PubMed Health⌕ Search

SEARCH · PubMed Health

Results for “Obstacles”

Explore indexed PubMed citations for clinical trials, systematic reviews and public health research. Read source abstracts and follow each citation to its original PubMed record.

Quote a phrase for an exact phrase match. Source license links do not imply unrestricted reuse.

At least 559 records · Page 31Linked to original sources
PubMedDate not supplied

The geriatric obstacle course: a training session designed to help prehospital personnel recognize geriatric stereotypes and misconceptions.

A significant proportion of ambulance transports to the Emergency Department involve elderly patients, and this use of EMS services by the elderly is expected to increase. Emergency medical technicians (EMTs) may have preconceived notions about the behavior they observe in this group of patients, who tend to be difficult to assess. To provide EMTs with the perspective from which their elderly patients view the situations in which they find themselves, we developed and implemented training scenarios in which the EMTs were required to play the role of the geriatric patient. The EMTs' evaluations of the sessions were enthusiastically positive and indicated that the course did enable them to reevaluate their attitudes toward elderly patients. It is our conviction that this type of sensitivity training is an easily implemented and highly valuable method of augmenting the facts and algorithms taught to these prehospital care providers.

Activities of Daily Living↗
PubMed2025

Obstacles in quantifying A-to-I RNA editing by Sanger sequencing.

Adenosine-to-Inosine (A-to-I) RNA editing is the most prevalent type of RNA editing, in which adenosine within a completely or largely double-stranded RNA (dsRNA) is converted to inosine by deamination. RNA editing was shown to be involved in many neurological diseases and cancer; therefore, detection of A-to-I RNA editing and quantitation of editing levels are necessary for both basic and clinical biomedical research. While high-throughput sequencing (HTS) is widely used for global detection of editing events, Sanger sequencing is the method of choice for precise characterization of editing site clusters (hyper-editing) and for comparing levels of editing at a particular site under different environmental conditions, developmental stages, genetic backgrounds, or disease states. To detect A-to-I editing events and quantify them using Sanger sequencing, RNA samples are reverse transcribed, cDNA is amplified using gene-specific primers, and then sequenced. The chromatogram outputs are then compared to the genomic DNA sequence. As editing occurs in the context of dsRNA, the reverse transcription step is performed at a temperature as high as 65 °C, using thermostable reverse transcriptase to open double-stranded structures. However, this measure alone is insufficient for transcripts possessing long stems comprised of hundreds of nucleotide pairs. Consequently, the editing levels detected by Sanger sequencing are significantly lower than those obtained by HTS, and the amplification yield is low. We suggest that the reverse transcription is biased towards unedited transcripts, and the severity of the bias is dependent on the transcript's secondary structure. Here, we show how this bias can be significantly reduced to allow reliable detection of editing levels and sufficient product yield.

RNA Editing↗
PubMed2006

Challenges and obstacles of ocular pharmacokinetics and drug delivery.

Modern biological research has produced increasing number of promising therapeutic possibilities for medical treatment. These include for example growth factors, monoclonal antibodies, gene knockdown methods, gene therapy, surgical transplantations and tissue engineering. Ocular application of these possibilities involves drug delivery in many forms. Ocular drug delivery is hampered by the barriers protecting the eye. This review presents an overview of the essential factors in ocular pharmacokinetics and selected pharmacological future challenges in ophthalmology.

Animals↗
PubMed2004

Loxoscelism: old obstacles, new directions.

Loxosceles spiders have a worldwide distribution and are considered one of the most medically important groups of spiders. Envenomation (loxoscelism) can result in dermonecrosis and, less commonly, a systemic illness that can be fatal. The mechanism of venom action is multifactorial and incompletely understood. The characteristic dermonecrotic lesion results from the direct effects of the venom on the cellular and basal membrane components, as well as the extracellular matrix. The initial interaction between the venom and tissues causes complement activation, migration of polymorphic neutrophils, liberation of proteolytic enzymes, cytokine and chemokine release, platelet aggregation, and blood flow alterations that result in edema and ischemia, with development of necrosis. There is no definitive treatment for loxoscelism. However, animal model studies suggest the potential value of specific antivenom to decrease lesion size and limit systemic illness even when such administration is delayed.

Animals↗
PubMed2006

Antibacterial peptides for therapeutic use: obstacles and realistic outlook.

Cationic antimicrobial peptides are produced by almost all species of life as a component of their immediate non-specific defense against infections. The assets of these peptides in clinical application include their potential for broad-spectrum activity, rapid bactericidal activity and low propensity for resistance development, whereas possible disadvantages include their high cost, limited stability (especially when composed of L-amino acids), and unknown toxicology and pharmacokinetics. Initial barriers to their success are being increasingly overcome with the development of stable, more cost-effective and potent broad-spectrum synthetic peptides. Thus, there is hope that they will spawn a new generation of antimicrobials with a broad range of topical and systemic applications against infections.

Anti-Bacterial Agents↗
PubMed2004

Validation of turbulence models in heavy gas dispersion over obstacles.

Accidental release and dispersion of toxic gases were always major hazards for public health and safety that process industries had to deal with. Real terrain dispersion simulation for risk analysis purposes poses specific difficulties related to complex turbulence phenomena development, especially when obstructions are found into the flow region. In this paper, several turbulence models are tested and compared against experimental data of dense vapor dispersion, in order to decide for their suitability for simulating such flows. Computations were carried out using the computational fluid dynamics (CFD) code CFX 5.6, while experimental data were obtained from Thorney Island large scale field trials. Computational results showed good agreement with experimental measurements indicating that CFDs provide a reliable means of estimating gas dispersion in real terrains.

Accidents↗
PubMed2004

The opportunities and obstacles to collaboration between the developing and developed countries in the field of occupational health.

The 2.4 billion working people in the developing countries often have to endure employment conditions, which do not meet even basic occupational safety and health (OSH) standards. The lack of work safety, excessive work loads, and occupational physical, chemical and biological exposures result in occupational diseases, injuries and as many as 1.2 million fatalities each year. Furthermore, as little as 15% of workers in the developing countries have access to occupational health and safety services. Some collaboration between the industrialized and developing countries in the field of OSH has been practiced for 30 years but its volume has been modest compared to other sectors of development assistance. The lessons learned from 30 years of experience are that the most important OSH improving factors in developing countries include legal and policy instruments, national OSH programs, infrastructure for OSH implementation, and OSH services. The establishment of OSH expert human resources, centers serving as engines for research, training, as well as information and registration systems can also be considered as key factors in any such collaboration. A convincing government OSH policy, and close cooperation between social partners and the government are also critical factors that guarantee sustainable OSH programs in a developing country over a long-term basis.

Accidents, Occupational↗
PubMed2005

Vaccines for otitis media: proposals for overcoming obstacles to progress.

Otitis media is a common problem with enormous morbidity worldwide. The development of vaccines to prevent otitis media would have an important human and economic impact. A striking lack of progress in the development, production and clinical testing of vaccines to prevent otitis media has occurred in the past decade. This review outlines a series of specific proposals intended to advance vaccine development for otitis media.

Bacterial Vaccines↗
PubMed1998

Endovascular brachytherapy: overcoming "practical" obstacles.

Endovascular radiation therapy has proved to be safe and effective in preventing restenosis after coronary intervention both in animal studies and in pilot feasibility studies in humans. The rationale for such therapy is that radiation prevents neointimal proliferation and vessel constriction after vascular injury. Two forms of endovascular radiation therapy are available: catheter-based systems and radioactive stenting. However, several practical issues related to this technique still need to be addressed, such as questions about dosimetry, shielding, expense, handling and disposal of radioisotopes, certification for potential users, and-above all-safety and efficacy. In their pivotal studies, investigators and industry need to focus on prioritizing the clinical applications of this form of treatment. The clinical trials must attempt to determine the cost-effectiveness of this therapy as well as its risk versus benefit. For example, brachytherapy may prove to be of great benefit to patients with in-stent restenosis, and favorable results of studies examining this application should expedite the approval of endovascular radiation therapy for clinical use.

Angioplasty, Balloon, Coronary↗
PubMed1999

Transvenous biventricular pacing for heart failure: can the obstacles be overcome?

Despite increasing evidence of hemodynamic benefit and long-term improvement in clinical status of congestive heart failure (CHF) patients with left ventricular and biventricular pacing, the risks and technical limitations of placing a permanent left ventricular pacing lead have prevented widespread clinical adoption of this therapy. Results of this and other recent investigations suggest it is necessary to target specific sites on the left ventricle to maximize hemodynamic benefit. However, limitations and variations of coronary vein anatomy, as well as patient safety, lead dislodgement, pacing thresholds, lead handling, and ease-of-use issues, present technical challenges for current transvenous permanent pacing lead designs. However, a new transvenous lead system based on an over-the-wire design appears to solve many of these problems and has proved feasible in acute clinical studies.

Animals↗