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Biomedical subjects

Greg Anderson

Publications and source records attributed to Greg Anderson.

8 recordsLinked to original sources
PubMed2005

Failure of standard imaging to detect a cervical fracture in a patient with ankylosing spondylitis.

STUDY DESIGN: Retrospective case study of 38-year-old male with ankylosing spondylitis who presented with a Brown-Séquard syndrome following a fall and an occult fracture on initial spinal imaging studies. OBJECTIVE: To review the recommended imaging protocol in a patient with ankylosing spondylitis and a suspected cervical spine fracture. SUMMARY OF BACKGROUND DATA: Plain radiographic imaging using orthogonal views can detect the majority of spinal fractures. However, fracture identification is particularly difficult in patients with ankylosing spondylitis. Of the various contemporary imaging methods, [magnetic resonance imaging (MRI), computed tomography (CT), nuclear scanning] high-definition multidetector CT scanning is the most useful in identifying subtle fractures, but in metabolic bone diseases the utility of these methods is unknown. METHODS: Retrospective radiographic evaluation of imaging studies of ankylosing spondylitis patient with occult fracture by five spine surgeons and neuroradiologists, followed with detailed review and interpretation of literature concerning present radiology techniques and methods to isolate occult fractures. RESULTS: Initial imaging studies, including plain radiographs of the spinal axis, cervical and thoracic single-detector CT with reconstructed images, and MRI, were unremarkable in detecting an occult cervical spine fracture in a patient with ankylosing spondylitis and a spinal cord injury following a fall. The patient was placed empirically in a halo orthosis and a high definition multidetector CT scan was obtained. This study demonstrated a transverse fracture through the fused C6-C7 spinal level. CONCLUSION: Occult fractures in ankylosing spondylitis may not be apparent on routine plain radiographic and MRI studies. In the setting of ankylosing spondylitis, a high index of suspicion must be maintained in all patients presenting with spinal pain following even minor trauma. High-resolution multidetector CT imaging appears to be more sensitive and accurate in the diagnosis of fractures in this patient subgroup than other contemporary imaging methods.

Adult↗
PubMed2004

Versatile organic (fullerene)-inorganic (CdTe nanoparticle) nanoensembles.

Novel organic (positively charged fullerene)-inorganic (negatively charged CdTe nanoparticle) nanoensembles were devised through electrostatic interactions and probed as versatile donor-acceptor hybrids. Photoirradiation of their homogeneous solutions, containing the electrostatically packed components, let to very long-lived (1.3 ms) charge separated states.

Journal Article↗
PubMed2004

Similarities and differences in the treatment of spine trauma between surgical specialties and location of practice.

STUDY DESIGN: Questionnaires administered to practicing orthopedic and neurosurgical spine surgeons from various regions of the United States and abroad. OBJECTIVES: To determine similarities and differences in the treatment of spinal trauma. SUMMARY OF BACKGROUND DATA: Spinal trauma is generally referred to subspecialists of orthopedic or neurosurgical training. Prior studies have suggested that there is significant variability in the management of such injuries. METHODS: Questionnaires based on eight clinical scenarios of commonly encountered cervical, thoracic, and lumbar injuries were administered to 35 experienced spinal surgeons. Surgeons completed profile information and answered approximately one dozen questions for each case. Data were analyzed with SPSS software to determine the levels of agreement and characteristics of respondents that might account for a lack of agreement on particular aspects of management. RESULTS: Of the 35 surgeons completing the questionnaire, 63% were orthopedists, 37% were neurosurgeons, and 80% had been in practice for more than 5 years. Considerable agreement was found in the majority of clinical decisions, including whether or not to operate and the timing of surgery. Of the differences noted, neurosurgeons were more likely to obtain a MRI, and orthopedists were more likely to use autograft as a sole graft material. Physicians from abroad were, in general, more likely to operate and to use an anterior approach during surgery than physicians from the northeastern United States. CONCLUSIONS: More commonalities were identified in the management of spinal trauma than previously reported. When found, variability in opinion was related to professional and regional differences.

Adult↗
PubMed2004

Variety of beta-lactamases produced by amoxicillin-clavulanate-resistant Escherichia coli isolated in the northeastern United States.

This study analyzed the enzymatic basis and molecular epidemiology of amoxicillin-clavulanate-resistant Escherichia coli isolated by the microbiology laboratory of a United States tertiary care hospital. From October 1998 to December 1999, all E. coli isolates were screened for ampicillin-sulbactam resistance. Of 283 isolates that tested resistant to ampicillin-sulbactam, 69 unique patient isolates were also resistant to amoxicillin-clavulanate by disk diffusion testing (zone diameter </= 13 mm). These amoxicillin-clavulanate-resistant E. coli isolates underwent agar dilution testing, pulsed-field gel electrophoresis, PCR analysis, and isoelectric focusing. The mean age of study patients was 52 years; 78% were female. Among the isolates, 12 were nosocomial (rate of amoxicillin-clavulanate resistance = 4.7%) and 57 were community acquired (rate of amoxicillin-clavulanate resistance = 2.8%). No predominant strain was identified. By agar dilution testing, 67 isolates were nonsusceptible (39 resistant and 28 intermediate) to amoxicillin-clavulanate and 37 were piperacillin-tazobactam resistant but only 8 were ceftazidime resistant (ceftazidime MIC >/= 32 micro g/ml). Two isolates were susceptible to amoxicillin-clavulanic acid by agar dilution, although they were resistant by disk diffusion testing. The distribution of beta-lactamases was as follows: the TEM type alone was found in 52 isolates, the AmpC type was found in 4 isolates (2 identified as containing CMY-2), the TEM type and CMY-2 were found in 2 isolates, and the OXA type was found in 1 isolate. Also, there was one isolate with the TEM type and the SHV type and one with the TEM type and a second, unidentified enzyme. Among the isolates with TEM-type enzymes, two extended-spectrum beta-lactamase-producing isolates were identified but two isolates with inhibitor-resistant TEM (IRT) enzymes (one with TEM-34 [IRT-6] and the other with a novel enzyme [tentatively assigned the designation TEM-122]) were more interesting.

Adolescent↗
PubMed2003

Fault interactions and large complex earthquakes in the Los Angeles area.

Faults in complex tectonic environments interact in various ways, including triggered rupture of one fault by another, that may increase seismic hazard in the surrounding region. We model static and dynamic fault interactions between the strike-slip and thrust fault systems in southern California. We find that rupture of the Sierra Madre-Cucamonga thrust fault system is unlikely to trigger rupture of the San Andreas or San Jacinto strike-slip faults. However, a large northern San Jacinto fault earthquake could trigger a cascading rupture of the Sierra Madre-Cucamonga system, potentially causing a moment magnitude 7.5 to 7.8 earthquake on the edge of the Los Angeles metropolitan region.

Journal Article↗
PubMed2003

Probing charge separation in structurally different C60/exTTF ensembles.

The scope of the present work is to highlight the effects stemming from different C60/exTTF linkages (exTTF = 9,10-bis(1,3-dithiol-2-ylidene)-9,10-dihydroanthracene)-either via an anthracene unit or a dithiole ring. Particular emphasis is placed on photoinduced electron-transfer features. Therefore, we devised a new series of C60-exTTF ensembles, synthesized via 1,3-dipolar cycloaddition and Diels-Alder cycloaddition reactions, in which exTTF units are separated from C60 by two single bonds (3a-c, 4), one vinylene unit (5a), or two vinylene units (5b). The cyclic voltammetry reveals an amphoteric redox behavior with remarkably strong electron-donor ability of the trimethyl-substituted exTTF moiety in 4 and 5a,b. Steady-state and time-resolved photolytic techniques show that the fullerene singlet excited state in (3a-c, 4, and 5a,b) is subject to a rapid electron-transfer quenching. The resulting charge-separated states, that is C60*(-)-exTTF*+, were identified by transient absorption spectroscopy. We determined radical pair lifetimes of the order of 200 ns in benzonitrile. This suggests (i) that the positive charge of the exTTF*+ is delocalized over the entire donor rather than localized on one of the 1,3-dithiole rings and (ii) that linking exTTF via the anthracene or 1,3-dithiole ring has no appreciable influence. Increasing the donor-acceptor separation via implementing one or two vinylene units as spacers led to improved radical pair lifetimes (5a: tau = 725 ns; 5b: tau = 1465 ns).

Journal Article↗
PubMed2003

The 2002 Denali fault earthquake, Alaska: a large magnitude, slip-partitioned event.

The MW (moment magnitude) 7.9 Denali fault earthquake on 3 November 2002 was associated with 340 kilometers of surface rupture and was the largest strike-slip earthquake in North America in almost 150 years. It illuminates earthquake mechanics and hazards of large strike-slip faults. It began with thrusting on the previously unrecognized Susitna Glacier fault, continued with right-slip on the Denali fault, then took a right step and continued with right-slip on the Totschunda fault. There is good correlation between geologically observed and geophysically inferred moment release. The earthquake produced unusually strong distal effects in the rupture propagation direction, including triggered seismicity.

Journal Article↗