the nursing home population: high frequency at autopsy in female residents.

Pathological and clinical findings of all consecutive autopsies performed at The Jewish Home and Hospital for Aged from 4/1/85 to 12/31/86 were reviewed to determine the frequency and clinical significance of pulmonary embolism as a cause of death in the nursing home. The autopsies were performed by a single pathologist and a diagnosis of pulmonary embolism (PE) was based on microscopic confirmation of macroscopic findings. All charts during this time period were reviewed for classic signs and symptoms of PE, presence of risk factors associated with PE, ambulatory status and rapidity of death.

Acute myocardial infarction in a long-term care institution for the aged.

We reviewed the clinical characteristics and outcome of cases of acute myocardial infarction occurring from January 1, 1985, through December 31, 1987, in the population of a long-term care institution for the elderly. The total number of patients in the series was 43. Comparisons were made between those patients transferred to a general acute-care hospital and those who remained at the facility.

Ethics rounds at the nursing home: an alternative to an ethics committee.

The increased attention in US medicine to medical ethics reflects in large part the "new" demography of a growing elderly population and the conflict of whether decisions regarding medical care should be based on cost-effectiveness or "human-effectiveness." Currently, about 40 percent of the nation's elderly end up in nursing homes where they confront ethical and legal dilemmas that would not arise in their own homes. In the nursing home, difficult medical-ethical decisions generally rely on two approaches: the often used but frequently invalid concept of informed consent and little used ethics committees.

A dynamic vulnerability perspective on stress and schizophrenia.

Previous vulnerability models of schizophrenia, while strong, have serious limitations. To deal with the main areas of concern, a multifactor transactional conceptual framework of stress and schizophrenia, which builds on earlier models and incorporates recent research findings, is proposed. Research implications deriving from this framework are discussed.

Kinetics and activity distribution of urease coencapsulated with hemoglobin within polyamide membranes.

A 91.5% mass yield of urease and hemoglobin (Hb), co-encapsulated within polyamide membranes, was determined spectrophotometrically. The specific activity yield of microencapsulation was 84%, twofold higher than values previously reported, as a result of optimization of encapsulation conditions.

Detection of ginkgolide A in Ginkgo biloba cell cultures.

Ginkgo biloba cells were cultured in two 500 mL shake flasks and in 2 L and 6 L immobilization bioreactors using MS medium supplemented with 1 mg.L(-1) NAA, 0.1 mg.

Evaluation of a new turbidimeter design incorporating a microprocessor-controlled variable pathlength cuvette.

A microprocessor-controlled, variable pathlength turbidimeter was designed, constructed, and its operation verified and accuracy determined using formazin as a turbidity standard. The turbidimeter was also characterized with the fermentation broths of Saccharomyces cerevisiae and Escherichia coli. The range of turbidities quantified using the instrument spanned from 70 to 1,000 Nephlometric Turbidity Units, with a measurement accuracy between 2% and 11% of the instrument's full-scale reading.

Activity and distribution of urease following microencapsulation within polyamide membranes.

Urease was microencapsulated by forming a semipermeable polyamide membrane around aqueous microdroplets (266 microns mean diameter) containing the soluble enzyme. The yield of the interfacial polymerization technique, determined spectrophotometrically, was 83% of the original enzyme on a mass basis, resulting in a final intracapsular urease concentration of 62.3 mg ml-1 or 0.

A multidisciplinary falls consultation service in a nursing home.

A Multidisciplinary Falls Consultation Service made possible a novel interdisciplinary approach to the patient as a faller. A team consisting of members from the medical, nursing, rehabilitation, administration, and activities departments reviewed epidemiological data on 323 falls and evaluated 24 patient referrals. Interventions at all clinical levels of staffing are being developed to reduce the risk of falling.

Nutritional and hormonal requirements of Ginkgo biloba embryo-derived callus and suspension cell culture.

Calli were obtained from Ginkgo biloba embryos grown on Murashige and Skoog (MS) medium. The G. biloba cells could grow on either MS or Gamborg B5 mineral salt medium supplemented with sucrose (3% and 2%, respectively) and naphthaleneacetic acid (NAA) and kinetin (K) in concentrations ranging from 0.

Schizophrenic performance on line bisection: no simple lateralization defects.

Many studies have assessed the possible lateralization deficits of schizophrenics, and the results usually suggest left hemisphere dysfunction. Nevertheless, they have been variable. This may have been due to cognitive demand of the different tasks, not to changes in brain lateralization itself.

Degradation of fluorene in soil by fungus Phanerochaete chrysosporium.

During investigation of biodegradation in soil, we have found that classical or standard techniques for introduction of compounds and the growth of fungus into soil are ill-defined and inadequate. In response to this deficiency, a method for controlled introduction of extractable compounds and for the growth of fungus in soils has been developed. This method was successfully used to study the degradation of fluorene in soil by the fungus Phanerochaete chrysosporium.

The clinical utility of a comprehensive periodic assessment form for the geriatric rehabilitation patient.

The Comprehensive Periodic Assessment Form is a new format used to document a patient's rehabilitation progress. It is a nonnarrative, semi-graphical form in which is digested on one page many sheets of progress notes from a variety of disciplines. Mobility, ADL, mental, and medical status overtime can be ascertained at a glance.

Reversibility and competition in the adsorption of Trichoderma reesei cellulase components.

Adsorption reversibility and competition between fractionated components of the Trichoderma reesei cellulase system were studied. Specific endoglucanase (EGI), nonspecific endoglucanases (EGII, EGIII), and cellobio-hydrolase (CBHI) were previously grouped according to their hydrolytic function. At 5 degrees C, direct evidence of exchange between adsorbed and free enzyme was obtained for each component using [(3)H] and [(14)C] radiolabeled tracers.

Shear breakage of nylon membrane microcapsules in a turbine reactor.

The breakage of nylon membrane microcapsules is proposed as a new method to study and quantify shear effects in biological systems. A critique of this method shows that a narrower particle size distribution may be an important improvement in the breakage study as well as breakage control in many bioreactor and biotechnological applications. In a turbine reactor, it was shown that the primary process which determines the microcapsule breakage is the shear effect.