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Biomedical subjects

M Heim

Publications and source records attributed to M Heim.

At least 91 records · Page 5Linked to original sources
PubMed1995

Atomic force microscope measurements and manipulation of Langmuir-Blodgett films with modified tips.

A simple method for rendering atomic force microscope tips and cantilevers hydrophilic or hydrophobic through glow discharge in an appropriate gas atmosphere is introduced. Force curves at different humidities of these modified cantilevers were taken on freshly cleaved mica (hydrophilic surface) and on a monolayer of dipalmitoylphosphatidylethanolamine transferred onto mica (hydrophobic surface) to characterize the behavior of the cantilevers on hydrophilic and hydrophobic surfaces. Furthermore, Langmuir-Blodgett bilayers, with a dipalmitoylphosphatidylethanolamine bottom layer and a dipalmitoylphosphatidylcholine top layer, were imaged in the constant force mode in a multimode atomic force microscope in air under controlled humidity conditions. The friction and elasticity signal were recorded parallel to the topography. By varying the force exerted by the tip on the sample, different layers of the Langmuir-Blodgett system could be removed or flattened. Removal exposed underlying layers that exhibited a different friction and elasticity behavior. Furthermore, force scans with tips rendered hydrophobic were taken on the different layers of the sample to characterize the hydrophilic/hydrophobic nature of the layers. Only by combining the results obtained by the different methods can the structure of the lipid layer systems be identified.

1,2-Dipalmitoylphosphatidylcholine↗
PubMed1995

Supraventricular tachycardia as a presenting sign of pulmonary embolism in paraplegia. Case report and review.

Pulmonary embolism is a major complication after spinal cord injury and difficult to diagnose in any patient. Supraventricular tachycardia (SVT) is an unusual presentation for pulmonary embolism (PE). This article documents the records of a 60-year-old patient who was undergoing comprehensive rehabilitation after traumatic spinal cord injury and multitrauma. His treatment programme was interrupted by a PE with SVT as the only presenting symptom. This article outlines the clinical approach to the diagnosis of pulmonary embolism. A high index of suspicion of PE should always be kept in mind when SVT occurs in a spinal cord injured patient.

Humans↗
PubMed1995

A rare cause of low back pain.

An 18-year-old new army recruit had been treated by his medical officer for low back pain. The pain was not relieved by medication, and the soldier was referred to an orthopedic clinic. Muscle power, reflexes, and sensation were all normal for the lumbar and sacral nerves. Roentgenograms revealed a hemivertebra at the level of the first sacral segment. This is a very rare cause of backache in patients with intact and functioning lumbar and sacral nerves.

Adolescent↗
PubMed1994

Scanning tunneling microscopy of insulators and biological specimens based on lateral conductivity of ultrathin water films.

Scanning tunneling microscopy is based on the flow of an electrical current and thus cannot be used to directly image insulating material. It has been found, however, that a very thin film of water (about one monolayer) adsorbed to a surface exhibits a surprisingly high conductivity that is sufficient to allow scanning tunneling microscope imaging at currents below 1 picoampere. Hydrophilic insulators, such as glass and mica, can thus be imaged in humid air. The same is true for biological specimens deposited on such surfaces, as demonstrated by the scanning tunneling microscope imaging of plasmid DNA on mica.

1,2-Dipalmitoylphosphatidylcholine↗
PubMed1994

Expanding mass in the gluteal area of a 7-year-old child.

The following case is presented to illustrate the roentgenographic and clinical findings of a condition of interest to the orthopaedic surgeon. Initial history, physical findings, and roentgenographic examinations are found on the first two pages. The final clinical and differential diagnoses are presented on the following page.

Buttocks↗
PubMed1994

Care for chronically ill adolescents.

Too little is known about the nature and extent of physical impairment suffered by adolescents. A recent study in Israel points the way towards more systematic data gathering and analysis, so that the necessary care can be provided.

Adolescent↗
PubMed1994

A 26-year-old HIV-positive hemophiliac with knee pain.

The following case is presented to illustrate the roentgenographic and clinical findings of a condition of interest to the orthopaedic surgeon. Initial history, physical findings, and roentgenographic examinations are found on the first page. The final clinical and roentgenographic differential diagnoses are presented on the following pages.

Adult↗
PubMed1994

A new orthotic device for Chopart amputees.

The medical literature has, on the whole, passed seething criticism toward the Chopart foot amputation. The equinous, short, unbalanced stump is prone to pressure injury and the orthopaedic footwear has proved problematic. Many therapeutic modalities have been proposed, such as arthrodeses, tendon transfers, and tenotomies to improve functional ability. Many propose that the results of the Syme amputation are functionally superior and aesthetically more acceptable. The pros and cons of the Syme and Chopart amputations are discussed and a new orthotic device is suggested that improves the function of the Chopart amputation and minimizes the previously described complications.

Adult↗
PubMed1994

Attitude and knowledge of high school pupils in Holon (Israel) toward AIDS.

The study was designed to test the knowledge and attitude of pupils in three high schools with respect to AIDS. The 412 pupils who participated in the study represented three different educational institutions: an academic level school, a traditional religious school, and a vocational trade school. The standard of knowledge was found to be relatively lacking (67-75%), and there were significant differences between the three schools (P < 0.00001). There were many misconceptions concerning the symptomatology of the disease, its chronology and its prognosis. Boys were better informed than girls (P < 0.0225), and with age, the pupils' knowledge improved (P < 0.001). There were, however, no differences in the severity of the pupils' attitude towards the disease in any of the three schools (P < 0.00001). Attitudes regarding expulsion of AIDS patients from school, and moral and financial assistance varied from school to school. A most consistent factor was that pupils acquired their knowledge from the media (TV 94.66%, newspapers 89.81%), and that the medical profession contributed very little to the pupils' understanding of the disease (22.09%). Most of the pupils (92.9%) requested that prevention of this disease be incorporated as a subject into the formal teaching program of the school.

Acquired Immunodeficiency Syndrome↗
PubMed1993

Response of hemophilic patients to poliovirus vaccination: correlation with HIV serology and with immunological parameters.

Hemophilic patients may present immunological dysfunctions resulting from either human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) infection, or other factors like impure factor VIII concentrate and other viral infections. We evaluated prospectively the serologic response to polio vaccination of Israeli hemophilic patients who were vaccinated during an outbreak of poliomyelitis. Eighty-two hemophilic patients, 43 seronegative and 39 seropositive for human immunodeficiency virus (HIV), were vaccinated with enhanced inactivated poliovirus (eIPV). Titers of antibodies for poliovirus types 1-3 were determined before and 4 weeks after immunization. T helper and suppressor lymphocytes (T4 and T8), B and T lymphocyte mitogenic response, and natural killer cells were tested and correlated with the response to vaccination. Both groups responded to vaccination with increased titers of antibodies to the three viral types, 4 weeks after immunization. HIV-seronegative patients, however, exhibited higher titers than the HIV-seropositive group. The same pattern was found when 21 patients were tested 1 year after the exposure to eIPV. HIV seropositive patients were grouped according to their T4 count (between 16/microliter and 500/microliter). There was no statistically significant difference in the response of these different groups to vaccination. No correlation was found between the response to vaccination and other immune parameters. These results suggest that asymptomatic HIV-seropositive hemophilic patients respond well to eIPV, irrespective of their T4 count.

Adolescent↗
PubMed1993

Minimal tourniquet pressure to maintain arterial closure in upper limb surgery.

Complications of the pneumatic tourniquet used during limb surgery result from excessive direct pressure. Traditional recommendations suggests parameters for maximum pressure and time limits rather than the minimal effective pressure to achieve a bloodless field. A clinical study was undertaken to evaluate the pneumatic tourniquet setting required for adequate haemostasis in the upper limb. The correlations between several possible influencing parameters (age, sex, arm fat thickness, extremity length, systolic, diastolic, and mean blood pressures) and the minimal pneumatic tourniquet pressure at which the peripheral pulse reappeared were studied in 50 patients undergoing surgery, using a Doppler stethoscope. The average Doppler Opening Pressure was 168.5 +/- 42.7 mmHg and the only significant clinical variable was the mean blood pressure. From these results an equation was derived to predict the minimal effective tourniquet pressure. The mean calculated tourniquet pressure was 202.3 +/- 34.2 mmHg, well below the 250 to 300 mmHg previously recommended. The technique consisted of inflating the tourniquet to a pressure of 300 mmHg, then reducing it to the calculated value. A bloodless field was maintained in all patients.

Adolescent↗
PubMed1993

Morbidity and psycho-social reasons for absence among high school students in Holon, Israel.

Absence of children from school for either health or social reasons, can serve as a parameter for general well-being. Minimal school absence rates reflect a good physical and psycho-social status. The present survey compares the rate of absenteeism as a result of various diseases among 972 adolescent pupils in a high school. The average absenteeism of a pupil during the year is 8.67 +/- 2.93 days. Medical circumstances responsible for absenteeism are discussed. The incidence of absenteeism in chronic diseases is 5.5 times greater than that of healthy children. The ratio of absence caused by medical reasons decreases with maturity, probably as a result of increasing efficiency in coping with the diseases together with stronger motivation for studies. The school physician cognizant of pupil absenteeism can fulfil a valuable role in the early recognition and treatment of psychosocial pathologies.

Absenteeism↗
PubMed1993

Increasing parental knowledge of asthma decreases the hospitalization of the child: a pilot study.

The parents of asthmatic children treated in the pediatric respiratory service of Wolfson Hospital were randomly divided into two groups. One group compromised 26 parents who voluntarily attended a teaching session. After completion of the course, a questionnaire was completed by parents who had attended the course and parents who had not. The first group showed greater knowledge of all aspects of the disease and, after a year's follow up, it was noted that there was a statistically significant lower hospitalization rate of their asthmatic child.

Adolescent↗