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Biomedical subjects

M Mauro

Publications and source records attributed to M Mauro.

At least 19 recordsLinked to original sources
PubMed1995

Interpretation time of serial chest CT examinations with stacked-metaphor workstation versus film alternator.

PURPOSE: Interpretation time of serial staging chest CT cases, which each contained current and previous examinations, with a simple prototype workstation called filmstack was experimentally compared with interpretation time with a film alternator. MATERIALS AND METHODS: The filmstack displayed a "stack" of sections for each examination; user controls allowed rapid selection of preset attenuation windows and both synchronized and unsynchronized scrolling. Eight radiologists were timed as they used the filmstack and the film alternator to interpret four ergonomically complex serial CT cases. RESULTS: All reports dictated on the basis of findings with filmstack and film were of acceptable clinical accuracy. The time to examine a case with filmstack was significantly faster than the time with film, including the time to load and unload the alternator (99% confidence [P = .01]). There was no statistically significant difference in interpretation time between filmstack and prehung film. CONCLUSION: Use of a low-cost stacked CT workstation with a single 1,024 x 1,024 monitor is an effective means of interpreting cases that require comparison of multiple CT examinations.

Computer Systems↗
PubMed1994

Cost effectiveness in the management of benign prostatic hyperplasia: Italian data.

Several works in literature demonstrate that in some countries the economic considerations are as important as the clinical aspects of a disease; economic evaluation may be of help for decision making. The exact cost of the diagnosis and treatment of benign prostatic hypertrophy (BPH) patients is difficult to estimate. The total number of males in Italy is 27,982,144 (1991 data). In the last year 2,200,000 patients have been treated for BPH in Italy (surgically and pharmacologically); the overall cost for the therapy of BPH exceeded 46 million dollars per year. Currently surgery represents the standard treatment of BPH. In the USA alone over 350,000 surgical procedures are performed annually. In USA the cost per TURP is 12,000 dollars. In Italy the minimum direct cost is 3681 dollars; in most cases, however, the cost per TURP is over 5000 dollars. It is estimated that about 80% of patients with micturion problems prefer an alternative treatment before surgery. In our country 4,338,000 diagnoses of BPH have been performed in 1991. The number of prescriptions for BPH has been 4,867,000 and the number of drugs per prescription 1.16. It may be of interest to compare costs associated with different pharmacological therapies for BPH. Considering the direct costs, it has been estimated that the cost of 1 year's treatment with finasteride is 1833 dollars, while that of 1 year with plant extracts is 1151 dollars. The existing literature is deficient in defining the cost related to the therapeutical options for BPH.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)

Cost-Benefit Analysis↗
PubMed1993

Plant extracts in BPH.

In Italy plant extracts represent 8.6% of all pharmacological prescriptions for Benign Prostatic Hyperplasia (data from 1991). This review evaluates all the suggested mechanisms of action for plant extracts. Recently we demonstrated an antiestrogenic effect of Serenoa Repens in BPH patients. Clinical trials with plant extracts have yielded conflicting results. In a recent review by Dreikorn and Richter, only five placebo controlled studies were found. Moreover, as opposed to chemically defined drugs, it is possible that for these extracts the active ingredients are not known; consequently pharmacodynamic and pharmacokinetic data are often missing. The International Consultation of Benign Prostatic Hyperplasia (Paris, June 1991) concluded that, to date, phytotherapeutic agents must be considered as a symptomatic treatment. Now more adequate pharmacological and clinical studies, placebo controlled, should determine the exact role of these drugs in the treatment of BPH.

5-alpha Reductase Inhibitors↗
PubMed1991

Synthetic guinea pig insulin B-chain C-terminal decapeptide: a novel immunogen for generating immunocytochemical-grade antisera.

Antisera to guinea pig insulin are not commonly available, largely because of the short supply and limited immunogenicity of the intact hormone. To overcome these problems we have employed a novel reagent, synthetic guinea pig insulin B-chain C-terminal decapeptide, as a hapten for raising antibodies that react with intact guinea pig insulin. The decapeptide, coupled to bovine serum albumin, was successfully used as an immunogen in rabbits. The resulting anti-serum was employed for immunocytochemical staining of guinea pig insulin in pancreatic sections. The specificity of the staining was verified by both pre-absorption and pre-immune serum controls. The utility of this new antiserum for investigations of guinea pig insulin physiology is discussed.

Amino Acid Sequence↗
PubMed1991

[Inguinal hernioplasty after Shouldice].

The authors review their two-year experience of hernioplasty using a modified version of Shouldice's technique which includes the employment of a polyglyconate monofilament. Although the series of patients is chronologically limited, the findings appear to confirm that this is a valid alternative to other techniques proposed to date for treating inguinal hernia.

Abdominal Muscles↗
PubMed1990

X-ray structures of recombinant yeast cytochrome c peroxidase and three heme-cleft mutants prepared by site-directed mutagenesis.

The 2.2-A X-ray structure for CCP(MI), a plasmid-encoded form of Saccharomyces cerevisiae cytochrome c peroxidase (CCP) expressed in Escherichia coli [Fishel, L.A., Villafranca, J. E., Mauro, J. M., & Kraut, J. (1987) Biochemistry 26, 351-360], has been solved, together with the structures of three specifically designed single-site heme-cleft mutants. The structure of CCP(MI) was solved by using molecular replacement methods, since its crystals grow differently from the crystals of CCP isolated from bakers' yeast used previously for structural solution. Small distal-side differences between CCP(MI) and bakers' yeast CCP are observed, presumably due to a strain-specific Thr-53----Ile substitution in CCP(MI). A Trp-51----Phe mutant remains pentacoordinated and exhibits only minor distal structural adjustments. The observation of a vacant sixth coordination site in this structure differs from the results of solution resonance Raman studies, which predict hexacoordinated high-spin iron [Smulevich, G., Mauro, J.M., Fishel, L. A., English, A. M., Kraut, J., & Spiro, T. G. (1988) Biochemistry 27, 5477-5485]. The coordination behavior of this W51F mutant is apparently altered in the presence of a precipitating agent, 30% 2-methyl-2,4-pentanediol. A proximal Trp-191----Phe mutant that has substantially diminished enzyme activity and altered magnetic properties [Mauro, J. M., Fishel, L. F., Hazzard, J. T., Meyer, T. E., Tollin, G., Cusanovich, M. A., & Kraut, J. (1988) Biochemistry 27, 6243-6256] accommodates the substitution by allowing the side chain of Phe-191, together with the segment of backbone to which it is attached, to move toward the heme. This relatively large (ca. 1 A) local perturbation is accompanied by numerous small adjustments resulting in a slight overall compression of the enzyme's proximal domain; however, the iron coordination sphere is essentially unchanged. This structure rules out a major alteration in protein conformation as a reason for the dramatically decreased activity of the W191F mutant. Changing proximal Asp-235 to Asn results in two significant localized structural changes. First, the heme iron moves toward the porphyrin plane, and distal water 595 now clearly resides in the iron coordination sphere at a distance of 2.0 A. The observation of hexacoordinated iron for the D235N mutant is in accord with previous resonance Raman results. Second, the indole side chain of Trp-191 has flipped over as a result of the mutation; the tryptophan N epsilon takes part in a new hydrogen bond with the backbone carbonyl oxygen of Leu-177.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 400 WORDS)

Binding Sites↗
PubMed1990

Biliary diversion for pancreatic carcinoma: matching the methods and the patient.

Two hundred eleven patients with adenocarcinoma of the pancreas were reviewed. Seventy had surgically constructed biliary-enteric anastomoses. Forty-two had percutaneous/endoscopic placement of biliary diversion catheters. Surgical biliary diversion was associated with discharge at 7 +/- 2 days postoperatively. Only five patients required subsequent reoperations for anastomotic failure secondary to continued tumor growth. Sixty-one percent of percutaneous/endoscopic catheters were associated with septicemia, and 27% occluded (average life span 36 days). Hospital days averaged 20 days of an average 64-day patient life span. After evaluation of computed tomographic scans and surgical findings, patients' diseases were arbitrarily divided into (A) local, (B) regional, and (C) distant spread. Survival was 417,300, and 53 days, respectively. In view of the morbidity associated with the percutaneous/endoscopic catheter, we recommend that its use be restricted to Group C patients.

Adenocarcinoma↗
PubMed1986

Antihypertensive and renal effects of tertatolol, a new beta-blocking agent, in hypertensive patients.

Tertatolol, a new nonselective beta-adrenoceptor blocker, was administered to 11 hypertensive patients in a short-term study. Systolic and diastolic blood pressure and heart rate were significantly decreased when compared to the placebo period: in spite of that glomerular filtration rate and renal plasma flow were unchanged. The administration of metoclopramide (a dopaminergic receptor antagonist) caused a significant reduction of renal plasma flow and a significant rise of renal vascular resistances during placebo, but no change during tertatolol therapy. A possible interference of tertatolol on dopaminergic receptors is discussed as the mechanism responsible for the unmodified renal plasma flow despite the significant blood pressure lowering with tertatolol.

Adrenergic beta-Antagonists↗
PubMed1986

CT features of intraabdominal abscesses: prediction of successful percutaneous drainage.

Fifty-three patients with 71 intraabdominal abscesses identified on computed tomography (CT) and treated with percutaneous abscess drainage were evaluated for the possible predictive value of any particular CT feature in relation to the outcome of percutaneous drainage. Features analyzed included the presence of a "rind," sharp exterior margin, air-fluid level, scattered internal gas bubbles, and internal septations, as well as size, site, and the presence or absence of fistulas as determined by sinography. Statistical analysis revealed that only site has predictive value; liver and subphrenic abscesses were more likely to have a successful outcome than abscesses in other locations (84% vs 47% complete cure). The presence of a long air-fluid level denoted communication with the gastrointestinal tract, which led to significantly longer drainage times and larger drainage volumes. Since there are no CT features that can strongly predict a poor outcome, all intraabdominal abscesses should be considered candidates for percutaneous drainage.

Abdomen↗