Displacement thresholds for an oscillating bar, which fall into the hyperacuity range, were determined in 21 subjects with non-insulin dependent diabetes mellitus and 19 age-matched visually normal controls. The diabetic subjects were classed as either having minimal or no retinopathy. Whilst thresholds for the diabetic group were significantly raised above those of the normal group, there were no significant differences in thresholds between the diabetic subgroup with retinopathy and the subgroup without. Greater thresholds tended to be found at higher frequencies of oscillation as the known duration of the diabetes increased.

Diabetes Mellitus, Type 2↗

PubMed1992

Anterior lumbar interbody fusion surgical complications.

Complications of anterior lumbar fusion may be divided into several categories. The first of these is complications related to patient selection, the second is visceral complications, and the third is vascular complications. Complications of anterior lumbar fusion and complications of interbody fusion technique occur at the graft site and the donor site.

Blood Vessels↗

PubMed1992

The influence of stimulus luminance and contrast on hyperacuity thresholds for oscillatory movement.

Hyperacuity thresholds for oscillatory movement were determined under conditions of decreased contrast and decreased luminance. Responses were found to be resistant to contrast reduction down to 15%; below this level thresholds increased. The contrast response function is thus similar to that of the magnocellular channel of the visual system. Systematic reduction in luminance caused a corresponding rise in thresholds. It is suggested that this effect is due to undersampling of the retinal image as a result of a lowered quantal absorption and an increase in critical duration of temporal integration at lower levels of luminance.

Contrast Sensitivity↗

PubMed1991

The effect of spatial parameters on oscillatory movement displacement thresholds.

Earlier work has established that oscillatory movement displacement thresholds (OMDT) are a form of hyperacuity. There is speculation that the mechanism determining OMDT, like motion perception in general, involves direct motion sensing at high temporal frequencies of oscillation and spatial localization processes (from which motion is inferred) at low temporal frequencies, which are both hyperacuities in their own right. OMDT were determined, for three experienced observers, over the temporal frequency range 1-15 Hz, for three stimulus lengths and three stimulus widths. Both decreasing stimulus length and decreasing stimulus width increased OMDT at all temporal frequencies. Furthermore, the resulting functions consistently exhibit a "kink" in the temporal frequency midrange. The results are interpreted as evidence that there are two subsystems involved in the analysis of visual motion with the kink indicating the transition where one system begins to predominate over the other.

Humans↗

PubMed1991

Hyperacuity thresholds for oscillatory movement are abnormal in strabismic and anisometropic amblyopes.

The hyperacuity performance of amblyopic individuals is known to be abnormal, particularly on vernier tasks. Oscillatory movement displacement thresholds (OMDT's) a form of hyperacuity, were investigated over a range of temporal frequencies (1, 4, 7, 10, and 13 Hz) in 8 normal controls, 5 strabismic amblyopes, and 4 anisometropic amblyopes to see if this form of hyperacuity was also affected by amblyopia. OMDT's were found to be significantly raised in all of the strabismic amblyopes and three of the four anisometropes over all temporal frequencies investigated when compared to the control group. In the fourth anisometrope, OMDT's were raised at low temporal frequencies only. The findings are interpreted as evidence that magnocellular and parvocellular channels are affected in the amblyopic visual system. The functional loss in amblyopia cannot be described completely unless both temporal and spatial thresholds are investigated.

Adult↗

PubMed1991

Carbon-phosphorus bond cleavage activity in cell-free extracts of Enterobacter aerogenes ATCC 15038 and Pseudomonas sp. 4ASW.

Carbon-phosphorus bond cleavage activity was investigated in cell-free extracts of Enterobacter aerogenes ATCC 15038 (IFO 12010) and Pseudomonas sp. 4ASW, strains known to utilize a range of phosphonates as sole phosphorus source. In vitro phosphonatase activity was detected in extracts of both organisms; however extensive analysis failed to detect any organic product from phosphonates other than phosphonoacetal dehyde. Non-specific liberation of phosphate was observed in Pseudomonas sp. 4ASW, associated with a single fraction of FPLC-purified extract, and is believed to result from the activity of cellular phosphatases.

Chromatography, High Pressure Liquid↗

PubMed1990

Parenteral nutrition in bone marrow transplantation.

Twenty-nine patients undergoing bone marrow transplantation (BMT) were randomised prospectively to evaluate the effect of parenteral nutrition (TPN) on morbidity and mortality. Fourteen patients received a standard regimen of TPN for 10 +/- 4 days (mean +/- SD). All patients had free access to oral diet, which was significantly reduced compared to pre-transplant intake. In the TPN group, serum bilirubin by day 14 and serum bilirubin and gamma glutamyl transferase by day 21 were significantly higher than in the controls (p < 0.05). These differences probably reflect the higher incidence of serious pyrexia (T > 38.5' C) and blood culture positive rates in the TPN group. Weight loss in the control group was significantly greater than that of the TPN group (p < 0.05). TPN did not affect time to grafting or incidence of graft-versus-host disease. The use of TPN in the nutritional support of patients in small BMT units requires careful consideration.

Journal Article↗

PubMed1990

Atrial natriuretic factor-potentiating and antihypertensive activity of SCH 34826. An orally active neutral metalloendopeptidase inhibitor.

The effects of SCH 34826, an orally active neutral metalloendopeptidase inhibitor, on responses to atrial natriuretic factor-(103-125) or -(99-126) and on blood pressure were evaluated in rats. SCH 34826 (10, 30, and 90 mg/kg s.c. and 90 mg/kg p.o.) potentiated the antihypertensive action of atrial natriuretic factor (30 micrograms/kg i.v.) in conscious spontaneously hypertensive rats. SCH 34826 (90 mg/kg) also potentiated the diuretic and natriuretic responses to atrial natriuretic factor (30 micrograms/kg i.v.) as well as the plasma levels achieved after peptide injection. SCH 34826 significantly reduced blood pressure in the conscious deoxycorticosterone acetate-salt hypertensive rat, at doses of 90 mg/kg s.c. (-35 +/- 12 mm Hg), 10 mg/kg p.o. (-30 +/- 7 mm Hg), and 90 mg/kg p.o. (-45 +/- 6 mm Hg). SCH 34826 was devoid of acute antihypertensive activity in the spontaneously hypertensive rat but reduced blood pressure by day 3 of a 5-day treatment schedule. SCH 34826 (90 mg/kg s.c.) enhanced urine volume output in the deoxycorticosterone acetate-salt rat (2.78 +/- 0.6 vs. 1.27 +/- 0.3 ml/100 g/3 hr in vehicle-control rats, p less than 0.05). SCH 34826 (90 mg/kg s.c.) increased plasma levels of atrial natriuretic factor at 1 hour (753 +/- 89 vs. 451 +/- 79 pg/ml in vehicle-treated rats, p less than 0.05) but not 3 hours after dosing. The renal excretion of atrial natriuretic factor (3,092 +/- 1,089 vs. 21 +/- 6 pg/100 g/3 hr in vehicle-treated rats, p less than 0.05) and cyclic guanosine monophosphate (2,131 +/- 509 vs. 879 +/- 168 pg/100 g/3 hr in vehicle-treated rats, p less than 0.05) was markedly elevated by SCH 34826 in deoxycorticosterone acetate-salt rats. These studies suggest that neutral endopeptidase inhibition may represent a new approach to treatment of some forms of hypertension.

Administration, Oral↗

PubMed1990

Parkinsonian tremor and Waldenstrom's macroglobulinaemia.

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Blood Viscosity↗

PubMed1990

Automated percutaneous discectomy: a prospective multi-institutional study.

A prospective multi-institutional study was carried out to evaluate automated percutaneous discectomy in the treatment of lumbar disc herniations. Of the 327 patients who prospectively met the study criteria and were followed for longer than 1 year, 75.2% were successfully treated. When patients (n = 168) who prospectively did not meet the study criteria were treated, the success rate was 49.4%. One case of discitis was reported; otherwise, no other serious complications were noted, and specifically no vascular or nerve damage was encountered. This study indicates that automated percutaneous discectomy can be used successfully to treat lumbar disc herniations with minimal morbidity and emphasizes the need for proper patient selection.

Humans↗

PubMed1989

Gauged Q balls.

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Journal Article↗