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At least 1,045 records · Page 58Linked to original sources
PubMed2004

Comparison of matched-filtered two-dimensional projection and elliptical centric-ordered three-dimensional contrast-enhanced magnetic resonance angiography.

PURPOSE: To compare the image quality of matched-filtered two-dimensional projection magnetic resonance angiography (MRA) and elliptical centric-ordered (EC) three-dimensional MRA. MATERIALS AND METHODS: Signal-to-noise ratios (SNRs) of matched-filtered two-dimensional projection and EC three-dimensional MRA are developed theoretically and compared by clinical studies, in which 10-20 mL of gadolinium (Gd) was injected at 1.5 mL/second. The artery-vein contrast in two-dimensional projection MRA was managed by manually selecting specific templates for the matched filters. RESULTS: The SNR of matched-filtered two-dimensional projection MRA is superior to that of EC three-dimensional MRA for vessels wider than one pixel due to the integral effect. The artery-vein contrast can be managed flexibly in two-dimensional projection MRA by choosing different templates for the matched filter, while the artery-vein contrast in EC three-dimensional MRA is solely determined by the timing to start the acquisition. CONCLUSION: Matched-filtered two-dimensional projection MRA provides comparable image quality and is a flexible alternative to EC three-dimensional MRA in applications where contrast timing is difficult and temporal information is of interest.

Contrast Media↗
PubMed1983

Change in risk factors for coronary heart disease during 10 years of a community intervention programme (North Karelia project).

A comprehensive community based programme to control cardiovascular diseases was started in North Karelia, Finland, in 1972. Reductions in smoking, serum cholesterol concentrations, and blood pressure were among the central intermediate objectives. The effect of the programme during the 10 year period 1972-82 was evaluated by examining independent random population samples at the outset (1972) and five (1977) and 10 (1982) years later both in the programme and in a matched reference area. Over 10 000 subjects were studied in 1972 and 1977 (participation rate about 90%) and roughly 8000 subjects in 1982 (participation rate about 80%). Analyses were conducted of the estimated effect of the programme on the risk factor population means by comparing the baseline and five year and 10 year follow up results in the age range 30-59 years. The effect of the programme (net reduction in North Karelia) at 10 years among the middle aged male population was estimated to be a 28% reduction in smoking (p less than 0.001), a 3% reduction in mean serum cholesterol concentration (p less than 0.001), a 3% fall in mean systolic blood pressure (p less than 0.001), and a 1% fall in mean diastolic blood pressure (p less than 0.05). Among the female population the reductions were respectively, 14% (NS), 1% (NS), 5% (p less than 0.001), and 2% (p less than 0.05). During the first five years of the project (1972-7) the programme effectively reduced the population mean values of the major coronary risk factors. At 10 years the effects had persisted for serum cholesterol concentrations and blood pressure and were increased for smoking.

Adult↗
PubMed1991

FCR system in Hokkaido University Hospital.

The complete digital x-ray system using FCR is now being used in daily diagnosis as a part of the picture archiving and communications system (PACS) in Hokkaido University (HU) Hospital. This project is based on a 3-year plan started in 1988. In the first year (1988), six Fuji Computed Radiography (FCR) units (two FCR501, one FCR502, three FCR7000), PACS interfaces, and an optical disk system were installed. In the first year, about 60% of x-ray filming changed from the conventional technique to the FCR, and 60% of FCR images were transferred to PACS. In the second year, we began to use FCR in gastrointestinal (GI) study with two additional FCR7000s and three x-ray TV units. Then the percentage of plain films made by FCR increased to 80%. In the third year, angiographic studies will be converted to FCR. A specially designed built-in type FCR is under development to examine the entire spine. When this project is complete, almost all conventional radiography except chest tomography will be performed by FCR. The tomography x-ray computed radiography (CR) unit with automatic-imaging plate (IP) changer is expected to be developed soon.

Radiology Information Systems↗
PubMed1997

[The project Better Cancer Care in Buskerud].

A project called Better cancer care in Buskerud was started in 1991 in the county of Buskerud, in Norway. The main objective was to improve the out-patient services for cancer patients at the central hospital. In this article we describe the activities at the out-patient clinic during the period 1991-1993. The clinic was staffed by two oncologists and two cancer nurses. A total of 8060 consultations were held with patients during the period. Breast cancer patients comprised the largest group (30%), followed by patients with gastrointestinal cancer (24%) or malignant lymphoma (13%). The hospital's Department of Surgery was particularly relieved to hand over the administration of chemotherapy. The number of patients who received radiotherapy at the nearest cancer centre did not increase, however, during the period. We conclude that the project in Buskerud was a success, and that most of the objectives were achieved.

Adult↗
PubMed2005

Migration modelling from food-contact plastics into foodstuffs as a new tool for consumer exposure estimation.

One important aspect within the European Union's public healthcare is the exposure of consumers to undesirable chemicals in the diet. Food-contact materials (FCM) are one potential contamination source and therefore of particular interest for food exposure assessment. On the other hand, scientific investigations concerning the migration potential and behaviour of food-packaging materials have demonstrated that diffusion in and migration from FCM are foreseeable physical and, in principle, mathematically describable processes. Because of this situation and the current state-of-the-art in migration science, a research project was initiated within the 5th Framework Programme of the European Commission. This project, with the acronym 'FOODMIGROSURE' (European Union Contract No. 'QLK1-CT2002-2390') started on 1 March 2003, was due to last 3 years and had the participation of nine European project partners (see the project website: www.foodmigrosure.org). The aim of the project was to extend currently existing migration models (which have been demonstrated to be applicable for less complex matrices such as food simulants) to foodstuffs themselves. In this way, the project aims to provide a novel and economic tool for estimation of consumer exposure to chemicals migrating from food-contact plastic materials under any actual contact conditions. In addition, the project aims to increase knowledge of the mechanisms of diffusion of organic compounds in foodstuffs and provide data on the partitioning effects between FCM and foods. Today the latter aspect is increasingly regarded as a fundamental influence parameter for migration into foods. Based on the project achievements, a much better scientific basis is available to allow scientifically appropriate amendments of European Union Directive 85/572/EEC as well as to support further developments with the so-called Plastics Directive 2002/72/EC. The paper introduces the project and presents an overview of the project work progress.

Attitude to Health↗
PubMed1987

Low-birth-weight rate reduced by the obstetrical access project.

Obstetrical (OB) access was a Medicaid pilot project that operated in 13 California counties from July 1979 through June 1982. The project goals were to both improve access to care in underserved areas and improve pregnancy outcomes by providing enhanced prenatal care, including psychosocial, health education, and nutrition services. The project registered 6,774 women. The findings were: 87 percent of the registrants started prenatal care during the first or second trimester; 84 percent of the registrants completed care in the project; OB access mothers had a low-birth-weight rate of 4.7 percent, compared with 7.0 percent for a matched control group, suggesting a 33-percent reduction in low birth weight through the project; and the benefit-cost ratio of this program was about 2 to 1 for the short run because of savings in neonatal intensive care services. The State of California approved legislation in 1984 authorizing the project's scope of services for the Medi-Cal recipients on a statewide basis.

California↗
PubMed1999

Coordination of limb movements: three types of intersegmental interneurons in the swimmeret system and their responses to changes in excitation.

Coordination of limb movements: three types of intersegmental interneurons in the swimmeret system and their responses to changes in excitation. During forward locomotion, the movements of swimmerets on different segments of the crayfish abdomen are coordinated so that more posterior swimmerets lead their anterior neighbors by approximately 25%. This coordination is accomplished by mechanisms within the abdominal nerve cord. Here we describe three different types of intersegmental swimmeret interneurons that are necessary and sufficient to accomplish this coordination. These interneurons could be identified both by their structures within their home ganglion and by their physiological properties. These interneurons occur as bilateral pairs in each ganglion that innervates swimmerets, and their axons traverse the minuscule tract (MnT) of their home ganglion before leaving to project to neighboring ganglia. Two types, ASCE and ASCL, projected an axon anteriorly; the third type, DSC, projected posteriorly. Each type fires a burst of impulses starting at a different phase of the swimmeret cycle in its home ganglion. In active preparations, excitation of individual ASCE or DSC interneurons at different phases in the cycle affected the timing of the next cycle in the interneuron's target ganglion. The axons of these interneurons that projected between two ganglia ran close together, and their firing often could be recorded by the same electrode. Experiments in which either this tract or the rest of the intersegmental connectives was cut bilaterally showed that these interneurons were both necessary and sufficient for coordination of neighboring swimmerets. When the level of excitation of the swimmeret system was increased by bath application of carbachol, the period of the system's cycle shortened, but the characteristic phase difference within and between ganglia was preserved. Each of these interneurons responded to this increase in excitation by increasing the frequency of impulses within each burst, but the phases and relative durations of their bursts did not change, and their activity remained coordinated with the cycle in their home ganglion. The decrease in duration of each burst was matched to the increase in impulse frequency within the burst so that the mean numbers of impulses per burst did not change significantly despite a threefold change in period. These three types of interneurons appear to form a concatenated intersegmental coordinating circuit that imposes a particular intersegmental phase on the local pattern generating modules innervating each swimmeret. This circuit is asymmetric, and forces posterior segments to lead each cycle of output.

Abdomen↗
PubMedDate not supplied

Planning around start-up.

When new patients join a prepaid group practice, their utilization of services is usually higher than it will be in a year or so. This "start-up effect" must be considered when planning for group growth. Demand projections are commonly based on data from outside sources and often fail to consider the many critical implications of the start-up effect. More accurate planning can be accomplished by using concrete start-up analysis based on internal information. Administrators who use careful predictions of demand levels rather than guess-work in their planning will provide their organizations with the foundation for a sound system of dynamic growth management.

Forecasting↗
PubMed2006

Chemogenomics: drug discovery's panacea?

Chemogenomics aims towards the systematic identification of small molecules that interact with the products of the genome and modulate their biological function. This Opinion article summarizes the different knowledge-based chemogenomics strategies that are followed and outlines the challenges and opportunities that will impact drug discovery. Chemogenomics aims towards the systematic identification of small molecules that interact with the products of the genome and modulate their biological function. While historically the approach is based on efforts that systematically explore target gene families like kinases, today additional knowledge-based systematization principles are followed within early drug discovery projects which aim to biologically validate the targets and to identify starting points for chemical lead optimization. While the expectations of chemogenomics are very high, the reality of drug discovery is quite sobering with very high project attrition rates. This article summarizes the different knowledge-based chemogenomics strategies that are followed and outlines the challenges and potential opportunities that will impact drug discovery.

Chemistry, Pharmaceutical↗
PubMed1989

[Hungarian growth standard from birth up to the age of 2 years. Data based on results of longitudinal growth studies of a 2 percent representative sample].

The longitudinal project under the title "The health and demographic study of pregnant females and infants" started on a 2 per cent national sample in November 1979.--In a first stage of the project the pregnant women have been examined, in the second stage a longitudinal study of children born alive to these mothers was carried out (still under way).--This is the first longitudinal survey on growth performed on a national representative sample in Hungary. The first results of the project are presented: growth standards for the period from birth to the age of two years (weight and length percentiles referred to age, and body weight related to length).--The growth standards were developed from the data of the longitudinal study of 5,689 children born with a normal weight (between 2500 to 4500 g) and further which developed healthy. The data presented here are thought to be used as standards for growth monitoring and health surveillance of children in Hungary.

Body Height↗
PubMedDate not supplied

Changing the start of the hospital workweek.

Essential to the success of a project of this magnitude were: (a) having the support and input of both management and staff; (b) clarifying federal wage and hour issues; (c) allowing adequate time for the change process; (d) determining impact of change on every hospital department; (e) providing hospital departments with necessary information, resources, and support to accommodate the change; and (f) communicating the change to each hospital employee in a timely manner. Can a hospital provide budget-neutral, flexible nurse schedules necessary to recruit and retain registered nurses? Yes, they can if they know how to do it. By redefining the workweek, Saint Marys realized an annual decrease of almost $750,000 in scheduled overtime expense for full-time nurses working 12-hour weekends, every third weekend. If health care institutions want the competitive edge in recruiting nurses, they will need to provide work schedules that are not only attractive, but also help ensure a positive "bottom line."

Hospital Bed Capacity, 500 and over↗
PubMed2000

[The human genome project in the year 2000].

The human genome project was officially launched in 1990. This program started with a mapping phase which led to the development of a genetic map, a physical map based on large DNA fragments and more recently, a map of genes. Since 1996, the programme has progressively shifted to massive sequencing. A spectacular acceleration has occurred during the last 12 months and about 90% of the sequence is at present available in a draft format. This will be soon followed by a more complete version and by the progressive completion of each of the 24 chromosomes, a few of which being already in a "finished" state. It is to be hoped that the genome sequence, which can be used to efficiently identify genes involved in Mendelian phenotypes and which will lead to a better understanding of the evolution process, will also allow us to address other questions, such as those involving multifactorial inheritance.

Human Genome Project↗
PubMed2001

Production of the next-generation library virtual tour.

While many libraries offer overviews of their services through their Websites, only a small number of health sciences libraries provide Web-based virtual tours. These tours typically feature photographs of major service areas along with textual descriptions. This article describes the process for planning, producing, and implementing a next-generation virtual tour in which a variety of media elements are integrated: photographic images, 360-degree "virtual reality" views, textual descriptions, and contextual floor plans. Hardware and software tools used in the project are detailed, along with a production timeline and budget, tips for streamlining the process, and techniques for improving production. This paper is intended as a starting guide for other libraries considering an investment in such a project.

Computer Communication Networks↗
PubMed2006

National prevention of hepatocellular carcinoma in Japan based on epidemiology of hepatitis C virus infection in the general population.

During the past 30 years, hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) in Japan has kept linearly increasing from 10 to 30 per 100,000 population per year and is expected to grow further. The increment is attributed to infection with hepatitis C virus (HCV). Hence, there is a pressing need to find subjects with persistent HCV infection in the general population of Japan and take necessary measures to prevent HCC developing in them. As a first approach toward this goal, the sex- and age-specific prevalence of ongoing HCV infection was surveyed in 3,485,648 first-time blood donors during 1995-2000. Taking into account the size of subpopulations with different sex and age in Japan registered at the Census 2000, there are an estimated 884,954 HCV carriers aged from 16 to 69 years, and 759,316 (86%) of them are older than 40 years, with an increased risk for HCC; they are hidden in the society, without overt liver disease. The national 5-year project searching for HCV carriers in the general population was started in April 2002. Subjects are examinees of health check-ups, which they receive every 5 years when reaching the age of 40, as well as those at increased risk for HCV infection. The project detected HCV RNA in 14,672 of the 1,298,746 (1.1%) health check examinees and in 16,721 of the 624,734 (2.7%) high-risk individuals during the first fiscal year. Subjects found with HCV RNA have been referred to clinics and hospitals with expert hepatologists. Hopefully, this project will decrease HCC development in HCV carriers in Japan and be considered in other countries where increases in HCC are predicted from the current age-specific prevalence of anti-HCV.

Adolescent↗
PubMed2004

[Socially oriented daily life in very old age--design of a qualitative study within the European Project ENABLE-AGE].

Social participation is an important indicator for quality of life and seems to decrease in very old age. However, gerontological research on social participation in very old aged is based on fuzzy ad hoc definitions that do not differentiate between the third and the fourth age. The starting point of the planned qualitative study within the EU project ENABLE-AGE is the assumed need for a specific conceptualization of social participation in very old age. To achieve this, semi-structured interviews (n=40) are conducted with very old persons in single households and analyzed according to the Grounded Theory approach. This methodology allows both systematic consideration of relevant sociological concepts on social participation in old age in the form of so-called "sensitizing concepts" and quantitative findings. This study will contribute to a valid conceptualization of social participation in very old age and theory-empiricism-integration in sociology on old age. In addition, the societal potential of enhancing social participation in very old age will be explored.

Activities of Daily Living↗
PubMed1991

Experiences of a health team working in a new urban settlement area in Istanbul.

A project aiming at creating a model for comprehensive maternal and child health care for urban underdeveloped areas was started in a new settlement area of migrants in the vicinity of Istanbul. The project had an impact on health care status, particularly among infants and children, but the results indicated that more effort was needed to reach the mothers. It was noted that building space and the appearance of the work place influenced the prestige of the team. Absentee problems could be partly surmounted by repeated home visits. Based on this experience, it was concluded that health services in underdeveloped areas need to be supported by non medical personnel to act as home visitors and as mediators between the community and the health team. It was also concluded that an established recording system to include both clinical data and attendance is needed to define the cases who need special care.

Adult↗
PubMed1991

Lipid polymorphism as observed by cryo-electron microscopy.

Lipid polymorphism was studied with the aim to gain more insight in bilayer to non-bilayer phase transitions, with particular emphasis on the development of cubic structures on one hand and inverted hexagonal structures on the other hand. Thin vitrified films prepared from aqueous lipid suspensions were used in this study. The entire hydrated contents of these films can be visualized in their two-dimensional projection by cryo-electron microscopy. As the starting material, unilamellar vesicles were prepared from mixtures of dioleoylphosphatidylethanolamine, dioleoylphosphatidylcholine and cholesterol. By heating of the suspension, vesicle fusion (Frederik et al. (1989) Biochim. Biophys. Acta 979, 275-278) and lipid polymorphism was induced. From these suspensions thin films were prepared at various temperatures, and vitrified for low temperature observation. In a parallel series of experiments samples were fast-frozen for freeze-fracture analysis. In vitrified thin films bilayer structures were often observed in coexistence with an inverted hexagonal structure. The bilayer areas were frequently of a complex structure because multiple contacts between stacked membranes were found. These contact points were variable in size and shape and usually had the form of a diabolo (when viewed side-on) giving the impression of a bilayer contact with an aqueous channel. This structure is compatible with the interlamellar attachment site (ILA) proposed by Siegel ((1986) Biophys. J. 49, 1155-1170). In some specimens ILA's seemed to merge into arrays. After thermal cycling of the suspension, arrays of packed globules were observed, which are likely the result of close packing of ILA's. The arrays probably represent a cubic structure. A comparison of freeze-fracture replicas and vitrified thin films indicated that both techniques may provide valuable structural information on lipid polymorphism. Most of the lipidic particles observed by freeze-fracturing probably correspond to the ILA's (fractured around their waist region) as observed in vitrified thin films. The results obtained with vitrified thin films were interpreted in relation to the principles of thin-film formation. Finally, we speculate that lipid structures occurring close to each other in space may represent a developmental series of structures occurring successively in time.

Cholesterol↗
PubMed1983

The effects of implementation problems on certificate of need decisions in Illinois.

There has been a lack of appreciation of the complexities of implementing certificate of need (CON) programs and, further, the effects of those implementation problems on the program's effectiveness. This study describes implementation problems and presents some evidence of their impact on approval rates in one state. Start-up phase problems included non-reviewable projects, exempted projects and pre-emptive actions by the hospitals to avoid the regulations. It is estimated that these problems raised the program's approval rate by 12 percent and resulted in approximately +310 million of capital costs and an unknown increase in operating costs. Two problems of continuing implementation are identified. The first concerns the availability and specification of the standards and criteria for project review. The second problem is the lack of significant compliance mechanisms. The Reagan administration has made massive cuts in support for health planning and CON programs. The rationale for these cuts is based on the belief that CON has not been effective in reducing the escalation of hospital costs. This article indicates some of the reasons for its impotence.

Certificate of Need↗