Intolerance

Distribution by Scientific Domains
Distribution within Medical Sciences

Kinds of Intolerance

  • aspirin intolerance
  • cutaneous intolerance
  • exercise intolerance
  • feed intolerance
  • feeding intolerance
  • glucose intolerance
  • gluten intolerance
  • lactose intolerance
  • orthostatic intolerance
  • protein intolerance


  • Selected Abstracts


    HELICOBACTER INFECTION IN CHILDREN WITH APPENDICITIS AND LACTOSE INTOLERANCE

    JOURNAL OF GASTROENTEROLOGY AND HEPATOLOGY, Issue 12 2000
    Eva J. Soelaeman
    Helicobacter pylori eradication has been debated. Most investigators do not recommended treating the infection except in severe case. We report a unique case: H. pylori infection with appendicitis and lactose intolerance. Case report: A 6 year old girl was brought to children and maternity Hospital Harapan Kita due to abdominal pain and vomiting. She had 6- month history of epigastric pain. In the past 2 days, she suffered from abdominal pain arround Mc. Burney area. On physical examination, she was in pain. Her weight was 19 Kg. Vital signs were normal. Findings in heart, lung and extremities were also normal. Abdomen: severe pain in the epigastric and Mc. burney area.Laboratory investigations showed hemoglobin 12 g/dl, leukocyte 12800/ul. Platelets 289000/ul. Bleeding and clotting time were normal. Abdominal ultrasonography revealed inflammation of appendix with 9-mm diameter. Stool examination was normal.Appendectomy was done at the same time with esofagogastroduodenoscopy (EGD). On EGD, we found moderete anthral gastritis. On histopathological examination, we found H. pylori at antral of the stomach. Breath hydrogen test was positive. After H. pylori eradication and milk avoidance, abdominal pain has never occurred. Conclusion: Abdominal: pain is not specific for H. pylori infection. The pain caused by many diseases including H. pylori infection. In our case, we can control abdominal pain by H. pylori eradication. [source]


    Left Coronary Artery Arteriovenous Malformation Presenting as a Diastolic Murmur with Exercise Intolerance in a Child with a Suspected Familial Vascular Malformation Syndrome

    CONGENITAL HEART DISEASE, Issue 3 2007
    Valerie A. Schroeder MD
    Abstract Objective., Intracardiac arteriovenous malformations are rare and may be associated with sudden death in adults. This case report describes an intracardiac left coronary arteriovenous malformation in a 7-year-old boy with a suspected familial cutaneous vascular malformation syndrome. The patient presented with a diastolic murmur, exercise intolerance, chest pain, and a left ventricular mass. Methods., The left ventricular mass was initially identified by echocardiography. Subsequently, a computed tomography scan revealed the vascular nature of the lesion. We hypothesized that the lesion represented either an arteriovenous malformation (AVM) or a hemangioma. These lesions are thought to cause coronary steal and myocardial dysfunction. Skin biopsies of the patient's cutaneous lesions revealed capillary hyperplasia, which was not consistent with either hemangioma or AVM. Thus, a surgical biopsy and partial resection of the mass was performed. Results., The surgical pathology of the cardiac mass was consistent with an AVM. Within 6 months following partial resection of the mass, the patient unexpectedly developed a left ventricular pseudoaneurysm at the resection site and required re-operation. Although a portion of the mass remains, both the patient's chest pain and exercise tolerance have improved subjectively. Conclusion., Patients with cutaneous vascular malformations and diastolic murmurs, as well as cardiac symptoms, should undergo echocardiography or alternative imaging modalities to screen for treatable pathological myocardial vascular malformations. [source]


    Institutionalized Intolerance of ADHD: Sources and Consequences

    HYPATIA, Issue 3 2010
    SUSAN C. C. HAWTHORNE
    Diagnosable individuals, caregivers, and clinicians typically embrace a biological conception of attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD), finding that medical treatment is beneficial. Scientists study ADHD phenomenology, interventions to ease symptoms, and underlying mechanisms, often with an aim of helping diagnosed people. Yet current understanding of ADHD, jointly influenced by science and society, has an unintended downside. Scientific and social influences have embedded negative values in the ADHD concept, and have simultaneously dichotomized ADHD-diagnosable from non-diagnosable individuals. In social settings insistent on certain types of success, the negative values associated with the diagnostic category are attributed to people in the dichotomized "ADHD" group. Devaluation, institutional restrictions on "success" definitions and endpoints, and limited options for achieving success jointly constitute institutionalized intolerance of ADHD. [source]


    Measuring Sexism, Racism, Sexual Prejudice, Ageism, Classism, and Religious Intolerance: The Intolerant Schema Measure

    JOURNAL OF APPLIED SOCIAL PSYCHOLOGY, Issue 10 2009
    Allison C. Aosved
    Despite similarities between sexism, racism, sexual prejudice, ageism, classism, and religious intolerance, investigators do not routinely investigate these intolerant beliefs simultaneously. The purpose of this project was to create a brief, psychometrically sound measure of intolerance reflecting these 6 constructs. Data from existing measures (Attitudes Toward Women Scale, Neosexism Scale, Modern and Old-Fashioned Racism Scale, Modern Homophobia Scale, Frabroni Scale of Ageism, Economic Beliefs Scale, and M-GRISM) and from items created by the authors were obtained from several college samples to create the Intolerant Schema Measure (ISM). Results support the internal consistency, test,retest reliability, and factor structure of the questionnaire. Expected relationships between measured concepts, social dominance, social desirability, and across key demographic groups support the validity of the instrument. [source]


    Tertiary relict trees in a Mediterranean climate: abiotic constraints on the persistence of Prunus lusitanica at the eroding edge of its range

    JOURNAL OF BIOGEOGRAPHY, Issue 8 2008
    Fernando Pulido
    Abstract Aim, To investigate the ecophysiological traits allowing persistence of a subtropical relict tree (Prunus lusitanica L.) under a dry Mediterranean climate at the eroding edge of its range. Location, A glasshouse for the study under controlled conditions and two marginal populations located in riparian forests of central Spain and exposed to summer drought, in contrast to subtropical populations that grow in mountain cloud forests. Methods, Two experiments were conducted to assess tolerance to the abiotic conditions found in riparian habitats. In a glasshouse experiment, gas-exchange and light-use parameters were measured to evaluate seedling responses to a factorial combination of irradiance (60%, 10%, 2% and 0.5% full sun) and moisture (well watered control and drought stress). In a parallel field experiment, irradiance and soil moisture were measured as predictors of seedling survival at two sites in which half the seedlings were subjected to a threefold increase in summer precipitation by adding water every 10 days. Results Soil moisture strongly determined survival both in the glasshouse and in the two field sites. In the field, periodic addition of water failed to increase survival. Water-use efficiency (WUE) increased with drought. Seedlings did not tolerate deep shade (2,0.5%) and their performance and survival were better when exposed to moderate (10%) or high (60%) irradiance. The effect of water stress on seedling performance was stronger at moderate irradiance, moderate at high irradiance and negligible at very low light. Seedling size (height and number of leaves) attained after 1 month of experimental treatments had a positive effect on survival at the end of the summer, hence greater survival was not achieved at the expense of vertical growth. Main conclusions, While studies in Macaronesia have shown that P. lusitanica occupies a wide range of moisture conditions along mountain slopes, it behaves as an obligate riparian species in dry peripheral populations. Intolerance to deep shade and tolerance to moderate and high irradiance allow the species to grow in small and moist gaps, or in treeless river sections. Despite the species' low range filling in marginal, drought-prone regions, long-term persistence might have been achieved through shifts to riparian habitats serving as local refuges. [source]


    Genetic Components of Lactose Intolerance and Community Frequency

    JOURNAL OF BONE AND MINERAL RESEARCH, Issue 10 2004
    Carsten Büning
    No abstract is available for this article. [source]


    Genetic Components of Lactose Intolerance and Community Frequency

    JOURNAL OF BONE AND MINERAL RESEARCH, Issue 10 2004
    Barbara M Obermayer-Pietsch
    No abstract is available for this article. [source]


    Conflict and Intolerance in a Web Community: Effects of a System Integrating Dialogues and Monologues

    JOURNAL OF COMPUTER-MEDIATED COMMUNICATION, Issue 3 2007
    Mitsuharu M. Watanabe
    The Spiritual Navigator website offers a bulletin board system (BBS) for dialogues, weblogs for individual monologues, and a psychological test so the user can determine his/her own mental state. The results of covariance structure analyses, where questions in the psychological test are the independent variable and the number of postings to the BBS/weblog is the dependent variable, suggest that motivations for BBS interaction and for blogging are quite different. The less tolerant a user is of different views, the more often that user posts to the BBS. Some users who initially post actively to the BBS stop posting there (e.g., in response to criticism) but continue to post to their own weblogs (including their responses to criticism). Given this situation, it is suggested that a system such as the Spiritual Navigator that combines online dialogue and monologue, and that is designed to balance conflicts with stability, could bring about the observance of face-saving ritual (in Goffman's term) or Habermas-like discourse ethics in the public sphere on the Internet. [source]


    Saudi Arabia's Wahhabis Are Not Spreading Intolerance

    NEW PERSPECTIVES QUARTERLY, Issue 2 2002
    Khaled M. Al-Ankary
    First page of article [source]


    Do Strong Group Identities Fuel Intolerance?

    POLITICAL PSYCHOLOGY, Issue 5 2006
    Evidence From the South African Case
    One conventional explanation of intergroup conflict is Social Identity Theory. That theory asserts that strong ingroup sympathies can give rise to outgroup antipathies which in turn fuel intolerance and conflict. While embraced by both macro- and microlevel analysts, this theory actually has not been widely investigated outside a laboratory environment. In this article, I test hypotheses linking group identities with intolerance, based on a 2001 survey in South Africa, a country where group identities have long been politicized. My empirical findings indicate that group identities are not useful predictors of South African intolerance. Indeed, for neither the black majority nor the white minority do ingroup identities activate very much outgroup intolerance. Moreover, group identities are positively, not negatively, correlated with holding a South African national identity. These findings, based on unusually broad indicators of both identity and tolerance, suggest that the causes of group conflict lie elsewhere than in group attachments. [source]


    The Etiology of Individual-Targeted Intolerance: Group Stereotypes and Judgments of Individual Group Members

    POLITICAL PSYCHOLOGY, Issue 3 2000
    Ewa A. Golebiowska
    Virtually all scientific writing on attitudes toward political unorthodoxy in the United States focuses on group-targeted tolerance, or the question of whether Americans are willing to extend constitutional rights and freedoms to groups outside the political mainstream. Less is known about the etiology of individual-targeted tolerance, or the question of whether Americans are willing to tolerate the exercise of constitutional rights and freedoms by individuals who belong to unpopular groups. This paper examines the sources of attitudes toward individuals belonging to disliked and stereotyped political groups,in particular, the extent to which political tolerance judgments about gay and racist targets are influenced by attributes of those targets that are either consistent or inconsistent with group stereotypes. In line with expectations, an empirical analysis showed that individuals exhibiting attributes inconsistent with their group's stereotype (whether neutral with respect to stereotypic beliefs or directly challenging them) are tolerated more than those with stereotype-consistent attributes. Because members of political outgroups can control the timing of disclosing their group membership, they have the power to determine whether and to what extent stereotypic beliefs associated with their group will influence the reactions they provoke. This analysis confirms that the impact of stereotypic beliefs on tolerance varies as a function of timing of group membership revelation, although the direction of this interaction depends on the intensity of dislike for the group of which the individual target is a member. [source]


    Complete Nucleotide Sequence of a Coxsackievirus B4 Strain that Establishes Infection in ICR Mice Pancreas and Induces Glucose Intolerance

    THE ANATOMICAL RECORD : ADVANCES IN INTEGRATIVE ANATOMY AND EVOLUTIONARY BIOLOGY, Issue 5 2008
    Mi Zhou
    Abstract Some coxsackievirus B serotypes are potentially diabetogenic. Previous studies revealed that the virulence and the tissue damage varied with the genetics of the virus strain as well as with the genetics of the mice. A single amino acid variation can alter virulence and tropism in both murine and in vitro models. However, the genetic determinants of this phenomenon have not been determined. In this study, infections with a laboratory strain of coxsackievirus B4 resulted in a diabetes-like syndrome in ICR mice, characterized by chronic pancreatic inflammation together with dysregulation in glucose metabolism, loss of pancreatic acinar tissue and persistent infection in islets. To characterize the genetic determinants involved in the mouse pancreas adaptation, the laboratory strain of coxsackievirus B4 was cloned for molecular characterization. Comparing the whole genome sequence of this virus strain with the other coxsackievirus B4 strains revealed some differences. Altogether 15 nucleotides were changed, resulting in 10 amino acid substitutions, which might be responsible for the pathogenic phenotype of this strain in mice. Anat Rec, 291:601,609, 2008. © 2008 Wiley-Liss, Inc. [source]


    Spaces of Hate, Geographies of Discrimination and Intolerance in the U.S.A., edited by Colin Flint

    THE CANADIAN GEOGRAPHER/LE GEOGRAPHE CANADIEN, Issue 3 2006
    VALERIE PRESTON
    No abstract is available for this article. [source]


    Economic Inequality and Intolerance: Attitudes toward Homosexuality in 35 Democracies

    AMERICAN JOURNAL OF POLITICAL SCIENCE, Issue 4 2008
    Robert Andersen
    Using hierarchical linear models fitted to data from the World Values Survey and national statistics for 35 countries, this article builds on the postmaterialist thesis by assessing the impact of economic inequality across and within nations on attitudes toward homosexuality. It provides evidence that tolerance tends to decline as national income inequality rises. For professionals and managers, the results also support the postmaterialist argument that economic development leads to more tolerant attitudes. On the other hand, attitudes of the working class are generally less tolerant, and contrary to expectations of the postmaterialist thesis, are seemingly unaffected by economic development. In other words, economic development influences attitudes only for those who benefit most. These findings have political implications, suggesting that state policies that have the goal of economic growth but fail to consider economic inequality may contribute to intolerant social and political values, an attribute widely considered detrimental for the health of democracy. [source]


    Impact of Aspirin Intolerance on Outcomes of Sinus Surgery,

    THE LARYNGOSCOPE, Issue 5 2007
    Jamie L. Robinson MD
    Abstract Objectives: To compare objective and quality of life (QOL) outcomes after endoscopic sinus surgery (ESS) in aspirin (ASA)-tolerant patients and ASA-intolerant patients over intermediate and long-term follow-up. Study Design: Prospective analysis of a cohort of patients with chronic rhinosinusitis. Methods: Preoperative computed tomography (CT), pre- and postoperative endoscopy, and two validated disease specific QOL instruments, the Rhinosinusitis Disability Index (RSDI) and Chronic Sinusitis Survey (CSS), were collected. Differences in the proportions of patients who improved were analyzed using Pearson's chi-square and Fisher's exact test. Results: Nineteen ASA-intolerant patients and 104 ASA-tolerant patients were followed for a mean of 17.7 months. Patients with ASA intolerance had significantly worse preoperative CT (P < .0001) and endoscopy scores (P < .0001). After ESS, 57% to 74% of patients improved on endoscopy scores, 63% to 71% improved on the RSDI, and 58% to 73% improved on the CSS; improvement did not significantly differ by ASA status. Conclusions: Similar proportions of ASA-tolerant and ASA-intolerant patients showed improvement on endoscopy and QOL measures after ESS. [source]


    Pulmonary Function and Ventilatory Limitation to Exercise in Congenital Heart Disease

    CONGENITAL HEART DISEASE, Issue 1 2009
    Paolo T. Pianosi MD
    ABSTRACT Pulmonary function in older children and adolescents following surgical repair of congenital heart disease is often abnormal for various reasons. Many of these patients report symptoms of exercise intolerance although the reason(s) for this symptom can be complicated and sometimes interrelated. Is it simply deconditioning due to inactive lifestyle, chronotropic or inotropic insufficiency? or could there indeed be ventilatory limitation to exercise? These are the questions facing the clinician with the increasing frequency of patients undergoing repair early in life and growing into adulthood. Understanding pulmonary functional outcomes and means of determining ventilatory limitation to exercise is essential to thoroughly address the problem. This article reviews pulmonary function in patients with congenital heart disease and then describes a newer technique that should be applied to determine ventilatory limitation to exercise. [source]


    Pulmonary Regurgitation after Tetralogy of Fallot Repair: Clinical Features, Sequelae, and Timing of Pulmonary Valve Replacement

    CONGENITAL HEART DISEASE, Issue 6 2007
    Naser M. Ammash MD
    ABSTRACT Pulmonary regurgitation following repair of tetralogy of Fallot is a common postoperative sequela associated with progressive right ventricular enlargement, dysfunction, and is an important determinant of late morbidity and mortality. Although pulmonary regurgitation may be well tolerated for many years following surgery, it can be associated with progressive exercise intolerance, heart failure, tachyarrhythmia, and late sudden death. It also often necessitates re-intervention. Identifying the appropriate timing of such intervention could be very challenging given the risk of prosthetic valve degeneration and the increased risk of reoperation. Comprehensive informed and regular assessment of the postoperative patient with tetralogy of Fallot, including evaluation of pulmonary regurgitation, right heart structure and function, is crucial to the optimal care of these patients. Pulmonary valve replacement performed in an experienced tertiary referral center is associated with low operative morbidity and mortality and very good long-term results. Early results of percutaneous pulmonary valve replacement are also promising. [source]


    Left Coronary Artery Arteriovenous Malformation Presenting as a Diastolic Murmur with Exercise Intolerance in a Child with a Suspected Familial Vascular Malformation Syndrome

    CONGENITAL HEART DISEASE, Issue 3 2007
    Valerie A. Schroeder MD
    Abstract Objective., Intracardiac arteriovenous malformations are rare and may be associated with sudden death in adults. This case report describes an intracardiac left coronary arteriovenous malformation in a 7-year-old boy with a suspected familial cutaneous vascular malformation syndrome. The patient presented with a diastolic murmur, exercise intolerance, chest pain, and a left ventricular mass. Methods., The left ventricular mass was initially identified by echocardiography. Subsequently, a computed tomography scan revealed the vascular nature of the lesion. We hypothesized that the lesion represented either an arteriovenous malformation (AVM) or a hemangioma. These lesions are thought to cause coronary steal and myocardial dysfunction. Skin biopsies of the patient's cutaneous lesions revealed capillary hyperplasia, which was not consistent with either hemangioma or AVM. Thus, a surgical biopsy and partial resection of the mass was performed. Results., The surgical pathology of the cardiac mass was consistent with an AVM. Within 6 months following partial resection of the mass, the patient unexpectedly developed a left ventricular pseudoaneurysm at the resection site and required re-operation. Although a portion of the mass remains, both the patient's chest pain and exercise tolerance have improved subjectively. Conclusion., Patients with cutaneous vascular malformations and diastolic murmurs, as well as cardiac symptoms, should undergo echocardiography or alternative imaging modalities to screen for treatable pathological myocardial vascular malformations. [source]


    Pregnancy and lactation have anti-obesity and anti-diabetic effects in Ay/a mice

    ACTA PHYSIOLOGICA, Issue 2 2010
    E. N. Makarova
    Abstract Aim:, Dominant ,yellow' mutation at the mouse agouti locus (Ay) results in obesity. Pregnancy and lactation are characterized by large energy demand. The aim of this study was to investigate whether obesity would develop in pregnant and suckling Ay mice. Methods:, Body weight and food intake in pregnancy, lactation, and after weaning, plasma leptin, insulin, corticosterone and blood glucose concentrations on days 7, 13 and 18 of pregnancy, days 1, 10, 21 and 80 postpartum, glucose and insulin tolerance on pregnancy days 7 and 18 were measured in C57Bl/6J mice of a/a (normal metabolism) and Ay/a genotypes. The same parameters were also measured in age-matched virgin females. Results:, Virgin Ay/a females exhibited hyperphagia, enhanced body weight, glucose intolerance and normal blood parameters at the mating age. With age, they developed obesity, hyperleptinaemia, hyperinsulinaemia and hyperglycaemia. Obesity did not develop in mated Ay/a mice; during suckling, they had equal food intake and body weight as a/a mice. During pregnancy, glucose tolerance was enhanced in Ay/a mice and became equal in both genotypes. In both genotypes, concentrations of hormones increased, and glucose decreased from pregnancy day 7 to day 18 and returned to normal values after parturition. Ay/a mice did not differ from a/a in corticosterone, insulin and glucose levels during pregnancy and lactation, in leptin levels during suckling; however, Ay/a mice had two times higher leptin levels than a/a during pregnancy. After weaning, Ay/a mice began to eat and weigh more than a/a exhibiting normal metabolic parameters for 50 days. Conclusion:, Pregnancy and lactation retard obesity and diabetes development in Ay mice. [source]


    Functional map and age-related differences in the human face: nonimmunologic contact urticaria induced by hexyl nicotinate

    CONTACT DERMATITIS, Issue 1 2006
    Slaheddine Marrakchi
    Variation in human skin reactivity to various irritants in association with age and body region has been reported. Hexyl nicotinate (HN), a lipophilic nicotinate ester, was used to induce nonimmunologic contact urticaria in human volunteers of 2 age groups: 10 young subjects [24,34 years, mean ± standard deviation (SD) 29.8 ± 3.9 years] and 10 older volunteers (66,83 years, mean ± SD 73.6 ± 17.4 years); and to define skin function and potential age-related differences in various facial areas. About 5 mM of HN in ethanol was applied to 8 locations on the face, neck, and volar forearm. A laser Doppler flowmeter was used to determine baseline blood flow and to monitor the skin blood flow changes after HN application. In the contralateral areas, stratum corneum turnover was determined using 5% dansyl chloride in petrolatum. In the young group, the perioral area exhibited the strongest reaction to HN. In the older group, the chin was the most sensitive site. In both the groups, the forearm was the least responsive. The older group demonstrated a stronger reaction than the younger group in 3 sites (forehead, cheek, and nasolabial area). Stratum corneum turnover was slower in the nasolabial area and in the forearm in both age groups, whereas the fastest was in the perioral area and the chin in the younger group and in the chin and the forehead in the older group. Compared to the older group, the younger group showed a slower stratum corneum turnover in the nose and the neck. This study demonstrates the regional and the age-related variability of the stratum corneum turnover and the skin reactions to HN. These observations may help explain some aspects of the cutaneous intolerance in skin care of the face. [source]


    AN ASSESSMENT OF RECENT TRENDS IN GIRLS' VIOLENCE USING DIVERSE LONGITUDINAL SOURCES: IS THE GENDER GAP CLOSING?

    CRIMINOLOGY, Issue 2 2005
    DARRELL STEFFENSMEIER
    Applying Dickey-Fuller time series techniques in tandem with intuitive plot-displays, we examine recent trends in girls' violence and the gender gap as reported in four major sources of longitudinal data on youth violence. These sources are arrest statistics of the Uniform Crime Reports, victimization data of the National Crime Victimization Survey (where the victim identifies sex of offender) and self-reported violent behavior of Monitoring the Future and National Youth Risk Behavior Survey. We find that the rise in girls' violence over the past one to two decades as counted in police arrest data from the Uniform Crime Reports is not borne out in unofficial longitudinal sources. Several net-widening policy shifts have apparently escalated girls' arrest-proneness: first, stretching definitions of violence to include more minor incidents that girls in relative terms are more likely to commit; second, increased policing of violence between intimates and in private settings (for example, home, school) where girls' violence is more widespread; and, third, less tolerant family and societal attitudes toward juvenile females. These developments reflect both a growing intolerance of violence in the law and among the citizenry and an expanded application of preventive punishment and risk management strategies that emphasize early identification and enhanced formal control of problem individuals or groups, particularly problem youth. [source]


    The physiology of rodent beta-cells in pancreas slices

    ACTA PHYSIOLOGICA, Issue 1 2009
    M. Rupnik
    Abstract Beta-cells in pancreatic islets form complex syncytia. Sufficient cell-to-cell electrical coupling seems to ensure coordinated depolarization pattern and insulin release that can be further modulated by rich innervation. The complex structure and coordinated action develop after birth during fast proliferation of the endocrine tissue. These emergent properties can be lost due to various reasons later in life and can lead to glucose intolerance and diabetes mellitus. Pancreas slice is a novel method of choice to study the physiology of beta-cells still embedded in their normal cellulo-social context. I present major advantages, list drawbacks and provide an overview on recent advances in our understanding of the physiology of beta-cells using the pancreas slice approach. [source]


    No effect of venoconstrictive thigh cuffs on orthostatic hypotension induced by head-down bed rest

    ACTA PHYSIOLOGICA, Issue 2 2000
    M.-A. Custaud
    Orthostatic intolerance (OI) is the most serious symptom of cardiovascular deconditioning induced by head-down bed rest or weightlessness. Wearing venoconstrictive thigh cuffs is an empirical countermeasure used by Russian cosmonauts to limit the shift of fluid from the lower part of the body to the cardio-cephalic region. Our aim was to determine whether or not thigh cuffs help to prevent orthostatic hypotension induced by head-down bed rest. We studied the effect of thigh cuffs on eight healthy men. The cuffs were worn during the day for 7 days of head-down bed rest. We measured: orthostatic tolerance (stand tests and lower body negative pressure tests), plasma volume (Evans blue dilution), autonomic influences (plasma noradrenaline) and baroreflex sensitivity (spontaneous baroreflex slope). Thigh cuffs limited the loss of plasma volume (thigh cuffs: ,201 ± 37 mL vs. control: ,345 ± 42 mL, P < 0.05), the degree of tachycardia and reduction in the spontaneous baroreflex sensitivity induced by head-down bed rest. However, the impact of thigh cuffs was not sufficient to prevent OI (thigh cuffs: 7.0 min of standing time vs. control: 7.1 min). Decrease in absolute plasma volume and in baroreflex sensitivity are known to be important factors in the aetiology of OI induced by head-down bed rest. However, dealing with these factors, using thigh cuffs for example, is not sufficient to prevent OI. Other factors such as venous compliance, microcirculatory changes, peripheral arterial vasoconstriction and vestibular afferents must also be considered. [source]


    Cognitive specificity of anxiety disorders: a review of selected key constructs

    DEPRESSION AND ANXIETY, Issue 2 2006
    F.R.A.N.Z.C.P., Ph.D., Vladan Starcevic M.D.
    Abstract Cognitive models of anxiety disorders propose that certain cognitive constructs, that is, underlying beliefs and cognitive processes, may be specific for particular disorders. In this article, we review the specificity of four representative cognitive constructs,anxiety sensitivity, pathological worry, intolerance of uncertainty, and thought,action fusion,for particular disorders. Conceptual overlap, inconsistent definitions, and insufficient consideration of the components of these constructs are limitations of the existing literature. We suggest that the constructs are unlikely to be pathognomonic for any given disorder or to occur in isolation. Rather, the association of each cognitive construct is evident, to varying degrees, with different disorders. Relative to other disorders, anxiety sensitivity is to a certain extent specific for panic disorder, as are pathological worry for generalized anxiety disorder, intolerance of uncertainty for generalized anxiety disorder and obsessive,compulsive disorder, and thought,action fusion for obsessive,compulsive disorder. We discuss the implications of these findings for diagnostic systems and treatment, and suggest areas for further research. Depression and Anxiety 23:51,61, 2006. © 2006 Wiley-Liss, Inc. [source]


    The nervous system and gastrointestinal function

    DEVELOPMENTAL DISABILITIES RESEARCH REVIEW, Issue 2 2008
    Muhammad A. Altaf
    Abstract The enteric nervous system is an integrative brain with collection of neurons in the gastrointestinal tract which is capable of functioning independently of the central nervous system (CNS). The enteric nervous system modulates motility, secretions, microcirculation, immune and inflammatory responses of the gastrointestinal tract. Dysphagia, feeding intolerance, gastroesophageal reflux, abdominal pain, and constipation are few of the medical problems frequently encountered in children with developmental disabilities. Alteration in bowel motility have been described in most of these disorders and can results from a primary defect in the enteric neurons or central modulation. The development and physiology of the enteric nervous system is discussed along with the basic mechanisms involved in controlling various functions of the gastrointestinal tract. The intestinal motility, neurogastric reflexes, and brain perception of visceral hyperalgesia are also discussed. This will help better understand the pathophysiology of these disorders in children with developmental disabilities. © 2008 Wiley-Liss, Inc. Dev Disabil Res Rev 2008;14:87,95. [source]


    The gluten connection: the association between schizophrenia and celiac disease

    ACTA PSYCHIATRICA SCANDINAVICA, Issue 2 2006
    A. E. Kalaydjian
    Objective:, Schizophrenia affects roughly 1% of the population and is considered one of the top 10 causes of disability worldwide. Given the immense cost to society, successful treatment options are imperative. Based on initial findings, gluten withdrawal may serve as a safe and economical alternative for the reduction of symptoms in a subset of patients. Method:, A review of the literature relevant to the association between schizophrenia and celiac disease (gluten intolerance) was conducted. Results:, A drastic reduction, if not full remission, of schizophrenic symptoms after initiation of gluten withdrawal has been noted in a variety of studies. However, this occurs only in a subset of schizophrenic patients. Conclusion:, Large-scale epidemiological studies and clinical trials are needed to confirm the association between gluten and schizophrenia, and address the underlying mechanisms by which this association occurs. [source]


    Islet adaptation to insulin resistance: mechanisms and implications for intervention

    DIABETES OBESITY & METABOLISM, Issue 1 2005
    B. Ahrén
    Abstract:, Insulin sensitivity and insulin secretion are reciprocally related such that insulin resistance is adapted by increased insulin secretion to maintain normal glucose and lipid homeostasis. The relation between insulin sensitivity and secretion is curvilinear and mathematically best described as a hyperbolic relation. Several potential mediators have been suggested to be signals for the beta cells to respond to insulin resistance such as glucose, free fatty acids, autonomic nerves, fat-derived hormones and the gut hormone glucagon-like peptide-1 (GLP-1). Failure of these signals or of the pancreatic beta cells to adequately adapt insulin secretion in relation to insulin sensitivity results in inappropriate insulin levels, impaired glucose intolerance (IGT) and type 2 diabetes. Therefore, treatment of IGT and type 2 diabetes should aim at restoring the normal relation between insulin sensitivity and secretion. Such treatment includes stimulation of insulin secretion (sulphonylureas, repaglinide and nateglinide) and insulin sensitivity (metformin and thiazolidinediones), as well as treatment aimed at supporting the signals mediating the islet adaptation (cholinergic agonists and GLP-1). Both, for correct understanding of diabetes pathophysiology and for development of novel treatment modalities, therefore, the non-linear inverse relation between insulin sensitivity and secretion needs to be acknowledged. [source]


    CB1 receptors: emerging evidence for central and peripheral mechanisms that regulate energy balance, metabolism, and cardiovascular health

    DIABETES/METABOLISM: RESEARCH AND REVIEWS, Issue 7 2007
    Daniela Cota
    Abstract Insulin resistance, dyslipidaemia and obesity are the major cardiometabolic risk factors contributing to the development of type 2 diabetes and cardiovascular disease (CVD). Owing to the increasing prevalence of obesity, type 2 diabetes, and CVD, new and effective pharmacologic therapies are urgently needed. In this regard, the endogenous cannabinoid system (ECS), a neuromodulatory system involved in the regulation of various aspects of energy balance and eating behaviour through central and peripheral mechanisms, may present the potential to meet this need. In the central nervous system (CNS), cannabinoid type 1 (CB1) receptors and their respective ligands, the endocannabinoids, have a significant role in the modulation of food intake and motivation to consume palatable food. CB1 receptors have also been found in organs involved in the regulation of metabolic homeostasis, such as liver, white adipose tissue, muscle and pancreas. Dysregulation of the ECS has been associated with the development of dyslipidaemia, glucose intolerance, and obesity, and CB1 receptor blockade may have a role in ameliorating these metabolic abnormalities. Thus, pharmacologic options targeting the ECS may provide a novel, effective approach to the prevention and management of CVD, type 2 diabetes and obesity. Copyright © 2007 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd. [source]


    Inflammation and the etiology of type 2 diabetes

    DIABETES/METABOLISM: RESEARCH AND REVIEWS, Issue 1 2006
    Åke Sjöholm
    Type 2 diabetes is increasingly common worldwide and is beginning to strike younger age groups. Almost 90% of all patients with diabetes show insulin resistance, which also precedes the first symptoms of diabetes. The mechanisms underlying the development of insulin resistance are not well understood. In recent years, several studies have been published that implicate subclinical chronic inflammation as an important pathogenetic factor in the development of insulin resistance and type 2 diabetes. This opens new perspectives for diagnosis and treatment of early insulin resistance and incipient glucose intolerance. Surrogate markers for this low-grade chronic inflammation include CRP, IL-6 and TNF-,. Some antidiabetic agents, for example, glitazones that reduce insulin resistance, and insulin itself, reduce inflammation. Conversely, antiinflammatory drugs (ASA/NSAID) may improve glucose tolerance. Vasoactive drugs that are often prescribed to people with diabetes, for example, statins and ACE inhibitors/angiotensin receptor antagonists, also counteract inflammation and reduce the risk of type 2 diabetes. More specific and sensitive biomarkers should be identified, which may predict early disturbances in insulin sensitivity and cardiovascular risk. Also, inflammatory signalling pathways need to be explored in greater detail, and may form the basis of drugable targets against the epidemic of insulin resistance and atherosclerosis. Copyright © 2005 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd. [source]


    Following in mother's footsteps?

    DIABETIC MEDICINE, Issue 3 2010
    Mother, cardiovascular disease 15 years after gestational diabetes, daughter risks for insulin resistance
    Diabet. Med. 27, 257,265 (2010) Abstract Aims, To determine effects on mothers and daughters of gestational diabetes mellitus/gestational impaired glucose tolerance (GDM/GIGT) on their future metabolic and cardiovascular risks. Methods, Case mothers who had GDM/GIGT in pregnancy (cases; n = 90) and normoglycaemic control women (n = 99) and their daughters underwent lifestyle assessment and metabolic tests 15-years post-partum. Results, Prevalence of glucose intolerance (GI) in daughters was 1.1%. Maternal prevalence was 44.4% in cases compared to 13.1% in controls, with conversion best predicted by weight gain. Case daughters had higher insulin resistance (IR) and greater waist circumference (WC) (51.2%) relative to control daughters (36.4%, p < 0.05) made worse if case mothers became GI at follow-up (65%) (relative risk =1.8; 95% confidence interval 1.2,2.9). In multivariable linear regression analyses adjusting for daughters' birthweight, maternal obesity (> 30.0 kg/m2) at 15years and mothers' case-control status were strong predictors of daughters' WC (p < 0.01; P < 0.01, respectively). For daughters' body mass index (BMI) percentile and percentage of body fat, maternal obesity was a stronger predictor (p < 0.01; p < 0.001)) than mothers' case-control status (p < 0.01; P = 0.09). Conclusions, GDM/GIGT pregnancies led to increased conversion to GI in mothers, minimal in daughters. Case daughters have increased risk of central adiposity and insulin resistance, whereas maternal obesity strongly predicted daughters' BMI percentile and per cent of body fat. Controlling hyperglycaemia in pregnancy and family weight management may provide the key to preventing offspring obesity and glucose intolerance post GDM/GIGT. [source]