Myocardial fibrosis, inflammation, and altered cardiac gene expression profiles in rats exposed to a predator-based model of posttraumatic stress disorder.

People who are exposed to life-threatening trauma are at risk of developing posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD). In addition to psychological manifestations, PTSD is associated with an increased risk of myocardial infarction, arrhythmias, hypertension, and other cardiovascular problems. We previously reported that rats exposed to a predator-based model of PTSD develop myocardial hypersensitivity to ischemic injury.

Pitch (F0) and formant profiles of human vowels and vowel-like baboon grunts: the role of vocalizer body size and voice-acoustic allometry.

Key voice features--fundamental frequency (F0) and formant frequencies--can vary extensively between individuals. Much of the variation can be traced to differences in the size of the larynx and vocal-tract cavities, but whether these differences in turn simply reflect differences in speaker body size (i.e.

Enhancing quality critical care education: establishing a consortium.

The demand for expanded knowledge and accountability in critical care nursing has increased the need for qualified critical care nurses and is tempered by requirements that their preparation be cost-effective. The Emory University School of Nursing (EUSN) has pioneered in meeting this challenge. Since June 1988, a Critical Care Consortium consisting of the EUSN and Emory-affiliated hospitals has been operational, providing uniform critical care education to multiple hospital nursing staffs.

Living wills: the ethical dilemmas.

Advanced technology has created various means to prolong life, along with the supposed obligation to use those technologies. Often costly, these technologies may have little or no impact on the outcomes of illness. When and how that technology should be used may result in conflict.

Ureteral involvement secondary to diverticulitis of the colon.

Ureteral involvement in instances of diverticulitis of the colon is quite unusual. The left ureter is more commonly involved but right sided and bilateral instances have been reported. There are three types of involvement: fistula, stricture and compression, the latter being the most frequent.

A gastrin gene is expressed in both porcine pituitary and antral mucosal tissues.

By employing S1 nuclease mapping of total RNA isolated from porcine cerebral cortex, cerebellum, hypothalamus, pituitary, kidney, liver, pancreas, intestine, and antral mucosa, we have investigated gastrin gene expression in these tissues. Our results show that a gastrin gene is expressed only in the antral mucosal and pituitary tissues. Based on the amount of gastrin specific probe protected from S1 nuclease digestion in the presence of a given weight of total RNA, the amount of gastrin mRNA present in pituitary is approximately 330 times lower than in antral mucosa.

Sonographic biometry in obstructive uropathy of children: preoperative diagnosis and postoperative monitoring.

Renal sonography was performed in 92 children with obstructive uropathy or vesicoureteral reflux preoperatively and at follow-up. Renal volume and the anteroposterior diameter of the renal pelvis proved to be the most reliable morphometric criteria for objective sonographic staging and follow-up of urinary tract obstruction. If transient obstruction occurred after uncomplicated antireflux ureterovesico-plasties (n = 41), it lasted at most 4 weeks.

Granulomatous prostatitis. Special reference to radiologic findings.

Cystourethrography was performed in 2 patients with nonspecific, noneosinophilic granulomatous prostatitis. Lengthening of the prostatic urethra was noted essentially in the inframontane portion, thus differentiating it from benign prostatic hypertrophy. The widening in the prostatic urethra differentiates it from carcinoma of the prostate.

Immunological observations following vasectomy.

Lymphocytotoxic antibodies (LCA) against panels of normal lymphocytes and leukemic B-cells were demonstrated in vasectomized men. Since vasectomy is known to induce antibody formation to spermatozoa, the demonstration of these lymphocytotoxic antibodies may be related to antigenic constituents of spermatozoa such as HLA or B-cell alloantigens. Long term follow-up is needed to clarify the clinical significance of these antibodies.

Roentgenographic evaluation of nephroptosis.

Vertical and medial nephroptosis was assessed on 60 consecutive excretory urographic examinations. Ptosis, both vertical and medial, was seen more commonly in females, and vertical ptosis was more frequent than medial ptosis. In our series there was no significant evidence of predominance on the right side.

Various applications of corpus cavernosography.

The authors believe corpus cavernosography is an important aid in the evaluation of metastatic lesions, priapism, impotence, atrophy and fibrosis of the penis, and trauma to the penis. By visualizing the emptying of the contrast material from the cavernous spaces into the veins draining the penis, it is possible to assess the length of time that the contrast material remained in the organ.