Biomedical subjects

V Hernández

Publications and source records attributed to V Hernández.

At least 19 recordsLinked to original sources

PubMed2006

Cosmetic outcome of breast conservative treatment for early stage breast cancer.

PURPOSE: To evaluate the cosmetic outcome of breast conservative therapy and to examine the degree of agreement between the patients' and oncologists' ratings. We also analyze the influence of several factors on cosmesis. METHODS AND MATERIALS: We retrospectively evaluated 145 patients with primary breast cancer treated by local excision and radiotherapy between January 2000 and May 2001. Cosmetic outcome was evaluated by doctors and patients and was scored as excellent, good, fair or poor. RESULTS: 73% of patients rated cosmesis as excellent or good while the percentage was 71% when rated by radiation oncologists. The degree of cosmesis concordance evaluated by oncologists and patients was low (kappa = 0.3). In our study the variables which significantly influence on the cosmetic outcome were concomitant adjuvant chemotherapy (p = 0.04) and radiation therapy boost, either by electron beam or brachytherapy (p = 0.013). CONCLUSION: The cosmetic outcome of breast conserving therapy was good. There was a similar rating by the patient and radiation oncologist, but the level of concordance between patients and doctors was low. Factors that significantly influence the cosmesis appear to be concomitant adjuvant chemotherapy and radiation therapy boost.

Adult↗

PubMed2006

Efficacy and safety of amlodipine: a comparative study of hypertensive patients treated at primary- and specialised-care centres.

BACKGROUND: This study set out to assess the safety and efficacy of amlodipine in two cohorts of patients who were attended in primary- and specialised-care centres, respectively. METHODS: Prospective, observational, multicentre pharmacovigilance study including patients aged >18 years who presented with a diagnosis of hypertension (systolic blood pressure [SBP] >or=140 mm Hg and diastolic blood pressure [DBP] >or=90 mm Hg) of >6 months' duration, which was either untreated or uncontrolled, and who were followed up by general practitioners and specialists over a period of 4-6 months. RESULTS: Of the total of 4277 patients included in the study, 2520 (58.9%) were attended in primary care and 1757 (41.1%) in specialised care. 2982 patients (69.7%) were receiving monotherapy, the rest were receiving combined therapy. Over the course of the study, 308 patients (7.2%) experienced adverse events related to the study drug, mostly mild to moderate in nature. There were 20 serious events, although none was related to the study drug. By the end of the study, 1617 patients (37.8%) had achieved the therapeutic goal (SBP <140 mm Hg and DBP <90 mm Hg), with the greatest degree of control being registered among patients receiving combined therapy compared with monotherapy (38.7% vs 35.7%), and in those treated in a specialised-care setting versus a primary-care setting (43.5% vs 33.8%; p < 0.005). CONCLUSIONS: Amlodipine was shown to be a well tolerated and effective drug in one in three patients, and achieved the therapeutic goal in a higher proportion of patients at specialised-care centres compared with those in primary care, and in those receiving combined therapy compared with monotherapy.

Adult↗

PubMed2005

Anti-inflammatory profile of dehydrocostic acid, a novel sesquiterpene acid with a pharmacophoric conjugated diene.

Sesquiterpene acids are natural products that, in contrast with the thoroughly studied sesquiterpene lactones, have received little pharmacological attention. A good source of this class of compounds is Inula viscosa (Asteraceae), a plant with documented anti-inflammatory effects. The present paper gives the results of our investigations on the biochemical mechanisms involved in the anti-inflammatory activity of one such compound, dehydrocostic acid. The most salient findings were that in vitro dehydrocostic acid inhibits leukotriene B(4) production (IC(50)=22 microM), elastase activity (IC(50)=43 microM) and bee venom phospholipase A(2) activity (IC(50)=17 microM). Furthermore, this sesquiterpenoid was effective on some models of acute edema induced by PLA(2) and 12-O-tetradecanoylphorbol 13-acetate (TPA) Comparison of these data with that known for ilicic acid firmly suggests that the presence of a semiplanar ring A is essential for an improved inhibitory activity on inflammatory mediators.

Animals↗

PubMed2005

Prevalence of silent fecal and urinary incontinence in women from the town of Teruel.

OBJECTIVES: To study the prevalence of fecal (FI) and urinary incontinence (UI) in women from Teruel (Spain), as well as the clinical conditions associated with these disorders. METHODS: We studied prospectively women with an age range of 20-64 years who were randomly selected from the population seen in a primary care center because of medical disorders not related to incontinence. Patients with functional or cognitive impairment were excluded. Medical and obstetric antecedents, as well as the type and frequency of incontinence symptoms were collected in a questionnaire. RESULTS: Out of 115 women, 103 completed the study (mean age: 41+/-12 years range 20-64). UI was present in 34.9% (stress 33%, urge 14%, mixed 47%), FI in 14 (13.6%) (flatus 57%, liquid stools 43%), and 10 (9.7%) displayed both disorders. Age > 42 years and body mass index more or equal of 25 were associated with FI and UI; pregnancy was only associated with UI, but the group of women with more or equal of 2 vaginal deliveries showed a higher frequency of FI (p < 0.05, Chi squared test). In the multivariate analysis, only the presence of UI was associated with FI (OR 6.0; CI 95% 1.7-21). Association of FI and UI was more frequent in women older than 42 years (OR 16.7, CI 95% 1.9-141). No statistical differences were found when smoking, exercise, and type of childbirth were compared between the presence/absence of FI or UI. CONCLUSIONS: Urinary and fecal incontinence are frequent in women, and the coexistence of both disorders is not uncommon. Age, overweight and parity are associated with the presence of fecal and/or urinary incontinence.

Adult↗

PubMed2005

The Grid as a healthcare provision tool.

OBJECTIVES: This paper presents a survey on HealthGrid technologies, describing the current status of Grid and eHealth and analyzing them in the medium-term future. The objective is to analyze the key points, barriers and driving forces for the take-up of HealthGrids. METHODS: The article considers the procedures from other Grid disciplines such as high energy physics or biomolecular engineering and discusses the differences with respect to healthcare. It analyzes the status of the basic technology, the needs of the eHealth environment and the successes of current projects in health and other relevant disciplines. RESULTS: Information and communication technology (ICT) in healthcare is a promising area for the use of the Grid. There are many driving forces that are fostering the application of the secure, pervasive, ubiquitous and transparent access to information and computing resources that Grid technologies can provide. However, there are many barriers that must be solved. Many technical problems that arise in eHealth (standardization of data, federation of databases, content-based knowledge extraction, and management of personal data ...) can be solved with Grid technologies. CONCLUSIONS: The article presents the development of successful and demonstrative applications as the key for the take-up of HealthGrids, where short-term future medical applications will surely be biocomputing-oriented, and the future of Grid technologies on medical imaging seems promising. Finally, exploitation of HealthGrid is analyzed considering the curve of the adoption of ICT solutions and the definition of business models, which are far more complex than in other e-business technologies such ASP.

Data Collection↗

PubMed2005

Large medical datasets on the Grid.

OBJECTIVE: This paper shows the use of the emerging Grid technology for gathering underused resources that are distributed among a corporate network. The work of these resources is coordinated for facing tasks which are not affordable by the individual usage of each of them. METHODS: This paper shows an application for the projection, using Volume Rendering techniques, of huge medical volumes obtained from CTs and RMIs, adapted to Grid computing. RESULTS: As a result the article shows the feasibility of the creation of an application based up on Grid technology, which solves problems that cannot be addressed by using common techniques. As an example, the article describes the projection of a huge medical dataset, which exceeds the resources of most common PCs, carried out by taking profit of idle CPU cycles from the computers of an organization. CONCLUSIONS: Grid technology is emerging as a new framework which allows gathering and coordinating resources distributed among a network (LAN or WAN), for addressing problems which cannot be solved through the single use of any of these resources. Medical Imaging is a clear application area for this technology.

Algorithms↗

PubMed2004

Unstimulated salivary flow rate, pH and buffer capacity of saliva in healthy volunteers.

OBJECTIVES: To assess the salivary flow rate, pH, and buffer capacity of healthy volunteers, and their relationships with age, gender, obesity, smoking, and alcohol consumption, and to establish the lower-end value of normal salivary flow (oligosialia). METHODS: A prospective study was conducted in 159 healthy volunteers (age > 18 years, absence of medical conditions that could decrease salivary flow). Unstimulated whole saliva was collected during ten minutes, and salivary flow rate (ml/min), pH, and bicarbonate concentration (mmol/l) were measured using a Radiometer ABL 520. The 5 percentile of salivary flow rate and bicarbonate concentration was considered the lower limit of normality. RESULTS: Median salivary flow rate was 0.48 ml/min (range: 0.1-2 ml/min). Age younger than 44 years was associated with higher flow rates (OR 2.10). Compared with women, men presented a higher flow rate (OR 3.19) and buffer capacity (OR 2.81). Bicarbonate concentration correlated with salivary flow rate. The lower-end values of normal flow rate and bicarbonate concentration were 0.15 ml/min and 1.800 mmol/l, respectively. The presence of obesity, smoking, and alcohol consumption did not influence salivary parameters. CONCLUSIONS: In healthy volunteers, salivary flow rate depends on age and gender, and correlates with buffer capacity. Obesity, smoking, and alcohol use do not influence salivary secretion.

Adolescent↗

PubMed2003

Linear accelerator radiosurgery in treatment of central neurocytomas.

OBJECTIVES: The purpose of this report was to review our experience with stereotactic radiosurgery in the management of patients with residual neurocytomas after initial surgery. METHODS: Between October 1996 and December 2001, four patients with central neurocytoma were treated by surgery and subsequently underwent linear accelerator (LINAC) radiosurgery. RESULTS: Two of the patients were cured, one exhibited a significant reduction in tumour size and the fourth remains stable. All four patients are alive and well. CONCLUSIONS: In cases of small residual tumours or recurrences radiosurgery allows open surgery to be avoided and is a safe and potentially effective approach.

Adult↗

PubMed2001

Tetrathiafulvalene derivatives as NLO-phores: synthesis, electrochemistry, Raman spectroscopy, theoretical calculations, and NLO properties of novel TTF-derived donor-pi-acceptor dyads.

Novel pi-conjugated donor-acceptor chromophores, based on the strong electron-donating tetrathiafulvalene moiety and different electron-withdrawing acceptors, exhibit large second-order optical nonlinearities. The effect of increasing the length of the polyenic spacer and the influence of the nature of the acceptor moiety on the NLO properties have been studied by using the electric field-induced second-harmonic generation (EFISH) technique as well as by semiempirical and ab initio theoretical calculations. A charge-transfer band has been observed in the absorption spectra of these D-pi-A compounds that undergoes an hypsochromic shift when increasing the number of vinylenic spacer units connecting both donor and acceptor moieties. The degree of the intramolecular charge transfer from the donor to the acceptor has also been analyzed by means of Raman spectroscopy.

Journal Article↗

PubMed2001

A mechanistic approach to the in vivo anti-inflammatory activity of sesquiterpenoid compounds isolated from Inula viscosa.

The present study was designed to examine the anti-inflammatory activity of the sesquiterpenoids ilicic acid and inuviscolide, isolated from Inula viscosa, on cell degranulation, leukotriene biosynthesis, neurogenic drive and glucocorticoid-like interactions. Swiss female mice were used to measure the ear oedema induced by phorbol esters or ethyl phenylpropiolate (EPP), and the paw oedema induced by phospholipase A(2) (PLA(2)) or serotonin. Drug treatment consisted of one topically-applied dose in the ear models and a subcutaneous or intraperitoneal injection in the paw models. Quantitative analysis of leukotriene B(4) (LTB(4)) formation was performed on rat peritoneal neutrophils by high performance liquid chromatography (HPLC). The lactone inuviscolide reduced the PLA(2)-induced oedema (ID(50): 98 micromol/kg). The effect on serotonin-induced oedema was not changed by modifiers of the glucocorticoid response. Ilicic acid showed minor in vivo effects, but was slightly more potent than inuviscolide on the 12-O-tetradecanoylphorbol 13-acetate (TPA) acute oedema test (ID(50): 0.650 micromol per ear). Inuviscolide reduced LTB(4) generation in intact cells, with an IC(50) value of 94 microM. On the basis of the reported results, inuviscolide is the main anti-inflammatory sesquiterpenoid from Inula viscosa, and may act by interfering with leukotriene synthesis and PLA(2)-induced mastocyte release of inflammatory mediators.

Animals↗

PubMed2000

Acoustic analysis after radiotherapy in T1 vocal cord carcinoma: a new approach to the analysis of voice quality.

PURPOSE: The study of acoustic voice parameters (fundamental frequency, jitter, shimmer, and harmonics-to-noise ratio) in extended vowel production, oral reading of a standard paragraph, spontaneous speech and a song in irradiated patients for Tis-T1 vocal cord carcinoma. METHODS AND MATERIALS: Eighteen male patients irradiated for Tis-T1 vocal cord carcinoma and a control group of 31 nonirradiated subjects of the same age were included in a study of acoustic voice analysis. The control group had been rigorously selected for voice quality and the irradiated group had previous history of smoking in two-thirds of the cases and a vocal cord biopsy. Radiotherapy patients were treated with a 6MV Linac receiving a total dose of 66 Gy, 2 Gy/day, with median treatment areas of 28 cm(2). Acoustic voice analysis was performed 1 year after radiotherapy, the voice of patients in extended vowel production, oral reading of a standard paragraph, spontaneous speech, and in a song was tape registered and analyzed by a Kay Elemetric's Computerized Speech Lab (model CSL# 4300). Fundamental frequency, jitter, shimmer, and harmonics-to-noise ratio were obtained in each case. Mann Whitney analysis was used for statistical tests. RESULTS: The irradiated group presented higher values of fundamental frequency, jitter, shimmer, and harmonics-to-noise ratio. Mann-Whitney analysis showed significant differences for fundamental frequency and jitter in vowel production, oral reading, spontaneous speech, and song. Shimmer only showed differences in vowel production and harmonics-to-noise ratio in oral reading and song. CONCLUSIONS: In our study only fundamental frequency and jitter showed significant increased values to the control group in all the acoustic situations. Sustained vowel production showed the worst values of the acoustic parameters in comparison with the other acoustic situations. This study seems to suggest that more work should be done in this field.

Aged↗

PubMed2000

A new efficient method for 3D registration using human brain atlases.

In this article a new efficient method in deformable brain atlases is proposed. To achieve this goal we use the composition of two applications, an affine transformation and other one. In this second application we have used three different approaches. One approach that has been used and two new approaches. We use a set of points to be identified both in brain atlas and in patient's brain for registration. The three approach present an advantage: the mathematical solution obtained makes it to be very fast, almost immediate. Several results have been obtained and they have been classified as very satisfactory by the neurosurgeons that have tested our system.

Brain Mapping↗

PubMed2000

Parallel segmentation and rendering using clusters of PCs.

Clinics have to deal currently with hundreds of 3D images a day. 3D Medical Images contain a huge amount of data, and thus, very expensive and powerful systems are required in order to process them. The present work shows the features of a software parallel computing package developed at the Universidad Politécnica de Valencia, under the European Project HIPERCIR. http:¿hiperttn.upv.es/hipercir. Project HIPERCIR is aimed at reducing the time and requirements for processing and visualising 3D images with low-cost solutions, such as networks of PCs running standard operating systems (Windows 95/98/NT). This project is being developed by a consortium formed by medical image processing and parallel computing experts from the Universidad Politécnica de Valencia (UPV), experts on biomedical software and radiology clinic experts.

Computer Systems↗

PubMed1999

Integrated control of acaricide-resistant Boophilus microplus populations on grazing cattle in Mexico using vaccination with Gavac and amidine treatments.

Throughout most of the twentieth century, tick infestations on cattle have been controlled with chemical acaricides, typically administered by dipping or spraying. This approach can cause environmental and residue problems and has created a high incidence of acaricide resistance within tick populations in the field. Recently we developed a vaccine against Boophilus microplus employing a recombinant Bm86 antigen preparation (Gavac), (Heber Biotec S.A., Havana, Cuba) which has been shown to induce a protective response in vaccinated animals. Here we show for the first time under field conditions a near 100% control of B. microplus populations resistant to pyrethroids and organophosphates, by an integrated system employing vaccination with Gavac and amidine treatments. This method effectively controls tick infestations while reducing the number of chemical acaricide treatments and consequently the rise of B. microplus populations resistant to chemical acaricides.

Amidines↗

PubMed1998

Use of recombinant interferon gamma in pediatric patients with advanced juvenile chronic arthritis.

Recombinant interferon (IFN) gamma was used in 10 patients, 6 to 15 years old, with juvenile chronic arthritis (JCA) for 5 to 11 years, resistant or with severe side effects to other treatments. Six patients had systemic JCA and 4 started as pauciarticular. Three of the latter became polyarticular. Treatment schedule was 50,000 IU-kg daily for 4 weeks, then 3 times per week for 3 months and twice a week up to 2 years. Eight cases had favourable clinical response. Prolonged steroid regime could be suspended in 7/8 cases who previously received it. Two patients with systemic JCA did not respond to IFN treatment. Side effects were fever (9), headache (8), chills (6), distal cyanosis, hypotension, leukopenia and myalgia (2), and vomiting (1). All were mild or moderate. IFN gamma was more tolerable than other drugs and seems to be beneficial for patients with JCA resistant to other treatments.

Adolescent↗

PubMed1997

Aneurysm reinforcement in the anterior circulation.

BACKGROUND: Aneurysms are primarily treated with surgical clipping. Unclippable aneurysms are at risk of recurrent bleeding similar to the natural history of ruptured aneurysms. Aneurysm reinforcement with muslin and ethyl 2-cyanoacrylate may provide a safe and useful alternative to reduce the rebleeding rate in those aneurysms found to be unclippable at surgical exploration. METHODS: We examined a population of 19 patients with aneurysms treated by reinforcement with muslin and ethyl 2-cyanoacrylate. One patient was lost to follow-up. Patients had a mean follow-up of 60 months. The yearly risk of rebleeding was calculated and compared to the natural history of the disease. RESULTS: Most of the aneurysms were located in the middle cerebral artery or the anterior communicating artery. The two main causes for reinforcement were a wide base aneurysm or the presence of arterial branches originating from or intimately adherent to the dome. Those patients with aneurysms in which reinforcement was used as the primary and only treatment had a risk of rebleeding of 2.95% per year. The group of patients with ruptured aneurysms in which the reinforcement was used to supplement a clip had no rebleeding. When all the patients with ruptured aneurysms are combined, there is a risk of rebleeding of 1.94% per year. Unruptured aneurysms treated with reinforcement had not shown hemorrhage. No complications related to the use of muslin or ethyl 2-cyanoacrylate were found in this study. CONCLUSION: The reinforcement with muslin and ethyl 2-cyanoacrylate provides some protection in patients with aneurysms for which direct clipping cannot be done and in those clipped cases in which there is a residual neck or dome. This protection is inferior to clipping, but reduces the risk of rebleeding during the first 6 months after the initial hemorrhage. A longer follow-up is needed to determine if it provides better protection for late rebleeding than the natural history of ruptured aneurysms.

Adult↗

PubMed1996

NADPH-diaphorase activity and vasopressin in the paraventricular nucleus of the hypothalamus following adrenalectomy.

In order to investigate novel neuroendocrine functions of the nitric oxide synthesizing enzyme a combined histochemical and immunocytochemical study focused on the paraventricular nucleus of the hypothalamus was conducted to check a possible influence of bilateral adrenalectomy on three different neuronal populations, NADPH diaphorase (ND)-positive, vasopressin (VP)-immunoreactive and neurons expressing both markers. In the adrenalectomized animals, a slight increase (P > 0.05) of the number of ND magnocellular neurons was detected, whereas no changes were observed in the ND-parvicellular population and in the neurons showing coexistence (magno- and parvicellular) (P > 0.05). By contrast, following bilateral adrenalectomy, a significant increase (P < 0.05) in the VP-parvicellular population (anterior, medial and periventricular subdivisions) was detected, which was reversed when the animals received daily doses of corticosterone. These results suggest that nitric oxide is not closely related to the hypothalamic regulation of the adenocorticotropin secretion exerted by the paraventricular nucleus.

Adrenal Glands↗

PubMed1992

A clinical evaluation of trichomoniasis in San Jose, Costa Rica using the InPouch TV test.

OBJECTIVE: to determine the prevalence of trichomoniasis in San Jose, Costa Rica, comparing two methods, the InPouch TV test and the saline wet mount. METHODS: One hundred symptomatic and asymptomatic female patients at two hospitals and at a sexually transmitted disease (STD) clinic were evaluated. Vaginal discharge was the most prevalent genitourinary abnormality among symptomatic patients. The patients were between 18 and 70 years old. Fifty-seven were from the STD clinic, 43 from the two hospitals. A saline wet mount and a culture were taken from each patient. The culture employed a new procedure for diagnosis of trichomonads, the InPouch TV test (BioMed Diagnostics, San Jose, CA). RESULTS: Thirteen of the 100 patients were culture positive, two of whom were wet mount positive. No wet mount positives were culture negative. Eleven of the positive tests were from the STD clinic and two were from the hospitals. CONCLUSIONS: The results of this initial epidemiologic study indicate a prevalence of 19% for trichomoniasis in the STD clinic population and 4.6% in the hospitals group. Trichomonas vaginalis was not diagnosed by laboratory methods prior to this study. The InPouch TV test has a selective fungicidal and bactericidal, enriched proteose-peptone medium which provides a sensitivity of 4 organisms per ml and a 1 year shelf life at room temperature. This in vitro culture test demonstrated unique capabilities as a transport and culture medium. Its procedure offers simplicity in application and an excellent visualisation of trichomonads.

Adult↗