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Biomedical subjects

J Serra

Publications and source records attributed to J Serra.

At least 127 records · Page 7Linked to original sources
PubMed1988

Effect of three different bronchodilators during an exacerbation of chronic obstructive pulmonary disease.

This study evaluates the effect of three different bronchodilators (beta 2-adrenergic, anticholinergic and methylxanthine) alone and in randomized sequence, during an exacerbation in thirteen patients with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease. Dose-response curves were obtained for inhaled salbutamol and inhaled ipratropium bromide. The bronchodilator effect of a perfusion of aminophylline was also assessed. When a plateau of bronchodilatation was achieved with one agent, one dose of a second bronchodilator was administered to see whether additional bronchodilation could be achieved. The increments in FEV1 and FVC were similar with the three agents. The addition of a second bronchodilator did not result in significant increments in most of the patients. In at least half of the patients the doses of salbutamol and ipratropium that produced the maximal bronchodilatation were twice that currently employed.

Aged↗
PubMed1987

Morphological optics.

Image analysis methods are first classified into four groups of theories related to optics, after which the associate hypotheses, the structures, the laboratory equipment and the mathematical framework for one of them, better known by the term of morphological optics, are studied in detail. Conclusions are drawn as to the role played by hypotheses in image analysis.

Animals↗
PubMed1986

Acute, short- and long-term efficacy of oral bevantolol in patients with coronary artery disease: a placebo-controlled, randomized, double-blind study.

The efficacy and safety of bevantolol (new cardioselective beta-blocking agent without intrinsic sympathetic activity) were evaluated in chronic stable angina pectoris. Acute effects on heart rate (HR) and pulmonary function (forced expiratory volume in the first second, FEV1, and vital capacity, VC) (double-blind placebo, propranolol, 80 mg, and bevantolol, 150 mg) and the antianginal efficacy during early (double-blind placebo period) and chronic bevantolol therapy (long-term follow-up for 52 weeks) were studied. Bevantolol reduces HR in the same way as propranolol (both p less than 0.01). Pulmonary function is modified significantly only by propranolol (decreasing FEV1, p less than 0.05). Bevantolol reduces antianginal attacks and nitroglycerin consumption (p less than 0.01) and improves exercise tolerance (p less than 0.01) during early and chronic therapy.

Administration, Oral↗
PubMed1986

The redox properties of the iron-sulphur cluster in hydrogenase from Chromatium vinosum, strain D.

The midpoint potentials of the changes in the electron spin resonance (ESR) spectra in the region of g = 2 in hydrogenase II from Chromatium vinosum were estimated by redox titrations. As the enzyme was progressively reduced, the g = 2.02 signal increased, while the satellite lines at g = 1.98 etc. decreased. At still lower potentials the signal at g = 2.02 decreased. The midpoint potentials of the two processes were estimated to be + 100 mV and - 20 mV, respectively, at pH 8.5. The first potential showed significant pH-dependence. The titration data fitted to n = 1 curves with reasonable reversibility. The enzyme activity showed no significant changes in this potential range. The results are discussed in relation to the interaction of the iron-sulphur cluster with nickel.

Chromatium↗
PubMed1984

Chromatographic behaviour of the molecular forms of guinea-pig skeletal muscle cytoplasmic malate dehydrogenase.

The isolated molecular forms of guinea-pig skeletal muscle cytoplasmic malate dehydrogenase have a different chromatographic behaviour through affinity or hydrophobic interaction gels; in all cases the retention of the B form is more noticeable. Chromatography of a partly purified preparation through 5' AMP-Sepharose allows both molecular forms of malate dehydrogenase to be separated and obtained free from lactate dehydrogenase.

Animals↗
PubMed1983

Evaluation of the specificity of an immunoprecipitin test for non-A, non-B hepatitis.

The specificity of a new antigen-antibody system (devised at the International Center for Medical Research and Training [ICMRT], San José, Costa Rica) for non-A, non-B (NANB) hepatitis was evaluated. ICMRT antigen was found in eight (21%) of 38 patients with acute NANB hepatitis; 22 patients (58%) seroconverted, including three who were positive for ICMRT antigen. Five patients with chronic NANB hepatitis were persistently positive for ICMRT antigen and negative for ICMRT antibody during several years of observation. Neither ICMRT antigen nor seroconversion was found among 11 patients with hepatitis A and 19 with hepatitis B occurring concomitantly with NANB hepatitis; only two of 56 patients with other liver diseases had ICMRT antigen, both presumably with chronic antigenemia. Seven of 128 household contacts of patients with NANB hepatitis had ICMRT antigen; 27 had antibody initially, and 35 (37% of susceptible contacts) seroconverted during the observation period. Less than 4% of household contacts of patients with hepatitis A or B seroconverted.

Acute Disease↗
PubMed1982

Hepatitis A virus infection in households.

The behavior of hepatitis A virus (HAV) infection among 980 members of 230 families in two rural districts of Costa Rica was studied prospectively from the recognition of the index case. The initial prevalence of detectable antibody (anti-HAV) ranged from 26.2% in children to 71.4% in adults. The ratio of index to household-associated infections was significantly higher among children than among adolescents and adults, indicating that children were most often responsible for the HAV introduction. The rates of household-associated cases among susceptible contacts were 70-83%; the final prevalences of anti-HAV were 90-95%. Neither index showed significant differences related to age. The ratio of clinical to silent infections in household-associated cases was uniformly 1.8:1 among children and adolescents; among adults, almost all associated infections were silent. Beginning with the 5-9-year age group, however, an immunoglobulin M response was absent in a progressively larger proportion of inapparent infections, strongly suggesting restimulation of specific immunoglobulin G antibodies by reinfection.

Adolescent↗
PubMed1980

Anti-DNA, anti-HBc correlations with RIA-detected HBeAg and anti-HBe in chronic HBsAg carriers.

The interrelations of 1) antibody to hepatitis B core antigen (HBcAg)--anti-HBc; 2) single-stranded DNA-binding antibodies (anti-DNA); and 3) the e-antigen/antibody system--hepatitis B e antigen (HBeAg) and antibody (anti-HBe), were studied in 150 hepatitis B surface antigen (HBsAg) carriers, in 43 of whom diagnostic liver biopsies had been performed. There was a good correlation between titers of anti-HBc and anti-DNA, regarded as indicators of viral and pathological activity, respectively, as well as between levels of these two antibodies and the presence of HBeAg or anti-HBE as detected by radio-immune assay (RIA). In general, HBeAg-positive carriers showed high anti-HBc and high anti-DNA titers, while the carriers positive for anti-HBe had low titers of both. These findings were in accord with the histopathological results. The three serologic parameters, anti-HBc, anti-DNA, and e-antigen/antibody, should together prove useful for the evaluation of the clinical status of chronic HBsAg carriers.

Antibodies, Viral↗