An HPLC method was developed for application in the measurement of occupational exposure to the pesticide chlorothalonil. In addition, sampling methods were validated for the determination of exposure to chlorothalonil in the greenhouse culturing of carnations. Procedures for sampling of the inspirable fraction of aerosols, for the determination of hand contamination by hand rinse and the use of cotton gloves, and for the determination of dislodgable chlorothalonil residues on carnation leaves were validated. Normal phase HPLC with hexane-dioxane as the eluent and UV detection at either 254 or 325 nm appeared suitable for the determination of chlorothalonil in the described matrices. The limit of detection, after concentration on SepPak C18 cartridges was approximately 0.5 micrograms/L. Linear calibration curves were obtained in concentration ranges from 0.5 microgram/L to 100 mg/L. In general, no interferences were noticed in the analysis of the matrices. However, cotton gloves for determination of hand contamination had to be washed before use because they contained interfering material, and in the case of air sampling, glass fiber filters for air sampling appeared to degrade chlorothalonil very rapidly. Therefore, cellulose filters were used for collection of the inspirable fraction of aerosols containing chlorothalonil.

Agriculture↗

PubMedDate not supplied

Assessment of dermal exposure of greenhouse workers to the pesticide bupirimate.

An HPLC method was developed for estimation of dermal exposure of greenhouse workers to the pesticide bupirimate. Chromatography was performed on a cyano-modified silica column with methanol-water (6:4 by volume) containing 5 g/L ammonium sulfate as eluent. UV detection at 310 nm was used for quantitation. Dermal exposure was assessed by letting the workers wear cotton gloves and by measuring foliar dislodgable residues in the greenhouses as potential exposure. The analytical procedure was validated for measurement of bupirimate on cotton gloves and in solutions used for the estimation of foliar dislodgable residues. Gloves were extracted with methanol. Recovery of bupirimate from fortified gloves was complete. Methanol extracts with one volume of water added and solutions containing dislodgable residues were injected directly onto the HPLC system. The limit of detection was 30 micrograms/L. Between-day coefficients of variation were 7 and 4% at concentrations of 0.6 and 28 mg/L, respectively.

Administration, Cutaneous↗

PubMedDate not supplied

Review of group interventions for pediatric chronic conditions.

OBJECTIVE: To identify treatment studies on group interventions for pediatric conditions and to review their efficacy using standardized criteria. METHODS: Through a systematic literature review, we identified 125 studies describing group treatments for pediatric populations. Group interventions were classified into one of four types of groups distinguished by their primary goals and intended outcomes: emotional support, psychoeducation, adaptation/skill development, or symptom reduction. A fifth category, summer camps, contained elements of the other categories, but due to their unique setting, we considered them separately. Treatments were evaluated and designated as "promising," "probably efficacious," or "well-established," based on the Chambless/Society for Pediatric Psychology criteria. RESULTS: Group interventions for children and adolescents have been developed to increase knowledge of illness, to increase psychological adaptation, and to decrease physical symptoms and side effects. This literature falls on a broad continuum, ranging from descriptive articles with no empirical assessment of outcome to treatment outcome studies employing randomized control conditions and standardized outcome measures. CONCLUSIONS: Although well-established group interventions do exist, much work is required to establish the efficacy of most group treatments for children and adolescents with chronic illness. Recommendations for improving the status of research are offered.

Adaptation, Psychological↗

PubMedDate not supplied

Sex differences in glucocorticoid sensitivity of proinflammatory cytokine production after psychosocial stress.

OBJECTIVE: Men and women show marked differences in susceptibility to disorders related to the immune system. These gender differences have been proposed to be mediated by functional interactions of the hypothalamus-pituitary-adrenal (HPA) and hypothalamus-pituitary-gonadal (HPG) axes. A potential mechanism involved in this interaction is the glucocorticoid (GC) sensitivity of relevant target tissues for GC. Therefore, the aim of the study reported here was to investigate the impact of psychosocial stress and HPA axis activation on the GC sensitivity of proinflammatory cytokine production in men and women. METHODS: A total of 45 healthy subjects were investigated. Eighteen women in the luteal phase of their menstrual cycle and 27 men were exposed to a psychosocial stress test (Trier Social Stress Test). Salivary free cortisol levels were measured repeatedly after exposure to the stressor. GC sensitivity was assessed in vitro by dexamethasone inhibition of lipopolysaccharide-stimulated production of interleukin-6 and tumor necrosis factor-alpha. RESULTS: The stress test induced significant increases in salivary free cortisol with no significant differences between men and women. In contrast, GC sensitivity and lipopolysaccharide-stimulated cytokine production showed large gender differences. In men GC sensitivity was markedly increased 1 hour after stress, whereas GC sensitivity decreased significantly in women. Similarly, lipopolysaccharide-induced cytokine production decreased in response to stress in men but increased in women. CONCLUSIONS: These results demonstrate that despite similar free cortisol responses of men and women (studied in the luteal phase) to psychosocial stress, gender may exert differential effects on the immune system by modulating GC sensitivity of proinflammatory cytokine production.

Adult↗

PubMedDate not supplied

The menisci of the lumbar zygapophyseal joints. A review of their anatomy and clinical significance.

The literature describing menisci in the lumbar zygapophyseal joints is reviewed. The only true menisci in these joints are rudimentary fibrous invaginations of the dorsal and ventral capsule. So-called menisci at the superior and inferior poles of the joint are basically fat-filled synovial reflections, some of which contain dense fibrous tissue, which probably arises as a result of mechanical stress. The theory of meniscus entrapment is appraised, but is considered to have been an overstated cause of those forms of "acute locked back" that responds to manipulation.

Adipose Tissue↗

PubMedDate not supplied

Intermittent automatic chronobiologic monitoring complements daily self-measurements.

The self-measurement of blood pressure for circadian rhythm assessment has been used for the evaluation, 'as one goes', of the effectiveness of treatment for high blood pressure (among other purposes). Even in a setting of high technology, with miniaturized ambulatory fully automatic recorders available, it is cost-effective to combine self- with automatic blood pressure measurement, to check on both the adequacy of treatment and the need for it. These aims were followed by an 81-year-old physician practicing autorhythmometry for over a decade.

Aged↗

PubMedDate not supplied

Arthur Jores, in appreciation.

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Bibliographies as Topic↗