PubMed Health⌕ Search

Biomedical subjects

S M Simons

Publications and source records attributed to S M Simons.

12 recordsLinked to original sources
PubMed1992

Hypertrophic cardiomyopathy in a college athlete.

The greatest catastrophy in sports is an athlete's unexpected sudden death. Identifying those athletes at risk remains a great challenge to physicians performing preseason examinations. Hypertrophic cardiomyopathy is the most common cause of nontraumatic sudden death in athletes. Most cases of this diseased heart are diagnosed easily by echocardiography. The case presented exemplifies the attention to detail required to differentiate the borderline diseased heart from the conditioned athletic heart. Once a diagnosis of hypertrophic cardiomyopathy is made, further participation in intense physical exercise is discouraged. This recommendation is necessary despite the unknown relative sudden death risk for the minimal criteria cases.

Adolescent↗
PubMed1989

Effect of long-distance running on bone mass in women.

The effect of long-distance running on bone mass was assessed in 10 premenopausal and 9 estrogen-deprived postmenopausal women and compared to that in closely matched sedentary control women. Vertebral trabecular bone density (VBD) was determined by computed tomography and radial cortical bone density (CBD) by single-photon absorptiometry. Physical fitness was assessed by determining maximal oxygen consumption (VO2max) on a treadmill run to exhaustion. VBD was 183 +/- 7 mg/cm3 and VO2max was 48 +/- 1 ml/kg per minute in young women runners and 163 +/- 8 mg/cm3 and 32 +/- 2 ml/kg per minute in sedentary young women. A positive correlation was noted between VBD and VO2max in these groups (r = 0.509, p less than 0.03). Despite a significantly higher VO2max in postmenopausal women runners compared with sedentary controls (37 +/- 2 versus 24 +/- 2 ml/kg per minute), VBD was identical (112 +/- 5 versus 111 +/- 5 mg/cm3) and no correlation was seen between VBD and VO2max (r = 0.187, p = 0.457). Radial cortical bone density was not different between the runners or sedentary groups in young women (0.738 +/- 0.01 versus 0.732 +/- 0.1 g/cm2) or postmenopausal women (0.617 +/- 0.3 versus 0.665 +/- 0.4 g/cm2). These results suggest that although physical fitness enhances vertebral bone density in premenopausal women, it does not appear to prevent age- and/or sex steroid deficiency-induced bone loss in postmenopausal women.

Adult↗
PubMed1985

Cytotoxic activity of human pulmonary alveolar macrophages.

The functions of human pulmonary alveolar macrophages (PAMs) have been relatively little studied compared with those of their circulating counterparts, blood monocytes. This study examined the ability of human PAMs to kill primary human tumor cell cultures and control normal fibroblasts in vitro. PAMs were derived by bronchial lavage from patients with lung cancer of various histological types and stages, patients with acute or chronic noncancerous pulmonary disorders, and subjects with a presumed illness who proved to be normal. After extensive washing, the PAMs were cocultured with [3H]proline-labeled tumor cells, principally lung cancers and melanomas, at various effector:target ratios for 60 hr. Cytotoxicity was measured by comparing radioactivity associated with the remaining adherent tumor cells cultured in the presence or absence of PAMs. Twenty-eight of 42 preparations of PAMs from 42 individuals were cytotoxic to one or more short-term primary tumor cultures. All 28 specimens from patients with lung cancer or chronic pulmonary disease were cytotoxic; all of the 14 PAM preparations lacking cytotoxicity were from individuals with acute pulmonary disorders or who were proved free of pulmonary disease. PAMs were cytotoxic even at effector:target ratios of 2.5:1 or 1.25:1. Fibroblasts were unaffected at any ratio. Sarcoidosis patients in remission had noncytotoxic PAMs, whereas the disease in relapse was characterized by cytotoxic PAMs. Serial study of 2 patients confirmed a loss of reactivity during remission. Smoking did not correlate with the presence or absence of spontaneous cytotoxicity and did not influence the degree of cytotoxicity in "reactors." Partially purified alpha-interferon enhanced the killing of cytotoxic PAMs in 10 of 21 instances but did not induce cytotoxicity in 9 tests on nonreactive PAMs. We conclude that human PAMs from patients with lung cancer or chronic pulmonary diseases, including active sarcoidosis, were cytotoxic to several recently explanted tumor cell cultures. PAMs from acute pulmonary dysfunctions and those from patients with inactive sarcoidosis were not spontaneously cytotoxic.

Adenocarcinoma↗
PubMed1978

The case for the hospital staff attorney.

A full-time staff attorney offers a hospital substantial advantages over an outside attorney, including availability, accessibility, and total familiarity with hospital operations. Among the services that a staff attorney can perform are advising the governing body, reviewing contracts, participating in risk management, providing liaison with outside counsel, and responding to requests for release of information.

Hospitals↗
PubMed1975

Idiopathic thrombocytopenic purpura in children.

Idiopathic thrombocytopenic purpura in children 10 years of age or younger was observed to have a more favorable prognosis than in older children. Corticosteroid therapy in children judged to be at increased risk of serious hemorrhage resulted in a significantly greater number of patients with an early increase in platelets than was noted in a control group. All patients with chronic disease who responded to administration of a corticosteroid initially and then relapsed had some response to a subsequent course of therapy, although none had a sustained remission. In such patients, splenectomy was a more effective therapeutic measure than treatment with either a corticosteroid or a cytotoxic agent.

Adolescent↗
PubMedDate not supplied

Oviposition and eclosion periods of Ixodes didelphidis Fonseca and Aragão, 1951 (Acari: Ixodidae) under laboratory conditions.

Oviposition and eclosion periods for Ixodes didelphidis were observed under two temperatures (25 degrees C and 27 degrees C) and 90-95% humidity. Although there was a significant increase in the eclosion period (p<0.05) and a tendency to increase the oviposition period at 25 degrees C, there was neither significant differences in the interval (days), until maximum peak of eclosion nor in the number of emerging larvae during the peak nor the total number of emerged larvae. These temperature values are not critical for embryological development of the species. Because at 27 degrees C and under high humidity the oviposition and eclosion periods are shorter, and the percentage of emerged larvae is higher, we consider this to be the ideal temperature for laboratory studies.

Animals↗
PubMedDate not supplied

Tarsal navicular stress fracture in a young athlete: case report with clinical, radiologic, and pathophysiologic correlations.

BACKGROUND: Tarsal navicular fractures are uncommon but important causes of foot pain. Being alert to this condition can help prevent a delay in the diagnosis. METHODS: A literature search of MEDLINE was undertaken, and a case report of an adolescent with tarsal navicular stress fracture is described. RESULTS AND CONCLUSIONS: Tarsal navicular fractures are often misdiagnosed for months. Because plain radiographs are unreliable, the diagnosis of tarsal navicular fractures requires the use of bone scan, fine-cut computed tomographic scans, or magnetic resonance imaging. Treatment requires strict non-weight-bearing activities to avoid complications. When the alert primary care physician can diagnose this condition, treatment of tarsal navicular fractures can be effective and rewarding.

Adolescent↗