Biomedical subjects

B Bergman

Publications and source records attributed to B Bergman.

At least 163 records · Page 9Linked to original sources

PubMed1989

Comparison of DNA restriction fragment length polymorphisms of Nostoc strains in and from cycads.

DNA was prepared from cyanobacteria freshly isolated from coralloid roots of natural populations of five cycad species: Ceratozamia mexicana mexicana (Mexico), C. mexicana robusta (Mexico), Dioon spinulosum (Mexico), Zamia furfuraceae (Mexico) and Z. skinneri (Costa Rica). Using the Southern blot technique and cloned Anabaena PCC 7120 nifK and glnA genes as probes, restriction fragment length polymorphisms of these cyanobacterial symbionts were compared. The five cyanobacterial preparations showed differences in the sizes of their DNA fragments hybridizing with both probes, indicating that different cyanobacterial species and/or strains were in the symbiotic associations. On the other hand, a similar comparison of cyanobacteria freshly collected from a single Encephalartos altensteinii coralloid root and from three independently subcultured isolates from the same coralloid root revealed that these were likely to be one and the same organism. Moreover, the complexity of restriction patterns shows that a mixture of Nostoc strains can associate with a single cycad species although a single cyanobacterial strain can predominate in the root of a single cycad plant. Thus, a wide range of Nostoc strains appear to associate with the coralloid roots of cycads.

Blotting, Southern↗

PubMed1989

Restorative and endodontic results after treatment with cast posts and cores.

Sixty-nine patients who received cast posts and cores in 1978 at the Students' Clinic at the Faculty of Odontology, University of Umeå were recalled for examination in 1984. Fifty-three or 76.8% of the patients with 96 posts and cores or 73.3% of the original 131 attended. Of the 96 posts and cores, nine, corresponding to a failure rate of 1.56% per year, were classified as unsuccessful, which compared favorably with previous studies. Various criteria parameters were reviewed for possible correlations to the failures but the only common factor was that the nine failures were located in jaws occluding against a natural dentition. The endodontic failures noted could not be related to the prosthodontic treatment. Another conclusion from this study is that the conventional design of the cast post and core can be strongly recommended.

Adult↗

PubMed1989

Cross-sectional study of the periodontal status of removable partial denture patients.

Thirty-four patients, 18 men and 16 women with a mean age of 62 years, provided with removable partial dentures were reexamined after 3 years. Approximately 92% of the dentures were bilateral distal-extension prostheses. The periodontal parameters registered were (1) oral hygiene, (2) gingival inflammation, (3) pocket depth, and (4) tooth mobility. Fourteen of the patients had followed the recommendation to visit a dentist for regular checkups at least once a year. For all periodontal parameters, the results were somewhat better for those patients who had regular checkups than for those who had not. The results for the regularly checked patients were similar to those of the patients in an earlier longitudinal study from the same clinic after a corresponding period of time. Thus the good results obtained in the longitudinal study were duplicated 10 years later in this cross-sectional study.

Adult↗

PubMed1989

Staphylococcus saprophyticus in males with symptoms of chronic prostatitis.

Staphylococcus saprophyticus was isolated in 17 percent (12 of 71 men) during one year, but with a peak in August and September to 21 percent in patients referred to the urology department with a suspicion of chronic bacterial prostatitis. Seven of the 12 men had S. saprophyticus in highest number at the prostatic level. Three of these were designated as chronic bacterial prostatitis. In this study the occurrence of S. saprophyticus appears to follow, and possibly depends on, previous antibiotic therapy. S. saprophyticus disappeared without treatment in all cases.

Adult↗

PubMed1989

Pancreatic islet-specific T-cell clones from nonobese diabetic mice.

We have produced a panel of islet-specific T-cell clones from nonobese diabetic (NOD) mice. These clones proliferate and make interleukin 2 in an antigen-specific manner in response to NOD antigen-presenting cells and islet cells. Most of the clones respond to islet-cell antigen from different mouse strains but only in the presence of antigen-presenting cells bearing the class II major histocompatibility complex of the NOD mouse. In vivo, the clones mediate the destruction of islet, but not pituitary, grafts. Furthermore, pancreatic sections from a disease transfer experiment with one of the clones showed a pronounced cellular infiltration and degranulation of islets in nondiabetic (CBA x NOD)F1 recipients.

Animals↗

PubMed1989

Occurrence and Localization of Phycoerythrin in Symbiotic Nostoc of Cycas revoluta and in the Free-Living Isolated Nostoc 7422.

The phycobiliprotein phycoerythrin was localized in symbiotic and free-living Nostoc of the cycad Cycas using immunocytochemistry. In symbiotic Nostoc, phycoerythrin was associated with the thylakoid membranes of vegetative cells and absent from heterocysts. Similar cellular/subcellular localization was observed between symbiotic Nostoc and the free-living Cycas isolate Nostoc 7422.

Journal Article↗

PubMed1989

Battered wives and female alcoholics: a comparative social and psychiatric study.

In this study 49 women seeking hospital treatment for wife battering injuries were compared with 49 female alcoholics and a control group consisting of 49 women treated in hospital for accidents. At one time or another two-thirds of the female alcoholics had been battered and the majority of these women showed the same pattern of severe, prolonged abuse as the 49 women seeking hospital treatment for wife battering injuries. The women in these groups were also similar in that many of them had experienced violence in their own childhood environment, in that they had cohabited with more men than the women in the control group and in that the frequency of depressive symptoms was high. An analysis restricted to the battered women in each of the three groups revealed similarities between them. The battered women in the control group did not, however, show any signs of more severe psychopathology or alcoholism. It is concluded that mental health is of crucial importance for the woman's ability to break away from an abusive male.

Adolescent↗

PubMed1989

Long-term antibiotic treatment of chronic bacterial prostatitis. Effect on bacterial flora.

The bacterial flora in patients referred with chronic bacterial prostatitis were studied. Only 13% had Gram-negative bacteria in significant numbers but 43% had Gram-positives using the same criteria. Half of the patients were symptom-free by the end of a 12-week course of antibiotics and remained so after 6 months; in one-third the symptoms were unchanged 6 months after completing treatment. The relief of symptoms correlated with the disappearance of white blood cells in the expressed prostatic secretion (EPS) and with a lowered pH in the EPS. Thus only 1 of the 14 patients without symptoms at 6 months had a significant growth of bacteria at the prostatic level, whereas 7 of 10 patients with unchanged symptoms had a significant bacterial colonisation. Although the initially infecting organism was eliminated in about half of the patients, new Gram-positive bacteria were isolated after treatment in 13 of 29 patients; 12 of these resolved spontaneously within 6 months. Five patients with Gram-positive bacteria were colonised with new Gram-negatives at the end of treatment. Two healed spontaneously but 3 remained colonised with Gram-negatives at the end of the follow-up period. These findings make it likely that many patients infected with Gram-positive bacteria benefit from antibiotic treatment. However, disturbances in the bacterial flora by antibiotic treatment may facilitate invasion by new types of bacteria.

Adult↗

PubMed1989

Factors affecting work-time allocation among physiotherapists. A multiple classification analysis.

As part of a time budget study among 149 physiotherapists in Västerbotten County, northern Sweden, a Multiple Classification Analysis was completed. The aims were to evaluate the relative importance of some factors for the allocation of working hours, and to devise comparable measures of the ability of the particular set of variables to account for the variations in time utilisation. Occupational area was the most important factor in explaining the distribution of working hours, when the other factors were kept constant. Time utilisation was slightly affected by professional post and sex, but not by working hours. The explained variance, R2, was 0.37 for patient treatment and 0.30 for transport, indicating a fair degree of explained variance in these models. The R2 coefficients for the other tasks were low, indicating that factors, not included in the study, were more important in explaining the allocation of working hours for those tasks.

Adult↗

PubMed1989

Mobiluncus and clue cells as predictors of PID after first-trimester abortion.

Women attending our Department for a first-trimester abortion were examined for the presence of Mobiluncus species. C. trachomatis or clue cells in vaginal discharge in an attempt to identify risk groups for development of pelvic inflammatory disease (PID) after first-trimester abortion. A correlation was found between the presence of Mobiluncus and clue cells in vaginal discharge and the incidence of PID after first-trimester abortions. These women were also older than those in whom C. trachomatis was identified. Our study indicates that screening for C. trachomatis and clue cells in vaginal discharge will identify two different risk groups for developing PID after first-trimester abortion.

Abortion, Induced↗

PubMed1989

Mercury, selenium, and glutathione peroxidase in dental personnel.

Eighteen persons, dentists and nurses, with urinary mercury levels higher than the group median value of all dental personnel in the country of Västerbotten were compared with a group consisting of 15 persons with low urinary mercury levels working in the same clinics. A statistically significant difference between the high urinary mercury group and the low urinary mercury group could be seen in the plasma mercury level. In each group a statistically significant relation could be seen between the plasma mercury level and the total number of amalgam surfaces. The two groups did not differ with regard to the levels of plasma selenium and erythrocyte glutathione peroxidase, and no correlation between these two variables and the plasma mercury levels could be found. To evaluate organ functions, a large number of supplementary analyses were performed. These analyses did not indicate any influence on organ functions. Although the persons in the present study were occupationally exposed to mercury, none of the biologic variables analyzed seemed to be affected. Even among dental personnel who handle amalgam professionally the number of amalgam surfaces is a major contributory factor to the P-mercury level.

Adult↗

PubMed1989

Clinical results with titanium crowns fabricated with machine duplication and spark erosion.

A new method for fabrication of metal crowns has been developed by one of the authors (M.A.). There are two principles involved: machine duplication of models and electric discharge machining. The metal used is pure unalloyed titanium, which is processed as a coping and later covered by a composite resin. In 1986, 205 separate titanium crowns were made on 149 patients. One year later 192 crowns on 137 patients could be examined. Five crowns had been replaced by new ones owing to fracture of the composite resin. In accordance with the CDA quality evaluation system the following results were obtained for the remaining 187 crowns: margin integrity, 186 excellent or satisfactory (99.5%); anatomic form, 185 excellent or satisfactory (98.9%); and surface and color, 181 excellent or satisfactory results (96.8%). The 1-year results are promising, and further follow-up studies will be made.

Acrylic Resins↗

PubMed1988

Aluminum Effects on Uptake and Metabolism of Phosphorus by the Cyanobacterium Anabaena cylindrica.

Aluminum severely affects the growth of the cyanobacterium Anabaena cylindrica and induces symptoms indicating phosphorus starvation. Preor post-treating the cells with high (90 micromolar) phosphorus reduces the toxicity of aluminum compared to cells receiving a lower orthophosphate concentration. In this study aluminum (ranging from 9 to 36 micromolar) and phosphorus concentrations were chosen so that the precipitation of insoluble AIPO(4) never exceeded 10% of the total phosphate concentration. The uptake of (32)P-phosphorus is not disturbed by aluminum either at high (100 micromolar) or low (10 micromolar) concentrations of phosphate. Also, the rapid accumulation of polyphosphate granules in cells exposed to aluminum indicates that the incorporation of phosphate is not disturbed. However, a significant decrease in the mobilization of the polyphosphates is observed, as is a lowered activity of the enzyme acid phosphatase, in aluminum treated cells. We conclude that aluminum acts on the intracellular metabolism of phosphate, which eventually leads to phosphorus starvation rather than on its uptake in the cyanobacterium A. cylindrica.

Journal Article↗

PubMed1988

Work sampling: the way in which physiotherapists utilise their working hours.

A time budget study was performed in order to assess how all physiotherapists working in Västerbotten County, northern Sweden, utilise their work-time and to identify factors influencing their allocation of working hours. The study, carried out in the autumn of 1985 and spring 1986, comprised 149 subjects, requiring one week each. Their activities were recorded at randomly selected 30-min intervals over the working week and distributed into predefined task categories. The treatment of patients took on average 33% of the physiotherapists' gross working time. Continuing education and development work on average amounted to 6% and the remaining occupational tasks to 38%. Transport, breaks and occasional days or hours off work took up 23% on average. Occupational area was the most important of the factors studied for the utilisation of working hours. Work sampling affords a better insight into the elements and structure of the professional work of physiotherapists.

Education, Continuing↗

PubMed1988

Aetiological and precipiating factors in wife battering. A psychosocial study of battered wives.

Forty-nine women who attended a surgical emergency department after being battered are the subjects of this prospective study. The childhood and adolescence of the women had been marked by abuse and violence in the parental home. Most of the women had suffered prolonged, repeated battering. Fifty-one per cent of the women and 88% of their male assailants were considered to be heavy consumers of alcohol and in over half of the cases of battering both the man and the women had been drinking. In most cases the women's own children were present when the mother was beaten. One third of the women stated that they were highly dependent on the man in question emotionally. It is concluded that social heredity, heavy consumption of alcohol and emotional dependence on the male assailant are major reasons for the woman's inability to break away from a relationship characterized by repeated battering.

Adult↗

PubMed1988

Age-dependent effects of beta 2-adrenergic-stimulating drugs on fetal rabbit lung liquid and adrenal catecholamines.

The effects of the beta 2-adrenergic-stimulating drug, terbutaline, were studied on fetal rabbit lung liquid (FLL) at gestational ages between 25 and 30 days. At delivery terbutaline reduced FLL in rabbit fetuses with a gestational age of 26-30 days. The most pronounced reduction of FLL was seen at 28 days. Terbutaline administration reduced the wet lung weight/body weight (WLW/BW) ratio at delivery in the 28- and 30-day-old rabbit pups. In the 26-day-old animals, beta 2-adrenergic stimulation had no significant effect on the WLW/BW ratio and at 25 days of gestational age the ratio was increased. After parturition, however, the difference in WLW/BW between the terbutaline and control animals, seen at birth, was attenuated and, at 60 min of postnatal age, the difference was no longer observed. Terbutaline decreased the adrenal content of noradrenaline and adrenaline most marked at 28 days of gestational age, but did not alter the adrenaline/noradrenaline ratio. Furthermore, adrenal dopamine was decreased after terbutaline, suggesting a decreased catecholamine synthesis. Our data show that a positive effect of terbutaline on FLL in rabbit pups was most marked during late but not early gestational age. beta 2-Adrenergic treatment may, however, reduce adrenal catecholamines.

Adrenal Glands↗

PubMed1988

Effects of antenatal hydrocortisone on tidal volumes in spontaneously breathing preterm newborn rabbits. Possible mediation by adrenal catecholamines.

Rabbit fetuses were injected on day 26 of gestation with hydrocortisone (2 mg) and delivered by hysterotomy 2 days later. The animals were tracheotomized at birth, and tidal volumes and esophageal pressures were recorded during spontaneous ventilation at standardized intervals from the first breath to the age of 2 h. In a subgroup of animals, the catecholamine content was measured in the adrenal glands. In comparison with littermate controls, tidal volumes were enlarged in hydrocortisone-treated neonates at the first breath and 60 min after birth; however, this effect was associated with an increased incidence of intra-alveolar hemorrhage. Hydrocortisone-treated animals also had a significantly increased adrenal content of adrenaline. Our data confirm a modest beneficial effect of antenatal hydrocortisone treatment on the fetal lung and suggest that this might in part be mediated by adrenal catecholamines. Stimulation of beta-adrenergic receptors could thus potentiate the effect induced by direct influence of glucocorticoids on fetal lung maturation.

Adrenal Glands↗

PubMed1988

Endocrine effects of oestrogen withdrawal in long-term treated patients with prostatic adenocarcinoma.

Eighteen patients with prostatic adenocarcinoma, treated with oestrogen for 45 months or more, were followed-up after withdrawal of oestrogen treatment. Serum concentrations of testosterone, luteinizing hormone (LH), follicle-stimulating hormone (FSH), oestradiol-17 beta, testosterone-oestradiol-binding globulin (TeBg) and prolactin were measured at different intervals between 3 and 42 months after cessation of treatment. Serum testosterone concentrations after cessation of oestrogen treatment were low (range 71.4 +/- 6.3 to 120.8 +/- 23.7 nmol/100ml), whereas the concentrations of LH (range 21.8 +/- 3.6 to 32.6 +/- 9.1 U/1) and FSH (range 31.2 +/- 5.5 to 54.7 +/- 9.5 U/1) were within or higher than the reference range. Prolactin (range 6.0 +/- 85.3 to 7.9 +/- 68.2 micrograms/1) was within the reference range. No significant changes in serum concentrations of testosterone, LH, FSH and prolactin occurred during the follow-up period. The serum concentrations of both oestradiol-17 beta and TeBg, found between 13 and 36 months after oestrogen cessation (range 43.8 +/- 4.6 to 46.2 +/- 5.9 and 64.0 +/- 2.5 to 86.0 +/- 10.0, respectively) were significantly lower than the concentrations found between 3 and 12 months (range 71.9 +/- 10.4 to 99.8 +/- 12.9 and 124.1 +/- 15.5 to 140.2 +/- 13.7, respectively). It is concluded that in patients with prostatic adenocarcinoma, long-term oestrogen treatment causes an irreversible impairment of Leydig cell function and consequently a reduced testosterone secretion after cessation of oestrogen treatment.

Adenocarcinoma↗