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PubMed2006

Mycotoxins in Mexico: epidemiology, management, and control strategies.

Mycotoxin-producing molds species are extremely common. Many of them provoke serious diseases in humans and animals. These toxins occur, with varying severity, in agricultural products. Since Mexico is a big crops producer, the importance of the presence of these toxins is high. Currently, the Mexican regulation establishes limits only for aflatoxins in cereals and cereal products. No limits are set for other mycotoxins. Epidemiological data although limited, has shown that an important number of samples contain mycotoxin limits above those established abroad. Several strategies for reducing contamination have been conducted in the country such as development of hybrid corn, control of insect population, use of natural products, and modification of nixtamalization and extraction procedures. Although significant research on this field has been conducted, there is still a great need for information to determine the incidence of mycotoxins in Mexican products.

Aflatoxins↗
PubMed2002

Isulinotropic properties of Nigella sativa oil in Streptozotocin plus Nicotinamide diabetic hamster.

The present study was designed to investigate the possible insulinotropic properties of Nigella sativa L. (N. sativa) oil in Streptozotocin plus Nicotinamide-induced diabetes mellitus in hamsters. Nicotinamide was injected intraperitoneally 15min before injection of Streptozotocin intravenously. Oral treatment with N. sativa oil began 4 weeks after induction of diabetes. Serum insulin was measured by enzymeimmunoassay. Islets insulin was stained using anti-insulin monoclonal antibody. Significant decrease in blood glucose level together with significant increase in serum insulin level were observed after treatment with N. sativa oil for 4 weeks. Big areas with positive immuno-reactivity for the presence of insulin were observed in the pancreases from N. sativa oil-treated group compared to non-treated one using immunohistochemical staining. Therefore, our data show that the hypoglycemic effect of N. sativa oil in Streptozotocin plus Nicotinamide diabetic hamsters resulted, at least partly, from a stimulatory effect on beta cell function with consequent increase in serum insulin level. These results indicate that N. sativa oil has insulinotropic properties in type 2-like model.

Animals↗
PubMed1997

The relation between various histological types of lung cancer and the number of years since cessation of smoking.

We studied the relation between various histological types of lung cancer and the number of years of cessation from smoking using data from a recently completed case-control study in Northern Germany. In this context we wanted to answer the question whether smoking cessation is a specific symptom of small cell lung cancer. Defining current smokers as the reference group the odds ratios decreased with years of cessation. Based on the analysis of all male cases and controls in our study, former smokers who stopped smoking 6-10 years ago had an odds ratio of 0.97 (95% confidence interval (C.I.) = 0.65-1.45), ex-smokers with 11-20 years of smoking cessation had a reduced risk of 0.55 (95% C.I. = 0.38-0.79), and for more than 20 years of cessation we found an odds ratio of 0.25 (95% C.I. = 0.16-0.40). Moreover, these calculations are also presented for the major groups of histological types of lung cancer. Our data show that there is no evidence for the presumption that cases with small cell lung cancer stop smoking earlier than cases with other histological types: in no other histological category we found such a big part of current smokers.

Adenocarcinoma↗
PubMed2006

You can take it with you: individual differences and expatriate effectiveness.

The authors report the collaborative efforts of 2 research teams that independently investigated the effects of stable personality traits (the Big Five) and specific behavioral competencies (cultural flexibility, task and people orientations, and ethnocentrism) on key dimensions of expatriate effectiveness: psychological adjustment, assignment withdrawal cognitions, and job performance. Analyses of multiple-source and longitudinal data from 3 studies, including a diverse sample of expatriates in Hong Kong and separate samples of Korean and Japanese expatriates posted around the world, indicate several direct effects of individual differences. Further data show reliable distinctions between the traits and competencies as well as incremental prediction by either set of predictors in the presence of the others.

Adaptation, Psychological↗
PubMed1999

Discourses on empowerment.

The discourse community of British psychiatric and mental health nursing is a contested realm. The 'Big Stories' of policy and planning of services are clearly articulated in disputes in journals, but the 'Little Stories' of nurses' work and patients' or users' experiences may be ignored or under-valued. This paper illustrates how the Big Story of a central theme in current policy--empowerment--is articulated in the realm of research funding and design, and how it is articulated by practitioners. The paper focuses attention on the responsibilities faced by researchers, in relating the Little Stories of practice and the Big Story of policy. It reports early and tentative findings from a study of community psychiatric nurses' empowerment of people with enduring mental disorders. The paper suggests ways in which strategies for analysis of qualitative data from interviews with CPNs may be informed by ideas drawn from the field of discourse analysis; reflexively examining how researchers' discourses relate to those of policy makers and mental health nursing practitioners. This paper is based on a presentation at the Network for Psychiatric Nursing Research Conference, Napier University, Edinburgh, 17 September 1997.

Attitude of Health Personnel↗
PubMed2003

Costs of implementing and maintaining a tuberculin skin test program in hospitals and health departments.

OBJECTIVE: To determine (1) the annual costs of implementing and maintaining tuberculin skin test (TST) programs at participating study sites, (2) the cost of the TST program per healthcare worker (HCW), and (3) the outcomes of the TST programs, including the proportion of HCWs with a documented TST conversion and the proportion who accepted and completed treatment for latent TB infection, before and after the implementation of staffTRAK-TB software (Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, Atlanta, GA). DESIGN: Cost analysis in which costs for salaries, training, supplies, radiography, and data analysis were collected for two 12-month periods (before and after the implementation of staffTRAK-TB). SETTING: Four hospitals (two university and two city) and two health departments (one small county and one big city). RESULTS: The annual cost of implementing and maintaining a TST program ranged from dollars 66,564 to dollars 332,728 for hospitals and dollars 92,886 to dollars 291,248 for health departments. The cost of the TST program per HCW ranged from dollars 41 to dollars 362 for hospitals and dollars 176 to dollars 264 for health departments. CONCLUSIONS: Costs associated with implementing and maintaining a TST program varied widely among the participating study sites, both before and after the implementation of staffTRAK-TB. Compliance with the TB infection control guidelines of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention may require a substantial investment in personnel time, effort, and commitment.

Academic Medical Centers↗
PubMed1998

Endothelin-converting enzyme-1 mRNA expression in human cardiovascular disease.

Endothelin-converting enzyme-1 (ECE-1) plays a substantial role in activation of the endothelin (ET) system by cleaving the precursor, big ET-1, to the active peptide ET-1. The aim of this study was to investigate whether ECE-1 mRNA expression is modified in human cardiovascular disease. ECE-1 expression was related to echocardiographic data, drug treatment, age, sex, and NYHA heart failure classification. A quantitative PCR assay (qPCR) was established to measure ECE-1 mRNA in these samples. The ECE-1 measurements were normalized over a simultaneously performed GAPDH qPCR. The results indicate a higher ECE-1 expression level in atrial tissue samples of patients who have experienced a myocardial infarction compared with those who did not (ECE-1/GAPDH: 5.81 +/- 0.76 fg/ng; n = 21 vs. 3.20 +/- 0.51 fg/ng; n = 22; p = 0.007). The transverse diameter of the left atrium over 37 mm was associated with a lower ECE-1 expression (ECE-1/GAPDH: 3.11 +/- 0.69 fg/ng; n = 18 vs. 5.12 +/- 0.65 fg/ng; n = 25; p = 0.044). In assessing the drug treatment, decreased ECE-1 expression could be observed in patients who received a beta-blocker (ECE-1/GAPDH: 3.90 +/- 58 fg/ng; n = 31 vs. 5.81 +/- 0.76 fg/ng; n = 12; p = 0.077). These data suggest an involvement of the ET system is cardiovascular disease that may be clinically important.

Aspartic Acid Endopeptidases↗
PubMed1999

Boosting regression estimators.

There is interest in extending the boosting algorithm (Schapire, 1990) to fit a wide range of regression problems. The threshold-based boosting algorithm for regression used an analogy between classification errors and big errors in regression. We focus on the practical aspects of this algorithm and compare it to other attempts to extend boosting to regression. The practical capabilities of this model are demonstrated on the laser data from the Santa Fe times-series competition and the Mackey-Glass time series, where the results surpass those of standard ensemble average.

Algorithms↗
PubMed1993

Characterization of insulin-like growth factor II (IGF-II) and IGF binding proteins in patients with non-islet-cell tumor hypoglycemia.

Insulin-like growth factor II (IGF-II) in serum and tumor extracts from five patients with non-islet-cell tumor hypoglycemia (NICTH) has been characterized. These tumors contained large quantities of IGF-II (2.4-14.2 micrograms/g tissues). The serum IGF-II levels in four of five patients were a little high and the serum IGF-I levels in five patients were low. The serum IGF-II/IGF-I ratios in these patients ranged from 24.1 to 64.2, and the values were significantly greater than those in normal subjects (1.7-7.1). When the sera were gel-filtered on a Sephacryl S-200 column under neutral conditions, the proportion of the free form of IGF-II was not increased. However, in four of five patients, an abnormal IGF-II-IGF binding protein complex was found. When serum IGF binding proteins (IGFBPs) were analyzed by Western ligand blotting, serum IGFBP-2 increased in these patients. When the tumor extracts and sera were gel-filtered on a Biogel P-60 column under acidic conditions, the majority of IGF-II in these sera was a big form of IGF-II. As compared to authentic IGF-II, insulin receptor reactivities and IGF-II receptor reactivities of tumor extracted IGF-II increased in two of three patients. These data indicate that in patients with NICTH, heterogenous IGF-II is produced in respect of size and bioactivities, and that the characteristics of IGF binding protein are altered. Thus, to find IGF-II producing tumors among extrapancreatic tumors associated with hypoglycemia, the quality of IGF-II as well as the quantity should be studied.

Aged↗
PubMed2000

U.S. trials on contraceptive gel begin via the Internet.

OmniComm Systems, Inc. (OMCM), Miami, Florida, announced it is partnering with Optima WorldWide, Ltd., to launch US testing of a vaginal gel for the potential prevention of pregnancy and the most common sexually transmitted diseases (STDs). Surete Gel, which is already being sold in China as a vaginal disinfectant and contraceptive, is being tested as a potential preventive agent for most STDs, including HIV. The concept of an antimicrobial product that prevents infectious sexual diseases has long been awaited by experts at the WHO and the US National Institutes of Health as an important weapon in preventing the global STD and HIV epidemics. OmniComm's Internet electronic data capture system, TrialMaster, and its web portal for trial investigators and participants, WebIPA.com, will manage long-term testing of Surete Gel worldwide. Stephen Drake, Optima, is hailing the partnership with OmniComm as a big step forward. "We are very pleased with this alliance as we complete trials on Surete Gel. This brings us closer to bringing a microbicide gel to the important US market while our vaginal disinfectant and contraceptive is already being introduced abroad". Optima is awaiting approval to sell Surete Gel in India and Thailand, as well as in several African and European nations. OmniComm is expanding its trial investigator base for Surete clinic trials in the US by enrolling experienced US investigators in the field of gynecology. A number of trial participants will be needed to take part in extensive testing before the product can be considered for approval in the US as more than a contraceptive. Surete complies with the US Food and Drug Administration monograph as a contraceptive. Anyone interested in taking part in those clinical trials--investigators or participants--must register thru OmniComm's web portal, WebIPA.com.

Americas↗
PubMed2003

Decision tree and paradigms of primary breast cancer: changes elicited by preoperative therapy.

A small difference in decision-making causes a big impact on the long-term outcome in cancer treatment. Novel methods such as preoperative systemic treatment or sentinel node biopsy (SNB) may alter the decision-trees in primary breast cancer management. Recent data showed that preoperative chemotherapy drives pathological complete response (pCR) that implies long-term relapse-free, for about 25% to 30% of early breast cancer patients. In fact, preoperative systemic therapy has come to be used regardless of the tumor stage. From the point of the clinical trial, pCR can be recognized as a new endpoint, which promises to speed up new therapy development. Therefore, it is crucial to consider new paradigms including preoperative therapy in the decision-tree. There are several criticisms regarding the preoperative therapy, such as a possibility of over-treatment, however these issues might be resolved by changing the concept or procedures slightly. For instance, if SNB is conducted before the treatment, the over-treatment issue can be eliminated. In this article, we will discuss the changes in decision-tree and paradigms for primary

Antineoplastic Agents↗
PubMed2005

[Prevalence of major external birth defects in high and low risk areas in China, 2003].

OBJECTIVE: To study the prevalence rates of birth defects in high and low risk areas in China. METHODS: A population-based surveillance system on birth defects was used to obtain the prevalence rates of 24 kinds of major external birth defects from > or = 20 weeks of gestation to 7 days of life in selected areas in Shanxi and Jiangsu provinces. RESULTS: The birth prevalence of birth defects (232.4 per 10,000 births) and neural tube defects (NTDs) (138.7 per 10,000 births) in four counties of Shanxi province were significantly higher than that in Taiyuan city (75.3 and 28.2 per 10,000 births, respectively). There was no significant difference for all selected birth defects between Wuxi city and Xishan counties in low risk areas. There was a 6.1-fold of higher prevalence for NTDs in Taiyuan city compared with that in Wuxi areas (4.6 per 10,000 births). In four counties of Shanxi province, the prevalence rates of anencephaly, spina bifida, hydrocephaly, cleft palate alone and polydactyly were significantly higher than in Wuxi areas. The NTDs prevalence rate in four counties of Shanxi was 30.2 times higher than in Wuxi areas. When compared with previous surveillance data, the NTDs prevalence rate did not present obvious declining trend in high risk areas. The birth prevalence rate had a 31.8% decrease when births were calculated after 28 gestational weeks and compared with those from 20 gestational weeks. CONCLUSION: NTDs remained to be the most common birth defect seen in Shanxi province. The birth prevalence rate of NTDs in some areas of Shanxi province was among the highest that ever reported in the world in comparison with data from other countries and regions. The current prevalence rate in high risk areas in Shanxi province did not clearly show a declining trend. Programs on surveillance and prenatal diagnosis were proved to have made big impact on the rates of major external birth defects.

China↗
PubMed1991

[The modern method of treating burn wounds].

An autoplasty method for treatment of burns was worked out by the authors. In lab conditions a monolayer of epithelium is grown out from a piece of owner skin. Its size is 10 times (and more) as big as the initial material. The article deals with the results of treatment of 12 patients who had the transplantation of monolayer epithelium. Indications and contraindications are enclosed. The article concludes by the appreciation of data which were obtained during this work.

Adolescent↗
PubMed1980

[Choledocholithiasis after cholecystectomy].

Concrements were found in the ducts of 172 patients subjected to secondary surgical interventions on bile ducts. The detailed analysis of the data failed to answer the question whether the stones could be formed immediately in the ducts without such conditions as a mechanical obstacle for the outflow of bile, the presence of foreign bodies and a big stump of the cystic duct. Such a formation of stones can take place in very few cases. The authors have shown that control cholangiography and especially choledochoscopy can reduce the danger to leave the stones in the ducts, but does not eliminate the danger completely. Nevertheless they think that now it is possible to lessen the indications for biliodigestive anastomoses in choledocholithiasis since the retained stones can be revealed within the first days after surgery and, as a rule, removed with instruments or by other methods using the drainage left in the ducts.

Cholecystectomy↗
PubMed1993

Review of air pollution and its health impact in Indonesia.

Air quality monitoring is part of the initial strategy in the pollution prevention program in Indonesia. Since 1978, the government of Indonesia has had a commitment to the World Health Organization (WHO) to provide air quality data for the Global Environmental Monitoring System (GEMS Programme)--The WHO/UNEP Project, in which certain cities from all over the world have been selected. Air quality as part of the WHO/UNEP project is monitored with respect to pollutants like SPM, SO2 and NOx. The result of the monitoring indicates that SPM and NOx are the predominant pollutants. Other pollutants such as O(x), H2S, NH3, and CO are also monitored in several big cities in Indonesia. The air pollution mainly comes from land transportation, industrial emissions, and a densely populated residential area where most people perform their activities. Review of the air pollution in Indonesia was based on the reports of the air quality monitoring in several large cities in Indonesia which covered air pollutants such as SPM, SO2, NOx, CO, O(x), and NH3 from 1978 until the latest available data in 1989. This review also discusses health impact investigations conducted in the community, especially from the exposure to SPM, CO, and lead from motor vehicle exhaust.

Air Pollution↗
PubMed2005

Selection bias and the perils of benchmarking.

To find the secrets of business success, what could be more natural than studying successful businesses? In fact, nothing could be more dangerous, warns this Stanford professor. Generalizing from the examples of successful companies is like generalizing about New England weather from data taken only in the summer. That's essentially what businesspeople do when they learn from good examples and what consultants, authors, and researchers do when they study only existing companies or--worse yet--only high-performing companies. They reach conclusions from unrepresentative data samples, falling into the classic statistical trap of selection bias. Drawing on a wealth of case studies, for instance, one researcher concluded that great leaders share two key traits: They persist, often despite initial failures, and they are able to persuade others to join them. But those traits are also the hallmarks of spectacularly unsuccessful entrepreneurs, who must persist in the face of failure to incur large losses and must be able to persuade others to pour their money down the drain. To discover what makes a business successful, then, managers should look at both successes and failures. Otherwise, they will overvalue risky business practices, seeing only those companies that won big and not the ones that lost dismally. They will not be able to tell if their current good fortune stems from smart business practices or if they are actually coasting on past accomplishments or good luck. Fortunately, economists have developed relatively simple tools that can correct for selection bias even when data about failed companies are hard to come by. Success may be inspirational, but managers are more likely to find the secrets of high performance if they give the stories of their competitors'failures as full a hearing as they do the stories of dazzling successes.

Administrative Personnel↗
PubMedDate not supplied

Selection of pulse oximetry equipment for ambulatory monitoring.

PRIMARY OBJECTIVE: This communication describes the initial stage of a research project concerning the monitoring of SpO2 in infants prone to periods of spontaneous oxygen desaturation whilst freely moving around their home environment. The primary aim was to determine an appropriate probe type and site together with an assessment of the suitability of two commercially available oximeter units. RESEARCH DESIGN: The study comprised 19 comparative tests, totalling 162 hours of recordings at resolution one sample every four seconds. Comparisons are drawn between probes, probe sites and pulse oximeters. MAIN OUTCOMES/RESULTS: The bias and precision is presented with respect to the probe and measurement site. Also, correlation between the trial and reference recordings is considered. CONCLUSIONS: It is concluded that ambulatory recording of SpO2 in infants utilizing equipment suitable for home monitoring can produce diagnostic data equivalent to that of the Ohmeda 3700 biox, but that an indication of movement artefact may be required for confirmation of accuracy. It became apparent that 'wrap around' probes, used on the index finger or big toe are the most suitable.

Child↗
PubMed2006

Intracranial malignant meningioma with multiple spinal metastases--a case report and literature review: case report.

STUDY DESIGN: Case report. OBJECTIVE: To report a case and review the literature on intracranial malignant meningioma with metastasis to the spine. SUMMARY OF BACKGROUND DATA: Because so few cases have been recognized and reported, the radiologic and pathologic assessment, pathway of metastasis, and the concepts of surgical resection and other palliative management of this disease are still controversial. METHODS: A big lobulated mass in the left frontal lobe containing calcifications and tumor bleeding was resected. Pathologic findings indicated malignant meningioma due to bone destruction and dura invasion grossly, and tumor cellular atypism with mitotic activity and massive tumor necrosis microscopically. Radiotherapy followed, and brain computed tomography revealed no definite evidence of recurrence. Three months later, spinal magnetic resonance imaging revealed multiple bone metastasis in lower T-L-S1, and pathologic fracture of L1 with compression of the dural sac and spinal cord. Surgical resection was done for decompression, fixation, and pathologic proof. RESULTS: Both pathologic and immunohistochemical survey found evidence consistent with malignant meningioma with spinal metastasis. Advanced treatment was refused, and the patient died. CONCLUSION: Spinal magnetic resonance imaging should be performed because of the high spinal metastatic rate, especially when spinal symptoms and signs are present. Immunohistochemical study has an important role in the differential diagnosis of primary or metastatic intracranial neoplasms.

Brain Neoplasms↗