Optimal population designs for PK models with serial sampling.

In various pharmaceutical applications, repeated measurements are taken from each subject, and model parameters are estimated from the collected data. Examples include dose response modeling and PK/PD studies with serial blood sampling, among others. The quality of the information in an experiment is reflected in the precision of estimates of model parameters, which is traditionally measured by their variance-covariance matrix.

Morphologic alterations in ovine placenta and fetal liver following induced severe placental insufficiency.

Objectives: Umbilical-placental embolization with microspheres has been used as a model of placental insufficiency and intrauterine growth restriction (IUGR). However, the effects of embolization on placental structure and organ morphology of the resulting IUGR fetus are relatively unexplored. In this study using ovine fetuses, we determined the location and distribution of microspheres within the placenta and explored the extent of placental and fetal organ morphologic changes induced by placental embolization.

ST segment analysis of the fetal electrocardiogram plus electronic fetal heart rate monitoring in labor and its relationship to umbilical cord arterial blood gases.

Objective: This study was undertaken to determine the ability of intrapartum electronic fetal heart rate monitoring (EFM) plus fetal electrocardiogram (ECG) ST segment automated ANalysis (STAN, Neoventa Medical, Goteborg, Sweden) monitoring to predict metabolic acidemia (defined as an umbilical cord artery pH < 7.15 and base deficit > or = 12 mmol/L) at birth.

Study Design: Women with singleton, term pregnancies who had a clinical indication for internal EFM with a fetal scalp electrode were included in the study.

Anti-erythropoietin antibody-mediated pure red cell aplasia after treatment with recombinant erythropoietin products: recommendations for minimization of risk.

Since 1998, there has been a marked increase in incidence of pure red cell aplasia secondary to development of anti-erythropoietin antibodies (Ab+ PRCA) in patients who have chronic kidney disease (CKD) and receive recombinant erythropoietin. The relationship between incidence of Ab+ PRCA and specific erythropoietin products has not been examined rigorously. Manufacturers provided data regarding exposure to erythropoietin products and incidence of Ab+ PRCA between January 1998 and March 2003 in patients with CKD.

The persisting pneumatoenteric recess and the infracardiac bursa: possible role in the pathogenesis of right hydrothorax complicating peritoneal dialysis.

Hydrothorax, an uncommon complication of peritoneal dialysis (PD), results from the migration of dialysis fluid under pressure from the peritoneal cavity into the pleural space. The exact site of the transdiaphragmatic fluid leak remains obscure, but the right-sided predominance of the hydrothorax points to the presence of abnormalities in the right hemidiaphragm. Such abnormalities have occasionally been described.

Pulmonary elastin synthesis and deposition in developing and mature sheep: effects of intrauterine growth restriction.

Hypoxia and nutrient restriction during gestation restrict fetal growth and alter lung development. As elastin is intimately involved in lung development, our aim was to assess pulmonary elastin synthesis and deposition following intrauterine growth restriction (IUGR) induced by umbilicoplacental embolization (UPE). Pulmonary tropoelastin expression and elastin content were examined at 128 days (5 days UPE) and 140 days (20 days UPE) of the 147- days gestation and at 8 weeks and 2.

Measurement of perception and interpretation skills during radiology training: utility of the script concordance approach.

Imaging specialties require both perceptual and interpretation skills. Except in very simple cases, data perception and interpretation vary among clinicians. This variability makes for difficulty in measuring these skills with traditional assessment tools.

Attenuation of the alcohol preference of C57BL/6 mice during chronic renal failure.

The C57BL/6 inbred mouse strain is known for its strong, genetically determined preference for alcohol over water. In this study we examined the voluntary alcohol consumption (VAC) of C57BL/6 mice during chronic renal failure (CRF). Two weeks after the surgical induction of renal failure, CRF mice, together with normal and sham-operated control mice, were submitted to a standard 24-day VAC protocol.

GHQ-28 and cGHQ-28: implications of two scoring methods for the GHQ in a primary care setting.

Background: The General Health Questionnaire allows for distinguishing patients suffering from psychiatric problems from those in good mental health. There is some controversy as to the best scoring method. Two different methods have been proposed: GHQ and cGHQ.

Breaking bad news: impact of a continuing medical education workshop.

Objective: To evaluate the impact of an interactive continuing medical education workshop designed to help physicians in breaking bad news to their patients.

Methodology: Analysis of post-workshop questionnaires from 539 physicians assessing the retention of the key concepts and the perception of the potential impact of the workshop on their practice immediately after the workshop and six months later.

Results: The most significant concepts retained by the respondents are: the need to take into consideration the whole patient (42.

Comparison of two spatially resolved NIRS oxygenation indices.

Unlabelled: We compared the percentage haemoglobin oxygenation indices from two near infrared spectrophotometers (NIRS) to determine whether the devices reported similar changes in response to induced changes in oxygenation.

Methods: 24 healthy juvenile swine undergoing cardiac bypass surgery had INVOS 5100 and NIRO-300 sensors applied to the brow. Induced events included circulatory arrest, altered blood flow rate, core cooling, and re-warming.

Kinetic profile of a heterocyclic HCV replicon RNA synthesis inhibitor.

Recently, a benzo-1,2,4-thiadiazine was shown to be a potent, specific inhibitor of the hepatitis C virus (HCV) RNA polymerase [J. Biol. Chem.

Senescent effects on binocular summation for contrast sensitivity and spatial interval acuity.

Purpose: Age effects on binocular summation, a cortically mediated visual function, were compared for resolution acuity, contrast sensitivity (CS), and spatial interval (SI) hyperacuity.

Method: The binocular and monocular thresholds of healthy, optimally-corrected healthy young (mean age 21.3 years) and old (mean age 69.

Intrapartum computerized fetal heart rate parameters and metabolic acidosis at birth.

Objective: To estimate to what extent computerized fetal heart rate (FHR) parameters are affected by labor and to estimate the relationship between FHR parameters and the degree of fetal metabolic acidosis in laboring patients at term.

Methods: Fifty-one women between 37 and 42 weeks' gestational age were recruited prospectively in the following groups: 1) nonlaboring women, and 2) laboring women requiring fetal scalp electrode for continuous electronic FHR monitoring. Computerized FHR analysis was performed for 1 hour within 6 hours of delivery in the nonlaboring group and continuously throughout labor in the laboring group.

RETIRED: The use of first trimester ultrasound.

This document has been archived because it contains outdated information. It should not be consulted for clinical use, but for historical research only. Please visit the journal website for the most recent guidelines.

Peak Effect and the Phase Diagram of Moving Vortices in FexNi1-xZr2 Superconducting Glasses.

In the mixed state of type II superconductors, vortices penetrate the sample and form a correlated system due to the screening of supercurrents around them. Interestingly, we can study this correlated system as a function of density and driving force. The density, for instance, is controlled by the magnetic field B, whereas a current density j acts as a driving force F=j x B on all vortices.

Placental insufficiency and its consequences.

Placental insufficiency is a process leading to progressive deterioration in placental function and a decrease in transplacental transfer of oxygen and nutrients to the fetus. The resulting fetal hypoxemia is the major stimulus involved in the reduction in fetal growth as an attempt to reduce metabolic demands by the growing fetus. Fetal growth restriction (FGR) is the second cause of perinatal death after prematurity and can complicate up to 6% of all pregnancies.

The use of fetal Doppler in obstetrics.

Objective: To develop national guidelines on the use of fetal Doppler in obstetrics.

Options: Whether umbilical cord artery, umbilical cord venous, ductus venosus, and middle cerebral artery Doppler are useful in assessing fetal health.

Outcome: Prediction of adverse perinatal outcome or prediction of fetal anemia.

The risks of adverse neonatal outcome among preterm small for gestational age infants according to neonatal versus fetal growth standards.

Objective: To evaluate neonatal and fetal growth standards in determining the impact of small for gestational age (SGA) on neonatal mortality and morbidity.

Design: A hospital-based cohort study of infants born in a regional tertiary care center and admitted to the neonatal intensive care unit.

Setting And Participants: A total of 1267 singleton neonates of <34 weeks gestational age, without any congenital anomalies, born between January 1, 1993 and December 31, 2001.

Intrauterine herpes simplex infection.

Neonatal herpes simplex virus (HSV) infection is usually acquired at birth. We present an infant with intrauterine HSV infection acquired after rupture of membranes. The infant was born prematurely to a woman with a first episode of genital herpetic infection in early pregnancy and rupture of membranes 11 days prior to delivery.

Liquid light guides versus fiber light guides in clinical near-infrared spectroscopy.

New commercial liquid light guides have an advantage over fiberoptic bundles regarding breakage during clinical handling. We investigate the quality of clinical data collection using liquid versus fiber bundles as receivers. A four-wavelength NIRO-500 near-IR spectrophotometer is used with single-terminal fiber bundles, multiterminal fiber bundles, or a single-terminal liquid light guide as receivers.

Stability of clinical reasoning assessment results with the Script Concordance test across two different linguistic, cultural and learning environments.

The Script Concordance (SC) test is designed to measure the organization of knowledge that allows interpretation of data in clinical reasoning. An originality of the test is that answer keys use an aggregate scoring method based on answers given by a panel of experts. Previous studies have shown that the SC test has good construct validity.

Performance assessment. Family physicians in Montreal meet the mark!

Objective: To assess the clinical performance of a representative non-volunteer sample of family physicians in metropolitan Montreal, Que.

Design: Assessment of clinical performance was based on inspection visits to offices, peer review of medical records, and chart-stimulated recall interviews. The procedure was the one usually followed by the Professional Inspection Committee of the Collège des médecins du Québec.

Comparison of an aggregate scoring method with a consensus scoring method in a measure of clinical reasoning capacity.

Background: Diversity of clinical reasoning paths of thought among experts is well known. Nevertheless, in written clinical reasoning assessment, the common practice is to ask experts to reach a consensus on each item and to assess students on a unique "good answer."

Purposes: To explore the effects of taking the variability of experts answers into account in a method of clinical reasoning assessment based on authentic tasks: the Script Concordance Test.