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Biomedical subjects

R Nowak

Publications and source records attributed to R Nowak.

At least 145 records · Page 8Linked to original sources
PubMed1991

[Electrostimulation in treatment of scoliosis].

The efficiency of electrical stimulation in the treatment of idiopathic scoliosis was assessed on the basis of 95 patients reviewed. In 63% of cases an improvement or inhibition of progression of the curvature was achieved. The infantile and juvenile positive therapeutic effect was found in 70% patients, providing the onset of the therapy took place before the tenth year of life. Adolescent scoliosis were affected by this kind of therapy only to the very little extent.

Adolescent↗
PubMed1990

[Danger in cave diving].

A diving accident fatal for two divers, that occurred in the Blautopf-cave near Ulm, FRG, is reported. The circumstances fundamental in precipitating the fatal outcome are discussed. As a consequence accident- or life insurance coverage has become one of the prerequisites to obtain the official permit to dive in this cave.

Adult↗
PubMed1990

Mother and sibling discrimination at a distance by three- to seven-day-old lambs.

This study examined some aspects of the developmental phase of social bonding in newborn lambs. In Experiment 1, 3-day-old Merino lambs (singles and twins) were tested in a 2-choice situation for mother discrimination at a distance. In Experiment 2, the ability of twins to discriminate their siblings at a distance was studied 3 and 7 days after birth. When released at 9 m from two postparturient ewes after a latency of 30 s, which allowed the lambs to hear and to see both animals, most lambs chose to run and to stay with their own mothers before the end of the 2-min test (Experiment 1). There was no difference between singles and twins, nor between males and females in their distant discriminative ability. However, twins were initially undecided, slower to reach their mothers, and spent significantly less time with them. When the same testing procedure was used for sibling discrimination, most 3-day-old twins went to a lamb, but the proportion of lambs reaching the sibling first did not differ significantly from random, and the time spent near either lamb was similar (Experiment 2). During these tests, female lambs performed better than males. When tested 7 days after birth, all twins reached a lamb and a high proportion of them chose to go to the sibling first. They also spent most of the time near it. These results demonstrate that mother discrimination from a distance is well established in 3-day-old lambs and sibling discrimination takes longer to develop but has occurred by 7 days of age.

Aging↗
PubMed1990

Changes in the DNA polymerase beta gene expression during development of lung, brain, and testis suggest an involvement of the enzyme in DNA recombination.

Changes in the expression pattern of DNA polymerase beta gene during rat lung, brain, and testis development have been investigated. A decrease in the level of beta-pol mRNA was observed during postnatal development of lung and brain. By contrast, an almost 20-fold increase in the level of beta-pol mRNA was observed during spermatogenesis. For most adult rat tissues the abundance of beta-pol mRNA was low compared with that of beta-actin mRNA. Northern blot analysis revealed four distinct transcripts hybridizing to beta-pol probes. At least two of them, 1.4 kb and 4.0 kb, were products of a beta-polymerase gene. The changes in the expression pattern during lung and brain development, and during spermatogenesis, suggest involvement of DNA polymerase beta in gap-filling DNA synthesis during recombination.

Animals↗
PubMed1990

Maternal pinealectomy alters the daily pattern of fetal breathing in sheep.

We have investigated the effect of pinealectomy of the pregnant ewe on the 24-h pattern of fetal breathing activity during late gestation. Fetal breathing movements were recorded during 24-h periods on 18 occasions in 5 pinealectomized ewes and on 24 occasions in 6 pineal-intact ewes between 120 and 145 days gestation. All ewes were fed once daily between 1000 and 1300 h and were kept under a light-dark cycle 12:12 h. There was no significant difference in the mean hourly incidence of fetal breathing movements between the pineal-intact (27.2 +/- 0.5 min/h) and pinealectomized (25.5 +/- 0.6 min/h) groups. However, there was a significant difference in the 24-h profiles of fetal breathing movements in the two groups. The peak incidence of fetal breathing occurred between 1900 and 2000 h in the pineal-intact ewes and between 1200 and 1300 h in the pinealectomized ewes. We conclude that maternal pinealectomy alters the daily pattern of a fetal behavioral pattern and that maternal melatonin may therefore provide the fetus with information about time of day.

Animals↗
PubMed1990

Emergence of the diurnal rhythm in plasma melatonin concentrations in newborn lambs delivered to intact or pinealectomized ewes.

We have monitored the 24-h profiles of plasma melatonin concentrations between birth and 10 weeks of age, in lambs which were delivered to, and suckled, either pineal-intact (control group) or pinealectomized (pinealectomized group) ewes. Between 0 and 2 weeks of age, plasma concentrations of melatonin in lambs suckling either intact or pinealectomized ewes were highest at 01.00 h. At this age, however, there was no significant difference in the mean plasma concentrations of melatonin between the entire dark and light phases in lambs in either the control group (dark, 39.7 +/- 6.0 (S.E.M.) pmol/l; light, 39.5 +/- 8.1 pmol/l) or the pinealectomized group (dark, 79.8 +/- 43.3 pmol/l; light, 60.9 +/- 8.7 pmol/l). Between 3 and 4 weeks of age, however, a diurnal rhythm in plasma melatonin concentrations was clearly present in the lambs in both the control and pinealectomized groups (control group: dark, 164.1 +/- 5.6 pmol/l; light 26.2 +/- 2.5 pmol/l; pinealectomized group: dark, 52.7 +/- 8.0 pmol/l; light, 19.1 +/- 5.3 pmol/l; P less than 0.001). Between 3 and 10 weeks of age, plasma concentrations of melatonin in the dark phase were significantly (P less than 0.05) lower in the lambs suckling pinealectomized ewes than in the control group. In both the control lambs and lambs suckling pinealectomized ewes, the mean plasma concentrations of melatonin in the dark and light phases increased significantly (P less than 0.05) between 3 and 6 weeks after birth. In conclusion, we have demonstrated that a clear diurnal plasma rhythm in melatonin concentrations does not emerge until 3-4 weeks of age in lambs suckling either pinealectomized or intact ewes.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)

Age Factors↗
PubMed1990

[Fatal air embolism following erroneous phlebotomy technique].

An 62 years old patient suffering of polycythemia was treated by phlebotomy. To accelerate the blood flow the collecting apparatus was connected to a pump supplying suction. Of the two pump outlets, providing suction and pressure, the one supplying pressurized air was connected erroneously. Air was insufflated into the arm vein causing cardiac arrest. Reanimation was unsuccessful. The findings are discussed, as well as the difficulties in interpretation.

Bloodletting↗
PubMed1989

[Danger of electricity in the bathtub].

A fatal accident, when swimming in a lake, caused by a defective electric main is reported. The medical and technical findings of that accident are discussed as well as the electrophysical prerequisites.

Bathing Beaches↗
PubMed1989

Levels and size complexity of DNA polymerase beta mRNA in rat regenerating liver and other organs.

A cDNA probe encoding DNA polymerase beta (beta-pol) was used to study the level and size complexity of beta-pol mRNA in regenerating rat liver and other rat tissues. An almost 2-fold increase in beta-pol mRNA was observed 18-24 h after partial hepatectomy. In most adult rat tissues (liver, heart, kidney, stomach, spleen, thymus, lung and brain) the abundance of beta-pol mRNA was low. In contrast, young brain and testes exhibited beta-pol mRNA levels 5- and 15-times higher, respectively. The observed changes in the level of beta-pol mRNA in regenerating rat liver and in developing brain are correlated with reported changes in DNA polymerase beta activity. Four different (4.0, 2.5, 2.2, 1.4 kb) transcripts hybridizing to beta-pol probe were found in all tissues examined. The 4.0 kb transcript was dominant for young and adult brain, whereas the 1.4 kb transcript was dominant for testes. The significance of these transcripts is discussed.

Animals↗
PubMed1989

Development of mother discrimination by single and multiple newborn lambs.

Most research on recognition of the ewe by her lamb has focused on lambs several days or even several weeks old, whereas newly born lambs have received little attention. The aim of this work was therefore to study the attraction of Merino lambs to postparturient ewes and their ability to discriminate between their own and alien mothers in a two-choice situation 12, 18, 24, 48, and 72 hr after birth. A comparison between singles and multiples was also made in 18 and 24-hr-old lambs. When released in the testing pen, approximately 90% of the lambs in each group (older than 12 hr) spent more than 3 min with the two ewes during the 5-min test. It was only from 24 hr old, however, that a high proportion of lambs spent at least two-thirds of this time close to their own mothers (correct choice). The proportion of singles spending more than 3 min with the ewes or making a correct choice was higher than that of multiples. This effect was related to litter size but not to birth weight. It is concluded that a majority of Merino lambs are clearly attracted to ewes by the time they are 18 hr old and can discriminate their own dams from alien mothers at about 24 hr of age. At this stage singles perform better than multiples.

Animals↗
PubMed1989

Determination of calcium and magnesium in postmortem human vitreous humor as a test to ascertain the cause and time of death.

The concentrations of magnesium and total calcium human vitreous humors obtained postmortem was tested. In the groups of heart disease and asphyxia a correlation between the postmortem interval and calcium or magnesium concentrations was found. There was no correlation between postmortem interval and calcium respectively magnesium in the other causes of death. It seems possible that the analysis of vitreous humor may be useful in both diagnosis and determination of postmortem interval in the cases of heart death and asphyxia.

Adolescent↗
PubMed1989

[Comparative measurement of cocaine and its metabolites in blood, cerebrospinal fluid and the brain].

This study investigated the transfer of cocaine and its metabolites from plasma into the cerebrospinal fluid. The concentration of cocaine and its metabolites in plasma and cerebrospinal fluid was determined by radioimmunoassay because this method only, the sum of the drug and metabolites restored. In sheeps a sublethal cocaine hydrochloride dose (2,4 mg/kg b. wt.) was administered intraarterial daily for up to 8 days. In the first hours after administration the concentration of cocaine in cerebrospinal fluid was low. It is supposed that a barrier against the transport of cocaine from blood into cerebrospinal fluid exists. After intrathecal administration a delay of transport could from CSF to blood not be seen.

Animals↗
PubMed1989

[EBV-specific antibodies in patients with nasopharyngeal cancer and tonsillar cancer. Follow-up of over 4 years].

26 NPC patients and 47 TC patients were investigated clinically, and in the sera of these patients EBV-specific antibodies were determined. No relapse occurred in 11 patients with NPC and in 17 patients with TC during the period of 4 years. In addition to the determination of antibodies we looked for EBNA in 3 undifferentiated NPC and 4 undifferentiated TC, and for EBV-DNA in 2 of these NPC and one of these TC. The 3 NPC and 4 TC tested for EBNA showed this antigen in the cells. 2 NPC and 1 TC showed EBV-DNA with in situ hybridization technique. In the blot hybridization according to Southern the Eco R 1 fragment of both NPC was identical with the Eco R 1 fragment of the positive control of P 3 HR 1 cells. The 15 NPC-patients with tumour (4 with primary NPC, 11 with relapse) in the observation period showed higher IgA-VCA titres than the NPC patients free of relapse during this time. Subsequent to therapy, IgG-VCA titres decreased. Most of the NPC-patients with tumour during the time of testing mentioned before had IgA-VCA once or several times. Most of half of these patients had IgA-EA, but there was no patient without relapse. IgA-VCA increase and the presence of IgA-EA may be the first sign of a relapse. Thus, intensive research into this phenomenon will be required. No remarkable difference could be found in EBV-specific antibody patterns between TC patients without relapse and TC patients with tumour progression or relapse.

Adolescent↗
PubMed1989

Maternal pinealectomy abolishes the diurnal rhythm in plasma melatonin concentrations in the fetal sheep and pregnant ewe during late gestation.

We have investigated the effect of pinealectomy of ewes in pregnancy on the presence of the diurnal rhythm in fetal and maternal plasma concentrations of melatonin. Six ewes were pinealectomized between 104 and 118 days of gestation. Fetal and maternal blood samples were collected during 24-h periods between 125 and 140 days of gestation in the pinealectomized ewes and in an intact control (n = 4). There was a significant diurnal rhythm in both fetal and maternal plasma concentrations of melatonin in the control group. In this group, the fetal and maternal plasma melatonin concentrations were significantly higher in the dark (128.4 +/- 6.2 and 192.2 +/- 10.7 pmol/l respectively) than in the light (46.2 +/- 4.2 and 25.8 +/- 2.1 pmol/l respectively). However there was no diurnal rhythm in either the fetal or maternal plasma melatonin concentrations in the pinealectomized group between 125 and 140 days of gestation. In contrast to the control animals, there was also no light-dark difference in the fetal or maternal plasma melatonin concentrations in four pinealectomized animals sampled frequently in the 3-7 days preceding delivery (mean length of gestation 146.5 days). However, in the pinealectomized sheep there was a gradual increase in the combined light-dark fetal plasma melatonin concentrations during late gestation from 27.9 +/- 2.8 pmol/l (at 15-20 days before delivery) to 95.2 +/- 14.1 pmol/l on the day of delivery. We have therefore demonstrated that the maternal pineal is the major source of the diurnal rhythm in maternal and fetal plasma melatonin concentrations.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)

Animals↗