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Selected AbstractsA Simple, Pain-Free Treatment for Ingrown Toenails Complicated with Granulation TissueDERMATOLOGIC SURGERY, Issue 11 2006F. GÜLRU ERDOGAN MD BACKGROUND The treatment of ingrown toenail complicated with granulation tissue is usually partial or total nail avulsion with or without matricectomy. It costs loss of occupational power, however, because most patients cannot go to work or school for some time after surgery, and it is a costly and uncomfortable procedure for most patients. OBJECTIVE This study aimed to find an easy, painless, and inexpensive alternative. MATERIALS AND METHODS Seven patients with ingrown toenails complicated with granulation tissue are included. A small apparatus was applied on the nails, granulation tissue was chemically cauterized, and a foot bath was recommended twice daily. They were followed on a weekly basis or every other week until recovery. None of the patients received systemic treatment. RESULTS All seven patients were completely cured without requiring surgery and/or systemic treatment. The procedure did not have any effect on their daily life. The follow-up examination of the patients at 6 months revealed that they were totally cured, and there were no recurrences. CONCLUSION Patients with ingrown toenails complicated by granulation tissue might have an inexpensive and pain-free treatment alternative, although new studies with more patients are required. [source] Recombinant human erythropoietin suppresses symptom onset and progression of G93A-SOD1 mouse model of ALS by preventing motor neuron death and inflammationEUROPEAN JOURNAL OF NEUROSCIENCE, Issue 7 2007Seong-Ho Koh Abstract Multifactorial pathogenic mechanisms, including inflammation, attenuated survival signals and enhanced death signals, are involved in amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS). Erythropoietin (EPO) has recently been highlighted as a cytokine with various potent neuroprotective effects, including reduction of inflammation, enhancement of survival signals and prevention of neuronal cell death. This study was undertaken to evaluate the effect of recombinant human EPO (rhEPO) on ALS model mice. We treated 96 ALS model mice with vehicle only, or 1, 2.5 or 5 iµ of rhEPO/g of mouse once every other week after they were 60 days old. The treatment significantly prolonged symptom onset and life span, preserved more motor neurons, enhanced survival signals, and attenuated inflammatory signals in a dose-dependent manner. These data suggest that treatment with rhEPO represents a potential therapeutic strategy for ALS. [source] Role of selenium in heart lesions produced by neuroleptics in the rabbitJOURNAL OF APPLIED TOXICOLOGY, Issue 2 2008F. Vaillant Abstract Organic and/or functional heart lesions sometimes resulting in sudden death have been described in psychiatric patients treated with neuroleptics. As selenium has been suggested previously to play a role in the development of such lesions, the present study was undertaken to determine whether a correlation could be found between heart lesions induced by neuroleptics and changes in blood selenium as well as myocardial tissue concentrations in the rabbit. Twelve NZW adult rabbits were treated intramuscularly with both levomepromazine (3 mg kg,1 day,1) and risperidone (1 mg kg,1 once every other week) for 3 months, and compared with 12 saline-treated controls. Blood samples were drawn before and at the end of the study. Tissue samples from the heart, liver and kidneys were obtained at the end of treatment, and the hearts were examined histologically. Heart lesions including disorganization of cardiac fibers, myolysis, interstitial and endocardial fibrosis, and necrosis were noted in treated animals, but not in controls. There was a 20% decrease in selenium blood levels and a 50% decrease in selenium myocardial tissue levels in treated animals compared with controls (P < 0.001). In contrast, no differences in selenium levels in liver and kidneys were found across the experimental groups. These results suggest a possible correlation between selenium depletion and neuroleptics-induced heart lesions. Copyright © 2007 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd. [source] Adalimumab sustains clinical remission and overall clinical benefit after 2 years of therapy for Crohn's diseaseALIMENTARY PHARMACOLOGY & THERAPEUTICS, Issue 12 2010R. PANACCIONE Aliment Pharmacol Ther,31, 1296,1309 Summary Background, In the randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled CHARM trial, adalimumab was more effective than placebo in maintaining clinical remission for patients with moderate-to-severe Crohn's disease (CD) through 56 weeks. Aim, To substantiate the long-term safety and clinical benefits of adalimumab through 2 years of therapy in CHARM and its open-label extension (ADHERE). Methods, Patients entering ADHERE on blinded therapy received adalimumab 40 mg every other week (eow). Patients who had already moved to open-label adalimumab eow or weekly in CHARM continued their regimens. Data were analysed by originally randomized treatment group at CHARM baseline (adalimumab 40 mg eow, adalimumab 40 mg weekly, or placebo), regardless of whether patients entered ADHERE or received open-label adalimumab (eow or weekly). Results, After up to 2 years of therapy, 37.6%, 41.9% and 49.8% of patients originally randomized to placebo, adalimumab eow and adalimumab weekly, respectively, were in clinical remission. All groups experienced sustained improvements on the Inflammatory Bowel Disease Questionnaire. Decreasing hazard rates for both all-cause and CD-related hospitalizations were observed over time. Over a 2-year period, the rates of serious adverse events and malignancies (33.3 and 1.1 events/100-patient-years respectively) were similar to those observed during the overall adalimumab CD clinical development programme. Conclusions, Adalimumab demonstrated sustained maintenance of clinical remission, improvements in quality of life and reductions in hospitalization during long-term treatment for CD, with no new safety concerns identified. [source] Effect of Light Intensity on Color Performance of False Clownfish, Amphiprion ocellaris CuvierJOURNAL OF THE WORLD AQUACULTURE SOCIETY, Issue 3 2009Inayah Yasir Color performance of false clownfish, Amphiprion ocellaris Cuvier, was examined under three levels of light intensity (20,50 , 600,850 , and 2700,3500 lx) for 5 wk. The experiment was conducted in nine rectangular glass aquaria (25 × 25 × 20 cm) with three replicates. Each aquarium was stocked with 36 fish, and 3 fish were randomly sampled from each aquarium every other week. Digital images were taken weekly on each individual fish after it was anesthetized in MS-222. The color performance in hue, saturation, and brightness was quantified using image analysis. In addition to the whole-body analysis, each fish image was divided into ventral and dorsal parts to assess the body position-dependent effect. Furthermore, color differences between dorsal fin, anal fin, ventral fin, and caudal fin were also quantified. The whole body was brighter at low light than at medium or at high light intensity. Irrespective of light intensity, the dorsal side was more orange but less bright than the ventral side. Brighter light strengthened overall orange color on fish fins. The dorsal fin and ventral fins appeared more orange than the anal and caudal fins regardless of light intensity and exposure duration. Similar to body color, low light also led to brighter fins, especially for caudal and dorsal fins. Our results indicate that ambient light could regulate fish color performance but could not change the pigment dominance by ,-carotene. Light intensity is unlikely to change the contrast between dorsal and ventral sides, but dim light tends to make fish body brighter, and bright light strengthens orange color on fins. [source] Administration of adalimumab in the treatment of Crohn's disease of the ileal pouchALIMENTARY PHARMACOLOGY & THERAPEUTICS, Issue 5 2009B. SHEN Summary Background, Crohn's disease (CD) of the pouch can develop in patients with ileal pouch-anal anastomosis (IPAA). Scant data are available on the treatment of this disease entity. Aim, To evaluate efficacy and safety of adalimumab in treating CD of the ileal pouch. Methods, From June 2007 to June 2008, 17 IPAA patients with inflammatory (n = 10), fibrostenotic (n = 2) or fistulizing (n = 5) CD of the pouch treated with adalimumab were evaluated. Inclusion criteria were CD of the pouch who failed medical therapy and were otherwise qualified for permanent pouch diversion or excision. All qualified patients received the standard dosing regimen of subcutaneous injection adalimumab (160 mg at week 0, 80 mg at week 1, and 40 mg every other week thereafter). Complete clinical response was defined as resolution of symptoms. Partial clinical response was defined as improvement in symptoms. Endoscopic inflammation before and after therapy was recorded, using the Pouchitis Disease Activity Index (PDAI) endoscopy subscores. Results, The median age was 36 years with 12 patients (70.6%) being male. At 4 weeks, seven patients (41.2%) had a complete symptom response and 6 (35.3%) had a partial response. There was also a significant improvement in the PDAI endoscopy subscores at week 4 (P < 0.05). At the last follow-up (median of 8 weeks), eight patients (47.1%) had a complete symptom response and 4 (23.5%) had a partial response. Four patients (23.6%) developed adverse effects. Three patients (17.7%) eventually had pouch failure after failing to respond to adalimumab therapy. Conclusion, Adalimumab appeared to be well-tolerated and efficacious in treating CD of the pouch in this open-labelled induction study. [source] Early clinical experience with adalimumab in treatment of inflammatory bowel disease with infliximab-treated and naïve patientsALIMENTARY PHARMACOLOGY & THERAPEUTICS, Issue 3 2009A. SWAMINATH Summary Background, Adalimumab, at an induction dose of 160/80 mg followed by 40 mg every other week is approved for treatment of refractory Crohn's disease (CD) and for patients with loss of response to infliximab. Aim, To evaluate the indications for adalimumab, the proportion of inflammatory bowel disease patients who require dose escalation and to identify whether this strategy is effective in inducing or maintaining remission. Methods, Patients prescribed adalimumab for CD were identified and included for analysis, if they had follow-up of at least 6 weeks. Adalimumab dose was escalated if patients had return of symptoms prior to next dose. Clinical judgment was used to determine severity of disease. A second GI physician confirmed disease severity as determined by the first physician. Results, A total of 48 out of 60 patients met inclusion criteria. Adalimumab was used to treat CD in 47/48 (98%) and ulcerative colitis in one (2%). Most patients had moderate 30/48 (63%) or severe 17/48 (35%) disease. Prior infliximab exposure was present in 42/48 (88%). Adalimumab dose escalation occurred in 14/48 (29%) within an average time of 2.2 months (s.d. 1.5 months). A majority of patients who required dose escalation, nine of 14 (64%) did not improve clinically. Steroids could be discontinued in three of 16 (18.8%). Clinical improvement was noted in 21/48 (43.8%) and one of 48 (2%) patients achieved clinical remission. Adverse drug reactions necessitated drug discontinuation in four of 48 (8%) of patients. Conclusions, This retrospective review from a single academic medical centre suggests that a minority of patients, who cannot be maintained on 40 mg every other week, of adalimumab benefit from an increased dose. This suggests the need for a treatment with an alternative mode of action in anti-TNF failures. [source] Adalimumab in Japanese patients with moderate to severe chronic plaque psoriasis: Efficacy and safety results from a Phase II/III randomized controlled studyTHE JOURNAL OF DERMATOLOGY, Issue 4 2010Akihiko ASAHINA Abstract Incidence of psoriasis vulgaris in Asians is estimated at 0.05,0.3%. Studies in North America and Europe demonstrated that adalimumab, a fully human, recombinant, immunoglobulin G1 monoclonal antibody, was efficacious and well-tolerated in patients with chronic plaque psoriasis. This 24-week, placebo-controlled study evaluated the efficacy and safety of three different dosing regimens of adalimumab in Japanese patients with moderate to severe chronic plaque psoriasis (n = 169). Patients were randomized to receive adalimumab 40 mg every other week (eow), adalimumab 80-mg loading dose at week 0 followed by adalimumab 40 mg eow starting at week 2, adalimumab 80 mg eow, or placebo eow given as s.c. injections. The primary efficacy endpoint was the percentage of patients achieving a 75% or greater improvement in Psoriasis Area and Severity Index (PASI 75) score at week 16. At week 16, PASI 75 response rates were significantly greater for all three adalimumab groups (40 mg eow: 57.9%, P < 0.001; 40 mg eow plus loading dose: 62.8%, P < 0.001; 80 mg eow: 81.0%, P < 0.001) versus placebo (4.3%). As early as week 4, the 40-mg eow plus loading dose and 80-mg eow groups achieved significantly greater PASI 75 response rates compared with placebo. Injection-site reactions and hepatic events occurred in greater percentages of adalimumab-treated patients compared with placebo. Adalimumab therapy demonstrated efficacy and safety at all three dosage regimens. Rapid response rate in patients receiving 40 mg eow plus loading dose supports using an 80-mg loading dose in the treatment of psoriasis. [source] The Use of Daclizumab, Tacrolimus and Mycophenolate Mofetil in African-American and Hispanic First Renal Transplant RecipientsAMERICAN JOURNAL OF TRANSPLANTATION, Issue 8 2003Gaetano Ciancio Limited data are available on the use of tacrolimus and mycophenolate mofetil in conjunction with anti-IL-2 receptor antibody, in groups of kidney transplant recipients considered to be at higher risk. This study compared the incidence of acute rejection between African-American (AA), Hispanic (H), and non-African-American, non-Hispanics (non-AA, non-H) first renal transplant recipients. We studied 233 sequential first renal transplants. Of the 233, 37 recipients (16%) were AA, 85 (36.5%) were H and 111 (47.5%) were non-AA, non-H. All received daclizumab induction therapy (1 mg/kg) on the day of surgery, and every other week for a total of 5 doses, as well as mycophenolate mofetil, tacrolimus, and steroids. At 1 year, patient and graft survival were 97% and 95% in AA, 98% and 98% in H, and 96% and 95% in non-AA, non-H, respectively (not statistically different). Biopsy-proven acute rejection episodes were 8.1% in AA, 4.7% in H, and 4.5% in non-AA, non-H (also not statistically different). This immunosuppressive protocol appears to be safe and effective in helping to minimize biopsy-proven acute rejection and optimize renal allograft survival in African-American and Hispanic renal transplant recipients in the first year post transplantation. [source] Tocilizumab in systemic lupus erythematosus: Data on safety, preliminary efficacy, and impact on circulating plasma cells from an open-label phase I dosage-escalation study,ARTHRITIS & RHEUMATISM, Issue 2 2010Gabor G. Illei Objective To assess the safety of interleukin-6 receptor inhibition and to collect preliminary data on the clinical and immunologic efficacy of tocilizumab in patients with systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE). Methods In an open-label phase I dosage-escalation study, 16 patients with mild-to-moderate disease activity were assigned to receive 1 of 3 doses of tocilizumab given intravenously every other week for 12 weeks (total of 7 infusions): 2 mg/kg in 4 patients, 4 mg/kg in 6 patients, or 8 mg/kg in 6 patients. Patients were then monitored for an additional 8 weeks. Results The infusions were well tolerated. Tocilizumab treatment led to dosage-related decreases in the absolute neutrophil count, with a median decrease of 38% in the 4 mg/kg dosage group and 56% in the 8 mg/kg dosage group. Neutrophil counts returned to normal after cessation of treatment. One patient was withdrawn from the study because of neutropenia. Infections occurred in 11 patients; none was associated with neutropenia. Disease activity showed significant improvement, with a decrease of ,4 points in the modified Safety of Estrogens in Lupus Erythematosus National Assessment version of the Systemic Lupus Erythematosus Disease Activity Index score in 8 of the 15 evaluable patients. Arthritis improved in all 7 patients who had arthritis at baseline and resolved in 4 of them. Levels of anti,double-stranded DNA antibodies decreased by a median of 47% in patients in the 4 mg/kg and 8 mg/kg dosage groups, with a 7.8% decrease in their IgG levels. These changes, together with a significant decrease in the frequency of circulating plasma cells, suggest a specific effect of tocilizumab on autoantibody-producing cells. Conclusion Although neutropenia may limit the maximum dosage of tocilizumab in patients with SLE, the observed clinical and serologic responses are promising and warrant further studies to establish the optimal dosing regimen and efficacy. [source] Efficacy and safety results from the randomized controlled comparative study of adalimumab vs. methotrexate vs. placebo in patients with psoriasis (CHAMPION)BRITISH JOURNAL OF DERMATOLOGY, Issue 3 2008J.-H. Saurat Summary Background, Biologic therapies such as adalimumab, a tumour necrosis factor antagonist, are safe and effective in the treatment of moderate to severe chronic plaque psoriasis. Objectives, To compare a biologic agent with methotrexate, a traditional systemic agent, to define clearly the role of biologics in psoriasis. Methods, Patients with moderate to severe plaque psoriasis were randomized to adalimumab (80 mg subcutaneously at week 0, then 40 mg every other week, n = 108), methotrexate (7·5 mg orally, increased as needed and as tolerated to 25 mg weekly; n = 110) or placebo (n = 53) for 16 weeks. The primary efficacy endpoint was the proportion of patients achieving at least a 75% improvement in the Psoriasis Area and Severity Index (PASI 75) after 16 weeks. Safety was assessed at all visits through week 16. Results, After 16 weeks, 79·6% of adalimumab-treated patients achieved PASI 75, compared with 35·5% for methotrexate (P < 0·001 vs. adalimumab) and 18·9% for placebo (P < 0·001 vs. adalimumab). Statistically significantly more adalimumab-treated patients (16·7%) than methotrexate-treated patients (7·3%) or placebo-treated patients (1·9%) achieved complete clearance of disease. The response to adalimumab was rapid, with a 57% improvement in mean PASI observed at week 4. Adverse events were similar across treatment groups. Adverse events leading to study discontinuation were greatest in the methotrexate group, primarily because of hepatic-related adverse events. Conclusions, After 16 weeks, adalimumab demonstrated significantly superior efficacy and more rapid improvements in psoriasis compared with either methotrexate or placebo. [source] Mean Reversion in the Short Horizon Returns of UK PortfoliosJOURNAL OF BUSINESS FINANCE & ACCOUNTING, Issue 1-2 2001Patricia Chelley-Steeley This paper will show that short horizon stock returns for UK portfolios are more predictable than suggested by sample autocorrelation co-efficients. Four capitalisation based portfolios are constructed for the period 1976,1991. It is shown that the first order autocorrelation coefficient of monthly returns can explain no more than 10% of the variation in monthly portfolio returns. Monthly autocorrelation coefficients assume that each weekly return of the previous month contains the same amount of information. However, this will not be the case if short horizon returns contain predictable components which dissipate rapidly. In this case, the return of the most recent week would say a lot more about the future monthly portfolio return than other weeks. This suggests that when predicting future monthly portfolio returns more weight should be given to the most recent weeks of the previous month, because, the most recent weekly returns provide the most information about the subsequent months' performance. We construct a model which exploits the mean reverting characteristics of monthly portfolio returns. Using this model we forecast future monthly portfolio returns. When compared to forecasts that utilise the autocorrelation statistic the model which exploits the mean reverting characteristics of monthlyportfolio returns can forecast future returns better than the autocorrelation statistic, both in and out of sample. [source] | ||||||||||