bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
The effects of dementia care mapping on nursing home residents’ quality of life and staff attitudes: design of the quasi-experimental study Leben-QD II
Authors: Halek Margareta , Dichter Martin Nikolaus , Quasdorf Tina , Riesner Christine , Bartholomeyczik Sabine
Published: June 2013

Background

The main objective of care for people with dementia is the maintenance and promotion of quality of life (Qol). Most of the residents in nursing homes have challenging behaviors that strongly affect their Qol. Person-centered care (PCC) is an approach that aims to achieve the best possible Qol and to reduce challenging behaviors. Dementia Care Mapping (DCM) is a method of implementing PCC that has been used in Germany for several years. However, there are no data on the effectiveness of DCM or the challenges of implementation of DCM in German nursing homes.

Methods/design

In this quasi-experimental non-randomized cluster-controlled study, the effects of DCM will be compared to 2 comparison groups. 9 nursing homes will take part: 3 will implement DCM, 3 will implement a comparison intervention using an alternative Qol assessment, and 3 have already implemented DCM. The main effect outcomes are Qol, challenging behaviors, staff attitudes toward dementia, job satisfaction and burnout of caregivers. These outcomes will be measured on 3 data points. Different quantitative and qualitative data sources will be collected through the course of the study to investigate the degree of implementation as well as facilitators of and barriers to the implementation process.

Discussion

This study will provide new information about the effectiveness of DCM and the implementation process of DCM in German nursing homes. The study results will provide important information to guide the national discussion about the improvement of dementia-specific Qol, quality of care in nursing homes and allocation of resources. In addition, the study results will provide information for decision-making and implementation of complex psychosocial interventions such as DCM. The findings will also be important for the design of a subsequent randomized controlled trial (e.g. appropriateness of outcomes and measurements, inclusion criteria for participating nursing homes) and the development of a successful implementation strategy.

Trial registration

Current Controlled Trials ISRCTN43916381.
Establishment and application of real-time quantitative PCR for diagnosing invasive Aspergillosis via the blood in hematological patients: targeting a specific sequence of Aspergillus 28S-ITS2
Authors: Li Yan , Gao Li , Ding Yi , Xu Yuanyuan , Zhou Minhang , Huang Wenrong , Jing Yu , Li Honghua , Wang Lili , Yu Li
Published: June 2013

Background

Invasive aspergillosis (IA) is an important cause of morbidity and mortality in immunocompromised individuals. This study was conducted to identify a desirable target DNA sequence for the diagnosis of aspergillosis using real-time quantitative polymerase chain reaction (qPCR).

Methods

Genomic DNA was extracted fromAspergillus,Candida, and bacteria species, and qPCR was applied to validate a partial ribosomal DNA 28S-ITS2 sequence. Ethylenediaminetetraacetic acid-anticoagulated blood samples were collected from 72 febrile hematological patients, while total DNA was isolated from plasma and whole blood for theAspergillusqPCR. The results were analyzed using a receiver operating characteristic curve. All cases were evaluated using the revised European Organization for Research and Treatment of Cancer/Invasive Fungal Infections Cooperative Group and the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases Mycoses Study Group (EORTC/MSG) diagnostic criteria.

Results

Use of qPCR yielded positive results for 15Aspergillusspecies but negative results forCandidaspecies, bacterial strains, and human DNA. The limit of detection was one copy per microliter of DNA. Analytical sensitivity and specificity were six copies of DNA and 100%, respectively. The standard curve showed that qPCR was reliable forAspergillusdetection and that significantly more DNA copies were obtained from whole blood than from plasma (P< 0.001). At a cut-off value ≥ 25 copies/μL, the diagnostic sensitivity and specificity for IA using 28S-ITS2 qPCR were 90.9% and 73.4%, respectively.

Conclusions

The use of qPCR with whole blood to detect and verify the 28S-ITS2 sequence is a specific and useful way to diagnose IA.
Expression and efficient secretion of a functional chitinase from Chromobacterium violaceum in Escherichia coli
Authors: Lobo Marina Duarte Pinto , Silva Fredy Davi Albuquerque , Landim Patrícia Gadelha de Castro , da Cruz Paloma Ribeiro , de Brito Thaís Lima , de Medeiros Suelen Carneiro , Oliveira José Tadeu Abreu , Vasconcelos Ilka Maria , Pereira Humberto D’Muniz , Grangeiro Thalles Barbosa
Published: June 2013

Background

Chromobacterium violaceumis a free-living β-proteobacterium found in tropical and subtropical regions. The genomic sequencing ofC.violaceumATCC 12472 has revealed many genes that underpin its adaptability to diverse ecosystems. Moreover,C.violaceumgenes with potential applications in industry, medicine and agriculture have also been identified, such as those encoding chitinases. However, none of the chitinase genes of the ATCC 12472 strain have been subjected to experimental validation. Chitinases (EC 3.2.1.14) hydrolyze the β-(1,4) linkages in chitin, an abundant biopolymer found in arthropods, mollusks and fungi. These enzymes are of great biotechnological interest as potential biocontrol agents against pests and pathogens. This work aimed to experimentally validate one of the chitinases fromC.violaceum.

Results

The open reading frame (ORF) CV2935 ofC.violaceumATCC 12472 encodes a protein (439 residues) that is composed of a signal peptide, a chitin-binding domain, a linker region, and a C-terminal catalytic domain belonging to family 18 of the glycoside hydrolases. The ORF was amplified by PCR and cloned into the expression vector pET303/CT-His. High levels of chitinolytic activity were detected in the cell-free culture supernatant ofE.coliBL21(DE3) cells harboring the recombinant plasmid and induced with IPTG. The secreted recombinant protein was purified by affinity chromatography on a chitin matrix and showed an apparent molecular mass of 43.8 kDa, as estimated by denaturing polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis. N-terminal sequencing confirmed the proper removal of the native signal peptide during the secretion of the recombinant product. The enzyme was able to hydrolyze colloidal chitin and the synthetic substratesp-nitrophenyl-β-D-N,N’-diacetylchitobiose andp-nitrophenyl-β-D-N,N’,N”-triacetylchitotriose. The optimum pH for its activity was 5.0, and the enzyme retained ~32% of its activity when heated to 60°C for 30 min.

Conclusions

AC.violaceumchitinase was expressed inE.coliand purified by affinity chromatography on a chitin matrix. The secretion of the recombinant protein into the culture medium was directed by its native signal peptide. The mature enzyme was able to hydrolyze colloidal chitin and synthetic substrates. This newly identified signal peptide is a promising secretion factor that should be further investigated in future studies, aiming to demonstrate its usefulness as an alternative tool for the extracellular production of recombinant proteins inE.coli.
Apigenin promotes apoptosis, inhibits invasion and induces cell cycle arrest of T24 human bladder cancer cells
Authors: Zhu Yi , Mao Yeqing , Chen Hong , Lin Yiwei , Hu Zhenghui , Wu Jian , Xu Xin , Xu Xianglai , Qin Jie , Xie Liping
Published: June 2013

Background

Apigenin (4’,5,7-trihydroxyflavone) was recently shown effective in inhibiting several cancers. The aim of this study was to investigate the effect and mechanism of apigenin in the human bladder cancer cell line T24 for the first time.

Methods

T24 cells were treated with varying concentrations and time of apigenin. Cell viability was evaluated by MTT assay. Cell motility and invasiveness were assayed by Matrigel migration and invasion assay. Flow cytometry and western blot analysis were used to detect cell apoptosis, cell cycle and signaling pathway.

Results

The results demonstrated that apigenin suppressed proliferation and inhibited the migration and invasion potential of T24 bladder cancer cells in a dose- and time-dependent manner, which was associated with induced G2/M Phase cell cycle arrest and apoptosis. The mechanism of action is like to involve PI3K/Akt pathway and Bcl-2 family proteins. Apigenin increased caspase-3 activity and PARP cleavage, indicating that apigenin induced apoptosis in a caspase-dependent way.

Conclusions

These findings suggest that apigenin may be an effective way for treating human bladder cancer.
Receptivity and preferences of pancreatic cancer family members for participating in lifestyle programs to reduce cancer risk
Authors: Howell Lisa A , Sinicrope Pamela S , Brockman Tabetha A , Patten Christi A , Decker Paul A , Ehlers Shawna L , Nadeau Ashley , Rabe Kari G , Breitkopf Carmen Radecki , Petersen Gloria M
Published: June 2013

Background

Cancer is a shared family experience that might provide an opportunity for lifestyle change among at-risk family members. The purpose of this study was to assess receptivity and preferences for cancer risk reduction programs among at-risk family members with two or more relatives affected with pancreas cancer.

Methods

We surveyed 401 at-risk family members in an existing pancreatic cancer family registry. Participants completed a mailed survey which examined demographic, medical, and psychosocial correlates of willingness to participate in lifestyle cancer risk reduction programs. Multivariable generalized estimating equation approaches were used to model preferences.

Results

Overall, 85% (n = 342) of at-risk family members were receptive to lifestyle cancer risk reduction programs. Participant preferred programs focused on nutrition (36%, n = 116) and weight management (33%, n = 108), with Web/Internet (46%, n = 157) being the most preferred delivery channel. Most respondents preferred to participate in programs with their family or friends (74%, n = 182), rather than alone (25%, n = 85). In multivariable analysis, younger age (p = 0.008) and higher perceived likelihood of developing cancer (p = 0.03) were associated with willingness to participate in lifestyle programs.

Conclusions

Family members of those with pancreatic cancer are receptive to cancer risk reduction programs focusing on nutrition and weight management delivered via the internet. Further research is indicated to determine how to best incorporate a family-based approach when designing lifestyle intervention programs.
Novel birch pollen specific immunotherapy formulation based on contiguous overlapping peptides
Authors: Pellaton Céline , Perrin Yannick , Boudousquié Caroline , Barbier Nathalie , Wassenberg Jacqueline , Corradin Giampietro , Thierry Anne‐Christine , Audran Régine , Reymond Christophe , Spertini François
Published: June 2013

Background

Synthetic contiguous overlapping peptides (COPs) may represent an alternative to allergen extracts or recombinant allergens for allergen specific immunotherapy. In combination, COPs encompass the entire allergen sequence, providing all potential T cell epitopes, while preventing IgE conformational epitopes of the native allergen.

Methods

Individual COPs were derived from the sequence of Bet v 1, the major allergen of birch pollen, and its known crystal structure, and designed to avoid IgE binding. Three sets of COPs were tested in vitro in competition ELISA and basophil degranulation assays. Their in vivo reactivity was determined by intraperitoneal challenge in rBet v 1 sensitized mice as well as by skin prick tests in volunteers with allergic rhinoconjunctivitis to birch pollen.

Results

The combination, named AllerT, of three COPs selected for undetectable IgE binding in competition assays and for the absence of basophil activation in vitro was unable to induce anaphylaxis in sensitized mice in contrast to rBet v 1. In addition no positive reactivity to AllerT was observed in skin prick tests in human volunteers allergic to birch pollen. In contrast, a second set of COPs, AllerT4‐T5 displayed some residual IgE binding in competition ELISA and a weak subliminal reactivity to skin prick testing.

Conclusions

The hypoallergenicity of contiguous overlapping peptides was confirmed by low, if any, IgE binding activity in vitro, by the absence of basophil activation and the absence of in vivo induction of allergic reactions in mouse and human.

Trial registration

ClinicalTrials.gov NCT01719133
Predictive impact of polymorphism of PNPLA3 on HCC development after interferon therapy in Japanese patients with chronic hepatitis C
Authors: Moritou Yuki , Ikeda Fusao , Iwasaki Yoshiaki , Baba Nobuyuki , Takaguchi Kouichi , Senoh Tomonori , Nagano Takuya , Takeuchi Yasuto , Yasunaka Tetsuya , Ohnishi Hideki , Miyake Yasuhiro , Takaki Akinobu , Nouso Kazuhiro , Yamamoto Kazuhide
Published: June 2013

The impact of single-nucleotide polymorphisms (SNP) of patatin-like phospholipase domain-containing protein 3 (PNPLA3) on development of hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) is not clarified for Japanese patients with chronic hepatitis C. The present study investigated the associations of rs738409 PNPLA3 with HCC development after the antiviral therapy with peg-interferon and ribavirin for Japanese patients with hepatitis C virus serotype 1 and high viral load. Of the 271 patients enrolled in the study, 20 patients developed HCC, during a median follow-up period of 4.6 years. Multivariate analysis in the proportional hazards models revealed that sex, body mass index, platelet counts, and alpha feroprotein (AFP) had significant associations with HCC development (p = 0.011, 0.029, 0.0002, and 0.046, respectively). Multivariate regression analysis revealed that PNPLA3 148 M was significantly associated with serum AFP level (p = 0.032), other than body mass index, platelet count, and alanine aminotransferase (p = 0.0006, 0.0002, and 0.037, respectively), and that serum AFP level was significantly associated with PNPLA3 148 M (p = 0.017). Serum AFP level is an important factor in predicting HCC development after the antiviral therapy for Japanese patients with chronic hepatitis C, the mechanism of which might involve its significant associations with the SNP genotype of PNPLA3.
Medical risk factors of diabetes mellitus among professional drivers
Authors: Izadi Nazanin , Malek Maryam , Aminian Omid , Saraei Maryam
Published: June 2013

Background

Road transport drivers are one of the professional groups whose activities have a strong impact of public safety. In view of the natural professional activity, the drivers are at a higher risk of obesity, hypertension and hyperlipidemia, and carbohydrate metabolism disorders such as diabetes mellitus.

Materials and methods

Medical documentation was the source of data for the reported study. It derived from medical examinations of 1903 drivers applying for driving license.

Results

Hyperglycemia was found in 52.1% of the drivers, 9.1% of them were in diabetic stage, and with HbA1C criteria 77.6% of these drivers were in this stage. Excessive body weight was recorded in 65.6% of the study population, 44.8% were diagnosed with overweight and 20.8% with obesity. High blood pressure was recorded in 16.4% of drivers.

Conclusion

High prevalence of excessive body weight and high blood pressure and hyperlipidemia are risk factors for diabetes mellitus in professional drivers that indicates a need to undertake multidimensional actions target on this particular profession and involving various health care sectors. Prophylactic and detailed pre-placement examinations should be considered, depending on the rate and the intensity of disorders. These should be coupled with an introduction of primary and secondary prophylactic activities and monitoring of relevant treatment.
Microtubule-based transport – basic mechanisms, traffic rules and role in neurological pathogenesis
Authors: Franker Mariella A. M. , Hoogenraad Casper C.
Published: June 2013

Microtubule-based transport is essential for neuronal function because of the large distances that must be traveled by various building blocks and cellular materials. Recent studies in various model systems have unraveled several regulatory mechanisms and traffic rules that control the specificity, directionality and delivery of neuronal cargos. Local microtubule cues, opposing motor activity and cargo-adaptors that regulate motor activity control microtubule-based transport in neurons. Impairment of intracellular transport is detrimental to neurons and has emerged as a common factor in several neurological disorders. Genetic approaches have revealed strong links between intracellular transport processes and the pathogenesis of neurological diseases in both the central and peripheral nervous system. This Commentary highlights recent advances in these areas and discusses the transport defects that are associated with the development of neurological diseases.
In vivo interactions of TTDA mutant proteins within TFIIH
Authors: Nonnekens Julie , Cabantous Stéphanie , Slingerland Joris , Mari Pierre-Olivier , Giglia-Mari Giuseppina
Published: June 2013

Trichothiodystrophy group A (TTD-A) patients carry a mutation in the transcription factor II H (TFIIH) subunit TTDA. Using a novel in vivo tripartite split-GFP system, we show that TTDA interacts with the TFIIH subunit p52 and the p52-TTDA-GFP product is incorporated into TFIIH. p52-TTDA-GFP is able to bind DNA and is recruited to UV-damaged DNA. Furthermore, we show that two patient mutated TTDA proteins can interact with p52, are able to bind to the DNA and can localize to damaged DNA. Our findings give new insights into the behavior of TTDA within the context of a living cell and thereby shed light on the complex phenotype of TTD-A patients.
Using fly genetics to dissect the cytoskeletal machinery of neurons during axonal growth and maintenance
Authors: Prokop Andreas , Beaven Robin , Qu Yue , Sánchez-Soriano Natalia
Published: June 2013

The extension of long slender axons is a key process of neuronal circuit formation, both during brain development and regeneration. For this, growth cones at the tips of axons are guided towards their correct target cells by signals. Growth cone behaviour downstream of these signals is implemented by their actin and microtubule cytoskeleton. In the first part of this Commentary, we discuss the fundamental roles of the cytoskeleton during axon growth. We present the various classes of actin- and microtubule-binding proteins that regulate the cytoskeleton, and highlight the important gaps in our understanding of how these proteins functionally integrate into the complex machinery that implements growth cone behaviour. Deciphering such machinery requires multidisciplinary approaches, including genetics and the use of simple model organisms. In the second part of this Commentary, we discuss how the application of combinatorial genetics in the versatile genetic model organism Drosophila melanogaster has started to contribute to the understanding of actin and microtubule regulation during axon growth. Using the example of dystonin-linked neuron degeneration, we explain how knowledge acquired by studying axonal growth in flies can also deliver new understanding in other aspects of neuron biology, such as axon maintenance in higher animals and humans.
SA1 binds directly to DNA via its unique AT-hook to promote sister chromatid cohesion at telomeres
Authors: Bisht Kamlesh K. , Daniloski Zharko , Smith Susan
Published: June 2013

Sister chromatid cohesion relies on cohesin, a complex comprised of a tri-partite ring and a peripheral subunit Scc3, which is found as two related isoforms SA1 and SA2 in vertebrates. There is a division of labor between the vertebrate cohesin complexes; SA1-cohesin is required at telomeres and SA2-cohesin at centromeres. Depletion of SA1 has dramatic consequences for telomere function and genome integrity, but the mechanism by which SA1-cohesin mediates cohesion at telomeres is not well understood. Here we dissect the individual contribution of SA1 and the ring subunits to telomere cohesion and show that telomeres rely heavily on SA1 and to a lesser extent on the ring for cohesion. Using chromatin immunoprecipitation we show that SA1 is highly enriched at telomeres, is decreased at mitosis when cohesion is resolved, and is increased when cohesion persists. Overexpression of SA1 alone was sufficient to induce cohesion at telomeres, independent of the cohesin ring and dependent on its unique (not found in SA2) amino terminal domain, which we show binds to telomeric DNA via an AT-hook motif. We suggest that a specialized cohesion mechanism may be required to accommodate the high level of DNA replication-associated repair at telomeres.
Macrocyclic Compound as NMR Chiral Solvating Agent for Determination of Enantiomeric Excess of Carboxylic Acids
Authors: Yang Xiao-feng , Ning Rui , Xie Li-jun , Cui Yu , Zhang Yong-ling , Zheng Lu-yi
Published: June 2013

1H NMR studies demonstrated that chiral macrocycle 1 was a good chiral solvating agent, and was effective for the determination of the enantiomeric excess of a wide range of rac-carboxylic acids. Large nonequivalent chemical shifts (up to 0.125 ppm) can be achieved in the presence of 1.0 equiv of 1.
Synthesis and Biological Evaluation of Aspergillide A/Neopeltolide Chimeras
Authors: Fuwa Haruhiko , Noto Kenkichi , Kawakami Masato , Sasaki Makoto
Published: June 2013

In this study, stereoisomeric aspergillide A/neopeltolide chimeras were synthesized in a parallel manner, and their antiproliferative activity was evaluated to demonstrate the potential utility of the 14-membered macrolactone structure embedded with a tetrahydropyran substructure as a template for developing natural product-like antiproliferative agents.
Preparation of Thin Poly(vinyl chloride) Films with Size-controlled Nanopores
Authors: Tanabe Ichiro , Yasuda Hajime , Tatsuma Tetsu
Published: June 2013

Thin poly(vinyl chloride) films with size-controlled nanopores (40–150 nm diameter) are prepared by a new and simple method on ITO-coated glass plates and TiO2 substrates by using monodisperse Au nanoparticles. These films are expected to be applied to nanomasks for nanoelectrode ensembles and templates for deposition of size-controlled metal nanoparticles.
Genital lymphoedema due to anogenital granulomatosis
Authors: Gordon K D , Brice G , Walker Y , Pollok R , Mortimer P , Slater C
Published: June 2013

A 21-year-old man presented to genitourinary (GU) medicine physicians with (initially) painful penile and scrotal swelling. A diagnosis of anogenital granulomatosis was confirmed on histological analysis of penile skin. Enquiring about systemic symptoms resulted in the additional diagnosis of gastrointestinal Crohn's disease. The patient is now receiving immunosuppressive therapy to treat both conditions.
The Baron Doctor Cornelius Ver Heyden De Lancey (1889–1984): dental surgeon, doctor and lawyer
Authors: Gelbier Stanley
Published: June 2013

The Baron Doctor Cornelius Ver Heyden De Lancey is one of the few persons to qualify in dental surgery, medicine and the law. He was an author and art historian and spoke five languages and he was an important benefactor for students and practitioners of the three professions and for others through the De Lancey and De La Hanty Foundation Limited, which he established in 1971. This paper follows the Baron's professional progress from his birth in Holland to his death in Jersey. He gained a plethora of qualifications. His professional activities explain why certain organizations gained from his philanthropy.
Arnold Pavlik (1902–62): an autobiography
Authors: Bialik Viktor
Published: June 2013

Professor Arnold Pavlik, a Czech orthopaedic surgeon, became famous mainly for the development of a functional, active method of treating developmental dysplasia of the hip, in his time called congenital dislocation of the hip. A translation is presented of the autobiography Pavlik prepared to achieve his doctorate in medical sciences, but which his early death in February 1962 denied him.
Richard Caton (1842–1926): pioneer electrophysiologist and cardiologist
Authors: Ormerod Walter
Published: June 2013

Richard Caton is recognized as the discoverer of the waves of electrical potential which today form the basis of electroencephalography. He reported his finding in three communications, two in the British Medical Journal and one to the Ninth International Congress of Medicine at Washington, DC. After defending his priority in having made this discovery, he did no further work on the brain: his family and colleagues were unaware of his discovery for many years after his death. This was possible partly because of many other things that he did in his long life but also because, in his later years, he took deliberate steps to hide the fact that he had worked on the brain. The most important of these other activities was a practical study of the treatment of rheumatic heart disease. The basis of his treatment – complete rest in bed – is still in use today.
Louis Stromeyer (1804–76): German orthopaedic and military surgeon and his links with Britain
Authors: Smith Peter F
Published: June 2013

Louis Stromeyer was a pioneer of orthopaedic surgery and military medicine in Germany. The 200th anniversary of his birth was celebrated on 6 March 2004. He was much admired in Britain, which he visited on three occasions and where he met many of the country's leading surgeons. He was a friend and colleague of the London surgeon W J Little (1810–94), whose clubfoot he corrected by the operation he developed, and which Little introduced to Britain: subcutaneous tenotomy. A bibliography of Stromeyer's publications is appended.
Correspondence of George Newman (1870–1948) during his years as school boy, medical student and recent graduate (1880–1907)
Authors: Walker-Smith John
Published: June 2013

The correspondence is reported of Sir George Newman, the first Chief Medical Officer of the United Kingdom, during his school and university education. Extracts are included of this hitherto unpublished correspondence with his family members. His conception of idealistic service to the community, first enunciated in his school days, was expanded by practical action as a medical student among the urban poor of the Cowgate, Edinburgh. The correspondence reveals his unmarried maternal aunt as the person who influenced him most.
Did Jean Condorcet (1743–1794) commit suicide?
Authors: Olry Régis , Dupont Geneviève
Published: June 2013

Condorcet was a famous French mathematician, philosopher and revolutionary. In circumstances that are still unclear, he died in a cell of the Bourg-Égalité prison on 29 March 1794. Most historians of the French Revolution accept suicide as the most likely cause of death but we cannot rule out the possibility that he died of stroke or exhaustion.
Constantin Levaditi (1874–1953): a pioneer in Immunology and Virology
Authors: Kalantzis George , Skiadas Panagiotis , Lascaratos John
Published: June 2013

The eminent doctor Constantin Levaditi represents one of the most important researchers in the field of medicine in the 20th century. Although he was engaged in many areas of the rapidly growing field of immunology, his name is associated mainly with research in poliomyelitis. His laboratory research contributed decisively to the clarification of the epidemiology of this dreadful disease that claimed thousands of victims. Moreover, his experimental work constituted the basis for the development of the vaccine against poliomyelitis, initially in 1955 by Jonas Salk (1914–95) using inactivated virus, and then in 1960 by Albert Sabin (1906–93) who used live attenuated virus.
David Livingstone's uvulectomy
Authors: Larner A J
Published: June 2013

In April 1852 in Cape Town, South Africa, Dr David Livingstone, then 39 years of age and yet to commence the explorations of Africa which would bring him to public attention, underwent the surgical procedure of uvulectomy. This article reviews the history of Livingstone's uvulectomy and its indications and outcome, as documented by his own writings. The practice of uvulectomy in indigenous African societies and some contemporary ideas about uvulectomy are also considered in order to try to ascertain why Livingstone elected to undergo this procedure.
The practice of euthanasia at the highest level of society: the Lords Dawson (1864–1945) and Horder (1871–1955)
Authors: Cook G C
Published: June 2013

The intimate involvement of Lord Dawson of Penn in the terminal illness of King George V in 1936 was highlighted 50 years later when his personal papers were released for perusal in the public arena. A popular jingle of the time relating to Dawson was recalled in a leading article in The Times newspaper in 1986. Knowing that a similar rhyme was in circulation involving Lord Horder of Ashford, I wrote to his son in order to verify exactly what this was; his reply is reproduced in this article.
Alexey Kondratyevich Savrasov (1830–1897): the muse and the bottle
Authors: Lerner Vladimir , Witztum Eliezer
Published: June 2013

The Russian landscape painter Alexey Savrasov lived in the middle of the 19th century. He was overwhelmed with grief at the loss of several of his children and he used alcohol to blunt the pain and anguish. The effects of psychoactive substances and especially alcohol have been linked closely to creativity. His life story demonstrates the bitter relationship between the bottle and the muse. He became dependent on alcohol, his family broke up and he was fired from work, his creativity declined and his health deteriorated. At death, he was a lonely and a forgotten man and only two persons attended his funeral.
Thomas Spencer Wells, Bt FRCS (1818–97) and His Contributions to Naval Medicine
Authors: Cook G C
Published: June 2013

Sir Thomas Spencer Wells (1818–97) is best remembered both as a gynaecological surgeon, who introduced ovariectomy, and as the one who introduced the surgical forceps named after him. Far less is known of his career in the Royal Navy (RN) as an assistant surgeon and then a surgeon, and his contributions to naval medicine. Wells enlisted for the RN at the age of 23 years and for most of his naval career (1841–56) he served at the Naval Hospital, Malta (1841–48). However, from 1851 to 1853 he was surgeon and sanitary officer on the sloop, HMS Modeste. Most of Wells’ contributions to the health of sailors were of a preventive nature, especially involving ventilation, in RN ships. He was also an enthusiast for quarantine and vaccination.
Waldemar Mordecai Haffkine, CIE (1860–1930): prophylactic vaccination against cholera and bubonic plague in British India
Authors: Hawgood Barbara J
Published: June 2013

Waldemar Mordecai Haffkine developed an anticholera vaccine at the Pasteur Institute, Paris, in 1892. From the results of field trials in India from 1893 to 1896, he has been credited as having carried out the first effective prophylactic vaccination for a bacterial disease in man. When the plague pandemic reached Bombay, Haffkine became bacteriologist to the Government of (British) India (1896–1915). He soon produced an effective antiplague vaccine and large inoculation schemes were commenced. In 1902 19 people in Mulkowal (Punjab) died from tetanus poisoning as a consequence of antiplague vaccination. Haffkine was blamed unjustly and exonerated only in 1907, following a campaign spear-headed by Ronald Ross. In India the stigma remained. In 1925 in tribute to the great bacteriologist, the Bombay Government renamed the laboratory as the Haffkine Institute. The Haffkine Biopharmaceutical Corporation Ltd and the Haffkine Institute for Training, Research and Testing in Mumbai continue to be important centres for public health.
The Stathams of Stone and Islington
Authors: Marston Adrian
Published: June 2013

The story of the Statham family and their connections with Buckinghamshire and London centres around the figure of Sherard Freeman Statham (1826–1858), the founder of the Royal Northern Hospital. Born into an impoverished branch of an ancient landowning family, his circumstances were abruptly bettered when his clergyman father (a somewhat controversial character) made a lucrative marriage. Statham qualified in medicine with high honours and went on to become a brilliant young surgeon and teacher, and his future seemed assured. But his hasty and aggressive nature led to his dismissal from University College Hospital. Unsatisfied by private practice, he almost single-handedly founded a new hospital to serve the poor of North London, which went on to flourish as a well-respected surgical centre until its eventual closure in 1992. However, Statham never saw the success of his enterprise as he died from tuberculosis at the age of 32.
Thomas Prosser (c1780–1827): army surgeon on the convict ship Maria
Authors: Bayliss Anne , Bayliss Paul
Published: June 2013

Between 1793 and 1815, The French Wars between Britain and France provided work for a generation of army surgeons. Military efficiency in record keeping and subsequent governmental archiving ensured that material is available for the biographers of such men. However, by contrast, information on these surgeons while in civilian practice is scant. Thomas Prosser is a typical example of a well-qualified early 19th century surgeon who chose a career with the army and who, while on half pay, was surgeon to a female convict ship.
Arthur William Douthwaite (1848–99), Order of the Double Dragon, MD (USA) FRGS: evangelist, medical missionary, explorer
Authors: Owen John
Published: June 2013

Dr Douthwaite AW was first and foremost an evangelist. He became a doctor in order that he would be able better to follow his vocation of seeking to convert the people of China to Christianity. After an unhappy childhood and misspent youth, Douthwaite was converted to Christianity and went to China as a medical missionary. His only qualification was four years as an apothecary's apprentice and a short attachment at the London Hospital but he soon earned a high reputation as a healer and evangelist. During his first furlough, Douthwaite went to America and gained a full medical qualification. On his return to China, he was sent to Chefoo where he oversaw the development of a major mission station, which included one of the first medical schools for native students. His premature death from dysentery at the age of 51 prevented him from achieving even greater things.
Jonathan Swift (1667–1745): master satirist, eccentric dean and frustrated lover
Authors: Carter Richard
Published: June 2013

Jonathan Swift, Irish author and poet, became an Anglican Dean with a macabre interest in medicine. He wrote 'Verses on the Death of Dr Swift' predicting how his death would be received in Dublin and London.
Abraham Lincoln’s Gettysburg Illness
Authors: Goldman Armond S , Schmalstieg Frank C
Published: June 2013

When Abraham Lincoln delivered the Gettysburg Address, he was weak and dizzy; his face had a ghastly colour. That evening on the train to Washington, DC, he was febrile and weak, and suffered severe headaches. The symptoms continued; back pains developed. On the fourth day of the illness, a widespread scarlet rash appeared that soon became vesicular. By the tenth day, the lesions itched and peeled. The illness lasted three weeks. The final diagnosis, a touch of varioloid, was an old name for smallpox that was later used in the 20th century to denote mild smallpox in a partially immune individual. It was unclear whether Lincoln had been immunized against smallpox. In that regard, this review suggests that Lincoln had unmodified smallpox and that Lincoln's physicians tried to reassure the public that Lincoln was not seriously ill. Indeed, the successful conclusion of the Civil War and reunification of the country were dependent upon Lincoln's presidency.
WLH Duckworth (1870–1956) and his translation of Galen's Anatomical Procedures
Authors: Rocca Julius
Published: June 2013

Wynfrid Laurence Henry Duckworth was one of the leading comparative anatomists of the first half of the 20th century, and he made important contributions to biological anthropology and anatomical education. In his eighth decade Duckworth turned his considerable gifts to the history of medicine. This paper examines the circumstances of his English translation of the second half of Anatomical Procedures, one of Galen's most important works.
Anton Chekhov (1860–1904) – a 19th century physician
Authors: Cohen Ben
Published: June 2013

This account of Anton Chekhov's life as a doctor is distinct from the short story writer and playwright on which his fame rests. It describes his school days, the years as a medical student and the period in general practice. In later years he became active in social medicine on a voluntary basis and earned his living purely from his literary work. He died from pulmonary tuberculosis at the age of 44 years.
Frederic John Mouat (1816–97), MD FRCS LLD of the Indian Medical Service
Authors: Lawrenson Ross
Published: June 2013

Frederic John Mouat trained at University College London, qualifying Member of the Royal College of Surgeons in 1838. He was a distinguished surgeon in the Indian Civil Medical Service who became Professor of Medicine in the Bengal Medical College. After 30 years in India, where he was a leading figure in the field of education and prison reform, he retired to the UK in 1870. Then he started a new career as an Inspector for the Local Government Board. He was also an active member of the Royal Statistical Society, becoming its President in 1890. He died in 1897 leaving a widow and four stepchildren.
Sir David Wilkie (1882–1938): surgeon, scientist and philanthropist
Authors: Macintyre Iain
Published: June 2013

Until the start of the 20th century, appointment to a chair in surgery in Britain was usually awarded in recognition of an already successful career. Sir David Wilkie was among the first of the new breed of professors of surgery appointed at a relatively young age to develop surgical research and undergraduate teaching. At the University of Edinburgh, he established a surgical research laboratory from which was to emerge a cohort of young surgical researchers destined to become the largest dynasty of surgical professors yet seen in the British Isles. He is widely regarded as the father of British academic surgery. Born in the same Scottish village as the writer JM Barrie (1860–1937), like Barrie, Wilkie became a philanthropist. Both men were to achieve eminence in later life and when Barrie was appointed Chancellor of Edinburgh University, their friendship developed. Barrie's legacy to Great Ormond Street Children's Hospital was one of the greatest ever acts of medical philanthropy, and Wilkie too proved to be a generous benefactor of the disadvantaged.
Zepherina Veitch (1836–94), childbed fever and the registration of midwives
Authors: Halliday Jane , Halliday Stephen
Published: June 2013

At a time when hospital infections are rarely out of the news, it is important to reflect that the origins of midwifery as a profession owe much to the actions of a group of determined women who, in the face of much opposition from within the medical profession, strove to improve upon standards of hygiene in maternity care to reduce the high levels of maternal and infant mortality associated with some of the most prestigious hospitals in the land.
John Hilton (1805–78): anatomist and surgeon
Authors: Shenker Natalie , Ellis Harold
Published: June 2013

John Hilton was the foremost anatomist of his day. From only humble beginnings he became an anatomy demonstrator at Guy's Hospital. When appointed Surgeon to Guy's Hospital, his meticulous clinical skills, arising from his depth of anatomical knowledge, led him to develop many anatomical principles culminating in a series of lectures on ‘Rest and Pain’. For the first time the clinical importance of each was highlighted in surgical practice. By public demand the lectures were published as a book, still in print today, which brought a new emphasis to clinical anatomy that would permeate surgery thereafter. He became President of the Royal College of Surgeons and was Surgeon Extraordinary to Queen Victoria. A substantial review of his life has not been published; with the present decline in anatomical teaching, we can learn much from understanding a surgeon who dedicated his life to anatomy.
Joseph Igersheimer (1879–1965): a visionary ophthalmologist and his contributions before and after exile
Authors: Namal Arın , Reisman Arnold
Published: June 2013

While in forced exile from Nazi Germany between 1933 and 1939, Joseph Igersheimer was the architect of modern ophthalmology in Turkey. Earlier he was a pioneer in addressing the impact of syphilis on eyesight. He was the first to use arsphenamine in the treatment of syphilis of the eye and the first to operate on retinal detachment by closing the holes. In 1939 he joined Tufts University's Medical School and became a major contributor to America's ophthalmology. By the time of his retirement, over 2000 American ophthalmologists had listened to his lectures.
Thomas Bakewell (1761–1835): madhouse keeper and moral therapist
Authors: Lovett Lisetta
Published: June 2013

Thomas Bakewell, a non-medical asylum keeper, published in 1805 a family guide on the management of the insane, based on his experience of mental illness. He consolidated his humane approach at Spring Vale Asylum near Stone in Staffordshire that he ran for 27 years along moral therapy lines. This paper relates Bakewell's work to the philosophical and scientific influences of the preceding century and describes his practice through analysis of case studies he presented to a Parliamentary Select Committee in 1815.
Henry Philbrick Nelson, MA MD FRCS (1902–36) a promising career cut short
Authors: Bucher Thomas , Ellis Harold
Published: June 2013

This paper presents the story of a brilliant surgeon-anatomist. Henry Philbrick Nelson qualified from St Bartholomew's in 1927 and was admitted FRCS in 1929. Then he served as an anatomy demonstrator. He was a pioneer in the field of bronchial and segmental anatomy of the lung. Tragically, he died at the young age of 34 from a streptococcal infection contracted while operating.
Herbert Aldersmith (1847–1918): Christ's Hospital medical officer and co-founder of the Medical Officers of Schools Association
Authors: Hoskins Trevor
Published: June 2013

Summary

Herbert Aldersmith spent his entire working life, from the age of 23 years until his retirement at 65 years, as Resident Medical Officer to Christ's Hospital School. It was a crucial period in the school's history, from the overdue reforms of the late Victorian era to its historic move from the City of London to Sussex in 1902. He became an acknowledged authority on ringworm and also published extensively on the other great interest of his life, the British–Israel Society. He was the prime mover in founding the first-ever professional association of school doctors in 1884.
Daniel John Cunningham (1850–1909): anatomist and textbook author, whose sons achieved distinction in the Army, Navy and Indian Medical Service
Authors: Kaufman Matthew H
Published: June 2013

Summary

Daniel John Cunningham was a son of the manse. His father John (1819–93) was the parish priest at Crieff, Perthshire from 1845 and was to remain there for 41 years. In 1886 he was appointed Principal of St Mary's College of the University of St Andrews and Moderator of the Church of Scotland. Daniel was educated at Crieff Academy before he progressed to the University of Edinburgh. He graduated MB CM with First-class Honours in 1874 and then proceeded MD in 1876 when he was awarded a Gold Medal for his thesis. He acted as Demonstrator to Professor Turner (1832–1916) in Edinburgh for eight years until 1882 and was then appointed to the Chair of Anatomy at the Royal College of Surgeons of Ireland, in Dublin. After only one year there, he transferred to Trinity College, Dublin, where he occupied a similar position for 20 years. In 1903, on the appointment of Sir William Turner to the post of Principal and Vice-Chancellor of the University of Edinburgh, Daniel was invited to succeed him as Professor of Anatomy in Edinburgh. Daniel held this post until his premature death in 1909. He had three sons and two daughters. Each of his three sons achieved distinction in different fields – one in the Army, another in the Navy and the third in the Indian Medical Service. One of Daniel's daughters married Dr Edwin Bramwell (1873–1952), who was later to occupy the Moncrieff Arnott Chair of Clinical Medicine in the University of Edinburgh.
Sir Walter Langdon-Brown (1870–1946)
Authors: Keynes Milo
Published: June 2013

Summary

Sir Walter Langdon-Brown, born of robust Puritan stock, was a distinguished physician, teacher, medical historian and humanist at St Bartholomew's Hospital, London, before becoming Regius Professor of Physic at Cambridge. His contributions to clinical medicine were wide in relating symptoms and signs of disease to physiology, putting therapeutics on a scientific basis, showing the close linkage of the sympathetic nervous system to the ductless glands, and being regarded as a founder of clinical endocrinology. He was the first English physician to relate the work of Freud, Jung and Adler to clinical medicine and a pioneer in psychosomatic medicine and the study of neurotic behaviour.
William Arbuthnot Lane (1856–1943) and Kenelm Hutchinson Digby (1884–1954): a tale of two universities
Authors: Fu Kuo-Tai Louis
Published: June 2013

Summary

Sir William Arbuthnot Lane was one of the most brilliant British technical surgeons during the first half of the 20th century. Although some of his ideas may be controversial, he made many original contributions and innovations in surgical techniques. His greatest contribution was the introduction of the ‘no-touch technique’ in the open reduction and plating of long bone fractures by Lane's steel plates and screws. One of his registrars, Kenelm Hutchinson Digby, came to the Far East in 1913 as one of the first professors in the newly founded University of Hong Kong. Digby brought his former mentor's ideas to Hong Kong and inaugurated the practice of modern surgery there.
The many ailments of Herman Melville (1819–91)
Authors: Ross John J
Published: June 2013

Summary

Herman Melville developed debilitating physical and psychiatric disorders in middle age after writing, perhaps, the greatest of American novels, Moby Dick. This article critically examines claims that Melville had bipolar affective disorder and alcoholism, and suggests he may also have suffered from post-traumatic stress disorder. Melville was active and vigorous in youth but in middle age he developed recurrent attacks of eye pain, photophobia and disabling low back pain. Melville's contemporaries usually attributed his physical problems to ‘neurasthenia’ and his biographers have often dismissed them as psychosomatic. However, Melville's clinical course, abnormally rigid posture, loss of 1⅜ inches in height between the ages of 30 and 37, and a family history of rheumatological disease, suggest a diagnosis of ankylosing spondylitis.
Dr Edward Macgowan (1795–1860), a long-term pioneer physician in mid-nineteenth century Jerusalem: founder and director of the first modern hospital in the Holy Land
Authors: Lev Efraim , Perry Yaron
Published: June 2013

Summary

At the age of 46, Dr Edward Macgowan, by now a well-established physician, joined the ranks of the London Society for Promoting Christianity among the Jews with the aim of establishing the first modern hospital in Palestine. For the first six months of 1842, Macgowan established his work among the Jerusalem population on a regular basis and managed to establish a close relationship with the Jewish community and some of its leaders in Jerusalem. On 12 December 1844, the Jews' Hospital was opened in Jerusalem and became a source of great pride for the missionaries. Edward Macgowan died in Jerusalem after 18 years of service and was buried in the Protestant cemetery in his beloved city.