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At least 523 records · Page 29Linked to original sources
PubMed2004

Both mercury and cadmium directly influence calcium homeostasis resulting from the suppression of scale bone cells: the scale is a good model for the evaluation of heavy metals in bone metabolism.

To examine the effects of heavy metals such as cadmium and mercury on calcium homeostasis, plasma calcium and calcitonin were measured in goldfish. Cadmium induced hypocalcemia both at 4 and at 8 days. In methylmercury-treated goldfish, the plasma calcium level increased at 2 days and then decreased at 8 days. The plasma calcitonin level increased in correspondence with the increased plasma calcium by methylmercury treatment, although cadmium did not cause a significant change. To elucidate the mechanism in detail, fish scales, which have both osteoclasts and osteoblasts and are similar to mammalian membrane bone, were used in the present study. We measured tartrate-resistant acid phosphatase (TRAP) and alkaline phosphatase (ALP) activity as respective indicators of activity in both types of cells. TRAP activity in the scales decreased by treatment of cadmium and methylmercury at 6 h incubation. Particularly, cadmium (even at 10(-13) M) significantly suppressed TRAP activity, suggesting that this system is utilized as an acute biosensor for cadmium. ALP activity decreased after exposures of 64 and 96 h, although the activity did not change after 6, 18, and 36 h. In addition, mRNA expression of the estrogen receptor and insulin-like growth factor 1, which participate in osteoblastic growth and differentiation, was less than the control values by treatment with both metals. This study demonstrates that mercury directly acts on the bone cells and influences calcium homeostasis and indicates that, in a short-term exposure, mercury has a different action from that of cadmium and induces hypercalcemia.

Acid Phosphatase↗
PubMed1996

A validation study of the Whitely Index, the Illness Attitude Scales, and the Somatosensory Amplification Scale in general medical and general practice patients.

The aim of this study was to assess the reliability and validity of the Whitely Index (WI), the Illness Attitude Scales (IAS), and the Somatosensory Amplification Scale (SAS). The study population consisted of 130 general medical outpatients, 113 general practice patients, and 204 subjects from the general population. The factorial structure of the IAS appeared to consist of two subscales, namely Health Anxiety and Illness Behaviour. The internal consistency and stability of the three questionnaires were satisfactory, and their scores were highly intercorrelated. Scores on the WI and Health Anxiety subscale of the IAS declined significantly from general medical outpatients, through general practice patients to subjects from the general population. This might imply that medical care utilisation is related to hypochondriasis. A prospective study is needed to determine whether health anxiety contributes to the decision to seek medical care or the consultation of a general practitioner or consultant gives rise to worry about possible illness.

Adult↗
PubMed2005

A comparison of self-reported puberty using the Pubertal Development Scale and the Sexual Maturation Scale in a school-based epidemiologic survey.

PURPOSE: To examine concordance between two self-reported measures of puberty: Sexual Maturation Scale (SMS) and Pubertal Development Scale (PDS) and their acceptability to adolescents. METHODS: Participants of a school-based study in grades 5, 7 and 9 were classified into one of 5 pubertal stages using each method. RESULTS: 2864 students (age 9-16 years) participated. Agreement was moderate for males (kappa 0.42, 95% CI 0.39, 0.45) and females (kappa 0.57, 95% CI 0.53, 0.61). Concordance within one stage was excellent (females 97%, males 89%), with discrepancies due to females being classified one stage later on the PDS (26%) and males one stage earlier (32%). There were more missing data for the SMS (13%) than the PDS (4%). CONCLUSIONS: Given the level of concordance and difficulties of using the drawings in a school-based survey, we would recommend the PDS as an alternative to assess pubertal status in epidemiological studies.

Adolescent↗
PubMed2006

A self-report version of the Yale-Brown Obsessive-Compulsive Scale Symptom Checklist: psychometric properties of factor-based scales in three samples.

Current research in Obsessive-Compulsive Disorder (OCD) recognizes substantial symptom heterogeneity and emphasizes dimensional assessment of core domains. This study administered a self-report version of the Yale-Brown Obsessive-Compulsive Scale Symptom Checklist to OCD patients (n=53), non-OCD psychiatric patients (n=96), and students (n=419). Factor analyses of category- versus item-level data produced different solutions (4 or 5 vs. 3 factors, respectively), but support a multidimensional framework for OCD symptoms. For between-groups analyses, the two patient groups scored significantly higher than students on nearly all dimensions. However, OCD and non-OCD patients differed significantly only on Symmetry/Ordering symptoms. These findings provide novel data concerning this instrument and suggest that most of its scales may not distinguish OCD patients clearly when administered in this manner. We provide recommendations for improving subsequent self-report versions but caution users not to over-extend its intended use.

Adolescent↗
PubMed2006

On the measurement of rumination: a psychometric evaluation of the ruminative response scale and the rumination on sadness scale in undergraduates.

Rumination is considered a specific cognitive vulnerability factor that is thought to play a prominent role in the maintenance of depressive symptoms. The present study investigated the psychometric properties of two measures of rumination, the ruminative response scale (RRS) and the rumination on sadness scale (RSS) in undergraduates (N=331). A joint factor analysis yielded three factors, 'rumination on causes of sadness', 'symptom-based rumination', and 'rumination on sadness'. The internal consistency of the rumination factors was good and the test-retest stability over a 6-month period of time was moderate. Support was also found for the construct validity of the rumination factors. Finally, the 'rumination on the causes of sadness' factor was found to moderate the relation between depression measured at baseline and at 6-month follow-up. More specifically, baseline depression was a strong predictor of future depression but this was particularly true for high ruminating individuals. Implications of the results and directions for future research are provided.

Adolescent↗
PubMed2004

The immunoglobulin lambda variable light-chain region in primates has been shaped by multiple, independent, small-scale and large-scale insertion/deletion events.

We analyzed genomes of nonhuman primates to determine the ancestral state of a 9.1-kb insertion/deletion polymorphism, located on human chromosome 22. The 9.1-kb+ allele was found in 16 chimpanzees, 3 bonobos, and 2 Bornean orangutans; however, 9 chimpanzees and 6 Sumatran orangutans showed neither the 9.1-kb+ nor the 9.1-kb- allele, but a novel allele, termed 9.1-kbnull. A clone from a chimpanzee BAC library carrying the 9.1-kbnull allele was sequenced: the BAC DNA aligns with the human chromosome 22 reference sequence except for a 75-kb region, suggesting that the 9.1-kbnull allele originated from a deletion. Furthermore, the 9.1-kb+ chromosomes of chimpanzees and bonobos contain a 1030-nucleotide sequence, absent in humans, that may result from a retro-transposition insertion in their common ancestor. Our results provide additional evidence that human chromosome 22 has undergone multiple small-scale and large-scale insertions and deletions since sharing a common ancestor with other primates.

Animals↗
PubMed2003

Thermal composting of faecal matter as treatment and possible disinfection method--laboratory-scale and pilot-scale studies.

When using toilets where the urine and faeces are collected separately for reuse as nutrients in agriculture, the collected matter should be disinfected. One way to do this is by thermal composting. Composting of different material mixes was investigated in a laboratory-scale experiment. This showed that the best mixture for dry thermal composting was a mix of faeces, food waste and amendment. The urine was collected separately by use of urine-diverting toilets. A new method was developed to mathematically evaluate and estimate the safety margins of pathogen inactivation during thermal composting. The method is based upon a mathematical calculation of the number of times total inactivation (at least 12log(10) reduction) of the organisms is achieved. In a pilot-scale experiment, the disinfection of a faeces/food waste mix was performed with a calculated safety margin of more than 37 times the total die-off of Enteroviruses and some 550 times that of Ascaris. Thus, well functioning composting seems to be effective for disinfection of faecal matter. To get a high temperature in all of the material, the reactor has to have sufficient insulation. A major disadvantage is the initial need for handling the raw un-disinfected material. The degradation of the organic matter in the compost was almost 75%, resulting in a small final volume that could safely be recycled.

Animals↗
PubMed2003

The assessment of daytime sleep propensity: a comparison between the Epworth Sleepiness Scale and a newly developed Resistance to Sleepiness Scale.

INTRODUCTION: The Epworth sleepiness scale (ESS) is widely used as a way of measuring subjective sleep propensity in research and clinical practice. Psychometric studies do not rule out the presence of more than one latent dimension underlying the items. OBJECTIVE: Aims of the present study were to: (a) evaluate psychometric proprieties of the ESS by means of classic psychometric techniques; (b) compare them with those from a newly developed resistance to sleepiness scale (RSS); (c) evaluate, following the latent trait theory, whether the items of both ESS and RSS could be conceptualized as different levels of an interval variable representative of a single latent trait related to sleep propensity. METHODS: One hundred and forty-six inpatients suffering from different sleep disorders filled in both the RSS and ESS in a sleep disorder centre. RESULTS: Indexes of fit derived by the application of the extended logistic model are consistent with the idea that each ESS item can be conceptualized as different levels of an interval variable representative of a single latent trait. However, most of the ESS items are found to be located at the opposite extremes of this continuum. CONCLUSIONS: The under representation of situations characterized by an intermediate soporific nature in the ESS could limit ESS sensitivity to detect intermediate variations of sleep propensity.

Adolescent↗
PubMed2005

Use of 'sense of coherence (SOC)' scale to measure resilience in Eritrea: interrogating both the data and the scale.

An adapted 'sense of coherence' scale short form (SOC-13) was administered in nine languages of Eritrea with a total of 265 participants (162 women and 103 men) in order to assess 'resilience' in quantitative terms. Statistical analysis yielded significant differences in SOC scores between the displaced and non-displaced: mean=54.84 (SD=6.48) in internally displaced person (IDP) camps, compared with mean=48.94 (SD=11.99) in urban and rural settlements (t=3.831, p<0.001). Post-hoc tests revealed that the main difference is between IDP camp dwellers and urban (non-displaced) residents. Those in rural but traditionally mobile (pastoralist or transhumant) communities scored more or less the same as the urban non-displaced - i.e. significantly higher than those in IDP camps (p<0.05). Analysis of variance showed that displacement has a significantly negative effect on women compared with men (RR=0.262, p<0.001). Repeating the analysis for the three groups confirmed that urban and pastoralist/transhumant groups are similar, while women in IDP camps are lower scoring (RR=0.268, p<0.001), Hamboka women being worst affected due to their experience of serial displacement. These findings are interpreted and discussed in the light of qualitative information gleaned from the study participants' interrogation of the content of the SOC scale; and in the wider context of historical, socio-political and cultural characteristics of Eritrea. The study's implications for humanitarian and public health policy are considered.

Adaptation, Psychological↗
PubMed2005

The World Health Organization Adult ADHD Self-Report Scale (ASRS): a short screening scale for use in the general population.

BACKGROUND: A self-report screening scale of adult attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD), the World Health Organization (WHO) Adult ADHD Self-Report Scale (ASRS) was developed in conjunction with revision of the WHO Composite International Diagnostic Interview (CIDI). The current report presents data on concordance of the ASRS and of a short-form ASRS screener with blind clinical diagnoses in a community sample. METHOD: The ASRS includes 18 questions about frequency of recent DSM-IV Criterion A symptoms of adult ADHD. The ASRS screener consists of six out of these 18 questions that were selected based on stepwise logistic regression to optimize concordance with the clinical classification. ASRS responses were compared to blind clinical ratings of DSM-IV adult ADHD in a sample of 154 respondents who previously participated in the US National Comorbidity Survey Replication (NCS-R), oversampling those who reported childhood ADHD and adult persistence. RESULTS: Each ASRS symptom measure was significantly related to the comparable clinical symptom rating, but varied substantially in concordance (Cohen's kappa in the range 0.16-0.81). Optimal scoring to predict clinical syndrome classifications was to sum unweighted dichotomous responses across all 18 ASRS questions. However, because of the wide variation in symptom-level concordance, the unweighted six-question ASRS screener outperformed the unweighted 18-question ASRS in sensitivity (68.7% v. 56.3%), specificity (99.5% v. 98.3%), total classification accuracy (97.9% v. 96.2%), and kappa (0.76 v. 0.58). CONCLUSIONS: Clinical calibration in larger samples might show that a weighted version of the 18-question ASRS outperforms the six-question ASRS screener. Until that time, however, the unweighted screener should be preferred to the full ASRS, both in community surveys and in clinical outreach and case-finding initiatives.

Adolescent↗
PubMed2006

Pore-scale observation of microsphere deposition at grain-to-grain contacts over assemblage-scale porous media domains using X-ray microtomography.

The prevalence of colloid deposition at grain-to-grain contacts in two porous media (spherical glass beads and angular quartz sand, 710-850 microm) was examined using X-ray microtomography (XMT) under conditions where the colloid-grain surface interaction was solely attractive (lacking an energy barrier to deposition), and under fluid velocity conditions representative of engineered filtration systems. XMT allows pore-scale observation of colloid deposition over assemblage-scale porous media domains. Colloids visible in reconstructed images were prepared by coating gold on hollow ceramic microspheres (36 microm in size) (to render densities only slightly higher than water). A significant fraction of the deposited microspheres were deposited at grain-to-grain contacts (about 20% in glass beads, 40% in quartz sand) under the conditions examined. The deposited microsphere concentrations decreased log-linearly with increasing transport distance regardless of the environment of deposition (grain-to-grain contact versus single-contact deposition). The profile shape was, therefore, consistent with filtration theory, and the observed deposition rate coefficients were also well predicted by filtration theory. The ability of filtration theory to predict the magnitude and spatial distribution of deposition demonstrates that filtration theory captures the essential elements of deposition in the absence of an energy barrier despite a lack of accounting for grain-to-grain contacts. The observed factor of 2 greater deposition at grain-to-grain contacts in quartz sand relative to equivalently sized glass beads is consistent with greater grain-to-grain contact lengths and greater fraction of small pores in the quartz sand relative to the glass beads, as determined via a pore structure analysis algorithm (medial axis algorithm).

Colloids↗
PubMed2000

Comparison of the PTSD Symptom Scale-Interview Version and the Clinician-Administered PTSD scale.

The Clinician-Administered PTSD Scale (CAPS) is one of the most frequently used measures of posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD). It has been shown to be a reliable and valid measure, although its psychometric properties in nonveteran populations are not well known. One problem with the CAPS is its long assessment time. The PTSD Symptom Scale--Interview Version (PSS-I) is an alternative measure of PTSD severity, requiring less assessment time than the CAPS. Preliminary studies indicate that the PSS-I is reliable and valid in civilian trauma survivors. In the present study we compared the psychometric properties of the CAPS and the PSS-I in a sample of 64 civilian trauma survivors with and without PTSD. Participants were administered the CAPS, the PSS-I, and the Structured Clinical Interview for DSM-IV (SCID) by separate interviewers, and their responses were videotaped and rated by independent clinicians. Results indicated that the CAPS and the PSS-I showed high internal consistency, with no differences between the two measures. Interrater reliability was also high for both measures, with the PSS-I yielding a slightly higher coefficient. The CAPS and the PSS-I correlated strongly with each other and with the SCID. Although the CAPS had slightly higher specificity and the PSS-I had slightly higher sensitivity to PTSD, overall the CAPS and the PSS-I performed about equally well. These results suggest that the PSS-I can be used instead of the CAPS in the assessment of PTSD, thus decreasing assessment time without sacrificing reliability or validity.

Adult↗
PubMed1998

Full-scale and laboratory-scale anaerobic treatment of citric acid production wastewater.

This paper reviews the operation of a full-scale, fixed-bed digester treating a citric acid production wastewater with a COD:sulphate ratio of 3-4:1. Support matrix pieces were removed from the digester at intervals during the first 5 years of operation in order to quantify the vertical distribution of biomass within the digester. Detailed analysis of the digester biomass after 5 years of operation indicated that H2 and propionate-utilising SRB had outcompeted hydrogenophilic methanogens and propionate syntrophs. Acetoclastic methanogens were shown to play the dominant role in acetate conversion. Butyrate and ethanol-degrading syntrophs also remained active in the digester after 5 years of operation. Laboratory-scale hybrid reactor treatment at 55 degrees C of a diluted molasses influent, with and without sulphate supplementation, showed that the reactors could be operated with high stability at volumetric loading rates of 24 kgCOD.m-3.d-1 (12 h HRT). In the presence of sulphate (2 g/l-1; COD/sulphate ratio of 6:1), acetate conversion was severely inhibited, resulting in effluent acetate concentrations of up to 4000 mg.l-1.

Bacteria, Anaerobic↗
PubMed1996

Interspecies scaling of bosentan, a new endothelin receptor antagonist and integration of in vitro data into allometric scaling.

PURPOSE: The goal of this study was to find a rational and reliable method of using animal data to predict the clearance of metabolised drugs in humans. METHODS: One such approach is to use in vitro liver models (e.g. hepatocytes and microsomes) to determine the relative capacities of the various animal species and humans to metabolise the test compound. These data can then be combined with the in vivo clearances in animals, to calculate the in vivo clearance in humans using allometric scaling techniques. In this study, this approach was evaluated with a new endothelin receptor antagonist, bosentan, which is eliminated mainly through metabolism and is characterized by very large interspecies differences in clearance. Therefore, this compound provided a stringent test of our new extrapolation method for allometric scaling. RESULTS: The results obtained with bosentan showed that adjusting the in vivo clearance in the different animal species for the relative rates of metabolism in vitro gave a far better prediction of human clearance than an empirical correcting factor (brain weight). CONCLUSIONS: This approach provided a more rational basis for predicting the clearance of metabolised compounds in humans.

Animals↗
PubMed2001

Comparison between the CR10 Borg's scale and the VAS (visual analogue scale) during an arm-cranking exercise.

Two subjective assessment scales (VAS and Borg's CR10) are compared in a group of 15 young and healthy subjects performing an arm-cranking incremental steady-state exercise. Arm-ache and breathlessness were evaluated at each step, together with the measurement of heart rate (Hr) and blood lactate (Bl). Both arm-ache and breathlessness show a slight positively accelerating increase with workload as evaluated by CR10, while there exists a linear increase by VAS. A very good linear correlation (0.99, p < 0.05) was found between subjective assessments given on the CR10 and a simple combination of Hr and Bl. Reproducibility of both the scales and of the physiological variables was found to be good.

Adult↗
PubMed1994

Interspecies scaling of cimetidine-theophylline pharmacokinetic interaction: interspecies scaling in pharmacokinetic interactions.

The aim of the present study was the use of an interspecies scaling approach to predict drug interactions during preclinical drug disposition studies. Theophylline and cimetidine were selected because of their documented interaction. The literature was searched for pharmacokinetic data of intravenously administered theophylline alone and in the presence of cimetidine in humans, dogs and rats. Further, we determined the theophylline-cimetidine drug interaction in rabbits. Application of allometric equations to the pharmacokinetic parameters and the conversion of chronological time into pharmacokinetic time allowed us to obtain the complex Dedrick plot for theophylline when administered alone or in combination with cimetidine. A superimposable kinetic profile was obtained for the plasma levels of theophylline in all species studied, both with and without cimetidine. From the terminal phase of the curves it is possible to calculate the elimination half-life: 2.69 apolisychrons for theophylline when it is administered alone and 3.86 apolisychrons when it is administered in combination with cimetidine. This 43% increase in t1/2 is similar to the increase in the elimination half-life of theophylline in humans when it is administered after pretreatment with cimetidine. These results show that an interspecies scaling approach may be useful to predict the effect of interactions in humans from the results obtained in preclinical research with new drugs.

Animals↗
PubMedDate not supplied

Comparison of a verbal numeric rating scale with the visual analogue scale for the measurement of acute pain.

OBJECTIVES: To test the agreement between the visual analogue scale (VAS) and a verbal numeric rating scale (VNRS) in measuring acute pain, and measure the minimum clinically significant change in VNRS. METHODS: Patients scored their pain by the VAS and the VNRS, then re-scored their pain every 30 min for up to 2 h. Patients also recorded whether their pain had improved or worsened. Agreement between scores was evaluated, and where patients scored their pain as 'a bit worse' or 'a bit better' the mean change in VNRS was calculated. RESULTS: A total of 309 paired observations were obtained from 79 patients. The VAS and VNRS were highly correlated (r = 0.95, 95% CI 0.94-0.96). The VNRS was significantly higher than the VAS for the paired observations, with 95% of the differences between VAS and VNRS lying between -2.3 and 1.3 cm. The minimum clinically significant difference in VNRS was 1.4 cm (95% CI 1.2-1.6). CONCLUSIONS: The VNRS performs as well as the VAS in assessing changes in pain. However, although the VAS and VNRS are well correlated, patients systematically score their pain higher on the VNRS, with an unacceptably wide distribution of the differences.

Acute Disease↗
PubMed2003

A simple controlled-rate freezing method without a rate-controlled programmed freezer provides optimal conditions for both large-scale and small-scale cryopreservation of umbilical cord blood cells.

BACKGROUND: Umbilical cord blood (CB) is being used as a source of alternative HPCs for transplantation with increasing frequency. The goal of CB banks for unrelated transplantation is to provide good quality-controlled CB units that can be transplanted for HPCs into the largest possible number of patients. STUDY DESIGN AND METHODS: Large CB samples in freezing bags wrapped with insulators and small samples in cryotubes placed into double styrene-foam boxes were cryopreserved at -85 degrees C without a rate-controlled freezing machine, followed by storage in the liquid phase of nitrogen. After thawing these cells, the viability and recovery of cells, as well as the recovery rate of HPCs such as CD34+ cells, CFU-GM, and total CFU were evaluated. RESULTS: Measurement of the freezing rate in CB bags and cryotubes demonstrated that this simple method for cryopreservation of CB cells provided optimal conditions for both large-scale and small-scale cryopreservation. Recovery of CB progenitor cells after cryopreservation was also shown to be potentially acceptable when evaluated with CD34+ cells, CFU-GM, and total CFU. These results were comparable to the method using a rate-controlled programmed freezer. CONCLUSIONS: A simple method for cryopreservation of CB cells without a rate-controlled programmed freezer could provide a sufficient-enough potential for the transplantability of HPCs after thawing.

Blood Banks↗