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PubMed1992

Subject strengths and weaknesses of four current-awareness services on diskette.

This paper reports on a comparison of four current-awareness services on floppy disk: CURRENT CONTENTS ON DISKETTE--LIFE SCIENCES, CURRENT CONTENTS ON DISKETTE--CLINICAL MEDICINE, MEDICAL SCIENCE WEEKLY and REFERENCE UPDATE. The four differ considerably not so much in the number of journals as in the subject emphasis of journal titles covered. Like most bibliographic databases the area of particular interest to the individual or organization will dictate which of these services is the best choice. For many subspecialties the differences are too big to ignore; subject strengths and weaknesses are discussed in this article since many (end)users will depend on the advice of medical librarians.

Data Collection↗
PubMed2000

Similarity in bilateral photoplethysmographic peripheral pulse wave characteristics at the ears, thumbs and toes.

The characteristics of the photoplethysmography (PPG) pulse signal are body site specific, with pulses from the various peripheral sites showing differences in pulse transit time, strength and shape, and variation of each over time. The aim of this study was to determine the similarity in the right-left pulse characteristics for a group of normal subjects with pulses obtained simultaneously from six peripheral sites (cars, thumbs and big toes). A multi-site photoplethysmography pulse measurement and analysis system is described and comprised six sets of pulse probes and amplifiers, arranged and electronically matched in pairs for the right and left side comparisons. Two sets of data were collected: firstly a set of validation data to test the electronic matching of right left channels, and secondly a set of physiological data for pulses from 40 normal subjects. The right-to-left side similarity in pulse waveform shape at the three segmental levels (ears, thumbs and toes) was assessed using two types of analysis: root mean square error (RMSE) providing a measure of differences, and cross correlation analysis providing a measure of the degree of similarity. Very low levels of RMSE and correlation coefficients close to unity were obtained for the system validation data, demonstrating good right-left channel matching. The RMSE was an order of magnitude lower than that calculated for the normative physiological data, where median RMSE levels were between 0.053 and 0.060 relative to a peak-to-peak pulse amplitude of unity. The median correlation coefficients were greater than 0.98 for all three segmental levels studied, with the maximum values approaching those of the validation data. We have shown that pulses from the right and left sides of normal subjects are highly correlated at each segmental level. We have obtained a normative range of pulse data, with which specific (vascular) patient groups can be compared.

Adolescent↗
PubMed2002

The low-temperature phase of diisopropylammonium bromide.

The title compound, C(6)H(16)N(+).Br(-), was refined against room-temperature data in space group P2(1) as a racemic twin by Kociok-Köhn, Lungwitz & Filippou [Acta Cryst. (1996). C52, 2309-2311]. At low temperature, we found a different phase, which is characterized by a different cell (twice as big as the cell at room temperature) and a different space group (P2(1)/n). Surprisingly, the cell parameters obtained at low temperature can be transformed into those measured at ambient temperature. Even the coordinates can be transformed and the structure can be refined in the small cell. However, some warning signs (e.g. a low |E(2) - 1| value, apparent twinning and peaks in the electron-density map) point to the correct cell and space group.

Journal Article↗
PubMed2006

Discontinued drugs in 2005: schizophrenia drugs.

This paper is the third in a series discussing drugs dropped from development in 2005. Schizophrenia is particularly interesting with regard to pipeline discontinuation, and appears to be unique in this data set because the number of discontinuations far exceeds that for other neuropsychiatric conditions. If this is taken as a proxy for overall drug discovery activity, it represents a very large amount of activity across a wide range of big pharmaceutical corporations. It is also clear that many of the discontinued drugs have mechanisms of action that would make them theoretically suitable as treatments for schizophrenia. Why should so much activity be directed towards what many may consider an undeserving, relatively untreatable and relatively non-rehabilitatable group of patients? This is debated in this opinion piece.

Antipsychotic Agents↗
PubMed1993

Trends in cardiac care: contractions, concentration, collaboration.

Cardiovascular services is entering an age of contraction and concentration. The number of programs and the growth in inpatient procedures have topped out and the presence of significant excess capacity has become apparent. During the next five years, there will be heightened pressures to simultaneously decrease the overall number of cardiac procedures performed and, on the part of individual providers, increase procedure volume in order to achieve economies of scale and high levels of quality. It is likely that the number of health care organizations with OHS programs and PTCA may be cut to 500 by the year 2000, significantly influencing the redistribution of cardiac services along regional lines. The public, government, and private payers have embarked on a quest for value; and in the future they will only purchase services from providers demonstrating high-quality outcomes and average, or below average, charges. HCFA's Cooperative Cardiovascular Project is typical of the direct continuous quality improvement and management initiatives that will be implemented to monitor appropriateness, outcome quality, and resource utilization through the application of clinical practice guidelines (CPGs) and data on the treatment of AMI, PTCA, and CABG surgery. A more indirect, managed care approach by purchasers to obtaining higher value can be seen in the Medicare Participating Heart Bypass Center Demonstration project, the federal government's first big step into selective specialty care contracting for clinical service on a package price basis. Several different types of private initiatives have been used to achieve wider distribution of service while maintaining high program volumes and high-quality care through collaboration and the formation of interhospital linkages. Although some of these have included collaborative programs to encourage voluntary community-based planning and discourage the duplication of services, the payers demand for value (cost/quality) and the organizational leverage of the regional health alliances will accelerate the process and spur the formation of a smaller number of high-volume invasive programs. Large invasive programs will continue to formalize interhospital linkages to provide an integrated set of services in a layered system of cardiac care.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 400 WORDS)

Cardiac Catheterization↗
PubMed2000

[The pediatrician facing the problem of polluted air].

The enormous amount of data concerning outdoor pollution has allowed quantifying the damage caused by single pollutants. On the basis of these data, and knowing the concentration of a pollutant in a given area, to date it is possible to foresee the expected risk for a given disease in our community. For instance, in an average size town like Parma, it can be calculated that in the middle of the winter, suspended particulate pollution (PM10), one day/three, will increase by 30% the number of symptomatic asthmatic children. In the long term, in a town like Parma, PM10 and NO2 pollution increases the number of children with more than 4 episodes of bronchitis or persistent cough by 30-50%. With regard to the typical summer pollution by O3, extremely harmful as it expands outside towns, in Parma and surroundings in August one should expect in 1/3 days double the number of symptomatic asthmatic patients, and every other day a 25% reduction of the respiratory function in asthmatic children exercising. With regard to indoor pollution besides the well known and severe problem of passive smoking, and that of volatile organic compounds still under investigation, one must consider NO2 pollution originating from the burning processes for heating and cooking. As this latter is extremely important in Italy, as gas is used in practically every house, the Author has done a specific research in which it is shown that if this kind of pollution was eliminated one could reduce the incidence of asthma in childhood from 7 to 5%, and noticeably the severity of the disease in affected subjects. Thus, paediatricians have two new aims. The first is to identify in pollution one of the possible causes of respiratory problems in each single patient, giving recommendations (ex. advise asthmatic children to avoid physical activity in the open and in the sunny hours during the summer, or avoid having children in the kitchen while cooking, or have boilers, heaters, etc. checked). Second, paediatricians should make aware, using the local actual data on pollution, not only the local administrators, but also and may be more important the parents of children with respiratory problems. These are in fact the ones who can and must become the most active in facing the big problem of pollution.

Air Pollution↗
PubMed1991

Analysis of the gliding, fishtailing and circling motions of native microtubules.

In this report we describe the different forms of motile behavior of individual native microtubules from squid giant axons. The three major types of motile behavior of native microtubules are gliding, fishtailing and circling. Gliding, the type of movement observed most often, is the straight translocation of an unbent microtubule segment. Gliding velocities observed in the population ranged from 0.2 to 0.7 microns/s with an average velocity of 0.45 microns/s. The direction of gliding was random with respect to the surface suggesting that physical features of the surface did not influence the direction of gliding. Microtubules are able to glide over objects on the surface and over each other without changing velocity or direction. These observations prove that gliding can continue under conditions where direct contact of the microtubule with the glass surface is not possible along its entire length. When a frontal segment of a microtubule becomes slowed down or attached to the surface, the microtubule begins to fishtail, a process whereby bends form in the frontal part and propagate rearward. The shapes of a fishtailing microtubule resemble that of a beating flagellum. Microtubules with focal attachment near the tip do not propagate bending waves but assume a spiral or circular shape and rotate horizontally (circling). The frontal end of these microtubules stays or rotates in place as pushing forces from the rear turn the microtubule in a circular pattern. An analysis of these data shows that all forms of motion can be explained by pushing forces due to kinesin acting along the length of the microtubule. In an attempt to transport the kinesin-covered cover glass as if it were a big organelle, microtubules translocate themselves in the opposite direction. We estimated the minimum density of force generating enzymes on the surfaces of our preparations as well as that required to maintain active gliding of microtubules. We concluded that the heads of the surface-bound kinesin molecules must display extreme rotatory freedom in order to explain the observed smoothness and straightness of microtubule motion. Few, but usually at least two molecules of kinesin have to work simultaneously to generate the forms of motility observed.

Animals↗
PubMed2007

False-reactive microbiologic screening test results in Swedish blood donors-how big is the problem? A survey among blood centers and deferred donors.

BACKGROUND: Screening of blood donors for markers of transfusion-transmissible infectious agents leads to a varying number of false-reactive test results and sometimes thereby temporary or permanent deferral of donors and also to loss of collected units. STUDY DESIGN AND METHODS: Data on false-reactive screening test results in 2002 and 2003 were collected from 19 blood centers in Sweden. A questionnaire was sent to donors deferred because of false-reactive screening test results to investigate their perception of the information and their reaction to the deferral. RESULTS: Testing of 21,189 samples from new donors and 423,543 donations from regular and/or repeat donors produced 1,059 false-reactive test results, mostly from hepatitis C virus antibody testing, and 299 deferrals. Six different human immunodeficiency virus tests led to between 0.02 and 0.2 percent false-reactive results. The deferral rate varied considerably between different counties. Of 204 deferred donors contacted, 180 (88%) answered the questionnaire. More than 80 percent were worried about their test results and worry was more common among those who did not feel sufficiently informed. CONCLUSION: The results imply that there is a need for a more standardized approach to the screening of blood donors and donations with the aim of minimizing the number of false-reactive screening test results. They also emphasize the importance of appropriate information and support to deferred donors.

Adult↗
PubMed2003

Whole practice productivity applies 'big picture' solution to performance improvement.

When health care organizations look at improving productivity, they typically focus on a few specific measures--work RVUs, office visits per day, or gross charges per physician, for instance--in which they've identified variations among physicians or clinics. Instead of relying strictly on the collection of a handful of isolated data points, two consultants affiliated with the Medical Group Management Association are trying to convince provider groups to become more efficient by looking at the bigger picture.

Benchmarking↗
PubMed2003

Fingerprint matching using recurrent autoassociative memory.

An efficient method for fingerprint searching using recurrent autoassociative memory is proposed. This algorithm uses recurrent autoassociative memory, which uses a connectivity matrix to find if the pattern being searched is already stored in the database. The advantage of this memory is that a big database is to be searched only if there is a matching pattern. Fingerprint comparison is usually based on minutiae matching, and its efficiency depends on the extraction of minutiae. This process may reduce the speed, when large amount of data is involved. So, in the proposed method, a simple approach has been adopted, wherein first determines the closely matched fingerprint images, and then determines the minutiae of only those images for finding the more appropriate one. The gray level value of pixels along with its neighboring ones are considered for the extraction of minutiae, which is more easier than using ridge information. This approach is best suitable when database size is large.

Algorithms↗
PubMed2003

Protein expression profiling arrays: tools for the multiplexed high-throughput analysis of proteins.

The completion of the human genome sequence has led to a rapid increase in genetic information. The invention of DNA microarrays, which allow for the parallel measurement of thousands of genes on the level of mRNA, has enabled scientists to take a more global view of biological systems. Protein microarrays have a big potential to increase the throughput of proteomic research. Microarrays of antibodies can simultaneously measure the concentration of a multitude of target proteins in a very short period of time. The ability of protein microarrays to increase the quantity of data points in small biological samples on the protein level will have a major impact on basic biological research as well as on the discovery of new drug targets and diagnostic markers. This review highlights the current status of protein expression profiling arrays, their development, applications and limitations.

Journal Article↗
PubMed1998

A developmental and psychoeducational approach to reducing conflict and abuse in little league and youth sports. The sport psychiatrist's role.

To stress a point made earlier, whether backyard or Little League, the tone of the youth sports experience is greatly influenced by the player and team selection process. All possible steps should therefore be taken to ensure that the draft is held on high moral ground, and that the adult participants, even on the Major Little League level, behave cooperatively rather than competitively. If it is the community's hope that Little League will "build character, and not characters," it must embrace Shields and Bredemeier's work and flood the Draft Room with the four virtues of compassion, fairness, sportspersonship, and integrity. In one attempt to achieve fairness and balance, some leagues enter player evaluations into a data base and allow a properly programmed computer to project equal teams. It might be best, however, to borrow a page from backyard baseball, and make team selection a more cooperative venture. Wolff has proposed such a draft model. He recommends that each child's name be placed on a big blackboard at the beginning of the draft. All assembled give their assessment of each child's baseball ability, and a consensus skill-level number (one through five) is entered next to each player's name. If there are 72 names, and the league wishes to form six teams of 12 players each, dividing up the rated players so that the skill levels balance would assure everyone (coaches, parents, the league, and by extension, the community) that the teams were of relatively equal strength. No coach at this point would know to which team he or she was being assigned, so there would be no motive for "stacking" a given team. Each team would be designated by a letter of the alphabet, and the six letters would be thrown into a hat. The six coaches would then blindly pick a team from the hat. If a coach desired that his or her child play on his or her team, fair adjustments (trades) could be made subject to majority agreement. The three draft models can be summarized as follows: Draft Model 1 Public tryouts Previous year rating Coach makes selections Can be very competitive, lacking in "character" Can result in very unequal teams Draft Model 2 Player evaluations placed into a data base Properly programmed computer projects equal teams Draft Model 3 All names placed on a blackboard Relative merits of players discussed Equal team drawn up and placed into a hat Adjustments can be made for coach's child If practical, this author suggests that coaches not pick a name for the team until the first team meeting or practice, when that task can be given to the children. In a symbolic way, this returns some of the sport to them while encouraging social interaction among new teammates, and helping the coach detect who the leaders are. Names of professional teams in the major sports, especially baseball, are to be avoided, as they fuel longstanding unconscious associations and fantasies, and may subtly tilt all participants toward the professional "win at all costs" mentality. No one draft model is perfect for every town, and even the most ethical attempt to achieve balance among teams can be severely tested by parents who request that their athlete be placed on the same team as another child for social or car pool reasons. Such requests are not inviolate, however. For example, they do not usually dictate placement in school classes, and car pools are frequently disrupted when children, in individual sports such as Tae Kwan Do, reach different ability levels, and so attend practices at different times. Baseball is no longer the national pasttime and, as we approach the millennium, American children have too many other attractive, competing interests and time demands to spontaneously organize a pick-up game. One coach shared with the author that his saddest moment in CAP League came when he arrived at 6 PM at a field that had been "reserved" for his team, and found a group of boys who were playing a pick-up game. The coach's impulse was to set his boys fre

Baseball↗
PubMedDate not supplied

Union certification elections in nursing care facilities.

This empirical study examines 387 union certification elections conducted by the National Labor Relations Board in nursing care facilities (North American Industry Classification System 623) from January 1999 to December 2001. Unions won 60% of the elections. Service Employees International Union was involved in 42% of the elections. Bargaining unit size significantly impacted union victory. Unions had a better probability of winning elections in the northeast and midwest than in the south. Unlike other industries, American Federation of Labor-Congress of Industrial Organizations affiliated unions did not suffer a big labor image in nursing care facilities. Implications for union organizers and administrators of nursing care facilities are discussed.

Certification↗
PubMed2002

Inconspicuous consumption.

The 1990s were a decade of less flash and more cash for life's big and little necessities. Tracking the Consumer Expenditure Survey reveals how our shifting tastes and changing demographics are transforming the way we spend.

Commerce↗
PubMed1987

The use of psychoactive substances by female Egyptian university students, compared with their male colleagues on selected items.

A standardized questionnaire, with satisfactory retake item reliabilities and well established validities, was administered to a representative sample of female university students (N = 2366), drawn from Cairo and Ein-Shams Universities, both located in Greater Cairo. Results, relevant to demographic and drug related items, are presented. Where meaningful, comparisons are made with previously published corresponding data obtained on male university students. Among the interesting findings are the following: Female students, compared with males, had better educated parents with jobs higher on social prestige hierarchy. But more boys than girls had personal sources of income and, relatively, big amounts of pocket money. Very few girls smoked cigarettes and used natural narcotics. Tranquilizers and hypnotics were taken by, almost, equal percentages of both sexes. But stimulants were consumed by more boys. Girls did not start experimentation with narcotics before the age of 16, whereas boys began such experimentation before reaching 12 years of age. Girls tried alcohol much more than they experimented with any other psychoactive substance. Among girls as well as boys we found a measurable trend for users to be more exposed than nonusers to what we call 'drug culture'. In the case of girls, close relatives have more weight than personal friends as sources of information about drugs. For boys, it is the opposite. Similarities as well as disparities were discussed and implications were emphasized.

Adolescent↗
PubMed2002

The influence of depressive state features on trait measurement.

BACKGROUND: Certain personality characteristics may change during depression, reflecting temporary states, while others remain stable. This study investigates the stability of personality during depression. Identification of depression-sensitive personality traits may help to elucidate the mechanisms that influence course and outcome of depression. METHODS: For 42 ambulatory and 38 day care patients with a depressive disorder, depression severity and personality characteristics were measured repeatedly during a 12 week-period. The total HDRS score was indicative of depression severity, while the NEO-FFI was used for measurement of basic personality traits and the IPS for depression-specific traits. RESULTS: In 12 weeks, depression severity significantly decreased for both patient groups. The Big Five traits Neuroticism and Extraversion and all but one aspect of Interpersonal sensitivity showed depression-related changes towards the normal range. Openness, Altruism and Conscientiousness remained stable. LIMITATIONS: The number of patients excluded from the study due to missing data is substantial. Furthermore, it was not possible to control for treatment influence due to a double-blind design. CONCLUSIONS: Neuroticism, Extraversion and Interpersonal sensitivity scores are likely to reflect state components during a depression, while the stability of Openness, Conscientiousness and Altruism scores indicates pure personality traits.

Adult↗
PubMed2003

Development of a biomedical imaging informatics system for diagnosis and treatment planning.

The medical imaging technologies have been used for detecting tumors through the years. Tumors that can be viewed in imaging are usually big enough to contain billion tumor cells. Some patients may be cured if detected earlier and the surgery is performed well. Those lead to molecular imaging and image-guided surgery research activities, which post new challenges on large scale imaging data management and 3-D visualization. The goal of this project is to develop 3-D imaging informatics system that can interactively navigate large scale of organ and molecular levels imaging data for early diagnosis and treatment planning.

Data Compression↗
PubMed1994

Characterization of a novel, high-molecular weight, acidic, endothelin-1 inactivating metalloendopeptidase from the rat kidney.

OBJECTIVE: To characterize endothelin-1 inactivating peptidase (ET-1 peptidase) recently isolated from rat kidney. METHODS: ET-1 peptidase was purified from the membranes of whole Wistar-Kyoto (WKY) rat kidneys using differential centrifugation, detergent solubilization, ion-exchange chromatography, ultrafiltration and preparative electrophoresis. The enzyme activity in the presence of increasing concentrations of unlabelled peptides, inhibitors and other substances was determined at pH 5.5 and 37 degrees C using fixed amounts of [125I]-ET-1 as the substrate. RESULTS: On non-denaturing gels, the purified enzyme migrated in the form of a compact, low-mobility (Rf 0.07), high relative molecular mass (approximately 250,000) protein band. During denaturing polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis this protein separated into three fractions with apparent relative molecular masses 158,000, 110,000 and 61,000. Using different buffers, the optimum pH for this enzyme was found to be 5.5. Zinc (3.7 mmol/l), nickel (4.0 mmol/l), citrate (0.6 mmol/l), phosphate (1.3 mmol/l) and barbital ions (2.5 mmol/l) inhibited ET-1 peptidase activity by 50%, whereas magnesium, calcium, cobalt, manganous, sodium and borate ions were without effect. The most powerful inhibitors of the enzyme included: phenanthroline [median inhibitory concentration (IC50) 28 mumol/l], phosphoramidon (IC50 8.0 nmol/l), thiorphan (IC50 32 nmol/l) and N-carboxymethyl-Phe-Leu (IC50 12 mumol/l). Also, bacitracin (25 mumol/l), cyclosporine A (20 mumol/l) and sodium dodecyl sulphate (0.5%) inhibited enzyme activity by 50%, whereas bestatin, puromycin, aprotinin, phenylmethylsulphonyl fluoride, amanitin (50-100 mumol/l) and cardiotoxin (25 micrograms/assay) had no effect. The Michaelis constant (Km) values of 70 and 66 nmol/l were found towards ET-1 and the ET(16-21) fragment, respectively, whereas the Km values in respect to big-ET-1, sarafotoxin S6b, sulphated cholecystokin octapeptide, gastrin, glucagon, insulin, gastric inhibitory peptide and growth hormone ranged from 1.5 to approximately 50 mumol/l. The enzyme showed no apparent affinity for enkephalins, bradykinin, angiotensins, cholecystokinin tetrapeptides and kyotorphin. CONCLUSIONS: The present data suggest that the ET-1 peptidase that we isolated from rat kidney displays inhibitory characteristics similar to that of other known metalloendopeptidases. However, this enzyme exhibits several unique properties such as high molecular mass, an apparent complex subunits structure, pH optimum at 5.5, and very high substrate specificity towards ET-1 and the ET(16-21) fragment compared with other peptides either related or unrelated to endothelin.

Animals↗