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PubMed2004

Detection of enteroviruses in treated drinking water.

This study deals with the routine monitoring of drinking water for the presence of enteroviruses, over a period of 1 year. A rapid and simple method was employed for the simultaneous detection and typing of enteroviruses in large-volume water samples. This included an integrated cell culture/nested PCR approach, followed by restriction enzyme analysis. The two drinking water supplies studied were derived from acceptable quality surface water sources using treatment processes, which conform to international specifications for the production of safe drinking water. Enteroviruses (predominantly coxsackie B viruses) were detected in 11% and 16% of the drinking water samples from two treatment plants, respectively. This study confirms that acceptable water quality indicators do not necessarily reflect the virus content of drinking water.

DNA, Viral↗
PubMed1999

Totally implantable artificial hearts and left ventricular assist devices: selecting impermeable polycarbonate urethane to manufacture ventricles.

In the development of a new generation of totally implantable artificial hearts and left ventricular assist devices (VADs) for long-term use, the selection of an acceptable material for the fabrication of the ventricles probably represents one of the greatest challenges. Segmented polyether urethanes used to be the material of choice due to their superior flexural performance, acceptable blood compatibility, and ease of processing. However, because they are known to degrade and to be readily permeable to water, they cannot meet the rigorous requirements needed for a new generation of implantable artificial hearts and VADs. Therefore, the objective of the present study was to identify alternative polymeric materials that would be satisfactory for fabricating the ventricles, and in particular, to determine the water permeability through membranes made from four commercial polycarbonate urethanes (Carbothane PC3570A, Chronoflex AR, Corethane 80A, and Corethane 55D) in comparison to those made from two traditional polyether urethanes (Tecoflex EG80A and Tecothane TT-1074A). In addition to determining the rate of water transmission through the six membranes by exposing them to deionized water, saline, and albumin-Krebs solution under pressure and measuring the displacement of liquid by means of a recently developed capillary method, the inherent surface and chemical properties of the six membranes were characterized by SEM, contact angle measurements, FTIR, DSC, and GPC techniques. The results of the study demonstrated that the rate of water transmission through the four polycarbonate urethane membranes was significantly lower than through the two polyether urethanes. In fact the lowest values were recorded with the two Corethane membranes, and the harder type 55D polymer had a lower value (2.7 x 10(-7) g/s cm2) than the softer 80A version (3.3 x 10(-7) g/s cm2). This level of water vapor permeability, which appears to be controlled primarily by a Fickian diffusion mechanism, is between 2 and 4 times lower than that obtained with traditional polyether urethane membranes of equivalent thickness. The superior performance of the polycarbonate urethanes is likely due to the inherently lower chain mobility of the carbonate structure in the soft segment phase. In addition, the study shows that additional impermeability to water vapor can be achieved by selecting a polyurethane polymer with a high hard segment content, an aromatic rather than aliphatic diisocyanate comonomer, and a more hydrophobic surface. The use of a higher molecular weight polyurethane is not necessarily efficacious if the above requirements are not met. As expected by Raoult's Law, the study found that the use of physiological media instead of deionized water further decreases the rate of water vapor transmission. Because none of today's commercial polyurethanes are totally impervious to water vapor transmission, additional work is needed to develop permeable polymers or to apply additional treatments to existing candidates to achieve an acceptable impermeable ventricle material.

Biocompatible Materials↗
PubMed2005

Coherence and phase locking in the scalp EEG and between LORETA model sources, and microstates as putative mechanisms of brain temporo-spatial functional organization.

Brain electric mechanisms of temporary, functional binding between brain regions are studied using computation of scalp EEG coherence and phase locking, sensitive to time differences of few milliseconds. However, such results if computed from scalp data are ambiguous since electric sources are spatially oriented. Non-ambiguous results can be obtained using calculated time series of strength of intracerebral model sources. This is illustrated applying LORETA modeling to EEG during resting and meditation. During meditation, time series of LORETA model sources revealed a tendency to decreased left-right intracerebral coherence in the delta band, and to increased anterior-posterior intracerebral coherence in the theta band. An alternate conceptualization of functional binding is based on the observation that brain electric activity is discontinuous, i.e., that it occurs in chunks of up to about 100 ms duration that are detectable as quasi-stable scalp field configurations of brain electric activity, called microstates. Their functional significance is illustrated in spontaneous and event-related paradigms, where microstates associated with imagery- versus abstract-type mentation, or while reading positive versus negative emotion words showed clearly different regions of cortical activation in LORETA tomography. These data support the concept that complete brain functions of higher order such as a momentary thought might be incorporated in temporal chunks of processing in the range of tens to about 100 ms as quasi-stable brain states; during these time windows, subprocesses would be accepted as members of the ongoing chunk of processing.

Brain↗
PubMed2000

Constitutive overactivation of protein kinase C in guinea pig brain increases alpha-secretory APP processing without decreasing beta-amyloid generation.

Whilst it is generally accepted that the activation of protein kinase C (PKC) increases amyloid precursor protein (APP) secretion in vitro, the role of PKC in the regulation of APP processing and beta-amyloid generation in vivo is still not well understood. In order to address this question, we established the animal model of neocortical microencephalopathy in guinea pigs caused by in utero treatment with methylazoxymethanol acetate, a DNA-methylating substance that eliminates proliferating cells of neuroepithelial origin. The induction of this neocortical malformation is accompanied by constitutive overactivation of PKC in the neocortex of the offspring. In the cortical and hippocampal tissues of juvenile microencephalic guinea pigs (postnatal day 30), we observed significant increases in basal (by 58% and 74%, respectively,) and phorbol ester-stimulated PKC enzyme activity (by 47% and 71%) as compared to age-matched control animals. In the same cortical/hippocampal preparations of methylazoxymethanol-treated animals, there was increased alpha-secretion of APP by 35% and 30% as measured by Western blot analysis using the antibody 6E10, whilst total APP secretion as well as APP mRNA expression remained unaltered. This upregulation of APP alpha-secretion was limited to brain areas that displayed elevated PKC activity. However, constitutive overactivation of neocortical PKC did not affect the generation of beta-amyloid peptides 1-40 or 1-42 as measured by ELISA, suggesting that only the alpha-secretase pathway of APP processing is affected by chronic PKC overactivation in vivo.

Amyloid Precursor Protein Secretases↗
PubMed2006

Nurse-led implementation of the single assessment process in primary care: a descriptive feasibility study.

OBJECTIVE: to determine the resources required to carry out the single assessment process in primary care. DESIGN: prospective descriptive study. SETTING: one urban primary care practice, Southampton. PARTICIPANTS: nine hundred and forty-four people aged 70+ years, registered with the practice, not living in a residential/nursing home, or terminally ill. INTERVENTION: participants were sent the six-item Sherbrooke questionnaire (case-finding tool). Non-responders were re-mailed after 4 weeks. All those scoring 4, 5 or 6 and a randomly selected half of those scoring 2 or 3 were offered overview assessment and comprehensive assessment as indicated by the Minimum Data Set for Home Care protocol. The nurse assessor identified unmet needs and agreed an action plan with participants. Another researcher conducted semi-structured interviews with a purposive sample of 26 participants to elicit their views of the process. MAIN OUTCOME MEASURES: response rates/scores of Sherbrooke questionnaire; numbers/characteristics of people requiring overview and comprehensive assessments; nature of resulting recommendations/referrals and impact on other agencies; resources required; views of service users. RESULTS: eight hundred and sixty-three (91%) participants replied. Five hundred and seven (54%) scored 2+, triggering an overview assessment, which was offered to 307. One hundred and twenty-four participants (40%) accepted; 64 (52%) had unmet needs (median 8 each, range 2-18), resulting in 34 referrals within the practice including four case conferences, and 21 to community/secondary health services. Few participants with a Sherbrooke score of 2 required comprehensive assessment. Users perceived the process as acceptable and useful, but not always relevant to their current needs. CONCLUSION: targeting those scoring 3+ on the Sherbrooke questionnaire (28% of sample) may improve the identification of patients who would benefit from further assessment. A contact approach rather than a case-finding one may improve the relevance of this process to older people.

Aged↗
PubMed2002

Band dispersion in chromatography--a universal expression for the contribution from the mobile zone.

It is generally assumed that the dispersion which is covered by the C term of Van Deemter type equations arises from processes occurring in the static zone, while the dispersion covered by the A term arises from processes occurring in the mobile zone. It is also now widely accepted that the contribution to h, the reduced plate height, from mobile zone processes increases with a modest power of v, the reduced flow velocity. A reassessment of data acquired since the 1960s suggests that this power falls with increasing velocity, but may be relatively high at reduced velocities, v, in the range 1-30. Data for a wide variety of materials over a wide range of v have been re-examined and are well fitted by an equation of the form: h = B/v + [1/A + 1/(Dv(n))](-1) + Cv. With C < or = 0.02 in accordance with the theoretical value for slow equilibration in the static zone, n is found to be in the range 0.5-1.0 with the lower values applying to glass bead packings, and the higher values applying to porous spherical packing materials. The equation provides a decreasing power of velocity in the A term in agreement with experimental data. It is now clear that nearly all of the dispersion previously assigned to processes in the static zone actually occurs in the mobile zone. Accordingly, substantial improvements in column performance in LC may well be achieved by better packing of columns, or by designing structures such as monolithic beds and two dimensional designs on chips, which can provide more uniform structures than the beds of spherical particles widely used in current

Chromatography, Liquid↗
PubMed2004

Individual empowerment among Chinese cancer patients in Hong Kong.

Among the various chronic diseases, cancer is the leading cause of death in Hong Kong. This article presents the process of how cancer patients are being enabled and strengthened to overcome powerlessness based on the interview findings of 12 participants. Interviews were analyzed using constant comparison. The basic social process of empowerment included finding meaning in life, seeking mastery over illness, and acceptance of illness. This study's unique findings suggest that the process of empowering cancer patients consists of more than giving patients control, choice, or resources, such as knowledge and skills. Nurses have an important role in facilitating patients to find meaning in life, as well as in the transformation of thoughts and attitudes. Nurses' personal qualities and skills embedded in the nurse-patient relationship constitute an important source of empowerment for patients.

Adaptation, Psychological↗
PubMed1999

[Duration of the editorial process of the Atención Primaria journal].

OBJECTIVE: To quantify how long the different steps in the process of editing the manuscripts received by the journal Atención Primaria took. DESIGN: Retrospective, descriptive study. SETTING: The journal Atención Primaria. PARTICIPANTS: Manuscripts submitted for publication in the sections Original articles, Short articles and Letters to the Editor between January 1 and June 30 1997 (6 months). MEASUREMENTS AND MAIN RESULTS: Retrospectively, information was collected on the dates of receipt, of sending out to referees, receipt of their views and comments, sending back to the authors, receipt of their modified text or reply, of final decision on acceptance or rejection, and of publication if accepted. Of the 132 original and short articles received, 22 (16.7%) were awaiting a final decision. Of the remaining 110, 53 (48.2%) had been rejected and 57 (51.8%) accepted. The length of each step in the editorial process was less than 30 days for half the manuscripts. The time elapsed from receipt to editorial decision was less than 45 days in half the cases and 60 days on average. The time from acceptance to publication was 137 days on average. CONCLUSIONS: How long each step in the editorial process took can be considered acceptable, although the wide variability in the times taken by authors to modify their manuscripts is striking. Mechanisms must be sought to avoid the excessive delay in the publication of research, by increasing the speed of the referees' reviews and of authors' modifications.

Periodicals as Topic↗
PubMedDate not supplied

Memory and aging: components and processes.

This article provides a critical review of memory and aging. The focus is on the more accepted ternary scheme of memory, i.e. procedural, semantic and episodic, and on processing resources. A review of the literature in these areas, considering the more relevant studies or those with a greater number of subjects, reveals a gradual decrease of performance with age. No single hypothesis, either psychological or physiological, seems to be capable of explaining this decline. However, the hypothesis of a cognitive slowing during aging has an appealing simplicity and offers the chance to integrate the myriad of task-specific explanations that have proliferated in the literature.

Adult↗
PubMed2000

Mathematical modeling for the prediction and optimization of laser hair removal.

BACKGROUND AND OBJECTIVE: The study of hair removal is a slow, tedious process. Efficacy evaluations require test-site observation for at least one complete hair cycle, a minimum of 6-8 months. In addition, tracking and counting individual hairs is extremely labor intensive. The objective of this study was to develop and evaluate a mathematical model for hair removal that could significantly speed the entire process. STUDY DESIGN/MATERIALS AND METHODS: Generally accepted kinetic and statistical modeling methods were used to develop a mathematical description of hair growth. The anagen and telogen percentages and decay times were the variables used to predict the kinetics of untreated hair. In the case that the follicles were treated, it was necessary to additionally consider the possible outcomes after treatment, making the calculations much too complicated for simple mathematical formulations. Therefore, a computerized statistical model was developed that considered the probabilities of no, partial, or complete follicular damage in addition to the untreated model variables. These models were then evaluated by comparing them to data derived from the literature and a study center. RESULTS: Values derived from the mathematical model were capable of closely approximating the experimental results of untreated (shaving) and treated (plucking, electrolysis, ruby laser, Q-switched Nd:YAG laser) hair growth kinetics. The model was also shown to be useful for optimizing the number and interval of Q-switched Nd:YAG laser treatments. CONCLUSIONS: A mathematical model can be used to reliably predict results from a variety of hair removal techniques. It also appears to be useful for optimizing a particular treatment protocol. In addition, the development of new hair removal products may be aided by using this method.

Computer Simulation↗
PubMed1999

Computer model for cryosurgery of the prostate.

The objective of this study was to devise an interactive tool to assist in cryoablation therapy through computer modeling, simulation, and visualization. CryoSim, a software package, accepts a set of acquired and processed three-dimensional ultrasound images, then models heat diffusion (formation of the iceball) based on numerical approximation of the heat equation and knowledge of the thermal properties of the underlying tissues. Results of cryoexperiments were found to be significantly similar to those generated by CryoSim. Therefore, CryoSim provides a viable technique for predicting the outcome of cryosurgery, and establishes a platform for future automation of cryosurgery.

Animals↗
PubMed1990

Lewis system alterations in gastric carcinogenesis.

Alterations in the expression of type 1 blood group-related antigens (Lewis a and b) were examined immunohistochemically in 371 consecutives gastric biopsy and 80 surgical specimens from patients of gastric carcinoma. The ABH and Lewis phenotype and secretor status of the patients were correlated with histologic findings. An anomalous expression of Lewis a antigen was found in 88 of 249 gastric biopsy specimens of Lewis (a-b+) phenotype patients. The prevalence of this anomaly increased with the evolution of the premalignant process, in agreement with the commonly accepted model of gastric carcinogenesis. Thus, anomalous Lewis a antigen appeared in 66.6% of gastric dysplasia cases, in 64.6% of intestinal metaplasia, in 15.4% of atrophic gastritis, and in 7.4% of superficial gastritis. No alterations were found in subjects with normal gastric mucosa. Forty-seven of the 49 Lewis (a-b+) phenotype gastric carcinoma patients showed antigenic alterations in tumor cells (anomalous Lewis a antigen in 36 and loss of Lewis antigens in 11). In 26 of these gastric specimens an anomalous Lewis a antigen was present in areas of intestinal metaplasia and/or dysplasia away from the area of neoplastic transformation. The expression of Lewis a antigen in Lewis (a-b+) phenotype patients is a frequent phenomenon in gastric neoplastic cells and could result from the blocked synthesis of Lewis b antigen with accumulation of its precursors. These findings suggest that, during gastric carcinogenesis, antigenic alterations may precede neoplastic transformation. An anomalous Lewis a antigen could constitute a significant index of severity of the histologic lesion and contribute to identifying high-risk individuals.

Humans↗
PubMed2007

Wax removal for accelerated cotton scouring with alkaline pectinase.

A rational approach has been applied to design a new environmentally acceptable and industrially viable enzymatic scouring process. Owing to the substrate specificity, the selection of enzymes depends on the structure and composition of the substrate, i.e. cotton fibre. The structure and composition of the outer layers of cotton fibre has been established on the basis of thorough literature study, which identifies wax and pectin removal to be the key steps for successful scouring process. Three main issues are discussed here, i.e. benchmarking of the existing alkaline scouring process, an evaluation of several selected acidic and alkaline pectinases for scouring, and the effect of wax removal treatment on pectinase performance. It has been found that the pectinolytic capability of alkaline pectinases on cotton pectin is nearly 75% higher than that of acidic pectinases. It is concluded that an efficient wax removal prior to pectinase treatment indeed results in improved performance in terms of hydrophilicity and pectin removal. To evaluate the hydrophilicity, the structural contact angle (theta) was measured using an auto-porosimeter.

Cellulose↗
PubMed2001

Combined effects of ultraviolet-B radiation and food shortage on the sensitivity of the Antarctic amphipod Paramoera walkeri to copper.

Investigations on the combined effects of ultraviolet (UV)-B radiation and anthropogenic toxicants have focused primarily on the chemical interactions between UV-B and organic compounds. Only a few studies have examined whether exposure to UV-B changes sensitivity to toxicants. This question is addressed in a laboratory study using the common shoreline Antarctic amphipod Paramoera walkeri and exposure to environmentally realistic levels of copper, UV-B radiation, and food shortage. Exposure to copper for 21 d in the absence of any additional stressors (food present, no UV-B) showed a lowest observable effective concentration (LOEC) of greater than 100 microg Cu/L. Exposure to copper and UV-B in combination, with no shortage of food, resulted in a LOEC of 45 microg Cu/L. When exposed to copper and UV-B, with shortage of food, a LOEC of 3 microg Cu/L was recorded. Hence, the combination of environmental stress from exposure to UV-B radiation and shortage of food increases the sensitivity of P. walkeri to copper more than 30-fold. Increased metabolic energy requirements for defense mechanisms in response to toxicants and UV-B are discussed as possible explanations. It is concluded that consideration of environmental stressors in combination with toxicants increases the accuracy of ecological risk assessments of toxicants and should be part of the process for developing guidelines for ecologically acceptable concentrations of contaminants in the environment.

Adaptation, Physiological↗
PubMed2002

Freeze-drying of tert-butanol/water cosolvent systems: a case report on formation of a friable freeze-dried powder of tobramycin sulfate.

A case study is presented in which a tert-butanol (TBA)/water cosolvent system was found to be a useful means of producing freeze-dried tobramycin sulfate that readily forms a loose powder upon agitation in a specialized application in which a critical quality attribute is the ability to pour the sterile powder from the vial. Both formulation and processing variables are important in achieving acceptable physical properties of the cake as well as minimizing residual TBA levels. Liquid/liquid phase separation was observed above critical concentrations of both drug and TBA, resulting in a two-layered lyophilized cake with unacceptable appearance, physical properties, and residual TBA levels. However, the choice of tobramycin sulfate and TBA concentrations in the single-phase region of the phase diagram resulted in a lyophilized solid that can readily be poured from vials. Crystallization of TBA before drying is critical to achieving adequately low residual TBA levels, and this is reflected in the effect of thermal history of freezing on residual TBA levels, where rapid freezing results in incomplete crystallization of TBA and relatively high levels of residual solvent. Annealing at a temperature above T'(g) of the system after an initial freezing step significantly reduces the level of residual TBA. Secondary drying, even at increased temperature and for extended times, is not an effective method of reducing residual TBA levels.

Anti-Bacterial Agents↗
PubMed1997

Telomerase activation in in vitro and in vivo cervical carcinogenesis.

Telomerase activity is found in the majority of human cancers, but not in most normal tissues. It is generally accepted that there is a multistep process in human carcinogenesis. Studying the role of telomerase activation in this process may provide new information to further our understanding of the pathological process of clinical lesions. In the present study, telomerase activity was found in HPV-immortalized and cigarette smoke condensate (CSC)-transformed malignant cell lines established in a cervical carcinogenesis model and in cell lines derived from cervical intraepithelial neoplasias (CINs) and carcinomas. With exfoliated cell samples, telomerase activity was detected in 3 of 41 (7%) normal cervices, 10 of 25 (40%) CINs, and all 20 (100%) carcinomas. Telomerase activation was significantly higher in CINs than in normal cervices (chi2 = 7.42, P < 0.01) and was much higher in invasive carcinomas than in CINs (chi2 = 18.00, P < 0.005). Our observations suggest that telomerase activation is a relatively early-stage event in cervical carcinogenesis, and this activation is associated with the initiation and progression of cervical lesions. Detection of telomerase activity may serve as a tool for diagnosis and prognosis of cervical neoplasias.

Carcinoma↗
PubMed1982

A perspective on instructional uses of computing in medicine.

Over the past two decades the use of computers for instructional purposes in the medical and health fields has grown in terms of both the numbers of users and the variety of material available. Computer-assisted instruction (CAI) was proposed as a cost-effective means of providing individualized instruction as well as an ideal medium for the presentation of complex problems. Applications have ranged from the primitive drill and practice mode to the fairly sophisticated processes of decision making and differential diagnosis. Although CAI may never fulfill the high expectations of early proponents, the medium appears to have found acceptance as a useful adjunct to the instructional process.

Computer-Assisted Instruction↗
PubMed1983

Effects of histological processing on lectin binding patterns in oral mucosa and skin.

The effects of fixation and wax processing on lectin binding to C3H mouse palate and tail skin were evaluated using eight FITC-conjugated lectins. Sections and blocks of tissue were fixed in acetone, ethanol, methanol, formalin, glutaraldehyde or Bouin's picric-acetic-formalin fixative. Tissue blocks were then processed to paraffin wax. Compared to unfixed cryostat sections, there was a weaker but similar pattern of surface binding to sections of fixed and wax-processed tissues with acetone, alcohols and Bouin's fixative. Basement membrane binding was much weaker with acetone-wax and absent when alcohols or Bouin's fixatives were used. Tissues fixed in formalin showed very weak general binding, while glutaraldehyde fixation resulted in considerable non-specific cytoplasmic binding. Acetone, alcohols or Bouin's fixative followed by processing to paraffin wax provided convenient acceptable alternatives to the use of unfixed cryostat sections. Lipid extraction prior to lectin incubation resulted in complete elimination of detectable binding to epithelium suggesting that lectin-binding sites in the cell surface are associated with glycolipid or lipid.

Acetone↗