Need for and benefit of medical rehabilitation measures from a general practitioner's perspective

With different methodological approaches (postal survey, case analyses and focus group discussions) we investigated the attitudes of general practitioners (GPs) regarding the need, demand and effectiveness of medical rehabilitative measures. General Practitioners have a rather positive attitude towards rehabilitation in general. Male GPs have a tendency to be more sceptical than female GPs. With regard to the different measures within the German system, GPs show a differentiated opinion. They see a high number of patients who have a good benefit, though their definition of benefit differs from the statutory criteria for needs and outcomes. Patients and GPs mostly agree in their estimation of the outcome. Recent political ideas on improvement of the rehabilitative system are discussed on the basis of the results.     

Thrombin mimetic effects of estrogen: II. Gel filtration and centrifugal evidence for estrogen induced polymerization of fibrinogen derivatives.

Purified fibrinogen was separated into two fractions, F₁ and F₂. F₂ exhibits the molecular weight of a dimer of fibrin. Incubation of F₁ with small levels of thrombin induced a progressive increase in the molecular weight to that of a dimer. The estrogens, 17-ethynylestradiol, diethylstilbestrol, and Premarin also converted F₁ to F₂. Plasma incubated with thrombin or 17-ethynylestradiol lost 68 to 77 per cent of soluble fibrin when subjected to a centrifugal field or gel filtration. Control plasma showed no loss. The loss of soluble fibrin associated with centrifugation or gel filtration of estrogen or thrombin treated plasma is attributed to sedimentation or gel retention of high molecular weight fibrinogen derivatives.     

Utility of chromosomal position of heterochromatin as a biomarker of radiation-induced genetic damage: a study of Chornobyl voles (Microtus sp.)

Biomarkers that effectively document effects of chronic multi-generational exposure to contaminated environments on chromosomes would be valuable in risk assessment, remediation, and environmental decisions. Native, free-ranging populations of voles inhabiting the highly radioactive regions surrounding Reactor 4 of the Chornobyl Nuclear Power Station provide a model system to evaluate biological and chromosomal effects of chronic multi-generational exposure to radioactivity and other reactor meltdown-related pollutants. Here, we explore the utility of heterochromatic elements as potentially informative biomarkers for genetic damage in voles from the radioactive environments surrounding Chornobyl. We analyzed chromosomal positions of heterochromatin from Microtus arvalis and M. rossiaemeridionalis using fluorescent in situ hybridization. Although intrapopulational variation existed in chromosomal position and abundance of heterochromatin, none of that variation could be assigned to environmental exposure.     

Genetic diversity of the major histocompatibility complex of cotton rats (Sigmodon hispidus) inhabiting an oil refinery complex

We examined genetic diversity of an immune-response gene within the major histocompatibility complex in cotton rats (Sigmodon hispidus) inhabiting an oil refinery complex. Genetic diversity of MHC-DQA exon-2 was examined within and among contaminated and noncontaminated reference grids. The level of gene diversity within contaminated grids (0.748) was lower than within reference grids (0.818), but the difference was not statistically significant (p > 0.5). Analysis of molecular variance, pairwise FST values, and hierarchical clustering failed to reveal population genetic structure related to contamination. Results of this study indicate either that the level of contaminant-induced selection is insignificant at this major histocompatibility complex (MHC) locus or that gene flow from surrounding areas has obliterated the effects of selection.     

Three-dimensional proton MR spectroscopic imaging of premature and term neonates

BACKGROUND AND PURPOSE: Previous studies have primarily used single-voxel techniques to obtain MR spectra from the neonatal brain. In this study, we applied 3D MR spectroscopic imaging techniques to detect the spatial distribution of MR spectroscopic imaging-detectable compounds in premature and term infants. The goals were to test the feasibility of obtaining 3D MR spectroscopic images of newborns, assess the spatial variations of metabolite levels, and determine age-dependent differences in MR spectroscopic imaging data. METHODS: MR spectroscopic imaging data were acquired from nine premature (postconceptional age, 30-34 weeks) and eight term (postconceptional age, 38-42 weeks) neonates, all with normal clinical and neurologic outcomes. A specialized point-resolved spectroscopy sequence with very selective saturation pulses was used to select a region encompassing the majority of the brain. Phase encoding in three dimensions was performed in a 17-minute acquisition time to obtain 3D spectral arrays with a 1.0 cm(3) nominal spatial resolution. RESULTS: This study showed the feasibility of detecting the 3D distributions of choline, creatine, and N-acetylaspartate resonances in the neonatal brain. Significant spectral differences were detected among anatomic locations and between the premature and term groups. CONCLUSION: This initial study indicates that 3D MR spectroscopic imaging of the neonatal brain can detect anatomic and age-dependent variations in metabolite levels. This technique seems to be a powerful tool to assess the metabolic differences between anatomic regions and to follow the changes in cellular metabolites with brain maturation. This study also indicates the need for determining topologic and age-matched normative values before metabolic abnormalities in neonates can be accurately assessed by MR spectroscopy.