Search PubMed⌕ Search

SEARCH · Search PubMed

Results for “MONSTERS”

Search indexed PubMed citations on genomics, clinical trials, systematic reviews and public health. Explore titles, authors and supplied subject terms, then open the PubMed record.

Quote a phrase for an exact phrase match. Source license links do not imply unrestricted reuse.

At least 73 records · Page 4Linked to original sources
PubMedDate not supplied

Air quality monitoring during indoor Monster Truck and car demolition shows.

This article describes the results of air quality monitoring in an indoor ice skating rink during three Monster Truck and car demolition exhibitions, and the public health study that was carried out. The exposure of the people present to carbon monoxide and nitrogen dioxide was continuously monitored in order to determine the time-weighted average concentrations and the maximum peaks. Nitrogen dioxide concentrations were generally under the limit of detection of the device (0.5 ppm). However, carbon monoxide levels exceeded standards for workers. Maximum time-weighted average concentrations during the exhibitions were 100 parts per million with several peaks exceeding 200 parts per million (maximum value: 1600 parts per million). Recommendations were made and during a subsequent event, the carbon monoxide concentrations were reduced to protect health. Indoor exhibitions of motorized vehicles generate significant amounts of combustion gases, which can be a health hazard. There must be sufficient ventilation and the carbon monoxide and nitrogen dioxide concentrations must be monitored. In addition, the motors of the most polluting vehicles should be adjusted before the events in order to limit the emission of combustion products. If these steps are not met, the events should be held outdoors.

Air Pollution, Indoor↗
PubMed1980

A remark on the Conway-Norton conjecture about the "Monster" simple group.

By the method of second quantization we construct an infinite-dimensional graded module for the centralizer of an involution of the Fischer-Griess "Monster" simple group F(1) so that the Thompson series are those conjectured by Conway and Norton. As a consequence we obtain some identities and congruences relating modular functions j and eta. We are hopeful that this representation can be extended to the whole group F(1), proving all the conjectures by Conway and Norton in their recent paper [Conway, J. H. & Norton, S. P. (1979) Bull. London Math. Soc. 11, 308-339].

Journal Article↗
PubMed1984

"Hopeful monsters," transposons, and Metazoan radiation.

The appearance of many novel morphologies, frequently expressed taxonomically as new phyla, classes, or orders, occurs with such rapidity in evolutionary time that microevolutionary substitutions involving structural genes seem an implausible mechanism. It has been suggested that such novelties are produced by changes in developmental and regulatory structures and patterns rather than by an accumulation of single structural gene changes. The horizontal transmission of genetic material via RNA-based viruses between members of a population may rapidly create intrafertile sub-populations that differ markedly from their parents and form the basis of new morphological types, avoiding the usual fitness problems associated with "hopeful monsters."

Journal Article↗
PubMed1986

Vertex algebras, Kac-Moody algebras, and the Monster.

It is known that the adjoint representation of any Kac-Moody algebra A can be identified with a subquotient of a certain Fock space representation constructed from the root lattice of A. I define a product on the whole of the Fock space that restricts to the Lie algebra product on this subquotient. This product (together with a infinite number of other products) is constructed using a generalization of vertex operators. I also construct an integral form for the universal enveloping algebra of any Kac-Moody algebra that can be used to define Kac-Moody groups over finite fields, some new irreducible integrable representations, and a sort of affinization of any Kac-Moody algebra. The "Moonshine" representation of the Monster constructed by Frenkel and others also has products like the ones constructed for Kac-Moody algebras, one of which extends the Griess product on the 196884-dimensional piece to the whole representation.

Journal Article↗
PubMed1986

Bite of the venomous lizard, the Gila monster.

The bite of the Gila monster may cause significant symptoms, including constitutional symptoms, pain, edema, mild hypotension, and less frequently, shock (as in the case reported here). Envenomations may be life-threatening but generally are easily managed by symptomatic and supportive measures and appear to be less toxic than envenomations by other poisonous reptiles. Prudent handling of captive animals could probably prevent the majority of these already uncommon bites.

Adrenal Cortex Hormones↗
PubMed1994

Nursing home aides: saints or monsters?

In-depth fieldwork in a New York City nursing home shows that most aides were neither saints nor monsters. Only a small minority were consistently cruel, on the one hand, or consistently warm and supportive, on the other. While there were many instances of harsh treatment of patients, most nursing aides were kind and helpful to residents most of the time. Indeed, many aides established relations with patients that they and the patients found gratifying.

Attitude of Health Personnel↗
PubMed1999

Differential expression of CD34 and Ki-M1p in pleomorphic fibroma and dermatofibroma with monster cells.

Pleomorphic fibroma (PF) and dermatofibroma with monster cells (DFMC) are characterized by the presence of numerous cells with large atypical nuclei. Despite cytologic similarities, the two entities are likely to be unrelated, but their histogenesis is poorly understood. In this study, we examined six cases of PF and eleven cases of DFMC by immunohistochemistry using antibodies against vimentin, alpha-smooth muscle actin, S-100 protein, CD34, factor XIIIa, and the pan-monocytic marker Ki-M1p. Strong vimentin expression was seen in all tumors, whereas none of them expressed S-100 protein. PF consistently exhibited CD34 staining but appeared to be depleted of Ki-M1p positive cells compared with the surrounding normal skin. Conversely, all cases of DFMC contained numerous Ki-M1p positive cells including atypical multinucleate cells, but virtually no CD34 reactivity was observed. A weak staining for alpha-smooth muscle actin was occasionally seen in a subset of the cells of both entities. Our results indicate that PF and DFMC are histogenetically distinct entities that may arise from two different types of dermal dendritic cells defined by their reactivity for CD34 and Ki-M1p, respectively. Immunohistochemistry using these two antibodies permits an easy and reliable discrimination between PF and DFMC.

Actins↗
PubMed2004

A follow-up survey on seizures induced by animated cartoon TV program "Pocket Monster".

PURPOSE: To identify the short-term outcome of patients who had seizures while watching an animated cartoon TV program, "Pocket Monster," on December 16, 1997. METHODS: One and three years after the incident, questionnaires were sent to physicians of each patient about seizure recurrence, EEGs, and medication. RESULTS: Among 103 patients in whom epileptic seizures occurred during the TV program and information on the outcomes was available, 25 (24%) patients had a history of unprovoked seizures before the incident (Epilepsy Group), and 78 (76%) did not (Non-Epilepsy Group). Twenty-three (22%) patients were reported to have seizures after the incident, and 15 of them had visually induced seizures. Patients of the Epilepsy Group had more seizure recurrence than did those of the Non-Epilepsy Group (56% vs. 9%; p < 0.0001), either for unprovoked (44% vs. 4%; p < 0.0001) or visually induced seizures (28% vs. 9%; p < 0.05). Of nine patients of the Non-Epilepsy Group who had seizures after the incident, only three developed recurrent unprovoked seizures. In the Non-Epilepsy Group, no difference was found in seizure recurrence between patients in whom valproate (VPA) was prescribed immediately after the incident and in those without medication (one of five (20%) vs. seven of 73 (10%); p > 0.05). EEG was performed at least once in 98 patients after the incident. Photoparoxysmal response (PPR) was present in 45 (46%) patients, and spontaneous epileptiform discharges, in 49 (50%). PPR did not have any correlation with recurrence of seizures, neither spontaneous nor visually induced seizures, whereas spontaneous epileptiform discharges showed a good correlation with seizure recurrence (34% vs. 8%; p < 0.01), including visually induced seizures (24% vs. 2%; p < 0.01). CONCLUSIONS: Short-term outcomes showed that 70 (68%) of 103 patients who had a seizure during the incident had no seizures before and during < or = 3 years of follow-up.

Adolescent↗
PubMed1989

Purification and characterization of five variants of phospholipase A2 and complete primary structure of the main phospholipase A2 variant in Heloderma suspectum (Gila monster) venom.

1. Five increasingly anionic variants (Pa1-Pa5) of Ca2+-dependent phospholipase A2 were purified to homogeneity from the venom of the lizard Heloderma suspectum (Gila monster). The purification procedure was based on semi-preparative reverse-phase HPLC followed by anion-exchange HPLC and analytical reverse-phase HPLC. 2. Their Mr were 17,000-18,000, as deduced by SDS/PAGE. Specific activities tested by the capacity to hydrolyze phosphatidylcholines at pH 8.5 decreased as follows: Pa3 greater than Pa5 greater than Pa4 greater than Pa1 greater than Pa2. These activities showed the same optimum pH (9.0), were mainly of the phospholipase A2 type and were lost upon p-bromophenacyl bromide treatment. 3. All five phospholipases efficiently stimulated amylase release from dispersed rat pancreatic acini at pH 7.4, their potency decreasing as follows: Pa2 greater than Pa1 approximately equal to Pa4 greater than Pa3 approximately equal to Pa5. No deleterious effect was apparent based on the lack of lactate dehydrogenase release. 4. The five variants, Pa1-Pa5, differed significantly in amino acid composition and this, together with distinct antigenic properties of Pa2 and Pa5, establishes the subheterogeneity of this new type of phospholipase A2, despite the fact that the N-terminal amino acid sequence (31 residues) of Pa1-Pa5 was exactly the same. 5. The full sequence of the major variant, Pa5, showed that this 142-amino-acid protein exhibited greater similarity to the bee venom enzyme than to any class I or class II secretory phospholipase A2 from snake venom and mammalian pancreas. While Pa5 displayed the highly conserved region between Asp30 and Cys39 (the essential active site of all phospholipases A2), its salient original points included 10 half-cystine residues only, an incomplete N-terminal sequence, large changes in the putative calcium loop, several alterations after the active site and a C-terminal extension never seen in other phospholipases A2, with the only exception being bee venom.

Amino Acid Sequence↗
PubMed1998

Pocket Monster incident and low luminance visual stimuli: special reference to deep red flicker stimulation.

On the evening of 16 December 1997 approximately 700 people around the nation (mostly children) were rushed to hospitals and treated for seizure symptoms. The youngsters had been watching the vastly popular TV animated cartoon series Pocket Monsters (Pokemon). We designated those individuals as a main group, who presumably had simultaneous occurrence of visually induced seizures. Follow-up studies revealed that 5-10.4% of Pokemon viewers had various minor symptoms not requiring hospital treatment. We designated those as a subgroup. Due to an official report regarding the problematic TV scene as a low luminance, 12 Hz alternating red/blue stimulus, we attempted an accounting of the Pokemon incident, with regard to the main group in particular, on the basis of electroencephalographic activation by use of low luminance 15 Hz deep red flicker stimulation. In order to explain the entire Pokemon incident, including symptoms experienced by individuals of the subgroup, we considered the possibility that some healthy youngsters may have latent photosensitivity and we thought that such a sensitivity might be disclosed by use of low luminance deep red flicker stimulation which is more provocative of photoparoxysmal response than ordinary high luminance stroboscopic intermittent photic stimulation. For prevention of visually induced seizures by TV viewing, we stress that care should be taken to test not only red flicker but also flickering geometric pattern stimuli.

Cartoons as Topic↗
PubMed1991

Acardiac acephalic monster extremely larger than its co-twin. A case report.

The acardiac monster represents a rare but one of the severest congenital anomalies which occur only in multiple pregnancy. The affected fetus is sustained by a parasitic anastomosis to the umbilical blood vessels of the normal fetus. We report an interesting case of a macrosomic acardiac acephalic fetus weighing 4.5-fold of another variable donor fetus (approximately 6 kg) in a twin pregnancy.

Abnormalities, Multiple↗
PubMed2003

Transcriptional activation in Drosophila spermatogenesis involves the mutually dependent function of aly and a novel meiotic arrest gene cookie monster.

In Drosophila spermatogenesis, meiotic cell cycle progression and cellular differentiation are linked by the function of the meiotic arrest genes. The meiotic arrest genes control differentiation by regulating the transcriptional activation of many differentiation-specific genes. The meiotic arrest genes have been subdivided into aly and can classes, based on the mechanism by which they control cell cycle progression. aly has previously been shown to encode a chromatin-associated protein. We present the identification, cloning and characterisation of a novel Drosophila meiotic arrest gene, cookie monster (comr), that has a mutant phenotype indistinguishable from that of aly. A null mutant allele of comr is viable but male sterile. Mutant primary spermatocytes fail to initiate transcription of a large number of genes, and arrest before entry into the meiotic divisions. In adult males, expression of comr is testis specific, low levels of transcripts are detected at other stages of development. comr encodes a novel acidic protein, which is nuclear and primarily localised to regions of chromatin in primary spermatocytes. The nuclear localisation of Aly and Comr proteins are mutually dependent. Finally, we show that active RNA polymerase II is found in distinct domains in the nucleus that constitute a subset of the total Comr stained chromatin.

Alleles↗
PubMedDate not supplied

Exenatide: from the Gila monster to the pharmacy.

OBJECTIVE: To explain the incretin concept and review the pharmacology and clinical utility of exenatide (Byetta-Amylin; Lilly), a new agent for the treatment of patients with type 2 diabetes mellitus, and provide pharmacists with information necessary for counseling patients in the use of exenatide. DATA SOURCES: Review articles, clinical trials, and data on file with the manufacturers. STUDY SELECTION: By the authors. DATA EXTRACTION: By the authors. DATA SYNTHESIS: Exenatide is a synthetic form of a protein found in the saliva of the Gila monster that mimics the action of glucagon-like peptide-1, an incretin important in glucose homeostasis and deficient in patients with diabetes mellitus. Three pivotal clinical trials of exenatide as an add-on therapy in patients with type 2 diabetes mellitus who were unable to achieve glycemic control with maximum doses of metformin, sulfonylurea, or these drugs in combination demonstrated significant reductions in glycosylated hemoglobin (A1C) levels following twice-daily self-injection of exenatide compared with placebo. Weight loss was observed in patients in conjunction with A1C improvement, which occurred without additional patient instruction, intentional caloric deficit, or exercise. Mild-to-moderate nausea was the most common adverse event with exenatide treatment, occurring at the beginning of therapy, lessening over time, and reduced by titration of the dose. CONCLUSION: Exenatide offers a wide range of beneficial glucoregulatory effects, including enhancement of glucose-dependent insulin secretion, restoration of first-phase insulin response, suppression of inappropriately elevated glucagon secretion, slowing of gastric emptying, and reduction of food intake. These positive effects depend on the patient's understanding of the proper administration technique and timing, the need for continued adherence, and what to do if adverse effects occur, all elements that can be conveyed by pharmacists in their counseling and education of patients with type 2 diabetes mellitus.

Animals↗
PubMed1997

Report on envenomation by a Gila monster (Heloderma suspectum) with a discussion of venom apparatus, clinical findings, and treatment.

Human envenomations by Heloderma species are a rare but clinically important medical problem. We report a case of an adult male bitten on the left hand by a 50-cm male, captive specimen of Heloderma suspectum (Gila monster). Immediate signs and symptoms included pain at the bite site radiating into the arm and axilla and swelling of the hand and forearm. Systemic complaints of nausea, diaphoresis, and dizziness (without a decrease in blood pressure) lasted approximately 1 hour, and laboratory studies were normal. The patient's course was uneventful except for persistent hyperesthesia, which eventually abated. Two types of helodermatid bites produce distinct clinical pictures. The chewing bite potentially causes more envenomation than the slashing bite. The venom contains a number of protein and nonprotein components including serotonin, a bradykinin-releasing substance, protease, hyaluronidase, helodermin, and gilatoxin. The clinical presentation of a helodermatid bite can include pain, edema, hypotension, nausea, vomiting, weakness, and diaphoresis. No antivenin is commercially available. Treatment is supportive, and although first aid measures such as suction or compression may impede venom movement, they are unproved. Cryotherapy, tourniquet, and excision are dangerous and should not be used.

Adult↗
PubMed2002

How to tell a sea monster: molecular discrimination of large marine animals of the North Atlantic.

Remains of large marine animals that wash onshore can be difficult to identify due to decomposition and loss of external body parts, and in consequence may be dubbed "sea monsters." DNA that survives in such carcasses can provide a basis of identification. One such creature washed ashore at St. Bernard's, Fortune Bay, Newfoundland, in August 2001. DNA was extracted from the carcass and enzymatically amplified by the polymerase chain reaction (PCR): the mitochondrial NADH2 DNA sequence was identified as that of a sperm whale (Physeter catodon). Amplification and sequencing of cryptozoological DNA with "universal" PCR primers with broad specificity to vertebrate taxa and comparison with species in the GenBank taxonomic database is an effective means of discriminating otherwise unidentifiable large marine creatures.

Animals↗
PubMed2004

Microscopic, biochemical, and molecular characteristics of the Chilean Blob and a comparison with the remains of other sea monsters: nothing but whales.

We have employed electron microscopic, biochemical, and molecular techniques to clarify the species of origin of the "Chilean Blob," the remains of a large sea creature that beached on the Chilean coast in July 2003. Electron microscopy revealed that the remains are largely composed of an acellular, fibrous network reminiscent of the collagen fiber network in whale blubber. Amino acid analyses of an acid hydrolysate indicated that the fibers are composed of 31% glycine residues and also contain hydroxyproline and hydroxylysine, all diagnostic of collagen. Using primers designed to the mitochondrial gene nad2, an 800-bp product of the polymerase chain reaction (PCR) was amplified from DNA that had been purified from the carcass. The DNA sequence of the PCR product was 100% identical to nad2 of sperm whale (Physeter catadon). These results unequivocally demonstrate that the Chilean Blob is the almost completely decomposed remains of the blubber layer of a sperm whale. This identification is the same as those we have obtained before from other relics such as the so-called giant octopus of St. Augustine (Florida), the Tasmanian West Coast Monster, two Bermuda Blobs, and the Nantucket Blob. It is clear now that all of these blobs of popular and cryptozoological interest are, in fact, the decomposed remains of large cetaceans.

Amino Acids↗
PubMed1977

Gila monster bite: a case report.

Transient electrocardiogram abnormalities are described in a young man who was bitten by a Gila monster (Heloderma suspectum). The patient's pain subsided spontaneously without narcotics and the vascular status of his bitten extremity was monitored by Doppler examination. The patient was discharged in 24 hr after conservative management.

Adult↗