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Applicable Method (applicable + method)

Distribution by Scientific Domains

Medical Sciences	63%
Chemistry	36%

Selected Abstracts

Categorizing Urgency of Infant Emergency Department Visits: Agreement between Criteria

ACADEMIC EMERGENCY MEDICINE, Issue 12 2006
Rakesh D. Mistry MD
Abstract Background The lack of valid classification methods for emergency department (ED) visit urgency has resulted in large variation in reported rates of nonurgent ED utilization. Objectives To compare four methods of defining ED visit urgency with the criterion standard, implicit criteria, for infant ED visits. Methods This was a secondary data analysis of a prospective birth cohort of Medicaid-enrolled infants who made at least one ED visit in the first six months of life. Complete ED visit data were reviewed to assess urgency via implicit criteria. The explicit criteria (adherence to prespecified criteria via complete ED charts), ED triage, diagnosis, and resources methods were also used to categorize visit urgency. Concordance and agreement (,) between the implicit criteria and alternative methods were measured. Results A total of 1,213 ED visits were assessed. Mean age was 2.8 (SD ± 1.78) months, and the most common diagnosis was upper respiratory infection (21.0%). Using implicit criteria, 52.3% of ED visits were deemed urgent. Urgent visits using other methods were as follows: explicit criteria, 51.8%; ED triage, 60.6%; diagnosis, 70.3%; and resources, 52.7%. Explicit criteria had the highest concordance (78.3%) and agreement (,= 0.57) with implicit criteria. Of limited data methods, resources demonstrated the best concordance (78.1%) and agreement (,= 0.56), while ED triage (67.9%) and diagnosis (71.6%) exhibited lower concordance and agreement (,= 0.35 and ,= 0.42, respectively). Explicit criteria and resources equally misclassified urgency for 11.1% of visits; ED triage and diagnosis tended to overclassify visits as urgent. Conclusions The explicit criteria and resources methods best approximate implicit criteria in classifying ED visit urgency in infants younger than six months of age. If confirmed in further studies, resources utilized has the potential to be an inexpensive, easily applicable method for urgency classification of infant ED visits when limited data are available. [source]

Quantitation of Ventricular Size and Function:

ECHOCARDIOGRAPHY, Issue 8 2000
Accuracy of Transthoracic Rotational Scanning, Principles
Two-dimensional echocardiography is a readily applicable method for the quantification of ventricular volumes. However, it is limited by assumptions regarding ventricular shape. Three-dimensional echocardiography has emerged as a more accurate and reproducible approach to ventricular volume and functional assessment compared with two-dimensional echocardiography. We review the principles of transthoracic rotational scanning and its clinical application for quantitative assessment of ventricular volume and function. [source]

Stabilizing Factors for Vanadium(IV) in Amavadin,

EUROPEAN JOURNAL OF ORGANIC CHEMISTRY, Issue 15 2007
Ton Hubregtse
Abstract Six secondary N -hydroxy amino acids (amavadin-based ligands) have been prepared through a strategy with nitrone reduction as its key step. Two of these amino acids are the new amavadin ligand analogues 4a and 4b containing either a phenyl or a benzyl group in combination with a small backbone substituent. In addition, the monoester 5 of the amavadin ligand as well as three N -alkylated N -hydroxy aminoacids 6 were prepared. Complexation studies with the new tri- and bidentate ligands using HRMS revealed that only amavadin and its two analogues with ligands 4a and 4b are stable in aqueous and aerobic environments and that the complexation of vanadium(IV) with ligands 5 and 6 does not lead to air-stable vanadium(IV) non-oxo compounds. An interesting spin-off of the synthetic work on nitrones is an effective and easily applicable method for the synthesis of racemic N -hydroxy amino acid esters. (© Wiley-VCH Verlag GmbH & Co. KGaA, 69451 Weinheim, Germany, 2007) [source]

Chemotherapy: the effect of oral cryotherapy on the development of mucositis

JOURNAL OF CLINICAL NURSING, Issue 6 2005
erife Karagözo, lu MSc
Aims and objective., The aim of this study is to investigate the effect of oral cryotherapy on the development of chemotherapy-induced mucositis in patients administered combined chemotherapy. Background., Mucositis has been of interest to scientists for more than 20 years. Unfortunately, this has not resulted in the development of standard procedures for prevention and management. To cope with this side-effect and to prevent opportunistic infections that may emerge during treatment, attempts are taken to provide preventative and comfort measures. In this context, cryotherapy (oral cooling) has become popular as a cheap and readily applicable method in preventing the developing due the rapid infusion of chemotherapy agents, or decreasing its severity. Design and method., Study involved 60 patients, 30 of whom were in the study group and 30 in the control group. Ice cubes at a size that can be moved easily in the mouth and whose corners have been smoothed in order that they will not cause irritation in the mouth has been used in oral cryotherapy in the study group. Oral chemotherapy was initiated five minutes before chemotherapy and maintained during venous infusions of etoposide (Vepesid®), platinol (Cisplatin®), mitomycin (Mitomycin-C®) and vinblastin (Velbe®) depending on the chemotherapy course. Results., According to Patient-Judged Mucositis Grading, the rate of mucositis is 36.7% in study group and 90.0% in control group, the difference between two groups being statistically significant (P < 0.05). According to Physician-Judged Mucositis Grading, the rate of mucositis is 10.0% in the study group and 50.0% in the control group, the difference between two groups being statistically significant (P < 0.05). Oral pH values decreased in 90% of the subjects in study group, i.e. mucositis risk was reduced whereas oral pH values remained unchanged or decreased in 86.7% of the subjects in the control group, namely mucositis risk increased. The difference between study and control groups in terms of the change in pH values after chemotherapy was found to be statistically significant (P < 0.05). Conclusion., Our findings have demonstrated that oral cryotherapy makes an important contribution to the protection of oral health by reducing the mucositis score according to patient- and physician-judged mucositis score and by increasing oral pH values. Relevance to clinical practice., Aggressive cancer therapy places patients at greater risk for oral complications and treatment-related consequences. Unfortunately, prevention and/or treatment of such oral sequelae have often become overlooked as priorities of the treatment team. Effective approaches for the prevention or treatment of oral mucositis have not been standardized, and vary considerably among institutions. Prophylactic measures begin with an increased emphasis on improved oral status. Oral cryotherapy, the therapeutic administration of cold, is a prophylactic measure for oral inflammation. The relevance for clinical practice will be to understand the content of mucositis; comprehensive care should focus on the prevention of this complication in the clinical practice. [source]

Effects of 0.2% chlorhexidine spray applied once or twice daily on plaque accumulation and gingival inflammation in a geriatric population

JOURNAL OF CLINICAL PERIODONTOLOGY, Issue 9 2003
Javier Clavero
Abstract Background/aims: Chlorhexidine (CHX) spray has proven to be an easily applicable method for the chemical control of plaque in elderly and handicapped patients. A randomized double-blind cross-over placebo-controlled trial was undertaken to compare the effects of 0.2% CHX spray applied once or twice daily on the plaque and gingival indexes in 13 institutionalized elderly patients. Method: The study subjects were randomly assigned to one of two groups. During the first 30-day period, one group received 0.2% chlorhexidine spray twice daily and the other received 0.2% CHX spray once daily plus placebo spray once daily. A washout period of 42 days then followed, after which the groups were interchanged and the process was repeated for another 30-day period. Plaque index and gingival index were determined at the beginning and end of each period. The patients continued with their usual oral hygiene practices throughout the study. Results: A significant reduction in plaque and gingival indexes was produced in both the groups. There were no significant differences in index scores between the groups. Conclusions: The results of the present study suggest that a single-daily application of 0.2% CHX spray is equally as effective in reducing plaque accumulation and gingival inflammation in institutionalized elderly patients as are two-daily applications of the same spray. Zusammenfassung Grundlagen/Ziele: Es hat sich herausgestellt, dass Chlorhexidinspray eine leicht zu handhabende Methode der chemischen Plaquekontrolle bei älteren und behinderten Patienten ist. Um die Unterschiede zwischen ein- oder zweimaliger Applikation von 0.2%-Chlorhexidinspray auf die Plaque- und Gingiva-Indizes zu vergleichen wurde an 13 institutionalisierten älteren Patienten eine randomisierte Plazebo-kontrolierte Crossover-Studie unternommen. Methode: Die Studienteilnehmer wurden randomisiert einer von zwei Gruppen zugeteilt. Während der ersten 30-Tageperiode erhielt eine Gruppe zweimal täglich 0.2%-Chlorhexidinspray und die andere Gruppe einmal täglich 0.2%-Chlorhexidinspray und einmal täglich einen Plazebo-Spray. Es folgte eine Auswaschperiode von 42 Tagen, nach der die Gruppen vertauscht wurden und der Prozess für weitere 30 tage wiederholt wurde. Zu Beginn und am ende einer jeden Periode wurden Plaque-Index (PI) und Gingival-Index (GI) bestimmt. Während der ganzen Studienperiode praktizierten die Patienten ihre üblichen Mundhygienemaßnahmen. Ergebnisse: In beiden Gruppen ergab sich eine signifikante Reduktion der Plaque- und Gingiva-Indizes. Zwischen den beiden Gruppen gab es keine signifikanten Unterschiede der Indexwerte. Schlussfolgerungen: Die Ergebnisse der vorliegenden Studie lassen annehmen, dass bei institutionalisierten älteren Patienten eine einzige Applikation pro Tag von 0.2%-Chlorhexidinspray bei der Reduktion der Plaqueakkumulation sowie der Gingivaentzündung genauso effektiv ist, wie die täglich zweimalige Applikation des gleichen Sprays. Résumé Le spray de chlorhexidine (CHX) a prouvé sa facilité d'application pour le contrôle chimique de la plaque dentaire chez les patients âgés et handicapés. Un essai clinique contrôlé, croisé, en double aveugle, randomisé et placebo-contrôle a été entrepris pour comparer les effets d'un spray de CHX 0.2% appliqué une ou deux fois par jour sur la plaque dentaire et les indices gingivaux de patients âgés de douze institutions. Les sujets ont été répartis en deux groupes. Durant une première période de 30 jours, un groupe recevait un spray de CHX 0.2% deux fois par jour tandis que l'autre recevait un spray de CHX 0.2% un fois par jour plus un spray placebo une fois par jour. Une période sans traitement de 42 jours a ensuite étéétablie suivie à la suite de laquelle les groupes ont été interchangés et le processus répété pour une nouvelle période de 30 jours. L'indice de plaque dentaire et l'indice gingival ont été déterminés au début et à la fin de chaque période. Les patients ont continué leurs habitudes d'hygiène buccale habituelles durant toute l'étude. Une réduction significative des indices de plaque et de gencive ont été relevés dans les deux groupes. Il n'y avait aucune différence significative de scores entre les deux groupes. Les résultats de l'étude présente suggèrent qu'une application unique d'un spray de CHX 0.2% est tout aussi efficace dans la réduction de la plaque dentaire et l'inflammation gingivale chez les patients âgés qu'une double application du même spray. [source]

Chromogenic in situ hybridization analysis of HER-2/neu status in breast carcinoma: Application in screening of patients for trastuzumab (Herceptin®) therapy

PATHOLOGY INTERNATIONAL, Issue 8 2001
Hiroyuki Kumamoto
Evaluation of HER-2/neu status is important in the management of patients with breast carcinoma, especially in determining the possible application of trastuzumab, a humanized anti-HER-2/neu monoclonal antibody. Chromogenic in situ hybridization (CISH) detection of the HER-2/neu oncogene is a newly developed in situ hybridization method that utilizes a robust and unique-sequence DNA probe labeled with digoxygenin, and sequential incubations with antidigoxygenin fluorescein, antifluorescein peroxidase, and diaminobenzidine. In this study, we examined 20 archival specimens of human breast carcinoma using CISH, and we correlated findings with immunohistochemical findings for HER-2/neu. HER-2/neu immunohistochemistry was carried out with HercepTestTM, a standardized immunohistochemical examination system for HER-2/neu overexpression in surgical pathology specimens. CISH analysis could be done in 18 out of 20 cases examined. Gene copy signals for HER-2/neu were recognized as intranuclear brown dots in both neoplastic and non-neoplastic cells. Seven carcinomas showed an increased number or size of signals and were interpreted as being positive for HER-2/neu amplification. Eight cases were positive with the HercepTestTM. Seven out of eight carcinoma cases found to overexpress immunoreactive HER-2/neu also demonstrated HER-2/neu gene amplification following CISH analysis. There was a significant correlation between immunohistochemical and CISH analyses (P< 0.001). We found that CISH was a specific, sensitive and easily applicable method for the detection of HER-2/neu gene amplification, which may be used together with immunohistochemical examination for the evaluation of patients with breast carcinoma. [source]

Bridging the gap: A GFP-based strategy for overexpression and purification of membrane proteins with intra and extracellular C-termini

PROTEIN SCIENCE, Issue 4 2010
Jennifer M. Hsieh
Abstract Low expression and instability during isolation are major obstacles preventing adequate structure-function characterization of membrane proteins (MPs). To increase the likelihood of generating large quantities of protein, C-terminally fused green fluorescent protein (GFP) is commonly used as a reporter for monitoring expression and evaluating purification. This technique has mainly been restricted to MPs with intracellular C-termini (Cin) due to GFP's inability to fluoresce in the Escherichia coli periplasm. With the aid of Glycophorin A, a single transmembrane spanning protein, we developed a method to convert MPs with extracellular C-termini (Cout) to Cin ones providing a conduit for implementing GFP reporting. We tested this method on eleven MPs with predicted Cout topology resulting in high level expression. For nine of the eleven MPs, a stable, monodisperse protein-detergent complex was identified using an extended fluorescence-detection size exclusion chromatography procedure that monitors protein stability over time, a critical parameter affecting the success of structure-function studies. Five MPs were successfully cleaved from the GFP tag by site-specific proteolysis and purified to homogeneity. To address the challenge of inefficient proteolysis, we explored expression and purification conditions in the absence of the fusion tag. Contrary to previous studies, optimal expression conditions established with the fusion were not directly transferable for overexpression in the absence of the GFP tag. These studies establish a broadly applicable method for GFP screening of MPs with Cout topology, yielding sufficient protein suitable for structure-function studies and are superior to expression and purification in the absence GFP fusion tagging. [source]

Enhanced solubilization of membrane proteins by alkylamines and polyamines

PROTEIN SCIENCE, Issue 3 2010
Kazutoshi Yasui
Abstract Around 25% of proteins in living organisms are membrane proteins that perform many critical functions such as synthesis of biomolecules and signal transduction. Membrane proteins are extracted from the lipid bilayer and solubilized with a detergent for biochemical characterization; however, their solubilization is an empirical technique and sometimes insufficient quantities of proteins are solubilized in aqueous buffer to allow characterization. We found that addition of alkylamines and polyamines to solubilization buffer containing a detergent enhanced solubilization of membrane proteins from microsomes. The solubilization of polygalacturonic acid synthase localized at the plant Golgi membrane was enhanced by up to 9.9-fold upon addition of spermidine to the solubilization buffer. These additives also enhanced the solubilization of other plant membrane proteins localized in other organelles such as the endoplasmic reticulum and plasma membrane as well as that of an animal Golgi-localized membrane protein. Thus, addition of alkylamines and polyamines to solubilization buffer is a generally applicable method for effective solubilization of membrane proteins. The mechanism of the enhancement of solubilization is discussed. [source]

Short QT Interval: A Novel Predictor of Androgen Abuse in Strength Trained Athletes

ANNALS OF NONINVASIVE ELECTROCARDIOLOGY, Issue 1 2009
Mohammad Ali Babaee Bigi M.D.
Objectives: To find the relationship between anabolic androgenic steroids (AAS) using and QT interval in athletes. Methods: Between January 1, 2005 and May 31, 2007, we examined QTc interval duration in 165 consecutive male professional bodybuilders [age: 32.1 ± 4.6 years]. Of these, 79 were AAS users. The control group included 90 sedentary age and gender matched subjects [none of them were AAS users]. Results: The QTc interval of AAS abusing bodybuilders was significantly shorter compared with QTc interval in AAS-free bodybuilders and control group. Short QTc interval (,380 ms) was an independent predictor of AAS abusing in the multivariate analysis. Conclusions: To the best of our knowledge, there is no published report regarding electrocardiographic diagnosis and screening of AAS abusing athletes. In the present study, we present an easy and applicable method to screen and diagnose AAS abusing among professional bodybuilders. In the presence of QTc interval , 380 ms in a bodybuilder, one would predict AAS abusing with 83% sensitivity and 88% specificity. [source]

ChemInform Abstract: Synthesis of Fluorene and Indenofluorene Compounds: Tandem Palladium-Catalyzed Suzuki Cross-Coupling and Cyclization.

CHEMINFORM, Issue 32 2010
Tao-Ping Liu
Abstract An efficient and widely applicable method to prepare fluorene and indenofluorene derivatives is reported. [source]

Diagnostic performance of cardiac magnetic resonance imaging in coronary artery disease

CLINICAL PHYSIOLOGY AND FUNCTIONAL IMAGING, Issue 2 2010
Jussi P. Pärkkä
Summary Background:, Cardiac magnetic resonance imaging (CMR) is a promising method for detecting coronary artery disease (CAD). The first reports of new diagnostic techniques indicated generally unrealistic diagnostic performance relying on retrospectively observed cut-off values of quantitative parameters. Although visual analysis of CMR is the most applicable method for clinical work, its diagnostic performance is not fully elucidated for study components such as wall motion, perfusion and late enhancement in patients with different severity of CAD. Methods:, A total of 30 subjects including 20 patients with CAD and 10 healthy volunteers were selected for the study. Of the patients, ten had stable CAD, five confirmed myocardial infarction (MI) without Q-waves in electrocardiogram (ECG) and five confirmed MI with Q-waves in ECG. All patients underwent coronary angiography and CMR for evaluating resting wall motion, rest and stress perfusion and late enhancement. Results:, Combining the data from the three CMR techniques, 12 out of 20 patients were correctly identified as having CAD, and all controls were found to be healthy. Sensitivity, specificity, accuracy, positive and negative predictive values were 60·0%, 100·0%, 73·0%, 100·0% and 55·6%, respectively. Of the CMR components, resting wall motion and late enhancement gave the most diagnostic yield. Conclusions:, We conclude that evaluation of CAD is feasible in patients with different severity of CAD using visually analysed CMR, especially when available CMR methodologies are combined together. [source]