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At least 343 records · Page 19Linked to original sources

[Head shaking test (HSN) using to diagnose vestibule damage].

INTRODUCTION: There is described a transient nystagmus provoked by shaking the head in the horizontal plane for a few seconds in both normal subjects and patients that is called Head Shaking Test (HSN) as a diagnostic tool for vestibular dysfunction. HSN is generally accepted that is generated by an asymmetrical peripheral vestibular input and a central velocity storage mechanism, which integrate and extend the peripheral vestibular signals. Purposes 1. Creation of own modification method of stimulation and registration HSN 2. Estimation of HSN test value to show asymmetrical function of vestibular system 3. Establish possibility of HSN test to localization of damage vestibular system 4. Verification this test to use it as screening test MATERIAL AND METHODS: Studied group was consisted of 111 subjects that consist of 68 women and 43 men with mean age 52,4 years. All patients and controls were submitted to audiological tests and vestibular examinations According to the results of the otoneurological tests, patients were divided into: 36 with peripheral vestibular disease, 37 with central vestibular disease, 6 with both peripheral and central vestibular disease and 32 control persons. Own modified HSN test was described. Frequency of movements was approximately 2 Hz determined by metronome. HSN was recorded using ENG apparatus produced by Hartmann. RESULTS: In the first study stage incidence of HSN-H and HSN-V related to localization of vestibular organ damage, symmetric and asymmetric reaction in tested. It was observed more incidence of HSN-H and HSN-V in patients with peripheral and central lesion of vestibular system than in control group. Estimation of HSN incidence related to kinetic test--acceleration-deceleration rotary test shows the same HSN frequency in compared groups, with symmetric or asymmetric reaction in rotary test. HSN frequency related to caloric test (canal paresis) showed statistic differences between normal and canal paresis reaction in caloric test. Analysis incidence of HSN-V revealed no significant differences between examined groups. In the second studied stage the sensitivity and specificity were examined. CONCLUSIONS: 1. It is possible to make HSN test using metronome and ENG recording 2. HSN test may be use to reveal asymmetry of vestibular function. 3. HSN is helpful to diagnose peripheral and central lesion to some extent. 4. HSN is not useful as screening test

Adolescent↗

[Sensor-induced rate adaptation: sensor systems and tuning. Manual versus automatic tuning].

BACKGROUND: Rate adaptive stimulation represents an established therapeutic option in the management of cardiac rhythm disturbance. To realize a physiologic heart rate in patients with chronotopic incompetence several different sensor systems were developed. Due to the requirements of a physiologic pacemaker with all algorithms and therapeutic functions complex pacemaker systems were created. The realization of an automatic rate optimization was given by self adjusting algorithm or new sensor systems (closed loop systems). Comparing data respecting automatic vs manual sensor adjustment are not present. The automatic sensor adjustment was examined only in small patient groups. CONCLUSION: This studies indicated that most patients could be adjusted by the automatic function. Nevertheless, out of technical reasons a small group of patients could not be adjusted. The verification of the correct individual rate response in all patients treated with rate response pacemakers belongs to the physicians obligation.

Adult↗

[Computed tomographic examination of muscle volume, cross-section and density in patients with dysgnathia].

PURPOSE: The individual jaw position is determined by the masticatory muscle among other factors. Before surgical treatment of malocclusions, thorough evaluation of the muscles is required to estimate the relapse risk. MATERIALS AND METHODS: By means of computer tomography, lateral radiographs of the skull and denture models, the relationships between morphological parameters of the masticatory muscles and the jaw bone were analyzed. Furthermore, possible causes for the extent of the malocclusion are described. RESULTS: A patient group with deep overbite was found to have significantly higher muscle densities (measured in Hounsfield units [HU]) in the medial pterygoideus muscle (59.89 +/- 3.91 HU to 48.94 +/- 4.14 HU, p < 0.01), masseter muscle, and genioglossus muscle (p < 0.05) in comparison to open bite patients. Significant differences of the muscle cross-section were measured in the masseter muscle between patients with retroclined maxillary incisors and with an open bite (5.4 +/- 0.7 cm (2) to 3.8 +/- 0.4 cm (2), p < 0.05). CONCLUSION: The results show a correlation between different jaw positions and masticatory muscles. They also suggest that the function of each muscle may be different. Additional examinations of the muscle structures are required for verification of the influence of the masticatory muscles on facial morphology.

Bone Density↗

Detection and preliminary analysis of motifs in promoters of anaerobically induced genes of different plant species.

BACKGROUND AND AIMS: Plants can suffer from oxygen limitation during flooding or more complete submergence and may therefore switch from Kreb's cycle respiration to fermentation in association with the expression of anaerobically inducible genes coding for enzymes involved in glycolysis and fermentation. The aim of this study was to clarify mechanisms of transcriptional regulation of these anaerobic genes by identifying motifs shared by their promoter regions. METHODS: Statistically significant motifs were detected by an in silico method from 13 promoters of anaerobic genes. The selected motifs were common for the majority of analysed promoters. Their significance was evaluated by searching for their presence in transcription factor-binding site databases (TRANSFAC, PlantCARE and PLACE). Using several negative control data sets, it was tested whether the motifs found were specific to the anaerobic group. KEY RESULTS: Previously, anaerobic response elements have been identified in maize (Zea mays) and arabidopsis (Arabidopsis thaliana) genes. Known functional motifs were detected, such as GT and GC motifs, but also other motifs shared by most of the genes examined. Five motifs detected have not been found in plants hitherto but are present in the promoters of animal genes with various functions. The consensus sequences of these novel motifs are 5'-AAACAAA-3', 5'-AGCAGC-3', 5'-TCATCAC-3', 5'-GTTT(A/C/T)GCAA-3' and 5'-TTCCCTGTT-3'. CONCLUSIONS: It is believed that the promoter motifs identified could be functional by conferring anaerobic sensitivity to the genes that possess them. This proposal now requires experimental verification.

Anaerobiosis↗

Role of stress testing and cardiac imaging in patients who have undergone previous coronary revascularization.

Stress testing and cardiac imaging have been part of established practice for evaluating patients with suspected coronary disease. With the increasing use of revascularization procedures, there is increasing interest in using these tests for evaluation of patients with possible coronary restenosis or graft coronary disease. Although a number of reports have suggested that nuclear and echocardiographic imaging have high diagnostic accuracy for these conditions, the usefulness of imaging for diagnostic purposes must be questioned, primarily because of verification bias. When used for assessment of prognosis, however, nuclear imaging clearly has been shown to function well in postbypass surgery patients. Exercise hemodynamics, particularly exercise capacity and heart rate response, may also be powerful predictors of risk in these patients. Future work will be needed to determine whether stress echocardiography has similar prognostic properties among postbypass patients and to define the optimal role of imaging in patients who have had recent percutaneous coronary intervention.

Algorithms↗

Mass spectrometry in the characterization of cereal seed proteins.

In less then a decade, applications of matrix-assisted laser desorption/ionisation (MALDI) and electrospray ionisation (ESI) mass spectrometry to the investigation of prolamins have rapidly evolved from measurements of the molecular mass of isolated proteins to a proteomic approach attempting to characterise the complete protein pattern in the seed. Mass spectrometry is currently making significant contributions to the understanding of the composition and structure of the gluten proteins and, in turn, to the elucidation of structure-function relationships. Results obtained using mass spectrometry, including determination of the molecular masses of prolamins, direct verification of gene-derived sequences, determination of the number of cysteine residues and localisation of disulphide bonds, investigation of the gluten toxicity for celiac patients, qualitative and quantitative determination of gliadins in food and determination of the protein pattern and its modification during seed maturation by proteomic approaches, are summarised here, to illustrate current trends and individuate possible future perspectives.

Celiac Disease↗

[Biostatistical models in experimental gerontology].

Morphometric measuring values present themselves in a definite distribution which changes in the ageing process. This change of distribution can be clarified by distribution analyses. Another task within the analysis of frequency distributions is the decomposition of mixed distributions, as they may appear in various parameters in the course of life. The linear regression analysis is, for instance, to be used in the verification of sexual divergencies in the process of ageing. An adaptation of non-linear exponential functions to series of measuring values serves, among others, to make evidence concerning the ageing rapidity of the tissues. When in gerontological inquiries at the same time many different characteristics are determined also the degree of their ageing dependency is of interest. This is to be established by means of a special transformation within the factor analysis. Finally the study shows instances for the application of contingency tables in qualitative characteristics and the investigation of their frequency in the process of ageing as well as for the use of the cluster analysis.

Adolescent↗

The use of positron emission tomography in pion radiotherapy.

The radioactive debris produced by pion radiotherapy can be imaged by the technique of Positron Emission Tomography (PET) as a method of non-invasive in situ verification of the pion treatment. This paper presents the first visualization of the pion stopping distribution within a tumor in a human brain using PET. Together with the tissue functional information provided by the standard PET scans using radiopharmaceuticals, the combination of pion with PET technique can provide a much better form of radiotherapy than the use of conventional radiation in both treatment planning and verification.

Brain Neoplasms↗

Verification of self-reported asthma and allergy in subjects and their family members volunteering for gene mapping studies.

Studies which aim at mapping genes contributing to the development of asthma and atopy demand that hundreds of patients and their family members be assessed. In Finland, the Social Insurance Institution (SII) grants substantial reimbursement for medication to all patients who meet diagnostic criteria of asthma, which include a history of asthmatic symptoms and a measured reversibility of bronchial obstruction. To recruit a large number of asthma patients efficiently in a short period of time, we took advantage of the national reimbursement procedure and retrospectively collective data on patients' medical history and lung function test results at the time of diagnosis. First, we wanted to investigate if the reimbursements could be regarded as objective verification for self-reported asthma. Altogether 335 adult self-reported asthma patients were evaluated, 87% of them were verified as having chronic asthma. Reimbursement for medication showed a sensitivity of 95% and a specificity of 76% for verified asthma. Second, we were interested to see if self-reported nasal allergic symptoms or self-reported physician diagnosed allergic rhinitis were sensitive and specific measures of allergy. The self-reported allergic nasal symptoms had a poor specificity (31% in the proband group and 59% in the family members group) when compared to the allergy screening test (Phadiatop). The best verification for self-reported asthma was achieved by combining the information on self-reported disease, granted reimbursement by the SII and the medical records. For allergies, the specificity of self-reporting was far too low to be used alone, and a positive allergy screening test together with relevant symptoms was chosen as a marker of allergy.

Adolescent↗

[(An algorithm for determining values of parameters of the Gompertz growth function)].

In the literature some attempts were made to analyse and to construct models for biological growth processes and to describe the quantitative aspects of a growth characteristic's changes in time using the Gompertz' function y=aexp(-exp(b--ct)). In this paper differential equations are derived having the Gompertz' function as solution. The goodness of fit after adjusting a chosen analytical expression to the courses of measured values is able to give hints at the reliability of that expression as a true model. This possibility of verification was hardly practiced in past because of lacking in proper numerical procedures for performing the nonlinear regression. An ALGOL program for iterative adjusting the parameters of the GOMPERTZ' function (with or without a constant term) to measured values is given in an appendix of the present paper. Starting values for the nonlinear parameters b and c will be evaluated by Internal Least Squares using one of the derived differential equations. For this algorithm an ALGOL program is given in the appendix too. The growth of human embryo serves as an example to demonstrate the numerical procedures and related programs for evaluating the starting values of the parameters and for their iterative improvement until reaching a minimum for the remainding variance between calculated and measured courses.

Computers↗

Expansive laminoplasty as a method for managing cervical multilevel spondylotic myelopathy.

STUDY DESIGN: This study evaluated 12 patients with multilevel cervical spondylotic myelopathy who underwent Kurokawa's procedure using hydroxyapatite spacers and performed with T-saw thread wire. OBJECTIVES: To assess the efficacy and safety of Kurokawa's laminoplasty for patients with multilevel cervical spondylotic myelopathy using the T-saw, and to determine the radiographic and clinical factors that correlate with the prognosis. SUMMARY OF BACKGROUND DATA: Spinous process-splitting laminoplasty as an alternative or a combined method with an anterior approach was evaluated for the management of multilevel stenosis of the cervical spine. METHODS: This study involved 12 patients (10 men and 2 women) with multilevel spondylotic myelopathy managed with expansive laminoplasty using the T-saw to open the spinous process. The mean age of the patients was 56 years. The mean postoperative follow-up period was 2 years. Magnetic resonance imaging and computed tomography scan were performed for all the patients. Clinical status and mobility after surgery also were evaluated. The average duration of symptoms was 3 years (range, 3 months to 5 years). RESULTS: Nine patients had five levels of decompression (C3-C7), and three patients had four levels of decompression: C3-C6 (2 patients) and C4-C7 (1 patient). The mean duration of surgery was 3 hours. No cases of postoperative kyphosis, instability, or neurologic deficit were found. All the patients had a decrease of at least one level. The mean Nurick Functional Disability Score improved from 2.8 (range, 2-4) before surgery to 1.2 (range 1-3) after surgery. Verification of the canal expansion was measured using the increase of the spinal canal-vertebral body ratio at each level from C3 to C7 in nine patients, from C3 to C6 in two patients, and from C4 to C7 in one patient. After surgery, it was possible to make a comparison by measuring the osseous canal directly with computed tomography scans and high-resolution magnetic resonance imaging. The levels of myelomalacia assessed by magnetic resonance imaging in all the patients was 2.5 before surgery, and less than one level (range, 0-2) thereafter, the posterior movement of the spinal cord in all the patients at level C5 being 1.2 mm. At the latest follow-up evaluation, cervical motion assessed by plain radiographs in flexion and extension, both before and after surgery, decreased 29% (range, 25-32%). CONCLUSIONS: Laminoplasty with the T-saw technique appears to be a good method for managing multilevel cervical spondylotic myelopathy. This method is associated with a low rate of complications that also allows marked functional improvement in most patients. It can be used as a complement to anterior surgery.

Aged↗

Evaluation of neuronavigation in lesional and non-lesional epilepsy surgery.

OBJECTIVE: For many patients, surgery for intractable epilepsy provides not only freedom or substantial relief from seizures, but also functional improvement and increased quality of life. Precise intraoperative localization of the underlying structural and functional processes is crucial in this regard. The aim of this study was to clinically evaluate whether neuronavigation leads to an improvement in the precision and safety of epilepsy surgery. In this paper, we also attempt to assess the navigation workstation as a platform for the integration of multimodal information (multimodal information guidance). PATIENTS: Out of a series of 223 epilepsy surgery procedures, 140 were performed with the aid of neuronavigation. Patient and surgical data were prospectively collected. METHODS: We used the neuronavigation device as a common platform to merge complementary information modalities. Correlation of anatomic and structural details with functional information contributed to the surgical script in non-lesional and localization-related epilepsy surgery. At least two different information modalities contributed to planning and surgical guidance in every patient. Immediately following the operative procedure, the surgeon answered a set of questions on the reasons for the application of neuronavigation, and the efficiency and safety of navigation. Detailed analysis of the location of the operative procedure, histopathological findings and outcome was performed. RESULTS: The main benefits of neuronavigation in epilepsy surgery were precision of targeting even in small and deep-seated targets, safe manipulation in critical brain areas, accurate placement of electrodes, and correlation of electro-clinical information modalities with underlying structures. Furthermore, navigation provided individual tailoring of craniotomy and corticotomy. It was less reliable for verification of resection boundaries in the case of underlying glioma. Neuronavigational localization and its combination with image fusion and functional investigations greatly improved discussion within the epilepsy surgery team. CONCLUSION: The neuronavigation concept proved its value in epilepsy surgery by linking anatomic, pathologic and functional data of the individual patient. Enhanced by the integration of multimodal information, neuronavigation significantly improved the available treatment options.

Adolescent↗

The impact of childhood obesity on musculoskeletal form.

Despite the greater prevalence of musculoskeletal disorders in obese adults, the consequences of childhood obesity on the development and function of the musculoskeletal system have received comparatively little attention within the literature. Of the limited number of studies performed to date, the majority have focused on the impact of childhood obesity on skeletal structure and alignment, and to a lesser extent its influence on clinical tests of motor performance including muscular strength, balance and locomotion. Although collectively these studies imply that the functional and structural limitations imposed by obesity may result in aberrant lower limb mechanics and the potential for musculoskeletal injury, empirical verification is currently lacking. The delineation of the effects of childhood obesity on musculoskeletal structure in terms of mass, adiposity, anthropometry, metabolic effects and physical inactivity, or their combination, has not been established. More specifically, there is a lack of research regarding the effect of childhood obesity on the properties of connective tissue structures, such as tendons and ligaments. Given the global increase in childhood obesity, there is a need to ascertain the consequences of persistent obesity on musculoskeletal structure and function. A better understanding of the implications of childhood obesity on the development and function of the musculoskeletal system would assist in the provision of more meaningful support in the prevention, treatment and management of the musculoskeletal consequences of the condition.

Adult↗

The use of ultrasound in monitoring reproductive physiology of beef cattle.

Real-time, B-mode ultrasonography provides the opportunity to improve the methods of evaluation of ovarian function and diagnoses of pregnancy in beef cattle. Determination of the sex of a fetus early in pregnancy (d 55 to 85) and verification of embryo viability by monitoring fetal heartbeat are unique methods involving ultrasound scanning. These techniques and a method for evaluating the technique of artificial insemination can be used to improve reproductive management of cattle. The way in which ultrasound technology may have its greatest impact is as a tool for improving on the method of palpation per rectum for monitoring ovarian function and pregnancy in beef cows and heifers. Determination of fetal sex and monitoring embryo mortality are less likely to be applied regularly in herd management, but these procedures will be valuable in conducting research in reproductive physiology of beef cattle.

Animals↗

Clinical verification of a unilateral otolith test.

In a previous study we reported promising results for a new test to differentiate in vivo unilateral otolith functions. That study pointed to a need for further validation on known pathological cases. In this presentation we will detail the results gathered on a group of clinically verified vestibular defectives (verum) and a normal (control) group. The subjects in the verum group were former patients of the ENT clinic of the university hospital. These subjects had usually suffered from neurinoma of the VIIth cranial nerve or inner ear infections. All had reguired surgical intervention including removal of the vestibular system. The patients were contacted usually two or more years postoperatively. A group of students from the pre- and clinical phase of medical training served as control. Both groups were subjected to standardized clinical tests. These tests served to reconfirm the intra- or postoperative diagnosis of unilateral vestibular loss in the verum group. In the control group they had to establish the normalcy of the responses of the vestibular system. Both groups then underwent testing on our eccentric rotary chain in the manner described before. Preliminary results of the trials indicate that this test may indeed for the first time offer a chance to look at isolated otolith apparati in vivo.

Adult↗

C. elegans ORFeome version 1.1: experimental verification of the genome annotation and resource for proteome-scale protein expression.

To verify the genome annotation and to create a resource to functionally characterize the proteome, we attempted to Gateway-clone all predicted protein-encoding open reading frames (ORFs), or the 'ORFeome,' of Caenorhabditis elegans. We successfully cloned approximately 12,000 ORFs (ORFeome 1.1), of which roughly 4,000 correspond to genes that are untouched by any cDNA or expressed-sequence tag (EST). More than 50% of predicted genes needed corrections in their intron-exon structures. Notably, approximately 11,000 C. elegans proteins can now be expressed under many conditions and characterized using various high-throughput strategies, including large-scale interactome mapping. We suggest that similar ORFeome projects will be valuable for other organisms, including humans.

Alternative Splicing↗

The hearing aid feedback path: mathematical simulations and experimental verification.

Acoustic feedback in hearing aids has received little attention in the literature. Feedback occurs when stability conditions of the open-loop transfer function of an in situ hearing aid are violated. Solving the feedback problem will first require knowledge of the open-loop transfer function. Included in the open-loop transfer function is the acoustical path by which sound emanating from the earmold vent returns to the microphone (i.e., the feedback path). Reported herein are two different mathematical procedures for simulating transfer functions of the feedback path of an eyeglass-type hearing aid. In one procedure the vent exit was modeled as a point source of sound located on a flat plane, while it was treated as a point source on a sphere in the other. Results of laboratory experiments indicate that the mathematical models accurately predict those acoustic phenomena for which they were intended: point sources on plane and spherical baffles. Results of manikin experiments showed both models to be less accurate for simulating the feedback path around the human head. The maximum difference between experiment and theory was 6 dB at one frequency. Surprisingly, the flat-baffle model produced better agreement with experimental results than did the sphere model.

Acoustics↗