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Biomedical subjects

P Castle

Publications and source records attributed to P Castle.

12 recordsLinked to original sources
PubMed2006

Aerobic capacity and peak power output of elite quadriplegic games players.

BACKGROUND: Participation in wheelchair sports such as tennis and rugby enables people with quadriplegia to compete both individually and as a team at the highest level. Both sports are dominated by frequent, intermittent, short term power demands superimposed on a background of aerobic activity. OBJECTIVE: To gain physiological profiles of highly trained British quadriplegic athletes, and to examine the relation between aerobic and sprint capacity. METHODS: Eight male quadriplegic athletes performed an arm crank exercise using an ergometer fitted with a Schoberer Rad Messtechnik (SRM) powermeter. The sprint test consisted of three maximum-effort sprints of five seconds duration against a resistance of 2%, 3%, and 4% of body mass. The highest power output obtained was recorded (PPO). Peak oxygen consumption (V(O2peak)), peak heart rate (HR(peak)), and maximal power output (PO(aer)) were determined. RESULTS: Mean PO(aer) was 67.7 (16.2) W, mean V(O2peak) was 0.96 (0.17) litres/min, and HR(peak) was 134 (19) beats/min for the group. There was high variability among subjects. Peak power over the five second sprint for the group was 220 (62) W. There was a significant correlation between V(O2peak) (litres/min) and PO(aer) (W) (r = 0.74, p<0.05). CONCLUSIONS: These British quadriplegic athletes have relatively high aerobic fitness when compared with the available literature. Moreover, the anaerobic capacity of these athletes appeared to be relatively high compared with paraplegic participants.

Adult↗
PubMed2005

European Pharmacopoeia (EP), USDA and MAFF standards--will they ever be harmonised under the VICH umbrella?

Harmonisation of standards can have benefits for both users and manufacturers of vaccines. It also helps regulatory authorities when products are assessed to have a uniform standard in different regions. The first priority for harmonisation has to be the elimination of duplicate testing for the same purpose, for example tests for safety, immunogenicity and batch potency. A further priority is to harmonise batch-testing requirements first, since duplication of testing affects production batches. Fish vaccines present particularities as far as harmonisation between regions is concerned because of geographical, climatic and other factors. A commitment from regulatory authorities and manufacturers is a precondition for harmonisation. The different parties should commit themselves to harmonisation within a reasonable time and to implementing their decisions promptly. When there is a commitment on the part of all participants to work together in developing common science-based regulatory standards, then the optimal conditions exist. Harmonisation is time-consuming and costly but in the end the benefits can no doubt exceed the investment. Harmonisation also needs a forum since the present terms of reference of regulatory and standardisation bodies do not cover this. The only forum at present is the International Cooperation on Harmonization of Technical Requirements for Registration of Veterinary Products (VICH), which is a tripartite activity involving the European Union, Japan and the U.S.A. Before deciding to propose inclusion in the VICH programme, a preliminary study should be carried out to assess the benefits expected, the obstacles to harmonisation and the feasibility of achieving a satisfactory result. In the framework of VICH, there have been some successful harmonisation projects for veterinary vaccines: residual formaldehyde determination, and residual moisture determination. A harmonised proposal for mycoplasma testing is now available for public comment. Work on extraneous agents testing for avian and mammalian viral vaccines is well advanced.

Animals↗
PubMed2000

Long-term vaginal antibody delivery: delivery systems and biodistribution.

Topical delivery systems can provide prolonged delivery of antibodies to the vaginal mucosal surface for long-term protection against infectious diseases. We examined the biodistribution of antibodies during 30 days of vaginal antibody delivery in mice. Different antibody preparations (including monoclonal IgG and IgM, as well as several different (125)I-labeled IgGs) were administered by polymer vaginal rings, which were designed to provide continuous antibody delivery. Antibody concentrations remained high in the vaginal secretions for up to 30 days after disk insertion; radiolabeled antibody was also found, at approximately 100 times lower concentration, in the blood and other tissues. The measured concentrations agreed reasonably well with a simple pharmacokinetic model, which was used to calculate mucosal and systemic concentrations as a function of antibody delivery and elimination rates. Results from the model were consistent with previously reported antibody pharmacokinetic measurements: the half-life for antibody elimination for the vagina was approximately 3 h; the half-life for IgG(1) clearance from the blood was >1 day; and the overall permeability constant for vaginal uptake of IgG was approximately 0.01 to 0.03 h(-1). These results provide important information for the design of controlled antibody delivery devices for vaginal use, and suggest that high-dose, long-term vaginal administration of antibodies may be a reasonable approach for achieving sustained mucosal and systemic antibody levels.

Administration, Intravaginal↗
PubMed1998

Reference standards for vaccine-producing laboratories.

The inherent variability of the biological systems used for production of vaccines is much greater than that encountered in the production of pharmaceuticals. Therefore, producers of vaccines must take particular care to ensure that the different batches of a vaccine are of reasonable consistency and that the immunising activity of each batch is equivalent to that of the vaccine originally shown to be effective in the target species. This struggle for consistency has been the main motive for developing the range of reference standards which serve as fixed reference points during the production and quality control of a vaccine.

Animals↗
PubMed1996

Alternatives to animal testing: achievements and recent developments in the European Pharmacopoeia.

The European Pharmacopoeia has declared its full support for thorough application of the three Rs in the tests that comprise the official standards. Significant progress has been achieved in the last few years in the fields of pyrogen testing, hormones, blood products and, to a lesser extent, vaccines. Many projects are at present under way. Until recently, the approach was more or less passive, awaiting a consensus on new methods before incorporation into the official standard. However, a more active approach has now been adopted, notably by the organisation of validation exercises both to establish alternative methods and to encourage their wide use. All users of the Pharmacopoeia are concerned by this problem and they should be aware that all proposals and initiatives will be followed up within the means at our disposal.

Animal Testing Alternatives↗
PubMed1979

Turning critics into allies.

The siting of psychiatric intensive care units can rouse unreasonable hostility among local communities. Most of the opposition results from fears based on misinformation which can be calmed by a public relations exercise aimed directly at the community concerned.

Community-Institutional Relations↗