Bacterial Vaginosis Monitoring with Carbon Nanotube Field-Effect Transistors.

The ability to rapidly and reliably screen for bacterial vaginosis (BV) during pregnancy is of great significance for maternal health and pregnancy outcomes. In this proof-of-concept study, we demonstrated the potential of carbon nanotube field-effect transistors (NTFET) in the rapid diagnostics of BV with the sensing of BV-related factors such as pH and biogenic amines. The fabricated sensors showed good linearity to pH changes with a linear correlation coefficient of 0.

Short or Long End of the Lever? Associations between Provider Communication of the "Asthma-Action Plan" and Outpatient Revisits for Pediatric Asthma.

Background: At the Children's Hospital of Georgia (CHOG), we found that outpatient revisits for pediatric asthma were significantly above national norms. According to the NIH, costly hospital revisits for asthma can be prevented through guidelines-based self-management of asthma, central to which, is the use of a written Asthma-Action Plan (AAP).

Purpose: The asthma services literature has emphasized the role of the healthcare provider in promoting asthma self-management using the AAP, to prevent hospital revisits.

Modulation of advanced glycation end products by candesartan in patients with diabetic kidney disease--a dose-response relationship study.

Advanced glycation end products (AGEs) are proinflammatory mediators implicated in the pathogenesis of diabetic kidney disease (DKD). In this study, dose-dependent effects of angiotensin receptor blockade on urinary AGEs were evaluated in patients with DKD. Patients with type 2 diabetes and proteinuria ≥500 mg/d (n = 11) were compared with diabetic controls without DKD (n = 10) and normal controls (n = 11).

Direct high-performance liquid chromatographic analysis of D-tocopheryl acid succinate and derivatives.

A method of analysis of a Vitamin E derivative D-tocopheryl acid succinate (TS) in biological fluids and commercially available products is necessary to study the kinetics of in vitro and in vivo metabolism, tissue distribution, and content uniformity. A simple and inexpensive high-performance liquid chromatographic method was developed for the direct determination of D-tocopheryl acid succinate in commercially available products, rat serum, and rat tissues. This method can also be applied to the determination of 15 Vitamin E derivatives.

Amino acids injure mesangial cells by advanced glycation end products, oxidative stress, and protein kinase C.

Background: In diabetes, high intake of dietary protein exacerbates responses associated with kidney damage. Increased levels of amino acids could injure cells by providing free amino groups for glycation reactions leading to advanced glycation end products (AGEs).

Methods: Rat mesangial cells were cultured with increased amino acids designed to resemble protein feeding, high glucose (30.

Chemopreventive effect of dietary d-alpha-tocopheryl succinate supplementation on precancer colon aberrant crypt formation and vitamin E analogue levels in young and old rats.

This study examined the effects of dietary d-alpha-tocopheryl succinate (TS) in female rats, 20 mo (OLD) or 2 mo (YNG) of age, on azoxymethane (AOM)-induced colonic aberrant crypt foci (ACF) and tissue distribution of d-alpha-tocopherol (alphaT), d-gamma-tocopherol (gammaT), and alphaTS. Rats were fed a commercial rodent chow supplemented with or without 1 (YNG) or 2 (OLD) g alphaTS/kg diet for 1 week prior to ip administration of AOM to induce colon ACF. The animals were sacrificed after 49 days of exposure.

Provision of pharmacy services to underserved populations via remote dispensing and two-way videoconferencing.

A telepharmacy program aimed to resolve the dual problem of access to prescription drugs and pharmacists for low-income populations is described. The program was conducted at the Community Health Association of Spokane (CHAS), a federally qualified community health center, and initiated in January 2001. The program, known as Telepharmacy at CHAS, allows for the dispensing of low-cost medications through participation in the federal government's 340B program and use of remote dispensing and counseling via a two-way interactive videoconferencing system to patients at six urban and rural clinics.