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At least 163 records · Page 9Linked to original sources

Changes in static and dynamic skin fold measurements in the first 60 hours of life: higher values following cesarean delivery.

Infants born by cesarean section (CS) have been reported to have increased intracellular and total body water and have a slower postnatal decline in cell water content compared to vaginally delivered infants. These findings support the hypothesis that delivery-related changes in water compartmentalization will result in postnatal differences in tissue compressibility. In order to test this hypothesis, static and dynamic skin fold thicknesses (SFTs) were obtained in 60 healthy, term, appropriate for gestational age infants between 1 and 60 h of life. Thirty infants were delivered vaginally and 30 by CS. Midtriceps, subscapular and abdominal skin folds were measured twice daily during the first 3 days of life. There were no differences between groups in birth weight, length, head circumference, gestational age, sex or ponderal index. Our results showed that static SFTs were significantly greater in CS than in vaginally delivered infants at birth and remained so throughout the study period. In both groups, static SFTs increased while weight decreased over time. At birth, dynamic SFTs were significantly greater in infants delivered by CS. We speculate that skin fold differences between CS and vaginal deliveries may reflect a different dynamic of perinatal body water distribution. The mechanism underlying the paradoxical increase in static SFTs in both groups is unknown.

Body Water↗

Effects of terminating chronic phencyclidine on schedule-controlled behavior in rats.

Six rats were trained to respond under a multiple fixed-ratio 30, fixed-interval 3-min schedule for food presentation. Acute administration of phencyclidine (0.1-3.2 mg/kg, IP) produced decreases in fixed-ratio response rates at doses above 0.3 mg/kg, but fixed-interval response rates were only decreased at the highest dose. However, the pattern of fixed-interval responding (as evidenced by quarter-life values) was affected at doses above 0.3 mg/kg. Osmotic minipumps were implanted, SC, which infused saline (2 rats) or phencyclidine (4 rats, 10.0 mg/kg/day) for 10 days, and then removed. Daily behavioral sessions were conducted during infusions and for 10 days afterwards. The effects of phencyclidine infusions on fixed-ratio responding were variable. Fixed-interval response rate and quarter-life values were only modestly affected during drug infusion. All three parameters were markedly affected upon cessation of chronic phencyclidine dosing, but there did not appear to be differential effects between the schedule components. No effects on responding were observed during or after saline infusions.

Animals↗

Comparative pharmacokinetics of amoxicillin and ampicillin in infants and children.

The pharmacokinetics of amoxicillin and ampicillin were studied in 24 infants and children. Mean peak serum concentrations of 5.4 micrograms/ml in fasting and 3.2 micrograms/ml in nonfasting patients were observed after 15 mg/kg amoxicillin doses. Area under the curve values and serum half-life values were similar in fasting and nonfasting patients. The pharmacokinetics of amoxicillin (15 mg/kg) were compared to those of ampicillin (25 mg/kg). Peak serum concentrations, area under the curve values and half-life times were comparable for the two drugs. Amoxicillin (25 mg/kg) and ampicillin (25 mg/kg) were compared in cross-over fashion in 11 children. Serum concentrations of amoxicillin were consistently larger than those of ampicillin; the differences were of borderline significance at one and two hours and statistically significant at four and six hours after the dosage. The bioavailability of amoxicillin was twice that of ampicillin. Amoxicillin was detected in approximately half of the saliva samples studied. Although the salivary concentrations in many children exceeded the inhibitory level for most pneumococci and group A streptococci and for many non-beta lactamase-producing Haemophilus influenzae type b strains, the clinical relevance of these observations is unknown.

Amoxicillin↗

[Clinical evaluation of cefpiramide in pediatrics].

A clinical study was made of cefpiramide (CPM) a new cephem-type antibiotic for injection and the following results were obtained. Blood level of CPM, after 20 mg/kg administration by drip infusion over a period of 1 hour, reached its peak of 86 micrograms/ml at the end of the infusion and declined to 19.8 micrograms/ml at 4th hour after infusion with the half-life value of 3.02 hours. Its urinary recovery rate up to 9 hours was 29.2% and the urine concentration from 0 to the 3rd hour was 820 micrograms/ml and from the 3rd to the 5th hour 650 micrograms/ml. In another case of the same dose with intravenous administration, the blood level at the end of the first 1 hour reached 56 micrograms/ml and by the 4th hour it had fallen to 20.6 micrograms/ml and by the 6th hour to 13.6 micrograms/ml. The half-life value was estimated as 2.44 hours. CPM was administered in 2 or 3 divided doses at a daily dosage ranging from 41.7 to 62.5 mg/kg by intravenous injection or by 1-hour drip infusion to 6 patients (3 cases of pneumonia, 2 cases of urinary tract infections, 1 case of purulent cervical lymphadenitis) and the following clinical results were obtained; "markedly effective" 3 cases, "effective" 2 cases, and "ineffective" 1 case. The overall efficacy rate was 83.3%. No side-effects or abnormal laboratory findings were found in any of the 7 patients including 1 patient who was excluded from the efficacy evaluation because of Kawasaki's disease.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)

Age Factors↗

Investigation of bradykinin metabolism in human and rat plasma in the presence of the dual ACE/NEP inhibitors GW660511X and omapatrilat.

Several studies have suggested that the accumulation of bradykinin, or that of one its metabolites BK1-8, is involved in the occurrence of side effects such as AE associated with the use of various ACEi. In this work a novel approach combining HPLC-UV on-line with oaTOF-MS and ICPMS was applied to investigate in human and rat plasma the metabolism of labelled BK (79/81 Br-Phe5) BrBK in the presence of two new dual ACE/NEP inhibitors (GW660511X and omapatrilat) currently under clinical trial. In human plasma the BrBK half-life values in the absence or in the presence of GW660511X (3.8 microM) or omapatrilat (32 nM) were 38.7 +/- 2.4, 51.2 +/- 4.7 and 114.7 +/- 9.3 min, respectively and BrBK was degraded into BrBK1-8, BrBK1-7, BrBK1-5 and Br-Phe. In the presence of inhibitors, however, the levels of these resultant metabolites were different. Unlike GW660511X, omapatrilat abolished the production of BrBK1-5 and BrBK1-7, suggesting a better ACE inhibition effect over GW660511X as no NEP activity was found. In addition the production of BrBK1-8 was enhanced in the presence of these inhibitors with a greater accumulation being observed with omapatrilat. The production of Br-Phe5 was reduced with GW660511X while no significant change was observed with omapatrilat after 4 h of incubation. In rat plasma the BrBK half-life values in the absence or in the presence of GW660511X (530 nM) or omapatrilat (50 nM) were 9.31 +/- 1.7, 22.06 +/- 3.1 and 25.3 +/- 1.7 min, respectively and BrBK was degraded into BrBK1-8, BrBK1-7, BrBK1-5 and Br-Phe5 plus BrBK2-9, BrBK4-8 and BrBK2-8 metabolites not found in human plasma. GW660511X and omapatrilat reduced the production of BrBK1-5 and BrBK1-7 with more effect being observed with omapatrilat. GW660511X and omapatrilat increased the production of both BrBK1-8 and Br-Phe5 but not that of BrBK4-8 and BrBK2-8. This study shows that the potency of GW660511X in comparison with omapatrilat is more than 100-fold lower in human, but less than 10-fold lower in rat plasma, suggesting that rat may not be a suitable in vivo model for the evaluation of ACE/NEP inhibition in relation to effects in humans.

Amino Acid Sequence↗

Neural representations of temporally asymmetric stimuli in the auditory cortex of awake primates.

The representation of rapid acoustic transients by the auditory cortex is a fundamental issue that is still unresolved. Auditory cortical neurons have been shown to be limited in their stimulus-synchronized responses, yet the perceptual performances of humans and animals in discriminating temporal variations in complex sounds are better than what existing neurophysiological data would predict. This study investigated the neural representation of temporally asymmetric stimuli in the primary auditory cortex of awake marmoset monkeys. The stimuli, ramped and damped sinusoids, were systematically manipulated (by means of half-life of the exponential envelope) within a cortical neuron's presumed temporal integration window. The main findings of this study are as follows: 1) temporal asymmetry in ramped and damped sinusoids with a short period (25 ms) was clearly reflected by average discharge rate but not necessarily by temporal discharge patterns of auditory cortical neurons. There was considerable response specificity to these stimuli such that some neurons were strongly responsive to a ramped sinusoid but almost completely unresponsive to its damped counterpart or vice versa. Of 181 neurons studied, 140 (77%) showed significant response asymmetry in at least one of the tested half-life values of the exponential envelope. Forty-six neurons showed significant response asymmetry over all half-lives tested. Sustained firing, commonly observed under awake conditions, contributed to greater response asymmetry than that of onset responses in many neurons. 2) A greater proportion of the neurons (32/46) that exhibited significant overall response asymmetry showed stronger responses to the ramped sinusoids than to the damped sinusoids, possibly contributing to the difference in the perceived loudness between these two classes of sounds. 3) The asymmetry preference of a neuron to ramped or damped sinusoids did not appear to be correlated with its characteristic frequency or minimum response latency, suggesting that this is a general phenomenon that exists across populations of cortical neurons. Moreover, the intensity of the stimuli did not have significant effects on the measure of the asymmetry preference based on discharge rate. 4) A population measure of response preference, based on discharge rate, of cortical neurons to the temporally asymmetric stimuli was qualitatively similar to the performance of human listeners in discriminating ramped versus damped sinusoids at different half-life values. These findings suggest that rapid acoustic transients embedded in complex sounds can be represented by discharge rates of cortical neurons instead of or in the absence of stimulus-synchronized discharges.

Acoustic Stimulation↗

Lack of correlation between in vitro and in vivo studies on the effects of tangeretin and tangerine juice on midazolam hydroxylation.

BACKGROUND: Tangeretin is a flavonoid that stimulates the catalytic activity of cytochrome P450 3A4 (CYP3A4) and is found in high levels in tangerine juice. METHODS: The effect of tangeretin on hydroxylation of midazolam, a CYP3A4 probe, was examined in vitro with human liver microsomes and recombinant CYP3A4. In addition, the effect of tangerine juice on the pharmacokinetics and pharmacodynamics of orally administered midazolam (15 mg) and its active 1'-hydroxymetabolite was studied in a randomized crossover study in eight healthy volunteers. RESULTS: In microsomes from three human livers, tangeretin (1 to 100 micromol/L) increased 1'-hydroxymidazolam formation (12.5 micromol/L midazolam) by up to 212%. In complementary deoxyribonucleic acid-expressed CYP3A4, a 52% stimulation of midazolam 1'-hydroxylation was reached at 50 micromol/L tangeretin with no effect on midazolam 4-hydroxylation. In the pharmacokinetic-pharmacodynamic study, 200 mL tangerine juice reduced the area under the concentration versus time curve to 1.5 hours [AUC(O-1.5h)] of midazolam and 1'-hydroxymidazolam by 39% and 46%, respectively, and prolonged the time to reach peak concentration (P < .05) without affecting the total AUC values, elimination half-life values, or AUC ratios (1'-hydroxymidazolam/midazolam). These findings are consistent with a small delay in the absorption of midazolam and lack of effect on midazolam 1'-hydroxylation. Accordingly, tangerine juice slightly postponed the maximum pharmacodynamic effects of midazolam (P < .05). CONCLUSION: Tangeretin is a potent regioselective stimulator of midazolam 1'-hydroxylation by human liver microsomes and complementary deoxyribonucleic acid-expressed CYP3A4. However, tangerine juice is unlikely to have any appreciable effect on CYP3A4 in humans. Further studies are required to assess whether in vitro stimulators of CYP3A4 can influence drug metabolism in vivo.

Adult↗

Myelodysplasia in adult life: the value of an outreach nursing service.

In the state of South Australia, infants with myelodysplasia have been treated by early intervention since 1963, and the majority have survived. Many are now adults, leading active lives despite having severe disabilities. A pilot study confirmed that this population has a high incidence of preventable ill health because of recurrent urinary infections, renal damage, and pressure ulcers. Many of these complications can be prevented by an outreach nursing service aimed at providing education in self-care, counseling, advocacy, and other appropriate nursing interventions, thus allowing clients to avoid hospitalization and maintain their independence. The study also showed that many clients were unaware of important social benefits, the knowledge of which should promote their financial independence. The outreach nursing service is an essential part of an integrated long-term support program for adults with myelodysplasia and other forms of congenital spinal paralysis.

Adolescent↗

The value of life

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Journal Article↗

Cancer care, money, and the value of life: whose justice? Which rationality?

Cost-containment in oncology is a moral issue. While economists use the word "rationing" to describe all limitations on resource utilization that result from human choice, the ordinary language distinction between allocation and rationing is morally meaningful and can help oncologists to determine their proper moral role in cost-containment. It is argued that oncologists should not be required to ration at the bedside, nor should they be given financial incentives to practice frugally, nor should they be subjected to a variety of bureaucratic mechanisms to control costs indirectly. In addition, it is argued that the fact that treatments have a price does not logically imply that patients have a price. Cost-effectiveness analysis is often suggested as a means of deciding how best to allocate resources, but some of its many ethical limitations are discussed. The alternative is an open, public, participatory process about how to ration care, abandoning the formulaic pretenses of cost-effectiveness analysis, but with a commitment to reason, good will, and common sense. Oncologists would then be free to advocate for their patients within the constraints imposed by this public process.

Cost Control↗

Country life, human values.

With small-town roots and statewide vision, Larry Krupala takes on the THA chairmanship. Meet the man who'll be leading THA through the 1992-93 year.

Chief Executive Officers, Hospital↗