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At least 217 records · Page 12Linked to original sources

PubMed1988

Clinical and biochemical assessments of damage due to perinatal asphyxia: a double blind trial of a quantitative method.

Using conventional criteria, a series of 26 infants was selected for intrapartum asphyxia from about 4000 deliveries over one year at a single hospital to assess the efficacy of a new biochemical method. Tissue damage was estimated from urinary excretion of hypoxanthine, an important and central intermediate in purine metabolism. The overall pattern showed agreement between the grading (by previously accepted methods) of asphyxia in the perinatal period and our new biochemical approach. The association with handicap at one year of age following asphyxia was complex. This biochemical technique could be used to exclude postasphyxial damage as a cause of clinical disturbances and to select a small group (0.1% of all births) who require further investigation for rarer disorders which may also cause long term handicap.

Asphyxia Neonatorum↗

PubMed1999

Invasive vs conservative management of non-Q-wave myocardial infarction.

In the Veterans Affairs Non-Q-Wave Infarction Strategies in Hospital (VANQWISH) trial, most patients with non-Q-wave myocardial infarction (MI) fared no better with early invasive management (i.e., diagnostic angiography within 2 to 3 days, followed by revascularization if indicated) than with a more conservative approach (i.e., radionuclide ventriculography and thallium stress testing as initial diagnostic tests). These results should not be construed to diminish the value of early diagnostic angiography, which in patients with non-Q-wave MI provides essential information for determining the need, timing, and method of revascularization. Until more information is available that incorporates contemporary practices and outcomes in patients with non-Q-wave MI, early coronary angiography should remain an acceptable method of risk stratification and should be followed by appropriate medical therapy or revascularization.

Aged↗

PubMed1999

Estimating temporal independence of radio-telemetry data on animal activity

Radio-telemetry is an excellent tool for gathering data on the biology of animals and their interactions with the environment they inhabit. Many methods have been developed for analyses of spatial information, on home range size and utilization density. Activity patterns are often described using radio-tracking data, but no generally accepted method is currently available specifically for determining the temporal independence of this type of data for statistical inference. Activity rhythms have generally been analysed by ecologists with the assumption that data are temporally independent, or by subjectively fixing an independence interval, based on attributes of their ranging behaviour. Although some good approximations of activity patterns can be obtained in these ways, we underline the need for a functionally correct method of estimating independence interval. Here we use semi-variograms to estimate the minimum interval required for the readings to be sequentially independent. This geostatistical tool is applied to the analysis of data on activity of Chilean foxes (Pseudalopex culpaeus) and Chacoan peccaries (Catagonus wagneri). Data were collected in the field by radio-tracking over 24-hr periods, with readings on activity state taken every 15 min. The spatial dimension in which the theory of geostatistics lies has been transferred into the time dimension, so that the correlation interval is expressed in time units (min). Time of independence as estimated by the variogram was 110 min for foxes, while data on peccaries indicated that they have long periods of activity, more suitable for time-series analysis. Copyright 1999 Academic Press.

Journal Article↗

PubMedDate not supplied

Detection of cytomegalovirus antibody in stored blood products using latex agglutination.

The detection of antibody to cytomegalovirus (CMV) in donor sera is one effective method for the prevention of posttransfusion CMV infection in seronegative recipients. A passive latex agglutination test (CMV Scan, Hynson, Wescott & Dunning, Baltimore, MD) has been shown to be an acceptable method of screening sera from the blood donor population. The procedure for this test, however, does not permit the testing of stored donor blood products. To evaluate the feasibility of testing blood components at various times during storage, the authors examined 25 CMV-positive and 25-CMV negative samples of CPDA-1 plasma from 50 units each of platelets and red cells. Plasma samples from platelets stored at 22 degrees C were tested on each of the 5 days of storage. Samples from red cell units stored at 2 to 6 degrees C were tested on storage Days 1, 2, 4, 6, 8, 10, 12, and 14. Of 250 tests done on plasma from platelet units, there were 123 true-positive and 123 true-negative results (sensitivity and specificity, 98.4%). Of 400 tests on plasma from red cell units, there were 200 true-positive and 198 true-negative results (sensitivity, 100%; specificity, 99.5%). These data show that the CMV Scan test can be used reliably to test segments of CPDA-1 plasma from platelets stored for up to 5 days and from red cells stored for up to 14 days.

Antibodies, Viral↗

PubMed1997

College students' knowledge and attitudes about cesarean birth.

BACKGROUND: Numerous clinicians and researchers have expressed concern about the necessity and potential adverse consequences of many cesarean births in the United States. The purpose of this study was to explore college students' attitudes and beliefs about cesarean section. METHODS: One hundred two college students (66% women) completed a 20-item questionnaire that asked if they viewed cesarean delivery as a potentially negative experience, as a normal or acceptable method of childbirth, and as medically necessary, and asked about their beliefs concerning risk and prevention of cesarean birth. RESULTS: The number of "undecided" responses in the study was striking (7.8% to 69.6% across the 20 items). In general, women and men responded similarly, although women were significantly more likely than men to say they would be profoundly disappointed if their babies had to be delivered by cesarean section. Despite expressing cynicism about the cesarean birth rate (40% agreed that many unnecessary cesarean births occurred) and not viewing the procedure as a normal way of giving birth (47%), most respondents (over 70%) disagreed that giving birth by cesarean would be a negative experience or would make a woman feel like a failure. CONCLUSION: A high level of uncertainty exists about certain aspects of cesarean birth among young women and men, highlighting the need for information for prospective parents. Most college students did not view the cesarean birth experience as either potentially negative or normal. Future research should explore coverage of cesarean birth in childbirth education classes and the roles physicians, nurses, and midwives play in preparing expectant parents for the possibility of cesarean delivery.

Adult↗

PubMedDate not supplied

Michigan's fisheater cohorts: a prospective history of exposure.

Interest in environmental contaminants and their effect on human health emerged as a primary focus in the 1970s following the discovery of significant levels of mercury, dichloro diphenyl trichloroethane (DDT), and polychlorinated bihpenyls (PCBs) in recreationally caught Great Lakes fish. In response to these findings, the Michigan Department of Public Health, in 1971, initiated a series of "fisheater" cohort studies. These studies continue to be conducted today. The evolution of human exposure assessment by serum PCB determination parallels the evolution of more precise and sensitive analytical laboratory procedures over the past 25 years. Early work quantitated PCB with Aroclor 1254 standards. By 1980, the Webb and McCall packed-column method (Webb and McCall, 1972, 1973), which quantitates total PCB with Aroclor 1016 and 1260 standards, had gained the Association of Official Analytical Chemists (AOAC) approval and became the accepted method. This method was used in the 1978-1980 Michigan Great Lakes Fisheater Study, the first sizable study of this kind in the nation. The study confirmed that fisheaters had significantly more exposure (median 21.4 ppb vs 6.6 ppb) than controls. Toxicology studies have indicated the need to quantitate individual PCB congeners, in order to correlate exposure with possible toxicological and health outcomes. Today, capillary column gas chromatography and gas chromatography/mass spectrometry are used to search for trace components of the total PCB dose (Mullen et al., 1984). Because of the legacy of the earlier analytical data, Michigan also continues to conduct packed-column analysis for longitudinal comparisons. The Michigan fisheater study database and registry provide a significantly exposed and historic foundation for research testing health outcome hypotheses.

Cohort Studies↗

PubMed1997

Predicting survival in heart failure case and control subjects by use of fully automated methods for deriving nonlinear and conventional indices of heart rate dynamics.

BACKGROUND: Despite much recent interest in quantification of heart rate variability (HRV), the prognostic value of conventional measures of HRV and of newer indices based on nonlinear dynamics is not universally accepted. METHODS AND RESULTS: We have designed algorithms for analyzing ambulatory ECG recordings and measuring HRV without human intervention, using robust methods for obtaining time-domain measures (mean and SD of heart rate), frequency-domain measures (power in the bands of 0.001 to 0.01 Hz [VLF], 0.01 to 0.15 Hz [LF], and 0.15 to 0.5 Hz [HF] and total spectral power [TP] over all three of these bands), and measures based on nonlinear dynamics (approximate entropy [ApEn], a measure of complexity, and detrended fluctuation analysis [DFA], a measure of long-term correlations). The study population consisted of chronic congestive heart failure (CHF) case patients and sex- and age-matched control subjects in the Framingham Heart Study. After exclusion of technically inadequate studies and those with atrial fibrillation, we used these algorithms to study HRV in 2-hour ambulatory ECG recordings of 69 participants (mean age, 71.7+/-8.1 years). By use of separate Cox proportional-hazards models, the conventional measures SD (P<.01), LF (P<.01), VLF (P<.05), and TP (P<.01) and the nonlinear measure DFA (P<.05) were predictors of survival over a mean follow-up period of 1.9 years; other measures, including ApEn (P>.3), were not. In multivariable models, DFA was of borderline predictive significance (P=.06) after adjustment for the diagnosis of CHF and SD. CONCLUSIONS: These results demonstrate that HRV analysis of ambulatory ECG recordings based on fully automated methods can have prognostic value in a population-based study and that nonlinear HRV indices may contribute prognostic value to complement traditional HRV measures.

Aged↗

PubMed2001

Comparison of endotoxin exposure assessment by bioaerosol impinger and filter-sampling methods.

Environmental assessment data collected in two prior occupational hygiene studies of swine barns and sawmills allowed the comparison of concurrent, triplicate, side-by-side endotoxin measurements using air sampling filters and bioaerosol impingers. Endotoxin concentrations in impinger solutions and filter eluates were assayed using the Limulus amebocyte lysate assay. In sawmills, impinger sampling yielded significantly higher endotoxin concentration measurements and lower variances than filter sampling with IOM inhalable dust samplers. Analysis of variance for repeated measures showed that this association remained after controlling for other factors such as replicate, sawmill, sawmill operation, wood type, and interaction terms. Endotoxin concentrations in the swine barns were 10-fold higher on average than in sawmills. These samples demonstrated comparable endotoxin concentration estimates for impinger and filter methods although the variability was lower using the impinger method. In both occupational settings, side-by-side replicates were more uniform for the impinger samples than for the filter samples. This study demonstrates that impinger sampling is an acceptable method for quantitation of area endotoxin concentrations. Further, when sampling is performed with impingers for airborne microorganism quantitation, these same impinger solutions can yield valid endotoxin exposure estimates, negating the need for additional filter sampling.

Air Pollutants, Occupational↗

PubMedDate not supplied

Bioelectrical impedance analysis in dialysis patients.

Identification of malnutrition is imperative in chronic dialysis patients. Bioelectrical impedance (BIA) is a noninvasive method to measure body composition and estimate total body water (TBW), lean body mass (LBM) and body cell mass (BCM). Studies suggest BIA has good reliability as compared to other accepted methods of body composition analysis. Preliminary data also suggest that BIA-derived parameters (reactance and phase angle) predict clinical outcome in chronic hemodialysis patients. Overall, BIA is a promising nutritional assessment tool to monitor health status, long-term follow-up, tailor nutrition support, and detect early subtle losses of LBM in chronic dialysis patients.

Body Composition↗

PubMedDate not supplied

Comparison of Chemstrip uG, Clinitest, and Diastix urine test methods in diabetic children.

The new urine test, Chemstrip uG, was compared with Clinitest and Diastix methods by pediatric diabetic patients and by health care professionals. With the children testing all urine samples (N = 108), accuracy for Chemstrip uG and Clinitest was similar and superior to that of Diastix. When the children tested specimens containing up to only 2.2% glucose (N = 75), all test methods were shown to have generally similar accuracies. The diabetic children, however, preferred Chemstrip uG (P less than 0.02). It is concluded that Chemstrip uG is a clinically useful and acceptable method for self-monitoring of urine glucose in diabetic children.

Adolescent↗

PubMed1981

Assay of delta-aminolaevulinate dehydratase in 10 microL of blood.

A method is presented for the assay of delta-aminolaevulinate dehydratase (EC 4.2.1.24) to be performed on 10 microL of whole blood. Results compare favorably with those obtained with an accepted method (J. Clin. Chem. Clin. Bio-chem. 12: 389-390, 1974) that involves use of 200 microL of blood.

Blood Chemical Analysis↗

PubMed1996

Method for determination of free intracellular and extracellular methylglyoxal in animal cells grown in culture.

Methylglyoxal is present at low levels in most cells as a by-product of glycolysis and a product of lipid and amino acid catabolism. The most widely accepted method for measurement of methylglyoxal involves the derivatization of methylglyoxal with 1,2-diaminobenzene derivatives, such as o-phenylenediamine, followed by quantification of the resulting quinoxaline with high-performance liquid chromatography (HPLC). Here we describe the modification of this procedure for the measurement of free intra- and extracellular methylglyoxal in animal cells grown in culture. Cell harvest and sample volume measurement techniques were developed. Solid-phase extraction prior to methylglyoxal derivatization reduced interferences unique to cell culture, such as the phenol red indicator dye used in most cell culture media, and extended the useful life of the HPLC column. In addition, this extraction step significantly lessened the interference represented by oxidative degradation of nucleic acids to methylglyoxal by perchloric acid under assay conditions. The concentration of free intracellular methylglyoxal in Chinese hamster ovary (CHO) cells grown in culture ranged from 0.7 +/- 0.3 microM (mean +/- 2 standard deviations; n = 4) to 1.2 +/- 0.3 microM (mean +/- 2 standard deviations; n = 7). The concentration of free extracellular methylglyoxal in the growth medium was 0.07 +/- 0.02 microM (mean +/- 2 standard deviations; n = 4), severalfold less than that found inside the cell. A possible explanation for the difference between measured free intracellular and extracellular methylglyoxal levels is that the assay for free intracellular methylglyoxal also measures some reversibly bound methylglyoxal.

Animals↗

PubMed1997

Teenagers' use of emergency contraception in a general practice.

British teenagers who become pregnant commonly express ignorance about emergency contraception. A case-note survey was conducted in a general practice serving about 14,200 people in a Devon market town. Of the 373 registered girls aged 15-19 years, 59 (16%) had consulted for emergency contraception, 19 of them more than once. The oral method (Yuzpe regimen) was prescribed eighty times and 2 girls became pregnant. 4 of the 59 girls who used emergency contraception had subsequent unwanted pregnancies. A consultation for emergency contraception presents an opportunity to discuss more reliable and acceptable methods of contraception.

Adolescent↗

PubMed1981

Size and number of adipocytes and measures of body fat in boys and girls 10 to 18 years of age.

In 111 boys and girls, 10 to 18 yr of age, body density was measured by underwater weighing, and the size of adipocytes in adipose tissue from the buttocks was measured by the osmium tetroxide method. From these two measures, estimates of percentage body fat, total body fat, and adipocyte number were computed for most of the children. Their skeletal age was also calculated by an acceptable method. Across chronological age, the girls have significantly larger mean values of total and percentage body fat and larger and more numerous adipocytes than the boys. The mean number of adipocytes in each sex is within adult levels, as is the mean size of the adipocytes in the girls. The boys' mean adipocyte size is below the adult level. There are negative, significant correlations between percentage body fat and chronological or skeletal age in the boys, and positive significant correlations between total body fat and chronological or skeletal age in the girls. Also, adipocyte size is positively correlated with percentage body fat but only in the boys. With the effects of chronological age removed, percentage body fat was significantly and negatively correlated with skeletal age in boys only. All other correlations among the variables were not statistically significant.

Adipose Tissue↗

PubMed1990

Use of homology domains in sequence similarity detection.

We have found the detection of homology domains using a nonlinear similarity score and the DD algorithm to be a useful approach for identifying similarity between sequences and evaluating potential homology. There are several reasons for the success of the method. (i) Homology domains are identified by a rigorous method that guarantees they will be locally optimal. (ii) The relative significance of different homology domains can be directly compared using the nonlinear similarity score. (iii) Different cost matrices can be used in the calculation of the similarity score. (iv) Relatively long sequences can be compared in a single pass as storage requirements are proportional to the shorter of the two sequences being compared. (v) The method has proved to be very sensitive in practice. (vi) The boundaries of authentic regions of homology are accurately identified. (vii) The information required to define a homology domain (its location, size, similarity score, etc.) can be stored in a compact data structure, facilitating the sharing of homology domain data among different software tools. (viii) The method can be applied to similarity searches of the nucleotide and protein sequence data banks. These properties make the identification of homology domains for studying sequence similarity a useful companion to other accepted methods, such as dynamic programming based analyses.

Animals↗

PubMed1983

The telescoping plugged catheter in suspected anaerobic infections. A controlled series.

The results of bacterial cultures from transtracheal aspiration and from aspirations obtained by a new telescoping plugged catheter were compared in specimens taken from 13 patients with suspected anaerobic infections of the lower respiratory tract. When all bacterial isolates (potential aerobic pathogens, aerobic nonpathogens, and anaerobes) were counted with transtracheal aspiration as the standard method for comparison, cultures of material obtained by the telescoping plugged catheter technique yielded 22 false negatives and 14 false positives. The results of the 2 methods were in complete agreement in only 3 paired specimens cultured aerobically and in only 6 paired specimens cultured anaerobically. When only potential aerobic pathogens and anaerobes were considered with transtracheal aspiration as the standard method for comparison, cultures of material obtained by the telescoping plugged catheter technique yielded 11 false negatives and 7 false positives, and the results of the 2 methods were in complete agreement in 9 paired specimens cultured aerobically and 6 paired specimens cultured anaerobically. Our results suggest that fiberoptic bronchoscopy using the telescoping plugged catheter technique may be an acceptable method for collecting specimens from the lower respiratory tract, but further studies comparing this method with transtracheal aspiration are needed.

Adult↗

PubMed1982

[In vitro determination of the biological activity of choleragen by the anaerobic dehydrogenase inhibition test in a surviving blastoma cell culture].

A rapid method for the detection and titration of choleragen in vitro in the test allowing one to evaluate dehydrogenase activity in the surviving blastoma culture has been developed. In comparison with the commonly accepted method of using the ligated loop in adult rabbits, the above method is simple, highly sensitive and economical.

Anaerobiosis↗

PubMed1992

Comparison of three methods for detection of group A streptococci in throat swabs.

Group A streptococci are generally detected in throat swabs by (i) rapid antigen tests, (ii) conventional culture, or (iii) combinations of both. Direct fluorescent-antibody testing of a 2-h enrichment broth (FA/EN) was an accepted method for same-day results before the advent of rapid antigen tests. We compared FA/EN in Todd-Hewitt Broth (THB) with conventional culture and a rapid antigen test, TestPack Strep A (TPS). Nine hundred seventy specimens were evaluated in this study. Cultures were performed for 48 h on sheep blood agar (SBA) incubated aerobically and on a selective agar for group A streptococci (SSA) incubated in 5 to 10% CO2. Following a 2-h incubation, the fluorescent-antibody test was performed. A subculture of the centrifuged sediment from the THB enrichment was also done. In comparison with a positive culture on SBA or SSA or subculture of the THB pellet, the sensitivities and specificities of the different methods were as follows: SBA, 92 and 100%; SSA, 92 and 100%; TPS, 68 and 99%; FA/EN, 88 and 98%. The FA/EN method offers the potential for definitive finalized reports on the same day as specimen collection with greater sensitivity than TPS. This study included sequential plating and rapid antigen testing of a single swab. In a separate set of experiments to validate this study design, it was shown that recovery of streptococci from swabs plated sequentially on five plates did not vary with the order of plating and the actual proportion of organisms recovered from a swab on a single plate was only 1%.

Antigens, Bacterial↗