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At least 955 records · Page 53Linked to original sources
PubMed2000

[Compliance with inhalation treatment of patients with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease].

OBJECTIVES: To evaluate patient compliance with inhaled medication therapy in chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD), to identify determining factors and to propose corrective measures to improve compliance. METHODS: This was an open, observational, cross-sectional, non-comparative, single-measurement, non-random study. The inhalers were the Serevent Accuhaler, the Serevent Inhalador and the Flixotide Inhaler. Compliance was measured in four ways: a) difference in weight at the beginning and end of the study for all devices; b) dose counter reading for the Accuhaler; c) information from patient diaries (by days and by applications); and d) information from patient interviews using the Morinsky-Green Test. Compliance was rated as follows: poor: < 50%, fair 51%-79%, good 80%-119%, or "hypercompliant" > 120%. RESULTS: Seventy-two patients (mean age 65 years) were enrolled. Compliance measured by weight was good in 77.1%, fair in 11.5%, poor in 1.4% and hypercompliant in 10%. Compliance was good for the Accuhaler according to both weight (75%) and counted doses (83.3%). According to patient diaries, compliance was good when assessed by applications (98.8%) and by days (98.3%). According to the Morinksky-Green test, compliance was good for 87.9%. CONCLUSIONS: Compliance was good as assessed by the methods used in this study. Patients who live in families, who enjoy a high socioeconomic level, have simple therapeutic regimens and have a good understanding of their disease and inhaler tend to have good compliance. Careful patient follow-up and good patient-physician communication has improved compliance. However, follow-up studies are needed to check these results.

Administration, Inhalation↗
PubMed1989

[Usefulness of endotoxin removal from the septic blood with direct hemoperfusion using PMX-F].

UNLABELLED: Sepsis and septic shock have been drugs difficult to treat despite many our therapeutic methods. There are many drugs for sepsis, but few can remove or detoxify such sabstances as endotoxin. The polystyrene fiber immobilized polymyxin B (PMX-F) have been invented and it was already confirmed the stability of its bonding. In this paper, mass-productive PMX-F for the clinical application were estimated. IN VITRO STUDIES: PMX-F adsorbed endotoxin (10ng/ml) from the calf serum, and recombinant tumor necrosis factor (80U/ml) from the serine solution. PMX-F maintained an antimicrobial activities against E.coli sufficiently. Those activities of PMX-F showed significant difference between PMX-F and carrier fiber. But PMX-F could not adsorb histamine and thromboxane B2. In vivo studies: The treatment of endotoxic mongrel dogs showed early recovery in arterial blood pressure, and ameliorated survival rate significantly. In human study, 77-year old male patients who had obstructive jaundice due to recurrent stomach cancer and biliary tract infection by Klebsiella showed sepsis and DIC. During DHP with PMX-F, the change of blood pressure was remarkable better, and platelet counts decreased, but next morning this count recovered completely and he had no hemorrhagic tendency. We believe clinical application of PMX-F is safe and useful.

Adsorption↗
PubMed1989

[Experimental study on the effect of the topical application of steroids on olfactory disturbance in mice].

Although the topical treatment with steroids is the widespread method for olfactory disorders in human, the reports are limitted to clinical observations. The aim of this report is to evaluate the effect of topically applied of steroids in mice on the repairing course by the experimental olfactory disorders caused by zinc sulfate. The olfaction of mice was estimated by the record of behavioral task, using Cycloheximide, commonly used as repellent in rodents. When mice taste Cycloheximide for the first time, immediately the mice experience a very disagreeable taste leading to the simultaneous memory of the odor of Cycloheximide. Those who once experienced the taste and odor of Cycloheximide, will avoid simply by the odor next time. Two bottles were offered to mice, one containing distilled water and the other 0.01% Cycloheximide. When the mouse drank the distilled water, the response was interpreted as a correct response. When the Cycloheximide solution was chosen, an error. Twenty four mice were tested at ten times during a 10-minute trial, and the rates of correct response were counted. From the next day after the treatment of zinc sulfate, nasal application of 0.1% beta-methasone (group A), or nasal application of distilled water (group B) were applied to each group of twelve mice for five days. The results were as follows. 1. In the first experiment, the correct response was 85% (group A), and 80.8% (group B), however at the second trial, all responses were correct.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)

Administration, Intranasal↗
PubMed1994

Proliferating cell nuclear antigen counts as markers of cell proliferation in head and neck cancer.

Proliferating cell nuclear antigen (PCNA) expression was investigated immunhistochemically in 53 squamous cell carcinomas of the head and neck. PCNA is a 36-kDa nuclear protein associated with the cell cycle. Results were compared with Ki67 counts, with this latter marker used to demonstrate proliferative compartments. Overall, the PCNA and Ki67 labelling index showed a similar distribution pattern in normal and tumor tissue. A strong correlation was found to histological differentiation. There was no significant difference between PCNA and Ki67 counts (r = 0.8), and PCNA immunostaining allowed assessment of proliferative activity in the head and neck cancers studied. The application of formalin-fixed, paraffin-embedded tumor material demonstrated the advantage of this method and showed that it is an excellent alternative to Ki67 counts.

Antibodies, Monoclonal↗
PubMedDate not supplied

The four-layer bandage system from a nursing perspective.

This article describes an evaluation that took place in 20 health centres, community clinics and hospitals throughout the UK. The aim was to explore nurses' opinions of three different four-layer bandage systems: kit A (System 4); kit B (Charing Cross); and kit C (Profore). Fifty-seven pairs of nurses were involved; within each pair, one was the applier and one the wearer. Each nurse was asked to complete a questionnaire which highlighted their opinions relating to ease of application, conformability, comfort and preferred bandage length. Responses were analysed using simple frequency counts, means, standard errors, Fisher's exact test and Kruskal-Wallis' one-way analysis of variance. The nurses involved were regular users of either the Charing Cross or Profore systems. Kit A was significantly easier to apply than kit B for layer 1 (P < 0.001), layer 2 (P < 0.05) and layer 3 (P < 0.01). There was no significant difference in relation to layer 4. With regard to ease of application there were no statistically significant differences between kits A and C or B and C. Layer 1 of kit A was significantly more conformable than layer 1 of kit B (P < 0.001). There were no significant differences between kits B and C, or A and C or in relation to comfort for all bandage kits. Overall preference by the applier was: 25 for kit A, nine for kit B and 15 for kit C. Overall preference by the wearer was: 23 for kit A, 10 for kit B and 14 for kit C.

Attitude of Health Personnel↗
PubMed2003

Simple markers for initiating antiretroviral therapy among HIV-infected Ethiopians.

BACKGROUND: We explored the relevance of simple markers (clinical or laboratory markers not requiring sophisticated laboratories) in the decision of initiation of therapy in resource-poor settings. METHODS: Among HIV-infected Ethiopian cohort participants, simple markers predicting short-term death were examined using time-dependent Cox proportional hazards models. Timing of hypothetical treatment was compared between guidelines using the simple markers (based on presence of at least one marker), guidelines recommended by the United States Department of Health and Human Services (based on CD4 cell count and viral load), and guidelines for resource-limited settings recommended by the World Health Organization (WHO). RESULTS: From February 1997 to August 2001, 35 deaths were recorded among 155 HIV-positive participants. Simple independent predictors of death were low body mass index, HIV-related conditions, anaemia, and lymphocyte count < 1500 x 10(6)/l. In such time as was covered by our study, 135 (87%) of 155 cohort participants would have had the same management under both the simple markers and the DHHS guidelines, i.e., would have been treated (n = 114, 74%) or not treated (n = 21, 14%). Of the 114 participants hypothetically treated under either set of guidelines, 91 (80%) would have started treatment at the same time. Application of the WHO guidelines for resource-limited settings (without CD4 cell counts) would have resulted in 11 participants dying without ever meeting a treatment indication during regular follow-up visits. CONCLUSION: Simple markers for the initiation of highly active antiretroviral therapy were identified among HIV-infected Ethiopian patients. The validity of these markers for monitoring patients' improvement following therapy remains to be evaluated.

Antiretroviral Therapy, Highly Active↗
PubMed1990

Computer image analysis method for rapid quantitation of macrophage phagocytosis.

A new method is described for rapidly quantitating phagocytosis by adherent macrophages in culture using computer image analysis (CIA) of video light microscopic images. Ingestion of fluorescent microspheres by peritoneal murine macrophages is used to model phagocytosis. The grey levels of digital phase contrast and fluorescent microscopic images are used to quantitate the number of microspheres per cell. The method is semi-automatic, analyzes approximately 2 x 10(3) cells/hr, and simultaneously measures phagocytosis (microspheres/cell), cell area, and density (number of cells/mm2). CIA obtains the same microspheres/cell average as manual microscopic counting and an analytical precision of 5%. As expected, CIA found that the number of microspheres/cell linearly increases with increasing macrophage-microsphere co-culture time or increasing microsphere concentration until macrophages become saturated. CIA finds increased phagocytosis by interferon-gamma-treated cells and suppressed phagocytosis by cytochalasin B- or 4 degrees C-treated cells relative to controls, which demonstrates that CIA can resolve biological changes in macrophage phagocytosis. CIA also provides quantitative data on macrophage morphometry and density and found an increase in the cell area and density of INF treated macrophages. CIA provides significantly more phagocytic, morphometric, and density data than conventional manual microscopic counting methods or flow cytometric methods. The limitations, improvements, and future applications of this method are discussed.

Humans↗
PubMed2003

Bcl-2 deficiency deprives peripheral nerves of neurotrophic activity against injured optic nerve.

Optic nerve injury leads to retinal ganglion cell apoptosis, thus preventing fiber regeneration. Peripheral nerve grafts are known to promote survival and regeneration in injured adult mammalian central nervous system, including optic nerve, but the mechanisms of their activity remain unclear. It is likely that they attenuate the apoptotic cascade triggered by axotomy in retinal ganglion cells. The aim of this work was to examine the role of the antiapoptotic gene bcl-2 in the optic nerve regeneration induced by such grafts. Experiments were carried out on bcl-2-deficient and wild-type mice. We have reported previously that predegeneration markedly enhances neurotrophic activity of peripheral nerve grafts, so we applied both predegenerated and non-predegenerated implants to the transected optic nerves. We studied the neurotrophic effects of bcl-2-deficient grafts on wild-type and bcl-2 knock-out optic nerves, as well as wild-type grafts on both strains of mouse optic nerves. After application of fluorescent dye to the end of the graft, we counted the stained retinal ganglion cells. Predegenerated wild-type grafts promoted survival and outgrowth of retinal ganglion cells axons in both types of mice. By contrast, non-predegenerated and predegenerated bcl-2-deficient grafts induced little or no regeneration in the optic nerves. These results indicate that the lack of bcl-2 gene does not deprive retinal ganglion cells of their regenerative potential. At the same time, we found that bcl-2 knock-out dispossesses peripheral nerves of their neurotrophic activity.

Animals↗
PubMed2005

Influence diagnostics for two-component Poisson mixture regression models: applications in public health.

In many medical and health applications, Poisson mixture regression models are commonly used to analyse heterogeneous count data. Motivated by two data sets drawn from public health studies, influence diagnostics are proposed for assessing the sensitivity of the fitted two-component Poisson mixture regression models. Under various perturbations of the observed data or model assumptions, influence assessments based on the local influence approach are developed for detecting clusters and/or individual observations that impact on the estimation of model parameters. Results from studies on recurrent urinary tract infections and maternity length of stay illustrate the usefulness of the influence diagnostics.

Cluster Analysis↗
PubMed1997

Multifarious system for quantitative analysis of histologic compartments.

A system is presented for measuring relative volumes of histologic compartments in microscopic slides. The computer program for that system was written by us as an MS windows 3.x application. The applied method of measurements, based on the "point-counting" technique, requires the recognition of the compartments, corresponding to the selected points of an image. The neural network was employed to facilitate the process of classification of the examined points. Nine descriptors of an image were selected as an input to the network (a pattern). Error-free compartment recognition was not always achieved because of some overlapping of the pattern classes. Nevertheless, the semi-automation of the assignment of the examined points to histologic compartments makes the measurements less laborious and time-consuming.

Animals↗
PubMed1991

A coupled assay for bile acid:CoA ligase.

A new assay for the enzyme bile acid:CoA ligase is presented. The new assay is designed to supplant the existing radiometric assays which require radiolabeled bile acids. The new assay couples the formation of bile acid-CoA to its glycination in a reaction catalyzed by bile acid-CoA:glycine N-acyltransferase. The coupling reaction utilizes [14C]glycine and the bile acid-CoA is quantitatively converted to [14C]glycobile acid. The [14C]glycobile acid is isolated by solvent extraction and quantitated by liquid scintillation counting. The method is shown to be accurate, highly sensitive, and applicable to a wide variety of bile acids.

Acyltransferases↗
PubMed1993

Neurohormone D increases the intracellular Ca2+ level in cockroach neurones through a Cd(2+)-sensitive Ca2+ influx.

The modulating effect of the octapeptide neurohormone D (NHD) on the intracellular calcium level [Ca2+]i of neurones from the dorsal midline of the cockroach terminal ganglion was investigated with fluorescence measurements. [Ca2+]i of cells loaded with Fura 2 was determined by photon counting and imaging at wavelengths of 340 and 380 nm. After application of NHD, [Ca2+]i increased within 3 min from a value of 93 +/- 36 nM to 153 +/- 51 nM, corresponding to an enhancement to 164 +/- 35%. In Ca(2+)-free solution, [Ca2+]i was lowered (52 +/- 6 nM) and NHD no longer affected the intracellular calcium level. The presence of 0.1 mM Cd2+, in normal saline, prevented the NHD-induced increase of [Ca2+]i. The results were explained by postulating a Ca2+ resting current in these cells which is augmented by NHD.

Animals↗
PubMed2003

Probucol restores the defective leukocyte-endothelial interaction in experimental diabetes.

Defective leukocyte-endothelial interactions have been observed in experimental type 1 diabetes. One of the mechanisms involved in the late complications of diabetes mellitus is the formation of free radicals species. Antioxidant treatment has been demonstrated to have beneficial effects on the complications observed in this pathology. Using intravital microscopy to visualize venules of the internal spermatic fascia, we demonstrated that the defective leukocyte-endothelial interactions in alloxan-induced diabetic rats could be corrected by probucol treatment. The defects were quantitated by the number of leukocytes rolling along the venular endothelium, sticking to the venular wall after topical application of zymosan-activated plasma (10%-0.1 ml) or leukotriene B4 (1 microM/0.1 ml) and migrated after the application of a local irritant stimulus (carrageenan, 100 microg/0.1 ml). Leukocyte counts, erythrocyte velocity and venular shear rate, unaltered in diabetic rats, were not modified by this treatment. Reactive oxygen species formation by endothelial cells increased in diabetic preparations, and the reduced expression of adhesion molecules such as intercellular adhesion molecule-1 (ICAM-1) and P-selectin in cross-sections of the whole testis of the animals, were both restored by the antioxidant agent. Therefore, antioxidant treatment improves leukocyte-endothelial interaction in diabetic rats at least in part by restoring the expression of adhesion molecules in venules of diabetic rats.

Animals↗
PubMed2002

Evaluation of the comparative efficacy of selamectin against flea (Ctenocephalides felis felis) infestations on dogs and cats in simulated home environments.

The comparative efficacy of monthly administration of selamectin or lufenuron against Ctenocephalides felis felis on dogs and cats was evaluated over a 5-month period in flea-infested environments. Twenty-four dogs and 32 cats were randomly allocated to receiving a topical treatment with selamectin or an oral administration of tablets containing lufenuron/milbemycin oxime (for dogs) or lufenuron only (for cats). Each product was administered in accordance with the manufacturer's label recommendations. Eight dogs and four cats served as untreated sentinels. Treatments were administered on days 0, 30, 60, 90, and 120. Each animal received an application of 100 fleas on days -28 and -21, and then weekly applications of 20 fleas from days 91 through 147. Flea comb counts were performed on day -6, and every 2 weeks after day 0. From day 29 (dogs) or day 44 (cats) to day 150, geometric mean flea counts for selamectin were < or =0.4. Mean flea counts for animals assigned to treatment with selamectin were significantly lower (P=0.0001) than for animals assigned to treatment with lufenuron at all assessments after day 0.

Animals↗
PubMed2004

Spatial variability in the pollen count in Sydney, Australia: can one sampling site accurately reflect the pollen count for a region?

BACKGROUND: There is increasing interest in the daily pollen count, with pollen-sensitive individuals using it to determine medication use and researchers relying on it for commencing clinical drug trials and assessing drug efficacy according to allergen exposure. Counts are often expressed qualitatively as low, medium, and high, and often only 1 pollen trap is used for an entire region. OBJECTIVES: To examine the spatial variability in the pollen count in Sydney, Australia, and to compare discrepancies among low-, medium-, and high-count days at 3 sites separated by a maximum of 30 km. METHODS: Three sites in western Sydney were sampled using Burkard traps. Data from the 3 sites were used to compare vegetation differences, possible effects of some meteorological parameters, and discrepancies among sites in low-, medium-, and high-count days. RESULTS: Total pollen counts during the spring months were 14,382 grains/m3 at Homebush, 11,584 grains/m3 at Eastern Creek, and 9,269 grains/m3 at Nepean. The only significant correlation between differences in meteorological parameters and differences in pollen counts was the Homebush-Nepean differences in rainfall and pollen counts. Comparison between low- and high-count days among the 3 sites revealed a discordance rate of 8% to 17%. CONCLUSIONS: For informing the public about pollen counts, the count from 1 trap is a reasonable estimation in a 30-km region; however, the discrepancies among 3 trap sites would have a significant impact on the performance of a clinical trial where enrollment was determined by a low or high count. Therefore, for clinical studies, data collection must be local and applicable to the study population.

Air Pollutants↗
PubMed1998

Superconducting Tunnel Junction Array Development for High-Resolution Energy-Dispersive X-ray Spectroscopy.

: Cryogenic energy-dispersive X-ray detectors are being developed because of their superior energy resolution (10 eV FWHM for keV X-rays) compared to that achieved in semiconductor energy-dispersive spectrometry (EDS) systems. So far, their range of application is limited because of their comparably small size and low count rate. We present data on the development of superconducting tunnel junction (STJ) detector arrays to address both of these issues. A single STJ detector has a resolution of around 10 eV below 1 keV and can be operated at count rates of the order 10,000 counts/sec. We show that the simultaneous operation of several STJ detectors does not dimish their energy resolution significantly, and it increases the detector area and the maximum count rate by a factor given by the total number of independent channels.

Journal Article↗
PubMed2005

Pollutant removal from aquaculture wastewater using the biopolymer chitosan at different molecular weights.

Removal of organic compounds, inorganic nutrients, and bacteria from aquaculture wastewaters before discharge cannot only minimize deterioration of receiving water quality, but can also make possible the reuse of the original water in the culture of prawn, fish, and shellfish. In this study, the feasibility of using chitosan, a multifunctional environmentally friendly biopolymer, at different molecular weights to simultaneously remove various pollutants from the discharge of an eel culture pond is evaluated. Experimental results indicated chitosan with a high molecular weight was best at removing turbidity, suspended solids, and biological and chemical oxygen demand (BOD and COD). In contrast, chitosan of a low molecular weight excelled at removing NH3 and PO4(3-) from wastewater. Additionally, chitosan with a high molecular weight did well at eliminating suspended solids of various particle sizes relative to chitosan with a low molecular weight. The best performance of chitosan in removing turbidity, suspended solids, BOD, COD, NH3, PO4(3-), and bacteria was 87.7%, 62.6%, 52.3%, 62.8%, 91.8%, 99.1%, and 99.998% removal, respectively. When chitosan with a high molecular weight was added at 12 mg/L, the quality of treated wastewater successfully complied with government discharge standards. Furthermore, the relatively low bacteria amount in the wastewater after treatment with chitosan was confirmed by both the plate count method and molecular analysis technique. These results indicated that the application of chitosan is feasible in an effort to recycle the effluents of a culture pond.

Aquaculture↗
PubMed1987

Non-invasive measurement of renal blood flow with 99mTc DTPA: comparison with radiolabelled microspheres.

This technique for non-invasive measurement of renal blood flow is based on the principle of fractionation of cardiac output, and applicable with any recirculating gamma activity tracer. It effectively determines the count rate that would be recorded over the kidney if the tracer behaved like radiolabelled microspheres and was completely trapped in the kidney on first pass. After correction for kidney depth, the estimated first pass activity plateau, expressed as a fraction of the injected dose, is equal to the kidney's fraction of cardiac output. The principle of the technique was validated by comparison with renal blood flow based on radiolabelled microspheres. Nine separate comparisons were made in two anaesthetised dogs. A known dose of 99mTc radiolabelled microspheres (particle size 23-45 microns) was injected into the left ventricle and the count rate over each kidney recorded. A known dose of 99mTc diethylenetriaminepenta acetic acid (DTPA) was then given as an intravenous bolus and the data recorded dynamically with a gamma camera online to a computer. After subtraction of the stable signal arising from the preceding radiolabelled microspheres, the theoretical first pass activity plateau from the DTPA that would have been recorded if the DTPA, after reaching the systemic circulation, had behaved like radiolabelled microspheres and become completely trapped in the renal vascular bed, was estimated. Using doses based on syringe counts before and after injection the ratio of renal blood flow values given by the two techniques (DTPA:RLMS) was 1.14 (SD 0.22) for the left kidney and 1.1(0.17) for the right. Using doses based on whole body counts, corresponding ratios were 1.05(0.11) and 1.02(0.13).(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)

Animals↗