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PubMed2001

Effect of enterocin CCM 4231 on Listeria monocytogenes in Saint-Paulin cheese.

The bacteriocin production by Enterococcus faecium strain in cheese milk and cheese was demonstrated. Purified enterocin CCM 4231 exhibited an anti-listerial effect during Saint-Paulin cheese manufacture. During cheese production the strain grew to a final concentration of 10.1 +/- 0.01 log CFU per mL per g in cheese. Then only a slight decrease of the cell concentration was noticed during ripening and was almost stable for 8 weeks. No significant differences in pH were observed between the experimental and reference cheeses. Bacteriocin production during cheese manufacture was detected only in milk samples and curd, reaching a level of 100 AU/mL. After addition of purified enterocin CCM 4231 (concentration 3200 AU/mL) into the experimental cheese, the initial concentration of 6.7 +/- 0.06 log CFU per mL of Listeria monocytogenes Ohio was reduced up to 1.9 +/- 0.01 log CFU per mL per g. After 6 weeks and at the end of the experiment the difference of surviving cells of L. monocytogenes Ohio in ECH was only one or 0.7 log cycle compared to the control cheese. Although enterocin CCM 4231 partially inhibited L. monocytogenes in Saint-Paulin cheese manufacture, an inhibitory effect of enterocin added was shown in 1-week cheese; however, it was not possible to detect bacteriocin activity by the agar spot test. The traditional fermentation and ripening process was not disturbed, resulting in acceptable end-products, including sensory aspects.

Bacteriocins↗

PubMed1997

[Palliative medicine].

Palliative medicine has its origin in the modern hospice movement. It is based upon an integrated-care concept for seriously ill and dying patients. The first consideration of this particular form of treatment is not to prolong life, but to reach the best possible quality of a patient's remaining lifetime. Therefore, palliative medicine consists of: (1) excellent pain treatment and symptom control; (2) an integrated approach towards the psychic, social, and spiritual needs of the patient, relatives, and attending staff during the periods of illness, dying, and, after the patient's death; (3) competence in dealing with vital matters of communication and ethics; and (4) acceptance of death as a normal process. Palliative medicine clearly rejects euthanasia. Practical implementation of the idea of hospice services can be realised anywhere when taking care of seriously ill and dying patients, whether at home, in a nursing home, or in hospital. Experience shows that quite a few patients cannot be treated successfully without additional services, such as home-care services, day-care centres, in patient hospices, and palliative-care units. Up to now, severely ill tumour patients have benefited most from these services. In palliative care units an interdisciplinary team of doctors and nursing staff assisted by physiotherapists and members of psycho-social professions is taking care of and treating patients. Additional support is given by voluntary services and the integration of the patient's relatives in the caring process. Palliative medicine is the overall term for this special kind of treatment and care. In Great Britain, Canada, and Scandinavia considerable progress has been achieved in this field, including recognition as an independent clinical discipline and the establishment of lectureships in palliative medicine.

Humans↗

PubMed2006

Criteria for the assessment of sustainable water management.

Pressure on the world's water resources is increasing, restraining social and economic development in many countries, and threatening ecological values in others. In order to manage water resources in a more sustainable manner, new planning methodologies/processes for river basin management need to be developed. This study attempts to construct a set of useable normative criteria for the analysis and evaluation of such processes. The criteria were designed as a response to the lack of deductive approaches in the evaluation of methodologies and working procedures used in the context of river basin management, making it possible to highlight their potential for sustainable development. The criteria are based on the twin concepts of participation and integration. These concepts function as well-established dimensions of both sustainable development and sustainable river basin management, and they are of significant methodological relevance. A synthesis of the key aspects connected to the two concepts is undertaken, based on a broad literature review. Focus is laid on how in methodological terms, and in relation to regional water management, to achieve participation and integration in a decision-making or planning process. The criteria are concerned with how knowledge and values are integrated into the planning process and how commitment, legitimacy, or acceptance for the resulting plan is generated.

Planning Techniques↗

PubMed2006

Objective measurement of human visual acuity by visual evoked potentials.

Electrophysiological studies were performed to measure the threshold (upper end of range) spatial frequency using visual evoked potentials and comparison with visual acuity neuron 26 healthy subjects. The aim of the present work was to create a method for objective measurement of visual acuity. This was addressed by initial measurements using a universally accepted method of visual stimulation and processing of electroencephalograms, which allows errors due to individual differences in visual system function to be minimized. These experiments yielded a strong correlation between the threshold spatial frequency of the test grid yielding an evoked potential on presentation and visual acuity, in degrees, expressed as the resolving ability of the visual system for this optotype. A logarithmic relationship was found between these values and an equation allowing automated calculation of visual acuity (resolving ability) from electrophysiological data was derived. The results were independent of the subject's responses and therefore provides a maximally objective assessment of visual acuity.

Adolescent↗

PubMed1975

Natural language storage and retrieval of medical diagnostic information. Experience at the UCLA hospital and clinics over a 10-year period.

A natural language storage and retrieval system initially designed for pathology reports has been in operation for ten years at UCLA Hospital and Clinics. The original system has been improved to provide a thesaurus processor with added capabilities for expanding search request terms and a newly developed set of search programs with user options that make complex and more accurate retrievals possible. Summarized diagnostic statements or impressions from five specialities (Surgical Pathology, Bone Marrow, Autopsy, Nuclear Medicine, and Neuroradiology), are automatically encoded by referencing a master computer dictionary containing a unique numeric code for each English word. Input and retrievals are batch, off-line operations in free text, and are currently processed on the IBM 370/145. User acceptance is high, quality of retrievals improved, and cost is nominal. This paper describes an expanded natural language system which in now providing a viable form of information storage and retrieval for research, medical education, patient care, quality control, statistics and administrative purposes.

California↗

PubMed1978

Universal simplified mold technique for construction of facial prostheses.

This article presents a simple procedure for the construction of facial prosthesis. The use of a split mold lined by silicone 382 is recommended. Pertinent information concerning impression making, sculpturing, coloring, and processing to insure esthetically and functionally accepted prostheses is presented.

Adhesives↗

PubMed1991

Health policies and Health For All strategies in the Nordic countries.

In the 1980s all five Nordic countries expressed, at the highest political level, their commitment to WHO's program Health for All (HFA) by the Year 2000. This program aims at improving the prerequisites for a healthier and longer life by changing lifestyles, decreasing environmental hazards and by shifting the emphasis in health care from specialized services towards primary health care. Following their policy statements all the Nordic countries formulated national HFA strategies during the latter half of the 1980s. This paper looks at the background and the formulation and implementation of these strategies, covering the period up until the end of the 1980s. The implementation of national strategies seems to be a slow and difficult process. The monitoring of progress toward accepted healthy policy goals is not easy, because measurable objectives or targets are mostly missing.

Demography↗

PubMed1991

May the alterations in lipid fluidity-mediated platelet hypersensitivity contribute to accelerated aging of platelets in diabetes mellitus?

Reduced platelet membrane lipid fluidity occurring in diabetes implies that platelet membrane receptors are more exposed to the external environment. This, in turn, may result in an increased sensitivity of platelets from diabetic humans to platelet aggregating agents. Platelet hypersensitivity (PH) may lead to augmented effects of agonists on the release of amine storage granules from the platelets of diabetic individuals. Aggregating and release-inducing agents decrease platelet density, which is assumed to be relevant to the aging processes. Thus it has become commonly accepted that platelet senescence or aging contributes to platelet density heterogeneity (PDH). Alterations of dynamic parameters of platelet membranes in diabetes may thus underlie the increased rate of aging or senescence of platelets in diabetic subjects.

Blood Platelets↗

PubMed1989

Quality assessment of DNA vaccines: hepatitis-B vaccine.

Vaccines manufactured following "classical" methods contain inactivated or infectious but attenuated viruses or bacteria. In some instances, the inactivated agents are purified. In other cases, the vaccines contain protein subunits or practically pure polysaccharides. It is generally accepted that the final product cannot be completely characterised and that therefore extensive "in-process" controls are necessary to prove the consistent quality of such vaccines. Control tests are carried out on the substrate, the pooled bulk vaccine and on the final containers. Vaccines produced by recombinant DNA techniques consist of pure proteins. The production is carried out by the multiplication of the "working seed" under well-defined standardised conditions followed by clarification, extraction, purification, formulation. "In-process" controls are incorporated at each step and specifications for acceptance are formulated. The biological methods used for the classical vaccines are completed by physicochemical and immunological determinations of antigen content, identity and purity for the "new generation" products. The requirements for the manufacturers are based on the documents issued by the World Health Organisation and by the national control authorities. The marketing of vaccines is based on a lot by lot release procedure, whereby each lot is tested by the manufacturer and the national control authority before use. Hepatitis-B vaccine, derived from transformed yeast cells, is the first and sole vaccine which has obtained a world-wide license. The quality assessment of this vaccine has been achieved following the requirements for the new generation of biomolecules. It is an example for future vaccines.

Animals↗

PubMed2004

Large trials or meta-analysis? That is not the question.

Selection and evaluation of evidence to identify the most effective treatment modalities is a difficult process. Randomized controlled trials are well accepted as the least biased means of evaluating medical, surgical, screening or preventive manoeuvres. The most commonly used statistical strategy to pool results from trials identified during a systematic review is the meta-analysis. Heterogeneity of trial results should be evaluated, interactions and specific populations identified for the planning of the new large trial.

Decision Making↗

PubMed2004

Odorant receptor gene choice in olfactory sensory neurons: the one receptor-one neuron hypothesis revisited.

Designed for general chemical recognition, the mammalian olfactory system shares many similarities with the immune system. Among these is the popular notion that a single olfactory sensory neuron expresses a single odorant receptor gene, while all other approximately 1000 genes of this type remain silent. Here, I examine the evidence supporting the one receptor-one neuron hypothesis. I conclude that, contrary to widespread belief, it is far from being proven. I propose an hypothesis of a developmental phase of oligogenic expression that is followed by positive and negative selection resulting usually in cells with one expressed receptor. Curiously, selective processes are well established and widely accepted for lymphocytes, but these concepts are essentially ignored for olfactory sensory neurons, despite the analogies that are frequently made between these two systems. More attention must be paid to odorant receptor gene choice and expression during development and neuronal differentiation.

Animals↗

PubMed2005

The effect of the antibody used and method of quantification on oral mucosal vascularity.

A vast literature exists on angiogenesis particularly with regard to understanding tumour growth and development. This is no less true for oral cancer, where slight variations in protocols may invalidate comparison between studies. The influence of tissue processing, and the specific antibody and method of quantification used to identify blood vessels was assessed with respect to oral mucosal vascularity. The angiogenic profile of 20 frozen sections of clinically normal oral mucosa were compared with 16 paraffin-embedded specimens. Eight of the frozen specimens had matched paraffin-embedded tissue. Vascular antigens were identified immunohistochemically using four antibodies and blood vessel density was measured by three methods. CD31 and von Willebrand's factor (vWF) counts were higher than alpha-smooth muscle actin and alphanubeta3. Results for CD31 were higher in frozen tissue than paraffin-embedded tissue. Significantly more CD31-positive vessels were found in frozen tissue in the cohort of matched samples. For paraffin-embedded tissue vWF gave higher values for vascularity than CD31. The variation in antibody reaction to these markers of blood vessels suggests that the antibody employed and method of fixation is more important than the method of quantification used. Comparison of the results for fresh frozen tissue and paraffin-processed tissue suggests that this is acceptable for vWF but not for CD31.

Actins↗

PubMed2004

The value of spontaneous alternation behavior (SAB) as a test of retention in pharmacological investigations of memory.

Because of its reliance on memory, the tendency for rats, mice and other animals to alternate successive choices of T- or Y-maze arms has assumed considerable popularity in pharmacological studies of spatial memory as a quick and simple measure of retention that avoids the need for extensive training and the use of conventional reinforcers. Two forms of this tendency have been utilized, namely two-trial and continuous spontaneous alternation behavior (SAB). However, as the behavior can also reflect drug-related changes in sensory/attentional, motivational and performance processes, SAB should not be unquestionably accepted as a measure of memory alone. While assessments of post-acquisition drug effects on longer term memory may be possible through the appropriate timing of drug administration, this is more problematic if SAB is used as a measure of shorter term memory. Even though SAB can be a useful index of responsiveness to novelty, its value as a measure of retention is less certain. In this latter respect, a possible alternative to SAB testing might be the recently developed form of the related procedure, responsiveness to change.

Acetylcholine↗

PubMed2005

Stimulus pacing affects the activation of the medial temporal lobe during a semantic classification task: an fMRI study.

Our purpose was to explore the influence of stimulus pacing in blocked functional MRI studies on the activation pattern elicited by a semantic retrieval task. Twenty-two participants performed both a fixed-paced and a self-paced functional MR imaging experiment in which a semantic categorization (animal/object) task was contrasted with a perceptual (small/capital letter string) categorization task. Group and single-subject ROI analyses were computed. In both the fixed-paced and self-paced experiments, semantic categorization contrasted with perceptual categorization elicited a cerebral network generally accepted to be involved in semantic processing comprising left inferior prefrontal, left lateral temporal, paracingular and right cerebellar areas. Our main finding was that the self-paced stimulus modality additionally yielded significant activation in the medial temporal lobe (MTL) structures including the hippocampus and the parahippocampal gyrus. More elaborative single-subject ROI analyses revealed MTL activation in 86% of the subjects for the self-paced design, but only in 21% of subjects for the fixed-paced design. The discussion focuses on possible explanations for this finding. We conclude that a self-paced as opposed to a fixed-paced semantic retrieval paradigm is able to detect significant MTL activation in groups as well as in single-subjects. This offers opportunities for the application of such a design in clinical practice.

Adult↗

PubMed2006

Lithium increases bcl-2 expression in chick cochlear nucleus and protects against deafferentation-induced cell death.

Approximately 20-30% of neurons in the avian cochlear nucleus (nucleus magnocellularis) die following deafferentation (i.e. deafness produced by cochlea removal) and the remaining neurons show a decrease in soma size. Cell death is generally accepted to be a highly regulated process involving various pro-survival and pro-death molecules. One treatment that has been shown to modify the expression of these molecules is chronic administration of lithium. The present experiments examined whether lithium treatment can protect neurons from deafferentation-induced cell death. Post-hatch chicks were treated with LiCl or saline for 17 consecutive days, beginning on the day of hatching. On the 17th day, a unilateral cochlea ablation was performed. Five days following surgery, the nucleus magnocellularis neurons were counted stereologically on opposite sides of the same brains. Lithium reduced deafferentation-induced cell death by more than 50% (9.8% cell death as compared with 22.4% in saline-treated subjects). Lithium did not affect cell number on the intact side of the brain. Lithium also did not prevent the deafferentation-induced decrease in soma size, suggesting a dissociation between the mechanisms involved in the afferent control of soma size and those involved in the afferent control of cell viability. A possible mechanism for lithium's neuroprotective influence was examined in a second set of subjects. Previous studies suggest that the pro-survival molecule, bcl-2, may play a role in regulating cell death following deafferentation. Tissues from lithium- and saline-treated subjects were examined using immunocytochemistry. Chronic administration of lithium dramatically increased the expression of bcl-2 protein in nucleus magnocellularis neurons. These data suggest that lithium may impart its neuroprotective effect by altering the expression of molecules that regulate cell death.

Afferent Pathways↗

PubMed2006

Production and characterization of clinical grade Escherichia coli derived Plasmodium falciparum 42 kDa merozoite surface protein 1 (MSP1(42)) in the absence of an affinity tag.

The 42 kDa cleavage product from the carboxyl end of the Plasmodium falciparum merozoite surface protein 1 (MSP1(42)) is an important blood-stage malaria vaccine target. Several recombinant protein expression systems have been used for production of MSP1(42) including yeast (Saccharomyces cerevisiae and Pichia pastoris), Escherichia coli, baculovirus and transgenic animals. To date, all of the reported recombinant proteins include a 6 x His affinity tag to facilitate purification, including three MSP1(42) clinical grade proteins currently in human trials. Under some circumstances, the presence of the 6 x His tag may not be desirable. Therefore, we were interested to produce clinical grade MSP1(42) without a 6 x His affinity tag from E. coli inclusion bodies. We produced a recombinant MSP1(42) with a P. falciparum FUP (Uganda-Palo Alto) phenotype which accounts for a substantial proportion of the MSP1(42) protein observed in African isolates. EcMSP1(42)-FUP was produced in E. coli inclusion bodies by high cell mass induction with IPTG using 5 L and 60 L bioreactors. Isolated inclusion bodies were solubilized in 8M guanidine-HCl and the EcMSP1(42)-FUP protein refolded by rapid dilution. Refolded EcMSP1(42)-FUP was purified using hydrophobic interaction chromatography, anion exchange chromatography, and size exclusion chromatography, and subject to biochemical characterization for integrity, identity, and purity. Endotoxin and host cell protein levels were within acceptable limits for human use. The process was successfully transferred to pilot-scale production in a cGMP environment. A final recovery of 87.8 mg of clinical-grade material per liter of fermentation broth was achieved. The EcMSP1(42)-FUP clinical antigen is available for preclinical evaluation and human studies.

Animals↗

PubMed2004

Sociocultural context of women's body image.

In our society, women's bodies are the locus of both increasing rates of obesity and body dissatisfaction. While these trends may seem contradictory or to result from each other, an alternative explanation is that they are both the products of an unfavourable sociocultural environment in the area of food and weight. Both body dissatisfaction and excess weight can seriously impact women's physical and emotional health. The strong cultural value placed on thinness, especially for women, unfortunately may take precedence over health. To effectively address the impact of women's body image dissatisfaction requires an understanding of the multiple contexts of women's lives. This study used a naturalistic paradigm to explore how women's personal and sociocultural context influences their body image. Forty-four non-eating disordered women ranging from 21 to 61 years old were interviewed twice using a semi-structured interview guide. Women's narratives revealed that body image is not a static construct, but is dynamic and fluctuates as women encounter new experiences and re-interpret old ones. The powerful and unconscious impact of the media on body image was mediated by women's internal contexts (self-confident and self-critical) and their relationships with others, such as partners and other women. Body image was not so much influenced by the nature of others' comments but interpretation of their meaning. However, health professionals' comments were typically not reinterpreted due to the health context in which they were given. While some women's narratives expressed their internalized sociocultural norms, others' described acceptance of their bodies following a process of reflection and empowerment. In light of these findings, efforts to improve women's body image, and by extension their health, can no longer only focus on diminishing the tangible power of industry and media, but must include transforming the social ties, practices and conventions in everyday relationships, including with health professionals.

Adult↗

PubMed2005

Decision-makers and the usefulness of research evidence in policy implementation--a case study from Lao PDR.

The involvement of researchers in the policy process and policy-makers in research is little studied, particularly in developing countries. In 1993, the Lao National Drug Policy (NDP) was endorsed in a consultative process involving many stakeholders. Lao People's Democratic Republic is a poor country in South East Asia. Five pilot provinces were selected for implementation of the policy, which had a health system research (HSR) component. This case study explores decision-makers' knowledge and attitudes regarding the usefulness of HSR in the NDP implementation process. Ninety decision-makers from different health institutions including hospitals, medical schools and main drug suppliers were surveyed using a self-administrated structured questionnaire, filled in during a NDP conference in 2001. Results from six HSR projects related to the NDP implementation had been presented during the conference, but also 6 months previously and through written reports. There were 75 respondents (83% of attendees, 90% of whom were men), 39% with medical, 50% with pharmacy and 11% with other background. Ninety-eight percent of the participants found operational research useful, and 87% supported it to be an element of the NDP. Two-thirds knew the objectives of the NDP. There was no significant difference in knowledge and attitudes between pilot and non-pilot provinces and between professions. Ninety-two percent were aware of the Essential Drug List, and 88% found it adequate to drug need. Ninety-seven percent agreed with generic drug prescribing. Seventy percent reported to have heard about Good Pharmacy Practice (GPP), but only a few could explain it. Although most participants agreed that HSR should be one main component of the NDP and found HSR results useful, few had heard about them before the conference, and research was not well understood. The paper discusses various factors influencing decision-makers' perceptions of usefulness of research in this case during the NDP implementation process. It is concluded that the acceptance of research and major NDP concepts probably is a result of close interaction between researchers and policy-makers and that the interface between research and policy-making needs further studies.

Administrative Personnel↗