Melioidosis causing encephalomyelitis.
Explore the source record for details and available documents.
Adult↗
Biomedical subjects
R Wells
Publications and source records attributed to R Wells.
Upper limb musculoskeletal disorders in highly repetitive industries: precise anatomical physical findings.
Physical assessment of 146 female workers in highly repetitive jobs found 54% to have evidence of musculoskeletal disorders in the upper limb that are potentially work-related. Many workers had multiple problems, and many were affected bilaterally (33% of workers). Muscle pain and tenderness was the largest problem, both in the neck/shoulder area (31%) as expected and in the forearm/hand musculature (23%), a previously unreported site. Most forearm muscle problems were found on the extensor side. Carpal tunnel syndrome was the most common form of neuritis with 16 people affected (7 people affected bilaterally). De Quervain's tenosynovitis and wrist flexor tendinitis were the most commonly found tendon disorders in the distal forearm (12 people affected for each diagnosis). The results suggest that exposure should be measured bilaterally. They also suggest that muscle tissue is highly vulnerable to overuse. Stressors that affect muscle tissue, such as static loading, should be studied in the forearm as well as in the shoulder.
Adult↗
The Tooth Fairy Museum: an historically important collection.
Explore the source record for details and available documents.
History, 20th Century↗
LRG1 is expressed during sporulation in Saccharomyces cerevisiae and contains motifs similar to LIM and rho/racGAP domains.
We here report the sequence of a yeast gene LRG1 whose deduced amino acid sequence contains sequence motifs similar to LIM domain proteins in the amino-terminal, and to rho/rac GTPase activating proteins (rho/racGAP's) in the carboxy-terminal part. LRG1 expression is differentially regulated showing a peak of expression in sporulating cells. Gene disruption experiments indicate that the gene is not essential and may play a role during mating.
Amino Acid Sequence↗
Normal high-resolution cerebral 99mTc-HMPAO SPECT scans in symptomatic neonates exposed to cocaine.
Vascular constriction is said to account for a variety of clinical effects of cocaine. High-resolution 99mTc-hexamethylpropylene amine oxime single photon emission computed tomographic (SPECT) scans, which measure cerebral blood flow, were used to determine whether neonatal brain perfusion deficits are present in newborns with confirmed cocaine exposure. Normal, age-appropriate SPECT scans were found in 21 babies. Conventional neuroimaging was also performed when possible. All but one of the 14 magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) scans and one computed tomographic scan were normal. One MRI showed a mild delay in myelination. All but four neonates had behavioral or electroencephalographic abnormalities, and microcephaly was found in five of 21. The normal neonatal SPECT scans contrast with findings in adult cocaine users, which typically report abnormal findings of cerebral hypoperfusion. This study identifies a unique lack of corresponding cerebral vascular pathology in symptomatic neonates. It raises the possibility that many of these children can escape significant ischemic injury.
Brain↗
OXYGEN TRANSPORT IN MARINE GREEN TURTLE (CHELONIA MYDAS) HATCHLINGS: BLOOD VISCOSITY AND CONTROL OF HEMOGLOBIN OXYGEN-AFFINITY
Erythrocytes from green turtle hatchlings contain a single embryonic component, unlike those from other cleidoic eggs, in which adult hemoglobin (Hb) constitutes a significant fraction of total Hb at hatching. The functional properties of the isolated and purified green turtle hatchling Hb that distinguish it from adult Hb are a high affinity for oxygen and marked sensitivity to organic phosphate modulators. Hatchling erythrocytes also contain higher concentrations of ATP and 2,3-diphosphoglyceric acid, but their oxygen affinity is indistinguishable from that of adult erythrocytes. Hatchling erythrocyte mean cell volume is approximately half of the adult value, but hematocrit, blood hemoglobin concentration and blood viscosity of hatchlings and adults are similar. Oxygen-carrying capacity in green turtles, unlike that of other diving vertebrates, corresponds with a theoretically derived optimum. The possibility of allosteric control of Hb oxygen-binding in hatchlings may relate not to the challenge of exercise during the dispersal phase but to conditions in the late embryo in the nest.
Journal Article↗
Neuropsychologic functioning of human immunodeficiency virus-infected children with hemophilia.
Efforts to detect subtle but objective neuropsychologic deficits could clarify the early involvement of the central nervous system and the progression of human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) infection in older children and young adolescents. Baseline examinations of 63 children and adolescents with hemophilia were conducted by examiners unaware of HIV status or staging or of our study's major hypotheses. They measured six domains of neuropsychologic functioning (motor, language, memory, attention, visual processing, and problem solving), and no differences between groups of similar age, race, and socioeconomic status defined by HIV seropositivity (n = 25) and HIV seronegativity (n = 38) were revealed. A high incidence of subtle neuropsychologic deficits relative to (1) age norms and (2) individual cognitive potential was found on measures of motor performance, attention, and speeded visual processing within both infected and uninfected groups. On the basis of these baseline data, it seems premature to attribute early, subtle neuropsychologic deficits in seropositive children with hemophilia to the central nervous system effects of HIV infection.
Adolescent↗
Larval regulation of adult longevity in a genetically-selected long-lived strain of Drosophila.
Our previous work has shown that the major genes involved in the expression of the extended-longevity phenotype are located on the third chromosome. Furthermore, their expression is negatively and positively influenced by chromosomes 2 and 1, respectively. In this report we show that the expression of the extended-longevity phenotype is dependent on the larval environment. A controlled chromosome substitution experiment was carried out using a strain selected for long life (L) and its parent (R) strain. Twenty different combinations of the three major chromosomes were conducted and their longevities were determined under both high (HD) and low (LD) larval density conditions. The extended-longevity phenotype was only expressed under HD conditions. The chromosome interactions were not apparent under LD conditions. Density-shift experiments delineate a critical period for expression of the extended-longevity phenotype, extending from 60 h after egg laying (AEL) to 96 h AEL, during which the developing animal must be exposed to HD conditions if the extended-longevity phenotype is to be expressed. The change from HD to LD conditions is accompanied by statistically significant increases in body weight. The possible role of a dietary restriction phenomenon is examined and the implications of these findings discussed. It is now apparent, however, that the extended-longevity phenotype in Drosophila is a developmental genetic process.
Animals↗
Policy on supervision and reimbursement.
Explore the source record for details and available documents.
Health Policy↗
Osteoblastoma response to chemotherapy.
An 8-year-old boy had an osteoblastoma of the body of C2. After attempted excision, the tumor recurred rapidly and massively. The tumor shrank progressively after treatment with high-dose methotrexate, doxorubicin, and cisplatin. The patient has stopped treatment and been stable for 33 months. Surgical excision remains the treatment of choice for osteoblastoma. Chemotherapy may be useful in selected patients with a recurrent, aggressive tumor or in patients with surgically inaccessible disease.
Bone Neoplasms↗
Quantifying exposure in occupational manual tasks with cumulative trauma disorder potential.
A method of describing the musculoskeletal loads in the hand and wrist during manual tasks is presented. A profile of twelve factors is used to quantify the exposure of applicable soft tissues to modes of loading suggested as being related to a number of chronic, work-related musculoskeletal disorders such as chronic muscle strain, tenosynovitis, and carpal tunnel syndrome. These factors include estimates of tendon loads and movement, frictional work done on the tendon sheaths, and muscle activation determined using electromyography. The response of these measures to changes of force, repetition, and posture was studied using eight conditions of a simulated task utilizing a pistol grip tool. Measures of tendon frictional work and dynamic electromyographic activity best paralleled the injury outcomes of an epidemiological study using similar task definitions (Silverstein et al. 1986). This field-usable system is being used currently to investigate the relationship between occupational exposure and musculoskeletal disorders.
Biomechanical Phenomena↗
Intraoperative identification of cardiac patients at risk to develop postoperative atrial fibrillation.
Postoperative atrial fibrillation (AF) is a complication occurring in 11% to 36% of patients after cardiac operations, which results in increased morbidity and hospital costs. A new electrophysiologic screening test was developed to identify those patients at risk for development of postoperative AF. The test was validated in 50 patients (43 men and 7 women) with a mean age of 59.6 +/- 1.3 years who underwent coronary artery bypass grafting with or without other cardiac surgical procedures. After aortic and venous cannulation, but before initiation of bypass, the mid-right atrium was stimulated with a bipolar probe at 25 microA for 3 seconds. Alternating current was increased by 25 microA until AF was induced or up to a maximum of 200 microA. Postoperative AF occurred in 18 patients (36%), 17 of whom had inducible AF (sensitivity = 0.94). Of the remaining 32 AF-free patients, 13 had negative tests (specificity = 0.41). Age and sex were not factors affecting inducibility, although patients who developed AF were older than those who were AF free (63.6 versus 57.3 years, p = 0.02). Length of stay in the intensive care unit was longer for those with postoperative AF than for AF-free patients (3.6 versus 1.9 days, p = 0.02). The negative predictive value of the test was 0.93, and the positive value was 0.47. These data show that this new intraoperative technique may be used to identify patients at risk for postoperative AF. Prophylactic therapy can therefore be directed to only those patients at risk for postoperative AF.
Atrial Fibrillation↗
Serum index identifies lipemic samples causing interference with bilirubin assay on Hitachi 717.
Explore the source record for details and available documents.
Bilirubin↗
Ubiquitin metabolism in ts85 cells, a mouse carcinoma line that contains a thermolabile ubiquitin activating enzyme.
Red blood cell-mediated microinjection was used to introduce radioiodinated ubiquitin into ts85 cells, a mouse cell line that contains a thermolabile ubiquitin-activating enzyme (E1). The proportion of ubiquitin present as histone conjugates, high molecular weight conjugates, and free molecules was then determined by gel electrophoresis and autoradiography. When ts85 cells were incubated at the nonpermissive temperature, 39.5 degrees C, high molecular weight conjugates accumulated. This unexpected result was confirmed by Western blot analyses. To determine whether ubiquitin conjugates formed under nonpermissive conditions or merely persisted after the temperature increase, ts85 cells were incubated at 39.5 degrees C to generate large amounts of conjugates and then shifted to 42 degrees C. The higher temperature resulted in a 25% reduction in conjugates, but upon return to 39.5 degrees C, the ubiquitin conjugates were restored to pre-42 degrees C amounts. Since all changes in ubiquitin conjugate levels occurred above 39.5 degrees C, ts85 cells can couple ubiquitin to cellular proteins even after prolonged culture at nonpermissive temperatures. Western blot analyses showed that less than 10% of the E1 molecules present in ts85 cells at 31 degrees C remained after 2 h at 39.5 degrees C. However, when 125I-ubiquitin was added to extracts from heated ts85 cells an apparent high molecular weight form of E1 and thiol ester adducts between ubiquitin and the E2 carrier proteins were detected by electrophoresis at 4 degrees C. Considering both in vivo and in vitro demonstrations that heated ts85 cells retain the ability to conjugate ubiquitin to endogenous proteins, considerable caution must be exercised in the design and interpretation of proteolysis experiments using this mutant cell line.
Animals↗
Comparison of genital examination techniques in prepubertal girls.
The results of three separate methods used to examine prepubertal girls are compared and a technique for measuring hymenal orifice diameters from colposcopic photographs is presented. A total of 172 girls who were examined by three techniques during their evaluation in a clinic for suspected child sexual abuse victims were studied. Their ages ranged from 10 months to 11 years with a mean of 5 years, 8 months. The examination techniques used were the supine position with labial separation, the supine position with labial traction, and the knee-chest position. The knee-chest position (98%) and the supine traction method (96%) proved to be superior to the supine separation technique (86%) in opening the vaginal introitus. The largest vertical transhymenal diameters were produced in the knee-chest position, whereas the greatest transverse horizontal spans were generated by the supine traction procedure. Other soft tissue changes were noted but not quantified. A multimethod approach to the examination of the sexually abused child is recommended to take advantage of the strengths of each technique.
Child↗
Genital findings in prepubertal girls selected for nonabuse: a descriptive study.
This project was designed to collect normative data on the genital anatomy from a sample of nonabused prepubertal girls. A total of 114 girls between the ages of 10 months and 10 years were examined and photographed with a colposcope. After screening for the onset of puberty and the possibility of undetected abuse, 93 subjects remained. Examination techniques included a supine labial separation approach, a supine labial traction method, and a prone knee-chest position. Common genital finding included erythema of the vestibule (56%), periurethral bands (50.6%), labial adhesions (38.9%), lymphoid follicles on the fossa navicularis (33.7%), posterior fourchette midline avascular areas (25.6%), and urethral dilation with labial traction (14.9%). The hymenal orifice opened more frequently during the knee-chest (95.2%) and the labial traction (90.5%) methods than with the supine separation (79.3%) approach. Hymenal findings included mounds (33.8%), projections (33.3%), and "septal remnants"/midline hymenal tags (18.5%). Intravaginal findings of vaginal ridges (90.2%) and rugae (88.7%) were found primarily through the labial traction approach. The cervix was visualized without the use of speculum in 69% of the children during the knee-chest examination. Unusual findings included posterior fourchette friability (4.7%), anterior hymenal clefts (1.2%), and notches of the hymen (6%). One child had an imperforate hymen (1.2%) and 2 (2.5%) had hymenal septa. A vaginal discharge was detected in 2 (2.6%) and a foreign body in 1 (1.3%). Tables that include the vertical and horizontal hymenal orifice diameters by age group and by method are presented.
Child↗
Maternal drug use and risk of childhood nonlymphoblastic leukemia among offspring. An epidemiologic investigation implicating marijuana (a report from the Childrens Cancer Study Group).
The Childrens Cancer Study Group conducted a case-control study designed to assess in utero and postnatal exposures in children with acute nonlymphoblastic leukemia (ANLL). Analyses were performed for reported maternal use of medications and drugs in the year preceding and during the index pregnancy of the 204 case-control pairs. An 11-fold risk (P = 0.003) was found for maternal use of mind-altering drugs just prior to or during the index pregnancy. Compared with ANLL cases not exposed to marijuana, exposed cases were significantly younger at diagnosis of ANLL (P less than 0.01) and were more often of the myelomonocytic and monocytic subtypes (P less than 0.01). Use of antinausea medication for more than 11 weeks was also associated with a significantly elevated relative risk of 2.81 and a dose-response relationship was noted (P = 0.05 for trend). These results suggest that maternal drug use of marijuana may have an etiologic role in childhood ANLL and may be specific for morphologically defined subgroups.
Adolescent↗
Perianal findings in prepubertal children selected for nonabuse: a descriptive study.
The results of the perianal portion of a project designed to collect normative data of the anogenital anatomy from a representative sample of prepubertal children is presented. A total of 318 children were examined by three physicians from a child sexual abuse evaluation program. After screening for the onset of puberty and the possibility of undetected abuse, 267 subjects remained. The sample included 161 girls and 106 boys ranging in age from 2 months to 11 years. The perianal findings that were encountered with the greatest frequency included erythema (41%), increased pigmentation (30%), and venous engorgement (52%) after two minutes in the knee-chest position. Wedge-shaped smooth areas in the midline, with or without depressions, were found both anterior and posterior to the anus in 26% of the children. Anal skin tags/folds were discovered anterior to the anus in 11%. In 49% of the children there was some dilatation of the anus which opened and closed intermittently in 62%. Flattening of the anal verge and rugae occurred during dilatation by the midpoint of the examination in 44% and 34%, respectively. Perianal findings that were found infrequently in all subgroups included skin tags/folds (0%) and scars (1%) outside the midline, anal dilatation greater than 20 mm without the presence of stool in the rectal ampulla (1.2%), irregularity of the anal orifice after complete dilatation (3%), and prominence of the anal verge (3%). No abrasions, hematomas, fissures, or hemorrhoids were encountered. Less commonly detected findings within specific subgroups included perianal erythema in girls (32%) as compared to boys (57%), pigmentation in the lighter skinned white children (22%) when compared to black (53%) and Hispanic (58%) children, and venous congestion at the beginning of the examination (7%) when compared to the same findings after four minutes in the knee-chest position (73%). There were no perianal skin tags/folds found in the boys. The relatively high incidence of perianal soft tissue changes that were found in this study, when compared to the frequency of similar observations in children suspected of having been sexually abused, reemphasizes the caution medical examiners must exercise in rendering an opinion as to the significance of medical findings.
Anal Canal↗