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Biomedical subjects

A Rutkowski

Publications and source records attributed to A Rutkowski.

18 recordsLinked to original sources

The effect of beta-glucanase supplementation of barley- and oat-based diets on growth performance and fermentation in broiler chicken gastrointestinal tract.

1. The aim of the present study was to investigate whether grain type (barley or oats) and ss-glucanase inclusion influence the performance and the gastrointestinal ecosystem of broiler chickens, taking the concentrations of short-chain fatty acids and lactic acid, pH, ileal viscosity, and the weight of the caeca and liver into consideration. 2. The inclusion of beta-glucanase in the oat-based diet improved body weight gains. Enzyme supplementation of barley-based diets improved feed conversion efficiency and reduced intestinal viscosity. 3. Irrespective of the type of cereal, beta-glucanase supplementation increased the lactic acid concentration and lowered the pH of the crop contents. No such changes in fermentation were observed in the contents of the gizzard and ileum. 4. Larger amounts of total dietary fibre and its fractions (arabinoxylans and beta-glucans) in oats decreased the weight of the caeca. 5. Molar ratios of acetate, propionate and butyrate in the caecal chyme were affected by cereal type but not by enzyme supplementation. The barley-based diet increased the butyrate:propionate ratio but the opposite effect was observed with the oat-based diet.

Animal Feed↗

Abdominoperineal resection or anterior resection for rectal cancer: patient preferences before and after treatment.

OBJECTIVE: Literature data do not provide any evidence as to whether oncological outcome and quality of life after anterior resection (AR) are superior to those observed after abdominoperineal resection (APR) for low-lying rectal cancer. In view of this, patient preferences should play an important role in the process of decision making. The aim of this study was to investigate these preferences. PATIENTS AND METHODS: A series of consecutive patients with rectal cancer (60 prior to surgery, 65 after APR and 124 after AR) who attended our outpatient clinic were asked to express their preference as to the type of surgery. The second part of the study was performed 4 years later; 30 patients evaluated before surgery, free of disease, were again asked to express their preference as to the type of treatment. RESULTS: Patient preferences as to performing APR, AR or as to leaving the decision to the surgeon were as follows: (i) the group prior to surgery - 5%, 30% and 65%, respectively, (ii) group after APR - 46%, 22% and 32%, respectively, and (iii) group after AR - 4%, 69% and 28%, respectively. Patients after AR pointed to the type of surgery that they had undergone more frequently than patients after APR (69%vs 46%, respectively, P < 0.001). Sixty per cent of patients evaluated twice had altered their initial preferences, usually choosing the type of surgery that they had undergone. CONCLUSIONS: Our results suggest that the sequelae of AR are generally perceived as more acceptable than those of APR. Nevertheless, approximately half of the patients after APR prefer the type of surgery that they have undergone, which suggests the positive reappraisal of APR, once experienced.

Adult↗

Effect of divalproex sodium on aggression and self-injurious behaviour in adults with intellectual disability: a retrospective review.

The aim of the present study was to evaluate the efficacy of divalproex sodium treatment in adults with intellectual disability, and aggressive or self-injurious behaviour. Twenty-eight adults aged between 20 and 63 years of age with severe, long-lasting behavioural problems were treated with divalproex sodium (dosage 500-4000 mg day(-1)). Clinical changes were assessed at 2-73 months into the pharmacological treatment utilizing the Clinical Global Impression Severity (CGI-S) scale, and monthly behavioural counts of aggressive and self-injurious acts. Seventy-one percent of subjects demonstrated a moderate or marked improvement on the CGI-S; another 21% demonstrated mild benefits. Among the patients for whom objective prospective behavioural counts were available, 88% showed a significant reduction in aggression and self-injurious behaviour, 46% had other psychotropic medications discontinued, and another 39% had psychotropic medications decreased. One patient had serious thrombocytopenia which required the discontinuation of divalproex sodium, and one other had vomiting and worsened aggression. The present preliminary, uncontrolled study suggests that adults with intellectual disability, and aggressive or self-injurious behaviour may respond to divalproex sodium, and that this drug is well-tolerated in the majority of subjects.

Adult↗

[A pharmacokinetic study of diffusion in adenomatous prostatic tissue of an intravenous bolus of cefamandole].

Twenty-three patients undergoing transurethral resection of the prostate for benign prostatic hypertrophy received antibiotic prophylaxis with a second generation cephalosporin, cefamandole, administered by a single IV bolus of 2.5 g. A pharmacokinetic study was performed on blood and resection chips collected at regular intervals. Cefamandole penetrates rapidly into the prostate without any saturation threshold. It diffuses less extensively and persists for a shorter period in elderly subjects, but penetrates to an identical degree regardless of the volume of the adenoma. The prostatic concentration was always higher than the minimal inhibitory concentration for the bacteria generally encountered, except for pseudomonas. The pharmacokinetic study of cefamandole therefore demonstrated that an IV bolus of 2.5 g is perfectly suitable for antibiotic prophylaxis prior to prostatic resection.

Absorption↗

[Technological directions for processing rape proteins into protein concentrates and isolates].

Rape-seeds or rape-seed meal are relatively cheap, but valuable raw materials for the manufacture of protein concentrates and isolates which may be used as constituents of foodstuffs. The high content of crude fibres and also of thioglucosides leads to considerable difficulties in the development of techniques for the manufacture of high-grade protein preparations. To describe the procedure, certain production-technological properties of rape proteins are discussed, such as extraction parameters, coagulating conditions, processing temperature, amount of solvent, etc. On the basis of these data, the following techniques for the manufacture of rape protein products are presented: - protein concentration by means of the water diffusion method; - protein isolation with the aid of one or multi-stage extraction. Finally, the author reports of a fermenting procedure for the manufacture of protein biomass from coarse colza meal. Furthermore, he presents some data about the nutritional value of rape protein.

Food-Processing Industry↗

Ovarian hyperstimulation syndrome: imperatives for the emergency physician.

Ovarian Hyperstimulation Syndrome (OHSS) is a serious disorder complicating the use of ovary-stimulating drugs in assisted reproduction programs. While its pathogenesis is not fully understood, it is believed that human chorionic gonadotropin (hCG) stimulation is vital to the development of OHSS. Further evidence suggests that the renin-angiotensin pathway, vascular endothelial growth factor, endothelin-1, and cytokines all play a role in altering ovarian capillary permeability, leading to increased interstitial fluid. OHSS can produce a myriad of symptoms and signs involving numerous body systems, up to and including hypovolemic shock and acute renal failure. As growing numbers of women opt for assisted reproduction, it becomes increasingly important for emergency physicians to be able to recognize this condition. Clinical classification into mild, moderate, severe, and critical forms of OHSS can help the physician plan appropriate investigations, admission requirements, and acute management. Two cases of OHSS, representing the spectrum of this problem, are presented along with a review of the literature.

Adult↗

Variation in high purity water bacterial and endotoxin concentrations in response to spontaneous changes in total oxidizable carbon content.

The goal of this study is to determine the relationship between transient changes in total oxidizable carbon concentration (TOC), bacterial numbers, and endotoxin concentrations at several serial unit operations in a high purity water system. Bacteria are a dynamic component of any ambient temperature sections in a high purity water system; they are living and growing inhabitants. Their numerical variability over time poses challenging QA/QC problems for many industries using high purity waters for manufacturing, formulation, equipment rinsing, and medical device preparation. Preliminary data (Husted et al., 1994) suggested that a possible relationship existed between spontaneous transient elevations in TOC concentration and total planktonic (free floating) bacterial numbers in high purity waters: rising TOC produced sudden increases in bacterial concentration. If the results collected earlier are reproducible, real time monitoring of TOC stability may offer a gateway measurement permitting estimation of changes in endotoxin and bacterial cell concentration, analyses currently made off line in the laboratory. This correlation would also supply guidance for system operation to produce water with both an enhanced and a reproducible quality.

Carbon↗