Victor Kalasinsky - Academia.edu (original) (raw)

Papers by Victor Kalasinsky

Journal of Wildlife Diseases, 2009

BioOne Complete (complete.BioOne.org) is a full-text database of 200 subscribed and open-access t... more BioOne Complete (complete.BioOne.org) is a full-text database of 200 subscribed and open-access titles in the biological, ecological, and environmental sciences published by nonprofit societies, associations, museums, institutions, and presses.

PLoS ONE, 2012

Background: Morgellons is a poorly characterized constellation of symptoms, with the primary mani... more Background: Morgellons is a poorly characterized constellation of symptoms, with the primary manifestations involving the skin. We conducted an investigation of this unexplained dermopathy to characterize the clinical and epidemiologic features and explore potential etiologies. Methods: A descriptive study was conducted among persons at least 13 years of age and enrolled in Kaiser Permanente Northern California (KPNC) during 2006-2008. A case was defined as the self-reported emergence of fibers or materials from the skin accompanied by skin lesions and/or disturbing skin sensations. We collected detailed epidemiologic data, performed clinical evaluations and geospatial analyses and analyzed materials collected from participants' skin. Results: We identified 115 case-patients. The prevalence was 3.65 (95% CI = 2.98, 4.40) cases per 100,000 enrollees. There was no clustering of cases within the 13-county KPNC catchment area (p = .113). Case-patients had a median age of 52 years (range: 17-93) and were primarily female (77%) and Caucasian (77%). Multi-system complaints were common; 70% reported chronic fatigue and 54% rated their overall health as fair or poor with mean Physical Component Scores and Mental Component Scores of 36.63 (SD = 12.9) and 35.45 (SD = 12.89), respectively. Cognitive deficits were detected in 59% of casepatients and 63% had evidence of clinically significant somatic complaints; 50% had drugs detected in hair samples and 78% reported exposure to solvents. Solar elastosis was the most common histopathologic abnormality (51% of biopsies); skin lesions were most consistent with arthropod bites or chronic excoriations. No parasites or mycobacteria were detected. Most materials collected from participants' skin were composed of cellulose, likely of cotton origin. Conclusions: This unexplained dermopathy was rare among this population of Northern California residents, but associated with significantly reduced health-related quality of life. No common underlying medical condition or infectious source was identified, similar to more commonly recognized conditions such as delusional infestation.

Journal of the American Academy of Dermatology, 2005

Journal of Analytical Toxicology, 2004

We report a fatal case of hydrofluoric acid (HF) ingestion with suicidal intent. Quantitation usi... more We report a fatal case of hydrofluoric acid (HF) ingestion with suicidal intent. Quantitation using an ion-selective electrode for fluoride in fresh bile, gastric contents, kidney, liver, skeletal muscle, urine, and vitreous humor yielded 6.5, 39.0, 10.0, 6.0, 4.5, 5.0, and 4.5 ppm, respectively. In addition to the unfixed specimens, fluoride ion was measured in the following fixed tissue: brain, head, kidney, liver, pancreas, stomach, and heart. Tissues were measured directly and/or by using the technique of standard addition. Fluoride concentrations using either method were found to be comparable. Fluoride concentration in fresh tissue was consistent with toxicity, although the urine fluoride concentration was in the range observed for asymptomatic workers exposed to fluoride in air. Fixed tissue preparations revealed fluoride concentrations consistent with nonexposure, whereas examination of the formalin fixative revealed fluoride concentrations only slightly higher than negative control formalin. We conclude that fixed tissues are inappropriate for fluoride determination. This is the first case we are aware of that provides fluoride concentrations in skeletal muscle in a fatality involving HF ingestion.

Diseases of Aquatic Organisms, 2008

Eighteen green turtles Chelonia mydas recovered from the Atlantic and Gulf coasts of Florida and ... more Eighteen green turtles Chelonia mydas recovered from the Atlantic and Gulf coasts of Florida and Tortuguero National Park, Costa Rica, were diagnosed with renal oxalosis by histopathological examination. Affected sea turtles included 14 adults and 4 immature animals, which comprised 26% (18/69) of green turtle necropsy cases available for review. Calcium oxalate deposition ranged from small to moderate amounts and was associated with granuloma formation and destruction of renal tubules. All affected turtles died from traumatic events or health problems unrelated to renal oxalosis; however, 1 immature turtle had notable associated renal injury. Crystal composition was confirmed by infrared and scanning electron microscopy and energy dispersive X-ray analysis. The source of calcium oxalate is unknown and is presumed to be of dietary origin.

Analytical Chemistry, 1988

Analytical Chemistry, 1996

High-definition Raman chemical imaging microscopy is applied to the histopathological characteriz... more High-definition Raman chemical imaging microscopy is applied to the histopathological characterization of biopsied human breast tissue containing foreign polymer inclusions. The polymer material is found in a patient with a history of silicone implant breast reconstructive surgery. Silicone implants are, on occasion, anchored to the soft tissues of the chest with polyester patches. In the case studied here, the polyester anchors were incorporated into the patient's fibrous tissue surrounding the implant. High-definition Raman chemical imaging provides molecular-specific image contrast in the complex breast tissue matrix without the use of stains or dyes. This is the first example in which Raman spectroscopic imaging microscopy has been applied to pathology. A goal of this and future studies is to complement traditional histopathologic diagnoses of disease states utilizing vibrational spectroscopic imaging techniques.

Analytical Chemistry, 2007

We present infrared microscopy spectra of Bacillus subtilis spores cultured in nine types of grow... more We present infrared microscopy spectra of Bacillus subtilis spores cultured in nine types of growth media, and also consider the effect of heat shock on the sporulation of the bacteria and the consequence on the infrared spectral properties of the whole microorganisms. The effect of growth media is elucidated with regard to the variance or invariance of several “marker bands ” in the infrared spectrum of the microorganisms that can be used to effect detection and to some extent identification of the bacterial spores. We evaluate the degree of sporulation apparent in the various samples as a function of the growth media using optical microscopy, and compare the spectra of the samples to that of a sample consisting almost exclusively of vegetative cells. We use a correlation coefficient metric to explore the influence of growth media on detection models programmed using a sample of the microbial spores that is frequently used in field tests sponsored by the Department of Defense. Whil...

: We present infrared microscopy spectra of Bacillus subtilis spores cultured in nine types of gr... more : We present infrared microscopy spectra of Bacillus subtilis spores cultured in nine types of growth media, and also consider the effect of heat shock on the sporulation of the bacteria and the consequence on the infrared spectral properties of the whole microorganisms. The effect of growth media is elucidated with regard to the variance or invariance of several marker bands in the infrared spectrum of the microorganisms that can be used to effect detection and to some extent identification of the bacterial spores. We evaluate the degree of sporulation apparent in the various samples as a function of the growth media using optical microscopy, and compare the spectra of the samples to that of a sample consisting almost exclusively of vegetative cells. We use a correlation coefficient metric to explore the influence of growth media on detection models programmed using a sample of the microbial spores that is frequently used in field tests sponsored by the Department of Defense. While...

Life sciences, 2021

AIMS The Gulf War Illness programs (GWI) of the United States Department of Veteran Affairs and t... more AIMS The Gulf War Illness programs (GWI) of the United States Department of Veteran Affairs and the Department of Defense Congressionally Directed Medical Research Program collaborated with experts to develop Common Data Elements (CDEs) to standardize and systematically collect, analyze, and share data across the (GWI) research community. MAIN METHODS A collective working group of GWI advocates, Veterans, clinicians, and researchers convened to provide consensus on instruments, case report forms, and guidelines for GWI research. A similar initiative, supported by the National Institute of Neurologic Disorders and Stroke (NINDS) was completed for a comparative illness, Myalgic Encephalomyelitis/Chronic Fatigue Syndrome (ME/CFS), and provided the foundation for this undertaking. The GWI working group divided into two sub-groups (symptoms and systems assessment). Both groups reviewed the applicability of instruments and forms recommended by the NINDS ME/CFS CDE to GWI research within s...

Proceedings, annual meeting, Electron Microscopy Society of America

We have developed a new Fourier transform infrared chemical imaging technique which, when coupled... more We have developed a new Fourier transform infrared chemical imaging technique which, when coupled with powerful multivariate data processing techniques, allows the visualization of complex intrinsic chemical distributions in biological materials with the potential for performing rapid histological examinations. Integrating spectroscopy with sample visualization and digital image processing is a potent combination of what have traditionally been two distinct methods for studying the chemistry and morphology of a sample. This synergy has been referred to as chemical imaging or hyperspectral imaging and has wide ranging applications in material characterization. In the infrared spectral region the technique relies on the use of infrared focal-plane array detectors, a newly developed commercial technology. These arrays are used in conjunction with standard Cassegrainian infrared microscopes and commercially available step-scan Michelson FTIR spectrometers to construct infrared imaging s...

The American Journal of Gastroenterology

To analyze mucosal defense mechanisms in acute pouchitis by studying expression of human defensin... more To analyze mucosal defense mechanisms in acute pouchitis by studying expression of human defensin-5 (HD-5), an epithelial antimicrobial peptide produced by Paneth cells at the base of crypts of Lieberkühn. Methods: Patients with ulcerative colitis and acute pouchitis (UC-AP) (N ϭ 19) (Pouchitis Disease Activity Index [PDAI] score Ն7, symptoms Յ4 weeks) were prospectively studied. Patients with UC and normal pouch (UC-NP) (N ϭ 23) and familial adenomatous polyposis and normal pouch (FAP-NP) (N ϭ 7) served as controls. There was no difference between UC-AP and UC-NP for gender, duration, extent and severity of UC before TPC, time since IPAA, extraintestinal manifestations, and history of smoking. Patients on antibiotics, 5-ASA, or steroids were excluded. Endoscopic biopsy specimens were evaluated by HD5 immunohistochemistry. HD5 expression was scored using a modified German immunoreactive score (IRS) to account for both distribution and intensity of staining (Remmele et al, Pathol Res Pract 1993;189:862). HD5 was further quantitated by Western blot analysis to verify the IRS in selected cases. Results: The mean PDAI score was 10.42 Ϯ 2.74 for UC-AP, 3.07 Ϯ 2.21 for UC-NP, and 2.92 Ϯ 1.13 for FAP-NP. HD5 IRS was significantly greater in UC-AP (7.17 Ϯ 2.34) than that in UC-NP (4.05 Ϯ 1.34) (P Ͻ 0.05) or FAP-NP (3.78 Ϯ 1.23) (P Ͻ 0.05). Difference in HD5 IRS was confirmed with peptide quantification by Western blot analysis. Conclusions: 1) HD5 levels are significantly increased in acute pouchitis compared with controls. 2) The increased expression of this antimicrobial peptide suggests that the pouch mucosa may be responding to a microbial challenge and strengthens the hypothesis of an infectious etiology for pouchitis. (Supported by an ACG Clinical Research Grant).

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Industrial & Engineering Chemistry Product Research and Development, 1986

... to note that the gas-phase photochemical reaction of AC at 229 nm and 27-108 *C gives some of... more ... to note that the gas-phase photochemical reaction of AC at 229 nm and 27-108 *C gives some of the pyrolytic or LIR products (propene, allene, and 1,Bhexa-diene, vide supra), but no benzene is formed and several chlorinated derivatives are obtained (Sears and Volman, 1984 ...