Search PubMed⌕ Search

Biomedical subjects

D C Smith

Publications and source records attributed to D C Smith.

At least 379 records · Page 21Linked to original sources

Large varicocele presenting as pulsatile scrotal mass.

A case is reported in which a patient with tricuspid insufficiency presented with a painful, moderate-sized, pulsatile, scrotal mass on the left side. Selective transfemoral gonadal venography revealed this to be a large varicocele.

Adult↗

Intrarenal arteriovenous fistulas: transcatheter steel coil occlusion.

Intrarenal arteriovenous fistulas are either congenital (cirsoid), acquired or idiopathic. Transcatheter occlusion of these fistulas was accomplished using the Gianturco stainless steel coil. The anatomical configuration of the feeding and draining vessels dictated the technical approach. There was considerable conservation of renal tissue as the result of this non-surgical therapeutic alternative.

Aneurysm↗

The impact of the Health Professions Educational Assistance Act on state mental health systems.

One effect of the Health Professions Educational Assistance Act of 1976 is to severely limit the number of foreign medical graduates entering the United States. To examine the impact of the law in Michigan, the authors gathered data on the number of psychiatrists practicing in the state and projected future manpower needs. They conclude that it is unlikely that, given other provisions in the law, American medical graduates can numerically replace foreign medical graduates, and that alternative manpower resources will have to be developed. State mental health systems must form new relationships with universities and the private psychiatric sector, and new methods of training personnel and sharing resources must be developed. The authors emphasize the importance of giving state mental health systems sufficient time and resources to develop effective manpower plans.

Education, Medical↗

Nuclear oestrogen receptors and treatment of breast cancer.

In an attempt to improve the predictive value of oestrogen-receptor measurements in breast-tumour biopsy specimens, oestrogen receptor was measured at both cytoplasmic and nuclear levels. Although 33% of patients had receptors at both levels, another 17% had cytoplasmic but no nuclear receptors. Theoretically, this latter group would not be expected to respond to hormone therapy. 7% had nuclear but not cytoplasmic receptors. The six-month follow-up data for the group of patients with receptors at both cytoplasmic and nuclear levels suggests qualitatively that this group has a good chance of responding favourably to hormone therapy. Much larger numbers must be accumulated before quantitative conclusions can be reached.

Breast Neoplasms↗

The effect of thermal injury on plasma carnitine in rats.

The plasma concentration of L-carnitine in scalded rats was determined to be greater (p less than or equal to 0.05) than that of control rats at 6 h following the administration of a 20% body surface, full-thickness burn produced by scalding in a 100 degrees C water bath for 15 sec.

Animals↗

Study of a fissure sealant in mentally retarded Canadian children.

The occlusal fissure of 812 permanent and primary posterior teeth of 160 retarded children were sealed with a fluid resin which was polymerized with an ultra-voilet lamp. A half mouth technique was used to evaluate the effectiveness of the sealant in the prevention of fissure caries. The 1st year, the sealant was retained intact on 73 percent of the permanent teeth and on 64 percent of the primary teeth. After 2 years, the sealant was retained intact on 61% of the permanent teeth and on 40% of the primary teeth. The retention of the fissure sealant was better on premolars than molars both in the 1stand in the 2nd year. A single application of the fissure sealant was effective in reducing fissure caries up to 2 years.

Adolescent↗

Angiographic demonstration of esophagogastric bleeding from the inferior phrenic artery.

A case is reported of massive upper gastrointestinal bleeding in which the hemorrhage was demonstrated on left inferior phrenic angiography. The anatomy of the inferior phrenic artery is reviewed and it is emphasized that this artery should be studied if no bleeding source is seen on "routine" angiography, especially if a distal esophageal or a proximal gastric lesion is suspected.

Aged↗

Visual receptive-field properties of single neurons in cat's ventral lateral geniculate nucleus.

1. Visual receptive-field characteristics were determined for 154 cells in the ventral lateral geniculate nucleus (VLG) of cats anesthetized with nitrous oxide. All cells were verified histologically to be within the VLG. Responses of 182 cells from laminae A and A1 of the dorsal lateral geniculate nucleus (DLG) were tested for comparison. 2. The VLG cells could be grouped into one of seven classes according to their responses to light stimulation. Twenty-seven percent of the cells had uniform receptive fields. They responded maximally to stationary stimuli flashed on or off anywhere within the receptive field and showed no evidence for antagonistic surround mechanisms. About 19.5% of the VLG cells had concentric receptive fields. They were similar to the uniform type, with the addition of a concentric inhibitory surround. Eight percent of the VLG cells had ambient receptive fields. These cells were characterized by an unusually regular maintained discharge which varied in rate in relation to the level of receptive-field illumination or of full-field ambient illumination. About 4% of the VLG cells were movement sensitive. They gave little or no response to stationary stimuli flashed on or off in the receptive field, and responded best to a contour moving across the receptive field in any direction. An additional 2.5% of the VLG cells were direction sensitive. Their response was dependent on the direction of stimulus movement through the receptive field. Sixteen percent of the VLG cells had indefinite receptive fields. They responded to whole-eye illumination or to localized visual-field stimulation; however, specific receptive-field properties could not be adequately defined. Approximately 23% of the VLG cells studied gave no convincing response to visual stimulation. 3. Responses of DLG cells agreed with those reported in previous studies. Almost all (97%) had concentric receptive fields, and a few (3%) had uniform receptive fields with no apparent antagonistic surround. None of the DLG cells had receptive fields like those in the other classes found for VLG cells. 4. The VLG cells tended to have large receptive fields; mean diameter was 10.6 degrees of visual arc. This was substantially larger than the diameter of receptive fields for DLG cells. In addition, VLG cells generally required larger stimuli than DLG cells to respond. There was no consistent relationship between receptive-field size and visual-field eccentricity for VLG cells, in contrast to the DLG. Most (57%) VLG cells were driven only by the contralateral eye, 30% were binocularly driven, and 13% were driven only by the ipsilateral eye. 5. A systematic visuotopic organization was present in the VLG. The lower visual field was represented anteriorly in the nucleus and the upper visual field posteriorly. The vertical meridian was represented along the dorsomedial border of the VLG where it abuts the DLG, and the temporal periphery was represented ventrolaterally. 6. Responses to electrical stimulation of the optic chiasm were studied for 55 VLG cells...

Action Potentials↗

State mental health institutions in the next decade: illusions and reality.

Rejecting assertions that state mental health institutions are dying, the authors describe current proposals conceringin future roles of institutions and put forward two postulates as the basis for successful change. They argue that new or different roles for state mental health institution can better be developed if there exists a statewide structure that can both promote and direct change, and if there is a regionally based statewide plan for change that has the support of state, regional, and local leaders. They give several examples of institutionally based service units that could be operated in concert with community services in a unified mental health system. They urge mental health administrators to admit the need for institutional change and to provide active leadership in bringing it about.

Community Mental Health Services↗