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Biomedical subjects

L Lopez

Publications and source records attributed to L Lopez.

At least 109 records · Page 6Linked to original sources
PubMed1968

On the shape of the erythrocyte.

A model is postulated which attributes the distinctive biconcave shape of the human erythrocyte to a balance of forces acting on the membrane. The forces considered are electrostatic forces due to a charge distribution on the membrane, a hydrostatic pressure difference acting across the membrane, and forces arising from a constant tension in the membrane. A numerical study indicates that the postulated model will produce an equilibrium shape which is very similar to the observed shape of the human erythrocyte.

Cell Membrane↗
PubMedDate not supplied

Juxtaposition of the atrial appendages: a clinical series of 22 patients.

Because the outcome of a large clinical series of patients with juxtaposition of the atrial appendages (JAA) has not previously been reported, a retrospective study was performed on patients diagnosed with JAA at a tertiary medical center. Patients with JAA were identified through a computerized database search, and echocardiograms and medical records of patients with JAA were reviewed. Twenty-two patients with JAA were identified, with an overall incidence of 0.28%. All but 2 patients were diagnosed prospectively with JAA by echocardiography. The lesion-specific incidences and associated lesions were similar to those of large autopsy and surgical series. Abnormal conotruncal anatomy was more frequently seen with juxtaposition of the right atrial appendage (JRAA) vs juxtaposition of the left atrial appendage (JLAA) (14/15 vs 4/7), as was atrial outlet obstruction (6/15 vs 2/7). JLAA was more frequently associated with complex atrioventricular anatomy (3/7 vs 1/15). Patients with JAA underwent single ventricle palliation in 11/22 cases with 6 deaths; biventricular repair was performed in 8/22 cases with no deaths. Surgical outcomes for patients with JRAA and JLAA were similar, and survival was predominantly influenced by suitability for biventricular repair.

Adolescent↗
PubMedDate not supplied

Topical antimicrobial therapy in the prevention of early childhood caries.

PURPOSE: Early childhood caries (ECC) is microbiologically characterized by heavy infection of mutans streptococci (ms) on dental surfaces. Accordingly, it is reasonable to speculate that suppression of dental ms levels would decrease risk for ECC. On this basis, randomized double blind, placebo controlled pilot study was performed to test this concept. METHODS: The study population consisted of 31 subjects (age: 12 to 19 mos; sex: 18F/13M) who were clients of a Women, Infants, and Children (WIC) clinic in Puerto Rico. Inclusion criteria included: (1) unremarkable medical history; (2) presence of 4 maxillary primary incisors (PMI) with no visible defects; (3) clinically caries free; (4) use of a nursing bottle at naptime and/or bedtime which contained a cariogenic substrate; (5) two consecutive ms positive cultures (utilizing Mitis-Salivarius-Bacitracin (MSB) agar) from pooled PMI plaque. The subjects were randomized into 2 groups. The 15 subjects in the experimental group and the 16 subjects in the control group were evaluated every 2 months during the study period. At each evaluation, the subjects had 10% povidone iodine (experimental group) or placebo (control group) applied to their dentition. The placebo was commercial instant tea (without lemon or sweetener) and deionized water. Treatment failure was defined as the appearance of a white spot lesion(s) on any of the PMI during the study period. RESULTS: The mean duration of observation to treatment failure was 155 days; the mean duration of observation for treatment success was 217 days. Five of the 16 control subjects and 0 of the 15 experimental subjects experienced treatment failure (Fisher's exact test: P = 0.04). The Kaplan-Meier estimate for incidence of treatment failure in the placebo group was 48% over 357 days (P = 0.02). CONCLUSION: These observations suggest that topical antimicrobial therapy reduces risk for the development of ECC in high-risk children.

Anti-Infective Agents, Local↗
PubMedDate not supplied

Going public.

The National Committee for Quality Assurance is developing new "accreditation summary reports"--to be released to employers and consumers. The goal is to help people evaluate HMOs. But will the information be useful to the general public?

Accreditation↗
PubMedDate not supplied

Fifty years of caring. Kaiser Permanente turns 50 this year.

It's been said that major, landscape-changing events can sometimes stem from the humblest of origins: The gentle flutter of a butterfly's wings, the theory states, can begin a sequence of events that profoundly alters the weather pattern of an entire continent. In the world of science, this phenomenon is known as "chaos theory." But in the dynamic environment of the U.S. health care system--where the HMO philosophy has profoundly alter the way health care is delivered and financed--it has another name: Kaiser Permanente. From the humble yet revolutionary idea of a young surgeon caring for Depression-era workers in the Mojave Desert, to the current 6.7-million-member organization that has served as a model for plan administrators and policy makers across the country, Kaiser Permanente has originated, endured, and contributed more to the health care marketplace over the past 50 years than probably any other entity. Now, on Kaiser Permanente's golden anniversary, as the health plan reflects on its accomplishments and influence, it is plotting a course for quite challenging times ahead.

California↗