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Biomedical subjects

S Taylor

Publications and source records attributed to S Taylor.

At least 361 records · Page 20Linked to original sources
PubMed1988

Factitious hypoglycemia due to surreptitious administration of insulin. Diagnosis, treatment, and long-term follow-up.

Ten patients had factitious hypoglycemia due to surreptitious insulin injections diagnosed and were followed for up to 15 years (median, 5 years; range, 2 months to 15 years). When available, demonstration of anti-insulin antibodies was the most helpful diagnostic test. Decreased plasma C-peptide levels corroborated the diagnosis. Young women (nine of ten) with knowledge of the medical profession or relatives with diabetes mellitus predominated in the sample. Five of the patients had a history of insulin-requiring diabetes mellitus. Two patients eventually committed suicide despite the best efforts at therapy. Only three of ten patients made a successful transition into productive life after the diagnosis of factitious hypoglycemia was established. Factitious hypoglycemia remains a difficult diagnosis to make, and the long-term outcome after the diagnosis is established is unpredictable. All efforts have to be made to confirm the diagnosis before the patients are approached. The confrontation is to be made by an experienced team of health care professionals who have gained the patient's confidence through an understanding but firm manner. Long-term therapy must be planned and initiated before the patient's discharge.

Adult↗
PubMed1988

Pregnancy-induced changes in prolactinomas as assessed with computed tomography.

Seven women with prolactin-secreting pituitary microadenomas and three with persistent hyperprolactinemia after surgical adenomectomies were evaluated with computed tomography to assess the effect of pregnancy on the volume of pituitary prolactinomas and hyperfunctioning pituitary tissue. In one patient a microadenoma enlarged to become a macroadenoma. Tumor enlargement occurred in the remaining six patients with microadenomas. None of the patients with previously resected adenomas exhibited hypertrophy of residual pituitary tissue or tumor recurrence after pregnancy.

Female↗
PubMed1988

Matte Blanco and skelton: systems of logic and logic of systems.

In the light of recent debate regarding the conceptual integrity of Matte Blanco's bi-logical account of the unconscious, a related issue arises concerning how the logical systems are organized. The present article suggests one means by which this may be achieved while still retaining the heuristic value of Matte Blanco's systems.

Humans↗
PubMed1987

Fetal oxygen extraction: comparison of the human and sheep.

To estimate fetal oxygen extraction in the human, the inverse, linear relationship between umbilical arterial PO2 and oxygen extraction was calculated from measurements made on cord blood samples obtained after vaginal (n = 12) and cesarean (n = 16) delivery and used to predict oxygen extraction in utero. Comparisons with similar data from fetal lambs in utero and during labor and delivery indicate that extraction in the human and sheep fetus is 47% and 27%, respectively, at PaO2 = 20 mm Hg. For the human fetus to have extraction similar to that in the fetal lamb, vascular PO2 would have to be substantially higher. This would lead to a higher umbilical venous oxygen content in the human, compensating for the lower umbilical blood flow and yielding a rate of oxygen delivery comparable with that observed in the fetal sheep. These data indicate that there may be significant quantitative differences in the fetal oxygen delivery systems in the human and sheep.

Animals↗
PubMed1987

Further studies of the Café Wall and Hollow Squares illusions.

The effect of varying the contrast on the apparent convergence is measured for both the Café Wall and the Hollow Squares (Taylor-Woodhouse) illusions. The apparent convergence is dependent on the contrast, and also on the size of the stimulus, and varies in the same way for both illusions. This strengthens the argument that the illusions are not independent, as Taylor and Woodhouse originally claimed. McCourt has discussed brightness induction as a basis of the Café Wall illusion. Consideration of this theory leads to some interesting examples of interactions of the two illusions, and to a further, very strong, variation of the illusion in a real-life situation.

Humans↗
PubMed1987

Selectivity of phenytoin and dihydropyridine calcium channel blockers for relaxation of the basilar artery.

We addressed the questions of whether or not phenytoin is a direct vasodilator and if it is selective for brain blood vessels, by studying the relaxant effects of phenytoin on isolated segments of canine basilar, femoral, and brachial arteries. Two dihydropyridine calcium channel blockers, nifedipine and PY 108-068, were also studied for comparison with phenytoin and to test for cerebral selectivity. Blood vessels were contracted with K+, prostaglandin F2 alpha, or serotonin. Phenytoin relaxed the basilar artery with low potency (pD2, 4.71 +/- 0.14) and moderate selectivity. Phenytoin also antagonized Bay K 8644 contractions of basilar artery in a noncompetitive manner. Basilar arteries contracted with 60 mM K+ were the most sensitive to nifedipine (pD2, 8.72 +/- 0.18), followed by the mesenteric (pD2, 8.24 +/- 0.07), femoral (pD2, 8.04 +/- 0.18), and brachial (pD2, 7.66 +/- 0.23) arteries. A similar pattern was observed in potassium-depolarized arteries relaxed by PY 108-068. The calcium dependence of contraction was studied using intact muscles depolarized in 60 mM K+ as well as chemically skinned basilar artery. Mean pD2 values for Ca2+-induced contractions of intact, depolarized arteries were not different (basilar, 4.15 +/- 0.13; mesenteric, 4.04 +/- 0.07; femoral, 4.24 +/- 0.11). The mean Ca2+ EC50 of chemically skinned basilar arteries was 8.7 X 10(-7) M, which is similar to the Ca2+ sensitivity of other skinned smooth muscles. The beneficial effect of phenytoin in treating cerebral ischemia may be due in part to relaxation of vascular smooth muscle. The dihydropyridines were potent smooth muscle relaxants with selectivity for the basilar artery.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)

3-Pyridinecarboxylic acid, 1,4-dihydro-2,6-dimethy↗
PubMed1987

Systematic semen culture and its influence on IVF management.

Semen specimens from 519 men were cultured for organisms 2 weeks before oocyte recovery for in-vitro fertilization (IVF). The cultures from 72 men contained more than 5000 bacteria/ml and the IVF attempt was postponed. The IVF outcome was assessed in 382 couples in relation to the semen culture result. The pregnancy rate per cycle was significantly reduced when the semen culture contained organisms compared with axenic semen (P less than 0.05). This was independent of the cleavage rate of oocytes and the number of embryos transferred. Although mycoplasma was frequently cultured, chlamydial infection was very rare and no viruses were isolated in this study.

Bacteria↗
PubMed1987

Combined therapies for squamous-cell carcinoma of the esophagus, a Southwest Oncology Group Study (SWOG-8037).

Conservative treatment of esophageal cancer with radiation therapy has afforded few long-term survivors. In order to improve outcome, patients with locoregional disease were treated using a combined modality approach. Patients were treated with chemotherapy consisting of a 96-hour continuous infusion of 5-fluorouracil (5-FU), 1,000 mg/m2/d, days 1 to 4 and days 29 to 32; cisplatin 75 mg/m2, day 1 and 29; and radiation 3,000 rad, days 1 to 19. In the absence of progressive disease, patients underwent esophagectomy. One hundred twenty-eight patients were registered of whom 113 were eligible and 106 were evaluable. Toxicity included gastrointestinal (GI) symptoms, mucositis, and myelosuppression. One hundred two patients completed chemoradiotherapy. Following its completion, 11 patients refused surgery, six were considered poor surgical risks, and 14 had progressive disease. Of the remaining 71 patients, 16 had unresectable disease, 13 had residual disease which was incompletely resected, 24 had disease which could be completely resected, and 18 were without disease on pathologic examination. The overall operability rate was 63% and the overall resectability rate, 49%. Surgical mortality was 11%. Eighty-nine of 113 eligible patients have died, with a median survival of 12 months and a 2-year survival of 28%. The median postsurgical survival for all 71 patients was 14 months and was 32 months for those patients attaining complete remission (CR). Combined modality therapy remains an investigational approach. Attempts should be directed at increasing response rate to initial therapy. A randomized comparison between combined modality treatment and radiation therapy is necessary to definitively determine the usefulness of this more aggressive approach.

Antineoplastic Combined Chemotherapy Protocols↗
PubMed1987

Growth factors with heparin binding affinity in human synovial fluid.

Synovial effusions were obtained from the knees of 15 subjects with joint trauma, menisceal or ligamentous injury, or osteoarthritis. Heparin-Sepharose affinity chromatography of these synovial fluids revealed, in general, three major peaks of mitogenic activity as measured by incorporation of 3H-thymidine into 3T3 cells. Gradient elution patterns showed activities at 0.5M NaCl, which is characteristic of platelet derived growth factor, and at 1.1M NaCl and 1.6M NaCl, indicative of acidic and basic fibroblast growth factors, respectively. The identities of these mitogenic fractions were confirmed by specific immunologic and receptor-binding assays. The presence of platelet derived, acidic and basic fibroblast growth factors in the synovial fluid may contribute to wound healing in the arthritic joint.

Animals↗
PubMed1987

Fatal hepatic necrosis due to pyrimethamine-sulfadoxine (Fansidar).

Pyrimethamine-sulfadoxine has been associated with severe and fatal cutaneous reactions as well as transient liver damage. We report the case of a patient who died of progressive hepatic failure caused by pyrimethamine-sulfadoxine administration. In addition, we summarize reports made to the Food and Drug Administration since 1982 that focus on hepatotoxic reactions to pyrimethamine-sulfadoxine. We suggest that fatal hepatic injury can occur after treatment with pyrimethamine-sulfadoxine and that physicians who prescribe the drug should be aware of this possibility.

Adolescent↗
PubMed1987

Autoimmune thrombocytopenia and primary biliary cirrhosis with hypoglycemia and insulin receptor autoantibodies. A case report.

A 43-year-old woman with spontaneous episodes of neuroglycopenic hypoglycemia was found to have immune-mediated thrombocytopenic purpura and primary biliary cirrhosis. Hypoglycemia along with hyperinsulinemia suggested insulinoma. Serum c-peptide levels were disproportionately low, raising the possibility of factitious hypoglycemia. The patient's plasma contained circulating insulin receptor autoantibodies, thought to cause hypoglycemia by their insulin-like actions. With prednisone therapy, her other autoimmune features improved, and the hypoglycemia eventually resolved. Hypoglycemia mediated by insulin receptor autoantibodies should be considered in patients with fasting hypoglycemia and features suggesting an underlying autoimmune disorder before pursuing more invasive procedures. High-dose steroids may be life-saving in this disorder.

Adult↗
PubMed1987

Immunohistochemical localization of collagens and fibronectin in human breast neoplasms.

Forty four specimens from neoplastic, hyperplastic and normal human breast tissues were studied for localization of collagens and fibronectin. Affinity purified antihuman type I, III and IV collagens and antifibronectins were utilized by the indirect immunoperoxidase technique on fixed and paraffin-embedded sections. 86% of the cell cytoplasm of infiltrating ductal and 83% of the lobular cancers were positively stained for collagen type I and III. Collagen type IV, however, was detected in 100% of infiltrating ductal and 83% of lobular carcinomas. Focal cytoplasmic staining is a predominant feature for all antigens in the intraduct carcinoma while a diffuse pattern is encountered in the infiltrating types. Intact basement membranes in various lesions always stained for type IV collagen and showed variable staining for type III collagen and fibronectin. Epithelia of normal, benign, hyperplastic breast and most medullary carcinoma were negative for the three collagen types. Our results are in favour of the view that infiltrating breast carcinoma cells produce inappropriately the majority of collagens and inconsistently other proteins such as fibronectin.

Biomarkers, Tumor↗