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Biomedical subjects

Y Levin

Publications and source records attributed to Y Levin.

At least 19 recordsLinked to original sources
PubMed2000

Rare Jatropha multifida intoxication in two children.

Two children were admitted to the Emergency Department (ED) after ingesting a large amount of fruit of a plant identified as Jatropha multifida. They were mildly obtunded, had intractable vomiting, and seemed dehydrated. Intravenous fluid replacement and urine alkalinization were initiated. After stabilization, their 5-day hospital stays were uneventful except for a subclinical rise of liver enzymes. Jatropha species contain the toxalbumin ricin, which causes severe vomiting and diarrhea, dehydration, shock, and renal and hepatic impairment. Ricin also has cardiotoxic and hemolytic effects and several deaths have been documented. Children are attracted by the shape and the color of the Jatropha fruits. Mortality can be prevented by immediate fluid and electrolyte replacement.

Child↗
PubMed1999

Brucellosis outbreak: analysis of risk factors and serologic screening.

Israel is one of the Mediterranean countries in which Brucellosis is endemic. As recently there has been a Brucellosis outbreak in a kibbutz, the aim of this study is to identify asymptomatic infected Kibbutz members, and to delineate the manner of infection in this setting. Therefore, all the asymptomatic Kibbutz members were screened by the Rose Bengal test for Brucellosis, while both patients and healthy members were asked to fill in a questionnaire in order to pinpoint the manner of infection, and signs and symptoms of the disease. In addition to the 14 patients with Brucellosis, 2 other Kibbutz members were also found to be infected by the screening tests. Analysis of the data of the questionnaires from 142 healthy and 16 patients disclosed that almost all of the infected patients (15/16) worked in the cowshed, as opposed to only 24 out of 142 (16.9%) of the healthy members. The infected tended to participate more in calf deliveries, and had contact with cow's blood and placenta, compared with the healthy subjects (P<0.001), while there were no significant differences with respect to having cuts on hands, or working in the cowshed without gloves. In addition, 15 out of 16 (93.8%) infected persons also drank unpasteurized milk, as compared with only 17 of the 142 (12%) healthy members (P<0.001), and thus were exposed to 2 major risk factors (working in the cowshed and consumption of unpasteurized milk). As the cows of the Kibbutz's cowshed were affected by Brucella melitensis (which usually affects flocks of goats and sheep rather than cows), the microbe was probably transmitted to the cowshed from neighboring flocks by wandering dogs, and then to the infected humans.

Adult↗
PubMed1994

A double-blind trial of carbamazepine in negative symptom schizophrenia.

Twenty-eight residual schizophrenics hospitalized in a chronic institution with a 9 to 30 year history of disease, with predominantly negative symptoms were given carbamazepine. Carbamazepine was administered in a double-blind trial and therapeutic effects were measured by the Scale for the Assessment of Negative Symptoms (SANS). Patients were also assessed for positive symptoms using the Brief Psychiatric Rating Scale (BPRS), for depression using the Hamilton Depression Scale, for extrapyramidal symptoms by the Simpson and Angus scale, to rule out these symptoms as sources of secondary negative symptoms. The study continued for 7 weeks with therapeutic carbamazepine levels achieved during the last 5 weeks. There was no significant positive effect of carbamazepine on negative symptoms.

Adult↗
PubMed1993

Histidine2 of the alpha-factor of Saccharomyces cerevisiae is not essential for binding to its receptor or for biological activity.

Seven His2 analogs of the Saccharomyces cerevisiae [Nle12]alpha-factor, WXWLQLKPGQP(Nle)Y, where X = beta-D-thienylalanine, beta-L-thienylalanine, 1-D-methylhistidine, 1-L-methylhistidine, 3-D-methylhistidine, 3-L-methylhistidine, and beta-3-L-pyridylalanine, were synthesized and purified to homogeneity. Assays were carried out on binding to the alpha-factor receptor and of biological activity determined by either growth arrest or morphological changes in target cells. In the L-isomer, replacement of the imidazole of histidine by thiophene or 3-pyridyl groups or derivatization of either nitrogen of the imidazole ring by methylation resulted in a 2-100-fold decrease in bioactivity. D-Isomers of the beta-thienylalanyl-, 1-methylhistidinyl-, or 3-methylhistidinyl-alpha-factors did not possess measurable bioactivity with the exception of comparatively low activity of the 3-D-methylhistidinyl and 1-D-methylhistidinyl-alpha-factors in the morphogenesis assay. In contrast, both active and inactive analogs demonstrated binding affinities 10-20-fold less than that of [Nle12]alpha-factor. These results indicate that the histidine residue of alpha-factor is not required for binding to the receptor or for biological activity and that bioactivity and binding can be dissociated through the use of pheromone analogs.

Amino Acid Sequence↗
PubMed1992

Effects of antipsychotic drugs on memory functions of schizophrenic patients.

In this research we investigated the effects of 4 antipsychotic drugs with different anticholinergic components on different memory functions of schizophrenic patients. Drugs were administered in cumulative doses and memory was tested 90 min after each drug was administered. The results show that chlorpromazine and thioridazine impaired short-term verbal memory after 6 h of sequential administration. Trifluoperazine and haloperidol improved short-term verbal memory from the third to the fifth administration. Immediate memory, long-term memory and visual short-term memory were not impaired by any drug.

Adult↗