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Biomedical subjects

A Ferrando

Publications and source records attributed to A Ferrando.

36 records · Page 2Linked to original sources
PubMed1996

[Glomus jugulare tumor: perioperative management].

Surgical treatment of glomus jugulare tumors yields high rates of perioperative morbidity and mortality for several reasons, among them neuroendocrine secretory activity, a high degree of vascularization, intracranial extension, duration of surgery and cranial nerve lesion. Secretory activity (e.g. catecholamines and serotonin) should be investigated before surgery and treated appropriately. Carotid arteriography (and ball occlusion) are useful to assess vascularization of the tumor and determine the need to clamp the carotid artery during the procedure. Potential complications such as hemodynamic alterations (bleeding or endocrine response), pulmonary embolism (air or thrombotic), hypothermia, facial nerve lesion, should be monitored for during surgery. After surgery cranial nerve involvement, which can lead to dysphagia and bronchoaspiration, must be looked for; the risk of cerebro-spinal fluid fistula is also high. We report the case of a woman who underwent surgery for a non secreting glomus jugulare tumor with extradural intracranial invasion. The main complications during surgery were bleeding with hemodynamic repercussions, pulmonary embolism, lesions in the VII, VIII and X cranial nerves, and opening of the dura mater (which required insertion of an intradural drain to prevent formation of a fistula). After surgery oral intake was delayed until intestinal function was established and glottic sphincter competence was verified by fiberoptic laryngoscopy. The only complication presenting at this time was cephalea, which disappeared upon removal of the drain on day 4. The patient was released on day 10.

Catheterization↗
PubMed1995

Regulation of cation transport in Saccharomyces cerevisiae by the salt tolerance gene HAL3.

Dynamic regulation of ion transport is essential for homeostasis as cells confront changes in their environment. The gene HAL3 encodes a novel component of this regulatory circuit in the yeast Saccharomyces cerevisiae. Overexpression of HAL3 improves growth of wild-type cells exposed to toxic concentrations of sodium and lithium and suppresses the salt sensitivity conferred by mutation of the calcium-dependent protein phosphatase calcineurin. Null mutants of HAL3 display salt sensitivity. The sequence of HAL3 gives little clue to its function. However, alterations in intracellular cation concentrations associated with changes in HAL3 expression suggest that HAL3 activity may directly increase cytoplasmic K+ and decrease Na+ and Li+. Cation efflux in S. cerevisiae is mediated by the P-type ATPase encoded by the ENA1/PMR24 gene, a putative plasma membrane Na+ pump whose expression is salt induced. Acting in concert with calcineurin, HAL3 is necessary for full activation of ENA1 expression. This functional complementarity is also reflected in the participation of both proteins in recovery from alpha-factor-induced growth arrest. Recently, HAL3 was isolated as a gene (named SIS2) which when overexpressed partially relieves loss of transcription of G1 cyclins in mutants lacking the protein phosphatase Sit4p. Therefore, HAL3 influences cell cycle control and ion homeostasis, acting in parallel to the protein phosphatases Sit4p and calcineurin.

Adenosine Triphosphatases↗
PubMed1995

Testosterone administration to elderly men increases skeletal muscle strength and protein synthesis.

Aging men develop a significant loss of muscle strength that occurs in conjunction with a decline in serum testosterone concentrations. We investigated the effects of testosterone administration to six healthy men [67 +/- 2 (SE) yr] on skeletal muscle protein synthesis, strength, and the intramuscular insulin-like growth factor I (IGF-I) system. Elderly men with serum testosterone concentrations of 480 ng/dl or less were given testosterone injections for 4 wk to produce serum concentrations equal to those of younger men. During testosterone administration muscle strength (isokinetic dynamometer) increased in both right and left hamstring and quadricep muscles as did the fractional synthetic rate of muscle protein (stable-isotope infusion). Ribonuclease protection assays done on total RNA from muscle showed that testosterone administration increased mRNA concentrations of IGF-I and decreased mRNA concentrations of insulin-like growth factor binding protein-4. We conclude that increasing testosterone concentrations in elderly men increases skeletal muscle protein synthesis and strength. This increase may be mediated by stimulation of the intramuscular IGF-I system.

Aged↗
PubMed1994

Health status of long-term survivors after cancer in childhood. Results of an uniinstitutional study in Italy.

PURPOSE: This study aims at defining the frequency and severity of late effects in a series of 288 long-term survivors of childhood cancer treated from 1962 to 1982 at the Giannina Gaslini Children's Research Hospital of Genoa, Italy. PATIENTS AND METHODS: All cases with a diagnosis of malignancy in childhood and a minimum of 2.5 years from discontinuation of treatment were considered eligible. For all cases the study included physical, endocrinological, and psychological examination. Groups of patients selected according to treatment underwent cardiac, pulmonary, orthopedic, and ophthalmologic evaluation. The sequelae observed were scored according to a grading system in which asymptomatic subclinical defects are distinguished from those that are sufficiently symptomatic to require some type of corrective measure. RESULTS: Overall, 200 of 288 cases (69.4%) presented with some kind of abnormality. Symptomatic changes were present in 92 cases (42%); in these, severe and life-threatening late toxicity was reported in 61 (21.2%) and 12 cases (4.2%), respectively. The major risk factors appeared to be irradiation, type of tumor, and whether the patient had received therapy before 1974. CONCLUSIONS: In our experience, this study demonstrates that there was a true excess of morbidity caused by the disease and its treatment in long-term survivors from almost any kind of childhood cancer. It also sheds light on how to prevent, diagnose, and adequately treat these patients and proposes specific criteria for the evaluation of the severity of delayed toxicity in long-term survivors of cancer in childhood.

Adolescent↗
PubMed1980

[Rheumatic cardiopathy in childhood. Epidemiological aspects, and differential diagnostic problems as compared with congenital bicuspid aortic valve and mitral valve prolapse].

A decrease in severity of rheumatic fever, in the number of recurrences of the disease, a relative decrease in prevalence of rheumatic heart disease compared to other forms of heart disease are well documented or suggested by the data collected in the last decades. The reasons of the decline are uncertain. Prevalence surveys in more recent years indicate that, while at one time almost all valvular heart disease was considered to be rheumatic in origin, current data suggest that a significant proportion of damaged valves may be attributed to congenital defects or to acquired disease of other etiologies. Bicuspid aortic valve and mitral valve prolapse deserve special mention. The main clinical and echocardiographic features of bicuspid aortic valve and mitral valve prolapse are discussed.

Adolescent↗
PubMedDate not supplied

Characterisation of crosslinked elastomeric materials by 1H NMR relaxation time distributions.

One of the most critical structural parameters in elastomeric materials is the density of cross-linking between the polymeric chains. This chemical feature greatly affects chain motions and is determinant in controlling mechanical properties of the final product. NMR techniques are widely and efficiently applied to investigation of such materials. In this study we have measured both transverse and longitudinal 1H relaxation times of a series of polybutadiene rubber samples with increasing crosslink density induced by chemical treatment. This approach allowed the observation of T(1) and T(2) decrease with the increase of crosslink density in the samples examined. The data obtained have been analyzed and compared to theoretical models.

Elastomers↗
PubMedDate not supplied

The effects of exercise programming vs traditional outpatient therapy in the rehabilitation of severely burned children.

The purpose of this study was to compare the efficacy and effects of exercise programming (Study group, n = 11) vs traditional outpatient therapy (Home group, n = 10) in burned children (> 40% body surface area). This was a prospective, randomized, controlled trial in a hospital-based children's wellness center. Twenty-one patients (13 boys and 8 girls) averaging 10.6 +/- 0.9 years and TBSA = 59.7 +/- 3.1% were evaluated 6 and 9 months postburn. Moderate intensity, progressive resistance and aerobic exercise conducted 3 times weekly for 1 hour were a supplement to standard therapy over 12 weeks. Muscular strength and functional outcome significantly increased in both groups (P < .05). Improvements in strength (80.1 vs 37.7%) and distance walked (39.5 vs 12.5%) were significantly greater for Study vs Home groups, respectively, P < .05. We conclude that exercise programming may be safely included in rehabilitation programs for severely burned children and can be effective in increasing muscular strength and functional outcome.

Adolescent↗
PubMedDate not supplied

Erythromycin resistance in Streptococcus pyogenes in Italy.

In a prospective study of acute pharyngitis in Italian children, 69 (38.3%) of 180 isolates of Streptococcus pyogenes were resistant to macrolides. S. pyogenes was eradicated in 12 (63.1%) of 19 patients with erythromycin-resistant S. pyogenes treated with clarithromycin and in 22 (88%) of 25 patients with erythromycin-susceptible strains. The constitutive-resistant phenotype was correlated with failure of macrolide treatment.

Adolescent↗