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Biomedical subjects

A Frank

Publications and source records attributed to A Frank.

At least 37 records · Page 2Linked to original sources
PubMed2001

[Arthroscopic treatment of osteochondral lesions of the talar dome].

Osteochondral lesions of the talus (OLT) may be either traumatic or caused by an osteonecrosis of unknown origin. The different types of OLT differ in their radiological aspects, their treatment and their prognosis. Whereas traumatic OLTs are generally located on the lateral talar dome, chronic necrotic lesions are preferentially located on the medial talar dome. The former have a better prognosis. Arthroscopy is in many cases the treatment of choice. This study presents several arthroscopic treatment options for osteochondral lesions of the talus. Traumatic fragment excision, osteosynthesis of larger fragments on the anterolateral talar dome, and excision and curettage of necrotic lesions may provide good results. In the absence of chondral damage in chronic osteonecrotic lesions, we prefer a transmalleolar drilling. Arthroscopic treatments are relatively simple procedures for trained arthroscopists with a low complication rate. With larger OLTs, open procedures using osteochondral autografts or cancellous bone grafts are preferred to arthroscopy.

Adolescent↗
PubMed2001

The cumulative heat strain index--a novel approach to assess the physiological strain induced by exercise-heat stress.

The cumulative heat strain index (CHSI) is a new approach for assessing the total physiological strain experienced by subjects exposed to an exercise-heat stress. The index is based on inherent physiological logic that combines the thermoregulatory strain, which is described by the area under the hyperthermic curve, and the circulatory strain, which is characterized by heart-beat count. According to this model, the index reflects the dynamics of changes in the thermoregulatory and cardiovascular components and accounts for the complementary nature of the interaction between them. Mathematically, the index is calculated as follows: CHSI =[ sigma(0-t) hb-fc(0) x t] x l0(-3) x [ integral (0-t) Tre x dt-Tre(0) x t] (units) Where: hb=heart beats, fc(0)=initial lowest heart rate (bpm), Tre = rectal temperature (Tre(0) = baseline Tre) (degrees C) and t = time (min) from the onset of measurements. Four sets of data, from various former studies, have been used to demonstrate the index's applicability and its sensitivity to differentiate between levels of stain under various stressful conditions (e.g. clothing insulation, acclimation to heat and levels of tolerance to heat). In all cases, the index was found to be a sensitive tool for assessing the level of strain. Furthermore, the CHSI can be used to predict potential strain. The index's high sensitivity arises from its nature, which reflects miniature differences in the pattern of changes in the dynamics of physiological responses and therefore is a powerful and practical tool for evaluating even minor changes in strain.

Adolescent↗
PubMed2001

Maximal respiratory pressures in myasthenia gravis. Relation to single fiber electromyography.

OBJECTIVES: The respiratory muscle weakness was evaluated in mild forms of myasthenia gravis (MG) and was compared with single fiber electromyography results (SFEMG) in the extensor digitorum communis muscle. MATERIAL AND METHODS: We assessed 61 treated MG patients without clinical respiratory involvement (13 ocular forms, 28 form IIa and 20 form IIb patients) by maximal respiratory pressure (MRP) to ascertain whether they were consistent with SFEMG results. RESULTS: Maximal expiratory pressure (MEP) and maximal inspiratory pressure (MIP) were reduced below the lower limit for healthy subjects in 85% and 77% of ocular patients; in 93% and 89% of form IIa, respectively; and in 95% of form IIb. The highest percentage of MEP and MIP reduction showed a positive correlation with increased jitter (r=0.45, P<0.001; r=0.27; P<0.05 respectively) and impulse blocking (r=0.35, P<0.01; r=0.28, P<0.05 respectively). CONCLUSION: We consider MRP measure useful for assessing respiratory muscle weakness in MG patients with subclinical respiratory involvement.

Adult↗
PubMed2001

Therapeutic alliance as a predictor of outcome and retention in the National Institute on Drug Abuse Collaborative Cocaine Treatment Study.

The authors examined the relation between therapeutic alliance, retention, and outcome for 308 cocaine-dependent outpatients participating in the National Institute on Drug Abuse Collaborative Cocaine Treatment Study. High levels of alliance were observed in supportive-expressive therapy (SE), cognitive therapy (CT), and individual drug counseling (IDC), and alliance levels increased slightly but significantly from Session 2 to Session 5 in all groups. In contrast to other studies, alliance was not a significant predictor of drug outcome. However, alliance did predict patient retention differentially across the 3 treatments. In SE and IDC, either higher levels of alliance were associated with increased retention or no relationship between alliance and retention was found, depending on the time alliance was measured. In CT, higher levels of alliance were associated with decreased retention.

Adult↗
PubMed2001

Impact of psychosocial treatments on associated problems of cocaine-dependent patients.

A previous report from the National Institute on Drug Abuse Collaborative Cocaine Treatment Study (P. Crits-Christoph et al., 1999) found relatively superior cocaine and drug use outcomes for individual drug counseling plus group drug counseling compared with other treatments. Using data from that study, the authors examined the relative efficacy of 4 treatments for cocaine dependence on psychosocial and other addiction-associated problems. The 487 patients were randomly assigned to 6 months of treatment with cognitive therapy, supportive-expressive therapy, or individual drug counseling (each with additional group drug counseling), or to group drug counseling alone. Assessments were made at baseline and monthly for 6 months during the acute treatment phase, with follow-up visits at 9 and 12 months. No significant differences between treatments were found on measures of psychiatric symptoms, employment, medical, legal, family-social, interpersonal, or alcohol use problems. The authors concluded that the superiority of individual drug counseling in modifying cocaine use does not extend broadly to other addiction-associated problems.

Adolescent↗
PubMed2001

Arthroscopic treatment of pigmented villonodular synovitis of the shoulder.

Pigmented villonodular synovitis (PVNS) rarely affects the shoulder. Fewer than 30 cases have been reported in the English and French language literature. In those patients, PVNS was treated by open surgery involving total or local synovectomy, sometimes associated with total shoulder replacement, cuff tear repair, or arthroplastic head resection. The authors report 2 cases of PVNS of the shoulder treated arthroscopically and discuss the advantages and limitations of this technique in the treatment of shoulder PVNS.

Adult↗
PubMed2001

Longitudinal changes of sensitization to farming-related antigens among young farmers.

BACKGROUND: We have shown previously that the prevalence of allergic sensitization in Tyrolean farming students is high, with a clear relationship to occupational exposure. OBJECTIVES: It was the aim of this investigation to assess longitudinal changes in sensitization and a possible impact on lung function. METHODS: Of the 147 farming students in the original cohort, we could re-examine 42 after a mean interval of 4.0 years. All individuals completed a questionnaire and had spirometry, skin prick tests, total and specific IgE analysis, and testing for precipitating antibodies. RESULTS: As compared to the first study, there was a decrease in the frequency of IgE-mediated allergy (30.1 vs. 54.8%; p < 0.05) and in total serum IgE levels (107.4 +/- 254 vs. 157.8 +/- 304 U/ml; p < 0.001). Conversely, 3 individuals had developed precipitating antibodies de novo, and those who had initially had a positive precipitin test (n = 6) were still positive. A larger-sized estate, the lack of a hay dryer, and the presence of moldy hay were confirmed as risk factors for allergic sensitization. Although there was a slight overall decrease in forced vital capacity, no new cases of occupational lung disease were found. CONCLUSIONS: In young Tyrolean dairy farmers, the prevalence of precipitins is constantly high and rising while IgE-mediated allergy declines. Within 4 years, no clinically relevant impact of allergy on lung function was noticed.

Adolescent↗
PubMed2001

Experimental copper deficiency, chromium deficiency and additional molybdenum supplementation in goats--pathological findings.

Secondary copper (Cu) deficiency, chromium (Cr) deficiency and molybdenosis (Mo) has been suggested to cause the "mysterious" moose disease in the southwest of Sweden. The present experiment was performed on goats to investigate the clinical, chemical, and pathological alterations after 20 months feeding of a semi-synthetic diet deficient in Cu and Cr. Four groups were included in the study: control group (n = 4), Cu-deficient group (group 1, n = 4), Cr-deficient group (group 2, n = 2) and Cu + Cr-deficient group (group 3, n = 3). Group 3 was additionally supplemented with tetrathiomolybdate during the last 2 months of the experiment. Main histopathological findings in groups 1 and 3 were the lesions in the liver, characterised by a severe active fibrosis, bile duct proliferation, haemosiderosis and mild necroses. Additionally, degenerative alterations of the exocrine pancreas were prominent in groups 1 and 3. Lesions in group 3 were more pronounced than in group 1. In group 3, the skin showed an atrophic dermatosis, while in group 2 a crusty dermatitis caused by Candida spp. was observed. This study shows that liver, pancreas and skin are mainly affected by a long term deficiency of copper and the findings are complicated by molybdenum application while chromium deficiency produced no histomorphological effects in our study.

Animals↗
PubMed2001

Changes in heart rate variability following acclimation to heat.

We studied the sympatho-vagal balance during acclimation to heat in eight healthy individuals. The subjects, dressed in shorts and tennis shoes, underwent a 10 d procedure of acclimation. Daily exposure lasted 115 min--5 min rest followed by 2 bouts of 50 min exercise (walking on a treadmill at a work load of approximately 350 watt) separated by 10 min rest-at 40 degrees C and 40% relative humidity. We analyzed the time and frequency domains of 256 R-R intervals, toward the end of the second bout of exercise, on the first and tenth days of acclimation. Typical changes for heat acclimation (a reduction in rectal temperature and heart rate, an increase in sweat rate) were observed. Concomitant to a decrease in the final heart rate on the tenth day, sympathetic tone increased. We suggest that, except for the chronotropic response, changes in the sympatho-vagal balance may reflect several adaptive mechanisms of the cardiovascular system. Peripheral factors rather than intrinsic cardiac factors are of relatively greater importance in the direct control of cardiac function.

Acclimatization↗
PubMed2001

Epidermoptid mange in Laysan albatross fledglings in Hawaii.

Mange caused by the epidermoptid mite Myialges nudus (Acari: Epidermoptidae) is described in 31 dead fledgling Laysan albatrosses (Phoebastria immutabilis) from Midway Atoll (Hawaii, USA) sampled from 18 June to 10 July 1990 and from 21 June to 22 July 1991. This is the first record for this parasite from this host. Mites were collected from the skin; were located primarily in the stratum corneum; and were associated with mild to severe granulomatous inflammation, hyperkeratosis, dermal edema, ballooning degeneration of keratinocytes, neovascularization, and subdermal fibrosis. The severity of inflammation in some birds suggested that dermatitis due to M. nudus could be a significant cause of morbidity, or even mortality, in these birds.

Animals↗
PubMed2000

She2p, a novel RNA-binding protein tethers ASH1 mRNA to the Myo4p myosin motor via She3p.

RNA localization is a widespread mechanism to achieve localized protein synthesis. In budding yeast, localization of ASH1 mRNA controls daughter cell-specific accumulation of the transcriptional regulator Ash1p, which determines mating type switching. ASH1 mRNA localization depends on four independently acting sequences ('zipcodes') within the mRNA. In addition, the class V myosin Myo4p and a set of She proteins with as yet unknown function are essential for ASH1 localization. Here we show that She2p is a novel RNA-binding protein that binds specifically to ASH1 mRNA in vivo and to ASH1 RNA zip codes in vitro. She2p can interact with She3 protein via She3p's C-terminus and becomes localized to the daughter cell tip upon ASH1 expression. The N-terminal coiled-coil domain of She3p is required to form an RNA-independent complex with the heavy chain of the myosin motor protein Myo4p. She2p and She3p are the first examples of adapters for tethering a localized mRNA to the motor protein and might serve as prototypes for RNA-motor protein adapters.

DNA-Binding Proteins↗
PubMed2000

Alzheimer's risk associated with human apolipoprotein E, alpha-2 macroglobulin and lipoprotein receptor related protein polymorphisms: absence of genetic interactions, and modulation by gender.

Apolipoprotein E (apoE), the lipoprotein receptor related protein (LRP) and alpha-2 macroglobulin (alpha2M) have been proposed as a functional complex involved in amyloid clearance, a crucial event for Alzheimer's disease development. In this work, we present an epidemiological approach aimed to study the interactions among these genes, age and gender. This approach did not reveal significant associations between the genes; however, the present study indicated that the risk associated with APOE promoter and LRP gene polymorphisms is modulated by gender.

Age Factors↗
PubMed2000

Increased cerebrospinal fluid fas (Apo-1) levels in Alzheimer's disease. Relationship with IL-6 concentrations.

Increasing lines of evidence suggest a role of apoptosis in the neurodegeneration associated with Alzheimer's disease, in which it has been implicated in increasing the expression of p53 and Fas. On the other hand, inflammatory cytokines have also been implicated as important factors in the progression of neuronal damage in this disease. In an attempt to investigate the possible in vivo relationship between programmed cell death and the inflammatory response in patients with dementia of the Alzheimer type (DAT), we measured the levels of soluble Fas, interleukin-1beta (IL-lbeta) and IL-6 in cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) from ten DAT patients and ten age-matched controls. Our results show a significant increase in IL-6 and soluble Fas concentrations in the CSF of DAT patients compared with those from nondemented controls. Moreover, linear regression analysis demonstrated a significant correlation (r=0.703; P<0.05) between soluble Fas and IL-6 levels in the CSF in DAT patients. These results suggest that Fas is implicated in the inflammatory response observed in Alzheimer's brains.

Adaptor Proteins, Signal Transducing↗
PubMed2000

The 'mysterious' disease in Swedish moose. Concentrations of trace elements in liver and kidneys and clinical chemistry. Comparison with experimental molybdenosis and copper deficiency in the goat.

Moose (Alces alces L.) affected by a disease with unknown aetiology were compared with healthy moose regarding trace element concentrations in liver and kidneys, as well as certain clinical chemical parameters of blood plasma. The diseased moose showed decreased hepatic concentrations of Cu, Cd and Mg. Renal concentrations of Cd, Co, Mg and Mn were also decreased. Substantially increased concentrations in both liver and kidneys were seen for Al, Ca, Fe, Pb and Zn, while Se and Mo were increased in liver tissue. The hepatic levels of Mo in the affected moose were 36% higher and Cu was approximately 60% lower than in reference animals collected in 1982. The most important clinical chemical changes were decreased concentrations of bilirubin, thyroxine (T4) and the liver-specific enzymes GLDH and g-GT. Also, the activities of the enzymes CuZn-SOD and GSH-Px in erythrocytes were decreased. Increases were recorded for free fatty acids (NEFA), the muscle-specific enzyme CK, but especially for urea and insulin. Changes in the plasma protein pattern were also discernible after electrophoresis on agarose gel membranes, indicating chronic immunostimulation. All the observed changes in trace element concentrations and clinical chemical parameters are compatible with molybdenosis and secondary Cu deficiency in ruminants and most of the parameters are in agreement with those found in experimental copper deficiency and molybdenosis in the goat. It is, therefore, suggested that the moose disease with previously unknown aetiology is mainly caused by molybdenosis.

Animals↗
PubMed2000

A syndrome of molybdenosis, copper deficiency, and type 2 diabetes in the moose population of south-west Sweden.

Since the mid-1980s, a 'mysterious' disease has been afflicting the moose (Alces alces L.) population of south-western Sweden. Molybdenosis combined with secondary copper deficiency syndrome has been suggested as the cause of the clinical signs and of necropsy findings, supported by trace element analysis. Copper deficiency has long been associated with disturbed carbohydrate metabolism and also with oxidative stress. When testing the oxidative stress hypothesis, we found increased concentrations of the glycoxidation products pentosidine and carboxymethyl-lysine (CML), both in plasma proteins and in renal tissue, when compared with control values. The concentration of glycated lysine (furosine), a marker of hyperglycaemia, was also increased. These data, together with elevated insulin levels in affected moose, strongly suggest that they are suffering from an environmentally-induced, non-insulin-dependent type 2 diabetes.

Animals↗