SEARCH · PubMed Health
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.
Traditional obstetric beliefs regarding diagnoses leading to premature birth constitute a significant barrier to successful clinical application of current knowledge about the pathophysiology of preterm delivery. Progress in reducing prematurity will be limited unless obstetricians assume a leadership role in changing attitudes about preterm birth among patients, providers, and society in general.
BACKGROUND: Video-assisted thoracic surgery for lung cancer facilitates early postoperative recovery when patients are treated by critical pathway management. Thus, we developed an original programmed regimen for postoperative management, evaluated the validity of this regimen, and analyzed clinical factors influencing postoperative recovery. METHODS: Forty consecutive patients with suspicious lung cancer undergoing anatomic pulmonary resection with video-assisted thoracic surgery were enrolled in this prospective study. After surgery, all patients who underwent anatomic resection were managed using our programmed regimen; a patient was considered recovered when the regimen had been completed. RESULTS: On final pathologic examination, 37 cases were determined to have lung cancer and underwent anatomic resection. The mean number of resected segments was 3.6. There were no complications caused by postoperative management. The mean day of postoperative recovery was 3.7 days and median, 3 days. Significant preoperative factors related to recovery were age, breathlessness, performance status, radiologic emphysema, partial pressure of arterial oxygen, and predictive postoperative forced expiratory volume in 1 second. The overall number of these risk factors was specifically related to postoperative recovery (p < 0.01): the rate of recovery on postoperative day 3 was 100% in patients with no risk, 68% in those with one to three risks, and 22% in those with four to six risks. CONCLUSIONS: Our original regimen is useful as a critical pathway for the management of lung cancer patients undergoing video-assisted thoracic surgery. Furthermore, we created specific criteria to identify risk factors related to postoperative recovery that may be useful in planning hospitalization for patients undergoing video-assisted thoracic surgery.
Information on structure-activity relationships (SAR) and pathways of metabolic activation would facilitate the preliminary screening of chemicals for estrogenic potential. Published crystallographic studies of the estrogen receptor (ER) imply an essential role of the two hydroxyl groups on estradiol (17beta-E(2)) for its binding to ER. The influence of these hydroxyl groups on ER binding and estrogenicity was evaluated by the study of 17beta-E(2) with one or both of these hydroxyl groups removed (17beta-desoxyestradiol and 3, 17beta-bisdesoxyestradiol, respectively). 6-Hydroxytetralin (17beta-E(2) with its C- and D-rings removed) and other synthetic estrogens were also studied. The estrogenicity assays comprised a yeast ER-mediated transcription assay, mammalian cell transcription assays incorporating either ER alpha or ER beta, and the immature rat uterotrophic assay. With the exception of 6-hydroxytetralin in the uterotrophic assay, all the chemicals were active in all the assays. Hydroxylation of the two desoxy compounds to estradiol was shown to occur in immature female rats, but metabolism was not implicated in the responses observed in the ER-binding and yeast systems. It is concluded that the 3-hydroxyl and 17beta-hydroxyl groups of 17beta-E(2) are not absolute requirements for estrogenicity. It would therefore be of value to the derivation of SAR for estrogenicity were the crystal structure of the bisdesoxy-E(2)/ER complex to be evaluated.
This study aimed to clarify the current state of, and factors associated with, modern contraceptive use among married women in the Maldives. A total of 205 women participated in interviews with structured questionnaires. Four sessions of FGIs were conducted to obtain in-depth information about the problems that they faced in using modern contraceptives. Both modern contraceptive users (MCUs) and those who were not modern contraceptive users (NMCUs) had a good knowledge of, and availability and accessibility to, contraceptives and social support for contraceptive use. NMCUs were more likely to have a husband who disapproved of modern contraceptive practice, to have difficulty communicating with their husband, to be afraid of side effects and to be dissatisfied with sexual sensation when using modern contraceptives. Moreover, NMCUs cited more perceived barriers against the use of modern contraceptives and preferred larger families than MCUs.
Explore the source record for details and available documents.
OmpT, an outer membrane-localized protease of Escherichia coli, cleaves a number of exogenous and endogenous proteins during their purification. SecY, an endogenous membrane protein, is a target of this artificial proteolysis in vitro. Here we report that SecY cleavage occurs even in cell extracts from ompT-disrupted cells, if they carry an F plasmid derivative. A gene, ompP, on the F plasmid was shown to be responsible for this proteolysis. These results indicate that the absence of an F-like plasmid should be checked when choosing a host strain for E. coli-based protein production.
The clinical utility of fibrinogen measurement has been limited by large intraindividual variability. Several approaches that have been shown to improve the repeatability of fibrinogen include acquisition of samples at the same time of day, standardized sample procurement techniques, and multiple replicate sampling. This study employed established pre-analytical and analytical techniques known to reduce fibrinogen variability, including the acquisition of three replicate samples, each analyzed in duplicate, to evaluate the impact of intraindividual variability in fibrinogen measurement at baseline and 3 months on cardiovascular risk in 60 healthy subjects. Classification accuracy was evaluated by the ability to categorize subjects into tertiles of fibrinogen. Only 55% (33/60) of the subjects were correctly assigned to the appropriate fibrinogen tertile. Fibrinogen measurements varied by more than 10% in 45% of subjects and by 5% in 80% of subjects. Intraindividual variability in fibrinogen measurement with a functional assay limits cardiovascular risk assessment even when three replicates are averaged.
The cost to patients, their relatives, the medical establishment and the economies of individual countries is such that compliance with, or adherence to, prescribed therapy is a major issue. There are relatively simple and systematic measures by which medical specialists can increase patient compliance and so save costs, time and lives. From a psychological perspective, the earlier these measures are instigated, for example before patients are discharged from hospital after an acute coronary syndrome, the greater is the likelihood of patient adherence to treatment.
Explore the source record for details and available documents.
Explore the source record for details and available documents.
Explore the source record for details and available documents.
OBJECTIVES: (1) To identify reasons for non-uptake of hepatitis B vaccine by health care staff; (2) to determine whether fully vaccinated staff are aware of the need to consider booster vaccinations in the future. DESIGN: Semi-structured anonymous questionnaire survey of health care staff. SETTING: Croydon health district, south London. SUBJECTS: 462 health care staff. RESULTS: 300 staff (65%) responded. The reasons given by staff for non-uptake included fear of side-effects or injections, misconceptions about hepatitis B transmission, the alternative use of homeopathic vaccine, pressure of work, difficulties in arranging vaccination, forgetfulness, and 'inertia'. Of the 54 unvaccinated staff, 55.6% believed themselves to be at high risk of contracting hepatitis B as a result of their occupation; 33% of 202 fully vaccinated staff were unaware of the use of booster doses of vaccine to maintain long-term immunity. CONCLUSIONS: The level of awareness and understanding about hepatitis B vaccination of any group of health care staff should not be assumed. A number of specific educational and organisational issues need to be addressed when implementing staff vaccination programmes. Without the use of automatic call-recall systems the long-term success of staff hepatitis B vaccination programmes may be in doubt.
Explore the source record for details and available documents.
Explore the source record for details and available documents.
Explore the source record for details and available documents.
Explore the source record for details and available documents.
Explore the source record for details and available documents.
Explore the source record for details and available documents.