Fraction Ball impact on student and teacher math talk and behavior.

We assessed the impacts of Fraction Ball-a novel suite of games combining the benefits of embodied guided play for math learning-on the math language production and behavior of students and teachers. In the Pilot Experiment, 69 fifth and sixth graders were randomly assigned to play four different Fraction Ball games or attend normal physical education class. The Efficacy Experiment was implemented to test improvements made through co-design with teachers with 160 fourth through sixth graders.

[Current microsurgical and neurointerventional therapy of cerebral aneurysms].

Cerebral aneurysms occur in 5% of the adult population. Their most severe clinical manifestation is subarachnoid haemorrhage occurring in half of the patients. Morbidity and mortality of subarachnoid hemorrhage is relatively high.

Osteoplastic decompressive craniotomy--an alternative to decompressive craniectomy.

Background: In spite of various degrees of brain expansion, decompressive surgery is usually carried out using decompressive craniectomy (DC). After craniectomy it is necessary to perform cranioplasty, which prolongs hospitalization and is not always without complications. Hence, in situations when cranial decompression is indicated, but DC would be too radical, we do not remove the bone flap, and we perform so-called osteoplastic decompressive craniotomy (ODC).

Decompressive surgery for malignant supratentorial infarction remains underutilized after guideline publication.

Decompressive surgery <48 h from stroke onset reduces the prevalence of mortality and morbidity from malignant supratentorial infarction. We investigated if utilization of decompressive surgery changed in the Czech Republic (CZ) after the release of new guidelines regarding treatment of malignant brain infarction. The volume of decompressive surgery in 2009 in all centers in the CZ was assessed using the same methodology as in 2006.

[Osteoplastic decompressive craniotomy--indication and surgical technique].

Decompressive craniotomy is usually carried out using decompressive craniectomy (osteoclastic decompressive craniotomy) when the bone flap is removed. In situations when the level of expansion does not call for decomopressive craniectomy, we do not remove the bone flap and we perform osteoplastic decompressive craniotomy. The indication is based on assessment and cross correlation of the following parameters: intracranial pressure,midline shift and the number of pathologies on CT, actual influence of antiedematous therapy, expected cerebral oedema progression and especially according to the size of the dural defect after duratomy.

Elastofibromatous changes in tissues from spinal biopsies. A degenerative process afflicting a small but important subset of patients operated for spinal canal compression: report of 18 cases.

Elastofibroma is a tumorlike lesion occurring usually in the subscapular region of elderly females. In this study, 18 cases of elastofibromatous tissue retrieved from the spinal canal were analyzed to elucidate its frequency and possible clinical associations. The patients included 8 men and 10 women with a mean age of 63.

Diffusion tensor magnetic resonance imaging of glial brain tumors.

Aim: To evaluate the author's experience with the use of diffusion tensor magnetic resonance imaging (DTI) on patients with glial tumors.

Methods: A retrospective evaluation of a group of 24 patients with glial tumors was performed. There were eight patients with Grade II, eight patients with Grade III and eight patients with Grade IV tumors with a histologically proven diagnosis.

[Tactical and technical notes for decompression craniotomy--a review].

The authors present the tactics and technique of the decompression craniotomy (DC). DC is one of the principal neurosurgical procedures in the treatment of intracranial hypertension. Early indication and perfect technical completion of the procedure are the prerequisites for achieving the anticipated decompressive effect.

Combined oral cyclosporin and methotrexate therapy in patients with rheumatoid arthritis elevates methotrexate levels and reduces 7-hydroxymethotrexate levels when compared with methotrexate alone.

Objective: To study the pharmacokinetics of methotrexate (MTX) plus cyclosporin A (CSA) in patients with rheumatoid arthritis (RA).

Methods: On day 1 of the study, patients with RA receiving stable doses of MTX had blood and urine levels of MTX and its metabolite 7-hydroxymethotrexate (7-OH-MTX) measured post oral dosing of the drug. MTX was then discontinued and CSA therapy was started on day 8.

Improved cyclosporine bioavailability in black pediatric liver transplant recipients after administration of the microemulsion formulation.

Black transplant recipients are associated with low cyclosporine bioavailability, which may contribute to the poorer clinical outcomes observed with these patients. In this analysis, we compared cyclosporine exposure in black (n = 9) and nonblack (n = 18) pediatric maintenance liver transplant recipients by using steady-state pharmacokinetic profiles obtained after administration of the original and microemulsion formulations of cyclosporine. Treatment with the original cyclosporine formulation resulted in lower mean dose-normalized, area under the concentration-versus-time curve values for black compared with nonblack pediatric liver transplant recipients.

Equivalence of cyclosporine blood level assays in patients receiving cyclosporine microemulsion or cyclosporine. The Sandoz Neoral Study Group N103.

The more rapid absorption of the cyclosporin A (CyA) microemulsion formulation (Neoral, NEO) compared to Sandimmune (SIM) might bypass intestinal metabolism resulting in differing amounts of CyA metabolites in blood as compared to SIM. If true, then CyA levels obtained with a CyA monoclonal antibody assay (TDx) that has metabolite cross-reactivity might differ depending on the CyA formulation received by the patient, thereby affecting safety and efficacy. Fifty-one NEO vs.

Pharmacokinetics of an oral solution of the microemulsion formulation of cyclosporine in maintenance pediatric liver transplant recipients.

Background: A comparison of the oral bioavailability of cyclosporine from the original formulation (CsA) and from the new formulation, cyclosporine for microemulsion (CsA-ME), was made in pediatric maintenance liver transplant patients within two age groups (group 1, ages 1-5 years; group 2, ages 6-17 years) in an open-label, multicenter, randomized crossover trial. All patients were at least 6 months past transplantation and were receiving CsA maintenance therapy.

Methods: In study period 1 (days 1 through 14), patients were administered either CsA or CsA-ME at the same b.

Safety and tolerability of cyclosporine microemulsion versus cyclosporine: two-year data in primary renal allograft recipients: a report of the Neoral Study Group.

Background: The new microemulsion formulation of cyclosporine (CsA-ME) is more bioavailable than cyclosporine (CsA) in de novo renal transplant patients. Therefore, it was of interest to compare the safety profile of each formulation in such patients.

Methods: In a multicenter, double-blind, parallel-group study, 101 renal transplant recipients were randomized after transplantation to receive either CsA (n=50) or CsA-ME (n=51) capsules twice daily for 2 years.

The safety and tolerability of cyclosporine emulsion versus cyclosporine in a randomized, double-blind comparison in primary renal allograft recipients. The Neoral Study Group.

A 12-week, randomized, double-blind, multicenter pharmacokinetics study was conducted to compare the clinical safety and tolerability of cyclosporine capsules and oral solution for microemulsion and cyclosporine in 101 primary renal transplant recipients Cyclosporine emulsion has more complete absorption and improved bioavailability compared with cyclosporine, and dosing of both cyclosporine formulations was adjusted to achieve comparable whole-blood trough levels. Mean serum creatinine values were higher in the cyclosporine emulsion group at baseline, 8, and 12 weeks (P<0.05).

The pharmacokinetics of a microemulsion formulation of cyclosporine in primary renal allograft recipients. The Neoral Study Group.

This study was a randomized, double-blind, 12-week comparison of the pharmacokinetics, safety, and tolerability of two cyclosporine (CsA) formulations, cyclosporine emulsion capsules and oral solution for microemulsion and cyclosporine, in the postoperative management of renal transplant patients. Of the 101 patients, aged 18 to 65, who entered the study, 89 were evaluable for pharmacokinetics. Initial dosage was 10 mg/kg per day, administered twice daily in two equal doses.

Reduced inter- and intrasubject variability in cyclosporine pharmacokinetics in renal transplant recipients treated with a microemulsion formulation in conjunction with fasting, low-fat meals, or high-fat meals.

This cross-over study compared the pharmacokinetic parameters obtained from cyclosporine (CsA) concentration-time profiles after administration of the corn oil-based soft gel cap (CsA-GC) with those with the microemulsion (CsA-ME) gel cap. Neither the fasting state nor the coadministration of a low- or high-fat breakfast affected the pharmacokinetics of CsA presented in either formulation. Comparisons of the three sets of pharmacokinetic parameters--namely, after fasting or after low-fat or after high-fat diets--demonstrated the CsA-ME formulation to display greater intraindividual reproducibility of the C0 and C12 trough levels (TLs), Cmax, tmax, and area under the concentration-time curve (AUC) than the CsA-GC formulation.

Application issues in bioanalytical method validation, sample analysis and data reporting.

Although some degree of consensus has been reached concerning the requirements for acceptable method validation, the procedures used to establish them vary significantly between laboratories. Also, issues arising from application of these requirements during validation and subsequent sample analysis need to be addressed. The purpose of this paper is to discuss application issues concerning prerequisites to method validation, and all validation criteria for evaluation of method reliability and overall performance.

High-performance liquid chromatographic method for the determination of fluvastatin in human plasma.

The method outlined in this paper utilizes internal standardization and is simple, reliable, and sensitive for the determination of fluvastatin in plasma. Fluvastatin sodium and the internal standard are extracted from buffered plasma into methyl tert.-butyl ether, followed by evaporation of an aliquot of the organic phase.

Infrared spectra of carbonyl hemoglobins: characterization of dynamic heme pocket conformers.

The infrared spectra for carbon monoxide complexed to hemoglobins were examined in the C-O stretch region. Deconvolution of the spectra requires four bands and supports the presence of four distinct conformers at the ligand binding site. Most typical hemoglobins exhibit only one predominant conformer for each subunit represented by a band at 1951 cm-1 in contrast to myoglobins, which typically exist in two major conformations.

Single- vs multiple-dose pharmacokinetics of clozapine in psychiatric patients.

Clozapine plasma levels were monitored in 16 patients during a series of three consecutive treatments (single dose-multiple dose-single dose). Each patient received a single 75-mg dose (3 x 25 mg) with clozapine tablets, and serial plasma samples were collected over 48 hr after the dose. At 48 hr, a multiple-dose regimen was started, consisting of an initial dose escalation period followed by dosing at a constant regimen for at least 6 days.