The ejects of VDT-compuler automation on the welJ-being and jobs of workers has been a major focus of research by Steven Sauter ond his colJeogiies. A unjVersityindiisto' consortum has recentjy been organized at Ihe Deportment o/Preventive Medicine for continuing studies of the reiationshi'p betw'een VDT ivorkplace design factors and worker produdiVity and heaJth,

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Tremor was measured from the index finger during low force, position holding in 18 control subjects and 18 battery workers with low level exposure to mercury. All workers were asymptomatic on clinical neurological examination. No differences were found in average tremor amplitudes between the groups, but statistically significant abnormalities in tremor frequency distribution existed. Tremor power spectra in the group of mercury workers were shifted toward the higher frequencies and compressed into narrow frequency peaks. These results suggest that measurements of finger tremor that evaluate the frequency distribution can produce a higher diagnostic yield than traditional visual We used a measurement system specifically designed to be sensitive to subtle amplitude and frequency features by being sufficiently lightweight and pliable to accurately track fine vertical movement oscillations. Subjects were positioned so that tremor was measured from the isolated index finger of the supported hand, a low mass limb segment less likely to damp oscillations, and with less intersubject anthropometric variability in size, weight, and elasticity than the extended hand, forearm, or entire upper extremity.8 19 The natural resonant frequency of the index finger has been determined to be around 25 Hz, well outside the range of the neuromuscular frequencies of interest in tremor measurement (4-16 Hz).20We evaluated finger tremor associated with precision movement in a group of 18 asymptomatic mercury workers and age matched controls. All the mercury workers received a special medical examination specifically designed to search for signs and symptoms of mercury toxicity. Urine samples of workers were also evaluated for mercury content. The purpose of the investigation was to compare the sensitivity and specificity of tremor measurement to conventional clinical examination procedures. We were also interested in determining whether certain features of tremor frequency were shared by the mercury workers and how they were related to indicators of exposure. Methods SUBJECTSThe 18 study subjects were employed by one firm and worked in one of three plants producing cylindrical, alkaline magnesium batteries and button type mercury battery cells. Their mean age was 33-3 (SD 12-6, range 20-57 years). Fourteen were men and four were women. The mean duration of exposure 838 copyright.

Bound gamma globulin was demonstrated by the direct immunofluorescent technique in heart tissue from three patients with severe congestive cardiomyopathy. In two of these patients complement (β 1 C) was also bound to the heart muscle. Heart tissue from one of six patients who died of myocardial infarction showed a trace of bound gamma globulin, but no bound complement. During life, the heart in advanced cardiomyopathy may preferentially fix heart-reactive immunoglobulins to specific sarcolemmal and subsarcolemmal antigens, and antiheart antibody may not be detectable in the serum.

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