First generation leptoquark search in pp-bar collisions at sqrt s =1.8 TeV.
Explore the source record for details and available documents.
Journal Article↗
Biomedical subjects
A Brandt
Publications and source records attributed to A Brandt.
Resonance frequencies of the human skull in vivo.
Patients with skin penetrating titanium implants in the temporal bone, for attachment of bone-anchored hearing aids, have made it possible to investigate the free-damped natural frequencies (resonance frequencies) of the human skull in vivo. The resonance frequencies of the skull of six subjects were investigated. Teh resonance frequencies were extracted from two frequency response functions (acceleration/force) measured on each subject: One point measurement where the force and acceleration were both measured at the same point, and one transcranial measurement where the acceleration was measured contralaterally. Between 14 and 19 resonance frequencies were identified for each subject in the frequency range 500 Hz to 7.5 kHz. The two lowest resonance frequencies were found to be on the average 972 (range 828-1164) and 1230 (range 981-1417) Hz. The relative damping coefficients of all resonances were found to be between 2.6 and 8.9%. Due to the relatively high damping coefficients, it is assumed that the resonance frequencies do not significantly affect bone conducted sound. In the transcranial measurements, however, a few large antiresonances were found which may affect bone-conducted sound. Intersubject variations were large, probably due to individual variations in skull geometry and in mechanical parameters. The results were shown to be consistent with previous results obtained on dry skulls. No obvious correlation between lowest resonance frequency and skull size was found.
Adult↗
[Double-blind method of the effect of menopause symptoms, lipid profile, and endometrial thickness of continuous therapy with estradiol valerate and medroxyprogesterone acetate].
Continuous combined therapy (CCT) using estrogens and progestagens has appeared as an alternative to avoid vaginal bleeding, which is characteristic of sequential hormone therapy, and the main reason for the stopping treatment. Irregular vaginal bleeding can occur at the beginning of treatment, but it has been observed that after a few months patients are in amenorrhea. Fifty postmenopausal women were studied in order to evaluate the clinical outcome. Half of them were treated with a product containing 2 mg estradiol valerate and 2.5 mg medroxiprogesterone acetate, while the other half received a placebo. Menopause symptomatology was recorded as described by Blatt-Kupperman, depression was evaluated with the use of Hamilton's test, lipid profile by enzymatic methods and endometrial thickness by transvaginal ultrasonography. Patients were evaluated at the beginning, third and sixth month of the study, following a double blind methodology. Symptomatology diminished both in patients under CCT and using placebo, although improvement was significantly greater in patient under CCT. Thus in the hormone treated group the Blatt-Kupperman score fell from 12.1 to 6.4 and 3.2 in the third and sixth month respectively, while in the group receiving placebo the score fell from 11.5 to 6.3 in the third month and raised to 7.4 in the sixth month. Hamilton's test showed a significant improvement of depression only in patients under hormone therapy. Nineteen out of twenty five women using CCT had vaginal bleeding, showing no changes in the endometrial thickness during the study. Finally, HDL-cholesterol was raised in 14.5% while LDL-cholesterol was lowered in 18.7% (p < 0.01).(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)
Double-Blind Method↗
[Knowledge and beliefs of the effect of menopause and estrogenic therapy on health. Study in women attending the Barros Luco-Trudeau Hospital].
The benefits of hormonal replacement therapy are widely known. In spite of this, the proportion of women under treatment is low. The study aims to evaluate the amount of knowledge that patients have, about menopause, and how it influences compliance with therapy. In our study, 494 women attending the outpatient's clinic of Hospital Barros Luco-Trudeau were interviewed; 93.5% considered that menopause has adverse effects upon health; 87.9% believes that it produces emotional disturbances; 55.1% bone-related and 40.9% cardiac problems. Sixty six point eight percent of the consulted women know that there is a treatment for menopause. Half of the women interviewed had consulted the physician specifically for this reason; however, only one third are or were under treatment. Obesity, hirsutism and cancer are considered to be the main secondary effects to treatment. Patients who have not received hormone therapy have a much lower degree of knowledge about menopause than the treated ones, and amongst the latter, those who abandon treatment have less information than the ones that remain under treatment. As a conclusion, we may say that our patients have information about menopause and also that they attend to the physician's office for this reason. The knowledge about the matter and related beliefs influence both adherence to and compliance with therapy.
Adult↗
Preventive treatment of chronic bronchitis: a meta-analysis of clinical trials with a bacterial extract (OM-85 BV) and a cost-effectiveness analysis.
Chronic bronchitis is a lifelong disease with significant effects on the patient and on the costs to health insurance institutions. Acute exacerbations in chronic bronchitic patients may have a negative impact on patients' quality of life and on the progression of the disease, particularly in more severe patients. The clinical efficacy of the immunoactive bacterial extract OM-85 BV has been shown in several clinical trials, a cost-effectiveness evaluation (CEA) of its use in chronic bronchitic patients has not been fulfilled so far. In this study a meta-analysis on the preventive treatment of acute exacerbations with OM-85 BV and a CEA, focusing on direct costs only, was performed. The meta-analysis showed a mean value of 0.6 prevented acute exacerbations per 6 months per patient, and a reduction of 9 days in antibiotic treatment per 6 months per patient. CEA evaluated the different cost elements. The mean direct cost (consultations, antibiotics, etc.) for the treatment of 1 acute exacerbation in chronic bronchitic patients was calculated as 143, 459 Lira. Thus for 0.6 prevented acute exacerbations per 6 months per patient a reduction in cost of 86,075 Lira (0.6-143,459) could be expected. The additional costs for the preventive treatment with OM-85 BV, based on prices for Italy, are 34,980 Lira per patient per 6 months. In conclusion, the effective cost savings per patient per 6 months are 51, 095 Lira. The sensitivity analysis revealed only one critical parameter, i.e. the clinical effectiveness of OM-85 BV. Even assuming 0.3 prevented exacerbations per 6 months per patient, the preventive treatment still proved to be cost effective.
Adjuvants, Immunologic↗
Megadose glucocorticoid therapy: investigations in rat anaphylactic shock and experimental allergic encephalomyelitis.
Glucocorticoids are the most potent antiinflammatory drugs. Large doses of dexamethasone and other glucocorticoids are widely used in the clinic but the mechanism of the beneficial effects of megadoses still remains to be explained. We tested the effects of a dexamethasone (DEX) megadose therapy in a rat model of anaphylactic shock. By combining DEX with the potent glucocorticoid receptor antagonist RU 486 we looked for evidence of a non-specific action of the glucocorticoid at high doses. A dose of 10 mg/kg DEX given 2 h before challenge protected the heart against the symptoms of cardiac anaphylaxis: heart rate was improved by 22%, ventricular contractility by 13% and coronary flow by 5%. Administration of 20 mg/kg RU 486, 30 min before dexamethasone, reduced the beneficial effect of DEX by about 30%, although this failed to reach statistical significance. We found no dose-response relationship for the high dexamethasone doses of 0.5-10 mg/kg. In experimental allergic encephalomyelitis (EAE) there was a surprising toxic action of DEX after daily doses of 0.25 mg/kg for 5 days, and also following single administration of 2.5 or 10 mg/kg. A single dose of 1.25 mg/kg, given on the day of immunization alone or with additional doses at weekly intervals for 3 weeks, caused a strong inhibition of the EAE. In summary we conclude that the present data of cardiac anaphylaxis hardly point to extra glucocorticoid megadose effects. The present dexamethasone effects in cardiac anaphylaxis and in EAE have to be cleared up by further experiments.
Anaphylaxis↗
Invasive thymoma with intracaval growth into the right atrium.
Explore the source record for details and available documents.
Heart Atria↗
Standardizing methodologies for economic evaluation in health care. Practice, problems, and potential.
There has been an exponential growth in the literature on economic evaluation in health care. As the range and quality of analytical work has improved, economic studies are becoming more influential with health care decision makers. The development of standards for economic evaluation methods would help maintain the scientific quality of studies, facilitate the comparison of economic evaluation results for different health care interventions, and assist in the interpretation of results from setting to setting. However, standardization might unnecessarily stifle methodological developments. This paper reviews the arguments for and against standardization, assesses attempts to date, outlines the main areas of agreement and disagreement on methods for economic evaluation, and makes recommendations for further work.
Evaluation Studies as Topic↗
Cost-effectiveness study of a lipid-lowering therapy in hyperlipoproteinaemia type IIb and type IV (Frederickson).
We performed a cost-effectiveness simulation of acipimox, bezafibrate, fenofibrate and gemfibrozil in patients with hyperlipoproteinaemia type IIb and IV (Frederickson). A distinction was made between patients with HLP type IIb and IV and HLP associated with diabetes mellitus type II (NIDDM). Direct costs were assessed as those incurred by social security for the treatment, and indirect costs were not taken into account. In appropriate dosages, all 4 substances can be considered equally efficacious in lowering lipid levels, although gallstones occur 3 times more frequently in patients treated with fibrates than in those treated with acipimox. Acquisition costs of the 4 drugs under consideration are comparable. Thus, when hospitalisation costs for treatment of gallstones are taken into account, therapy with acipimox is more cost effective than fibrate therapy.
Bezafibrate↗
[Microsurgical reconstruction of fallopian tubes].
A six year study of 90 women with tuboperitoneal infertility at the Hospital Barros Luco-Trudeau is presented. 32.2% of them had tubal sterilization and had distal tubal occlusion. In 62.2% the peritoneal factor was present. In 40% distal microsurgery was done and in 32.2% proximal microsurgery was performed. The pregnancy rate was 48.8% in patients with adequate follow-up. The incidence of ectopic pregnancy was 9.5%.
Adolescent↗
Cytochromes c1 and b2 are sorted to the intermembrane space of yeast mitochondria by a stop-transfer mechanism.
The pathway by which cytochromes c1 and b2 reach the mitochondrial intermembrane space has been controversial. According to the "conservative sorting" hypothesis, these proteins are first imported across both outer and inner membranes into the matrix, and then are retranslocated across the inner membrane. Our data argue against this model: import intermediates of cytochromes c1 and b2 were found only outside the inner membrane; maturation of these proteins was independent of the matrix-localized hsp60 chaperone; and dihydrofolate reductase linked to the presequence of either cytochrome was imported to the intermembrane space in the absence of ATP. We conclude that cytochromes c1 and b2 are sorted by a mechanism in which translocation through the inner membrane is arrested by a "stop-transfer" signal in the presequence. The arrested intermediates may be associated with a proteinaceous channel in the inner membrane.
Adenosine Triphosphate↗
[Symptomatic profile of the climacteric female. Clinical experience].
UNLABELLED: To describe the symptoms of the climacteric female, 287 climacteric patients had their symptoms evaluated according to the criteria of Blatt-Kupperman for menopause. The median age was 50 years (P10 = 43 and P90 = 58). The main complaint was flushing in 46%, psychiatric symptoms in 17.8% a health examination in 14.6%, osteoporosis in 11.1%, menstrual problems in 6.3%, and other symptoms in 4.5%. Asthenia was a prominent symptom in 82% of patients, followed closely by headache, irritability and depression. Flushing was present in 77% of patients. Symptoms not usually associated to menopause, such as vertigo, palpitations and bone pain were quite prevalent. Only 69% of females were sexually active. Among them, 45% complained of dyspareunia and 58% of decreased or absent libido. The median Blatt index was 27. Working capacity was affected in 87% of patients. CONCLUSION: The menopausal period is associated to many symptoms which may motivate females to consult an internist.
Adult↗
Synthesis and pharmacological evaluation of 2,3-dialkylindoles, "in vitro" inhibitors of thrombin-induced platelet aggregation.
A series of 2,3-dialkylindoles (1-5) have been prepared and tested as antithrombotic agents. The whole class showed in vitro interesting activity in the inhibition of thrombin-induced aggregation. Among these compounds some ones showed activity comparable to standards also in the inhibition of collagen-induced aggregation. Owing to a very fast metabolic degradation through a beta-oxidative mechanism, a drastic decrease of activity in several tests ex vivo or in vivo was observed.
Animals↗
[A new inclusion complex of silibinin and beta-cyclodextrins: in vitro dissolution kinetics and in vivo absorption in comparison with traditional formulations].
The very low bioavailability of silybinin, the main constituent of silymarin, so far prevented the development of an oral pharmaceutical specialty based on this active ingredient. To overcome this difficulty, an inclusion complex between Silybinin and beta-Cyclodextrin was prepared. The new complex was compared in vitro tests (dissolution rate) and in a in vivo test (rat bile elimination) with silybinin, silymarin and one traditional formulation based on silybinin. The results show a dramatic increase in the dissolution rate of the complex (> 90% within 5 min) respect to the silybinin that confirm to be practically insoluble (< 5%). The in vivo results agree with the dissolution rates; after administration of the silybinin complex p.o., the silybinin concentration in the rat bile was near 20 times more than after administration of silybinin as is or in a traditional formulation. In the last two cases, the silybinin concentration was even 6 times less than after administration of the same amount of silymarin. These data show that the beta-CD complex solved the problem of the bioavailability of silybinin which, in the traditional formulation utilised as reference, proved to be not bioavailable.
Absorption↗
[The complication incidence after surgical treatments of mouth, jaw and facial tumors in patients over 70].
After operative therapy of tumors of mouth, jaws and face by patients older 70 years the frequency of complications were 26%. Local and systemic disturbances had nearly similar frequencies. Preexistent diseases, therapeutic concepts and methods of anaesthesia influenced as well frequencies of complications as postoperative lethality. In the analysed group of elderly patients the lethality was unexpected low (2,4%).
Aged↗
Pulse labeling of yeast cells as a tool to study mitochondrial protein import.
Explore the source record for details and available documents.
Biological Transport↗
[Menopause: a disease?].
As life expectancy lengthens, the period that women must live deprived of estrogens is also lengthened. Not only does this hormonal deficit produce the known vasomotor symptoms, but it also increases the risk of cardiovascular disease and bone fractures. The fact that replacement therapy using hormones during the postmenopause attenuates these risks has lead to the thought that we might be facing a disease. Moreover, menopause meets the criteria that define disease. In spite of considering that to define menopause as a disease might be daring, we cannot rule it out.
Estrogen Replacement Therapy↗
[Multiple malignomas--an analysis of 352 patients].
8234 patients were irradiated between 1977 and 1988 in the Department of Radiotherapy at Würzburg, 211 patients (2.56%) developed multiple primary malignant tumors. The records of 1599 patients from the year 1958 to 1976 were reviewed and another 141 multiple tumors were found. On the whole, 352 patients with 326 cases of two tumors, 21 cases with three tumors, 4 cases with four tumors and one case with five tumors were observed. Both sexes were affected equally, but the peak age of these patients was found to be the sixth and seventh decade. The mean interval for a second primary was 5.7 years, from the second to the third and from the third to fourth tumor it was 1.6 and 0.5 years, respectively. 18 patients with a second malignoma in a formerly irradiated area were diagnosed, especially men with tumors in the aerodigestive tract and women with tumors in the pelvic region. The data of our clinic do not indicate an elevated risk for radiation-induced malignancies.
Age Factors↗