Advances in Medicine & Biology : Volume 121

Chapter One examines what has been learned about the Nipah Virus, a highly lethal paramyxovirus, throughout the nearly two decades since its discovery. The authors review includes progress in the understanding of its molecular characteristics, its pathogenesis in humans and animal models, transmission and prevention of infection, the development of experimental vaccines and therapeutics, and the relationship with its pteropid bat hosts. Chapter Two covers Bursitis, a characteristic feature of polymyalgia rheumatic (PMR), which is a common inflammatory rheumatic disease of people aged 50 and above, with pain and stiffness in the shoulder girdle and often pelvic girdle and neck. Although local musculoskeletal signs and symptoms are the hallmark of the disease, PMR is a systemic inflammation. The authors discuss how weekly bilateral shoulder corticosteroid injections have been studied, and their efficacy and safety have been proved, but oral cortiocosteroids still remain the cornerstone of therapy. Chapter Three reviews fetal sinus bradycardia, a condition defined by a heart rate less than 100 bpm. The author give an overview of the current diagnostic techniques, prognosis and treatment strategies. Mechanical stress on heart, caused by volume overload alone, is considered to be the condition that regulates the synthesis and release of natriuretic peptides. Thirty years later the measurements of the peptides, especially NT-proBNP, has not met all of the expectations of a simple and useful tool in cardiology; the mechanical stress on the heart does not explain all of the findings made in clinical studies. In Chapter Four, a hypothesis is presented in which the oxygen metabolism is in the focus. Chapter Five discusses how red light stimulated the phosphorylation of two small proteins, transit peptide NDPK2 and pre-sequence NDPK3 in etiolated pea seedling stems. In human NDPKs, Nm23H1 and Nm23H2 may function to reduce the influx of singlet oxygen and suppress tumor metastasis. Chapter Six offers several easy exercises that can be used as postoperative therapy for carpal tunel sydnrome, or as preventative measures for people with a heightened risk of developing the syndrome. The theory behind the load cell is presented both for conventional-socket transtibial amputees and osseo-integrated transfemoral amputees in Chapter Seven. Examples of equipment used on osseo-integrated transfemoral amputees is also shown. Studies and outcomes for a transtibial and a transfemoral osseo-integrated prosthesis are given, including force-moment analysis. In Chapter Eight, the relationship of catalase activity, Cdk5 regulation of topographic neuronal architecture, and cross-talk are discussed.