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Biomedical subjects

D A Burns

Publications and source records attributed to D A Burns.

At least 19 recordsLinked to original sources
PubMed2001

Child restraint systems: an update for physicians.

During the past decade, many advances have been made in motor vehicle safety restraint systems, and these advancements have brought changes in the recommendations for child passenger safety. In spite of these advances, a high morbidity and mortality rate continues to be attributed to improper or absent child restraint use. Child transportation safety is a complex issue. Lack of public awareness and incomplete laws contribute to the confusion. The solution involves professional and public education, further technological advances, and advocacy for improved legislation and regulation. Physicians have a unique opportunity to incorporate advice about proper restraint use into their daily practice; however, that requires a clear understanding of the current recommendations. Both the age and weight of the child determine the appropriate child restraint system. Understanding, practicing, and promoting these recommendations will save lives. This article reviews the current recommendations for proper child restraint while traveling in a motor vehicle.

Accidents, Traffic↗
PubMed2000

Extensive psoriasis induced by interferon alfa treatment for chronic hepatitis C.

A 47 year old man with chronic hepatitis C was treated with interferon alfa, 3 million units three times a week, and developed widespread plaque psoriasis within weeks of starting interferon therapy. There was no previous history of psoriasis. The psoriasis was characterised by extensive nail involvement and plaques at the interferon injection sites. The patient relapsed after a total of 12 months of interferon and was subsequently treated with interferon and tribavirin (ribavirin) with recurrence of the psoriasis.

Antiviral Agents↗
PubMed2000

Effect of endodontic sealers on dowels luted with resin cement.

PURPOSE: This study evaluated the retention of prefabricated parallel-sided dowels luted with resin cement in extracted teeth that were obturated with gutta percha using a eugenol sealer or a calcium hydroxide sealer. MATERIALS AND METHODS: Extracted maxillary incisor roots (N = 51) were instrumented to simulate conventional root canal therapy and divided into 3 groups (n = 17). One group was not obturated. Second and third groups were obturated with gutta percha using a eugenol-containing or calcium hydroxide-containing sealer. Gutta percha was removed using a heated plugger, and dowel spaces were prepared to a 7 mm depth. Dowel space walls were acid etched and primed, and prefabricated stainless steel dowels were luted using resin cement. After 24 hours, the load required to dislodge each dowel along a path parallel to its long axis was measured and recorded. A one-way analysis of variance (alpha = 0.05) was performed to identify differences in the means among groups. The incidence of failure within the cement or at the dentin-cement interface was also recorded. RESULTS: No statistically significant difference was found among the control (159.9 +/- 96.3 N), eugenol sealer (153.1 +/- 77.3 N), and calcium hydroxide sealer (192.0 +/- 89.3 N) groups. Nearly all specimens displayed adhesive failure at the dentin-resin cement interface. CONCLUSIONS: Conventional endodontic obturation using a eugenol-containing or a calcium hydroxide-containing endodontic sealer did not affect retention of prefabricated stainless steel dowels luted with resin cement.

Acid Etching, Dental↗
PubMed1999

Successful treatment of acquired perforating dermatosis with rifampicin in an Asian patient with sclerosing cholangitis.

Acquired perforating dermatosis (APD) is a very rare disorder which has been described in association with systemic diseases such as diabetes mellitus, HIV infection or lymphoma. In this report we describe a patient with APD associated with sclerosing cholangitis and diabetes mellitus who was successfully treated with rifampicin. A 33-year-old Indian woman with a history of extensive pancreatic surgery, sclerosing cholangitis and insulin dependent diabetes mellitus was referred to our unit with intractable pruritus. She was treated with cholestyramine, ursodeoxycholic acid, several analgesics, UVB therapy, topical steroids, sedative antihistamines and plasmapheresis without significant improvement. Increasingly severe itching was associated with papular skin changes limited initially to the lower limbs but which later involved her entire body. Biopsy of a representative lesion showed the changes of APD. She was subsequently treated with rifampicin which produced a dramatic resolution of pruritus within 3 weeks and the skin changes progressively resolved over subsequent months. In this newly described association of APD with sclerosing cholangitis, rifampicin treatment appeared to be efficient in ameliorating pruritus and the papular skin changes typical of APD.

Adult↗
PubMed1997

Biologic properties of human herpesvirus 7 strain SB.

The growth characteristics of human herpesvirus 7 strain SB (HHV-7 (SB)) were studied in human umbilical cord blood lymphocyte (CBL) cultures. The virus has approximately a 4-day growth cycle, as measured by immunofluorescence analysis, quantitation of the relative viral DNA concentration, and examination of infected cells by electron microscopy on consecutive days post-infection. By systematically varying the culture media components, improved culturing conditions were established. Activated lymphocytes were required for virus growth. HHV-7(SB) grew best in phytohemagglutinin-stimulated CBL cultured in media containing 0.01 mg/ml hydrocortisone. Addition of recombinant human interleukin 2 (IL-2) at concentrations exceeding 1-10 U/ml inhibited virus growth in most CBL cultures. Addition of exogenous IL-2 to the culture media had no effect on viral DNA production. However, the percentage of virus antigen-positive cells was highest when 0.1-1 U/ml was added to the media. Differences in the ability of individual CBL cultures to replicate HHV-7(SB) was not explained by differing CD4+ cell concentrations. However, individual cultures varied in the level of endogenous IL-2 production, which may contribute to the virus growth variability in CBL. HHV-7(SB) grew in the CD4-positive T-cell line SupT1, but not in a variety of other lymphocyte, fibroblast, or epithelial cell lines. Nine compounds were tested for antiviral activity against HHV-7 in vitro. Phosphonoformic acid inhibited virus growth with a 50% effective concentration of 4.8 microM. Ganciclovir (200 microM) and phosphonoacetic acid (100 microM) inhibited more than 90% of virus production. None of the compounds were cytotoxic at concentrations which inhibited the virus. A generalized increase in host cell protein synthesis was also observed in virus-infected cells similar to that seen in CBL infected with human herpesvirus 6.

Adult↗
PubMed1996

Accelerating the pace of luciferase reporter gene assays.

Luciferase reporter gene assays have gained more importance because of their easy readout, high sensitivity and lack of environmental waste disposal problems. However, several obstacles remain that have prohibited a wider use and the implementation of this type of assay in high-throughput screening programs: (i) Measurements need to be carried out within an active enzyme reaction, and the assessment of such reactions are time-dependent; (ii) the signal produced has a "flash" type characteristic and therefore requires specialized equipment for measurement; and (iii) side-reactions can occur that interact with the signal readout of the assay in a non-reproducible way. These hurdles make an otherwise convenient assay principle troublesome for larger-scale screening use. We have attempted to overcome these problems by different means, leading to the development of LucLite, a stable signal homogeneous reagent system. This system allows use in a higher throughput screening capacity and enables the use of standard scintillation/luminescence instruments.

Biological Assay↗
PubMed1995

Nitrate and nitric acid concentrations at two Rocky Mountain baseline monitoring sites.

A two-tiered, Teflon/nylon filterpack system was used to characterize spatial and temporal patterns of particulate nitrates and nitric acid vapors at two monitoring sites in the Rocky Mountains. Geometric means for particulate nitrates were 38.9 and 52.8 ng/m(3) for the upper and lower sites, respectively. For nitric acid, geometric means of 70.4 ng/m(3) for the upper site and 295 ng/m(3) for the lower site were observed. The relatively low concentrations found at these two sites are comparable to published values for these materials at other remote sites. Atmospheric concentrations of nitrates and nitric acid were correlated significantly at each site, and the total nitrate concentrations (NO(3)(-) plus HNO(3)) were correlated between sites. Comparisons between the two sites indicate that nitric acid concentrations were statistically greater at the lower elevation site, whereas nitrate concentrations were not significantly different. No general seasonal or annual pattern of nitrate or nitric acid concentrations were evident when comparable sampling periods were examined.

Journal Article↗
PubMed1995

Bullous pemphigoid following radiotherapy.

We report the case of a 57-year-old woman who developed bullous pemphigoid 3 weeks after electron beam radiotherapy. The bullae were confined to the area of the radiation field and responded to topical clobetasol propionate 0.05% cream (Dermovate). This is the second case of bullous pemphigoid confined to an area of previous radiotherapy. Radiotherapy may be a rare trigger for the development of bullous pemphigoid.

Breast Neoplasms↗
PubMed1994

Pemphigoid nodularis: a report of two cases.

Pemphigoid nodularis is a rare variant of bullous pemphigoid characterized by the development of pruritic hyperkeratotic nodules. These nodules may be the presenting feature of the disease, and may precede the development of bullae by several years. The condition appears to be more common in females than males, and is often resistant to treatment. We report two definite cases and one possible case of pemphigoid nodularis, and review the literature relating to this disorder.

Aged↗
PubMed1993

Neonatal lupus erythematosus with persistent telangiectasia and spastic paraparesis.

A case of neonatal lupus erythematosus with cutaneous and neurological features is reported. At 5 years of age, the patient retains residual telangiectatic lesions over the trunk and face and has mild spastic diplegia, originally detected at the age of 1 year. Persistent telangiectasia is now a recognized feature of neonatal lupus erythematosus. The pathogenesis of the neurological deficit is uncertain.

Humans↗
PubMed1992

Diffuse primary cutaneous amyloidosis.

A case of extensive primary cutaneous amyloidosis exhibiting both macular and lichenoid lesions is reported. Lesions were arranged in a distinctive linear pattern covering much of the trunk and limbs, in places following Blaschko's lines. The coexistence of macular and lichenoid lesions suggests that this is an unusual variant of biphasic cutaneous amyloidosis.

Amyloidosis↗
PubMed1991

Juvenile spring eruption of the ears: a probable variant of polymorphic light eruption.

We report 18 cases in which a pruritic, erythematous, papular and vesicular eruption developed on the ears following sun exposure. Four of these patients had, on other occasions, suffered from typical polymorphic light eruption. The clinical features, histological changes, and results of phototesting suggest that juvenile spring eruption of the ears is a localized form of polymorphic light eruption.

Adolescent↗