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Biomedical subjects

A Steinberg

Publications and source records attributed to A Steinberg.

At least 73 records · Page 4Linked to original sources
PubMed1989

Bioethics: secular philosophy, Jewish law and modern medicine.

The recent unprecedented expansion of scientific knowledge and the greater awareness and involvement of the public in medical matters, as well as additional causes described here, have impelled the development of a new form of bioethics over the past three decades. Jewish law and philosophy have always dealt with medical issues. In recent years, however, a voluminous body of literature devoted to Jewish medical ethics has developed. It covers all relevant issues and offers Jewish solutions to many complex problems arising from the recent scientific breakthroughs. This article analyzes the differences between Jewish and secular philosophies regarding fundamental moral theories relevant to modern medical ethics.

Beneficence↗
PubMed1987

Life threat and posttraumatic stress in school-age children.

One hundred fifty-nine children (14.5% of the student body) were sampled after a fatal sniper attack on their elementary school playground. Systematic self-reports of posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD) symptoms were obtained by use of a child PTSD Reaction Index. Analysis of variance revealed significant differences by exposure but not by sex, ethnicity, or age. Additional analyses were conducted of individual item response, overall severity of PTSD reaction, symptom grouping, and previous life events. The results provide strong evidence that acute PTSD symptoms occur in school-age children with a notable correlation between proximity to the violence and type and number of PTSD symptoms. Sampling at approximately one month after the trauma provided adequate delineation among exposure groups. The symptom profile of highly exposed children lends validity to the diagnosis of acute PTSD in childhood.

Acute Disease↗
PubMed1987

Glutathione peroxidase and CT scan abnormalities in schizophrenia.

The search for morphological clues to the etiology of schizophrenia has led to widespread application of computed tomography (CT) scans in the examination of patients. These investigations have resulted in numerous reports over the past several years of brain atrophy and increased ventricle-brain ratios (VBR), suggestive of neuronal tissue damage, associated with the disorder. Altered activity of cellular antioxidant systems have been implicated in the neuronal cell loss that is associated with degenerative diseases of the central nervous system (CNS), but this phenomenon has not been investigated with respect to functional disorders like schizophrenia. A search for such a relationship in schizophrenics with evidence of brain atrophy has been initiated by measuring the activity of the important antioxidant enzyme glutathione peroxidase (GPx) in blood samples from a population of chronic schizophrenics and age- and sex-matched nonschizophrenic mental patients as controls. A strong negative correlation has been found between GPx activity in both isolated platelets and erythrocytes and CT scan measures of brain atrophy and VBR in the schizophrenics, but not in the control population, which exhibited comparable CT scan abnormalities. These observations suggest a unique relationship of GPx to the mechanism of tissue damage in the schizophrenics.

Adult↗
PubMed1987

Familial intestinal pseudoobstruction dominated by a progressive neurologic disease at a young age.

Chronic neuropathic intestinal pseudoobstruction is a rare entity, characterized by recurrent episodes of bowel obstruction without a mechanical obstructive cause. We report five members of two Jewish-Iranian families in whom chronic neuropathic intestinal pseudoobstruction was associated with an identical and unique progressive severe neuronal disease. It appeared within the first two decades of life. The disease consisted of external ophthalmoplegia, ptosis, and severe sensory and motor peripheral neuropathy. Three patients also had neuronal hearing loss. There was no evidence of central nervous system involvement and all patients were mentally intact. The combined disease was confirmed by radiologic, electrophysiologic, and histologic studies. Specific nutritional deficiencies, toxic elements, and systemic diseases affecting both the gastrointestinal tract and the nervous system were ruled out. It seems that these patients suffer from an autosomal recessive, presently unrecognized variant, of chronic neuropathic intestinal pseudoobstruction. In a patient with severe peripheral neuropathy of unknown etiology associated with symptoms suggestive of intestinal obstruction, the possibility of chronic neuropathic intestinal pseudoobstruction has to be considered.

Adolescent↗
PubMed1987

Familial progressive neuronal disease and chronic idiopathic intestinal pseudo-obstruction.

Chronic idiopathic intestinal pseudo-obstruction (CIIP) is characterized by recurrent episodes of bowel obstruction without mechanical cause. In five members of two Jewish-Iranian families, CIIP was associated with progressive neuronal disease, starting before age 30, with ophthalmoplegia, sensorimotor peripheral neuropathy, and hearing loss. There was no evidence of CNS involvement. The pattern suggested autosomal recessive inheritance.

Adolescent↗
PubMed1987

Dose response relationship of relaxin on the pubic ligament of the mouse.

In the present work, the dose-response relationship of highly purified porcine relaxin has been examined on broadening of the pubic ligament in mice. Using the method of Steinetz et al. with 7 days of oestriol priming, higher sensitivity of the pubic ligament was attained in mice with an original weight of 10 g than in those with a weight of 20 g. S-shaped curves were obtained; by increasing the relaxin doses after maximal effect had been reached a decreased action was observed. With presomen priming, a relaxin effect was established after only 2 days instead of the usual 8 days but the action was markedly less than in the Steinetz test.

Animals↗
PubMed1987

Ethical issues involved in the care of dying patients: a problem-oriented approach.

The ethical dilemmas involved in the care of the dying patient are numerous and complicated. This issue is of particular difficulty, since there is no single, absolutely correct answer to most of the relevant problems. In order to enhance the ability of the responsible care-provider to attain morally defensible decisions or to provide morally sound recommendations, an ethical problem-oriented list is offered. This checklist is divided into four major categories, each of which is further subdivided into detailed questions and suppositions. This problem-oriented register coupled with a comprehensive bibliography should help avoid wrong moral assessments and decisions that may be the result of negligence and oversight of pertinent facts and principles.

Aged↗
PubMed1987

A comparative moral approach to suicide--a Jewish perspective.

Suicide is a statistically significant cause of death, constituting an alarming public health problem. Many countries, therefore, have acknowledged the necessity to create special centers for the prevention of suicide. There is a moral conflict between the principle of autonomy and the value of life in the case of suicide. This can be resolved in several ways: 1) autonomy should be considered as a categorical imperative and as an absolute principle, hence overriding even the value of life; 2) suicide should be regarded, prima facie, as a noncompetent decision, thus being in no conflict with the principle of autonomy; 3) the value of life nullifies the principle of autonomy; thus, when free will is used for the destruction of life, it should be entirely relinquished. Judaism endorses the last interpretation of the relationship between free will and destruction of life. It strictly forbids suicide, based on theological considerations, regarding such an act as one of the gravest of sins. The educational impact of such a philosophy may favorably contribute to the efforts devoted to the prevention of suicide. By contrast, those attributing absolute importance to the principle of autonomy may have contributed to the increasing rate of suicide in the Western world. It was already stated by a contemporary philosopher that the degree of rationality of the suicide act depends on the degree of the philosophy guiding the person's deliberations.

Attitude↗
PubMed1986

Valproic acid in neonatal status convulsivus.

Valproic acid infused rectally was successful in controlling seizures in two neonates who failed to respond to conventional anti-convulsive therapy. We suggest that this drug may be a useful adjuvant in difficult cases of status convulsivus in neonates.

Humans↗
PubMed1986

Stroke in a patient with hemolytic-uremic syndrome with a good outcome.

We report a child with HUS complicated by stupor, hemiparesis, expressive aphasia and focal seizures. CAT scan of the brain demonstrated 2 large cerebral non-hemorrhagic infarcts. Despite the severe neurological involvement the child eventually made a good recovery.

Cerebrovascular Disorders↗
PubMed1986

Induction of c-myc expression early in the course of B-cell activation: studies in normal humans and patients with systemic lupus erythematosus.

The proliferative response of B lymphocytes to stimulation with anti-IgM antibodies and B-cell growth factors was studied in 27 patients with systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE) and 17 normal donors. In addition, the expression of messenger RNA of the proto-oncogene c-myc was also studied in B cells from SLE patients and normal donors. The proliferative response of lupus B cells to anti-IgM and B-cell growth factors as compared to normal B cells demonstrated a wide range of responses, 10 were lower than normal and 8 were either normal or supernormal. As compared to normals, expression of B-cell c-myc RNA from SLE patients was either normal or depressed. In general in patients with SLE there was a positive correlation between levels of c-myc expression and the degree of proliferation in B-cells after stimulation with anti-IgM and B-cell growth factors.

Adolescent↗