Impaired transmission in the corticospinal tract and gait disability in spinal cord injured persons

Rehabilitation following spinal cord injury is likely to depend on recovery of corticospinal systems. Here we investigate whether transmission in the corticospinal tract may explain foot drop (inability to dorsiflex ankle) in persons with spinal cord lesion. The study was performed in 24 persons with incomplete spinal cord lesion (C1 to L1) and 15 healthy controls. Coherence in the 10- to 20-Hz frequency band between paired tibialis anterior muscle (TA) electromyographic recordings obtained in the swing phase of walking, which was taken as a measure of motor unit synchronization. It was significantly correlated with the degree of foot drop, as measured by toe elevation and ankle angle excursion in the first part of swing. Transcranial magnetic stimulation was used to elicit motor-evoked potentials (MEPs) in the TA. The amplitude of the MEPs at rest and their latency during contraction were correlated to the degree of foot drop. Spinal cord injured participants who exhibited a large foot drop had little or no MEP at rest in the TA muscle and had little or no coherence in the same muscle during walking. Gait speed was correlated to foot drop, and was the lowest in participants with no MEP at rest. The data confirm that transmission in the corticospinal tract is of importance for lifting the foot during the swing phase of human gait

Materials Chemistry Issues in the Development of a Single-Crystal Solar/Thermal Refractive Secondary Concentrator

A translucent crystal concentrates and transmits energy to a heat exchanger, which in turn heats a propellant gas, working gas of a dynamic power system, or a thermopile. Materials are the limiting issue in such a system. Central is the durability of the crystal, which must maintain the required chemical, physical/optical, and mechanical properties as it is heated and cooled. This report summarizes available data to date on the materials issues with this system. We focus on the current leading candidate materials, which are sapphire (Al2O3) for higher temperatures and silica (SiO2) for lower temperatures. We use data from thermochemical calculations; laboratory coupon tests with silica and sapphire; and system tests with sapphire. The required chemical properties include low-vapor pressure and interfacial stability with supporting structural materials. Optical properties such as transmittance and index of refraction must be maintained. Thermomechanical stability is a major challenge for a large, single-crystal ceramic and has been discussed in another report. In addition to the crystal, other materials in the proposed system include refractory metals (Nb, Ta, Mo, W, and Re), carbon (C), and high-temperature ceramic insulation. The major issue here is low levels of oxygen, which lead to volatile refractory metal oxides and rapid consumption of the refractory metal. Interfacial reactions between the ceramic crystal and refractory metal are also discussed. Finally, high-temperature ceramic insulating materials are also likely to be used in this system. Outgassing is a major issue for these materials. The products of outgassing are typically reactive with the refractory metals and must be minimized

Reynsla foreldra af því að eiga börn á legudeildum barna- og unglingageðdeildar

Hægt er að lesa greinina í heild sinni með því að smella á hlekkinn View/OpenThe study explored experiences of parents whose children received inpatient care at the Child and Adolescent Psychiatric Ward of the Icelandic University and State Hospital. Its purpose was to develop knowledge that can be used to improve care. The research method was hermeneutical phenomenology. Research data was gathered by interviewing fifteen parents. The Following themes, which illuminate the parents’ experience, emerged from the interpretation of the data. (1) Human touch; which demonstrates how important it is that staff relate to parents in a caring and responsive manner. (2) Guidance; describes the parents’ need to be able to rely on a designated case manager to guide them through their difficult journey. (3) Authoritarian professionals; reflects situation when parents experience that health care professionals, in power of their expertise, exclude them from decision making regarding the welfare of their children (4) Finally, the diagnoses assembly-line and limited services refers theme refers to the way in which the psychiatric institution is able to produce diagnoses and assessments, but has limited means to treat the problems labeled and described by the diagnoses and assessments. In the interpretation of these themes proposals are made of how to improve psychiatric care for children and their families and the findings of the study are put in a theoretical perspective.Tilgangur þessarar rannsóknar er að kanna reynslu foreldra af því að eiga börn á legudeildum barna- og unglingageðdeildar Landspítala-hjáskólasjúkrahúss og bæta við þann þekkingargrunn sem gæti stuðlað að bættri þjónustu deildanna. Aðferðafræði rannsóknarinnar er túlkandi fyrirbærafræði og stuðst er við fræðilega (theoretíska) úrtaksgerð. Tekin voru viðtöl við fimmtán foreldra. Við greiningu rannsóknargagnanna komu fram eftirfarandi stef sem lýsa reynslu foreldranna:. (1) Stefið mannleg tengsl lýsir mikilvægi alúðlegs viðmóts starfsfólks í garð foreldra þegar þeir fara í gegnum þessa erfiðu reynslu. (2) Stefið leiðsögumenn endurspeglar þörf foreldranna fyrir að geta reitt sig á ákveðinn starfsmann eða meðferðaraðila um leiðsögn á því erfiða ferðalagi sem hefst þegar barn eða unglingur leggst inn á geðdeild. (3) Sérfræðingsvaldið lýsir þeirri reynslu þegar foreldrum finnst fagfólk í krafti sérfræðiþekkingar sinnar taka af þeim ráðin. (4) Greiningarfæribandið og takmörkuð þjónusta lýsir því hvernig stofnunin getur greint vandamál og meðhöndlað í einhverjum mæli en er ekki jafnfær um að sinna fjölbreyttum þörfum skjólstæðinganna. Í túlkun niðurstaðna eru settar fram tillögur um bætta geðheilbrigðisþjónustu við börn, unglinga og fjölskyldur þeirra. Einnig er leitast við að setja niðurstöðurnar í fræðilegt samhengi

Börn sem eiga foreldra með geðsjúkdóma

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Geðhjúkrun í 100 ár : samantekt úr bók Óttars Guðmundssonar „Kleppur í 100 ár“

Neðst á síðunni er hægt að nálgast greinina í heild sinni með því að smella á hlekkinn View/OpenÍ maí 2007 fagnaði geðsvið Landspítala aldarafmæli Klepps. Eins og sæmir við slík tækifæri var haldin afmælisráðstefna undir heitinu „Kleppur er víða“ – sjúkrahús í heila öld, þar sem horft var yfir farin veg og rýnt í framtíðina. Þar sem formleg geðhjúkrun á Íslandi átti einnig aldarafmæli var frumkvöðlanna í hjúkrun á Kleppi minnst og gaumgæft hvað framtíðin gæti borið í skauti sér fyrir þróun geðhjúkrunarstarfsins

MRI and clinical resolution of a suspected intracranial toxoplasma granuloma with medical treatment in a domestic short hair cat

A two-year-old cat was presented with a left paradoxical vestibular syndrome. MRI of the brain revealed an extra-axial homogenously contrast enhancing mass in the region of the left caudal cerebellar peduncle. Toxoplasma serology was consistent with active infection and the lesion was suspected to be a toxoplasma granuloma. Following eight weeks of tapering oral prednisolone and 11 weeks of oral clindamycin treatment, repeat MRI revealed resolution of the lesion. Eighteen months after initial diagnosis, the cat remained neurologically normal. Differential diagnoses for a solitary, extra-axial, contrast enhancing mass lesion in the feline brain should include toxoplasma granuloma, which can undergo MRI and clinical resolution with medical treatment

ECS-Komplex – ein neuer Biomarker bei Wachstumshormonstörungen?

Störungen im Metabolismus des Wachstumshormons können sich als Wachstumshormonmangel oder -überschuss (Akromegalie) äußern. In beiden Fällen handelt es sich um seltene Krankheiten, die aufwendig behandelt werden müssen, da jeder Patient anders auf seine jeweilige Medikation anspricht. Zur Bestimmung des individuellen Ansprechverhaltens auf die medikamentöse Behandlung wird Insulin-like Growth Factor 1 verwendet, das jedoch als unzuverlässig für die Therapiekontrolle gilt. Um die Diagnostik und Therapie von Wachstumshormonstörungen zu verbessern, wurde in dieser Pilotstudie der Nutzen des neuen potenziellen Biomarkers Elongin B/C-Cullin5-Socs-box Komplex (ECS-Komplex) überprüft. Die fünf Proteine des Komplexes üben zusammen einen negativen Feedback-Mechanismus auf den Wachstumshormonrezeptor aus und regulieren ihn in Abhängigkeit vom Wachstumshormonspiegel im Blut. Für diese Pilotstudie wurden vier Patienten mit Wachstumshormondefizienz und 15 Patienten mit Akromegalie rekrutiert. Die Messung von Unterschieden in der Expression der Gene auf RNA-Ebene in Blutproben der Patienten erlaubt erste Aussagen über deren Eignung als therapeutische Marker für diese Krankheiten.Growth hormone (GH) dysfunctions can occur as a GH-deficiency (GHD) or an overproduction of GH, leading to acromegaly. Both are rare diseases, which have to be treated for many years before the correct individual dosage is found and a mitigation of symptoms can be achieved. Current medical therapy is determined by the levels of the insulin-like growth factor-1, which is considered to be an unreliable theranostic tool. In order to improve the diagnosis and therapy of patients with GH-dysfunctions, we investigated the benefits of the novel potential biomarker Elongin B/C-Cullin5-Socs-box complex (ECS-complex). Together, these proteins regulate the growth hormone receptor levels according to the blood GH concentration through a negative feedback loop. For this study, we were able to recruit four patients with a GHD and 15 patients with acromegaly. The detected differential expression of the ECS-complex in patients with growth hormone dysfunctions allows for first conclusions about the potential of those proteins as predictive biomarker molecules for individualized therapies