University of Virginia

About: University of Virginia is a education organization based out in Charlottesville, Virginia, United States. It is known for research contribution in the topics: Population & Poison control. The organization has 52543 authors who have published 113268 publications receiving 5220506 citations. The organization is also known as: U of V & UVa.

It's Time to Revise the Definition of Status Epilepticus

Abstract: Generalized, tonic-clonic status epilepticus is well recognized as a common neurologic emergency requir- ing prompt treatment. The diagnosis is usually not diffi- cult, other than for patients with prolonged seizures, who often develop increasingly subtle clinical features (1,2). There also appears to be a consensus among physicians regarding treatment (3). Nonetheless, there is a major, persistent dilemma regarding status epilepticus: its defi- nition. Discussions concerning the precise definition of status epilepticus all too often result in agreement that current “textbook” definitions are either imprecise, at odds with clinical practice, or both. Here we propose a revised system for defining status epilepticus that ad- dresses these problems. References to status epilepticus prior to the mid- 19th century focused on cases in which seizures lasted many hours to days (4). In 1904, Clark and Prout (5) defined status epilepticus as a state in which seizures occur so frequently that ‘‘the coma and exhaustion are continuous between the seizures.” In his general textbook of neu- rology published in 1940, Kinnier Wilson (6) referred to status epilepticus as the severest form of seizures in which “the post-convulsive sleep of one attack is cut short by development of the next.” Aspects of these definitions were mirrored in the first International Clas- sification of Epileptic Seizures that was developed in 1964 by the International League Against Epilepsy (ILAE). Status epilepticus was defined as the situation in which “a seizure persists for a sufficient length of time or is repeated frequently enough to produce a fixed and enduring epileptic condition” (7). The same definition was retained in the revised classification published in 1970 (8), and it was modified slightly in 1981 to refer to the situation in which “a seizure persists for a sufficient length of time or is repeated frequently enough that re- covery between attacks does not occur” (9).

Origin and functional consequences of the complex I defect in Parkinson's disease

Abstract: The mitochondrial electron transport enzyme NADH:ubiquinone oxidoreductase (complex I), which is encoded by both mitochondrial DNA and nuclear DNA, is defective in multiple tissues in persons with Parkinson's disease (PD). The origin of this lesion and its role in the neurodegeneration of PD are unknown. To address these questions, we created an in vitro system in which the potential contributions of environmental toxins, complex I nuclear DNA mutations, and mitochondrial DNA mutations could be systematically analyzed. A clonal line of human neuroblastoma cells containing no mitochondrial DNA was repopulated with mitochondria derived from the platelets of PD or control subjects. After 5 to 6 weeks in culture, these cytoplasmic hybrid (cybrid) cell lines were assayed for electron transport chain activities, production of reactive oxygen species, and sensitivity to induction of apoptotic cell death by 1-methyl-4-phenyl pyridinium (MPP+). In PD cybrids we found a stable 20% decrement in complex I activity, increased oxygen radical production, and increased susceptibility to 1-methyl-4-phenyl pyridinium-induced programmed cell death. The complex I defect in PD appears to be genetic, arising from mitochondrial DNA, and may play an important role in the neurodegeneration of PD by fostering reactive oxygen species production and conferring increased neuronal susceptibility to mitochondrial toxins.

Firms Reap What They Sow: The Effects of Shared Values and Perceived Organizational Justice on Customers' Evaluations of Complaint Handling

Abstract: Employing elements of organizational theory and service recovery research, the authors examine how employees’ perceptions of shared values and organizational justice can stimulate customer-directed extra-role behaviors when handling complaints. They also investigate how these extra-role behaviors affect customers’ perceptions of justice, satisfaction, word of mouth, and purchase intent. The authors capture and match employee and customer perceptions regarding the relevant constructs following a complaint and recovery experience. The results indicate that employees’ perceptions of shared values and organizational justice affect customer-directed extra-role behaviors. Furthermore, the authors find that extra-role behaviors have significant effects on customers’ perceptions of justice and that these behaviors mediate the effects of shared values and organizational justice on customer justice perceptions. Their study reveals that customer ratings of justice affect the customer outcomes of satisfactio...