Search PubMed⌕ Search

Biomedical subjects

J Adamczyk

Publications and source records attributed to J Adamczyk.

18 recordsLinked to original sources

Assessment tools: functional health status and patient satisfaction.

This article addresses an aspect of outcomes assessment that includes outcomes from the perspective of the patient; namely, functional health status and patient satisfaction. For rehabilitation care they are the only outcomes that can be measured. Measurement tools exist and are being used to quantify the qualitative perspectives of patient care to produce valuable information about the quality and the efficiency of rehab services. The biggest challenge is lack of standardization to allow comparability of data. Different users bring different perspectives to the issue. The researcher, the software developer, the health care facility, and the payer all have an interest in using functional status and patient satisfaction to evaluate outcomes.

Activities of Daily Living↗

Lithium effects on ophthalmological-electrophysiological parameters in young healthy volunteers.

The effects of lithium on the visual system in man have been tested. Ten healthy volunteers followed a 10-day lithium regimen. Lithium plasma levels in the range of 0.6-0.8 mmol/l were obtained. Clinically used ophthalmological-electrophysiological tests were performed. Most of the tests showed no significant change during the lithium treatment. The lithium regimen resulted in a strong reduction of the slow phase. Also the "Arden-ratio", measured by electrooculogram (EOG), was influenced by lithium. The "Arden-ratio" reflects the corneo-fundal potential in retinal illumination and dark adaptation and is influenced by the state of adaptation. All the demonstrated effects were fully reversible at the end of lithium administration. Possible mechanisms of the action of lithium are discussed (for example Ca2+-fluxes, c-AMP, cGMP). These lithium-induced effects on the visual system in man may give some hint of the individual responsiveness to lithium.

Adult↗

Partial purification and characterization of the oxytocin-inactivating enzymes from chicken liver.

1. Two enzymes acting on the linear portion of oxytocin: carboxamidopeptidase (releasing Gly . NH2) and prolyl peptidase (releasing Leu-Gly . NH2) were identified in the cytoplasmic fraction of chicken liver. 2. Carboxamidopeptidase was purified 134-fold with a 23% yield, and prolyl peptiase 71-fold with a 20% yield. The specific activity of the final preparations was 181 and 96 microU/mg protein, respectively. 3. The optimum pH for carboxamidopeptidase was 6.0--6.5 and for prolyl peptidase, 7.5. Carboxamidopeptidase activity was inhibited by Mn2+, Zn2+, Ca2+, Co2+, and stimulated by EDTA; the activity of prolyl peptidase was inhibited by Zn2+ and Mn2+. The Km value of both enzymes for oxytocin was 1.5--2.4 microM.

Animals↗