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Biomedical subjects

D E Davis

Publications and source records attributed to D E Davis.

At least 37 records · Page 2Linked to original sources

Sarcoid arthritis in a North American Caucasian population.

Thirty-two of 150 Caucasian patients (21%) with sarcoidosis studied had articular symptoms. Twenty-one had acute sarcoid arthritis with bilateral ankle arthritis/periarthritis. Joint symptoms resolved within 4 months and none developed chronic arthropathy or progressive systemic sarcoidosis. Eleven patients developed articular involvement during the course of chronic pulmonary sarcoidosis manifested by bilateral hilar adenopathy in 8 and parenchymal disease in 9. Joint symptoms were generally transient, however, persistent synovitis in excess of one year was seen in 2 patients. Acute sarcoid arthritis confers a favorable prognosis in North American Caucasians. Differences from previous American series likely reflects the racial compositions of the population studied. Sarcoid arthritis less often evolves during the course of chronic systemic sarcoidosis and even then rarely progresses to a chronic arthropathy.

Adult↗

Circannual rhythm of torpor and molt in the ground squirrel, Spermophilus beecheyi.

Using cool, white, fluorescent lamps photoperiods mimicking those in Santa Barbara, CA, entrain circannual rhythms of mass and torpor of Spermophilus beecheyi so that maxima occur about September for 6 years. Cycles with 12-hr photofractions or continuous light has short circannual periods of mass and torpor. After a phase-shift of 6 months, some squirrels entrained in about 3 years. Squirrels kept 6 months on 10-hr and 6 months on 14-hr photofraction had weakly entrained circannual mass and molting rhythms. In entrained females start of torpidity advanced each year. Torpor appears rarely in males or in females with access to running wheels.

Aging↗

Livedo reticularis with ulcers and circulating immune complexes.

Livedo reticularis is a reticulate skin pattern that is idiopathic or associated with systemic disease. A 30-year-old white man with livedo reticularis, winter ulcerations, and a peripheral neuropathy is described. His only laboratory abnormality remains the presence of circulating immune complexes. Therapy of this patient's condition and the significance of these immune complexes are discussed.

Adult↗

Morphometric analysis of autonomic neuropathology in the abdominal sympathetic trunk of the ketonuric diabetic Chinese hamster.

Fibers from the infradiaphragmatic portion of the sympathetic trunk of ketonuric diabetic Chinese hamsters were quantitatively analyzed by light and electron microscopy to determine frequency distribution and numerical density. Myelinated and unmyelinated fibers displayed a significant reduction in diameter which was exacerbated by increased duration of ketonuria. Mean numerical density of myelinated fibers was reduced whereas that of unmyelinated fibers was increased. The alterations in sympathetic nerve populations are believed to be a manifestation of previously observed demyelination and axonal degeneration. On the basis of axon diameter, it appeared that both visceral afferent and efferent fibers were affected. These data strongly suggest that autonomic neuropathology in the sympathetic trunk of the diabetic Chinese hamster may be a critical factor underlying gastrointestinal dysfunction.

Animals↗

Clostridium perfringens: an unusual case of septic arthritis.

Anaerobic joint infections may be a more common occurrence than previously reported. A nine-year-old with a septic knee due to Clostridium perfringens following a puncture wound was seen in the emergency department. Diagnosis was established by isolating the organism from an anaerobic synovial fluid culture. The patient was treated successfully with open drainage and parenteral penicillin. This case illustrates the necessity for specifically requesting anaerobic cultures on synovial fluid of patients with acute septic monoarthritis.

Arthritis, Infectious↗

Systemic lupus-like syndrome induced by methyldopa therapy.

Pleural pericarditis, fever, and a positive reaction for antinuclear antibody developed in a 50-year-old white woman while she was receiving methyldopa (500 mg daily). After withdrawal of the drug, there was complete resolution of the clinical signs and symptoms, as well as normalization of the patient's antinuclear antibody titer. To our knowledge, this is the first reported case of a clinical lupus-like syndrome induced by therapy with methyldopa.

Antibodies↗

Hibernation and circannual rhythms of food consumption in marmots and ground squirrels.

In order to understand better the evolution and adaptive value of hibernation, ecological aspects and experimental studies of closely related hibernators, the Marmotini, are examined. The central hypothesis is that annual changes in the environment integrate three or, perhaps, four physiological processes: torpor, reporduction, consumption of food, and metabolism. Reproduction occurs promptly after emergence from hibernation. For most species, the breeding season is very short. Although the experimental data are rather meager, no variation in external factors has consistently altered the season of reproduction. Consumption of food and change in weight increases until July or September and then decreases. The large members of the Marmotini store their energy as fat, but small species store their energy as seeds and nuts. Experiments to test the hypothesis that some aspect of the supply, such as fat content, might vary seasonally have produced negative results. Complex experiments on the length of the photoperiod on woodchucks and several species of ground squirrels failed to alter the annual cycle of consumption of food. Animals kept in constant conditions showed a cycle of about 11 months, but woodchucks sent tto Australia changed their cycle in two years to match the seasons of the southern hemisphere. Experiments with temperature and torpor and castration did not alter the annual did not alter the rhythm...

Adipose Tissue↗