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At least 793 records · Page 44Linked to original sources
PubMed2003

Preparation and characterization of reference materials for human pancreatic lipase: BCR 693 (from human pancreatic juice) and BCR 694 (recombinant).

There is a lack of certified reference material (CRM) for lipase catalytic activity. Consequently between-method comparability is very poor. The aim of this study was to produce two lipase CRMs, one from human pancreatic juice (BCR 693), and another using recombinant technologies (BCR 694). Lipase was purified from pancreatic juice, using column chromatography and isoelectric focusing. Recombinant lipase was produced with a transfected cell line and purified with column chromatography. Adding buffered bovine serum albumin and subsequent freeze-drying were used to stabilize both materials. A standardized titrimetric method was employed to compare their catalytic properties to those of two plasma pools of patients suffering from acute pancreatitis. About 5 kU (titrimetry, 37 degrees C) of each material were obtained. They were lyophilized without apparent modifications of their catalytic properties, which stayed identical to those exhibited by the enzyme present in patient's pools. Stability of both materials was estimated at several years when stored in a dry form at -20 degrees C. Both materials appear to have similar catalytic properties and stability and were found commutable as regards a reference method and a routine measurement procedure. An international certification campaign will be carried out to assign values to BCR 693 and BCR 694.

Animals↗
PubMed2003

Are results of fibrinogen measurements transferable?

Fibrinogen concentration is routinely measured by several methods and the results may influence diagnostic and treatment strategies. It is therefore necessary that results are compatible and transferable between laboratories. In the present study, it is shown that commonly used immuno-nephelometric methods, a commercial variant of the Clauss clotting rate method, and the classical syneresis method, do not differ significantly using patient material, in the interval 2-12 g/l. A research ELISA method that measures intact fibrinogen is not linearly correlated to the syneresis method. The commutability of available calibrators and reference materials (including the WHO 2nd IS) was only 50-80% except for one of the calibrators for which the virtual concentration coincided with that obtained by the syneresis method.

Calibration↗
PubMed2005

A reference material for traceability of aspartate aminotransferase (AST) results.

Standardization of aspartate aminotransferase (AST) determination is highly desirable for inter-laboratory comparison. Serum AST mean values for 20 patients suffering from viral hepatitis showed an inter-laboratory (n = 13) variation of 9.4%. Part of this variation was due to two laboratories using procedures without pyridoxal-5'-phosphate. A traceable AST value was assigned to an enzyme calibrator (EC) through the appropriate International Federation of Clinical Chemistry and Laboratory Medicine (IFCC) primary reference procedure. The EC was commutable for seven routine methods. Common calibration using the EC reduced the inter-laboratory coefficient of variation (CV = 5.9% ) and allowed retention of a common reference interval for a set of routine procedures. Calibration made superfluous the expression of results in multiples of the upper reference limit, which increased inter-laboratory variation (CV = 18.5%). Furthermore, for 92% of patients, calibration with the EC allowed the correction of misclassifications when taking into account the reference interval of the reference procedure. Use of this EC could be proposed to complete the AST reference system.

Adult↗
PubMed2005

Reference materials (RMs) for analysis of the human factor II (prothrombin) gene G20210A mutation.

The Scientific Committee of Molecular Biology Techniques (C-MBT) in Clinical Chemistry of the IFCC has initiated a joint project in co-operation with the European Commission, Joint Research Centre, Institute of Reference Materials and Measurements to develop and produce plasmid-type reference materials (RMs) for the analysis of the human prothrombin gene G20210A mutation. Although DNA tests have a high impact on clinical decision-making and the number of tests performed in diagnostic laboratories is high, issues of quality and quality assurance exist, and currently only a few RMs for clinical genetic testing are available. A gene fragment chosen was produced that spans all primer annealing sites published to date. Both the wild-type and mutant alleles of this gene fragment were cloned into a pUC18 plasmid and two plasmid RMs were produced. In addition, a mixture of both plasmids was produced to mimic the heterozygous genotype. The present study describes the performance of these reference materials in a commutability study, in which they were tested by nine different methods in 13 expert laboratories. This series of plasmid RMs are, to the best of our knowledge, the first plasmid-type clinical genetic RMs introduced worldwide.

Base Sequence↗
PubMed2006

Metrological traceability of values for catalytic concentration of enzymes assigned to a calibration material.

BACKGROUND: The metrological traceability of values for the catalytic concentration of several enzymes assigned to a calibration material has been assured by following the recently published International Standard ISO 18153. METHODS: A traceable value with a measurement uncertainty was assigned for the catalytic concentration of alanine aminotransferase, creatine kinase, gamma-glutamyltransferase and lactate dehydrogenase in two materials from different sources. These are all measurable quantities, with the primary reference measurement procedure described by the International Federation of Clinical Chemistry and Laboratory Medicine (IFCC) and a primary calibrator giving metrological traceability to the SI unit of measurement. The metrologically traceable calibration was validated by measuring human serum samples using the primary reference measurement procedure and a routine commercial measurement procedure calibrated with the traceable materials. RESULTS: Results showed that the primary reference procedure, selected manufacturers' procedures and the end-user's routine procedure for each enzyme have the same analytical specificity. Four of eight commercial calibrators tested were commutable, whereas the others had a very small difference in absolute terms, indicating that these materials would be useful for calibration. CONCLUSION: The implementation of a reference system for enzyme measurements was demonstrated that assures the traceability of patient results to SI units.

Alanine Transaminase↗
PubMed2006

Intermethod calibration of alanine aminotransferase (ALT) and gamma-glutamyltransferase (GGT) results: application to Fibrotest and Actitest scores.

Two multi-component scores (Fibrotest and Actitest) have been proposed to evaluate liver fibrosis or necro-inflammatory lesions as an alternative to liver biopsy. This approach requires standardization of alanine aminotransferase (ALT) and gamma-glutamyltransferase (GGT) determinations. For this purpose, ALT and GGT values were assigned to a multi-enzyme material using the appropriate primary reference procedure. This material was used as a common calibrator for sera from 20 patients with viral hepatitis. Measurements were carried out in 11 laboratories, using their own automated routine methods and compared to results obtained using the primary reference procedure. The expression of results in multiples of the upper reference limit worsened the inter-laboratory variation for both enzymes. The multi-enzyme material was commutable for ALT and GGT determination carried out with six analytical systems. Common calibration significantly improved inter-laboratory consistency, which finally reached 1.8% and 3.3% for ALT and GGT, respectively. For each enzyme, it also permitted the retention of a common reference interval for a set of calibrated methods and the improvement of inter-laboratory coherency of Fibrotest and Actitest scores.

Adult↗
PubMed2004

Pharmacological treatment of nephropathic cystinosis with cysteamine.

Cystinosis, clinically recognised since 1903, is an autosomal recessive lysosomal storage disease caused by mutations in CTNS. This gene codes for a lysosomal cystine transporter, whose absence leads to intracellular cystine crystals, widespread cellular destruction, renal Fanconi syndrome in infancy, renal glomerular failure in later childhood and other systemic complications. Before the availability of kidney transplantation, patients affected with cystinosis uniformly died during childhood. After solid organ transplantations became successful in the 1960s, cystinosis patients survived, but eventually developed life-threatening consequences of the disease (e.g., swallowing disorders). Since the introduction of cysteamine into the pharmacological management of cystinosis, well-treated adolescent and young adult patients have experienced normal growth and maintenance of renal glomerular function. Oral cysteamine therapy is given at doses of 60 - 90 mg/kg/day q.i.d. every 6 h, and generally achieves approximately 90% depletion of cellular cystine, as measured in circulating leucocytes. Cysteamine (and kidney transplantation) have commuted the death sentence of cystinosis into a nearly normal life with a chronic disease. Because treatment with oral cysteamine can prevent, or significantly delay, the complications of cystinosis, early and accurate diagnosis, as well as proper treatment, is critical.

Administration, Oral↗
PubMed1997

A woman's work is never done: women's work and pregnancy outcome in Albania.

Albania has undergone extreme social and political changes during the past five years. Conditions regarding women's work and its effect on reproductive health have been unknown. During the 1993 and 1994, a cohort of 1199 pregnant women were followed to identify how work factors related to spontaneous abortion, infant low birth weight, gestation length, and perinatal mortality. A small subgroup was interviewed to examine qualitative issues including motivation, attitudes, and personal experiences regarding working and raising a family. Results reveal that certain work factors directly correlated with low birth weight, miscarriage, and/or perinatal death. The significant factors included: fewer household helpers, standing, working in hot environment, commuting, walking and carrying, and lifting heavy weights on the job. Most women were unemployed, and virtually all were deeply concerned about employment and poverty. Their challenge is to maintain an equilibrium between satisfaction of economic needs and physical needs during pregnancy. International aid programs in Albanian maternal and child health must consider the physical repercussions from increased work on the job and little or no decrease in work at home.

Abortion, Spontaneous↗
PubMed1990

Drinking in college: consumption patterns, problems, sex differences and legal drinking age.

Data from 606 (75.8%) undergraduate respondents drawn from a random sample (N = 800) at Rutgers University demonstrate that, although fewer college students may be drinking when compared to some previous estimates, there is still a large number of heavy drinkers. In addition, traditional demographic variables continue to predict alcohol consumption levels. Students also report a similar variety of drinking related problems as in previous college drinking studies. Women constitute half as many heavy drinkers as men, but report an equal amount of alcohol-related problems in this sample. When controlling for race, it appears that white students continue to drink the most, and show heavy drinking rates comparable to a previous large college sample in the northeast. Students who live on campus drink more than their commuting counterparts, and the drinking age has little effect on consumption levels or total reported alcohol-related problems, although it alters the context of drinking somewhat. Findings are generally compared to previous as well as more recent college drinking data. Sex differences and similarities are discussed, as well as the findings concerning legal drinking status. Implications for prevention efforts are suggested.

Adult↗
PubMed2003

Assessment of exposure to magnetic fields in occupational settings.

OBJECTIVE: It is important to have data about occupational magnetic field intensity to consider the contribution of occupational magnetic field exposure on the human body. We conducted research on exposure to occupational magnetic fields and tried to qualify data on the distribution of magnetic field' intensity in certain general working environments with individual measurements. SUBJECTS AND METHODS: We performed sample research on the exposure to low-frequency magnetic fields of workers in certain occupations and in the working environment. We also assessed the relationship between working environmental magnetic field distribution and individual exposure. RESULTS: Some occupations were found to be exposed to high magnetic fields. We observed that some workspaces, such as the transformer substation, generally had a uniform and high magnetic field measurement but employees were exposed to a lower intensity. We also found that welders were exposed to high magnetic fields at about 600 microT in a very short time but with a geometrical value of 0.08 microT. CONCLUSION: The determination of administrative levels and control levels, not only of the time weighted average of threshold limits or short term exposure limits, but also ceiling limits should be considered. More systematic research is necessary to determine variables such as operating conditions, measuring position, and frequency bands. Also, further studies will be needed to make a job-exposure matrix for the magnetic fields for each occupation type and to combine it with exposure in non-occupational settings such as commuting and ordinary life situations to explore the causal relationship between exposure to magnetic fields and disease.

Electromagnetic Fields↗
PubMed1986

[Factors affecting subjective symptoms of VDT workers].

In 1983, 285 (male: 129, female: 156) VDT workers and 60 (male: 30, female: 30) control subjects were examined in order to detect the factors affecting the subjective symptoms of VDT workers. Biological information (for example: sex, age), life histories, information about VDT work, tests (for example: visual acuity), symptoms and interferences to daily life of VDT workers and control subjects were collected. The following results were obtained. Female VDT workers experienced more fatigue from commuting to work, stiffness in shoulders, distant blurred vision complaints of visual acuity and sum of the scores of ocular complaints than female control subjects. Only among female VDT workers, the longer the daily working hours, the greater were their ocular symptoms. A remarkable relationships were observed between psychological burden factors (for example: self-control of VDT work, sensation of excessive VDT work) and subjective symptoms of the VDT workers (both sexes). In particular, VDT workers who considered VDT work to be excessive had marked by greater subjective symptoms than those who did not.

Adult↗
PubMed1993

An inquiry into the relationship between job strain and blood pressure in male white-collar workers.

We conducted a cross-sectional study to investigate the relationship between psychological load and blood pressure using white-collar male employees of a company located in an urban area in June, 1991. Excluding those with diseases which might induce hypertension or those under 20 yr and over 60 yr of age, 570 male subjects were eligible for analysis. Logistic regression analysis was applied to 461 subjects excluding 109 who showed unstable blood pressure level; the dependent variable was blood pressure class which contained 386 normotensives and 75 hypertensives. The explanatory variables were age, obesity, alcohol intake, cigarette smoking, habitual physical exercise, all well-known factors affecting blood pressure level, working time, commuting time, paid annual leave, and type of living (with family or alone) as objective workload, and Karasek's job strain as psychological workload. Odds ratio of job strain was statistically significant after adjusting for the foregoing factors, but in the case of high job strain, the prevalence of hypertension was low. Theorell has pointed out that contrary to the usual recognition those having a family history of hypertension tended to have a non-complaining life attitude and this indication seems to be the reason for the results of this analysis. Blood pressure is one of the most important problems in the field of industrial health and because of our highly industrialized society, it is necessary to consider psychological workload. Longitudinal observations which take into account psychological workloads must be planned, and personal traits represented by a family history of hypertension should be always taken into consideration.

Adult↗
PubMed1998

[Workers' stress after Hanshin-Awaji earthquake in 1995--symptoms related to stress after 18 months].

Stress-related symptoms were investigated in workers living in the area hit by the Hanshin-Awaji earthquake. Questionnaires were distributed among taxi and truck drivers, longshoremen, workers in factories, hospitals and local government offices 18 months after the event. Nearly 40% of them, 3,015 answered. The multiple regressive analysis showed that the degree of housing damage was the factor most relevant to the symptoms. Although the symptoms decreased as time passed, the group with seriously damaged housing still complained of severe stress-related symptoms even 18 months after the event. Symptoms related to post traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) were observed in 48.0% in the male group with seriously damaged housing immediately after the quake. The figure was 34.2% of after 3 months and 12.6% after 18 months. 21.8%, 12.9% and 3.7%, respectively, were the figures in the male group with nil or slightly damaged housing. The number of workers who complained of the recurrence and worsening of chronic diseases peaked 3 months after the event and had not changed much even after 18 months. Workers also complained of anxiety over the loss of work, job pressure, overwork, difficulty of commuting to and from the area, danger at work, decline in income and changes of job location.

Anxiety↗
PubMed1990

[Epidemiological surveillance system for occupational accidents: experience in the northern area of the municipality of São Paulo (Brazil)].

The epidemiological approach to occupational accidents and diseases adopted in Brazil is inadequate for many reasons, among them being: 1) the fact that only employers may notify work accidents, thus permitting notorious undernotification of these occupational hazards; 2) the available information does not permit a better understanding of the causal relationship between work accidents and diseases; 3) the official policy exists only for purposes of insurance compensation. The official documents for occupational disease and accident registration are the CTA (Work accident report) and FTA (Casualty treatment card). The Worker's Health Program of SUDS-R-6 proposed, in October, 1988 a method for the codification, registration in a micro-computer data bank and analysis of this information, based on the records presently in use (CAT) for public health service planning and accident prevention purposes. The major interest was in identifying the most common types of accidents in the region and the work environments in which they most frequently occur. The target population were the workers who attended the health units lisenced to deal with work accidents and diseases, in the Northern region of S. Paulo City. The data presented below refer to the months of October, November and December, 1988, the first three months of the project. During that period a total of 2,339 accidents were registered. They were classified as: typical work accidents - 87%: commuting accidents which occurred between the home and the work-place--18% and work diseases (only 2 cases). The majority of workers (50%) were between 25 and 45 years of age, approximately 7% were under 18. Male workers represented 83.2% of accident cases.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)

Accidents, Occupational↗
PubMedDate not supplied

[Occupational accidents in Botucatu, São Paulo, recorded by the Social Security System from 1995 to 1999].

UNLABELLED: This study describes workplace accidents recorded by the Social Security Office in Botucatu, São Paulo, from 1995 to 1999. Related work force information for the same period was obtained from the 8 largest industrial companies in the city. Data were coded and processed electronically. A total of 2,462 accidents were recorded. Of these, 87.3% were workplace accidents, 6.1% occurred while commuting, and 6.6% were occupational diseases. From 1996 to 1999 there was a reduction in workplace accidents reflecting a drop in accidents at the largest companies. Mean time-off-the-job due to accidents was greater in small companies (16.21 to 24.32 days) than in the large ones (9.83 to 12.78 days), with a statistical significance of alpha = 5% and p = 0.0001. THE RESULTS: (a) confirm that analyses based on number of officially recorded workplace accidents are limited; (b) show the importance of improving the quality of the system for recording workplace accidents in order to include all classes of workers, not only the registered work force; and (c) show that changes in company work management strategies are important to understand local changes in accident frequency.

Accidents, Occupational↗
PubMed2007

The usefulness of day-service in maintaining general nutritional status in elderly Japanese: a longitudinal study.

Day-service, commuting service for elderly people requiring care at home, is one healthcare option in Japan. To date, however, there exist no studies that have examined the effects of day-service use on health outcomes in Japan. The objective of the present longitudinal study was to determine whether there is an association between day-service use and various physical and mental health outcomes in elderly people requiring care. The subjects were 61 elderly persons who required between 25 and 49 min of assistance per day and used long-term care insurance. Measurements included demographic characteristics, activities of daily living, frequency of day-service use, body weight, height, grip strength, thigh muscle volume, degree of depression (Geriatric Depression Scale), the mini-mental state examination, and serum albumin and blood hemoglobin levels in the baseline and follow-up surveys two years later. In the day-service user group, the mean changes in serum albumin concentrations using day-service once, twice and three < or = times/week were -0.2, -0.3, and 0 g/dl, respectively, and the mean changes in blood hemoglobin were -0.7, -0.5, and 0.2 g/dl, respectively. The two-year change in serum albumin concentrations was less (p = 0.024) in subjects using day-service "three < or = times" (0 g/dl) than "twice" (-0.3 g/dl). The two-year change in blood hemoglobin was also less (p = 0.043) in subjects using day-service "three < or = times" (0.2 g/dl) than "twice" (-0.5 g/dl). The present study has shown that frequent use of day-service is useful in maintaining general nutritional status in elderly people.

Activities of Daily Living↗
PubMed2002

Great balls of fire and the vicious cycle: a study of the effects of cycling on male fertility.

Over the past few years we have been bombarded with publicity telling us to do more exercise in order to reduce our risk of developing heart disease. Also, as commuter traffic increases and petrol prices rise, workers are constantly looking for quicker, cheaper and greener ways of travelling short distances. As a result of this, bicycle sales have risen exponentially. However, as the popularity of cycling increases, so do the fears that spending hours in the saddle every day may not be as beneficial as first thought. For many years now reports in the literature have suggested that exercise in general, and cycling specifically, may actually increase an individual's risk of developing problems in the male reproductive system. In this report I will review the evidence available in the literature, paying special attention to cycling and the risks of developing testicular cancer, secondary impotence and, most importantly, the effects on male fertility.

Bicycling↗
PubMed2006

Foraging in a tidally structured environment by Red Knots (Calidris canutus): ideal, but not free.

Besides the "normal" challenge of obtaining adequate intake rates in a patchy and dangerous world, shorebirds foraging in intertidal habitats face additional environmental hurdles. The tide forces them to commute between a roosting site and feeding grounds, twice a day. Moreover, because intertidal food patches are not all available at the same time, shorebirds should follow itineraries along the best patches available at a given time. Finally, shorebirds need additional energy stores in order to survive unpredictable periods of bad weather, during which food patches are covered by extreme tides. In order to model such tide-specific decisions, we applied stochastic dynamic programming in a spatially explicit context. Two assumptions were varied, leading to four models. First, birds had either perfect (ideal) or no (non-ideal) information about the intake rate at each site. Second, traveling between sites was either for free or incurred time and energy costs (non-free). Predictions were generated for three aspects of foraging: area use, foraging routines, and energy stores. In general, non-ideal foragers should feed most intensely and should maintain low energy stores. If traveling for such birds is free, they should feed at a random site; otherwise, they should feed close to their roost. Ideal foragers should concentrate their feeding around low tide (especially when free) and should maintain larger energy stores (especially when non-free). If traveling for such birds is free, they should feed at the site offering the highest intake rate; otherwise, they should trade off travel costs and intake rate. Models were parameterized for Red Knots (Calidris canutus) living in the Dutch Wadden Sea in late summer, an area for which detailed, spatially explicit data on prey densities and tidal heights are available. Observations of radio-marked knots (area use) and unmarked knots (foraging routines, energy stores) showed the closest match with the ideal/non-free model. We conclude that knots make state-dependent decisions by trading off starvation against foraging-associated risks, including predation. Presumably, knots share public information about resource quality that enables them to behave in a more or less ideal manner. We suggest that our modeling approach may be applicable in other systems where resources fluctuate in space and time.

Animals↗