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Medical personnel and medical librarians may tend to think of nutrition in medical terms and to forget its interdisciplinary aspects. For this reason, it is desirable for medical librarians to become familiar with a variety of sources of information on the composition of foods, nutrient values, food additives, and food protection. Many of these are government publications from such agencies as the U.S. Department of Agriculture, the National Research Council, and the Food and Agriculture Organization. Less familiar sources include nutrition materials from state agricultural experiment stations and extension services and important data published in a wide range of scientific or agricultural journals, which may be located through Nutrition Abstracts and Reviews, Food Science and Technology Abstracts, and the Bibliography of Agriculture. Sources of current information on nutrition research in progress include the Department of Agriculture's Current Research Information System (CRIS) and selective listings from the Smith-sonian Information Exchange.
The formation of a Poison Substance Information System (PSIS) using existing computer databases is proposed. This would be an inquiry/response search system using interactive data communications. Chemical codes are the essential data elements that link the databases. Product codes allow easy and accurate end-user access to the system. Ten component databases are described. Two of these form the core of any PSIS, the other eight are of a type that can be attached to the system. Some of the databases need modification so that they can be used in the PSIS. For the most part, the modifications provide a natural extension of the database's capability and would not be done solely for the purpose of incorporating the databases into the PSIS. It is concluded that information is available in existing databases, and it is possible, with some modification, to link them into a comprehensive online poison information retrieval system.
BACKGROUND: This section is under preparation and will be included in the next issue. OBJECTIVES: To determine whether, in preterm newborn infants who have hypoxic respiratory failure, treatment with inhaled nitric oxide improves oxygenation and reduces the rates of death, or adverse neurodevelopmental outcome. SEARCH STRATEGY: Electronic and hand searching of pediatric/neonatal literature and personal data files. SELECTION CRITERIA: Randomized and quasi randomized studies in preterm infants with hypoxic respiratory failure. Administration of inhaled nitric oxide. Clinically relevant outcomes, including death, oxygenation, intraventricular haemorrhage. DATA COLLECTION AND ANALYSIS: One randomized controlled trial of nitric oxide therapy was found in preterm infants with a high risk of developing bronchopulmonary dysplasia (Subhedar 1997). MAIN RESULTS: No significant effect of inhaled nitric oxide on any outcome variable was found. In particular there was no effect on the primary outcome variable of death or bronchopulmonary dysplasia. REVIEWER'S CONCLUSIONS: There is currently no published information to support the use of inhaled nitric oxide in preterm infants. Preterm infants should not be treated with inhaled nitric oxide except in the context of prospective, randomized controlled trials.
The Internet can help physicians to identify needed clinical information quickly providing continued medical education. Internet also improves medical information of the non-medical population. Researchers have quick access to library catalogs, Medline and other important databases from the most recognized research centers. Furthermore, it can put physicians in ready contact with other specialists for communication and consultation, facilitates administrative procedures of multicenter studies and accelerates editorial processes of biomedical journals. Since its creation, the website of the Spanish Society of Cardiology has evolved rapidly to the present model, providing different kinds of services to its members including faster communication, information from national and international societies and congresses, earlier access to the full content of Revista Española de Cardiología and to a variety of graphic resources and of continuing education. Nowadays, the website of the Spanish Society of Cardiology is consulted by one thousand visitors a week, even at weekends. The degree of activity increases from 3 h P.M. with a peak from 11 h P.M. to 1 h A.M. In the near future, our website will incorporate its own courses of continuing medical education with on-line evaluation and credit granting, will give support to multicenter studies and will initiate the publication and discussion of clinical cases of interest.
BACKGROUND: Mu-9 is a murine monoclonal antibody that is directed against affinity-purified colon-specific antigen-p (CSAp). CSAp is a tumor-associated antigen that is present in 60% of colorectal carcinomas. Preclinical and clinical studies have shown Mu-9 to have excellent targeting abilities. However, as administration of the murine immunoglobulin G (IgG) provoked a human anti-mouse antibody response, chimerization of Mu-9 is warranted for decreasing immunogenicity. METHODS: Polymerase chain reaction and cDNA library screening methods were used for the cloning of Mu-9 heavy and light chain variable regions for the construction of chimeric Mu-9. RESULTS: The functional chimeric Mu-9 antibody binds to the CSAp antigen in the GW-39 extracts. It has immunochemical properties similar to that of murine Mu-9. CONCLUSIONS: The V-region sequence information will be used for design of humanized Mu-9, which will be evaluated for targeting gastrointestinal carcinomas.
We have investigated the structure-activity relationships of the 1- and 3-substituents and replacements of the 5-phenyl group of GW405212X 1, a potent selective oxytocin antagonist. The effect of these modifications on oxytocin binding antagonism and on pharmacokinetic parameters is reported.
BACKGROUND: Positron emission tomography (PET) is an expensive diagnostic imaging technology. Despite the long history of PET development, the costs and effectiveness of its use in routine clinical practice remain unknown. Against this background of uncertainty regarding the clinical role of PET, the UK Standing Group on Health Technology requested a review of its current and potential role which would enable research priorities in this area to be established. OBJECTIVES: This 3-month project had two explicit objectives: (1) to review the state of knowledge regarding the clinical applications of PET; (2) to determine the key health technology assessment (HTA) research questions relating to the use of PET in the UK. METHODS: A literature review to ascertain the state of knowledge regarding the clinical applications of PET and a three-round Delphi study to inform the key HTA research questions relating to the use of PET in the UK were undertaken. The results of an earlier systematic review, published by the Veteran's Health Administration (VHA) in the USA in 1996, were used as the starting point for the literature review. The VHA review was updated and extended by means of MEDLINE and Cochrane Library database searches. Participants in the Delphi study were selected by discussion with five individuals in the UK with an interest in, and awareness of, developments in PET. As a result of their suggestions, 43 individuals were initially invited to participate, of whom two did not feel appropriately qualified. Questionnaires were sent by facsimile to all invited participants, who were asked to return the completed forms by facsimile within a week. The content and structure of the Delphi study was informed by the results of the literature review. The responses and comments of the participants were a major source of information for this report. RESULTS: Clinical applications for PET have been advocated in three broad disease groups: oncology, cardiology and neuropsychiatric disorders. There are currently four PET modalities that need to be considered when assessing its potential clinical role in the UK: full ring PET scanners operating in two or three dimensions (available at five sites); partial ring rotating PET scanners (one currently operating in the UK); coincidence imaging with modified gamma camera technology; and high-energy collimator imaging of 511 keV photons with modified gamma camera technology. There is a paucity of available evidence relating to the cost-effectiveness of the various PET modalities in all of the clinical indications for which the technology is currently being advocated. In addition, many existing reports on the diagnostic accuracy of PET are limited because they are liable to bias and often relate only to very small patient numbers. The results of the Delphi study indicated that the four most important research priorities for the NHS, in descending order of their importance, are: (1) the relative cost-effectiveness of (a) full ring PET, (b) gamma camera PET using coincidence imaging and (c) existing diagnostic strategies to determine staging prior to operative intervention for lung cancer; (2) partial ring PET compared with full ring PET in oncology (3) the relative cost-effectiveness of (a) full ring PET, (b) gamma camera PET using coincidence imaging and (c) existing diagnostic strategies to stage and monitor treatment response in breast cancer; (4) the relative cost-effectiveness of (a) gamma camera PET using coincidence imaging and (b) 511 keV collimated positron imaging for assessing myocardial viability when selecting patients for revascularisation surgery. Vignettes describing each of the research priorities are provided in the main report. CONCLUSIONS: The findings of this project, which was undertaken rapidly in order to inform HTA research prioritization in the UK, provide a contemporary overview of the potential clinical role for PET in the NHS. Evidence is needed that using PET as a diagnostic
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The materials are heaped on the ground: pieces of plywood, ropes, PVC pipes, tarps, a saw. Twelve people--physicians and administrative leaders from Presbyterian Healthcare Services in Albuquerque--appraise the pile. Their assignment: Build a structure into which all 12 people will fit; one that will be wind-proof, rain-proof, and sun-proof; and that will house their traveling library (about $500 worth of books). By the time they are finished, this group will have begun to experience the pleasures and problems of team learning. And over the next six months, they will have occasion to reflect back on their common experience as it reverberates through the life of their organization in ways they cannot now foresee.
The molecular mechanism of the Chinese traditional medicine 'Bushen Yinao Pian' (a complex prescription used for clinical anti-ageing in China for over 20 years) is elusive. In this study, the cDNA of low-density lipoprotein related-receptor associated protein-1 (LRPAP-1), an ageing-related gene, which functions as a chaperon or escort protein in the intracellular transport of low-density lipoprotein related-receptor, a transporter of amyloid beta protein (AbetaP), had been cloned by screening cDNA library based on analyzing the gene expression in cerebral tissue between the test and the control accelerated senescence-prone mouse 8/Ta (SAMP8/Ta). The result shows that this complex prescription increased the expression level of LRPAP-1. It indicated that the Chinese traditional medicine 'Bushen Yinao Pian' plays an important role in anti-ageing by increasing LRPAP-1 expression level.
BACKGROUND: Some previous studies suggested that prophylactic antibiotics given during pregnancy improved maternal and perinatal outcomes, some did not show any benefit and some even reported adverse effects. OBJECTIVES: To determine the effect of prophylactic antibiotics during second and third trimester of pregnancy on maternal and perinatal outcomes. SEARCH STRATEGY: The Cochrane Pregnancy and Childbirth Group trials register (April 2002), the Cochrane Controlled Trials Register (The Cochrane Library, Issue 1, 2002) and reference lists of articles were searched. SELECTION CRITERIA: Randomized controlled trials comparing prophylactic antibiotic treatment with placebo or no treatment for women in the second or third trimester of pregnancy before labour. DATA COLLECTION AND ANALYSIS: Trial quality assessment and data extraction were done by the reviewers. MAIN RESULTS: There were six randomized controlled trials which recruited 2184 women to detect the effect of prophylactic antibiotic administration in the second or third trimester on pregnancy outcomes. Antibiotic prophylaxis in unselected pregnant women reduced the risk of prelabour rupture of membranes (Peto odds ratio (OR) 0.32, 95% confidence interval (CI) 0.14 to 0.73). In women with a previous preterm birth there was a risk reduction in low birth weight (OR 0.48, 95% CI 0.27 to 0.84) and postpartum endometritis (OR 0.46, 95% CI 0.24 to 0.89). There was a risk reduction in preterm delivery (OR 0.48, 95% CI 0.28 to 0.81) in pregnant women with a previous preterm birth associated with bacterial vaginosis (BV) during the current pregnancy but there was no risk reduction in pregnant women with previous preterm birth without BV during pregnancy (OR 1.06, 95% CI 0.68 to 1.64). However, vaginal antibiotic prophylaxis during pregnancy did not prevent infectious pregnancy outcomes and there is a possibility of adverse effects such as neonatal sepsis (OR 8.07, 95% CI 1.36 to 47.77). REVIEWER'S CONCLUSIONS: Antibiotic prophylaxis given during the second or third trimester of pregnancy reduces the risk of prelabour rupture of the membranes when given routinely to pregnant women. Beneficial effects on birth weight and the risk of postpartum endometritis were seen for high risk women.
BACKGROUND AND OBJECTIVE: The advantages of albumin over less costly alternative fluids continue to be debated. Meta-analyses focusing on survival have been inconclusive, and other clinically relevant end-points have not been systematically addressed. We sought to determine whether albumin confers significant clinical benefit in acute illness compared with other fluid regimens. METHODS: Database searches (MEDLINE, EMBASE, Cochrane Library) and other methods were used to identify randomized controlled trials comparing albumin with crystalloid, artificial colloid, no albumin or lower-dose albumin. Major findings for all end-points were extracted and summarized. A quantitative meta-analysis was not attempted. RESULTS: Seventy-nine randomized trials with a total of 4755 patients were included. No significant treatment effects were detectable in 20/79 (25%) trials. In cardiac surgery, albumin administration resulted in lower fluid requirements, higher colloid oncotic pressure, reduced pulmonary oedema with respiratory impairment and greater haemodilution compared with crystalloid and hydroxyethylstarch increased postoperative bleeding. In non-cardiac surgery, fluid requirements, and pulmonary and intestinal oedema were decreased by albumin compared with crystalloid. In hypoalbuminaemia, higher doses of albumin reduced morbidity. In ascites, albumin reduced haemodynamic derangements, morbidity and length of stay and improved survival after spontaneous bacterial peritonitis. In sepsis, albumin decreased pulmonary oedema and respiratory dysfunction compared with crystalloid, while hydroxyethylstarch induced abnormalities of haemostasis. Complications were lowered by albumin compared with crystalloid in burn patients. Albumin-containing therapeutic regimens improved outcomes after brain injury. CONCLUSIONS: Albumin can bestow benefit in diverse clinical settings. Further trials are warranted to delineate optimal fluid regimens, in particular indications.
In 1990, the American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists (ACOG) became the first national organization to receive a model phase Integrated Academic Information Management System (IAIMS) grant from the National Library of Medicine. The goal of the ACOG model phase project is to develop and test a prototype for an integrated system that will meet the needs of ACOG and NAACOG members in patient care, research, education, and administrative information. The model phase goal will be accomplished primarily through ACOGQUEST, an integrated approach to providing accurate, current, quality-filtered information to ACOG and NAACOG members in a variety of formats. Another method of information dissemination now being tested is a heuristic-based patient management database, which will include a concise, interactive display of ACOG-reviewed information that can be incorporated into patient records.
A construct of the Mycoplasma pulmonis (MP) genomic library, using randomly sheared DNA, was cloned in lambda gt11 and transfected into C600 Escherichia coli organisms. Clones of E. coli expressing a fusion protein reactive with anti-MP and monospecific serum were transferred orally or intravenously into Balb/c mice. Expression of the fusion protein was induced by adding isopropyl-beta-D-thiogalactopyranoside to the drinking water. This vaccination protocol led to local and systemic antibody formation, to generation of immune lymphocytes and to protection against large numbers of virulent MP organisms. This approach might be generally successful in preventing infectious disease.
The vitamin A metabolite, all-trans retinoic acid (atRA), is required for embryonic development. atRA binds to the nuclear retinoic acid receptors and regulates the transcription of specific target genes. In order to identify atRA-induced genes that play a role in neural development, a subtractive library was created from SH-SY5Y neuroblastoma cells, a human cell line that exhibits changes in cell adhesion and neurite outgrowth after exposure to the vitamin A acid. We report here the identification of 14 genes that are rapidly induced by atRA (retinoic acid induced in neuroblastoma or RAINB), eight of which were previously not known to be atRA responsive (BTBD11, calmin, cyclin M2, ephrin B2, HOXD10, NEDD9, RAINB6 and tenascin R). mRNA regulation by atRA was confirmed in SH-SY5Y cells by Northern blotting, and gene regulation was studied in additional human cell lines using the quantitative polymerase chain reaction. The majority of the atRA-responsive clones revealed in this screen are highly expressed in the nervous system of developing rat embryos. Further, the expression of several of these genes is perturbed in developing rat embryos exposed to excess atRA or conversely, deprived of sufficient retinoid during early development. We propose that a subset of these genes lie downstream of atRA and its receptors in the regulation of neurite outgrowth and cell adhesion in both neural and non-neural tissues within the developing embryo.
The complete sequence of the cDNA encoding the neuropeptide Y (NPY) Y1-receptor has recently been deduced from a rat brain library, and the presence of messenger ribonucleic acid (mRNA) encoding Y1-receptor protein has been demonstrated within the brain. Using quantitative in situ hybridization histochemistry, the content and distribution of Y1-receptor and preproNPY mRNAs have been investigated in the hypothalamic arcuate nucleus of adrenalectomized rats receiving glucocorticoid replacement therapy for 12 days by means of either high doses of dexamethasone in their drinking water or by subcutaneous corticosterone pellets. Basal metabolic parameters such as weight gain or loss, blood glucose and plasma insulin were monitored: Dexamethasone treatment induced weight loss and a state of hyperinsulinemia with normoglycemia, while corticosterone treated animals displayed metabolic parameters identical to sham ADX animals. Within the arcuate nucleus of glucocorticoid treated animals, levels of Y1-receptor and preproNPY mRNAs were increased. In contrast, adrenalectomy itself had no effect upon Y1-receptor mRNA levels or preproNPY mRNA levels in the arcuate nucleus. These studies demonstrate that glucocorticoids exert a stimulatory action on levels of Y1-receptor mRNA and preproNPY mRNA levels in the hypothalamic arcuate nucleus. This is the first evidence to suggest that the expression of a neuropeptide-receptor gene in the central nervous system may be directly sensitive to peripheral hormonal signals.
The metabolic fates of the synthetic surfactants, sodium [1-(14)C]undecyltriethoxy sulphate and sodium [1-(14)C]dodecyltriethoxy sulphate were studied in the rat. Both compounds were extensively metabolized regardless of the route of administration, oral, intraperitoneal or intravenous. Short-chain radioactive products were eliminated in the urine: the major metabolite of the dodecyl homologue in the urine was identified as (-)O(2)C(14)CH(2)- (OC(2)H(4))(3)OSO(3) (-) by n.m.r. and g.l.c.-mass spectrometry, whereas the major metabolite of the undecyl homologue in the urine was tentatively identified as (-)O(2)CCH(2) (14)CH(2)- (OC(2)H(4))(3)OSO(3) (-). In contrast with experiments with the dodecyl derivative, when [1-(14)C]undecyltriethoxy sulphate was administered to rats, appreciable amounts of radioactivity were recovered as (14)CO(2) in expired air. Whole-body radioautography implicated the liver as the major site of metabolism of both surfactants. The nature of the metabolic products establishes that both compounds are degraded by omega,beta-oxidation. Cleavage of the ether linkage proximal to the sulphate moiety may account for the small amounts of (14)CO(2) recovered in expired air after the administration of [1-(14)C]dodecyltriethoxy sulphate. It is suggested the substantial amounts of (14)CO(2) recovered after [1-(14)C]-undecyltriethoxy sulphate administration originate from (-)O(2) (14)C(OC(2)H(4))(3) OSO(3) (-), an unstable product of omega,beta-oxidation. An n.m.r. spectrum of the metabolite identified as 2-(triethoxy sulphate)acetic acid and a mass spectrum of the trimethylsilyl derivative of the parent alcohol of that metabolite have been deposited as Supplementary Publication SUP50086 (5 pages) at the British Library Lending Division, Boston Spa, Wetherby, West Yorkshire LS23 7BQ, U.K., from whom copies can be obtained on the terms indicated in Biochem. J. (1978) 169, 5.