Biomedical subjects

E Katz

Publications and source records attributed to E Katz.

At least 91 records · Page 5Linked to original sources

PubMed1996

Hydrosalpinx affects the implantation of previously cryopreserved embryos.

The presence of hydrosalpinx has been reported to negatively affect the pregnancy and implantation rate after in-vitro fertilization (IVF) with embryo transfer. Hydrosalpinges are able to enlarge during ovarian stimulation with a possible increased passage of tubal fluid into the endometrial cavity. We report the effect of hydrosalpinges during the transfer of previously cryopreserved/thawed embryos during a natural cycle. In all, 14 transfers in 0 patients with a sonographically-documented hydrosalpinx during the studied cycle (group I) were compared to 98 cycles in 74 patients with tubal disease but no such sonographic finding (group II). Both pregnancy and implantation rates were significantly lower in group I (7.14 versus 24.49% and 5.0 versus 10. 8% respectively). The presence of hydrosalpinx negatively affects pregnancy and implantation rates during natural cycles.

Adult↗

PubMed1996

Sublingual buprenorphine compared to morphine delivered by a patient-controlled analgesia system as postoperative analgesia after prostatectomy.

After open prostatectomy, 52 patients were randomly allocated to two treatment groups. Group A (26 patients) received buprenorphine sublingually, and in group B (26 patients) the analgesia was induced using a patient-controlled analgesia system with morphine. The total dose of morphine given during the first 24 h was 72 +/- 8 mg compared to 1.6 +/- 0.45 mg of buprenorphine. The total dose of buprenorphine on days 2 and 3 was significantly lower than the total dose of morphine (p < 0.01). There were no significant differences in visual pain scores, side effects, mean arterial blood pressure, pulse rate and respiration rate between the two groups. Sublingual application of buprenorphine offers an effective and easy alternative to the parenteral route of morphine for the management of postoperative pain.

Administration, Sublingual↗

PubMed1996

Treatment with oral 3,4 diaminopyridine improves leg strength in multiple sclerosis patients: results of a randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled, crossover trial.

To examine the efficacy and toxicity of oral 3,4 diaminopyridine (DAP) in dosages up to 100 mg/day, 36 patients with multiple sclerosis (MS) enrolled in a randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled, crossover trial. The primary outcome measure was improvement of a prospectively defined neurologic deficit, which was leg weakness in 34 patients. Secondary outcome measures included the patient's subjective response, scored manual motor testing (MMT) of leg strength, scored leg strength from videotaped motor testing (VMT), quadriceps and hamstrings strength (QMT) measured by isometric dynamometry, neuropsychological testing (NPT), ambulation index (AI), and Expanded Disability Status Scale (EDSS) score. Paresthesias and abdominal pain were common and were dose limiting in eight patients. Three patients had episodes of confusion, and one patient had a seizure while on DAP. Eight patients withdrew from the study, leaving 28 evaluable patients for the efficacy analysis. The prospectively defined neurologic deficit improved in 24 patients-22 on DAP and 2 on placebo (p = 0.0005). All improvements were in leg weakness. Subjective response and measures of leg strength and function (MMT, VMT, QMT, and AI) improved on DAP compared with placebo. Neither NPT nor EDSS scores improved. DAP treatment can induce improvements in leg strength in MS patients, but toxicity is limiting in many patients.

4-Aminopyridine↗

PubMed1996

A creative art centre for adults with developmental disabilities.

An art centre for adults with developmental disabilities is described, and its origins and dissemination are presented. Differences between such art centres and more traditional work-oriented programmes for people with developmental disabilities are indicated. The number of similar art centres for this population has increased substantially during the past 20 years.

Adult↗

PubMed1995

Improving enzyme-electrode contacts by redox modification of cofactors.

Efficient electron transfer of redox proteins to and from their environment is essential for the use of such proteins in biotechnological applications such as amperometric biosensors and photosynthetic biocatalysts. But most redox enzymes lack pathways that can transport an electron from their embedded redox site to an electrode or a diffusing photoexcited species. Electrical communication between redox proteins and electrode surfaces has been improved by aligning proteins on chemically modified electrodes, by attaching electron-transporting groups and by immobilizing proteins in polymer matrices tethered by redox groups. Generally these methods involve contacting the enzymes at random with electron relay units. Here we report an approach that allows site-specific positioning of electron-mediating units in redox proteins. We strip glucose oxidase of its flavin adenine dinucleotide (FAD) cofactors, modify the latter with redox-active ferrocene-containing groups, and then reconstitute the apoprotein with these modified cofactors. In this way, electrical contact between an electrode and the resulting enzyme in solution is greatly enhanced in a controlled and reproducible way.

Apoproteins↗

PubMed1995

Effects of Ca2+ channel blockers on transmitter release and presynaptic currents at the frog neuromuscular junction.

1. The effects of the calcium channel blockers, funnel-web spider toxin (FTX), omega-agatoxin IVA (omega-Aga IVA) and omega-conotoxin GVIA (omega-CgTX), were tested on transmitter release and presynaptic currents in frog motor nerve endings. 2. Evoked transmitter release was blocked by FTX (IC50 = 0.02 microliter ml-1) and omega-CgTX (1 microM) but was not affected by omega-Aga IVA (0.5 microM). When FTX (0.1 microliter ml-1) was assayed on spontaneous release either in normal Ringer solution or in low Ca(2+)-high Mg2+ solution, it was found not to affect miniature endplate potential (MEPP) amplitude but to increase MEPP frequency by approximately 2-fold in both conditions. 3. Presynaptic calcium currents (ICa), measured by the perineurial technique in the presence of 10 mM tetraethylammonium chloride (TEA) and 200 microM BaCl2 to block K+ currents, were blocked by omega-CgTX (5 microM), partially blocked by FTX (1 microliter ml-1) and not affected by omega-Aga IVA (0.5 microM). 4. The presynaptic calcium-activated potassium current (IK(Ca)) measured by the perineurial technique in the presence of 0.5 microM 3,4-aminopyridine (DAP) to block voltage-dependent K+ currents, was strongly affected by charybdotoxin (ChTX) (300 nM) and completely abolished by BaCl2 (200 microM). This current was also blocked by omega-CgTX (5 microM) and by CdCl2 (200 microM) but was not affected by FTX (1 microliter ml-1). The blockade by omega-CgTX could not be reversed by elevating [Ca]o to 10 mM. 5. The results suggest that in frog synaptic terminals two omega-CgTX-sensitive populations might coexist. The transmitter release process seems to be mediated by calcium influx through a omega-CgTX- and FTX-sensitive population.

Animals↗

PubMed1995

Chronic cough and hoarseness in patients with severe gastroesophageal reflux disease. Diagnosis and response to therapy.

Gastroesophageal reflux may be responsible for atypical symptoms such as chronic cough and hoarseness. Our aim was to evaluate and treat patients with severe gastroesophageal reflux and chronic cough or hoarseness with intensive antireflux therapy. Twenty-seven patients with typical heartburn symptoms in addition to significant cough or hoarseness were treated with aggressive antireflux therapy. We recorded the response of each symptom to the antireflux therapy. Two patients were lost to follow-up. Twenty of the 25 (80%) patients showed some improvement in cough or hoarseness, nine (36%) had no atypical symptoms at follow-up. The response of heartburn to therapy was strongly predictive of successful therapy for the atypical symptoms. Cough and hoarseness improved in only two of the five patients with residual heartburn symptoms compared to 18 of 20 patients with no heartburn (P < 0.04). Only patients with no heartburn symptoms at follow-up had complete resolution of atypical symptoms. There were no important differences on ambulatory pH monitoring between partial and complete responders. Improvement in atypical reflux symptoms, such as chronic cough and hoarseness, is common with aggressive antireflux therapy. There are no findings on ambulatory esophageal pH monitoring that uniquely identify patients who are likely to respond to antireflux therapy.

Case-Control Studies↗

PubMed1995

Comparison of i.m. and local infiltration of ketorolac with and without local anaesthetic.

We have studied postoperative analgesia in 32 patients undergoing outpatient repair of inguinal hernia. All patients received a standardized general anaesthetic of thiopentone followed by halothane or isoflurane in 70% nitrous oxide and oxygen delivered by face mask or laryngeal mask with spontaneous ventilation. No patient received premedication, opioids or neuromuscular blockers. Before wound closure the surgeon infiltrated 20 ml of a study solution into the wound. The solution contained ketorolac 30 mg in saline, 0.25% bupivacaine and ketorolac 30 mg, 0.25% bupivacaine or saline (control group). The control group received ketorolac 60 mg i.m. at the same time. Pain scores were measured 2, 6 and 24 h after operation. Pain scores for all three active groups were significantly less (P < 0.05) than the control group at all times. There were no significant differences in pain scores at any time between the three study groups. Wound infiltration with ketorolac 30 mg in saline, 0.25% bupivacaine or ketorolac 30 mg with 0.25% bupivacaine provided equivalent analgesia. Wound infiltration with ketorolac 30 mg in saline provided analgesia superior to that of ketorolac 60 mg i.m.

Administration, Topical↗

PubMed1995

Perforated appendicitis and ectopic pregnancy following in-vitro fertilization.

This report describes a case of perforated appendicitis and ectopic pregnancy following in-vitro fertilization (IVF) and embryo transfer. Perforated appendicitis was a coincidental event following IVF and embryo transfer. Immediate diagnosis and treatment of the perforated appendicitis saved the life of the patient. The ectopic pregnancy was completely resolved with two doses of methotrexate administration.

Adult↗

PubMed1995

Comparative evaluation of microagglutination test and serum agglutination test as supplementary diagnostic methods for brucellosis.

The diagnosis of brucellosis in cattle and small ruminants requires the use of more than one serological test. The complement fixation test (CFT), the rose bengal test (RBT), and the serum agglutination test (SAT) are among the most useful tests for routine diagnosis. The microagglutination test (MAT) was developed as a simpler and more efficient test than the SAT. The relative efficacy of this test compared with that of the SAT was evaluated by using brucella-free sheep and goats prior to and after vaccination treatment. The specificities of the MAT and the SAT were 100%. Of the ewes and goats with a vaccination history, one ewe, expectedly a negative responder, had reactions in the MAT, the complement fixation test, and the rose bengal test but not in the SAT, suggesting a lower sensitivity of the SAT in this case. The calculated sensitivities of the MAT and the SAT were 93.9%. The agreement between MAT and SAT results from nonresponders was examined by using sera from unvaccinated lambs and kids (95.2% agreement), unvaccinated ewes and goats (84.4%), and ewes and goats with a vaccination history (43.9%). For the latter group higher levels of agglutination units were observed by the MAT than by the SAT in 51.5% of the samples. In testing sera from positive reactors after vaccination neither method was superior (MAT values were greater than SAT values for 23.5% of the samples, and MAT values were less than SAT values for 21.9% of the samples). Comparison of the methods on the individual sample level revealed a significant correlation between the MAT and the SAT (r = 0.96 +/- 0.005; P < 0.001). Since the MAT is simpler to perform than the SAT and can potentially be automated, the inclusion of the MAT as a supplementary test in brucellosis control programs is recommended.

Agglutination Tests↗

PubMed1995

Salutary consequences of oxygen therapy on the long-term outcome of hemorrhagic shock in awake, unrestrained rats.

Decreased oxygen delivery and cellular hypoxia are major factors in the pathophysiology of shock. We studied the effects of 100% O2 at 0.1 and 0.3 MPa (1 and 3 atm abs) in severe hemorrhagic shock in awake, unrestrained rats. Shock was induced by withdrawing 50% of the total blood volume within 120 min. Blood pressure, heart rate, and the electroencephalogram (EEG) were recorded during the first 6 h of the protocol. The animals were observed for 7 days. The shock protocol resulted in 60 and 90% mortality after 1 day and at the end of 7 days, respectively. A single 90-min exposure to O2 at 0.1 and 0.3 MPa, which was started 30 min after bleeding, maintained mean arterial blood pressure at significantly higher values compared to untreated controls throughout the exposure period (P < 0.05). Oxygen therapy at both doses also improved the long-term survival rate and survival time significantly (P < 0.01). No clinical or EEG sign of CNS O2 toxicity was detected in O2-treated animals. Our results indicate that O2 given alone after severe bleeding exerts a beneficial effect on the long-term outcome of hemorrhagic shock in awake, unrestrained rats.

Animals↗

PubMed1995

The preoperative evaluation of patients considered for laparoscopic antireflux surgery.

Few studies address the proper extent of the preoperative testing in patients referred for consideration of antireflux surgery. Our aim was to perform a thorough gastroesophageal evaluation and determine its influence on the therapeutic decisions of such patients. We evaluated 107 consecutive patients in a combined GI/Surgery clinic for severe or refractory gastroesophageal reflux. The patients had an EGD, esophageal manometry, and 24-h ambulatory esophageal pH monitoring. Only patients with gastric symptoms had gastric testing. Nineteen patients were excluded, 12 refused further evaluation and seven were felt to be unfit for antireflux surgery because of medical or psychological reasons. Eighty-eight patients completed the required studies. Fifty-four patients (61%) had typical reflux symptoms and erosive esophagitis on EGD. All these patients had an abnormal pH study. Five of the 34 patients without esophagitis had a normal pH study and did not have surgery. Ten patients had poor peristalsis by esophageal manometry prompting a subtotal fundoplication. One patient had severe delayed gastric emptying, requiring pyloroplasty in addition to the fundoplication. Eighty of 83 patients had good or excellent surgical results. EGD and esophageal manometry are indispensable in the preoperative evaluation. Manometry may identify abnormalities altering surgical decisions in roughly 10% of patients. Routine ambulatory esophageal pH monitoring is of marginal benefit, except in patients without esophagitis or in those patients where the diagnosis is in doubt. Clinically significant gastric abnormalities are rare, and routine testing of gastric function is not indicated.

Adult↗

PubMed1995

Conserving fertility with early management of cervical pregnancy. A case report.

BACKGROUND: Cervical pregnancy can be a life-threatening entity, with the diagnosis often made on the hysterectomy specimen. A case of distal ectopic pregnancy involved the endocervical canal, and prompt diagnosis and treatment allowed the preservation of fertility. CASE: The patient presented at six weeks' gestation with vaginal bleeding. Serial ultrasound examinations revealed a viable pregnancy and ultimately suggested placental implantation within the endocervical canal. Curettage was performed using cervical stay sutures at the three and nine o'clock positions, with minimal bleeding and no postoperative morbidity. One year after the procedure the patient had a spontaneous delivery of a full-term male following an unremarkable prenatal course. CONCLUSION: Improvements in sonography and serum testing have allowed earlier diagnosis and hence greater success with conservative management of cervical pregnancy.

Adult↗

PubMed1994

Striate cortex extracts higher-order spatial correlations from visual textures.

Spatial correlations define the statistical structure of any visual image. Two-point correlations inform the visual system about the spatial frequency content of an image. Higher-order correlations can capture salient features such as object contours. We studied "isodipole" texture discrimination in V1 to determine if higher-order spatial correlations can be extracted by early stages of cortical processing. We made epicortical, local field potential, and single-cell recordings of responses elicited by isodipole texture interchange in anesthetized monkeys. Our studies demonstrate that single neurons in V1 can signal the presence of higher-order spatial correlations in visual textures. This places a computational mechanism, which may be essential for form vision at the earliest stage of cortical processing.

Animals↗

PubMed1994

[Effect of low-dose amiodarone on thyroid function].

Thyroid function was examined periodically in a group of 85 patients treated with low-dose amiodarone, and followed for 1-13 years (mean 3.6). Biochemical hypothyroidism (elevated thyroid stimulating hormone (TSH) only) developed in 8 patients and clinical hypothyroidism in 3, while hypothyroidism developed in 5. In the first 11 cases amiodarone was continued but 1-thyroxine was added. In the 5 that became hyperthyroid, amiodarone was stopped and thyroid function became normal within a few months. In the 69 patients without thyroid dysfunction, elevated thyroxine (T4) and free thyroxine index (FTI) were found in 20% and 17%, respectively, and elevated free T4 (FT4) in 28%; all had normal total tri-iodothyronine (TT3) and TSH. In practically all patients, reverse T3 (rT3) rose more than 30% above initial levels. It is concluded that in patients treated with low dose amiodarone: 1) thyroid function should be followed closely; 2) elevated levels of TT4, FTI and FT4 do not necessarily imply hyperthyroidism; 3) hypothyroidism may be biochemical only, without progression to overt hypothyroidism, despite continued treatment; 4) both the hypo- and the hyperthyroidism induced are usually reversible; 5) amiodarone may be continued despite onset of hypothyroidism, provided replacement therapy is given.

Amiodarone↗

PubMed1994

[Reduced-size liver transplants in children].

Orthotopic liver transplantation is now used for children with end-stage liver disease, but the scarcity of size-matched liver allografts for children has limited its use. Reduced-size liver transplantation, in which only part of the liver is used as a graft, overcomes size disparity and increases significantly the potential donor pool for children. A 4-year-old boy with fulminating hepatic failure due to hepatitis became the first case of reduced-size liver transplantation in Israel. A left hepatic lobe allograft from an adult donor was used. The boy is home and well 9 months after transplantation. Reduced-size liver transplantation was first performed in a child by Bismuth and Houssin in 1984. Reports from several centers show that survival of recipients of reduced-size liver allografts and the rate of retransplantation does not differ significantly from that in recipients of full-sized livers.

Child↗

PubMed1994

Effect of systemic hyperandrogenism on the adrenal response to adrenocorticotropin hormone.

A virilized patient with an androgen-producing ovarian tumor was used to illustrate the effect of chronic hyperandrogenism on the adrenal response to ACTH. The accumulation rates of substrates for 3 beta-ol dehydrogenase, 21-hydroxylase, and 11 beta-hydroxylase remained unchanged after oophorectomy. This suggests that chronic hyperandrogenism does not affect the activity of enzymes involved in adrenal steroidogenesis.

Adrenal Glands↗

PubMed1994

Population encoding of spatial frequency, orientation, and color in macaque V1.

1. We recorded local field potentials in the parafoveal representation in the primary visual cortex of anesthetized and paralyzed macaque monkeys with a multicontact electrode that provided for sampling of neural activity at 16 sites along a vertical penetration. Differential recordings at adjacent contacts were transformed into an estimate of current source density (CSD), to provide a measure of local neural activity. 2. We used m-sequence stimuli to map the region of visual space that provided input to the recording site. The local field potential recorded in macaque V1 has a population receptive field (PRF) size of approximately 2 deg2. 3. We assessed spatial tuning by the responses to two-dimensional Gaussian noise, spatially filtered to retain power only within one octave. Responses to achromatic band-limited noise stimuli revealed a prominent band-pass spatial tuning in the upper layers, but a more low-pass spatial tuning in lower layers. 4. We assessed orientation tuning by the responses to band-limited noise whose spectrum was further restricted to lie within 45 degrees wedges. The local field potential showed evidence of orientation tuning at most sites. Orientation tuning in upper and lower layers was manifest by systematic variations not only in response size but also in response dynamics. 5. We assessed chromatic tuning by the responses to isotropic band-limited noise modulated in a variety of directions in tristimulus space. Some lower-layer locations showed a nulling of response under near-isoluminant conditions. However, response dynamics in upper and lower layers depended not only on luminance contrast, but also on chromatic inputs. 6. Responses to near-isoluminant stimuli and to low-contrast luminance modulation were shifted to lower spatial frequencies. 7. We determined the extent to which various temporal frequencies in the response conveyed information concerning spatial frequency, orientation, and color under the steady-state conditions used in these studies. In each case, information is distributed in the response dynamics across a broad temporal frequency range, beginning at 4 Hz (the lowest frequency used). For spatial frequency the information rate remains significant up to at least 25 Hz. For orientation tuning and chromatic tuning, the information rate is lower overall and remains significant up to 13 Hz. In contrast, for texture discrimination, information is shifted to lower temporal frequencies.

Animals↗