Identification of fast spurts of pyridine nucleotide oxidation evoked by light stimulation in the isolated perfused vertebrate retina

Transitory increases of ultraviolet transmission on stimulation with light were recorded simultaneously with electroretinogram on and off effects from isolated vertebrate retina. The spectral distribution of the optical light responses coincided with that of NADH reduction. The correlation of the optical, or respiratory, responses and the electrical responses were very close within a wide range of stimulus parameters, suggesting an interpretation in terms of supply and demand of energy with a tight coupling between the two kinds of evoked activity. Prerequisite to the response behaviour was the preservation of synaptic signal transmission from first- to higher-order retinal neurons.     

Opitz (BBB/G) syndrome: Oral manifestations

We studied a new case of the G (Opitz BBB/G) syndrome in a 12-year-old boy. Several relatives had partial manifestations of the disorder. A comprehensive dental evaluation of the propositus was conducted; included is, to our knowledge, the first published cephalometric analysis of a G syndrome patient. We reviewed 139 cases of the G syndrome; 48 of them had at least one oral abnormality. These included clefting, micrognathia, ankyloglossia, and high-arched palate. Male G syndrome patients are more likely to have oral anomalies than affected females. © 1992 Wiley-Liss, Inc.     

A critical reflection on the personal impact of managerial hegemony within nurse education

This paper, written by two male nurse teachers, describes and analyses their experience of working in a nurse education culture permeated by the philosophy of business management The introduction of business management practices to nurse education is discussed as a reflection of the current political hegemony of market forces and individualism The authors discuss the implications for nurse teachers of being continually exposed to these politically motivated forces which increasingly provide the paradigm for service developments within the United Kingdom health services In discussing the impact of this exposure it is argued that at the personal level individual teachers are experiencing a degree of apathy and personal dissonance which undermines their professional value system, resulting in emotional distress and a crisis of identity It provides a critical reflection on the way organizational dynamics and power relations influence the subjective sense-making of individuals The authors use a multiplicity of perspectives, including those provided by individual psychology, power relations, feminism and personhood, to argue for the need to develop an alternative paradigm which is characterized by the valuing of individual persons, empathic sensitivity and the fostering of creativity been important to us from a personal and professional     

Improvement of Decreased Critical Flicker Frequency (CFF) in Headache Patients With Drug Abuse After Successful Withdrawal

A considerable proportion of headache patients fulfill the criteria of "drug abuse" (definition according to the International Headache Society [IHS] criteria). These patients exhibit markedly reduced vigilance and continuous performance, as shown by the results of critical flicker frequency (CFF) analysis.
The present study deals with the question whether this impairment of vigilance and continuous performance is reversible. Forty-eight headache patients with drug abuse were investigated three times by means of CFF analysis: immediately before (A), immediately after (B), and 3 weeks after having finished (C) inpatient drug withdrawal.
Immediately after withdrawal, a significant decrease of headache intensity was observed. The CFF values, however, remained unchanged at a depressed level, probably due to withdrawal medication and the initial sedative side effects of thymoleptic agents (given as prophylaxis).
Three weeks after withdrawal, however, the CFF values were significantly improved, and were now within a range not far from the normal values known from a healthy general population. Thus, even after many years of drug abuse, headache patients have a good chance to improve their vigilance and continuous performance and to reach normal or close to normal levels.     

Skiers' lower leg shaft fracture. Outcome in 91 cases treated conservatively with Sarmiento's brace

We report our experience using Sarmiento's method for the conservative treatment of 91 consecutive fractures of the lower leg. The mean age of the patients in our series was 34 years. One patient had an open fracture. All of the patients were followed and were evaluated clinically and radiographically 6 to 12 months after injury. After a period of immobilization by traditional methods (traction/long leg cast), the Sarmiento brace was applied at a mean of 42 days, allowing early weightbearing and mobilization. The brace was removed at a mean of 90 days. Clinical results were excellent; there was minimal persistence of knee or ankle limitation; 84% of the patients had less than 5 mm of final shortening; 96% had less than 4 degrees of final angulation. Work was resumed at a mean of 103 days. We had one nonunion, which we treated operatively 6 months after injury by osteosynthesis and autologous bone grafting. All of the patients were asked to complete a questionnaire; 51% responded, with an average followup of 5 years (range, 1 to 10 years). These patients had been able to resume sports activity 8 months after injury; 52% were skiing 1 year after injury, and 96% were satisfied with the treatment method used. One patient complained of persistent pain.