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Biomedical subjects

T Levin

Publications and source records attributed to T Levin.

At least 19 recordsLinked to original sources
PubMed2006

The impact of UV-B and sulphur- or copper-containing solutions in acidic conditions on chlorophyll fluorescence in selected Ramalina species.

Ramalina maciformis and Ramalina lacera were exposed to different solutions and UV-B to seek for alterations in the PSII photosynthetic quantum yield (F(v)/F(m)), in response to chemicals and radiation. For R. maciformis, significant alterations of the F(v)/F(m) ratio occurred only in response to different bisulphite solutions. The F(v)/F(m) ratio decreased most in R. maciformis and R. lacera following exposure to 5 and 1 mM bisulphite, respectively. Significant differences in F(v)/F(m) ratios were observed for R. lacera in response to different solutions and light at different wavelengths, this being synergistic. The PSII system was unaffected by simulated acid rain in both lichens. R. maciformis, in particular, may survive limited acid rain exposure owing to high Ca oxalate accumulation. The F(v)/F(m) ratio decreased most in R. lacera following short-term exposures to CuSO(4), suggesting that this species is more sensitive to Cu ions under acidic conditions.

Acid Rain↗
PubMed2004

Aspergillus mediastinitis following orthotopic heart transplantation: case report and review of the literature.

Bacterial mediastinitis after orthotopic heart transplantation (OHT) is well described in the literature. However, little information has been published on fungal mediastinitis in this population. We describe a man with Aspergillus fumigatus mediastinitis diagnosed 10 weeks after OHT. The patient was treated with voriconazole. The literature on Aspergillus mediastinitis is also reviewed.

Antifungal Agents↗
PubMed2002

Intake and hedonics of calcium and sodium during pregnancy and lactation in the rat.

These experiments sought to distinguish whether increased calcium intake during pregnancy and lactation in the rat is due to arousal of a specific calcium appetite, with altered taste hedonics, as occurs with sodium depletion, to reduced taste sensitivity, or to the hyperdipsia of reproduction. We find that, during pregnancy and lactation, CaCl(2) intake is not increased more (in fact less) than intakes of control tastants, MgCl(2) and quinine HCl, and multiparous dams do not have a greater calcium intake than primaparous dams. Changes in taste reactivity to CaCl(2) and to NaCl do not correlate with changes in intake of these minerals during pregnancy or lactation, suggesting that alterations in hedonics or sensitivity do not explain the increased intake of these minerals. Taken together with the increased intake of all the tastants, it may be that the increased intakes of calcium and sodium during reproduction are not due to respective specific appetites or to a general mineral appetite but rather to the reproduction-increased ingestion that may meet all the dam's increased mineral and nutrient requirements. Differences in the degree of increased intakes of tastes may be due to specific alterations in their transduction during reproduction.

Animals↗
PubMed2001

[Information to families with hereditary breast and ovarian cancer].

BACKGROUND: Under Norwegian legislation, persons at risk should make the initial contact with the proper health personnel, and not vice versa. It may be argued that the physician should be allowed to make contact with persons at risk of preventable or curable disorders. MATERIAL AND METHODS: We identified all first-degree relatives of all 75 BRCA1 mutation carriers diagnosed within a given period of time and asked them whether or not they had been informed by their relatives. RESULTS: After two years, 60/63 (95%) adult sisters and daughters had made contact with us; the remaining three (5%) had been informed. In comparison, 18/45 (40%) adult brothers and sons had contacted us. INTERPRETATION: The legislation constituted no barrier to offering health services to the target group. Information on our services had reached all close relatives who could benefit from them. This may be representative for curable inherited disorders. We examined inherited cancer limited to females; similar studies on inherited cancers in males and on other curable inherited disorders should be performed. Outside the framework of the present study, we are aware of rare examples of distant cousins who have not been properly informed through their families. One legally acceptable way of identifying mutation carrier families is to test all patients with breast or ovarian cancer for causative mutations. Health services should be monitored to make future decisions based on empirical evidence.

Adult↗
PubMed2000

Acute and late outcome after use of 2.5-mm intracoronary stents in small (< 2.5 mm) coronary arteries.

We describe the high-pressure deployment of 2.5-mm stents in small (< 2.5 mm) coronary vessels. Forty-three lesions in 40 patients were treated. The mean reference vessel diameter was 2.3 +/- 0.2 mm. The mean % luminal stenosis was 90 +/- 9. The mean lesion length was 11. 7 +/- 9.1 mm. Sixteen lesions were pretreated with rotational atherectomy, and the remainder with PTCA. The rate of successful stent deployment was 41/43 (95%). The mean postintervention % stenosis was -1 +/- 10. There were no in-hospital deaths or procedure-related Q-wave MI. The patients were followed for a mean of 18 months. Eight patients (or 21%) developed recurrent chest pain and/or angiographically proven restenosis. One patient (3%) developed intermediate restenosis. Twenty-nine patients (or 76%) either remain symptom-free or have patent target sites on repeat angiography. It appears that reasonable acute and long-term results can be achieved with 2.5-mm stents in small coronary arteries using high-pressure deployment techniques. Cathet. Cardiovasc. Intervent. 49:121-126, 2000.

Adult↗
PubMed2000

Use of complementary medicine by adult patients participating in HIV/AIDS clinical trials.

OBJECTIVE: To identify and characterize patterns of use of complementary and alternative (CAM) therapies by human immunodeficiency virus/acquired immunodeficiency syndrome (HIV/AIDS) patients participating in clinical trials in a research setting. DESIGN: A descriptive survey using a nonrandom sample of 100 patients was conducted over 17 months, using a 99-item interview schedule adapted from a previous study. SETTING: National Institutes of Health (NIH) Warren G. Magnuson Clinical Center. SUBJECTS: Patients diagnosed with HIV/AIDS, participating in clinical research protocols at the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases and the National Cancer institute (NCI) at the NIH. RESULTS: Ninety-one percent (91%) had used at least one CAM therapy, as defined by a 1993 study by Eisenberg et al., sometime in their lives. Postdiagnosis, 84% used at least one CAM therapy with an average of just fewer than 5. The increase in frequency of use from 64% prediagnosis was significant (P2 = 0.019). Therapies that became significantly more popular postdiagnosis were, imagery (P2 = 0.00012), high-dose vitamins, (P2 = 0.000019), weight gain (p2 = 0.000244), massage (p2 = 0.00091), relaxation (p2 = 0.0033), herbals (p2 = 0.013), spiritual (p2 = 0.024), and acupuncture (p2 = 0.035). They were primarily used for HIV/AIDS-related problems: dermatological, nausea, depression, insomnia, and weakness. There was a high level of agreement that benefits of CAM use were: feeling better, 51 (98.1%), increased coping, 52 (100%), feeling in control, 44 (88.5%), and enhanced treatment outcome, 49 (94.2%) with 32 (61%) stating CAM was as, or more effective than conventional treatment. Fifty-three percent (53%) were specifically asked by physicians whether they were using adjunct therapies. CONCLUSIONS: Subjects used a variety of CAM therapies to cope with their diseases and rigors of treatment and clinical trials. Further research is needed to identify CAM therapies that may be used as adjunct treatments during clinical trials.

Adult↗
PubMed2000

Use of complementary medicine by adult patients participating in cancer clinical trials.

PURPOSE/OBJECTIVES: To document the prevalence, demographic correlates, patterns of use, and beliefs about complementary and alternative medicine (CAM) therapies of adult patients enrolled in National Cancer Institute (NCI) clinical trials. DESIGN: Prospective, cross-sectional, descriptive survey. SETTING: W.G. Magnuson Clinical Center of the National Institutes of Health in Bethesda, MD. SAMPLE: Convenience sample of 100 English-speaking, adult patients with cancer admitted to intramural clinical trials. METHODS: A standardized, 99-item questionnaire assessing use of CAM therapies pre- and postcancer diagnosis was administered by face-to-face interview. MAIN RESEARCH VARIABLES: Use of CAM therapies, beliefs, communication with physician. FINDINGS: 63% used at least one CAM therapy, with an average use of two therapies per patient. Men were significantly less likely to use a therapy than women; women were more likely to use numerous therapies. Cancer diagnosis seems to have had no influence overall on the frequency of use of CAM therapies. The major reasons stated for CAM use were for treatment-related medical conditions as well as depression, anxiety, and insomnia. The most frequently reported therapies were spiritual, relaxation, imagery, exercise, lifestyle diet (e.g., macrobiotic, vegetarian), and nutritional supplementation. Patients unanimously believed that these complementary therapies helped to improve their quality of life through more effective coping with stress, decreasing the discomforts of treatment and illness, and giving them a sense of control. CONCLUSIONS: Patients with cancer use various complementary therapies to cope with their disease and the rigors of clinical trials. Women and those with higher educational backgrounds were more frequent users. IMPLICATIONS FOR NURSING PRACTICE: Nurses who provide care to subjects of biomedical research have an opportunity and responsibility regarding their patients' use of CAM therapies. Nurses may use in-house resources to help evaluate subjects' use of a CAM modality or to provide quality-of-life therapies such as relaxation, imagery, or healing touch. Discussing these health practices in a nonjudgmental manner adds to the assessment of patients' coping skills and ability to make decisions about their health care.

Adaptation, Psychological↗
PubMed1999

Risperidone-induced rabbit syndrome: an unusual movement disorder caused by an atypical antipsychotic.

Rabbit syndrome is a rare side effect of chronic neuroleptic administration characterized by rapid, fine, rhythmic movements of the mouth along a vertical axis. It gains its name from an unusual resemblance to the chewing and puckering motions of the rabbit. It is generally thought to be an extra-pyramidal side effect, in part due to its rapid response to anti-cholinergic medication. This is the first case report of risperidone, an atypical antipsychotic, inducing the syndrome. The theoretical implications for the classification of the syndrome along the spectrum of neuroleptic-induced movement disorders are discussed.

Adult↗
PubMed1999

Cardiac exposure history as a determinant of symptoms and emergency department utilization in noncardiac chest pain patients.

Although comparative studies differentiate noncardiac chest pain (NCCP), panic disorder, and coronary artery disease (CAD), little research has examined the defining features of NCCP, such as cardiac complaints, medical utilization, and learning history. We administered self-report measures to 80 Emergency Department (ED) patients with a primary complaint of chest pain who were subsequently found to not have CAD. Forty-eight percent of the ED utilization variance was accounted for by NCCP duration, age, cardiac distress symptoms, and prior exposure to both siblings' and friends' cardiac distress symptoms. In turn, 67% of the variance in cardiac distress symptoms was explained by education, age, NCCP duration, number of illnesses, noncardiac panic symptoms, prior exposure (friends), and prior observation of others' cardiac distress. No effects emerged for gender, ethnicity, avoidance, or depression. Results suggest that beyond the effects of age and distress intensity, prior exposure to other people's cardiac distress may influence NCCP.

Adult↗
PubMed1995

Radiographic features of anterior buccal mandibular depression in modern human cadavers.

The anterior buccal mandibular depression (ABMD) becomes significant when evaluating edentulous patients prior to implant insertion. The features of the ABMD in dry mandibles from ancient populations have been reported. In the present study the prevalence and radiological appearance of the ABMD and the influence of soft tissue superposition on its radiological detectability in the jaws of modern human cadavers were evaluated. The prevalence of ABMD was 32%. The presence of soft tissue significantly influenced the radiopacity of the ABMD area and the degree of definition of the borders (p=0.0003 and 0.0001 respectively). Changes in the trabecular pattern were observed in 36% of the cases without soft tissue compared with 29% with soft tissue. The ABMD was more readily detected on CT scans than on conventional periapical or panoramic radiographs.

Age Distribution↗
PubMed1992

Three pediatric patients with extension of prostatic embryonal rhabdomyosarcoma anterior to the bladder into the space of Retzius.

Invasive embryonal rhabdomyosarcoma of the prostate often extends superiorly into the bladder base requiring partial cystectomy as part of excision of the primary tumor. Three patients were studied with ultrasonography CT and MRI and showed the extension of the tumor superiorly and anterior to the bladder in the prevesical space of Retzius. Complete excision with bladder sparing was successful in two of the patients. The imaging of pelvic tumors in children (although well studied with ultrasonography, CT) is helped by MRI in the sagittal plane and/or lateral films of intravenous pyelograms and cystograms to establish the relation of the tumor to the bladder.

Child↗
PubMed1992

Benign gaseous distension of the bowel in premature infants treated with nasal continuous airway pressure: a study of contributing factors.

Continuous positive airway pressure (CPAP) administered as a mixture of oxygen and compressed air via nasal prongs has dramatically improved survival rates and lessened the frequency of barotrauma and bronchopulmonary dysplasia in the premature infant with respiratory distress syndrome. Associated with the increased use of nasal CPAP has been the development of marked bowel distension (CPAP belly syndrome), which occurs as the infant's respiratory status improves and the baby becomes more vigorous. To identify contributing factors, we prospectively compared 25 premature infants treated with nasal CPAP with 29 premature infants not treated with nasal CPAP. Infants were followed up for development of distension, defined clinically as bulging flanks, increased abdominal girth, and visibly dilated intestinal loops. We evaluated birth weight, weight at time of distension, method of feeding (oral, orogastric tube), and treatment with nasal CPAP and correlated these factors with radiologic findings. Of the infants who received nasal CPAP therapy, gaseous bowel distension developed in 83% (10/12) of infants weighing less than 1000 g, but in only 14% (2/14) of those weighing at least 1000 g. Only 10% (3/29) of infants not treated with nasal CPAP had distension, and all three weighed less than 1000 g. Presence of sepsis and method of feeding did not correlate with occurrence of distension. Neither necrotizing enterocolitis nor bowel obstruction developed in any of the patients with a diagnosis of CPAP belly syndrome. Our study shows that nasal CPAP, aerophagia, and immaturity of bowel motility in very small infants were the major contributors to the development of benign gaseous bowel distension.

Gases↗
PubMed1988

Malignant fibrous histiocytoma arising in a scar.

We describe a case of a malignant fibrous histiocytoma (MFH) arising in a scar. Previous reports have described this tumor associated with radiation, bone infarcts, foreign body reaction and in previous surgery sites. The present case emphasizes the correlation between chronic reparative reactions with external irritation and the appearance of this tumor.

Aged↗