Auto-CPAP therapy based on the forced oscillation technique.

Autoadjusting CPAP devices (APAP) are designed to continuously adjust the positive pressure to the required levels, and thus increase treatment quality and patient compliance. The results of APAP treatment strongly depend on the control mechanism of the respective APAP device. In agreement with other working groups, we have recently shown that the forced oscillation technique (FOT) is capable of detecting incipient upper airway obstruction prior to physiological reactions such as the onset of increasing esophageal pressure swings or microarousals.

Development of an in vitro potency test for tetanus vaccines: an immunoassay based on Hc fragment determination.

In the three Rs rule context, we have developed a method to quantify tetanus toxoid by ELISA detection of the specific Hc fragment. This fragment and several anti Hc fragment antibodies have been described as protective in mice models. By developing this assay, we have detected Hc presence in tetanus toxoid.

TrueFISP--technical considerations and cardiovascular applications.

Magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) using steady-state free precession (SSFP) sequences was described in the early years of MR imaging. However, due to hardware imperfections, these techniques were not robust enough at the time to play any significant role in clinical MRI. More recently, significant hardware improvements became widely available, and the SSFP sequences such as TrueFISP (true fast imaging with steady-state precession) became very popular for a variety of clinical applications due to the distinct improvements in signal-to-noise ratio (SNR) and contrast-to-noise ratio (CNR).

Collaborative study for the establishment of a European Phamacopoeia Biological reference preparation for Bordetella pertussis mouse antiserum for serological potency testing of acellular pertussis vaccines.

A collaborative study was organised by the European Directorate For the Quality of Medicines (EDQM) to assess the suitability of a candidate mouse antiserum as a European Pharmacopoeia Biological reference preparation (BRP) for acellular pertussis vaccine potency testing. The candidate antiserum was obtained by immunising mice with a five-component acellular pertussis vaccine: pertussis toxin (PT), filamentous haemagglutinin (FHA), pertactin (PRN) and Fimbrial 2/Fimbrial 3 (Fim 2&3). The study has been divided into two separate phases.

Inactivated rabies vaccine control and release: use of an ELISA method.

Quality control of human rabies vaccines performed by National Control Laboratories (NCLs) prior to marketing vaccines batches requires in vivo and in vitro potency assays as requested by the relevant European Pharmacopoeia monographs, OMCLs guidelines and WHO technical recommendations. The aim of the present study was to check the suitability of an enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA) using a virus neutralizing monoclonal antibody, directed to the rabies virus glycoprotein, to monitor the consistency of the lot to lot rabies vaccines production. Furthermore, this work was implemented to establish in house specifications for the glycoprotein content.

Quality control of biotechnology-derived vaccines: technical and regulatory considerations.

Vaccines for human use have been produced for decades using classical manufacturing methods including culture of viruses and bacteria followed by various concentration-, inactivation-, detoxification-, conjugation production processes. Availability of techniques for molecular biology and for the complete chemical synthesis of genes provides prospects of genetic engineering of microorganisms so as to generate novel biotechnological/biological-derived vaccines. The potential large-scale availability of biotechnology-derived vaccines makes feasible their evaluation in the prevention and/or treatment of various infectious, chronic, degenerative and cancer human diseases.

Prevalence of and risk factors for HIV infection in individuals testing for HIV at counseling centers in Brazil.

Background: Risk factors for HIV infection have been scarcely studied in developing countries.

Goal: The goal was to examine the seroprevalence and the risk factors for HIV infection among individuals submitting to voluntary and anonymous testing at counseling and testing centers in Porto Alegre, Brazil.

Study Design: In this cross-sectional study HIV infection was diagnosed by enzyme-linked immunosorbent assays (ELISAs) and indirect immunofluorescence.

Neoadjuvant treatment with weekly high-dose 5-Fluorouracil as 24-hour infusion, folinic acid and oxaliplatin in patients with primary resectable liver metastases of colorectal cancer.

Purpose: To evaluate the efficacy and safety of neoadjuvant treatment comprising weekly high-dose 5-fluorouracil (5-FU) as a 24-hour infusion, folinic acid (FA) and biweekly oxaliplatin (L-OHP), followed by metastatic resection in patients with primarily resectable liver metastases of colorectal cancer (CRC).

Patients And Methods: 20 patients with primarily resectable liver metastases of CRC were enrolled in a prospective phase II study. On an outpatient basis, the patients received a treatment regimen comprising biweekly 85 mg/m(2) L-OHP in the form of a 2-hour intravenous infusion and 500 mg/m(2) FA as a 1- to 2-hour intravenous infusion, followed by 2,600 mg/m(2 ) 5-FU administered as a 24-hour intravenous infusion once weekly.

Oral contraceptives: a risk factor for uncontrolled blood pressure among hypertensive women.

The objective of the study was to assess the association between systolic and diastolic blood pressure (SBP and DBP) and the use of oral contraceptives (OC) in hypertensive women. In a prospective cross-sectional study, we evaluated 171 women who were referred to the Hypertension Outpatient Clinic of Hospital de Clínicas de Porto Alegre; 66 current users of OC, 26 users of other contraceptive methods and 79 women who were not using contraception. The average of six blood pressure readings was used to establish the usual blood pressure of the participants.

The assessment of OPV vaccines by the monkey neurovirulence test: why and how to qualify the experts in histology of central nervous system.

Prior to batch release of oral poliovirus vaccines (OPV) for marketing purpose, the World Health Organisation (WHO) and European pharmacopoeia require a monkey neurovirulence test to be performed both by the manufacturer and the relevant National Control Laboratory (NCL) to assess vaccine safety as regards neurovirulence. Due to the subjectivity of histological examination and of neural lesions scoring, the French NCL has set up a proficiency testing procedure to qualify a new expert.

Initiation of CPAP therapy for OSA: does prophylactic humidification during CPAP pressure titration improve initial patient acceptance and comfort?

Background: Heated humidifiers (HH) enable effective treatment of upper airway dryness during nasal continuous positive airway pressure (nCPAP) therapy for obstructive sleep apnoea (OSA), but the role of prophylactic use of HH during the initiation of nCPAP treatment has not been studied so far.

Objectives: The aim of the present study was to investigate whether prophylactic HH during the initiation of CPAP would result in improved initial patient comfort and acceptance.

Methods: In 44 consecutive, previously untreated OSA patients with no history of upper airway dryness, CPAP titration with and without HH was performed on two consecutive nights in a randomised order.

Hypertensive retinopathy and incident coronary heart disease in high risk men.

Background/aim: Although routine ophthalmoscopy is recommended in the evaluation of people with hypertension, the prognostic significance of retinopathy is unknown. The purpose of this study is to determine if hypertensive retinopathy predicts coronary heart disease (CHD).

Methods: A prospective cohort study involving 560 hypertensive, hyperlipidaemic, middle aged men enrolled in the Lipid Research Clinic's Coronary Primary Prevention Trial.

Initial reperfusion with magnesium after cardioplegic arrest attenuates myocardial reperfusion injury.

Background: Magnesium's effect on calcium ion concentrations may attenuate myocardial reperfusion injury. The aim of this study was therefore to investigate the effects on the recovery of myocardial function of initial reperfusion with varying Mg(2+) concentrations following cardioplegic arrest.

Methods: Isolated guinea pig hearts underwent 3.

Auto-CPAP therapy for obstructive sleep apnea: induction of microarousals by automatic variations of CPAP pressure?

Study Objectives: To investigate the frequency of microarousals (MA) associated with pressure changes during auto-CPAP therapy (APAP) for obstructive sleep apnea (OSA).

Design: Patients with OSA were studied by polysomnography during APAP therapy (Somnosmart). The MA were classified on the basis of concomitant changes in APAP pressure.

Migraine is more frequent in individuals with optimal and normal blood pressure: a population-based study.

Background: The notion that hypertension causes headache is widely accepted despite the absence of confirmation by well-designed studies.

Objective: To investigate the association between headache, characterized as tension type and migraine like, with blood pressure and hypertension.

Methods: In a cross-sectional study we evaluate this association in a sample of 1174 individuals older than 17 years, representative of inhabitants of Porto Alegre, RS, Brazil.

Insulin resistance, hyperleptinemia, and obstructive sleep apnea in Launois-Bensaude syndrome.

Objective: Launois-Bensaude Syndrome (LBS) is a very rare cause of obesity, characterized by a symmetrical accumulation of a very large number of lipomata in different regions of the body, excluding the face, the forearms, and the shanks. Obesity is known to be closely associated with insulin resistance, hyperleptinemia, and obstructive sleep apnea (OSA). We were interested in studying whether these conditions are also present in patients with obesity due to LBS with a similar frequency as in patients with "simple" truncal obesity.

Length dependence of cardiac myofilament Ca(2+) sensitivity in the presence of substitute nucleoside triphosphates.

Although ATP is the immediate source of energy for muscle contraction other nucleoside triphosphates (NTP) can substitute for ATP as substrates for myosin and as sources of energy for contraction of skinned muscle fibers. However, experiments with skinned skeletal muscle fibers in the presence of substitute NTP indicate significant differences with respect to cross-bridge kinetics, force generation, and Ca(2+) regulation. In this study the length dependence of Ca(2+) sensitivity of skinned bovine cardiac muscle was analyzed in the presence of MgATP, MgCTP, MgUTP, and MgITP.

Red wine with the noon meal lowers post-meal blood pressure: a randomized trial in centrally obese, hypertensive patients.

Objective: Despite being recognized as a cause of hypertension at higher doses, consumption of lesser amounts of alcohol appears to protect against cardiovascular disease and acutely reduces blood pressure. We tested the hypothesis that two glasses of red wine, taken together with the noon meal, would cause postprandial reduction in blood pressure in hypertensive individuals.

Method: Thirteen (8 female) middle-aged, centrally obese, hypertensive and otherwise healthy participants received, in an open randomized crossover experiment, red wine (250 ml to approximately 23 g of ethanol) and a placebo equivalent, together with a standardized lunch.

Interaction of mitochondria with microtubules in the filamentous fungus Neurospora crassa.

The establishment and maintenance of the 3D structure of eukaryotic cells depends on active transport and positioning of organelles along cytoskeletal elements. The biochemical basis of these processes is only poorly understood. We analysed the interaction of mitochondria with microtubules in the filamentous fungus Neurospora crassa.

Genetic basis of mitochondrial function and morphology in Saccharomyces cerevisiae.

The understanding of the processes underlying organellar function and inheritance requires the identification and characterization of the molecular components involved. We pursued a genomic approach to define the complements of genes required for respiratory growth and inheritance of mitochondria with normal morphology in yeast. With the systematic screening of a deletion mutant library covering the nonessential genes of Saccharomyces cerevisiae the numbers of genes known to be required for respiratory function and establishment of wild-type-like mitochondrial structure have been more than doubled.

Reliability of race assessment based on the race of the ascendants: a cross-sectional study.

Background: Race is commonly described in epidemiological surveys based on phenotypic characteristics. Training of interviewers to identify race is time-consuming and self identification of race might be difficult to interpret. The aim of this study was to determine the agreement between race definition based on the number of ascendants with black skin colour, with the self-assessment and observer's assessment of the skin colour.