Biomedical subjects

P Obert

Publications and source records attributed to P Obert.

39 records · Page 3Linked to original sources

PubMed1979

Parotid gland swelling.

The salivary glands are seldom noticed by the physician when they are functioning properly, but they cause vexing problems in diagnosis and management during times of their disordered function. One reason for this is that numerous salivary diseases have similar onsets and patterns of symptomatology. Another reason is that the clinical expression of these diseases is often similar, including pain, diffuse swelling, and altered salivary discharge. This paper enumerates useful points of differentiation which may be elicited from the history and physical examination to distinguish among parotid diseases. If management is to be successful, it must be based on (1) identification of the etiology of the pathologic process, and (2) the institution of therapeutic measures designed to eliminate the etiology of the disease, and restore, as closely as possible, the normal physiology of the gland.

Chronic Disease↗

PubMedDate not supplied

The importance of socioeconomic and nutritional conditions rather than altitude on the physical growth of prepubertal Andean highland boys.

The aim of this work was to study the effect of hypoxic stress on the physical growth of prepubertal Bolivian boys (10-11.5 years of age) of the same socioeconomic and nutritional conditions. The subjects consisted of 143 boys living in La Paz (altitude 3600 m, n = 67) and Santa Cruz de la Sierra (altitude 420 m, n = 76). Among the boys studied at high altitude, 23 were from a high socioeconomic background (HA1) and 44 from a low socioeconomic background (HA2). The group studied at low altitude consisted of 47 boys from a high socioeconomic background (LA1) and 29 from a low socioeconomic background (LA2). A scientific evaluation of the nutritional status of the boys was realized from specific anthropometric characteristics (height, body weight, upper arm muscle circumference, body fat mass and body mass index) and haematological (haematocrit, haemoglobin, serum iron, serum ferritin, red cell protoporphyrin, transferrin saturation) and biochemical (total serum protein, albumin and prealbumin) parameters. At high as at low altitudes, the biometric characteristics of boys from a low socioeconomic background were significantly lower than those of boys from a high socioeconomic background. The physical growth of HA2 and LA2 boys was delayed by approximately 2 years. All the boys had biochemical and haematological parameters within the normal range. Boys from a low socioeconomic background were considered as marginally undernourished and those from a high socioeconomic background as well-nourished. Within the same socioeconomic class there was no nutritional difference between highland and lowland boys. Similarly, and this is the most important feature of this study, there was no difference for the overall biometric characteristics between highland and lowland boys of the same socioeconomic and nutritional status. Therefore, it appears that when socioeconomic and nutritional conditions are taken into account, there is no effect of hypoxic stress on the physical growth of prepubertal Andean highland boys.

Altitude↗

PubMedDate not supplied

Influence of a Biokinergia session on cardiorespiratory and metabolic adaptations of trained subjects.

BACKGROUND AND PURPOSE: Biokinergia (BK) is a massage aimed at improving "biological" potential. An initial pilot study demonstrated that a BK session could alter blood lactate concentration during prolonged exercise. OBJECTIVE: To confirm the effect of BK on performance and physiological adaptations during maximal aerobic muscular exercise. METHODS: Two groups of 10 subjects each performed a maximal progressive exercise on a cycle ergometer before and 10 days after a BK session (B group) or a feigned one (C group) in a simple-blinded manner. RESULTS: No modifications were noticed in the C group. After BK in the B group, maximum oxygen consumption was slightly increased (7%) and submaximal heart rate slightly lowered (4.7%) in 65% of the subjects; tidal volume was higher and breathing frequency was lower for 45% of the subjects. CONCLUSION AND DISCUSSION: The slight modifications induced by BK suggest that BK altered the sympathetic nervous system, but this needs confirmation.

Adaptation, Physiological↗