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Cure
Kinds of Cure Terms modified by Cure Selected AbstractsThe cigar as a drug delivery device: youth use of bluntsADDICTION, Issue 10 2003Stephen Soldz ABSTRACT Aims, Blunts are hollowed-out cigars used to smoke marijuana (and perhaps other substances) in the United States. We investigated rates of blunt use; whether cigar use reported in surveys may actually be blunt use; the relationship of blunt to cigar use; characteristics of blunt users; brands of cigars used to make blunts; and drugs added to blunts. Design, A school-based survey of youth, the Cigar Use Reasons Evaluation (CURE). Setting, Eleven schools across Massachusetts. Participants, A total of 5016 students in grades 7,12. Measurements, CURE items assessing blunt, cigar and cigarette use, brands used to make blunts, drugs added to blunts and demographics were used. Findings, Life-time blunt use was reported by 20.0% of the sample, with use greater among high school (25.6%) than middle school (11.4%) students, and among males (23.7%) than females (16.6%). Self-reported cigar use rates were not influenced strongly by blunt use being misreported as cigar use. In a multivariate model, blunt use was associated with male gender, higher grade in school, lower GPA, truancy, lower school attachment, not living in a two-parent family, being of ,other' race/ethnicity and current use of both cigarettes and cigars. ,Phillies' was the most popular brand of cigar for making blunts, used by 59.$% of users. ,Garcia y Vega' (18.0%) was the second most popular. Twenty-eight per cent of blunt users had added drugs other than marijuana to blunts. Conclusions, The use of blunts as a drug delivery device is a serious problem. Efforts to address it will require the cooperation of the tobacco control and substance abuse prevention systems. [source] Regional Cluster Policies: Learning by Comparing?KYKLOS INTERNATIONAL REVIEW OF SOCIAL SCIENCES, Issue 3 2002Jan Hospers This paper deals with an intriguing paradox that can be observed in today's regional economic policy making: whereas unique local factors are increasingly seen as the determinants of regional economic success, simultaneously more and more governments try to copy policy experiences that proved to be successful in a particular region. A good example here is the use of ,best practices' in the field of regional cluster policy. Cluster programs are becoming like ,mantras' for policy makers who want to stimulate regional economic development. Given this paradox, in the present paper we address the question what lessons can be drawn from comparing success stories of regional clustering. To answer this question, we combine insights from regional economics and comparative public policy. To start, we discuss the literature that has led to the popularity of the cluster concept as a learning device among policy makers. After that, we identify the preconditions (,contingencies') that affect whether these cluster policy initiatives can be transferred from one place to another. We find that some of the contingent influences, especially those related to the degree of uniqueness of an area's economic structure and culture, hamper the possibility of ,learning by comparing' in regional cluster policy. It may even be argued that exactly those regional specificities explain the success of cluster,based policy efforts. Thus, we have to draw the rather pessimistic conclusion that the possibilities of lesson,drawing in regional cluster policy are limited. In our view, at best ,best practices' should be seen as inspiration sources rather than as recipes for successful regional economic development. A preliminary version of this paper was presented at the CURE 3,Conference on Outstanding Regions in Leeuwarden, The Netherlands, November 22,24, 2000. We would like to thank Arnoud Lagendijk, an anonymous referee and the editors for valuable comments. [source] ENVY'S NARRATIVE SCRIPTS: CYPRIAN, BASIL, AND THE MONASTIC SAGES ON THE ANATOMY AND CURE OF THE INVIDIOUS EMOTIONSMODERN THEOLOGY, Issue 1 2009PAUL M. BLOWERS Incorporating Martha Nussbaum's work on the "intelligence" of human emotions in Greco-Roman moral philosophy, Robert Kaster's analysis of the "narrative scripts" of rivalrous emotions in antiquity, and René Girard's insights into the role of "mimetic desire" in human envy, this article explores the strategies of two major early Christian bishops, Cyprian and Basil of Caesarea, to "read" and to cure the variant scripts of envy and related invidious passions in concrete ecclesial contexts. The article also examines certain monastic theologians in late antiquity who aspired to preempt invidious passions by encouraging salutary scripts of competition in virtue that realized equality of honor in their respective communities. [source] NOVEL SURVEILLANCE AND CURE OF A DONOR- TRANSMITTED LYMPHOMA IN A RENAL ALLOGRAFT RECIPIENTNEPHROLOGY, Issue 3 2000Herzig Ka [source] Letter: The Use of a Dermal Substitute and Thin Skin Grafts in the Cure of "Complex" Leg UlcersDERMATOLOGIC SURGERY, Issue 3 2010ROY RINDLER MD No abstract is available for this article. [source] It Takes a Woman to Play a Real Man: Clara as Hero(ine) of Beaumont and Fletcher's Love's CureENGLISH LITERARY RENAISSANCE, Issue 3 2000ANNE DUNCAN First page of article [source] Improvement of Reflux Symptoms 3 Years After Cure of Helicobacter pylori Infection: A Case-Controlled Study in the Japanese PopulationHELICOBACTER, Issue 4 2002Hiroto Miwa Abstract Background. Development of reflux esophagitis is one of the adverse effects that cause concern in relation to curative treatment of Helicobacter pylori infection. However, recent studies present a rather negative association between curative treatment and development of reflux esophagitis or reflux symptoms. Therefore, this issue has remained controversial. Accordingly, we investigated the long-term adverse effects of H. pylori eradication treatment in special reference to development of reflux symptoms. Patients and Methods. We conducted a case controlled study by mailing structured questionnaires on past (before curative treatment or 3 years previously) and current status. A case was an endoscopically confirmed peptic ulcer patient with confirmed cure of the infection after eradication treatment 3 years previously and a control was one who had not undergone the eradication treatment during the same period. We studied 241 pairs who matched for age, gender, and type of ulcer disease (GU, DU or GDU). Of these pairs, 81.3% were male and the mean age was 52.6 ± 9.6 year (range 23,76). Results. The rates of patients with improved reflux symptoms in the case and control groups were 65.4% and 30.4%, respectively, with the rate being significantly greater in the case group. On the contrary, the rates of those with worsened reflux symptoms were similar (5.1% and 7.6%). Regarding general events, the rate of patients with decreased frequency of hospital visits and of those who regularly used antiacid medications were significantly decreased in the case group. Furthermore, the case group experienced significantly fewer hospital admissions for various diseases in this 3-year period. However, a significantly greater number of case group patients than control subjects gained weight. Conclusion. Reflux symptoms as well as general well-being were significantly improved after cure of H. pylori infection. [source] Once-Daily Cefepime Versus Ceftriaxone for Nursing Home,Acquired PneumoniaJOURNAL OF AMERICAN GERIATRICS SOCIETY, Issue 5 2007Joseph A. Paladino PharmD OBJECTIVES: To compare once-daily intramuscular cefepime with ceftriaxone controls. DESIGN: Double-blind study. SETTING: Six skilled nursing facilities. PARTICIPANTS: Residents aged 60 and older with nursing home,acquired pneumonia. INTERVENTION: Cultures were obtained, and patients were randomized to cefepime or ceftriaxone 1 g intramuscularly every 24 hours. MEASUREMENTS: Clinical success: cure or improvement. Cure was defined as complete resolution of all symptoms and signs of pneumonia or a return to the patient's baseline state. Improvement was defined as clear improvement but incomplete resolution of all pretherapy symptoms or signs or incomplete return to the patient's usual baseline status. Safety and pharmacoeconomics were also assessed. RESULTS: Sixty-nine patients were randomized; 61 were evaluable: (32 to cefepime, 29 ceftriaxone). Patients were predominately female (76%). They had a mean age±standard deviation of 85±6, with a mean 5.8±1.9 comorbidities; they had age-appropriate renal dysfunction, with a mean estimated creatinine clearance of 35±7 mL/min. Clinical success occurred in 78% of cefepime- and 66% of ceftriaxone-treated patients (P=.39). Fifty-seven patients (93%) were switched to oral antibiotics after 3 days. Antibiotic-related adverse events occurred in 5% of patients. Seven patients (11.5%) were hospitalized. The overall mortality rate was 8%. Mean antibiotic costs were $117±40 for cefepime- and $215±68 for ceftriaxone-treated patients (P<.001). Cost-effectiveness analysis of total costs showed that cefepime would cost $597 and ceftriaxone $1,709 per expected successfully treated patient. One- and two-way sensitivity analyses using a generic price for ceftriaxone and improving its comparative efficacy revealed that the results were robust. CONCLUSIONS: Once-daily cefepime was a cost-effective alternative to ceftriaxone for the treatment of elderly nursing home residents who developed pneumonia and did not require hospitalization. [source] Safety of Trans Vaginal Mesh procedure: Retrospective study of 684 patientsJOURNAL OF OBSTETRICS AND GYNAECOLOGY RESEARCH (ELECTRONIC), Issue 4 2008Fréderic Caquant Abstract Aim:, To study peri-surgical complications after cure of genital prolapse by vaginal route using interposition of synthetic prostheses Gynemesh Prolene Soft (Gynecare) following the Trans Vaginal Mesh (TVM) technique. Methods:, The present retrospective multicentered study comprised 684 patients who underwent surgery at seven French centers between October 2002 and December 2004. All patients had a genital prolapse ,3 (C3/H3/E3/R3) according to International continence society (ICS) classification. According to each case, prosthetic interposition was total, or anterior only or posterior only. Patients were systematically seen 6 weeks, 3 months and 6 months after surgery. Multivaried statistical analysis followed a model of logistic regression applied to each post-surgical complication. Results:, The mean age of patients was 63.5 years (30,94). The mean follow-up period was 3.6 months. 84.3% of patients were post-menopause, 24.3% had hysterectomy, 16.7% previous cure of prolapse, and 11.1% cure of stress urinary incontinence (SUI). During the procedure, hysterectomy was combined in 50.3% of cases, cervix amputation in 1.5%, and cure of SUI in 40.9%. 15.8% were treated for a cystocele only. 14.8% had only a rectocele +/, elytrocele and 69.4% had a prolapse touching both compartments, anterior and posterior. In peri-surgical complications, (2%) were five bladder wounds (0.7%), one rectal wound (0.15%) and seven hemorrhages greater that 200 mL (1%). Among early post-surgical complications (during the first month after surgery) (2.8%) were two pelvic abscesses (0.29%), 13 pelvic hematomas (1.9%), one pelvic cellulitis (0.15%), two vesicovaginal fistulas and one rectovaginal fistula (0.15%). Among late post-surgical complications (33.6%) there were 77 granulomas or prosthetic expositions (11.3% [6.7% in the vaginal anterior wall, 2.1% in the vaginal posterior wall and 4.8% in the fornix]), 80 prosthetic retractions (11.7%), 36 relapse of prolapse (6.9%) and 37 SUI de novo (5.4%). Multivaried analysis shows that previous history of hysterectomy or placing of an isolated anterior prosthesis increase the risk of peri-surgical complication; preserved uterus and isolated posterior prosthesis lessen the risk of granulomas and prosthetic retractions; and association of a Richter's intervention increases the rate of prosthetic retractions. Conclusion:, Cure of genital prolapse with synthetic prostheses interposed by vaginal route is now reliable and can be reproduced with a low rate of peri- and early post-surgical complications. However, our study shows a certain number of late post-surgical complications after insertion of strengthening synthetic vaginal implants (prosthetic expositions and prosthetic retractions). These retrospective results will soon be compared to a prospective study. [source] The Dynamic Interaction of Water with Four Dental Impression Materials During CureJOURNAL OF PROSTHODONTICS, Issue 4 2009Dariush Hosseinpour PhD Abstract Purpose: The purpose of this work was to investigate the interaction of water with four different dental impression materials: Aquasil (Ultra XLV Type 3), Take 1 (Wash Regular Set), Genie (Light Body, Standard Set), and Impregum Garant (Soft Light Bodied Consistency). Materials and Methods: Apparent contact angles of de-ionized water made against thin horizontal sample films of the different materials under different conditions were measured from analysis of profile images of symmetrical sessile drops of water placed on the sample films using a Model FTÅ200 dynamic drop shape analysis system, which included a JAI M30 high speed CCD camera combined with a zoom microscope. Data were taken for specimens of dry ages (times following mixing) from a minimum of 20 seconds up to 1220 seconds. Imaging was started before the initial water/impression material contact, and lasted for at least 420 seconds in each case. The interval at the beginning of each run was 0.033 second, and then increased by a factor of 1.012 to the end. During the initial 3 seconds following the drop deposition, the drop's shape oscillated due to inertial effects, so apparent contact angle data during this period were neglected in all cases. All measurements were made at room temperature. The drops were enclosed in a humidified chamber that suppressed evaporation. All data were repeated at least five times, and results were analyzed where appropriate using one-way ANOVA. Microscopic images of the water/impression material interactions for fresh (uncured) materials were acquired to reveal the destructive interactions that resulted from such contact. Finally, surface tension measurements were made of water that had been contacted with material of varying dry age using the pendant drop method capability of the drop shape analysis system. These helped to assess the origin of hydrophilicity development for the different materials. Results: For short curing times (dry ages), water showed a destructive effect on the integrity of all of the impression materials, as evidenced by the formation of a crater beneath the water drop and a scum of material at its surface. These effects diminished with dry age until a critical curing time was reached, beyond which such destructive interactions were no longer detectable. These critical curing times were determined to be 80, 140, 110, and 185 seconds for Aquasil, Take 1, Genie, and Impregum, respectively. The initial contact angle following the respective critical curing time was lowest for Impregum, at 66°; while values for Aquasil, Genie, and Take 1 were 93°, 104°, and 110°, respectively. Beyond the critical curing times for the different materials, different degrees of hydrophilicity were observed. Aquasil showed the lowest final contact angle (<10°), with Impregum, Take 1, and Genie showing 31°, 34°, and 40°, respectively. Measurements of the surface tension of water after contact with the different materials suggested that for Aquasil, hydrophilicity appears to be developed through the leaching of surfactant from the material, whereas for Impregum, Take 1, and Genie, hydrophilicity is developed at least in part through a change in surface structure in contact with water. Impregum and Aquasil materials of dry ages well beyond the critical curing time exhibited a stick-slip behavior in their interline movement or contact angle evolution. This was believed to be due to the slowness in the leaching of surfactant (in the case of Aquasil) or the re-orientation of unleachable surface groups (in the case of the other materials) in comparison to the inherent kinetics of water drop spreading. Conclusions: All materials investigated in the fresh, uncured state showed qualitative decomposition when put in contact with water through the formation of a crater beneath the water drop and a scum of material at its surface. These effects diminished with curing time until beyond a critical value, no such effects were evident. The initial hydrophilicity of the materials as determined by the contact angles obtained at their respective critical dry ages was greatest for Impregum. Beyond the critical curing time, different degrees of hydrophilicity were observed, with Aquasil showing the lowest final contact angle. [source] Sentinel lymph node biopsy in breast cancer: Cure and survival are paramountJOURNAL OF SURGICAL ONCOLOGY, Issue 2 2010Dr. Frederick L. Moffat Jr. MD No abstract is available for this article. [source] Third-line rescue therapy with levofloxacin is more effective than rifabutin rescue regimen after two Helicobacter pylori treatment failuresALIMENTARY PHARMACOLOGY & THERAPEUTICS, Issue 10 2006J. P. GISBERT Summary Background In patients with a first eradication failure, a second (rescue) therapy still fails in > 20% of cases. Aim To compare rifabutin and levofloxacin rescue regimens in patients with two consecutive Helicobacter pylori eradication failures. Methods Patients, in whom first treatment with omeprazole,clarithromycin,amoxicillin and a second trial with omeprazole,bismuth,tetracycline,metronidazole (or ranitidine bismuth citrate with these antibiotics) had failed, received 10 days of treatment with either rifabutin (150 mg b.d.) or levofloxacin (500 mg b.d.), plus amoxicillin (1 g b.d.) and omeprazole (20 mg b.d.). Cure rates were evaluated by the 13C-urea breath test. Results Twenty patients received rifabutin, and 20 levofloxacin. All the patients returned for follow-up. Compliance in the rifabutin group was 100%. Four patients in the levofloxacin group did not take the medication correctly (in two cases due to adverse effects: myalgia and rash). Side effects in the rifabutin and levofloxacin groups were reported in 60% and 50% of the cases, respectively. Five patients (25%) treated with rifabutin presented with leucopenia, and six (30%) treated with levofloxacin presented with myalgias. Per-protocol cure rates were 45% (95% confidence interval, 26,66%) in the rifabutin group, and 81% (57,93%) in the levofloxacin group (P < 0.05). Intention-to-treat cure rates were, 45% (26,66%) and 85% (64,95%), respectively (P < 0.01). Conclusions After two previous H. pylori eradication failures, a 10-day triple levofloxacin-based rescue regimen is more effective than the same regimen with rifabutin. [source] Cure of Acanthamoeba cerebral abscess in a liver transplant patientLIVER TRANSPLANTATION, Issue 3 2008Konrad Tang-Tat Fung Acanthamoeba-related cerebral abscess and encephalitis are rare but usually fatal, being caused by free-living amoebic infections usually occurring in immunocompromised patients. In patients receiving transplants, a literature review showed that the infection is universally fatal. The diagnosis is often missed despite appropriate investigations including lumbar puncture, computerized tomography, and brain biopsy. We present the first reported liver transplant patient with Acanthamoeba cerebral abscess. The diagnosis was made in brain tissue removed at decompressive frontal lobectomy. He was successfully treated with a 3-month course of co-trimoxazole and rifampicin. There was no recurrence of the disease after 11 years of follow-up. Liver Transpl 14:308,312, 2008. © 2008 AASLD. [source] Cure of gastric antral vascular ectasia by liver transplantation despite persistent portal hypertension: A clue for pathogenesisLIVER TRANSPLANTATION, Issue 8 2002Catherine Vincent Gastric antral vascular ectasia (GAVE) is a rare cause of chronic bleeding in cirrhotic patients. It has been suggested that these gastric lesions might be related to portal hypertension, hepatic insufficiency, or both parameters. We report two cases of cirrhotic patients in whom GAVE was the source of recurrent bleeding. These patients also had complete portal vein thrombosis. Liver transplantation was performed and an end-to-end cavoportal anastomosis was performed, leaving patients with persistent portal hypertension after surgery. We observed complete disappearance of the antral lesions several weeks after transplantation, which shows that the GAVE is not related to portal hypertension but is rather a direct consequence of liver failure. Possible pathophysiologic mechanisms are discussed. [source] Cure of Helicobacter pylori infection in elderly patients: comparison of low versus high doses of clarithromycin in combination with amoxicillin and pantoprazoleALIMENTARY PHARMACOLOGY & THERAPEUTICS, Issue 7 2001A. Pilotto Background: Advancing age may influence clarithromycin's pharmacokinetics. No studies have yet compared the effects of different dosages of clarithromycin in combination with a proton pump inhibitor and amoxicillin in elderly patients. Aim: To compare the efficacy and tolerability of clarithromycin 250 mg vs. clarithromycin 500 mg twice daily (b.d.) in combination with pantoprazole and amoxicillin in elderly patients. Methods: One hundred and fifty-four elderly patients with H. pylori -associated ulcer disease or chronic gastritis were consecutively randomized to receive pantoprazole 40 mg daily plus amoxicillin 1 g, and either clarithromycin 250 mg b.d. (PAC 250) or clarithromycin 500 mg b.d. (PAC 500). Two months after therapy, endoscopy and gastric biopsies were repeated. Results: The cure rates of H. pylori infection in the PAC 250 and PAC 500 groups were, respectively, 83% and 79% (ITT analysis) and 94% and 88% (PP analysis) (P=N.S.). Significant decreases in chronic gastritis activity both in the body (P < 0.00001) and the antrum (P < 0.0001) of the stomach were found in H. pylori -cured patients, independently of clarithromycin dosage. Four patients in PAC 250 (5%) and seven in PAC 500 (9%) reported adverse events (P=N.S.). One patient in PAC 250 (25%) and three in PAC 500 (43%) discontinued the study because of these drug-related side-effects (P=N.S.). Conclusions: In elderly patients, 1-week triple therapy with a proton pump inhibitor, amoxicillin and clarithromycin is a highly effective and well tolerated anti- H. pylori treatment. With this combination, clarithromycin at the lower dose of 250 mg b.d. achieved excel- lent cure rates and minimized adverse events and costs. [source] Efficacy of sucralfate for Helicobacter pylori eradication triple therapy in comparison with a lansoprazole-based regimenALIMENTARY PHARMACOLOGY & THERAPEUTICS, Issue 7 2000Adachi Background: Sucralfate has an inhibitory action against Helicobacter pylori and enhances the anti- H. pylori activity of antimicrobials. Aim: To evaluate the efficacy and safety of sucralfate-based eradication therapy for H. pylori infection, compared with that based on lansoprazole, in a randomized multicentre study. Subjects and methods: The subjects were 150 H. pylori -positive patients. They were randomly assigned to one of two regimens for 2 weeks: sucralfate 1 g t.d.s., amoxycillin 500 mg t.d.s., and clarithromycin 400 mg b.d. (SAC regimen: 75 patients); or lansoprazole 30 mg o.m. with the same antimicrobial medications (LAC regimen: 75 patients). Cure of infection was assessed by a 13C urea breath test 1 month after completion of treatment. Results: Eight patients (four in the SAC group and four in LAC group) could not continue therapy because of severe diarrhoea, and three did not take the 13C urea breath test after therapy. Cure rates for intention-to-treat, all-patients-treated, and per protocol analysis in the SAC group were 80%, 83%, and 88%, respectively, and those in the LAC group were 87%, 87%, and 92%, respectively. There were no significant differences in cure rate or adverse effects between the two regimens. Conclusion: Sucralfate in combination with amoxycillin and clarithromycin is as effective as lansoprazole-based eradication therapy for H. pylori. [source] Cure of Helicobacter pylori infection does not improve symptoms in non-ulcer dyspepsia patients,a double-blind placebo-controlled studyALIMENTARY PHARMACOLOGY & THERAPEUTICS, Issue 3 2000Miwa Background: It remains controversial whether the cure of H. pylori infection improves NUD symptoms. Aim: To conduct a double-blind placebo-controlled single centre study with concealed allocation to investigate this question. Patients and methods: Ninety NUD patients with H. pylori infection were randomly assigned to either the treatment group (50 patients) or placebo group (40 patients). The treatment group received omeprazole, amoxycillin, clarithromycin and the placebo group received omeprazole and placebos for 7 days. Symptoms were assessed every week for up to 12 weeks after completion of medication by a symptom questionnaire. Alteration of histological parameters for gastritis was also evaluated. Results: The infection was cured in 41 out of 48 patients in the treatment group and none in the placebo group. There was no significant difference in the mean symptom scores at any assessment point up to 12 weeks between the treatment and placebo groups. Regarding histological parameters, activity and inflammation, not atrophy or intestinal metaplasia, were significantly improved in the treatment group. Conclusion: Although histological parameters were significantly improved in the treatment group, there was no significant improvement in symptoms of NUD in the treatment group compared to placebo. [source] Is There a Cure for Corporate "Psychopathy"?AMERICAN BUSINESS LAW JOURNAL, Issue 1-6 2005Ian B. Lee [source] The tension free vaginal tape operation for women with mixed incontinence: Do preoperative variables predict the outcome?NEUROUROLOGY AND URODYNAMICS, Issue 1 2007Sigurd Kulseng-Hanssen Abstract Aims The aims of our study were (1) to investigate subjective and objective outcomes after tension free vaginal tape (TVT) operations in mixed incontinent women, (2) to detect if preoperative subjective and objective variables predict the outcome, and (3) to evaluate whether the surgical outcome is different for women who preoperatively find stress incontinence, urge incontinence, or urge and stress incontinence equally the predominant bother. Methods A prospective cohort study was performed on 450 mixed incontinent women. A short-form disease-specific validated questionnaire, 24-hr pad test, standardized stress test, residual urine, and maximum urinary flow were used before and after a TVT operation. "Cure" was defined as a condition where the women were very satisfied with the TVT operation and had negative stress- and 24 hr pad tests. Results Preoperatively 69% had stress incontinence, 7% urge incontinence, and 24% urge and stress incontinence equally as the predominant bother. Cure rates were 80%, 52%, and 60%, respectively, in these groups. Postoperatively 43% of the women had no urge incontinence, while 49% were less, and only 8% were more bothered by urge incontinence. A higher preoperative urge incontinence index was correlated with significantly higher postoperative bother for all indices and leakage during 24-hr pad test. Conclusions Mixed incontinent women with predominant stress incontinence had a better cure rate than those with predominant urge incontinence and those who were equally bothered by urge and stress incontinence. This point needs to be addressed when informing mixed incontinent women before a TVT operation. Neurourol. Urodynam. © 2006 Wiley-Liss, Inc. [source] "Sensitization": Is There a Cure?PAIN MEDICINE, Issue 4 2002Jahangir Maleki MD First page of article [source] Why Induction Is No Cure For BaldnessPHILOSOPHICAL INVESTIGATIONS, Issue 4 2004Yuval Dolev The paper aims at establishing that the premises of both the inductive and the multi-premised versions of the sorites argument are not apparently acceptable and that, therefore, sorites-type arguments do not constitute logical or conceptual paradoxes. Rather, it is suggested that such arguments are most properly and fruitfully described as skeptical challenges. A secondary goal of the paper is to focus attention to the unduly neglected inductive version of the argument. [source] Latest news and product developmentsPRESCRIBER, Issue 7 2008Article first published online: 28 APR 200 Referrals from Boots The majority of people requesting Boots' erectile dysfunction or weight management programmes are referred to their GP(Pharm J 2008;280:297). The programmes are run under patient group directions and exclude people with elevated blood pressure, blood glucose or cholesterol. Over 80 per cent of customers screened for the erectile dysfunction programme in Manchester and two-thirds of those screened for the national obesity programme were referred. Vildagliptin: new DPP-4 inhibitor for diabetes Novartis has introduced the DPP-4 inhibitor vildagliptin for the treatment of type 2 diabetes. Two formulations are available: Galvus (vildagliptin 50mg) is licensed for use with metformin, a sulphonylurea or a thiazolidinedione when these agents do not achieve glycaemic control alone, and Eucreas (vildagliptin 50mg plus metformin 850 or 1000mg) is licensed for patients requiring combined therapy with vildagliptin and metformin. Inhibition of DPP-4 blocks the breakdown of the incretin hormones GIP and GLP-1, reducing fasting plasma glucose and postprandial hyperglycaemia. Vildagliptin is the second DPP-4 inhibitor to be introduced; the first was sitagliptin (Januvia), which has similar licensed indications. The third available drug acting on the incretin system is the incretinmimetic exenatide (Byetta); administered by injection, this is licensed for use with metformin and/or a sulphonylurea and is the only agent in this class to be approved for triple therapy. No comparative trials of these agents have been published. A month's treatment with twice-daily vildagliptin 50mg or either strength of vildagliptin plus metformin costs £31.76. Sitagliptin 100mg once daily costs £33.26. Sinusitis symptoms don't guide treatment The severity and duration of symptoms do not help to identify which patients with sinusitis will be helped by antibiotics, a new meta-analysis suggests (Lancet 2008;371: 908-14). The analysis of patient-level data from nine trials involving a total of 2547 adults showed that the number needed to treat (NNT) to cure one patient with rhinosinusitis was 15. Cure took longer to achieve in older patients and in those reporting symptoms for longer or with more severe symptoms. The authors comment that treatment is not justified given the risk of resistance and adverse effects and cost of antibiotics. Draft guidance from the National Institute for Health and Clinical Excellence (NICE) on the management of respiratory infections states that no antibiotic therapy or a delayed antibiotic prescribing strategy should be negotiated for patients with acute sinusitis. Taking cod liver oil leads to fewer NSAIDs Cod liver oil could help some patients with rheumatoid arthritis to reduce their NSAID consumption, according to a study from Dundee (Rheumatology online: 24 March 2008; doi: 10.1093/rheumatology/ ken024). A total of 97 patients were randomised to nine months' treatment with cod liver oil 10g per day or placebo. After 12 weeks, patients attempted to reduce or stop their use of NSAIDs. Significantly more of those taking cod liver oil achieved at least a 30 per cent reduction in NSAID use compared with placebo (39 vs 10 per cent). There were no differences in adverse effects or disease activity. Welsh prescriptions up The reduction in the prescription charge in Wales in 2004 was followed by an increase in prescribing of nonsedating antihistamines in wealthier areas, a study suggests (Health Policy online: 5 March 2008; doi:10.1016/j. healthpol.2008.01.006). In the two years preceding the cut, prescriptions for nonsedating antihistamines increased by about 7 per cent; in the two years after the cut, the increase was nearly 14 per cent. By contrast, there was no change in the rate of increase in the south-east of England (4,5 per cent in both periods). The increased growth in prescribing was statistically significant in the five least deprived but not in the five most deprived health boards in Wales. Aspirin linked with reduced asthma risk Low-dose aspirin is associated with a reduced risk of developing asthma, a new analysis of the Women's Health Study has shown (Thorax online: 13 March 2008; doi:10.1136/ thx.2007.091447). The analysis included 37 270 women with no asthma at baseline who were randomised to take placebo or aspirin 100mg every other day. After 10 years, 872 cases of asthma occurred in women taking aspirin and 963 with placebo, a 10 per cent reduction in risk. However, risk was not reduced in obese women. The mechanism by which aspirin may affect the risk of asthma is unknown. The latest evidence is consistent with findings published by the same investigators after analysis of two other large observational studies, the Physicians' Health Study and the Nurses Health Study. Anastrozole bone loss Long-term follow-up of the ATAC (Anastrozole, Tamoxifen, Alone or in Combination) trial has confirmed that adjuvant therapy with anastrozole (Arimidex) is associated with greater loss of bone mineral density (BMD) than tamoxifen in postmenopausal women with invasive primary breast cancer (J Clin Oncol 2008;26: 1051,7). After five years, median BMD was reduced by 6 and 7 per cent in the lumbar spine and hip with anastrozole compared with approximately 3 and 1 per cent respectively for tamoxifen, though no patients developed osteoporosis. Copyright © 2008 Wiley Interface Ltd [source] COUNTERPOINT: Mechanical Treatment of Atherosclerosis Is Not a CurePREVENTIVE CARDIOLOGY, Issue 4 2009William R. Lewis MD No abstract is available for this article. [source] Why Current Breast Pathology Practices Must Be Evaluated.THE BREAST JOURNAL, Issue 5 2007A Susan G. Komen for the Cure White Paper: June 200 To this end, the organization has a strong interest and proven track record in ensuring public investment in quality breast health and breast cancer care. Recently, Susan G. Komen for the Cure identified major issues in the practice of pathology that have a negative impact on the lives of thousands of breast cancer patients in the United States. These issues were identified through a comprehensive literature review and interviews conducted in 2005,2006 with experts in oncology, breast pathology, surgery, and radiology. The interviewees practiced in community, academic, and cooperative group settings. Komen for the Cure has identified four areas that have a direct impact on the quality of care breast cancer patients receive in the United States, the accuracy of breast pathology diagnostics, the effects of current health insurance, and reimbursement policies on patients who are evaluated for a possible breast cancer diagnosis, the substantial decrease in tissue banking participation, particularly during a time of rapid advances in biologically correlated clinical science and the role for the Susan G. Komen for the Cure, pathology professional societies and the Federal government in ensuring that breast pathology practices meet the highest possible standards in the United States Concerns surrounding the quality and practice of breast pathology are not limited to diagnostic accuracy. Other considerations include, training and proficiency of pathologists who are evaluating breast specimens, the lack of integration of pathologists in the clinical care team, inadequate compensation for the amount of work required to thoroughly analyze specimens, potential loss in translational research as a result of medical privacy regulations, and the lack of mandatory uniform pathology practice standards without any way to measure the degree of variation or to remedy it. [source] A Case of Human Intramuscular Adrenal Gland Transplantation as a Cure for Chronic Adrenal InsufficiencyAMERICAN JOURNAL OF TRANSPLANTATION, Issue 2 2010E. Grodstein Intramuscular endocrine gland transplantation has been well described as it pertains to parathyroid autotransplantation; however, transplantation of the adrenal gland is less well characterized. While adrenal autotransplantation in the setting of Cushing's disease has been described, intramuscular adrenal allotransplantation as a cure for adrenal insufficiency to our knowledge has not been previously carried out. Current treatment for adrenal insufficiency leaves patients without diurnal variation in cortisol release and susceptible to the detrimental effects of chronic hypercortisolism. We describe here the case of a 5-year-old girl with renal failure who had adrenal insufficiency following fulminant meningococcemia that led to requirements for both stress-dose steroid and mineralocorticoid replacement. Ten months after the onset of her disease, she received a simultaneous renal and adrenal gland transplant from her mother. The adrenal gland allograft was morselized into 1 mm3 segments and implanted into three 2 cm pockets created in her rectus abdominis muscle. Three years after surgery, her allograft remains fully functional, responding well to adrenocorticotropin hormone stimulation and the patient does not require any steroid or mineralcorticoid supplementation. We believe this case represents the first description of successful functional intramuscular adrenal allograft transplantation with long-term follow up as a cure for adrenal insufficiency. [source] Trance and Shamanic Cure on the South American Continent: Psychopharmacological and Neurobiological InterpretationsANTHROPOLOGY OF CONSCIOUSNESS, Issue 1 2010FRANCOIS BLANC ABSTRACT This article examines the neurobiological basis of the healing power attributed to shamanic practices in the Andes and Brazil in light of the pharmacology of neurotransmitters and the new technological explorations of brain functioning. The psychotropic plants used in shamanic psychiatric cures interfere selectively with the intrinsic neuromediators of the brain. Mainly they may alter: (1) the neuroendocrine functioning through the adrenergic system by controlling stressful conditions, (2) the dopaminergic system in incentive learning and emotions incorporation, (3) the serotoninergic system in modulating behaviors, and mood, and (4) basic functions implied in anxiety or depression. PET scans and functional magnetic resonance imaging studies of hypnotic trance and altered states of consciousness may provide a useful model for the neurophysiological phenomena of shamanic drum-and-dance trance. The reorganization of cortical areas and the direct interconnections between the prefrontal cortex and the dopaminergic reward centers in the limbic system are of particular significance for human social judgment and symbolic processing. Those centers,including the hypothalamus and the amygdala (associated with psychosomatic equilibrium, memory, and emotion) are enhanced. This arousal may be amplified in order to induce a cathartic crisis,the shamanic trance. It is suggested that through this holistic approach the shaman empirically interferes in neurobiological dysfunctions. [source] A Shaman's Cure: The Relationship Between Altered States of Consciousness and Shamanic Healing1ANTHROPOLOGY OF CONSCIOUSNESS, Issue 2 2009H. SIDKY ABSTRACT This study, which is based upon ethnographic data collected between 1999 and 2008 in Nepal, examines the connection between the shaman's altered states of consciousness (ASC; i.e., what goes on inside the healer's mind/brain) and therapeutic changes that take place in the patient's mind/body. Unlike other studies that primarily emphasize the shaman's internal psychological state, this article attempts to explain the role of the healer's ASC and elucidate how desired therapeutic changes depend upon patient,healer interactions. This question is explored in the context of a healing ritual highlighting various aspects of the cosmology of Nepalese shamans. [source] Physical-mechanical properties of glass ionomer cements indicated for atraumatic restorative treatmentAUSTRALIAN DENTAL JOURNAL, Issue 3 2009CC Bonifácio Abstract Background:, This study evaluated mechanical properties of glass ionomer cements (GICs) used for atraumatic restorative treatment. Wear resistance, Knoop hardness (Kh), flexural (Fs) and compressive strength (Cs) were evaluated. The GICs used were Riva Self Cure (RVA), Fuji IX (FIX), Hi Dense (HD), Vitro Molar (VM), Maxxion R (MXR) and Ketac Molar Easymix (KME). Methods:, Wear was evaluated after 1, 4, 63 and 365 days. Two-way ANOVA and Tukey post hoc tests (P = 0.05) analysed differences in wear of the GICs and the time effect. Fs, Cs, and Kh were analysed with one-way ANOVA. Results:, The type of cement (p < 0.001) and the time (p < 0.001) had a significant effect on wear. In early-term wear and Kh, KME and FIX presented the best performance. In long-term wear, Fs and Cs, KME, FIX and HD had the best performance. Strong explanatory power between Fs and the Kh (r2 = 0.85), Cs and the Kh (r2 = 0.82), long-term wear and Fs of 24 h (r2 = 0.79) were observed. Conclusions:, The data suggested that KME and FIX presented the best in vitro performance. HD showed good results except for early-term wear. [source] Imiquimod 5% cream for external genital or perianal warts in human immunodeficiency virus-positive patients treated with highly active antiretroviral therapy: an open-label, noncomparative studyBRITISH JOURNAL OF DERMATOLOGY, Issue 4 2009P. Saiag Summary Background, Human immunodeficiency virus (HIV)+ patients have an increased risk of anogenital warts. High-risk (HR) human papillomaviruses (HPVs), especially types 16 and 18, are major risk factors for precancerous and cancerous lesions of the anogenital tract, while low-risk (LR) HPVs are associated with benign lesions. Cure of genital warts with ablative techniques, surgical excision, podophyllotoxin or trichloroacetic acid is frequently difficult. Treatment with imiquimod cream showed a total clearance of external genital or perianal warts in about 50% of immunocompetent subjects. However, total clearance was reduced in HIV+ subjects not treated with highly active antiretroviral therapy (HAART). Objectives, To assess clinically and by monitoring HPV content the efficacy of 5% topical imiquimod to treat anogenital warts in HIV+ subjects with at least partially restored immune functions. Methods, Fifty HIV+ patients successfully treated with HAART (total CD4+ cells , 200 cells mm,3 and plasma HIV RNA load < 104 copies mL,1) with anogenital warts were included. Imiquimod 5% cream was applied on external genital or perianal warts three times weekly for up to 16 weeks. Warts were tested at entry and after treatment for human LR- and HR-HPV DNA. Results, Total wart clearance was observed in 16 of 50 (32%) patients at week 16. At enrolment, HPV DNA was present in more than 90% of lesions with a majority of lesions co-infected by HR- and LR-HPV. At study end, the HPV load decreased or became undetectable in 40% of cases studied. Conclusions, Imiquimod 5% cream did not show safety concerns and is suitable for use in HIV+ subjects with anogenital warts and successful HAART treatment. [source] Compulsory Schooling Laws and the Cure for Child LabourBULLETIN OF ECONOMIC RESEARCH, Issue 3 2004Giorgio Bellettini J13; J24; O11 Abstract This paper provides an explanation for the existence of child labour which relies on the imperfect enforcement of compulsory schooling laws. In the presence of complementarities in the production of human capital that justify legislative intervention, mandatory measures ensure that coordination failures are solved so that all parents send their children to school and the socially optimal equilibrium is reached. However, if enforcement of legislation is too low, multiple equilibria emerge. In this case, compulsory schooling laws may have adverse welfare effects on all households. [source] | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||