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Biomedical subjects

W Willems

Publications and source records attributed to W Willems.

5 recordsLinked to original sources
PubMed1986

[Autoimmunity and viral infections in type-I diabetes mellitus].

Cytoplasmic islet-cell antibodies, insulin antibodies, islet-cell surface antibodies and islet-cell specific cytotoxicity were determined in serum of the following groups: 131 patients with type I diabetes, 19 with type II diabetes, 29 with mumps, 29 with enterovirus infections, 18 with measles and 28 healthy controls. Cytoplasmic islet-cell antibodies were found predominantly in type I diabetics. Islet-cell surface antibodies, on the other hand, were relatively frequently (60-80%) present in sera of both diabetics and patients with various virus infections. Islet-cell specific cytotoxicity in vitro was found not only in sera of diabetics, but also of patients with mumps or enterovirus infections. Sera of five patients with measles, however, had cytotoxic reactions comparable to those of the controls. These results suggest that cytotoxic antibody reactions against islet cells in vitro occur also in sera of non-diabetic patients. Under certain circumstances, infections which induce such immune reactions may be of significance in the pathogenesis of diabetes.

Adolescent↗
PubMed1980

Eye-controlled communication aids.

Two types of eye-controlled aids for two categories of nonvocal patients with paralysis are described: one based on the use of an eye switch by the partially defect eye for the selection of letters and the other based on position recording of the intact eye during its fixation on the desired letter. The eye recording device for both aids was designed to be drift-free and insensitive to ambient light and heat sources, using an infrared limbus-pupil-reflection method. Different selection procedures with and without visual feedback were analyzed. Feedback reduced the number of selection errors significantly. Maximum selection speeds obtained with the eye switch controlled aids and with the eye position controlled aid were 15, 30, and 105 letters/min, respectively. Eye switch-controlled aids have been used in rehabilitation. Possible application of the aids and plans are discussed.

Biomedical Engineering↗
PubMed1976

[Attempted suicide in Lübeck 1947-1968, data and tendencies (author's transl)].

Evaluation of 2937 case notes of patients admitted for attempted suicide to the department in Lübeck between 1947 and 1968. This series can be seen as resentative for the Lübeck region. During this period the number of cases has increased about fourfold and has been rising since. Mortality could be reduced to 3% or below. Earlier typical differences between the sexes have since approached each other so that in the end men and women showed the same increase by age during the third decennium. Women were admitted significantly more frequently than men. Drugs, particularly sleeping pills and transquilizers, have greatly increased in suicide attempta. Earlier attempts occurred in 30% of cases. Measured by additional diagnoses, the morbidity of the series lay be 44.8%.

Adolescent↗