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At least 811 records · Page 45Linked to original sources
PubMed1980

Recurrent pain of a pseudotabetic variety after laminectomy for lumbar disc lesion.

A variety of pain resembling the lightning pains of tabes dorsalis is described in patients suffering from persistent sciatica, following laminectomy for lumbar disc disease. It occurs in about 13% of those complaining of post-laminectomy pain and in 5% of all those having a laminectomy for disc disease. It is associated with damage to the nerve root and may be precipitated by nerve root resection. About half the patients may get some relief from carbamazepine or clonazepam and the syndrome shows a tendency to improve gradually over three to five years.

Carbamazepine↗
PubMed2001

Motor neuron disease after electric injury.

The occurrence of motor neuron disease after electrical injury in six patients is reported and compared with patients from the literature. The patients were five men with spinal onset and one woman with bulbar motor neuron disease after electric shock. Two patients were struck by lightning and four by industrial electric shock. For all six of them, the disease started at the site of the electrical trauma. The mean delay for onset of motor neuron disease was 44 months. In four of the spinal patients the disease progressed slowly with mild handicap after several years. For the fifth patient, improvement was noted progressively. The patient with bulbar disease died 26 months after onset. A link between electric shock and motor neuron disease is likely, given the homogenous profile of the patients both in the five spinal cases presented here and in the literature. Bulbar onset has not been reported to date. However, in this patient the long delay between the electrical injury and motor neuron disease, together with the rapid evolution may suggest a chance association.

Adult↗
PubMed1976

The influence of lighting conditions upon the level and course of increase in specific activity of serotonin N-acetyltransferase in the developing chick pineal gland.

A diurnal cycle in level of serotonin acetyltransferase (acetyl-C0A:arylamine N-acety-transferase (EC 2.3.1.5) activity was found in the pineal gland of chicks aged 16 to 20 days maintained under lighting conditions. Diurnal variation in levels of activity was markedly reduced in the pineal gland of birds kept in constant darkness, and suppressed in the gland of chicks under constant illumination. High levels of activity attained during the dark phase of the normal cycle rapidly declined when the birds were transferred to the light. The light phase level of serotonin acetyltransferase of the pineal increased progressively from the 11th day of incubation to about 1 week post-hatch. This course of increase in enzyme activity was largely unaffected by lightning conditions. Under conditions for assay of serotonin acetyltransferase activity in the chick pineal gland and brain, radioactive serotonin gave rise to N-acetylserotonin, 5-hydroxy-indoleacetic acid and a further unidentified metabolite, which was quantitatively the major product.

Acetyltransferases↗
PubMed2005

Growth hormone treatment of short stature: status of the quality of life rationale.

The unlimited availability of biosynthetic human growth hormone (rhGH) has contributed to the disassociation of the treatment of short stature from its causes. The rationale for treatment has traditionally rested upon the assumption that short stature, in the extreme, may constitute a physical disability, and otherwise represents a significant psychosocial burden for the individual. This review summarizes what is known about the psychosocial aspects of short stature and the quality of life benefits of rhGH treatment. Stereotypes and assumptions about short stature are evaluated in light of empirical findings. Problems of psychosocial adjustment are relatively common in the general population. Because of the salience of short stature, and its potential to serve as a lightning rod to divert attention from other factors interfering with a healthy psychological adaptation, the clinician must be watchful of misattributions for ongoing problems, or unrealistic predictions of the benefits of taller stature. For these reasons, the clinician should consider incorporating a psychosocial component in the diagnostic evaluation to broaden potential treatment recommendations. Finally, studies of factors influencing family decisions regarding factors for and against rhGH therapy provide important clues to how clinicians might enhance the informed consent process.

Adolescent↗
PubMed2006

Are stem cells drugs? The regulation of stem cell research and development.

Stem cell research and its clinical application have become political, social, and medical lightning rods, polarizing opinion among members of the lay community and among medical/scientific professionals. A potpourri of opinion, near-anecdotal observation, and scientifically sound data has sown confusion in ways rarely seen in the medical arts and sciences. A major issue is regulation, with different aspects of stem cell research falling within the purview of different government agencies and local offices. An overarching clearinghouse to review the field and recommend policy is lacking. In the following pages, I touch on the societal framework for regulation, the known and potential risks and benefits of cardiovascular stem cell therapies, whether stem cells should be regulated as drugs or in analogy to drugs, and if there is to be regulation, then by whom. In so doing, I refer to the stem cell literature only as it relates to the discussion of regulation because this is not a review of stem cell research; it is an opinion regarding regulation.

Biomedical Research↗
PubMedDate not supplied

The college student, the dentist, and the North Carolina senator: risk analysis and risk management of HIV transmission from health care worker to patient.

The risk of acquiring human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) infection from a health care worker is 2,000 times less than that of dying from a car accident. It is 700 times less probable than perishing from being struck by lightning or suffering a fatal fall. Despite the rarity of this occurrence, reduction of the risk of health-care-worker-to-patient HIV transmission in the workplace has been the focus of congressional, federal, state, and local agencies. If all HIV transmission from health care workers to patients were prevented using current guidelines and legislation, the epidemic of AIDS would be reduced by 0.0006%. Current efforts to prevent HIV transmission from health care workers to patients are the result of incomplete risk analysis and management. In a society of limiting resources and of cherished freedoms, sanctions imposed on health care workers to prevent HIV transmission to patients may benefit no one.

American Medical Association↗
PubMed2005

Non-classical protein secretion in bacteria.

BACKGROUND: We present an overview of bacterial non-classical secretion and a prediction method for identification of proteins following signal peptide independent secretion pathways. We have compiled a list of proteins found extracellularly despite the absence of a signal peptide. Some of these proteins also have known roles in the cytoplasm, which means they could be so-called "moon-lightning" proteins having more than one function. RESULTS: A thorough literature search was conducted to compile a list of currently known bacterial non-classically secreted proteins. Pattern finding methods were applied to the sequences in order to identify putative signal sequences or motifs responsible for their secretion. We have found no signal or motif characteristic to any majority of the proteins in the compiled list of non-classically secreted proteins, and conclude that these proteins, indeed, seem to be secreted in a novel fashion. However, we also show that the apparently non-classically secreted proteins are still distinguished from cellular proteins by properties such as amino acid composition, secondary structure and disordered regions. Specifically, prediction of disorder reveals that bacterial secretory proteins are more structurally disordered than their cytoplasmic counterparts. Finally, artificial neural networks were used to construct protein feature based methods for identification of non-classically secreted proteins in both Gram-positive and Gram-negative bacteria. CONCLUSION: We present a publicly available prediction method capable of discriminating between this group of proteins and other proteins, thus allowing for the identification of novel non-classically secreted proteins. We suggest candidates for non-classically secreted proteins in Escherichia coli and Bacillus subtilis. The prediction method is available online.

Arginine↗
PubMed2000

The visually controlled prey-capture behaviour of the European mantispid Mantispa styriaca.

Mantispids (Mantispa styriaca) are predatory insects; on bright sunny days, they wait in ambush for insect prey. The prey is captured as soon as it is within reach by means of lightning-speed strikes with the powerful forelegs. The strikes can take less than 60 ms. The mantispid accomplishes this almost as effectively as the larger praying mantis, which occupies a similar habitat, even though the praying mantis has apposition eyes with a high-resolution fovea, whereas the mantispid has unspecialized optical superposition eyes. Mantispa styriaca reacts to an item of prey when the latter covers a critical visual angle. The detection of prey immediately triggers adjustment reactions in the mantispid, which attempts to position the prey item in the visual field of both eyes and in the capture zone. Irrespective of the size of the prey, the capture reaction of the mantispid is always triggered if the distance to the prey falls below a certain critical value. As indicated by the analysis of individual video frames, immediately before an aimed strike, the item of prey is always positioned exactly in the centre of the binocular field of vision in the extended midsagittal plane of the mantispid's head. The strike may be triggered by the ommatidia of the left and right eyes, the lines of sight of which converge precisely on this region. The principal conclusion to be drawn is that the prey-capture behaviour of the mantispid appears to be based on a triangulation mechanism.

Animals↗
PubMed2006

Fatal electrocution in adults--a 30-year study.

A retrospective study was undertaken of all cases of death in adults (>16 years) due to electrocution which were autopsied at Forensic Science SA, Adelaide, Australia, over a 30-year period from 1973 to 2002. A total of 96 cases were identified with 87 males (91%) (mean age=41.6 years; range 17 to 86 years) and nine females (9%) (mean age=49.2 years; range 20 to 76 years). Deaths were due to accidents in 66 cases (69%; M:F = 63:3), suicides in 28 cases (29%; M:F=24:4) and homicides in two cases (2%). Both homicide victims were females, with females accounting for only 5% of the accidents and 14% of suicides. The number of accidental deaths increased until the early 1990s and then declined, whereas suicidal electrocutions were only found in the last 20 years of the study. Most deaths (N = 80; 83%) were due to low voltage circuits (<1000 volts), with deaths due to high voltages occurring in 15 cases (16%). One death was due to lightning (1%). While suicides were evenly distributed throughout the year, most accidental deaths occurred in late spring and summer (N = 42; 64%) with the lowest number of accidental deaths occurring in winter and early spring. This report demonstrates a significantly higher rate of electrocution deaths among males, with a summer predominance of accidental deaths, most likely due to increased outdoor activities in better weather. The reduction in cases over the last decade of the study may be a reflection of the success of workplace and domestic safety campaigns. Female electrocution suicides and electrocution homicides were rare events.

Accidents↗
PubMed1979

A retrospective study of traumatic tympanic membrane perforations in a clinical practice.

A retrospective study of 227 traumatic tympanic membrane perforations was made. These perforations were treated in a clinical practice of otolaryngology between January 1969 and July 1977. The following conclusions were supported by the data obtained: 1. Larger perforations are less likely to heal spontaneously. 2. Lightning and molten metal injuries are less likely to heal spontaneously. 3. Final healing and hearing results are good regardless of the mode of therapy employed. 4. Spontaneous healing gives better results than early surgical intervention. 5. Infection adversely affects healing in traumatic perforations. Based on information delineated in the paper, a logical plan of treatment for traumatic perforations is presented.

Adult↗
PubMed2003

Three-dimensional spatial grouping affects estimates of the illuminant.

The brightnesses (i.e., perceived luminance) of surfaces within a three-dimensional scene are contingent on both the luminances and the spatial arrangement of the surfaces. Observers viewed a CRT through a haploscope that presented simulated achromatic surfaces in three dimensions. They set a test patch to be approximately 33% more intense than a comparison patch to match the comparison patch in brightness, which is consistent with viewing a real scene with a simple lightning interpretation from which to estimate a different level of illumination in each depth plane. Randomly positioning each surface in either depth plane minimized any simple lighting interpretation, concomitantly reducing brightness differences to approximately 8.5%, although the immediate surrounds of the test and comparison patches continued to differ by a 5:1 luminance ratio.

Adult↗
PubMed1999

Atmospheric pressure changes and outdoor temperature changes in relation to spontaneous pneumothorax.

STUDY AIMS: To examine the influence of atmospheric pressure (AP) and temperature changes on the incidence of idiopathic spontaneous pneumothorax (SP). METHODS: From December 1991 through November 1993, 115 consecutive SP cases were selected. Patients were included after being in Amsterdam at least 1 full day before contracting the SP. Differences in air temperature and AP (provided hourly by the national weather bureau) for the days of the SP occurrence and the days previous to it were recorded to measure influences of air temperature and AP. The correlation between days with lightning and SP and clustering of SP was evaluated. RESULTS: SP occurred on 14.7% of the days in the 2-year period. There was no relationship between SP and a rise or fall in AP (Poisson regression). There was an average temperature rise of 0.57 degrees C from the day prior to the day of the SP, compared with a 0.08 degrees C fall on the days without SP. This difference is statistically significant and was consistent over the four seasons and both years. Seventy-three percent of the SP cases were clustered. A relationship between SP and thunderstorms was found. CONCLUSIONS: AP differences do not seem to influence the chance of developing SP. SP occurs in clusters, and more often 1 to 2 days after thunderstorms. Whether the identified temperature rise prior to the SP is a causative factor is unlikely; coexisting weather phenomena might explain this unexpected finding and should be studied in the future.

Adult↗
PubMed1999

Medical mountain rescue in the Mont-Blanc massif.

Because of its peculiar geographic location beneath Mont-Blanc, the Chamonix Hospital plays an important role in the management of mountaineering- and skiing-related traumatic injuries. The authors, thanks to the study of 5200 mountain rescue medical reports, set out to explain the different aspects of this activity: epidemiology, specific equipment, care in the field, reception and primary survey, dispatching, common therapeutic attitudes, progress, and results. In the dangerous environment of the high mountains, emphasis is put on the physicians' experience, allowing an early evacuation in the best conditions to the hospital. Diagnosis at the scene of the accident is very basic, and the initial treatment is based on immobilization, analgesia, and sedating. In the case of resuscitation, only the vital maneuvers are performed; these actions are carried on during the short flight and improved in the crash rooms. Finally, different specific pathologies are mentioned, including cold- or heat-related injuries, exhaustion, lightning strikes, and mountain sickness.

France↗
PubMed1999

Risk assessment of bovine spongiform encephalopathy transmission through bone graft material derived from bovine bone used for dental applications.

BACKGROUND: Several commercial products are currently available for clinical application as bone graft substitutes. These products can be broadly classified into two categories: synthetic and natural. Bovine bone is a popular source for several of the natural bone substitutes. The availability of bovine derived xenogenic bone substitutes has made it possible to avoid traumatic and expensive secondary surgery to obtain autogenous bone once thought essential for effective bone replacement. While autogenous bone still remains the undisputed "gold standard" in bone grafting, the realization that bone requirement in several clinical applications is as effectively met by xenografts has lead to their widespread use. But the convenience of using xenografts is tempered by the possibility of disease transmission from cattle to humans. The recent incidents of bovine spongiform encephalopathies (BSE) in humans have underscored this likelihood. In this paper, we report a risk analysis performed to assess the possibility of such disease transmission from a commercially available bone graft substitute (BGS) that is popularly used in clinical dentistry. METHODS: An extensive review of current literature on the status of risk assessment of BSE transmission was conducted, and two risk assessment models were identified as applicable to the present study. Risk assessment models developed by the German Federal Ministry of Health and by the Pharmaceutical Research and Manufacturers Association of America were applied to BGS. RESULTS: Results from the analyses conducted using both models showed that the risk of disease (BSE) transmission from BGS was negligible and could be attributed to the stringent protocols followed in sourcing and processing of the raw bovine bone used in the commercial product. CONCLUSIONS: Based on the risk analysis, it is evident that the risk of BSE infection from BGS is several orders of magnitude less than that posed by the risk of death related to, lightning, tornadoes, or similar remote events. However, this low risk can only be maintained as long as an effective and active risk management program is implemented in operations that involve processing xenogenic tissue for human use.

Algorithms↗
PubMed2001

Rapidly progressive tabes dorsalis associated with selective IgA deficiency.

Tabes dorsalis is uncommon and progresses slowly from infection to clinical manifestation. We report a rare case of rapidly progressive tabes dorsalis associated with selective IgA deficiency (sIgAD). A 28-year-old man was hospitalized with lightning back pain, nausea, and bladder bowel dysfunction. Serum and cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) revealed high titers of Treponema pallidum antibody, and the serum IgA level was less than 5 mg/dl. Thl-dominant cytokine expression was observed, as is usually seen in neurosyphilis. He was treated with Ceftriaxone and CSF pleocytosis disappeared. We postulate sIgAD influenced the atypical rapid clinical course of tabes dorsalis in this patient.

Adult↗
PubMedDate not supplied

[Sick building syndrome--a result of modern lifestyle].

Sick building syndrome (SBS) is a term used to describe situation in building when more than 30% of occupants suffer from various symptoms which tend to increase by severity during the time people spend in "sick" building and disappear when they leave the building. Typical cases of SBS report vague symptoms, which cannot be objectively measured, and sufferers usually show no clinical signs of illness. Symptom heterogeneity suggests that they do not represent a single disorder. The objective of our study was to establish if SBS is present in our town because new buildings have been built lately producing the artificial environment--exclusively artificial lightning and mechanical ventilation. A total of 812 subjects were included in our study. The investigation of SBS was performed by standardized questionnaires to determine the prevalence of symptoms and complaints. Questionnaires were used to collect data on perception of environment conditions and health during the period they work in this building. The subjects were divided in three groups according to sex, level of education and ownership. Our data suggested that the incidence of symptoms was higher in employers than in owners of the offices. Moreover, the prevalence of SBS was very high-up to 74.76%. It is obvious that certain physical, psychological and organizational factors are involved in the incidence of symptoms, but our investigation suggests that physical factor has a dominant role in development of symptoms, particularly low humidity and low air flow. In addition, our judgment is that SBS exists in our city, probably in the whole country and, therefore, it must be investigated properly.

Adult↗
PubMedDate not supplied

Influence of curing methods and matrix type on the marginal seal of class II resin-based composite restorations in vitro.

This study determined the influence of light curing protocols and matrix type on the margin quality and marginal seal of Class II resin-based composite restorations. In extracted human molars, box-shaped MOD cavities with 1 mm wide interproximal bevels were prepared with cervical margins located at least 1 mm coronal to the cemento-enamel junction. The prepared teeth were mounted in a jig featuring artificial training teeth that served as adjacent teeth. A contoured sectional metal matrix band was placed in one interproximal area, and a section of a contoured transparent matrix band was placed in the opposite interproximal area. Both were kept in position using wooden wedges. After etching (35% H3PO4 gel) and the application of a three-step etch & rinse dentin adhesive (Optibond FL, Kerr), a thin layer of flowable resin-based composite (Revolution, Kerr) was applied to the interproximal margins. The cavities were restored by placing one horizontal and two oblique increments of a fine hybrid resin-based composite (Herculite XRV, Kerr). The curing protocols included one standard halogen protocol (Elipar Trilight, 3M ESPE, 40 seconds @ 800 mW/cm2), 3 halogen soft-start protocols (Step: Elipar HiLight, 3M ESPE; 10 seconds @ 150 mW/cm2, 30 seconds @ 850 mW/cm2; Ramp: Elipar TriLight, 3M ESPE, 5 seconds @ 100 mW/cm2, exponential increase for 10 seconds, 25 seconds @ 800 mW/cm2; Pulse delay: VIP Light, BISCO, cervical increment: 10 seconds @ 500 mW/cm2, occlusal increments: 3 seconds @ 200 mW/cm2, final irradiation after a 5 minute interval: 30 seconds @ mW/cm2) and 2 plasma arc high intensity protocols (PAC: Lightning Cure, ADT, 10 seconds @ 1400 mW/cm2; APO: Apollo 95E, DMDS, 2 x 3 seconds @ 1570 mW/cm2). The restored teeth were stored in 0.9% saline at 37 degrees C for 4 weeks and submitted to thermal cycling [TC] with 2500 cycles between 5 degrees C and 55 degrees C after 2 weeks. The margin quality before and after TC was analyzed in SEM using the replica technique, and the marginal seal was determined using the dye penetration test (50% AgNO3, 2 hours) at the end of the study. The matrix type did not significantly influence the quality and seal of the respective margins. For the complete restoration margin, one of the high intensity protocols (APO) produced a higher percentage of "continuous margin" compared to pulse delay irradiation after TC and lower percentages of "marginal opening" compared to halogen standard irradiation before and after TC. Halogen step irradiation produced a superior marginal seal compared to pulse delay curing at the occlusal margins; equivalent results were observed for all curing modes at the cervical margins. Neither a general advantage of soft-start irradiation nor a general disadvantage of high intensity curing was confirmed.

Acid Etching, Dental↗