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Biomedical subjects

I Paul

Publications and source records attributed to I Paul.

At least 19 recordsLinked to original sources
PubMed2003

Can tonic accommodation predict surgical performance?

BACKGROUND: Pilots undergo many visual tests for both selection and assessment, and we know that there are many similarities between pilots and surgeons. Hence, it would not be unreasonable to bring similar visual tests into surgery. Tonic accommodation (TA) is a stable parameter that is adopted by the eye in the absence of any stimulation. Over recent years, surgery has undergone change from traditional open surgery to minimally invasive procedures, bringing many advantages. However, not every surgeon has the ability to perform under conditions where the operative field is represented on a flat monitor. METHOD: We determined the TA values in medical students and then correlated this with their performance on a virtual reality surgical simulator. RESULTS: We found that TA values predicted the number of errors made with the dominant hand, accounting for 27% of the variance. CONCLUSION: The data suggest that TA may play a role in the individual differences that are noted when surgeons perform laparoscopic surgery. Further studies are needed to evaluate the exact role of TA in surgical performance.

Accommodation, Ocular↗
PubMed2001

Glycosylated molecular variants of C-reactive proteins from the major carp Catla catla in fresh and polluted aquatic environments.

Elevated level of pollutant specific glycosylated molecular variants of C-reactive protein have been purified to electrophoretic homogeneity from the sera of major carp, Catla catla confined in freshwater (CRP(N)) and water polluted with nonlethal doses of cadmium (CRP(Cd)), mercury (CRP(Hg)), phenol (CRP(Ph)) and hexachlorocyclohexane (CRP(Hex)). These CRPs differ amongst themselves in electrophoretic mobility, and in their carbohydrate content ranging from 20-50%. CRPs interact with pneumococcal C-polysaccharide (CPS) showing different binding constants. Both phosphorylcholine (PC) and calcium are indispensable for binding. Studies on amino acid compositions, electrophoretic analysis, isoelectric focusing, binding to PC & CPS and secondary structures of the purified CRPs indicate, that, they differ from each other. However, they share the common properties of a CRP, including pentraxin structure revealed by electron microscopy. Taken together, our results provide a new structural insight regarding the connection between the presence of unique molecular variants and probably the toxicity therein combated.

Amino Acids↗
PubMed2001

[What is the role of aceclofenac in the therapeutic arsenal against chronic osteoarthritis pathologies?].

The aim of this article is to critically review the potential role of aceclofenac in the treatment of inflammatory pain and chronic osteoarticular disorder, based on its activity on the mediators of inflammation, its effect on cartilage remodeling and on the results of clinical studies comparing aceclofenac with other NSAIDs in these disorders. Aceclofenac has an outstanding anti-inflammatory profile, involving besides a classical inhibition of prostaglandins E2, a decrease in the expression of several cytokines including interleukin 1 and tumor necrosis factor alpha. It also inhibits activated oxygen species production and influences cells adhesion. Aceclofenac and its main metabolite, 4-hydroxyaceclofenac, has positive effects on cartilage anabolism combined with modulating effect of matrix catabolism. Clinically, aceclofenac has been consistently shown to have a similar efficacy than that of widely marketed NSAIDs and a tolerance profile at least as good, if not better than the profile observed for other NSAIDs in the treatment of osteoarthritis, rheumatoid arthritis and ankylosing spondylitis. As of today, no head to head comparison between aceclofenac and coxibs have been performed, nor for efficacy neither for tolerance. The specific profile of aceclofenac makes this NSAID an interesting candidate for long-term treatment of chronic rheumatic disorders as well as for treatment of acute inflammatory episodes.

Anti-Inflammatory Agents, Non-Steroidal↗
PubMed2001

[Pilot study for the registration of acute myocardial infarction in the Liège area (Belgium)].

BACKGROUND: In 1998, a permanent registry of myocardial infarction was developed in the Liège area (Belgium) to provide updated, exhaustive and validated data on the morbidity and mortality from cardiovascular causes, to define the patients' profile, to identify myocardial infarction therapeutic strategies and to complete and make comparisons with data collected in other parts of the country through methodologically identical registers. METHODS: All acute coronary events lethal or non lethal among individuals from both genders aged from 25 to 69 years and living in the area were registered according to the methodology developed for the MONICA project (Multinational Monitoring of Trends and Determinants in Cardiovascular Diseases) of WHO. The three main selected data sources were: death certificates, general practitioners and cardiologists, hospitals. The events were categorised according to symptoms, cardiac enzymes, electrocardiogram, history of chronic ischaemic heart disease and necropsy findings. RESULTS: The coronary-event rates were 283/100,000 in men and 102/100,000 in women. The case fatality rate, 28 days after the onset of the symptoms, was 30.6% for men and 36.2% for women, and 77.5% of deaths occurred in the first 24 hours after the onset of the symptoms. CONCLUSION: The development of a myocardial infarction register at a regional level requires the involvement of all health professionals dealing with that pathology. Such register has valuable public health interests, providing exhaustive and validated data on the pathology and its evolution as well as useful information for improving therapeutic strategies and developing adapted preventive measures.

Adult↗
PubMed2000

A case of a persistent left vena cava superior with atresia of the right atrial ostium of the coronary sinus.

A persistent left vena cava superior with an atretic ostium of the coronary sinus was found during the routine dissecting course in the embalmed cadaver of an 83-year-old woman who had died from cardiac infarction. The left vena cava superior was very narrow in diameter (4 mm), originated at the lateral part of the left vena brachiocephalica and ran down between the venae pulmonales sinistrae and the auricula sinistra. The vena cava opened into the sinus coronarius of the heart, which terminated as a blind sac due to an atretic ostium. The vena coronaria sinistra as well as the vena interventricularis posterior drained into the sinus coronarius. Congenital atresia of the coronary opening is a rare malformation and is usually associated with other anomalies. The congenital ostial atresia could be the cause of a persistent left vena cava superior, which then takes over the drainage of the cardiac veins.

Aged↗
PubMed2000

Mapping the distribution of 3-hydroxylipins in the Mucorales using immunofluorescence microscopy.

The distribution of endogenous 3-hydroxylipins (3-OH oxylipins) in representatives of the Mucorales was mapped using immunofluorescence microscopy. Strains of each of the following genera were examined: Absidia, Actinomucor, Cunninghamella, Mortierella (subgenus Micromucor), Mortierella (subgenus Mortierella), Mucor and Rhizomucor. Immunofluorescence microscopy was carried out using an antibody that was raised against 3R-hydroxy-5Z,8Z, 11 Z, 14Z-eicosatetraenoic acid (3R-HETE), which cross-reacts with other 3-OH oxylipins. Subsequently, the occurrence and distribution of the antibody on the various reproductive stages of each fungus was noted. In Absidia, Actinomucor, Mortierella (subgenus Micromucor), Mucor and Rhizomucor, 3-OH oxylipins were found to be associated with the columellae and/or wall of the sporangium. In the representative of Cunninghamella, the 3-OH oxylipins were associated with the single-spored sporangiola. No 3-OH oxylipins were detected in the strains representing Mortierella (subgenus Mortierella).

Fatty Acids↗
PubMed1999

Depressive vulnerability is not an independent risk factor for osteoporosis in postmenopausal women.

Major depression has been repeatedly but not consistently reported to be associated with low bone mineral density (BMD) and to an increased risk for fracture in women. We have investigated, in healthy postmenopausal women, whether depressive symptomatology, assessed by the General Health Questionnaire (GHQ), was associated to a significant decrease in BMD, hence supporting the hypothesis of an independent pathogenetic link between the two disorders. We investigated 121 postmenopausal women, aged 48-77 years, spontaneously attending a screening visit for osteoporosis in an outpatient facility. BMD of the spine and the non-dominant hip (total and neck areas) were measured by Dual Energy X-Ray absorptiometry. All subjects completed to the 'General Health Questionnaire' translated and validated in French. No significant correlations were observed between the GHQ score and BMD of the spine (P = 0.54), the total hip area (P = 0.65), or the femoral neck area (P = 0.65). No differences in terms of spinal or femoral BMD were observed between women with GHQ score < 5 or > or = 5. When comparing values of BMD between women within the upper and the lower quartiles for GHQ score, no difference was observed for spine (P = 0.69), total hip (P = 0.80), or femoral neck (P = 0.93). Similarly, GHQ scores were not significantly different when comparing women in the upper and lower quartiles of BMD distribution at the spine or the hip. In conclusion, notwithstanding the clinical pattern of postmenopausal osteoporosis can lead to depression and, on the other hand, hormonal and behavioral disturbances reported in depression might be enhancing factors for accelerated bone loss, our present results do not support the hypothesis that otherwise healthy postmenopausal women with increased depressive complaints are also more prone to exhibit osteoporotic fractures.

Aged↗
PubMed1999

Increased serum mitogenic activity for arterial smooth muscle cells associated with relaxation and low educational level in human subjects with high but not low hostility traits: implications for atherogenesis.

Proliferation of arterial smooth muscle cells (aSMC) is a key component of atherogenesis. A sample of 225 volunteers, aged 21-65 years, was exposed to "frustration," "harassment," or "relaxation," after completing the 50-item Hostility subscale of the Minnesota Multiphasic Personality Inventory (MMPI). Whole blood was measured before and after exposure for platelet-derived growth factor (PDGF), and sera were evaluated for total and HDL cholesterol concentrations and PDGF-independent mitogenic activity (SMA). Blood pressure and pulse rate were also evaluated. Analyses of SMA (i.e., serum independent of PDGF) revealed an increase in mitogenic effect for cultured human aSMC when hostility was treated as a dichotomous modifier. Among high-hostility subjects, surprisingly, those in the relaxed group and those with a lower educational level were found to have a significant mitogen response; no significant effects were observed for the low-hostility groups. The data suggest that endogenous stresses may occur in high-hostility individuals when "relaxed," to influence proliferation of arterial smooth muscle cells, as a contribution to atherogenesis. In individuals with lower educational levels and higher hostility scores, lifestyle changes may play a role.

Adult↗
PubMed1999

Ultrasound-assisted ankle arthrocentesis.

Difficulty is frequently encountered in performing ankle arthrocentesis. This report describes an ultrasound-assisted technique that can be readily learned by emergency physicians. It involves using the ultrasound beam to accurately locate the tibiotalar joint, thereby increasing the probability of obtaining joint fluid on aspiration.

Adult↗
PubMed1999

Cheilognathopalatoschisis and its prophylaxis in animal experiments.

Cheilognathopalatoschisis (cleft lip, -maxilla, and -palate) is the second most frequent malformation in humans. The ontogenetic causes are mostly multifactorial. Some researchers have succeeded in lowering the frequency of occurrence of such clefts in children of predisposed women by giving the latter an applied symptomatic replacement therapy with multivitamin preparations or other substance classes during early pregnancy. However, the dosage of these substances was only anecdotal and their effect unspecific. Many research groups world-wide are conducting animal experiments in order to investigate the efficacy of vitamins and other substances as prophylactics. The experiments are usually conducted with laboratory rats and mice, and clefts are often induced by applying chemical noxa. The results of these trials, however, are controversial. Where some authors were able to prove protective effects of the vitamins or other substances they employed, others found evidence that such replacement therapy has no prophylactic effect. This paper provides insight into such studies with experimental animals, and compares their results.

Animals↗
PubMed1999

An isolation procedure for arachidonic acid producing Mortierella species.

Malt extract agar and an incubation temperature of 5 degrees C were used to selectively isolate representatives of the genus Mortierella from soil. Fungi in a soil sample from mountain grassland able to grow under these conditions, amounted to a total of 2640 colony forming units per gram soil. Circa 94% of the total fungal isolates represented Mortierella subgenus Mortierella. The rest of the colony-forming units consisted of Mucor isolates (6.0%) and higher fungi (1.5%). All the Mortierella isolates produced arachidonic acid.

Arachidonic Acid↗
PubMed1999

Quantitative assessment of Ascaris lumbricoides infection in school children from a slum in Visakhapatnam, south India.

An epidemiological study was conducted on 217 school children aged between 7-13 years, from Relliveedhi a slum in Visakhapatnam, Andhra Pradesh, south India, during August 1993 to August 1994. The children belonged to a socioeconomically backward community-parental occupation being fishing or waged labor. Intensity and prevalence estimations for Ascaris lumbricoides were done indirectly by formalin-ethyl-acetate sedimentation technic and directly by worm expulsions following albendazole administration at a single oral dose of 400 mg/child. Prevalence rate was 73% while the intensity of infection ranged between low to moderate. Boys had severe infection than girls due to their outdoor activities and behavioral habits. Nine year old children had the highest prevalence rates. Mean Ascaris worm intensity was 2.2 (+/-1.91) with an over-dispersed distribution of the parasite in the host population. Reinfection study over a period of nine month showed that the prevalence rates exceeded the pre-intervention level but the intensity of infection was very low. Dual species intensity correlation between Ascaris and Trichuris was consistently strong.

Adolescent↗
PubMed1998

Can serology diagnose upper genital tract Chlamydia trachomatis infections? Studies on women with pelvic pain, with or without chlamydial plasmid DNA in endometrial biopsy tissue.

BACKGROUND: Upper genital tract chlamydial infections in women are on the increase, and serology might be a convenient tool for diagnosis. Evaluations of this approach are needed in women with or without microbiologic evidence of organisms in the upper genital tract. GOALS: To compare the results of antibody assays with cervical culture and upper genital tract histopathology in women with pelvic pain and chlamydial plasmid DNA in endometrial biopsies. STUDY DESIGN: Chlamydia trachomatis plasmid DNA was detected by polymerase chain reaction (PCR) on extracted deparaffinized endometrial biopsy tissue. Five antichlamydial antibody assays were performed measuring total antibodies or immunoglobulin G (IgG), IgM, and IgA classes on sera from 14 women with plasmid DNA as well as 31 without plasmid DNA. RESULTS: Accepting the presence of plasmid DNA as the gold standard, no single test had total diagnostic accuracy. The best sensitivity and specificity occurred with the following assays: whole inclusion fluorescence (WIF) (100% and 80.6%); microimmunofluorescence IgM (MIF IgM) (78.6% and 93.6%); and heatshock protein-60 enzyme immunoassay (42.9% and 100%). Although recombinant anti-lipopolysaccharide enzyme-linked immunosorbent assays measured anti-chlamydial antibodies in a large proportion of these women, specificity was low. The sensitivity and specificity of cervical culture was 28.6% and 100% and of endometrial histopathology was 71.4% and 48.4%. Analysis of patient serological profiles suggested that and 6 women without plasmid DNA may have been cases that were missed by PCR. CONCLUSIONS: Evaluations of assays to diagnosis Chlamydia trachomatis upper genital tract infections could use the presence of organisms or their markers in the upper genital tract as a standard of comparison. Some of these serological assays, such as WIF or MIF IgM, may be helpful in diagnosis, but more studies are needed.

Antibodies, Bacterial↗
PubMed1998

Re-infection estimation of soil-transmitted helminths among slum school children in Visakhapatnam, Andhra Pradesh.

Prevalence and intensity study of soil-transmitted helminths was carried out in a primary municipal corporation school in Relliveedhi, Visakhapatnam, Andhra Pradesh. All subjects (n = 217) belonged to low socio-economic status with an age distribution of 7-13 years. Reinfection study was estimated over a nine month period following treatment with albendazole administered at a single oral dose of 400 mg/child. Parasites identified were Ascaris lumbricoides, Trichuris trichiura and hookworm. Post-treatment prevalence reached pre-intervention level but the intensity of infection remained appreciably low (p < 0.05).

Adolescent↗
PubMed1997

Rapid detection and serotyping of adenovirus by direct immunofluorescence.

Four fluorescent antibody reagents were evaluated for their suitability for the identification of adenovirus isolates by immunofluorescence. The antibodies used in the reagents consist of monoclonal antibodies against adenovirus type 3 (Ad3), Ad4, Ad8, and adenoviruses of subgroup C (Ad1,2,5,6), serotypes known to occur in outbreaks of disease. Most of the monoclonal antibodies employed were reactive against type-specific antigens found on the hexon protein. Reagents employing two noncompeting anti-hexon antibodies were more sensitive than reagents prepared with only one monoclonal antibody, although both types of reagents exhibited a high degree of specificity. Five hundred and seventeen adenovirus isolates (359 of which had previously been typed by other methods) and 46 nonadenovirus isolates were examined with all four type-specific reagents in parallel with an adenovirus group-specific reagent. The results indicate that direct typing of adenovirus isolates is feasible, leading to significant savings in time compared to other typing methods and should contribute to the management of certain adenovirus infections, particularly during outbreaks.

Adenoviridae Infections↗
PubMed1997

Hormonal factors and the laboratory detection of Chlamydia trachomatis in women: implications for screening?

One thousand and fifty-six new and re-registered consecutive women attending a genitourinary medicine clinic requiring speculum examination were screened for Chlamydia trachomatis by enzyme immunoassay (IDEIA, Dako Diagnostics Ltd). Of 1022 women who had results available for both cervix and urethra C. trachomatis was detected in 8.8% (89/1022) in any site, 2.3% (23/1022) in both sites, 4.9% (51/1022) at the cervix alone and 1.5% (15/1022) at the urethra alone. Thus sampling at the urethra increased detection by 17% (15/89). Analysis of 808 women with a regular menstrual cycle showed a significant association of combined oral contraceptive use, age and ectropion with the detection of C. trachomatis. The detection of C. trachomatis showed a significant variation with the menstrual cycle (P = 0.023) (relative risk (rr) 1.7 (95% confidence intervals (CI) 1.0-2.8)). It was detected significantly more often in the latter part. Stepwise logistic regression analysis revealed that ectropion and age were the stronger determinants of C. trachomatis detection and not oral contraceptive use or menstrual cycle. The variation in detection of C. trachomatis with the menstrual cycle was independently associated with combined oral contraceptive use and the lack of a cervical ectropion. The increased detection at the cervix was present after the second week in combined oral contraceptive users (P = 0.008) (rr = 2.3 (1.2-4.5)) but only after the 3rd week in women without an ectropion (P = 0.004) (rr = 2.7 (1.3-5.5)). Combined oral contraceptives, ectropion and youth, are markers for the carriage of C. trachomatis in the lower genital tract of women. It is also detected significantly more often in the latter part of the menstrual cycle in women who are oral contraceptive users.

Adolescent↗