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Biomedical subjects

R Capra

Publications and source records attributed to R Capra.

At least 19 recordsLinked to original sources
PubMed1995

Fragment collapsing and splitting while assembling high-resolution restriction maps.

In the process of constructing high-resolution restriction maps via greedy algorithms, a classical anomaly, known as fragment collapsing, introduces errors into the maps that impedes further map assembly. Fragment collapsing occurs when two different genomic fragments of approximately the same length and occurring in the digestion of two different overlapping clones are incorrectly identified as representative of a single genomic fragment. This introduces a single fragment of commensurate length into an incorrect position in the map. The present work describes techniques for detecting and correcting such anomalies.

Algorithms↗
PubMed1992

Gadolinium-pentetic acid magnetic resonance imaging in patients with relapsing remitting multiple sclerosis.

Ten patients with relapsing-remitting multiple sclerosis have been studied by serial gadolinium-pentetic acid magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) every 14 days for 3 months. At the end of the follow-up, seven relapses occurred in six patients; no therapy was administered during the study. Ninety-three enhancing lesions were collected in eight patients. With regard to the duration of the enhancement, 32 lesions were detected in only one MRI scan and 32 were found in more MRI scans (most of the lesions occurring in two serial examinations). Four old lesions increased their size with delayed enhancement. Correlation was found between the relapses and the gadolinium-pentetic acid-enhancing areas only for one brain-stem and two cervical spinal cord lesions. Gadolinium-pentetic acid MRI provides useful information about activity of the disease that cannot be obtained clinically even if the dynamic of the lesions may be undervalued in old plaques.

Adult↗
PubMed1992

Total lymphoid irradiation in chronic progressive multiple sclerosis.

6 patients with severe chronic progressive multiple sclerosis were subjected to total lymphoid irradiation (TLI) to assess clinical efficacy and side effects. During a 4 year follow-up the disability progression was continuous. Side effects during TLI were well tolerated; side effects after TLI brought about a worsening of the quality of life. One patient died of pneumonia. In this preliminary study TLI did not reduce the worsening of disability in MS patients.

Adult↗
PubMed1992

Immunological and gadolinium-DTPA MRI evaluation of relapsing remitting multiple sclerosis.

The levels of lymphocytes, blood lymphocytes subsets (CD3+, CD4+, CD8+, DR+, CD25+, CD4+, CD45RA+, CD4+, CD29+ cells) and sIL-2r of 10 patients affected by relapsing-remitting multiple sclerosis were serially studied. The identification of the activity of the disease was made by gadolinium-DTPA (Gd-DTPA) MRI. The immunological determinations and the MRI of the brain and spinal cord were performed every 14th day for a period of three months. No significant difference of the immunological values were found between the presence and the absence of Gd-DTPA enhancing areas, except lymphocytes (p < 0.05). These immunological parameters, evaluated in the peripheral blood, are not a marker of disease activity in relapsing-remitting MS patients.

Adult↗
PubMed1991

Neuropsychological assessment in multiple sclerosis: a follow-up study with magnetic resonance imaging.

Nineteen moderately impaired patients with clinically definite multiple sclerosis and an initially relapsing-remitting course were included in a neuropsychological and magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) follow-up study. The average test/re-test interval was about 2 years. The neuropsychological findings were indicative of a very mild overall impairment; the patients, as a group, showed no evidence of cognitive deterioration in the follow-up period. A numerical estimation of the severity of cerebral demyelination shown by MRI did not indicate a significant change. No correlation between cognitive performance variations and MRI changes was found.

Adult↗
PubMed1991

[Biological and HPLC analysis of heparin after thermal treatment].

Heparin solutions ampoules have been autoclaved at 105 degrees C-110 degrees C-121 degrees C-134 degrees C for 15 minutes. The biological activity has not decreased after the treatment, but a reduction was observed after a storage period of 36 months at room temperature for sterilizing treatments. Analysis of heparin by size exclusion and reversed phase HPLC with the method developed in our laboratories allowed us to demonstrate a substantial stability of the molecular structure. These methods showed to be suitable for a qualitative evaluation of the heparin itself.

Blood Coagulation↗
PubMed1991

[Progressive multiple sclerosis. Evaluation of the effectiveness of total lymph node irradiation].

A long-lasting immunological suppression action seems to be produced by total lymphoid irradiation; some authors emphasize the favorable effect of this treatment on chronic progressive multiple sclerosis. In order to evaluate the actual role of TLI, 6 patients affected with chronic progressive multiple sclerosis were submitted to TLI with shaped and personalized fields at the Instituto del Radio, University of Brescia, Italy. The total dose delivered was 19.8 Gy in 4 weeks, 1.8 Gy/day, 5d/w; a week elapsed between the first and the second irradiation course. Disability according to Kurtzke scale was evaluated, together with blood lymphocyte count and irradiation side-effects, over a mean follow-up period of 20.8 months (range: 13-24). Our findings indicate that: a) disease progression was not markedly reduced by TLI; b) steroid hormones responsivity was restored after irradiation, and c) side-effects were mild and tolerable.

Adult↗
PubMed1990

Neuropsychological assessment in patients with relapsing-remitting multiple sclerosis and mild functional impairment: correlation with magnetic resonance imaging.

Forty one moderately impaired patients with clinically confirmed multiple sclerosis (MS) and a relapsing-remitting course were submitted to a neuropsychological battery and magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) to correlate the neuropsychological performances with the degree of cerebral demyelination. The neuropsychological results were indicative of a very mild overall impairment. The patients were subdivided into two groups (extensive periventricular demyelination or discrete lesions on MRI) and the results of neuropsychological tests compared. Patients with extensive periventricular demyelination had an inferior performance on concept formation, non-verbal reasoning and verbal memory tests.

Adolescent↗
PubMed1989

Absence of a correlation between T lymphocyte subsets and clinical activity in relapsing-remitting multiple sclerosis.

Cytofluorographic analysis of CD3+, Tac+, HLA-DR+ peripheral blood lymphocytes and CD4/CD8 ratio was performed monthly, over a 10-month period, in a group of 16 patients with multiple sclerosis (MS). No correlation was found between clinical relapses and fluctuations in the lymphocyte subsets, although patients who were in remission throughout the study showed a number of CD3+ cells and a CD4/CD8 ratio significantly lower than those in normal controls. We concluded that changes in peripheral blood lymphocyte subsets are not related to the disease process and their measurement is not helpful in monitoring the illness.

Adult↗
PubMed1989

Lesion detection in MS patients with and without clinical brainstem disorders: magnetic resonance imaging and brainstem auditory evoked potentials compared.

The findings of the present study can be summed up in the following points: (1) brainstem auditory evoked potentials (BAEP), as compared with magnetic resonance imaging (MRI), has a greater capacity and a lower cost in disclosing brainstem plaques both in MS patients with symptoms or signs of actual brainstem involvement and in clinically silent ones. This makes BAEP a useful technique for the neurologist, who can confirm the clinical suspicion of a brainstem lesion and follow the evolution of the disease in the patient. (2) The sensitivity of BAEP is lower than that of MRI as far as the anterior lesions of the brainstem are concerned. (3) MRI is more specific than BAEP, inasmuch as several types of injuries can alter the BAEP, while the demyelinating plaque has a specific image and can only be confused with little lacunar infarcts. (4) Plaques that produced symptoms or signs in the past can eventually disappear and be no longer detected by a subsequent MRI.

Adolescent↗
PubMed1988

Auditory evoked potentials test battery related to magnetic resonance imaging for multiple sclerosis patients.

The results of the recording of the Auditory Brainstem Responses (ABR) in 32 patient with "definite" multiple sclerosis (MS) according to Poser et al. (1983) were contrasted with the brain stem anatomic lesions evidenced by Magnetic Resonance Imaging (MRI) and with the neurologic signs and symptoms found at clinical examination (BS). Twenty-one patients showed ABR abnormalities (65.5%); in 15 cases MRI visualized demyelinization plaques in the brain stem (46.8%); 12 patients had neurological signs of brain stem involvement (37.5%) at the time of the electrophysiological and radiological assessment. When the observation was restricted to the group of 21 patients with past or present BS neurological signs, ABR sensitivity resulted 81% (17/21), while MRI obtained a value of 57% (12/21).

Adult↗
PubMed1983

[Comparative study of pre and post-operative dynamic respiratory indices in subjects undergoing total laryngectomy].

A spirometric measurement was carried out on patients with cancer of the laryn before and after surgery for total laryngectomy at the Istituto Policattedra of the University of Parma ENT Clinic. Postoperative spirometry was performed by means of a Vitalograph apparatus with the mouthpiece positioned right over the tracheal opening. The parameters considered were the dynamic respiratory indices (CV/MEVS - MEVS/CV). Forty patients was mostly based on the fact that, prior to laringectomy, all of them had been subjected to a spirometric measurement for aneasthesiologic purposes. According to the results obtained, the patients can be divided into three groups. The first group consists of 10 subjects in whom no improvement was observed in their MEVS value, which in some instances had actually worsened. The second group is composed of 20 patients in whom the spirometric values remained more or less steady. The third group comprises 20 patients who showed a marked improvement of their respiratory indices. In some of the latter patients the values obtained were even better than those in the normal range. However, the overall average results are not statistically significant, except for an average 9% improvement of MEVS due, as expected, to a reduction of the dead space following total laryngectomy and a corresponding, though very slight, 4% improvement of the Tiffenau ratio.

Aged↗