Biomedical subjects
Publications and source records attributed to R Morales.
Pneumatocele, a special form of lung injury, is characterized by intrathoracic images of cavities detected on X-ray films. These cavities develop immediately after a trauma of the thorax, disappear rapidly and have a relatively favourable outcome.
Clinical assessment (disease activity, severity, and extraarticular manifestations) of 101 rheumatoid arthritis patients was correlated with several laboratory tests, including 5 immune complex assays: the bovine conglutinin, 125I-Clq binding, monoclonal rheumatoid factor inhibition, Raji cell, and staphylococci binding assays. Elevated disease activity indices were most closely associated with the presence of immune complexes detected by the 125I-Clq and staphylococci binding assays. There were significant but weak correlations between the level of disease activity and the level of immune complexes as measured by the bovine conglutinin, 125I-Clq binding, Raji cell, and staphylococci binding assays. Articular disease severity, as measured by anatomic stage, was discriminated by the bovine conglutinin, monoclonal rheumatoid factor inhibition, and staphylococci binding assays. Extraarticular manifestations were best discriminated by the Raji cell and staphylococci binding assays. We concluded that the sensitivity, specificity, predictive value, and overlap of the associations were not sufficient to warrant their wide use for the diagnosis and management of rheumatoid arthritis in individual patients. Conversely, the 125I-Clq and staphylococci binding assays were as good as the erythrocyte sedimentation rate and the IgG rheumatoid factor test (the 2 best of many examined) in assessing disease activity. Further prospective studies with these assays will determine their usefulness in following rheumatoid arthritis for a prolonged period.
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The isolation of a new, third phospholipase A2 from Agkistrodon halys blomhoffi is described. On the basis of a pI value of 6.9, it is termed a neutral phospholipase A2. It was characterized as to its amino acid content, activity towards phosphatidylcholine, heat stability, and hemolytic behavior on human erythrocytes. A comparison of these characteristics with those of the acidic and basic phospholipases A2 established the uniqueness of the neutral enzyme. Two particularly important observations were concerned with the complete stability of the three phospholipases on heating at 100 degrees C at pH 6.0 in the presence of 10 mM Ca2+, but variable stability in the absence of Ca2+, and the significant lack of hemolytic activity by the acidic (pI 4.9) phospholipase A2 as compared to the neutral (pI 6.9) and basic (pI 8.7) enzyme which produced extensive hemolysis of human erythrocytes. Other facets of the characteristics of these phospholipases are discussed.
A prenatal nutritional counseling project utilizing senior dietetic students in private physicians' offices was developed. The objectives were to provide sound nutritional information to pregnant women and a realistic work experience for students committed to a career in nutritional counseling. The results were positive for the patients, the participating physicians, and the student nutritionists. Further research is indicated to determine the specific effect of nutritional counseling on pregnancy outcomes.
Clomipramine used alone is an affective analgesic against organic pain due to a lesion of the peripheral nervous system, in particular post-herpetic pain. The quality of the result is related to the dose, and hence to tolerance. Fluohydrocortisone is the most powerful drug against orthostatic hypotension, the chief cause of limitation of treatment. No complications were seen, even in very elderly patients.
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The purpose of the study was the development of new air-sampling and analytical procedures for benzidine, 3,3'-dichlorobenzidine and their salts. Air is drawn through a glass-fiber filter followed by a bed of silica gel to collect these substances as either particles or vapors. The compounds are extracted from the sampler and analyzed by HPLC with sensitivities in the range of 3 micrograms/m3 for 48-L air samples. The methods were evaluated in the laboratory with test aerosol atomospheres and found to be unaffected by temperature or humidity of the sampled environment. Tests of precision, sample stability and separation from interferants indicate that the method should provide reliable results for personal monitoring procedures.
This research was intended to develop a methodology to analyze competencies in one area of administrative dietetic practice--menu planning. Five basic competencies, with sub-competencies, in menu planning were drawn from previous research. To produce descriptive statements for each sub-competency, taped interviews were held with twenty practitioners to ascertain knowledge, attitudes, and skills required in menu planning. The original 607 responses were reduced to ninety-two by eliminating duplication and ranking them by importance. These were then expressed in appropriate behavioral terminology and validated by an educational consultant. The competency statements and sub-competencies with the ninety-two descriptors were incorporated into a questionnaire submitted to a nationwide sample of hospital administrative and generalist dietitians for further validation.
A nationwide sample of administrative and generalist dietitians rated five competencies with sub-competencies and ninety-two descriptors related to menu planning. Each item was rated numerically for importance and frequency of time consideration. Data were grouped according to three levels of practitioner experience. It was concluded that an effective methodology was developed for analyzing competencies for dietetic practice.
The relative numbers of axo-dendritic, axo-axonic, dendro-axonic and dendro-dendritic synapses were determined by classifying and recording all such specialized contacts in sample areas of the substantia gelatinosa. The samples were taken from segments L1-L5 of the cat spinal cord. In the glomerular complexes 97% of all synapses were recorded as axo-dentritic. In substantia gelatinosa deprived of glomerular complexes by dorsal root section, 96.5% were axo-dendritic. The remainders were about equally divided between axo-axonic, dendro-dendritic and dendro-axonic synapses.
Adult and half grown healthy male and female cats were used in this study. The white and gray matter of dorsolateral region in the upper lumbar levels of the spinal cord were examined by electron microscopy after fixation by aldehyde perfusion and commonly used methods of embedding, sectioning and staining. The report is limited to description and illustration of specialized junctions of astrocytes. In addition to previously described astrocyte-astrocyte gap junctions, astrocytes are connected by gap junctions to oligodendroglia cells and to neurons. Astrocytes also are connected with each other and with neurons by juctions characterized by wide (250 A) gaps containing opaque gap material and by dense material adhering to the inner surfaces of the plasma membranes. The results suggest a morphological basis for adhesion and intercommunication between all adult derivatives of the embryonic neural tube.
This experimental work has been carried out with the aim of studying the ultrastructural myocardial changes caused by prolonged anoxic cardiac arrest during cardiopulmonary bypass, and their prevention by means of two different techniques of coronary perfusion--systemic-pressure continuous and low-pressure intermittent perfusion. After 30 minutes of cardiac anoxia, the ultrastructural changes of the myocardial cell were reverted to normal by coronary perfusion; when anoxic cardiac arrest was prolonged up to 60 minutes there was severe myocardial damage, with marked mitochondrial changes and dehiscence of intercalated discs, which persisted in spite of restoring coronary flow. These morphological data were in accordance with the fact that no dog which underwent anoxic cardiac arrest for 60 minutes recovered. Both intermittent and continuous coronary perfusion were effective in preventing anoxic damage; cardiac muscle cells were better preserved by low-pressure intermittent perfusion than by systemic-pressure continuous perfusion, which caused intracellular and intramitochondrial oedema.
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