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[Orthopaedic findings of the foot as related to age and body weight among women (author's transl)].

In a cross-sectional evaluation of 103 women belonging to the material of the Leipzig Longitudinal Study of the GDR Gerontology Project, foot trouble and objective foot changes were studied in relation to body weight and age. The subjects were divided into four age classes and two weight groups. The following objective foot parameters were obtained from the podogram: the angle of the big toe, the isthmus value, and the length-breadth index. Further data such as the total foot angle, the height of the plantar arch and the instep height were derived from the lateral radiograph of the foot under load. In 36.89 per cent of the subjects foot trouble was established. Two frequency peaks (15.8 years and 51.5 years) were determined for the age at which the first symptoms manifested themselves. The investigations showed a growing influence of physiological changes due to ageing on foot trouble. The dependence of foot trouble on body weight is evidenced by the fact that overweight women are more prone to develop foot trouble than women with standard weight. The angle of the big toe, in particular, is clearly weight-related, i.e. the risk to develop hallux valgus is greater in overweight women over 55 years of age than it is in standard-weight females. This finding is corroborated by the fact that, on an average, the group of overweight subjects has lower length-breadth-index values, which is indicative of a broadening of the forefoot in the process of splay-foot development.

Aged↗

[Minimum data sets in ambulatory care].

A sensible and rational approach is necessary in order to match the growing requirements of information on the ambulatory care sector characterised by a big deal of complexity and variability. This must be applied to any initiative attempting to obtain any degree of harmonization in ambulatory care data sets. This paper summarises a conceptual aspect of the work undertaken by the project Measurement Characterization and Control of Ambulatory Care in Europe (McACE) sponsored by the Commission of the European Communities under the exploratory phase of the Advanced Informatics in Medicine (AIM) programme. Our approach places in the first priority the efficiency when assessing the information needs of the different actors trying to make a balanced approach between the costs of collecting and processing a specific item and its use. For this we performed a conceptual validation of the term Minimum Basic Data Set and its potential application to the Ambulatory Care Sector. It is suggested its substitution by the term Minimum Data Set as a part of a practical tool for promoting the harmonization of the information in ambulatory care.

Ambulatory Care Facilities↗

Defining the role of aromatase inhibitors in the adjuvant endocrine treatment of early breast cancer.

BACKGROUND: Over the past few years, data have been published concerning the relative efficacy and safety profiles of tamoxifen and the aromatase inhibitors (AIs) in the adjuvant therapy setting for women with early hormone receptor-positive breast cancer. Recently, debate has centred around trials which have studied primary tamoxifen and AI therapy, switching and sequencing strategies and extended adjuvant therapy. METHODS: Here, a group of 24 breast cancer experts review efficacy and safety data from the recent major trials investigating tamoxifen and the third-generation AIs in postmenopausal women, which have challenged the perception of tamoxifen as optimum adjuvant endocrine therapy. Data from the Arimidex, Tamoxifen, Alone or in Combination (ATAC) trial, Breast International Group (BIG) 1-98 study, National Cancer Institute of Canada MA 17 trial, Intergroup Exemestane Study (IES), Italian Tamoxifen Anastrozole (ITA) trial, Austrian Breast and Colorectal Cancer Study Group (ABCSG) Trial 8 and Arimidex-Nolvadex (ARNO) 95 are considered to provide a rational interpretation of the impact of these data on current practice, and to highlight areas where further investigation is needed. CONCLUSION: We can be confident that AIs represent superior adjuvant endocrine treatment to tamoxifen in postmenopausal women, either as initial therapy or as an alternative for women who have started adjuvant therapy with tamoxifen. However, there remain issues regarding the best way to use AIs, such as the optimal length of AI treatment and how a sequence of tamoxifen followed by an AI compares with AI monotherapy; these will require further data to resolve.

Antineoplastic Agents, Hormonal↗

Alternative pathway to endothelin-converting enzyme for the synthesis of endothelin in human blood vessels.

We have investigated whether a chymostatin-sensitive enzyme, such as chymase, contributes to the production of vasoconstrictor endothelin peptides from exogenous big endothelin- 1 in endothelium-denuded human umbilical vein. Big endothelin-1 contracted veins with a pD2 = 7.75 +/- 0.08 (n = 23) and was five times less potent than endothelin-1 (pD2 = 8.43 +/- 0.11, n = 10). The selective endothelin-converting enzyme inhibitor, PD159790, (30 microM, n = 17) produced a significant (P < 0.005), threefold rightward shift of the big endothelin-1 concentration-response curve with no reduction in maximum response. A further shift was obtained with 100 microM PD159790 (n = 6), with a significant decrease in the maximum response from 84.0 +/- 5.3%KCl to 34.2 +/- 6.7%KCl (P < 0.005). Chymostatin (30 microM) had no effect on the big endothelin-1 response, however, the inhibitory effect of 100 microM chymostatin was significant (P < 0.005). Unlike PD159790, chymostatin did not significantly modify the maximum response to big endothelin-1. The combination of 30 microM PD159790 and 100 microM chymostatin was more effective than either inhibitor alone. Our data suggest a role for both endothelin-converting enzyme and a chymostatin-sensitive enzyme, such as chymase, in the conversion of big endothelin-1 to constrictor endothelin peptides in human umbilical vein smooth muscle. In cardiovascular diseases in which endothelin-converting enzyme activity is increased, inhibition of both enzymes may be required for effective therapeutic intervention.

Aspartic Acid Endopeptidases↗

Evaluation of some air pollution indicators in Turkey.

This article intends to shed a light on air quality in Turkey and compare air pollutant emissions on a national scale with that of the European countries. In order to estimate the quantities of Turkish emissions in the past and their future predictions, a national emission inventory was prepared with respect to five major pollutants consisting of particulate matter(PM), SOx, NOx, non-methane volatile organic compounds, and CO with 5-year intervals between 1985 and 2005. The results suggest that Turkey is a rather large emission source at the European scale, although emission indicators on unit area and per capita were shown to be somewhat smaller in magnitude. Levels of air pollution in some of the big cities in Turkey were also evaluated from available national monitoring data. These evaluations for the urban air qualities covered SO2 and PM parameters between 1986 and 1996, and results were compared with the present Turkish air quality limits, their probable revisions, WHO (Europe) guidelines and related EC directives. Results showed that the air quality limits were not met, especially during the winter periods in Turkish cities. Urban air pollutants characterizing the air in Turkish cities other than SO2 and PM, however, could not have been evaluated as these pollutants were not systematically monitored in these cities.

Air Pollutants↗

Comparison of two commercial assays for the detection of insertion mutations of HIV-1 reverse transcriptase.

Insertions in the beta3-beta4 fingers subdomain of HIV-1 reverse transcriptase (RT) confer cross-resistance to various nucleoside analogs. The detection of these rearrangements in the region of codons 67-70 of RT is of primary importance for adapting and optimizing combination treatment regimen. Recent reports suggest that some genotyping techniques based on the hybridization of oligonucleotide probes may fail to detect insertion mutants of HIV-1 RT. In the present study, we have evaluated the efficiency of two commercial kits TruGene (based on Dye Primer sequencing) and Viroseq (Big Dye Terminator technique) for the detection of insertion mutations. The data were compared with an in-house dRhodamine sequencing method. Overall, all these cycle sequencing techniques were operative in the detection of insertion mutants. The best peak homogeneity in the electrophoregrams was observed with the Dye primer technique. However, specific compression artifacts were frequently encountered with this technique, rendering ambiguous the interpretation of the electrophoregrams in several regions of the sequence. This shortcoming did not occur with dRhodamine Dye terminator or Bigdye terminator cycle sequencing. In any case, a manual inspection of the electrophoregrams is highly recommended, for all types of cycle sequencing techniques, especially for detecting new mutational patterns of the RT and protease genes. Finally, some specific problems were encountered with the softwares provided with both Trugene and Viroseq kits.

Amino Acid Sequence↗

Integration of the big five and circumplex approaches to trait structure.

To integrate the 5-dimensional simple-structure and circumplex models of personality, the Abridged Big Five Dimensional Circumplex (AB5C) taxonomy of personality traits was developed, consisting of the 10 circumplexes that can be formed by pitting each of the Big Five factors against one another. The model maps facets of the Big Five dimensions as blends of 2 factors. An application to data consisting of 636 self-ratings and peer ratings on 540 personality trait adjectives yielded 34 well-defined facets out of a possible 45. The AB5C solution is compared with simple-structure and lower dimensional circumplex solutions, and its integrative and corrective potential are discussed, as well as its limitations.

Adult↗

Economic crime: does personality matter?

Since the publication of Edwin Sutherland's classical study, White Collar Crime, personality has been treated as completely irrelevant as a cause or as a correlating variable in studies of economic crime. This article questions that thesis. In an ongoing Swedish project studying economic crime in the areas of construction, engineering, and the music industry, 128 informants were interviewed regarding the personal character of the economic criminal compared to that of the law-abiding businessperson. Data were collected from five different regions in Sweden using the Big Five model, the personality model most often used within the field of personality research today. This article compares the results from the interviews with the few international studies that exist regarding economic crimes in these areas and common results are emphasized. It also presents nuanced analyses of the significance of personality in economic crime.

Crime↗

Assessing the U.S. presidents using the Revised NEO Personality Inventory.

This article describes the use of objective psychological instruments, including the Revised NEO Personality Inventory (NEO PI-R), to assess the personalities of all 41 U.S. presidents to date. We briefly report our findings pertaining to the average profile of chief executives on the NEO PI-R and summarize data on two of our most illustrious presidents, Washington and Lincoln. We review a typology of presidents based on our data. Finally, we summarize the results of our investigation of the Big Five personality dimensions and facets that are related to presidential success (i.e., historical greatness). The project and findings are discussed in terms of the use of the NEO PI-R in psychohistorical research and assessment.

Famous Persons↗

Knowledge about epilepsy among teachers and epileptic patients.

223 epileptics patients and their families and 136 teachers from public and private schools were submitted to similar questionnaires related to inheritance, transmission, cure, complication rates, care during seizures, need for information on the disease, habits, comparison with other diseases and to the educational and social performance of epileptics. Cure and complication rates accounted for the main differences between those populations. Epileptics could recognize a bigger number of complications but still expected to be cured from the disease. The majority of teachers and patients have never been informed about epilepsy and this finding was related to the big number of equivocal answers obtained from them. Put together, the data showed that social and educational performance of epileptic patients could be disturbed by medical and social parameters. Some of them could be improved by an educational program towards these aspects of epilepsy.

Adult↗

Object-orientated DBMS techniques for time-oriented medical record.

In implementing time-orientated medical record (TOMR) management systems, use of a relational model played a big role. Many applications have been developed to extend query and data manipulation languages to temporal aspects of information. Our experience in developing TOMR revealed some deficiencies inside the relational model, such as: (a) abstract data type definition; (b) unified view of data, at a programming level; (c) management of temporal data; (d) management of signals and images. We identified some first topics to face by an object-orientated approach to database design. This paper describes the first steps in designing and implementing a TOMR by an object-orientated DBMS.

Algorithms↗

Critical care. Only connect.

The establishment of a network for critical care services in five hospitals has led to a decrease in transfers of patients for non-clinical reasons. There have been no transfers outside the network's area. The introduction of common admission policies has led to more openness about bed availability. The introduction of the network has standardised data collection. The availability of extra funds and facilities was a big incentive to staff involvement.

Admitting Department, Hospital↗

[Infant walkers: the prevalence of use].

UNLABELLED: Infant walkers are mobile wheeled seats that allow infants to move around with their feet on the floor. They enable precocious locomotion in very young, otherwise prelocomotor infants. Prelocomotor walker experience prevents visual access to the moving limbs. Infant walker use can be associated with delay in achievement of normal locomotor milestones. Besides delayed motor development, contractures of the calf muscles and motor development mimicking spastic diparesis may appear. In the case of infant walker's use for the infants at risk for development of cerebral palsy, multiple side effects can be produced: the persistence of positive support reflex, heel cord contractures, subluxation and dislocation of the hips or pronation contractures of the upper extremities. The use of infant walkers increases the risk of injuries. The study has enrolled 150 children and their mothers, from three big cities in Bosnia and Herzegovina (Sarajevo, Bihać, Zenica). All relevant data have been collected through the questionnaires. 130 children (86.6%) have used infant walkers. The mean age when the use of infant walker has started was 7 months. The mean time of daily use of infant walker was 1 hour 49 minutes. Twenty three children had various motor disturbances, 13 out of them (56.5%) have used infant walker. The mild injuries caused by using the infant walkers have been registered in 17 cases (11.3%). 83 mothers (55.3%) were aware of infant walker's nocuous effects. CONCLUSION: The use of infant walkers has been spread widely under our circumstances. There is significant discrepancy between mothers' knowledge about nocuous effects of infant walkers and their practice. The use of infant walkers for infants with motor disturbances is especially harmful. The main reason for using infant walker, despite of its harmfulness, was mother's preoccupation with everyday household activities. It is necessary to engage health professionals to support antiwalker campaign (warning labels on the infant walkers, public education programs, etc). We recommend safer alternatives for child daycare, like stationary activity centers (so called "fenced play gardens".

Bosnia and Herzegovina↗

Use of combinatorial chemistry to speed drug discovery.

IBC's International Conference on Integrating Combinatorial Chemistry into the Discovery Pipeline was held September 14-15, 1998. The program started with a pre-conference workshop on High-Throughput Compound Characterization and Purification. The agenda of the main conference was divided into sessions of Synthesis, Automation and Unique Chemistries; Integrating Combinatorial Chemistry, Medicinal Chemistry and Screening; Combinatorial Chemistry Applications for Drug Discovery; and Information and Data Management. This meeting was an excellent opportunity to see how big pharma, biotech and service companies are addressing the current bottlenecks in combinatorial chemistry to speed drug discovery.

Journal Article↗