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Additional Reduction (additional + reduction)
Selected AbstractsLongitudinal course of depression, fatigue, and quality of life in patients with high risk melanoma receiving adjuvant interferonPSYCHO-ONCOLOGY, Issue 8 2004Peter C. Trask Purpose: Treatment of malignant melanoma with interferon- , has been associated with a variety of side effects ranging from fatigue to depression, and a concomitant impact on quality of life (QOL), in a variety of case reports and cross-sectional clinical trials. Few, if any, studies have been conducted with the express purpose of assessing the longitudinal course of depression, fatigue, and QOL before and during interferon therapy. Description of study: The current study reports on 16 patients who were assessed at 6 points in time: baseline, post high dose, and 1, 2, 3, and 6 months post high dose treatment with interferon- , with the Brief Symptom Inventory, Beck Depression Inventory, Revised Piper Fatigue Scale, and Functional Assessment of Cancer Therapy-Biological Response Modifiers. Results: Results revealed consistent changes from baseline through 6 month assessment. Specifically, increased somatic complaints, depression, and fatigue were observed on the BSI, BDI, and RPFS, respectively. Additional reductions in QOL on the FACT-BRM were also identified. Clinical implications: The findings suggest that IFN has a significant effect on QOL, but that it may be the somatic symptoms of fatigue that contribute to changes on measures of mood. Limiting the amount of fatigue and depression would appear to be significant if individuals are to successfully complete IFN therapy. Copyright © 2003 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd. [source] Group therapy for somatization disorders in primary care: maintenance of treatment goals of short cognitive-behavioural treatment one-and-a-half-year follow-upACTA PSYCHIATRICA SCANDINAVICA, Issue 6 2003J. Lidbeck Objective:, The objective of this study was to evaluate the maintenance of treatment goals of a short cognitive-behavioural group treatment programme for the management of somatization disorders in primary care. Method:, In a previous controlled 6-month follow-up study, patients with somatization disorders (n=32) improved with respect to illness and somatic preoccupation, hypochondriasis, and medication usage. In the present report the same group of patients were also investigated one-and-a-half year after initial treatment. Results:, The long-term follow-up manifested maintained improvement with respect to hypochondriasis. There was additional reduction of anxiety and psychosocial preoccupation, whereas somatization and depression-anxiety scores improved progressively. Conclusion:, A short cognitive-behavioural group treatment of psychosomatic patients can be useful in primary care and may manifest maintained or progressive beneficial outcome. [source] CLINICAL TRIALS ON THE USE OF WHITENING STRIPS IN CHILDREN AND ADOLESCENTSJOURNAL OF ESTHETIC AND RESTORATIVE DENTISTRY, Issue 6 2005K.J. Donly ABSTRACT Objective: This article reported the cumulative findings from three controlled, randomized clinical trials evaluating the efficacy and tolerability of tooth whitening in children and adolescents using disposable polyethylene strip systems. Materials and Methods: The study population included 132 children and adolescents, ages 10 to 18 years. (Please note that 71 of these subjects were identified in the previous review.) Fifty-three percent of the subjects were female and 47% were male, with a mean age of 14.4 years. Subjects were divided into experimental treatment groups by balancing groups with respect to demographic characteristics and baseline tooth colors. Subiects were treated with either 5.3% or 6.5% hydrogen peroxide gel polyethylene strips. All subjects had to have all permanent anterior teeth erupted, a baseline Vita shade (Vita Zahnfabrik, Bad Säckingen, Germany) score of A2 or darker, and a desire that their teeth be whitened. One study included subjects who had previously received comprehensive orthodontic treatment. Digital images were collected for all subjects at baseline, 2 weeks, and 4 weeks. Oral examinations and interviews were conducted at each appointment to evaluate adverse events. Color change was calculated from the digital images in the same manner previously described. Results: The 5.3% and 6.5% hydrogen peroxide strips used for 30 minutes twice a day yielded significant tooth whitening (p < .0001) after 14 days. For the primary whitening parameter, ,b*, continued treatment during the 14- to 28-day period resulted in significant additional reduction in yellowness (p < .0001). Subjects treated with 6.5% hydrogen peroxide strips experienced significantly (p < .03) greater reduction in yellowness (approximately 0.8 ,b* units) compared with those who used the 5.3 hydrogen peroxide strips. The hydrogen peroxide strips were tolerated well in all of these studies, with minor tooth sensitivity and oral irritation being the primary complaints. Eighteen subjects (14%) reported oral irritation, whereas 30 subjects (23%) reported tooth sensitivity. All adverse events were relieved upon discontinuance of product use. Conclusion: The 5.3% and 6.5% hydrogen peroxide gel strips used for 30 minutes twice a day effectively whitened teeth, and both regimens were well tolerated. [source] Snowdrop lectin (Galanthus nivalis agglutinin) in aphid honeydew negatively affects survival of a honeydew- consuming parasitoidAGRICULTURAL AND FOREST ENTOMOLOGY, Issue 2 2009Petra A. M. Hogervorst Abstract 1,Insecticidal proteins can be excreted in the honeydew when sap-sucking insects feed on insect-resistant transgenic plants. Honeydew can be an important source of carbohydrates, thus potentially exposing a broad range of honeydew-feeding insects to transgene products. 2,Snowdrop lectin (Galanthus nivalis agglutinin; GNA) dissolved in a 2 m sucrose solution had no antifeedant effect on female aphid parasitoids (Aphidius ervi) but had a direct negative effect on their longevity. 3,When feeding on honeydew from Rhopalosiphum padi feeding on a GNA-containing artificial diet, Aphidius ervi suffered a longevity reduction that was more pronounced than was to be expected based on the detected GNA concentration in the honeydew. 4,Analysis of carbohydrate and amino acid composition revealed that a change in honeydew composition caused by a GNA-effect on the aphids could be a possible explanation for the additional reduction in parasitoid longevity. 5,When comparing the effect of honeydew from Sitobion avenae and R. padi feeding on GNA-expressing or nontransformed wheat plants on A. ervi longevity, aphid species was found to have a significant effect, whereas the wheat variety had no effect. The latter result was probably due to low GNA expression levels in the plants. Differences in nutritional suitability between honeydew from R. padi and S. avenae could be explained by differences in carbohydrate and amino acid composition. 6,This is the first study to demonstrate that GNA ingested by aphids and transported into the honeydew can negatively affect the parasitoids consuming this honeydew. 7,We recommend that honeydew should be considered as a route of exposure to transgene products in future risk assessment studies. [source] Structural, Dielectric, and Thermal Properties of Strontium Barium Niobate-Doped Fused Silica NanocompositesJOURNAL OF THE AMERICAN CERAMIC SOCIETY, Issue 8 2003Sheng-Guo Lu Ferroelectric strontium barium niobate (SBN)-doped Na2O,B2O3,SiO2 (NBS) glass nanocomposites were prepared by dispersing sol,gel-derived SBN powder into fused NBS glass. Their structures were characterized by X-ray diffractometry and Raman spectroscopy. The dielectric constants were measured as functions of frequency and temperature using an impedance analyzer. The ferroelectric-to-paraelectric-phase transition was studied by differential scanning calorimetric analysis. Our results revealed that the embedded SBN has lower phase transition temperature and phase transition heat than those of SBN bulk materials. Their activation energy, however, is larger than that of SBN ultra-fine powders. Pure tetragonal-phase SBN nanocomposites can be obtained at annealing temperatures of 750°,1000°C. Their dielectric constants are ,32,46 and ,20,25 at low frequencies and radio frequencies, respectively, and the loss tangent is <0.1 at room temperature in the radio frequencies range. Our studies suggested that additional reduction in the loss properties must be made before these systems can be considered for application as microwave dielectric materials. [source] Phenomenology of magnetic second harmonic generation from low symmetry surfaces and interfacesPHYSICA STATUS SOLIDI (C) - CURRENT TOPICS IN SOLID STATE PHYSICS, Issue 8 2003L. Carroll Abstract Low dimensional magnetic structures show interesting and novel phenomena such as oscillatory magnetic coupling and giant magnetoresistance. Magnetic second harmonic generation (MSHG) can provide unique information on magnetic surfaces and interfaces because, within the dipole approximation, broken space-inversion symmetry at the surface or interface of centrosymmetric media, and broken time-reversal symmetry arising from the magnetization, are both required in order to observe a magnetic-field-dependent second harmonic response. However, the additional reduction in symmetry arising from the magetization produces many non-zero susceptibility tensor components, particularly in the case of vicinal, stepped surfaces of 1m symmetry, and care is needed in designing experiments that will produce readily interpretable results. Phenomenological expressions for the MSHG response from systems of 1m symmetry are presented, where combinations of input and output polarizations and magnetic field orientations allow the essential physics of these systems to be explored, particularly in relation to distinguishing terrace and step contributions to the magnetization from vicinal surfaces and interfaces. (© 2003 WILEY-VCH Verlag GmbH & Co. KGaA, Weinheim) [source] 4243: Capsular peeling in premium IOLs to improve visual outcomeACTA OPHTHALMOLOGICA, Issue 2010MJ TASSIGNON Purpose To demonstrate that capsular peeling may improve quality of vision of patients who experienced reduced vision in the short postoperative period after premium IOL implantation due to decentration of the IOL secondary to PCO. Methods Patients who were refered to our centre because of unsatisfactory quality of vision after premium IOL implantation (more specifically after multifocal IOLs) were scheduled for surgery aiming at peeling the capsular bag. The conditions which the patient needed to meet were: increased higher order aberrations, evidence of tilt or decentration of the IOL, important fibrotic proliferation in the capsular bag, no YAG laser capsulotomy performed. Results After capsular peeling, it was possible to demonstrate that the quality of vision of the patient improved, the higher order aberrations reduced and it was often unnecessary to explant the premium IOL. Although there was an obvious improvement of the quality of vision, this improvement still did not reached the high standard of vision as measured after monofcal IOLs. Conclusion This paper shows how important the role is of PCO on quality of vision. Because contrast sensitivity is already reduced after premium IOL implantation, patients will be very sensitive to an additional reduction as it appears after PCO. [source] Novel pathways for glycaemic control in type 2 diabetes: focus on bile acid modulationDIABETES OBESITY & METABOLISM, Issue 11 2008Eliot A. Brinton Type 2 diabetes is a common disorder with high risk of macrovascular and microvascular complications. These complications are largely driven by hyperglycaemia, dyslipidaemia and hypertension, for which aggressive treatment is thus warranted. Achieving and maintaining control of all three risk factors is especially difficult, however, and new therapeutic approaches could be useful. Bile acids have a well-established and important role in cholesterol homeostasis. Normally, their levels are maintained primarily by ileal reabsorption and enterohepatic recycling. Bile acid sequestrants bind bile acids in the intestine, reduce this recycling and deplete the bile acid pool, thereby stimulating use of hepatic cholesterol for bile acid synthesis, which leads to accelerated removal of LDL from the plasma and a decrease in LDL-cholesterol levels. Interestingly, recent evidence suggests that bile acid sequestrants can lower glucose levels to a clinically meaningful degree. This review presents this evidence and the possible mechanisms by which these glucose-lowering effects occur and discusses the apparently unique ability of bile acid sequestrants among lipid-lowering agents to significantly improve two cardiovascular risk factors, hyperglycaemia and dyslipidaemia. There is renewed interest in the use of bile acid sequestrants in individuals with type 2 diabetes, most of whom would benefit from additional reductions in both LDL-cholesterol and glycaemia. [source] Successful unsaturated zone treatment of PCE with sodium permanganateREMEDIATION, Issue 2 2009John R. Hesemann In situ chemical oxidation (ISCO) with permanganate has been widely used for soil and groundwater treatment in the saturated zone. Due to the challenges associated with achieving effective distribution and retention in the unsaturated zone, there is a great interest in developing alternative injection technologies that increase the success of vadose-zone treatment. The subject site is an active dry cleaner located in Topeka, Kansas. A relatively small area of residual contamination adjacent to the active facility building has been identified as the source of a large sitewide groundwater contamination plume with off-site receptors. The Kansas Department of Health and Environment (KDHE) currently manages site remedial efforts and chose to pilot-test ISCO with permanganate for the reduction of perchloroethene (PCE) soil concentrations within the source area. KDHE subsequently contracted Burns & McDonnell to design and implement an ISCO pilot test. A treatability study was performed by Carus Corporation to determine permanganate-soil-oxidant-demand (PSOD) and the required oxidant dosing for the site. The pilot-test design included an ISCO injection approach that consisted of injecting aqueous sodium permanganate using direct-push technology with a sealed borehole. During the pilot test, approximately 12,500 pounds of sodium permanganate were injected at a concentration of approximately 3 percent (by weight) using the methods described above. Confirmation soil sampling conducted after the injection event indicated PCE reductions ranging from approximately 79 to more than 99 percent. A follow-up treatment, consisting of the injection of an additional 6,200 pounds of sodium permanganate, was implemented to address residual soil impacts remaining in the soil source zone. Confirmation soil sampling conducted after the treatment indicated a PCE reduction of greater than 90 percent at the most heavily impacted sample location and additional reductions in four of the six samples collected. © 2009 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. [source] | |||||||||||||