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Biomedical subjects

M Carmona

Publications and source records attributed to M Carmona.

63 records · Page 4Linked to original sources

[Growth retardation, GH deficiency, hyperprolactinemia and delayed puberty].

A case of a male eleven years and three months old, brought to medical attention for short height, is reported. A deficiency of growth hormone associated with hyperprolactinemia without previous clinical manifestations is appreciated in endocrinological study. Detectable tumor is not apparent in any of the investigations performed. HGH and bromocriptine therapy is initiated, resulting in and increase in height and a decrease of prolactin. Currently, at fifteen years four months of age, clinical and analytical data suggest a case of hypogonadism and puberal retardation as well.

Child↗

A global model of the neural mechanisms responsible for visuomotor coordination in toads.

A model of how the nervous system of toads processes visual information to control motor behaviour is proposed. The problem of visuomotor coordination in toads is studied through the integration of two different approaches: a top-down approach through schema theory developed in the studies of cognitive psychology, artificial intelligence and brain theory; and a bottom-up approach through the integration of physiological, anatomical, ethological, and neural modelling. The model proposes that visual information is processed in a parallel distributed way through different brain layers whose interaction defines the proper motor response for that specific situation. It is postulated that visual processing of information is organized into main schemata, which set the goal to be attained and, depending on the specific circumstances of the animal, activates different brain layers; the main schemata may use other schemata to solve a specific subproblem to reach the schemata, and a programme of schema co-ordination. With this model we have simulated how toads plan their route to reach a prey or the route to go away form a predator, depending on the state of their three-dimensional world. The model postulates specific hypotheses that could be tested experimentally on the processing of information in the toad's nervous system.

Animals↗

[Precocious pseudopuberty secondary to granulosa cell tumor].

A case report of pseudoprecocity secondary to a unilateral ovarian tumor of granulosa cells is presented in a 13 month old female. Clinical manifestations appeared at two months of age as unilateral enlargement of the breast, development of pubic hair and vaginal discharge. Plasma estrogen levels were elevated, whereas there was no response of FSH and LH to LH-RH stimulation. The absence of a palpable abdominal mass and a normal ultrasound examination of the abdomen must be pointed out in our case. The suspected clinical and laboratory diagnosis was later confirmed by surgical abdominal examination and ovarian histopathology study. With the exception of a minimal breast enlargement which persists at two years of age, all other signs of pseudoprecocity have disappeared after the surgical removal of the neoplasm. The importance of surgical abdominal examination must be pointed out as a diagnostic method when clinical and laboratory findings suggest an ovarian tumor inspite of normal abdominal palpation, ultrasound and roentgenology.

Female↗

Effect of complement depletion on the induction of amebic liver abscess in the hamster.

Complement depletion in the hamster by cobra venom factor (CoF) gives a higher frequency and severity of lesions after intrahepatic inoculation of Entamoeba histolytica. The CoF-treatment does not alter the humoral immune response to amebae, indicating that its effect on the amebic liver abscess is not due to suppression of the immune response but rather to its effect on complement levels at the time of the protozoal infection.

Animals↗

The Credit-Incentive system: motivating the participation of patients in a day hospital.

The Credit-Incentive System, a modified token economy, is a means of motivating the participation of day hospital patients in therapeutic activities through the use of contingent rewards. Credits are earned by patients for engaging in a wide variety of prosocial tasks and activities and can be spent for coffee, a free lunch, special time with professional staff, recreational events, and time off from the treatment centre. The receipt of credits is accompanied by social approval and recognition from the staff and other patients. Evaluations have shown that the credit system doubles the participation rate of patients in a partial hospitalization programme. The system also enhanced group cohesiveness, provides practice and feedback for cognitive re-integration, and offers opportunities of learning self-management. The results of two experiments suggest that the symbolic and social rewards mediated by the credits are the most important components of their effectiveness.

Adolescent↗

A selective and sensitive kinetic method for the determination of procaine and benzocaine in pharmaceuticals.

A simple stopped-flow method for the determination of procaine and benzocaine which is suitable for their routine analysis in pharmaceutical samples is reported. The method is based on a condensation reaction between each compound and 4-dimethylaminocinnamaldehyde, which yields coloured compounds and which are monitored spectrophotometrically. The calibration graph generated is linear over the range 0.5-20 micrograms ml-1 (RSD 0.73%) for procaine and 0.5-15 micrograms ml-1 (RSD 0.40%) for benzocaine, and the selectivity is very high in both cases. The proposed methods were satisfactorily applied to the determination of the two drugs in various pharmaceutical samples. A procedure for resolution of procaine-benzocaine mixtures in mass ratios between 15:1 and 1:7 with a precision of ca 1% was developed in order to determine one compound in the presence of the other with no interference.

Benzocaine↗

Hemopoietic stem cell transplantation in refractory rheumatoid arthritis is not a contraindication for reconstructive surgery.

Hemopoietic stem cell transplantation (HCST) is an experimental therapy that may produce prolonged remissions in patients with rheumatoid arthritis (RA) resistant to other treatments. Prosthetic articular replacement is often required in severe long-lasting disease. There is a well-founded concern regarding the feasibility and safety of reconstructive surgery after HSCT and as yet no published data on the subject. We report a patient with RA of 9 years' duration resistant to conventional treatments plus femoral head necrosis, who underwent prosthetic hip replacement with no post-surgical complications one year after HSCT, with a sustained response.

Adult↗