Diabetes symptoms News

Diabetic amyotrophy, a complication of diabetes, is diabetic neuropathy characterized by muscle wasting and weakness. It affects the lower limbs and is typically asymmetric. Also see muscle atrophy.

Clinical presentation

• proximal muscle wasting and tenderness of thigh muscles
• loss of knee reflexes
• seen in older men with diabetes
• frequently CSF(cerebrospinal fluid)protein is elevated
• usually occurs when diabetes is poorly controlled and resolves with good control ie the condition is reversible.

References

• Kumar & Clark. Clinical Medicine. 5th edition, pg. 1098.

Casey Johnson(September 24,1979) is an American heiress, socialite, activist, and author. She is inheirted to her $3.6 billion family fortune.

Biography

Johnson was born in Beverly Hills, California. Her grandfather Robert Wood Johnson founded Johnson & Johnson care. She is first cousin of Jamie Johnson who directed the documentary “Born Rich”.

Personal Life

Dubbed ‘the Band-Aid Princess’, she was often seen partying with pals Paris Hilton, Nicky Hilton, and formerly Bijou Phillips. Johnson made headlines in June 2004 for being apart of an assault towards Nicole Marie Lenz along with Phillips. Then sueing Phillips herself for $500,000 later to be dropped. As of 2007 Johnson has plans on adopting a baby from Kazakhstan saying, “I’m going to dress her in the cutest leoapord bikini”.

Health

Was diagnosed with juvenile diabetes when she was eight, and has long been involved with the Juvenile Diabetes Foundation, working to promote awareness of the disease. She co-wrote a book when she was 14 about diabetes management.

C-peptide is a peptide which is made when proinsulin is split into insulin and C-peptide. They split when proinsulin is released from the pancreas into the blood in response to a rise in serum glucose - one C-peptide for each insulin molecule.

C-peptide is the abbreviation for “connecting peptide”, although its name was probably also inspired by the fact that insulin is also composed of an “A” chain and a “B” chain. C-peptide was discovered in 1967. The first documented use of the C-peptide test was in 1972. It should not to be confused with c-reactive protein or Protein C.

Function

C-peptide functions in repair of the muscular layer of the arteries.

C-peptide also exerts beneficial therapeutic effects on many complications associated with diabetes mellitus http://www.pancreasjournal.com/pt/re/pancreas/abstract.00006676-200410000-00009.htm;jsessionid=GFMCZSW85zYmQt5bZ2BBkz2mF2KWKfm1FJ3XGx93KFYwQfSFtKL4!1152499061!181195629!8091!-1 , http://www.sciencemag.org/cgi/content/full/277/5325/531, such as for instance diabetic neuropathyhttp://diabetes.diabetesjournals.org/cgi/content/abstract/55/12/3581 and other diabetes-induced ailments. In the kidneys, C-peptide prevents diabetic nephropathy http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/sites/entrez?cmd=Retrieve&db=PubMed&list_uids=10784221&dopt=AbstractPlus, http://ndt.oxfordjournals.org/cgi/content/abstract/20/3/532, and in the heart http://diabetes.diabetesjournals.org/cgi/content/abstract/51/10/3077 blood flow is improved in diabetic patients.

In spite of these physiological functions, C-peptide is actually removed from pharmaceutical preparations of insulin sold by drug companies when they manufacture the synthetic human insulin that is in widescale clinical usage today.

Uses

• Newly diagnosed diabetes patients often get their C-peptide levels measured, to find if they are type 1 diabetes or type 2 diabetes. The reason that the C-peptide levels are measured instead of the insulin levels themselves is because insulin concentration in the portal vein ranges from two to ten times higher than in the peripheral circulation. The liver extracts about half the insulin reaching it (the plasma), but this varies with the nutritional state. The pancreas of patients with type 1 diabetes is unable to produce insulin and they will therefore usually have a decreased level of C-peptide, while C-peptide levels in type 2 patients is normal or higher than normal. Measuring C-peptide in patients injecting insulin can help to determine how much of their own natural insulin these patients are still producing.
• C peptide is also used for determining the possibility of gastrinomas associated with Multiple Endocrine Neoplasm syndromes (MEN 1). Since a significant amount of gastrinomas also include MEN which include pancreatic, parathyroid, and pituitary adenomas, higher levels of c-protein in addition to a gastrinoma may suggest other organs than just the stomach may include neoplasms.
• Can be used for identifying malingering: hypoglycemia with low C-peptide level may indicate abuse of insulin.

C-peptide levels are also checked to determine how insulin resistant women with Polycystic Ovarian Syndrome may be.

References

Transketolase, an enzyme of the Calvin cycle of photosynthesis, catalyzes the transfer of a 2-carbon fragment from a 5-carbon keto sugar (D-xyulose-5-P) to a 5-carbon aldo sugar (D-ribose-5-P) to form a 7-carbon keto sugar (sedoheptulose-7-P) and a 3-carbon aldo sugar (glyceraldehyde-3-P).

In mammals, transketolase connects the pentose phosphate pathway to glycolysis, feeding excess sugar phosphates into the main carbohydrate metabolic pathways. Its presence is necessary for the production of NADPH, especially by the brain. Thiamine diphosphate is an essential cofactor, along with calcium.

Diagnostic use

Red cell transketolase activity is reduced in deficiency of thiamine (vitamin B1), and may be used in the diagnosis of Wernicke’s encephalopathy and other B1-deficiency syndromes if the diagnosis is in doubt.Smeets EHJ, Muller A, de Wael J. A NADH-dependent transketolase assay in erythrocyte hemolysates. Clin Chim Acta 1971;33:379–386. PMID 4330339. Apart from the baseline enzyme activity (which may be normal even in deficiency states), acceleration of enzyme activity after the addition of thiamine pyrophosphate may be diagnostic of thiamine deficiency (0-15% normal, 15-25% deficiency, >25% severe deficiency).Doolman R, Dinbar A, Sela B. Improved measurement of transketolase activity in the assessment of TPP effect. Eur J Clin Chem Clin Biochem 1995;33:445–446. PMID 7548453.

References

Conventional insulinotherapy is a therapeutic regimen for treatment of
diabetes mellitus which contrasts with the newer intensive insulinotherapy.

This older method (prior to the development of long-acting insulin analogs and blood glucose monitoring) is still in use in a proportion of cases.

Conventional insulin therapy has these characteristics:

• Insulin injections of a mixture of rapid and intermediate acting insulin are performed two or three times daily.
• Meal are scheduled to match the anticipated peaks in the insulin profiles.
• The target range for blood glucose levels is higher than is desired in the intensive regimen. *Frequent measurements of blood glucose levels were not used.

The down side of this method is the fact that it is difficult to achieve as good results of glycemic control as with intensive insulinotherapy.

Gandalf is a first-order automated theorem prover applied to several domain-specific
tasks such as Semantic web. It has also participated in the The CADE ATP System Competition and had impressive results in that competition. It is programmed in the Scheme programming language which is then compiled to the C programming language using Hobbit from SCM.

External links

• Gandalf home page

Ketoacidosis is a type of metabolic acidosis which is caused by high concentrations of ketone bodies, formed by the deamination of amino acids, and the breakdown of fatty acids. This is most common in untreated type 1 diabetes mellitus, when the liver breaks down fat and proteins in response to a perceived need for respiratory substrate. It can also occur with people undergoing hunger strikes, fasting over 3 days, or people starving to death as the body is forced to break down fat for sustenance due to their lack of outside nutrition.

Ketoacidosis should not be confused with ketosis, which is one of the body’s normal processes for the metabolism of body fat. In ketoacidosis, the accumulation of keto acids is so severe that the pH of the blood is substantially decreased.

Pathophysiology

Ketoacidosis occurs when cells do not have sufficient glucose to meet their metabolic demands. Instead, ketone bodies are produced for energy via the metabolism of fatty acids.

Acidity results from the dissociation of the H⁺ ion at physiological pH of metabolic ketone bodies such as acetoacetate, and β-hydroxybutyrate.

Etiology

Two common causes include diabetic and alcoholic ketoacidosis.

In diabetic patients, ketoacidosis is usually accompanied by insulin deficiency, hyperglycemia, and dehydration. Since insulin is required to absorb glucose from the blood, its deficiency results in an energy crisis, fatty acid metabolism, and production of ketone bodies. Hyperglycemia results in glucose overloading the nephron and spilling into the urine. Dehydration results following the osmotic movement of water into urine, exacerbating the acidosis.

In alcoholic ketoacidosis, alcohol causes dehydration and blocks the first step of gluconeogenesis. The body is unable to synthesize enough glucose to meet its needs, thus creating an energy crisis resulting in fatty acid metabolism, and ketone body formation.

See also

• Diabetic ketoacidosis
• Keto acids
• Low-carbohydrate diet

External links

• The Merck Manual - Diabetic Ketoacidosis
• Alcoholic Ketoacidosis
• Lancet case study Atkins diet-induced Ketoacidosis

Mbwiri is a Central African demon who is said to possess people. Those he possesses would usually be diagnosed with epilepsy by a doctor.

When such a possession occurs, the shaman is called. A hut is built in which the afflicted resides along with the shaman and his assistants until he is cured. For ten days or a fortnight these people eat and drink at the expense of the patient’s relatives, and dance to the music of flute and drum. Mbwiri is said to abhor good living, and this is the best way to drive him out. The patient will be the only one who knows that he is possessed. The patient also dances until the epileptic fits come on. When he is pronounced cured, he builds a little fetish house, and thenceforth avoids certain kinds of food and performs certain duties. Sometimes, however, the process appears to result in madness, and some patients run away into the bush.

Language

In language, idiom conflation is the amalgamation of two different expressions. In most cases, the combination results in a new expression that makes little sense literally, but clearly expresses an idea because it references well-known idioms. All conflations fit into one of two major categories: congruent conflations and incongruent conflations.

Congruent conflations are the more ideal (and more sought-after) examples of the concept. These occur when the two root expressions basically reflect the same thought. For example, “Look who’s calling the kettle black” can be formed using the root expressions “Look who’s talking” and “The pot is calling the kettle black.” These root expressions really mean the same thing—they are both a friendly way to point out hypocritical behaviour. Of course, without reference to a pot (which is just as black as a kettle), “Look who’s calling the kettle black” does not directly imply anything. Yet the implication is almost automatically understood because the conflation clearly refers to two known idioms.

Incongruent conflation occurs when the root expressions do not mean the same thing, but share a common word or theme. For example, “a bull in a candy shop” can be formed from the root expressions “a kid in a candy shop” and “a bull in a china shop.” The former root expression paints a picture of someone who is extraordinarily happy and excited, whereas the latter root brings to mind the image of a person who is extremely clumsy. The conflation potentially expresses both of these ideas at the same time without making the speaker’s intention entirely clear.

Logic

In logic, conflation is the error of treating two distinct concepts as if they were one. The result of conflating concepts may give rise to fallacies of ambiguity, including the fallacy of four terms in a categorical syllogism. For example, the word “bat” has at least two meanings: a flying animal, and a piece of sporting equipment (such as a baseball bat or a cricket bat). If these two meanings are not distinguished, the result may be the following categorical syllogism, which is clearly intended as a joke (pun):

1. All bats are animals.
2. Some wooden objects are bats.
3. Therefore, some wooden objects are animals.

Conflating words with different meanings can cause real confusion. For example, respect is used both in the sense of “recognise a right” and “have high regard for”. We can recognise someone’s right to the opinion that humanity is controlled by alien lizards in human form, without holding this idea in high regard. But conflation of these two different concepts leads to the notion that all religious ideas, for example, should be treated with respect, rather than just the right to hold these ideas.

Cartography

In cartography, conflation refers to the act of combining two distinct maps into one new map.
This activity is a special case of image registration.
This can also be performed on imagery or on vector cartographic data (a “digital map”).
Image-to-vector conflation, where an image (such as a satellite image) is modified to match a set of vector data is referred to as “rubbersheeting”.

External links

• Conflations

See

also

• Stemming algorithm
• Portmanteau

Elin Ortiz (born c. 1945) is a Puerto Rican actor, comedian and producer.

Life in the entertainment business

Ortiz began his career as a telenovela actor in Puerto Rico, sharing credits with such actors as Walter Mercado, Alicia Villamil and many others.

He participated in several soap operas of that era.

In 1985, he returned briefly, as a comedian, this time at a show sponsored by Budweiser, at La Taverna Budweiser, alongside Machuchal. Ortiz worked most of his acting career at WAPA-TV.

Apart from his acting career, he was producer of many television shows in Puerto Rico.

Marriages

Elin Ortiz was married briefly to dancer and singer Iris Chacon during the early 1970s. In 1978, he married singer Charytin, a Dominican native who had lived in Puerto Rico for many years. In 1982, they had their first son, Shalim. During the late 1980s, they moved to a mansion in Miami, Florida. In 1991, they had a pair of twins, a boy and a girl. Ortiz has since retired from show business. His son Shalim has gone on to become an international singing star and a spokesman for the American Diabetes Association.

On August 16, 2005, the day that Madonna suffered a horse riding accident, “Escandalo TV”’s castmates decided to play a hoax on their public, saying that Elin Ortiz had suffered a fatal car accident and his wife, Charytin, had been killed. Minutes later, Charytin, visibly surprised, arrived at the show to clarify the rumors.

Ortiz personally suffers from diabetes. He is a spokesperson for various diabetes-related organizations in Puerto Rico and the United States.