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Biomedical subjects

M B Shapiro

Publications and source records attributed to M B Shapiro.

At least 55 records · Page 3Linked to original sources
PubMed1987

Relaxing incisions with augmentation sutures for the correction of postkeratoplasty astigmatism.

We performed a prospective study of relaxing incisions with augmentation sutures in 21 patients who were unable to wear spectacles or contact lenses after penetrating keratoplasty because of high astigmatism. The mean preoperative astigmatism was 9.37 diopters (range, 4.50 to 14.50 diopters), and the mean postoperative astigmatism was 3.73 diopters (range, 0.00 to 7.00 diopters). The net decrease in astigmatism was 6.56 diopters (range, 1.00 to 11.00 diopters), which represents a 67% decrease in astigmatism. The mean vector corrected change in astigmatism was 8.40 diopters (86%). These results were compared with those of our previous study of relaxing incisions without sutures. Overall, there was a significantly greater decrease in astigmatism (67% vs 47%, P = .009) when augmentation sutures were placed 90 degrees away from the relaxing incisions. Furthermore, in patients with more than 8.50 diopters of astigmatism, relaxing incisions with sutures yielded a much greater reduction in astigmatism compared with relaxing incisions without sutures (70% with sutures vs 39% without sutures, P = .002). We recommend relaxing incisions with augmentation sutures as the initial surgical procedure in eyes with more than 8.50 diopters of astigmatism.

Astigmatism↗
PubMed1986

Automated preparation of DNA sequences for publication.

A computer program which draws DNA sequences is described. A simple method is used which enables the user to highlight or annotate specific parts of a sequence. The sizes of the characters in the sequence to be drawn are specified by the user. In addition, vertical spacing between lines and horizontal spacing between characters can be specified. Sequences can be prepared and high quality output produced on a plotter in a short period of time, making the program advantageous to use over typing, computer printing, or preparation by a graphics department.

Amino Acid Sequence↗
PubMed1986

Anterior clear spaces in keratoconus.

Anterior clear spaces were observed prospectively at slit-lamp examination in 26 of 69 consecutive eyes (38%) with keratoconus. Two corneal buttons with this finding were examined by light and electron microscopy and revealed breaks in Bowman's layer. Anterior clear spaces should be considered in the spectrum of clinical findings in keratoconus.

Cornea↗
PubMed1985

The ocular features of Down's syndrome.

A combined prospective and retrospective study of patients with Down's syndrome showed that these patients have narrowed and slanted palpebral fissures but that the fissures are of normal height. Patients with Down's syndrome also had increased prevalences (compared with control subjects) of blepharitis (23 of 53 patients or 46%), strabismus (23 of 53 patients or 43%), nystagmus (five of 53 patients or 9%), light-colored and spotted irides (46 of 53 patients or 87% and 43 of 53 patients or 81%, respectively), keratoconus (eight of 53 patients or 15%), cataracts (seven of 53 patients or 13%), severe myopia (13 of 48 patients or 27%), and astigmatism of more than 3 diopters (12 of 48 patients or 25%).

Adolescent↗
PubMed1985

A reassessment of clinical psychology as an applied science.

This paper advocates discarding the notion of clinical psychology as an applied science, with its emphasis upon the use of prevalidated procedures of assessment and treatment. The grounds are that, in scientific principle, there is no difference between practical clinical work and research. Each aims at maximizing the accuracy of our ideas about psychological dysfunctions and their manipulation, both therapeutic and experimental. They differ in: their general purpose; and the greater accuracy of research. One should therefore think in terms of a scientific approach to practical clinical psychology, conceptualizing it as a branch of psychological science. In assessment, the research finding of the relative specificity of psychological responses leads to describing and explaining each patient's particular psychological dysfunctions; using information-seeking interviews supplemented by the few validated procedures, and seeking guidance from general psychological and interview research and from general scientific method. In treatment, the main consequence is the development, in the course of clinical work, of therapies which: derive from general psychological and clinical research; are dysfunction-oriented; are critically eclectic; monitor outcome; and evaluate therapists' behaviour. Finally, the scientific approach requires evaluation studies of both assessment and treatment.

Humans↗
PubMed1984

A new technique for measuring muscle fiber conduction velocities in full interference patterns.

The motor unit potential shape, mainly its duration and frequency spectra, and the EMG IP crispiness and its frequency spectra are affected by the muscle fiber conduction velocities (MFCVs). Present techniques are somewhat deficient in that they are not adaptable to measure MFCVs continuously and intramuscularly in the presence of interference patterns, and to do so without interfering with the ongoing muscular activity. In this study a cross-correlation with averaging correlograms technique is presented. An EMG needle electrode, with two recording surfaces 1 cm apart, continuously record two channels of EMG activity which is analog-to-digital converted. Contiguous segments of the signals are cross-correlated, the evolved correlograms are averaged together, averaging-out the time-unlocked noise, and averaging-in a peak that represent the average time it takes the EMG signal to propagate from one recording surface to the other. From the distance between these two recording surfaces and the above calculated propagation time the MFCVs can be computed and monitored intramuscularly either in weak or in strong, in isometric or isotonic contractions. But for the fact that a needle is introduced, there is no interference with the muscle electrical activity. It is expected that this technique may add to EMG diagnosis of neuromuscular disorders, will be used to monitor muscular fatigue and applied in normalizing EMG spectra, conditioning them for a better use in diagnostic electromyography.

Action Potentials↗
PubMed1983

Self-reported feelings in clinical depression: an analysis of published data.

A consideration of about 270 published papers concerned with psychological correlates of clinical depression produced five sets of data which satisfied the following criteria: (i) they were based upon responses to individual self-report items, expressed in terms of patients' questionnaire self-ratings or researchers' ratings of interview responses, and (ii) they involved both depressed and non-depressed psychiatric patients. Replicated findings were: (i) both neurotic and non-neurotic depressives were characterized by sadness-related feelings and reduced pleasure, (ii) non-neurotic depressives were characterized by a willingness to contemplate dying, and (iii) some dysfunctions were prominent in both depressed and non-depressed psychiatric patients; these were mental slowness, tension-nervousness, concentration difficulties and irritability. Findings based on only one study each were: (i) sadness-related feelings were relatively persistent in depressives, and (ii) non-neurotic depressives were characterized by feelings of unworthiness, reduced appetite, weight loss and unwarranted fatigue. The differentiating power of items seemed to be related to their simplicity, generality, severity and indications of frequency. These conclusions, although largely post hoc, are precise enough to provide hypotheses which could be tested in prospective empirical studies.

Anxiety Disorders↗
PubMed1983

A quantitative study of the electroencephalographic response to levodopa treatment in parkinsonian patients.

A quantitative EEG study was done in order to confirm previous impressions that there is a significant EEG response to levodopa in parkinsonian patients, and in order to trace the existence of dopaminergic mechanisms in the generation of the human EEG. EEGs of twenty-five parkinsonian patients were recorded both before and during levodopa treatment, two to four weeks apart, when levodopa doses reached maintenance levels of 3-5g/d. Derivations from F7-T3, F8-T4, T5-O1, and T6-O2 were recorded and digitally processed into power density spectra. These spectra were analyzed for levodopa effects in a full factorial repeated measures multiple analysis of variance (MANOVA). A significant effect of levodopa treatment on the EEG was found, and localized to the left occipital lobe. This effect manifested as an increase in power in all the EEG frequency bands. These findings are compatible with multiband synchronization of the EEG generating processes, attributable to dopaminergic mechanisms.

Aged↗
PubMed1981

Assessing feelings reported by depressives in research investigations.

This paper evaluates four propositions as part of a long-term investigation of already published data. The aim of the investigation is to see whether there might be self-reported feelings uniquely related to clinical depression. The propositions are: (i) indices of strength of association are a necessary addition to conventional tests of significance; (ii) the degree of complexity of scales used to rate feelings is quantifiable and can throw light upon research findings, (iii) the form and content of the communication of feelings can largely account for important discrepancies in research findings; and (iv) feelings expressed referentially are weakly associated with clinical depression. The re-examination of a set of already published data produced a confirmation of propositions (i) and (ii) and partial but constructive negations of propositions (iii) and (iv).

Depressive Disorder↗
PubMed1979

Assessment interviewing in clinical psychology.

The relative specificity of the structure of psychological traits has presented the clinical psychologist with a very difficult problem; it means that generalized test procedures are of limited use. This paper suggests: (1) that the interview presents one way of beginning to solve this problem, and (2) that the findings of psychological research may provide the means of arriving at a distinctive style of valid interviewing for assessment purposes. This style has two main features: (1) it facilitates self-exploration and self-disclosure and (2) it maximizes the accuracy of the information obtained. An outline of some of the research findings is presented; some of the methodological problems are discussed; and a brief example is given.

Communication↗
PubMed1975

Pattern recognitiion and structure-activity relationship studies. Computer-assisted prediction of antitumor activity in structurally diverse drugs in an experimental mouse brain tumor system.

This paper reports the application of pattern recognition and substructural analysis to the problem of predicting the antineoplastic activity of 24 test compounds in an experimental mouse brain tumor system based on 138 structurally diverse compounds tested in this tumor system. The molecules were represented by three types of substructural fragments, the augmented atom, the heteropath, and the ring fragments. Of the two pattern recognition methods used to predict the activity of the test compounds the nearest neighbor method predicted 83% correctly while the learning machine method predicted 92% correctly. The test structures and the important substructural fragments used in this study are given and the implications of these results are discussed.

Animals↗