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Biomedical subjects

A Frank

Publications and source records attributed to A Frank.

At least 127 records · Page 7Linked to original sources
PubMed1993

Low back pain.

The studies reviewed here show that the duration and severity of individual episodes of back pain can be lessened, reducing recurrences and their cost in terms of suffering and lost work. Frank examines differential diagnosis; acute, chronic, and intractable pain; and service implications. Modern management emphasises self care, and bed rest should usually not be longer than 48 hours. A return to physical fitness and other activities, including employment, is actively encouraged. Medication has a role in facilitating these objectives. Two points are especially emphasised: strategies to manage low back pain must be long term and preventive; and the responsibility to keep fit, maintain an exercise programme, and remain relaxed so as to avoid physically stressing the spine is that of the individual, not of the professionals.

Acute Disease↗
PubMed1993

Amino acid concentrations in cerebrospinal fluid and serum in Alzheimer's disease and vascular dementia.

Cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) and serum levels of 22 amino acids were studied in 13 patients with dementia of the Alzheimer type (DAT), 13 patients with vascular dementia (VD) and 15 age-matched controls. We found significantly reduced levels of glutamate in CSF samples from DAT patients compared to VD and control subjects, but CSF levels of aspartate were found to be significantly elevated in the two groups of dementia studied. Moreover, CSF concentrations of tyrosine, leucine and phenylalanine were significantly increased in VD patients in comparison with those in DAT patients and control subjects. Our results showed a wide increase in CSF/serum amino acid ratios in DAT and VD groups compared to controls. However, no differences were found in CSF/serum ratios between dementia groups. These changes show evidence for a possible disorder of amino acid metabolism with different patterns in these two dementia types.

Aged↗
PubMed1993

Adolescent substance users: problem-solving abilities.

Cognitive ability and cognitive egocentrism were examined as predictors of problem-solving ability in adolescent substance users in a vocational training program. Problem-solving outcome variables were significantly predicted by two cognitive ability measures, as well as by measures of cognitive independence and egocentrism in thinking. Extent of substance use did not affect cognitive ability, cognitive egocentrism, or problem-solving ability.

Adolescent↗
PubMed1993

A multicenter study of the light visor for seasonal affective disorder: no difference in efficacy found between two different intensities.

Fifty-five patients with winter seasonal affective disorder (SAD) were treated with a light visor, a newly developed portable light-delivery system, in a controlled parallel design. A dim (400 lux) visor was compared with a bright (6000 lux) visor for either 30 or 60 minutes in the morning for 1 week. Response rates for these two treatments were 36% and 56%, respectively; the duration of treatment sessions did not affect outcome. There was no evidence that the brighter visor was superior in efficacy to the dimmer one. Significantly greater relapse occurred following withdrawal of the dimmer visor. Alternative explanations for these findings are that the light visor is acting as a placebo or that it is equally effective over a wide range of intensities.

Adult↗
PubMed1993

[Magnetic resonance tomography (MRT) in the diagnosis of Failed Back Surgery Syndrome (FBSS)].

MRT was performed, using a 0.5 and 1.5 Tesla magnet, on 150 patients with FBSS between three days and 23 years following lumbar disc surgery. T1-weighted spin echo sequences were obtained before and after the application of gadolinium (0.15 mmol/kg). In 67 patients the MRT findings were compared with surgical observations. MRT had a sensitivity of 94% in diagnosing recurrent prolapse, a specificity of 100% and accuracy of 94%. The ventral epidural scar tissue, the disc and the neighbouring vertebral bodies showed increased contrast uptake over a prolonged post-operative period.

Adult↗
PubMed1993

Urinary excretion of metals during treatment with D-penicillamine and 2-mercaptopropionylglycine in normal and cystinuric dogs.

Urinary excretion of metals during treatment with 2-mercaptopropionylglycine (2-MPG) was studied in 11 normal and 20 cystinuric male dogs. The results were compared with those obtained during D-penicillamine treatment. Twenty-four-h urine and morning samples of urine were taken for determination of 13 metals before and during treatment. After single intravenous and oral D-penicillamine treatment of the normal dogs, significant increases were found in the 24-h urinary excretion of Ca, Cu and Zn. Oral intake of D-penicillamine increased the excretion of Co, Cr, Fe and Mg as well. No effect on renal metal excretion was observed after single intravenous and up to 2 months of daily oral treatment with 2-MPG. In 14 cystinuric dogs no effect was found after single intravenous and oral administrations of 2-MPG. However, after oral treatment of six cystinuric dogs with 2-MPG for 2-4 months, significantly increased excretions of Ca and Mg were found. Fourteen of the cystinuric dogs were also investigated after 2-6 years of continuous 2-MPG treatment, and after this period no significant elevation in the urinary excretion of metals was found. The present study shows that in contrast to D-penicillamine, 2-MPG does not increase the urinary excretion of metals to any appreciable extent. Observed increases in the excretion of Ca and Mg seemed to be a temporary effect only.

Administration, Oral↗
PubMed1993

Elevated plasma homocysteine in alcoholics.

A significantly higher concentration of plasma homocysteine compared with controls was noted in a group of alcoholics (n = 42) hospitalized for detoxication. Normal concentrations of plasma homocysteine were reached within 1 or 2 weeks after admission to the hospital. In another group of abstinent alcoholics (n = 16) plasma homocysteine did not deviate from that of controls. Since hyperhomocysteinemia has been associated with premature vascular disease, we speculate that the increased plasma homocysteine in alcoholics might cause the increased incidence of stroke found in these patients.

Adult↗
PubMed1993

Simultaneous multi-element determination of selected elements in dog urine by direct current plasma-atomic emission spectrometry.

Urine samples from dogs were analyzed for 15 important elements (Ca, Cd, Co, Cr, Cu, Fe, K, Mg, Mn, Na, Ni, P, Pb, V, and Zn) by using wet-ashing and simultaneous DCP atomic emission spectrometry. As K, Na and P influence the spectral emission of elements to be determined, matrix-matching was applied to ensure accurate metal determinations. The method was checked by analyzing standard reference materials of urine. The values found were generally in agreement (accuracy within 100 +/- 10%) with the certified values. Short- and long-term stabilities of the instrument for the elements determined ranged from 0.4 to 2.2% and from 1.2 to 6.9%, respectively. Simultaneous multi-element determination gives increased information on trace- and minor elements in urine. In the present study DCP atomic emission spectrometry is successfully applied for this purpose.

Animals↗
PubMed1992

Measurements of LET spectra and comparison to models.

We present measurements of LET spectra for near earth orbits with various inclinations and altitudes. A comparison with calculated LET spectra shows that the contribution from direct ionizing galactic cosmic rays is well described by the models. An additional contribution to the spectra originates from stopping protons and from nuclear interactions of particles with material. In the case of an interaction a large amount of energy is deposited in a small volume by target recoils or target fragments. These events will be called short range (SR) events. For a low inclination orbit radiation belt protons are the main source of these events while galactic protons become more important when increasing the inclination to near polar orbits. We show that the contribution of SR events for orbits with low altitude (324 km) and 57 degrees inclination is comparable to that for an orbit with 28 degrees inclination at a high altitude (510 km).

Cosmic Radiation↗