Search PubMed⌕ Search

Biomedical subjects

E Schwartz

Publications and source records attributed to E Schwartz.

At least 19 recordsLinked to original sources
PubMed2006

A novel GABRG2 mutation associated with febrile seizures.

Mutations in the gene encoding the gamma2 subunit of the gamma-aminobutyric acid type A receptor (GABRG2) have been reported to cause childhood absence epilepsy (CAE), febrile seizures (FS), and generalized epilepsy with FS plus (GEFS+). The authors analyzed GABRG2 in 47 unrelated patients with CAE, FS, and GEFS+ and identified a novel mutation that cosegregated with FS. Electrophysiologic studies demonstrated altered current desensitization and reduced benzodiazepine enhancement in mutant receptors.

Belgium↗
PubMed2006

An outbreak of leptospirosis among Israeli troops near the Jordan River.

An outbreak of leptospirosis that involved 7 of a team of 27 Israeli troops occurred following a military exercise in northern Israel near the Jordan River. The organism implicated in the outbreak was Leptospira interrogans serovar Hardjo. The clinical course was uncomplicated and all patients fully recovered. There were no cases of asymptomatic infection. Military personnel should be recognized as having an occupational risk for contracting leptospirosis, especially when military activity takes place near natural water sources inhabited by cattle, taking into account the local epidemiology of this disease. Moreover, outbreaks among military personnel may serve as a sentinel for leptospiral illness in areas in which civilian exposure takes place, such as the Jordan River, which is an important site that involves immersion in the context of both pilgrimage and civilian recreational activities."Bathe and you will become clean. So he went down and immersed himself seven times in the Jordan, as Elisha had told him to do. And his flesh became clean once more like the flesh of a small child."II Kings 5:14.

Adult↗
PubMed2005

In vivo inhibition of hippocampal Ca2+/calmodulin-dependent protein kinase II by RNA interference.

Hippocampal alpha-Ca2+/calmodulin-dependent protein kinase II (alpha-CaMKII) has been implicated in spatial learning, neuronal plasticity, epilepsy, and cerebral ischemia. In the present study, an adeno-associated virus (AAV) vector was designed to express green fluorescent protein (GFP) from the CBA promoter and a small hairpin RNA targeting alpha-CaMKII (AAV-shCAM) driven from the U6 promoter. The AAV-shCAM or control vector was microinfused into the rat hippocampus and behavioral testing conducted 19-26 days following surgery. Expression of the marker gene and alpha-CaMKII was evaluated 31 days following AAV infusion. GFP expression was localized to the hippocampus and extended +/-2 mm rostral and caudal from the injection site. Hippocampal alpha-CaMKII was significantly reduced following AAV-shCAM treatment as demonstrated using immunohistochemical and Western analysis. This suppression of alpha-CaMKII was associated with changes in exploratory behavior (open field task) and impaired place learning (water maze task). These results demonstrate the efficacy of a viral-based delivered shRNA to produce gene suppression in a specific circuit of the brain.

Animals↗
PubMed2004

Treatment of cutaneous leishmaniasis among travellers.

Leishmaniasis is endemic in 88 countries on five continents. There are 1-1.5 million cases of cutaneous leishmaniasis reported yearly worldwide. There has been a sharp increase in recorded cases over the last 10 years. Based on geographical distribution, cutaneous leishmaniasis is divided into Old World and New World leishmaniasis. In the past, species could be inferred from geographical setting or determined by performing culture and isoenzyme analysis. The recently developed and now widely available PCR technology allows a rapid diagnosis with determination of most species, and thus enables a species-orientated treatment. While the Old World species mostly cause benign and often self-limiting cutaneous disease, the American species cause a broad spectrum of conditions from benign to severe manifestations, including mucosal involvement. The response to treatment varies according to the species. Therefore, a species-specific approach is proposed. Drugs for systemic and topical treatment are presented and discussed with regard to their application, use and adverse effects. Indications for local or systemic treatment are proposed. Drugs under investigation are also mentioned. An overview of published treatment options and a treatment recommendation is given for each of the most important species. The level of evidence of the studies leading to these recommendations is given.

Administration, Topical↗
PubMed2003

Imported mucosal leishmaniasis in a traveler.

We report a case of mucosal leishmaniasis in a traveler returning from South America. The traveler developed nasal symptoms 2 months after the appearance of cutaneous ulcers. Diagnosis of mucosal Leishmania viannia braziliensis infection was made 5 years later. The clinical presentation and diagnosis for the patient are reported, and previous cases in travelers are reviewed. We recommend that mucosal examination should be part of follow-up for L. viannia braziliensis infection in travelers. Mucosal leishmaniasis should be part of the differential diagnosis of mucosal lesions in patients with a history of travel to South America, however remote the likelihood of infection.

Adult↗
PubMed2001

Age as a risk factor for severe Plasmodium falciparum malaria in nonimmune patients.

In this nationwide, cross-sectional study, we evaluated the influence of age and other factors that affect clinical outcome of Plasmodium falciparum malaria in nonimmune patients. Of 135 patients with P. falciparum malaria, 84 (62%) were < 40 years old, and only 5% of the patients in this age group developed severe malaria, compared with 18% of the subjects who were > or =40 years of age (odds ratio, 4.29); moreover, all deaths occurred in the latter group. Male subjects did not differ from female subjects with regard to severity of disease.

Adult↗
PubMed2001

Chromium diffusion and reduction in soil aggregates.

The distribution of metal contaminants such as chromium in soils can be strongly localized by transport limitations and redox gradients within soil aggregates. Measurements of Cr(VI) diffusion and reduction to Cr(III) were obtained in soil columns representing transects into soil aggregates in order to quantify influences of organic carbon (OC) and redox potentials on Cr transport distances and microbial community composition. Shifts in characteristic redox potentials, and the extent of Cr(VI) reduction to Cr(III) were related to OC availability. Depth profiles of Cr(VI, III) obtained with micro X-ray absorption near edge structure (micro-XANES) spectroscopy reflected interdependent effects of diffusion and spatially dependent redox potentials on reduction kinetics and microbial community composition. Shallow diffusion depths (2-10 mm) and very sharply terminated diffusion fronts in columns amended with OC (80 and 800 ppm) reflected rapid increases in Cr reduction kinetics over very short (mm) distances. These results suggest that Cr contamination in soils can be restricted to the outsides of soil aggregates due to localized transport and rapid reduction and that bulk sample characterization is inadequate for understanding the controlling biogeochemical processes.

Chromium↗
PubMed2001

A physical map of the megaplasmid pHG1, one of three genomic replicons in Ralstonia eutropha H16.

We have used pulsed field gel electrophoresis and megabase DNA techniques to investigate the basic genomic organization of Ralstonia eutropha H16, and to construct a physical map of its indigenous megaplasmid pHG1. This Gram-negative, soil-dwelling bacterium is a facultative chemolithoautotroph and a denitrifier. In the absence of organic substrates it can grow on H2 as its sole energy source and CO2 as its sole source of carbon. Under anaerobic conditions it can utilize nitrate as a terminal electron acceptor, whereby dinitrogen is released. Essential genetic determinants of the enzyme systems responsible for these metabolic processes are linked to the 0.44-Mb conjugative megaplasmid pHG1. Aside from pHG1, the genome of R. eutropha H16 is comprised of two circular chromosomes measuring 4.1 and 2.9 Mb, adding up to a total genome size of 7.1 Mb. An estimated five copies of rDNA are distributed on the two chromosomes. A macrorestriction map of pHG1 was derived for the endonucleases DraI and XbaI. Hybridization studies showed that genes for anaerobic metabolism are located on all three genomic replicons.

Anaerobiosis↗
PubMed2001

Ivermectin for onchocercal eye disease (river blindness).

BACKGROUND: It is believed that ivermectin (a microfilaricide) could prevent blindness due to onchocerciasis. However, when given to everyone in communities where onchocerciasis is common, the effects of ivermectin on lesions affecting the eye are uncertain and data on whether the drug prevents visual loss is unclear. OBJECTIVES: The aim of this review is to assess the effectiveness of ivermectin in preventing visual acuity and visual field loss in onchocercal eye disease. The secondary aim is to assess the effects of ivermectin on lesions affecting the eye in onchocerciasis. SEARCH STRATEGY: We searched the Cochrane Eyes and Vision Group specialised register, the Cochrane Controlled Trials Register - CENTRAL, MEDLINE, EMBASE, the reference lists of identified trials, the Science Citation Index and we contacted investigators, experts and pharmaceutical companies to identify additional trials. SELECTION CRITERIA: We included randomised controlled trials with at least one year follow up, comparing ivermectin at a dose of 150 micrograms per kilogram of body weight with either placebo or no treatment. Participants were people normally resident in endemic onchocercal communities with or without one or more characteristic signs of ocular onchocerciasis. DATA COLLECTION AND ANALYSIS: Two reviewers independently extracted data and assessed trial quality. Study authors were contacted for additional information. Trials varied in design and setting, so no meta-analysis was done. MAIN RESULTS: This review includes five trials with data from 3810 participants. All the trials compared ivermectin with placebo and were judged to be of moderate risk of bias in terms of methodological quality. No statistically significant difference was observed in any trial (reporting visual acuity outcome) between ivermectin and placebo groups for visual acuity loss. REVIEWER'S CONCLUSIONS: Questions about the effectiveness of ivermectin in preventing visual acuity loss have not been answered by best available evidence.

Anthelmintics↗
PubMed2001

Lesions in the central nucleus of the amygdala: discriminative avoidance learning, discriminative approach learning, and cingulothalamic training-induced neuronal activity.

The amygdala is critically involved in discriminative avoidance learning. Large lesions of the amygdala block discriminative avoidance learning and abolish cingulothalamic training-induced neuronal activity. These results indicated that amygdalar processing is critical for cingulothalamic plasticity. The larger lesions did not allow differentiation of the specific functioning of various amygdalar nuclei. Anatomical analysis showed that damage in the central (CE) nucleus of the amygdala was correlated with the severity of the behavioral deficit. The present study was carried out to determine whether smaller lesions, centered in the CE nucleus, would impair discriminative avoidance learning and block cingulothalamic plasticity. In addition, the possible role of the CE nucleus in appetitively motivated discriminative approach learning was examined for the first time. New Zealand White rabbits with CE nuclear lesions were first trained in the discriminative approach task. After attaining asymptotic performance, discriminative avoidance training sessions were alternated with continuing approach training sessions, one session each day. The rabbits with lesions were severely impaired in avoidance learning but showed no impairment of approach learning. Surprisingly, the attenuating effects of the lesions on cingulothalamic training-induced neuronal activity were more prevalent during approach learning than during avoidance learning. These results indicated that avoidance learning can be impaired by lesions centered in the CE nucleus that leave cingulothalamic plasticity largely intact and that the CE nucleus is involved in extra-cingulothalamic learning processes.

Amygdala↗
PubMed2001

CT of noninfectious granulomatous lung disease.

Noninfectious granulomatous diseases of the lung consist of a diverse group of disorders that logically can be subdivided into those with and without associated vasculitis. This article reviews the epidemiologic, clinical, pathologic, and radiologic features of sarcoidosis, hypersensitivity pneumonitis, berylliosis, and the five entities traditionally classified as pulmonary angiitis and granulomatosis.

Diagnosis, Differential↗
PubMed2001

Use of salivary biomarkers in biobehavioral research: cotton-based sample collection methods can interfere with salivary immunoassay results.

In a series of studies, we evaluated the susceptibility of immunoassays for saliva biomarkers to interference effects caused by cotton materials used to absorb saliva during sample collection. Salivary assay results for testosterone, DHEA, progesterone, and estradiol are artificially high, and for sIgA artificially low, when samples are collected using cotton absorbent materials. In contrast, results for salivary cortisol, DHEA-S, and cotinine are not affected by the use of cotton collection methods. The order of individual results from samples collected using cotton versus no-cotton methods for certain markers is not conserved, suggesting that for some biomarkers this collection method can be a significant source of unsystematic error. It was shown, using DHEA as an example, that the cotton interference effect is of sufficient magnitude to attenuate the association between serum and saliva levels. Awareness of this issue is critical to ensure measurement validity in future studies and analyses of archived samples collected using cotton materials.

Adult↗
PubMed2001

Repeated inoculation as a strategy for the remediation of low concentrations of phenanthrene in soil.

Phenanthrene, a polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbon, becomes increasingly unavailable to microorganisms for degradation as it ages in soil. Consequently, many bioaugmentation efforts to remediate polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons in soil have failed. We studied the effect of repeatedly inoculating a soil with a phenanthrene-degrading Arthrobacter sp. on the mineralization kinetics of low concentrations of phenanthrene. After the first inoculation, the initial mineralization rate of 50 ng/g phenanthrene declined in a biphasic exponential pattern. By three hundred hours after inoculation, there was no difference in mineralization rates between the inoculated and uninoculated treatments even though a large fraction of the phenanthrene had not yet been mineralized. A second and third inoculation significantly increased the mineralization rate, suggesting that, though the mineralization rate declined, phenanthrene remained bioavailable. Restirring the soil, without inoculation, did not produce similar increases in mineralization rates, suggesting absence of contact between cells and phenanthrene on a larger spatial scale (>mm) is not the cause of the mineralization decline. Bacteria inoculated into soil 280 hours before the phenanthrene was added could not maintain phenanthrene degradation activity. We suggest sorption lowered bioavailability of phenanthrene below an induction threshold concentration for metabolic activity of phenanthrene-degrading bacteria.

Arthrobacter↗
PubMed2001

Serious adverse events of mefloquine in relation to blood level and gender.

Mefloquine is widely used for prophylaxis in areas with chloroquine-resistant falciparum malaria. As the use of mefloquine has increased, so have the reports on its adverse effects. We sought to evaluate the possible association between serum levels of mefloquine and serious side effects caused by this drug by means of a case-control design study. The study population included 17 patients who presented to emergency rooms or travel clinics with symptoms suggesting serious adverse effects of mefloquine and 28 controls (healthy people, still taking mefloquine after travel). The mean age of the patients and the controls was 31.5 +/- 11.6 years and 34 +/- 12.2 years, respectively. The percentage of women among the patients was higher than in the control population (76% versus 40%, respectively; P = 0.03). Most of the complaints were related to the central nervous system (13 of 17); 5 patients interrupted their trip and 2 others were hospitalized. No difference in the level of mefloquine in the blood was found between the patients and the control groups. Also, no significant difference was found between mefloquine levels in the blood of men and women. These results suggest that blood levels of mefloquine do not correlate with its severe adverse events. Women tended to be more susceptible than men, despite having similar blood levels of the drug.

Adult↗