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Biomedical subjects

M Stern

Publications and source records attributed to M Stern.

At least 253 records · Page 14Linked to original sources
PubMed1985

The role of social support systems in adolescent cancer amputees.

Amputation is often a component in the treatment of bone tumors such as osteogenic sarcoma, which is most prevalent in the adolescent age group. Adaptation to cancer and loss of a limb requires a significant multidimensional effort. To examine the role of social support systems, 27 adolescents who had undergone amputations for cancer were interviewed. Inquiries were made regarding patients' perceived social support providers and the impact of amputation upon their lives and independence. Parents, especially mothers, were perceived as realistic and most helpful at the time of surgery (80%), followed by professional hospital staff (59.3%), and siblings (59.3%). Friends of patients were less helpful, as many reported their friends felt sorry for them (65.4%), avoided them (33.3%), or drifted away (40%). Only 7.4% of the patients had a clear preference to be associated with other amputees. This study details other preferences and difficulties encountered by the adolescent amputees and the role of support systems in their adaptation to their disease and amputation.

Adolescent↗
PubMed1985

[Organ preserving spleen surgery in childhood].

Our experiences with organ saving procedures of the spleen in childhood are presented. In 9 out of 12 children (75%) with traumatic rupture we preserved the organ partially or completely. In 4 patients a partial splenectomy was performed, in three cases of splenorrhaphy was done, and once the organ was repaired with fibrin adhesive. One child was treated conservatively. Another patient underwent splenectomy followed by autotransplantation. Two out of twelve died intra- or postoperatively from severe concomitant injuries. Out of 11 patients with Hodgkin's disease we performed partial splenectomy in five. Only in macroscopically involved cases the organ was removed. In one patient a huge epidermoid cyst of the spleen was enucleated. In another child with a big twisted wandering spleen a splenopexy after partial resection was carried out. In children the spleen should be preserved if ever possible.

Adolescent↗
PubMed1985

Food allergy and intolerance.

This article focuses on intolerance to food proteins, discussing the definition and history of food intolerance, the basics of gastrointestinal mucosal immunity, specific food antigens, pathogenesis, clinical manifestations, as well as diagnosis, therapy, and prevention.

Animals↗
PubMed1985

Aztreonam in human serum and breast milk.

Serum and milk concentrations of aztreonam were studied in 12 lactating, healthy subjects over the 8 h period after the administration of a single intramuscular or intravenous 1 g dose. Milk concentrations of aztreonam were found to be much lower than serum concentrations at all time points after both routes of injection. Peak milk concentrations of aztreonam averaged less than 1% of peak serum concentrations. Times to peak concentrations averaged 6 and 10 times longer in milk than in serum after intramuscular and intravenous injections, respectively. The low milk levels, as well as the previously determined poor oral absorption of aztreonam, suggest a low risk of untoward effects in the nursing infant.

Adult↗
PubMed1985

Pure spherules of Coccidioides immitis in continuous culture.

Investigation of host-parasite relationships involving the parasitic form of Coccidioides immitis has been difficult because, previously, spherules and endospores have not been grown continuously in tissue culture medium without detectable formation of hyphae. Arthroconidia were harvested from mycelial cultures and inoculated into tissue culture flasks which contained RPMI 1640 medium supplemented with 10% calf serum and N-Tamol (Rohm & Haas Co., Philadelphia, Pa.). Flasks were purged with 5% CO2, sealed, and placed on a reciprocating shaker at 35 degrees C. Hyphae which arose during incubation were removed by filtration. Arthroconidia readily converted to the spherule-endospore form within 12 days. Six days after complete conversion, spherules and endospores were transferred to RPMI 1640 without N-Tamol. The spherule-endospore cycle was maintained in tissue culture medium for 84 days without the formation of detectable hyphae.

Coccidioides↗
PubMed1985

Food proteins and gut mucosal barrier. III. The influence of lactation and prolactin on the in vitro binding and uptake of bovine serum albumin and ovalbumin in the rat jejunum.

The everted gut sac technique was used to study adaptive changes in small intestinal handling and uptake of radiolabeled bovine serum albumin and ovalbumin during lactation in rats. Binding and uptake of both proteins by the gut sacs of lactating animals were significantly less, compared to controls (p less than 0.001, after 30 min of incubation). This change was reversible after lactation ceased. The differences could not be explained by oral immunization since there were no specific antibodies found in sera, mucosal extracts, or breast milk; prior exposure to the protein did not alter the observed differences. No differences in mucosal breakdown of bovine serum albumin could be demonstrated by precipitation with trichloroacetic acid (10%); an increase in breakdown of ovalbumin in the lactating animals was shown under the same conditions. The injection of prolactin produced differences in bovine serum albumin binding and uptake similar to the ones observed in the lactating group (p less than 0.01, after 30 min of incubation, compared to solvent-injected controls). Since food protein antigen binding, breakdown and uptake are functions of the local intestinal host defense, these findings suggest that there are adaptive changes of the gut mucosal barrier during lactation which decrease the transfer of dietary antigens from mother to infant. The adaptation of the maternal intestinal host defense was shown to be influenced by prolactin.

Animals↗
PubMed1985

Attention capacity limitation, psychiatric parameters and their impact on work involvement following brain injury.

A follow-up study conducted among brain-injured patients explored the correlation between attention capacity limitation and psychiatric parameters as well as their impact on work involvement, two years after hospitalization. Capacity limitation was identified as difficulties in dual-task performance which requires simultaneous attention and response to two sources of stimulation. Poor performance on one or both tasks included in the dual-task paradigm (pursuit motor tracking task and a verbal task) was correlated with psychiatric parameters of behavior, personality and thought. This also correlated with the inability reported by the patients to concentrate for long periods of time and to the feeling of fatigue after physical and mental effort. In addition, it was found that dual-task performance correlated with work involvement. It was concluded that there is a reciprocal relationship between the variables studied. Attention capacity limitations are manifested in various psychiatric parameters; conversely, some psychiatric parameters affect the performance on the dual-task. This highlights the difficulty such patients have in coping with work demands and their consequent inability to maintain steady employment.

Adult↗
PubMed1985

[Neonatal screening for mucoviscidosis using the BM-test-meconium].

In the Federal Republic of Germany screening for cystic fibrosis by the albumin content of meconium (BM-test) is performed on most newborns. In this paper arguments for and against this test are discussed. Arguments in favour of BM-test-screening are the possibility of early diagnosis, early treatment and genetic counseling. Drawbacks of the test are false positive and false negative results. The authors conclude that this screening test should not be performed.

Cystic Fibrosis↗
PubMed1984

Purification and crystallization of bovine liver phosphorylase.

We have purified and crystallized bovine liver phosphorylase a. Starting from 2.5 kg of liver, we obtain 250 mg of phosphorylase a, with a specific activity of 90 units/mg, representing 15% recovery. SDS polyacrylamide gels show three bands, a 95 kDa band with the same mobility as muscle phosphorylase, and two smaller bands of 55 kDa and 40 kDa, which are probably proteolytic fragments. These fragments remain associated and have native conformation and catalytic activity. Crystals which diffract to 2.8 A resolution, were prepared by the hanging drop method using polyethylene glycol PEG 4000 as precipitant. The crystals were prepared in the presence of activators maltotriose and phosphite and crack when placed in solutions containing the inhibitors glucose and caffeine. This suggests phosphorylase is present in an active conformation.

Animals↗
PubMed1984

Five SWI genes are required for expression of the HO gene in yeast.

High-frequency mating type interconversion in yeast requires the HO gene, which encodes a site-specific endonuclease that initiates the switching process. We have isolated and analyzed switching-defective mutants. These mutants define five complementation and linkage groups, SWI 1 to SWI 5. We have shown by two assays, Northern hybridization and beta-galactosidase activity in strains containing an HO-lacZ fusion, that mutants defective any SWI gene fail to express the HO gene. In addition, all of the swi mutants exhibit other phenotypes, the most notable being the inviability of double mutants defective in SWI 4 and in either SWI 1, SWI 2 or SWI 3. These results indicate that the SWI genes function in some way as positive regulators of HO expression and have additional cellular roles.

DNA, Fungal↗
PubMed1984

An analysis of the diagnostic methods for acute pulmonary embolism.

In spite of numerous sophisticated investigative procedures, acute pulmonary embolism (PE) is very frequently misdiagnosed. In order to improve the diagnostic approach to PE, the sensitivity and specificity of the commonly used methods were reviewed in a group of 421 patients with angiographically proved PE without associated cardio-pulmonary disease. The specificity of diagnostic procedures was, by decreasing order: positive pulmonary angiography (to affirm) = negative perfusion lung scan (to eliminate) greater than chest X-ray much greater than clinical symptoms, positive perfusion lung scan, ECG, blood gas, serum enzymes.

Acute Disease↗
PubMed1984

Food proteins and gut mucosal barrier I. Binding and uptake of cow's milk proteins by adult rat jejunum in vitro.

To study small intestinal binding, breakdown, and uptake of bovine serum albumin (BSA) and beta-lactoglobulin ( BLG ), radiolabeled with 125I or 14C, the rat everted gut sac technique was used as a model of intestinal protein handling. Binding and uptake were found to be nonspecific and nonsaturable. There was a close correlation between both processes (r = 0.8). A consistent difference between BSA and BLG was shown in that more BLG was bound and taken up between 1 and 30 min than was BSA (P less than 0.001). As shown by trichloroacetic acid precipitation and gel filtration on Sephadex G-100 and Bio-Gel P-2, this difference was due to differential protein breakdown that takes place during protein attachment and transport across the intestinal mucosa. High-molecular-weight fragments were generated from BSA, whereas the molecular weight of most fragments generated from BLG was very low (mol wt less than 500). Size and structure of these food protein fragments might not only influence their intestinal binding and uptake characteristics but might also play a role in the physiological induction of tolerance and their relative antigenic potential.

3-O-Methylglucose↗
PubMed1984

Food proteins and gut mucosal barrier. II. Differential interaction of cow's milk proteins with the mucous coat and the surface membrane of adult and immature rat jejunum.

Two in vitro intestinal models were used to investigate postnatal maturational changes of the gut barrier functions. Microvillus membrane (MVM) preparations were studied for surface binding, and everted gut sacs were studied for mucous coat binding, breakdown and uptake of radioiodinated bovine serum albumin (BSA), and beta-lactoglobulin (beta-LG). Surface binding of these proteins to MVM was weak and nonspecific. There was more binding of both proteins to immature MVM (BSA: newborns, 2.74 +/- 0.52%, adults, 1.08 +/- 0.17%, p less than 0.001; beta-LG: newborns, 6.30 +/- 0.54%; adults, 2.05 +/- 0.07, p less than 0.001). In contrast to MVM binding characteristics, mucous coat binding of the cow's milk proteins to immature gut sacs was significantly less (BSA: preweanlings, 0.94 +/- 0.30 micrograms 125-I-protein Eq/mg mucosal protein; adults, 3.06 +/- 0.74, p less than 0.001; beta-LG: preweanlings, 5.61 +/- 1.48; adults, 9.83 +/- 1.33, p less than 0.001). Protein binding and uptake were correlated in the immature animals (r = 0.76, p less than 0.001 for BSA and r = 0.85, p less than 0.001 for beta-LG). More beta-LG was bound and taken up than BSA in the preweanlings (p less than 0.001). Trichloroacetic acid precipitation studies showed that, even in the immature rats, beta-LG was much more readily broken down by mucosa-associated enzymes than BSA. Immature animals showed less protein breakdown than adult controls. Decreased protein breakdown and mucous coat binding as well as increased MVM binding may account for the increased uptake of intact food antigens in the newborn.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)

Animals↗
PubMed1984

Father absence and adolescent "problem behaviors": alcohol consumption, drug use and sexual activity.

Among the issues faced by adolescents are problems relating to alcohol consumption, drug use, and sexual behavior. A survey of 813 adolescents found that adolescents are most likely to discuss these problems with peers and least likely to discuss them with parents, especially fathers. However, father absence from the home resulted in greater use of and problems with alcohol, marijuana, and sexual activity. This was the case especially for boys. The results obtained underscore the significance of the father as a key figure in the transmission of values and as a deterrent to certain behaviors. The results point to adolescents from fatherless homes, especially boys, as being at risk for problems in the areas noted. This suggests that community agencies providing services to adolescents should make special efforts to incorporate into their programs specially designed services to meet the particular needs of this group. Aspects of such programs are discussed.

Adolescent↗