Articles: human.
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Front Endocrinol (Lausanne) · Jan 2013
ReviewAfferent neuronal control of type-I gonadotropin releasing hormone neurons in the human.
Understanding the regulation of the human menstrual cycle represents an important ultimate challenge of reproductive neuroendocrine research. However, direct translation of information from laboratory animal experiments to the human is often complicated by strikingly different and unique reproductive strategies and central regulatory mechanisms that can be present in even closely related animal species. In all mammals studied so far, type-I gonadotropin releasing hormone (GnRH) synthesizing neurons form the final common output way from the hypothalamus in the neuroendocrine control of the adenohypophysis. ⋯ This article gives an overview of the available neuroanatomical literature that described the afferent regulation of human GnRH neurons by peptidergic, monoaminergic, and amino acidergic neuronal systems. Recent studies of human genetics provided evidence that central peptidergic signaling by kisspeptins and neurokinin B (NKB) play particularly important roles in puberty onset and later, in the sex steroid-dependent feedback regulation of GnRH neurons. This review article places special emphasis on the topographic distribution, sexual dimorphism, aging-dependent neuroanatomical changes, and plastic connectivity to GnRH neurons of the critically important human hypothalamic kisspeptin and NKB systems.
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Front Bioeng Biotechnol · Jan 2013
ReviewA Systems Engineering Perspective on Homeostasis and Disease.
Engineered systems are coupled networks of interacting sub-systems, whose dynamics are constrained to requirements of robustness and flexibility. They have evolved by design to optimize function in a changing environment and maintain responses within ranges. Analysis, synthesis, and design of complex supply chains aim to identify and explore the laws governing optimally integrated systems. ⋯ Our increasing understanding of life's multi-scale architecture suggests that living systems share similar characteristics with much to be learned about biological complexity from engineered systems. If health reflects a dynamically stable integration of molecules, cell, tissues, and organs; disease indicates displacement compensated for and corrected by activation and combination of feedback mechanisms through interconnected networks. In this article, we draw analogies between concepts in systems engineering and conceptual models of health and disease; establish connections between these concepts and physiologic modeling; and describe how these mirror onto the physiological counterparts of engineered systems.
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Review Historical Article
Exploring professionalization among Brazilian oral health technicians.
Professional dental auxiliaries emerged in the early 20th century in the United States of America and quickly spread to Europe and other regions of the world. In Brazil, however, oral health technicians (OHTs), who occupy a similar role as dental hygienists, had a long journey before the occupation achieved legal recognition: Brazilian Law 11.889, which regulates this occupation in the country, was only enacted in 2008. The aim of this paper is to review the literature on the professionalization of OHTs, highlighting the triggering, limiting and conflicting aspects that exerted an influence on the historical progress of these professionals in Brazil. ⋯ A number of different dental corporative interests exerted an influence over professionalization, especially in discussions regarding the permissible activities of these professionals in the oral cavity of patients. With primary health care advances in Brazil, the importance of these professionals has once again come to the forefront. This seems to be a key point in the consolidation of OHTs in the area of human resources for health in Brazil.
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J. Korean Med. Sci. · Apr 2011
Review Comparative StudyRecent trends in neonatal mortality in very low birth weight Korean infants: in comparison with Japan and the USA.
With regard to the outcome of intensive neonatal care, one of the most important concerns in neonatology is the mortality rate of very low birth weight infants (VLBWI; birth weight < 1,500 g) and extremely low birth weight infants (ELBWI; birth weight < 1,000 g). The present study was conducted to analyze and compare the mortality of VLBWI and ELBWI and neonatal care among Korean, Japanese, and American newborns. In Korea, the survival rates of VLBWI have increased significantly; they were 31.8% in the early 1960s, 65.8% in the early 1990s, 77.5% in 2002, 84.7% in 2007, and 85.7% in 2009. ⋯ The survival rates of VLBWI and ELBWI have significantly improved over the past 50 yr in Korea. However, the Korean survival rates of VLBWI and ELBWI are still lower than for similar groups in Japan and the USA. To achieve better outcomes that reach the level of these countries, the organization of perinatal care centers, nationwide neonatal perinatal research networks, and regionalization are needed in Korea.
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D-Lactic acidosis has been well documented in ruminants. In humans, D-lactic acidosis is very rare, but D-lactic acidosis may be more common than generally believed and should be looked for in a case of metabolic acidosis in which the cause of acidosis is not apparent. ⋯ The entity should be considered as a diagnosis in a patient who presents with metabolic acidosis accompanied by high anion gap, normal lactate level, negative Acetest, history of short bowel syndrome or malabsorption, and characteristic neurologic manifestations. Low carbohydrate diet, bicarbonate treatment, rehydration, and oral antibiotics would be helpful in controlling symptoms.