Indwelling pleural catheters for non-malignant effusions: a multicentre review of practice.

Indwelling pleural catheters (IPCs) are commonly used in the management of malignant pleural effusion (MPE). There is little data on their use in non-malignant conditions. All IPC insertions for non-malignant cases from five large UK centres were found using prospectively maintained databases.

Correlation of rectal temperature and peripheral temperature from implantable radio-frequency microchips in Holstein steers challenged with lipopolysaccharide under thermoneutral and high ambient temperatures.

Early detection of disease can speed treatment, slow spread of disease in a herd, and improve health status of animals. Immune stimulation increases rectal temperature (RT). Injectable radio-frequency implants (RFI) can provide temperature at the site of implantation.

Effect of colostral volume, interval between calving and first milking, and photoperiod on colostral IgG concentrations in dairy cows.

Objective: To identify cow and management factors associated with colostral IgG concentration in dairy cows.

Design: Prospective observational study.

Animals: 81 multiparous Holstein-Friesian cows from a single herd.

The economic returns of pediatric clinical trials of antihypertensive drugs.

Background: Congress has authorized the United States Food and Drug Administration (FDA) to provide industry sponsors with a 6-month extension of drug marketing rights under the Pediatric Exclusivity Provision if FDA-requested pediatric drug trials are conducted. The cost and economic return of pediatric exclusivity to industry sponsors has been shown to be highly variable. We sought to determine the cost of performing pediatric exclusivity trials within a single therapeutic area and the subsequent economic return to industry sponsors.

Short-day photoperiod increases milk yield in cows with a reduced dry period length.

Exposure of cows to a short-day photoperiod (SDPP; 8 h light:16 h dark) during a 60-d dry period increases milk yield in the subsequent lactation compared with cows exposed to a long-day photoperiod (LDPP; 16 h light:8 h dark). Whereas the traditional recommendation for dry period length is 60 d, recent studies indicate that the dry period length can be reduced without depressing the yield in the next lactation. However, the optimal duration of the dry period appears to be between 40 and 60 d, because fewer than 30 d could result in a significant loss of milk production.

Sensible approaches for reducing clinical trial costs.

Background: Over the past decade, annual funding for biomedical research has more than doubled while new molecular entity approvals have declined by one third.

Objective: To assess the value of practices commonly employed in the conduct of large-scale clinical trials, and to identify areas where costs could be reduced without compromising scientific validity.

Methods: In the qualitative phase of the study, an expert panel recommended potential modifications of mega-trial designs and operations in order to maximize their value (cost versus scientific benefit tradeoff).

Economic return of clinical trials performed under the pediatric exclusivity program.

Context: In 1997, Congress authorized the US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) to grant 6-month extensions of marketing rights through the Pediatric Exclusivity Program if industry sponsors complete FDA-requested pediatric trials. The program has been praised for creating incentives for studies in children and has been criticized as a "windfall" to the innovator drug industry. This critique has been a substantial part of congressional debate on the program, which is due to expire in 2007.

Chlortetracycline supplementation of yearling dairy heifers.

Chlortetracycline is an antibiotic that is used to increase weight gain, efficiency of gain, carcass grade, and conception rates. The objective of this experiment was to evaluate the effects of supplementation of 350 mg/d of chlortetracycline on ADG, G:F, BCS, thyroxine, and systemic glucose concentrations in yearling dairy heifers. Forty 12-mo-old Holstein heifers (initial BW = 363 +/- 21 kg) were housed in a free-stall barn with ad libitum access to feed and water for 104 d.

Overcoming Depression on the Internet (ODIN) (2): a randomized trial of a self-help depression skills program with reminders.

Background: Guided self-help programs for depression (with associated therapist contact) have been successfully delivered over the Internet. However, previous trials of pure self-help Internet programs for depression (without therapist contact), including an earlier trial conducted by us, have failed to yield positive results. We hypothesized that methods to increase participant usage of the intervention, such as postcard or telephone reminders, might result in significant effects on depression.

Manipulating milk production in early lactation through photoperiod changes and milking frequency.

Photoperiod management and increased milking frequency in early lactation offer noninvasive methods to improve production and health in dairy cows. Prolactin physiology is critical to the responses, and thus may be a factor in other environmental effects (eg, temperature and stress). Integration of these strategies into the management system is not difficult, but requires attention to details of feeding, housing, and animal movement.

Overcoming depression on the Internet (ODIN): a randomized controlled trial of an Internet depression skills intervention program.

Background: Psychoeducational programs are increasingly being delivered over the Internet. We created an Internet-based, cognitive therapy, self-help program to be used as a stand-alone intervention for mild-to-moderate depression, or as an adjunct to traditional services for more severe depression.

Objective: To evaluate the effectiveness of a web-based intervention program to reduce depression in a randomized, controlled trial.

Quantitative analysis of adiabatic fast passage for steady laminar and turbulent flows.

Adiabatic fast passage (AFP) is used in noninvasive quantitative perfusion experiments to invert (or label) arterial spins. Continuous arterial spin labeling (CASL) experiments conducted in vivo often assume the inversion efficiency based on the labeling field and steady flow conditions, without direct verification. In practice, the labeling field used in CASL is often amplitude- and duty cycle-limited due to hardware or specific absorption rate constraints.

Siblings of patients with severe chronic obstructive pulmonary disease have a significant risk of airflow obstruction.

Although familial clustering has been described, few studies have quantified the risk of airflow obstruction in siblings of patients with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD). One hundred fifty-two subjects with airflow obstruction and a low gas transfer factor (but without PiZ alpha(1)-antitrypsin deficiency) were identified and 150 were enrolled in the study. Complete data were obtained from 173 of 221 siblings of these subjects.

Characteristics of injectable contraceptive users in a low-income population in Texas.

Among 600 women at 17 family planning clinics in Texas who expressed interest in using the hormonal injectable depot medroxyprogesterone acetate (DMPA), 536 (89%) actually received the injectable. Thirty percent of the DMPA recipients were younger than 21 and 77% were not married. The average numbers of pregnancies and births were 1.

Short stature in homozygous beta-thalassaemia is due to disproportionate truncal shortening.

Background And Objective: Growth failure in homozygous beta-thalassaemia has been recognized for many years, and has persisted despite major treatment advances. In this cross-sectional study, sitting and standing height were measured to determine whether growth failure was disproportionate.

Design: Patient data were analysed in three age groups, 2-10 years, 11-18 years and 19 and over.