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Biomedical subjects

D Becker

Publications and source records attributed to D Becker.

At least 73 records · Page 4Linked to original sources
PubMed1987

Sulfinyl radical formation from the reaction of cysteine and glutathione thiyl radicals with molecular oxygen.

Using Electron Spin Resonance spectroscopy at low temperatures, we find that thiyl radicals resulting from irradiation of frozen aqueous solutions of a variety of thiols, including cysteine, glutathione, and penicillamine react with oxygen to form sulfinyl (RSO.) radicals. The identity of the cysteine sulfinyl radical has been confirmed by the use of molecular oxygen isotopically labeled with 17O. Previous workers have suggested the reaction of thiyl radicals and molecular oxygen resulted in the formation of the potentially damaging thiol peroxyl radical, RSOO.; our work shows no evidence for this species. The sulfinyl radicals are suggested to result from a direct reaction between thiyl radicals and molecular oxygen. This reaction results in the cleavage of the dioxygen bond.

Cysteine↗
PubMed1987

The effect of fibronectin therapy and fibronectin deficiency on healing of rat burns and excision wounds.

Rats with standardized burns and skin excision wounds were treated i.p. with human fibronectin or swine skin gelatin. Controls received bovine albumin, solvent, or no treatment. Wound healing was assessed by planimetry, additionally plasma fibronectin was determined. Solvent or albumin did not influence the healing process, neither did fibronectin. However, when opsonizing fibronectin was additionally consumed by application of gelatin, a significant retardation of wound healing was observed. The results support the opinion that fibronectin is of essential importance for posttraumatic opsonization of gelatin-like material originating from the damaged tissue.

Animals↗
PubMed1987

Effect of fibronectin therapy and fibronectin deficiency on wound healing: a study in rats.

Rats with standardized 3rd-degree burns of 1% body surface were treated intraperitoneally with different doses of human fibronectin or swine gelatin immediately after injury and on the following days. Controls received bovine albumin or no further treatment. Wound healing was assessed by planimetry (days 0, 2, and 7); additionally, plasma fibronectin was determined (days 3 and 7). On day 3 fibronectin levels were significantly elevated after albumin and the highest dosage of fibronectin (3 X 16 mg) and decreased after gelatin and the lowest dosage of fibronectin (3 X 4 mg). Wound healing was neither affected by albumin nor by human fibronectin, but it was significantly impaired by gelatin-induced lack of fibronectin. The data support the opinion that fibronectin is an essential factor for the post-traumatic clearance of gelatin-like tissue debris via the reticuloendothelial system (RES). Overload by gelatin results in fibronectin deficiency and RES dysfunction with risks of infection and poor wound healing.

Animals↗
PubMed1987

Long-term effects of modest weight loss in type II diabetic patients.

Since most obese patients with type II diabetes are unable to achieve ideal body weight, this study examined whether more modest weight losses would provide a long-term benefit. Type II diabetic patients (N = 114) were treated in a behavioral weight control program and followed up for one year. Weight loss was significantly correlated with improvements in glycosylated hemoglobin values at posttreatment (r = .55) and one year (r = .51). Patients who lost more than 6.9 kg or had more than 5% reduction in body weight had significant improvements in glycosylated hemoglobin values at one year, while patients losing less weight had nonsignificant changes and those gaining weight had significant worsening. Thus, modest weight loss can have a long-term impact on glycemic control. However, the improvement in glycemic control for a given weight loss was greater initially than at one year, suggesting that energy restriction, in addition to weight loss, may contribute to initial improvement. Neither percent overweight nor diabetes treatment affected weight loss.

Adult↗
PubMed1987

[From phonocardiography to phonoanalysis].

We report on a new system for the examination and presentation of heart sounds, the phonoanalysis (PHA). It gives automatically a complete, objective physically founded picture of heart sounds and murmurs by registering the frequency spectrum graphically, as well as presenting in a numeric format, as a whole and as a function of time; in addition, the usual phonocardiographic and electrocardiographic leads may be obtained. A further function is to measure--probably for the first time--quantitatively the "roughness" of heart murmurs. This factor is also essential for the quality of murmurs and independent of the pitch. Therefore, the quantitative assessment of roughness has been proposed as an essential part of the physically founded description of heart murmurs in the auscultation, in addition to the determination of the dominating frequency (pitch). The term 'roughness' should not been confined to the extremely rough low-pitched heart murmurs e.g. in typical aortic stenosis. The PHA gives a better insight into the hemodynamic basis of heart murmurs and discloses properties of murmurs not recognized by auscultation and phonocardiography. The PHA can also be used for the examination of vascular, lung, bronchial and abdominal murmurs and also in connection with a stethoscope using an airborne sound microphone.

Computers↗
PubMed1986

Comparison of nonwoven and woven gown and drape fabric to prevent intraoperative wound contamination and postoperative infection.

In a prospective, controlled clinical trial, nonwoven, disposable gown and drape fabrics were no better barriers to intraoperative wound contamination or postoperative wound infection than reusable cotton poplin. We observed no difference between the two study groups in either the frequency or level of intraoperative wound contamination as judged by cultures of specimens collected at the time of wound closure. Of procedures in which reusable fabrics were used, 13.1 percent had positive cultures compared with 15.5 percent of those in which disposable fabrics were used (difference not statistically significant). We recovered coagulase-negative Staphylococci from more than 95 percent of contaminated wounds. Rates of postoperative wound infection were virtually identical in the two groups. Our data suggest that either both fabrics were similar in their ability to block bacteria that were shed from skin surfaces from entering the wound, or that bacteria which contaminate the wound in clean surgical procedures are derived from sources other than skin.

Clinical Trials as Topic↗
PubMed1986

Postcholecystectomy wound infection. The impact of prophylactic antibiotics on the epidemiology of infections.

The clinical courses of 347 patients undergoing gallbladder surgeries were monitored to study the epidemiology of postcholecystectomy wound infection in a hospital in which high-risk patients received prophylactic antibiotics. Overall, 3.8% of patients had wound infections. Patients who had positive bile cultures taken during surgery or positive intraoperative wound cultures had higher rates of infection than patients with negative cultures. However, there was a poor correlation among the bacterial isolates that were recovered from the bile or the wound surface during surgery and from postoperative infections. Antibiotic-sensitive enteric bacteria were recovered from bile samples at surgery, gram-positive organisms and enteric gram-negative bacteria were isolated from intraoperative cultures of the wound surface, and antibiotic-resistant gram-negative bacteria or enterococci were recovered from wounds that developed postoperative infections. There was a strong association between the prior receipt of prophylactic antibiotics and infections with antibiotic-resistant bacteria. Data suggest that bactibilia is still an important epidemiologic marker that identifies patients at high risk for subsequent wound infection. However, in patients who have received prophylactic antibiotics, intraoperative cultures cannot be relied on to guide the choice of empiric therapeutic antibiotics for postoperative infections. Bacteria responsible for these infections are not identified by cultures taken at the time of surgery and are often resistant to the class of antibiotics used for prophylaxis.

Adolescent↗
PubMed1986

Why do children with diabetes die?

While the treatment of children with Type I diabetes mellitus has dramatically improved since the introduction of insulin in 1922, significant acute mortality still remains. To better ascertain the causes of death in younger children and adolescents with diabetes mellitus, a retrospective review was undertaken of diabetes associated mortality in the patient population followed at the Children's Hospital of Pittsburgh between the years 1950 and 1985. Fifty-five deaths were identified of which 20 occurred during the initial presentation of diabetes and 35 occurred between 2 months and 11 years following the diagnosis of diabetes mellitus. Diabetic ketoacidosis (DKA) was associated with 64% of the total mortality with 85% of the early onset and 54% of the late onset deaths being ketoacidosis related. Of these ketoacidosis associated deaths, cerebral edema was documented in 31%, or 20% of the total group mortality. Non ketoacidosis deaths in both early and late onset groups were caused by heterogeneous events. There were no deaths associated with the traditional late vascular complications of diabetes mellitus. Since diabetic ketoacidosis is a potentially preventable acute complication of diabetes mellitus and represented a predominant cause of mortality in these children, early recognition and prompt treatment might substantially reduce childhood mortality in patients with Type I diabetes mellitus.

Adolescent↗
PubMed1986

Activity in the spinal cord-injured patient: an epidemiologic analysis of metabolic parameters.

Individuals with traumatic spinal cord injury (SCI) represent a population with extreme inactivity. The purpose of the current research was to investigate the metabolic differences between extremely inactive disabled individuals (SCI sedentary group), active disabled individuals (SCI athletes), and able-bodied individuals. Fasting morning blood samples were obtained for the determination of high density lipoprotein cholesterol (HDLc) subfractions, glucose, and insulin. The sedentary SCI group was comprised of 77 consecutive male admissions to a rehabilitation center. The 17 SCI athletes were recruited prior to competition at the annual National Wheelchair Games. Total HDLc and both its subfractions were significantly lower (P less than 0.01) in the male SCI sedentary population than in the SCI athletes or able-bodied controls. HDL2 was significantly elevated (P less than 0.01) in the SCI athlete compared to the SCI sedentary group (42.7 vs 34.1 mg X dl-1) and was similar to the control population (46.1 mg X dl-1). Glucose levels were similar in the two SCI groups but were both significantly lower (P less than 0.05) than in the able-bodied controls. These data suggest that the extreme inactivity observed in disabled populations is associated with lower HDLc concentrations and presumably an increase in coronary heart disease risk if these values were to persist over time. Additionally, it appears that physical activity is associated with increases in total HDLc, primarily through the HDL2 subfraction. Glucose and insulin were similar for both SCI groups despite the marked difference in activity levels, suggesting that these parameters may not be associated with activity.

Adult↗
PubMed1986

Intraarticular methylprednisolone acetate in knee arthrotomy.

Ninety-eight arthrotomy patients undergoing meniscectomy were given intraoperative intraarticular methylprednisolone (40 mg) or placebo using double-blind technique and were evaluated clinically at three days, two weeks, four weeks, eight weeks, and twelve weeks after operation. Patients who received methylprednisolone showed small but statistically significant accelerated rehabilitation time with respect to subjectively evaluated pain and range of motion, through two weeks after operation. After two weeks, there was no further advantage over placebo through 12 weeks of rehabilitation.

Double-Blind Method↗
PubMed1979

Computerized tomography and pathological correlation in cystic meningiomas. Report of two cases.

Meningiomas have been reported to have associated areas of surrounding low density on computerized tomography (CT). These low-density areas may represent edema, widened subarachnoid spaces, loculated cerebrospinal fluid, demyelination, or adjacent tumor. Two cases are presented in which this adjacent area of low density represented a tumor cyst. Recognition is important as the CT appearance of these lesions may simulate a metastatic tumor.

Humans↗