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Biomedical subjects

J Mazur

Publications and source records attributed to J Mazur.

At least 73 records · Page 4Linked to original sources

Antioxidants as agents potentiating the antiinflammatory action of indomethacin.

Nordihydroguaiaretic acid inhibits prostaglandin (PG) biosynthesis in vitro (ID50=228 muM), with a slope of dose-response curve high (b=209) as compared with indomethacin (ID50=0.1 muM, b=72.1). Butylated hydroxyanisole, in contrast to inactive butylated hydroxytoluene, inhibits PG biosynthesis (ID50=107 muM, b=63). Only norihydroguaiaretic acid (100 mug, s.p.) inhibited the postcarrageenin edema of rat paw. Butylated hydroxyanisole (10 mug, s.p.) given together with a subthreshold (1 mug) dose of indomethacin inhibited the paw edema by 35%, while butylated hydroxytoluene and nordihydroguaiaretic acid produced a similar effect only when given at 10-fold higher doses. The results suggest the possibility of potentiation and prolongation of the anti-inflammatory effect of indomethacin by its simultaneous administration with an antioxidant, butylated hydroxyanisole.

Animals↗

Tricuspid valve prolapse: a common occurrence in the click-murmur syndrome.

Isolated mitral valve prolapse (MVP) may represent one end of a spectrum of disease involving dysfunction of multiple cardiac valves. Eighty-nine consecutive patients with MVP diagnosed by two-dimensional echocardiography (2-D echo) were prospectively studied specifically to determine the incidence of tricuspid valve prolapse (TVP) and its clinical correlations. Criteria for prolapse of the atrioventricular (A-V) valves by 2-D echo included extension of the valve leaflets behind an imaginary line defining the valve annulus. Forty-one of 82 patients with MVP had associated TVP. No significant differences existed between patients with isolated MVP and combined A-V valve prolapse with regard to sex, clinical history, symptoms, or physical examination. The parasternal long axis view was more sensitive than the apical four chamber view in diagnosing prolapse of either mitral or tricuspid valves. Thus, TVP is a frequent concomitant of MVP and occurs with equal frequency in both young and old patients.

Adolescent↗

The determination of chain statistical parameters by light scattering measurements.

The effects of volume exclusion on polymer chain conformations can be determined from the study of the angular dependence of radiation scattered by chain molecules. It is found that useful information can be obtained only when the variable x is large, where x is the product of the square of the magnitude of the scattering vector and of the mean square radius of gyration. Hence, solutions of macromolecules of very high molecular weight are needed for these investigations. The theoretical treatment of the scattering function is based on several assumptions. The validity of these assumptions is examined by computing, using a Monte-Carlo technique, various moments of intramolecular separations and comparing the results so obtained, in the limit of a chain of infinite length, with the analytical results. The computations seem to verify the validity of the theoretical model. The scattering behavior of solutions of recently synthesized polystyrene of Mw = 4.4 X 10(7) in cyclohexane at various temperatures and in benzene at 40 degrees was investigated. From the log-log plots of the scattering function vs. x, a statistical parameter was calculated, whose value depends on the magnitude of long-range correlations between any pair of chain elements. It is found that above the theta temperature this parameter is practically independent of temperature and that its numerical value was found to agree well with the value obtained from Monte-Carlo calculations. In the neighborhood of the theta temperature, this parameter decreases rapidly with decreasing temperature, indicating a first-order transition in chain conformation.

Kinetics↗

Efficacy of surgical management for scoliosis in myelomeningocele: correction of deformity and alteration of functional status.

The effect of spinal fusion for paralytic scoliosis in 49 patients with myelomeningocele was studied. Improved sitting balance was seen in 70% of the patients following anterior and posterior fusions, 67% following posterior fusion alone, and 28% after anterior fusion alone. The ability to ambulate was adversely affected in 67% of the patients who had undergone combined anterior and posterior fusions, in 57% following anterior fusion alone, and in 27% following posterior fusion alone. Sitting is likely to be improved but ambulation may be more difficult following spinal correction and fusion.

Child↗

[Influence of immediate newborn care on infant adaptation to the environment].

The indicators of newborns' adaptation during 75 min after birth were compared in three randomised groups of full-term newborns: skin-to-skin contact (group I), swaddled newborns beside the mother (group II), swaddled and separated from the mother (group III). The changes in skin temperature, blood glucose, pH, heart rate, respiration rate and crying time were studied. All the above characteristics but pH were significantly the most favourable for infants in the skin-to-skin group. The analysis of individual trends of changes in skin temperature indicated that for all but two newborns not separated from the mother (skin-to-skin or lying besides) the temperature was growing during the observation period, whereas in the separated group, six newborns (27%) had unstable not growing temperature. The mean level of blood glucose was the highest in skin-to-skin group (60.1 mg/dl), lower in group of swaddled and lying beside mother (52.5 mg/dl) and the lowest (49.6 mg/dl) in the separated group. The mean duration of crying time in the skin-to-skin contact was a little shorter than in the group of newborns lying besides the mother and more than three times shorter than in the separated group. The observed number of episodes of crying were 7, 17 and 38 in the three groups respectively. All results indicated that skin-to-skin contact is optimal for newborns', adaptation after birth especially as a protection against hypothermia and hypoglycaemia.

Adaptation, Physiological↗

[Evaluation of knowledge, attitudes and practice in healthy women of childbearing age concerning prophylactic folic acid--preliminary report].

Use of folic acid supplements before conception and during the first trimester of pregnancy, is associated with a reduced incidence of neural tube defects. The Ministry of Health guidelines recommend the use of folic acid supplements by all women in childbearing age. The aim of this study was to evaluate knowledge, attitudes and behaviour of women in childbearing age with regard to the effectiveness of folic acid prophylaxis in neural tube foetal defects. The effect of the education al level on knowledge about folic acid supplementation and its implementation was also studied. Data were collected by questionnaires administered by trained staff in July 1999 in 8 Primary Health Centres in Warsaw on a sample of 400 women aged 15-50. Only 52.8% of women reported ever hearing of or reading about folic acid, 15% reported that folic acid helped to reduce the risk for neural tube defects. The most commonly cited sources of information were the woman's general practitioner (43.0%) and magazines (41.7%). Overall, 13% of women reported taking multivitamins containing folic acid on a daily basis. Failure to take supplements was significantly associated with lower education. Educational interventions are required to inform women of the benefit of peri-conceptional folate supplementation and to increase folate intake among them.

Adolescent↗

[Birth weight as a factor influencing infant feeding in Polish maternity wards].

Data on 11784 newborns collected by staff in 427 maternity hospitals in 1995 were analysed. In all 97.2% of newborns were breastfed, but only 72.5% with birth weight less than 2500 g. Univariate logistic regression model with birth weight as a continuous variable was applied to calculate the probability of breastfeeding initiation. Using bivariate logistic regression models, different groups of newborns were compared to explain the additional influence of 4 dichotomous variable: type of delivery (normal birth and caesarean section), neonatal problems (jaundice, birth asphyxia, disorders of adaptation after birth, infections, congenital malformations) and two hospital practices: rooming-in and skin-to-skin contact. Multivariate conditional logistic regression model showed that the independent prognostic factors for breastfeeding initiation were: birth weight (continuous), rooming-in (OR=5.5; CI(OR)=3.9-7.9) skin-to-skin contact after birth (OR=3.4; CI(OR)=2.6-4.5) and lack of neonatal problems (OR=2.1; CI(OR)=1.6-2.7). Logistic regression curves showed that influence of skin-to-skin contact and rooming-in after birth on breastfeeding initiation was more evident for newborn with lower birth weight.

Birth Weight↗

[Skin-to-skin contact after birth as a factor determining breastfeeding duration].

Using prospective cohort study design the influence of skin-to-skin contact after birth on breastfeeding was analyzed in a group of 1250 three years old Polish children. The implementation of this practice significantly increased the mean exclusive breastfeeding duration by 0.4 month and overall breastfeeding by 1.4 months. The effect of skin-to-skin contact duration after birth was also observed. The infants kept with the mothers at least 30 minutes were 1.2 month longer exclusively breastfed and 1.7 month later weaned than those who had the shorter contact. The skin-to-skin contact after birth significantly coexisted with the other hospital practices supportive for breastfeeding: early first feeding [(OR=9,73), 95%CI:6.87-13.80] exclusive breastfeeding in the maternity ward [(OR=4,30), 95%CI:3.15- 5.89], rooming-in [(OR=2,78), 95%CI:2.05-3.78] and elimination of bottle [(OR=3,70), 95%CI:2.69-5.09]. Multivariate linear regression analysis showed that mother-infant contact afterbirth was a significant and independent factor for exclusive breastfeeding continuation.

Adult↗