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At least 487 records · Page 27Linked to original sources

Elevated pancreatic glucagon in obesity.

Because of conflicting reports on plasma levels of total immunoreactive glucagon (IRG) in obesity, we investigated, by gel filtration, the individual IRG fractions in grossly obese patients (N = 16; BMI 40 +/- 2) as compared with normal weight subjects (N = 18). Mean total IRG was 142 +/- 12 pg/ml in normal subjects and 190 +/- 15 pg/ml (P less than 0.02) in obese subjects. IRG3500 was 16 +/- 2 pg/ml in normal subjects and 34 +/- 5 pg/ml (P less than 0.005) in the obese subjects. Obese patients with normal glucose tolerance demonstrated 30 +/- 5 pg/ml IRG3500 (N = 11; P less than 0.01) as compared with those who were obese with impaired glucose tolerance (42 +/- 12 pg/ml, N = 5; P less than 0.0025), although the total IRG of the latter group (173 +/- 31 pg/ml) was not different from that of normal subjects. IRG90000 was of comparable magnitude in the entire groups of obese and normal subjects. A wide variability of big plasma glucagon levels was found in all three groups, mean levels not being significantly different. These data suggest that plasma IRG3500 levels are elevated in grossly obese patients, particularly in those patients with impaired glucose tolerance, a finding that may be masked by mere measurements of total plasma IRG.

Adult↗

Relation of managers' personality to accident and injury rates.

Previous research has explored the link between certain aspects of individuals' personalities and their safety behavior and accident rates. We predicted a relation between 23 managers' scores on Big Five personality dimensions and departmental accident and injury rates in a manufacturing company. Accident and injury data were provided by the organization. We found a relation between managers' personality profiles and both injury and accident rates in their departments. The findings suggest that managers with certain types of personalities may have safer work units. This has implications for the selection of managers in work environments with safety risks.

Accidents, Occupational↗

A new strategy of cooperativity of biclustering and hierarchical clustering: a case of analyzing yeast genomic microarray datasets.

Hierarchical clustering is difficult to be deployed effectively in finding meaningful subtrees since genes rarely exhibit similar expression pattern across a wide range of conditions. It is also difficult to find a suitable level in cleaving a big hierarchy tree. Biclustering is a promising methodology in the field of the analysis of gene expression data of genechip. Generally it can be employed in identification of gene groups, which show a coherent expression profile across a subset of conditions. But in some cases of biclustering analysis of gene expressions, the genes in one bicluster are involved in more than one functional group, or all genes in one bicluster are involved in unknown functional groups (e.g. pattern VI and VIII in our studies). Then, how to predict the function of genes in these patterns? In the present research, we developed a new strategy of combining both of the clustering methods, hierarchical clustering and biclustering. The reserved conditions in datasets for hierarchical clustering were elicited according to the conditions in biclusters, and after hierarchical clustering, more detailed results in predicting unknown genes in certain patterns were obtained. This strategy of cooperating both of the methods during clustering procedure should be an effective guideline for functional predictions.

Cluster Analysis↗

Romanian perspective on health reporting.

Since 1990 the Romanian healthcare system has been crossing a stage of dramatic change. The healthcare reform, which is in progress, has structural, organizational and functional implications at the country level. The Ministry of Health is now preparing for the big IT changes. A Healthcare Management Information System (HMIS) will assure in the very next future automate data collection on health status of the population and on resource allocation and consumption. It is not an easy way towards the use of the Data Warehouse concept and On Line Analytical Processing technology for creating and accessing the data repository. Therefore we decided to integrate existing applications related to health system indicators until the HMIS will assure a high performance analysis and data interpretation.

Data Interpretation, Statistical↗

Internet-based program cuts benchmarking tasks.

Practicing by the numbers: The Medical Group Management Association has taken on the task of profiling U.S. physicians, and it's thinking big. The strategy is to entice physician participation with cheap enrollment fees and the promise of aggregated data fast.

Benchmarking↗

[The organization of work and the mental health of nurses aides.].

The aim of this article is to focus on the problems encountered by auxiliaries collecting data within the frame work of a certain organization of work. A questionnaire was distributed to two big groups in the public sector. It was answered by three hundred and fifty auxiliaries with a 92% rate of response. In comparison with other jobs occupied by women, these auxiliaries present a much higher incidence of depressive or anxious symptoms and of drug abuse. The recourse to a regressive model helps to explain the results by the combined effect of two factors amongst others: first, by a strong pressure to perform and then by the monotony of piecework. It is possible that the alienation symbol of the last two decades is not the worker at the assembly line but, with the preponderance of computerised office, is now the woman reducing to the collection of date.

English Abstract↗

Violent psychiatric inpatients in a public hospital.

Violence in inpatient psychiatric settings is a clinically significant and relevant problem requiring attention by the psychiatric community. Despite the prevalence of research on violent behavior, few nursing studies have been conducted that explore the components of nursing care that may influence the amount of violence occurring in inpatient psychiatric settings. The purpose of the study was to identify the characteristics of violent patients and the components of nursing care that are related to violent patient behavior. A qualitative study was conducted using participant observation and grounded theory methodology. Data were collected in a metropolitan public hospital over a 9-month period. Six categories of violent patients were identified during data analysis: (1) the user, (b) the outlaw, (c) the rebel without a cause, (d) the little big man, (e) the child, and (6) the vamp. Implications of the study for clinicians working in inpatient psychiatric settings are discussed.

Adolescent↗

[Signet-ring-cell lymphoma. Light and electron microscopic study of gastric involvement].

The authors report on a malignant Non-Hodgkin lymphoma of the stomach of a 73-year-old male. Histologically, it was revealed to be a follicularly growing, obviously secondary centroblastic lymphoma. Crystalline cytoplasmic inclusions in numerous centrocytes have led to displacement of the nucleus to the cell margin and thus to the picture of a signet-ring-cell lymphoma. Electronmicroscopically, there were found big crystalline electron-dense deposits in the rough endoplasmic reticulum. The finding was compared with literature data, and the histological differential diagnosis is discussed.

Aged↗

Community health MIS: "They who have the data make the rules".

Community Health Management Information Systems could be a blessing or a curse, depending on your point of view. But make no mistake, these reform-mandated systems are coming. Will they signal an end to personal privacy as "Big Brother" peeks into everyone's health background, or a new era in information-rich medical care?

Community Health Services↗

Systemic blockade of the endothelin-B receptor increases peripheral vascular resistance in healthy men.

Endothelin-1 (ET-1) is an important mediator of vascular tone in humans, and a number of endothelin receptor antagonists are currently in clinical development as vasodilator agents. While the vasoconstrictor role of the ETA receptor is undisputed, the role of the ETB receptor remains unclear. Hemodynamic effects of systemic doses of the ETB-selective antagonist BQ-788 were investigated in 5 healthy male volunteers (age range, 33 to 48 years) in a placebo-controlled, four-way crossover study. After a 15-minute infusion of BQ-788 (3, 30, or 300 nmol/min) or placebo, plasma ET-1 and big ET-1, blood pressure, heart rate, cardiac index, and stroke index were measured. Total peripheral vascular resistance was calculated from cardiac index and mean arterial pressure. Hemodynamic data are expressed as maximum, placebo-corrected, percentage change from baseline following BQ-788 (300 nmol/min) and were examined by ANOVA. Plasma ET-1 increased by 3.7+/-1.2 pg/mL (maximum at 15 minutes, P=0.02), whereas there was no significant change in plasma big ET-1. Although BQ-788 had no effect on mean arterial pressure, there was a reduction in heart rate (13+/-7% at 50 minutes; P=0.002), cardiac index (17+/-5% at 40 minutes; P<0. 0001), and stroke index (8+/-4% at 40 minutes; P=0.002) and an increase in total peripheral vascular resistance (24+/-5% at 40 minutes; P<0.0001). The selective ETB receptor antagonist BQ-788 causes peripheral vasoconstriction in healthy volunteers, suggesting that the overall balance of effects of endogenous ET-1 at the vascular ETB receptor favors vasodilatation. Further investigation is now clearly required to address whether selective ETA or combined ETA/ETB receptor blockade will be more effective in the clinical setting.

Adult↗

[Availability of coronarography based on the examinations performed in the Haemodynamic Laboratory of the Medical University of Gdansk].

The coronary disease is nowadays one of the main causes of death in Poland. To fight epidemy of the coronary disease, not only the prevention and proper treatment are necessary, but the sufficient availability of the diagnostic methods, as well. The aim of our work was to evaluate the availability of coronarography among the patients from Northern Poland. We analysed the data of the patients who underwent the coronarography in years 1997-1998. During that time there were 3916 examined patients. In the analysis the sex, age and place of residence were taken into consideration. Women were 28.93% of all the diagnosed patients. The sex structure basically didn't differ according to the place of residence (city--women 28.7%, village--30.64%). The average age of the diagnosed patients was 58 years. There was a statistically significant difference between the average age of women and men (women 59 years, while men 57 years). The age distribution varied also in the statistically significant degree according to the place of living--the average age of village people was 56 years, little cities 58 years, big cities 59 years. The village people were only 10% of all diagnosed patients. In the analysis of the collected data significant differences in availability of coronarography were found-especially between rural and urban areas. Also the age and sex of the diagnosed patients varied significantly-most probably due to the distribution of the risk factors.

Adult↗

Upregulation of endothelin 1 and its precursor by IL-1beta, TNF-alpha, and TGF-beta in the PC3 human prostate cancer cell line.

Increasing evidence indicates that endothelin 1 (ET-1) is implicated in prostate tumour progression. However, data on ET-1 regulation in human prostate and prostate cancer cell lines are lacking. In this study, regulation of ET-1 and its precursor big ET-1, using PC3 cells, a human bone metastatic prostatic carcinoma cell line, was addressed. ET-1 and big ET-1 assays demonstrated greater secretion of both peptides in the presence of 10% fetal calf serum (FCS) as compared with 0.5% FCS. Incubation of PC3 cells in the absence and presence of various cytokines and growth factors known to be implicated in prostate stroma-epithelium interactions, revealed that IL-6, FGF7/KGF and FGF2/bFGF had no effect on ET-1 and big ET-1 secretion, whereas interleukin 1beta (IL-1beta), tumour necrosis factor alpha (TNF-alpha) and transforming growth factor beta (TGF-beta) stimulated their secretion in a concentration-dependent manner. Binding experiments indicated the presence of specific ET-1 receptors in PC3 cells: Kdapp = 1.1 x 0.2 x 10(-10)M, Bmax = 2660 +/- 390 sites/cell. Data analysis demonstrated the presence of only the ETA receptor subtype in PC3 cells. In conclusion, our results indicate that the implication of ET-1 in prostate cancer is likely to be mediated via paracrine/autocrine control of cell factors.

Cytokines↗

Phosphoramidon inhibition of the in vivo conversion of big endothelin-1 to endothelin-1 in the human forearm.

1. The vasoconstrictor peptide, endothelin-1 (ET-1) and a biologically inactive C-terminal fragment (CTF) are generated from an intermediate big ET-1 by a putative ET converting enzyme, sensitive to phosphoramidon. We have developed a procedure using selective solid-phase extraction and specific radioimmunoassays to measure the levels of immunoreactive (IR) big ET-1 and the products of conversion (ET-1 and CTF) in human plasma. These techniques have been used to determine the levels of the three peptides in venous plasma following local infusions of ET-1 and big ET-1, both alone and together with phosphoramidon. 2. Infusion of ET-1 into the brachial artery (5 pmol min-1) significantly increased (P < 0.05) IR ET levels from a basal level of 2.3 pM to 55.2 pM in plasma from the infused arm after 60 min of infusion. This corresponded with a marked decrease in forearm blood flow from a basal level of 2.6 ml dl-1 min-1 to 1.7 ml dl-1 min-1. The levels of IR big ET-1 and CTF were unchanged. Co-infusion of phosphoramidon (30 nmol min-1) with ET-1 had no significant effect on the plasma IR levels of ET, big ET-1, CTF, or blood flow. 3. Big ET-1 (50 pmol min-1) significantly increased (P < 0.05) venous concentrations of all three IR peptides after 60 min compared to basal (ET: from 2.2 to 7.7 pM, big ET-1; from 0 to 386.0 pM, CTF: from 0.2 to 37.0 pM). Forearm blood flow decreased significantly (P<0.05) from a basal level of 3.0 ml dl-1 min-1 to 1.6 ml dl-1 min-1.4. When phosphoramidon was co-infused with big ET-1, both the rise in IR ET and associated vasoconstriction were abolished. However, IR CTF was still detected, suggesting that either some conversion by phosphoramidon-insensitive enzyme(s) was occurring, and/or that CTF was being protected from further degradation by phosphoramidon.5. These data show that in the human forearm the activity of a phosphoramidon-sensitive ET converting enzyme is at least in part responsible for the vasoconstrictor properties of exogenous big ET-1. Furthermore, because measurable levels of newly synthesized ET-1 are likely to be rapidly reduced in the blood/plasma through receptor binding, assay of IR big ET-1 and CTF may be a more sensitive measure of ET-1 generation in disease.

Adult↗

Health-related quality of life measured by the UW-QoL--reference values from a general dental practice.

The objective of this study was to obtain age and sex-specific reference values for the University of Washington head and neck cancer questionnaire version 4 (UW-QoLv4) and to compare this with patients with oral and oropharyngeal cancer. Cross-sectional reference data was collected from 372 patients in six local general dental practices, 349 of whom presented for routine appointments. Quota sampling was used to collect data for similar numbers of patients by gender by four age bands (40-49, 50-59, 60-69, 70-79 yr). The longitudinal sample consisted of 450 consecutive patients undergoing primary surgery for previously untreated oral and oropharyngeal squamous cell carcinoma presenting to the Regional Maxillofacial Unit Liverpool, between the years 1995 and 2002. At baseline the key differences were anxiety, pain, swallowing, chewing, and mood. At 1yr there were big differences in all domains with deterioration in the oral cancer group. The difference was least notable in pain, shoulder, mood and anxiety. Reference data from a non-cancer population is very important when considering UW-QoL domains as an outcome parameter in clinical trials and also when discussing health-related quality of life outcomes with patients and their families.

Adult↗

Secretion of endothelin and related peptides from renal epithelial cell lines.

Using specific radioimmunoassays (RIAs) for endothelin (ET) and big ET, we have studied whether ET and related peptides are secreted from renal epithelial cell lines (LLCPK1 and MDCK) of non-endothelial origin. Dilution curves of extracts of conditioned media from both LLCPK1 and MDCK cell lines were parallel to those of standard porcine (p) ET and big pET in each RIA. Both cell lines incubated in serum-free medium secreted ET- and C-terminal fragment (CTF)-like immunoreactivity (LI) of big ET as a function of time. Reverse-phase HPLC coupled with both RIAs of the extracted media from both cell lines revealed a single component with ET-LI coeluting with pET(1-21) and several components with CTF-LI, one corresponding to the elution position of big pET(1-39), one to its CTF(22-39), and the others eluting earlier than CTF. These data indicate that endothelin and related peptides are synthesized by and secreted from cells other than endothelial cells.

Animals↗

Soluble proteins: size, shape and function.

Why are proteins so big? Why do cells build oligomeric proteins? A visual survey of the protein structures available in the Protein Data Bank sheds new light on these questions.

Proteins↗

A computer program for molecular weight determination of DNA fragments (HOWBIG).

The computer program HOWBIG has been developed based on the reciprocal correlation of size to migration distance of DNA in high voltage gradient gel systems (Southern, 1979). For calculation the program automatically chooses three marker bands migrating closest to the calculated band, reducing the error down to approximately 0.5% or less (reciprocal method, local form of calculation). The big advantages of the completely menu-driven program are high accuracy, error detectability, speed and ease of data handling. Management of marker-DNA molecular weights, data and analyses as files included in the menu driven program speeds up every-day lab work.

DNA↗

Physical and mental health symptoms of older people: who do they tell?

A research study was designed to develop information about the day-to-day symptoms of older persons that often are not reported to professionals. As one aspect of the research, the subjects (N = 132) were asked: 1) if they had had any of a predetermined list of 20 symptoms during the previous month; 2) to whom did they report these symptoms; and 3) if no one had been told, what was the reason for not reporting. About half of the subjects had experienced difficulty in sleeping, tiredness, nervousness, feeling blue, unsteadiness on feet, and forgetfulness. A slight majority told someone (a professional, family member, or friend) about their symptoms, but a large proportion did not tell anyone. Most symptoms (56 percent) were not reported to health professionals. When another person was told, usually the recipient of the information was as likely to be a family member or friend as a professional. Reasons for not telling anyone included: the symptom ws "no big deal"; "nobody cares"; "nothing can be done about it"; and "don't want to bother people." The data are discussed in terms of the implications for health education of older people and family members, and for the attitudes and behaviors of health professionals.

Aged↗